#Multi Layers Chain

[sweetsummersemen]

I hate working for local government so much, like yeah it pays better than not for profits did but Jesus at what cost?

[inkofthebrain]

Imperial

[ Paul Atreides x F!Reader ] 1307 words

Paul Atreides, Duke of Arakkis, takes the hand of the Emperor’s eldest daughter for the throne, yet neither are pleased. They know they must learn to be civil, but what will it cost them…

Tags: post-Dune 2, strays from book canon, no use of y/n, dune typical everything, Corinno!Reader, slow burn, enemies to lovers kind of? ARRAIGNED MARRIAGE TROPE EXCEPT BOTH PARTIES ARE PISSY ABOUT IT, not proofread LOL.

Warnings: Dune typical themes, motifs, and actions

A/n: I plan on writing a prequel at some point. This is most definitely going to be multi part

Next chapter

Masterlist

One———

Your father stood beside you as the door of our ship slowly lowered, meeting the grassy ground of Caladan with a deep thud.

The air was cold, crisp, and smelt of the sea. The same sea you could hear smashing against the cliff side with the help of the impenetrable wind.

A fog lingered in the air as you watched four guards step out forward and as you follow, the Atredies household seem to rise out of the ground as you walked towards the estate.

Standing tall, cold, still and terrified you watch as the Duke of Atreides, and soon the Imperium, limps towards your father, bloodied knife in hand.

“The life debt has been payed” Irulan, your little sister, pushes out.

Your head snaps to look at her and instantly you speak, only thinking to spare your family

“Spare our fathers life and I will be your bride. The throne will be yours” you speak, looking the young Atredies in the eyes. Anger, chaos, and rage is all you can see within them.

Hidden behind layers of metal blinds and chain mail, your eyes went to the body of Feyd-Rautha. Still and cold. This is the first time anyone has seen him so… at peace.

Your body shakes when the Duke of Atreides drives his foot into the ground in-front of the Emperor. A horrifying silence fell over the room as he slowly outstretches his hand, the only sound in the space being the hot Arakkis wind and Paul’s labored breathing.

Fear. That is all you feel as you watch your father hesitantly take the Dukes left hand and begin the decent to his knees. How could this be happening? The imperium is going to swallow this naive boy whole and take your whole family down with him.

The second your fathers lips touched the cold metal everyone dropped to their knees, including Irulian. All who stood were you, Paul, and a fremen who soon stormed out. You took a deep breath.

Once you arrived inside Paul and your father disappeared to discuss the implications of this agreement. The transfer of your ownership.

You were left standing in-front of a large window facing the cliff side, an Atreides guard standing a few feet behind you. You loathed him already, you hated his very existence. This false prophet. As the waves crashed against the jagged cliff you tried to savor your remaining moment of pseudo-freedom. Alas, women are never free in this world.

“You are requested for dinner, your highness” A member of the staff stammered out. You let out a small hum before turning around with a polite smile. From the moment you were born this is what you were made for. A political marriage. One of convenience. You stepped forward.

“Of course”

———

Paul was already there, seated at the head of the table. He did not look up on your entrance, but he did acknowledge your presence. A small nod was the only thing he offered as a greeting, his focus being on your father who was discussing trade routes.

You took a seat next to your father as you waited for the arrival of Lady Jessica. Hands in lap you picked at your nails until you could no longer, a rage burning within you.

Soon she entered before taking a seat on Paul’s right. Their blue eyes were captivating, despite their departure from the desert planet.

The wedding was to be held on the home of the Atredies, Caladan. Every and all representatives of the Great Houses and other branches of the Imperium were to be present.

“It is an event of extreme significance” Lady Jessica spoke, “we have 4 weeks before the wedding where we will then depart back to Arakkis shortly there after.”

You took a deep breath as you watched her, your eyes occasionally drifting to Paul.

“I believe it is time for a proper introduction.” Jessica said looking at Paul. She says your full name and motions to you with her hand, “Lady Corrino is the firstborn child of late-emperor Shaddam, and the heiress of the imperium.”

“My lord.” You bid him a nod of acknowledgment before averting your eyes to the table. You thought that if you stared at it long enough you would wake up from this night terror.

A nod was his response to your greeting as he looked away from you, turning back towards the window. In the distance, he could just make out the edge of the caladan sea, the endless gray waves lapping up against the estate's cliffside property.

Beside him, he could hear his mother speak to you again. "I trust your journey was not too terrible."

“It was pleasant. Nothing out of the ordinary.” Your father spoke and your gut churned. The normality of this exchange is twisting your mind in ways you cannot imagine. The politeness, the facade, it all made you sick.

"Good." A simple statement. Paul felt no motivation to continue the conversation even before it had started. His mother continued on with her own chatter with you and your father.

"But for now, I will let and paul get to know each other a bit more while I escort you back to your ship." Jessica smiled, taking the cue to step away. she gave him a pointed look before she left, however-- be polite. A trade of ownership, you have been successfully dumped at the doorstep of the Atredies and once your father left this planet you would be at their mercy.

A sickening silence fell over the room. Paul glanced away from you, not wishing to return any look. Instead, his eyes searched through the rain-soaked windows, seeking for something to do besides idle chat. This was a waste of time.

“I am as dissatisfied about this as you are my lord” You boldly state. Not caring for any reprimanding or impoliteness. You were filled with rage and nothing more. Blinded by your distasteful and undesirable future.

He raised an eyebrow in your direction, glancing back at you. Silence lingered between them for a moment before he finally spoke. "and what gave it away?"

“Political Marriages are always a fuss”

A soft chuckle. he had to give you respect for that. It was the first time in your conversation with him as of yet that you were not just spouting nonsense. "No, I have to agree with you on this point. There is nothing convenient about being wed for political purposes."

It was almost humorous, in a way. He was stuck with you just as you were with him. “Two strangers tied together by duty.” There was just a hint of a sigh at the end of his words, he sounded just a little bitter. Paul’s eyes flicked off in a random direction, finding no real distraction from you and he was stuck within the room with you.

“Tell me about yourself." His voice was flat as he asked the question, it was more out of curiosity than any deep interest.

“I’m educated in Imperium law, structure, history…” you drone on about all of your prospects. Hobbies you were forced to have as a child to prepare you for this future.

"you're a woman of talents, it seems." He says

It was better to have a pretty fiancé who also did not seem like she needed to be supervised all the time. At least it meant his duties were lessened, to a degree. He could focus on other things, rather than wasting a moment worrying after you.

“Shall I walk you to your room, my lady? it was long journey and you must be worn out." His voice held a tone of kindness only one in high society is trained to have. Superficially sincere. You wanted to vomit.

“That would be lovely thank you” you smile

———

Next chapter

[adinfernumadinfinitum]

Welcome to my silly little fan theory @emmg:

How Raphael is the ‘Mastermind’ behind the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3…

…or how I give him more importance than I should.

DISCLAIMER:

In this ‘dissertation,’ I present my take on things based on Dungeons and Dragons 5e lore from the Forgotten Realms universe, along with fandom theories and headcanons where they suit me. This is NOT an in-depth analysis of anything, so I won’t be reciting specific quotes, etc.

I repeat, this is just MY take on things. If a similar theory already exists, feel free to reach out, and I’ll gladly tag the material!

Oh, and there are a lot of spoilers about, well, everything, so read at your own risk ⚠️

I thank the lovely @bitethedevil for allowing me to tag their posts, making it easier on me so I don’t have to write everything out! I also want to take this moment to appreciate their work and contributions to this fandom! ☺️

Introduction

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a brilliant, complex, multi-layered game filled with multiple villains, heroic figures, and a plot that weaves players in seamlessly. That’s why we love this game—at least, that’s why I do—the gripping storyline and its faceted characters.

The game is set in the Forgotten Realms with DnD lore and rules, while still adding and maintaining its own unique features and twists.

But what if we entirely take a look at it from DnD lore perspective?

