#references to gambling and manipulation

[aventurineswife]

Aventurine with a fem reader who has a strong sense of justice and short temper? Which gets her into fights often (both verbal and physical). I can imagine her fuming at seeing how Aventurine is talked down to sometimes and talking constant smack about the IPC. Oh and what if she had Boothill's accent—

Reckless, but Right

Summary: Aventurine dazzles the casino crowd with his skillful gameplay and effortless charm. When an opponent lashes out after losing, you, Aventurine's fiery and fiercely protective partner, step in, shutting down the tension with your no-nonsense attitude and southern sass. Despite Aventurine’s insistence that he can handle himself, your unwavering defense and genuine belief in his worth leave him momentarily disarmed. As you walk out together, Aventurine reflects on how your love and support anchor him in a cutthroat world, making him feel like the true winner in life.

Tags: Aventurine x Female!Reader, Romance, Fluff, Southern Accent, Protective Reader, Verbal Sparring, IPC Criticism, Gambling Themes, Banter.

Warnings: Mild profanity, References to gambling and manipulation, Mentions of corporate corruption and disrespect.

A/N: this reminded me of my Madea fic 🫣

The dimly lit casino hall hummed with the murmur of voices and the soft chime of slot machines. At the center of the floor, Aventurine stood at a card table, the faint smirk on his lips betraying his confidence as he laid his cards down. His signature hat rested jauntily on his hair, and his eyes gleamed behind rose-tinted glasses. Every move he made seemed effortless, calculated—a dance of precision and charm.

Across the table, his opponent scowled, their loss evident by the pile of chips Aventurine had neatly collected.

“Better luck next time.” he said, his voice smooth, laced with just enough sarcasm to make his opponent flush with anger.

But before the tension could escalate, your voice cut through the air like a whip.

“That’s what ya get for underestimatin’ him, ya overgrown buffoon!” you said, stepping up behind Aventurine with all the fire of a Southern storm.

Heads turned at your arrival. Dressed simply but with an undeniable presence, you didn’t care much for the glitz and glamor of the casino. Your fiery personality was your true calling card.

Aventurine turned, his smirk widening at the sight of you. “Darlin’, I thought I told you to behave while I worked.”

You crossed your arms, your piercing gaze flickering to the man at the table. “I was behavin’, sugar. Until I saw this here jackass actin’ like you weren’t worth his time. Now, I don’t take kindly to folks disrespectin’ my man.”

The man bristled, but one look at your steely glare—and your clenched fists—made him think twice about opening his mouth. He muttered something under his breath before stalking off, and the crowd that had gathered quickly dissipated.

Aventurine chuckled, gathering his winnings. “You know, my dear, there’s something terribly poetic about you charging into my defense, especially when I hardly need it.”

You huffed, poking a finger into his chest. “I don’t care if ya need it or not. Ain’t nobody gonna talk down to ya while I’m around. IPC or not.”

His eyes softened, the playful mask slipping for a brief moment. “You truly are one of a kind.”

“Damn straight,” you said with a wink, though your tone quickly turned serious. “But let’s talk ‘bout the IPC. You’re too good for them vultures, sugar. All they care about is profits. They don’t see the man behind the mask.”

Aventurine tilted his head, intrigued. “And what do you see?”

You leaned closer, your accent thick as molasses. “I see a man who’s brilliant, who’s got more guts and brains than those pencil-pushers could ever dream of. I see someone who don’t need to play by their rules to win.”

For once, Aventurine was rendered speechless, his normally quick wit failing him. Your unshakable belief in him had a way of disarming him like nothing else.

He reached for your hand, his fingers brushing yours in a gesture both intimate and grounding. “And here I thought I was the gambler in this relationship. But it seems you’ve already gone all in on me.”

You grinned, the fiery spark in your eyes never dimming. “Damn right I have. And don’t you forget it.”

As you both left the casino, Aventurine couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest man alive. In a world where high stakes ruled and facades were currency, you were the rare, unyielding force that reminded him of who he truly was—and who he wanted to be.

[colleybri]

The most terrible thing you can do on behalf of the Rebellion?

In Rogue One, Cassian has a monologue about how the volunteers for the mission to Scarif have all done terrible things for the cause, things that they could never forgive themselves for if they gave up now. I’ve always taken that line to mean the obvious kinds of wartime atrocities against the enemy. Cassian himself is clearly a very experienced assassin, even in the context of the film alone, and he is for much of the film actively deceiving the daughter of the man he is meant to be killing. Grim but necessary work.

But I think the series is now showing us that there are even worse things you can do, even if you are not on the front lines. ‘Everyone has their own rebellion’ as Vel said, and three of the most important women in the series are seen to do terrible things of a much more personal kind. Within their own families and to their own loved ones.

Mon throws Perrin under a bus with the gambling debt accusation to explain a gap in her financial record. She goes on to effectively betray her daughter too by conceding to the marriage deal. It’s complicated by Leida liking the idea but it’s still a terrible thing to do on behalf of the rebellion.

Maarva chooses the rebellion over running away from Ferrix with Cassian knowing that her choice will hurt him but hoping he will understand; he doesn’t. She wants him to get to a stage where he will understand but he needs the experience of Narkina 5 to get there, and then further experiences as an active rebel that he will carry forward towards his final destination, Messenger as he is, to be ‘an unstoppable force for good’. But Maarva will never see him again. I think she knows it. Her first encounter with Cassian is cruel to him in a different way. When he was a terrified boy on the crashed Kenari ship, she forcibly drugged him so that he wouldn’t resist being taken away from his home whatever and whoever he might have there. She was saving him, though. Rescuing him. But for what? She probably didn’t know back then or maybe ever but she was saving him for the galaxy. Still, it is a terrible thing being done, ultimately, for the rebellion.

A few years later, Bix also drugs Cassian (it’s deceptive rather than forced, she’s made him a special drink). This time it’s so that he will sleep through her departure and the recording of her message. She knows that if he is awake he will be able to change her mind. It’s so incredibly cruel and she’s clearly heartbroken, but it’s necessary to get him on track for where he needs to be. She too is doing a terrible thing for the rebellion.

I think I find Bix’s choice the most devastating of all, because it’s a sacrifice that took a personal betrayal of the man she has loved, in various ways, since they were children. She even acknowledges her cowardice in not telling him to his face. Giving up the love of her life is a sacrifice that required her to be ruthless and the choice to leave a message in this particularly cruel way shows how profoundly it hurt her too.

So I no longer take the line in Rogue One to only refer to things like killing people, though that’s obviously a huge part of it.

It’s also about being manipulative, deceptive, treacherous and cruel to those you love.

For the greater good.

[subtextdecoder]

Continuing the thoughts from the previous post because I kept thinking about it.

You should read the previous post before this, so you won't be lost.

The ED: I mentioned that there were 9 pigeons looking at the heroes, but when the camera moves a bit further we can see 10 pigeons.

Which confused me at first—until I realized that if X is helping to free the heroes from the system, it would make sense for him to join them. After all, he does pass through the 'breach' with the rest.

Previously, I mentioned the idea that the feathers falling from the sky might represent everyone else in the world switching timelines along with the ten heroes, which would explain why the city appears empty in the color sequence. But let’s assume that’s not the case.

Another possibility is that the feathers symbolize the pigeons (i.e. the heroes) being “destroyed” in that timeline in order to return through the breach—freed, in a way—linking it to the magician metaphor. This ties back to my earlier thought: that it’s not their physical bodies moving between universes, but their consciousness. So the feathers would be a metaphor for destruction and rebirth—like a phoenix—hinting that they awaken anew after their consciousness returns. Remember that moment with the hand becoming responsive after the Trust count disappears?

'Born in the ashes'—sounds like something a phoenix would do, doesn’t it? (Thanks @nilo-77 for reminding me of that scene.)

