#triangles are the most stable form

[lamaery]

soooo, on a vacation trip a week ago, I stumbled over @xiranjayzhao's Iron Widow in a book shop in Copenhagen and devoured it last weekend. It was quite the fun read. (And I am not that inclined to mechs 😄 but the rage filled female power fantasy and the setting felt rather refreshing to me) And after finishing the book I had to get at least some art out of my system. As usual it didn't end up what I really intended it to be in my head initially, but also, as usual it has to suffice for now or I'll never post it.

[ckret2]

i am FASCINATED by the little scraps i've heard about bill's uncle. am i allowed to know more about him. and if the answer is no do you have a chapter estimate for when i am

yeah sure, I already made a post on Bill's mom, I've finally got enough material to make a post on Bill's dad.

Bill got his gorgeous eyelashes, warm color scheme, black limbs, and personality from his mom. He got his shape, his brick lines, and his slitted pupil from his dad. His dad's a self-made businessman*! (*His dad got suckered into joining a multi-level marketing scheme and now he makes money by suckering other people into joining the MLM scheme.)

And: his dad has a brother. They're twiiins!

Bill keeps targeting twins. (The Stans, the kids, TBOB says Pyronica's got a twin sister Hydronica...) I imagine Bill's twin obsession is rooted in something close to home.

Because Euclid & Euler's eye split in half mid-development, they have unusually oval-shaped eyes—a common sign of twins. They've been going to an optometrist since they were toddlers to deal with poor eyesight and floaters in their peripheral vision. They've had a mix of surgery, corrective lenses, and medication to narrow their field of view to the area they can see clearly. So when baby Billy said he was seeing "bright white dots" on "the outside of everything," Euclid went aha! He knows exactly what Bill's seeing!

He did not, in fact, know what Bill was seeing.

Bill's parents didn't regularly visit family, but Euler was the one relative they saw most often. He was the first person to snap out of the "haha it sure is funny how Bill can guess when somebody's about to knock on the door" rationalizations to realize that Bill really could see things no one else did.

And since Bill's parents are sort of disasters who think starting a cult is a great get-rich-quick scheme, Euler was one of the most emotionally stable role models in Bill's life. It sure is a good thing that Euler was a constant presence and nothing happened to him during Bill's tender formative years!

"But wait," you say, "you told us that Bill got his shape and slit pupil from his dad. But wouldn't that mean he got genes for a square? And how could he have gotten a slit pupil if that wasn't a genetic trait, but a consequence of an eyeball splitting in half?"

Triangles and slit pupils don't run in Euclid's side of the family. But squares and twins do.

I imagine Bill's twin obsession is rooted in something close to home.

"So Steve exists in your headcanon—?" No. He's a stillbirth his parents pretend doesn't exist. He's a crime Bill committed before he was born. He's the imaginary phantom Bill's parents are searching for when they look at Bill—starting fires, hallucinating, spitting up his medicine—and wonder what he'd be like if he was different. He's a symbol representing a source of unconditional love and support that Bill deserved and needed, but never had. Steve's all those things—but he doesn't and never has existed.

And there at last is my Euclid headcanons post. If y'all are interested & didn't see it, here's my Scalene headcanons post! And some headcanons about shape twins that still basically work post-TBOB, we just know now that Euclideans don't need a line and a polygon to reproduce.

(95% of my headcanons about Bill's dad & uncle are pre-TBOB. The only difference is that I originally designed Euclid & Euler as green trapezoids that had split from a hexagon. Trapezoids so that Bill and his dad could do this, green so that Bill's dad could be the original color Bill was designed as before the Gravity Falls crew made him yellow & so that his family could be money-colored: gold-colored Bill & mom, dollar-bill-colored dad.)

(After TBOB/TINAWDC revealed his dad's a triangle and either red or blue, I decided to make the twins blue-green (because I wanted to keep in that "bill's original color scheme" reference) and finagle it so that Euler could still be a trapezoid; after Pyramid Steve came out, I suddenly had a really good thematic reason to make them blue-green. I'd been playing with the idea of making Bill a shoulda-beena twin, Steve finalized that decision by giving me a physical design that could tie into Bill's extended family.)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Meaty Post Since It's All You're Getting for a Bit

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

*** This blog will be on mini hiatus for most of May 2025. Not dead just busy. You'll be fine without me. Don't burn down this hellsite anymore than normal while I'm away.

April 2025 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 1-2 of 10 - Mflow's latest high heat office romance involves best friend's younger brother, boss meets intern, bit of a love triangle, GL crumbs, and few other tropes.

It's... raunchy.  And it's giving me Deep Night vibrations. So to speak. Similarly cringe but still fun to have on our screen. I don't mind a "teach me daddy" trope. The leads are serving up BossNoeul in LITA and the other pairs seem decent too. It’s messy gay but it’s low stakes high melodrama soap opera messy gay so I guess I'm okay with that style. Shall we call this "sloppy gay"?

I'm not mad about it.  

The BangkokBoy (Thai Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 12 - Action, crime, and revenge meets gangs, street fights, mafia, and more. Oh my. Intriguing premise. Not a bad beginning in terms of acting and family strife set-up. The terrible dubbing is sending me. The terrible fight scenes are sending me even further. They better give us some BL within the next two episodes or I don’t know if I can take this level try-hard.

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist (Fri iQIYI) ep 5 of 12 - I am so happy to have Jimmy back on my screen. I can’t even tell you. No additional thoughts, only Jimmy in glasses.

Top Form (Thurs WeTV) ep 6 of 10 - this time I reminded myself going in that this is based on Japanese IP. But I still couldn't take it. I fast-forwarded through most of this ep. I knew it was coming but I still couldn’t stomach it.

Akin better get everything tested. And some counseling.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 1-2 of 12 - Our only true high school BL from GMMTV this year and it's fresh faces for the youths and old favs for the teachers. I want to like this (and be surprised by it) as much as My School President in 2023 but so far that is definitely not the case. I do love the teachers (shocker) and I like the sides but I’m not sold on the main couple. With a kiss already in ep 2 the pacing is off. If this were Japan I would 't be worried, but this is GMMTV messing with the formula and that could be rough for all of us.

Side note... how does Papong look so daddy in Not Me and do damn ingenue here? Best chameleon in GMMTV's stable? I think so. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Heesu in Class 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 9-10 end - omg they are ridiculously cute dancing round each other. Please just kiss! Bah, this did take too long to resolve. I was worried about that.

The people (aka me) want more BL in our BL! Rah rah rah.

I also wanted more Heesu advising others and less of the hets hetting about the place. Sad we got not kiss but also no time to develop it.

