#Though I'm not too knowledged in the third game

[marco-the-vampire]

I'm intrigued by Your Charname and Dynaheir ship, tell me more about them! How did their relationship develop, how do You picture her reacting to the news that Charname is a bhaalspawn?

There are so many things! I have to start out with the fact that I prolong the time between bg1 and bg2, so I give them about two years insted of technically the duration of bg1 almost exclusively and that my Charname is non-binary/trans and very Queer and uses He/Him and They/Them pronouns.

I like to think that it was really slow process, both of them just observing and figuring each other out from a distance, noticing things like nervous ticks, habits and things like that. (this is before finding out about the Bhaalspawn thing)

After finding out, everything comes to a halt by my Charname because feelings about being a monster and evil, etc... And they distance from the whole group.

I have a scene in my head that when my Charname reads the letter from Gorion he literally rans away to a watchtower of Candlekeep where he used to hide when he was a kid and was upset. There is where, with Imoen guiding her, Dynaheir finds him and console them. They have a big talk where MOST things are revealed, mostly that they very genuinely care for one another and that given all the good deads they have done on his command Dynaheir doesn't think he's inherently evil and that his actions are more important than the blood running through him.

There's still a lot of doubt in my Charname's mind, about what it truly means to be a Bhaalspawn and if Gorion actually cared for him. Though this last one is kind of nonsensical even if at the start Gorion mostly saw them as a project for the Harpers but grew to care for him like a son.

From there it's just time, they kill Sarevok and stay in Baldur's gate for a bit. They help out around, when the dust is settled and most issues caused by Sarevok are fixed they start adventuring again.

How the actually get together is bit tricky for me, I don't think either of them are much for such a big declaration, though with Imoen pushing them my Charname could.

It's like an open secret, everyone knows but most don't want to interfere.

I've played around with the idea of one night when my Charname is on watch duty, Dynaheir can't sleep at all. So she comes out of her tent and they sit by the fire in sleepy silence for a bit. After a while they start talking about tomorrow's plans and routes to take, but when Dynaheir yawns and is very clearly too tired my Charname gives her some herbs to help her sleep (Given to him by Jaheira because of his nightmares and dreamless nights) It acts so quickly that he has to help Dynaheir back to her tent and tucks her in.

In her sleepiness Dynaheir makes him stay for a bit, holding him down with her demanding him to stay and even lay with her, he agrees though a bit reluctant and when he thinks she's asleep he tenderly confesses while caressing her face.

After that he accidentally falls asleep and for the first time ever has a very normal and happy dream.

The next morning is a bit awkward, given that Dynaheir vaguely remembers the whispered words and that they woke up cuddling together. After being pushed some more by Imoen, she thinks they did more than sleep, they go to a clearing near water and talk about "it". That's when they get together.

AHHH!! This is so long already! Sorry for any grammatical errors, I'm half asleep and English isn't my first language, I wish I could get my insanity into better words.

[archangeldyke-all]

Thinking about Sevika’s very pregnant very hormonal wife crying and complaining to her about nothing and Sevika realizing het wife just needs to be fed.

And fucked

love love love love love love love

men and minors dni

never in your life have you been this hormonal.

not during your worst periods as an adult.

not during the horrific throes of puberty as a teen.

not even when you were a toddler and a tantrum was just as likely as a giggle fit.

you think you might have truly lost your mind.

you're currently sobbing on the toilet-- you have been for the past twenty minutes-- not because you're sick or anything, but because you can't stop crying for long enough to heave your round body off the toilet seat.

and why are you crying? because you got frustrated by how often you have to pause your video game to get up and pee because you're eight fucking months pregnant, and your bladder's the size of a thimble.

you know it's a ridiculous thing to cry about. you know it's just your hormones overwhelming you. none of this knowledge can stop the sobs from wracking your body, though.

there's a knock on the bathroom door. "baby? have you seen my fuzzy socks?" sevika asks.

you sniffle and try to make your voice sound steady. "ch-check the dryer!" you call.

there's a suspicious silence outside of the bathroom, and then the door flies open, your wife wearing a worried look. "are you crying in here all alone?" she asks the moment she sees your face.

you pout, and fall apart all over again.

"oh, baby." sevika's by your side in an instant, wrapping her arms around you and pulling your head toward her stomach. "what's wrong, love?" she asks. "why didn't you come get me?" she asks.

you sniffle and choke out a few words. "b-because it's stu-u-pid!" you whine. "i can't s-s-stop cryin' and i'm not even that upse-e-et." you complain to your wife. "and now i can't get off the toilet 'cause i'm too weak from crying!"

sevika's face clears with relief when she realizes nothing's really wrong with you, and she bends down to give you a kiss. "our little girl's really runnin' a number on you, huh?" she asks, reaching down to pat your swollen belly.

you nod against sevika's shirt, using it as a face-wipe for all your tears and boogers. "i pee all the time. i f-feel like i should just live on the fuckin' toilet."

"but i'd miss you if you were in here all the time." sevika pouts. you snort. "c'mon love." she grunts as she hikes her arm under your shoulder and knees, hauling you off the toilet.

you giggle a little in your wife's arms, clinging to her as she walks you to your bedroom. "what're you doing with me?" you ask.

"'m takin' care of you." she whispers as she pulls your pants off your legs. you huff, a few tears still escaping your eyes, and sevika kisses your bare thigh.

"i haven't showered in days." you warn as sevika pushes your legs further apart. she groans.

"good. i love you musty."

you giggle a little, then cry some more. "you're gross. 'n way too nice to me." you whimper. sevika chuckles.

"my poor baby. such a fuckin' mess since i knocked you up, huh?" she teases. you nod and pout, letting your emotions control you, knowing sevika wont judge you for it. "i gotcha babe. just lay there 'n let it all out for me." she whispers, before ducking down and sucking one long stripe up your cunt.

sevika groans and you whimper as she sucks your clit into her mouth. for a few minutes, she just suckles and kisses your clit, making you a shaky, whiny mess. most of your cries are being blocked out by your moans, but there are still tears running down your cheeks.

"so fuckin' pretty when you cry, baby." sevika whispers. you gulp.

"shut up."

"it's true. your eyes get all sparkly and your skin gets all shiny-- fuck, you're the most beautiful thing i've ever seen."

you huff another laugh at this-- you're covered in hormonal acne and in third day pajamas-- but sevika blinks up at you like she really means it.

"you-- would you just--" you pull sevika's mouth back to your cunt before she can make you any more flustered with her words. your emotions are swinging wildly from the sudden stubborn sad-attack you've encoutnered, and the wild, childlike excitement and bashfulness you always feel around your wife.

which means that every time she blinks up at you, her pretty silver eyes barely visible over the bump of your belly, your heart stutters and your cunt clenches and a few tears leak out of your eyes.

when she reaches up and intertwines her hands with yours, you cum. it catches you completely off guard-- but the simple, sweet, intimate gesture made you topple over into a mess of cum and tears.

they're not sad-tears anymore, though. they're tears of joy and love-- all for the woman who's crawling up from between your legs with a big smile on her lips-- your cum covering her cheeks and chin. "that was quick." she teases. (she loves how easy you are now that you're pregnant. it turns her on endlessly.)

you grunt and flip her off. "are you gonna keep teasing me or are you gonna come sit on my face?" you ask.

sevika smirks, then leans down to kiss you deeply.

you gasp against her lips, relaxing into the kiss, taking in the taste of you still on her tongue.

when sevika pulls away, your head is fuzzy and your stomach is fluttering with butterflies. you blink up at her as she grins down at you.

"you stay here and take a nap. i'm gonna draw you a bath and make you a sandwich-- then maybe i'll join you." she says with a sweet little wink.

you blink up at your wife, and then burst into a fresh round of tears. above you, sevika cackles.

"is this 'cause you can't eat me out or...?" she asks. you groan and flip her off again.

"it's 'cause you're fuckin' perfect you asshole. what the fuck?" you ask.

sevika just giggles, pulls the blankets over your body, and kisses your forehead as she hands you a few tissues.

taglist!

@fyeahnix @lavendersgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner

@shimtarofstupidity @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther

@ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai

@glass-apothecary @macaroni676 @artinvain @k3n-dyll @sevsdollette

@ellieslob @xayn-xd @keikuahh @maneskinwh0re @raphaellearp

@iamastar @sevikitty @claude999 @nhaaauyen @micronreadzztuff22

[purplealmonds]

This is my tribute to the late Technoblade. I'm well over a week late to the anniversary of his passing, but I think it was worth the wait. I wanted to get this right.

The story I want to tell is of time's passage after his passing, and the set dressing of this space is a symbolic amalgamation of various aspects of his life depicting that concept.

I have a lot more to say about this painting - three pages just for the symbolism alone. If you're interested, please let me know and I'll share my analysis on a separate post! Edit: I caved. Aight, prepare for a massive info dump below the cut!

DISCLAIMERS:

Although I put a lot of research into this piece, my knowledge is likely flawed and incomplete. If I missed or misinterpreted a reference, it’s because I’m new to the Technoblade community. If I got a symbolism thing wrong, it’s because I relied on Google search for answers. I fact checked where I could. And with this analysis, I hope I can clear up any misinterpretations! 

—

OVERVIEW:

There’s lots of imagery to unpack so I’ll try parsing it in a structured manner. Let’s first examine it holistically. 

The story I want to tell here is of time’s passage after Technoblade’s passing. As such,the set dressing of this space is a symbolic amalgamation of that concept.

Prominently featured are the various medical equipments - a nod to the grim reality of his cancer. But let’s not linger upon that aspect of his story.

Of equal importance are the more mundane objects - his gaming setup, the couch and pillow which Floof sat upon in that one photo, the plethora of paraphernalia of branded merchandise, and references to his exploits in Minecraft. These are relics and mementos of his legacy.

All of these elements intermingle in flooded, lushly overgrown room looking out to a rose-tinted exterior. Is it dawn? Dusk? I’ll leave that interpretation up to the viewers.  

The third and final component is the plant life representing his community -us. We beautify this metaphorical space with where it was once laden with tragedy. Yet, despite these riotous blooms, we never quite encroach on the bed - the empty space left behind by him.

—

SET DRESSING:

Much care was taken in selecting the blossoms and placing them in symbolically significant locations.  And this neatly transitions us into the analysis individual details.

Foreground: 

In the foreground, ivy crawls through a lamp and white clovers thrive atop a pile of pillboxes. The lamp base, once a shining bronze-like finish, is heavily tarnished. The lampshade is overgrown with moss and ivy. Even if the greenery has yet to damage the electric wiring, the damp surely has finished the job. Even if the bulb is replaced, the body is too far gone. The light’s never coming on again. 

I was initially put out that my painstakingly 3D modeled pillboxes became entirely obscured, but I think it works in favor of the piece’s overarching theme: the beautiful wilds overtaking a space that once reeked of the desperate fight to prolong life. 

White clover blossoms meaning “thinking of you” is paired with the ivy meaning “everlasting devotion”.  It’s an apt combination. It has been over a year since his passing, and we still remember and carry on his legacy. 

Nestled amongst the foliage is Techno’s compass. It was once used to hunt him down in the Dream SMP. But now, it’s an odd comfort. Even though he’s no longer with us, he’s still somewhere far, far away– or is he? The original idea was for the needle to point heavenwards, but it is currently pointing…sideways?  I’ll get to the reasoning a bit later. 

The Flood:

Moving deeper into the space, we hit the floodwaters. These once turbulent currents are now tranquil enough to nourish this verdant place. The thriving plant life hides much of this darkness. It is beautiful, hopeful, even. But always bittersweet, because everything that grows here is laced with an old sorrow.

White lotus rise from the murky depths. That is us, overcoming our grief. Breaching the surface, we gain a new vantage point to contemplate this loss. Perhaps we can also find a more comforting perspective of it.

Submerged amongst the blossoms is a rusted oxygen machine. I wanted to decorate the machine with stickers, much like one would personalize a plaster cast for a broken limb. It is deliberate that the “Technoblade Never Dies” sticker is in shadow, while the “So Long, Nerds" is in light. 

Immediately to the right was meant to be a box of assorted Technoblade apparel.  But then I flooded the space for narrative reasons, rendering that idea unusable. I eventually converted it into a Welch’s Fruit Snacks box, because apparently Technoblade liked them? It’s one of the shallower references here but it is what it is.