Section 1: Raphael as the core character in Baldur’s Gate 3

Fans of the Emperor might argue with me here, but oh man, have you seen how many pies Raphael has his fingers in?

This narcissistic little shit of a cambion plotted his grand design to take the Crown of Karsus for over 2,000 years, planning everything with terrifying precision and putting in a staggering amount of effort—all to manipulate Tav or Durge into giving him the crown.

To understand just how far back his scheming goes, we have to start with the fall of Netheril. As Raphael himself tells us, this is where it all began, and when his father seized the crown, it became impossible for Raphael to obtain it himself.

Baator—the Nine Layers of Hell—has its own system and rules. The plane is aligned as lawful evil, and by its laws, anyone who breaks them is punished; in other words, theft is a crime (don’t try this at home edition).

Am I going to explain the system and rules of the Nine Hells? Hell no, or I’ll be sitting here until next Halloween. Sorry, maybe in a separate post sometime (or not) 😭

So Raphael had to get creative if he wanted to get his greedy claws on the crown.

You can read about how much Raphael’s involvement is actually found in the game Baldur’s Gate 3 here.

What’s relevant for this ‘dissertation’ are the following points, which all show how he orchestrates the plot:

1. Raphael, Vlaakith, and the Astral Prism —

Raphael even plots to capture Orpheus. Not personally, of course, but with the knowledge that it could benefit him and would even serve its purpose in the future. This is a crucial detail.

However, I don’t believe Raphael would craft or have someone craft an item like the Astral Prism, as well as the bindings of Orpheus (the mask, chains, and binding crystals) and the Orphic Hammer. It’s more likely these objects already existed in the Hells, with Raphael profiting by dealing with them.

Sadly there is no official information on that, I really find that interesting.

As for why the Orphic Hammer is called Orphic Hammer - why is Orpheus called Orpheus? He’s a liberator for his people, having inherited the power of Mother Gith, who freed the Gith from mind flayer enslavement. The character of Orpheus draws heavily from Orpheus in Greek mythology, a symbol of liberation, love, and the attempt to rescue a soul from the bonds of death. The term “Orphic” reflects this sense of breaking free from constraints or seeking transformation (of course, it has other meanings, too, but this one feels like what the developers were aiming for).

So the hammer’s name has both symbolic depth and a bit of pun, as it’s intended to free the character Orpheus from his chains.

ANYWAY

2. Raphael, Moonrise Towers, and the Gauntlet of Shar —

The amount of interwoven contracts Raphael has made in the Shadow Cursed Lands is suspicious, and each and every one of them is too , an important point.

Isn’t it just a bit too convenient that Ketheric’s misery plays right into Raphael’s hands? The Shadow-Cursed Lands—Reithwin, once ruled by Ketheric, formerly full of Selunite worshippers but ruined by schemes of the Dark Lady who turned a grieving worshipper of her sister into a Shar follower and leader of an army of Dark Justiciars—is a whole breeding ground for contracts and a stage for Raphael’s play.

Hold on, I’m not implying that I believe Raphael had a hand in Shar’s mischief here, but I do think Raphael handpicked Ketheric, a grieving and obsessed madman (a truly tragic character, honestly), to be an unwitting pawn in his schemes, without directly involving himself. To do this, he contracted with desperate beings like the Architect, Yurgir, and the last Dark Justiciar.

To understand why Raphael would even need Ketheric, we have to look a step further.

3. Raphael and my beloved raccoon boy, Gortash —

Raphael buying Gortash from his parents was a calculated move and the final piece in the Netherbrain plot scheme.

I believe Raphael specifically chose Enver Gortash, a boy with potential, for his plans to get the Crown of Karsus.

Look, Gortash is anything but dumb; in fact, he’s the exact opposite. He learned the ropes in Hell, literally imprisoned in Raphael’s House of Hope. All jokes aside about pot-scrubbing duty and overhearing Raphael and Haarlep getting it on, Gortash is a quick learner.

Raphael just had to watch as Gortash escaped the House of Hope with vital information about the crown. With this, Raphael set up an ambitious, cunning man with the drive to steal the crown.

And this is where Ketheric returns to the picture. Ketheric, the chosen of Myrkul; Gortash, the chosen of Bane; and Durge, the chosen of Bhaal.

As for how Raphael might have gotten his hands on Durge? I’ll leave that as the theory’s plot hole.

I could fill it with headcanons—like Gortash and Durge knowing each other even before Gortash was sold—but that feels a bit far-fetched.

Actually, all of this is a bit far-fetched, but hey, it’s my silly little theory.

But hey again, we’re slowly coming to a conclusion how Raphael is the mastermind behind BG3, do you see my vision?

All Raphael needed was patience. The chosen ones, Gortash and Durge, set the stage by planning the Netherbrain coup and, in stealing the crown, executed Raphael’s plan. All they needed was the third chosen, Ketheric, to carry out the rest of the plot: building the Absolute’s army, etc., the rest we know...

So, what was left? Just someone desperate enough to make a deal with Raphael and actually hand over the Crown of Karsus. And how would he pull that off?

✨The Tadpole Gang✨

Every single one of them fits the bill. Especially if the player chooses Durge.

The next question is: how could he manipulate the group if they were under the Absolute’s influence? Well, that’s where the Emperor comes onto the stage.

Because, hear me out one more time: isn’t it convenient that the Emperor, of all people, finds the Astral Prism? A figure obsessed with freedom and manipulation, ambitious and clever, who would serve perfectly as a kind of protection shield from the Elder Brain’s influence for the gang? And to that even a disposable figure as it is a mind flayer who would not be trusted in the end.

(Naturally, in the game the player is the ultimate executional force, making any kind of higher plan or scheme either perfect or useless)

Nevertheless, this is as far as I will dive into this specific pond.

I just think it adds up nicely.

But Björni, if you have a Section 1, what about a Section 2? you might ask. Well, here it comes…

… how this ‘dissertation’ is actually about Mephistopheles being the ‘Mastermind’ behind the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Section 2: Raphael as the Scapegoat

DnD’s lore about fiends—and, specifically, cambions—teaches us that they’re doomed to fail from birth. While they may think they’re in control of their schemes, they’re actually playing into the hands of their fiendish parent.

Ever wondered why Mephistopheles would even bother devouring Raphael if we defeat him? Sure, cambion sons are nourishing (yum yum), but given Mephistopheles’ personality, I’d guess he does it to humiliate his son, even in death, for being a failure—a failure to retrieve the crown for his father.

But wait, Mephistopheles already had the crown—why would he bother plotting all of this just to get it back? Isn’t that a bit over-the-top, Björni?

Bear with me: it’s not officially written anywhere, but it’s more or less canon based on what we know of the Archdevils Asmodeus and Mephistopheles.

Asmodeus rules the Hells, while Mephistopheles, as the Archduke of the 8th layer, Cania, is arguably the second most powerful being in Baator. Mephistopheles has never stopped dreaming of overthrowing Asmodeus, even after repeatedly failing miserably. But if he openly tried to use the crown against Asmodeus, it would be a direct affront, and Asmodeus would have shut it down from the start.

Mephistopheles has other children besides Raphael, and Raphael isn’t exactly useless, he’s actually the complete opposite. Strategically, it wouldn’t make sense to discard such a puppet (call him son)—unless Raphael had done something atrocious. And for someone as mighty as Mephistopheles, controlling his little cambion son would be child’s play. So, then why does Raphael hate his father so much, and why is Raphael ‘residing’ in Avernus?

As we know, Avernus is the armpit of Baator, a plane for exiles and outcasts.

I think Mephistopheles intentionally filled his relationship with Raphael with hatred, so Raphael’s ambition to overthrow his father would ignite and one day serve him. When Mephistopheles got the Crown of Karsus, unable to wield it himself, he set the stage for his son’s scheme—by casting Raphael aside, Mephistopheles set him on the path to steal the crown, with Mephistopheles only indirectly involved in overthrowing Asmodeus. Raphael would do the dirty work—taking over the other layers—before ultimately facing his father, who could then just snatch the crown from him. And yes, I do believe Mephistopheles is arrogant enough to think he’d still be more powerful than his son, even with a god-like artifact. He has that bloated of an ego.

