#incredible headcanon. implementing immediately

[bad-traffic-smp-ideas]

I’m figuring out if im part of a system or not and the only persecutor i have discovered is literally The Watchers from evo/the life series

So now my headcanon is that The Watchers are just Martyn’s system’s persecutors

WAIT SORRY THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD

[thelaughtercafe]

Soul Eater Ler Headcanons

Tea Type: Brown Sugar Boba

Potential Triggers: N/A

Pairing: Soul/F! Reader, Death the Kid/F! Reader, Black Star/F! Reader, Maka/F! Reader. Tsubaki/F! Reader, Liz/F! Reader, Patty/F! Reader, Stein/F! Reader

Length: 1.5k+

Summary: N/A

Soul Eater Evans:

Soul is very casual most of the time and I feel like tickling someone to pieces wouldn’t be any different. 

Like Maka, takes it in complete stride which his Lee likely wouldn’t expect if they’d hidden it from him out of fear for any length of time. 

He finds this hysterical and incredibly endearing at the same time, leading to him laughing at you good-naturedly. 

“Damn, you went that long without something you wanted out of some misguided sense of feeling weird? You could’ve just told me, ya know. I tickle Blackstar and Maka all the time, Hell you’ve seen me do it. You had to know I wouldn’t mind.”

When you fumbled to explain it was different he sighed and rubbed his head. 

“Man, you’re hopeless. Least now I know why you ran away all those times. Must’ve been really embarrassing for you, huh?”

He grinned, wiggling his fingers at you eagerly as he cornered you.  

“Welp, guess all we can do is make up for lost time huh? C'mere so I can help you experience what you’ve wanted so bad first hand!”

He’s not a chaser, prefers for you and him to be more stationary. 

Admittedly gets a kick at seeing you try to hold your arms up or not struggle too much, even though a cool guy like him could totally overpower you.  

Reassures you in his own way too, bringing it up casually after wrecking you after you both had a stressful test that day. 

“Y'know, the others won’t mind tickling you either. Even on the fraction of a chance they’re not willing to- they wouldn’t make fun of you for it. Even if they did, they’d have me to deal with!”

He flashed a shark-toothed grin your way. 

“You like being tickled. So what? C'mon, say it. I know you can!”

Messes with you for a few days and sessions until you finally spit the words out. 

He doesn’t tickle you directly till you get it out- only giving a quick poke or huff of air along your neck or ears to make you jump, around the others that prick-until you crack. 

He’s kind’ve mean about it, honestly, but he does it to help you not hide who you are from the others. It’s all out of love in the end. 

Rubs it in your face so hard when he ends up right. Doesn’t let you live it down ever. 

Expect group tickle sessions for a while too just to be extra sure you got the message it’s not a big deal. 

Maka Albarn:

Maka is really intuned with everyone around her and that translates to when she Ler’s too. 

She senses the little things- the way someone leans into her touch when they like a spot. 

She’s kind too- not the type to call you out and tease you for it like Soul or Stein, and if she does it’s playful and she’ll immediately admit she liked it just as much as you.  

She loves to make others happy, and this is no exception. She views it as perfectly natural and normal and just about Maka-Chop’s you anytime you put yourself down. 

You learn to accept your little quirk with her and the rest of your friends help. 

Black Star:

God Blackstar is a rough one. 

Good luck, the second he finds out you’re ticklish I hope you like it because he’s gonna use it to mess with you constantly. 

Getting out of things, making you forgive him for small mistakes, you name it he’ll implement tickling somehow if it fits. 

And when Tsubaki finally spells it out for him that you like it? 

Even training isn’t safe then and he is merciless in that environment when he’s focused so trust- you both do and don’t wanna be caught by him. 

He’s loud when he teases so you have to be direct and tell him not in public, and remind him if it bothers you fairly often otherwise the whole damn school is gonna know. 

Speaking of teasing, KING of teases.

I’m blushing just thinking about it. 

“Wow, is this really all you can handle? I know it’s a tall order because you’re up against a big star like me, but I’ll have to help you build up your stamina and endurance.”

“You’re lucky there’s no Kishin who tickle their victims; otherwise you’d be a goner for sure! Luckily you have the great Blackstar to help you as a failsafe precaution! Aren’t you lucky?”

300% uses his Ninja skills to fuck with you.  

Sorry I don’t make the rules. 

You called his bluff when he was just starting out and assumed he was loud and obnoxious with no other mode and boy did that backfire on you horribly. 

After finding out you like being tickled, guess who now has a way to show you just how well he can sneak up on people whenever and wherever he wants?

Uses tickles as a reward/motivation too, to keep you training with him just that little bit longer than you usually would. 

Tsubaki:

Gosh she’s so flustering as a Ler without even trying. 

It’s because she’s so sincere and gentle. 

It makes her amusement and sweet teases all the more effective. 

“Aww you’re so precious like this! I’ve gotta do this more often!”

She’s one of the easiest Lers to go to, especially if you want relaxing tickles. 

She’s so gentle technique wise, really only using spidering and stroking but it still tickles like Hell. 

The only one who can reign Blackstar in with either tickling him or just talking sense.  

Death the Kid:

Kid is generally very put together and that translates to when he lers. 

Of course, he has to tickle symmetrically which means his poor Lee will have to put up with either both his hands or two tools at once. 

The only good thing is that means you know the sensations are predictable. 

Unless he has Liz and Patty help. Then? Then they’re really in trouble, because they’ll do the same, but as long as they keep the same technique? Kid’s fine letting them have variety from him. Predictability neutralized. 

Unintentionally so flustering, holy shit. 

Kid is naturally very logical and serious, and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. That man’s smirk is lethal. 

Absolutely uses this to his advantage. After all, he has to make both of your cheeks the same pretty shade of red, and what better way to do that then make it cover your whole face~?

“Oh come now, surely it can’t tickle that badly? You’re flattering me.”

Can’t stop at an uneven time- works together with his Lee to get to 88 minutes for perfect symmetry. 

He’ll stop before that if needed of course, but it’s typically best when the numbers match. 

Patty:

Brings out of her Lee’s childish natures with her own. 

Tends to giggle happily along with her Lee and is one of the Lers most often to start tickle fights and the like. 

Adores how much fun it is to make her friends, family and s/o’s laugh omg. 

It’s why she does it so often. 

Most think she’s not smart but really, she’s quite aware. She just chooses to embrace her more childish side openly. 

Loves to tease her Lee’s and pouts when she has to stop or gets pulled away by Liz. 

“Aww but why? They’re so cute like this!!”

“Yes Patty but you kind of need them alive to tickle them more yeah? Let ‘em breathe, k?”

She salutes her sister all cute-like.

“K!!”

Switches spots often and has to get reminded by Kid to be more symmetrical if they’re Ler'ing someone together because she forgets a lot and it always makes her Lee jump in their grip. 

Liz:

Queen of self-care/self-comfort tickles, for both her Lee and herself. 

Compliments galore she’s so damn nice.

“Your laugh is so pretty, I swear. I’m so jealous!”

“Oh my God your nails are so cute!! You have to paint them for me later! Maybe if you agree to I’ll stop~”

Her teases are like that, mixed with her genuine compliments. 

The most merciful between her sister and Kid. 

Kid tends to get lost in the symmetry while tickling his Lee so if she’s helping or knows he’s gonna be Ler'ing someone she always reminds him to set an alarm so the poor Lee isn’t stuck there for 3 hours.

Definitely hasn’t happened more than once, nope. 

Not that the Lee was complaining-

Absolutely loves using her nails as a tickle tool. It’s her go-to method and she is good.

Stein:

Unsurprisingly, the scientist who loves to experiment, also does so when tickling. It’s just his nature. 

In addition to that he’s perceptive as Hell so good luck hiding your reactions. 

In all likelihood, he knows instinctively if a Lee enjoys it thanks to seeing their Soul and being able to sense their nature better than most. 

Let’s face it; Stein’s a complete sadist- and not only that- he’s very open about that fact. 

Which means if it gets to you that he’s like that he’ll absolutely call you out and mess with you with it, switching between his typically playful and analytical self and his more cruel side. 

Knows every tool out there, and relishes testing more unconventional ones too like back scratchers, combs and the like. 

That goes for enhancement methods too. Everything from oil, sensory deprivation, and bondage. Whatever he can think of, really. 

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Delta anon here and I've got more headcanons, this time based around Delta/Beta's ADHD.

So since they have ADHD (I'd imagine that Sans would have the inattentive type and Beta would have the hyperactuve type, causing Delta to have the combo), they are insanely good at reading people (this is also because of their combined trauma but we don't gotta worry about that right now). Literally first meeting with someone and they've already figured out the person's intentions. And if the person angers them? Then they'd better be prepared to get the biggest, most brutal callout of their lives. This applies to everyone.

Another thing I'd imagine that affects them is the processing time and memory issues that come with ADHD (excuse me while I project here). Their reaction time is incredibly quick because that's what they've trained themselves to do, but their processing time for literally anything else is so SLOW. And because of this, they both have memory issues (they have it reguardless of ADHD, but the ADHD definetly amplifies it).

They have good enough memory to remember basic and important things, but some things slip their minds. Take birthdays, for example. They will know what your birthday is and if it's coming up. But will totally forget the day of because in their mind, it's still months or weeks away. Time usually slips away from their memory. He also forgets his age sometimes. It will surprise them every time.

However, they're forgetful enough with time that it will always surprise them. They will wonder why they feel sick, and then realize they haven't eaten all day. But since when was it the next day already? When did the day even start? This is why the Epic Sanses all have alarms to remind themselves and each other to take breaks, eat, and drink.

Speaking of eating. Do NOT let these motherfuckers cook. And I mean that literally. They get distracted incredibly easy, and will 100% forget they left the oven on. When they remember to focus on cooking, then they're very good at it. But on the days where they're incredibly distracted? Don't let their asses in the kitchen unless it's to get a snack or make coffee.

Again speaking of eating, if they are presented with a new food, they will at the very least try it, no matter how it looks or smells. But if they dont like it, you're never gonna get them to take a second bite. They will most likely never eat that food again. (However, they will be polite about it. They won't be an ass unless they know you personally enough to know that they can be.)

Another thing is, they are both incredibly good at masking their emotions. Beta is used to it from the abuse he suffered, but it takes Delta a lot longer to fully master, since he usually acts out on his emotions. But now that they've mastered it, they are capable at displaying a totally different emotion than how they actually feel. They can also mask the glow at will, but the burn from hiding it hurts them immensely. Once they get to a safe space for them to lash out with no one around, they do.

When they get overstimulated, they either shut down or have to restrain themselves from getting violent. It depends on what is bothering them, but usually it's one or the other. They will immediately begin searching for the nearest 'out' so they don't get too angry and accidentally hurt anyone.

Along with that, they have no filter. Zero. If they want to say something, they will say it and not think twice - until it's too late. Which is why the method of Color or Epic whacking them in some way to correct them was implemented.

I also think that they might have heightened empathy. Not to the extent of Color's, but enough that they'd put everyone before themselves, even people they don't like at times. Because of this, they don't handle grief well.