And finally, there is a little cameo floating somewhere in the waters. An Easter egg, if you will. I wonder if you can find it? 

Furnishings from Home:

I found the couch and Technoblade’s gaming setup during my trawl through the Technoblade Reddit page for reference photos. Balancing this space full of impersonal medical equipment with more personalized belongings is grounding. These areas insert familiarity in this strange environment.

Gaming Setup:

The gaming setup is bare bones - just the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. There was no space to add more iconic elements like his Blue Yeti microphone or the steering wheel from that Minecraft challenge. Hanging above but heavily obscured by overgrowth are two framed pictures of Technoblade’s cabin and a potato minion. It is a blink-and-you-miss-it detail, placed in a dim space and requiring close examining to notice. Without the context of the rest of this environment, it is easily mistaken as generic set dressing. 

That’s the point, though. This was a space where he streamed and created videos much beloved by his community. This space was the means of creation, not the creations themselves. Without the creator at the helm, this setup becomes insignificant. Does one dote over the easel on which paintings were created, or the paintings themselves? So now it sits in darkness, a footnote of Technoblade’s legacy. 

Nostalgia Corner:

On the other end, we have the sold out Youtooz plushies and the Agro Pig plush from the recent merch drop sat atop the couch.  If you look closely, you’ll see a Skeppy coin leaning against one of the plushies. Behind the couch is a shelf. A generic shelf, but the important bits here are the sellout bell, Youtube plaque, and vinyl figurines. 

This corner of the room is nostalgic and soft. Everything is bathed in rosy pink light, and it is filled with things that are comfortingly familiar. All across the world, people in his community have these pieces of merch to remember him by. 

The red poppies that also grow here have multiple meanings. It represents the battle - one against sarcoma - which was fought here. It symbolizes death, but also resilience in the face of grueling conditions. It is said that they grow in former battlefields where of fallen warriors. I believe of all the flowers here, this one best represents Technoblade.

The Hanging Mobile:

Strung up above it is a rather last minute addition to the environment - a hanging mobile fabricated from totems representing each member of the Sleepy Bois Inc. friend group. First and foremost is Technoblade’s iconic MCC crown, aptly placed at the top. Although it is untouched by the greenery, the gold and jewelry are somewhat muted and tarnished by time.

This is not the case for the objects below. TommyInnit’s music disc shines iridiscent green and purple - Cat and Mellohi merged into one. To is right is a sky-blue guitar pick with the LoveJoy logo engraved onto it for Wilbur Soot. And finally, below it all is Philza’s Friendship Emerald - sparkling and refracting light - with Elytra feathers fastened at the bottom. They, suspended and isolated from everything, maintain a pristine vibrancy which strongly contrasts against everything else in this space. 

IV Stand:

Next to the computer setup is the IV stand. It sustains life which is incapable of continuing on without intervention. The butterfly milkweed growing on it, in contrast, says “let me go.” The latter, overtaking the tangle of tubes and powered off patient monitor, is victorious. The hooks stand rusted, and the IV bag empty from disuse.

Sat atop the patient monitor but almost blending into the walls is a pig figurine featured in Dream’s latest music video. It stands on a high perch, yet is unassuming as to direct focus on Technoblade, or rather, his absence. 

Hanging from the wired basket is an air freshener tag. If you look on the official website, this is one of the only products which has what I can only call interesting flavor text. Most are merely descriptions and specs of the product. To quote it verbatim:

“Yes, this is a real product. And no, this ‘air freshener’ has no discernible fragrance. ‘Why’ you ask? Because Mr. Technodad and our team agreed this was exactly the sort of air freshener Alex would have found hilarious.”

As morbid as it sounds, I feel like this air freshener tag would not have existed before Technoblade’s passing. It is so unlike any other merchandise I’ve seen in any other branded merchandise store. It’s like an inside joke, secretly shared within the descriptions for the world to eventually discover. 

Window:

Unlit candles line the window sill - the aftermath of a candlelight vigil. It is a versatile symbol. It raises awareness of a disease or illness. It pays tribute the dead. Judging from the melted wax dribbling down the candle shafts and the wall below (the opacity was reduced so it looks less like bloodstains), this has been done many times over. But there is so much more candle to burn, representing the people still continuing this ceremony, albeit in the privacy of their own homes.

Above the candles are some broken blinds. When grieving, it would have been so easy for Mr. Technodad to hide away from the world in his grief. It’s understandable, to give into that primal urge to flee from prying eyes when he’s at his most vulnerable. He had the difficult task of reading out his son’s final farewell to us. This barrier between him and us dismantled by this gesture so we can remember Technoblade together. 

Coincidentally, the window frame itself somewhat resembles the kitchen window featured in Technoblade and Technodad's cooking videos. Completely unintentional on my end, but fitting in a way since in both those videos they're pulling back the metaphorical curtains for the audience to peer into a small aspect of their private lives.

To the right of the window is a nondescript clock, forever stopped at the 6:30 as a nod to the date when the "So Long, Nerds" video was published. The minute hand is accidentally left out removed to signify that time will no longer move forward for Technoblade. In contrast, the rest of the world - represented by this space - continues to grow and change around his absence.

A wind chime hangs just outside the window. It is said that the soothing sounds produced by them is a healing balm during tumultuous times. Where there is wind there is stirred up emotions, but it is motionless on this calm, breezeless day. A rare respite, where remembrance overrides grief. 

On a more amusing note, there is an interesting looking moth perched on the window glass. Upon closer inspection, the wing pattern may look somewhat familiar. In Chinese culture, when a huge moth visiting your home is the embodiment of your recently deceased loved one checking on you. Remember the compass in the foreground? Well, here’s why it is pointed sideways instead of upwards. This idea came up rather organically during a VC session in the R/Technoblade Discord server. My handful of viewers and myself affectionately dubbed this doofy looking moth TechnoMoff!

Venturing further beyond the windows, ferns grow with wild abandon. They represent eternal youth, and from a certain point of view, he will remain youthful forever at the age of 23. He lives on through us carrying on his legacy and spreading his story. 

Everything outside is tinged with pink. After someone dies, we start seeing them less as a person and more as a legacy. It is the natural course of things to start seeing the deceased through rose-tinted lenses - hence the artificially pink hue of the outside contrasting with the more grounded color palette of the inside. 

Bed:

And now we circle back to the centerpiece of this entire composition: the bed and the things that surround it. 

In front of the bed is an over-bed table with a single object: an incense bowl filled to the brim with burnt sticks of incense. A simple shrine for Technoblade. In Chinese culture, we light incense at the altar to honor our loved ones. We may live separate lives and not cross paths often, but we all come together to leave our marks through this ritual. It is proof that he is still very much loved and missed by us all.

The bariatric bed frame is typically seen in hospitals. It allows the patient to comfortably sit up or recline without expending valuable energy. Encased in this frame is something more personal - the mattress and cushions which Technoblade laid upon in his photo with the Youtube plaque. Their unique patterning is a foil for the impersonal receptacle it is caged in. It is spotlit by the window light, emphasizing its emptiness. Not a single blossom dares to encroach upon this space, because to do so would be to erase the space where Technoblade last resided. Like I mentioned before, this is story is about the space around him as much as it is about him. 

Cradling this bed frame are several flowers. Rosemary and forget-me-not’s for remembrance. Appropriate, given its proximity to the bed. Morning glories, for resilience. That’s us, again. For a while, we meander and spread in the upper walls of this space, avoiding the floodwaters which symbolize grief. But eventually, we gather the strength to meander down to the bed, where grief was the strongest.

—

CONCLUSION:

There is that cheesy quote from that one Marvel TV show – “What is grief, but love persevering?” While this reframes our perception of dealing with loss, grief is not some thing that should linger. The absence of grief does not equate to the lack of love. Instead, I would like you to consider this: remembrance is love persevering. And with our combined perseverance, Technoblade will never truly die. 

[hivemuthur]

The Game of Teaching Body - Ch. 2.

viktorxfemale!reader mature! (for now, I will mark later chapters as explicit when the time comes)

AU university, AU modern era, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, teasing, pinning, banter, eventual romance and therefore smut, Viktor is simultaneously a menace and needs a hug, TA Viktor

Ch.1. | Ch.3. | Ch.4. | Ch.5. | Ch.6. | Ch.7. | Ch.8. | Ch.9. | Ch.10. | Ch.11. | Ch.12.

word count: 4K

tag: #the game of teaching body

summary: Reader is hit by a truck which is *university*. So, a lot of studying and a lot of frustrations. And the TA is being a pain in the ass, you know how it is. Some science talk, based on the remnants of my knowledge from uni.

author’s note: Guys, you have showered me with love, so I'm showering you with writing.

Cross-posted on AO3 + POV3rd Person Version

—

Sue was so fucking right. It had only been one week of freedom, and then the workload came crashing down on you. Suddenly, every class had a welcome test attached to it, and you found yourself buried under a mountain of homework—chemical equations to solve and analyse, essays, books to read, lab practice, and lectures to attend. There wasn’t any snowball effect; it all hit at once, and by the time you and Sue returned on the first Monday of the second week, you were carrying enough work to fill two mules, and it would still have been too heavy even for them.

“Your mum is calling,” Sue’s voice pulled you out of a particularly boring passage about physical chemistry in one of your shared workbooks. You would usually put your phones on the cabinet for study time, but the vibration had startled Sue for the third time in ten minutes, so she decided to address it.

“Ugh, can you put her on speaker? I’ll deal with this quickly, and I don’t want to move,” you rolled your eyes, catching Sue’s judgmental glare. She’s your mum!

“Kochanie, finally! I’ve been trying and trying, how are you doing?” Your mum’s voice filled the room with her familiar heavy accent, though she insisted it was improving. Your dad didn’t speak a word of Polish, so Joanna had to switch to English entirely after you left.

“All good, Mum. Lots and lots and lots of studying,” you said, your voice so unamused you barely lifted your eyes from the book, though your gaze was unseeing. You had been staring at the same equation for about half an hour now.

“Have you been practising your affirmations?” Of course, you hadn’t. Silly idea.

“Yes, every day and every time someone pisses me off. How’s Dad?” You decided to deflect as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

“Dad went to Calais for a retreat, and I’m left alone for the entire week. He’s not allowed a mobile, you see,” Your mum rambled on a little longer, and you let her. You were happy to hear your parents were moving on after losing their only daughter. Even though Joanna insisted she could feel your presence in the house, in the clothes and trinkets you’d left behind, and could sense your moods through an invisible mother-daughter bond you shared. What a load of nonsense.

“Mamusia, I love you, but I have to go. I’m studying with Sue, and we’ve got a test in thirty minutes,” you added a round of loud pecks so she could hear the kisses through the phone speaker. She told you to wear red underwear and get Sue to kick you for good luck.

“Your mum sounds awesome,” Sue laughed under her breath. She tried to study but ended up listening to the entire conversation.

“Eh, she’s something. She’s pretty cool when she’s not suffocating you with love, you know?” You gave Sue a knowing smile, and she understood immediately. “Have you managed to learn anything? My brain is literally fuming.”

Sue groaned as she started packing up her notebooks to head toward the lab class. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think I’ll use my last resort—can I borrow some red knickers?” You snickered as Sue shot you a huge mocking grin.

“No, but I can kick you alright, sweet Sue,” you couldn’t help but laugh. You gathered all the papers scattered around you with both hands and shoved them into your bag. You glanced at yourself in the mirror before leaving your dorm room, and Jesus Christ, your youth had already fled. Dark circles under your eyes, a gaunt face, lips chapped—all of it painfully underlined by an ink stain on your t-shirt. Whatever, there was no time to do anything about it.

It was Viktor’s class again. You had slowly grown to dislike them, ever since he and Jayce began to switch every second day, after Jayce got a new girlfriend—beautiful Mel Medarda, a third-year theatre student whom Hale once called a close second contender to rule the planet one day. Second after you, of course.

All of Viktor’s initial friendly sass had dissolved into the mean kind, which he executed each time Heimerdinger’s students were supposed to already know something they didn’t—including you. Thankfully, most of the time, you knew. The times you didn’t, he relished it and squeezed the situation to the maximum, like a sad lemon.

“Alright, take a test from the tray on the teacher’s desk and take your usual seat. And as usual, you can have a calculator and periodic table on your workbench,” Viktor’s instructions boomed through the lab classroom as one by one, students dragged themselves through the door, each one looking more exhausted than the other. “Looking ravishing today, Y/N,” he sent a smirk your way as you passed by him without sparing him so much as a glance and a quiet ‘hi.’