BUT (Nr. 36,252), what about Asmodeus? Wouldn’t he step in and crush the plan?

Here’s the thing: Asmodeus generally doesn’t mind if his archdukes fight for control of their layers, as long as it doesn’t threaten his supreme authority or destabilize Hell’s hierarchy. In fact, he encourages a bit of rivalry and ambition among his archdevils, as infighting serves his purposes.

And can you imagine THE Asmodeus being worried about an over-ambitious cambion?

However, this leads to the TRUE instigator and the true subject of this ‘dissertation’…

… how Asmodeus is actually the ‘Mastermind’ behind the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Section 3: Asmodeus doing things, just because

Joke’s on you—it’s been about Asmodeus all along, because even if he’d lose (not that he ever would—he’s just that powerful), he’d claim at the last minute that it was his plan all along. Losing trusted allies? What a bunch of traitors—perfect excuse to clean house. Losing Baator? Finally, he was sick of the job.

All jokes aside, Asmodeus being the cunning bastard he is, would likely pull off everything mentioned above.

To understand why he’d even bother, let’s take a quick (really quick, this is already getting too long) dive into his background and shenanigans in DnD.

Throughout DnD’s development from 1e to 5e, Asmodeus has gone through quite the evolution, eventually becoming a Greater Deity, the Embodiment of Evil, and one of the mightiest beings in existence, rivaled only by Ao.

While 5e keeps things vague to allow player interpretation, Asmodeus has consistently been the most powerful entity in the Hells—a schemer, strategist, and supreme manipulator.

(Here’s the only quote I’ll reference:) “[…] His sinister machinations could take centuries, if not millennia, to come to fruition, and his master plans extended across the entire multiverse. His labyrinthine, insidious intrigues could seem inexplicable to most outside observers, for Asmodeus let even his own servants stew in fear of his next move. With all the planes as his board, the Lord of Lies maneuvered the forces of evil like chess pieces in his grand designs, slowly and subtly manipulating everyone from deities to, when needed, lowly mortals.”

He’s described as being a thousand steps ahead of everyone. And while most of his plans serve greater purposes beyond even godly comprehension, some things he does just because—just for fun.

CONCLUSION

Of course Asmodeus knew Mephistopheles had the crown. Of course he knew Mephistopheles would never use it openly against him. And of course he knew Mephistopheles would keep scheming to use it indirectly, bringing his cambion son Raphael into the game.

Why would Asmodeus let all this happen, and why am I saying he’s the real mastermind?

Like already mentioned, Asmodeus often (indirectly) encourages and manipulates his archdukes to scheme and fight among themselves as a means to reinforce his dominance, foster survival of the fittest, and test loyalty within the infernal hierarchy. However, he maintains strict boundaries, and any conflict that risks his supreme authority, disrupts Hell’s role in the multiverse, or leads to excessive chaos would be swiftly and ruthlessly quashed. In Asmodeus’s mind, such rivalries are a useful tool—as long as they remain safely under his control.

In my view, the Crown of Karsus was never a real threat to him; this whole plot served his entertainment, tested loyalties, or helped him gauge his chess pieces.

And that’s how Asmodeus is the real mastermind behind the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Thanks for reading this mass of nonsense ❤️

Why I even bothered with all this shit? It’s one of the key plot points in my longfic, Ah, You Devil!

[ariemfox]

it was the multi-layered symbols + parallels in the story & the engine for me...

the heart of the machine is the stories, which is the tardis. spoken by the brain (which encloses the heart)/the doctor (the storyteller+traveller)/the time-travelling. the many faces glued to the brain - some screaming = the many faces of the doctor. the callback to 'we're all just stories in the end'.

the barbershop and the tardis. using hair or the webs of time/history's progression to tell stories. our hair and our histories showing the truth of our personalities in style and story. the story of the slave girls making maps with their hair braids -> making a map to the heart of the machine.

the parallels of the barber to the master in the revenge against the gods/time lords. tecteun stealing their own narrative of the origin of the time lords from the doctor - the time lords only exist through gallifreyans telling their stories. the gods on earth only exist through people on earth web-weaving their stories.

world wide web, we're all connected - stories bring community, the way each culture braids it's hair connects us to each other. we can tell stories with hair and make maps, we can time-travel.

abena's parallel to the doctor. abandoned and trapped with a parent - anansi, tecteun - who does not care for them, failed by everyone else. a child that's used for their own parent's benefit - abena with her father's bet, the doctor with tecteun harnessing regeneration.

the parallels to previous episodes. 'the long song' and 'lux', with gods being overloaded with power, to kill them with their fatal flaw. with 'lux', more emotion made them more three-dimensional - more individual power made the stories play out three-dimensionally in 'the story and the engine'.

the theme of trapped, abandoned children, with the timeless child arc & 'space babies'. the alone little black girl that belinda saw being played by the actress for baby poppy in 'space babies'. a little black girl that didn't really fit into the narrative, but was there nonetheless. the reminder that the doctor was dropped into this universe as a lost little black girl, who never really fitted into the narrative either.

the six-letter stories and the robots of 'the robot revolution' never hearing the seventh word - as if stories don't exist past that point to machines that rely upon chains of commands/binary.

& so much more i probably haven't mentioned. the fucking layers, man <3

i am worshipping u, innua ellams <3

[narutocharacterpolls]

FINAL ROUND

HATAKE KAKASHI vs SENJU TSUNADE

Reasons for submission under the cut

Kakashi

relatable as an adult

he is just an overworked guy who was told to watch some kids w LOTS of issues

needs therapy

good presence and guidance in Narutos life

interesting

cares about and is dedicated to his students very much

he is just cool

he is trying his best despite what he has been through in the past

is up for having fun but still knows when to be serious

was a narcissistic shit but grew out of it

has good intentions

sexy

wonderfully complex and well developed character

incredibly resilient and supportive

a sad and deeply broken man

always willing to give his life to protect them and his other precious people

just wanted everything to be ok for once in his life

hated Danzo

his friendship with Gai is adorable

the way he teases Tenzo is fun

he’s known as cool and aloof but in reality he’s a huge dork

Gai would want him to win

Tsunade

milf….

was the best hokage

the regulation she created to include medics on every team saved so many lives

she's funny and a complex and interesting character

is a bad bitch

probably THE most competently written female character in the entire series

she has a very rich history that plays into her character's actions and motivations

wanting to be the best medic-nin possible in order to save more lives because she lost her love Dan, and also change the way ninja squads operated to always have a medic to save more lives did so much for the better during the war to reduce casualties

after being broken down by so many people she cares about dying, she dips and leaves behind ninja society, which has taken everything from her (including wiping out her clan)

because Tsunade is also one of the most legendary/strongest ninja alive, no one could really stop her or chain her down. It takes the conviction of a child who wants her to save the village and heal his friends to get her back to Konoha, despite the all the trauma she's endured

she's a medic with a fear of blood that overcomes that to fight her own teammate and beat his ass so Orochimaru stops killing and maiming people

she steps up to be a leader because it's what the new generation need and someone has to fix all the stuff broken by her selfish teammates and old teacher

the strongest female character both in physical strength and the strength of her writing. It's like she was written first as a character versus most of the other female characters being written first as Girl and Love Interest

Tsunade is vain and a chronic gambler and drunk, she is really brash and abrasive, she is traumatized. But she's also deeply caring, an incredibly accomplished woman, one of the smartest people/medics in the world, and a great leader

she's multi-layered. She is a woman, but her entire character isn't just Woman

finally finished the job on Jiraiya on previous poll

strong arms

she is strong and smart and quick as a whip but still soft and caring when it comes to her loved ones. Characters with rough exteriors who are mushy inside are very good

[sulphuricgrin]

Don't mind me - just wanna yap about Dragonsong. I just wanna yap about their relationship. my god

There are no words of love on their lips, only mine. An all encompassing greed for the other, that threatens to consume and burn the both of them. Even the decades leading up to the point where they finally found themselves in the other's bed, that greed burned. And it only got worse when they finally got a hold of each other.