This detail about the number of pigeons reminded me of another moment:

Here, X throws a coin into water, and it becomes a king chess piece. Around him, other chess pieces fall—there are ten in total, including X as the tenth. The king piece then transitions into X himself. That speaks volumes. He’s clearly been playing chess with everyone all along, watching and moving pieces behind the scenes. And while "king" has a powerful connotation to it, in chess, it's actually a pretty vulnerable role, one that has to run and dodge all the time, otherwise, checkmate. Does this mean X has a weakness we don't know about?

Before I get into more chess references and how omnipresent he seems, let me show you the scene that made me believe he’s actually everywhere at once:

I love this one. It starts with him “entering” the ads on his smartwatch. The interactions look like he’s behind the screen—or rather, inside the internet. We see him removing some of the people's comments, so can he also change or stop public opinion? Well, let's not go there now. He steps out, walks through the city's buildings, grabs a drink from a screen ad, and drinks it. What does this tell us? That he can interact with any screen/surface, teleport through them, and even manipulate the digital world too. It's even a nice discussion because the coke and the watch band are real objects, through the screen or not, what happens here is that he can access the other side seamlessly. I love the parallel with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when Willy Wonka made it so you could watch a chocolate bar commercial, reach out your hand and take it without leaving the comfort of your couch. Now, going back to what matters...

This is important because in many dangerous moments for the heroes, there’s always an image of X in the background—on a screen. Those aren’t just advertisements. They’re him watching. Always. And maybe he wants people to know he’s there. He doesn’t seem to hide—especially in that scene where he pulls the camera, as if to force us to look at him.

There are more scenes like that, but I’ll stop here for now.

Now, I really believe his power opens breaches in space-time. Every time he uses it, the world glitches—the visuals suggest he “breaks” reality itself.

And linking that with the red strings at the end of the ED: he’s not just pulling the strings—he’s also playing the keys… of the universe?

He clearly knows his place as the king. Again, so many chess references.

He also loves to flip his coin—a nice tie-in to the show’s gambling motifs. It’s like he’s playing with probability. Maybe that’s what the strings represent. If he controls probability, then he essentially controls everything. It’s not really a gamble for him—but it is for everyone else.

There’s a frame I love that shows him seeing the reflection of the villains behind him on the coin’s surface. Sure, they were behind him, but what matters is the metaphor of the showing him important information, maybe helping him tweak the probabilities and with that change the outcome of things? Like winning a bet you never feared losing in the first place.

Then there’s the scene where he looks into the camera—and suddenly we’re inside his eye:

It looks like an eye, but it also resembles a casino roulette wheel from above—the same one the CEOs play on in the OP:

And eventually, it becomes a stage—where X is about to perform. So in a single image, we get three meanings: an eye, a roulette, a stage. This metaphor suggests that fate isn’t as random as it seems. Beneath the surface, all the chance and chaos are actually intertwined with control, and what we think is a spontaneous event might be part of a much bigger, carefully crafted plan. It’s the illusion of randomness—when in reality, everything is being steered by someone behind the scenes. What’s key in this metaphor is the idea of controlling how things are seen. The "eye" represents the observer, the one watching as the "roulette" of fate spins—like a symbol of randomness and unpredictability. But what seems like pure chance could actually be part of a well-thought-out show, where the "stage" reveals a narrative that’s been carefully set up. This connects to the idea that someone—maybe X—isn’t just watching fate unfold, but actively controlling it.

I’m almost at the image limit, so I'm gonna end it in the next post. There are a few lines scattered through the story that have really sparked my curiosity about who X truly is. This post started with doves, but here I am now, unraveling cinematographic cues and trying to make sense of it all. Part.3 ->

[aangussca]

Monkey Wrench Episode 4 Fanart: Caught in Their Game (December 2024)

I absolutely LOVED the new Monkey Wrench episode! :D

HOLY COW, @zeurelart, @neatotito and the rest of the @monkey-wrench-series team did a phenomenal job this time around (please give them some love bc they absolutely deserve it)!

So it only made sense for me to finish this drawing (the idea for which had been mulling in my mind through the months MW episode 4 was being teased), which I enjoyed creating.

(Yes, I was partially inspired by Neoni's song 'Jump Rope' bc both share the theme of games (literally and symbolically). If you have already watched MW Episode 4, feel free to give it a listen - I'm curious to hear your thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhDON376rd4)

Below are the close-ups, as well as me rambling about the reasoning behind the symbolism here:

(SPOILER WARNING FOR MW EPISODE 4 FROM THIS POINT ON!)

Since I realised MW Episode 4 centred around the theme of games (literal and metaphorical), I couldn't not include references to games to associate with the following characters.

Shrike, Beebs, Agent K, and Kara = Arcade games

Campion Ajax = Chess

Tyneen = Video/computer games

Jawbone = Darts

Disco Head = Casino card games

Disco Head is the most self-explanatory (because ✨casino✨ - those cards were SO fun to render btw):

Episode 4 confirms that DH took over the Thicc Chicc Casino after Kara assassinated the previous owner, Chester McNevins, in Episode 1. It also implies DH worked with Agent K and Kara to take over the casino by "taking care" of Chester (that's just my theory ofc).

In Episode 4, Shrike is tempted by the pixel DH gave him. In a moment of cockiness, Shrike believes that he can succeed in his gambling spree from luck alone (DH even said "Today's your lucky day!" after giving him that pixel) - to which he was completely unsuccessful.

While not explicitly referenced in this drawing, a popular casino card game is Blackjack. A common misconception regarding Blackjack is that winning the game is purely determined by the luck of the players (i.e. Shrike being overconfident about his luck). In truth, there is a lot of skill and strategy required in order to be successful at the game (i.e. DH's charming persona and ability to play into Shrike's weaknesses to make him gamble all of his and Beeb's money).

Additionally, Blackjack is a game where players compete against the dealer, not each other. In my opinion, this idea makes sense (in a roundabout way, at least) for DH, given his dealings with three of the five antagonists in this episode: Agent K, Kara and Jawbone. All three have different motives to DH's, yet they work together and are connected through him.

2. Speaking of Jawbone, I wanted to reference two kinds of darts:

The game darts (which he plays in the scene at the bar)

Poison darts (which in my mind made sense given his hatred of Shrike, as seen in the green "cataclysm-poisoned saliva" and the sticker on the dart)

3. Initially, I wanted to reference a joke about "gamer rage" with Tyneen and her competitiveness.

But when watching the episode, I did not expect video games to actually be mentioned in relation to her (with Jawbone owing her a copy of the video game 'Marrow Inheritance').

4. Ah, yes: Campion Ajax (I always disliked him from the moment he was teased and, by the end of this episode, I wanted to replace all his steaks with rocks and send him on a one-way trip to the Marina Trench for trying to hurt Beebs >:[ ).

The reason why I gave Ajax a blue chess pawn was because that's how I felt he saw Beebs:

A feeble, inferior* pawn to potentially use to fulfil his selfish goals.

(*Ajax even called Beebs "inferior" when talking about his prosthetics, which... I felt so bad for poor Beebs having to endure the torment of this guy, and I'm SO glad he stood his ground and saw through his manipulation.)

5. For some reason, the idea of an arcade game fascinated me (our protagonists feeling trapped in both their insecurities and in a much bigger game, perhaps?), especially as a way to connect the antagonists to our protagonists' stories through colours (in the cabinet designs and the arcade buttons):

Yellow = Disco Head

Green = Jawbone

Red = Tyneen

Purple = Ajax

Dark blue = Kara

Black and white = Agent K

Another colour motif I included, which you can also see in the lighting and the background, is the pairing of turquoise blue (cyan) and magenta pink - which you can see in the lighting of the final battle scene.

Yes, I did intend to give Shrike and Beebs backgrounds that are different to their usual colour motifs.

Shrike (usually associated with red) = turquoise/blue

Beebs (usually associated with blue) = magenta/purple

(I'm sure you can guess why I also drew the glass screen cracked between Shrike and Beebs... given the ending.)

On top of that, you could argue that the antagonists in Episode 4 would be great as "arcade/video game bosses" who can have their own "boss fights" or merge into one big "final boss fight" (with different stages).