“Bite me, Viktor,” you barked back at him. What the hell was he thinking?

“Gladly, but maybe after class.” Usually, the smug look on his face would get you to scoff; this time, you granted him a faint eye roll as you dragged your feet toward the workbench you shared with Sue. As Viktor strolled through the room, making sure no one had anything illegal on their tables, he snatched your phone from your desk just as you were putting it into your bag.

“No phones,” he slid it into his lab coat pocket with a wink. You whined, about to say something you’d regret, but were immediately cut off by “I said, after class,” coming from behind you as you watched his back, your eyes burning a hole in it.

You solved the test first; you were so angry. As soon as you put it back in the tray, a realisation washed over you, and what you realised was the mistake you’d made in one of the exercises. You wanted to retrieve it and fix it, but Viktor’s hand shooshed you away.

“Come on, Viktor, it was there for less than a second!”

“You put it away, it’s gone for grading. That’s the rule. Also—it’s a learning curve,” he smiled at you sweetly, and you wanted to choke him out.

“Learning curve of what? That you are being a dick?” The last part was barely a whisper, nevertheless, a whisper that was fuming with rage and could cut through steel.

“Patience. And decision-making, which is a process that you clearly haven’t mastered yet,” he said coldly, not even looking you in the eye. This time, you did scoff, and angry steps carried you back to your seat.

The class settled into a more familiar rhythm after the test, the shuffle of papers and the steady hum of Bunsen burners filling the air. Viktor moved around the room, overseeing his students’ chemistry lab exercises with the same detached air he always wore. You tried to focus, but your thoughts kept drifting back to the test—and Viktor's smug little smile as he watched your frustration unfold.

The task at hand was simple enough: a titration experiment to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. Viktor had given you all the instructions, but as you watched the beaker of sodium hydroxide mix with the diluted acid, you felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Something about the instructions didn’t sit right with you.

You glanced over at Sue, who was carefully measuring out the chemicals. You leaned in, whispering so Viktor wouldn’t overhear.

“Sue, I think he messed up the ratios in the instructions. If we follow this, it’s gonna screw everything up. We’ll end up with a totally different result.”

Sue frowned, taking a closer look at the setup. “You sure?”

“I’m certain. The way he wrote it—if we add that much of the sodium hydroxide, the pH is going to overshoot too quickly. It'll neutralise the acid too fast, and we won’t get an accurate reading. If we’re supposed to get a neutralisation point, that change will mess with the whole titration curve.”

Sue was sceptical, but you were adamant. You felt it in your gut. "It’ll be off. Trust me."

Sue nodded reluctantly. "So, what do we do?"

You hesitated for a moment, your fingers tapping the edge of the desk as you thought. You pulled up a few formulas on Sue’s phone, glancing back at Viktor to make sure he wasn’t looking in your direction.

“If we use less sodium hydroxide, the neutralisation will occur more slowly, and we’ll get a more accurate pH reading. We’re supposed to use a much more diluted solution.”

Sue nodded, though she looked uneasy. “What the hell, let’s try it.”

You adjusted the solution as you suggested, making the necessary changes to the procedure. You proceeded with the experiment, and despite her hesitation, Sue followed your lead. The two of you worked in tandem, the smooth, natural chemistry of your lab partnership taking over. As you neared the end of the titration, it was clear you had achieved the neutralisation point correctly—without overshooting or leaving any room for error.

Meanwhile, the rest of the class was still fumbling through their measurements, the air thick with the sounds of Viktor’s quiet reprimands. You couldn’t help but glance at him every now and then, noting the small, almost imperceptible frown on his face as he inspected his students’ work.

When the clock pointed to fifteen minutes away from the class ending, Heimerdinger stepped into the lab, his eyes scanning the results with interest. He walked toward your workbench, eyes lighting up as he reviewed your calculations.

“Well, it seems we have at least one pair who didn’t follow the instructions blindly,” Heimerdinger said, his voice rich with approval. “Good work, you two. You’ve done the experiment correctly. Trusting your instincts—making adjustments based on the data rather than simply following authority—is key in science. After all, we’re here to discover, not just to repeat what’s been done.”

You allowed yourself a smile of satisfaction, while Sue breathed a little easier, glancing at you in admiration.

Viktor’s face, however, was unreadable. He stood at the back of the room, arms folded tightly across his chest, watching the interaction with narrowed eyes.

Heimerdinger didn’t seem to mind. “It’s a learning curve for all of us, even your teacher. Mistakes are inevitable. But sometimes when we challenge authority—question the procedures—that’s when we learn and grow. Science is born from curiosity and defiance. Respect is important, of course, but don’t be afraid to challenge when you feel something isn’t right.”

You raised an eyebrow at Viktor, who hadn’t said a word. His lips were pressed into a thin line, but his eyes were hard as steel. He wasn’t pleased by Heimerdinger’s praise of your independent thinking.

“That’s how science is made,” Heimerdinger continued, completely oblivious to the tension between his students and the teacher. “By asking ‘what if?’ and exploring the unknown.”

Viktor finally spoke, his voice cool and controlled. “That’s true,” he said, glancing at you. “But there's a fine line between innovation and recklessness. Don’t mistake one for the other.”

You met his gaze, your jaw tight. “I don’t think we did.”

Viktor’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, but he didn’t respond, turning on his heel and walking toward the front of the room. Sue nudged you gently, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Well, at least we didn’t screw up,” she whispered.

You smiled back, but your mind was still racing. You had challenged Viktor’s authority—hadn’t followed his instructions—and it had got you praise from the professor. This couldn’t be good. “Sue, I don’t think I’m getting my phone back,” you whined into your friend's shoulder, who giggled uncontrollably.

You waited for your group to disperse into the library or the cantina before the start of the next lecture, making sure Viktor wouldn’t be able to humiliate you in front of anyone. You took a deep breath and knocked weakly on the door of the assistant’s back office.

“Come in,” Viktor’s voice was as flat and unwelcoming as ever. You braced yourself as you turned the doorknob and stepped inside quietly. Viktor was sitting at one of the tiny desks you were cramped at with Jayce and didn’t even look up. You cleared your throat.

“Yes?” This time, he looked up. God, he looked angry. When he finally raised his eyes to meet yours, he only sighed. “I doubt I can do much for you, Y/N. Given that you know everything already.”

“That’s rich coming from a guy who broke into the lab to prove his point once. Yes, Jayce told me,” you smiled at him sweetly, referring to his second-year incident when he and Jayce breached the lab security at night and conducted an experiment they were forbidden to do by Heimerdinger himself. This got them secure spots for PhD and TA positions.

Seeing that there was absolutely nothing coming from his direction but a blank stare, you asked carefully, “Well… why did you fuck up?”

Viktor sighed again, stood up slowly, and walked toward you. “Some theatre girls got us drunk last night—Mel’s friends. And I messed up the notes. Chemistry is not my major, as you know.” A smirk started to paint his face as he observed your reaction to the mention of drinking with some girls.

Viktor decided to push you further, his smirk widening as he leaned against the desk. “It’s hard to focus when you’re surrounded by Mel’s friends, you know. A lot of distractions. I haven't quite shaken last night off me yet,” he teased, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Your heart dropped at his words. You forced yourself to keep your expression neutral, but something inside you shifted—you didn’t want to admit it, but it hurt. Viktor was deliberately drawing attention to some girls, and it stung more than you cared to acknowledge.

You scolded yourself internally. Stop it. Don’t let him get to you. But it was already too late. You could feel a pang of something—jealousy, maybe, or insecurity—but you refused to let it show.

Viktor, sensing your discomfort, didn’t let up. “By the way,” he said, his tone casual, “I took a closer look at your test. You know, given your answers, I understand how you worked out the correct proportions for the exercise. Same mistake you made on the test itself, right?”

Your stomach twisted, and your chest tightened. “So now you’re just going to relish in my defeat, aren’t you?” you shot back, your voice strained.

Viktor raised an eyebrow. “I’ve got far better things to relish in. Just making observations.”

You exhaled sharply, your anger bubbling over. “You know, because you were being such a dick, the thing I actually knew will probably lower my final grade now. Congratulations.”

Viktor’s smirk never faltered. “I wasn’t being a dick,” he said, voice smooth. “I was merely being a meticulous stiff bastard.” He leaned back, his tone laced with sarcasm. “You were quite vocal about that, if I recall. Something about me being a ‘pedantic pain in the ass’ when you were drunk.”

Your face flushed, your hand tightening into a fist at your side. That comment struck a nerve you hadn’t even realised was there. Your heart pounded. “Are you seriously so petty, Viktor, that you’re going to take revenge for some drunken slur by messing with my grade?” you snapped, your voice rising. You turned to leave, the weight of your frustration heavy on your chest.

But Viktor’s voice stopped you cold. “Wait,” he said, and for a moment, you thought he was going to apologise. Maybe even admit he’d gone too far.

You glanced over your shoulder, ready to hear some kind of redemption. But then Viktor’s tone shifted again. “You didn’t forget something, did you?”

You froze as he pulled your phone from his pocket and held it out to you, a mischievous gleam in his eye. The sight of your phone in his hand made your heart sink. You really are a bastard, you thought.

With strained composure, you took the phone from him. Your fingers brushed his, sending an unexpected jolt through you. Viktor’s gaze lingered on you a moment longer than necessary, and for the briefest second, you saw something flicker behind his usual cool façade. Something almost… uncertain.

Your stomach fluttered—No. Not now. Don’t let him do this to you.

You forced a tight smile, returning his gaze. “I can play this game too, Viktor,” you said, your voice low and controlled.

Viktor’s smirk faltered for a brief moment, and he leaned back against the desk, watching you with a hint of something deeper in his expression. His eyes softened, but he quickly masked it with another calculated look.

You turned to leave, your mind racing with frustration and another weird emotion you didn’t have the name for. Just before you reached the door, you felt a shift in the air. Viktor’s teasing had crossed a line, and somehow, the distance between you felt less like a joke and more like something real. Why does this matter so much to me?

Your heart thudded painfully in your chest. Viktor hadn’t just teased you. He’d affected you, and you hated that. As you stepped out of the office, you could feel his gaze on your back, following you, studying your body. You scolded yourself internally for looking like a wreck and made your way to join Sue in the library.

Your friend regarded you with concern as you slid into the chair at the table, books already splayed out in front of her. “Did you get your phone back?”

“Yeah, it was a fight to the death,” you mumbled, sighing heavily as you opened a massive tome of genetics for the next lecture.

“And who died?” Sue asked, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

“Oh, definitely me this time.” You whined and dropped your head face-flat onto the table. “I don’t understand when this happened. Can you direct me to a point in time when Viktor woke up and chose violence?” you chuckled despite yourself.

“Um… I think it was some time after the party where that cute curly-haired guy with a poetic name clung to you the entire evening. Or—” she smirked—“you calling Viktor a meticulous stiff bastard.”

“Ambrose? I completely forgot about him,” you mused for a second. There had been an Ambrose sometime during your first weeks. He was from the theatre department too, full of big words, slightly obsessive, but overall nice. You never gave him your number, though, deciding it wasn’t meant to be.

“So you think Viktor loves me so much, jealousy rotted his guts?” you laughed a little too loudly, drawing a few irritated ‘shh!’ sounds from nearby students.

“Let’s say it’s my instinct,” Sue replied with a mischievous smile. “And remember, Y/N—trusting your instincts is key in science,” she added in a hushed, exaggerated Heimerdinger impression, causing you to suppress your laugh even further.

***

Viktor stretched in his chair. The last paper to check stared him in the eye, glaring at him almost as intensely as you had that morning. He groaned slightly at the pain in his leg as the door creaked open.

“Hi, partner,” Jayce greeted, shooting him a smile that was a mix of guilt and a plea for forgiveness. He’d left Viktor for an entire day to gallivant around campus with Mel. She had apparently needed strong arms to carry boxes of flyers advertising their winter show.

“Don’t ‘hi, partner’ me, Jayce,” Viktor huffed but smiled faintly under his nose. “How was it?”

“She’s really something, Vik. I can tell you over a beer?” Jayce offered, clearly still buzzing from his all-day hangout with his beautiful, smart, interesting, unique, elegant, new girlfriend.