This paragraph is multi-layered:

He pulls her in, kissing her when there’s magicka still on her lips. How does one describe it exactly? The taste, the feel? It was difficult to encapsulate such a sensation. Oftentimes her magicka felt so strong, so alluring, so tempting ― it’d threaten any mage to want to drown in her current. 

Is it just because of thaumavocalism and the magicka left behind? Would it truly drown any mage? Or perhaps is it the insatiable desire their souls have for the other, acting like moths to the flame of the magicka their soul gives off? Souls so destiny-bound to the other. [Fitting song: Moth To The Flame by LuLuYam]

They love to have things of the other, little ways to claim the other.

Lilli gifts him things, the most common being enchanted rings to that help when they're delving through Apocrypha's libraries for things. And when he no longer has need of it, especially if she's given him something better, she takes it back and savours what was once his and now it's hers. A little bit of him. She wears a simple chain enchanted to denature the enchanted rings that were once Miraak's, so she can wear them all without issue.

She leaves notes in the tower occasionally, either for herself or for Miraak (usually if she slipped out of Apocrypha without seeing him or accompanied by some gift she left him). He barely realises he's developed a habit of hoarding her writings.

One day Lilli left behind the clockwork pocket watch she carries. He finds it in the tower and carries it with him until she returns to Apocrypha. And when she returns, she merely thanks him. And leaves it again. And again. And again. And this turns into a boon and curse all in one for him. Because she's returned a sense of time to him after thousands of years. But now he counts the days, the hours, the minutes between visits. And he grows a bitterness to her freedom and her absence.

All of Lilli's previous relationships were subtly controlled by her. She often manipulated situations that gave her outcomes and behaviors from the other party that favoured her. No one was free of the chance of being affected by her illusions - family, friends, lovers. Yet one day, unprompted and without zero explanation, she gives Miraak a ring she designed to void her illusions on the wearer. But the unspoken words are there: I trust you when I am stripped of my strongest ability. I can have no control of your mind. Where she's constantly exercising control on those around her, she's willing to yield control to him, especially for more of her darker fantasies.

Miraak, who for over 4500 years has been attempting for any scrap of control - mind, body, and soul tainted by their Daedric Lord - will concede some power as long as it's only under her hands, especially for more of his darker fantasies.

They feel a petty, vicious jealousy over the other. How dare they use/have someone else when they're right here?

Miraak finding a cipher he had been using, dead on the ground in a large pool of blood with Lilli eerily standing over them. "I was using them" "Well why use them when you have me??" She manically grins.

Miraak if Lilli even mentions her lovers on Nirn.

After [It Means Nothing], Miraak toils over what to do. He knows Lilli is engaged, and only closer to getting married. Which pisses him off, cause why would she just accept someone so undeserving. (He doesn't know the mer nor does he need to) it's not like he loves her or wants to marry her. But he believes he's the only one that truly knows her. (And he's right), so therefore deserves her by his side. So he tries to get ciphers to figure out who it is. But the ciphers are both scared of him and her. And don't know which is the safer side. He wants Talserion dead. (but what can he do from Apocrypha?)

They're just so fun to write. 😩

I go hungry every night Not this time around I'm gonna eat you, you're my desire I'm gonna sharpen all my teeth and build a fire I'm gonna eat you, cook and defeat you I'm gonna breathe you in my lungs and make you mine - Eat You by Caravan of Thieves

[riverphoenixsgothwife]

lawlight fic rec list

so i’m gonna do a series of these, starting with my favorite death note ship! make sure to pay attention to all warnings on these fics. enjoy! if you have a ship you’d like me to make a rec list for, please just send me an ask! i don’t want to be obnoxious, and i’m not saying they’re good, but i (slackjawbitch on ao3) have some lawlight fics up!

♡ = a favorite of kitty’s

angst

♡ 1. i’m drowning; please save me: L looks at Yagami Light and drowns. There is no other way to put it. As the days pass and blend into weeks, L looks at Yagami Light sitting next to him, the harsh lines of his face creased and determined, and he swallows water.

L looks at Yagami Light and he cannot breathe.

great characterization, always makes me very emo, and is probably a pretty major influence on my writing. one shot. 1,817 words.

2. always waiting for you just to cut to the bone: And then, breaking through the pounding in his head he hears what would be the last words out of that wretched man’s lips.

“I love you.”

fic for teh death note drama (2016) canon! title is unfortunately from a t*ylor sw*ft song (/silly) but this fic is so good and sad.

3. Our Bodies, Possessed By Light: L. Lawliet is a gifted photographer who believes he has understood the light and its secrets. Light Yagami is a young, unstable and slightly crooked model. Together, they kill time.

modeling and photography au. make sure to read all teh tags and warnings for this one; there’s nothing gross, but some potentially triggering subjects for some people are in here. multi chapter. 81,218 words.

4. Hearts and Spades: Which would you choose? Love or death? RaitoL, slight AU.

short but sweet piece featuring that classic fanfiction dot net era vibe, an emo-ass playing card metaphor (/pos), and a recounting of l’s death scene that made me sad over him all over again (also /pos). and also light being obnoxious, but it’s death note, so that’s usually a given, lol. one shot. 1,801 words.

5. Not Quite Drowning: Sometimes Light ponders happiness. L/Light

a short lawlight and light character study. i like it a lot, and i don’t usually like light, so that should tell you something about how well i think it’s written! one shot. 424 words.

♡ 6. Water, water, water: In the bath, they forget they’re a detective and a suspect; they remove these identities along with their clothes, layer by layer until there are only the handcuffs left. And them; facing the other in the eerie calmness of their bathroom.

At least, it’s how Light sees it.

i really love this one! make sure to read teh tags, as eating disorders and drugs are mentioned, for example. angst with a happy ending! one shot. 3,504 words.

fluff

1. Silver Bells: Silver bells...silver bells...

They’ve made it. Everything is okay now, when they’re dancing in the candlelight.

really, really cute! i recommend it as a palate cleanser to make you feel better after reading a sad one, lol. one shot. 1,255 words.

♡ 2. New Year’s Eve: "I've seen fireworks before," he says. "This is... so much... more."

just a cute little new year’s eve lawlight fireworks show! this one is also from 2009 which is kinda cool to me, haha. i like this author’s descriptive language a lot. one shot. 507 words.

♡ 3. Do Gay Penguins Go to Hell?: Too many New Year snacks bring about a family discussion between L, Raito and their daughter about healthy diet, common sayings and nature of good and evil. And gay penguins, of course. AU

a really darling kid fic, based on teh stupid, homophobic controversy over that adorable kids’ book about teh gay penguin couple. one shot. 3,791 words.

4. A Feeling: It's LxLight fluff! This takes place after Light was confined and lost his memories, chained to L. : D SO YUS. SOME FLUFF FOR YAH D: Hope you leik it :D

very cute “l and light cuddle and kiss” fic, written by a scene kid in 2008, which is extra points with me! one shot. 1,006 words.

alright! i will add to this rec list as i find more fics, and i would love it if people would send in their favorite lawlight fics!

[blu3-ja3]

Civilian clothing? Absolutely and a little Treat as well! Enjoy Lovelies!

O'Connor: Long sleeves and covered neck always, even when hot. Shes insecure about her burn scar and has enough people staring at her for a lifetime. On a very rare occasion does she wear short sleeves and it's ONLY with the 141 around. She likes rich jewel tones and soft fabrics, if it's textured it feels horrible on her skin or it's too tight on her skin, she hates how it makes her scar feels when rubbing against it. She likes silver jewelry and simple makeup, a bit of gloss and her eyes (shadow, liner, cute wing, and mascara) her nails are always painted whatever colors the sergeants pick. A skirt with nice tights or leggings and a cute boot? Yes. A nice pair of jeans with a cute belt and her old black combat boots, classic. Her hair is up, braided, ponytail, bun or beanie. It's only when she goes somewhere nice does she have it down. Her bag always has her knife, a bandana, and a hair tie along with her phone and wallet.