Also I think Agent K is cool (and would definitely make an awesome "final boss" alongside Kara) with his design and his vibes, enough said. :]

Bonus Agent K appreciation in the form of screencaps bc I can:

[elodee3]

HERMIT A DAY MAY - DAY 23

TangoTek x Yu-Gi-Oh

For Tango I picked Yu-Gi-Oh!!

Most people know Yu-Gi-Oh! as a cartoon and card game, but in the original story the pharoah spirit who possesses Yugi is known as the King of Games, as in, all games. So who better to represent Yu-Gi-Oh! than the creator and dungeon master of Decked Out, the ultimate game within a game?

To learn more about Yu-Gi-Oh! and see my style references, continue below the cut.

@hermitadaymay

(The King of Games would definitely donate to Gamers Outreach)

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a manga and anime series about a boy named Yugi Mutou who solves a cursed puzzle from ancient Egypt and is then possessed by the spirit of a ruthless Pharoah who has lost all his memories.

"Ruthless?" I can hear fans of the anime saying. "The Pharoah is a good guy!"

Incorrect! He only becomes a good guy later. Early on he is literally Ancient Egyptian Jigsaw.

In the manga, the Pharoah takes over Yugi's body whenever Yugi is in danger, whether he wants it or not, and manipulates people into agreeing to rigged, high stakes Shadow Games. Once they inevitably lose, he traps them in a Penalty Game (a poetic justice torture scenario) for the rest of their lives or possibly all of eternity depending on the situation. It's really messed up! Highlights of early Yu-Gi-Oh Penalty Games include:

Lighting a guy on fire

Blinding a guy

Telltale Heart-ing a guy

Driving a guy so crazy his rips out his own eye

Blowing a guy up

Envenomating a guy with his own pet scorpion

Electrocuting people

Forcing a guy to endure an illusion of eternal zombie attacks

Trapping people in hell forever

...and more!

The show is way more family friendly and follows a significantly mellowed-out Pharoah and his friends as they battle bad guys with card games that summon monsters to fight on their behalf. It's pretty fun an campy!

However, Yu-Gi-Oh! the show is fairly well known so I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce everyone to season 0 manga Pharoah, who is literally a serial killing ghost with a gambling problem that's possessing a 16 year old.

If you had an Egyptology phase as a kid, give Yu-Gi-Oh! a watch. If you watched Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid, go read the early manga.

Style references:

There he is, the King of Games. The heart of the cards guides him but he also full on just, like, cheats too.

Malik, on the left, and Bakura, on the right. These two are villains from the show who are also teenagers possessed by (evil) Egyptian spirits that were trapped in cursed metal knick-knacks. Everyone in this show has Hair with a capital H.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! title design.

[zhenjia]

GAMBLER FORD CHARACTER INFORMATION:

(I will draw full body later cause I 'm not really good draw full body without reference)

"Aˡᵉᵃ ᶦᵃᶜᵗᵃ ᵉˢᵗ"

FULL NAME: Stanford 'Filbrick' Pines

DIMENSION : 465

ALSO KNOW AS : Gambler ford

OTHER NAMES/ NICKNAMES :

Stanley Smith ,Big Brain, Hexdexter, Brainiac, Fordsy, IQ ,Sixer, Poindexter, Smart Guy, Princess's Knight, The Author, Finger Felon, Vile Vertuoso, Stem, Ford, Grunkle Ford, Mr. Smith, Stanley , Lucky Larcenist, Stan

AGE : 60s (real age),40s (his Face)

GENDER : Male

ORIENTATION: Aroace/plansexual

OCCUPATION :The Author Of The Journal ; Paranormal Investigator; Scientist ; Interdimensional Outlaw ; Adventurer ; Security Guard ; Co Manager at Freddy's ; Gambler

AFFILIATIONS :Pines Family, Zodiac, The Schmidt Family

(Other will be add)

GOAL : Investigate Gravity Falls Anomalies , Get so much money,Ensuring children live happily.

HOME : Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey (hometown), 618 Gopher Road, Gravity Falls, Oregon (formerly), Hurricane,Utah

RELATIVES :

Filbrick Pines (father), Caryn Pines (mother), Stanley Pines (younger twin brother), Sherman Pines (big brother), Mr. and Mrs. Pines (nephew and niece-in-law), Mabel Pines (great-niece), Dipper Pines (great-nephew),The Shape Shifter / Shifty(Adopted child)

ALLIES:

Other Version Bill Cipher/ Therapy Bill Cipher

Fiddleford .H. McGucket

Stanley Pines

Dipper Pines

Mabel Pines

Soos Ramirez

Wendy Corduroy

The Shape Shifter/Shifty

Michael Afton

Cassidy Fleur

Henry Schmidt

Charlotte Schmidt

Charlie Emily (Charliebot)

The Crying Child / Dave

Missing Children

Kid ford n' stan

(other will be add later)

ENEMIES :

His Bill Cipher /Fredbill

William Afton

(Other will be add later)

LIKES :

Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons;Gambling;Jelly beans (especially deformed ones); Sticky toffee pudding, The supernatural; His family; Orange juice; Mabel juice;Money;gum

(More will be add)

DISLIKES :

Being followed;Being manipulated;His family in danger;Losses in gambling ;Seeing children being abused;Memory gun; His middle name ; someone talk shit about his family especially Stan and Cassidy;

POWERS AND ABILITIES :

Extreme Intelligence, Luck, Sharper senses , Blessings from the axolotl

PARAPHERNALIA :

Laser gun

Magnet gun

Quantum destabilizer

Portable portal

Security logbook

Fredbear plush

Taser

(Other will be add)

SIGNATURE :

BACKSTORY (Soon will added)

[daniwrld]

CHISHIYA <33

IM GONNA RANT FOR A SECOND BECAUSE I MUST GET THIS OFF OF MY CHEST. (You dont have to read this,, and tbh i wouldn't read this whole thing either.)

In chishiya' backstory (manga-based only), we found out that he was born into a family with no love and affection, right?? his parents never showed interest in him (and they didnt even love each other anymore. they pretended to be happy so the hospital where the father worked bc his father was the hospital head and they wouldn't get into any scandals if they pretended) chishiya basically grew up in a family with no feelings, and since he never got to know them, he still doesn't know them to this day. he basically wanted to figure out if he could feel anything by starting to work in his father's hospital as a student, he wanted to know if he could feel compassion toward any of the patients and if that would help him find meaning/interest in life? BUT IT DIDNT WORK, SO HE GAVE UP ON HIMSELF AND CONTIUED WORKING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. you can SEE how he slowly stops caring about the patients after hayato (who he seems to remember most vividly, so i assume that was the first time it happened.) And he says "i wont carry it with me, sir." But STILL TELLS KUZURYU AND HAS FLASHBACKS ABOUT IT.

there was one thing that interested him (when he was a child.) it was the Mona Lisa painting. we see him looking at it, stating that he couldn't look away and that "everyone wants to be seen for who they are", it BASICALLY HAS TWO MEANINGS. first, one of the painting's meanings is a representation of happiness. looking at what he said, it could be interpreted as him referring to his family, who are actually just pretending and are "painted" happy

the second meaning refers to him, as he always felt different from others and viewed emotional people as stupid. because of that, other people couldn't understand him, reminded himself of the painting. (when he tells arisu he just wanted someone to understand him. he said the Mona Lisa, in one theory, has been said to be Da Vinci himself dressed as a woman—which refers to people actually not knowing Da Vinci, just as people do not actually know and understand him.) chishiya LONGS TO BE UNDERSTOOD. (which kuzuryu was the only person to ever TRULY understand him, but i will explain more on that in a moment.)

in the games, his first game was 6 of Diamonds (blackjack) and there we could see how intelligent and observant he actually is. he never gambled before and was not only able to pick up the rules through observation but also invented a mathematical card counting method to decide how to bet. other players there couldn’t understand how a "young man" like him could act so calm and unbothered, but he simply had no concept of living and DIDNT CARE if he died or not. (he often mentions dying in casual terms and refers to it as something bothersome.) from the beginning, he only "helped" others when he saw they might be useful, that's why he helped Karube and gave him information about the beach since he was with Arisu, who he became interested in.

