#orphaned link theory

[little-robin-h00d]

Happy Zexion Day!

HOO BOY I managed to finish this just in time! I am a firm believer that Ienzo is Nept's little brother <3 so have him being adorable in the Baroque Society!

[sketchtastrophee]

old art again!! this time a rough animation of sawyer and yarnaby 😎 (looks better if u click to view 😭)

im working on a short ppt animation rn. im thinking i should post it to my youtube channel, though im not sure if people here would see it. i think i can link videos on here?? idk

okay I'm gonna talk abt more chapter 4 stuff.. this time about prototype's previous identity.. ch4 spoilers and also a theory below..

hiding the solo yarnaby under here LOL

people theorized 1006 was elliot, which was recently disproven in the chapter 4 tape where poppy refers to elliot as her dad and wishes he were there. in the same tape she addresses prototype as a completely different person. also recall that elliot died in the 90s, meanwhile prototype met theo in 1989. so yeah, they aren't the same person

I've also seen people say rich is prototype, which cannot be true either. in a ch4 tape he speaks to one of the employees under his supervision. the kid mentions his coworkers joking about him going missing. before the bbi, it would not make sense for this to be a common rumor at the company, which means this tape had to happen after harley was hired in 1990; at a time when the company would have a reason to silence people

prototype existed in 1989 at the minimum, but considering he says "it's always been about you and me" to poppy, he's likely the prototype of HER. she's elliots daughter, she died in the 60s, meaning prototype was probably created around that time as well.

this means that rich can't be the prototype because he was human long after prototype was made

if you want my take on who prototype truly is, i'd say his identity doesn't necessarily matter. i don't mean to say his origins aren't important, just that his name and specific role in the past probably doesn't mean anything in the long run. i've never believed he was elliot or rich, and maybe in the future i'll be proven wrong but for now i'll tell you the theory i've had since june of last year

elliot's daughter dies in the 60s. he divorced his wife in 1930, so his daughter is probably in her 30s when she dies. she gets sick or injured, maybe she's actively dying or already dead by the time elliot begins his research. he looks for ways to bring her back, but it doesn't work on the rats (as he mentioned a note in the 2nd chapter)

so what does he do? he tries it on something bigger as he said he would: a human. of course he's not going to try this experimental method on his own daughter, even if she's already dead, so he finds someone else to use it on. we know that elliot wasn't evil or anything, so it's unlikely he killed anybody to use for the experiment. considering the orphanage isn't open yet (it opened in the 70s, not the 60s), prototype probably wasn't an orphan child either. if i run with my simple version of the theory, elliot may have dug up a body in a graveyard and used that. maybe a fresh one, who knows. he tried it, it worked, then he revived his daughter with the same method.

this is likely what harley wanted to know about in the chapter 3 tape (the "i learn something new about you every day" one), and also what prototype is asking harley to figure out in the ch4 tape they're both in. in that case, sawyer never actually figured out how to revive people with the poppy substance. sure, he can transfer people into the toys, but he can't bring anybody back to life

more reason to believe prototype and poppy are of the same "batch" is because it seems they are the only two who don't need food. it's outright stated about him in the ch1 trailer, and insinuated with her saying the "toys will starve otherwise" when she's talking about how nasty them eating humans is. she refers to them, not herself. her and prototype are probably the only 2 who were ever brought back from the dead, which circles back around to his monologue and gives meaning to the "it's always been about you and me, poppy. what we are". when i heard him say that i felt like my theory was lowk confirmed 😭😭

no guarantee this is right, but it's been my guess for a long time

[falesten-iw]

We really have to hand it to kids' drawings. They're like little emotional time bombs, chaotic, pure, and ready to explode with meaning at any second. My son’s masterpiece? It’s got all the feels: hope, resilience, and a superhero vibe that makes you believe a pencil can save the world.

Then there’s my friend’s version, same idea but polished, powerful, and radiating strength and determination. One full of innocence and love, the other showing how far we’ve come in the fight for survival. Together, they remind me that even in the darkest times, there is light.

Maybe these drawings aren’t enough to stop you in your tracks. Maybe they’re not “good enough” to inspire donations or make you share this post. But behind each one, there’s a story of survival, resilience, and unshakable hope. This campaign isn’t just about me. It’s about 26 people, 26 lives hanging by a thread. That includes two orphaned children and a family member who’s suffering from hemiplegia after being hit by shrapnel during a bombing. She urgently needs surgery to replace infected plates in her body. The situation is dire, and every day is a battle. The video showing the injured family member is shared before in this post: Link.

Still waiting for a sign? Well, here it is. Resilience is great, but it doesn’t exactly cover surgeries, medicine, clothes, or food. Please help us ! Donate and reblog this post to spread our story.

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[haoetoile]

sweet revenge - jeon wonwoo

word count: 2,830

genre: smut, serial killer!au, non-idol!au and dark contents

pairing: stalker, serial killer!wonwoo x fem!reader

a/n: i really enjoy reading dark romances and darker fanfics, so i decided to take my first try onto this kind of writing!! this was kind of inspired by haunting adeline (more specifically, the mirror maze scene, ifykyk) and some other books, and i really hope this is not as shitty as it looks for me. btw, it wasn't revised, so lmk if there are any mistakes and i hope you guys enjoy it <3

contains: you messed with wonwoo's sweet revenge, now he has to make a plan to get rid of you as soon as possible. triggers: stalking, mentions to killing, wonwoo is a serial killer and slightly obsessed with reader. smut contains: voyeurism, big cock!wonwoo, names (doll, slut, pretty girl), fingering, oral (m. receiving), public sex,, creampie, and filthy language, slight dumbification if you squint (?). if i missed any warnings, please let me know!

it's been a while since wonwoo first laid his eyes on you; a pretty, smart and kind of naive college student. you two attended the same college, so you'd see him often around the hallways even though you two never actually talked

you were surely really pretty, but that was it. he might've just stared at you once or twice, but there was nothing more about it. well, at least not until you became a pain on his neck

one day, coming back from getting the groceries, you came across a gruesome scene in one of the dark alleys from your block. a tall man, wearing all black, covered by a cap, a mask and a hoodie, carried a corpse. you wanted to scream, but you got paralyzed instead, he remained unaffected by your presence, not considering the possibility of you reporting him - after all, it wasn't like you could see his face or anything that would make him recognizable

or maybe he thought so. until now, all of his murders had been considered just isolate cases, no one suspected a thing or who could've done this, but when he saw that murder, the one you had witnessed, being announced on tv, and theories surrounding it that linked that murder with the other ones, - after all, the victims all had a pattern: rich politicians who approved a specific project for planning a new area in changwon - his blood boiled. wonwoo just couldn't understand how could you be such a pesky little thing and ruin his plans on being unnoticed

well, he had to think about something. he had to do something. he couldn't just let a random college girl interrupt his sweet, sweet revenge, and neither the cops. so that's why he started stalking you

he wasn't counting on the fact he would start feeling something other than hatred bubbling inside him whenever he'd think about you, he never thought he'd start desiring you. but at the end of the day, it'd be just the best of both worlds for him - he'd have his way with a hot girl, kill her and get his revenge, and would also mislead the cops onto thinking about the changwon incident; the one that made him an orphan

once again, he stood in the shadows, covered by some big trees that were perfect to hide his strong, 6ft frame. your neighborhood wasn't crowded so it was even better, as no one would notice his present around as he looked up into your window. you looked so perfect, so pretty dolling yourself up to sleep, your pretty silk nightgown left little to imagination, and he loved every single detail of it

it was one of those nights, your parents weren't at home, and you were feeling yourself, so it wasn't long before he caught you on your bed, legs spread out as a small bullet vibrador teased your delicate folds. your brows were furrowed in pleasure, and when you pushed your pink lacy panties to the side, he couldn't help but start rubbing his hand in the front of his black jeans, wondering if you'd have this same expressions if it was him who was pushing those cute panties to the side, if if was his fingers that were teasing you

you started fucking yourself with the small object, letting out the sweetest moans wonwoo ever heard, and it wasn't long before he gave in to his desires once again, pulling out his length from its confine, his gaze still burning on your delicate figure

he watched as your rhythm gradually increase, your moans getting more frantic by each passing moment, as his thumb gently grazed along the slit of his cock, making his entire body jolt with pleasure. his hand tightened the grip on the shaft, as his mind wandered once again to how tight and wet your cunt would feel it he was the one fucking you, making sure to ruin you and leave you too dumb to even be able to run away from him once he's had his way with you

once you had your orgasm, wonwoo couldn't help but feel his balls getting tighter, soon enough blowing out his load all over his hand, his mind making up the decision he had to do something soon. very, very soon