Conclusion

What started out with a great core concept (KBL version of Sex Education) rather lost its way getting mired in the slowest of slow burns which effectively turned the BL storyline into a sub plot for multiple het dramas should have just added flavor. The acting was sweet all round, and sincere, and the lead character of Heesu very engaging. There was even some chemistry with his love interest, rare from Korea. The extra length (so rare in KBL) turned out to be just enough for them to hang themselves with. Should we be shocked that Korea didn't have enough faith in the queer romance thread? No, but I had hoped for better. This was almost great but missed the mark by simply not being gay enough. 7/10 

I will add the handling of the coming out sequence was... deft.

I think I need to go rewatch Light On Me.

Business as Usual (Korea Thurs Viki) Ep 4 of 6 - Gah this is so sad. They like each other so much and made such stupid mistakes! i guess Jin Hwan won't let it stick? Honestly I'm kinda glad this is a short one.

Something Is Not Right (Korea Weds Viki) ep 2 of 8 - The library scene made me laugh.  Every single on of them is such a drama queen. It's awfully angsty but i like it. 

Fight for You (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - Oh this is getting kinda good. That fantasy was lovely. The rest of the story is rough. But the chemistry is great.

Exclusive Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 12 end - Pretty much just a wrap up episode with lots of sex and a double wedding (never a good idea). But all of it was very pretty. 

Summary 

Taiwan gave us this weird premise of funeral home + mafia + secrets, yet somehow no excitement or real tension because they then slapped it with a pathetic excuse for a plot. Everybody in it was pretty, but the chemistry really wasn’t what I’ve grown to expect from Taiwan. The suits were nice, i guess? Ultimately, given the initial concept, this is remarkably forgettable. 6/10 

It's airing but......

Sashes and Hearts (Pinoy YT) 13 eps - Philippines is doing Drop Dead Gorgeous only all gay boys queening their asses off. Doesn't interest me, not sure if it's BL.

Last Meal Universe (Thai ????) 8 eps - An alien who has come to destroy earth instead falls in love with Thai food and then the Thai boy who cooks it - realistic, actually. I got a link to watch but it still wouldn't work for me, so I guess I'm waiting to see what happens.

Lost in the Woods (Weds Gaga) 7 eps - Not my thing, dropped at ep 2.

Secret Ghost (Thai Sat Viu) ?? eps - The trailer dropped and it looks so bad.

My Golden Blood (Weds iQIYI) 12 eps - dropped at ep 5. Recent thought process as follows: Oh, I think I would have loved this if it were OffGun.

What a thing for me to think.

Still, I'm not wrong.

The Rewatch BLigade!

Jazz for 2. I wasn't sure about this when it aired and I'm still not sure about it. I think I like it. But how much do I like it?

Cherry Magic Thailand. Still very enjoyable but there are more slow and lagging episodes than I remember. Lots of fast forwarding through the slow bits. But TayNew still deliver like only they can. Now I kinda wanna do a Deep Blue Kiss rewatch.

Wandee Goodday. I fast forwarded through everything that wasn't YakDee on screen together. Solid choice. I love them so much, and I suspect they might be the healthiest sexual relationship we have ever seen depicted in a BL. (On Viki these days)

Unintentional Love Story. Yeah a regular rewatch for me. I put it on to check something, and then just ended up running through the whole series. Will I ever recover from Gongchan's eyes? Not in this lifetime.

Your Sky. Yeah I finished the 3 ep special and then immediately rewatched the whole darn show. This is my 3rd or 4th time. I love it, totally my type of so bad it's good, so sweet it hurts, BL pulp. I don't ask for much from my BL. This show gave me exactly that much and no more.

Mr X & I - Us Against The World. One of those obscure shorts I love, this one from China pre 2016 crack down. Yep. Still love.

I'll be doing a ton of rewatching over the next month because of all my travel. Wish me luck!

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming in May

5/2 Pit Babe The Series 2 (Thai Fri iQIYI) 13 eps - More conspiracy and struggles and past coming out to play but even less omegaverse.

5/3 The Next Prince (Thai Sat iQIYI) 14 eps - Hotly anticipated 3 yr production featuring ZeeNewNu in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince fighting for his right it inherit. Plus Jimmy with a new partner. Should be pretty and hot if nothing else.

5/16 Knockout (Thai Fri WeTV ) 12 eps - A low quality less fun/funny version of Wandee Goodday?

5/19 I Promise I Will Come Back (Thai Mon WeTV) 10 eps - A Thai Taiwanese colab. Stars two Thai actors and Taiwanese identical twins from H3. However the lead and co-producer Tontae is actually a very good actor, so this could be good unless it's oen of those mostly intended to be a tourism advert for the Thai countryside. We shall see!

5/16 My Sweetheart Jom (Thai Fri YouTube) 12 eps - I admit I wasn't sold on this one from the trailer but Saint is back and I'm disposed to be intrigued by the kind of script that would pull hm in. But it is certainly not my kind of script.

May? Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked, must we?

May ? Sweetheart Service (Korea Gaga) - Strongberry is back with a fake dating trope?! After being pressured by his family to get married, Min U proposes to Yu Ha to pretend to be his fiancé. As they spend time together, feelings begin to develop between them.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Lap sit kiss teaching sesh with this boy you kinda hate who is now also kinda your boss... sure, why not?

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[thicctails]

I need more info on the get better children au, especially about when Bill shows up.

*rubs hands together* I finally got some extra time to draw up some new art for this AU, so let's give it some substance >:3 Long post below the read more with extra art :D

Before Euclydia was destroyed, Euclid and Scalene Cipher were some of its most powerful members. Bill saying that everyone loved him as a baby was true for a time; children aren't born very often, and the Ciphers are considered to almost be royalty. It wasn't until Bill's mutation became apparent that people began to shun him. If he had been born to any other family, he likely would have been abandoned.

Though neither Euclid nor Scalene could really comprehend the concept of something being "up", let alone what "stars" could possibly be, both of them used their status to try and find any scrap of forbidden information, hoping that they could find an answer, could find some confirmation that their son wasn't crazy, and didn't need to be blinded by his "medicine."

It was this research that eventually saved their lives. Having the knowledge that it was possible for things to, hypothetically, exist in a three dimensional plane allowed them to pool their powers and create 3D forms for themselves when Euclydia began to burn, pulling themselves off the 2D plane like a sticker being peeled off a page. It wasn't a smooth transition in the slightest, and the flames managed to damage parts of their bodies before they managed to fully free themselves. The rest of their power went into escaping their collapsing reality, and when all was said and done, they were left near catatonic and floating in the space between time and space for many, many years.