Price: Lumberjack, lots of well fitting flannels and cable knit short sleeve polos. Nice slacks or jeans with nice combat boots and a well kept leather belt. Nice wrist watch that was a gift from Ghost. Bucket hat that matches his flannels color, he originally only had two but Gaz found a color matched bucket hat for each shirt the man had. He didn't wear them at first but eventually indulged his partner. His beard is always well manicured and trimmed.

Ghost: Mans is unironically fashionable and only wears black. Wears long and short sleeve button ups they're all perfectly tight and hugs his chest and arms well. Soap makes sure of that. Nice jeans or slacks with a black and silver belt and his well worn combat boots. Silver wrist watch, chain necklace, and rings, with black nails. He keeps a face mask on and most times wears a beanie so his eyes and the makeup on them are the only thing seen. There's a difference between Ghost doing his eyes and Soap doing his eyes. Ghost's makeup is what he always does, smeared black nothing fancy. Soap's is intricate with liner and designs, it's still chaotic but in a beautiful way, it's perfect for Ghost.

Gaz: Fashion king, everything he wears is color coordinated with Price. Sweaters with knitted designs or embroidery over a white or black collared shirt. Well tailored black or brown slacks or jeans with a belt to match the sweater main color. Nice pair of chucks customized for Gaz by Soap as a birthday present. Lots of silver jewelry and accessories out the ass.

Roach: Nice acid washed jeans and graphic tees under an unbuttoned flannel. Nice pair of vans and goofy mismatched socks. Patterned belts, multi colored beanies, and chipped nail polish. He keeps his skateboard on him and walks around with his dog Ripley.

Soap: Punk Soap? Punk Soap... Why else the goofy hair cut? He's got a custom leather jacket with hand made patches, studs, and spikes. Graphic or band tees with ripped jeans or colored checkered pants. Well worn black combat boots with custom design embroidery. Chocker with a little ghost charm, rings and layered necklace and bracelets, as well as tongue and ear piercings. Will sometimes wears fake nose and lip piercing jewelry. Nail polish and eye makeup that matches his outfit, wears black lipstick sometimes it drives Ghost crazy.

Lil Treat height and ethnicity ( I think that what its called but idk I'm not smart)

THEY'RE ALL BRITISH ARMY!

Ghost: 6'7" (British Dad/German Mom)

O'Connor: 6'5" (Irish Mom/Scottish Dad)

Price: 6'4" (Both British Parents)

Gaz: 6'2" (Swahili Mom/British Dad)

Roach: 5'9" (British Mom/Jewish Brit Dad)

Soap: 5'7" (Both Scottish Parents)

COD Master List

[halfbaked00q]

~another round of psychosexually feeding the id~

anyway turning some ideas around and around in my head, it goes sth like, okay taking the corset & cock cage scenario further~

Bond nude, Q dressed, Q strapping Bond's cock into the cage (complimenting Bond's pretty little clitty), going around and sliding on the corset, doing up the busk over Bond's torso, tightening down the cords and cinching it tight. maybe + nipple piercings? torn between some kind of gem piercings or rings - I think gems win out cuz of the idea of them glinting above the line of the corset/cincher. mm the corset would rly make his pecs pop too I think owo. and also Q's gonna string a chain between the piercings and give it a little tug~ to tease him~

okay going deeper another layer and this is where I think I may start losing ppl lmao. but I was like. what would Bond call him... toyed with "sir," "master," "Quartermaster," - "daddy," even tho that one rly didn't work for me personally - and none of them quite did it... and then I auditioned the idea of Bond calling Q "M" lmao, and was like. 😳. and okay HEAR ME OUT FIRST. it's multi-layered- 'M' as in master without going quite so gauche with it; but also M irl is like, very much a Master of Bond's life if many ways and there's a sort of like, crossed wires element about it. And also specifically I want to clarify. that if an actual M is being sort of invoked/evoked in the background in all this crossed-wires kinda mix. it's NOT Mallory; firmly, it is Dench!M. (realizing now- okay I was NOT thinking of By the Rising Tide specifically when I came up with this BUT it acts as a web-weaving touchpoint and also a like, example of the Vibe I can cite I think to maybe try to sell you on this lol)

But yea lol the idea of Bond, subbing, in a very, like, specific kind of context (ig like to try to clarify, a context where theres like these elements of genderplay coming into play...), calling Q M (Master, M in the more general sense, his M, their M)... 😳 like Bond's gonna be such a good girl for Q, who is, in some senses, his new M (Master, Mistress, Mother), the inheritor of Bond (her majesty's favorite tool but also Her favored weapon) from her..... 😳 😳

[juststoriesintheend]

I. Crossroads

Series Pairing: eventual Master Sol x Reader

Chapter Content: force visions, implied stalking

i suggest looking over the full list of content warnings on the masterlist page as this fic contains some darker themes

《 [series masterlist] 》

The Ushruu City Spaceport is less crowded than Helios would have anticipated, being that it serves as the main travel hub for the entire planet and the nearby hyperspace lanes. He would have liked to have a bit more cover, but there is only so much he can plan for. As it stands, he fits in better than on any other planet he’s visited recently - the population seems to be mostly human scattered with a handful of insectoid Surronians and pachydermic Aki-Aki.

He glides between disembarking passengers, his hood pulled up over his head. There is a thread that runs through this planet to the heart of him, damp and trembling like morning dew on a spider’s web. It hums when he plucks at it, sending out ripples in the Force that sound like a child’s nightmare or an adult’s scream - it’s the purest concentration of fear he’s ever felt. The Enchantress’ temple. He’s sure of it.

Encouraged, Helios cleaves through the crowd with renewed fervor and comes stumbling out of the spaceport into the multi-layered suburbia of the city. Sprawled across the valley floor are countless rows of stone and wood buildings, damp with the lingering remnants of the last monsoon. There’s enough light left from the waning twilight that Helios can make out a trail of lights leading from the city to the outskirts, somewhere in the foothills and encroaching slopes of the surrounding mountains and their impenetrable forests. When he focuses again, he’s rewarded with a subtle confirmation through the Force.

Fear is a powerful tool. He’s learned it well these past years, learned to accept its fury and its righteousness, learned how to stand strong against its current when it batters him against the short of his heart, and he knows now how to use it, to bend it to his will. So, when he pulls at that string again, he chases its responding cry and lets the sound drip down his spine to pool in his gut. But the string, he finds, doesn’t lead him to the chasm that sits at the edge of the valley, carved by water and the steady passing of time. It leads him to an apartment crowded beneath the canopy of a great tree.

Helios frowns. This is… not the temple of the Enchantress. He surveys the line of parked speeders and the clothesline strung from a branch to a window on the second floor, then the thinning streaks of paint on the front door - wood, oddly enough - and he wonders if he has finally lost himself to old age and idiocy. But no, no he hasn’t. Up on the second floor, behind the window, he feels a ripple in the Force, a cry that comes from within the mind rather than the mouth.

Sparing only a moment to ensure no one is around to watch, he closes his eyes and simply feels, his arm outstretched, his fingers curling around empty air. The Force shows him what he cannot see, it speaks to him in the voice he’s been hearing, the voice crying for mercy from a dream that cannot be eluded. A figure lies behind the window, curled up on a threadbare mattress and trembling in a thick fog of fear.

This is the string he had pulled, the dampness of your sweat slicking the web of fate as you fell further and further into your own despair. Helios marvels at the strength of it. No living Jedi or Sith should be capable of this much strength and vibrancy in the Force, not enough to entirely derail his focus and eclipse the signature of a vergence, but it might be possible if you were drawing upon the vergence. He knows first hand the sort of magic that can manifest itself in the wake of a vergence, intentionally or not.