[...]

finally halloween night, the perfect day for wonwoo to be able to execute his plan. your friends had invited you for a halloween party, and you were surely excited to go, even if it was in a more dangerous side of the city – to them, actually, it was even more appealing as it fitted the vibe perfectly

the party's location actually would be even more helpful for wonwoo's plans, as it'd be hosted at an abandoned mansion that was placed on an also abandoned neighborhood, surrounded by a forest. wonwoo wouldn't need much to make you disappear just like he had planned, that place was literally the best trap ever so he could get his sweet, sweet revenge on you for disturbing his plans

you felt a shiver down your spine as soon as your friend's car parked near the party's location, as if your body could sense some kind of danger, but you brushed it off, thinking it might've been just because of the mansion's atmosphere. but it wasn't

the sensation was only getting worse as you tried to enjoy the party as much as your friends were, the sense of unease and something more, as if someone was watching you, wouldn't go away. it was making you anxious, you felt like you needed to run away, like there was actually danger, but you kept quiet, you didn't wanted to ruin your friend's night at all and you also needed to go out for a bit

[...]

you fixed the black leotard and the bunny ears a last time before leaving the bathroom, ready to find your friends once again in the crowded room. just as you were passing by, you felt the same sense of unease again, of being watched, a shiver running along your spine, but no one seemed to be around. you thought you were going crazy

except for the fact you weren't. wonwoo followed you around the party all the time, taking in your appearance as you wore a ravishing playboy bunny costume, your ass barely covered by the short shorts you chose not to be half-naked in just that tight leotard, so tight wonwoo couldn't help but stare at the shape of your gorgeous tits and how they'd felt with his lips around it — it wasn't like he wouldn't get some fun with a pretty thing like you before making his plans work perfectly

you couldn't find your friends, so you grabbed a bit of a watermelon vodka drink that was being served and went all the way to the backyard, where a few people seemed to be smoking and others making out. a tall, handsome man dressed as joker approached you, well, it wasn't exactly a costume, as he only had a mask on and a suit, but you recognized the character anyway

"what's a pretty thing like you doing here, all alone?" his deep voice sent tingles all over your body "it's kind of dangerous to be here by yourself... haven't you heard the rumors that this mansion's abandoned, kitten?"

"i was just looking for my friends, but they're nowhere to be found, so i just came here for some fresh air" you answered, as oblivious as you were to his true intentions. wonwoo chuckled softly at your answer, loving the way his plan was going as smooth as it could, and he decided to take off his mask

the sight of his handsome appearance without the mask made you softly gasp, — fact that he pretended not to notice, but definitely did — he was extremely hot and totally your type, as if he came straight out one of your dreams

"mind if i keep you company, then?" he asked, and you shook your head while watched him light up a cigarette "want one?"

"no thanks, i don't smoke" you answered, watching him take off a long drag. for some reason, it was insanely hot to watch this

"so, what's your name, pretty girl?" god, the way the nickname rolled out of his tongue made something inside you flip completely

"____. and you are...?" you waited for his answer

"call me wonwoo, sweetheart"

[...]

you didn't knew how, maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe something entirely his, but you were completely drawn to wonwoo. sure, he was tall, handsome and from the brief conversations you two had, you could already tell he was insanely intelligent, but you still weren't sure why something about him had you longing for me

you weren't sure either on how or why did you started dancing with him, or let him lead you to the very same woods you'd found eerie earlier that day so you two could made out. yet, it felt so right to have those lips pressed against yours, to have his tongue hitting all the right spots inside your mouth and leave you whimpering against his and your cunt throbbing for more

his lips moved all the way down to your neck, savoring the sweet taste of your skin, leaving open-mouthed kisses there that made you gasp in such a cute way, that wonwoo thought he could get a boner with just that. you, on the other hand, could already feel moisture pooling down your core in a way that made your panties stick to your skin uncomfortably

"okay, doll. want to be a good girl for me, yeah?" he breathe out against your neck, and you whimpered at the contact of his hot breath against your already sensitive skin, nodding instantly. the sight of you being so submissive and eager to please him made wonwoo harden immediately "that's what i've thought... why don't you star by being a good girl and getting on your knees for me?"

you were more than happy to oblige it, dropping to your knees on the spot, not caring more about the eerie environment or the fact you two were out there in public. you saw him undo his belt, and a shiver ran down your spine as you imagined how big his cock must be — you just knew it was big

after you helped him undo his buttons and free himself from its confines, you saw his hardened cock stand tall and proud, ready for your attention. you gulped, not expecting it to be as big as it really was, but you leaned in eagerly anyway, ready to please wonwoo

you wrapped your lips against his tip, savoring the bittersweet taste on your lips, and he groaned at the sensation, hands flying instantly to your hair, dropping your bunny ears on the process. the contact of his hands with your hair made you bolder, as you bobbed your head more, relaxing your throat so you could accommodate more of his length inside your mouth

"fuck, what a good little mouth" he let out a deep moan, and you felt more moisture pool down your legs at the sound of his voice

you got bolder in your movements, bobbing your head all the way down, using your hands to pleasure him, and going all you could to make him feel as good as possible. wonwoo was loving you eager you were to please him, and it only made him hornier, thinking about how pathetic, and yet, still hot, you were like this

it wasn't long until he came inside your mouth, releasing his hot, thick seed right down your throat. he watched you gag and struggle a bit to swallow. he dressed up again, watching you look at him with doe eyes, ready to do whatever he wanted next, and the sight alone was enough to make him horny again

"doll, can you get up for me?" he watched as you eagerly got on your feet again, already waiting for his next command "such a good girl" he purred, getting closer and closer, making your back press against a tree

he shoved a hand inside your short shorts. wonwoo's skilled fingers were fast enough to pull your leotard and panties to the side, a groan escaping his mouth once he found you already wet and ready for him

"got this wet for me just from sucking cock, hm? such a nasty little girl" he tsked, smirking mockingly. you opened your legs a bit more, wanting more contact "look at you, already demanding for more..."

"wonwoo, please" you whimpered. his middle finger rubbed through your folds until they stopped at your sensitive hole, slipping just a bit to gather your juices, smearing it all over your nether lips teasingly

you mewled, and earned a dark chuckle from the tall man in front of you, who decided to do it again before finally stopping at your clit, drawing figures of eight slowly, just to get you worked up

"you're really a slut, huh? getting off on fucking in public like this, knowing anyone could pass by these woods and see you letting a barely unknown man finger your juicy cunt like this" he teased you, leaning in just to bite and suck a certain spot on your neck that made your toes curl

suddenly, two fingers entered your cunt, and you were not able to surpass the loud moan that escaped your lips. luckily, there was no one around to hear it, but the possibility of being seen made your cunt throb in a way that was definitely noticed by wonwoo

"what was that, doll? do you like being fucked in public like that?" he teased, pumping his fingers faster. you were already so lost in pleasure, that you didn't even heard him, too worked up on his fingers

wonwoo was determined in making you come undone, scissoring them, thrusting them upwards to find your g-spot, rubbing his thumb over your clit, all he could to get you off as soon as possible. your moans were getting more and more erratic by each passing second, your thighs were quivering, and your hips were moving on their own now. you were too close to snap

with a sudden thrust from his fingers, the coil on your stomach snapped, the feeling got unbearable, and you let go to the sensation. wonwoo let you ride down your orgasm until its very last wave before pulling his fingers out and bringing them to his mouth to taste your juices

"you taste like fucking candy" he groaned, getting closer so he could connect your lips to his again. you could taste your own essence inside his mouth, but you were still too horny to care about it

he shoved your shorts down and quickly ripped your leotard and panties to get them out of the way, and then took his own length out its confines again before finally plunging it into you without a warning

fuck, he made you feel so full. his cock was hitting all the right spots inside you, caressing your cervix in a way that was certainly too much but you couldn't help but want more. the sensation alone made you moan desperately

one of his hands grabbed your hips with a bruising strength, while the other roamed over your body, as if it was memorizing its shape. when they finally found one of your breasts, he squeezed it hard while thrusting harder and faster, determined on making you as cockdrunk as possible

god, you looked so stupid on his cock already that he could just kill you if he wanted to. but he didn't wanted to waste the opportunity to fuck this sweet, juicy cunt and to hear those delicious moans

his hips slammed against yours even faster, the wet, lewd sounds you two were producing were echoing through the deserted woods, along the sounds of your needy moan and whimpers and his deep moans and groans. his tip was constantly hitting your g-spot again in a bruising pace, making you see stars — wonwoo was definitely too much

"fuck, such a tight little cunt." he groaned "been waiting for too long to fuck you"

you felt like cumming already, but you tried to hold your own orgasm so you could wait for him as well

"such a good pussy for me" he moaned

you could feel his cock throb inside you and knew he wouldn't last longer, but so do you. so when the sensation became unbearable again, you just let it go, cumming all over his cock again. the way your cunt squeezed him made wonwoo cum as well, shooting his load inside you

he looked at your disheveled form in awe, and suddenly, an idea came into his own mind. maybe killing you wasn't the best he could do to plan his own revenge... instead, he could make you all his

[stiltonbasket]

What is your flavor of "accidental sugar daddy SY"?

ao3 link

When Shen Yuan first transmigrated into the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way some thirty years earlier, he knew nothing about the strange universe he had landed in.

