#and one thing that I think would need so much energy is Fate itself

[thormanick]

Crazy thought,

are humans with visions supposed to be “batteries” for gods/divine thrones/whoever issues the actual vision?

/lots of thoughts in the tags/

#based on ashikai’s video recap of 3.6 lore #man do I forget that stuff happens lol #bc apep apparently talks about assimilating elemental energy that used to be individual organisms #so what if by issuing a vision #whatever issues it ‘ties’ it’s receiver to oneself and then can absorb whatever remains of them after their lives come to end? #like. like getting back a loan with % on top of it idk #hmmmmmmmmmmmm #also I’m saying ‘whoever’ bc ei’s and neuvillette’s positions on visions #confuse me a bit #genshin impact #afinna explores teyvat #genshin impact thoughts #genshin impact theory #Genshin impact visions #omg WAIT #but what if it’s not someone out there but something #bc if allogens equal battery then what is the battery for #maybe it’s not upholding someone’s life but rather something’s function #and one thing that I think would need so much energy is Fate itself #if Fate as we know it is unnatural #and was imposed by those who came

[my-insanity-is-an-artform]

Shitten Shenanigans AU – The Fall of Death

Lamb heaved deep shuddering breaths as they glared at the now diminished form of Nar- The One Who Waits. Their body throbbed with pain and their heart was pounding so hard they thought it might burst from their chest, but all of that paled in comparison to the sheer rage that thundered through their veins.

How DARE HE?!

HOW DARE HE AFTER ALL HE AND HIS SIBLINGS HAD PUT THEM THROUGH?!

WAS IT NOT ENOUGH THAT THEIR WHOLE SPECIES AND FAMILY HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM THEM THAT HE WOULD TAKE THEIR CHILD TOO?!

Lamb stalked towards The One Who Waits, their sword scraping against the floor, as he tried to sit up only for Lamb to stomp a harsh hoof in the middle of his chest, crushing him against the ground. He struggled against it weakly, glaring up at Lamb with bared teeth.

“You’ve supplanted me. A vessel no more, now a crowned deity, you damned lamb!” He hissed furiously. “Will you be a merciful coward or a vengeful false idol, you traitor?!”

Hefting the sword above their head, Lamb sneered down at their former divine patron. “For Asha, I would slay as many gods as I need too! Especially ones that betray me first.”

The anger suddenly drained from The One Who Waits’ face, leaving confused furrowed eyes, and he ceased struggling. “…What nonsense do you speak of?”

The sudden change of emotion stayed Lamb’s hand for a moment and for some reason, they answered. “You betrayed our deal first. You demanded the sacrifice of your most devoted follower, YOUR OWN CHILD! MY CHILD!”

Rage swiftly returned to The One Who Waits’ face and he snarled back, a sudden burst of energy as he shoved the hoof off his chest and reached for Lamb. “I’D NO SOONER SACRIFICE AYM AND BAAL THAN I WOULD ASHA, YOU FOOLISH LAMB! THEY ARE NOT MY FOLLOWERS, BUT MY STUDENTS! MY CHOSEN SONS AND CHILD! MINE!”

Lamb dropped the sword and dipped out of the way of the fallen deity’s grasp, flipping him over. “YOU CALL THEM YOUR MOST DEVOTED FOLLOWER! CONSTANTLY! ALL OF US DID!”

He managed to roll to his feet and dodged their own lunge. “I WAS SPEAKING OF YOU!”

The air seemed to still as the rage within Lamb’s snuffed itself out just as quickly as it had arisen when Narinder had first spoken of a sacrifice. “…What?”

Narinder snarled as he drew himself up, lacking the monstrous height he once had but still a good foot over Lamb. “You were my most devoted follower. It was your sacrifice I spoke of!” He paused for a moment as something akin to hurt intermingled with the rage. “You truly believed I would command such a thing upon my own? Even after I had given my word no harm should ever come to them under my protection.”

Lamb tilted their jaw up stubbornly, their anger growing anew yet at a much dimmer level. “You ordered the death of your own siblings. Why would it seem such a stretch?” They knew the answer as soon as they said it.

The hurt faded as rage covered it up again, the force of such causing Narinder to shake. “My siblings betrayed me and bound me! They committed genocide for fear of me! They deserved their fates as you well know!”

Lamb flexed their fingers. “…They were still your family once. Besides, why not simply say? Why call for your most devoted’s death when you knew that is what we called Asha?”

“I had thought you would have a modicum of intelligence to recognise it was not the child that I spoke of!”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t insist on dressing up your orders, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”

“Why would you think I commanded you to leave the child with the rat if I wished for their death!?”

“You command a lot of contradictory things! Sacrifice a follower, resurrect them! Oh here’s a ritual to brainwash your followers but if you tell them to not consume strange substances, they’ll work harder at the cost of falling sick when you brainwash them!” Lamb stalked towards Narinder and jabbed a finger into his chest. “’Take Asha to Ratau’s then bring them here to die!’ is not out of character for you!”

He grabbed their hand and moved it to the side, gripping it harshly. “I sent Asha to that useless rat so that they would not have to watch! To see you sacrificed in my name would have caused them harm for how much they love you! For however much they adored your visits, they cried at every death!”

Lamb snapped their teeth in his face. “And what would you have told them?! When I never appeared again? Would you have told them the honest truth, that you had me killed? Or would you have lied to them as well?!”

Narinder grabbed them by the shoulders and shook them roughly as if to somehow rattle sense into them. “THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN BY MY SIDE!”

“THE HELLS DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!”

“RESURRECTION, YOU FOOLISH LAMB! LIFE GIVEN ANEW WITH THE PROMISE OF ETERNITY AS MY WITNESS! A VOW THAT YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN FREE TO RAISE ASHA OPENLY AND IN SAFETY UNDER MY WATCH!”

Silence reigned across the blazing field of the afterlife as the two stared at each other, their breaths intermingling as they panted. The Red Crown still discarded aside.

The pain started to creep in along the edges of Lamb’s vision. “…Swear to me it was me and not them.”

Narinder started to sway as the last vestiges of his own energy began to drain away, but even then pure honesty shone in his eyes. “It was always you, Lamb.” He seemed to be staying on his feet out of pure stubbornness and by the grip he still had on Lamb’s arms. “So what is to become of me now? Will you slay me like my siblings or are you a merciful coward?”

The crown finally returned to Lamb's head.

They reached out and grabbed him as he lost the fight against his injuries. Pulling him gently into their embrace, they slowly lowered to the ground and pressed a hand to his chest, summoning the indoctrination circle below him. They couldn’t help the way they tucked him closer to their body.

“If it makes me a coward to prevent my child’s sorrow at the loss of their father, then a coward I must be.”

Narinder sputtered a bitter chuckle as his eyes went hazy with pain and betrayal. “I will not forgive you.”

“Can you blame me for doing what I thought was to protect Asha?”

Silence again before something passed over Narinder's face and he closed his eyes.

"...No, vessel. I suppose I cannot."

With that, Narinder fell into the blackness of the teleportation, leaving Lamb alone in a field of damnation and the feeling of bitterness.

______

This.... was a lot less cracky than I thought it would be when I started. I was going do like a fade to black in the middle of the argument to the POV of one of the cultists who are watching what is essentially a marital spat between their leader and their god, but it didn't fit the vibe.

This Narinder never lies. He doesn't always tell the truth but he doesn't lie. Which is why Lamb took him at face value when he said he wanted to kill his most devoted and when he said everything here.

They're both too proud to have an actual conversation about this until they get locked in the confessional by the kids.

Narinder also feels a bit tame but, 1) he's currently in shock at the loss of godhood, 2) he just spent the past couple of years co-parenting with Lamb which bonded them closer than in canon and 3) its my au and I do what I want.

Asha is my shitten's name which fun fact means hope/wish/desire in Sanskrit (same origin as Narinder's name) and life/longevity in Arabic/ Swahili which I thought was cute.

#cotl #cult of the lamb #Shitten Shenanigans Au #Cotl Lamb #Colt Narinder #narilamb #or rather pre-narilamb #I still dont go here #that time Narinder asked for the death of his most devoted follower and Lamb heard Kill Bill Sirens #the au's. they plague me #might do Nari's intro to Asha #since im headcanoning that Nari named Asha #this is why communication is important people #especially with your co-parent

[circeyoru]

I just wanna see alastor and reader (from unwanted soul) slowly dance in a big dark empty room and for him to give her/them a kiss ❤️ (no matter if it's forehead, cheek or mouth kiss) I just love thinking about such soft moments with them

Go to MASTERLIST for the works. This ask is for {Unwanted Souls}.

Yes!! Another sweet moment!!

This one had me thinking of a certain video in mind, you can watch it if you like, but I imagine them dancing like this. Somewhat. @angel-tsugikuni-kamukura, I wonder if you've seen this one.

You pouted, staring menacingly at the scribbled-out ideas you had been thinking while rewatching a few anime and TV shows to give you some sort of idea.

"What's all this?"

"Oh, something I'm thinking about our next dat-!" You realized your mistake but it was already too late. Turning your head, Alastor's face was right next to you. "Hey! What did I say about you taking advantage of my thinking moments!?"

"To not take advantage or leave you alone." Alastor answered proudly, ignoring your glare. He grinned and sat next to you, "Darling Love, I truly don't mind what you have planned as long as it concerns you. I'll be enjoying it all the same." He laughed, "Hahaha! Why even watching a picture show would do!" His eyes gently glaze towards you with that loving look on his face, "What I care for is the time we spend together, not the activity itself."

That didn't make you feel better, though it did make your heart skip a beat. Alastor has been very much the same; the only thing that has changed is your perception of it all. You sighed, not even bothering to look away to hide the brush that Alastor so loved to paint you in, the perfect red as he claimed.

"Still..." You looked back down to your notes.

