#FOR TRUTHS SAKE IS SUCH A FUN SYSTEM

[psychhound]

[ID: a cover image for a game. large brown text says "bagel, lox, golem talks" and smaller text says "a for truth's sake SRD solo-journaling game". the background is a faded photo of houses in a village. there are white stars, an eye with wings, a kippah with a star of david, and a golem on the image. end ID]

Bubbie Blumenthal has a leaky roof again. The leviathan in the river keeps lying its head on the thatch to sleep. Rebbe Ezra has instructed his golem to scare the thing off, to no avail. It’s a stubborn beast, even if it does seem to have a soft spot for the schoolchildren who feed it latkes on the way back from learning Talmud.

All you know is that you’ll need a new notebook soon with how eager all the old zaydes are to chat your ear off after a little post-Shabbos wine. One glass in, and every one of them claims a dybbuk encounter that week. Well, it’s good material. You’ll figure out how true it is after it goes in your field notes!

Bagel, Lox, Golem Talks is a solo-journaling game where you travel to a magical Jewish shtetl in order to learn more about the community and write an ethnography on them. 

Pull cards to ask questions of the residents, roll dice to see how well interactions go, and get to know a host of colorful characters from young mensches, to golems, to nephilim, to the community rabbi. Unlock 12 different locations and gain levels in friendship and familiarity with the community as you document more and more in your field notes.

You'll need: A d20, d12, and d8, and a deck of playing cards

BLGT is a hack of For Truth's Sake by @hmooncreates

Get it now on itch! BLGT is free/pwyw!

[anadiasmount]

one dare, one kiss - jude bellingham blurb.

quick sum: when a game of truth or dare goes to plan, you’re faced with mixed feelings and your best friend questioning if there was more than what you two had…

wc: 2.2k | masterlist | jude’s masterlist

psa 🗣️: this was small and simple, so i finished it!! hope everyone is okay after all this jude content because i sure am not going to stop talking about it ☺️ hope you enjoy! 🤍

it felt silly. the whole concept of the game. the spinning bottle. drinks laid everywhere. people laughing or messing around. at this age you shouldn’t be playing this but after they begged you, here you were sitting as you distracted yourself from everyone.

it started as a game of truth or dare, the dares consisting of calling an ex, posting on social media, eating or take a shot of something, having to read your messages or search history, all that. or also let the curiosity win the best of people and having people to answer truthfully when they saw the dares would be extreme. such a kid but also adult game once you grew up.

what started as a game of an innocent truth or dare, gradually turned into now a mix of that and spin the bottle. everyone was up for the thrill, knowing this was for pure fun and no feelings involved. while you were up for the idea, the hesitation always held you back, forcing yourself to just go along instead of leaving.

you chatted quietly with your friends, teasing one of them since they had a crush on a boy in the group. although at the start you found the game silly, now you cheered and felt your veins anticipating with nerves, not wanting the bottle to land on you. you knew you weren’t as experienced, and the last thing you wanted was to embarrass yourself, especially if you picked dare.

jude couldn’t stop glancing at you, his eyes never leaving you as you enjoyed the party. was he only one who felt it? the tension? the feeling of desire to take things to the next level? to prove to you, that you didn’t need anyone else besides him? how he agreed this game was silly or couldn’t come to terms with his jealousy if he were to see you kiss someone else who wasn’t him…

jude wasn’t tipsy or drunk, but he felt like it anytime you looked or walked into a room. the ability of you to take his breath away in the smallest way possible, when you smiled, laughed, frowned, spoke, he was madly in love with you as a whole. longing to feel you next to him at all times.

jude bit the inside of his cheek, also feeling his heart race when he saw the empty casa blanco bottle slowly start to slow down. as soon as you saw it was jude’s turn, you felt your stomach turn in a displeased manner, hating the idea if you were to see him kiss any of your friends or a stranger.

you refused to look up, looking down at your nails and biting the inside of your lip as you waiting for the bottle to land on whoever it would. you felt it go slower than usually, testing your limits and patience because it was taking forever.

small gasps and yelps of cheers made you look up, jude staring at you with his lips slight agape. you looked around before looking down at the bottle facing directly at you. the game was childish, but you couldn’t deny the small young school girl in you getting excited over a silly game and getting picked.

“truth or dare jude?” your friend who you’d been teasing the whole night asked him knowing you wouldn’t be able to speak. you watched as he clenched his jaw before answering. “dare,” he spoke lowly but voice full of confidence, you bit your tongue, knowing he would either do the dare or face the consequences.

“for our sakes and yours, we’re daring you to kiss our lovely y/n right here,” she gently shook your shoulders, you send daggers to her, eyes wide as you wanted to shut the idea letting the nerves take over your system. “oh cmon, it’s that or telling everyone what you were saying last night when you were drunk,” she had a playful look on her face, jude shaking his head immediately at the thought.

jude tended to yap a lot when the was alcohol in his system, and last night wasn’t any different except he wouldn’t stop talking about you. how much he loved you, how pretty and kind you were, how you were the only one for him and never judged him, how much he loved your baking or when you wore his hoodies. you and no idea about this, so it raised a question in your head at what they were referring to.

“what are y’all talking about?”

“nothing!” jude was quick to dismiss his cheeks flushing with shyness and embarrassment. you raised a brow, but shook your head, knowing it was probably something boyish. jude somehow got closer to you, now on his knees as his eyes bore with yours. jude could see your pupils dilated, your lips tainted with a colored coat, your nose piercing blinging in the light as he leaned over you.

you cleared your throat, looking around unsure at every on their feet awaiting your next moves. jude leaned his head down, “it’s okay angel… one kiss and we can move onto the next dare,” he said only to you. part of you asked “what if” one kiss wouldn’t be enough for you, another asking if it was a good idea.

all you could do was nod instead of responding, almost being able to hear the squeal coming from your friend besides you. you let out a small breath as jude made the first move and placed his hand around your waist, your thumbs stroked his cheek almost losing your breath. you felt his warm finger tilt your face up to his, his thumb releasing your bottom lip that was stuck between your lips.

your mind raced with thoughts, he was finally going to kiss you, this was gonna happen and no one wanted to stop it. jude closed the last bit of space, his right hand resting just below your pulse as he captured your lips with his. you fell in love with how soft they felt, wanting to cringe at the aftertaste of beer on his lips but instead you found it sweet and pleasant.

this is what you were afraid of, of jude pulling away when you craved and wanted more of him. having waited and dreaming about the moment since forever, or more specifically after slow dancing at a school dance. jude on the other hand had to hold back the groan that wanted to escape his lips, his hand slightly tightened along your pulse point and throat.

it started off small and bare, now turning into a full makeout. his tongue tracing your lips before fully dominating your mouth, his hand now fully wrapped and secured on your waist, as he felt your tongue also trace his in a heated manner. he swallowed a small whimper from you, feeling your hands come to his face and push him away gently after kissing for a while.

you felt hot, every cell on fire, hair on your arms raised despite it all. with one simple kiss he already tortured your head into wanting more than just one. “we said a kiss jude, not a full makeup session… nice to know how you feel though,” your friend winked at you, watching how you sat slowly. your lips feeling sore, and now tainted with him.

it was all you could think about, how he tasted, how we kissed you like a devotion, how he held you, how you knew he didn’t want to pull away at all. the group decided to get more drinks before starting another round. you had gone into the house, making your drink to calm the pit in your stomach. was it possible for the aftermath to be this strong?

from jude:

where are you??

i thought you were with your friends?

to jude:

i’m in the kitchen! in the main house

from jude:

omw, i need to talk to you about something.

you avoided his eyes as he walked into the dark and empty kitchen, only strays from the moonlight decorating the marble tiles floors. your heart raced faster at his footsteps approaching you. he caged you in, hands on either side of you as he forced you to look up at him. “are you okay darling?” he spoke in a hush tone, making you shiver.

“yeah i-i-am good, just getting a drink, you? are you okay?”

“that was something, wasn’t it?” he asked, wanting to talk about what happened. to him it stopped being a game as soon as they dared him to kiss you. to jude, this was your official first kiss and he wanted to pour his heart right here and then. “the game? yeah, yeah it was? they’re probably regret some of the stuff they did tomorrow…”

jude frowned upon hearing you say regret. we’re you regretting kissing him? the kiss that was forever engraved in his head now? how could you possibly say that when you almost begged for more on the spot? “regret? do you regret what happened? our kiss?” jude was afraid of your answer, especially once you began to move around.

a moment of silence passed, shaking your head no. “no i don’t regret it… not one bit which should seem like an issue,” you laughed scratching your temple. “why would it seem like an issue? hmm?” jude cocked his head to the side, looking at you endearingly. he could see you, but you couldn’t pull back as your eyes traced his veins that roamed his skin.

“well we’re best friends? best friends don’t kiss.”

“are we just that though, y/n?” jude tested the waters, his hand sneaking around your waist once again. the familiar heat arose in your body again, “jude we shouldn’t. they’re waiting for us-”

“answer the question y/n. they haven’t even noticed we’re gone and i don’t think they’ll come looking for anytime soon,” jude reassured you. “i don’t know okay? i don’t know jude! this whole situation it’s making me feel and question things!” you try to escape but he impossibly pulls you closer to him. chest to chest.

“shh baby… it’s okay… just me and you here like i said. you’re scared and that’s okay but i promise you once we’re done, it will be worth it,” jude said, making you weak in the knees resisting the urge to kiss his pretty face. “so tell me. are we just friends?”

“no we’re not. because friends don’t just kiss and feel stuff. they don’t practically live together, moving miles away from their home to be with them. friends don’t sleep and cuddle in the same bed at night. friends don’t hold onto hope and love one day they’re going to see how you feel for them…”

“you’re my every thought, when i wake up, go to bed, when i hear the stupid craig david song, your name. it’s impossible at this point because you’re everywhere. i tried to tell myself maybe because we were attached but jude i cant take it anymore, i feel like im going to explode,” you continued.

“me either y/n… believe me… all i could think about how it felt right. like we are right now. how perfect it feels for you or me to be in each others arms. how when we’re together the only thought and feeling i have is pure happiness and security. i want that with you. i want to prove to you it’s me and you. it’s always been like that. y/n and jude…” you giggled at his last reference, tucking your head into his chest.

“just so you know and we’re on the same page, i want to be more than your best friend, i wanna be your boyfriend and maybe your husband one day… i just love you so much y/n, you have no idea,” jude confessed eyebrows slightly twinging as spoke, leaning down to sit you on the counter, still caging you.

“and i hope you know judey,” you smile as you said his nickname jude shyly looking away, “i’m just as madly in love with you… have been since the first time we met. can you believe it? all these years and it took a simple truth or dare to confess our feelings?” you ask in bewilderment, hand stroking his jaw as you pulled him closer to you.

“i really want to kiss you right now,” jude said along your lips, making your tummy flutter with eagerness to feel him pressed on you. “then do it. we’re not playing anymore-” you were quickly shut up, jude bring you close to his ad his hand rested along the nape of your neck. the room was hot, your legs tightly wrapped along his hips as he continued to devour you as a whole.

the night was just starting for the both of you, your friends long gone. just now the two of you relishing the intimacy together in his room. the pants, groans, moans, all causing you to feel dizzy and incoherent. jude not far behind as he was more in love with you. it wasn’t just sex because you felt the need or have to, his thrusts and rolls of hips proving it was love making and gloat over the closeness of your bodies sunk together.

you wouldn’t have had it another way, feeling thankful for the stupid silly game of truth of dare.

[dykealloy]

Trafalgar Law and Faith

Pre-emptive warning this is going to be another LONG metapost/analysis. There’s a lot I could talk about here but for the sake of structure I’m going to split this into three sections, i.e. the main ‘faith transitions’ that Law has gone through in the narrative thus far: 1. Flevance (catalyst for loss of religious faith), 2. Corasan (martyr that figuratively and literally saves law by giving him something to live for, introducing the will of D.), and 3. Luffy (cementing faith in this new belief system and regaining trust in the goodness of humanity through the living embodiment of everything Corasan believed in).