Executive dysfunction hits them like a bitch. Every time.

Hyperfixations. Oh boy. They definitely have those. (Maybe a few too many.) Beta, being what I'd assume to be the hyperactive type, most likely fixates on anything that makes him happy or gives him a sense of safety/security. This also goes for ideas. Delta is greatly influenced by these things, but also has hyperfixations of his own, such as his workshop and engineering things.

(They share the same hyperfixation of wanting to always be there for people and protect them, no matter who or what it's from. Hyperfixations can last years, and theirs definitely did, and will probably continue. And although it is the main motive for why they do what they do, it is most definitely a hyperfixation.)

They stim. So much. Usually it involves taking something apart and putting it back together (such as a pen), playing with their hands or tapping patterns on something, or getting up and moving around.

Also, all those little details you think they'd miss when interacting with them? Thanks to Beta's hypervigilance, they notice everything. They'll have memorized your talking pattern, some of your interests, and the sound of your footsteps/the way you walk within the first month of knowing them.

They LOVE strategy games. Absolutely love them. Unfortunately, they take them too seriously sometimes (they are banned from UNO, Sorry, and Monopoly).

They have mild sensory issues that can heighten if they're overstimulated. Usually it revolves around touch and noise, which is why they like to stay in familiar environments with people they know well. It's also is why they often don't get new clothes, both because they don't like shopping and because it can be much too loud for them sometimes, especially if they get caught off guard by the feel of something (ex; something looked soft, and they touch it, and it turns out to be scratchy, and they will LOSE it).

They are so friendly. Like really friendly. They definitely have a RBF, and are obviously intimidating, but if someone manages to get past that and approach them for whatever reason, they will be friendly at first as long as the other person isn't trying to start a fight. This goes for everyone except people they dislike. In spite of this, they don't have many friends, but definitely have TONS of acquaintances.

They are so dramatic. They are incredibly sassy, but know how to make it funny rather than annoying. They get away with a lot of things due to this. But Beta is definetly the most dramatic.

Their main thought process when doing something crazy, stupid, or chaotic is basically; 'hey, wouldn't this be so fucking funny??' And sometimes, they're right.

There are specific textures and sounds that they love. Smooth, soft textures? Love it. Anything they wear must be soft to some extent. Background noise? Literally cannot work without it. If they're in the workshop, some sort of background noise must be on at all times.

Anyways, that's all I got. Thoughts?

My thoughts are that this is honestly so relatable it’s scary. I can see both myself and my entire immediate family in these two goobers wtf.

Anyway, I love the idea of protecting and saving people becoming a hyperfixation its very cool to me.

And I also fuck with the idea that have tons of acquaintances but very few friends, probably in large part because people find them a little intimidating and then once someone sticks around long enough to get past that, they find them “too friendly” or “too much.”

Which is why I think they hold Color and Epic very closely to them because they were Delta’s first friends since he lost in his home and went to the Omega Timeline, and probably is an even bigger reason why Color and Epic’s equally close but no less somehow different relationships with Killer and Cross probably make them feel a little scared and perhaps worried about being left or about them being hurt.

Which would likely play into that protecting/saving fixation a lot more.

And also their anger problems. I’d imagine that’s something they often feel around Killer when Killer is still going through his “socialization” period lmao. There’s probably many a time where they just had to straight up leave a room Killer was in or else they’d probably do something they might regret later, and would hurt Color. Everyday they’re grateful that at least Cross isn’t this difficult to deal with.

But also if they try everything at least once, id like to imagine that if they and Killer get on better terms and Killer is starting to get back into the swing of things like cooking or using stoves and stuff, that they function as like his taste tester. Once they manage to trust that Killer hasn’t tampered with the food somehow, of course. (although I wouldn’t really trust these two adhd dissociative fuckers alone together in a kitchen with a stove something will go wrong somehow lmao)

And if they both love strategy games maybe that’s something they can bond with Killer on and possibly Cross. I do think Killer and Nightmare used to play chess sometimes, a little headcanon I have. Maybe he can engage in the nostalgia a bit without having to worry about upsetting Color by talking about Nightmare (Color is just rightfully pissed and hates Nightmare, he doesn’t have an issue with Killer talking about him or his feelings about his captivity and treatment by Nightmare ofc)

[obscure-imaginations]

Some Underfell headcanons

General trigger warnings for death, implied suicide, etc.

-Asriel was the one who came up with the plan for Chara to poison themselves, so Asriel could have their SOUL to cross the barrier. Chara was willing to do it, but backed out after they went to the village, despite Asriel begging them to let him kill the humans, leading to both of their deaths.

-After Asgore implemented the “kill or be killed” law, Toriel immediately tried to stop him. He ended up casting her out, and she went to the Ruins.

-Flowey is Frisk’s companion. He takes up one inventory space. He can be used once per fight as a healing item, where he gives Frisk friendliness pellets to heal them.

-Toriel keeps trying to kill the humans that fall. She wants to take their SOULs and get revenge against Asgore. But, at the last moment, she can’t bring herself to do it. She heals the humans and kicks them out of the Ruins.

-UF!Sans is MUCH more aggressive than UT!Sans. He does fight Frisk in the pacifist route, twice. First one is after Frisk gets past Papyrus, the second in the Hall of Judgement. Both fights are incredibly easy, because he fights Frisk out of obligation rather than like the genocide route, where he puts his effort in. In the genocide route, he only fights Frisk in the Hall of Judgement.

-Papyrus is also much more aggressive. He does unleash the Gauntlet of Deadly terror, but only the Annoying Dog actually works. You get a special fight if the Annoying Dog hits you- all you have to do is pet it to get it to SPARE you.

-If Frisk sleeps at the Snowdin Town Inn, their HP goes up to 40 rather than 30. That’s because Papyrus’ attacks do a bit more damage than the UT version.

-Papyrus gets to use his Special Attack! It’s just one Gaster Blaster, easily dodged. Then he uses his really cool regular attack.

-Undyne used to be the captain of the Royal Guard, but she got greedy. She came up with a plan to get a human SOUL and overthrow Asgore. Asgore found out, tore out her eye, and kicked her out. She now hunts in Waterfall, killing whatever unfortunate soul comes across her path. She’s still ‘friends’ with Alphys, but Alphys is nervous about communicating with her.

-Alphys is more malicious than her UT version. There are a few more traps and puzzles to complete, including one in her lab. She does it for entertainment, rather than to be a hero, like UT Alphys.

-Unlike UT!Mettaton, UF!Mettaton actually WAS built to be a human eradication device. His SOUL was only added later, the original robot body was meant to be mindless.

-At the end of his fight, Napstablook calls and says they hate Mettaton. Mettaton contemplates self destruction, but Frisk talks him out of it (pacifist route). In the genocide route, Mettaton is the same as UT!Mettaton- no actual fight.

-The Asgore fight is just about the same. Flowey doesn’t go with Frisk- he stays in the throne room. Use your Dimensional Boxes to have a full inventory of healing items.

-Neutral ending: the SOULs take over Flowey and force him to fight Frisk. It’s the same fight, except the SOULs attack and Flowey provides the healing items.

-During the Neutral Route phone call, Mettaton comes on the phone momentarily. He thanks Frisk for helping him. Everything else is basically the same at UT.

-True Ending: It’s basically the same, except Undyne stays at her (burning) house instead of going to Sans’ and Papyrus’ house. She implies that she’s afraid to leave Waterfall. Papyrus comes to her instead. She writes a letter to Alphys for you to deliver, Alphys takes you to the dump, etc. Alphys apologizes for being mean to Frisk when they came through.

-Flowey is, again, possessed by the SOULs. The SOULs make him take the monster’s SOULs, and he turns back into Asriel. The fight is the same.

-Flowey comes with Frisk and the monsters to the Surface. Asgore takes away the Kill or Be Killed law, and promises to make peace with the humans.

-Mettaton goes back and makes peace with Napstablook. Napstablook apologizes for what he says on the phone.

-Genocide ending: Flowey leaves Frisk after they kill Toriel. He tries to warn Asgore, and begs Frisk not to kill him. Chara greets Frisk, but they have a tad bit different dialogue, saying they regret not killing the humans long ago, and thank you for giving them a chance again, even if it came at such a great cost.

(Why Chara Isn’t Evil will be a different post, haha)

[hypmic-writings]

Could I request some HCs for TDD taking care of their s/o’s small, excitable yet kinda feral doggo? Thank you ^^

━━ ∘◦ ☆ ◦∘ ━━

Pairing: Ichiro Yamada x reader; Samatoki Aohitsugi x reader; Ramuda Amemura x reader; Jakurai Jinguji x reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

A/N: This just kind of turned into crack headcanons but they were fun to do! Hope this is along the lines of what you wanted. Enjoy~

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Ichiro Yamada 

I definitely headcanon Ichiro as a dog person so when you tell him that you have to go on vacation, he’s more than happy to take care of your puppy for you

the moment you leave Ichiro alone with the dog, they instantly become best friends

the dog might be a little crazy at first, but Ichiro loves it and doesn’t mind in the least bit

the dog is allowed everywhere in the house and Ichiro actively encourages it to sleep with him in the bed

Ichiro is really good about feeding it at the appropriate times, but he always ends up feeding the tiny dog way too many snacks during the day

Ichiro will get his brothers to help and they’ll all end up taking turns with the daily walks

Ichiro won’t mind that the dog is excitable and it’ll actually make the dog so much more endearing to him

the fact that the dog is so small will sometimes freak Ichiro out though

from time to time he won’t see where the dog went and he’ll panic immediately, wondering if the dog was left outside or lost

and then the dog will come barrel rolling from underneath the couch and Ichiro will be able to breathe again

I can totally imagine Jiro and Saburo wanting to teach it different tricks and then being sad when the dog is just too feral to learn

during the day, the dog is constantly being played with by Ichiro as well as Jiro and Saburo

so by night time it’s absolutely exhausted and has no trouble sleeping

overall, it would be a great idea to leave the dog with Ichiro because he’s going to take really good care of the dog

and the puppy will always have someone to play with at the Yamada household

Samatoki Aohitsugi

when you tell Samatoki that you’re going out of town and ask him if he can take care of your dog, he’s hesitant at first

I headcanons Samatoki as someone who likes big dogs, so the fact that you have a tiny, overly excited puppy is kind of a lot for him

he’ll say yes though, of course, and thus begins the transformation of your puppy in the hands of Samatoki Aohitsugi

Samatoki is a strict dog dad and will NOT let the dog on the couch or the bed, making sure it knows exactly where to sleep and where it can and cannot go in the house

he ends up feeding the dog at the same time he leaves the house every day and taking him for walks in the morning

because his job can get unpredictable so he wants to make sure the dog can at least be outside for a while

any time the dog is getting too excited when it shouldn’t be, Samatoki just sits there and glares at it until eventually the dog quiets down because it’s a little intimidated

Samatoki quickly becomes the alpha of his little two person pack and the doggo is quick to learn that