Alastor hummed loudly, his eyes scanned through the page now that you had let him know what you were planning. He respected your privacy beforehand; if you had lied, he would have taken it without saying another word. But you were pretty honest when you were in your own little world, he gotten a few pass on you, never when it was something deeply guarded.

"Why not have a slow dance? Like waltz or ballroom dances! Ha! Those are perfect excuses to be close to one another, don't you agree?" Alastor suggested, the idea pumping his blood and energy surging high at the thought.

But at your silence, he turned his attention to you. Your hands clenched to fists, a bit white. Your lips pressed against each other to a thin straight. Why were you tense?

"Dearest, you know how to dance, it's not that hard when you include another in your steps." Alastor tried to understand your hesitation. "Besides, I'll be leading! So you only need to follow."

You internally sighed, Alastor's excitement clouding your thoughts. He's excited, no, ecstatic at the idea. You gave him your hand with a wonky smile, "Fine. Lead away."

With a snap of his fingers, your surroundings changed to a ballroom. Themes of red and black all around. Fitting for Alastor. The lighting was dim but comfortable for your eyes and bright enough to know what you were looking at. Even your outfit has changed to match the occasion. Your eyes stopped at Alastor, who was bowing, with his hand offered to you, "May I have this dance?"

"You may." You put your hands in his.

His shadow minions took their places, playing instruments of all kinds to fill the giant room with music. Alastor took your hand and placed his other on your waist, you put your other hand on his shoulder. You smiled when Alastor gave you a look that meant he noticed your familiarity with the pose.

He took the lead and moved, bringing you along. In the beginning, your head was tilted down, staring at the two pairs of feet moving to the music. A while into the music, you were staring ahead at Alastor. The two of you moved in sync, like you were each other's fated dance partner.

Alastor had danced with other ladies in his prime. None were up to his standards, though now he wondered if it was because they were you. Those other ladies stared up at him with lovesick eyes in hopes of being his or fiery eyes with the goal of taming him. Then there was you who stared at the feet to get the feel of things before looking up at him. Eyes of uncertainty.

"My Love, you dance wonderfully. I didn't even need to help you!" Alastor praised. His words always brought you comfort and solace.

"I may have been taught a lesson or two in this." You looked away as if recalling a memory. "Family standards to uphold and all that. The wealthy love their pride. I don't particularly like dancing with others too, like a partner."

Alastor's smile twitched. He made you uncomfortable. He made you—

"But now that I'm dancing with you, Alastor," There was that smile he loved so much. A smile to die for. "I think I quite like it." Touch to go numb over. "We make quite the pair," Words to melt over and be further entangled under your command and wish. "Yes?"

In a swift move, Alastor gave you a twirl before dipping you down and helped himself to a kiss that you returned.

"That we do, My Heart."

The soul to kill for.

#Circe's Nighty Writings #alastor imagine #alastor x reader #alastor x y/n #alastor x you #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor headcanons #hazbin hotel fanfiction #alastor #hazbin hotel oneshots #yandere alastor #yandere alastor x reader #yandere hazbin hotel #alastor fanfiction #hazbin hotel imagines #Unwanted Soul

[tencrushesperday]

Now I Can See You - Rutger McGroarty

summary : when did things get so complicated ? They always get complicated when you overthink. Maybe if you acted more with your heart and less with your head you wouldn’t be locked up in a room with Rutger.

pairing : rutger mcgroarty x junior! reader

TW: implications of sex, insecurities (idk if it’s really a tw but better to be safe than sorry)

a/n : you just KNOW i had to use a Taylor song name for the tittle. i wrote this one a few weeks/ months ago and @sillinger said i should post it so here it is. idk what i did here and honestly i’m not good with criticism so if u don’t like pls just ignore it <3

You and Jacob met in Algebra first semester of freshman year. Your friendship was strategic on both parts. You wanted to cut ties with your shy high school persona and become a free spirit college student who knows how to have fun. He needed to pass that Algebra class. It was a win-win relationship : you passed him your notes and explained to him what he didn’t understand and he invited you to hockey or frat parties. Getting along also kinda helped.

Therefore, for the next few years, you became inseparable at parties. Beer pong partners, couch interlocutors, he would always have his arm swung around your shoulder. If the sibling energy wasn’t so prominent your friends would have assumed you were a couple. But you always had each other’s backs and nothing even remotely ambiguous ever happened.

When in junior year, Jacob introduced you to the freshmen.

You thought Rutger was cute the moment you laid eyes on him.

You got to know later that the first impression was mutual because he would flirt with you any chance he got.

But he flirted with anybody anyway. You noticed after the few first parties that he was quite popular with the ladies.

Therefore you never took his comments seriously. You were looking for a serious relationship. He was probably looking for a new conquest to add to his list.

It wasn’t something you were interested in.

Until that fateful night. You needed to take the edge of that night. You’ve had a stressful week before, filled with presentations and assignments to turn in. So, you - just- needed to relax. You’ve had a few of whatever Nolan had concocted you. Rutger complimented your dress when you where sitting on the stairs together. Everything happened fast that damned night.

After that it didn’t take long for the dress to find itself on the floor, and what needed to happen happened.

~~

In that moment you hated Jacob more than anything. Why did he have to go and meddle. You realise you should have never told him about Rutger.

At least you had the decency to not tell him how much you actually liked the freshman. You would have never heard the end of it.

But now you’re stuck in this room with him and you know that whatever Jacob is doing right now he’s not letting you out of the room before you and Rutger talk.

Yet he doesn’t seem like he has much to say, so you keep your mouth shut as well. You want to know what he’s thinking. You want to apologise for running away in the morning, for leaving him with a cold bed, for ignoring him afterwards.

But you know it’s useless. He doesn’t care. He probably slept with at least another girl since then. What was it a week, ten days, since?

You’re the one who would have wanted to wake up in the stupidly warm arms, pressed to his stupidly toned chest. He was probably relieved when he didn’t have to kick you out in the morning.

But the silence is awkward so small talk it is, you decide.

Yet the moment you start talking to ask how he’s doing, he interrupts you.

“Why’d you leave in the morning?” he sounds disappointed.

Wait. Does he?

You don’t know what to say so you just say what you truly thought since the beginning, “I didn’t want to wait for you to kick me out.”

He widens his eyes at you. Really it’s comical the way his mouth hangs open for a second before he asks “Is it really what you think of me? That I would have kicked YOU out in the morning?” He insists on the word you and you don’t know what to think of it.

You’re left speechless. What can you answer to that anyway, except for yes. He looks so offended already, that wouldn’t help.

“I know I’m just a freshman hockey player. But i thought.. with you being friends with Truss and all… maybe you’d have a better image of me… I thought… i thought i finally got you to look my way…”

Now it was your turn to look at him with wide eyes as you only manage to say one thing. “What?”

“It’s okay I understand it was a mistake for you. I’m younger and you probably don’t have the time to deal with me but can we please remain…”

What? No, no, no. After the word mistake not much makes sense to you. You don’t hear him anymore. Where did he get that idea?

“Wait. What? No, no, no. It was not a mistake for me, not at all. I just… I thought you wanted me gone after you got what you wanted… I… I thought you’d get bored of me and kick me out and start ignoring me after we slept together…”

You’re ashamed to admit how insecure you are.

“Is you esteem of me really that low?” Rutger’s question really surprises you. And is it pain you hear filling his voice?

“I genuinely like you, did since the beginning. And i couldn’t get you to see me. You always acted like i was a kid and I almost lost hope honestly. But I wanted you - I want you - so I kept trying to flirt with you. The moment you followed me into that room, I’ve never been more happy, and when you started kissing me back I swear I’ve felt more awake than ever. I just had to remember everything about you, about your body. I asked you what seemed like a thousands times to me if you were sure of what you wanted and you just kept shutting me up with new kisses until I gave in.”

The images he was depicting, you knew them all too well. You had replayed the night in your head too many times to count. It still gave you goosebumps.

“I’m so sorry” You knew he wasn’t done but you had to say it out loud. Still, you didn’t know if it was enough. You had hurt him in order to protect your own feelings, you could see that now. It was unfair to him.

“I am so so sorry Rutger. I never thought of you as a kid… Really. Never. I’ve noticed you since we met…”

Jacob’s room wasn’t so big but in this moment, as you took small steps towards Rutger, it seems miles long. You didn’t know what to say anymore. You wanted to tell him just how much you like him and how much you want him but the words wouldn’t get out. Being vulnerable has always been difficult for you and you’re so used to doing everything to protect your feelings.

But this is not on him and you know it. He told you everything he had to say. He said he liked you, he said he wanted you. Yet you still can’t believe him. Damn those insecurities.

“More than anything I’m sorry for being insecure. I was convinced you would get bored of me so I shut you out from the beginning. It wasn’t fair to you”

How can you tell him you like him too? And now he’s so close, he is all around you, and all you want to do is kiss him again.

“Do you really mean what you said earlier?” It may sound pathetic. It probably does but you have to be sure.

He doesn’t say anything for a while, just stares at you. Then he leans in and it’s enough of an answer.

#rutger mcgroarty #rutger mcgroarty x reader #umich boys #she’s older woo

[fatuismooches]

muzzle anon here- thx for HURTING ME SO MUCH :D !!! that dottore fic is 'THE' dottore fic for me now, I will read it over and over and over again, it was an amazing experience. AND I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT

Since you wrote how the raven and sparrow's destinies are intertwined. I was thinking of a reincarnation (modern) au? Idk if you would be interested but I just keep thinking of doctor zandik and fragile reader

Kinda would be ironic if zandik is still experimenting on people to find a cure for reader

Or maybe this time they are actually healthy and happy together?