Before we get into all that though, let’s establish that Christianity is a thing in one piece. Speedrunning through some visual examples that come to mind; the Flevance church and nun (holding a celtic cross - censored in the anime version), a nun literally praying to God right before Marineford, Vinsmoke Sora’s grave marked with a cross (is op Christianity a northern thing?), Usopp and Chopper having crucifixes and holy water whenever ghostly stuff is brought up, Kuma and his trusty bible, the religious symbols on Kikoku’s hilt (could instead be more a reference to the Red Cross/symbol of humanitarian and medical aid as a doctor) and especially in whatever Mihawk’s got going on (though this could just be a Japanese cultural thing with Christianity being a minority religion or Oda just finding that some of the iconography, y’know. looks cool). There are also many other references to other religions e.g. hinduism, shintoism, buddhism, etc. Whether op forms of religion are the same as the real-world ones is debatable, and yes, Law being canonically raised as a devout catholic schoolboy with all the religious trauma associated with that is comical, but let’s take it all unironically for a hot minute. For fun. 

1. Flevance

Law’s birthplace (Flevance) is described as being, at one point, “a very wealthy country with an unearthly beauty about it, with pure white soil and plants, like some kind of snow kingdom in a fairy tale.” The country’s wealth came from the very bedrock it sits on — white lead, which could be used to make various high quality products like tableware, cosmetics, weapons etc. When the wider world heard about this everyone wanted a piece of Flevance (the World Government also getting involved with distribution), and very quickly white lead became a “bottomless well of money”. So, hooray. Law gets to grow up in a rich city in a big house with educated doctor parents and probably gets to go to private school on weekdays and festivals with his family on weekends. One problem. In their greed, the Government and royalty have been knowingly hiding the truth about this supposed goldmine from the beginning. White lead is a toxic poison. Mining it from the ground over the last century and putting it in so many everyday products has resulted in it accumulating in the citizens’ bodies and leading to amber lead sickness, shortening their life-span with each successive generation – with the children of Law’s generation fated to die out before they reach adulthood.

In the bible (especially in the old testament), God often inflicted these insanely disastrous events upon humanity, usually as some kind of punishment for their wrongdoings or as a test of their faith. Some events of which include (but are not limited to): famine, outbreaks of disease and natural disasters (e.g. hail, wildfire, earthquakes, floods). Historically, these stories played a key role in how humanity interpreted meaning from horrible disasters (e.g. assuming bubonic plague was sent as a punishment by god). Fire imagery is very common among these disasters as a representation for hell, which is clearly reflected in the destruction of Flevance.

Sometimes these disasters had sole survivors act as messengers for God. With that context, let’s put ourselves back in the shoes of a ten-year old Law. Raised religious, freshly traumatised from losing his home, his devout family, all the comforts of his life, and having the outside world completely abandon him, this kind of event is likely going to be processed as some form of divine punishment. Law stumbles through hell, finds all his dead classmates, and the last words of sister nun echo through to him here. Merciful and salvation are huge catholic buzzwords – promises of holy compassion, deliverance and hope – and all of it fire and smoke and riddled with bullet holes before him. A genocide funded, perpetuated and covered up by the same body Law was promised was there to save them. And the only reason Law hadn’t died with them was because he wanted to stay with his little sister Lami, who was on her deathbed, and his parents, who were themselves trying to help the afflicted citizens, Law’s own father (before he was shot and killed alongside his mother) begging for more doctors, fresh blood, anything the world can offer, and asking “Why doesn’t the government announce to everyone that white lead is not infectious?”

Oftentimes (and in the case of Law), when there’s a promise of heavenly intervention or some miracle that doesn’t follow through, it results in an ultimate feeling of betrayal and anger. Unfortunately a lot of Catholic teachings also use a lot of guilt, essentially teaching people that the bad things that happen to you are your fault and there needs to be some sort of penance (queue Law’s survivor’s guilt that carries on down the road). But also, if this was supposed to be some divine punishment, for what exactly? For the town being blinded by the incredible wealth they were sitting on? Being lied to? Continuing to extract their livelihood, ignorant of its dangers? Punishment for who? His parents? His innocent little sister? For ten year-old Law? These people who believed in God, who were good people? That’s fucking stupid. None of these people suffered and died for any reason at all — certainly not for a sacred one. God hadn’t saved a single one of them. Law had to crawl out of hell himself by sneaking over the border under a mound of corpses.

Given everything that happened here, Law has every reason to fall into nihilism, and you can see how his upbringing would’ve bred a lot of the feelings of guilt, anger and resentment that you still see in Law (which would suggest that though this is where he likely cuts ties with the religious/Catholic component of his faith, growing up with these teachings in his formative years would definitely influence underlying beliefs about how the world works, and how Law behaves and subconsciously processes information), but at the same time, there’s usually some form of redemption and changes to how these patterns of behaviour can be approached later down the line.

2. Corasan

Fresh off witnessing his whole world burning down around him, Law meets Corazon at the very bottom of this pit of self-destructive rage and unprocessed grief. Rosinante himself mentions to Sengoku that the hatred in Law at this time reminded him of his brother, but beyond the anger, harsh pessimism, vengefulness, I think you have to reach to find similarities between them. You can see some fragments of Doffy in Law down the line at times, with Law seeming to enjoy violence (especially against the navy, but given what they did to Flevance, it’s some well-deserved retribution for Law imo), but I’m not so sure it’s the cruelty so much as it is the high he gets off his own flavour of justice. Doctor’s Hippocratic oath maybe, but never once does Law like seeing others die (even at this point, he’s in tears next to a dead body, even though he’s the one holding the knife), and later on in Wano he makes it explicitly clear to Zoro that he’d rather see the mission fail than have any of them end up dead.  

Little Law wanted to destroy the world and everything in it, but thinking rationally, what other choice did this kid have? He had no remaining family, was doomed to die before he hit puberty due to a terminal illness, was perceived as an infectious subhuman that most doctors would’ve sooner tried to exterminate than help. To Law, the world had turned its back on him – considering him a monster for simply surviving. He has all this hatred and pain boiling away with him with no tangible target to direct it towards. And this is the first clear cut rejection of faith that we see in Law. Any concept of a merciful God had just died. What God would allow this? Why is Law alive (a question that he repeats to himself throughout his life), why are these scumbags alive, why is the world going on spinning as if nothing has happened when his whole world had gone up in flames, why does anyone at all get to be here when everything I loved is gone? And it’s far easier to fall into a despondent nihilistic stupor than it is to work through any of that, and what’s the point in trying to process and move on from it, when there’s no hope for a future for Law anyway? When the only thing waiting ahead is more pain? What was this, if not a punishment? He’s supposed to be some messenger for God? How about fuck God, or whatever entity that exists that made him suffer this. Law’s not going to be a messenger for shit, thanks, he’d rather be their monster, he’d rather watch the world burn.

Corazon survives Law’s stabbing and doesn’t rat the little shit out (to Law’s confusion). It’s business as usual for another two years, then, one day Rosinante overhears his true name - Trafalgar “D” Water Law, and everything changes. On the back of his own beliefs, Rosinante dedicates himself to making sure Law a) lives and b) doesn’t become his brother. Law’s relatively short six month stint with Corasan forms the basis of Law’s new creed going forward, and all it took was a bit of kindness, love and humanity when the rest of the world had abandoned him. In the end Rosinante doesn’t save Law for the will of D. and the storm he’s predicted to bring in the future (as Law suspects), but he certainly believes in it, and the strength of Corasan’s conviction transfers right over to Law when he forces the ope ope fruit down the kid’s throat to heal him, tells Law he loves him, then sacrifices himself to set Law free.

Law clings to that love he was given, he takes all these fundamental teachings and ways of thinking in regards to faith that were drilled into him during his youth, rejects the religion element and applies just about everything else to Corasan. He holds onto the last shreds of what Corasan leaves him with. Corasan becomes his “benefactor” (he gave my my heart), his saviour, his martyr. 

And the crazy thing is, Rosinante was never really this saint Law makes him out to be. Law hated the clutz when they first met (mostly on account of Corazon throwing him through a glass window down at least two stories and into a pile of scrap). Corazon initially showed nothing but contempt for his presence (to ward him and the other children away from the Donquixote family, but these are still extreme measures). And it wasn’t until after learning Law’s name that Rosinante dragged him kicking, crying and screaming from hospital to burning hospital (not very saintlike in of itself), even after Law begged him to stop. Rosinante became Law’s saviour partly because of his belief in the will of D., and probably due to some guilt being a Donquixote, but mostly because he has always had a bleeding heart and he pitied (and had very quickly come to love) this angry, sick, deeply lost little kid. All this to say that Law’s faith in Corasan – this saintlike figure Law upholds him as in the future and the lengths he’s willing to go to avenge him/fulfil Rosinante’s purpose reflects the strength of the absolute beliefs Law would’ve been raised with in regards to God.  

Whether it be out of survivor’s guilt (just one more body to heap on top of the Flevance pile), his love for Corasan, or for the sake of taking vengeance on the man that took away the one good thing he’d been able to regain in his miserable life, Law adopts Corasan’s will, the will of D. (which in of itself seems divine in nature), incorporates it into his new belief system, actively takes on the role of the divine punisher/justiciar and dedicates his life to bringing down Doflamingo.

3. Luffy

Catholicism dictates that the entirety of someone’s beliefs should be dedicated to one true cause (that cause being God) and expects people to ride on that, letting it carry them through life, give them hope, purpose, etc. But a lot of former Catholics choose instead to find that through something else. Corasan ignited the spark in Law’s faith around the will of D., but it’s not until he meets Luffy that this really becomes something that feels tangible and real for Law.

When Law saved Luffy in Marineford (putting the heart crew in danger for a stranger he met once), he said he did so “on a whim”, but that seems incredibly ooc for Law — this man that pretty much planned out how the rest of his life would go after the dust of Corasan’s death settled and he came to terms with the fact he wasn’t going to die at age thirteen like he’d originally thought. Circling back to the concept of Law being a sole survivor/messenger for God, it is interesting that Law is the one to seek out Luffy (given that Luffy is usually always the one either being abandoned by people or recruiting his crewmates), and Law is ultimately the catalyst for pulling him towards Dressrosa and Wano. There must be a REASON that led to Law deciding Luffy to be the most viable option out of the Worst Generation for an alliance (beyond blind trust in an unhinged captain that just so happens to also bear the initial D, and Luffy being one of the few captains crazy enough to go along with what Law was cooking up). 

Law undoubtedly would’ve kept a peripheral eye on Luffy for some time before officially meeting him due to him being a rising competitor pirate and another “D” (I imagine the news of his utterly insane exploits would’ve made good reading material, too). The first time Law lays eyes on Luffy in Sabaody though, he still blows all expectations out of the water — crashing headfirst into the crowd of a slave auction and immediately committing a felony against a member of the most powerful upper one percent.

The world nobles are at an “untouchable God” tier in terms of class standing and believe it’s only natural for them to be entitled to whatever and whoever they want in this world that’s beneath them – the same kind of self-aggrandizing false divinity that Law has a a lot of repressed rage towards and that the will of D. is fated to oppose, so this, understandably, is a highly compelling first encounter, but it’s really only an initiating factor for what ultimately draws Law to Luffy. From their very first meeting (and probably before then, in the news stories and rumours Law likely picked up on), it’s made abundantly clear that Luffy does what he wants without a second’s hesitation, no matter the consequences, simply because he feels it is the right thing to do. Some call this an iron will, Law would be more inclined to call it willful stupidity and trouble, but time after time Luffy somehow manages to pull off what Law would best describe as “miracles”. And Law believes the straw hats just might be the ones to drum up another one for him.

Luffy’s also got a lot of passing resemblances to Corasan going for him, e.g. inherently kind, compassionate liberators with big dumb hearts and wide goofy smiles in spite of everything they’ve been through, treating Law as nakama and saving his life despite his protests etc. All of which I’m sure Law hasn’t been completely unaffected by despite the high walls he puts up. And the more Law learned about Luffy the more it probably became clear that he is the antithesis to Doflamingo, i.e. what makes Luffy so goddamn dangerous and terrifying beyond his physical power is his ability to make friends with a simple kind of unconditional love that gets reciprocated enough so that these friends are willing to die for him.

Luffy agrees to the alliance, they successfully blow up Caesar’s base, and head off to Dressrosa. Now’s the time I should bring up that it’s taught in Catholicism that self sacrifice is the ultimate heavenly deed, and here Law is undoubtedly prepared to be a martyr for his cause. Law sends away his crew to Zou before Punk Hazard with the expectations that he’d never see them. He cultivates a fierce emotional detachment against Luffy’s willingness to bring him into the fold of the straw hats, and is resolute in that when the time comes, he will handle this himself, he will carry out Corasan’s will, and if he has to die for it, he will die with Corazon’s name plastered on his back. (Note here that Christianity is contradictory in that Law being this ready to die here is a sin, because revenge and suicide are highly discouraged, so you could say that by avenging and dying for his saviour, Law would be committing both the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate sin).  