The wooden door gives way easily to his persuasion, and the security chain on the inside hangs loose when he enters the apartment. A holoscreen on the far wall is playing something that looks vaguely Mandalorian and a figure sleeps on the sofa below, bathed in its light, but it isn’t you. He takes the stairs two at a time and steps into your room with hardly a sound beyond the gentle whisper of his cloak, and is rewarded with the image of you in your bed, your mouth and brows deeply furrowed as you twitch through your dreams.

A cursory glance is all he needs to view them. Terror and confusion go hand in hand here, elevated above a cascading wall of water that means to drown you. Helios hears a voice in the water, too distorted to fully discern but the pity reads loud and clear, accompanied by flashes of people and places that he can only assume are your own memories. It’s too much, too loud, too suffocating, and he stumbles out of your mind with enough force to drop himself to one knee.

It feels like twenty years pass in the recesses of his mind, twenty years of cycling through that awful day, the day that everything changed. He sees a mother’s face and her daughter’s eyes, and he very nearly suffocates under the weight of it, but he comes to in the end, breathless and crying and so very weak, but planted firmly in reality once more. Helios blinks. Then he blinks again.

You’re incredibly strong. Vergence or not, your sensitivity to the Force is enough to trigger his own memories. He studies you, letting his breath come back to him as he picks you apart like a puzzle he doesn’t have the capacity to solve. The Jedi should have found you as a child, yet you remain on Ushruu, unmapped and unknown like the very vergence he came here to find, and something deep inside him thrills at that realization.

Nearly twenty years worth of forgotten dreams flood his senses in a single instant. Things he thought he’d grown beyond, things he thought no longer served him, they call to him now in the light of your strength. The Force brought him here. It had to have done that for a reason. And suddenly, the pieces of his life tainted and marred by impulsivity and a broken desire for something more, they all come screaming into place.

Stumbling back onto two legs with all the grace of a drunken Devaronian, Helios understands now what he must do. He tries to sort out the fractured images of your soul that you branded upon him as he casts his eyes about your room, cataloging each printed holopic, streak of paint, and paper book he sees. He wants to make a map of you and connect the points between your bleeding heart and Force-fueled terror, and he hopes - more than anything - that he’ll find himself caught at one of your many crossroads.

The shop is quiet when you enter. The market outside continues to squabble and barter, of course, but here it feels faint and far away. The familiar scent of incense and freshly carved bark hits your nostrils as you drop down from one step to the next, steadily lowering yourself further into the heart of the room.

“Morning, Dada.”

The Aki-Aki glances up at the sound of her name, but quickly drops her head back to her work. “You’re annoyingly chipper. What’s wrong with you?”

“Saw your beautiful face and all my problems melted away.”

This time, when she looks up, her eyes stay fixed on you. “Don’t try your charm on me today, kijana.” She wags her wrench in your direction, thoroughly unimpressed. “You’re late again.”

A glance at the wall chrono confirms as much. It’s embarrassing, honestly, but explaining why will just make you sound even crazier than Dada already thinks you are. “I know,” you groan as you squeeze behind the counter. “I’m sorry. I’ll be early tomorrow, I promise.”

The datacenter beeps when it scans your comm, and its intercom clicks, stalls, then reboots before finally processing. “Daily shift: started. You are twelve minutes late.”

“Yeah, thanks, I know.”

Dada just shakes her head. She’s a kriffing saint for putting up with you for so long, but you’re not planning to ask her why she does just in case she changes her mind and fires you. “Deliveries are on the back step. You’ll have to stop by the old fishery.”

You’ve already meandered into the back room by then, but the mention of your destination already has you curling your lip. Just thinking about that place sends shivers up and down your spine, let alone actually having to go inside… There’s nothing you can do about it now except grin and bear it.

The screen door whines when you swing it open, which mercifully covers your frustrated mumbling. “Or you could just not sell to that old kook and then I wouldn’t have to go there, but that’s a silly idea, isn’t it?”

She doesn’t hear you, which is for the best, really. Dada needs the money as much as you do; she’ll sell to anyone with credits, doesn’t matter who, where, or what they are. It’s not her fault that place makes you want to crawl out of your skin and die.

Your speeder’s packed up several minutes later, the little hoverbox attached to the back filled almost to the point of overflow as it always is at the first of the month. A nicely patterned kerchief strapped in place over the top gives you enough confidence that nothing will be falling out along the way, and, with a final farewell and a promise to be back before sundown, you’re off.

It’s just late enough in the morning that most merchants have already opened their shops and formed their own tiny flocks of customers, but the crowd thins out the further you travel from Dada’s apothecary. When you come to the trickling edges of the city about an hour later, there’s hardly anyone around. It’s just you, the trees, and the fishery that waits for you at the end of a little dirt path, beaten down by the weight and wear of time and footsteps too numerous to count.

It’s just your imagination. That’s what you tell yourself every time you come here. The horrible, inky darkness that consumes your heart when you deliver old Brijul’s medicine, it’s just your mind playing tricks on you, summoning demons where there are none. The images that swirl behind your eyes, always bloody and violent and so, so dark, they’re nothing but the result of an overactive imagination, unchecked anxiety, and the generations worth of stories passed down from mother to child.

So why does your skin still crawl when the fishery comes rolling into view? Why do you look over your shoulder, terrified you’ll find something wicked and dark breathing down your neck? Why do you feel like you’re drowning every time you pass under its shadow?

Brijul’s a sweet old man. His hearing went long ago and so did the majority of his teeth, but he always greets you with a smile and an extra credit for your troubles. You tell him you hope he feels better soon, and he gestures his thanks, and then you speed out of there like the darkest depths of hell itself are biting at your heels, but the fishery and its shadowy, spindled fingers dig into your mind long after you’ve gone.

You pull over into the nearest unfenced yard and clamber off your speeder gracelessly, palms digging into your eyes as if you could claw yourself free of the voices, the watery deep, the faces of men long dead that rise each night to haunt you. You’re distantly aware of your knees hitting earth and the brush of grass on your face, but the sensations are muted in comparison with the visions, these hallucinations you’ve been cursed to endure. Over and over again, you see things you wouldn’t wish on any other soul - fire-streaked eyes that glow unnaturally in the dark, a faceless man with a blade of white-hot fire in his hands, the cold abyss that lies at the bottom of the river, calling you by name.

Make it stop, make it stop, please!

Something touches you and you scream, and the darkness fills your vision before suddenly flashing white. Your body catapults forward. There’s nothing for a very long moment, just the pounding of your pulse and the rush of blood in your ears, and the vaguely shaped idea of a world around you, bits of blue and a cacophony of green. And brown. Not the reddish-brown of the earth, but the coco-colored warmth of a hearth in the winter, streaked with soot. You blink, and then you realize it’s not a hearth at all, but a man.

“Are you alright?”

The streak of brown you’d seen a moment ago is his cloak. It looks far too big on him, like the billowing sleeves and large hood were made for someone of a greater stature. The soot marking his frame are his eyes and the shoulder-length bit of hair, dark as charcoal. How had you managed to confuse yourself so badly on the basics of the human form? The world spins around you as the man helps you to your feet, and you find yourself blanching in horror at just how lost you feel. It’s never been this bad before, not in your waking hours.

The man gently clasps your shoulder, and the pressure from his fingertips jolts you back into reality. He repeats the question, slower and with a lower intonation, as his eyes survey you.

“I-I’m fine. I’m fine, thank you.” You politely wave away his concerned expression. “I’m sorry. Was this, um, your yard that I crashed into? I can pay you back if I damaged anything.”

It’s not much of a crash seeing as your speeder’s still hovering in place exactly where it ought to be, but what else can you call it? A ‘day-terror induced panic attack’?

“Just passing by,” the man says after a minute. His hand is still settled on your shoulder. “Are you hurt? You screamed when I touched you.”

This is awful. It’s agonizing, feeling so exposed and awkward in front of a total stranger because of some stupid anxiety attack that you can’t even control. Your discomfort manifests first as a grimace, then morphs into something smile adjacent. “No, I’m okay. I think something might’ve stung me, that’s all.” And it’s the worst lie you’ve ever told.