They don't really start to recover until a certain frilly guy upstairs nudges them into a new, stable dimension. This one is almost entirely 3D, and inhabited by creatures that look completely alien to the Euclydians. Creatures called humans.

They meet Dipper and Mabel not long after, and the two triangles attach themselves to the babies, doing their best to care for them in their weakened states when their young, unprepared parents fail to be adequate caretakers. Being 2D is far easier for them, so they stick to the walls like shadows and find ways to speak to the twins, slipping into videos and pictures, music and books, their forms changing slightly to match whatever media they slipped into. They teach Dipper and Mabel their colours, shapes, ABC's, ect, comfort them when they get sad or scared, and once they're old enough, how to do basic things like getting themselves food and water when they get left alone too long.

Neither Pines parent really notices their children making grabby hands and babbling at open air at first, though they do become a bit concerned when years pass and they still stare at walls and empty corners like there's something there.

Eventually, as we all know, the Pines twins get shipped off to a sleepy town in Oregon, and Euclid and Scalene are, of course, coming along to watch over their little stars. However, they become deeply uncomfortable when they start to see visages of their son carved into every room of the twin's temporary home.

It doesn't take long for the show's antics to start, but Grunkle Stan gets involved in the twins adventures far earlier because during The Inconveniecing, Euclid uses his ability to manipulate televisions to play one of those old PSA's on loop until he gets spooked enough to actually check on the twins, only to find them missing.

Eventually, through the help of Scalene using a radio to drag up an old advert for the Dusk 2 Dawn, he figures out where they are and arrives just in time to see the tail end of their ghostly encounter. Unable to deny his knowledge of Gravity Falls' weirdness, he and the twins have their Season 1 finale talk that night, and Dipper shows Stan Journal 3, which leads to all three of them searching for Journal 2 (Stan doesn't reveal the portal yet)

Bill gets summoned by Gideon like in Canon, but things veer wildly off course when, upon entering Stan's mind, Mabel asks him if he knows Euclid or Scalene. He freezes up upon hearing the names of his parents, and he immediately calls off the deal with Gideon, ripping himself out of Stan's Dreamscape. Before he can process what happened, he comes face to face with someone he's only seen in daymares for the past trillion years

Bill dips the fuck out once he realizes he's not hallucinating, disappearing to Axolotl knows where to do fun, productive things such as: scream, cry, break shit, sob on the floor, drink until the teeth in his eye ache, stare at the space between stars for days on end, and interrogate every single one of his henchmaniacs to see if they spiked his drink.

Mans has absolutely zero clue on how to navigate this situation, eventually settling on stalking the Pines because he genuinely cannot think of any possible way to approach his (apparently alive????) parents. How do you go about atoning for the extinction of your entire species?

Bill Cipher has never been one to do things for others for any other reason than to get something back, but he figures the best place to start is by protecting these fleshy human young that his parents seem so attached to.

Wait, would that make them siblings? Axolotl, he sure hopes not.

[skycowboys]

Hi! I just found your blog and I love your worldbuilding and how you draw horse anatomy! I’m totally using your sketches as references now btw

I have a question about Pegasus saddles. Are there certain types that have safety harnesses for riders?

During dangerous weather conditions relying on sturrups, reins, and the saddle horn probably wouldn’t be enough to keep the rider secure.

But harnesses would also be a safety hazard themselves if the horse spooks, makes a sharp turn, or if the rider needs to quickly dismount.

Anyway I’m curious about your thoughts on this if possible! Thank you

Hi there!

I saw you joined the Discord, glad to have you there :)

So...pilots live dangerously lol. But honestly you're right - being strapped in will always be more dangerous than not, just like with real equestrian spots. Being tied to a multi-hundred pound animal that's prone to bolting is a death trap.

On top of being dangerous, most pilots also see being strapped in as cheating. Whether or not they're correct on that is a different story, but they do value the skill-related barrier of entry to the sport/ profession. For seasoned pilots, an unskilled or untrained pilot who relies on straps to hold them in will only be a danger to themselves and thus to others, and therefore aren't valuable to a posse. As judgmental as that is, most pilots only see the danger of harnesses or straps to keep someone in the saddle.

Instead, pilots rely on heel slings and bucking straps, even during storms, high wind, or aerial dogfights. Using heel slings along with support from the knees and bucking strap is surprisingly stable -

Bucking straps are similar and attach to the front of he saddle. It's basically a leather strap that the pilot can hang onto so their feet and hands form a strong triangle.

~ Larn

[beemochi-art]

You also said that Ratchet is the way he is because of Sentinel Prime, can we get a bit more info on that pls?

Yah I can talk about Ratty! (Tw mentions of torture and religious abuse and other super cool and fun things.)

So ratchet was once a most talented medic in all of Iacon. The more he achieved the harder it was for patients to get helped by him. He mostly was reserved to help diplomats. But how often do they get hurt? I mean really.

So Ratchet was just sitting around letting his talents go to waist. He didn’t like that. Since Ratch had so much free time on his hands he left to go find people to help. For free. He went to Kaon and met Drift. He became pretty well know in the community, everyone was pretty protective of him. Drift one day got very injured in a fight, he need Ratchets full attention. While he was working he got a call from his medical center back in Iacon. Alpha trion had been injured and was in need of immediate medical treatment. Ratchet couldn’t just leave drift to die, once drift was stable ratchet rushed back to Iacon. Though Alpha trion could be saved the injury’s he sustained would be permanent, he was now really weak and transforming would be difficult. Ratchet had to admit to his crimes in front of a council. It was suggested he’d be terminated since he isn’t fit to do what he was made to.

Ratchet refused to apologize for helping people that needed it. No matter what they did to him.

But Sentinel had a different plan. Sentinel claimed that Primes could tame all on cybertron and the medic was no exception.

Ratchet wouldn’t brake. He could be beaten, humiliated and tortured but still he refused to apologize for falling for Drift or for helping the people that need it. Sentinel pulled his last tactic, one that works every time. He will leave this method as a last resort as a way to showing mercy. But Ratchet had enough warnings.

This when Sentinels used what is called a Spark marker. The device was a Quintesson tool and there is only one left. It looks simple enough but It is used as a violent form of branding. It is placed directly on the spark, once it is taken off the Spark it will leave a black triangle on the frame, it cannot be buffered out because the mark run so deep, it can only be covered. It causes horrible amounts of pain, possibly shortens their lifespan and blanks the processor, memories get jumbled and confusing, equaling hallucinations. Ratchet had dreams of Drift telling him to wake up. Or would see him standing behind Sentinel as the harm was inflicted. He’d call out to him.