Things get very dicey for Law in Dressrosa, to put it lightly. Doflamingo reveals that he was a celestial dragon (linking back into the will of D. “enemy of the Gods” notion), puts Law on the backfoot and gives him a thorough beating before shooting Law with a couple dozen white lead bullets in front of Luffy (because even when he’s winning Doffy loves to be a cunt about it). By the time Doflamingo is cuffing Law to the heart seat, it’s all looking pretty grim, and it’s very apparent when Luffy shows up to save him, that he is ready to die. 

Law here has given up. He spent years planning his revenge for Corasan, but he lost, and he has very little left in the tank (physically, emotionally, spiritually). But Luffy doesn’t listen. Luffy who doesn’t think, doesn’t care, who trampled all over Law’s carefully laid out plan from the get-go and who is willing to take on Doflamingo single handedly for the simple slight that he dared to harm Luffy’s friend Law. Law will never find peace in his own demise because Luffy doesn’t do peaceful. He does loud and unashamed and open with no rhyme or reason other than the excruciatingly simply fact that he loves people and he thinks the people he loves deserve to have good lives. Luffy chucks Law over his shoulder and drags an injured Law across the city despite his protests (sound familiar?) and in the process inspires the fighting spirit in Law again.

When Law confronts Doflamingo again with Luffy in tow, Law’s faith in Luffy confounds him. The last Doflamingo remembers of Law is this beautifully moldable dark pit of grief and rage who’d given up on believing, period – who wanted the world destroyed. Not so long ago, Law had been a candidate for Doflamingo’s next protégé. Now?

THIS is the action (grinning, staring down the barrel of a gun, flipping Doffy off as he tells him in not so many words that he may kill Law but he will never beat Luffy), Law’s unshakeable faith in the face of his own death is what has Doflamingo realising he will never regain control of Law again – is what incites Doflamingo to go from breaking Law down so he can build him back up again, to conceding defeat and outright killing him. 

The trust that Luffy inspires in Law and the way he talks about Luffy (Luffy being this powerful, miracle-inducing liberator that Law can’t comprehend but follows anyway, Law laying down his hopes on him, weaponizing the will of D. to try and provoke fear from Doffy), is very reminiscent of the awe and faith talked about in scripture. Law discovers the feelings of comfort and hope that Catholicism was supposed to give him in Luffy, but Law’s belief in Luffy is a direct rejection of those teachings. Rejection by believing in a real life person as opposed to the divinity he was taught about. He’s also cementing his belief in the will of D., thus rejecting Doflamingo and all the people that embody the sort of “all powerful” divinity that he abhors (i.e. celestial dragons, Kaido, the Gorōsei/five elders) for the embodiment of hope and humanity. 

When Law survives (again), he expresses he’d rather see Luffy beat Doflamingo with his own eyes or die with Luffy if he loses than leave. Then he watches, after all this talk of miracles, looking up in reverence as Luffy delivers, bright as the sun, haloed by the bars of a cage that’s haunted him for over a decade, Corasan’s words echoing at the back of his mind. God had never saved or freed Law, but Corasan was there for him, the heart crew was there, Luffy was there. And this is Law’s biggest, clearest rejection of religion – this newfound faith in humanity. 

This faith in Luffy is put to the test again in Wano when Luffy is struck down by Kaido, but Law never truly stops believing that he’ll make a comeback. Even when the straw hats doubt whether he’s alive or not, something tells him Luffy’s not dead, and he holds onto that hope. 

We also have the whole nika/joyboy backstory which really only reinforces all of this imagery/god-fearing looks of awe from Law and this idea of Luffy who is this perfect juxtaposition of empathetic and kind to incredibly fearsome fire and brimstone fighter. And regardless of whether you’re into the ship or not this is the impetus of Law’s relationship with Luffy for me, because here’s Luffy who has every right to have a chip on his shoulder and be downtrodden about all the injustices against him, here’s this little guy who against all odds, in the darkest of places, embodies light and hope and kindness and proves to Law that there will be hard times but there IS a happy ending at the end of the tunnel, despite it all. And everytime Luffy rises to the insurmountable challenge and wins, it just further cements that the will of D. is alive, that Corasan was right, that there's something redeemable in Law, a reason why he was worth saving, even if Law doesn’t understand it quite yet. 

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 - Self-Aware AU

Headcanons about an Alternate Universe in which everyone knows they're living inside a videogame. However, Vertin is the only one aware of the entity inhabiting her own mind, the real conductor - the "Player".

this is one of my favorite AUs to slap on whatever media I'm into so here we are <3 not sure if anyone's done this already, but PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE link me if you've seen any other ppl write for this AU! this one and any actor AUs are my absolute fave

this is just a word vomit introduction for fun, to get the basic ideas out of my head, so I can start writing for characters individually!

Okay, okay! First of all, some context for the AU before I go deranged overexplaining my HCs!

Aside from the "Storm", there is something else that haunts the people of this world: the fact that their lives are nothing but a simulacrum, part of a game.

The requirements to obtain this "self-awareness" is unknown. Those within the Foundation believe it's related to their respective "roles", that only the main and relevant characters are given the chance to fully open their eyes to the truth. Those within Manus Vindictae claim that one must be strong enough to break through the fog of complacency and their assigned scripts, to have their full potential unleashed and obtain true liberation. Either way, similar to the "Storm", this is a well-kept secret for a very good reason - everyone wants to have the upperhand.

There is one outlier to this whole system. Vertin is not only aware of the truth of this world, but also of her duty as the eyes and hands of the "Player". She must experience it all for their sake. Or rather, whatever she experiences will be the story that the Player will see.

This applies to her suitcase, the place where the Player's influence increases tenfold, bending everything and everyone to their will through her own body and voice. The longer one stays within her suitcase - or within her general vicinity - the easier it is for them to become self-aware.

How does one become "self-aware" and what does it entail?

The requirements and the catalyst for a character to become self-aware are still a mystery. But that's mostly because I specifically wanted to keep them as vague as possible, to allow some flexibility for NPCs and other characters outside of Vertin's suitcase.

The whole process of gaining sentience or self-awareness is mostly described as waking up from a nightmare, or a very, very realistic dream. It's like a switch, something that happens in a second without any warnings whatsoever.

I like to think that most of the people who wake up are easy to spot, because it's a jarring experience and panicking is the most normal reaction - but that they're often taken care of by the Foundation or recruited by Manus Vindictae.

The levels of awareness also depend heavily on each individual - some only know that nothing is truly real, that everything they've done up until that point was just a carefully scripted lie, the most basic realization. Others can understand the rules that govern this game and use them to their advantage, either through observation and study or just inherently.

Overall, the experience of being sentient varies as well, with some describing a disconnect from their body, while others feel exactly the opposite. Again, keeping it pretty vague so that people can fill in with their own ideas!

I'll talk about Vertin's case in detail when we get to her specific bullet point, but the same way the Player is able to experience the "story" through her eyes, she's able to see the same things they do - this includes the UI, the menus and everything you can interact with in-game.

Vertin as a character and a vessel for the Player.

The most common thing I've seen in self-aware AUs in my years of fandom is to turn the player stand-in (the main character that serves for the player to experience the story through and/or project onto, depending on the genre of the game) into an obstacle, one that keeps the characters from truly interacting with the Player, capital P.

The second most common thing I've seen is to simply ignore the existence of this player stand-in and replace it with the Player themself, either through isekai methods or thanks to the customization the game allows, etc etc.

When it comes to Vertin in this AU, I know I want her to retain her role as the center of everything, instead of being sidelined by the Player. She's THE Timekeeper, after all.

There's still some details I'm trying to iron out, like whether she's always been self-aware or if she became self-aware at some point during her childhood at the St. Pavlov Foundation. But I like to think that her relationship to the Player is a parallel to her immunity to the "Storm" - neither of these two things are inherently good nor bad. Surviving the "Storm" is helpful, sure, but it's painful for her. Having an entity like the "Player" haunting her is scary, sure, but it can be an advantage. It's a matter of how she utilizes the assets she was given, since her adaptability and determination are big aspects of her character. Vertin makes up for her mediocre arcane skills with unconventional plans and strategies.

But this isn't to say that Vertin isn't affected by the presence of the Player. Ironically, she's the one person whose freedom is limited. During battles, her skills and Tuning are available to you, they can also prove to be vital to win a fight, but in the end you're still the one calling the shots and choosing when her friends get to attack. You're the one choosing the layout of the Wilderness. You're the one picking which one of her friends deserves to become stronger.

In the last bullet point I mentioned that some characters can understand the rules of the game - Vertin is the most extreme case, as she can see the same UI as you do. She learns the way you like to fight your battles, your own strategies, she can see this and more.

Overall it's a very complex dynamic. It's not as easy as saying that she likes or dislikes you, that she considers you a friend or foe. You're part of her, you influence each other in many aspects and are stuck together for reasons she can't even fathom. While you may be able to read her thoughts most of the time, she becomes invisible once you enter the suitcase - the main menu of the game. Sure, the character you selected to greet you every day is actually talking to her, not you, but she's out of your view and therefore, out of our range. That's when Vertin wonders the sort of person that you are, if you care about her friends as much as she does. Are you playing just to be entertained? Are you invested in these events? Will you be there for her until the end of her story?

Another detail I like to think about is that Vertin is the only one who knows your name. Because at the very beginning, you were asked to input a name and she was there.

[screenshot was taken from this video, since it's the first one I could find that showed this specific part of the game lol]

Well, "your name" not quite right - she knows that whatever you wrote there is the name linked to your account, at least. And that's the name she knows you as.

Those who take residence in Vertin's suitcase or spend prolonged amounts of time with her, growing closer to her and all, end up becoming self-aware. This is a direct side-effect of your presence.

I like to think that characters who reach the 100% Bond can begin to sense the Player, to see the world in a similar way as Vertin does. Maybe even feel their presence EXACTLY like Vertin does whenever there's a battle. There is someone else on the other side of this screen, the fourth wall, who watches over them.

To some, it's hard to differentiate Vertin from the Player, as they just go hand in hand - but Sonetto, for example, has the easiest time telling the two apart.

On the subject of freedom and acting out of script.

The Foundation, Manus Vindictae, Laplace... It doesn't matter if they're self-aware and acting outside of what their script dictates, because they're missing one key ingredient: you. No one else but Vertin and her group knows about your existence, after all.

They don't know that the only story that matters is the one that Vertin is part of. The one that the Player gets to see and read and experience. And because the game gives you a very limited view into the lives of these characters, you don't know what neither Arcana nor Constantine do behind the scenes. You and Vertin don't see that, therefore, it never truly mattered.

Those most likely to start "acting out" are the troublemakers within Vertin's suitcase. Characters who are too curious for their own good, who are more susceptible to supernatural entities, who are just too impulsive - they would start to test the limits and see how far they can go, how much they can interact with the Player. Can the game be broken should they end up shattering the fourth wall? Is there a way for the Player to communicate with them? What will happen to Vertin?

I like to think that Vertin probably supports this, as she's rather curious herself, prone to questioning everything. She would also like to learn more about the Player, to truly tear into the game and see the full extent of your influence and her freedom.

Sometimes, Regulus and X will change their usual voicelines, just enough to be noticeable if one pays enough attention. Characters like Sotheby or Leilani might slip up and address the Player, rather than Vertin. Lilya, Pavia, Bkornblume have new animations and different expressions, ones you've never seen before - they stare ahead, as if searching for something, and then smirk or hum to themselves, deep in thought, like they realized something you're not privy of.

Sometimes, if you leave them as your selected assistant on the main menu, you can catch them muttering to themselves - idle quotes you never heard enough, about the outside world. Diggers does this the most, it's almost embarassing how easy it is to catch him talking nonsense, followed by Sonetto. If you leave Medicine Pocket alone for too long, you might come back to a screen covered in weird scratch marks.

On the subject of these characters being curious about the outside world and all, I think that a good chunk of them are generally content with the way things are?

We have to remember that in-universe, they're arcanists displaced from their respective eras. Their best chance at surviving is siding with Vertin, and if Vertin is content with the way things are, then there's no point in trying to disrupt what they have right now. They're curious enough to prod, but only as far as Vertin allows it.

And I think that's it for the word vomit!

There are some details I didn't know where to fit in, like the possibility of the fourth wall slowly dissipating the more time the Player invests in the game, leading to some characters being able to directly hear you if you talk while playing and whatnot. Or what would happen should someone outside of Vertin's suitcase figure out the existence of the Player, let alone interact with you in some way.

Or the concept of death being meaningless, unless it was pre-established by the game itself.