He had heard about the novel before, albeit in no great detail. Shen Yuan watched it climb to the top of Zhongdian’s ranking page while he was busy catching up on A Chronicle of Primordial Wars: but he never bothered to read it, or join the fan forums—a decision he regretted immensely when he opened his eyes, a newborn again, and found the System’s welcome screen flashing over his head.

What was the premise of the plot? Where in the timeline was he? What was the main character’s name? What was his name?

Who knew? Not Shen Yuan! He could guess that the novel’s protagonist was some kind of demon, given the title: but in spite of his pleas to learn more about the story, the System was completely uninterested in enlightening him. According to his task list, Shen Yuan’s only mission—if it could be called a mission—was to educate himself about the world: and after it was assigned to him, the System disappeared.

It wasn’t a bad transmigration experience, so far as such things went. Shen Yuan was reborn as the only son of a wealthy merchant family with few members, and consequently more lands and money than it knew what to do with. He was indulged in all ways; his parents bought him every bestiary and cultivation manual they could get their hands on, and then hired a cultivation tutor after a passing daoshi examined him and exclaimed at Shen Yuan’s cultivation potential. His parents would not allow him to seek admission at one of the four great sects, since they had no second son to take over their jewelry business; but they did not object to him learning how to cultivate at home.

Shen Yuan’s life was as close to perfect as could be, until his parents were killed in a bandit raid two months before his eighteenth birthday.

The less said of that year the better, he thought.

When the funeral was over, Shen Yuan left the Shen estate in the hands of his father’s steward and spent the next months wandering the countryside as a rogue cultivator. After all, there was nothing left for him at the manor: and since that was the case, he might as well make himself useful elsewhere.

On the first anniversary of his parents’ deaths, he stumbled on a group of slavers hunting in the streets of Jinlan: and in that moment, Shen Yuan decided that he had found his life’s purpose.

The Shen-fu was far too grand for a household of one, anyway.

___

“A sponsorship for orphaned cultivators?”

Shen Yuan takes a sip of tea and eyes the Cang Qiong cultivator before him with some interest. 

In the years since he dissolved the slavers’ gang in Jinlan, the Shen-fu has transformed from a tasteful merchant’s estate to a crowded academy for cultivation hopefuls and children from all corners of the country—most of whom had been slaves or street-children, like the first band of ducklings Shen Yuan brought back to the manor when he was eighteen. Others came to stay at the Shen-fu because they were orphaned, or because their families could not afford to educate them; but whatever their origins, Shen Yuan’s pupils are well-loved and well-tended, and attend to their studies with such diligence that the great sects would be lucky to have any one of them. 

Shen Yuan himself has become a figure of some renown, by virtue of having taught several young disciples who distinguished themselves at Cang Qiong and Zhao Hua: and as a result of his success with his eldest students, the Shen-fu is among the estates being courted by the spokesmen of An Ding Peak’s new patronage program.

“Peak Lord Shang said you would be interested, Shen-daye,” his guest says earnestly. “In theory, cultivation sects provide for their disciples regardless of background, and reliance on family wealth is strongly discouraged—but in truth, it is difficult for disciples without family to find a place among their shixiongdi. Well-to-do households send money to pay for better materials and trips into town; and even if the children are willing to share treats among themselves, things often become awkward when the poorer disciples have nothing to give in return.

“And of course there are visiting days, when disciples without kin must remain at the sect while their classmates go to see their parents. Put together, all this can be hard to bear.”

“Say no more. This master understands,” Shen Yuan sighs. “Children without protectors are easy to bully. Such things rarely happen at my estate, for nearly all of my charges are poor, but at a great sect like Cang Qiong…”

The cultivator nods. “Exactly.”

Shen Yuan leans forward and replenishes the man’s cup of tea. “What would my part in this venture be, then?”

“That would depend on Shen-daye. Some of the patrons will send a fixed sum of money a few times a year, and others prefer to send supplies and invitations to dine on New Year—but it is possible for the patron and disciple to become adopted kin, of a kind. The disciple would receive coin and gifts and such; but they would also have a have a place at the patron’s home thereafter, and be considered the patron’s ward until one party wishes to end the agreement.”

Shen Yuan thinks for a moment.

“It would be no hardship for me to take the last option,” he says at length. “My estate is large, and the family business is doing well. Another child would hardly be a burden.”

“That is—most good of you,” the cultivator says, startled. “Shall we give you time to make arrangements, or…?”

“No need. I will set up a room by the next visiting day; but for now, I’ll give you a package to take back with you.”

“This one understands. Would Shen-daye like to see the list of children, so that he might choose which one to support?”

“I suppose I might as well.”

The cultivator reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a bamboo scroll. 

“Here,” he says, handing it to Shen Yuan. “It lists the disciples’ ages and the peak they belong to, as well as the name of the shifu above them.”

Shen Yuan unrolls the scroll and runs a finger down the first column of names. Most of the disciples listed on the right side of the scroll are girls under Peak Lord Shang or Xian Shu’s Qi Qingqi, with some apprenticed to Mu-fengzhu of Qian Cao or to one of two senior cultivators on Bai Zhan; and the boys are listed on the left, with a greater number coming from Ku Xing and Mo Shou. 

However, none of Shen Qingqiu’s former disciples appear on the list in spite of being orphaned—though this only surprises him for a moment, for he soon recalls that he asked them to name him as their next of kin upon arriving at Cang Qiong.

As he continues reading down the list of names, Shen Yuan realizes that two peaks are notably absent: Qiong Ding, which did not put forth a single name; and Qing Jing, whose title precedes the lone name of Luo Binghe, a fourteen-year-old boy studying under Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Yuan’s stomach twists in sympathy. Even he has heard of Shen Qingqiu: for the chief strategist of Cang Qiong Mountain is far better-known for his fondness for cruelty than his achievements as a tactician, and if this poor child is apprenticed to him…

“I’ve decided,” he says aloud. “You may put my name down under Luo Binghe, of Qing Jing Peak.”

His guest nods and makes a note on one of his papers. “And how would Shen-daye like to support him?”

“I’ll send packages once a month with letters to accompany them, unless—ah. Is once a month too often?”

“It is more often than most disciples usually hear from their parents,” the cultivator ventures. “But Shen-daye may write as often as he pleases.”

“That’s good, then. Let Disciple Luo know that he can write to me in turn,” Shen Yuan says, “and as far as visitation goes—tell him that he will be welcome at the Shen-fu for as long as I am the master of it.”

After this exchange, Shen Yuan is presented with a sheaf of papers to sign, all stamped with the seal of An Ding peak; and then he summons one of the servants and orders luncheon for his guest.

“If Daozhang would wait for a little while,” he entreats, rising from his chair, “this master must collect the things for the parcel and write a letter explaining matters to Disciple Luo. I should be finished by the time daozhang has eaten.”

He rustles out of the room without waiting for a reply, leaving two little manservants—the chief housekeeper’s twin sons, who do chores about the house after lessons in exchange for pocket money—to wait on Daozhang Wu.

“Now for the storeroom,” Shen Yuan sighs to himself, rubbing at his temples. “I hope I’ll find something to fit him.”