I can imagine him teaching the dog how to sit and stay before meals, how to heel during walks, and overall polite doggo manners

however

when Samatoki is playing with the dog and the dog gets feral, Samatoki actively encourages it to go crazy

because he finds it kind of entertaining that such a small dog can produce such copious amounts of energy

towards the end, there ends up being kind of a balance of power and Samatoki embraces the feral-ness of the dog 

and the dog becomes a little bit more chill and calm due to Samatoki’s intense training

Ramuda Amemura

Ramuda is a cat person, not a dog person, so when you ask him to watch over your dog while you’re on vacation it’s with a pressed smile that he agrees

for the first few days, Ramuda just glares at the dog and does the bare minimum - feeding him when he needs to and letting him out for as short  of a time as possible

he’s constantly annoyed by the dogs’ crazy antics and will absolutely ignore any attempt at asking to be played with

Ramuda is a busy man and the fact that dogs are so needy is going to put him off a little bit

that and the fact that dogs love unconditionally and Ramuda doesn’t believe he’s worthy of love but that’s a whole other conversation

eventually, the dog realizes that Ramuda doesn’t really want him around, and opts to leave him alone, sadly crawling up in a corner and whining every now and then

this just ends up frustrating Ramuda even more and eventually Ramuda feels a little guilty

so he brings out the toys that you brought for the tiny dog and offers them up and in an instant the dog is all excited again

Ramuda begins to think that the dog is actually kind of cute when he’s not being incredibly feral

and after this, Ramuda is going to take more of a liking to the dog

he’s still going to be whining and complaining whenever he does anything for the dog

and he’s still not going to love dogs all that much, but he’s bonded with yours a little bit now so that can be the exception

when you come home and find that the dog has become fond of Ramuda as well you just smile knowingly and don’t ask too many questions 

Jakurai Jinguji

when you ask Jakurai to take care of your dog, Jakurai is hesitant because he knows he works long hours and is worried that he won’t be able to take as good care of your dog as he wants to

you reassure him that you’re dog isn’t particularly needy and Jakurai agrees

after practically taking care of Doppo and Hifumi, Jakurai believes he’s prepared for everything

but he’s not prepared for this tiny, overly excited, feral dog of yours that runs around 24/7 and never loses energy

Jakurai will come home in the evening, exhausted from a long day at work only to be bombarded by the puppy for playtime and cuddles

it’s like having a child and Jakurai fears he isn’t ready for that

but just like everything else in his life, Jakurai calmly and rationally comes up with a plan, implements it, and succeeds 

he sets scheduled times for food and walks every day so that the dog isn’t completely bored at home all the time

and he makes sure that he comes home for an hour during his lunch break to play with it too

during the evenings, Jakurai has carefully trained the dog not to bombard him right away, but instead remain calm for at least a half hour and then he gets his dinner

whenever the dog is overly feral, Jakurai will call up Hifumi and Doppo and ask if they want to paly with him, promptly handing over the dog to them and allowing it to wear itself down like that

one time he took the dog to a dog park but he got a bit a little concerned with all the other big dogs at the park so they just went home and played instead

overall, Jakurai is going to want to calm your dog down a little, but will be more than happy and capable of taking care of it for a short while

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

[somesaycosmo]

laurence, the first vicar - an analysis

hi! this is future marie, when i'm going back through and finalizing my draft of this post. this was originally meant to just be an analysis of laurence's song, but it turned into more than that, so just bear with it!

"oh look it's my favorite boss soundtrack in soulsborne! thankfully, bloodborne is a very simple game with straightforward lore, and the lyrics of its tracks are similarly straightforward, so there's not much to analyze here." -a quote from an alternate universe marie who was blessed with a game that didn't give her frenzy

"bloodborne's tracks have lyrics?" you might ask - and yes, in fact, they do! many of them have choral lyrics in latin, including mr laurence "i forgot the sacred adage" lastname's track here.

before we start, please listen to the song, if only because it's very good

this post is using the translated lyrics from this bloodborne wiki, while taking some liberties with the interpretation based on the game's lore. i do not know latin, but if anyone does, i'd love for them to hit me up. i'm also going to specifically tag @rococospade-main, both to shout them out for being great to discuss bloodborne lore with (it's where i got the idea to write this post)

as always, lore starts below the line

so the song starts with 4 lines, as follows

Children, know that if you will abide by the sacred rite with great commitment There will be a reward through the Holy Blood You will be rewarded with the hidden Holy Blood Or, maybe I shall lose my humanity through the Holy Blood

already starting off strong with the "questioning one's faith" vibes, eh, larry?

"children" might be in reference to actual children, or it might be the thing priests do, where they're called "father" and stuff (can you tell i'm not christian?) with laurence in this case being the "father" and the disciples of the church being his "children"

the reward from the holy blood is, of course, ascension, which we all know everyone from byrgenwerth strived for, because they're losers. "hidden holy blood" might be in reference to ebrietas bein all locked up in the chalice dungeons?

"maybe i shall lose my humanity through the holy blood" is, based on how early it is in the song, likely about laurence looking forward; loss of humanity is seen as a good thing, because it means ascension. the dramatic irony of this is of course obvious, considering the song plays when we're beating the shit out of laurence's fallen and bestial form - because loss of humanity can also mean other things, it turns out.

We honor you with the Blood Yet you judge this as blasphemy You are obsessed with this mystery And you shall be overcome by bestiality

We honor you with the Blood Yet you judge this as blasphemy We are hindered by this mystery Water does not achieve success

now laurence is speaking to the gods instead of to his followers. "we honor you with blood / yet you judge this as blasphemy" is likely him pleading to the gods. the description of the defiled chalice reads, "Curses are caused by inciting the anger of the Great Ones, and used to hex others." this paints a picture of the gods as somewhat vengeful; it makes sense that the beastly scourge, then, would be hypothesized to be a plague cast upon humanity for some sin they've committed, and laurence would know best what exactly that sin is.

"you are obsessed with this mystery / and you shall be overcome by bestiality" seems out of place in the rest of this section, given it's the only one that refers to humanity as "you," but i've taken this as it being the gods replying to laurence in the song, with the mystery likely being "how to ascend to godhood". this is the blasphemy you have committed, they say, and you shall be overcome by bestiality

"we are hindered by this mystery" once again, we're talking from laurence's perspective. firstly, laurence for the first time admits that obsession with ascension might not be so great, actually.

"water does not achieve success" this could be interpreted as talking about the whole "great bodies of water are often bulwarks" thing discussed in the lake and sea runes, laurence sort of saying "protecting ourselves from the truth does nothing to help us ascend," with water, effectively, being "safety." to go further, in my personal interpretation, this is more about the comparison of blood and water. you know that old saying, "blood is thicker than water"? that came to mind immediately while reading these lyrics, given the constant talking about blood in the song (and in the game). perhaps here laurence is comparing water to blood with water, water being "safety" and blood being "success" (ascension). to reference the item description for the white church set, "They believe that medicine is not a means of treatment but rather a method for research, and that some knowledge can only be obtained by exposing oneself to sickness." this will come up later.

By the Gods, friend Be afraid By the Gods, friend The Blood Be afraid You are right to

this is familiar! this could be willem speaking, this could be laurence speaking to someone else, or this could be laurence speaking to himself (my writer's brain imagines him muttering this quietly to himself in despair as his mental health and questioning of his faith declines) - due to "you are right to [fear the blood]," i lean towards him talking to himself as if talking to willem, perhaps wishing he had actually feared the old blood, or saying that willem is better off for doing so. regardless, it is incredibly reminiscent of the sacred adage ("fear the old blood" etc etc we all know it by heart at this point), and is likely supposed to be that.

It will be a majestic festivity By the Holy Blood So come, this sweet wine O defiled juice (this has to mean "wine" or "drink" i refuse to believe laurence would refer to the holy blood as a juice. i will not allow it)

this one, oddly, seems to indicate a toneshift - i would argue it's a result of his spiraling mental state. throughout the song he's questioning his faith and his actions, chanting his old mentor's sacred adage to himself; his life up to this point is a life of success while the cure and path to ascension he was peddling to yharnam turns them into horrific beasts. so he ends up doubling down on the religious fervor he started this endeavor with. this delves more into headcanon territory, so bear with me for a second:

have you ever thought about why laurence drops the beast's embrace rune?

laurence, the first vicar, the first cleric beast, drops the rune that allows you to enter a state of controlled beasthood whenever you want (provided you use a beastly weapon, of course). isn't that odd? shouldn't he drop something that, like, increases the amount blood vials heal you? maybe super duper extra special communion +6? why would he drop that rune, of all things, especially when the game already has a named character they could've put in to drop it (that being irreverent izzy)?

let's look at the item description.

After the repeated experiments in controlling the scourge of beasts, the gentle "Embrace" rune was discovered.

When its implementation failed, the "Embrace" became a forbidden rune, but this knowledge became a foundation of the Healing Church.

now i am not necessarily going to suggest that laurence dreamed up the beast's embrace rune himself - it could make sense, but that isn't necessary for the rest of what i'm about to say, which is this: the last part of the song is laurence giving into beasthood voluntarily.

perhaps he believed so strongly in the blood of ebrietas taking him to ascension that he decided beasthood must be it, must be the next step for humanity; perhaps, in a final move of desperation, he tried to control beasthood by experimenting on himself with this rune; or perhaps he had already imbibed so much of the old blood that he couldn't control his need to spill the blood of others.

personally, i lean toward the second interpretation. let's look at the description of laurence's (human) skull:

Skull of Laurence, first vicar of the Healing Church. In reality he became the first cleric beast, and his human skull only exists within the Nightmare.

The skull is a symbol of Laurence's past, and what he failed to protect. He is destined to seek his skull, but even if he found it, it could never restore his memories.

firstly, i'd just like to point out the irony in the statement "he is destined to seek his skull"; he spends his human life seeking ascension, and when he achieves metamorphosis, he is cursed to spend that form trying to find his humanity again, mindless, lost in a nightmare.

secondly, and more to the point, let's look at the line "a symbol of laurence's past, and what he failed to protect." examining this item for its symbolism is fairly clear - it's a relic of laurence's humanity, and that's exactly what he failed to protect, the humanity of himself and others. this description leads me to believe he wanted to protect humanity, but failed.

a lot of interpretations of him have him as this truly evil person who was just deceiving the city of yharnam for his own personal gain, but honestly, i don't buy that. that's not what bloodborne is about. i mean bloodborne is and can be about a lot of things, and i could ascribe dozens of basic thematic interpretations of it off the top of my head, but characterization that simple doesn't fit bloodborne (and, frankly, it's not tragic enough for miyazaki).

so, with all that combined, why do i believe that laurence branded himself with beast's embrace in an attempt to further research on the control of beasthood, so as to protect humanity? well, to go back to an item description from earlier, some knowledge can only be obtained by exposing oneself to sickness.

thank you for reading.