“I think I’m going to call it a night. One last paper to check.” Viktor groaned slightly as he flipped your paper in front of his friend’s face. Jayce snatched it mid-air and studied it carefully for a minute.

“How come? I thought she was the only one to work around your… notes mishap?” Jayce tread carefully, noticing the frown forming on Viktor’s forehead. He knew exactly how Viktor had messed up the notes—sadly, it was partially his fault as well.

Viktor leaned back in his chair, still staring at the paper. “Yes, indeed, she was. She even tried to fix her answer when she put the test into the box,” he muttered quietly under his breath.

Jayce raised an eyebrow. “So why didn’t she?”

Viktor rolled his eyes, the motion quick and dismissive. “Because, Jayce, I don’t make exceptions for students who can't follow the rules.”

“Oh, Viktor,” Jayce sighed, shaking his head. “What did she do to get so deeply under your skin? Seriously, you're not usually like this.” Viktor was only mean and vigilant when he cared—or when he was hurt. That, Jayce knew. He just didn’t know which one it was.

Viktor shrugged nonchalantly, but there was an edge to his voice. “She’s just full of herself. Thinks she can do whatever she wants because she’s got it all figured out.”

Jayce’s lips twitched into a knowing smile. “Oh, I see. Well, if someone’s getting on your nerves that much, it usually means they’re reflecting something about you that you don’t want to see.”

Viktor stared at him blankly, the words almost not registering. Then, he let out a short, mocking laugh. “When did you start spreading the wisdom of your people around the world, Jayce?”

Jayce leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms casually. “Mel teaches me how to talk to difficult people now. You know, learning to understand them and not just shut them down immediately.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, his tone sceptical. “Am I the difficult one here?”

Jayce’s grin widened. “Clearly. I mean, you’re willing to fuck up Y/N’s final grade over a sentiment. That’s not exactly… rational behaviour, is it?” He leaned into the desk, hoping for a moment of self-reflection from his friend.

Viktor was silent for a moment, then scoffed, trying to brush off the conversation. “It’s not like that. I’m not just doing it to be petty.”

Jayce leaned in slightly. “So, what did you tell Heimerdinger about the mishap?”

Viktor leaned forward as well, his voice dropping into a more serious tone. “I told him the truth—both of us fell asleep in the lab, working on our side project. I had to rush to class that morning. No big deal.”

Jayce nodded, processing this. “I’m sure Heimerdinger won’t bat an eyelid if you step up for Y/N, especially since she did well in class. If anything, she deserves some leniency.”

Viktor paused, looking at his friend thoughtfully. “I guess I could do that. Just… don’t think this is something I do for everyone,” he exhaled, rubbing his temple. “But I’ll talk to Heimerdinger.”

Jayce smirked, leaning back in his chair again. “There you go. Maybe Mel’s influence is working on you after all.”

Viktor shot him a look, clearly not amused. But deep down, he couldn't deny there was something about you that unsettled him—and, for some reason, it had started to bother him more than he cared to admit.

“Just keep your wisdom to yourself,” Viktor muttered. “And get out of my office. I still have work to do.”

Jayce chuckled but stood up, winking. “Hey, it’s my office as well! But yeah, I get the point.” As Jayce exited, Viktor stared at the paper before him, his mind occupied by frustration. A meticulous stiff bastard he was indeed.

[zakumipink]

I'm back, thanks to those who ask. Here are the previous questions.

• Can vampires eat meat?

If you ask, it's about cannibalism, since it's a form of punishment by judgment, it's not that vampires devour another, but rather they all bite and scratch them, mutilate them, and drink their blood. You could say they eat meat because in their moments of lust they tear off pieces of meat, but it's not that they eat it out of hunger. Now, if you ask for meat, like a restaurant dish, then yes. They can pretend to eat a few bites, but they'll ask for it in blue or red... it's when the beef is still bleeding. Of course vampires don't taste food, those who were once human have a memory of it. It's the same with animal blood, they can drink it out of thirst but it doesn't give them pleasure or knowledge.

• What is the relationship between Law and Kid? Were they a couple?

Kid and Killer come to the Akagami clan, years later than Law, so they know each other quite well, at least as far as the clan and the hunts are concerned.

There is no denying the fact that Kid was interested in Law, but it was not reciprocal Nor was it a game of seduction or an effervescent love affair. It was just a desire and a whim that quickly went away... Kid is the type of man (vampire) who does not look for complications or waste effort or time with detours. Kid does what he has to do does what he has to do to achieve his goals. He's impatient and quite impulsive, but he keeps his word, which is why he doesn't usually give it away, appreciates his friends.

For Kid, the pretty but apathetic Law was just something he wanted to have and couldn't, so he changed his goal and they continued relating as friends, a term that neither of them uses with the other, I guess no one recognizes it.

For Law, the redhead is a loud-mouthed idiot who should learn not to bother him... but, who he appreciates, even though most of the time they are both arguing.

• It makes me laugh that Sabo is bothered by fangs. Do you use it for humor?

Yes, although it's also logical. Many complain that Sabo was too stubborn at first and should have been quicker to accept his change... But in the context of his story, Sabo just woke up in the bed of a stranger, who was too handsome, and when he tries to remember he can't even think of his own name. I would get scared and want to run away. It also doesn't help that Law gets so angry when something doesn't go as he planned. So imagine how uncomfortable it is to have your fangs and nails grow, without you wanting them to, when you smell blood. Usually, converted vampires become accustomed by the third night. And it is easier for them to learn everything they need to be a hunter in less than a week when their creator educates them.Even so, mastering thoughts and reading others takes the longest, which is why neophytes spend about fifteen nights alone with their creator to learn the clan rules, basic skills, or see if you have any special abilities.

• Sabo's family never looked for him?

Yes, I don't know which chapter you're in, but I think I said they looked for him. Of course, it was useless, and Stelly took his place at the wedding.

• Sabo met his fiancee?

When they were children. She's a person trapped in her privilege, so she sees others as toys, even as an adult. Stelly is the same. Sarie Nantokanette and Stelly are a couple who get along well, both are cruel, but it's because of their privilege. I can't say much.

• Does Stelly hate Sabo? Does Sabo hate his parents?

I won't call it hatred. It was jealousy, at least at first. When Stelly was adopted, he wanted to belong to the family, and if that meant belittling, humiliating, and hurting Sabo, he'd do it. Sabo doesn't hate his parents or Stelly, not because he can't and not because he wants to be good. Sabo doesn't hate them because he doesn't want to hate them. It happens that our reactions and defense methods are different in each one of us, some need to hate, others forget, others forgive, and some of us just stay in limbo trying decide whether to hate, forgive or forget. Others want revenge...

• Shanks and Mihawk were boyfriends?

No. But it's not that it can't be done. Mihawk is a widower, Shanks has two wives: Makino and Uta's mother, so you have two children, and also has a lover. I don't think I've gotten around to writing about it yet pero Buggy is a vampire. Of course, Shanks is a free soul lol Mihawk sees relationships as pointless, he only married under family order and to have his own clan. He was in love with his Damnatus, but he will never admit it. I guess if you fall in love with someone, it's very difficult for you to understand.

• Don't you feel like you should go into more detail about what happened to Sabo? I feel like it would add more darkness to the fanfic.

I appreciate you reading, but I'm not interested in adding sexual scenes of adults raping children.It's not that I can't write it, but I don't think it would contribute to my fic, which is meant to be a cliché story with silly love and vampires who look like they're newlyweds. I'm sorry.I'm really bored of writing about sex, rape, abuse, and group orgies.I know I've written a lot of fics with problematic themes before, I know what I did. Now I just want to be a dumb author.

• Perona says Law is above average for vampires, but he's not that handsome... Really? To me, he's more handsome than Shanks.

All vampires are beautiful to humans; their beauty is part of their predatory prowess. But among vampires, can distinguish its beauty. So, although all vampires are beautiful to humans, except for the primitive-looking ones, they don't need to attract their prey with beauty because they do not usually live among humans.

A vampire is based on their genetics, whether pureblood or turned, so they are as beautiful as possible. Its attractiveness, in addition to genetics and "transformation enhancement", that is, how beautiful the human becomes upon awakening, which you already know depends on genetics.

When you are reborn as a vampire, your body improves everything you already have to its peak, for example your hair grows healthy, your teeth align and sun marks are erased, scars and removes unnecessary hair, or even produces beards in men, to give them the best appearance that allows them to be a predator. It also depends on its aroma.

That brings me to the question about the "scent of vampires".

Vampires have a special scent, which is a result of the pure blood of the ancestor. Does it confuse you a little? Let's say that ancient vampires, having developed from primitive times, just like humans and mammals, they had a keen sense of smell, they needed to recognize each other and differentiate themselves as well. Of the three ancients, there is a particular aroma that accompanies their "children" and that, in turn, mixed with humans.

By scent, pure-blood vampires recognize their "siblings" and those who are not, as well as the servants, companions, and "pets" of others. Damnatus (Law) have a scent similar to a pureblood, with common variations such as some flower or spice. The rest of the vampires smell like something "stimulating" to humans or other vampires. Purebloods tend to only be interested in unusual ones like Sabo or Kid.

Humans can't smell vampires, but animals can, so Law says that even though he finds the animals cute, he can't touch them because they're afraid of him. That's why he likes minks, because that race of anthropomorphic animals aren't afraid of vampires.

The scent also serves to demarcate territory, not only to attract victims or differentiate oneself from other vampires. Beyond clan and geographic divisions, every vampire has a territorial instinct and therefore an "aura," which they convey or give off through their presence or their saliva/blood/scent.

An example of this is when Perona meets Sabo and from the moment she comes down the stairs, she makes her "presence" known, which distresses Sabo. At this same point, we see that Law also makes a territorial claim, but Sabo is not scared, because Sabo is marked as Law's property.

Vampires don't stay in their "territory" all the time; they only do so when they want to stake out an approach or abode, often during fights or hunts.

And that's all for today, thanks for reading my fic ♡

[comfortyart]

I'm really curious how Fen, Solas, and Dorian first got together. Did two of them come first and a third joined later? How did they approach the conversation?

Ok I’m sorry this will probably be long winded, rambly, also just messily written - and, despite the fact that this moment is my planned next one shot about them - there are just so many moving parts that actually lead to them getting together.

Throwing this under a break because it's so long

When they were at Haven, there was some tension between Solas and Fen. Despite Fen’s best and continued efforts, Solas is very short with him at the beginning, a lot of it relating to Fen being a grey warden. On the other hand, from the moment Fen and Dorian lock eyes, it's flirting. They make easy friends, Dorian very taken by Fen’s happy-to-help golden retriever like personality, trauma bonded by the happenings of In Hushed Whispers and easily spending a lot of time together. Leading up to Skyhold, Solas starts taking to Fen’s late night “questionings”. If Solas considers Fen uneducated, he was going to ask and learn as much as he could. It’s true he didn’t have many opportunities to get “book smart” (he is precious), but he loves to learn, and we all know how much Solas loves to embark wisdom. So there they are, every evening - and to Solas’ surprise, Fen is very responsive to his teachings. He clearly considers everything he’s told, utilizes it in making decisions moving forward, and comes back with new questions. And before long he finds himself drawn to the way Fen navigates day-to-day. Perhaps he judged too soon, I mean, Fen can be and is foolish at times, but he sees how Fen uses the knowledge he’s given, and suddenly he’s hooked.  This turns into late evenings with the three of them as they all grow closer throughout the timeline of the game. Fen enjoys watching Solas and Dorian debate, likes watching Solas paint while Dorian reads beside him on the couch. Sometimes they’re both just listening to Fen yap about darkspawn or a weird looking tree he saw earlier that day while they sit around the fire. Its not really anything particularly even intimate, though it is to them to some extent because they don’t spend much time alone with anyone else - and they all sort of become inseparable- EVEN after Fen and Solas get together.

Dorian isn’t surprised. Even in their flirting he knew Fen was taken with Solas from before they’d met. And Dorian, who had spent a lot of time alone without really anyone close to him, was content to just have two people he held dearly, even if his heart was unfortunately growing more attached by the day. He sort of feels bad about it too, they’re a couple, but he’s always there.