This is a question of some concern, for the Shen-fu has not hosted a male disciple above thirteen in the last decade. Knowing children as Shen Yuan does now, all that can be certain of any boy of fourteen is that he must be growing like a weed; and with that thought in mind, he makes his way to the storage compound and asks for a few boys’ clothes in the largest size.

“These might not be large enough. The boy is nearly grown,” the steward says doubtfully, as Shen Yuan examines a set of sturdy day robes. “Wang Yufan was the tallest boy we ever had, and he left the manor when he was twelve.”

“You’re right,” sighs Shen Yuan. “For now, fetch the longest robes we have. I’ll pack a few of my own in case the disciples’ clothes don’t fit him.”

But there will be money, too. Not a great deal, but more than enough to buy a few sets of robes from a tailor near Cang Qiong; so Shen Yuan gathers a box of thick-sewn clothes from the storeroom before adding a selection of never-worn garments from his own wardrobe. He takes the box to the hall of spiritual tools next, and then to the kitchen: and when the box is full, he writes a letter to his new charge and seals it before returning to the receiving room.

“Thanking daozhang for his patience,” he says, somewhat flustered. “The package took longer to assemble than this master expected.”

“No matter,” Wu-daozhang replies. He is sitting in Shen Yuan’s best armchair with the housekeeper’s boys on either side of him; for the three of them are half-way through a game of weiqi, which Wu-daozhang appears to be losing on purpose.

Shen Yuan’s mouth twitches. “Wu-daozhang has been well tended to in my absence, it seems.”

“Well-tended indeed,” his guest says, laughing. “From what this one has seen so far, Shen-daye, your disciples are a great credit to you.”

He frees himself from the chair with some difficulty, since Hua Ruoman’s sons are clinging to his coat and pleading with him not to go; but Shen Yuan chivvies the boys down the hall to their qin lesson before handing over Luo Binghe’s care package.

“Remind Disciple Luo that this master is awaiting his reply,” he says anxiously, as Wu-daozhang prepares to depart from the gates of the Shen-fu. “There are clothes in the parcel, but I did not know his size—so if they do not fit him, he should write back with a set of measurements or take some of the money I sent to change the clothes for better ones. And tell him that he should open the box as soon as he can; I packed some food in a reinforced shihe, and it should keep for the next fortnight—but the snacks will taste best if he eats them right away.”

A bewildered look comes over Wu-daozhang’s face. “Shen-daye—”

“He might try to ration the snacks, since most cultivation sects serve only simple food,” Shen Yuan entreats, wringing his hands. “Tell him that he must not worry about saving them. If he wants more, he need only ask, and this master will send another package. Children need treats now and then to help them concentrate on their studies.”

“Ah, Shen-daye, that isn’t really…”

“And the books—! I should have mentioned it in the letter. Listen, daozhang—this teacher has a tab for former students at the bookseller nearest Cang Qiong; so if Disciple Luo requires any texts for his own use, he should go down the mountain and buy what he wants. Ku Xing’s Wang Yufan can show him how. And—”

“Surely all this must be enough for the first month,” Wu-daozhang protests, backing away. “Thank you very much for your kindness, Shen-daye; but now this one really must be off, or I will be late back to An Ding.”

And then—without another word—he jumps onto his sword and flies off.

Presently, a small hand tugs at Shen Yuan’s sleeve.

“What was all that about, shifu?” says a little voice at his elbow. “What did that daozhang want?”

Shen Yuan stoops and lifts Hua Yun into his arms. “He was bringing a new shixiong for you and Cao’er,” he smiles. “He is to be this teacher’s ward; and if all goes well, we might get to meet him sometime in the next year.”

“A new shixiong?” Hua Cao squeals. 

“En, just like your Yufan-shixiong and the rest of the big brothers.”

“What’s his name?”

“He is called Luo Binghe, and he is a disciple at Cang Qiong Mountain—where Yufan and your Feng’er-jie are studying, remember? When he comes to visit us, you and Yun’er must call him Luo-shixiong.”

With that, Shen Yuan closes the gate and takes the children’s hands; and as they walk back to the house, he realizes that he seems to have heard the name Luo Binghe somewhere before.

___

Dated: Taoyue 8

To Disciple Luo Binghe of Qing Jing Peak; Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, care of Wu Shaojiang

Luo-gongzi,

I do not know if your shixiongs and shishu on An Ding have explained matters to you; but in case they have not, this master is the patron assigned to you through An Ding Peak’s sponsorship scheme. I am called Shen Yuan, and am a cultivator nearly one-and-thirty years of age. I am writing from Shuizhai, a little country town on the western outskirts of Luoyang, where I run a cultivation academy for children between the ages of three and thirteen. Five of my former disciples are your shixiongjie at Cang Qiong, and Binghe should seek them out if he is ever in need. (I have written their names and peaks on the back of this page, so you will know whom to look for.)

The courier who offered me the chance to become your sponsor is waiting in the hall, so I will keep this letter brief. From now on, you are to have full rights as a member of the Shen estate; you may visit whenever you like, as my grown disciples do, and there will always be a place for you under my roof. This master will send you packages every now and then, as I do for your elder disciple-siblings; but since I do not know your tastes, I fear that Binghe will find this first parcel somewhat lacking. I put in a few clothes, since I know how quickly you disciples go through them, and a little coin so that you can buy replacements if the garments I sent do not fit. There is also a meal-box, and a few tools you may find useful in the absence of a good spiritual sword (which, if I am correct, you will not receive until your third or fourth year of study).  Lastly, I packed a couple of books for Binghe to keep: though these will likely be no great help to you, since I hear your Qing Jing is home to the finest library at Cang Qiong.

If anything is unsatisfactory, Binghe should tell this master so at once; but either way, you must write back with a proper introduction, so that your new shidimei and I can become acquainted with you. You see, there are more than forty of them, some nearly as old as you and some barely bigger than babies in arms; and once the children hear that they have another shixiong, they will not let this old teacher rest until I can tell them something about you!

Yours,

Shen Yuan.

[inkrats]

absolute dick grayson thoughts??? https://x.com/bleedingcool/status/1924148524402291040?t=KMMeJDJ2Zc7Mh7pDuOO25w&s=19

AHHHH!!! First of all thank u SO much for sending this in + W/ A LINK THAT HAS PANELS TOO!!!

(Obv spoiler warning for absolute Batman #9 leaks <3)

Having Dick as an EMT. What if we all killed ourselves .

The fact that somehow he still ended up in Gotham and stayed (or transferred in from another city perchance??) is proof of my running theory that Bruce and Dick will (and have 🙂‍↕️) find eachother in every universe and are inextricable from eachother because of how they change eachothers story and the ripples it causes accross everything else. To me. Like, genuinely I think that Dick debatably has an impact on Bruce’s character and overall story equivalent if not equal to the Wayne’s and their semi-inevitable death.

As far as ik, we don’t know Dicks backstory yet (if he was even a flying Grayson, if he’s an orphan (bruce still has his mom so it’s def possible lol), if he has any connections to Babs or Bruce himself, etc.), but I’m really excited to see how that’s all going to play out and how he’s going to interact with Bruce/ Batman and how that’ll change both of them.

So far we’ve got:

Which isn’t. a lot but it gives us some information to work with!!

For one, we official have not only Dick, but a confirmation of his profession, location, and a rough estimate of his age (over 18 considering that’s the minimum age required to be an EMT in the state of New Jersey) which is rly cool bc that means Bruce is only a fear years at most older than him at 20-21 (Absolute Bruce is confirmed to be born in 2004 and the comic takes place during the current day)

Predictions:

- Babs and Dick know eachother thru work (this one feels the most likely considering she’s a cop and he’s an EMT and I can’t really see the writers passing up the opportunity lol)

-Bruce and Dick first meeting is either going to be a head on collision or the briefest walk past eachother where Dick bumps into him while running to help someone

- Going off the last one (^), Bruce either doubles back in the bat suit (and that’s where we get the scene shown in the panels) OR Bruce runs in as a civilian at helps save people and that’s where Dick starts respecting Bruce and tracks him down later though his contact with Babs and insists on knowing why

- Dick and Bruce start working together and Bruce insists that Dick stays a civilian which works for a while (ergo where we get the panel above from). Until Dick suits up anyways bc Bruce is in over his head and gets Bruce out of a bind with Bane (whose been mentioned as being in this one !! I’m a sucker for their classic trope sorry)

-we get our absolute Robin/ potentially Nightwing?🗣️‼️‼️‼️

Also!! Absolute Slade confirmed?? Holy shit?? The (possible) implication in the narration that Alfred and him used to work together??