The man narrows his eyes, not exactly suspiciously, but he’s clearly unfazed and unimpressed by your lie. He looks like he wants to say something, and you’re about to pry yourself out of his hands and book it, when a shout comes from across the yard. It’s the woman who lives here.

“Are ya alright?” she shouts from the stoop. “Ya took quite a tumble!”

Bless this woman, she’s kind and she’s the perfect distraction to tear yourself out of this stranger’s grasp. “Just fine, ma’am, thank you! I’ll be out of your hair in just a sec.” To the stranger you offer a nod of thanks. “I appreciate your help, sir, but I have to get back to work. Have a nice day, okay?”

He doesn’t say anything else, but his eyes linger. You feel them on your back until the road bends and takes you out of sight.

Discontent pools in your belly. This is turning out to be one of the worst days you’ve had in years.

taglist: @wolffegirlsunite @thatlittlered @evyiione @padawancat97

[somecunttookmyurl]

since @vaspider ordered several Gay Items from me (thanks spider!) i decided to post all of them properly here for you. if you wanna buy anything just message me and we'll get it sorted!

OCTOPRIDES £6 EACH i can make these lil bitches in any flag colours. they are adorable. they are friend.

putting the rest under a cut to save your dash but the octoprides are frankly too cute to be in dash jail

resin multi layer storage tower (it weighs 900g!) £40 wooden storage box with 'stained glass' effect £10

i can make more storage towers in the flag of your choice. i cannot make any more square wooden boxes as sadly the base boxes have been discontinued (i do have round ones though)

bird earrings £8 / bird pin badge £6. these are wood base, painted, and then coated in UV resin. can be made in any flag since i'm. you know. painting them myself however bird supplies are limited (craft shop stop discontinuing my supplies challenge)

'sippers' gay cocktail earrings £7. i can also make these in any flag colours

'forbidden snack' gummy bear pride flag charm £3 yup, you guessed it, i can make any flag colours

large perler paint drip heart (as keychain or badge) £5 yeah so again with the customisable colours thing on all perler hearts. with a resin coating so they don't break apart. medium perler paint drip heart (as chain pendant or leather cord) £3 itty bitty perler paint drip heart - £2 as charm, £3 for earring pair

'somewhere over the rainbow' earrings £6. 5 pairs total available for now queer crystals magnets £5. ony one of each design limited edition etc these random badges £5. there are two 'crystal queer'. one each of the others

wooden badges £2 each, only one of each design wooden heart flag badges £2 each but i can make those in any flag small pride potion £3 (2 for £5) / large potion £6 (2 for £10) available in any flag

UV reactive rainbow rings £4 one each in sizes 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 (@sinothetimes has the size 9 one)

beaded bracelets £3 each 2 for £5 these are all random thrown together as i go. vaguely in flag colours. one of each design pictured.

[adizzyingemporium]

things your muse can be identified by

colors.

black, purple and green.

scents.

cigarette smoke, cherry, bitter almond and graveyard dirt.

fashion.

Her favorite materials are leather, lace, pvc latex, fishnets and chains. Tabitha can usually be seen in a lacey tank top with fishnets and a leather jacket layered over the top. Depending on the setting she can be seen sporting a mini skirt or leather pants with platform boots to make herself look taller. Her accessories are usually silver, with chains and crosses being her favorite markers.

objects.

Dusty, old books written in dead languages, skulls covered in moss, clove cigarettes and butterfly knives.

body language.

arched brows, half-smirks, fluttering eyelashes and swaying hips.

aesthetics.

abandoned shrines, swamp water, twisting vines, dug up graves, flickering candles and blood on the moon.

tagged: @rattlesnakeshine tagging: @idyllicserendipity , @chasingtitans , @mayfallapart , @mayormentats , @n3rdb0x , @sillymuses , @animcsus & @spceboyzc

For multi-muse blogs pick whoever you want to do this for the most!

[taldigi]

now that newsonashipopinionpoll has finished up, what will I do with my life now?

anyway, some thoughts I think- esp in relation to their final post.

just- these are personal thoughts and observations from someone who hasn't been here that long so- keep that in mind.

M/F Shipping: Atlus has a weird and INSANELY frustrating way of writing male-female relationships. Rarely are males and females allowed to be friends in a meaningful way. It must either be explicitly romantic in intention or antagonistic (or neutral/nonissue). the only standouts I can think in this vein is Mitsuru, Sanada, and Aragaki... and maybe Ann and Ryuji?

While in contrast, same-gendered characters are allowed to have more meaningful and multi-layered relationships. The big hitters outside of the protagonist-led ones were Shihoann (who's arcs revolved around each other and a large chunk of Ann's social link- inhcluding the climax and confession scene, are about Shiho!) Yukichie (who have a childhood friendship stronger than most other characters have, as well as shadows that pivot heavily around each other- ESPECIALLY Chie's!) and Kou/Daisuke (who's social links heavily feature not only each other, but their friendship and loyalty to each other. They're there for each other at their lowest, are depicted spending time together despite contrasting interests, volunteering time to each other, and looking out/worrying for each other). so of course these ships feel better to see get together because a genuinely good relationship is built on that sort of thing. Love, trust, time, and loyalty.

meanwhile, Male-Female relationships are bogged down by Atlus' weird sexpest humor and violent obsession with m-f "my wife is a ball and chain" kind of energy. Shit that destroys characters because it's "funny". Yukari and Junpei's relationship is frustratingly antagonistic, Rise's weirdly sudden antagonism against Kanji, Yosuke and Chie's violent friendship, Futaba's incessant bullying of Yusuke... heck, sometimes even Ann and Ryuji... and these are the male&female pairs that get the most interaction and since they aren't positive.. well, no wonder people would rather ship the two guys who have pet names for each other or the robot who devotes her entire existence to her girl... because the male/female relationships don't feel healthy outside of the protagonist-led ones.

Persona 4 and multishipping: persona 4 has a really strong cast with strong interlocking relationships than other entries. Arena and Dancing also did a good job of giving the cast more time to be fleshed out. 3 really does feel less like a group of friends and more like coworkers, and Even 5''s group (while leagues more friend-like than 3) felt singularly minded in their involvement as the thieves. 4 did a great job in making sure you knew these characters held relationships and hobbies outside of being the IT. pairs like Yukichie and souyo or the hanamura bros are often paired up, many times the story's scene is set with the IT just chatting, sometimes events just happen and you stumble across someone else. Some social links involve other characters, you catch others interacting while going shopping... hell, even the banter and friendly antagonism sells their friendship.

...so you got a great sense of who's compatible, and who's not. Yosuke's hard to pair off with other characters because he tends to be pretty single-minded about Yu and others comment about it. Yukichie often choose each other over the other IT members, ect ect.

Persona 5 being the opposite: in stark contrast, I feel like P5 gave us a lot more time with each individual character and kept interpersonal relationships pretty loose outside of the protag. There are exceptions, of course. Ryuji and Morgana, Futaba and Yusuke- so-on-so-forth. I don't think this is bad at all. I think it serves P5 VERY well. But it leaves gaps, sometimes... and that means there are more gaps to fill and it's easy to fill them with romance.

Shuke's Loss to Pego: objectively pretty funny to me. I was also pretty surprised to not see Shuke's presence on the top 10. But also, the appreciation system doesn't acknowlege popularity or actual applicability... which is focused on it's tragic yaoi aspect.. can I see Shuke? Sure. There's something there... but, do I like it? hell no. I hate tragic or toxic ships. but that's preference. I think that was more of a factor to it's failure to place than any other reason. I personally feel that Folk are more likely to cast a positive vote on a ship like Yukichie even if they arent super into it because they do have a fleshed out and ultimately positive and in-depth relationship vs someone who might not really like p5 and see shuke and be like "ah, didn't one try to kill the other? I'll pass/I dont like that" anyway, congrats to pegger nation for winning most positive ren ship.