Oh maybe one day Zandik remembers his past life? How he lost reader? How they both ahem went to the other side haha like the whole "you are as beautiful as the day I lost you" thing

They can also met at an university (like how they met at akademiya) it is giving soulmate vibes but hear me out. When they first see each other, they instantly know each other, they don't know how but there is just this bittersweet feeling. Both are questioning why do they feel this desire to hug each other like they have been apart for so long

(I still cant over the death of the segments, Omega, and the end tho. Beta is my fav segment but ZANDY? GONE? NOO and then Omega also? Considering how reader told Dottore they still loved him, maybe Omega thought reader hated him while dying- Like in the end he thought about how he lost the love of reader. How much he messed up? Ouch .)

Actually wait segments didnt die (delulu talk)

Dottore: it was a prank.

Reader: wha-

Segments: *was just about to celebrate their birthday but now feel guilty they just caused a borderline panic attack*

YESSS GRRRR- Imagine if thousands and thousands of years have passed and Teyvat is unrecognizable from what it once was. Elemental energy, Visions, what makes Teyvat, Teyvat, are no more, and the world is completely modernized. Since Celestia is gone as well, the eternal punishment handed to you and Dottore is finished and you two can finally be reincarnated, and perhaps this time fate may give you a happy ending.

Modern Doctor Zandik and fragile reader... your illness is so mysterious that no medicine or treatment seems to be able to cure it, no one knows what's going on with you despite all the medical advances, you get sent from doctor to doctor, clinic to hospital in hopes of a miracle but nothing... But Dottore, he is widely renowned as one of the best doctors in Teyvat, despite his... attitude. Now obviously you could never dream of affording the money to see him but, it just so happens he hears of your case and takes an interest in you... Now, he never expected to get attached to anyone, much less his patient but, it seems that history repeats itself... (unethical doctor part 2)

Happy and healthy reader... and having an instant connection with Zandik!! Oh my gosh yes. Zandik would be the most confused and annoyed because he had never felt a connection with anyone his whole life, he's always been the one by himself. He tries to ignore it, ignore the building feeling in his chest, but as fate would have it, he finds himself bumping into you far more frequently than he'd like. You've had enough of his pretty man constantly invading your mind, so you approach him one day and it all begins from there. (I imagine if he ever dreamed of his past life with you, it'd teach him not to take you for granted. Especially if it was after a fight with you or something.)

I imagine Omega didn't regret his actions, but he still deeply lamented his relationship with you - he missed whenever you'd barge in and lavish him with your affection, how you'd freely rant to him, how you loved him. All were replaced with stone coldness. But perhaps, this is the price of selfishness, one that he had to pay.

😭😭 Segments pranking you... they feel quite guilty but at the same time, it's really nice to think you care about them so much.

#smooches talks #muzzle anon #fragile reader <3 #dottore love notes <3 #IK IM ALWAYS LATE AT RESPONDING BUT THANK U FOR LOVING THE FIC MUZZLE ANON ILYSM #this ask was delicious and if theres one thing abt me im always going to give them a happy ending even if there's angst first #THEY DESERVE HAPPINESS

[meeeeeeese]

So I want to talk about the altar of Glaust, because it's incredibly important to the story and yet it almost never gets brought up.

What I think most people know about the altar is that its a forgotten artifact that was responsible for Glint, and by extension, Aurene being freed from the yoke of Kralkatorrik. While you can visit it in Arah, it kind of exits the story from there with no character ever thinking to use the sole artifact with the power to grant corrupted creatures free will again. However there's a few details that I think a lot of people miss that I find kind of interesting at least.

The first thing is that the altar itself is only a part of the process, it's just a component of a spell or ritual that does the actual work of cleansing the corruption.

Secondly, the spell needs to be performed at Arah. Though I don't know whether that's simply because the forgotten built the required altar there or because Arah is special somehow.

Personally, I think that there's something special about Arah that's required for the spells function beyond the mere presence of the altar. Zhaitan's presence indicates that it's almost definitely a ley-line nexus, and something about the land there was special enough to call the gods to tyria. So I think it'd make sense that they'd have to do it in Orr (which also suggests, given the forgotten attempted to purify Kralkatorrik, that ol'Kralky used to be active in Orr during the last dragonrise before flying up to the blood lands for his nap)

I think that would go some way as to explain why we're not using this incredible power, as the only way to do so is to venture through an unchained-infested city all the while lugging about whatever corrupted creature you want to cleanse.

And while I'm on the subject of why the altar isn't in the story more, there's also the fact that making corruption being curable more of a thing really changes the nature of dragon minions. Where before they're poor victims who can only be put down for everone's safety, the altar's presence makes them victims who, if you put in enough effort, you could save. Which would probably change the focus of the story quite dramatically as we have to weigh protecting still uncorrupted people against trying to save the corrupted from their fate.

(though imagine if we used purified branded to create living dragonsblood weapons, warriors uniquely suited to fighting branded who are immune to corruption because I don't think Kralkatorrik can brand them twice)

(as a sidenote, if you haven't done the forgotten path of the ruined city of arah you might not know that the altar is blimmin huge, check out the pic below with risen giants for scale)

Finally, just an interesting/annoying note is that we never got any explanation as to how the forgotten purification works, does it block the elder dragon from issuing commands to said minion? Does it work to nullify the dragonvoid lurking at the heart of the creatures magic? Replace the corrupted dragon magic with more benign ley energy? Who knows! Not us, and we likely never will now that we're moving away from the dragon storyline. And I promise I'm not salty about that.

So yeah, that's pretty much it, the altar's a pretty cool object and, for how little it comes up, a really important part of Aurene's ascension to non-mad elder dragon. Hopefully it'll one day get more attention, if only so we can have the commander go "Wait why haven't we been using this the entire time"

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #wew that was a long post #so in the dungeon we see an npc use the altar to purify a risen chicken #and I know my commander Rugan had some selfish part of him hope it wouldn't work #because the altar being functional meant that he might have been able to save Howl... #I'd probably just headcanon that no ones been able to purify more than a small creatures so far #even though that was never outright stated in game #moose lore posting

[dduane]

i’ve always thought it was really cool how honest you are on this website. i think a lot of the time when writers become established or well known, people who aren’t professional writers, or perhaps are writers but have not published anything or amassed a following tend to think that there’s a point when writing becomes easy. but i think you’ve always been pretty upfront and clear about how that is incredibly not true. writing will still be hard sometimes. i just think that’s neat

Thanks.

I’ve been getting paid for this work for forty years now, and I’m here to tell you that even in previous decades, when there always seemed more than enough energy for whatever needed doing, my work was never something I’d have dared characterize as “easy.” (Not least because I always knew such a description, no matter how jokingly I might have voiced it, would have been tempting fate.) ...And having just turned seventy, while these days I have to manage my energy resources a bit more carefully to get done what needs doing, the work’s still not easy.

Sure, some tasks associated with the Work become less troublesome to manage simply because you’ve met and managed them so many times now. Some problems that you’ve solved repeatedly enough become simpler to untangle... sometimes to the point that you don’t even have to think about how to manage things when they pop up. Some mistakes that you made too many times in previous years have also become easier to avoid over time (the way you learn to avoid riding your bike right at a brick wall after the first few times, no matter how you want to show up the person who dared you to. Pain’s a great teacher...).

But the everlasting search for the perfect word, or exactly the right character voice, or the quintessential viewpoint, or the most satisfying plot twist for this particular story, never gets any easier. Solve one of these challenges, and another will promptly present itself. This work is not meant to get easy, because growth isn’t easy... and the good writer is always growing and learning. The last thing you want to hear is “His/her/their book is just another version of the one before. They’ve gone stagnant. They’ve stopped trying.” And my concern is that the thought or feeling “That was easy” at the end of a project would be a sure sign that something or other was going very wrong.

There’s this, too. When too many things start becoming easy, there’s a risk of losing the one thing about a completed writing project that can’t be taken from you: your (rightful!) sense of accomplishment. At the end of the day, that’s the only prize that really matters. Yeah, you get paid when you turn work in. (Or not, if you’re laboring at the fanfic end of things.) But money (or kudos) cannot replace the intimate personal knowledge of what you did, and how you got it done. Outside rewards are no equal to the memory of how you sized up the task lying before you—the way a mountaineer sizes up a peak—or  the way you plotted out how you were going to tackle it: and how you then, step by step, pitch by pitch and crag by crag, embark on your fic’s or novel’s or screenplay’s conquest. The view from the top, months later, when you’re up there looking down over the way you’ve come, wouldn’t be anything like as satisfying if it had felt easy.

So I’m quite happy to keep a good tight grip on the sense of the Work sometimes being hard. When things fail to go as planned—because of life issues, or executing a batch of material and finding out after the fact that it’s all wrong, or discovering that the emphasis of your project has changed in some way you never expected—then the ways you find to shift and cope and get through to your goal are proof that you’re still growing, still learning new ways to get it done. The sense of difficulty, by this metric, is way more valuable as proof of growing expertise than any sense of things being, or getting, easy.

Anyway: thanks for the kind words. They’re much appreciated.  :)

#writing #It's not easy #and that's fine by me

[cocrante]

I Start Over With You

[SOLANGELO FANFIC]

summary: After the great battle against the forces of Gaea, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter had formed a long-lasting alliance. Everything had gone well, and everyone was ready to start anew. This included Nico, who, after confessing his feelings to Percy, was prepared to open a new chapter in his life—perhaps the happiest one the Fates had ever written.

note: the chapters will be updated every Wednesday. If you want to read upcoming chapters of the fanfiction in advance, I invite you to follow me on Patreon. Subscribing is not necessary, these chapters will be added for free on the platform on Mondays and Fridays. Following me there is just a kind and free gesture to support my work c:

Reblogs are highly appreciated c:

[CHAPTER 20]

THERE WASN'T MUCH TO DO THAT MORNING AT THE CAMP. MANY ACTIVITIES WERE CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON. Jason suggested to Nico that they do something indoors to pass the time. Nico, shrugged, agreeing to whatever his friend had in mind. Jason then took him to do some manual work, which was quite popular among demigods in December.