HE MANIPULATES PEOPLE (which is why when meeting arisu at the beach, he seems NICER than other times,, and acts like arisu IS important to him.) even so, JUST BECAUSE HE'S MANIPULATIVE DOES NOT MEAN HE LIES. he was never untruthful about his intentions, and always specified them. Example: "You aren't my responsibility.", "if you do ____, it wont be my fault.", "I'm going to do ____, you should help me—but if you do, its your fault for trusting me."which—is also why, in his blackjack game he SO easily called out a man for cheating, and then CHEATES HIMSELF. he openly cheated, crumbling a card right infront of the woman and manipulating her.CONTINUING WITH THAT, he cas people ALOT in the manga his "pawns", "chess pieces", or "test subjects", because he sees them all as nothing more than just things he can use until he finds them unworthy. Even though he DOES manipulate+trap people, he has never actually killed someone himself (except for his attempt on killing niragi). For exmaple—he manipulated the people in blackjack, but he never ACTUALLY killed someone, the other players killed eachother.

At the beach, he paired with kuina, but they weren’t friends(unlike how the show shows.) In the beginning he planned to use HER to steal the cards, but decided against it. Instead, he needed her to get closer to Arisu (to use him for his plan) (WHICH IS WHY KUINA TELLS ARISU SO MUCH ABOUT HER PAST AND IS KIND TO HIM. THAT IS MANIPULATION.)he didn't care what was going to happen to them (arisu & usagi). AND kuina even asked him if he felt bad, but he doesn’t feel anything. (Kuina later in the manga even said she hates him just as much as she hates niragi)The difference between manga chishiya and show chishiya is that in the show, he TRUSTS/CARES for kuina ALREADY (just never admits it.) Manga chishiya, however, would KILL for the dynamic he has with kuina in the show. The reason he puts so much on her and hurts her is because he wants to know if she'll stay. (He believes all people will leave)And thats why, in his speech with arisu after he got shot—he says: "I've always loved messing with people who try too hard at life" BECAUSE HE WAS TESTING KUINA, to see what she would do and if she'd leave. (Toxic.. i know.)

IN THE 10 OF HEARTS: after the start of the game, he leaves kuina behind and tries killing niragi (he says that niragi pisses him off bc Niragi reminds him how awful he also is.) both of them don’t care about other people, or killing and betraying them. (Chishiya REALLY hated niragi) Chishiya knew there was something wrong with him, but he believed that he couldn’t change and gave up already. (The reason he wants niragi dead is so that he won’t have to face the thought of how evil he actually is) when he learns Arisu is alive, he doesn’t try to solve the game bc he knows Arisu will do it and that he doesn’t need to interfere. (he may be pretty good at heart games, but he doesn’t really like them bc he isn’t good with emotions and never really understood other people's emotional mindsets.)

IN THE KING OF DIAMONDS: there Chishiya still didnt care about his life and willingly gives kuzuryu the option to kill him. (as i said, he never cared about of his life.) The reason he finds the borderlands so interesting is bc he is LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WORTH HIS TIME. (like the mona lisa painting.) kuzuryu decides to sacrifice himself for Chishiya, which actually makes him start to think. He starts to wonder how people decide to sacrifice for others? Why do they do that? He contemplates the concept of empathy. kuzuryu's sacrifice was like a breaking point for chishiya. (before, arisu's will to help others interested him, but what kuzuryu did for him made him actually think about changing.)Thats why when chishiya leaves the king of Diamonds he says: "i'm envious of you." Because chishiya wishes to have the same ideals (where he can sacrifice himself and decide something while still feeling free.)

he was selfish, LACKING HUMANITY, and disinterested in life. so WHY did he decide to go back to the real world and why did he survive the shooting? because of arisu, usagi, and kuzuryu, he finally found a reason to live (to slowly change and try to understand what humanity is—i think that moment, him finding a reason to live, was the most beautiful part of his character.) THEY WERE HIS NEW MONA LISA. they made him interested!!!

NOW,, WITH ARISU AND NIRAGI. he decides to take usagi's bullet. He wants to do something nice in return, something "out of character" like he said. he wanted to know how it feels to help others, to do something for someone instead of for himself. he then expressed thoughts about the Mona Lisa, stating he only wanted someone to understand him, and it happened to be arisu, kuzuryu and niragi. he said that he was glad to meet them and told arisu that his own existence was just to show how empty humans can be. When arisu said “I understand,” chishiya came to the conclusion that he probably never wanted to learn about others emotions because he was too jealous of them and thought that he couldn't be like them. (Like i said, he GAVE UP and stopped trying to find humanity, because he was already convinced he couldnt.) He also has a fear that if he were to start caring, that he'd start regretting his life and feeling as if it got wasted because he could've lived like that all along.

He hated things he couldnt control (why in 99% of things, he leads and thinks ahead VERY FAR.) Because he is afraid of change. He's scared to admit how he feels and come to terms with the fact that he was holding himself back the entire time.

ALSO, TO ADD ONTO NIRAGI... another reason he hates him so much is because niragi feels EVERYTHING (i could go on a yap about niragi too but i'll spare you tonight 💜) and chishiya feels NOTHING. chishiya and niragi are SO similar, but chishiya was on the end that felt nothing and niragi was on the end that felt everything. He was jealous of niragi because he wanted to feel something too but couldnt.

Tysm for reading all of this if you did!!<33

[aventurineswife]

Ratio, Sampo, Aventurine and Boothill overhead or find out that reader has feelings for them

Basically reader secretly has a crush on them

Some Truths Refuse to Stay Hidden

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Sampo x Reader, Ratio x Reader, Boothill x Reader, Fluff, Light Angst (Aventurine & Boothill’s parts (?)), Teasing & Banter, Eavesdropping/Overheard Confession, Crush Confession, Mild Suggestiveness (Aventurine’s part), Playful Flirting.

Warnings: Slight Manipulation (Aventurine's & Sampo's part), Mild Language, Gambling References (Aventurine’s part), Implied Drinking (Boothill’s part), Cocky & Overconfident (All of them, honestly).

Taglist: @themiddletenmasibling

Ratio had always prided himself on his sharp intellect, his ability to solve even the most complex of problems with a mere glance. But as he stood just outside the library’s archway, listening to the whispered confession escaping your lips, he found himself at a loss.

“I know he’s arrogant,” you murmured to a friend, a book clutched tightly to your chest, “and he talks like he has all the answers. But… I can’t help it. There’s something about him. The way he sees things, the way he challenges everything… I admire him.”

His name was never spoken, but there was no doubt who you were talking about.

Ratio stepped into the library, his usual composed expression giving away nothing. “It’s a shame,” he said, making you stiffen. “For someone so observant, you fail to recognize the most obvious of truths.”

You turned sharply, eyes wide. “What—”

He stepped closer, voice dropping into something softer, something edged with amusement. “You assume admiration is one-sided?” His piercing gaze met yours. “Perhaps, if you were to look at the variables again, you would see the solution has always been within reach.”

You blinked, heartbeat racing. “Are you saying…?”

Ratio smirked. “I’m saying, if you were to confess again—this time to my face—I might just be inclined to give you the answer you’re hoping for.”

Sampo had an uncanny ability to be exactly where he wasn’t supposed to be.

Which is how he found himself eavesdropping outside a supply room, arms crossed as he listened to you, of all people, admitting something rather interesting to Natasha.

“I don’t know why I like him,” you groaned. “He’s frustrating, sneaky, and probably lying half the time—but somehow, I just… do.”

Sampo’s grin widened. Oh?

He waited a beat before dramatically pushing the door open, wearing the most innocent expression he could muster. “Well, well, well! What’s all this, huh? Talking about little old me behind my back? I’m flattered!”