[narutocharacterpolls]

SEMIFINALS

GAARA vs SENJU TSUNADE

Reasons for submission under the cut

Gaara

he overcame his incredible loneliness and childhood trauma with a lot of grace

he acknowledged the people he may have hurt (rock Lee) and did everything in his power to build up from there

he was always very caring (like when he brought the girl he accidentally hurt an apology gift when he was a child)

he was someone who understood Sasuke and shed tears for him

he motivated an entire army of shinobi that were fighting amongst each other, and he did it purely with love for Naruto, showing how powerful his kindness is

serial killer turned babushka. Quite possibly the sweetest and funniest character transformation [submitter]'s ever seen

he enjoys succulent and cactus gardening, based as always

his gardening outfit is the cutest shit ever seen

he has cat eyes which are very cute

nothing but respect for my goth teenaged president 🫡

he's so polite,,

his character development is amazing, he went from being a crazy murderer, to gaining the trust of his whole village and becoming the Kazekage

despite how drastic his character development was, it still feels understandable due to how badly he was treated as a child, and how deep down he always wanted to love but was simply punished for it

eeeing him recover from his trauma thanks to Naruto is really heartwarming

one of the best redeemed villain characters ever imo

very cool character design

storyline that made [submitter] cry like a baby three different times

he's so full of love

has a cool transformation

enjoyable demeanor once he got the help he needs

nice to see a quiet but social introvert succeed in life, overcome his trauma, and learn his self worth

he was an edgy 12 year old who talked like shadow from shadow the hedgehog (2005) how can u not like that

he's funny

he's pretty cool when he's older, a good leader

his arc is [submitters] favorite in the series

lovely to see how far he came and how hard he worked to overcome his demons

Tsunade

milf….

was the best hokage

the regulation she created to include medics on every team saved so many lives

she's funny and a complex and interesting character

is a bad bitch

probably THE most competently written female character in the entire series

she has a very rich history that plays into her character's actions and motivations

wanting to be the best medic-nin possible in order to save more lives because she lost her love Dan, and also change the way ninja squads operated to always have a medic to save more lives did so much for the better during the war to reduce casualties

after being broken down by so many people she cares about dying, she dips and leaves behind ninja society, which has taken everything from her (including wiping out her clan)

because Tsunade is also one of the most legendary/strongest ninja alive, no one could really stop her or chain her down. It takes the conviction of a child who wants her to save the village and heal his friends to get her back to Konoha, despite the all the trauma she's endured

she's a medic with a fear of blood that overcomes that to fight her own teammate and beat his ass so Orochimaru stops killing and maiming people

she steps up to be a leader because it's what the new generation need and someone has to fix all the stuff broken by her selfish teammates and old teacher

the strongest female character both in physical strength and the strength of her writing. It's like she was written first as a character versus most of the other female characters being written first as Girl and Love Interest

Tsunade is vain and a chronic gambler and drunk, she is really brash and abrasive, she is traumatized. But she's also deeply caring, an incredibly accomplished woman, one of the smartest people/medics in the world, and a great leader

she's multi-layered. She is a woman, but her entire character isn't just Woman

finally finished the job on Jiraiya on previous poll

strong arms

she is strong and smart and quick as a whip but still soft and caring when it comes to her loved ones. Characters with rough exteriors who are mushy inside are very good

[warsofasoiaf]

When an army's sacking a big city and doesn't intend to stay there any longer than it takes to unseat the rulers, how many layers of command are there? How complex are the soldiers' orders? About how many people could be giving those orders?

Depends on the sophistication and professionalization of the attacking enemy forces. A medieval kingdom might only have a king who is sieging the city personally, or delegating authority to a senior vassal, knight, mercenary commander, or viceroy taking charge in his absence. A professional and modern nation-state, however, might have a civilian commander-in-chief, who delegates authority to a military chief of staff, who in turn delegates authority to a service chief, who in turn delegates to a theater commander, who in turn delegates to a field grade officer, who in turn delegates to the actual unit that is charged with taking the city.

Then you go even further. How sophisticated is their junior officer corps, and their NCO corps? How large is the city, and what is the size of the attacking force that needs to conquer this city? Do you need a modern battalion-sized requirement to conquer the city, or can you make do with a regiment? In a medieval setting, is there a single senior knight that has subinfeudated vassals, a major lord like a duke? Is this a multi-national coalition force ala the Crusades or a more modern coalition operation?

And of course, then you have to factor in the very real question of who is in charge after. Do you have a local collaborator? A claimant that sought foreign aid to press their claim? A claimant at the head of a mercenary organization? It gets so complicated that it's better to factor not only technological and organizational concerns, but also local political concerns of legitimacy that a single rule-of-thumb simply cannot service the wide range of consideration that need to be examined.

So in the end, this is a question that benefits from a greater sense of clarification from the opposing army. What is the technological and bureaucratic sophistication from this particular army? Does this nation have a modern notion of the idea of a civilian head-of-state that outranks even the highest generals as a means of subordinating military power under the nation-state?

So the question really becomes "how many troops do you need to take this city?" Once you find that out, then you can answer "what is the grade of officer that would command such a force?" which then becomes "how long is the chain of command?" It's a solid question, but it is one that varies immensely given the times and the sophistication of the military forces that would be in charge.

Thanks for the question, Maker. Good to see you're still around.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King.

[monochromatictoad]

@kachimera The explanation was running on too long, so I made a post instead, lol.

So Agharta is a reference to Agartha, linked is a Wikipedia article that goes into a bit more detail on that version.

Agharta was a civilization that lived within the woods with the Old Gods, ex. Pan and Agreus, and they were considered exceptional in magic and medicines and knowledge, capable of amazing feats. They had magical crystals to summon a demoness (100% reference to Lilith) that they had chained up within the pocket realm; they were capable of living thousands of years, if not longer; they had masterly crafted titans that ran from their magics and protected the city, they had a multi-layered city, living within the Earth itself. It was a thing of legend.

However, when the Lords of Shadow (or specifically, Cornell) came into power, Agharta was one of the first places attacked. Every fallen Aghartan, became just another beast within Cornell's army, either as a Warg or Lycan, quickly decimating the civilization. The Titans were destroyed (leaving technically only too standing, but Gabriel, with the help of Zobek for one, and Claudia for the other, destroyed). Now, somehow by the year 1556, the Brotherhood of Light came forth and found more, altering and bastardizing them to fit their goals instead. Dracul completely destroys those too.

There are only two canonical survivors of this genocide. Claudia and her guardian, the Black Knight. Claudia is a mute, bodily teenage girl, who speaks telepathically to Gabriel throughout the time she and Gabriel share. Her guardian was created by her Father (I have a theory on who this is) and protected infant Claudia from the Lycans. He feeds off the dark creatures that make the ruins their new homes. I believe he was made from the soul of an Aghartan prisoner, who was being punished for his crimes, but I need to get to that part in the game to verify that.

Now, there was a theory I saw on the Wiki, that stated that the Gorgon Sisters were also survivors from Agharta, but there's nothing in game to support this.

I have a theory on Claudia's father though.

My theory, is that LoS!Rinaldo is Claudia's father. Reasons? The VK, made by Rinaldo, has three upgrades here, there are quite a few upgrades for the Holy Water, Silver Knives, and Fairies up here, in Brotherhood of Light Chests. I believe that the Life, Light, and Dark medallions were also some of Rinaldo's creations. It wouldn't be too far out of the Ballpark to say that Rinaldo was Claudia's father, and that he made the Black Knight. However, we know very little about Rinaldo, except that he was last seen within the Land of the Dead, close to Baba Yaga's hut, forever lost in his own mind.

Now, the Toymaker could also very much be an Aghartan too, considering he was one of Rinaldo's Students, and was very skilled!

The timeline gets kinda fuzzy with this, and I'm quite frankly still trying to put the timeline of pre-LoS1 events together.

Edit: I'm almost certain that the architecture and statues make the city heavily influenced by Ancient Egyptian and South American Indigenous (I can't place a specific group, I'm sorry) cities.