[kiirostarz]

Character details and related objects that I find interesting 💕:

Cyran and Cassadee share several visual elements that reflect a symbolic contrast. Both are lightbearer mages and carry staffs, suggesting a thematic connection. However, their colors set them apart: Cassadee wears white and gold, representing youth, purity, and innocence, while Cyran wears black with gold and purple, suggesting wisdom, power, and a fall into darkness. Their staffs reinforce this difference: Cassadee’s is simpler, fitting for someone young or still in training; Cyran’s is more intricate, indicating greater mastery and experience.

Eironn and Brutus - According to AFK Arena, Brutus trained Eironn to improve his sword skills, although in AFK Journey it's unknown if it was before we arrived in the Dark Forest at the same time as him or after he left again.

At the moment, Brutus, Korin, and Valka share the similarity of calling their respective weapons like an old friend. I could also mention Hugin here, but he sees much more with each of his tools than just one specific one. 😅

Koko and Rhys's parallels with Soren and Alsa: Koko/Rhys and Soren/Alsa represent two sides of the same violent faction that values ​​only brute force: while Koko and Rhys are the "functional product" of the system—internalizing violence and prioritizing survival over critical thinking—Soren and Alsa embody the "rejected consequence," developing education and empathy by being marginalized for their "weakness." The former exemplify the success of warrior indoctrination, albeit at the cost of their humanity; the latter reveal the cracks in the system by escaping its logic, demonstrating that what the faction despises (intellect, cunning) can be turned against it.

Canon families within the game:

Koko/Antandra/Satrana

Soren/Alsa/Kruger

Smokey and Meerkey

Valen/Fay – Speaking of them, it would be nice if the game brought back Valen’s character card. Based on his design, it’s suggested that he might not be originally from Petrosacro. Unlike the other guards, his outfit is less formal and uses colors similar to those found in Remnant Peaks, where Fay and Marilee live.

Sonja/Nara and Korin/Damian – These are families in the game whose members don’t belong to the same faction.

Similar to Korin and Damian, there's Sinbad and Hugin – From what I remember in Waves of Intrigue, Hugin seems to know Sinbad well, so he could be a mentor figure to him, like Korin is to Damian.

Carolina and Callan

Hodgkin and Bonnie

And lastly, in the Dark Forest, most people are orphans raised by the three sages, including Eomir. In fact, Lily May doesn’t count here because she’s from somewhere outside the Dark Forest, and we don’t know if her family is still around.

Honorable mention to Ulmus and Tasi – it could be a grandfather and granddaughter relationship. 💖

Objects connecting different characters

Arden greets the same blue butterfly as Tasi. According to Google, the blue butterfly can symbolize joy, fortune, a change in luck, the soul of a person, their essence, or transformation. It can also be linked to responsibility and decision-making.

Grandpa Arden also uses a magical staff that’s the same as the one Lorsan and Parisa have.

Another detail is that the main characters who are students of the Three Sages might be potential successors: Lorsan/Arden, Eironn or Lyca/Granhie, and Parisa/Eomir.

Not much is known about Cecia’s human life, but she shares many similarities with the Wilders. Not only is her huge companion one of them, but she also has elements tied to nature.

Another interesting detail is Cecia’s crown, which is identical to the one Parisa wears. This could explain why she was in the Dark Forest, or why she may have had a connection to Eomir. There’s a theory that Cecia might have been the previous leader of the Thorned Guards.

Another shared object is the flower that both Damian and Florabelle have. Just like with Cassadee and Cyran, it might symbolize how one is still learning while the other already has a more experienced understanding. There’s even a theory that Damian could eventually become a teacher like Florabelle(?)

Rhys and Nara are quite similar — both belong to "selective" or exclusive groups. Rhys believes he’s seen the same way the Waters Wights viewed Nara, but the key difference lies in the power dynamics within their organizations: Rhys was only a bird caretaker, while Nara held a higher position. Also, unlike Nara, Rhys didn’t enjoy hurting people.

Continuing with Nara, another character that can be paralleled with her is Silvina. Both died at a young age, but their circumstances were very different. Nara remained forever trapped in the memory of her childhood, while Silvina had to grow up much faster. (I got this from the animation when you win a battle. Nara walks in the same way that Koko does, representing how childish and immature she still is.)

We can say that the most intelligent characters so far are Damian, Hugin, Cassadee, Viperian, Cyran and possibly Callan (considering his past life).

Another small detail: Kafra mentions being somewhat sleepy, which could be due to the effect of Hewynn’s dew drops, which seem to have that kind of reaction on people.

Walker and Atalanta are two lightbearers who are also bounty hunters, and both lost their best friend in some way (Also, neither of them seems to be very connected to the Lightbearer culture.)

Sonja and Kruger witnessed the death of their siblings. (And interestingly, both of them succumbed to darkness in some way.)

Marilee – According to her affinity stories, it's known that Marilee secretly watched the Wilders Archers to improve her own archery skills. So far, the only Wilders archers are Lyca and Bryon, so it's possible that Marilee already knows them.

It's also mentioned that the memory of her parents has started to become blurry in her dreams. If it's true that Tasi can see all dreams, it really makes me want to see an interaction between them.

Same goes for Damian and Rowan — so far, there hasn't been any interaction between them beyond the cinematics during some events. I definitely think Rowan would find a way to make good money off of Damian's inventions.

Another detail is that, at least so far, the Hypogeans seem to have had more interaction with Merlin than the Celestials, not counting Harak—and speaking of him—it's mentioned in a story that he was a man in his life, but now he’s just a monster that devours everything in his path. This might be the same for the others.

That's all, I really love these details and just so you know, English isn't my first language, so I use the translator a lot hoping everything is written correctly. 😅

[flaming-thing]

I've just seen someone say that Ezran and Zym have the same eyes

And like? Does this represent anything? As far as i can remember, Ezran is the only one in his family (and the whole show I'm pretty sure) who has these blue eyes, and he's also the only one whose able to speak with animals. But is this because of his link to Zym? Does his understanding of animals come from the connection he shares with Zym, or is he able to speak with Zym because he can understand animals?

Him being able to communicate with animals is probably a very rare thing in this world, as Callum most likely would've believed him about it in s1 if it was something that happened regularly. It's also odd that he can see through Zym's eyes, as this isn't something he can do with other animals. Obviously he's able to do this because of their connection, but do the eyes represent that connection? Or is it just a coincidence? Because if they do, I feel like that opens up a whole new perspective on the events of the series.

Ezran was born with blue eyes, which suggests that he was born not only with his link to animals, but with his connection to Zym, which shows how he was always supposed to be one of the ones to return Zym to the storm spire and then play a part in defeating Aaravos.

Does his gift come from the orphan queen? I know she had brown eyes, and as far as we're aware she couldn't talk to animals, but she was the one who helped to defeat Aaravos the first time, so maybe she passed down to Ezran a gift that would allow him to defeat Aaravos when he returned? And that gift was the ability to understand and communicate with Zym?

And it just makes me wonder if there's anything else in the show that I've missed that also points to the theory that the main trio were destined to meet and return Zym together? I know there's that one scene in s4 with rex igneous where we see the orphan queen in Ezran's place, but is there any more than that? Or anything that shows the theory for the other characters? The theme of destiny and a path being set out for you to follow isn't really a theme in this show that I've thought too much about, but maybe it's time to start

Hopefully arc 3 gets greenlit and we get some more information on how/why Ezran is able to do this

[vickyvicarious]

Honestly, I think it could be very impactful if Van Helsing did die in the graveyard tonight. It'd continue the trend of people taking any direct stand against Dracula being killed almost casually in return. Up the stakes even more. Maybe he could be found the next morning on a grave with his neck broken, a look of fear or defiance on his face - a reminder of Mr. Swales's death.

Jack would get the note and then find him or hear about him being found in the graveyard. The suitors would arrive thanks to the note the Professor sent them and they'd link up with him. I imagine they would go together anyway, though more expecting to support a Jack who is wondering if it can be real after all or if it was just madness before he was murdered somehow. They would all learn just how true it is together, would have to save each other and then follow the directions left to them. Or possibly seek out the Harkers first and then they might be involved in the Bloofer Lady staking. That would be a good moment of horror too, Mina seeing Lucy like this...