You spun around, color draining from your face before returning in full force. “How long have you—?”

“Long enough!” He waggled his eyebrows. “Gotta say, sunshine, I had no idea you felt that way.”

Natasha sighed, unimpressed. “Sampo, get out.”

“Ah-ah, not before I get a proper answer!” He leaned closer, voice teasing but eyes searching. “So? You like me, huh? Care to make that official, or should I start wooing you properly?”

You groaned, covering your face. “I take it back.”

“Ah, too late! No refunds, no returns,” he chuckled. “Guess that means you’re stuck with me now.”

Aventurine always knew when people were lying. It was a skill he had honed to perfection, a survival instinct as much as a talent.

But what fascinated him more was when people told the truth without realizing it.

And tonight, as he leaned casually against the grand casino balcony, he had just stumbled upon a rather delightful little secret.

“I know he’s dangerous,” you admitted to someone, your voice lost in the buzz of music and chatter below. “But that’s what makes him so compelling. It’s like every conversation is a game, and I… I can’t help but want to play.”

His lips curled into a knowing smirk. Oh, darling, you’re more than just playing—you’re already all in.

Slipping out of the shadows, he chuckled as you jolted at his sudden presence. “Now, now. What’s this I hear? Someone’s got a little crush?”

You gasped. “You—!?”

Aventurine tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You wound me, dearest. How could you not tell me sooner?” He tapped his chin, pretending to consider. “Should I make this interesting? A gamble, perhaps?”

Your breath caught. “What kind of gamble?”

He leaned in, voice dropping to a murmur. “A kiss, if you win.” A pause, then a smirk. “And if I win? Well, I suppose I’ll just have to take that kiss myself.”

Boothill had been called many things—reckless, ruthless, a dead man walking. But blind wasn’t one of them.

Which was why, when he overheard your conversation with an old friend in a dimly lit saloon, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

“You ever tell him?” your friend asked, swirling their drink.

You scoffed. “Tell Boothill? Please. He’d probably laugh in my face.”

At that moment, the infamous cyborg cowboy made his entrance, heavy boots clicking against the floor. “Now, sweetheart,” he drawled, teeth flashing in a shark-like grin, “what makes you think I’d do a thing like that?”

Your eyes widened in horror. “You—!? How long—!?”

Boothill tipped his hat, sliding into the seat beside you. “Long enough to hear somethin’ real interestin’.” He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing playfully. “Now, tell me true—was that just some whiskey talk, or do you really got a thing for me?”

You glared at your friend, who was conveniently looking the other way. “I hate you.”

Boothill just chuckled. “That ain’t an answer, sugar.”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “And if I did?”

He smirked. “Then I reckon you just made my day a whole lot more interesting.”

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Hi, I had a random thought about Wylan Van Eck and it accidentally turned into a world building rant so enjoy… I guess?

Every so often I randomly remember that Wylan has canonically been to the races at Caryeva in Ravka and I just can’t help but wonder what the hell this situation was like. I don’t recall a lot of specific descriptions about Caryeva so correct me if I’m wrong but I believe it’s an environment quite similar to that of the Barrel and that boy was not thriving in the Barrel okay the stress of imagining young Wylan stuck with his father at the Caryeva races is so real. Like I’m not saying the entire place must be a hellhole but the key information we know about it (at least to my recollection and what I gathered about two minutes ago from the Grishaverse wiki) is that its main points of interest are gambling in horse races and producing alcohol, and we know that Vasily gathered a less than pleasant reputation whilst spending most of his time there gambling away what little fortune he had left. And also what the hell was Van Eck doing there in the first place? The version of Jan Van Eck we see him present to the other characters and therefore to us as the reader (since we don’t ever get his POV) would simply cease to exist at the impropriety of it all, he can’t get through a conversation about the Barrel without cringing and you’re telling me he went on a trip to Caryeva and took his presumably very young son with him? (I’m assuming this bc Wylan says he *used* to take him everywhere with him and Van Eck found out he couldn’t read when he was about eight). What was this situation???? Why was he there???? I wonder if this is another subtle hint towards the potential extent of less than savoury business Van Eck is involved in beyond Wylan’s knowledge, like when he suggests meeting on Vellgeluk (an island used mostly by smugglers and traffickers) and Inej is surprised he knows about it and Kaz responds something along the lines of “perhaps he’s not so much the upstanding merch he claims to be”.

The reference to Caryeva just always sticks out to me as slightly random in comparison to the other places Wylan lists his father as having taken him to - the Shu oil fields? Absolutely, this is a world (at least as I’ve understood it) currently moving towards its Industrial Revolution at top speed of course Van Eck of all people is looking to invest in oil futures he may be the worst but he is clever; the Ice Court? It’s a diplomatic event between the leaders of two countries, one desperately trying to maintain its neutrality to hold tightly to its place in the world economy as it very quickly develops (Kerch) and one desperately trying to impose itself as a greater world power than its being given credit for via violence and focusing its development on military-based progress like the tanks (Fjerda) (btw I think I’ve talked about this before in my worldbuilding posts but I have thoughts about the tanks and the general global development of the grishaverse so if anyone wants more theories/analyses on that let me know), so yes it absolutely makes sense especially since we’re starting to see (or at least I think we are but I’m not a historian I’m basing this on my understanding about how these things happened in our world and how they would develop in their world based on the distinctions between the two) the globalisation of the Grishaverse beginning; the Jurda farms in near Shriftport? We all know Van Eck has a vested interest in jurda and we also know it was a big part of his business long before parem came to the scene because it is a massively used stimulant throughout Kerch; Weddle? Absolutely, I don’t know if it’s been confirmed as the capital but if it isn’t it’s still a major city in Novyi Zem there are a thousand reasons Van Eck could’ve been there; Elling? Once again it’s entirely reasonable to imagine Fjerda having a vested interest in an alliance with Kerch to secure their place in the global economy and to manipulate what is almost definitely and imminent and unavoidable collapse of the country’s questionable neutrality; Elling makes sense because Van Eck probably visited Fjerda a lot and even if there wasn’t anything about alliances and military tactics and etc going on Elling is a port settlement and it makes plenty of sense to assume large amounts of trade take place here. (My theory about the military stuff is below, sorry the paragraph was too long to get it all in together)

(Ravka is in severe debt to the Kerch government and we know Fjerdan intelligence is well aware of this, especially since Matthias knew when he hadn’t been in the government for over a year and never worked anywhere near espionage, and Kerch is also a massive global power. Support for Fjerda from Kerch would mean support from the Southern Colonies and possibly even division in Novyi Zem, and whilst it would probably prevent the Fjerdans from any kind of alliance with the Shu due to the tension between Kerch and Shu Han being so high it would also probably not be necessary for them to make a deal with the Shu if the had the support of the Kerch. Ultimately, Fjerda and Shu Han are fighting for control of the same land, they just haven’t reached each other yet because they’re still stuck on opposite sides of Ravka. If either country gained control of the majority of Ravka’s land then it would lead to a fight with the other; Fjerda need global support if they have a chance of winning two wars immediately after each other and if Kerch are in fact going to have to lose their neutrality, as it seems they are being forced to do and definitely would have been forced to do if parem became a global resource (Van Eck even says himself on the matter that Kerch has enjoyed neutrality for too long), and already have high tensions with Shu Han and rising tensions with Novyi Zem (due to the assassination of the Zemeni ambassador, which I do believe was an attempt to start a war btw, that they blame the Kerch for and the Kerch suspect the Shu for) then they are the perfect target for Fjerda to form an alliance with. Kerch also has a very strong navy which Fjerda presumably lacks since their efforts have all been focused on Ravka, where they share a land border, so to enter a larger scale/global war they would need a navy on their side. Again, I want to emphasise I know very little about military tactics and history I am approaching this by imagining that it’s a logic puzzle, so you might be reading this and thinking that it makes no sense in realistic scenarios but this is just my theory)

But Caryeva???? Even if there weren’t standing for Van Eck and the Merchant Council to be plotting against Ravka, which I personally believe there is, it STILL WOULDN’T MAKE DIPLOMATIC OR BUSINESS SENSE TO GO TO CARYEVA. So in summary I think Van Eck was doing lots of messed up things that young Wylan didn’t understand because he was a small child so why would he, plus this was a time in his life when probably trusted his father, and I think that this is yet another of the very subtle ways Leigh Bardugo shows us that there is a lot more going on beneath the surface than we notice or that the characters have comprehended because it does!’t fit into the focus of the story. Whether or not Van Eck was planning on building his diplomacy towards Fjerda into an alliance or not (but I do want to add that the only other language he hired someone to teach his son was Fjerdan, so that may also be a hint), I definitely think that he was involved in something illegal to specifically be at the races in Caryeva. Like to vineyards or something for a trade deal, sure. But why, after going on and on about the questionable version of Ghezen he believes in and how the Barrel is a “den of filth” and calling gambling a “vice” and arguing with Kaz because he was offended when he said that speculating on the markets was a form of gambling, would Jan Van Eck be at Caryeva horse races?