In Borderlands, there's this game mechanic where you can just be revived over and over and pay a percentage of your money as a fee, even though the canon that's established is that you play through the whole story without dying a SINGLE time - because the revival mechanics aren't canon. There's the divide between story and gameplay. That's pretty much the standard. But what about the deaths in battles in R1999? The amount of times I died to 1.3's UTTU's Flash Gathering is insane. How do self-aware characters feel about this, now that they know that they're bound to die over and over and be brought back because you have to do your Pneuma Analysis or reach the final stage of Limbo?

But that's pretty much it for now, I think I got most thoughts out of my system! Thank you for reading!

[just-jordie-things]

omg i love the way u write jjk characters! i was reading ur work and had a scenario that i thought would be so fun to read from you if you like the idea! i was thinking abt if you got drunk with them at the school (like maybe all the students sneak to one persons dorm or something), how they would act drunk, how they would treat u, what would happen etc. my favs are toge and yuji but you could do whoever ofc!

ok idk if this is exactly what you were looking for but since i've wrtten a few fics now where drinking/partying was the theme, i'm gonna assign the jjk crews their party night roles lolol so enjoy

ITADORI YUUJI is the life of the party, obviously. he's the type to bring jello shots to the function and if no one wants them, he'll eat em all himself. he's the guy that you dare to do stuff as the night goes on. he's the guy that somehow, at the end of each party, is missing a shirt. did he go swimming? did someone spill on it? did he spill on it? (most likely) everyone laughs but no one really complains about it. he's always got a fun plan or game in mind to keep the night going, and everyone's happy to have him there.

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI is the shy-at-first guest. he's slow when he first gets there, and always claims he doesn't want to get too fucked up. he's got a never ending amount of excuses up his sleeve as to why he can't take that shot with you, or be your partner for beer pong. but give him an hour to warm up. he'll spend that time lining up a fire playlist and semi-mingling. the trick to getting him to loosen up? just a quick smoke first. don't jump on him with it, but if he sees a joint being passed around, he can't resist just a couple puffs. what's the harm, right? a couple puffs and he's giving in to whatever other party shenanigans come his way.

KUGISAKI NOBARA is in charge of the photography for the evening. everyone's instagrams and snapchat stories are well taken care of when she's around. in the early parts of the evening they're casual photos, fit checks, some candids of the laughing group as they play games or eat pizza. she's quite good with lighting and angles, and no one complains when she shoves her phone in their face. as the night goes on, she probably documents more than she should- toge drawing on yuuta's face while he's passed out, yuuji shirtless and covering himself in whipped cream on a dare- but it's always too funny to go through them the next day and delete half the evidence.

PANDA is the dancer. if he's drinking, he's dancing. it doesn't matter how many drinks are in his system. it doesn't matter if the music is particularly fun- or even playing. he's got too much excitement from hanging out with his friends and is down for a good time. he's also easy to coerce into pranking someone.

INUMAKI TOGE is the coercer of pranks. if someone passes out, he's always got a marker on him. he always has the best dares for truth or dare, and isn't afraid when others want to get their revenge. he's that class-clown energy at the party. sometimes it's annoying, but it's always undeniably funny. he definitely likes those tacky party favors from spencers. especially the big dick shaped syringes for taking shots. he's got a lot of sus 'party decorations'. but let's be real it's really fucking funny when he breaks out the newest one. also if he gets too drunk he will use his cursed speech for the sake of humor.

ZEN'IN MAKI is the bartender and general caretaker of the group. she's the best at mixed drinks and knows everyone's favorite, but always has something new to try. as the designated bartender she's also the one subtly making sure everyone is on a good track for the night. most of the time it just meant keeping an eye on yuuji and toge, reminding them to have some water every once in a while went a long way. and she's not afraid to cut you off if you're getting sloppy. i also think she'd roll the fattest, cleanest joints when she's not mixing drinks.

OKKOTSU YUUTA is the first to fall asleep. he's a good time, don't get me wrong. he loves the games and the dancing and the goofing around, but he's an overworked boy and... a bit of a lightweight. motherfucker takes two hits and is shaking his head the rest of the rotation. it's kinda cute that his eyes get all red after so little before he raids the snack table. maki knows he has a five drink limit before he either needs to drink water or rally or... as usual, he's slumped into the couch and snoozing away. it's a miracle that he can sleep so hard when the music is blasting and everyone has to yell to be heard- especially when it's itadori yelling. by the end of the night, someone's thrown a blanket over him, and toge's vandalized his face with permanent marker.

[angelthefandomobsessed]

Danganronpa Project Eden's Garden: Animal Symbolism

Okay, so I just finished the prologue (adored it, the writing is impeccable), and noticed that each character features an animal on their clothing. I'm sure tons of people have pointed it out already, but I thought it'd be fun to go through the symbolism of each, alongside any other observations I had.

Damon Maitsu:

Damon's signature animal is one of the more obvious ones - it's the big snake on his tie. Biblically, snakes are kind of a big deal... Just one snake, really, which gave all of the others a bad name. In 'Garden of Eden' arc of the Bible (which is relevant for obvious reasons), a snake tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The snake basically says "Hey queen, the apple won't kill you, it'll show you the truth, God's a liar." Adam and Eve eat the fruit, condemning humanity to eternal suffering.

Painting Damon as the snake tells us a lot about his role in the narrative and his characterisation. The main theme for Eden's Garden seems to be 'head vs heart', or 'logic vs emotion'. While some characters lean towards emotion, Damon leans towards logic... But based on the Pathos system, he doesn't fully condemn emotion - it can be a good tool when it comes to winning arguments, after all.

At the end of the prologue, Damon disagrees with seeing the good in everyone. He argues that the ultimates are more likely to stab each other in the back than to help each other unconditionally... In other words, he argues that ultimates are ambitious, to the point of throwing away their morals - because he himself is ambitious to a fault.

While a lot of people see snakes as creatures of evil (particularly when it comes to THE snake in the Bible), it could be argued that the snake is an agent of the greater good. Yes, the snake was the catalyst for the fall of humanity, but you could argue it was also the catalyst for the first critical thought. Adam and Eve questioned the word of their creator and chose to go against him. That didn't end very well for them, but you could argue it liberated them.

Would you rather be a sheep, at the mercy of your shepherd, or a snake that sees the world for what it truly is?

Wolfgang Akire:

Speaking of sheep... Wolfgang has a pretty neat (very symbolic) sheep pin. The idea of him picking out a sheep pin in like... a Claire's Accessories is very funny to me.

Much like snakes, sheep are also very Biblically relevant. In the Bible, God's people are usually cloaked in sheep imagery. God is the shepherd (fun fact: 'shepherd' derives from 'sheep' 'herd'), and the sheep are at his mercy. In that light, a sheep is a truly powerless thing.

Perhaps Wolfgang's sheep pin denotes him as a follower rather than a leader. Not to a specific person, but rather to an ideology - to his own morals, which he seems very attached to. Sheep are often seen as weak, existing only to be devoured by stronger, more predatory animals.

But this symbolism might exist here to be subverted. One of the most popular sheep-based phrases is (drum roll please): "Wolf in sheep's clothing".

Lawyer man is, quite literally, a wolf in sheep's clothing. His name has the word 'wolf' in it. He has a sheep on his clothing.

Does Wolfgang obsess over justice due to a guilty conscious? Is it a cover to mask his deepest, most despicable thoughts? Only time will tell, but I'm onto you, lawyer man... If that's even your real name.

Eva Tsunaka:

Okay, so I'm not 100% sure if Eva's animal is a raven or a crow, but I don't think it matters too much, people tend to perceive 'ominous medium-sized black bird' in a similar way, regardless of the specifics. Eva has a black feather in her hair and a badge with a bird's head on it. The badge looks a little bit emu-ish (which would be really funny), but the general vibe is more in line with a crow/raven.

For simplicity's sake, I'll mostly talk about ravens, because I think (don't quote me on this, I have not read the actual Bible) crows are never actually mentioned... but ravens are, so we'll go with that.

SO, ravens, black birds. Apparently, the first bird to be mentioned by name in the Bible is the raven, which... lines up with Eva being the first named bird character we meet (there are a lot of bird people, we'll get to it). During the whole Noah's Arc debacle, Noah sent out a raven to scout for dry land - it didn't come back (I think? It gets mentioned, 'tos and fros' and then doesn't get mentioned again, so I think it dipped which honestly, girlboss move).

Other than that, a raven was used as a divine messenger at one point, but I think the much more interesting (and relevant) aspects of the raven is the general symbolism.

Ravens are usually seen as bad news - much like the snake, they get a bad rep. While they are often seen as bad omens, they can also be seen as beings of spiritual wisdom. They see more than others can, much like Eva. When the others start to do the whole 'We'll never kill each other!' it's Eva who disagrees, seeing the reality of the situation.

Based on the word 'Danganronpa' being associated with the game, we can assume she's correct, and that the bodies will start hitting the floor very soon.

Eva is wise and holds a lot of knowledge, but she is distrusted for reasons outwith her control. She didn't ask to be the ultimate liar - some random organisation sent her a letter one day putting that label on her.

Interestingly, ravens are the natural enemies of farmers... and Wolfgang has a distinct agricultural reference on his lapel.

To summarise: people don't like ravens, but they're very smart birds who can (in certain mythologies/cultures, at least), see beyond the surface level).

Toshiko Kayura:

Toshiko's assigned animal is a little harder to spot. Two flamingos are on her skirt as a decal, making them less obvious (especially during waist-up shots).

Okay, so I'm no expert on this, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any flamingos in the Bible. Flamingos played a part in Egyptian beliefs, being associated with Ra, and they might actually be the original inspiration for phoenixes which... is kind of hilarious? The Aztecs saw them as sacred, and in Hindu culture they symbolise hamsa, a divine vehicle, which symbolises the realise from samsara, aka the cycle of suffering.

So... that could be a thing relating to Toshiko. She could be destined to act as a turning point in the narrative (either through death or through character development, same difference).

Or, we could go with the really obvious interpretation of 'flamingo = romance'. Which is very on-brand. Additionally, flamingos represent balance and elegance - mainly because of their 'standing on one leg' trick. Toshiko most likely strives to embody the qualities of a flamingo in these regards.

The use of flamingos in Toshiko's design might point to her being 'the heart' of the group. She's shown to be quite emotional (becoming flustered when challenged, avoiding the investigation, getting into an argument over gremlin-hood with Grace), despite trying to emulate a mature aura. She speaks in frivolous, convoluted imagery, which is peak fourteen-year-old behaviour, and if anything bad happens to her I will cry :D

Ulysses Wilhelm:

Rather than having a picture of an animal, Ulysses wears an owl pendant. Owls represent wisdom, and are particularly fitting for Ulysses due to him being more of a night owl.

Biblically, owls are seen as unclean birds, alongside ravens. They aren't overly relevant, but are (allegedly, according to some random Bible forum) used to symbolise loneliness, desolation, guilt and mourning. In a broader sense, owls are seen as wise, critical-thinking creatures, and independent.

Because of this, I think Ulysses will fall into the Damon/Eva camp of thinking, due to his historical knowledge. Because if history's taught us anything, it's that people can't be trusted, they will self-sabotage, and murder is inevitable.

I don't have much else to say - Ulysses feels like an early victim/blackened candidate, unfortunately, so I don't think he'll be playing a major role narratively.

Desmond Hall:

This one's a little hard to spot immediately (and when I did spot it, I wasn't sure which animal it belonged to), but according to the concept art Desmond has a shark tooth earring.

There are no sharks in the Bible. Sharks, apparently, symbolise protection and guidance, so I think Desmond will probably pair up with another character... which will lead to an untimely death, with a very sad flashback scene at the end of a trial. Or he'll survive, who says Biblical relevancy matters? Sharks are pretty cool and so is Desmond.

I think he'll be an optimist in the situation, but I... don't have much to say regarding his animal motif.

Grace Madison:

This one is pretty up there for the 'easiest to spot award'. Grace's animal is a rabbit, which can be seen by her (adorable) rabbit-eared visor.

Biblically rabbits are pretty irrelevant, but symbolically they're very prominent. Rabbits are probably most famous for their easter connotations (you'd think they'd be Biblical, but no, it just says not to eat them). Rabbits are also known as lucky animals - 'rabbit feet' are seen as lucky talismans...

If Grace ends up with a severed foot, I'm going to lose my mind.