After many times of this happening, Ratchet’s mind and soul broke at some point. Ratchet promised to be loyal and that he was sorry. Sentinel wasn’t convinced through. He asked if Ratchet would rather Drift be the one being marked then him. A broken and defeated Ratchet said yes, as long as it wasn’t done to him, they could do whatever they wanted to Drift. He said this thinking Drift was in the room with them, mocking and his pain. Ratchet hates Drift now and blames him for all of that, at least he thinks he does.

Ratchet isn’t the only one who had this done to have been marked before. Both Nightbird and Soundwave have the same thing but to different degrees. Ratchet though is by far the worse case.

But back to Ratchet….

He took ratchet with him on expeditions with the knights. Ratchet worked tirelessly to be a model servant. Sentinel would reward him in various ways that would help him, forget that mangy Drift. Unfortunately….

He may not act like it sometimes but he believes that they are gods among men. There is nothing a Prime could say or do wrong. Literally anything asked of him he would do. (Idk if any of you watch Steven universe but Ratchet is like Pearl is with the diamonds.)

All that torture he has endured (by the way still causes him mental, emotional and physical suffering.) he thinks he deserved and is better of for it.

Ratchet’s whole mindset has been rewritten. He’s more of a servant that just so happens to know how to be a medic. He’s serving Optimus now who makes his job of being the holier than thou mentally stable one, a lot harder. Ratchet has benefited more with Op because he can let go a little bit more. Plus Op doesn’t ask him to do things that are Humiliating or Cruel. He is treated like an equal, which it Ratchet, isn’t right.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

My question is: If the author has a love triangle... how do they deconstruct one relationship to show it isn't working while also building up another? I am sorry if you have answered this already!!!!

Writing Ideas: Resolving a Love Triangle

One of the most common ways to resolve a love triangle is for two of the characters involved in the triangle to end up together, and the other one being eliminated:

through death,

turning out to be unworthy of whoever they want, or

stepping aside so that their beloved can be happy.

Though the triangle is, in reality, a perfectly stable shape, in storytelling, a love triangle is inherently unstable.

One person in the triangle gets jealous or confesses their feelings for another and throws off the triangle’s balance, or

one person in the triangle is dead, or

two of the triangle’s points are siblings.

The love triangle’s instability creates great fodder for conflict, fueling the plot of countless movies and episodes of television. That’s exactly what a love triangle is supposed to do as a plot device — fuel the plot of the story. Audiences tend to choose sides when it comes to love triangles, and if the fandom has created “teams” to be on, it means they’re invested in the story and connected with the characters. At their essence, love triangles work because:

they create conflict (both internal and external),

generate opportunities for dramatic or comedic situations, and

provide a basic story arc to follow since there’s a romantic choice that must be made. 

But love triangles can’t be the only crutch holding up your story. There needs to be something else, something deeper for the love triangle to be most effective, whether that’s:

the protagonist’s inner personal turmoil or identity crisis,

a layered, profound theme, or

life or death stakes.

Some Related Tropes

Better Partner Assertion: A character in a love triangle tries to solve it by telling the person they love that they are the better choice of the two suitors.

Death of the Hypotenuse: A love triangle is resolved when one of the two suitors dies.

Fire and Ice Love Triangle: A love triangle with a cold, aloof love interest, and a warm, passionate one.

Murder the Hypotenuse: Someone plots to kill their romantic rival.

Pair the Suitors: The two suitors end up with each other instead.

Romantic False Lead: A character who shows up to add complications between two existing love interests.

Examples

Casablanca: A classic, with Victor loving Ilsa who still loves Rick but whose duty lies with Victor. Ilse also thought her old lover Laszlo was dead, and the ending resolves it with Rick bowing out.

The Lord of the Rings: Éowyn develops a crush on Aragorn, but Aragorn has been in love with Arwen about twice as long as Éowyn has been alive. This one is resolved via Pair the Spares: Éowyn gets over her crush on Aragorn, then falls in love with Faramir in The Return of the King and both couples finish the series Happily Married.

Love in the Time of Cholera: by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Florentino Ariza has been in love with Fermina Daza since they were secretly engaged as teenagers. When their relationship was discovered, Fermina’s father moved the family to another city, and when Fermina returns after years of exchanging love letters with Florentino, she breaks off the relationship, needing more substance, and marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino, an accomplished man who meets with her father’s approval. While Florentino doesn’t exactly remain faithful to Fermina, to put it mildly, nobody else takes his heart, and when Dr. Urbino dies years later, he makes a renewed effort to woo Fermina.

Pocahontas: Pocahontas and John Smith love each other, but Kocoum also loves Pocahontas. The triangle is resolved when Kocoum is shot and killed.

The Theory of Everything depicts a real-life example. Stephen who has severe health problems, implicitly gives his wife Jane permission to have an affair with Jonathan. For a time, they form (with the children) a big, happy family. Eventually, Stephen divorces Jane and marries his nurse, while Jane & Jonathan marry.

Yves Saint Laurent: The film portrays Yves as being romantically but not sexually attracted to his muse/model Victoire when he meets Pierre. He is both sexually and romantically attracted to Pierre but still gets artistic inspiration from Victoire. Pierre is both romantically and sexually attracted to Yves but jealous of Yves's romantic inclinations toward Victoire. Pierre develops a sexual attraction to Victoire and they have an affair. Eventually, it is Victoire who walks out and the two men stay together.

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hi, it's alright, I don't think this has been requested before. And it's an interesting topic, so thank you! Here are some tropes and examples you can use as inspiration. Choose which ones you would like to incorporate in your story. You can find more details and examples in the sources. All the best with your writing!

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

what he deserves, chapter 1

Sanji x Reader, a bit of Law x Reader

Warnings: angst, one-night stand, not really a love triangle – law and reader are mature about the situation. Some implied smut.!!!! WANO SPOILERS!!!!!

a/n: this will be several parts. Leave comment for tags.

Summary: Witnessing all the suffering Sanji went through on Whole Cake Island, all you want is for him to be truly happy…even if it means not with you. Set after the fight in Wano, you go through the motions of an endless fight and end up in bed with the Hearts Pirates’ Captain to distract yourself from the one thing you want the most – Sanji.

masterlist

The events that happened on Whole Cake Island were imbedded into your bones; and while everyone mostly came out unscathed physically – the scars were still there. Even now that things were finally settled in Wano – people free of Kaido, the down time brought back the pain. Moreso with everything that happened while liberating Oden’s people, emotional things had piled up. So, as the crew relaxed for the first time in what seems like a very long time, you feel uneasy. It had been day three of celebrating and taking a long-awaited breath, your family, your crew were sitting around a fire drinking. Luffy was having the time of his life and he deserved nothing less; his bright smile was felt among the group as everyone recounted their version of things. Each person’s experience was different but oh, how grateful everyone was to be back together.