[secrets-of-the-library]

This is the fan-created personal home of Arthur Kirkland I made, realistically, like anywhere between a year to two years ago. This is well before the Cottage pack that just recently came out (And I am upset because that could’ve added so much more but I can’t be bothered to alter it now after all this time). Remember: This is fan/headcanon created. I build for fun and am not a professional. I do not build with the intention of having it livable/non-clashing. If something clashes it will be up to you to fix it because I build for the pure aesthetic and not functionality. I own a lot of packs so if you don’t own all the ones used in this there might be issues. After the cut here I will provide a visual walk-through via screen captures. You’re more than welcome to download it and look at it for yourself. My username on Sims4 is Shinoshallbugyou.

First up, the outside overview. Keep in mind that Sims 4 limits the lot to a harsh degree. I actually really miss Sims 3 in how you could alter and change the environment otherwise I’d have Arthur’s home buried in a garden/trees. I have placed his home in the University area because it felt the best suited. There wasn’t any particular designs I was going for... I just kind of made it and went with it. His home, unlike Spain’s that I am working on, is much smaller in comparison. I particularly wanted to bury this home in foliage and green with ivy climbing up the wall and etc. Something to where you could have enchanted little areas to sit in, fairies, and etc. Something to where he can be more introverted and away from others.

3rd Floor- Attic/storage.

2nd Floor - Full bath, office, and his bedroom.

1st Floor - Entry room, 1/2 Bathroom, Living room, dining room, kitchen. Outside there is a small backyard area as well as a greenhouse.

I specifically always want to try to do a ‘triangle’ entry or a sloped half triangle entry. It ALWAYS clashes and hates being put in there but the aesthetic of it appeals to me and I’m always trying things even if they’re difficult. I know some of these objects may seem more German than British but... I don’t care lmao. I don’t do this to do a 100% British Speedrun. Just fun.

The greenhouse in particular was something I wanted and is difficult to implement. Those are not full walls and as such do not drop down like normal walls for those of you who download this. Also, previously, I had custom content on the windows and doors of this greenhouse that were removed with several updates and I can’t be bothered to re-download it so I chose something from a pack. That would do. I love the idea of a greenhouse and wanted to try it and I particularly liked making this house in specific ‘cramped’.

I really liked adding this ‘side door’ that goes into the living room with its little step-up.

I really tried, to the edge of it, building the lush garden and foliage covers.

A small, quiet area for tea and fairies. There are lots of gnomes and stuff hidden throughout this house! Just a fun little surprise. My fiancee tried to play this build of mine and since I have seasons fall is triggered but it just adds to the look, in my opinion.

The backdoor into the kitchen with another cute step-down.

My hands were killing me by the end after adding all this foliage but it’s worth it. We also joked in a larp once that when America visited he accidentally broke a gnome and hid it in the bushes. Arthur immediately noticed that Reginald was missing. Where did Reginald go? Reginald???

The front entry room or, I suppose, a ‘mud’ room. I never do these and I really liked it.

A lot of Arthur’s house will be cluttered and lived-in. I love those looks. Also, my apologies in advance, I didn’t realize there would be an outline where my mouse was hovering. I’m a builder, not a photographer.

I wanted a nook of a kitchen. The walls aren’t even that high but the Sims 4 is great about making things ridiculously tall. I think I joked about putting a step-stool in there for him lmao. The door leads down below into a 1/2 bathroom. I also in particular liked that oven because it was a ‘London’ oven.

Greys and browns were something I thought that Arthur would like. More Earthy tones. I wanted a ‘round table’ for obvious purposes. I had a custom content here too and had to improvise when they removed it. I like to think that Arthur also collects those cute dishes that some people do.

The living room as well as stairs going up. I wanted it old-fashioned a bit with an old record player and the TV isn’t the main focus but is there because he has reluctantly upgraded over the years. And while you can’t see it... I miss in Sims 2&3 I believe it was that they would put on ‘chimneys’ for the fireplaces. I love how realistic that is rather than it just... Being in the wall???? So I make 1x2 spaces behind the fireplaces by default now that they’re missing from the game. I miss those. The clipping from the half triangle roof is here along with foliage. Usually my brain just blocks out that stuff or I try to hide it. In this case... I blocked it out and ignored it.

Going upstairs, peering down into the living room.

I really, REALLY wanted this weird bay-window with a ledge here. A lot of stuff I want is a pain to do but I always want to. I temporarily removed a clipping roof object here (It is the ‘rounded roof’ here). I enjoy how it looks outside but not inside. For the pictures sake, I removed it. The window doesn’t allow it to disappear and for some reason it clips into the bathroom as well even though that makes no sense. Roofing is one of the hardest aspects in this game.

The full bathroom first. The top view gives the most details as to how it looks. Since it isn’t big I have to remove the walls to see further into it.

Arthur’s personal office. I wanted to involve a bit more of the spiritual or supernatural things he’s into since I wasn’t interested in making a basement for this project.

Arthur’s bedroom. I really enjoyed this one because of the quilted bed and things like that. I added the rocking chair and knitting sidekick there as an afterthought while looking at this room since, at the time, the knitting pack hadn’t come out when I made this. I thought the contrasting red and green would actually look good and not just Christmas-y. He has his own little walk-on balcony.

Here is the half triangle structure I was talking about as well as the circular roof down below. Roofing is incredibly difficult and I’m OCD and want it to look a particular way. I about had a fit on Spain’s home recently in regards to roofing.

The 3rd floor... The attic that has been transformed into a storage area. I actually really enjoy making storage areas in particular that help reveal some aspects about these characters I create for. In England’s case I like to imagine that America used to live up in here with him and he’s converted it from Alfred’s bedroom into storage. The babyshoes are supposed to be Alfred’s that he still keeps around. Just little bits and pieces over the years that he’s tossed in here and yet it’s still not really that chaotic... All things considered.

Anyways... That’s it! I hope you all like it! I’ve been working on Spain’s and, unlike England, I like to picture him having a HUGE home. Because of how big it is... It has taken much longer. I have the majority of it done though and am mostly left with his 2nd floor and outside foliage to complete before it’s done! I’ll probably upload the ship and island I’ve made for them on the next post.

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

SFW and NSFW headcanons for Seto and Pegasus falling in love with one of their female employees who's a tough badass, refusing to take anyone's shit including theirs? Keep up the awesome writing :D

Hello sweet pea~! Of course you can~! I’m so sorry it took so long to get these out ;; I hope you enjoy these as much as I did writing them~! And as always, thank you so much for supporting us~!

» » Admin Ko

ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ʙᴀᴅᴀꜱꜱ | ꜱᴇᴛᴏ ; ᴘᴇɢᴀꜱᴜꜱ | ʜᴄ [ꜱꜰᴡ&ɴꜱꜰᴡ]

ꜱᴇᴛᴏ ᴋᴀɪʙᴀ

𝕊𝔽𝕎

It’s something he disregards almost immediately. As someone who doesn’t like to waste time on the simple things, the idea of being infatuated with someone is beyond him. Or at least he’d like to think so.  

He initially hired her for her skills and level-headed mind in not only keeping him and his younger brother safe, but being able to take down a threat with ease.

Unbeknownst to him, he finds himself in her company more often than not. His smug and cocky attitude overshadowing his thought process in properly deciphering his true intentions.

It’s during a threat to the Kaiba brothers when she not only show cases her incredible latent abilities, but properly protecting the two brothers. Though of course she too, sustains injuries from the chaos that derived from the enemy’s attempt at capture and torture.

Never in his life did Seto ever think he’d be so roused up from seeing her bloody and bruised form. The rage that worked it’s way into his chest was inconceivable. Let it be known that not only does he track down every person who had managed to escape, but that he also ruined all of their lives.

She only receives the best of the best for medical health, and he doesn’t allow her to refuse his generous help. (Or rather that’s what he’d like to think.)

It’s without a doubt that from that day on he has an extra eye on her. A constant update and demand of her whereabouts as well as her health. 

Mokuba is the one to point out his sudden interest and infatuation with her. The older Kaiba is honestly baffled at this accusation, but he slowly comes to terms with his own feelings after a very abrupt self reflection that’s implemented by not only his younger brother, but those that consider themselves as his ‘friends’

Eventually he comes to terms with his crush for them and within a week of realization he confesses to her in the most dramatic and extravagant way possible. 

ℕ𝕊𝔽𝕎

He won’t outright admit it, but he thinks her strength and not shit taking attitude is rather hot. 

The amount of times alone he’s popped a boner from her sinister words and sharp tongue are enough to make him embarrassed. 

Though that doesn’t mean he won’t enjoy the well deserved role switch. He absolutely loves to dominate her whenever he can. Her shy and flustered features and attempts at holding her ground are endearing as they are addictive. 

Make no mistake though, a majority of the time he’s being dominated by her. It’s a power struggle between the two a majority of the time, but in the end they both end up in each other’s arms at the end of the night.

Lots of intimate and frisky situations in and out of the bedroom. 

Without a doubt both will have love bites and hickeys scattered over each other’s bodies without a doubt. 

ᴍᴀxɪᴍɪʟʟɪᴏɴ ᴘᴇɢᴀꜱᴜꜱ

𝕊𝔽𝕎

He knows exactly when he falls in love with her. Despite having been caught up in his own past and traumas; he finally was able to move on and continue with his life without losing his sanity completely. 

Initially hiring her, he hadn’t expected much. Of course, given his personality he liked to playfully toy and tease her as much as he possibly could, but never to the point where she’d snap at him. 

It’s without a doubt he gets distracted by her. Her entire form and prescience almost demanding in it’s own right that he can’t help but be intrigued by her every move and word.

Unlike Seto, he’s a lot more in touch with his emotions and has no qualms in deciphering the various signals his body and heart were telling him. 

Make no mistake though, once he’s completely come to terms with his emotions, he does what he can to not only protect her, but to further his relationship with her.

It’s only during a plight on his life that she finally understands how much she means to him. A bullet wound to the shoulder is no easy feat, and majority of the time not deadly if handled correctly, but with how the millionaire was acting the spike of emotions couldn’t help but peek through as she bore witness to Maximillion Pegasus in action. 

Without a doubt, the way he confesses is out of the blue. Initially, he would’ve done something extravagant like Seto, but given what had happened during the assassination attempt, he ended up confessing to her at her bedside while gently holding her hand.

ℕ𝕊𝔽𝕎

Is constantly staring at her. He loves how she looks and is no stranger to the possible idea of having her top him in the bedroom.

He loves to be cheeky and teasing, and most definitely will take advantage of the rare moments of flustered emotions that he invokes from her to have an upper hand.

It would come to the surprise of no one that he is a fan of praise, and will undoubtedly worship her the way that she should.

More often than not, he will try to catch her after an intense sparring match or just when she looks like she’s about ready to blow up.

[legoshi-plz]

Omg I loved your headcanons for Riz and Louis! If it's not too much, can you maybe do Juno? She baby 🥺💜

AN: SHE IS BABY!!!!!! God, I love her character so much and Paru did her so freaking dirty 😡 also I apologize in advance for how horny the ending was, I’m sorry it’s so embarrassing 😳

Reader can be read as any gender or animal type/class.

Warning: NSFW +18 (under the warning/cut) [This can be read as either gender but if AFAB, the use of a strap does come into play]

/////////

Okay we’re going to just jump right in because I don’t have that many for Juno.