When the groups united they'd have to do research of their own, or go through the documents left behind by Van Helsing. Books of fairy tales and superstitions, pages with scattered notes, comparing them to the diaries...

Thematically, it would fit pretty well with all the other deaths around this part of the book. The parents are all dead and gone. And while Van Helsing is not a parent to anyone here, he was a mentor and guide to Jack in particular. He would join in with the others who now are orphaned/have to figure things out themselves. Jonathan has inherited the responsibilities of a law firm, Arthur has inherited the title and all that goes with it, Jack would inherit Van Helsing's final task.

There would be more collaboration in general (rather than all mostly following) and more leadership emerging from Mina, probably. None of the suitors are going to be as ready to take the lead in this situation, at least not as totally as Van Helsing. Of course, issues with her being left behind probably aren't going to just totally go away. But I imagine less so, or in a different way. Along the way I think there could be more moments for Arthur or Quincey to shine as well, stepping in at different points where originally Van Helsing took the floor.

The end of the story, where everyone splits up three ways, would have to be changed somehow, of course. Either someone has to go alone, or they have to ignore one route entirely. But I think that might be the biggest actual plot change you'd find completely necessary. Other than what happens to Mina, of course. I do think Dracula would still go after Mina somehow, even if she went with them to examine his boxes. But maybe they wouldn't get to the point of doing so as quickly until they collated all their info. Maybe things happen slower, maybe what happened the final night (Jonathan hypnotized into sleep right next to him) would happen more often. Oh, I guess the other change might be no one to hypnotize Mina while spying, unless this is some skill Quincey happens to have or whatever. But then, Jack seems familiar at least with the theory, so maybe he could make an attempt at it.

I mean, there's no reason you would have to stick that closely to the original story. But for the most part I think you could if you wanted, and it would just be a different tone that would still be really powerful. And it would be kind of interesting to have Van Helsing's role be limited to failing to save Lucy throughout. Hiding information right up until he tries to share it, after which he dies. That phrasing makes it sound really brutal, but... I mean it would kind of be brutal, but his legacy would be bringing the two groups together, showing them the truth (or confirming it as the case may be) and entrusting them with the future.

[dirtycombatboots]

More reverse! AU

The greatest mystery is who exactly Vesemir is. Like, he is a retired mercenary, quite famous in his time, he has a reputation of being able to fight some monsters as good as a witcher. Growing up, Geralt Lambert and Eskel didn't notice strange things about their adoptive father. As adults they realize that papa Vesemir knows all too much about things that an ordinary human mercenary has no business knowing. Medical knowledge? Makes sense. Basic alchemy and herbalism? Still makes sense. Random monster trivia, basic workings of chaos, runes, facts about witchers, profound understanding of politics etc? Absolutely makes no sense.

Three brothers just can't figure out what their dear old papa is hiding. Eskel even tried to read his mind, and now regrets it. Because papa Vesemir not only noticed attempt of invasion by a powerful mage, but deliberately pushed certain thoughts through the link, deeply traumatizing Eskel with images of his past sexual activities. Since then Geralt and Lambert are on their own in their mission to uncover this mystery.

When Geralt tells Julian about it, Julian has a theory that perhaps Vesemir is a witcher, hiding under glamour. Most likely of Wolf School. It is believed that there were no survivors of massacre at Kaer Morhen, but perhaps one witcher was lucky enough to get out. It would make sense for him to lay low and hide. It would even make sense for him to pick up three orphans from the road and raise them. Because most people have kids, so a man who is a father attracts less attention than an old man with no family at all.

Geralt really, really doesn't like this theory. He prefers his own, about Vesemir being of noble origin, a knight who was dishonored by wrongful accusations and had to abandon his past life.

They will never get an answer

[insomniacirl]

Chip was pulled from the hole in the sea, where the ocean turned black and rotten- he climbed out and stayed alive, and the only thing on his mind for the next decade of his life was based around going back into it.

NOW. CHIP JRWI. *Poking him with a ten foot pole* What has made you so special?

This man basically bases this one, sole aspiration that has plagued him his entire life around himself wanting some form of closure and to save Arlin I guess- but when you compare that desire to the voices whispering "Welcome home." to Chip, over 100 episodes in, as they finally get to the hole in the sea, as Chip re-enters that impossible, vapid whirlpool that threw his life so off kilter to begin with? THIS MAN IS AN ORPHAN. THIS MAN IS A BASTARD. BY NATURE YES- FUNNY HAHA- BUT AS A FACT, TOO: HE IS A BASTARD. HE HAS NO PARENTS. And by assumption, maybe his mother/father left him for someone to find.

I'VE CONNECTED THE DOTS. I'VE CONNECTED THEM.

Anyway though, I have no idea- some theories but it's mostly just very interesting to me to think about.

Yall know that post that talks about pirates slaying a sea beast for a treasure chest, but inside is actually the baby it's been protecting??? *Cough* Chip JRWI. *Cough* It wants him back. *Cough cough*

Hmmmmmm, but who is the voice? Not sure if it was mentioned in the episode, but I'm guessing it's multiple- which is giving other undead (like him rn ohhhh lord, I am sad tbh) but also they can breathe under there??? Which means it wouldn't have been totally impossible to survive down there for a while- but I think the main question is how he got there.

Moving on because I have many thoughts not enough attention span to write them all down- my original point was actually gonna be more about the fact that he left this black hole, escaped death alive, the cold grabbed for him and he ran away to be so warm and so alive, lighting matches and leading riots.

And he swept away a soldier from the overseas, threw her life for a loop- earnt himself a sister, a best-friend, a co-captain, descendant of the sun, godliness flowing through her veins, golden light spilling from her eye, wings of a bird, a show of her freedom, of her vow to fight for what's right- not that he knew any of that when he first met her, he took her in because he knew together they could become something more.

And he held his hand out to an exiled hero from the undersea, another ex-soldier, lost on the path his destiny always promised was straight- Chip earnt himself the best kiss of his life, a best-friend, a co-captain, child of the moon goddess, wielding destiny's blade, trained to be the saviour of his people, cast out for doing what he knew was right, the chosen one, learning to live, holding a new vow, to protect, save those in need- and now Gillion's favourite colour is brown and Chip can speak to the sword only linked to the triton.

They're the sun and the moon, and the sky and the sea. And chip is the eclipse as they're brought together. Chip is the earth warmed by the rising sun and coloured by the water as he soaks them both in.

Yet Chip is welcomed home where the sun cannot reach. Chip is welcomed home where the sea is punctured and left dry.

[anangelforsure]

Dave Miller and Frontal Lobe Injury: an analysis?

There is so much to say regarding Dave’s mental state, many angles to approach from. As a psych major (with very little actual knowledge about the brain, mind you, but so tumblr users ever let lack of knowledge stop them) I want to talk about frontal lobe damage. One of my professors brought up the symptoms of said damage causing aggression and emotional issues, and I latched onto to that for later, to write this very essay. I used mostly Wikipedia as my sources for this, but this is tumblr, so that is allowed. Anyways, let us begin with a quote from Henry to set the stage:

“Once a month, I anesthetize William, and remove one of his vital organs, or typically, a portion of his brain. Usually, tissue from the frontal lobe due to it being a generously accessible mass of neurological material.”

The most notable function of the frontal lobe is what is known as “executive functioning”. This label encompasses processes such as planning for the future, setting goals, time management, problem solving, impulse and emotional control, flexibility (adapting to change), and stress tolerance. This portion of the brain is associated with personality and speech production. There is said to be a possible link between the frontal lobe and someone’s will to live, apparently.

“Surprisingly, William doesn't seem to be suffering from dementiated memory loss, but rather, a shift in personality. His conscience is unburdening itself, and he has begun to ask substantially fewer questions about the ethics of our work.”

Memory loss is often thought to be a symptom of frontal lobe damage, however what is seen is actually a deficit in ‘working memory’. Working memory involves the ability to focus attention on a task, as well as the action of retrieving information from stored memory.

What is a symptom of frontal lobe damage is disinhibition, also known as impulsivity. Impulsivity is defined as ‘making choices, or taking action without thinking about the results’. This is concurrent with what Henry observes, Dave is losing his inhibitions, giving less thought to the implications of murder. Manipulating a vulnerable child is no great feat, but it probably became even easier to suggest things to Dave in his disinhibited state.