“You’re quiet.”

Robin nudged you gently and you gave her a small smile. You couldn’t bring anything to the surface, words were tangled on the tip of your tongue until a warm blanket fell over your shoulders; looking up to see Sanji standing over you. He asked if you wanted another helping of miso soup, but you said no, turning back to Robin. You could sense his hesitation, but then he walked away. Guilt riddled your body and Robin took notice, asking if you’d like to go for a walk. Music was playing from afar, crowds of people were walking around, conversing, getting drunk off joy as you stood up from your seat. Chopper asked where you were going, but you gave him a smile and said for a walk – giving him the blanket to keep warm.  Robin and you walked away from the celebration toward the empty streets of the Flower Capital. Passing the Heart Pirates captain, Zoro, and Sanji – the latter giving you a quick glance before going back to pouring drinks for the three of them. You walked quietly next to Robin until the music dulled and you could speak freely without anyone listening. The sound of celebration filled your heart but now things were stable…feelings were reappearing like ghosts in a mad man’s mind.

The two of you stopped in front of a clothing shop and you glanced at your reflection; the dark green kimono looked lovely on you. Robin appeared at your side and smiled softly. “So, is it Sanji?”

When is it not, is what you want to say but you just touch your face and stare at the woman looking back at you. “It’s everything I supposed, but yeah, it’s Sanji.”

Robin was the only person who you confined in about the cook, the prince, your friend. She was a good listener and most times, great at giving advice but after getting Sanji back there had been no room for secrets and talks. You had been so hurt when Nami had recounted the way Sanji had fought with Luffy and her anger made you angry. Then you were terrified of losing him for good – Big Mom, Pudding, his family. They all wanted him, but they never deserved him.

And he was willing to go along with it and that had made you furious because he had done it for all of you.

“I-I can’t get passed it, Robin.” Tears formed in your eyes, facing her with an anguished expression. She sighed and touched your shoulder, telling you it was all going to be okay. That everyone was back together, and things would go back to the way it was, but you refused to believe it. “I just keep thinking what ifs – what if we didn’t get to him? What if he had gone through with the marriage?”

The words felt wrong coming out of your mouth because your faith in Luffy was of the highest peak, but you were just human, who was in love with a man who was too afraid to see what he deserved. “Luffy would have never let that happen. You all were never leaving without Sanji.”

Robin’s words were true, but it didn’t change the fact that Sanji and you hadn’t said much to each other since arriving at Wano with Luffy, Nami and the others from Whole Cake Island. You had wished then that you had gone ahead with Zoro and the other half the group to Wano instead of staying to rescue Sanji. Maybe then you would have been saved the pain of witnessing Sanji in such a devasting state. You remembered the way his voice stuttered when Luffy and him were speaking through the mirror dimension, asking if you were with the rescue group.

“Is she there with you guys? Is she okay.”

Nami glanced at you and when you shook your head no, she understood. “She’s not here right now, but she’s fine.”

“Oh.” He sounded disappointment but you walked away, unbale to listen to Nami chastised the man for hurting Luffy, for hurting her. You knew how devastated she was when Sanji left the crew, but her devastation was different from yours. Your heart broke that day, and it still hadn’t been mended.

“You should talk to him.”

“Maybe. We should get back to the celebration, I mean – we helped free Wano.”

Robin studied your face for a moment but when you smiled, she knew it was genuine and she chuckled when your arm looped around hers. The two of you walked back to the party but you stopped next to Law and Zoro, Sanji nowhere in sight. Giving Robin a knowing look, you asked the two men if they were inclined to share a drink or two. Law blushed and you laughed, patting him lightly on the shoulder. Zoro handed over the bottle at his side and you didn’t wait for a glass. The three watched as you chugged down half of the bottle and Zoro grinned with pride when you exhaled, wiping a hand over your mouth. Holding the bottle to Robin, who declined, you handed it to Law.

“I have something to confess, fellas.” The men looked at you curiously as you twirled in your kimono. “I cannot wait to put on a pair of pants.”

Your movement brought out the smallest of laughs from the doctor of the group and your eyes gave a quick scan around for Sanji – who was found flirting with a gorgeous brunette in a fancier kimono than yours and confliction rose from your toes. He deserved happiness and real affection…even if it wasn’t from you. This single moment turned something off in you and your eyes glazed, locked onto Law. He caught your stare and looked away nervously, but he offered up the bottle, and you knew he would be yours. Even if just for the night. Just for relief. And he was.

The two of you drank well into the night, and sometime between exchanging battle stories and a proper introduction to his crew – you two ended up alone near a small fire. Your hands moved up against the flames and he removed his brown jittoku, placing it around your shoulders. Thanking him, you asked when he and his crew were leaving. Law sighed deeply. “In a few days, we need to regroup. We’re going to need some supplies. Maybe stick around to make sure everything is settled, but I guess your captain took care of that.”

“It was a group effort,” you offered a smile and Law…smiled back.

Heat, not from the fire, rose to your face and you quietly asked if he’d like to take a walk. He turned red, looked toward his crew but then said yes. He rose from his seat and held out a hand, you took it and when he pulled you up – your hand fell to his chest. “Only for tonight…”

He understood. “Let’s not waste time then.”

You laughed then and told him you wanted to get another bottle from Zoro, who had been hoarding them all night. He agreed and said he was going to let his crew know he’d be back…

“In the morning,” you advised, holding back a smile as his face turned maroon. Watching as he walked away, you laughed at how technical and cool he could be. Wrapping his jittoku around your chest, you made your way to your family. It seemed they all had gathered back around the same fire from earlier and Luffy grinned, shouting your name as you approached. Making a beeline to Zoro, you touched his shoulder and asked if he had any more bottles left. He grimaced but handed over a full bottle. Nami asked where you got the jittoku from and when you said Law, everyone’s eyes, including Sanji’s moved to you. Robin looked the most amused. Laughing nervously, you held up the bottle. “We’re celebrating, aren’t we? How about one last toast for the night? Just between us.”