"You could give him a vase" Jason suggested ironically as they entered the pottery workshop. "Not a chance" Nico replied, perhaps too seriously, following him into the workshop.

The interior smelled of wood and clay. As soon as the two boys stepped inside, they were embraced by the warmth of the fire. It wasn't by chance that this activity was so popular among campers in the winter. The two boys took a table for two, jokingly challenging each other to see who could do the worse job. Neither of them was very skilled in handicrafts; they preferred to leave those things to someone more talented and patient, but at the moment, it was a good excuse to spend time indoors and stay warm.

So they began to shape the clay, molding it as best they could. Most of the time—whatever they were making—ended up either too crooked or too lopsided, requiring them to start over from scratch.

Jason sighed several times; the vase he was making kept collapsing in on itself. "You're getting it too wet" Nico told him, who instead seemed to find the activity more enjoyable than expected. It was easier to push away anxiety when one's hands were busy.

"Do you think so?" he raised an eyebrow, thinking he had used the right amount of water. The boy beside him nodded, giving him the rest of his clay that he no longer needed.

At the end of the day, Jason won that bet, finding his own work all crumbled. Ceramics just weren't his thing. Nico's vase, on the other hand, turned out well.

"Are you going to paint something?" Jason asked, propping his elbow on the table to hold his head with one hand. Nico pursed his lips, staring at the vase that still needed to be fired. He wasn't much of a painter, but if he could, he would have liked to depict the danse macabre on it, even though it had little to do with the Greeks.

"I'll probably leave it as it is" he said. It wasn't worth voicing his thoughts.

In the distance, the conch shell sounded, signaling that time had really flown by that morning. They cleaned the dry clay off their hands, taking off the clay-stained aprons and patches of color. Along with the other demigods who had locked themselves in there, they headed towards the dining hall, and suddenly Nico's heart began to pound hard in his chest: Will's arrival at the camp was getting closer and closer.

It was difficult for him to eat lunch. He kept staring at the entrance of the camp, impatiently waiting for his arrival.

"You're making me anxious too, please relax" Jason said, putting his fork down. All the panic his friend was feeling was somehow transferring to him.

"What if I'm doing something stupid?" he asked more to himself than to the son of Jupiter. All that energy he had, those pep talks he had with himself in front of the mirror, suddenly all faded away. He wasn't so sure anymore if he could do it, if he could talk to him about his feelings; in reality, it was something he never did well. "You're just nervous" Jason told him, taking a sip from his chalice. "You'll see, once you're alone wirh him, it'll be fine"

Nico just sighed, looking at the grilled food on his plate: he really wanted to believe Jason's words, but it was so difficult to push away all those negative thoughts and fears that arose, and with every passing minute, it was getting worse.

After lunch, Nico managed to eat something, or rather he forced himself to. He said goodbye to Jason, who went to the Greek class; he had become good at translations, but the words were still difficult for him to pronounce. He often confused Greek terms with Latin ones.

Nico instead went to the entrance of the camp; there was no point pretending to do something while waiting for his arrival. He sat down on a cut log, propping his elbow on his knee to rest his cheek on his hand. Time suddenly seemed to slow down; the hours never passed, the minutes remained the same, and the knot in his stomach grew stronger. Then, at the end of the valley, a door closed, and the engine of a car started again. His heart literally leaped into his throat.

It was hard to see who it was because of a light mist, but as the demigod got closer, Nico slowly started to breathe again, relaxing his previously tense shoulders. He had forgotten that Percy also spent the winter at the camp with Annabeth—she had driven there with him. "Hey Nico!" Percy greeted, approaching his friend and leaving the suitcases with Annabeth. "What are you doing here all alone?" he asked, and before Nico could answer, he continued. "Come with us! You have to tell us a lot about New Rome" he dragged him away from the camp entrance. "You could have sent me a message once in a while" Percy muttered ironically. Nico had missed that suffocating guy.

"I had better things to do" he replied, leaving Percy taken aback.

"Like what?" Percy asked curiously. Annabeth also approached, curious about the conversation.

Nico averted his gaze from Percy's, his cheeks turning a little red. "Oooh!" the two exclaimed in unison, noticing his embarrassed face. "And what did you talk about?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing much" he briefly recounted the conversations they had had over those months, glossing over some small details.

"So he still doesn't know?" Annabeth concluded. Her boyfriend hadn't been able to keep the secret for long, but Nico no longer cared about that.

"No" he replied. "But he should be arriving at the camp today, so—" he didn't finish the sentence, it was obvious what he was about to say.

Together they went to the pavilion, there were many things they needed to catch up on, and then they had all the time to unpack their bags. Both Percy and Annabeth bombarded him with questions about New Rome, particularly about how he was doing there and if the people were friendly. They didn't want to end up with unfriendly neighbors. So Nico explained the situation that had arisen: it wasn't easy to get used to the changes, it would take years before everything was truly accepted. "Some tolerate it, I think, they understood what they were going against and preferred to abandon their ideals rather than end up in chaos" he explained. "Others are still sulking and would rather barricade themselves inside their walls than let their secrets out" he told them everything Reyna and Frank had explained to him in his first month in the new city. "So should we not expect a warm welcome?" Annabeth deduced. Nico simply shrugged. "Maybe not" he sighed, nervously glancing at the camp gate. He would arrive any moment now.

Without beating around the bush, the son of Hades got up, saying he was going to the bay. Percy gave him a thumbs up, wishing him all the best. Annabeth also gave him some courage, which was what he needed most at the moment.

He left the pavilion behind, heading towards the bay. At first, he hadn't thought about it, but suddenly he remembered that it had been the site of their first friends' outing, where Will had asked him to meet him that afternoon when he had gone to practice archery. He couldn't believe so much time had passed since then, it seemed like just a few weeks ago.

He sat down on a rock, staring at the waves and turning his back to everything else. He liked the sound of the sea, the surf breaking on the beach. It was somehow relaxing, as if the waves were carrying away his darkest thoughts.

The sun slowly descended, on the verge of being swallowed by the horizon. The bright, rosy colors of the sky turned purple, blending with the warm orange of the sun.

Behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps, mingled with the clinking of stones being moved. It was funny, but he was certain that even among a thousand steps, he would be able to recognize his. He turned towards that figure bathed in the late afternoon sun, which was now getting closer and closer. Nico stood up, his hands cold, and his heart in his chest seemed like it could burst at any moment.

"Percy told me I'd find you here" he said, nervously lowering his gaze. Will had probably noticed the place they were in.

"He told you right" replied the son of Hades, nervously playing with the ring he had on his finger. It was a gesture that Will had often seen him do when they were together. "I have to tell you something" added the son of Hades, staring into the blue of his eyes, which, as the sun set, took on various intense shades.

"Me too" the son of Apollo swallowed, approaching Nico.

It felt strange to Nico to see him in a burgundy hoodie and jeans instead of the usual orange camp outfit.

"Go first" Nico's heart started pounding harder as he approached Will, who was now only about thirty centimeters away.

"No, you" Will smiled awkwardly, encouraging him with a hand gesture to speak first.

"Okay, fine" he muttered, looking down at the ring he still hadn't stopped fidgeting with. "It's something important" he raised his gaze again as Piper had told him to do.

"Alright" the son of Apollo tried to hold back a laugh, it was funny to see him so nervous.

"Okay" he replied, taking some time to organize his thoughts. "I wanted to tell you that the weeks we spent together at the camp were the best of my life. I was scared at first to spend time together, afraid you might get tired of me like most people do" instinctively, he pursed his lips in a small grimace. "I'm not very good with these things, with feelings, words, living people in general— but I wanted to tell you that for me, the little time we spent together laughing and talking meant a lot. And that time you were right when you told me there's always time to make new and even better memories, you proved it to me every day we spent together. Both at the camp and through Iris messages" he looked into his eyes, and a delicate smile was slowly forming. "What I—what I mean is that I would like to build more memories... with you, Will" his cheeks flushed a bit.

Will curled his lips slightly, as if considering those words, stepping closer to Nico. A veil of silence fell between them; neither spoke anymore.

"So, Solace, did you get it, right?" Nico interrupted that silence, not knowing how else to say it.

The son of Apollo looked into those intense black eyes, sure that he understood. He smiled timidly, lowering his gaze to his own white fingers that never stopped playing with that silver skull-shaped ring. He nodded, bringing his attention back to Nico's tense face, which seemed impatient to hear his response. "I would like to build new memories with you too" he replied, smiling.

"Really?" Nico whispered, letting out a breath.

"Really" Will nodded, getting closer.

Once again, neither of them spoke, they let a silence fall interrupted only by the lapping of the waves breaking on the shore. Meanwhile, the sun was slowly setting to make way for the night. Nico bit his lip, he had never thought about what would come next, it couldn't end like this, perhaps even Will expected something and was now waiting for it.

"Well then—" Nico said quickly, interrupting that silence. "If you agree I'd like to start with this kind of memory" he took another step forward, placing a hand on Will's warm cheek, leaning towards his face to imprint his first kiss on his lips. Neither of them actually expected it; it was such a spontaneous gesture. That, and they both believed, would be the best memory. December finally acquired a different meaning for Nico and also for Will.

That kiss lasted only a few seconds, which for them seemed to last an eternity. They stayed staring into each other's eyes for a while, both with a smile on their lips and hearts beating fast.

Nico had never noticed it before, but Will smelled like sunscreen and wildflowers. The son of Apollo was right, he truly brought summer into the darkest and coldest day of the year.

[CONTENTS]

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20

#🖇️ : fanfiction #i start over with you ☀️☠️ #solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #riordanverse #percy jackson #pjo #pjo fanfiction #camp halfblood

[trashiewrites]

MW Halloween HCs

Happy Spooky day yall! Here are some HC’s i cranked up for the boys plus Farah 👀 spending time with you of the fateful day!