Anyway, since Grace is the resident 'reckless and crude' character, I would theorise her link to rabbits would be 'rebirth'. Rabbits are associated with spring, which is associated with rebirth. I think Grace (who is described as someone who burns every bridge she makes) will undergo the Fuyuhiko treatment and see a lot of character development.

Not much else for me to say here, but rabbits are generally seen as active animals (energiser bunny, the Scorbunny line), so... yay sports..?

Diana Venicia:

I do not trust this girl as far as I can throw her. I saw her across the room and thought, "No, you're evil", and the chameleon bracelet did not help her case.

Like... not only does it suggest she's hiding something, or that she's a social chameleon, but it looks like a handcuff, that cannot be comfortable. And oddly enough, chameleons do feature in the Bible... and it's very odd, and very interesting.

Basically, chameleons conform to their surroundings through their unique abilities. God likes that for them, but not for humans - apparently, they should challenge things rather than just conforming to them. Which like, okay, someone changed their tune from "Don't do this one thing, no I will not elaborate". In actuality, what this means is "you should not be different on Monday to how you were on Sunday", aka, be #authentic.

Also, chameleons are seen as 'not standing up for what's right', so I guess that's where Diana falls on the morality spectrum, maybe possibly?

Diana is hiding something, she's on my mastermind radar but it feels a little too obvious? If she's not a mastermind, she hiding something and is a killer, nothing can redeem her from being shady in my eyes. I'm onto you, make-up girl...

(My guess is the beauty industry/Hollywood requires a degree of fakery, and she hates it, but she wanted to be successful so she gave into the fakery, and lost her true self in the process. And hey, maybe at some point she decided that she had to see the true twistedness of humanity via a killing game, who knows? Plus, make-up, that's very Junko-ish of her, just saying-)

Jean DeLamer:

Okay, so some people got 'owl' or 'flamingo', but this man got a whole dragon. And he cannot be more deserving of it, fly high king.

I really didn't think there were dragons in the Bible, but apparently they get a mention (in all fairness, it's a real big book). Fun fact: Biblically, they are usually mentioned to reference sea monsters. On brand for our sea captain. Bad news though, dragons are pretty exclusively evil (sometimes straight-up Satan), and are vanquished by God. So... Not great for Jean, honestly, that's concerning.

Could he have a connection to the killing game? He could be a traitor of some sort, or he could try to rise up against the KG and get struck down.

Basically: Jean has no power here, he will lose every time, if the Bible-dragons are anything to go by.

Anyways, dragons are pretty relevant in... most cultures, so this is probably the most interesting thing I can dig up.

Jett Dawson:

In my original post, I mislabelled Jett's animal as a wolf. Somebody in the comments corrected me, pointing out that it's a coyote. Coyotes are closely related to wolves, so there's some symbolic overlap, but I'll rewrite the section anyways, because the original didn't shed much light on anything.

Biblically, coyotes are in a bit of an odd spot. They're seen as cunning and dangerous for the most part, but in Isaiah's passage (disclaimer: I haven't read it, I'm doing the deeply unacademic thing of trusting 'straightforwardguidance'.com) he complains that coyotes and lizards are more grateful to him than humans. This is used to demean the coyote; a wild animal is better than people in Isaiah's eyes, placing them at the low end of societal importance (not literally, ofc).

Apparently, the bible also describes these animals as being wise, due to their hunting tactics. Coyotes will hunt rabbits as a team, with one tiring a rabbit out and another finishing it off. This little tidbit does not bode well for Grace, our rabbit. But, to be fair, the presence of a coyote wouldn't go well for most small animals.

I don't have too much to say about coyotes, beyond their obvious similarity to wolves. Wolves tend to hunt sheep (which gave them a bit of a negative biblical rep), but let's be real, a sheep isn't winning many battles out in the wild.

Jett strikes me as a 'tragic killer', like our usual chapter 2/4 killers. There's wildcard energy to him, though - I could see him killing, surviving or dying, but whatever happens, there'll be a plot point surrounding his face, it seems too interesting to not be a thing.

Kai Monteago:

Butterfly, on chest, let's go.

Most obvious interpretation: social butterfly, he's an influencer.

Biblically, they're pretty irrelevant, but symbolically they're all about transformation. This could indicate character development, a change in tune, etc. Not much to say here, it could represent vulnerability (butterflies are fragile), but it's most likely a reference to the phrase social butterfly.

Mark 'Mayhem' Berskii:

His hat is, indeed, an alligator. At first I thought it was a dragon, then a crocodile, but the concept art confirms it to be an alligator.

Google couldn't tell me much about Bible alligators, which was expected. What it can tell me is the symbolism behind them, though.

Alligators are cunning and wise. Which adds up here, Mark seems way smarter than he lets on. He makes a comment at the end of a non-stop debate (something about setting the trash fire) which suggests he's a critical thinker, seeing the misguided logic in the room.

They are also apex predators with a lot of strength which... is concerning, in terms of potential murderers. Since they've been around since the prehistoric age, alligators are seen as having an ancient, primal aura about them.

I feel there's more than meets the eye with Mark - he'll carry a key discovery or two, just you wait.

Wenona:

Wenona is the girlboss we need, as well as the girlboss we deserve, no further questions. Her animal decal is a little less obvious than others', being bear pawprints at the bottom of her coat.

My favourite Bible story ever (because it's hilarious out of context) is the one about Elisha and the bears, where two bears maul forty-two children because they made fun of a guy. So, maybe don't get on her bad side via mockery.

Interestingly, bears are used to symbolise cruelty and self-servedness which... adds up here, I guess.

Symbolically, bears are a little more cuddly than the Bible makes them out to be. They're known for hibernation, making them quite patient and cautious animals. Bears are grounded animals and represent strength, being fearsome predators.

Wenona is very set in her views, and appears to be unwavering, much like a bear.

Eloise Taulner:

Eloise wears a swan pin in her hair, making that her signature animal. Swans are graceful and vicious; a fascinating combination for a character like Eloise.

In the Bible, swans are everything you'd assume a white bird to be. It's all very 'this bird is the serene love of god, do not eat it, but for different reasons'.

Symbolically, swans are loyal birds, being of the 'mates for life' variety. Something interesting to mention is the concept of a swan song - a song that laments death, said to be the most beautiful song ever sung by a swan, despite the birds being far from natural singers. In Greek mythology, swans were sacred to both Aphrodite and Apollo, with Apollo being the god of music.

Which presents the possibility of a friendship between Mark and Elodie, with him being 'music' and her being a swan.

Swans are very powerful birds, so Eloise's character arc will probably involve her becoming stronger in terms of willpower and confidence.

Ingrid Grimwall:

This one's a little harder to spot, but Ingrid's animal symbol is on her bag, in the form of a lion.

Lions are generally seen as brave, proud animals. The main Biblical story that comes to mind is the story of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of lions. A lion's roar is intended to paralyse its foes with fear, but can its bite match its bark? I suspect Ingrid will be a big talker, but less keen to take actual initiative. Male lions are known for being less active than their pride members, with the female lions doing the hunting.

Although, you could argue that a lion is a natural leader. These qualities don't need to be exclusive though - why not be a leader and a layabout?

Besides that, there's pride and family and strength, but the less prominent placement of Ingrid's emblem tells me she'll be less fearsome than her classmates.

Cassidy Amber:

Cassidy's a little bit different from the others. Her animal motif doesn't have a specific portrayal of the animal (much like Wenona's and Ulysses'), and hers is repeated as a pattern - Cassidy wears tights with a spiderweb pattern.

Now, spiders are pretty well known for trapping things. It's kind of their whole deal. This gives Cassidy some serious mastermind vibes to me, especially when coupled with the fact that she's married to the content grind, loves games, and has a lot of money to throw around.

But anyway, the Bible just kind of complains about their webs being fragile, which could be interpreted as 'her fanbase isn't a true connection to others, they'll abandon her the second someone new catches their attention'. In reality, the Bible doesn't hold up for most of these, but like... it's interesting, right?

Spiders could be described as patient killers. They weave intricate webs for their victims and wait for the opportune moment to strike. Spiders are often feared, with arachnophobia being one of the most popular phobias. Cassidy herself is capable of projecting an unsettling aura and might be described as unnerving.

Fun fact: Red spiders specifically symbolise wealth, passion and excitement, which lines up pretty well with our pro-gamer.

In Conclusion:

I spent way too long making this.

Also, the Bible was pretty useless for most of these BUT the Bible reflects a lot of general perceptions (because it set quite a few of them), so it was sometimes interesting, I think, I'm tired, send help, goodnight!

(If you've made it this far, say hi or something, this took three hours and for what?)

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

“hey, ‘sup?”

grian whirled around, an iron sword flashing into his hand. “who— oh. hey, pearl. doing fine.”

“hi,” the cleaning lady greeted cheerfully, her wings fluttering as she skipped the last few steps of the jagged bridge leading up to grian’s base.

“no flying,” grian smiled.

pearl shrugged. “well, it’s break time. the rules don’t really apply right now.”

”yeah, whatever. what’d you come here for?” grian pulled out an axe and started hacking at the wood of the trees he’d been growing nearby.

she hummed a wistful tune and strolled underneath grian’s structure. “nice place you got here. very interesting.”

“it’s an abstract staircase.”

“it’s a staircase, you’re a nutcase, whatever.” pearl turned around to face grian. “grian, i’m not going to beat around the bush here. this life series feels different.”

“what d’you mean?” grian stopped mid-swing, and his grip tightened on the axe.

“i dunno,” the mounder flopped down on the grass, absentmindedly twirling her sword. evidently, she didn’t think it threatening. or maybe she did. ah, psychological warfare. “it feels more… grounded? like, real. with limited, double life… the gimmick felt so out of reach. a timer ticking down your life? your life being linked to someone else? it felt like something that came down from the heavens.”

pearl paused. grian let the axe drop onto the grass and leaned against the nearest tree, folding his arms. “well?”

“but now… it’s so close. it’s so subjective. we don’t even know if we’ve completed our task yet.” here, pearl grinned. “part of why i failed my second task, heh. but i didn’t figure human interactions were really their kind of thing. usually they throw us the idea and we just go along with it.”

“who’s they?” grian asked, the answer already drumming in his head.

“you know. the watchers.” pearl glanced at grian with a strange spark in her eye. “with a literal sculpture of, well, them giving out the secrets? feels more your kind of thing, if i’m going to be honest.”

“so?” grian said defiantly, already seeing the wave of truth about to crash onto his shore.

pearl sighed. “grian, the life game this time — martyn calls it a death game, haha — it’s not the watchers. it’s you.”

grian swallowed, feeling the sun burning his brown hair. he reached up and ruffled it. “i-i may still be a watcher, but i’m…” he hesitated. “one of the good ones.”

“yeah,” pearl rolled her eyes, “they always said that. ‘we’re here to help’. and here to punish if it’s more entertaining,” she added with disdain. “that’s them, eh? don’t really care if we’re happy or sad, as long as it’s fun to watch.”

grian looked up at the sky, and then at the ground, and groaned. “look, i… i thought it would be fun, alright? just a little— a little game. would be fun to watc- play.” he spit out a curse word in the ancient watcher dialect.

“unfortunately, i understand that,” pearl sighed. “is that why? you were so wound up when scar won the hard task. he’d beaten the system— you. you were the system. and watchers hate losing control.”

“i shouldn’t have gone soft on him. humans are so—”

“grian, careful. you’re turning bad again.”

grian stopped himself. “right, right. right. i’m human, scar’s human. you’re human.”

“grian, why?” pearl looked at him sadly. “why did you want to— put us through this two months of torture again?”

the watcher looked at her, pained. “pearl, i… i promised myself, this life series would be better than the watchers’. it would be fun, and goofy. there was even a slumber party, right? most people at your house since double life, i bet.” grian had to admit, double life was a low blow, and he felt bad immediately, but he was defensive and that was pearl’s greatest chink in her armour.

pearl flinched. “what, and forcing people together is any better? creating fake friendships for the sake of a game? having whispers spread and secrets kept between friends who can’t tell or risk eventual death sounds a more watcher than grian thing, if i’d be honest. i’d rather have true pain than false happiness.”

“this series is different from the other ones. i’m not like the watchers at all.” grian protested.

pearl stood up and kept her sword, her wings wavering from anxiety. “it’s different? when compliments aren’t real and people aren’t themselves? that’s good? mumbo built his house sideways because of bdubs’ task. sure, it’s harmless and funny now, but when the ink the secrets are written in turn to blood…” she shook her head. “it’s not going to benefit anyone.”

“i’m a good person,” grian repeated, trying to calm the thumping in his ribcage.