This turned everyone’s attention from your newest and shortest flame, to Usopp handing out sake cups. Zoro passed around a bottle, and everyone poured a healthy helping. Laughter and jokes were traded, and tears formed in your eyes when Luffy stood up. Your chin quivered as everyone listened to him express his gratitude for the best crew he could ever ask for. When he held out his cup, each one of you stood up. Zoro nudged you playfully but as everyone cheered and toasted, Sanji’s eyes met yours. He looked devastatingly handsome in the light of the fire, surrounded by the sounds of familial warmth and all you wanted to do was go to him, but you couldn’t. Instead, you smiled, and he smiled back – and in that moment, it felt enough.

At least he was happy.

Drinking up the sake, you laughed when Luffy accidentally spilled some into the fire prompting Nami to yell at him. An argument over nothing broke out between Zoro and Sanji, while Franky laughed and laughed and as everyone was distracted, you slipped away. Only looking back to get a look at your family, not expecting anyone to be looking but Sanji was. He must have stopped fighting with Zoro because he stood in front of the fire, facing your direction, cigarette hanging from his lips. He was feet away, but it felt like miles and when Law’s hand came down onto your shoulder – Sanji didn’t look away, but you did. You turned to Law with the bottle of ale, and he smiled, asking if you were ready for that walk.

“I’ve never been more ready.”

Maybe it was your imagination or intuition or hope, but you could feel Sanji’s eyes baring down into your back but when Law slipped his hand around yours – you pushed away any thoughts of the cook and left them behind with the celebration. The music grew softer as Law and you walked back into the town, talking quietly about everything that had gone on. You asked how he was feeling physically, and he confessed he was very tired. You mentioned the inn that had been offered to house the crew and he agreed to go to it. He held your hand, like a nervous gentleman, the entire time and when you led him upstairs to your room – the two of you wasted no time. As soon as the door was closed behind him, he took off his hat and pulled you to him. His hands fell to your waist and when you kissed him, both your bodies melted.

How long had it been since you were touched?

Too long.

Law kissed you softly, hand under your chin as he led you backwards toward the bed. Your knees hit the edge and he slowly unraveled his jittoku that you wore, then the silk kimono. Your nerves faded into excitement, moving down onto the bed, his body on top of yours. Moonlight shined through the small window next to the bed and when he moved further into you – there was nothing in your mind but the man above you.

............

tags:

@stuckinthewrongworld @theyluvmesblog

@synchronised-beat @hi3431

@fandomsunited @ghostercy

want to be tagged in next part? leave a comment!

[metalichotchoco]

Honestly what I’d like to see in more ihnmaims media if we ever get any is the relationships between survivors, here’s my take, picking and choosing from each version of canon.

Ellen is the most stable so her relationships will be saved for another part

In the triangle that is ted, Gorrister and Benny it’s a vicious cycle

Ted and Benny have a complicated mutual hate towards one another they both play to their most deep insecurities. Ted already believes that everyone hates him due to being “better” or not broken the way they’ve been so it’s not hard for him to antagonize people anyways. For Benny’s part ted provokes his complexes about sexuality, animalisticness and the difference between the weak and strong. For as much as ted is a lying narcissistic criminal, he’s shameless about it, about his nature he cares about the consequences not the actions. Benny cannot own his actions at all, there’s a disconnect between the educated, handsome former general and professor and the aggressive,almost feral war criminal he is. Ted is very self centered but doesn’t handle slights to his ego well, Benny in his non mutated form is much more successful and traditionally attractive than him. God he even deludes himself into thinking am changed Benny’s “size” in the book. Both of their moralities are twisted and it’s not hard to imagine them being snippy when they both have the mind to think properly. They are also coincidentally am’s favorite victims.

I do think it would be in character for both of them to make snide remarks about gorrister’s former hippie status, he’d be seen as an extreme liberal since this book takes its characters from the dawn of the Cold War, just after ww2. Most of Benny’s pride and identity came from being in the military so that’s obvious to see how that’d pan out, whereas ted seems like the type to not care about politics unless it directly relates to him. His problems come from the idea of people not centering their lives around money or power.

Individually there’s some fun dynamics to be had. Ted in general would think gorrister is a bore. For a person who likes stories, ted finds non fiction exhausting. Gorrister likes talking about history and politics even though his spark has faded out. It’s a bit funny that Ted believes am has changed Gorrister too despite his symptoms sounding much more like being worn out and becoming depressed. It’s not like he’d really consider that a real condition though. Gorrister just finds ted to be a bit annoying. An attention seeker but he figures ted was always just a weird kind of guy.

Gorrister is mostly ambivalent to his forever roommates, though he would consider Benny a war dog past his prime. A key example of what happens to soliders, men forced to kill and then given power. Then as soon as it’s given, it’s taken away and you’re left with an unstable pitiable person. How could they go back to living a normal life after that. With am being a literal war machine made by the government Benny put so much trust in, he finds it poetic in a sober way. Benny finds Gorrister very confusing, he never understood protesters before anyways. He would’ve found him preachy if he had met him beforehand. Gorrister does threaten his masculinity though, like ted he’s a brand that’s not the ultra traditional that he’s built himself around. Gorrister freely admits that he’s had queer experiences while still carrying a traditional masculine job, a truck driver. He can’t be put into that stereotypical box that’s nice and safe for Benny. It’s also good to mention that Benny is soothed by gorrister’s stories even if in that scene he wasn’t fully there.

Both ted and Gorrister see the clear closet case that is Benny but they don’t act on that knowledge. Both of them believe that being a solider sucks but for different reasons. Ted thinks it’s for suckers who get caught up in manipulation tactics going on about morals. Gorrister also believes they are manipulated but also sees the horrors of war as that, horrors. Basically he takes a more empathic view. Gorrister and Benny both agree that Ted is annoying but not in the way ted himself thinks everyone hates him. He’s very loud and shows off his now eternal youth. They are not even sure if the man did or did not graduate college. Gorrister doesn’t mind breaking laws but he does care about people’s wellbeing whereas Benny’s stricter about following the script but he’s done worse so he doesn’t have room to talk.

[witchofthesouls]

Just had a thought.

So you know how, in a lot of mythologies, the gods and goddesses of the countless pantheons each have some sort of "sacred animal" associated with them?

Would the Primes therefore have sacred mechanimals? And if so, what do you think they are?

I actually had thoughts about this, but instead of sacred animals, the Cybertronians used sacred shapes based on the Primes' sigils?

Prima is a single solid disc as the circle is the holiest of shapes, and He is the Eldest with the inherent right to assume Primus' own alt-mode as the Prime of Light. He is the sun of civilization.