And then, Fen starts hearing the false calling. And by and then, I mean, he’s been hearing it for a while - but its getting worse. He is all but inconsolable one evening, and Solas and Dorian are looking at each other not sure what to do. I mean what CAN they do right? They're just as horrified. And...We can ignore the added layer of Solas and his fuck this is all in a round about way my fault situation for now LOL

Following Here lies the Abyss, Solas and Dorian are sort of high alert, a bit more attentive, not that Fen needs it, but more in a way they were woken up to how important this idiot had become to them. They felt like they could lose him to this, selfishly, ignoring what the loss of Fen could do to the world, but now horrified at the idea of losing him - generally.

And It’s not long after this, a close encounter leads Fen to a near death experience by an ambush. Dorian and Solas are so panicked they can’t leave his side, and without ever verbally asking, they’re both with each other like a crutch - now both seemingly living through the fear they were really going to lose Fen.

It was traumatic, and Solas refuses to let Dorian leave his side, like he truly believes it may break him to deal with this crushing fear alone. When Fen finally wakes, Dorian’s relief is suddenly hit with the realization that he is not to them what they are to each other. Suddenly like the world is being crushed amongst the happiness Fen isn’t dead, he is quick to say he’s sorry for always being in their space and that he’d try to give them more alone time since he didn’t want to ever take the precious time they have together away from them.

Solas shuts it down, fast. A few glances between him and Fen and it’s a confession. Fen and Solas had been falling for Dorian, and were convinced he’d want no part, and so settled to always having him in their space. It was emotional, for so many reasons, and a lot of tears, and it became impossible to tear them apart for the next fortnight. 

[thesunshinecourts]

five curiosities for the next book, after reading the sunshine court

a non-exhaustive list, but five things i'm curious to (hopefully) find out more about in TSC2, or that i have questions about still:

what happened at the trojans' fall banquet (presumably jeremy's first year)? it's a Scandal, and jeremy cannot stand to be around bryson, and annalise has never forgiven him for sticking with exy after that, despite having attended all his games in high school. given the allusions to his stepfather, and also his step-grandfather being a congressman, i can see how jeremy's sexuality might be relevant to the situation—especially if we read into lucas' stiff apology and shame at his implication about jeremy and jean as being born from more than just common decency, but rather knowledge of this being a previous sticking point in terms of jeremy's scandals—but i also keep thinking about what cat said. jeremy has—three. two brothers, one sister. the way she says it, how it sticks out to jean as an odd switch, and the fact that we've only met two siblings – it makes me wonder what happened to the third. or if that's even the right question to ask, regarding jeremy's siblings.

elodie. i'm curious if we learn anything about what happened—by and large, i kinda hope not, if only because then jean has to too, unless it turns out stuart is lying, but that's a very different kind of fallout. (i don't actively theorise he is—at some point, these kids will run out of tolerance for ghost stories coming back to life—but i think its possibility ought to be considered, at least). i think we'll get more flashes of her from jean's thoughts, though, and i anticipate lots of heartbreak lmao

lucas. assuming stuart's contact comes through, and neil's hit goes ahead, we've got lucas in the aftermath of finding out his brother is a monster, and jean saying not to call the police, and then possibly his brother being dead. if it happens any other day—if it happens in west virginia, especially—i suspect lucas might be able to look at it like another domino in the ravens machine falling down, or even that something horrible happened to him when he returned home, but if it's still in LA, after what he did to jean, after jean said no cops-------i can see how that might twist into something more suspicious. who knows! i'm curious to see what happens there. grayson is a monster, but he is still lucas' brother. aaron and kevin still have complicated grief about tilda and riko, and they were their direct, constant abusers; cass never learned until after the fact, and lucas is in a complex space between the two parts of that spectrum. if grayson dies, i think the fallout will be unavoidable for exploration

this is a small one but man, i just want to keep seeing jean's list grow. it tears something out of me every time, and stitches me back together, and i want to go through that over and over, because i want to see a jean who not only hears that his life is his and worth living, but a jean who learns to believe it too

i'm just kinda assuming we see the foxes again, because i remember nora's character list having new details about characters who didn't show up in this one, but i'm also quietly hoping for more thea. their scene made me ache, and he'd never had good defenses against thea, and kevin knew that. jean would kill him for bringing her here made my heart do the !! double-tap. i'm extremely invested in jean, thea and kevin as a unit, and it would be so incredibly wonderful to see more

[enquire]

3 years...

Okay I know I should be finishing up art but I just had to get some rambles outside of my brain alright.

I recently finished replaying Tsurugi's FTEs, and that brought me right back into thinking about the absurd state of this man's childhood.

Spoilers for Tsurugi Kinjo FTEs (and long-winded ramblings) below the cut:

First; Tsurugi Kinjo is an actual police officer from the first time we meet him. He describes himself as one, he mentions past experiences, and it shows in his abilities during the killing game. I feel like this is all common knowledge for those who have been inflicted with DRA.

However, I've done some thinking and research about the chronology of the incidents brought up in his FTEs before, for writing purposes, and just because this guy lives in my mind rent free.

I've tried to do the math before, and the implications are... well... Not good.

But what I had forgotten until replaying recently was that there's actually an explicit time frame given for the hostages incident in his third free time event. (If you don't know or remember, this is the event in which Tsurugi tells Yuki about a bombing incident at Tokyo Tower he was involved in. One which ended when he sacrificed the lives of his team members to stop the terrorists from escaping.)

I went to double check the original, just to see if this was present and the same in the Korean dialogue, too, and well, sure enough:

[Tsurugi Kinjo] 그건… 3년 전 쯤이었을거야. 마에다도 알걸? 도쿄 타워 폭파테러 사건…

It's probably pretty obvious where I'm going with this, right?

First off, when Tsurugi says this, he is (as far as he and the others know) just starting at HPA. So, as far as I know, secondary school in Japan tends to be split into lower (grades 7-9) and upper (10-12) levels. So high school would be just 10-12, which starts at age 15.

This actually kind of opens a can of worms about HPA and everyone's ages in general whether it's canon or the fangan casts, but I'm fairly certain we have no confirmed ages for anyone in THH, except for Yasuhiro, whom is already older than the others given he was held back?

Though, I think it is the case that anyone attending HPA has to be 16 minimum, as they've all been attending high school elsewhere prior to being scouted?

Anyways, 16 is a bit better than it could have been because of this; but still.

I just want it to be known that (assuming that enrollment age is correct) Tsurugi Kinjo was part of a team assigned to respond to a bombing incidents / terrorism at 13.

At thirteen, (at the latest) he carried a gun, and was trained to use it.

At thirteen, he carried a firearm of unknown specifications, one that had come from the military for use in this case.

At thirteen, he sacrificed ten of his teammates lives in order to kill ten terrorists who were using them as human shields.

When he was thirteen, Tsurugi shot and presumably killed 20 people, for the 'greater good.'

That's horrific enough by itself. But I'd also like to point out that this absolutely was not Tsurugi's first time on active duty. I think it is reasonable to assume that he was involved in many cases before this and other duties, as well as training and other things that should have been left to adults.

Also, we have the (other) bomb incident in which his best friend Kouhei is killed. I feel like it makes more sense for this to have occurred beforehand, personally, given their relationship and the way Tsurugi's dogma would have progressed... But, hey, it's possible this happened the same year as the Tokyo Tower incident, or after.

It's also possible it occurred when the two of them were twelve. Or younger. As far as I am aware, there is no evidence one way or the other.

So... At least where I live, child endangerment is a crime; either a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances.

I'm pretty sure it's also common for child labor laws to prohibit children below 15 from working. And beyond that, dangerous jobs are usually illegal for those under 18. I feel like we can say the talent-obsessed world of Danganronpa definitely has led to more kids besides Tsurugi being harmed, too.

In conclusion:

Even excluding any other... things... which may or may not happen outside the events listed in Tsurugi's FTEs, my verdict is that Juu Kinjo is a criminal. /silly

[thewertsearch]

Additionally, his existence is your responsibility.

Hey, Vriska was the one who turned him into a First Guardian. I guess you could blame Jade for his original ascension, but the present that facilitated it was the Pen-Pal's idea, not hers.

...actually, it wasn't even his idea, was it? The Pen-Pal was coerced into sending the bunny by some third party - and at this point, I'm pretty sure English has his fingerprints all over this subplot, too.

Refusing to venture out to destroy the sun in no way spares anyone from my master regardless. It is certainly true that destroying it will end my life. And it is certainly true that The Tumor you will deliver to its location has enough power to destroy it completely.

Alright, maybe it could happen - but you're hedging a little on whether it will happen.

I've been thinking about other ways to neutralize Scratch, in case the Tumor is a dud. Unlike Jack, we can't really trick of manipulate him. Abusing the gaps in his knowledge is technically an option, but they're kind of difficult to plan around. We'd have to know when and where the gaps will present themselves - and I'd advise against using the cueball, considering what happened last time.

There are a few other options, though. Bec was essentially erased when he merged with Jadesprite - and even if Scratch survived a prototyping, his personality would be compromised by whoever he's sharing a kernel with. We don't currently have any spare kernels, but it's something to keep in mind if he's still a problem in the reboot session.

He’d probably also be destroyed if he was present in a doomed timeline when it ceased to exist. Come to think of it, that might be part of why he's so big on Rose initiating the Scratch - because if she kills him via timeline erasure, the Green Sun will remain, and English can abuse it again.

To be honest, I'm still not sure we want the Green Sun gone. I'm obviously not against breaking the game, but we should really know what we're messing with before we start ripping out cables.

Instances of myself have spawned in countless universes, and my objective is always the same. I have never once failed to complete this objective, and I never will.

So there are other corrupted Guardians.

English's attack method is becoming a little more clear. When he sets his sights on a universe, he arranges for Gamzee's code to be injected into a Sburb session there. This code worms its way into the First Guardian's genome, turning it into a HONK Guardian - a corrupted demigod, compelled to summon its master.

...and I was just fretting about Bec's genome getting messed with. Great.

There is nothing noble about taking a course of action you believe would prevent his arrival, because that is impossible.

Are you sure, Scratch? Because it certainly sounds like something that'd get your death tagged as 'heroic'.

Anyway, this 'inevitability' shtick is the same spiel he used to manipulate Vriska. It was dubious then, it's dubious now, and defying Scratch's is only impossible if you believe it is.

Unfortunately, Scratch is a very convincing man.

[lavenderstobins]

The Cousland family in my main world state! Close-ups and details under the cut because I'm a little obsessed with them

Eleanor and Bryce

My warden Jaemi has brown skin and I wasn't particularly vibing with her looking adopted so I mainly played around with Eleanor so recreate her how I personally picture her. She grew up on the seas! Raised on a warship! There's next to no information on her actual family (afaik anyway) so I like to think her mother was from Rivain.

Bryce I didn't change too much aside from giving him brown eyes instead of blue. Also, considering the game made them look ancient when they're in their late 40s/early 50s, I made them look younger than the game does.

Fergus, Oriana and Oren

Fergus I tried to keep similar to his in-game appearance while also keeping him consistent with the redesigns of his parents and the appearance of Jaemi. He looks more like Bryce, but he has Eleanor's eyes and complexion.

Oriana is from Antiva, so I based her appearance more similarly to Josephine's, and her appearance in the mod Oriana Cousland of Antiva. Oren then is a mix of both of his parents.

Fergus later adopts Amethyne, Iona's daughter in the Denerim Alienage, and I think maybe he'd end up in a relationship with Nathaniel Howe but I'm still figuring all that out right now so they are currently missing from the tree </3

Jaemi, Alistair and their children

Jaemi, in the tree, is starting to show the effects of the Blight, but its progress has slowed considerably thanks to Avernus' research. I'm choosing to retcon 'Grey Wardens are basically infertile' since it's stupid and we have both Alistair and Kieran with no real explanation as to how Fiona managed to have him (to my knowledge).

Jaemi would keep her surname as she and Fergus are the only ones left of her family, but I think as queen she'd let her name be Theirin-Cousland. I do think that all of their children are Theirin-Cousland too, but with the favouritism shown to Calenhad's line they'd be known more as Theirins.

Alistair I think has pointy ears but they're not super visible. I kinda love the headcanon that Eamon had Alistair's ears clipped when he was a baby to hide his elven parentage, but idk if I want to incorporate that or not yet, and the sims hates elven ears anyway, so.