Price:

+No....

+you tried to do something at least decorate the house. He shut you down so fast.

+Plus, He doesn't believe in it and thinks it's a waste of money.

+You told him "THiNk AbOuT THe CHilDrEn JoHN" and I shit you not his response was "Sure I'll give them a good scare" As he pulls out his gun he carries.

+ You then make him aware of the potential lawsuits for you know BRADISHING A GUN TO CHILDREN

+He proceeds to put the gun away "No decorating"

+You ignored him, you bought small decorations anyway with your own money so he couldn't complain. Your favorite is a skeleton bowl that you placed on his nightstand one night after he fell asleep, woke up, and yelped because he woke up with a skeleton in front of him.

+Proceed to laugh in his face. To be honest, he laughs too cause it did get him pretty good.

Soap:

+ Wouldn't be surprised if Soap signed up for a decorating contest cause I feel he would love to decorate these types of things

+He even makes custom stuff

+you help him OFC, mainly by going out and getting supplies when he needs them.

+ He takes such pride and you as an extra touch Help Soap Get costumes that help match the theme of the decorations for the wear so that way when you guys hand out treats together you guys look in character and can trick a few scared in!

+Soap loves interacting with the kids. Honestly seeing the kids walk up amazed at his work on the house is why he does it.

+DadTavish energy vibes are especially high. Like he is so close to having a full-on baby fever episode.

+He gets really sad the day after because he knows he's not gonna be able to keep his props. But you guys sell the props online because they actually have a big market for this kind of stuff. Saves up money for next year's theme!

Ghost:

+He tries so hard...

+He usually doesn't pay any heed to such a holiday but he wanted to try it

+TBH the only reason he never did is that kids are normally scared to talk to him due to his mask. He's always been marked as intimidating.

+he bought simple decorations for the outside of his house and a silly little skeleton bowl for the candy he was gonna give out.

+He asked you to help him set it all up. But it was really just for the nerves

+ Day of Halloween, he didn't really dress up per se. He just kinda wore the uniform.

+Halloween became his favorite holiday that day :)

+ "Wow Mister! I love your Skull Trooper costume!" He doesn't know where exactly it's from but it meant so much to him

+ After that night he was so silently happy. Whenever it happens, he looks over at you every time with a glow in his eyes. It is so fucking cute

+Now he looks forward to Halloween every year!

Gaz:

+COUPLE COSTUMES AND YOU KNOW IT!

+He spent the entirety of the month chatting with you about different duos you both could be. This is the heaviest debate every year cause you two can never agree.

+you want to do a duo from your fav show while he would want to do the cliche couple ones like Peter pan and Wendy; just some Disney.

+You guys compromised this year by doing a duo from your favorite animated movie. (For example, Chihiro and Haku from spirited away, but you choose whatever) 

+ Once the whole costume problem ends, you can finally decide what you guys go do for the holiday itself. Which is something you guys luckily can easily get behind each other's ideas. At least, you guys have civil conversations about it.

+ he usually tries to bring up doing a haunted house and then heading to a party. This year Shut him down on at least the haunted house. Why you may ask, well Gaz doesn't do haunted houses very well... Like horribly.

+ It's either he gets too on edge and almost kills an actor, or he panics and passes out. Two years in a row... So you really don't want to deal with another hospital bill. Despite him saying He'll be okay and he won't do it... You highly doubt that... Cause he has always been pretty jumpy.

Roach:

+He wanted to go trick or treating... REALLY BADLY. 

+ Yeah you didn't believe him at first when he asked you about you, "Aren't you too old for that Gary?" You wouldn't believe how loudly he gasped.

+ "YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR FREE CANDY!"  Gary shed a single tear as he ran to your shared bedroom. You couldn't hold your sigh as he went off on his dramatic antics again. Every time, this happens every single time...

+ When you finally agree to it, he celebrates and does a little happy dance. God the shit this GROWN MAN does that makes him the world's oldest 5-year-old. 

+ That happy dance stops when you ask one question, "So, what are you going to be?" He stops right where he is and stays for a bit before looking back at you... "u h h, shit... I don't know." 

+ He dragged you to the Halloween shop with him so he can try out the costumes, which might I add, took about 3 hours of your day.

+ He couldn't pick between being Michael Myers or some other creepy monster you didn't know the name of. Of course, he asked your opinion, aka you choose which one he picks cause he's so damn indecisive. 

+ On Halloween, he was practically jumping off the walls in the evening! 

+For you, enjoying a nice stroll in the cool breeze but seeing Roach so happy is nice too. Even better when you two stop for a break and he reaches into his candy sack and hands you your favorite candy cutely. "Thank you for coming with me (y/n)." 

+ Before anyone asks, yes, yes, he does get really weird looks because he is semi-tall... Like they aren't going to say anything cause he's wearing a mask and even if he wasn't wearing one, he has a baby face so he still would get his candy. 

Alex:

+I'm going to be completely honest with Ya... He seems like the guy that likes true crime.

+ SO, instead of typical Halloween stuff like Horror movies and cobwebs. You both are watching true crime documentaries while making little knife cookies! 

+Honestly you two get really sad at the end because you can't help but feel horrible for the victims of these killers you had watched. So, after the documentary binge, you both just relax and watch normal things. 

+Honestly Alex forgot it was Halloween until someone came to the door for a trick or treat. Sadly, he had to bear the bad news to the kids. He didn't have candy but offered a knife cookie. 

+ With the consent of the parents, he put them in a little sandwich baggie and gave it to them. 

+You looked back at him with a small glare at him giving the cookies, "what you want me to leave them empty-handed?" You nodded, "Oh come on (y/n), not like you're going to eat them all anyways." You took that as a challenge. 

+ you got sick the next day :D Alex was also mad that you legit ate all the fucking cookies. He only got to have like 3 out of the 14 or so.

Farah:

+ So, Farah doesn't really get the purpose of Halloween. But she gets one thing. It is the one day she can scare the living shit out of you all day and you can't be mad at her for it. 

+She hinds in the most obscure places and somehow knows where you are going to go at all times.

+ Honestly, it freaks you out how many times she can scare you in one day... Her record is 20. 

+ Poor you get so anxious and somewhat competitive cause you want to catch her before she can scare you. Have you done so? no, currently you have zero points on that front...

+ "Boo!" you screamed and fell backward, "Haha! got you again (y/n)!" she lends you a hand as you proceed to tell her that this isn't what Halloween is supposed to be. "Well, it is this for me and I quite like this holiday. Keeps your senses sharp, doesn't it?"

Alejandro:

+ You two don't really celebrate Halloween, the most you two do is buy decorations and make little Halloween snacks. Also, Alejandro has a weird obsession with candy corn...

+ You guys also watch Horror movies but that really is for Halloween, nothing special. 

+ You guys celebrate Dias de Los Muertos, which is really big for him! You guys have an ofrenda in your house and his family usually hosts a big party to celebrate the day which you are happily welcomed to! 

+ If you have ever been to a Mexican party, you can probably expect what it's like.  If you don't know, just know its fucking amazing! fresh food of all kinds, all kinds of booze, and top that with a loud stereo or a live band! 

+ Personally believe that Alejandro would bust out a guitar and play a song or two! Aka, I believe he has a killer Spanish singing voice, English... He's okay with it.

Graves:

+Take this as you wish, But I'm telling you right now this man is way too fascinated with slasher films... I MEAN IT, HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH!

+ Legit you guys prob had a bucket that you would handle the trick-or-treaters because he won't leave that screen. HE'S SO FOCUSED!

+ It honestly shocks you how many of these types of movies this man can watch in one sitting cause honestly it prob gets boring after about 3 of them. I'm sure he watched maybe 14 movies throughout the entire day.  MIND YOU, THIS ISNT A FLEX!

+ Cheers and makes comments about the character deaths, "That girl totally deserved to die, like who the fuck is that stupid to go that way like honestly dear fucking god..." 

+ One character's head got, you know, smashed and I SWEAR, the first thing out his mouth was "Haha! Pop!" LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!!! not even a flinch... I refuse to believe this man isn't a walking red flag

#CODMW #cod mw22 #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty #modern warfare #modern warfare 2 #call of duty modern warfare 2 #call of duty modern warfare 2 remastered #captain price #captain mactavish #john price #John Mactavish #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #simon riley #happy halloweeeeeeen #halloween #spooky

[definitelynotshouting]

Hello again! Im so sorry to hear you feeling well when i sent in my ask the other day :( hoping that the life series drop tmrw will provide a much needed distraction for whatever you need it to :)

-☀️

"I know the, um, this morning didn't go… very well… but… if I could—""

"Good, he thinks, but it's a rote sentiment, not half so vicious as it had been only hours earlier."

- oh??? 👀 i am looking

- Im assuming this is the meeting they had about taking grian back to hermitcraft (and the revelation that grian feeds on emotions to survive)?? Very curious

- Now that metaphor about the childhood coat being stained is a lot more painful

-☀️

"even stolen energy can't make up for that."

"everything he'd never had the first time he— well, when Grian, the real Grian— had died."

- "stolen energy" omg i am biting ankles over this.

- And the "real Grian" thing. Yeah

- This is one of those moments where grian's whole situation is so much more potent and vivid. Imagining living as myself, but knowing im occupying someone elses body, and having my very lifeforce sustained by others?? Its not hard to understand why grian internalises and hates himself for being "a parasite". Idk thats probably very obvious to everyone else but this is the first time ive really thought about all of what that entails

-☀️

"Starving hands reach out from the depths of his mind to pull him back, stumbling, under that dark waterline."