She’s outgoing, she’s the extrovert of the relationship, and she’s very vocal about when, where, and how she wants things to go. Juno definitely has a thing introverts and you are exactly her type.

You never have to guess how she’s feeling because she’ll make it known, which is how the two of you got together in the first place. After changing so much of who she was to try and be Legoshi’s type, she is officially Done™️ pretending to be someone she’s not. She’s herself around you and tells you straight up that she likes you and wants to be with you if you feel the same way about her. She confesses kind of abruptly though (like the two of you were walking to class and she just goes for it) so you’re caught off guard but manage to stutter out that you feel the same.

And so your relationship began.

Juno is the very embodiment of the “They Asked For No Pickles.” Meme and you couldn’t be more grateful for it. You hate making a fuss or being put in awkward situations but thanks to your amazing and assertive girlfriend, you don’t have to worry.

Juno is not one for self-depreciation AT ALL and will not tolerate you downing yourself. She wants you to see yourself for the beautiful animal she fell head over hills for and won’t let anyone make you feel otherwise, even yourself.

Queen of Random gifts/ surprises and it’s always something you like. She’s incredibly thoughtful and pays close attention to your likes and interests so she’s definitely the better gift-giver in the relationship.

Stroke her tail and she’s literal puddy in your hands, it’s her weakness.

Even though she’s seen on the outside as the powerhouse of the relationship, she’s actually wrapped around your finger. She’s so soft for you and really lets her guard down because she can finally love and be loved for who she is.

Also there’s rarely a dull moment with Juno, she’s freaking hilarious naturally and generally just always has something interesting to say. If you’re in a bad mood or something is weighing on your mind, she knows just how to distract you so that you forget about it completely.

Yes, she will practice in front of you and have you critique her dance routines. And do NOT try to sugarcoat what you think, she wants you to give it to her straight, it’s the only way she’ll improve.

Speaking of sugarcoating, Juno has had to grow up her entire life with people treating her like some feral animal/ overaggressive / overmasculine creature. Spoil her! Treat her like the uwu baby she is! Let her be unapologetically feminine and dainty around you when she wants. It’s a lot on her shoulders being a female Carnivore and sometimes she just needs to be cuddled and pampered as the delicate one for a change. Please let her know she doesn’t always have to keep up this strong, independent, overachiving persona around you.

Now moving on to the NSFW part.

Like other Grey Wolves, Juno’s sex drive is both high and intense.

Despite loving the fact that she can let her guard down around you/ be vulnerable around you, she’s still not a fan of slow sex. She likes sex to be intense and passionate and a little rough. If you’re a more delicate animal, of course she’ll go easy on you but when you’re fucking her do not hold back.

Loves when her significant other pushes her down, grabs her by the tail and fucks her senseless until her legs start to cramp and she can barely form a sentence.

She’s a natural seductress and very open about sexuality. If she’s feeling horny, she’s going to let you know. She will purposefully flaunt herself in front of you, grind against you, etc. to get you hot and bothered.

Speaking of which, one of her favorite things to do is wear skin tight dancewear and ‘forget’ to wear a bra/panties with it while she practices around you. Her tits are bouncing, her nipples are hard as rocks and peaking through her shirt, she’ll have on light colored shorts so that you can see the outline of her pussy and when she gets wet, the fabric is visibly soaked through. She might even wear a shirt that’s way too loose so when she moves, her tits are on full display when the shirt billows up. The sight alone is enough to make anyone cum on themselves instantly.

It’s a regular occurance that you’ll come out of the shower, head to the bedroom to get dressed and there she is on the bed, legs splayed, fingerfucking herself while moaning your name in the most sinful way possible. It gets you everytime.

She also has a keen sense of smell and can always smell when you’re aroused/ in heat. If she detects it first, she’ll tease you to no end until you’re practically begging her to let you fuck her. She’ll ask innocently “Why didn’t you say anything earlier? Of course you can, darling,”

She super flexible from all her years of technical dance training and she implements that fully in the bedroom.

Definitely the type to tease her significant other in public then act innocently. Her nipples usually give her away as they’re like pebbles that she ‘conveniently’ made sure you could see down her shirt.

Speaking of which, her tits are extremely sensitive. Grope her randomly, if she in a relationship with you, she trusts you plus it’s a major turn on for her! Reach under her shirt and roll her nipples between your fingers then leave her alone and you will have her practically preening for you to fuck her. At any moment, you could start playing with her tits and she be mewling for you instantly.

For instance, the two of you are cuddling watching TV and your heads in her lap. Turn towards her, roll her shirt up and just start sucking on her nipples. She’ll be soaking wet for you immediately. Please don’t leave her hanging, go ahead and push her panties to the side to start fingering her, she’ll be gushing all over your hand. Maybe let her climb on top of you so she can ride your face or just keep sucking her tits while pumping her pussy and rubbing out her clit. Either way she’s a whimpering mess cumming all over you, whatever the two do you were watching long forgotten.

Cuddling with her isn’t a mandatory thing, she can appreciate that not everyone likes such close contact after sex but secretly she loves it, please cuddle this beautiful girl and let her wrap her tail around your waist while you two sleep.

Also as a Wolf, her pelt grows thicker in the Winter time so she’s literally like a living furnace. The best of both worlds really because in the summer time it’s shorter so it’s not too thick. Perfect for all seasons and weather conditions.

[adventure-hearts]

( PART 1: DA + ASTROLOGY )

PART 2: DIGIMON ADVENTURE + MBTI 

Taichi - ESTP Yamato - INFP Sora - ENFJ Koushirou - INTJ Mimi - ESFP Jou - ISTJ Takeru - ENFP Hikari - ISFP Daisuke - ESFP Miyako - ENFP Iori - ISTJ Ken - INFJ

Discussion and Commentary below!

If you’ve read some of my previous headcanons about the MBTI, and in particular this very popular post from four (!) years ago, you may find I’ve changed my mind a lot.

An important thing about this typology (or any other one, really) is that it’s quite easy to just look into some websites and make decisions based on the keywords used to describe each type. Which is what I used to do. Keywords are helpful to help us get the “basic picture” (hence why I quote them in this post), but now I believe that you have to read actual theory in order to understand the subtle differences between each type and make more educated guesses.

Since then, I’ve been reading more deeply into MBTI and the Functions. Consequently, the way I understand the MBTI has changed significantly, and so have my Headcanons.

It’s been particularly interesting to learn about the Inferior Function, or the “dark side” of each personality type. The more I read about it, it became surprising that how it seemed to describe most of the adventure kids’ characters arcs incredibly well. This is another reason why the combination Chosen Children + MBTI is such a fascinating and fun thought exercise!

It should be noted that different authors can have widely different interpretations of types, which is why, for the sake of simplicity and coherence, I’ve only read 3-4 main sources when preparing this post. And I tried stay away from popular MBTI websites and resources that exist around the internet, most which can have a slightly misleading/superficial vision of each type. 

However, this doesn’t mean my HCs are “RIGHT” or that other people can’t have better ideas. I’m as biased about the characters as anyone else. I’d be very happy to hear alternative takes!

***

Taichi - ESTP Dominant function: Se

Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them - they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.

Taichi is pretty easy to type, and most ESTP descriptions fit him nicely. Thompson notes the archetype of ESTP is James Bond and Xena the Warrior Princess; I think the character of Taichi, who represents Courage, fits in the same tradition — a bold, impulsive, adventurous leader who is good at strategizing and is able to make though decisions, but is is also very charismatic and charming.  Taichi’s tendency to become thoughtful, introspective, and indecisive under stress can be explained by the inferior function, Ni.

Yamato - INFP Dominant function: Fi

Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.

By contrast, Yamato is always the most difficult to type! I ended up using INFP rather than INFJ, because I think it makes more sense for his dominant function to be Fi (introverted feeling): “Due to the introverted nature of Fi, INFPs’ status as feelers is not always evident from without. When immersed in Fi, they can seem a bit cool, aloof, or indifferent.“ (Drenthe). This type is pretty well representative of Yamato’s caring, passionate and caring side, and especially his conflict during Adventure is beyond, his search for self and meaning. Yamato’s more critical, aggressive, angry, and impetuous side is easily explained by him falling under the influence of the inferior function of this type, Te.

Sora - ENFJ Dominant function: Fe

Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

Another character who’s relatively difficult to type. I see Sora as being in the middle of many of the Preference axis, hence why I initially typed her as something pretty difference different. But now I’m pretty convinced her dominant function is Fe, even though she’s probably only 51% Extroverted. She leans more towards iNtuition than Sensing: Sora’s definitely someone who can pick up things intuitively, especially when it comes to human relationships. So, ESFJ could probably work as well, but I see her as more of an NF type than a SJ type. Sora’s tendency to become hypersensitive, stubborn and withdrawn when under stress? That’s the inferior function, Ti. 

Koushirou - INTJ Dominant function: Ni

Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance - for themselves and others.

This is an example of how learning more about Functions made me change my mind! I believe Koushirou is the text-book definition of INTJ and the Ni function. Koushirou isn’t just someone who thinks — he creates knew knowledge and connects theoretical possibilities. One of the effects of the inferior function of this type, Ni, is an “Obsessive focus on external data”, which means that they can become obsessed with controlling small details, which is what Koushirou tends to do under stress.

Mimi - ESFP Dominant function: Se

Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.

Mimi is a rather obvious fit for this type, not only with her bubbly and happy exterior, but also her naïveté and compassion towards others (Crest of Purity). 

Jou - ISTJ Dominant function: Si

Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized - their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.

Jou’s type seems pretty straightforward. The characteristics of this type to fit him (and the Crest of Honesty) very well. The inferior Function of this type is Ni, manifested as impulsiveness and catastrophizing — classic Jou moves whenever he looses his cool.

Takeru - ENFP Dominant function: Ne

Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.

Takeru is REALLY hard to type. Mostly because, just like his brother, he isn’t as transparent as he seems. Behind that charming, open, happy façade, Takeru runs deep. I ended up choosing ENFP is described as the most optimistic of all types (Crest of Hope), and they are very charismatic and inspiring as well. The “dark side” of this type can be hopelessness or depression (see also: tri. Chapter 3!)

Hikari - ISFP Dominant function: Fi

Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.

Hiakri is another one whose type isn’t obvious, but maybe for different reasons than the other characters I hesitated about — we just don’t see enough of her. I think you can make a strong argument for her being an Intuitive type, but ultimately I think Fi represents her better.

Daisuke - ESFP Dominant function: Se

I know it’s reductive to say Daisuke and Taichi have different personality type, but that’s easy to understand if you see them as being in different stages of type development.

Miyako - ENFP Dominant function: Ne

I’ve always thought Takeru and Miyako are pretty alike, hence why I think they would both fit this type.  

Iori - ISTJ Dominant function: Si

Again, Iori and Jou are pretty alike, although at different stages of their personality development. I could see Iori a ISTP/ISTJ, too — to be fair, I haven’t made up my mind totally about him.

Ken - INFJ Dominant function: Ni

Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

I’m just going to go and give Ken INFJ, although I’m not entirely sure it is the best fit. Ken is incredibly complex, but Ni seems to describe him fairly well. And certainly, the “dark side” of Ni, Se, can very well explain why Ken developed his Digimon Kaiser persona.