Eleanora is their firstborn child. She was conceived during the Blight (specifically during the long venture through the Deep Roads which is a little hilarious to me) and she was born sometime after Jaemi returned from Amaranthine in 9:31 Dragon. She's older than Kieran by a couple of months (Kieran and Morrigan aren't on the tree solely because I haven't recreated Kieran yet) and therefore the heir to Ferelden's throne. She's very headstrong and adventurous, like Jaemi, and Fergus jokes that it's karma for all the trouble she caused their mother.

Duncan is their secondborn and their first son. His full name is Duncan Bryce Theirin-Cousland, because Alistair wanted to honor Duncan and Jaemi wanted to honor her father. He's the complete opposite of his older sister, being a quiet bookworm and socially awkward. He was born a year or two after Eleanora in 9:33 Dragon.

Isobel, Rose and Lillian are triplets (obviously not identical). They were intended to be the third and final child, and Alistair briefly fainted when the third baby was delivered. They were born 9:35 Dragon.

At this point, Jaemi started her search for a cure for the Calling, though mainly it was research and communications via letters etc. Rhys, their second son and sixth child overall, was an unplanned baby, born in 9:39 Dragon.

When he turned two years old, Jaemi embarked on a journey to find a cure. As much as she didn't want to leave her family, she couldn't risk them losing her and Alistair to the Blight. Honestly, I think there could be some fuckery here with Eluvians, but I need to look into it further/

Their last child, Ffion, is born in 9:45 Dragon, after Jaemi has returned from her search. She wasn't exactly planned, either, but this time it was more of a "if it happens, it won't be unwanted" rather than actively trying for a baby. Her name being similar to Fiona's is unintential on their part, though I like to think sometime after this Alistair finds out about Fiona being his mother.

Eleanora and Lucanis

Eleanora is my Rook for this world state. She romances Lucanis and she's 'technically' a Grey Warden, by which I think she has a sort of immunity to the Blight on account of both of her parents being Grey Wardens. Also because the surname Thorne 1000% sounds like she went to say Theirin and then panicked because she didn't want to reveal her identity.

Everyone in the Veilguard assumes that she's an only child because she avoids the topic of her family (not wanting to accidentally reveal her heritage or, yknow, status of Heir to Ferelden's Throne). Lucanis definitely assumes her family is small, like his, so he has quite a surprise when she finally confesses everything to their group.

[prettygoododds]

12345 Tag Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, thirst most comments, fourth most book marks, fifth most words and the fic with the fic with the least words (feel free to interpret however you would like; if not on AO3, can be on tumblr or FFNET, etc)

I'm 3 million years late to responding to this tag, but better late than never I guess. Thanks you @blackberrysummerblog for tagging me!

Most hits at 5,215: Sugar We're Going Down Swingin', Word count:32,610, Rated: E

Baz's dreams come true when his crush Simon Snow is traded to his hockey team. Or is it a living nightmare?

Second Most Kudos at 208: When the Ink Dries Word Count: 10,088, Rated: Teen

Baz runs the neighborhood tattoo parlor with a slight crush on the barista that works across the street.

Third most comments at 227: Wanting Was Enough Word count: 25,121, Rating: E

Story based on the Taylor Swift song Betty, August and Cardigan.

Simon and Baz become close but a third party threatens to tear them apart.

Simon - James Baz - Betty Phillipa - Augustine

Though it is based on Taylor Swift songs, you don't have to have prior knowledge.

Fourth Most Bookmarked at 16: Picket Fence Sharp As Knives Word count: 21,706, Rating: E

Simon Snow reluctantly embarks on a renovation project at Pitch Manor, owned by Baz Pitch, his former school nemesis and ex-roommate. Despite initial reluctance, Simon finds himself drawn to Baz's unexpected kindness and the memories of their complicated past. As they navigate the restoration together, old tensions give way to a newfound understanding and undeniable chemistry. Simon begins to see Baz in a better light, noticing how time has softened his edges and maybe he's more than the unemotional statue he was a decade ago. When the dust of the renovation is settled, Simon wonders if it'll be the last time he sees Baz.

Fifth Most words at 20,011: Namaste Away Rated: Teen

Baz and Simon are both instructors at Rival Fitness. A bet is placed and choas ensues.

Least Word count at 328: Illicit Affairs Rated: Teen

No one else understands what they went through with Smith Smith-Richards

BONUS (because I'm a rule breaker and who's gonna stop me?)

Favorite Fic to write: As Seen On TV Words: 44,914, Rating: Mature

Simon brings home an old television set; to say the least, Baz isn't happy. They do what they do best and fight about it, and when Simon puts a little too much magic into his words, their whole world is turned upside down.

No pressure tags ( sorry if you've already been tagged):

@thewholelemon @facewithoutheart @artsyunderstudy @imagineacoolusername @wellbelesbian

@rimeswithpurple @aristocratic-otter @cutestkilla @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife

@you-remind-me-of-the-babe @martsonmars @roomwithanopenfire @youarenevertooold @bookish-bogwitch

[bravelyartbooking]

little known bravely default series facts

I noticed a couple of comments about the Bravely Series on Twitter last night that made me realize some folks didn't know some of what I consider common knowledge of the series (like why the ba'al theme wasn't on the Bravely Default soundtrack).

Contains spoilers for all three games. Also this got longer than I thought, thanks in advance if you make it to the end and find something you didn't know! I'm sure most of this seems obvious to long timefans.

Here is a compilation of what I know that may or may not be common knowledge to newcomers?

I had to split this into three parts because of Tumblr's character limit and I'm honestly too tired to fix the numbering. A much more readable version can be found on Google Docs here.

First part:

The version of Bravely Default that was received in the West is the second version of the original Bravely Default game, released in Japan in Dec 2013. This version, called "Bravely Default: For the Sequel" came with a massive (80ish) amount of improvements based on player feedback, such as: additional sidequests for the Asterisk Holders in later parts of the game, difficulty and encounter settings sliders, battle speed, redrawing the cities, and the Bravely Second mechanic itself.

This means some tie-ins to Bravely Second didn't exist with the first version - the Adventurer being green when you first encounter her, the end AR movie with Magnolia, the Ba'als and their theme. All this was added later.

The Japanese version does include different languages, including English, so if you can't understand Japanese you can still easily play this version of the game on a hacked or Japanese 3DS!

The first release in Oct 2012 was called "Bravely Default: Flying Fairy" and a lot of JP folks still use BDFF to refer to it.

While BDFTS and BD: Where the Fairy Flies (the Western release) are functionally identical, some changes between JP and West include but are not limited to:

Costumes were censored (such as the Vampire having a bodysuit under the belts and the Bravo Bikini)

The ages of Agnes, Tiz, Edea, Alternis and the Venus sisters was bumped up 3 years in their journal entries (or anyone whose age is written out instead of written as numerals).

Japan had merchandise that had codes for the extra costumes. The extra costumes made it into the Western version of the released game for in-game currency with the exception of Tiz's Dimensional Officer, Edea's Military Cadet, Agnes's Bravo Bunny, and Ringabel's Wakoku Warrior.

You can summon friends from Japanese versions and those costumes will be visible EXCEPT the Bravo Bunny is censored (the cut-out is covered) and Wakoku Warrior is replaced with Freelancer.

These codes expired after like 2 years.

There are 4 novels called "Pocketbook of R" (2 books) and "Pocketbook of R Second" (2 books). I'm including all the translation information I currently have.

Pocketbook of R is a first person journal from Ringabel in what is commonly dubbed "Infinity World" between the events of Bravely Default and Bravely Second.

Ellen translated the first book here (note that she did largely 'summary' translations as she hated the writing in the novel).

Bill translated most of the second book (page 70+) here. (Bill's native language is French and while I did some proofreading, there may be some clunkiness of translating from a third language into a fourth.)

Ellen started translating the third book here. This and the fourth book take place at the same time as Second, for the most part.

No solid English translations of the fourth book currently exist though I know the gist of it thanks to an older Tumblr fan who gave me the rundown. I'm sure RNT will make a video.

Second Part:

There are an additional 2 novels that are based on two of the spinoff games.

One is "Bravely Default - 200 years later" based on Praying Brage that was released in the Japanese Bravely Second collector's edition ONLY.

One is "Bravely Default Fairy's Effect - Rinne's Miracle" based on Fairy's Effect that was released as a standalone novel.

Very little information has been released about both. One day we'll have a summary/translation.

There are (currently) 4 spinoff games, all currently shut down.

Praying Brage (Nov 2012 - Apr 2017) was a browser game and was based on the premise of Edea going 200 years into the future to save Agnes. RedNovaTyrant has a great video on it here!

Bravely Archive: D's Report (Jan 2015 - Oct 2017) was a mobile game that centered around an alternate/future Luxendarc with crystal memories and a new main character who is revealed to be Deneb

It released in Australia for about 6 months in 2018

Bravely Archive Fairy's Effect (Mar 2017 - Aug 2020) was a mobile game released after Bravely Second that took place simultaneously 8000 years in the future and between the events of Bravely Default 1 and Bravely Second. There's a lot of lore for both games in FE that can be seen in various videos on the internet (such as info on the Kaiser/Glanz Empire and Agnes's transition into Pope, Ominas having a role in saving Mahzer and the newborn Edea from Eternia during Braev's coup), but Bill translated some of the remaining website summary here.

Bravely Default Brilliant Lights (Jan 2022 - Feb 2023) was a crossover mobile game in a new world that combined Luxendarc and Excillant characters and setting. It lasted 13 months and I archived as much video as I could on Youtube but as of now, first person "reports" can be found here that summarize each board of each story.

It explains why "First Born" Ba'al was a thing in Bravely Second.

An 'offline' version was released but pulled from the app stores in July 2023.

There are 2 audio dramas for the first game!

First one is called "Festival of Reunion" and a translation of all four tracks can be found here.

Second one is called something like "Bracelets of Eternity" and so far no English translation seems to exist (though I know the gist of the first track).

The Ba'al theme was released with the first audio drama.

There's a Luxendarc / Linked Horizons concert that took place in Japan in 2013, you can find video of it on Youtube and Amazon Prime Video, and they released music CDs specific to it.

Square released an X-mas Collections Music CD that has wintery remixes of some of the Bravely Default music.

There is a Bravely Default 4 volume manga that's a retelling of the first game. Red made a video about it here. You can find scans online and most of the translations were done by Ellen.

There is also a manga anthology that serves to tie together Bravely Default and Bravely Second (released around the same time as Second, if not earlier). Red also made a video about it here. Ellen scanslated the third story in the anthology, I reuploaded it here after her imgur account got nuked.

Bravely Second was changed between the JP and Western releases based on feedback from Japanese players:

Sidequests were streamlined so that players could get a "good ending" based on their decision even if they chose the opposite Asterisk after the time reset

The Black Mage/ Ranger sidequest had its endings completely rewritten, as the Japanese version ends with either Bahamut being eaten or the wounded NPC dying depending on who you sided with.

Some costumes that were DLC were added to be bought with in-game currency (same as Default)

Fort Lune was made more easily available instead of being locked behind a SE Member account (along with some other things like costumes).

Some of the writing was tweaked as there were complaints about the memey/modern references/references to other media like Dragonball.

Aimee/Hawkeye costume was changed (there was also minor censoring of other costumes, like adding a bra to Ranger for Magnolia).

The fox companion was moved to different locations instead of sitting next to the Adventurer, lessening some complaints of "mood whiplash" between tent scenes and serious story events.

Some JP preorder-exclusive weapons were excluded (as far as I can tell, some weapons were just very hard to get).

The controversial apology for Bravely Second was in regard to the large amount of negative feedback the team received from the JP fans in regard to Second (though some Western fans also had a lot of negative things to say, it was largely only because of the costume censorship to the point at least one mod was released).

Third Part:

Magnolia and Pope!Agnes had large plushie prototypes made of them that were never released.

There's an official MMD figure of Agnes from Second.

2 types of large Edea plushies were released, one with closed eyes and one with open eyes.

Only 200 of the open-eyed Edeas were made/released but now there apparently there's only 199 in existence because I tried to buy one and the seller told me she was damaged in by a wild animal getting into the warehouse, rip Edea...

Large plushies were released of Edea, Ringabel, Agnes, and Tiz based on their Default appearance. Tiz's plush had an unfortunate hair style in the prototype that they changed in the final version. Images of this bowl cut have been lost forever.

Gloria got a smaller plushie that's in the JP SE Store.

A set of even smaller Default 1 cast plushies, among other things, are in the 10th anniversary set.