- Love how the word "starving" implies that G falling asleep is more of a survival mechanism forcing him under so that his body can feed rather than only exhaustion

-☀️

"he's pressed a knife to every promise he's ever made since the day he emerged,"

- shaking you

-☀️

"His existence lies in the shadows of these distorted fractures, jagged hopes and dented dreams, forever fated to cut his hands on the fragments."

- AHHHHJSLDHSJSVSN

- Man 🧍

- Dont have any words. Just tears.

AAAAAAAAAA SUN ANON I ALWAYS LOVE SEEING YOU IN MY INBOX!!!! Gods im so glad these lines resonated with and interested you, they were a ton of fun to write

I have a brain today so i can actually expand on some of the things youve pointed out instead of just aiming heart eyes at you for the compliments fjsndjsjejke so for the first point, yes!!! Scar and Xisuma returned to the others post chap 6 and were like "Well that sucked!! Wow!!!!" I wouldnt say theyve given all the information to everybody, because they themselves aren't exactly ready to discuss that beyond the immediately required basics, but everyone else was given the gist: convo went badly, Grian is being taken back to Hermitcraft on Scar and Xisuma's insistence. Both Scar and Xisuma feel fucking horrible for how that conversation went down-- nobody had a good time there. So while the plan is to eventually get everyone up to speed, they're sorta taking this time to be miserable about what was essentially a fight that ended in stripping Grian of his autonomy

There's also a little cross-communication happening here in the background, btw: Scar and Xisuma have a pretty big picture now, but Tango, Mumbo, and Pearl have been fed that false info abt the potions being potentially useful. So, yknow :) just smth to keep in mind there haha

Your point about how it almost feels like Grian falling asleep is a survival mechanism is spot on the money. It's essentially him falling into a state of low power mode, where everything but his most basic of functions is shut down for a brief time in favour of preserving energy-- i would honestly consider it more equivalent to a coma than actual sleep. Hence Tango's concern, and subsequent relief when Grian woke up; the entire time he was unconscious, he was fully unresponsive. So, yknow. Real nerve-wracking to see, especially after that prior full week of unresponsiveness as his body struggled to maintain itself.

Tango's role here is indeed deliberate, both on a watsonian and doylist level!! The reason however is the exact same for both: Tango is a little more removed, personally, from this situation. Grian was-- and is-- his friend, ofc, but he's not as close to whats happening. Meanwhile, Xisuma is in 24/7 server babysitting mode, Pearl is not fit to be a caretaker, and Scar and Mumbo were tearing themselves apart by trying to sit and look after him. So Tango got assigned caretaker duties 😂😂😂😂 it was an effective way to divvy up tasks and keep everybody busy, and somewhat hilariously, so far Tango is the only person Grian isnt supremely upset with for one reason or another. And thats why he's continued to stay in caretaker mode lol he is truly just. The only guy who can rn

I also just sorta think of him as a surprisingly emotionally savvy fixer-type, in terms of personality. Like. I think he just gets what people set down in front of him, yknow? Although hell if he knows what to do with it once he's got em. He fumbles a lot, sure, and he defaults to fix-it mode, but he is getting the message when Grian essentially says "i dont wanna talk anymore" without actually saying it

As for Grian and his headspace, rn, theres definitely a complexity at work here where he wants to die and is very genuine in that, but he IS also grateful he's seeing his friends. He cant deny that. As painful as it is, he still loves them very much, and ultimately he's trying to do this for their own good as much as for his own sense of punishment and relief. I think like... now that he's really creeping up on what he has planned, and the pieces are suddenly becoming a reality, theres a bit of dissonance he's fighting against to stay on course. He wants his friends happy; he also wants to die. He's so overwhelmingly tired; he is, as much as he feels he doesnt deserve it, glad to have his friends close. That sort of hopelessness mixed with a warped sense of comfort that he got to see and interact with them one last time. If that makes any sense. Its a bit of complexity i wanted to make sure i added in, because people are so rarely fully decided on any course of action they choose to take, without even a single flicker of doubt (and especially one so final as this). Im glad youve picked up on that, and that you appreciate what i was trying to set down with it!!! :D

This was such a lovely message, as always-- you are very sweet, sun anon, and i appreciate you lots :] i hope you're having an excellent day!!!

#shouting speaks #asks #hunger au #compliments #dw i am feeling much better!!! was just a wonky few days :] #❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #anyway i hope these lil expansions are fun for you to read 👀👀👀 #long post #txt

[corvidcrowned]

I NEED AN UPDATE ON THE LORE I FEEL SOOOO LOST!! /nf

my discord dms are always open :)

SCAMPERS.HI SO BASICALLY.WE’VE GOT SOME CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WITH OUR MAIN GUYS<3 SARAI AND ANZU HAVE GONE THROUGH.HORRORS.AND NOW GO BY RED AND PIERROT…! (I AM WORKING ON A RED PLAYLIST I HAVE A FINISHED PIERROT PLAYLIST.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR<3) ANyhow. Well one lore thing is the sort of magic system i have going on with the glitches…. They depend on the cards!

Y’see, having drawn these specific cards in the run where the big glitch in the system happened has given these four specific ais (that being, keijai red pierrot and sh(ai)n) special abilities, kinda like weird power ups! - the commoner has no control over their own fate. Thusly when keijai’s card is active he sort of fazes through walls… no power over the situation, no power to even touch things! He hasn’t gotten hold of his abilities yet though since he’s not fully aware LOL

-the keymaster is the king of the game! Red gains weapons- sharp claws and fangs, as well as a scythe befitting of the angel of death! Red can activate his ability at any time, but it takes up a lot of energy!

-the sage sees all! Pierrot can see every outcome of the simulation thus far, as well as everyone’s card! They can also tell who killed who by touching the body, and see when safalin’s watching the simulation! Though sun doesn’t have much FIREPOWER ATTACK ability, their knowledge is a weapon in and of itself. Also, sun has a really big book

-the sacrifice is doomed to die! And so, shin’s card is only active after he’s dead! Upon dying, shin can communicate with/assist one other ai, or just watch the simulation from mirrors and the like. He hasn’t gotten a good grasp of the communicating part, but he watches the rest of the sim from in between after red kills him.

There’s also the ones who have also drawn these cards previously, and thus have some power as a side effect almost. Take naomich(ai) for example! He’s not all-knowing, but he can tell something’s certainly off with Red and Pierrot. Though, they can’t quite place a finger on what.. they usually end up concluding that it’s some nonsense with gods and the like. Long story my guy’s having a hard time.

Alsooooo :3 been thinking about Red a lot lately (who could’ve thought) and well a thing about it is that it’s very dependent on the praise of others to be happy…

Also!!the win rates in this au are like a little messed up but that’s ok<3

#ai test idiots #yttd #chicken scratch

[thunder-the-ranger-wolf]

I whine about my health here so I'm putting it under the cut.

I haven't unlocked the key to my being in pain and exhausted all the time (joint hypermobility syndrome aka the lower end of the elher-danos scale is but one piece of the puzzle) but diagnoses like fibromyalgia and cfs/me were thrown around before everything was just lumped under JHS and everyone called it a day.

I had a much shorter time of not being believed (five years) because I crashed and burned in college and I had way bigger things to worry about than a "new" disability choosing to make itself known.

Leopard (my aunt) is better than Lion (my mother) about accomodating my constant exhaustion, and that's really all I can ask for.

I lasted a few months with Lion after college before I went to go live with Leopard, and Leopard took it in stride and focused on helping me do things like get out of bed and stay there (with what time she had. She's a busy woman and I can respect that.) But she accepted there was more to deal with after we kicked the depression/anxiety to manageable levels and the health journey continued. Yay Leopard! One of two Best Aunts Ever!

She still thinks that I shouldn't be exhausted all the time and she also believes eating the right foods and exercising can help manage my joint pain (she's kind of right but not entirely). Neither of us has the resources (time, energy, possibly money) for another health deep dive, but i'm learning to be okay with my physical state.

I start rambling and get really pissed off here so if you got this far you're awesome but please stop here. Mentsl state angst ensues!

My mental state is another question entirely and the answer is "nope, and probably won't ever be". Kudos to whichever deity had a hand in my fate. Thanks for the life-giving but I Just Wanna Talk (whose idea was it to give me half a brain?! Did you just think I wouldn't live long enough to hate it??! Is that what you banked on???)

*sighs* i hate having a disability there's literally never going to be a cure for. I hate thst i can't manage it by myself and will need people to remind me to do basic shit like brush my teeth. I hate that I can only be active for maybe four hours at a time before I need to crash, and that crashing can last anywhere froman hour or so to all day for multiple days. I hate that I have multiple projects that I want to finish but just can't bring myself to. I hate that the closest thing to this is adhd and some of the resources help but since its not, the things that would really help, like medication, supposedly won't work on me.

And, well, let's be real. I'm probably not as okay about my physical state as I could be, but damn if isn't way better than how I feel about my brain.

#thunder crawls to the finish line #thunder crashes and burns

[jacquelinemerritt]

Dragon Ball Z: Episode of Bardock Abridged Review

Originally posted December 14th, 2015

I’m not sure what’s going on, and I’m okay with that.

The scenario for “Episode of Bardock” set up by the source material is a very strange one. After being hit with Freeza’s planet destroying energy ball, Bardock is somehow sent back in time four thousand years, and he finds himself meeting the previous evolution of the Saiyan race and encountering Lord Chilled, the ancestor of Freeza.

He also apparently gains the power to go Super Saiyan, starting the legends that inevitably spread throughout the galaxy when he uses this power to defeat Chilled, which would seem to break every rule about time paradoxes that we know to exist.1 That scenario creates a problem very different from the problem of Revenge of Cooler; Team Four Star has to figure out a way to get us to suspend our disbelief despite the ridiculousness of this story.