Anyway I’ve been going on about this for way longer than I intended, hope this made some semblance of sense and thanks for reading

[bedtimegiraffe]

Did Aurinae intend for Aerin to become the power behind the throne?

Aurinae values her own status and power above all else- all the maneuvering and betrayal makes that very clear. So her priority in every interaction is on how she can use others to maintain that. Including her family.

But as far as she's concerned, she didn't have much to work with. Sure, Arlan had the title, but he was a useless coward who forced her to do all the work of running Morella. And she probably realized Baldur was an easily led idiot, certainly not capable of exerting precise control over the country like she wants. So who should keep Morella on track long-term, cementing her legacy?

It could be a queen, like Aurinae was, but that's a bit if a gamble that you'll find the right fit. And wouldn't it be better to have someone who's part of Aurinae's bloodline? Like... a second child, one who would hopefully take more after her than her husband.

We get a pretty good idea of Aurinae's plan from her nickname for Aerin, the one she's used since he was a baby.

Aurinae had a very clear vision of what she wanted Aerin to be from the beginning- another manipulator, pulling the strings from the shadows. Someone to control Morella during Baldur's reign, like Aurinae did during Arlan's.

She was negligent as a mother, not giving Aerin the kind of attention or affection he wanted. But I think that didn't matter to her plan. We know she started teaching him about alchemy, laying the groundwork for a way to be popular at court and silence people. Aurinae was around just enough to make sure he was devoted to her and trusted her- what use would she have for actual affection and connection with her child? The higher level manipulation, the dark side of it all would have to wait until Aerin was older. And then she died, project unfinished.

Honestly, Aurinae was probably just jealous the Dreadlord had more time to mold Aerin into the kind of tool he wanted than she did. (Though she was surprisingly on board with Aerin overthrowing the Morellan government as long as he maintained control. Maybe that's what she would have done, given the chance.)

**Wild speculation time**

It's genuinely odd to me that Aerin is the last Valleros. No aunts or uncles, not even any distant cousins who could feasibly take the throne (unless Morella has some hyper specific requirements for taking the throne we're not aware of). Given the value of marriage alliances and making sure you don't die without an heir, I would expect there to be more Valleroses. In most similar settings, the nobility is full of people with a vague blood relation to the ruling family.

The main incentive not to have more people with a royal bloodline around is to stop claims on the throne and subsequent civil wars. So the lack of Valleroses could be the result of a series of misfortunes or an intentional effort to have as few children with a claim to the throne as possible.

In Aurinae's case, my theory is that she had one child, hoping that would position them best. But when she realized that he would do an embarrassingly bad job, she decided to have another. (Given the whole family structure/all the unprotected sex MC can have, birth control seems to be a thing in this world. And Aurinae is an alchemy master who could have very reasonably engaged in family planning.)

Baldur and Aerin seem to have a sizeable age gap (in the confrontation toward the end of Book 1, Baldur references 'roughing Aerin up' when "he" was little, implying Baldur was not). They also give off very different age vibes, though that's less solid. I'd guess Baldur was 4 or 5 (old enough to get a good sense of his personality) before Aurinae got pregnant with Aerin.

I think that if Aerin had been born first, he would have been an only child.

[debtofdeception-if]

gambling addictions are rly interesting to me because my understanding is that its kind of unique in that it activates the same parts of your brain as addiction to drugs, which isn’t true of basically anything else you would think of thats commonly referred to as an addiction like internet/phones, porn etc. so it makes sense why you can’t necessarily just rational think your way out of it—we can pretend all we want, but we’re all still made of meat and instincts at the end of the day, and there’s a meticulously optimized industry built around exploiting that fact! (not 2 mention the way the average person, even ostensibly ‘progressive’ folks you’d expect to know better, tend to talk about addicts certainly helps along the guilt/shame/isolation factor lolol)

all this to say: can’t wait to kick a’s ass in a loving supportive manner

Yes! To everything you said. The story will definitely explore how exploitative the industry can be and how gangs manipulate both the system and people’s addictions to their advantage. The shame and stigma surrounding addiction are part of the reason A kept theirs a secret—they also refuse to accept the pity that comes with it. They struggle with anyone viewing them as weak or incapable, especially male A, it’s that ego 😂.

[overhual]

THE OVERHAUL QUIRK.

in essence, it’s destruction and restoration, but it’s not that simple. it would be easy to say “overhaul just changes the cells”, however, it doesn’t quirk work like that. it’s stored in the hands (and the feet, though this is unknown to kai), and can work if any part of his hand comes into contact with an object.  note:  this headcanon is directly tied to @necrotises, as this overhaul is the origin of their decay. 

more under the cut. btw, this can be reblogged and be used for reference by rp partners only.

disassembly: the quirk itself has the ability to manipulate potential energy stored within an object, living or not, transforming it into heat or a kinetic energy at a rapid pace. in the case of overhaul, this transformation happens so rapidly that it must be pushed out with great force, resembling an explosion. 

reassembly: it’s a bit more complicated than “overhaul puts the disassembled material back together”. rather, the quirk can pull back affected material, living or not, and reform it into kai’s image. 

limitations.

precision: overhaul is not specific enough to splice down to atoms. he can get somewhat specific, but not specific enough to completely change the atomic makeup of an object. the object will always have qualities of its original form. that said, chisaki will do your transgender operations! (its reparations for accidentally misgendering magne. sorry mag. his bad.) he did his own top surgery, and opted to leave almost fishbone looking scars.

timeframe: reassembly can only occur for up to 15 minutes after disassembly. otherwise the ability to pull back the affected material is altered. were he to try reassemble after that time period, the object would need to be disassembled and reassembled once more. 

two-halves: disassembly is possible without reassembly, but not the reverse. if chisaki is not intending to reassemble, the energy must be released. as we see in magne, compress, and that one hassaikai babysitter, we see the “explosion” mentioned earlier. blood is splattered everywhere, and a mess is made. this is inevitable. were he to do this to another object, it would react similarly. 

specifics.

restoration: kai can decide how much of a person is reassembled, but this takes concentration to adjust to an imperfect level. the quirk naturally seeks to reassemble to a near-perfect level. it’s likely that if an ally is ressembled, they will find all cavities and minor injuries completely healed.  this may also happen if he’s in a rush, or looking to display his power. 

fusions: quick note here, kai can use overhaul through someone else’s hands, but only if they are fused to his body. there’s no magic possessing or anything. he must have the hands fused to his body in order for it to work. back to the main point.  kai can fuse any two objects together, including himself, though it is not necessary. 

fusing himself: kai will always remain the dominant consciousness if he’s fusing with another human. the other will be in a dream-like state, and likely will have blurry memories of the events once split. additionally, he can use the quirks of others once fused, as we see with nemoto. 

fusing others: whichever will be the dominant consciousness is a gamble. he can’t decide that; it’ll be something of a battle between the minds being fused. and because of that, fusing two humans is a risk.  chisaki can fuse more than two beings together, but the consciousness situation becomes more tricky after that, so he prefers to only fuse two, or fuse with himself.