“are you sure? are you really sure, that when this server, this town is painted red, you wouldn’t watch and bask in the glory of the death and blood? you keep insisting it’s different, but it’s exactly the same as every other time.”

because power is what you crave. there’s watcher in your soul, grian. there’s always been and there still is.

grian wasn’t sure where the words came from. he wanted to blame it on the watchers, but somehow he knew it was coming from himself, his mind pleading with his heart.

“pearl, i—” grian’s wrist beeped. “session’s starting. look, pearl, i’m not sorry, it was a good decision—”

pearl shook her head. “i’m not mad, i’m just… well. gotta get back to do my intro.” she walked two or three steps down the bridge, then stopped and turned back. “got a secret to keep?”

and grian’s heart felt the wind whip across it, harshly lashing it as he watched her leave.

always watching.

[fairytsuk1]

streamer!au

being tomura's assistant was... hard.

what started out as some kid sitting in a dimly-lit beige room transformed into joining orgs, e-sports, drinking too much, and giving you a non-stop headache.

@tomraki: dream is fucking ugly lol

another headache. your jaw drops as the retweets begin to grow and the quote retweets threaten to drop your dear streamer's address or beloved ... well, anything. dream stans were ruthless.

"tomura!! you cannot, under any circumstances, say something like that!" he eyed you lazily before surfing through his files, saving fanart and writing down stream ideas.

"i'm not allowed to say the truth?"

"no! you aren't! you're getting devoured and what are you going to do if your org retaliates against you? we already had an issue with your gambling and then Twitch banned it and then you made a statement! again!"

he sighs drearily, "they banned my fucking revenue, i'm allowed to make a fuss about it. and aren't you supposed to support my every move?"

the way his eyes pierced you, and the slow creeping grin etched on his face grew every second. he was right, he was your boss.

but you weren't some doormat. you were shigaraki tomura's assistant for god's sake! you always retaliated.

"right, of course. that's why i scheduled a minecraft manhunt with you and him together for next week! so maybe you can tell it to his face next time."

"you didn't."

bouncy steps flee out the room before he can exact his wrath, "have fun!"

"FUCK!"

... oddly enough, he could be sweet. you'd seen him with fans too young to be watching him; he didn't go goo-goo eyed but he held a softness because he too was once a watcher of his favorite creators.

the circle of life, you guessed.

"are you having fun?" somehow, shigaraki had been lumped in with some of the more American streamers when he travelled from his cozy Japan studio to sunny California.

"no." "well, i know you like that whiskey sour." "it's mid. americans can't do anything right."

you shrug, that's enough of that. you lean against the wall while sitting next to him. he has a bit of a flush, but he needed this considering he saw StickyTape (Sero, an unfunny and bad gamer in his opinion) walk in. he knew people would be gunning for him to interact, post selfies, play happy streamer...

and his eyes wandered over to you again. god, could he quit it?

"you look nice." "do i? i wore my best skirt! figured i'd be seeing lots of famous people and networking for you, had to give em' something to look at."

the whiskey sour's in his veins now, and he decides to give up on filtering.

"your face is good enough." "what?"

are you that stupid? did you not hear what he just said?

tomura was no stranger to flirting with you, he liked to tease that eventually you two would fuck and that you'd be whining about wanting to be his and only his. and maybe you sometimes felt special knowing that you were backstage because he demanded you be there, not because it was just your job. and a long time ago, on a night he was falling in your arms due to the alcohol buzzing through his system that he whispered ...

"you're the worst assistant ever." "why?" "because you'll never love me the way i want."

what was appropriate to say? he snored into his pillow as you tenderly took off his shoes. obviously, he wasn't getting as many girls as he claimed if he couldn't see the love woven into every interaction with him

"my head hurts." "wanna go home? karl jacobs is looking our way, maybe it's best to get going anyways." "jesus, yeah let's go."

and just like that, the two of you left hand in hand.

@tomraki: how do you confess your love to someone?

@rakistanz: just tell her!

shigaraki (work): i love you

[smokingtiger]

This isn’t a consideration situation this is a DEFINITELY report to company thing. I hate all shipping I find it disgusting like what this person is doing is vile, disgusting, and they are unworthy of being considered a human.

The thing is that this person has been on my radar for a long time — they like to disguise their hatred for jimin saying that it’s all in defense for taehyung… which makes zero sense considering vmin’s best friend relationship. I’ve already had a few of their minions come after me calling me a tae anti… but how am I an anti for asking people not to spread terrible rumors about his best friend online? I’m not even dragging taehyung for fucks sake!

Apparently to these delusional and toxic shippers, any attempt to disapprove their mass hysteria is a direct attack on the people involved in their ship.

Madness.

I’ll see if I can draft something reasonable up; I’ve only written a few report emails to bighit before to little success, but I hope that at least one person in their ‘protect’ department takes these rumors seriously given the huge following base this account has. Saying Jimin makes Jungkook uncomfortable, that he’s a harasser, that Jungkook is being forced into the buddy system by the company… all of this is defamation. It’s a gross misrepresentation.

Free vminkook from literal insanity.

I don’t think people realize just how harmful these rumors are. These people are trying to make Jimin out to be some sort of enemy to both Taehyung and Jungkook. Someone might take these delusions to heart and feel the need to do something. They become desperate, they want to ensure the safety of their favorite people — and we know that if people are desperate, they’ll do anything to get what they want. They start buying information. They start becoming obsessed with every little frame that might confirm their suspicions. If they successfully manage to get ahold of Jimin’s personal information, they might try paying him a visit — and not in a good way.

People might think I’m blowing it out of proportion, but things like this have happened many times to many people in the real world. This is why I always say to NEVER declare something as the truth without any confirmation. This is not just a fun theory, this is someone’s reputation and life.

[medium-bloodcrafter-scion]

The Legendborn Cycle Theory Time!

So Tracy Deonn finally dropped us a delectable little breadcrumb for LB3 (6/6/23) via an Instagram post and I am now going to proceed to overanalyse the shit out of it because I cannot help myself.

So Ms Deonn is introducing a new magic system (exciting!) and she posted flowers 🌷🌷🌷🌷- fiery-looking tulips in the foreground. She also mentioned that the scene where Bree is introduced to this new system will involve some kind of emotional payoff. So, my theories:

Disclaimer: I just spitball when I make my theories, they are like 50% thinking and 50% intuition. In other words, I may or may not have a logical reason behind them, I'm just here to have fun.

1. Initially I thought it could be Morgaine magic, but Morgaines also use aether, just a different style of it, and I can't see the emotional ties there. May have to think more about it.

2. Fae magic was my second/related thought, but I cannot see the emotional link at this point. Also Fae haven't been (officially?) introduced in this series, though they are present in Arthuriana so it would make sense to have them.

3. Given how Sel mockingly suggests Bree's mom used magic to 'grow prettier flowers,' back in LB, I'm wondering whether this is a magic system that Faye created with Natasia (Sel's mommy). We've seen them blend magic together already for Bree's sake, so maybe out of love for their children and the realisation that they would be separated from them, they ended up devising something entirely new. Maybe the new magic is how Natasia was healed of demonia? We're definitely getting a Natasia story, where we'll probably learn more about Bree's mom via Nat's pov as she explains to Bree. Bree meeting her, learning more about Faye's secret life as a Rootcrafter/Bloodcrafter who befriended a Merlin will definitely be quite touching.

4. Back to a semi-theory /idea I made in a comment on someone's post... Could be possible we see the Shadowking follow through on his promise and drain Bree of his power, almost killing her in the process. Maybe more HC than theory, I can imagine Bree reconciling with Vera and all her mothers in the ancestral plane as she almost dies, and in the process learning from them that there is magic that is borne out of love, and not pain or bloodshed the way bloodcraft is. This 'higher' magic wouldn't come at the cost bargaining your life away or from theft.

Imagines the ancestral plane transformed into a field of tulips, Bree and her mothers all clothed in pretty white dresses... At very least I may turn this into a fic because 😭

5. Linking back to the previous point, tulips represent forgiveness and pure love, suggesting those elements could be at play in this new magic system. It hearkens back to Bree's ancestor - Jesse I think - who drew on her power by thinking about the love she had for her mom (? Can't remember specifics). Maybe she had the right idea, but wrong magic (bloodcrafted root).

6. There was an article where some of Tracy's favourite books were listed, and it was fun to refer to that list to find out where she may draw some of her inspiration. Of note was the Dark is Rising (DiR) sequence, a series of children's stories that is fantasy based in Arthurian legend. I skimmed through the Wiki for that series and noted lots of themes and ideas overlapping with Legendborn. Notably, the magic system of DiR features three types of magic - Old Magic, Wild Magic, and High Magic. Old Magic is elemental and reminds me of Aether as used by the Order in LBC (Sel explains how magic is physics and aether is an element), Wild Magic is drawn from nature and would be similar to Rootcraft in LBC, and then the third type in DiR is High Magic, - cosmic in origin, and more powerful than the other two. ALL THIS TO SAY I think the new system we'll be introduced to will be incredibly powerful, moreso than what we've seen, and possibly tied into higher principles like love, sacrificial love, forgiveness, truth, etc.

Anyways that's enough rambling for now. I'm actually most excited about seeing how Tracy uses the new system as part of Bree's healing journey. Honestly this series is just so impactful and I know that third book will make me cry (in a good way).

[ihhfhonao3]

So sorry to the reddittor who spent a lot of time writing this out but it was too funny to not copypasta. Og credit to u/Warrior-Servant on Reddit, god bless you and I hope this was fun to hand type out

If you're a WrightWorth shipper and the idea of Feeny and Edgy in a romantic/sexual position with each other warms your heartstrings or rocks your socks, you may want to turn back now.

​

​

​

People are often mislead by their emotions and biases. In the Ace Attorney community, one strong example of this is the Phoenix Wright x Edgeworth shounen-ai (boys love) ship. Unfortunately, it not only just doesn't make sense, it contradicts canon and their characters.

I'll just spell it out for you:

CONFLICT

OF

INTEREST

Seriously, how uncomfortable would you as a defendant feel if your defense attorney was a lover of the prosecutor in charge of the case against you?! I know I would look for another lawyer and fire Phoenix as soon as I learn that information.

On the prosecution's side, how would the state (or prefecture) react to knowing that the attorney tasked with bringing justice against an accused is the lover of the accused's counsel?! The people would demand another prosecutor to ensure justice will be done. It doesn't matter if Edgeworth would totally believe such a relationship wouldn't cloud his judgement-sometimes perception is reality, and the fact of him being a lover just wouldn't "look good."

Edgeworth has shown time and time again that since his successful defense, he does his duty for whatever the truth is, no matter how harsh it may be. He formally accused Athena when she was accused of being a murderer, even if it would psychologically damage her, because if she truly committed a heinous crime, then he would do what he must. Similarly, he even resigned at one point because it was the right thing to do at the time.

Now you WrighWorth shippers expect a reasonable person to actually believe that this very same Edgeworth who would accuse trusted confidants of his friend to be murderers and resign the very career he is devoted to for someone else's sake would prosecute a case where he feels deep emotions and intimacy with the defense in an adversarial system? Hate to break it to you, but that wouldn't happen.

There is also the implications their relationship would have with each other. 1-5 is one such example; Damon Gant is a highly intelligent investigator, which is how he rose to the rank of Police Chief; he knows Edgeworth (at least) very well, and since Phoenix and Edgeworth didn't suspect him at all at first, he should know that Phoenix and Edgeworth would be lovers; if they were, he would call for a mistrial in a desperate attempt to throw away the case against Lana Skye once he started to become a suspect to the defense and prosecution. Not only that, but all cases where Phoenix is the defense, and Edgeworth is the prosecutor could be declared mistrials if they were lovers due to a conflict of interest.

Having your adversary be your lover would have a detrimental effect on professionalism. As was stated in case 6-DLC, the power of love is strong; so strong, that if a case's prosecutor and defense counsel had a romantic relationship, professional boundaries could be blurred, leading to biased decisions or actions.

The court is also a place of impartiality and fairness: if the public or the court perceives that the attorneys' personal relationship might influence their actions, it can undermine trust in the justice system, which contradicts the very fact that Phoenix and Edgeworth are trying to fight against corruption and "the dark age of the law."

Attorneys are also meant to be confidential to their clients-if the defense attorney was the lover to the prosecutor, than the information given under lawyer-client confidentiality is not secure if the defense has a deep and intimate relationship to the adversary.

There may be concerns about collusion or unethical collaboration between the defense attorney and the prosecutor to achieve a particular outcome in a case. This could result in unfair treatment for the opposing party or miscarriages of justice.