Another behaviour that increases with frontal lobe injury is risk-taking-‘To jump at the opportunity of a reward, even if the likelihood of receiving the reward is small’; things like gambling addiction demonstrate increased risk taking. This too fits with Dave’s behaviour, he would do just about anything, kill and die over and over for Henry, for just a glimpse of the twisted attention he sees as love…

Already likely traumatized and desperate for connection as an orphan fending for himself, it figures that Dave should be predisposed to attachment issues. He had no parental example to build his ideas of healthy attachment from. Familial bonds are a vital part of child development. If I may, I want to pull from theories like Erik Erikson’s- which posits that there are a number of stages humans must go through to become stable adults. The most basic stage asks the question of ‘trust vs mistrust’, where, ideally, an infant is treated with care and so learns to trust in others. Dave however, never had that care. He was never allowed the luxury of trusting someone else. Living in a constant state of self-defense does not tend to contribute to healthy development. Many victims of childhood trauma find themselves stuck, so to speak, in a childish state of mind, or regressing to childlike behaviours when distressed. This can be due to these individuals lacking healthy coping mechanisms , which should be formed during healthy, secure development.

Humans are observant creatures, and Dave learned his ideas of ‘love’ from the one person who showed him any sort of attention in his childhood. Take, for example, this interaction between Jack and Dave.

“I thought you loved me, Old Sport”

“You’re a fucking eggplant”

“I thought I was your fucking eggplant”

We can look at this through our past observation of Dave building his ideas of affection off of Henry’s treatment of him. Dave’s non-reaction to being insulted suggests that Old Sport may speak to him like this regularly. Pairing this with Dave’s belief that Old Sport loves him..It is possible that Dave is repeating patterns from his childhood, attaching himself to people who show him the same kind of “love” that Henry did.

Another thing we know about Dave is that he is a pretty vulgar person. Whether or not this was true of him before his surgeries, is unknown, but here is a quote about the most famous survivor of frontal lobe damage, Phineas Gage:

“after the man recovered, and while recovering, he was gross, profane, coarse, and vulgar, to such a degree that his society was intolerable to decent people.” Allegedly, he was not like this before his accident. (Full transparency, Gage’s case is shrouded in misinformation, and is often dramatized, but still, interesting if true). Frontal lobe damage has been said to impact the personality of the victim, so perhaps Dave could have been made a bit more intense by his surgeries.

“William cannot follow simple instructions, cannot control his emotions, and is even too afraid to leave his vessel for even a second, even when incentivized with controlled shocks.”

Emotional dysfunction is another symptom of frontal lobe damage. In my image of it, it’s somewhat like the frontal lobe fighting with the primal instincts. When the frontal lobe gets damaged, the more animalistic traits have more pull. Aggression is also observed in those with frontal lobe injury because of this.

Some examples of Dave’s emotional issues include: his obsession with Old Sport. He has extreme reactions to Jack’s decision to join him or not (“I sure am wild about old sport” vs. “he’s going to pay for this”). He even goes as far as showing up with intention to shoot up the restaurant in one route if Old Sport turns him down, saying “this is the last time you break my heart”.

[Keep in mind though that Henry has his own slew of problems. He is far from an unbiased account, and may be misrepresenting Dave’s behavior. ‘Refusing to leave the vessel’ as he put it, is not an indicator of impaired brain function, in fact quite the opposite. Why the hell would anyone in their right mind want to do that]

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! In summary, I think Dave would definitely be a contender for a frontal lobe injury diagnosis, if we didn’t already know Henry stole it from him. It may even explain some of his erratic behaviours!

(If you see a typo,, please let me know. It’s like. 1am as I type this out to post hehe)

[raayllum]

been thinking over who will wield the Nova Blade (if it can be wielded by just one person at all), specifically from the trio. Callum wielding and using it against Aaravos holds the greatest thematic weight. Rayla, by s6's own admission, is the warrior of the pair and has the most familiarity with weapons, and she's (currently) Aaravos' primary foil. Ezran famously fashioned his father's sword into his crown, and it seems the Nova Blade is linked to and/or flat out buried with his ancestor, the Orphan Queen, making it his birthright to wield much like how Aaravos' key was passed down to Callum. So personal preference order would probably be Ez (at least in theory), Callum (for theme), and Rayla (for practicality). Ezran handing it off to Soren or someone else because he doesn't personally want to wield it (reaffirming what kind of king he wants to be after a season of having to keep the cycle under control re: Runaan) would also be very welcome

[falesten-iw]

There’s a bittersweet joy in witnessing the struggles of the Syrian people bear moments of hope, but it feels like a fleeting spark, a fragile light overshadowed by deeper, relentless forces. Can we call this freedom? Or is it just a brief pause in a cycle of pain that has gripped us for far too long?

For decades, the Middle East has been scarred by war, division, and unimaginable suffering. These aren’t random tragedies, they are deliberate, calculated acts meant to maintain control. As long as Zionism continues to reshape the region, inching closer to the goal of a Greater Israel, true freedom for any of us will remain a distant dream.

But freedom isn’t just about removing one dictator or another. Real freedom requires dismantling the entire system that keeps us in chains. It’s about a shift in power, a dismantling of structures that oppress us all. Until Palestine is free, until the people who are suffering are allowed to breathe, none of us can say we’re free.

This isn’t just a political issue for me, it’s personal. My family in Gaza is living through an unthinkable reality: genocide, freezing cold nights without shelter, hunger, and prices so high that survival is a struggle each day. They’re stuck in a nightmare that keeps getting worse, and their suffering is not just a faraway tragedy, it’s a pain that echoes through me.

And yet, despite the immense pain, I hold on to hope. Because I know that change is possible. Every small donation, every act of solidarity, can ripple outward and transform lives. This isn’t just charity, it’s resistance. It’s standing together to defy those who profit from our suffering. You have the power to be part of this change. Stand with Gaza. Stand for freedom. Stand for humanity.

This campaign is for 26 lives hanging by a thread, including two orphaned children and a family member suffering from hemiplegia after being hit by shrapnel during a bombing. She urgently needs surgery to replace infected plates in her body. The situation is dire, and every day is a battle. The video showing the injured family member was shared earlier in this post: Link.

Please help us ! Donate and reblog this post to spread our story.

Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.

Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link

Listed as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link

Listed on the Butterfly Effect Project, number 957: Link

Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link

If, for some reason, you couldn't donate via GoFundMe, you can donate via PayPal instead. Please keep the conversion rates in mind when donating through GoFundMe. Every 100 SEK is equivalent to 10 dollars, and 200 SEK equals 20 dollars and so on.

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[firestorm09890]

it’s still very much a crack theory but if people are earnestly believing Demyx is the Master of Masters, why shouldn’t I lean into this one? anyway don’t take this very seriously

okay so

those lines from Ienzo’s character file where he says his childhood was extremely hazy, but his memories of Radiant Garden are perfectly vivid- ignoring how concerning it is that he considered his childhood over by the time he was in Radiant Garden, what you could take away from it is that he was from somewhere else before Radiant Garden that he barely remembers. I don’t think it’s just childhood amnesia (real term referring to how adults have a hard time recalling early memories) especially since Ienzo remembers his time in Radiant Garden perfectly clearly, it’s like a hard cutoff. Either way the implication he’s from somewhere else remains

And I'm willing to believe they'd put relevant lore hints in the character files because they DID do that for Demyx

Oh yeah, what is it that person used to say all the time? Something about a guiding key? Come to think of it, wasn't something guiding me?

anyway we know that traveling to a different world and a different time and losing your memories is a thing that can happen, thanks to khux. I don’t think Ienzo used an ark though, that’s been done already

Radiant Garden has some kind of connection to Daybreak Town, thanks to it also having arks, and a connection to Scala Ad Caelum, bc of the researcher attire staying the same, but we don’t know how. I’ve seen people theorize that RG is like a sister world to Scala, or the next step in the history of the same place, so RG is built on Scala which is built on Daybreak Town.

so here’s my shot in the dark that I’m choosing to believe until we actually get lore on how Radiant Garden is connected to those places: Missing Link era Scala had its apocalypse and somehow split into Dark Road era Scala and Radiant Garden (hey wait they’re both surrounded by water… curious), with the history of Missing Link being erased in both worlds. Ienzo was from ML Scala and… idk hid somewhere he shouldn’t have or something and he woke up way in the future in Radiant Garden and he didn’t get the Subject X treatment because 1) they found him before Xehanort was there and 2) he didn’t even tell them he couldn’t remember things. they just accepted that he wouldn’t want to talk about his past, he’s just a little kid who lost his parents

I’m calling it the Victorian Orphan Theory. and yes that is why I picked ML Scala, because Victorian Orphan Ienzo being REAL would be awesome

[moetxt]

super epic mista backstory theory

originally written in: feb 12, 2019 (outdated google docs link)

felt encouraged to publish this after learning that mista is now araki’s favorite character! and i have been a mista best character advocate since day fucking 1 of the vento aureo anime announcement!!!