stability: overhaul is an unstable quirk. anything may accidentally be overhauled when the gloves are off. should chisaki experience heightened emotional stress or external stimuli, he has little control over what gets overhauled. he has no issues immediately overhauling whatever puts him under such intense stress, so be mindful of staying in his good graces. additionally, many pillows and bedsheets have been overhauled during times of intimacy and ecstasy. the quirk itself was more unstable when he was younger, which the gloves helped. on top of this, he trained to keep himself calm in most situations, but it’s still a gamble when the gloves metaphorically (and physically) come off. 

experience. 

disassembling: being disassembled, though it seems like the most painful part, is actually the calm before the storm. it’s quick, and not the worst pain anyone is likely to feel. its uncomfortable, of course, as any manipulation of energy in the body would be. there is a warmth as the body part “explodes”, but as mentioned above, it’s so incredibly quick. the victim might not even know they were disassembled. 

reassembling: this is where all the pain that should've been experienced in the disassembling stage catches up to the victim. as nerves are rebuilt, the pain from the disassembling is finally felt, leaving the victim in genuine agony, even for those with high pain tolerances. 

those being reassembled can expect to experience: 

mind-altering pain.  the inability to speak or stand. they may also experience temporary amnesia. 

extreme psychological distress.  possible delusions/hallucinations from the pain.

physical symptoms.   nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, sweating, muscle spasms, and more. 

chronic symptoms will include: 

common ptsd symptoms.   depression, anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, flashbacks.

phantom pains, despite the body being restored.

upgrades. 

atom-splicing:  were overhaul to upgrade this quirk, he would likely be able to splice things down to the atom . this would allow him to split quirks from owners, change the entire makeup of something, and so on.

contact:   another potential upgrade would be the ability to overhaul something from not just his hands nor feet. rather, his arm or leg could brush against something and change it.  

overhaul and chisaki. 

the quirk takes little from him. while some quirks come at the cost of stamina or concentration, overhaul doesn’t ask much from kai. he doesn’t need to know the makeup of something to restore it, nor does it take time for him to overhaul an object or person. the process happens in seconds. he attends medical school in order to get a better understanding of anatomy for his ultimate goal, though this knowledge helps him adjust the level of reassembly.

it has little psychological effect on him, and the only thing he “feels” when overhauling is moderate heat in his hands from the energy transfer. he does experience the same pain as a victim would when he overhauls himself. he trained to handle the pain and work through it quickly, but he still remarks it as unpleasant.

conclusion.

overhaul is an incredibly powerful quirk that certainly should’ve earned more than a “b-rank” in ultra analysis. it’s ultimately unstable, though chisaki has trained for the amount of control he has currently. it has many different applications, though the symptoms and side effects of being overhauled are intense.

[affogato-analysis]

The Circe Saga: misandry and power

aka, why I really like Epic’s depiction of Circe!

Greek mythology is highly sexist and misogynistic. This is not up for debate. Therefore, any woman who is shown as powerful in a Greek myth must invite curiosity and some reflection about this power.

Retellings of Greek myths are always confronted with their base material presenting these issues and it’s always a bit of a gamble to try and balance it out.

Circe’s character isn’t exactly that much of a challenge since she is a powerful woman in the original myths already. The challenge lies in keeping her strong without denaturing her character: Circe is a caring woman, towards her nymphs, ruthless and unforgiving in her quest to protect them and herself. Her story is one linked to men’s cruelty and the real difficulty lies in keeping this trauma without defining her entirely around it.

Epic does a good job of this, by defining her first and foremost not as a betrayed, hurt witch but a power to be reckoned with, a queen to the Nymphs, a sorceress. You’d have to ask Jorge how he went about designing his iteration of the character, I’m not in his head. What I know is that Epic!Circe is a good representation of her and I’d like more of it actually.

What I want to tackle is the resolution of the conflict between her and Odysseus and how he convinces her that he should get his crew back. The musical avoids falling into the ‘man fixing a woman’s trust in men’ trope to my greatest pleasure.

Odysseus never convinces Circe that his crew are better men: they did fall for her trap after all. He never tries to tell her they’re not pigs or not dangerous to women or not scarred by war and its violence, therefore carrying it with them. What he tells her isn’t that she’s misunderstanding them, but that Odysseus guarantees that, if she lets them leave, they will not turn back.

This is not about morality but control. Circe’s beliefs are not put into question, Odysseus doesn’t prove that his crew are kinder men or even that he is.

See, Circe’s character is defined by her power and her control. She is repeatedly referred to as such; her first song is about being a puppeteer; when she tries to seduce Odysseus, it is a power struggle; he begs her for mercy and doesn’t threaten her; when Odysseus and his crew leaves, no one doubts her power. Odysseus got divine help to win against her, and he didn’t win against her, his illusion beat hers.

Odysseus is not powerful. Because “Back at home, my wife awaits for me, she's my everything, my Penelope and she's all my power, all my power”. When Circe tries to seduce him, he is tempted! Circe is a beautiful woman and the man has been at war for ten years and at sea for an extra two, he is tempted by her advances. But he is first and foremost Penelope’s husband and she is her power. For all that he wants Circe, he has just enough control to not fall to her temptation.

There is no changing her belief or methods, this is about power and where it lies.

This is all a power struggle, and, at the end of the day, Penelope wins.

Odysseus and Penelope are amazing like that, because she’s the power and he’s got control. These are the two qualities that Circe values, that and family.

So essentially, Odysseus has enough control to maintain himself throughout her manipulations, and Penelope exerts enough power on him that Circe is fairly confident that he will not hurt her or her nymphs. He also has enough power over his crew to ensure they will not hurt them either.

Therefore, when he tells her Poseidon’s after him – and considering Poseidon’s record of violence towards women –, Circe decides to help him.

And just so we’re extra clear, this is not Circe stepping back and considering men as ‘not that bad’. She thinks that there might be room for men to improve if they learn respect and to perceive women as powerful as well, but that doesn’t disprove her current opinion. Men could get better but they are not better than she thought.

All in all, this is a struggle over power and control and Circe is challenged by Odysseus and Penelope.

And yeah, he does get a dagger at her neck. But she does not lose, nor is she rendered powerless and fearful when that happens, she just switches strategies. She is not just powerful, she is resourceful and constantly in control.

I really like this saga because it’s a genuinely very respectful depiction of Circe as a woman. And yeah, the femme fatale isn’t an uncommon trope, but it’s still a nice iteration of it, and a really spot on take on it. Femme fatale are not about being hot but in control in a world of men, and Circe’s a really good representation of it.

[sparklygummybear]

decided to (somewhat) remake this gary sue of an oc (still a gary sue rn lol)

male fuchsiablood thief whos a loose cannon

edit: added his backstory that very much gives off gary-sue

his name is typhon korsan, a male fuchsiablood (could be a mutation, i forget if male fuchsiabloods are straight up not possible or if they're just rare). previous empress before him proved unfit and was overthrown (killed), resulting in a power imbalance amongst the highbloods. to repair this, he and another fuchsiablood were born (since only two can exist at a time).

the two would come of age to ultimately engage in battle, with one of them victorious and a claim to the throne. the other was left bloody and without one of his eyes. he was buried under a cliff, assumed dead.

his soon-to-be second lusus (again, gary-sue for a reason) would smell his blood and find him struggling to unbury himself. he was taken in by said lusus (a fuchsiablooded sea serpent) and hidden in a cave. he would spend his days wearing a lower-blood-colored symbol.

his name is directly based off of the mythological creature, typhon, an outrageous sea serpent. korsan means "pirate" in a different language (reference to his thief class). his sign is also sign of the hurricane, typhon being similar to typhoon.

during his time being raised by his first lusus (gl'bgolyb, i know it's very much gary-sue esque to have a fantroll with a canon lusus), he was coddled and protected, his rage being stifled, indirectly leading to his failure as a rising heir.