Megatronus' sigils are highly contested. His is pieced by the entwined sigils by his cohorts and influenced by revivals and revisionists. There are many contentious and violent arguments on Prime of Chaos on his insignias, which are true, false, and the original. The most vicious fights are based on the academic parties between the 'Quintesson occupation' and the 'aftermath of the Primal Wars.'

Liege Maximo favors angles. Particularly paired triangles. An ode to his horned helmet, the fangs behind lips, the venom hidden upon tooth and claws. He is both medicine and posion. A duality within.

Solus, by the right as Creation, uses a circle as well. She is the Forge of Cybertron, so it's easy to conceptualize her favorite tool into a simplified sigil: a circle to represent the burning spark of her workplace connected to a rectangle pointed down as she is connected to the heart of Cybertron.

Vector, at his most simple, is a gear. He is the guardian of time and overlooks the Grand Machine that's the universe.

Alpha Trion is represented by a diamond of smaller diamonds. Neat and orderly as the Scribe of the Primes.

Quintus, unlike his siblings, is very abstract. Fitting as the Dreamer. Some find his sigil comforting. Others find it terrifying.

Amalgamous is one the whimsical of the Thirteen. As the Father of Shifters, he claims all shapes him.

Nexus is similar but has outward points as He has the power to bestow combination to others.

Onyx as the Lord of Beasts has a sigil in the form of claw, talon, or fang.

Alchemist has a series of shapes in a balanced equation as he's the student of the natural world. "As above, so below."

Micronus is a stable form. He may have a circle but the solid squares, rectangles, and trapeziods are an ode to how He connects to others; amplifying them.

Thirteen's had been lost to time. Many believe he doesn't exist. Or the 'Arisen' is meant for the mortal frames that rose to prominence after the Great Cataclysm.

[galleryofart]

The Jolly Flatboatmen

Artist: George Caleb Bingham (American, 1811-1879)

Date: 1846

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, United States

Description

George Caleb Bingham was one of the most important American painters of genre subjects in the mid-19th century. His series of scenes of life and work on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers established his reputation in his own day and are today recognized as his finest creations. The Jolly Flatboatmen, along with Fur Traders Descending the Missouri (1845, Metropolitan Museum of Art), are the masterpieces of Bingham’s river pictures and icons of American art. In 1847, the American Art-Union, which had purchased The Jolly Flatboatmen directly from the artist, produced a large mezzotint of it that was distributed to its members (approximately 10,000) throughout the country, immediately making it one of the best-known works of art of its era. It depicts a group of men who, after accomplishing the hard work of rowing their flatboat upstream and loading it with cargo, are now relaxing and enjoying music and dancing. Bingham’s careful attention to detail is everywhere evident - a raccoon pelt hanging from a nail; a coil of rope; a turkey, which sticks its head out between the slats of the crate below the dancing man; a blue shirt hanging to dry. The composition is at once dynamic - the dancing man and the musicians - and elegantly stable in the way Bingham arranged the figures to form an isosceles triangle. The painting survives in superb condition, with its subtle brushwork, soft colors, and precise drawing intact.

[fixinit-au]

BILL REFERENCE

I KNOW that he has like, 3 references at this point, but I keep forgetting details (plus, hey, let me have fun)

The FIXINIT1 (1980's) version is what I draw most commonly. Some notes;

His turtleneck and pants are borrowed from Ford; the boots (& cane) are his own; the sweater vest (i had to look that shit's name up wth–) was custom-made for him :)

He's completely powerless (therefore pathetic), and usually grumpy like a wet cat

Coordination, balance & back problems

Ford took his iconic triangle earrings away because he thought they were dangerous in his current state

His FIXINIT2 (2013) is what I had looots of fun with. Some notes for this one too;

Married to Ford!! :D Grunkle Bill<3

The Axolotl gave (most of) his powers back, after they were satisfied with his progress–

–Therefore, he doesn't use the cane anymore, because he prefers floating. And he got his earrings back lol (& an eyepatch)

He's not completely immortal anymore, so he does technically age, but slowly and less noticably. This gives him some white streaks

...GASP!! What's this? Some extra details I ALWAYS forget to share??

His tongue stays freaky as always<3

His blood still has a silver-ish color, but it's not toxic anymore

...Technically, he does have a triangle form (which is exclusive to FIXINIT2), BUT; With his powers, he can shapeshift however he wants. Still, his human form is the most stable, and his new favourite. He may switch to his triangle form when he feels like it, but due to it not being his main form anymore, it's a lot weaker and more unstable (It has the crack + dilated pupils + softer edges<3) How will this be important to us? You'll see :)

[santoschristos]

The hexagon is the most stable shape in the universe.

It symbolises perfect balance in sacred geometry.

That is why honey contains high vibrational information.

Bees work with divine mathematics...

They are literally building fractal reality.

The six pointed star is an stellated hexagonal polygon made from upwards and downwards facing intersecting triangles.

It appears in different cultures and it is symbolized by dozens of philosophies throughout the world — but always representing the same meaning: Polarity in Unity.

From this concept whole systems of philosophies arise.

The Hexagram carries the same meaning of the Yin-Yang symbol and many others such as the Ouroboros or the Flower of Life, representing the universal substance which composes all dynamics and structures through its polarized unity. In essence it represents the oneness of everything and how it expresses complementing poles of the same force — from opposing directions perpetual cyclical motion is manifest.

We see this phenomenon in electromagnetism, where its poles creates opposing forces, generating a self-sustaining cyclic motion through balanced contraction and expansion at the same time. From this process all motion and forms are manifest — simple systems become complex in the first place because of this simple polarized dynamic which creates cycles through attraction and repulsion.

This process isn't made from two things, it is in fact one substance with opposing complementary forces. One pole cannot exist without the other, they are expressions of the same energy.

The universal substance that enables all cycles and polarities to manifest in the dynamics and structures of all systems is known as electromagnetism — the fundamental force of electricity, magnetism and light — all of this things are expressions of a single energy, and they can be converted in all elements needed to create and sustain the cosmos and life as we know it.

All matter is electromagnetic in nature, without it atoms could not make bonds and create molecules that forms our reality or ourselves — this force is what holds us and the entire universe together.

Electromagnetism can be converted into light, electricity, magnetism, heat, cycles, motion and enables all components to be integrated into a single system, creating life. Text From: Light is Consciousness

All Images: Flower of Life, by Mahaboka

[forallnumbersosc]

This is kind of an OOC question, but do letter Algebraliens exist? Or is it only numbers?

Nono this isnt unrelated at all, and I am so very glad you asked this!!

Within taxonomic classification of Algebraliens, if we categorize each "value" as an individual species, then there are, on a broader scope, different families of them as well!