BONUS

A brief summary of the 8 Functions:

Introverted Intuition (Ni) collects conscious and subconscious information, and then synthesizes it to produce convergent impressions, insights, answers, and theories. It sees deep causes, patterns, and laws underlying sense data. It is characteristically penetrating and insightful.

Extraverted Intuition (Ne) surveys and creatively recombines a breadth of ideas, associations, patterns, and possibilities. It is characteristically innovative, divergent, open-ended, and non-discriminating. Outwardly, Ne users may present as scattered, random, quirky, witty, and ideationally curious.

Introverted Sensing (Si) retains, consolidates, and recollects historical and autobiographical information. It attends to and draws on a concentrated body of past experiences, routines, and traditions (i.e., the “tried and true”). It forgoes the constant pursuit of new or broad experiences, finding safety and security in stability and consistency. It also surveys inner bodily sensations.

Extraverted Sensing (Se) seeks extensive outer stimulation in the “here and now”—new sights, sounds, tastes, experiences, etc. It is open-ended and non-discriminating with respect to new experiences. It can also be associated with image-consciousness and observation skills, displaying a keen eye for detail. Outwardly, it may manifest as a recurrent desire for activities beyond talking (“Let’s do something!”).

“Introverted Intuition (Ni) collects conscious and subconscious information, and then synthesizes it to produce convergent impressions, insights, answers, and theories. It sees deep causes, patterns, and laws underlying sense data. It is characteristically penetrating and insightful.

Extraverted Intuition (Ne) surveys and creatively recombines a breadth of ideas, associations, patterns, and possibilities. It is characteristically innovative, divergent, open-ended, and non-discriminating. Outwardly, Ne users may present as scattered, random, quirky, witty, and ideationally curious.

Introverted Sensing (Si) retains, consolidates, and recollects historical and autobiographical information. It attends to and draws on a concentrated body of past experiences, routines, and traditions (i.e., the “tried and true”). It forgoes the constant pursuit of new or broad experiences, finding safety and security in stability and consistency. It also surveys inner bodily sensations.

Extraverted Sensing (Se) seeks extensive outer stimulation in the “here and now”—new sights, sounds, tastes, experiences, etc. It is open-ended and non-discriminating with respect to new experiences. It can also be associated with image-consciousness and observation skills, displaying a keen eye for detail. Outwardly, it may manifest as a recurrent desire for activities beyond talking (“Let’s do something!”).

“Introverted Thinking (Ti) utilizes deep and nuanced logic to examine techniques, problems, concepts, or theories. It seeks self-regulation and self-optimization through the development of personal skills, methods, and strategies. It takes a skeptical and reductive approach toward knowledge.

Extraverted Thinking (Te) uses explicit logic, including standardized methods, measurements, policies, and procedures, to make systems and operations more rational, efficient, or effective. This often involves working as part of an institution, be it corporate, scientific, academic, etc. Outwardly, Te delivers opinions and directives in a firm, direct, measured, and unemotional fashion. It may at times be perceived as harsh, tactless, or unsympathetic.”

“Introverted Feeling (Fi) explores and refines personal tastes and feelings, contributing to a strong sense of personal uniqueness. It is self-regulating and self-controlling, working to maintain inner emotional and moral order. It may also emotionally invest in a limited number of love objects, be they persons, animals, hobbies, or causes.

Extraverted Feeling (Fe) surveys a breadth of human emotions, values, and morals. It strives toward interpersonal rapport, consensus, and continuity. It can also be associated with effective communication and social intelligence, facilitating growth and transformation in others. Outwardly, it delivers opinions and directives in a direct yet tactful way, often with a sense of emotional urgency and conviction.

in My True Type, A.J. Drenth

MBTI RESOURCES

A.J. Drenth. “My True Type”

Lenore Thomson. “Personality Type”. 

A.J. Drenth. “The 16 Personality Types”.

The 16 MBTI® Types https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.htm

Naomi Quenk, “Was That Really Me?”

[renaroo]

Yona from YOTD?

First Impression: YOTD, in general, was something I got into because of some friends I really trust having sung its praises and posting cute art. Yona herself was an extension of that, and I have a HUGE weakness for unapologetically feminine characters being able to portray a duality of their femininity and their strength and power. So I was pretty immediately interested in her and excited for her journey.

Impression Now: As much as I was on board for Yona from the start, I was just blown away by how much affection and adoration I grew for Yona over the course of the series. With large ensemble casts, especially in manga/anime, I don’t usually gravitate toward the main character being my favorite. That’s usually the whole joy of the setup, but for me, Yona just broke every record I needed to have me basically swearing my allegiance to her as my queen. She’s so strong, so compassionate, and so incredibly merciful -- she really does become the sort of character you wish to emulate as much as you just enjoy watching.

Favorite Moment: The entire Water Tribe arc is honestly the highlight of the manga for me so far, and I think the addition of Riri to the cast and the way Yona supports and inspires other women and people across the lands in general is an ongoing “favorite moment”, but the highlight for me was when Yona shocked everyone by standing up in the complicated situation and put her life on the line again while still recovering from her wounds. It was also the turning point, I think, for Won to realize that she was not the meek cousin he had proclaimed dead at the start of the series.

[Yona of the Dawn Chapter 88 “Eyes the Color of the Same Sea”]

Idea for a Story: I would love to have another story putting the focus on Yona and Zeno’s relationship and what his take on this incarnation of the Crimson Dragon King is considering he is the only character who has survived throughout all of the eras to see the difference for himself.

Unpopular Opinion: I don’t think I have a single unpopular opinion unless it’s unpopular to ship Riri and Yona as my OTP considering the rest of the harem’s size lol

Favorite Relationship: Riri, but classically I also love her relationship with all the dragons, especially Shin-Ah. He is best boy. 

Favorite Headcanon: After becoming queen of the Kouka Kingdom, Yona is going to implement massive redistribution and reform for the citizens. It’s only a headcanon for now but I do hope it becomes true!

[madlymiho]

Hey again! May I request some HCs about Sanji and Killer’s [Separately] (S/O) [Female] who does martial arts and has both custom made weaponized prosthetic legs? Like blades reattracting in and out from the heels or the calves structure. She can literally obliterate someone with one powerful kick from her legs because she’s crazy strong.

Hello Swift!! ~ oooh it's been a while! I missed your ultra specific headcanon! This one reminds me of the mavie "Planet Terror" hehe! I like that! ~

I hope this will suit you! 💖

Sanji :

• Basically, for Sanji, you're already an extraordinary person... Because you are a woman, so the equation is easy! He already loves everything about you, and there's nothing else which could matter

• Expect that you're a fighter. Sanji is someone who can be very protectice toward you, yet, he's amazed by the fact that you can use your legs to fight. He has never been bothered by your looking, and even more, he's slightly fascinated by your weapons down there

• Even if sometimes his clingy nature tends to come back, and that he tries his best to protect you, he only needs to see one of your kick to remember that you can take care of yourself, and you don't really need him. But you know him, and he can't help. It feels good to protect you

• Sanji isn't utterly violent, but he becomes slightly more bloody when you fight side by side. The adrenaline, and your talent, are tremendous, and he needs to follow your pace, even if you are clearly more violent because of the metal and the strength in your legs

• From time to time, though, is romantic nature strikes back, and more than once, Sanji catches your waist and makes you spin the air, bragging loudly that you are extraordinary, his nose nothing but a river of blood... Old habits don't die so easily

• When the fight is over, you better be sure that Sanji is there to help you clean your blades and your legs. He comes back with a bucket of water and some alcohol, and he immediately helps you scrubbing every part of your legs, making sure that you won't ever have some rust on them

• With Sanji around, you feel loved and admired, no matter what you do. He likes that fierce nature of yours, and after so many years with some curious looks on your legs, it pleases for once, that the man who shares your life, actually really doesn't care about the metal down there, and cheers you, everyday, like the precious treasure you are

Killer :

• Killer tends to have a more reserved nature around you. He's not flustered by your presence, but he prefers to keep things casual and doesn't want to sound too cheesy and clingy whenever he speaks to you... Plus with Kid around, he really doesn't want to tease his mocking nature by telling you compliments

• Yet, Killer has always admired your body. For a long time he helped Kid with his own mecanic arm, so it feels just like home to take care of your legs whenever you need a hand with your blades. More than once, Killer is there to sharpen your swords, showing you the best gesture to transform them into something deadly

• When he combats with you, Killer doesn't hesitate to encourage you with kind gestures, which is utterly surprising, since he's a war machine when he's fighting someone. It disconcerts even his own crew, because when he slays someone, he immediately brushes your hips, almost tenderly, and it's nothing but a real chaos on the battlefield

• When your fight is done, Killer sometimes gives you a review, but it's never mean, on the contrary. He admires a lot of your technics, yet he wants you to get even better, and you two spend the next hours beside a pile of wounded and fainted enemies, talking about the next moves you could learn

• Sometimes Killer forges you new blades to implement on your legs, and he's always slightly excited to see your face. He has the sensation that he can actually share something with you, and when you open your gift, he takes off his mask to be prepared for a thankful kiss coming from you, his smile growing bigger second after second when you seem so happy and touched

• You really find in Killer the ideal companion to cheer you whenever you need someone, and leads you when you feel lost with your combat skills. He really appreciates your weapons, and every of his daily gestures show you how much he finds you incredible

[boundwithindarkness]

Headcanon - Birth, Childhood and Teens

Deepground, once a medical Facility for wounded SOLDIERS and the location of Reactor 0: before the end of the war, however, it was transformed into a highly secretive facility with human experimentation at its heart. It’s goal? To replace the SOLDIER program with far more advanced, unquestionably loyal candidates at whatever cost it took. After Rosso the Crimson’s birth in 1985 and her showing of remarkable skills in battle, the facility chose to continue pushing the program and further their research and experimentation.

Grimoire Valentine once wrote of Stagnant Mako in the Omega Reports and upon enveloping the research of such in their own way, Deepground chose to expose an unborn fetus to the darkened matter. The woman selected to bare the fetus crossed with another’s genes was the mother of Weiss, a child already showing extraordinary strength. Though a different father specimen was selected, it was hoped it would prove to be far better and allow the fetus to gain enough strength to withstand the negative lifestream later in the experiment.  The female grew rather sick and throughout pregnancy continued to weaken; labor was initiated early through induction with concern for both her safety and that of the unborn precious child.