The European Collector's Edition of Bravely Default Where the Fairy Flies included this unfortunate figure of Agnes.

The Bravely Second artbook has three versions:

Original Japanese version, scans of it exist online

Bravely Second (Western) collectors edition version, which removed several images - sketches/concept art of Agnes tied up in the ribbon and a couple of images of Geist as well. This version had translated captions but any text on the images was not translated.

The fully English translated version which also restores the images removed from the CE.

Sales data has indicated that the Bravely Series reached 3 mil in Nov 2021. No word on 4 mil or 5 mil, but maybe we'll find out this year?

Bravely Default 1 (all versions) hit 1 million in July 2014 (21 months from initial BDFF release)

Bravely Second (all versions) hit 700k in April 2017 (2 years from BSEL release)

Bravely Default II (all versions) hit 1 mil in Dec 2021 (10 months from BDII release)

So much JP only merch was released through the years, especially in the years before Second.

Some through the SE Cafe collab with BDII

Some through Artnia (here's Default and Second's collabs)

10th anniversary stores with Hakabanogarou in person and online (now closed)

10th anniversary collab with Super Groupies for watches, Agnes's pendant, a stole with Airy's pendant.

Stuff on the SE JP store

Limited edition rubber stamp sets for Default and Second

Linked Horizon branded BD merch was released with the concert like pins.

Magnolia figure.

Official D's Journal

The messaging Line app released Bravely Default/Bravely Second stickers drawn by a fanartist made official artist named Satokivi! I think they were like 3 dollars per set.

She also drew the mini series of 4koma called "Praying for Miko" for Praying Brage

Physical versions of these stickers are on the JP SE Store.

There's a vinyl record

Pop-up Parade figurines of the main four were released in 2023 for the 10th anniversary of Bravely Default.

Bravely Default II had two demos, the first one specifically made difficult to get feedback from the fans. They implemented some feedback to change the final version of the game (but not everything). This was the first time they have asked for feedback from the West instead of just Japan.

Team Asano has released Lunar New Year art every year except 2016 with Bravely characters and the zodiac animal

They do Christmas cards every year, and it seems that this year they included a special card for a special fan with an extra character in the dragon art. If you know you know.

The woman on the cover of Bravely Default II isn't Gloria.

Bravely Default II has several secrets in the names of Chapter 5, 6, and 7. Spoilers for BDII below:

Twin AGES refers to both the first initials of the known Heroes of Light (Adelle/Gloria/Elvis/Seth and Aileen/Godric/Emma/Sloan) as well as the repetition across the two eras of Heroes. Also, you’ll notice that the initials are shared between the folks who inherited the same blessing from the crystal (assuming Emma got the Earth Crystal and Godric the Water Crystal). This is most noticeable in the final fight against the Night’s Nexus when the spirit of the old Hero of Light is standing behind the new to help them. - Adelle/Aileen - Gloria/Godric - Elvis/Emma - Seth/Sloan

Twin CAGES refers to the ‘cage’ that Adelle locks herself into, and the ‘cage’ that Elvis is forced into without her

Twin PAGES references back to the twin eras of the known Heroes of Light, but now with the Player - whose help is needed for the cycle to end. This is why “P” is the last letter to fade in the ending credits when the player is thanked.

I'm sure there's a lot more I'm forgetting, and this isn't even including the Bravely Default original concepts that were revealed in a booklet in the 10th anniversary exhibitions.

If you made it to the end, I applaud you, and I hope there was at least one or two things you didn't know!

Also one day I'll finish the video on the English fan survey.

[lykegenia]

2024 Writing Roundup

tagged by @juneiper-art - thank you!

words posted: 73,510

additional words written: between all the buffer chapters in my longfics plus a few sundry bits it's at least 30k

grand total of words: just over 100k altogether, I think

fandoms: Dragon Age, The Wayhaven Chronicles, and a backstory short story for one of my DnD characters

highest kudos: Rosemary and Citrus, a Rookanis slow burn retelling of Veilguard that's already grown far past its original scope

highest hit oneshot: He Makes Her Cry (He Doesn't Like It), my first foray into MasonxF!Detective from TWC, set during Book Three

new things I tried: I mostly stick to my habits, though with Rosemary and Citrus I've been posting as I go and trying to stick to a proper schedule, which is unusual for me.

fic I spent the most time on: As The World Falls Down, my AU retelling of Dragon Age Origins in which Alistair was raised by the Couslands instead of going to the templars

fic I spent the least time on: He Makes Her Cry, but only because it's so short compared to the others

favorite thing I wrote: This whole upcoming chapter for As The World Falls Down, really, but here's a sneak preview:

Cautiously, he wended his way through the shadows to Eamon’s office, girded by his imagination and the knowledge that getting caught couldn’t be worse than whatever fate was being decided for him just beyond the door. Even before he rounded the final corner, he caught the timbre of angry male voices spilling out into the hallway, and as he edged closer along the wall so that the squeak of floorboards would not betray him he strained his ears to make out the words. “– told her he sleeps in the kennels, that he gets only scraps from the cook! There is no answer for it.” The voice held a note of familiarity, but one that Alistair could not place over the shock of hearing himself so vehemently defended. “Regardless of where you get your information, this is not a matter within your purview,” came a terse reply – Eamon, in a tone low and deep with disapproval. “That is your concern here?” demanded the first voice. “I made enquiries after what I saw that day. I must say, you kept him well hidden, but that does not excuse you. Had I entrusted one of my children to the care of another, only to find them so poorly mistreated, the person responsible would find themselves very sorry indeed.” “You told me the boy was cared for.” This was a third voice, the second stranger who had ridden into the yard. “You assured me it would be so.” “I have done more for him than any would rightfully expect me to, given the circumstances,” Eamon retorted. “I have even secured him a future in a role worthy of respect –” “You wanted to make a problem disappear and thought the templars would be the easiest way to explain it.” “How dare –” “Enough!” The third voice sounded angry, and weary. “Eamon, I should have been consulted before you spoke with Knight-Captain Renwick.” “Consulted?” the second voice scoffed. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but –” All three went silent. Too late, Alistair clapped his hand over his mouth. He backed away from the door, the imaginary echo of his gasp ringing in his ears. Whichever way he tried to run, the hallway was too long, he wouldn’t be fast enough to get out of sight before –

favorite thing(s) I read: I've done a lot more reading this year, but I'm limiting it to three:

Kiss Me Moonstruck by @theluckywizard - I'm in love with this Garrett Hawke, who manages to be a famed mercenary at the same time as a complete sap and a passable wit, and the premise of the story happens to tick all of my favourite romance tropes

Attachment Theory by @thee-morrigan - Everything about this Natex F!Detective AU is rich and delicious and the imagery is gorgeous

Sanguine by @effelants - If you want an Alistair whose characterisation is on point, then this is the fic for you. The Changes to the plot of the game keep the story fresh, and the mystery around Moira is a very compelling dive into the lore around magic and spirits

writing goals for 2025: be more consistent with actually writing, try to get my word count up, and actually go back to the longfics I've been neglecting and start posting again

new works:

Patience, And Words, And Waterfalls - TWC, musing on Leah's inability to tell Nate how she feels

Mercies - The battle for Haven, with the feelings starting to show between Cullen and Maighread Trevelyan

He Makes Her Cry

Rosemary and Citrus

Tagging forward to everyone already mentioned, plus @vela-ad-astra @athenasdragon @serenpedac @naiatabris and @lalizah - no pressure!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

ngl ever since i learned that rook might intern as an archeologist to explore ruins (which is crazier when you realize the world of twisted wonderland is very mysterious and fantastical; i'm sure those ruins are genuinely dangerous) i totally see him as someone who'll just get shadier and more strange over time. i wouldn't be surprised if he ends up with an energy similar to Undertaker from Black Butler or one of those shady magical pawn shop owners that knows way too much and has a million secrets. like, he's ALREADY like that and he's just a 18 year old boy, just imagine the menace he'll be someday--i can't even imagine where Jade will end up as well.

Eh, I'm sure he'll fiiiine in whatever ruins and archeological sites he ends up at it's Rook, I'm pretty sure the dangers out there are afraid of him instead of the other way around/j 🙃 I definitely feel like Rook won't be growing out of his eccentricness anytime soon. He's going around collecting more and more secrets every day at NRC already; the difference now is that he has just changed locations and is now being paid to do it. When he comes back for graduation day, he'll be Too Powerful...

As for Jade, maybe he can use his internship to learn more about the mountains and/or the land flora and fauna?? He could also look into magic pharmaceuticals, since he excels in that subject. They seem to be special interests of his--though he does hate to be bored, so I see him maybe doing something different each semester of internship (there's three max, I believe; you can take on a different one each semester or decide to stay at the same one). I think he'd learn a lot of valuable information that could help with expanding the "Leech family business" and connections to the land, as well as supplementing the business with knowledge of untraceable poisons :)) I could also see Jade taking up much less conspicuous internships where he's in more of a supportive role so as to not draw attention to himself, or just in a powerful enough position where he can collect useful information while maintaining his facade. Some kind of business-oriented or information collecting role where he's handling sensitive information (like client files?), maybe.

I'm not sure if TWST plans on progressing time to this extent in-game (maybe the next main story arc will be the following school year?), but I would love to see the third years as fourth years and the second and first years moving up a grade! (Plus incoming first years!) Then we can get new students, dorm leaders and vice dorm leaders being succeeded, and see old favorites going on their own internships and graduating 😭 I'm super interested in seeing the life and career directions each student takes, especially since we've gotten bits and pieces hinted to us in voice lines and vignettes. (For example, Riddle's mom wants him to pursue medicine, but Riddle has also expressed interest in law due to his time at school; Azul seems to have an interest in law and/or business but also hospitality, as he runs the Mostro Lounge.) Where each person decides to go and what they want to do can tell us a lot about their character and their ambitions, and it can also open up avenues for exploration and growth. (Kalim is going to inherit the Asim family business, but has also expressed before that he feels he isn't mature enough as he is now; Cater isn't quite sure what he wants to get into yet, since he's so used to putting on a cheery "mask" around other people, etc.) There's tons of interesting possibilities! (Imagine NRC's class reunions 10 years down the line though??? Their roster would be so stacked with important and influential people in a variety of fields and specialties.)

[kinkandkreep]

Hey hey y'all! 👋🏾

Soooo...𝑫𝒚𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒚 is complete! What did y'all think? Did you enjoy the ride? Were you surprised by any of the developments of the story? Were you on Team Forgive Miguel and Try Again or Team Kick that Bastard to the Curb? Let me know down below! 😁

I thought I'd do a little FAQ regarding the story, and also answer a few extraneous questions I received.

So, here we go!

First Question: Why did Miguel cheat?

Simple. Miguel cheated because he was weak.

...

Nah, I'm just playin'. Sorta.

Miguel cheated because, as was mentioned in the story, he was a coward and thought it was easier to run and seek comfort in the arms of someone who fed his ego and fed into the illusion he'd created about what true heroism is, than to try and actually talk it out with the one who truly held his heart.

Of course, I am by no means attempting to justify Miguel's behavior in saying this, but I will say that he was under a great deal of pressure trying to maintain the situation with the multiverse and had resolved himself to sacrificing whatever in order to keep it intact. (He also felt he was under pressure by the reader to have children, and though he wasn't opposed to the idea in the sense that he didn't want any, he didn't think it was safe enough to have them.)

When the reader naturally A.) couldn't comprehend why he was so willing to do something so comparatively extreme and B.) subsequently was against it, Miguel saw this as selfishness, and his tired mind sought out someone who he could relate more easily to.

The more time he spent with Layla, he naturally spent less time with the reader, and subsequently wasn't getting his carnal needs met because when he did spend time with the reader, the atmosphere was tense and they would argue. This eventually lead to him sleeping with Layla, to sate his sexual desires and take out his frustration in a way he couldn't with the reader.

Did that all make sense? 🙃

Second Question: Why did Miguel kill Layla?

Though this was explained briefly in the story, I realize that it might have been a little unclear, and that quite a few details were omitted. In short, Layla was a threat. She threatened to expose Miguel's affair to the other members of the Spider Society, none of whom had any knowledge of Layla's existence. If she'd exposed not only his affair, but the fact that he was harboring an anomaly from a different timeline without making the other society members aware, they very likely would have turned on him and he'd have lost his credibility and support. He couldn't have that, and so he dealt with Layla as his instincts dictated.