Strap in, it's time for another long one! Let's learn about...

Algebralien Taxonomic Families!

First off, we have the integers, AKA the numbers we know and love the most!

Mathematically, an integer is any number that is NOT a fraction! They can be positive or negative, but they must always be whole. Due to this quality, their family is the most stable in terms of mathematical operations, and do not have the ability to become any value that isn't whole.

Next up, we have variables, such as our buddy X, who I have invited to talk a bit about some of the other variables he knew!

Oh uh ooooookay ! Yes, i am an X, and that means that I am not from here........ nope! I lived on a playground very very far away with all my other variable friends like Y and Z, before I met Four and we went on a journey together!! Four showed me where he lives... which is here! and I like it here!!!! I do miss my variable friends sooometimes but I do visit them every decade or so !!.!

It's a common misconception that variables "need" to know their value, but in the world of mathematics, variables can be assigned to pretty much any possible value, which is useful when solving equations! Because of this property, variable algebraliens can be "set" to any number when placed in an equation that can be solved with no unknown values remaining. They can then be placed into other operations to be used as a substitute until the variable decides to let go of the value they are holding!

I think it's a little poetic, y'know? You go so long thinking you need to be defined by something, when really, you can truly be whatever value you want to be !!

A very rare category of algebraliens are the irrationals!

Akin to odd combinations of variables and integers, these algebraliens often have a symbolic structure but always equal one distinct value!

Mathematically, they are essentially variables made up of numbers that do not divide into integers that are used so often in the math world that they are distinctly given one symbol to represent them... This raises some-- strange implications to the inventors of these values but I try not to think about it too hard--

Since these algebraliens have values that are set in stone, the only operation that has effect on them is multiplication by zero! Since they are irrational in nature and are not whole numbers, they also cannot change the value of an integer, either!

For the rest of these, I'm gonna keep my explanation a bit briefer since this is where my knowledge runs the most thin--

Symbols: Algebraliens that have no value and can hold no value, but resemble mathematical symbols and can be used in equations to affect the values of other algebraliens whose values CAN be modified!

Geometrics: Algebraliens that resemble basic geometrical shapes... Currently I am unclear on what their shapes allow them to do, but I suspect that some may be able to combine or connect to form other shapes! (such as a square and triangle combining to become a pentagon!)

Electrics: I do know one member of this species by the name of 3Way! As a species, they seem to be able to manipulate electrical current, and may be able to form working circuits!

[calware]

Further details on those spaceship groups I made up a while back:

1. Every team had a preset captain+first mate(scribe/Operator/whatever), but everyone else was chosen by the captain.

2. The setup is a combination spaceship simulator/combat exercise (the characters are at a space military academy thing)

3. Selections were performed between each group of 4

World's Worst Polycule: Dave (chosen as captain to make him more responsible), Tavros (chosen as first mate to help him become more independent by working with other independent people)

All the other 3 were chosen in the moment by Dave; he decided who he thought would be the most fun to work with (which typically coincided with independence).

Jane: given automatically after all other alpha kids were picked.

He thinks Terezi is fun, and she's good at large field presence without working closely with others

He thinks Gamzee is fun/ his squad mostly fights independently

4 and a Half Girls: Feferi (chosen as captain b/c powerful family), Sollux (assigned first mate because of good computer skills/parallel processing)

Her other 3 were picked with the aim of making a setup most comfortable for them all.

Jade: Feferi usually has a sniper on her team in Eridan, so she made sure to get a sniper ASAP

Roxy: she got to pick first here, so she took the best all-rounder. Roxy can fit into whatever team composition they end up running.

Nepeta: given to her automatically when all other midbloods were picked

Toxic Magic Bullshit: Dirk (chosen as captain to force him to make decisions and figure out what's best for other people), Vriska (chosen as first mate to force her to both listen to someone else's orders, and to force Dirk to listen to his subordinates)

His other 3 were decisions mostly made from the limits of other people picking first.

Rose: Dirk and Vriska were both good short-range, so he wanted the mid-range Rose over the close-range John.

Aradia: given automatically as all other lowbloods were either captains or first mates (error on my part. Oh well!)

Eridan: you know how Dirk can't stand people who are too similar to him? That's why he took Eridan over Equius.

Almost Stable: Karkat (Technically the leader of his original team, but Sollux and Aradia are powerful enough to just do whatever they want), Kanaya (effective second-in-command, helps Karkat get used to actually leading)

Karkat had very bad luck with pick order.

John: given automatically after all other beta kids were picked

Jake: Jane scares him

Equius: given automatically after all other highbloods were picked.

All of these groups have some form of dysfunction, whether it be the Dave-Terezi-Gamzee hell triangle, Sollux dealing with exclusively people more energetic than them, Erivris, or Karkat's gripes with the fact that he barely picked anyone on his team + inexperience with actually leading.

They all have more problems than just those, but those are the standouts.

these character pairings are very interesting to me i'm rotating this in my mind

[this-is-me19]

I was thinking about Supernatural the tv show and how this is the anti-demon possession sigil. The more I thought about it, the more it didn’t fully make sense to me. I mean the number 20, that’s how many points there are, in Hebrew is Kaf and

The pentagram is a star only and the pentacle which is a star inside a circle are both usually used for positive magic. The inversion of either could also be used as a form of defensive magic as well.

I decided to make my own.

Pentacle, the star within the circle, can have a few meanings. The pentagram can mean the elements, the number five (5), such as the hamsa 🪬 (also called the hand of Fatima) is a way to protect against the evil eye, and can be considered just general protection from negativity.

The encircled triangles I have learned to mean “recovery” but I forget where I read that. Remember that the triangle is the smallest and most stable shape in nature. The circle, itself, can mean things from infinity, oneself, the mind, and/or the person or being.

Hebrew Numbers within each triangle has multiple meanings. I have written down my view point in relation to this sigil I made as an “anti-demon possession” symbol.

The middle is “Life” in Hewbrew (Chai). It is not a number.

At the top, is the number one (1) in Hebrew numbers meaning Single, not plural.

On the left side, the Hebrew number is five (5). Five means power, strength, alertness.

The bottom left triangle means the Hebrew number four (4) which is taught to be a symbol used for a “door”, which I thought was very useful. Doors open and close, after all.

The bottom right Hebrew number seven (7). Seven means completion, wholeness. It also represents weapon.

The right triangle Hebrew symbol is shin meaning “God Almighty”, a name of God that can be found on mezuzahs (literally means doorpost; a piece of the Torah, usually handwritten, in a case that is affixed to the doorpost of a Jewish home—chabad.org).