Many legal codes of ethics require attorneys to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Engaging in a romantic relationship with opposing counsel could be seen as a violation of these ethical standards.

The public expects legal professionals to uphold the highest ethical standards. Romantic involvement between opposing attorneys could damage their professional reputation and the reputation of the legal system as a whole.

​

Ironically, if WrightWorth were true, then they would be complicit in the dark age of the law, with a legal system allowing prosecutors and defense lawyers who are lovers to preside over legal cases. Seriously, how messed up and corrupt would that be?!

[thewitchunderyourbed]

When the Sun goes down

Sorry, I'm bad at summaries, guess you have to read the whole thing

Chapter 1

Pairing: JoyToy!Johnny x V

Warning: language, sexual themes, brief mention of violence and abuse.

V strolled down Jig-Jig Street, as her friend Goro once said "what kind of name is that?"

Well, what did he expect from a hub full of sex shops and prostitutes?

Taking the turn for Wakako's Pachinko Parlor the neon light reflected on her dark sunglasses, and the sounds of moans and implant commercials filled her ears, annoying her even more.

She was beyond pissed.

She scoffed at the sound of slot machines and almost ripped the damn curtains draped over the door to Wakako's office.

"V, my dear. I heard the gig was a success" the old woman greeted her, always composed.

V, as an answer tossed a bloodied shard on the fixer's desk, the little piece of tech rattled on the wooden surface, leaving a trail of brain pieces and hair.

"Why didn't you tell me my "contact" was a cyberpsycho? Had to make his head into pudding and then retrieve that fucking shard" she hissed.

"But you succeed, didn't you? Eddies are already on your account" Wakako said, with a gesture of her hand her pupils lit up, a sign that she was transferring the money.

"Thank you" V muttered "I'm going home if you need me you know how to find me," she said heading for the exit.

"Wait, V." the woman called, making the merc turn around.

"You're getting noticed a lot, and in a good way. Your exploits are known all over Japan Town and your skills are already legendary. The prostitutes in this neighborhood dream only of you." she smirked.

"Oh, lucky me" the girl replied, unamused.

"What I'm trying to say, my child, is that life is short for not having some fun" the fixer said adjusting her round glasses on her nose.

V snorted "Is what you said to your five husbands?" and with that, she left the Parlor.

It's not that V disliked hookers, she's friends with more than one, but paying for sex it's something she doesn't wish to do.

She would be a hypocrite if she said she had not thought about it on more than one occasion when her stressed brain craved something that wasn't just pain and medications.

A cute JoyToy would make her forget about her pitiful life made of death and money for an hour or two but then she would return to her path of loneliness, with less money and her systems to check up by Vik.

The truth was that she did not care about sex that much anyway.

The oddly shaped strap-ons on display in the shop's windows were almost hilarious to her, for not talking about the Mr. Stud commercials, she knew a guy who had a very HARD time with one of those.

Wakako was right, though.

The hookers were launching themselves at her as she passed, hoping to be noticed and make some money or to simply spend time with her, to have something to gossip around.

"I know what the famous merc is into under the sheets" she could already hear them.

Almost out of the hub, returning to her loved bike her attention was caught by shouts, two people were arguing.

"Oh, for fucks sake" she huffed, tempted to just leave them be and return home for collapsing on her bed.

"What did you just call me, you useless whore?" a Japanese man screamed in his mother tongue.

"A wretched piece of shit, keep your fucking hands to yourself if you can't pay," another man with dark aviators said.

The first grabbed the latter by his net shirt, making his glasses fall onto the dirty ground.

"Hey!" V yelled towards the two, approaching with quick steps.

"Is he troubling you?" the merc asked the male JoyToy.

"And what the hell do you want? Take his place, maybe?" the molester, eyed her from head to toe.

"If you don't immediately leave within three seconds, I swear I'll rip off that poor excuse of genitals you have between your legs, and make you forcefully swallow them, do you copy?" she asked, throwing the man against the nearest wall and unsheathing her mantis blades.

The poor fucker almost peed his pants as he ran away, tripping on his own feet by looking behind himself, afraid of being followed by V.

"Could have made it by myself" the JoyToy scoffed.

"You're welcome" arching one eyebrow at him, she lowered down to pick up his glasses handing them to their owner.

"Thank you" he finally said, extending a shiny cybernetic arm "I'm Johnny"

It takes some time for V to realize she was meant to introduce herself too, lost in her thought of a soft and warm bed as the cold rain started to fall on Night City.

"I'm V... Sorry to ask you but..." she gestured where a golden feather-like cyberware adorned his neck "-you're not a JoyToy".

Johnny fished out a cigarette from the back pocket of his leather pants and V took out a lighter from one of hers.

Stepping closer to him and using her free hand to prevent the small flame to be blown out by the rising wind, she lit the cigarette held between his lips.

He let out a nervous exhale of smoke before speaking "I was a doll, at Clouds. That fucking place is a soulsucker, I've been beaten one too many times, waking up in a bloodbath without even remembering by whom or why. I quit that place forever"

She could still see a trace of fear in his dark eyes even if the secure expression on his beautiful features tried to mask it.

"You're not having much luck even here" she pointed out.

"At least I'm not a sex zombie anymore, why the hell do you care anyway?" he inquired suspiciously.

"I'm in a good work relationship with Okada, this district fixer. Her problems and the ones of her clients often became mine to resolve. I like to keep myself well informed" V said, raising the hood of her jacket on her head.

"See you around, Johnny" she smiled weakly before stepping under the pounding rain.

"Wait! Don't you... I mean, as a thank you?" he raised his voice to be heard.

"As a thank you, you can stay safe" she ignited the engine of her Arch to life before speeding away.

"See you around, V" he sighed, shivering in the cold night.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Feel free to comment and give constructive critiques. English is not my mother tongue so if you have found some errors, please let me know.

Ideas and suggestions are welcomed too 💕

[transparencyboo]

Recently I've been replaying and recording Pikmin 3 Deluxe (2020) in preparation for an upcoming project of ours (shh, it's a secret), and it's pretty good ain't it? It is honestly more in line with what I would've wished Pikmin 4 was. Not to say that the latest entry is somehow a bad one, but I do feel like it could've leaned more towards Pikmin 3 rather than 2 in some ways.

Pikmin 3 ditches the metaphysical dream caves and instead cuts the stages up in different segments, some of which are in fact cave systems. I like that they more naturally blend into the environments and connect to different parts of the levels to create shortcuts or passageways to hidden away areas. I personally like this approach a whole lot more because of how it cohesively ties everything together.

The classic statically top down view of the series is also present here and has some added stuff to make it more dynamic. It gives you a great view of everything within your vicinity and works really well when you strategically switch between the three playable characters. This time around the camera also shifts the view at times to show you scenic vistas or things of interest, which really makes certain transitional areas that funnel you from one to another stick out from the rest. Makes the Pikmin world feel more vast and unexplored.

There are also several big boss creatures introduced that are all engaging to take down. I simply adore their designs, especially the Vehemoth Phosbat that is just the right amount of fucked up and cute to make it a top tier Pikmin pest. It might be a bit 'video gamey' so to speak to enter these big areas with huge boys that require you to use specific mechanics to take down, but I think they're more fun for it to be honest. Topping it all off with the Plasm Wraith that chases you through an entire cave system and you've got yourself a solid roster of freaks to take down.

Some people say that Pikmin 3 is too short, but I can do nothing but scoff at that sentiment. The truth™ is that Pikmin 3 is just as long as it needs to be. It's the perfect length. No fluff. If anything I'd consider a game like Pikmin 4 to be too long, basically filled with 'content' for 'contents' sake. Sure it has a whole hecking lot of things to do, but I think a game like Pikmin 3 has much more memorable quality material within its humble run time than the latest entry could ever muster. I don't know if it was spread too thin to pad out the length, but either way I'll take a shorter game any day of the week. I don't want to eat an entire trash bag full of popcorn, you know. No I will not elaborate.

On a side note, this is the Pikmin game with the perfect co-op mode. Just two people given equal control of the game, makes the multitasking more relaxed and manageable in a way that makes you and your comrade compatriot feel like the masters of a well-oiled Pikmin machine. I love it.

All in all, Pikmin 3 is the Pikmin 3 of Pikmin games. It has gameplay, visuals and sometimes even sound. And hey, if that doesn't convince you, need I remind you that it has Brittany? I would marry her if I could! (She's too small.)

[justanotherspeck]

s1 my beloved

transcript below the cut:

CASPAR: Anyway, this is Midnight Burger. I’m Caspar.

AVA (Outside): FUCK. YES.

CASPAR: That’s Ava, she’s always here.

AVA: (Outside) NICOTINE, GET IN ME.

CASPAR: And this is a... diner.

GLORIA: Are you sure?

--

CASPAR: The huge murder beast is having a coffee break

--

ZEBULON: For our marriage is made strong by a singular truth.

EFFIE: That divorce is an abomination.

ZEBULON: … And that we love each other very much.

EFFIE: Yes, also that.

--

THE EX: You can’t let that stand in the way of true love.

LEIF: Honey, you lay eggs.

THE EX: Why do you keep bringing that up?!

LEIF: It’s an important detail!

--

GLORIA: Do you ever feel like Leif is almost too relaxed? He goes with the flow no matter what, it’s weird.

AVA: Oh yeah? Watch this. Hey, Leif?

LEIF (In the kitchen): Yeah?

AVA: I’ve been thinking about it and, I don’t know, I still feel like a hot dog is a sandwich.

[POTS CRASHING.]

LEIF (In the kitchen): For fuck’s sake!

--

MARY: Can you help me?

CASPAR: What’s happening?

MARY: The officer outside, he’s been looking for me for days. I’ve managed to avoid him so far but now that’s him outside. Can you hide me somewhere? This desperate plea is brought to you by Arby’s. Arby’s, we have the meats.

---

LEIF: This Molotov Cocktail is brought to you by communism!

[BOTTLE SMASHING]

--

EFFIE: Yes, yes, of course. Our Lord is a God of peace.

ZEBULON: Indeed.

EFFIE: Unless you’re a merchant outside the temple, then look out for the chokehold of Jesus.

ZEBULON: Honey!

--

CASPAR: Ava, what are you doing?

AVA: I’m getting this jug of moonshine and going out in the parking lot to watch a fist fight. Suck on that, Stephen Hawking.

--

CASPAR: Oh, no. What are we going to do without all the essential work you do around here? Who will do the incredibly hard work of being an asshole to people?

AVA: That’s not work, that’s how I relax.

CASPAR: Well you must be really relaxed.

---

STEVE: We had come upon a binary star system. I looked upon these two stars rotating around their barycenter and my thoughts turned to my wife. We were like these two stars, locked into an eternal dance only due to chance and gravity, unable to recall a moment where we chose each other and unable to escape this rotation. Knowing that to move closer would obliterate us both.

CASPAR: This went from fun idea to Russian novel real fast.

--

STEVE: Hello, my friends. I am about to go on a date.

CASPAR: Yeah, we heard... uhhh nice work, buddy.

LEIF: Go get ‘em, tiger.

STEVE: I have no idea how to go on a date.

CASPAR: Oh.

LEIF: Shit, okay, uh...

CASPAR: Um... Ask her about her job.

LEIF: Yeah, her life in general.

CASPAR: Listen a lot.

LEIF: Don’t try and be funny.

CASPAR: Try sharing a secret with her.

LEIF: If she asks you to do something illegal, it may be a test.

CASPAR: What?

LEIF: Really gauge the situation at that point, is she kidding or does she actually want to do crimes?

CASPAR: What are you talking about?

LEIF: This is good advice.

CASPAR: Where, the Pirate Isle of Tortuga?

--

EFFIE: Caspar, thanks for being with us today.

CASPAR (Whispering): So great to be here, go fuck yourself.

--

CASPAR: Gloria, we’re going to have to go.

GLORIA: Oh, man. Okay. Guys, gather round.

[HEARTBREAKING MUSIC]

CASPAR: What the hell is that music?

[WOLVES WIMPERING]

GLORIA: V, Jungkook, Jimin, Suga, Jin, RM, J-Hope. I want you to know that I love you all very much. But I have my own pack, and I have to go run with them now.

EFFIE: (Fighting back tears) It’s... so hard to hear her say goodbye to the wolves.

ZEBULON (Also crying): I didn’t realize she named them after the members of BTS.

--

CASPAR: We should get one of those signs that says “This many days since an accident”.

LEIF: Yeah, except ours would say “This many days since your sentient radio quoted the Egyptian Book of the Dead, switched personalities, or steered you into a supermassive black hole.”