Their solution is a damn clever one. To make this story palatable, they turn its ridiculousness up to eleven and add a layer of meta-commentary to the story itself. Right before Bardock gets transported to the past, the narrator claims that this should be Bardock’s end if it weren’t for the need to merchandise him, and then for good measure, the chorus to “Time Warp” from Rocky Horror plays. The purple Saiyans all sound like the exact same impression of Kermit the Frog, and their names are all misspelled derivatives of 90s rappers, with town doctor being named Dr. Dray and his son being named Twopock.

Lord Chilled, Freeza’s ancestor, is even more eccentric and demanding than his future progeny, and he has the most ridiculous British accent and high pitched voice of any character in the series. When Bardock realizes what is going on, it is the ridiculousness of this scenario that causes him to transform into a Super Saiyan and gain the power to defeat Chilled in time to Beethoveen’s Ode to Joy.

And finally, we cut to Goku telling Gohan this tale about his grandfather, who immediately questions the logical flaws in the scenario only to discover that hearing this story had actually all been a dream. Whether or not any of this actually happened to Bardock is left completely unresolved, and we the audience are left more confused than the story’s scenario ever could have made us on its own.

Rating: 5/5

If you enjoyed this review, consider supporting me on Patreon.

Stray Observations

1Unless time travel in the Dragonball Z: Abridged universe works like time travel in Lost, but as we find out in future episodes, it doesn’t.

This episode also serves as a much more effective introduction to Bardock’s character than “Father of Goku” did. His first reaction to meeting the purple Saiyans is to enter into an unfathomable rage, he critiques the people terrorizing the purple Saiyans for doing so ineffectively, and he casts shame upon the purple Saiyans for attempting to praise him. He’s also nicknamed “Violent Savior,” and if that doesn’t tell you a lot about him, I don’t know what will.

Narrator: “So ends the tragic fate of Bardock. Or so you’d think, if you didn’t know a thing about merchandising!”

Bardock’s “spiker” train of thought is very similar to a lot of the things we see Goku thinking.

Chilled: “In honor of their deaths, my men shall now and forevermore be given the names of fruits! Pineapple, bring us to planet Plant.” Yellow Alien: “So am I Pineapple?” Chilled: “Yes!”

Henchman: “Hello. We are the Space Police.” Aice Cube: “Man, fuck the police!”

Space Police: “We are here to collect space criminals and other ne’er-do-wells.” Dr. Dray: “I can assure you we have already exiled Chris of the clan Brown from our planet.”

So, if the purple Saiyans get pregnant by being hurt, does that mean I have to kinkshame an entire race?

Chilled: “Because of Raisins! Raisins is my intelligence officer.”

Chilled: “These people seem to have great respect for you. What is your secret?” Bardock: “Maybe it’s because I don’t look like a giant purple and orange tampon.”

#dragon ball z abridged #dragon ball z #team four star #tfs #dbza #film criticism #dbza bardock 2

[voregeoise]

Sailor's Savior's Snack

Just a heads up, this is not the big project ive been mentioning. That's gonna be on the back burner for a long while. But enjoy some sea snake Naga brainrot in the meantime.

A warming, our prey does feel pretty hopeless in their situation before they meet our pred. So, beware.

----------

He stared in shock at the drift wood that used to be his pride and joy. The boat he had built himself, shattered so fast. He hadn't even had time to see what had done it. Whether it was an accidental crash, or something wrecking his boat, he didn't know. Nor did it really matter, he just clung on to a chunk of his boat for dear life.

Hours passed, the sun slowly made its way across the sky. As he drifted, a dreadful thought passed his mind. He was alone, exhausted, cold and treading water. No one knew where he was. He was utterly stranded.

He was going to die here.

Cold, alone and scared. A feeling of hopelessness descended on him. The realization that the chances of someone finding him were slim to none.

As the day continued he grew more and more exhausted, more and more resigned to his fate. As the sun set he made sure to appreciate it. It would in all likelihood be his last. Once darkness descended he felt the water grow chilled. He desperately tried to stay awake, he needed to stay up or else he'd drown. He knew it was unlikely he'd survive to the morning, but he didn't want to die. Not yet, not yet, just a few more precious minutes of life.

As he felt his eyelids grow heavy, he felt something brush up against his leg. He felt fear creep into his mind. He tried to look into the water and see what touched him, but the dark, murky sea hid it. There as a few nerve racking minutes as he waited for the thing to show itself. Eventually, it did.

A colossal sea serpent emerged from the sea, in the moonlight it's blue scales shone, and it's grey eyes seemed to glow. But there was something odd about it, the serpent was a naga. He'd never heard of a naga that lived in the ocean, let alone one so large. It's stare didn't calm his nerves. After a few long seconds it spoke.

"And what do I have here? How long have you been treading water alone?"

Something about its tone was.... unnerving. But he replied anyways.

"M-My boat... i-it got wrecked and-"

"I assume that piece of wood you're clinging to is what's left of your boat?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Well would you like some help my little prey?"

"Oh thank God! Yes ple- wait... p-prey? Did i-i hear y-you r-right? P-Prey?"

"You heard me correctly, now, let me help."

"N-No! NO! Wait! A-Are y-you going to e-eat me?"

"Of course! Why would I not enjoy a delectable little morsel like you?"

"W-wait! P-please!"

"Aww, don't you worry my friend! I'll be kind."

"N-No! I dont wanna die like this!"

The serpent paused for a moment before speaking again. "I think you misunderstood me. I'm merely trying to help, I'm going to eat you, not kill you."

"H-Help? How? Y-You're going to kill me!"

"Oh settle down, you. Im going to help you. Whether or not you trust me. You'll be safe, I can promise you."

"But I'll die?"

"No you won't. My friend I offer you a warm and cozy place to rest and you accuse me of wanting to murder you? Is this how you treat all those offering aid?"

"I-In your stomach?! You ARE trying to murder me! Get away you fucking freak!"

"I'd like you to try and make me, little prey. I'm not one to leave a sweet little thing like you to die. I'd much rather keep you in a safer, more... filling place."

"N-No! Please! Not like this!"

The serpent reached a hand under him and scooped him out of the water. The serpent used its other hand to take away his little piece of driftwood and tossed it into the water. He was too exhausted and cold to struggle. He didnt have the energy to run. His fate was left in the hands of this predator.

"Look, if you're really that scared, I can give you a minute to calm down and prove myself. How does that sound my little friend?"

"Please... I'm cold... and tired... I don't want to die... I'm scared... don't hurt me..."

"Hey, it's going to be okay. I'll heat you up, just trust me." It replied in a softer tone.

He turned up towards the nagas face. The snake had an almost comforting expression on it's face. It raised its hand up to its maw. The naga slowly parted it's jaws, he braced for the serpent to toss him down it's throat. But it never did. It merely tilted it's hand up slowly, letting him slide into its mouth. He didn't struggle, he didn't have the strength. He simply covered his eyes, and accepted fate.

He felt him drop into its maw. He waited for the serpent to swallow him down. He waited, and waited, and waited. But it never came, he didn't really feel the serpent move him at all. He only noticed the nagas forked toungue occasionally brush against him. After a few long minutes, he worked up the courage to open his eyes. He looked around and... He was fine? It's was wet and slick, but seemingly safe and warm for now. The snake hadn't even shut it's mouth. He used the little of his strength left to sit himself up. Only a few moments after he did, the serpent spoke up in a comforting tone.

"See? You're safe."

It's was odd to be inside someone's maw as they spoke, but the serpent stayed rather quiet, speaking as softly as it could manage.

"I... I'm fine?"

"Yes you are my little prey. Do you feel any better? Are you still cold?"

"I... guess... what are you.... going to do now?"

"Once you're feeling safe, I'll gulp you down so both of us can get some rest."

"I... but won't I get... digested? I'll end up in your stomach, won't I?"

"No, you won't find any acids down there. You'll end up in my storage stomach, safe for you to be."

"I... how can I trust you?"

"If I wanted to hurt you, why wouldn't I gulp you down now? Nothing's stopping me. You're in my mouth, tired, trapped and at my mercy. If I really wanted to do such a thing, why would I be trying to comfort you?"

"W-will I be able to leave?"

"I'll gag you up once we get to shore. I promise."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, neither of us do. I need to keep you safe and... my gut is the best option. Nothing will be able to even touch you there, well, except for me."

As the serpent finished it's sentence he watched as the lips around him curreled into a slight smile.

"I... I'm not... I don't..."

"Its alright, take your time to get comfortable with the idea of being in serpents stomach. I'd rather you go down willingly in this, and it will be better for you too."

"How... how are you talking right now? I'm in... your mouth... yet you talk like normal."

"Practice my dear friend, you are far from the first person to be in your position. I've held conversations much longer then this one with people in my maw."

"Y-You've done this before?"

"Of course! Countless times! However... would you like to know something?"

"What's that?"

"Out of everyone I've ever tasted, you by far have the best flavor. Most have barely and flavor at all! And those that do have such sad and mild tastes. But you... you... You're just delectable. You're very sweet, a little umami too. I hope you don't mind me savoring you, it's not often I have something as good as you, my friend..."

He wasn't quite sure what to make of this information.

"I... thank you? I guess?"

"Honestly, if you decide to spend a little longer in my maw to prepare yourself, I wouldn't mind. I can afford to wait a little longer."

"I'll... I'll think about it..."

The snake didn't respond after that. It just sat there, with its toungue slowly moving over him. Tasting him. And himself? He just sat there too. Trying to calm down and brace for what would soon come. Being able to turn around and peer down the murky darkness of its throat didn't fill him with confidence. After a few minutes, the serpent piped up again.

"Well? Are you ready my little prey? I've had my fun for now, and I think it's time for the main course."

"I... umm... maybe..."

"Its okay if not, I'll give you a few more minutes to prepare, should you desire of course."

He wasn't ready. He couldn't be ready. He was about to be eaten alive. He was nervous, scared and exhausted. He thought he might be able to trust the snake, but still. He didn't want to be eaten. Not that he had a choice. He knew a few more minute sitting in its mouth wouldn't calm him down, so he decided to just get it over with.