Third Question: What was the reader's plan?

The reader's plan is simultaneously simple and a bit convoluted. The reader, having been negatively influenced by her bitterness about her situation and Miguel's actions, decided that she also wanted to have her cake and eat it to. She decided to play the long game, willingly getting pregnant because A.) she still wanted a baby and B.) she could use her pregnancy to manipulate Miguel.

She essentially gaslit, gatekept, girlbossed her way out of her situation with Miguel. 😂 Over the months leading up to her conversation with Peter B, she used subtle manipulation to get Miguel to do beneficial things for her, such as changing her lodgings so that she could mor easily explore the complex and look for ways to escape while simultaneously making sure he was none the wiser.

Fourth Question: Was Layla a Spiderwoman?

Short answer, yes. Layla was a Spiderwoman from a separate universe who had lost her family during the collapse of her timeline.

Fifth Question: Why did Miguel already have a room ready for the reader prior to her discovering his affair?

So, this might be a bit of a longer explanation. Essentially, Miguel was a yandere for the reader before she tried to leave him. I didn't go into too much detail about that (and I may do a little sequel-prequel talking about that in more depth 👀) but he only created the room once the affair began. He always feared that the reader would find out, and created the room as a precautionary measure.

(Oh wait, actually, this explanation was pretty short and straightforward...yay!)

Sixth Question: Did Miguel ever love Layla?

Short answer, no.

He was admittedly fond of her, but only because they shared a similar responsibility. He also felt pity for her, given that she had lost everything and was forced to abandon everything she knew.

Seventh Question: What was in the vial Miguel had in the lab in chapter 5?

Contrary to popular speculation, the drug in the vial was neither meant to make the reader addicted to Miguel nor was it meant to solely act as an aphrodisiac. The drug in the vial was actually meant to increase fertility exponentially, as Miguel's intention was to get the reader pregnant and make it so that she couldn't, and wouldn't want to, leave him.

That's all the questions I could think of for now. If y'all have any more, leave them in the comments below or drop me an ask and I'll get them answered! Also remember to let me know if y'all would want a companion drabble detailing how the cheating started and the buildup to that with Miguel and the reader.

Aight, that's all from me. Thank y'all for readin'! Ari out! ✌🏾

[iminyourwallsbabe]

Back with more Mel thoughts and today I'm analyzing Meljay

(Also side note I fear this show may be becoming a special interest, I have never been this invested in anything in my life)(and also, spoilers)

So remember how my last Mel post was about how lonely and loveless her life is because of her station in life and the power dynamics that come with that? Well I was thinking about it last night and I realized just how much it bleeds into her relationship with Jayce.

Or, in other words

WHY JAYCE IS A FUCKING BOTTOM

The fandom's insistence on this doesn't come from nowhere.

So first off, let's talk about how they met. Mel saw him and I think already saw an opportunity in him. What she said to him then was a test. She uses very specific language to get a rise out of Jayce at the trial. She calls his experiments useless, she asks if it amounted to anything other than an explosion, she calls him a little boy messing with things he doesn't understand. This prompts the other councilors to speak their minds, and that later prompts him to defend his experiments. This is what Mel was looking for. He passed her test, she now sees that he has great ambition and the balls to stand by his dreams. She's the type of person to say "if you don't care about it, why should I?".

He proves himself to her again when he and Viktor get caught sneaking into Heimerdinger's lab. He is continuing his studies, this time with the knowledge that he would be exiled for this. I think what Mel begins to admire about him, based on some of the things she says about herself later, is that he doesn't care about anyone's standards and is willing to rebel against them with conviction if it's for something he really wants. Viktor is like that too if not more so (That's a post for another day). She likes that because he's so unlike everyone else she's been stuck around. They love red tape, normalcy, formalities, this that and the third. They make all their decisions based on what has been and not what could be. Notice how Mel is the only person to ask the council if they've even tried to do what Jayce was doing as they gave their opinions? All they know is that it hasn't been tried and they don't want to, so he shouldn't get to. (Heimerdinger and that robot dude did actually have valid arguments though). She fucking HATES that, like after coming from a place that demanded she just keep repeating what she saw without giving it thought, I doubt she'd ever want to hang with people like that.

So anyway right, that's how we get into the peak of the Hextech era, mostly supported by Mel. And I just wanna talk about the WAY she does this. Like I've seen people call her manipulative and honestly they're not wrong! They're not wrong at all, she plays mind games with the other councilors. Like first off, let's go back to the time period I just described. One of the first things we see her do is give another councilor a birthday gift. Salo comes up with one last minute and it doesn't get the same reception. That was a calculated move, especially when you add the context of the trial. She was already trying to lay the ground work for things to go her way. She keeps doing this through all of season one, very girlboss of her I think.

This is all represented visually. Her outfits tell the story of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Again, that could be a whole other post but in the context of Meljay, what I want to point out is that even what she wears around him is intentional. Let's go back to the first time they were ever alone together, it was after he became the poster boy for progress. And I believe this is also where she began pursuing him. She's wearing a dress that's mostly black. The wolf is out now. She starts dropping more obvious hints. It also, ironically enough, doesn't feel threatening. It looks a little more laid back than her main outfit, she seems more approachable this way. Like she wants him to trust her beyond her contributions to Hextech. It says "Hey, I'm not one of these self-important snobs, I'm more like you than you think"

She also expressed here that she thinks he could make a good leader. Something he clearly doubted when he asks her if she really believes that. He seemed surprised. Honestly, anyone in his position would be. His main goal was to bring Hextech to the world, not to be a council member or anything like that. So for him to be thrust into that role, it probably felt wrong. It felt strange to him to have this much power. She could probably sense that, so she told him what he needed to hear both visually and verbally. She used this moment to let him know he wasn't alone. I do think she genuinely meant what she said and wanted to make him comfortable, however, that doesn't make it any less calculated. She doesn't just say things, she is always intentional. I think the thought process here was that Jayce would not come to her on his own terms or think of her the way she wanted him to think of her if she continues to approach him with this untouchable, intimidating elegance. She needed to humanize herself to win his heart. Hence the dress we see her in the next time they get to be alone.

It's another mostly black dress, but the shapes, the cut, and the sleeves are a lot closer to her base outfit than the other dress was. It's something to be impressed by, but not intimidated by. It can even be argued that it was meant to be alluring. By now, Jayce understands that she is his biggest, most genuine advocate. His outfit illustrates that as well. I don't think that was something he thought about, it seems like the work of the Arcane design crew. Either way, it's genius. The suit he's wearing in this scene is worn under that big, flashy white jacket you always see him in when he gives speeches. It's a lot closer to what he was wearing when they met.

This design choice was made to once again allow Jayce to be vulnerable. With Mel, he can be that confused, scared little boy he was then. This is important because his new job keeps him from spending time with Viktor, the only other person who has any idea what he's going through. The only other person who shares his dream. Who else could he turn to? This is the hole Mel fills. She knows better than anyone how isolating power can be. She saw that he needed someone, she wanted to be that someone. Nobody did that for her when she was coming up, she didn't want him to be abandoned that way. In doing this, she also knew she was more likely to earn his affection that way. It was never a guarantee though, that's why when their hands graze, there's a bit of fear, a little hesitation on both parts. This is a risky step for both of them. For Mel, someone who was never safe enough to trust anybody, this could be the end of her. He could hold this over her head, he could take advantage of her love. She doesn't want to lose what control she has over her life. But, and she said this word for word, "Any worthwhile venture involves risk". She wouldn't do any of this if she didn't think it was worth it. For Jayce, I think he feels similarly. He knows the council is not full of pure hearted individuals, who's to say Mel isn't one of them? Who's to say she's not just playing nice to get control over his dream, his lifeblood. Hextech is everything to him, and by trusting Mel this way, he's trusting that Hextech means just as much to her as well. That she values humanity over profit or herself.

Then he says "I couldn't have done it without you." It's an acknowledgement that she's a part of this dream for a better world. It was his way of asking her to be by his side. That's her cue to just go for it, to pounce on him, if you will. That's her way of saying yes to his offer.

The kiss and the 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 scene that follows says a lot about trust and power.

First off, notice how her hand goes right for the nape of his neck? That's a very vulnerable spot. It can be damaged in so many devastating ways, and in the animal world, this is sometimes how mothers carry their young from place to place. It can be a place where your life can be so easily ripped from you, or where you can be shown the most gentle love. In this scene with them, Jayce bore his neck to her and she chose to love.

And then we get to the actual sex. The first thing Mel does is push him down and get on top of him. She touches his neck again. But then, he flips her over and presumably starts to kiss her all over her body. Let's think back to the animal metaphors that are ever so present with Mel. In the animal world, this doesn't exist. If another animal's mouth is that close to you, has that much access to where your organs and the best of your meat is, you're as good as dead. In a world where everyone is preying on you in some capacity, it's hard to even find the words to describe the level of trust it takes to allow this. And in the context of womanhood and sex, this means a lot as well. Have you ever heard people say that hookup culture isn't really for women? The power dynamics involved with sex don't allow for that to be the fun experience it's sometimes made out to be. You give it to a guy once and he may think he's entitled to you whenever. You could die because of that. You could have a baby you don't want, that could kill you too. There's so many risks and a lot of them can and have ended with a woman dying. I emphasize death so much because when it comes to Mel and Noxus, that's a big thing. Noxus is a war centric society, they're basically the Spartans of the Arcane world. So the idea of fully taking off your "armor" (in Mel's case, this would be clothes. With how strategically they're used, her looks are very much a defense mechanism. Shit, she even lets her hair out for this) and putting down your "weapons", (for Mel it would be her almost godlike persona), is an insane thing to do when you're not somewhere you're sure 100% is safe. You leave yourself open to be conquered or slain. This is true for both of them. In this act alone they could easily destroy each other. But they don't. In fact, once it's all said and done, they cuddle, and he lets her be the big spoon. And while yes, this is basic human decency, the political world tends to forget that not being an asshole is a thing you can do. So, this is quite a surprise for both of them.

It's also why Mel seems so disappointed when she wakes up alone. It's why she gets up and goes to paint a scene from her home country. She paints what looks like warships of some kind. It's a very red painting, and she's using a paint knife. Whoa a knife??? And the color red??? Wow what could that possibly mean???? Well, murder obviously, but there's more to it than that. She's sitting there wondering if it's over for her. She's contemplating what she might have to do to him if her fears are right. But then, here comes Jayce to once again bear his neck to her. At first, she's in defense mode. She won't look at him. She said "there's a lot about me you don't know" as if it's a threat. She's already ready to start that "war". You can even hear the scrape of the paint knife. Quick and harsh. Even still, Jayce bears his neck to her again. This time metaphorically. He vents to her about Viktor. She seems confused, she had this impression that she was no longer wanted, no longer valued. She even asks why he came to her with this, despite how hard she worked to make it feel as though he could. At just the slightest display that he wasn't someone to be trusted, she already burnt that bridge in her mind. Her heart just hasn't caught up yet. This is why it's even more surprising when he just plops his head in her lap and kisses her hand. She was sure this was dead. She thought her control was threatened. She couldn't have been more wrong. She realizes this, and then decides to open up to him as well. She lets him know she too, was once inadequate. I think it does give him a little bit of comfort. And I just think it's so beautiful how he immediately can't wrap his head around the idea. Mel? Of all people? Not living up to Medarda standards? Like I don't think she's perfect in his eyes, nobody is, but it's clear that he thinks very very highly of her. He's probably sitting there like "if SHE can't meet those standards they're probably fucking stupid". They don't dwell on it, she tells him he should be with Viktor since he's dying and stuff, which I also thought was sweet. It was also probably to get more time to herself so she could think. Honestly I don't think she does or says anything unintentionally unless it's unexpected collateral damage. Like when Jinx went ahead and did Piltover 9/11 immediately after she got the council to agree of Jayce's peace plan. Not something she saw coming at all and if she did she would not have let the plan pass. All of that comes from a fear of making mistakes, last time she was "wrong" she was forced from her home by her own mother.

Anyway, this post is already long as hell so I'm gonna call it here and maybe make a part 2 for season 2 if y'all want that. There's so much detail in this show it's so hard to talk about it without going on for days and days but that's what I love about it fr. So, in conclusion, Mel and Jayce are girlboss and malewife personified, and if the hex strap was canon it would definitely have been made after these two start fucking. The end ♥️