CASPAR: ...That’s way too long for a sign, Leif.

GLORIA: Yeah, Leif, that’s—

--

CASPAR: As a straight white male you know one thing about me: I’ve watched a lot of History Channel.

--

GLORIA: Okay, I’m thinking a chair, some rope, and I’ll pour hot coffee on her, let’s do some Guantanamo shit.

JANE (Overlapping): It’s no use, guys.

--

GLORIA: Did the doors to the diner just lock?

CASPAR: They did. Effie, what in the Amityville Horror is happening right now?

--

JANE: Does having you kidnapped maybe count as a romantic gesture at all?

--

CASPAR, narrating: In Ava’s defense, she was unilaterally putting everyone in danger... That doesn’t make it better, does it?

--

AVA: I am going to rip your balls off!

CASPAR: Oh, don’t threaten me with a good time.

[everlastiingiimmortals]

Dynamics of Interest

As stated, this is a brief list of dynamics I'm interested in building more of, and why. This list is not exclusive, nor does it encompass all that I'm willing to develop! Of course, each mun and muse is different, and that naturally applies here too. This is mostly to generate thoughts/inspiration!

Those marked with an asterisk are those I'm more hesitant to write outside of with a few people or that I'd like more extensive development for due to being picky with characterization. I also am choosing to not state whether these are romantic or not, because I'd like that to happen organically through mun-mun conversation.

Jing Yuan

Blade* - a tale of loyalty to old friends, a wish for a peaceful farewell, lingering regrets and bitterness, a haunting sense of betrayal

Dan Heng - a bond that transcends time, patience and support, seeing one's true self without judgement, homeward bound

Jingliu - a mourning for a childhood lost, missing the person that raised you, fearing history repeating, a loss of trust, wishing for approval just once

Yukong - mutual grief, the struggles of parenthood, an understanding that all things come to an end and change, raising the future

Fu Xuan - faithfulness, familiar bickering, reliance on an unexpected comfort that one's presence brings, care that needs not be spoken out loud

Yanqing - a story of coming of age, balancing expectations with reality, guidance and nurturing, fatherhood

Trailblazer - loyalty earned through merit, lessons taught through challenge and play, skepticism wrought through selective truths

Kafka - a game of chess, a dangerous dance, woven lies and half truths, a mutual understanding of the stakes at play, thunder webs and lightning claws

Zhongli (genshin AU) - a lord and his general, reminiscing over old times, unwavering faith and loyalty, a shared interest in the finer things in life

Dr. Ratio

Aventurine* - conflict of philosophy, cooperation through contracts, tentative trust, slow growing understanding and compassion

Topaz - a conflict of naivety and pessimism, mutual understanding of intellect, GO NUMBY! ZERO POINTS!, believing in the system vs. daring to change it, honesty and righteousness even in the face of consequence

Sunday* - what is a god to a nonbeliever?, dreams vs. reality, a challenge of authority, the threat of knowing all and seeing all

Gallagher - a refuge in an overwhelming world, appearances not being all they seem, risking one's sense of self, teeth and claws

Screwllum* - of man and machine, an unfair rivalry, chasing a standard you can never meet, spite towards the meritocracy, the cruelty of time

Black Swan - forbidden knowledge, a mutual exchange of memories, embracing the beauty of the human existence, to be is to be perceived, preservation against the test of time

Trailblazer - a teacher, challenging naivety, trials as both guidance and investment

Stelle

Welt - a sense of awe, comfort and reliance in experience, apprehension of the past and known secrets

Dan Heng - kinship through shared troubles, i've got your back, the utmost trust in each other's abilities

March 7th - opposites attract, breaking the ice, comfort in inclusivity and encouragement

Trailblazer - multiverse meta, my other self, identity crisis, an exchange of experiences and comparing of personalities (note: I will not do any twin AUs/dynamics with anyone but @celestial-narwhal!)

Kafka - hostility, a sense of betrayal, no second chances, fear

Silver Wolf - fair and fun rivalry, putting differences aside for the sake of fun

honestly pretty much anyone, I want Stelle to interact with more folks the most

Gepard

Landau Siblings - only brother remaining, patriarchal pressure, overprotectiveness and worry, wishing for the old days

Bronya - unwavering loyalty, pressures of heirhood, the shield to the scepter

Seele - misunderstandings and competition, culture shock, swallowing pride for the better of the people

Topaz - hostility and mistrust, guarding against outsiders, forced cooperation

Trailblazer - loyalty and trust, a desire to step beyond one's station, curiosity about what lies beyond

As a reminder, these are mostly general thoughts at the top of my head! Dynamics I haven't listed are those that I either haven't had much thought on or are a little more exclusive/already exist (eg. Jing Yuan and Luocha or Ratio and Himeko) and thus I'm not actively looking for, but I'm still open to potential exploration! You just need to approach me first!

[imsosocold]

Ace Attorney ships I find personally amusing

"I, an aro spec person, have little to no interest in ships" once said a foolish fool.

Dhurke and Manfred:

Genuinely they're such cool contrasts, Manfred is the embodiment of the status quo while Dhurke is the face of rebellion and is all about expression while Manfred is incredibly closed off and ridden with paranoia while Dhurke trusts in others so strongly and the fact they both take in someone else's kid to raise as their own out of their own senses of duty -

Dhurke should've gotten to radicalize that old man and also kiss him methinks.

Matt and Kristoph:

Do you know the quote " he's so stupid, I have to fuck him?" Yeah, that's the dynamic, even though Matt's quite cunning ( which Kristoph and most of the AA fandom don't want to admit). Both petty and paranoia ridden and identityless, thinking they're above everyone else yet being so self harming and sabotaging, completely consumed by the systems they worked in only to get tossed aside by them once their depravity becomes too visible. If you've seen my previous AA posts you know I love the idea of Klavier looking up to Matt and wanting to model themself after him. To Kristoph, however, Matt is the embodiment of the lifestyle that he fears will consume his brother. So even before the whole Farewell Turnabout reveal, there's resentment already there. Poor Klavier is naturally crushed when the truth comes out ( better get used that soon buddy) and admist the rage for Klavier's sake in Kristoph there's also the satisfaction of being right. I wouldn't be surprised if Kristoph visits Matt in prison just to gloat and try to fuel his paranoia but Matt, ever the actor, just bats his eyes and treats Kristoph like he's another fan. Naturally this gets under Kristoph's skin and makes him want to break Matt even more and the duo end up in this perpetual cat and mouse game that's more amusing to them than any other rivalries they've had, even with Juan and Phoenix.

Klavier, watching his brother stamp a pile of letters to Matt Engarde: I think you're more upset about what he did than I am Bruder.

Kristoph : Shut up Klavier, your boyfriend has a dildo on his head.

Kristoph naturally shares all this with Beanix in an attempt to bond with him over their shared hatred, but it has the opposite effect on someone who's dealt with someone also having " unnecessary feelings" almost his whole life. It is 100% what confirms his suspicions of Kristoph and you know once he defeats him he throws in the line "lmao have fun with your boyfriend in prison." ( Which makes poor Klavier even more distraught.) Matt swears the reason he's happy to see Kristoph in prison is purely out of the satisfaction in seeing an enemy of his fall. Anyway, their antagonism in person is even more extreme but with how they're forced to spend time together in prison, genuine time together, things get more complicated and it looks like Phoenix and Klavier were right all along. WELL FUCK-

Geiru and Dahlia:

Girlies who solve their problems with murder and frame those they're supposed to be close to ♡ Dahlia sees this girl getting crushed by the legacy of her family and won't allow history to repeat again.

They wouldn't have to put personas on for once and could just exist without expectation and judgement.

Also the contrast of graceful Dahlia with literal clown girl amuses me <3

Godot and Simon Blackquill:

Manipulative, mysterious hot prosecutors who are up their own asses? Yeah, they need to make out/j

In all seriousness both of them are so fucking tragic, trying so hard to protect the ones they care about and being willing to do fucked up shit to do so regardless of what happens to them. At the same time toxically assuming what's best for other people without their input ( especially regarding female characters) and harshly project their own feelings onto other people. They're sickly similar and I hope they realize this and heal together.

Bikini and Gant:

They're unhinged in opposite directions <3 So interesting that Bikini is similarly part of a corrupt system but hasn't been tainted by it like Gant was, probably because she hadn't gotten to see and experience the extent of it like Gant did. Both so easily could've become the other if their positions had shifted. Any so, Bikini would bring out Gant's more heartfelt traits and they'd definitely joke around together and be annoyances to everyone around them and just enjoy the little things in life. But primarily I'm interested in this duo because the idea of Gant leaving behind his work to join the temple life amuses me XD

Angel Starr and Dee Vazquez:

Fucked up, violent, revenge driven women who are willing to do anything in order to get what they want? Automatic click. Either they'll take over and rule the world together or they'll retire to a seaside town and grow old together. 50/50 chance with these veteran queers.

Larry and Sorin:

I’m a sucker for STEM and artist duos, romantic or otherwise. Their differing interests and personalities would bounce well off each other, making them a comedic yet chemistry filled paring that balances each other out. Also, flanderization aside, Larry is an understanding and caring guy and would support Sorin throughout his recovery and beyond.

Larry and Shelly De Killer:

The idea of cheerful guy who constantly gets accused of murder dating one of the most prolific killers ( also a cheerful guy) sends me, along with the concept of either of them taking the other’s last name. I think Shelly would be interested in Larry’s genuine love for life and continued nativity while Larry is absolutely smitten by how suave and cool Shelly is. 50/50 chance Larry knows who Shelly really is. Justifiably Maya and Phoenix flip out.

Sebastian and Hugh O Connor:

Parallels! Cocky people who believe they’re highly skilled only to realize their parents were pulling strings and while absolutely crushed, they strive to do better and are incredibly loyal to those they care about. They should go “ samesies!” and imprint on each other.

Simon Keyes and Nahyuta:

Love these two cause they’re so similar but complete opposites. They’re both self declared fighters of corrupt systems who are willing to sacrifice anything and everything ( including themselves) to complete their goals. Not to mention having an intense loyalty to their fathers and father figures. But while Nahyuta believed in fighting within the system despite knowing its corruption , Simon, refusing to sink to the level of those he hated, made sure to fight the system from the outside. I hope they bite each other <3.

Richard and Daryan:

Flamboyant queers with weird hair who are both based in their crimes and actually not appreciated enough. They should kiss and do more crimes.

Nahyuta and Matt:

The contrast. I want Nahyuta to look at Matt and see him as someone who was similarly raised into fitting a certain role and was unable to escape it and in turn swearing to save Matt’s soul. Matt is honestly confused but, amused and ever the opportunist, agrees to Nahyuta’s demands. Phoenix on the other hand is pushing Apollo to get his brother to stop, with Apollo explaining he literally can’t change his brother’s mind.

Luke & Ron & Desiree:

Okay, Ron and Desiree are a package deal. Anyway, I imagine Luke believes that having a rival means your relationship with them is naturally homoerotic ( I mean he’s not wrong) leaving poor Ron even more flustered and confused than usual . Desiree would just find it all funny to be honest and probably encourage the antics but if she wanted she could probably roast Luke out of committing anymore crimes and gain another partner in the process. Should’ve left the whole De Masque business to her to be honest.

Nahyuta and Kristoph:

“ You screwed over my brother.”

“ You screwed over your own brother.”

Both being forced to sacrifice so much for their sibling who doesn’t understand the extent of their sacrifices. Both committing horrible acts order survive, believing they alone know what’s best and are the only one who can carry such extreme actions out. But Nahyuta was the only one who got to grow beyond these viewpoints and tendencies while Kristoph only double down. Both of them hate each other but can understand each other and hate the fact that they can, they hate feeling anything for each other. Nahyuta wouldn't ever fall for Kristoph’s shit and Kristoph would hate being so powerless and exposed to him and even more so that Nahyuta doesn’t tear him apart from the inside. Nahyuta should become Kristoph’s architect and rebuild him in his image.

Uendo and Matt:

Matt learns Uendo genuinely enjoys giving performances and needs to know how. I think despite their drastically different experiences and ideals , they could form a genuine connection centered around having to suppress parts of themselves for the sake of their work. Since Matt work centered around entertaining kids and making them happy I think he could also get along with Owen well. I think Matt would have the best relationship with Patches out of all of them with Kisegawa and him having the most antagonistic relationship (but still caring). Honestly while one of the most simplistic parings it’s one of my favorites.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed as I spent too much time on this and I’d like to hear your own blursed ideas.