"I'm... about as ready as I ever could be... just... will this hurt?"

"No, it shouldn't hurt."

"S-Shouldn't? I-It might?"

"It will be very tight for about a minute, but if you just lay down or currel up, it won't be so bad. Just be careful."

He slowly laid down on the floor of its maw and curreled up into a loose ball. Light in its mouth grew dimmer and dimmer as the snake closed its jaws. His breathing grew shaky and an anxious feeling appeared in the back of his mind. Gravity shifted as the serpent began to tilt it's head back. As it tilted it's head back further and further he started slowly sliding back. He felt his heart pound as he started moving. After a second, the snake swallowed.

*glik*

He was forced into a tight space. The muscles around him pushed him down. It was hard to breathe. There was no room. He was trapped by the slick wet walls of its gullet. Adrenaline kicked in. He tried to struggle, he pushed against its esophagus. He had barely been in here for a few seconds, and he was already panicking. But a few seconds later, he felt an extra pressure appear. It came from one spot and followed him down. It was the serpent, using a hand to feel him. It was a gentle touch, almost soothing. He stopped struggling and his breathing calmed. His touch followed him for another minute. After that, he dropped into a chamber. He had reached its stomach and... He was fine? He felt fine. All around him he felt the naga give a content exhale.

"Ahhh, I hope that wasn't too uncomfortable for you in there. You started struggling after a bit, you had me a little worried."

"I-I'm... okay... God... y-you ate... me.... I-Im going to be safe... Right? Y-You promised!"

"Oh of course my dear prey. You're safe."

He took a deep breath to calm his mind. He was safe. He propped himself up against the stomach walls. It wasn't... all that bad here. Like being in the snakes maw. It was soft and squishy, a comfortable place. The warm air was a welcome change from the chilled sea air. He could hear the snake breathe, all around him the walls slowly moved, providing a soothing massage like feeling.

"This... this isn't so bad..."

"Awww, thank you. I'm glad to hear it."

"So... now what?"

"Rest up, friend. You're exhausted. Take the time to rest in my stomach, it's comfortable in there. From what I've heard."

"Can I... sleep here? Is that... safe?"

"Of course, I'll keep you safe."

"I... okay..."

"Have a restful sleep my little prey..."

He slowly shut his eyes, letting his exhaustion win. Almost immediately, he drifted into a deep slumber.

----(Transition to preds pov)----

As the serpent felt it's prey fall asleep, they gently placed a hand on their gut. Despite his size, he was a rather filling person. One of the better prey they'd ever had. They wondered if they might be able to convince him to return every now and then, they'd never had the same prey more then once. But they could wait to ask that question. Now was the time to enjoy the moment.

The snake let itself sink into the sea. It shut it's eyes and focused on taking in all the sensations coming from its gut. After a few minutes the naga gently landed on the sea floor. The feeling in its stomach was soothing, comforting. A feeling of sleepiness descended upon it too. And the serpent let it. Drifting off, like the man in its gut.

#soft vore #safe vore #extreme cuddling #human prey #prey pov #and a little bit of pred pov too #naga pred #enjoy this little thing i made

[klappert-art]

It's my 5 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳 --- Wow it's been 5 years since I tried to learn to draw properly and post them here 😅

Long rambling under the cut

Honestly it was pretty challenging for me because my study (when I started this blog) was pretty intense, also I live at home, commute every day to go to class so finding time & energy to draw is out of the window. I'm always amazed that most of my fav artists are real university students too, who probably have it even harder than me but they can draw a lot better... So why can't I??

The thing that I learned over time is, I improved faster when I draw fan arts. Because I have real and strict references to follow, unlike when I do OC where I usually just random bullshit go. That's why you see me posted fan arts more here. I just do my favorite fandom to motivate myself lol.

I am a picky person regarding fandom because mentally I can't handle so many heartbreaks (HAHA). And I need a fandom with diverse things to draw. Fate series is very perfect for me. I really like their ideas and the characters are just challenging. I've been into it since 2016-2017 and my pre-Fate art compared to today is... dkgeagwefgwk. I owe my skill growth to this fandom. My first post here was a Tomoe Gozen fan art 😂

I got into radar twice (which is still weird and unbelievable) because of a Noragami FA and my first A:TLA FA ever posted. Which was funny, because I don't draw them that much. But then again, my first "exposure" was from a random Taylor Swift ink art for a random inktober in 2019. That was so surreal lol.

Maybe you notice another fandom I draw a lot too, yes the game of all people in this world: Genshin Impact. Man, I started the game in release and thought "I have to make at least one fan art with the scenery of the game, and maybe this gonna be my first and last GI fan art." And look where we are now. I didn't expect this game would blow up, I believe the first FA I posted was one of the earliest Genshin post on tumblr 😂.I started doing GI FA also because I am mesmerized by the landscape and want to draw landscapes better. You see, there's this kind of reason in EVERY media I'm involving myself into. I simply like pretty and cool things. Sadly at some point the fandom is hell, so I like to take a step back sometimes.

Few months ago I also did some vtubers FA. Although mostly HoloID only, simply because I'm proud of them. Vtuber community has this unique relationship between Vtubers and derivative works, so you can feel real accomplishment when you showed your work to them.

Still, I still highly prefer to make real good original art and story someday. For now, I guess I have to grind first, because my current level is still not where I want to be yet to achieve that.

I use tumblr to post because I like the blogging and tagging system, however this site isn't popular in my country and my marketing for local cons isn't effective if I only use tumblr. I have IG, but I don't like it, thinking I should make twitter or something. AAaaA. My wish for now is to make many money with art lol (at least to supply my disposable income).

And some little things about myself, I'm working now, but not in creating art/design field. It's more of a history and research field (I do still interested in design... if I have the chance--yes I graduated from design thingy school). This blog is like... my creative outlet. The girl on my avatar is my OC Klappy, a gjinka of klappertaart. Klappertaart is the name of an Indonesian dessert (well, the name itself is dutch I guess) made from coconut topped with raisins. Dalr is an acronym from my real name. Thanks for reading, have a good day.

#5 year tumblrversary #tumblr milestone

[lucky-clover-gazette]

i joke a lot about vio's beef with hylia in my fics, but I can't understate how weirdly profound i find his character from several analytical perspectives.

even though vio voluntarily reforms the hero at the end of the manga, i think it's fair to say that he's depicted as the link most interested in developing and maintaining an individual sense of self. he's not named "purple," but "vio" (although admittedly he doesn't come up with that); he considers himself an outcast amongst the three and chooses to distance himself from them; and even though he's Doing The Right Thing Secretly, he has a weirdly good time during his villain era, and a bad time accepting the fact that he will, eventually, have to betray shadow and rejoin the others. he wants to help his friends and save the world, but at the end of that path is his own inevitable convergence back into the hero. he won't be vio anymore, and while he is still part of the hero, the things he's done on his own become kind of meaningless.

and of course in the manga he reforms the hero, but when you line that choice up with everything we learn about him in the time we get to know him, it does feel a little... off. like maybe, if given the choice, this isn't exactly the story the authors would have liked to tell. and i don't blame them, because being tasked with creating four compelling characters and then essentially killing them off and framing that as a good thing sounds pretty difficult to do. and akira himekawa could have totally phoned it in, and written a fun but shallow story so it feels right concluding the way it does, but for some reason they just kind of... didn't?

from what i know, the the four's personalities aren't very fleshed out at all in the game. there isn't a plot where vio betrays the others, right? i'm pretty sure? but for some reason, akira himekawa decided to take the story in this direction, while still needing to end by restoring the world and link to normal. and honestly, because of the things they chose to do with the story, that ending feels super weird. and i think most of that weirdness is due to vio being written the way he is.

so when i write fic with vio, i really don't think it's out of character for him to kind of struggle with hylia herself, and the fate she's created for him. because the manga itself, at least in my reading, seems to struggle with vio. and it's really freaking cool to analyze and expand upon this, and maybe i am just projecting or imagining things that aren't there, but like... he's one of two fan favorites for a reason, right? in a way vio almost transcends the story he's in, just like shadow does by basically being himekawa's oc. they both feel like they were placed into a world and plot that's not quite meant for them, and that's part of why they're so compelling.

the other analytical perspective i want to touch on is less connected to authorial intent, but still very interesting to me personally. because ships aside, if you view vio as gay, so many things start to make sense about the way he is written. the way he outcasts himself from the others by instinct, the way he accidentally finds belonging with someone else who's "different," his inner turmoil about betraying shadow, and the genuinely good time he seems to have during much of his villain era, completely diverging from anything anyone would have expected from him. there's a reason my first post about the manga was just, like, the homophobic dog meme. i could point out dozens of lines or panels involving vio that evoked the exact "i know what you are" energy those memes represent.

so vio being constantly being at odds with fate, which i usually just frame as hylia, makes so much sense to me from a queer perspective. as a gay person it's frankly cathartic to write him grappling with his desire to stay who he is and be with shadow, versus sacrificing his individuality and their unique connection. and i don't even have religious trauma!! view it as ship or not, but i find vio's entire arc to be so damn queer, gay, whatever, and WOW the implications of that are fascinating.

sorry this is a tangent with no clear conclusion, but just... vio having beef with god makes all the sense in the world to me, and writing fic with that theme scratches an itch i didn't even know i had. i expected to like shadow when i picked up the manga, but did not at all expect vio to be a character who exists, especially not in a story like this. if anything, he serves as inspiration for characters and stories i'd like to write in the future. it's so cool. art is so cool

#analysis #four swords #four swords manga #my writing #vio #vio link #this is so extra but i wanted to see if i could put it into words yknow? #queer analysis is messy bc authorial intent is usually not known #but i think it has value regardless #hope i'm not just totally insane about this