after being taken in by serpentdad, he was still coddled in a similar fashion, though he still hears gl'bgolyb's awful voice in his head, whether it's real or not is up to question. so he's a loose cannon.

he would pose as a violetblood (his identity surrounding skepticism / lies, like his aspect). after being taken in, he would sneak out and be involved in underground fighting and gambling, which he would renounce after an incident that left him shaken up.

his fetch modus would be something like darts, where he has to aim for the number that corresponds to the desired item (with his one eye). or i dunno. maybe something like smash-and-grab, a quick-moving sylladex that requires you to break shit to get the desired item? just spitballing here.

his strife specibus would be 2x3dentkind, like all fuchsiabloods, though starting out, he wouldn't use it to keep his identity safe.

he places inverted parentheses in between his O's to resemble his sign. uses proper capitalization. drops his quirk whenever he's enraged / berserk mode (rage aspect).

ex. S)o( he w)o(uld type like this.

his classpect would be a thief of rage. stealing rage can straight up be manipulative and stealing through rage is how he's able to keep his tendencies afloat. thieves usually start out struggling with their aspect, then learn to take it from their environment. being excessively coddled by serpentdad and gl'bgolyb's voice in his head would prevent him from feeling rage at first, which would lead to him seeking rage in his surroundings through underground fighting.

also he's directly responsible for the death of another fantroll of mine (brokat).

[armand-dearest]

Breaking Bad update!

I'm now almost done with season 3. The pacing of this show is very slow, it's very of its era. I feel the show would actually benefit from episodes being 5-10 mins shorter, and having about 3-5 less episodes per season. The overarching plot I don't really care about. What I do care about is the characters, their development and their insane dynamics with eachother tbh

I had elements of the show spoiled for me decades ago, so I know my now favourite character Gus Fring gets Harvey Dent'd eventually and I really don't wanna see that. I genuinely smile and kick my feet a little when he's on-screen. Extremely competent, evil, cunty and autistic gay villains who are a hairs width from overreaching their limits are my favourite niche. When he smiled like a giddy little kid after hearing a man get shot over the phone after he arranged said mans death it made me grin ear to ear, he's such a little freak. I adore him. I wanna see him commit war crimes 🖤

I still love and support Skylar. The only "bad" thing she's done imo is take Walter back. I'm sad Walt Jr is less present this season as I wanted to see him grow up a bit and become more likable. When he was blowing up at Skylar I just really did not like him - but I understood it. Typical child of divorced parents, blaming the "unfun" parent, who is usually the mother.

I think Hanks development so far has been fantastic too this season. I've only just finished the episode where Marie agrees to take Walt's "gambling money" to help Hank recover from his gunshot injuries - but I know the second Hank is awake and able to really focus on how weird that is, he's gonna become immediately suspicious of Walt. I really wanna see that. I also appreciated the scene of Hank finally breaking down and crying in Marie's arms in the elevator. I wanna see his toxic masculinity break down a little piece by piece. He has a good heart in there and I wanna see that more.

I left Jesse and Walter last........ They may have one of the most interesting relationships I've seen. The ways in which Jesse is constantly paralleled against both Skylar and Walt Jr is so sick. They're so sick. The way Walt argues with Jesse like he's his spouse, but comforts him like a kid. Uses his proud / soothing dad voice to actively manipulate him against his best interests. Walter White so deeply sick in the head, he's using his former student / narrative other woman / narrative son / narrative guard dog for narcissistic supply - for everything he's got, and is carelessly ruining his life. Walt let the one girlfriend - the one partner he's seen Jesse have die, and constantly refers to himself as Jesse's (business) "partner". But always treats him as his hated wife and naughty child. It's................ Bro. Bro what the fuck

[mackerel1522]

Hey guys, have we already considered that maybe Fyodor is the same as IRL!Dostoevsky?

We know he already met Bram at least a few times and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is set in the late 19th century - the same century IRL!Dostoevsky lived in.

What I'm trying to say is: What if our Fedya was actually born in 1821 just like the real author? What if our Fedya is actually the Dostoevsky?

First: Dostoyevsky's Works

Fyodor's character/ability/environment containt lots of references to most of his works:

- Crime and Punishment: the crime is being killed and as a punishment he take over the body of the killer + his character is heavely Raskonikov-coded

- The Demons: Fyodor is often refered to as a demon (or as the "Northern Devil")

*also another title of this novel is 'The Possessed' which heavily refers to his ability too

- Notes From The Underground: Fyodor's philosophy has a lot in common with the one of the "Underground Man" (the narrator and protagonist of the novella)

- The House of the Dead: his organisation "Rats in the House of the Dead" is based partially on the novel

- The Gambler: we see him play at the begining of the manga against Ace (and nails it) + later the Sky Casino where he sends Sigma

(The list continues but it'd take way too long for me to cover all of it TuT')

- The Double: his double-personality-faking after his breakdown in mersault is "The Double"-coded

- The Brothers Karamazov: in an interview, Asagiri revealed he based most of Fyodor's personality on a scene of the novel (the one where Ivan Karamazov talks to 'the devil')

Secondly: Rodion Raskolnikov

Fyodor and Rodion share a lot of common points - Fyodor being heavely Raskolnikov-coded:

First and most obvious: Fedya's ability is C&P and Rodya is the protagonist from C&P

The complex personality: Fyodor is a highly intelligent and enigmatic character. He is confident, exceptionally intelligent, manipulative and can easily see through his enemies' desires and plans. Rodion, on the other hand, is a lonely former student who actively rejects the society's morality. Just like Fedya, Rodya considers himself an exceptional man and wants to test the limits of his own freedom by committing murder. His personality is also tormented and complex.

Common themes: Both characters explore deep themes such as guilt, suffering, redemption and human nature. They both embody dark and complex aspects of the human psyche.

Thirdly: Dostoyevsky and Dostoyevsky

IRL!Dostoyevsky and Our!Dostoyevsky also have a lot of common points:

Personality/Lives:

Both were born on November 11 in Russia

Both have been sentenced to death/sent to prison

Both are very religious people

Both traveled a lot around the world

Both have chronic illnesses (epilepsy/anemia)

Both share a similar philosophy (Orthodox Christianity and Utopian Socialism)

Common themes: religion, redemption, guilt, suffering, human nature, gambling, death, chronic illness, psychology, etc...

Fourthly: Crime and Punishment

"I am crime. I am punishment. Crime and punishment are close friends. Borders vanish. Rooms awaken. The incarnation of death, the master of the ability-consuming fog… Eat, howl, and make violence as your instinct desires. This is neither a loss of control nor a singularity." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Bungo Stray Dogs Dead Apple)

There is definitely more to Fyodor's ability than "just" possessing the one who just killed him. For instance we have what happened in Dead Apple but we also have some more details that should be noticed (I think): Don't you find it intriguing how everytime before he dies his eyes are light but once he is resurrected his eyes turn dark again? The same happens when he fakes a double personality after his breakdown in mersault: his eyes turn the lightest we've ever seen him have but once he abandons the act they turn pitch black again.

Y'all remember how Harukawa said something like "the darker the eyes, the darker the personality, the lighter the eyes, the closest they are to the good side"? (sorry I don't remember the correct quote but it's something like that)

Intriguing, huh?

Finally: "Dostoyevsky is immortal!"

In his novel "The Master and Margarita", Mikhail Bulgakov says "Dostoyevsky is immortal!". In the manga, we just learned Fyodor's ability which, as said before, consist basically in taking over the body of the one who just killed him. Based on all the canon events of the manga, mostly everything conducts us to think Dostoyevsky's, in fact, immortal. Could Asagiri have been inspired by this quote? That could be possible. (Would it be extremely cool? Hell yeah.)

What if our Dostoyevsky is the Dostoyevsky but in a reality where he is, in fact, immortal?

What do you guys think about it? Do you have another theory? Do you wanna add something? (I'm open to everything! Tell me what you think - whether it's the same or the opposite, I'm curious!)