Unfortunately, a terrible escapade happened upon the child birth - laced with such strong abilities and absolute power over darkness, the child of only seconds old could not have any hope of controlling it and thus the mother was drawn immediately into another dimension. The results of the experiment were incredible, but far too dangerous - there was no knowing what the youth could do and as a safety precaution he was encased within a Mako suit to contain the power. Nero’s older brother, Weiss however was not exposed to the same procedure. Nero’s childhood was spent alongside his brother, sectioned off from the rest of the facility where SOLDIER members were bought down and enhanced further - A normal upbringing was never on the cards, they were taught violence from a young age, harshly disciplined if results did not tally with the extortionate standards set. The only human affection ever shown to Nero was from his brother, cooped up within the same holding room under strict security and constant surveillance. Scarcely into teenage years, both brothers were set into further training - Nero was often taken separately, to home his skills in an attempt to control the sheer darkness within him. The face mask come muzzle did not make an appearance until this stage,when the youth would talk and chatter in a language often dubbed as satanic - utter gibberish to most though the sheer danger of such words became apparent soon enough. The darkness could be manipulated by words, not only with his hands and thus he was swiftly silenced in the same manner one might be if dubbed dangerous and clinically insane. A muzzled dog. The straight-jacket like sleeves also came into play during this time as, having experienced only a fraction of the power within the youth, Shinra became fearful of his power and implemented the restraints to further suppress his abilities. He could not use extensive amounts of his power while restrained - without the use of his hands to manifest to the utmost of his abilities. Lessons taught from an early age were constantly revisited - emotionless, firm, strong, uncaring. They were to be ruthless killers lacking conscience. it was under the reign of the restrictions that Nero was shaped into the being he is now - a disgusting, hellish reality used to mentally change and alter in order to gain the reactions they wanted. His early teens bought the most difficulty for the youth of whom had never seen the outdoors - while his brother was tested in small battles against other SOLDIER members, Nero was put under inhumane experimentation in order to test the limits of his restraints, to see how far they were able to push him before limits were reached and that of which kept him in check faltered, failed. Months of ruthless testing ensued, permanently altering his mental state; instability became rife but those that created him, altered him and continually learned from him had finally come to understand the monster in which they had crafted. Finally, he was what those scientists considered complete and was only reunited with his brother upon being restrained within the confines of the reactor only to be removed when necessary. This time was spent learning more of himself in the company of his brother and later he came to realize that the restraints that kept his hands so firmly tied away did scarcely anything to suppress his power and thus they became almost entirely redundant; the use of his hands amplifies his abilities when manifesting power, but can do more than enough when restrained.

[maybeawriter6]

In The Dark

LoliRock Appreciation Week, Day Five - Fave Piece of Lore/Headcanon

I went with Headcanon. >:3

Summary: Sometimes, a phobia is just that. Other times, it might be based on a traumatic experience. Mephisto’s fear of the dark happens to be the latter.

(Slight spoilers, nothing exact.)

Read on ao3 or below!

  It began, as it so often did, with a day of especially difficult training.

  Praxina, even at 14, was powerful and a great master of the spells she knew. But she always struggled to learn new ones.

  Her attempt fizzled out for the 97th time that day. Yes, Mephisto had been counting, because he knew Gramorr was.

  She cried out in frustration. 98. A chill was seeping through the room.

  "Come on, Prax..." Mephisto encouraged her, but his heart was already sinking.

  A flash of red light, then nothing. 99. Praxina looked at him and he saw his fear mirrored in her expression.

  "Again," Gramorr commanded.

  She turned to Gramorr, hands clasped. "Master, please-"

  "AGAIN!"

  Praxina tried. She really tried. The dark red sphere hovered in front of her for a heartbeat, two heartbeats... then it was nothing but a shower of red sparks.

  "No!" Praxina tried to grab the fading sparks, as if she could force the sphere back together.

  Banes snarled, channeling his master's quiet rage. The twins winced.

  "How very disappointing. Praxina, why can't you learn the most basic of spells?!"

  "I'm trying! Please, my Lord, just give me a little more time!"

  "Waste more of my precious time while you make these half-hearted attempts? No. It's obvious that you require stronger motivation to get anything done."

  Mephisto shut his eyes, shaking. He knew it was pointless to argue. It would just make things worse.

  Praxina looked at him, then back to Gramorr with wide, desperate eyes. "But, Master, Mephisto executed the spell perfectly after, like, three tries!"

  "Which makes your utter failure all the more pathetic."

  "It isn't fair to punish him!"

  "Perhaps not. But it's also the only thing that works on you."

  Gramorr flicked his hand. A wave of magic struck Mephisto and sent him rolling across the floor. He lay limply where he was thrown, teeth grit and eyes squeezed shut. Praxina gasped, feeling his pain as if it were her own, and rushed towards him.

  A massive dome of dark purple crystal formed around Mephisto before she could reach him.

  "Noooooo!" Praxina beat her fists uselessly against the cold surface. She turned to Gramorr and knelt. "Please, Master, please let him out! I'll- I'll practice all night! Just let him go!"

  "Now, now, Praxina..." He sounded as if he were wearing a truly wicked smile under the mask. "...You know the rules. His escape is entirely dependent on you."

  Praxina took a shaky breath and stood, pressing her hand against the crystal. "Mephisto?"

  Deep inside his prison, Mephisto wasn't sure if he had opened his eyes or not. Almost no light filtered through the thick crystal walls. He was enveloped in darkness.

  "Don't freak out," he ordered himself firmly.

  He sat up and hugged his knees to his chest. Panic clawed at his throat, but he was determined to stay calm.

  "Mephisto," Praxina’s voice was muffled and warped. "It's okay! I'm gonna get you out!"

  Mephisto knew the walls would allow some sound in but not out, so he didn't bother responding.

  Praxina backed up a few steps and shot a barrage of crystal spikes at the dome. Mephisto could feel the impacts, but he could also tell how fruitless they were. He sincerely hoped that was only a warm-up.

  It was, though Praxina was concerned to find it hadn't even scratched the surface. It did, last time.

  She glanced at Gramorr, who watched her with mild amusement. His gloved hand absently stroked Banes' head.

  He'd made it more difficult than before. She must have broken the last one too easily.

  Praxina inhaled deeply, focusing her energy. She could do this. She had to do this.

  The entire throne room was bathed in red light as she fired blast after blast of angry magic at the dome. They got larger and less controlled as she got madder at the lack of effect they were having.

  Mephisto ducked his head, well aware that he could be hurt if she suddenly succeeded. He'd gotten burned or scraped in the past, but thankfully he'd always managed to hide it.

  An incredibly frustrating hour later, Praxina felt close to screaming. None of her attacks had done anything. Not a single chip.

  She bent over, panting as sweat trickled down her face onto the floor.

  Mephisto raised his head. She'd stopped. Why did she stop?

  "Praxina?" he whispered. His voice was immediately swallowed by the darkness.

  Was she hurt? Had she... abandoned him? The panic he'd been fighting started to creep over him.

  Gramorr chuckled quietly. "It would seem Mephisto's stay will be somewhat extended. Perhaps I should remove his 'room' from your sight until you've mastered the spell to free him. So you won't be distracted." He raised his hand, silently delighting in the look of horror on Praxina's face.

  Mephisto couldn't quite make out what Gramorr was saying, but hearing his voice was reason enough for alarm.

  "N-no!" Praxina hurried to insist. "That... won't be necessary, my Lord. I can do the spell."

  He'd given her a hint. Master the spell to free him. One spell. The spell she'd been failing at. That was the solution.

  Mephisto didn't feel any impacts for a long time. He wondered if she'd given up. The mere thought of being trapped forever married his fear of the darkness that seemed to suffocate him. Together, they birthed a terror that burned like ice in his veins and brought tears to his wide eyes. His breathing was as fast and irregular as his heartbeat.

  Praxina lost track of how many times she summoned the red sphere and watched it flicker out of existence. She kept trying, growing increasingly desperate.

  What if she couldn't learn this spell before Gramorr lost patience with her? What if he took Mephisto away for a long time? What if he-

  She swallowed around the lump in her throat. No. She couldn't afford to dwell on that.

  Mephisto was shaking badly, the occasional sob forcing its way out. He had his eyes shut tight against the purple-tinted void but it was still there, just beyond his eyelids.

  He hadn't been a huge fan of the dark before Gramorr started implementing this particular punishment. (Mephisto almost missed the days when he'd just zap him with excruciating pain and have it done with. Now he only did that for minor offenses.)

  The first time hadn't even been that bad. Mephisto had yelled encouragement to Praxina and she'd broken him out in what still stood as record time.

  The second instance had been very different. Praxina couldn't hear him at all, and Mephisto had gotten scared when she kept asking with ever-growing panic if he was all right. He'd screamed himself hoarse trying to answer her, only to discover afterwards that it had all been in vain.

  It had only gotten worse from there. Thicker walls, less light, less outside sound, bigger spells needed to break him out. Once, he'd tried weakening it from the inside, but he couldn't even scratch the crystal. He didn't have enough power.

  "Please hurry, Prax," he whispered, keenly aware it was useless. His fingers were buried in his hair as he shook with quiet sobs.

  Gramorr sighed irritably as Praxina's spell failed yet again. She was running out of time.

  She pressed her hand to the side of the dome, reminding herself firmly that Mephisto was right there. That she wasn't as alone as she felt.

  "I'm..." She paused to steady her voice. "...I'm working on it, Mephisto. Okay? If you can hear me, just... Just stay strong. Okay?!"

  She listened for a response she knew wouldn't come. If she could just hear his voice one time, just to reassure her that he was okay. That he was still there and hadn't somehow vanished.

  For once, both twins wanted the same thing at the same time. Mephisto would have happily given his left leg to be able to answer her right then.

  "How touching," Gramorr grumbled. "I grow weary of this, Praxina. This is easily the longest you've ever taken."

  Praxina tried the spell again but her hands were shaking far too much to give her even a chance of casting it.

  "Maybe you'd better sleep on it," he continued. There was a cold laughter sheathed in his voice. "Try again in the morning with a clearer head, perhaps."

  Praxina froze, pupils shrinking in horror. No. He couldn't spend the whole night in there. And she couldn't spend it without him. She couldn't be alone that long, she just couldn't.

  She didn't waste time protesting, instead pouring all her focus into the spell.

  Mephisto’s cries subsided when he heard Praxina's grunts of effort. He felt a very slight vibration through the walls. Another. This kept up for several minutes. The impacts were getting stronger but not strong enough.

  Praxina was exhausted. The endless spells had drained her. She finally collapsed to her knees, holding her head.

  She couldn't do it. She couldn't save him. She wasn't good enough.

  Praxina was all alone, and it was her own fault.

  "I'm so sorry, Mephisto!" A harsh, angry sob escaped her. "I'm sorry you don't have a better sister to save you!"

  Mephisto's heart broke. She sounded so defeated. It was so foreign and wrong and it hurt.

  Gramorr said nothing. He was enjoying himself immensely. Banes was purring in a loud, contented manner.

  Praxina soon fell apart completely, crying hot, stinging tears of despair and rage. Her sobs became uncontrollable.

  "Praxina!" Mephisto stood and beat his fist uselessly against the crystal. "PRAXINA! Please, don't... I'm fine... I'm..." He choked on a sob. Tears rolled down his face as his whole chest ached for her.

  Mephisto couldn't just... just sit there and listen to her, like this. Not when she needed him so badly.

  There was suddenly a determined glint in his eyes.

  He wouldn't just sit there. He refused to.

  Not entirely certain what he planned on doing, Mephisto instinctively backed up a few steps, standing in the middle of the dome.