Have you ever wondered about how, in Mista’s backstory, he lives in this really nice, really big house and always eats nice food? And yet we’re led to believe he spends his days doing shit like mugging people who hate Clint Eastwood? Because boy have I got a theory for you.

And that theory is: Mista’s an orphan.

This theory came about due to me thinking WAAAYYY too deeply about the literal *crumbs* we get in terms of extra details regarding Mista's life, e.g.:

his canon living conditions before Passione (strangely nice)

the fact that he apparently just thugged around all day (mugging people who hate Clint Eastwood) before joining Bruno’s gang

the fact that he is canonically the “guy who hotwires cars” among our guys (as shown in Babyface)

the fact that, when Mista got arrested (in his backstory), he had NO family to bail him out or even visit him

and, finally, the fact there is no mention of other family or friends any time afterwards

Also, it’s really hard to miss how—throughout the entire manga—he treats Narancia, Fugo, Giorno, etc. like younger peers, in a way. He has this attitude that makes him seem as if he’s used to rowdiness and being around lots of people; i.e., he seems like the kind of person who grew up in a large house. Too large. Too many adults AND too many kids, all with their own bullshit complexes.

Okay so. Orphan Mista. I've been (over)thinking about this for years and it all just seems to fit.

First of all, an orphanage would explain the nice, BIG house we see in his backstory (which is the same in both the anime and manga), and the fact that he’s apparently well off enough to spend his days sleeping in late and being in appreciation of nice food, a roof over his head, and generally pleasant surroundings.

It fits his behavior that he isn’t rich at all, but not totally impoverished either (else he’d be more motivated to rise up by that fact).

I reckon the orphanage is also run by nuns, considering the bit in his character page about him “believing in god on a fundamental level,” his obsession with luck, and commitment to staying on fate’s good side.

His fatalism is reminiscent of a vaguely/culturally Christian upbringing—because while he's not all that religious, he still believes in some sort of higher power + a central force outside of his control. So, this speaks of his upbringing as being not so strictly religious, but more of having been around a bunch of people who ARE and being influenced by them BUT, crucially, without being forced into the same lifestyle.

This theory also explains strangely well the fact that, out of the members of Bruno’s gang, Mista is actually the only one who can be classified as a genuine thug through and through.

See, if he was an orphan, he should’ve gone to a public school up to high school along with others in his age group, and then been expected to find a job in preparation for leaving the orphanage once he turned 18 years old or something.

(And yes, I DO think he went to school—because if not, he would’ve been in the same boat as Narancia and I doubt it wouldn’t be brought up by Fugo OR Leone’s judgey asses. He can count, spell, read, think critically, and enjoy any type of art for any of the senses. He’s street smart! No need for any more excessive book learnin’!)

Anyway, the thing is, Mista’s a super carefree person, who only really cares about the simple things and isn’t the type to dream big or over-complicate his life. He knows exactly what he wants, his preferred food + fashion + tools + creature comforts.

AND he manages the Sex Pistols like people, earning their respect and cooperation through trust and treats.

AND he treats the youngest most neglected/abused/confused members of Bruno’s squad (Giorno & Trish) with absolute devotion and respect.

Never breaks boundaries or abuses or exploits. When he was in Trish’s body, he kept perfect focus on the mission without even a moment to spare messing/playing with the unfamiliar anatomy (made even more apparent by Trish’s choice of outfit then).

Meanwhile, Giorno trusts him wholly and IMPLICITLY, despite them only knowing each other for a few days, because not even once has Mista even tried to take advantage of him in any way. He just pulls all the triggers Giorno cannot—regardless of whether that hurts him personally... AND he complains but ENDURES Gold Experience’s excruciating healing. No pulling back and no shoving Giorno away no matter how much pain he’s in.

That is downright RELIGIOUS levels of devotion and faith and trust. That is love, in its own way. Not sexual, or romantic, or platonic, or any combination thereof. It’s just love. Capital L Love, which cannot be snuffed out by any capital punishments or stigmas or taboos.

Anyway. Back to the theory.

I imagine that even with the looming pressure of finding a job and securing his future post-orphanage, Mista never felt the need to stress about it because he KNOWS it’s better to just go with the flow.

He just does what he wants: beating up and mugging Clint Eastwood haters, taking inspiration from movies about trying to hotwire cars the very first time he’s confronted with the opportunity to do (and it’s in service to saving HIS gang), and occasionally screwing up his antics and getting beat up or spending the night in jail (but it’s cool because he’ll only bounce back and do the same shit again the next day).

And then, we have Mista’s absolute lack of family to be concerned for him when he gets arrested or any time afterwards. Building up on what I said earlier, if he grew up in an orphanage, it’s very likely he’ll just be kicked out once he turned 18. So, when he got arrested for his “3 counts of murder” at 17, they just left him to his own devices a bit early.

The authorities or guardians or other supposed adults in his life previously did not actually care about him, when it came down to it. Didn’t even seem to notice his absence + becoming a literal professional criminal.

Evidence of this: nothing holds him back from joining Passione at all. It’s like, there’s no hope whatsoever of anyone helping him appeal his 30-year prison sentence and taking Polpo’s test is his only lifeline. Also, in all his time in the gang, he seems like he has nothing else going on at all in his life other than being a gangster. He just *is* THE professional marksman under Capo Bruno of Passione—no one else, nothing else.

He goes along with Bruno’s every order, doesn’t even hesitate to join Bruno when he turns traitor (even laughs about it to Giorno like it’s such an easy and obvious choice, and even though he probably actually grasps the severity of the situation, he’s SO sure and SO committed to his choice that he can joke about it to try and lighten the mood for everyone else), and readily accepts his new position in Giorno’s inner circle upon him becoming the new Don of Passione.

The second-in-command. The most honored and most trusted. The only one the new Don knows would never betray him—because he has proven it already. In seven fucking days.

Someone with a family wouldn’t be THIS carefree about risking his life, much less be so singularly attentive + dedicated to his role in the gang. So, it REALLY irks me that a normal family seems to overwhelmingly be how fic writers and fan-artists depict him—because it makes so little sense, and it’s lazy.

A normal, loving family wouldn’t leave him to rot by himself in jail. A problematic home life, on the other hand, doesn’t add up with Mista’s core personality (simple-minded and carefree); neglectful or abusive parenting leaves scars and leads to troubled youth. Mista has neither of those as far as we’re shown.

Everyone else in Bruno’s gang has a specific motivation that ties them to the gang (Bruno with what happened to his dad, Fugo with his being indebted to the gang, Narancia with his sense of trust after being abandoned multiple times in his life, Abbacchio with his loyalty to Bruno, and finally Giorno with his dream to get rid of drugs). Meanwhile, Mista’s just kind of… there because he pretty much has nothing else to do, and he’s found his calling in shooting things anyway, so why not?

I’ve read the manga multiple times and there’s really no mention of Mista having any family or anything that could hold him back from what he does in Passione. I often see/hear Mista be described as the guy who acts most like a traditional gangster among Bruno’s gang, and I agree wholeheartedly with that!

Moreso, I raise: this is the kind of behavior/mentality of someone who’s always been fending for himself and 100% accepts it.

So no, he wouldn’t “groom” Giorno or Trish or anyone else. He has proven it by being Giorno’s most trusted AND being in Trish’s body and keeping perfect focus on his mission.

He’s their friend. A very special friend, who pulls the triggers they can’t, who must leave sometimes, but he always knows what’s happening. He watches. He protects. And, he kills—so Giorno and Trish and Fugo won’t have to, anymore. Won’t have to suffer and die like Bruno and Leone and Narancia and La Squadra and even Diavolo.

He is the regulator of fate itself. He is Fairness. Blind Justice. Angel with a Shotgun. Whatever.

Bye!