  "PRAX!" He shouted, hoping maybe that even if the sound couldn't reach her, the feeling might. "PRAX, JUST HANG ON!"

  He shut his eyes. Inhaled slowly, let it out even slower. Focused all his concentration, all his power, on this one spell.

  A magic circle appeared around his feet, casting bright green light up onto him and his surroundings.

  He'd have to be quick. The walls absorbed magic, draining his energy. Which was why he could never keep a spell going long enough to keep the darkness at bay.

  When he opened his eyes, they glowed an angry green. A wind with no source rushed around him, blasting his hair and cape up into the air.

“Malefius Magnatum!” He recited with perfect pronunciation.

  A green sphere formed in front of him, growing as he held it there.

  His legs quivered with the effort and sweat ran down his neck. Praxina's muffled sobs still reached his ears through the dull roar of the wind. He clung to the sound, drawing strength from his feelings.

  The sphere grew, the light getting brighter. Cracks began to form in the walls.

  Banes stopped purring suddenly, drawing Gramorr's attention to the dome. Green light was leaking from inside, and the whole structure was starting to vibrate.

  "What the-"

  A blast shook the room, purple crystal scattering as a dust cloud rose where Mephisto’s prison had stood. He stumbled from the rubble, coughing.

  Praxina had thrown her arm up to shield herself from the explosion, and was now staring at him with huge, wet eyes. "M-Mephisto?"

  Mephisto looked at her like she was the sun itself. He rushed over and fell to his knees in front of her. He grabbed her hands reassuringly.

  "Are you hurt?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "No. Are you?"

  He gave a half smile. "No. I'm fine." He wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm here, okay? I'm fine. We're both fine."

  Praxina was overcome with a fresh wave of tears. She grabbed him hard enough to hurt, but neither cared. He ran his hand through her hair soothingly as she sobbed into his shoulder.

  "Prax, it's okay," he whispered. "I'm here. It's okay. We're okay."

  Banes gave a quiet snarl. Mephisto looked up and met Gramorr’s disapproving gaze.

  Gramorr was simultaneously impressed and furious at the turn this had taken.

  Mephisto hugged his sister tighter and bared his teeth at their master, his whole expression a challenge.

  Do something to her. I dare you.

  Gramorr wasn't one to take dares, however. He could see the rebellious fire burning in Mephisto’s eyes. Things weren't likely to go in a favorable direction for any of them if Gramorr chose to push this issue.

  He'd rather not have to kill Mephisto today. It would be a messy business, more than likely resulting in Praxina forcing his hand. Training new subordinates from scratch, after all the time and effort he'd wasted on these two...

  "Unexpected," he finally said, carefully keeping the anger from his voice, "but I will allow it. I will expect you to have mastered that spell by sunrise, Praxina."

  Mephisto was still glaring at him as Praxina pulled away to nod.

  "Y-yes, Master. Thank you." She glanced significantly at Mephisto.

  He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "...Yes, thank you, your most merciful darkness." His compliments rang far hollower than usual.

  Gramorr waved his hand, dismissing them, then glided through a door into to his private refuge. He found he had a splitting headache.

  He also made a mental note to look into magic-dampening shackles for next time.

  This disaster must not be repeated.

  Mephisto sagged with relief once he left. He gently turned Praxina's face back towards him. Her eyes were red, as his were, and her cheeks were still wet. He wiped the tears away with his thumb.

  "I..." Praxina swallowed. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't save you."

  "Hey." He smiled at her. "We can save each other. Okay?"

  She sniffled. "But I'm supposed to be the older one, the responsible one. The strong one. I'm supposed to protect you, Mephisto."

  “No, Praxina, listen to me.” He leaned in to make her look at him. "You don't need to be the strong one all the time. Let me protect you, once a while."

  She gave him a watery smile. "Okay."

  Praxina wondered what she'd ever done to deserve such a good brother. The answer was nothing. She didn't deserve him. There was so much kindness in him, no matter how deep he tried to bury it.

  A familiar flash of guilt crossed her mind, like a shadow. He shouldn't be here. He didn't belong on the dark side. This was all her fault.

  He gently stroked her hair and gave her a little peck on the forehead, as he always did when she looked truly miserable, and she realized what a selfish person she really was. Because she couldn't be sorry that he was here with her. She couldn't wish she was alone. She couldn't bring herself to even imagine sending him away to safety.

  Besides, she thought with a little smile, he'd never let her.

  "We're in this together," he said, his train of thought echoing hers. "Okay? Together. It's us vs. the world, remember?"

  Praxina's smile grew and she looked more like her usual wicked self. "Yes. Us vs. the world."

  That was the way it had always been, just the two of them, and that was the way it would always be.

  Or so they thought.

[anthropologyarda]

The Machinery of Evil: Angband

In comparison to the more ragtag, disorganized orc led armies of the later Ages, Angband is an impressively effective force that is strong enough to withstand centuries of near isolation and self-sufficiency under constant siege. This suggests to me an extremely organized and structured system acting as its backbone.

I don’t think there were the modern kind of taxes or wages because I doubt there was a free market economy that needed those things to drive it. Angband is essentially a state built to fuel an army and I doubt that dark lords care much about the desire of their minions for luxury goods. So I think the most likely system was a command economy, where central planning makes all the economic decisions about how to use and distribute resources. For example, your orc will never have to worry about the cost of his helmet, because the dark lords arrange the production and delivery of all his equipment in exchange for labor at mining, farming, soldiering etc. as a specialist. Higher ranking orcs or beings probably get a bigger share of the resources and better stuff as an incentive to move up the ranks as much a possible. So there’s still a definite status system and ‘wealthier’ orcs.

Of course this opens up a host of problems too. This system takes an incredible amount of knowledge and planning to carry out, and if you don’t get the right number of helmets or chickens you need, you may end up executing rioters or having poorly equipped soldiers who lose battles. Not to mention you have to police the system rigorously for graft, theft, cheating, corruption, misreporting surplus, plain incompetence etc. Having a command economy also requires the creation of an enormous entrenched bureaucracy to organize and implement decisions made at the top.

Naturally this means that no currency is necessary, eliminating the cost in wasted metals and labor. I think that they might have created a currency later on for the sole purpose of trade with the Evil Men of the East, but I find it equally likely that Angband adopted one of their Eastern allies’ currency as long as the standard was valuable metal weights. Their chief trade goods were probably knowledge and high quality processed goods rather than raw materials anyway. This eliminates the problem of inflation internally, but not of scarcity.

Now, if you’re an orc and want a bit more than your regular rations or a nice present for your mother’s birthday, you’re going to have to barter for it.  Your options for getting trade goods are limited. You can steal a little extra from what you produce as a farmer, smith, miner etc. but this might get your head chopped off. You can save some of your rations and trade that, but this can be dangerous if you don’t have enough left for yourself or trade away vital items like armor, underwear etc. You can trade services for goods like ‘I’ll sharpen your knives if you give me your shiny stone.’ But your best option for getting trade-able items is loot taken from enemies. Angband didn’t have taxes, but you probably had to tithe a portion of your plunder to the dark lords and possibly your commander. I’m thinking that a footsoldier got to keep one-tenth, a general one-third or some kind of system like that was in place but there was probably a lot of fighting over the best items between individual orcs too.

How do you keep a vast underground army supplied with food and materials? I think Angband’s production and food problems are solvable with a truly ridiculous amount of forethought and planning, pinpoint precise control of workers and a healthy amount of magic. The dark lords would need a huge amount of food, far more than could be gained through raiding; somehow crops had to be grown to feed armies, and animals had to be raised for meat and goods. Angband must have had enormous underground farms for surface plants created through the laborious process of building plant beds, bringing in soil, and creating light and air shafts. But they also might have cultivated fungi, mushrooms, moss, roots and other edible plants that naturally grow in or near caves. Pre-siege they might have had some small scale agriculture on mountain terraces and foothills and pastured sheep or goats on the side of mountains.

Post siege they had to rely on animals that could be raised underground. Orcs probably ate little meat. Those animals would have been far more valuable for the other products they could provide, like hides, fat, or horn. Eggs or milk would be more likely, depending on availability. Bats, bugs, worms, larva, spiders, proteus salamanders, and cave crabs are natural cave creatures that might be deliberately raised as food. Fish in underground lakes would yield the double benefit of food and vital water reservoirs. Their primary meat animal would probably be pigs because they eat anything and can be intensively farmed. Dogs are also scavengers so they might also be eaten for food or raised for fur. Chickens can be cage-raised in battery farms, and they also eat almost anything, so they seem likely. Sheep and goats come from wild mountain dwelling ancestors, and would have been valuable for wool and hair and milk, but I’m doubtful they could be fed enough from Angband’s resources to be worthwhile to keep. Cows are a definite no; they just are too big for underground living and not efficient enough to be regular food animals. Horses are valuable as riding animals and it is seems likely a small number were kept for commanders, messengers and scouts.

Outbreaks of disease and contamination have an easy answer: never ever ever keep all of your animals/crops/drinking water in one place/field/reservoir. If you loose one herd to disease you can isolate it and save the rest; the more separate herds you have the smaller the loss. Potential disease vectors, like corpses, have to be disposed of immediately. Genetic bottleneck is no problem if you carefully manage your herds; scientists estimate the entire population of founding taurine (non-humped) cattle was around eighty for example; low genetic variation does not necessarily mean low fitness. If stores dropped catastrophically low, trade with Evil Men or raiding could have filled the shortfall until production could be restored.

Waste management and containment would have been vital for the health of Angband’s occupants and the viability of its economy. Mines and farms are kept running though forced labor by prisoners; no one lives who does not work. Everything has to be recycled - food and metals especially. Even the corpses of prisoners and orcs are eaten. Water supplies may not have been easy to find and would have to be kept clean and uncontaminated by mineral leeching. They would have to find ways to get rid of toxic trash that couldn’t be recycled. Environmental contamination would have been a real problem, given the volcanic atmosphere and the amount of volatile metals around. Some types of environmental contamination could have been avoided through good, ruthlessly enforced waste containment measures as well.  Magic may also be a good option here.

Were Angband’s ore deposits rich enough to support centuries of war? I’m honestly a little fuzzy on the geologic requirements for the creation of metals, but I’m going to handwave this one. If Melkor can make entire mountain ranges, then I’m going to guess he can guarantee an ample supply of minerals and metals for Angband’s forges. (Plus volcanic soils are incredibly fertile which helps with the food problem. The Polynesian islands are capable of supporting agriculture only because of soils made of volcanic ash deposited by wind, fun fact.)

My general explanation for the ability of Melkor’s war machine to support itself actually relies on a bit of headcanon. Sauron managed to escape the ruin of Utumno because of an extensive underground tunnel system that existed underneath it. I like to think that this is something Melkor and Sauron continued and expanded in their next stronghold once they saw how useful it was. However tall the mountains towered above the plain, below them Angband lay many times greater and deeper. Perhaps not just the entire plain, but whole mountain ranges were honeycombed with tunnels that stretched their fingers all the way back to Utumno’s vaults.

They may be evil, but Melkor and Sauron must have been terrifyingly competent.