#and how it links to his desire of being a vampire etc etc

[gfbillpotts]

sometimes i remember guillermo was only officially announced as gay last year and i wonder if any straight people watching were actually surprised

[elementroar]

Analysis behind the backstory and personal story arcs of A.B.A. and Paracelsus (part 1)

Sorry for the people who waited. Technical and real life delays and all that. On the positive, I happened to run into new resources in the past two days that have helped lining up the facts easier.

Anyway, I originally wanted to compress all the lore into a single post, but I find it’s so much more massive once you really dig into the analysis between the story across multiple mediums, the in-game animations and interactions etc. To make this more readable for you all and to make creating these posts faster, I’m going to separate them up into parts that focus on different facets of their relationship and lore as I progress through them.

This first part goes into their origins, and I hope this big post helps to thoroughly explain who/what A.B.A. and Paracelsus are, their backstories prior to STRIVE, and my own analysis sprinkled on top. I want to try to keep the info/lore dump minimal and focused, so if I mention a character without elaborating, I’ll leave a link but if I’m not elaborating more, it’s because they’re not relevant to A.B.A/Paracelsus' stories that much.

Related links:

Analysis of Paracelsus' initial bloodlust and its longlasting effects on A.B.A (Part 2)

This is the "Why ABA and Paracelsus can feel horny" lore/theory post

Flament Nagel - Paracelsus’ true form theory

The Red King and White Queen alchemical concept in A.B.A and Paracelsus’ relationship

The beginning with A.B.A.

First off, to introduce their individual origins, it’s easiest to start with A.B.A. She’s a homunculus, an artificial lifeform created by a scientist in his mansion, which was located in the mountains of a region called Frasco or Flask. But before she was ‘born’, her creator had been taken away by the military for his skills in creating artificial life, and so A.B.A. woke up alone.

Despite this, within the 10 years she spent alone in the mansion she was able to learn to read, write, and even create some alchemical magic (seen in some of her attacks in games before -STRIVE-). It’s assumed either she was created with a set of memories and skills, or she naturally learns very quickly. It’s probably due to reading leftover journals and research materials that she even learnt her creator’s name was Paracelsus.

Technically, A.B.A. could’ve left the manor quite easily, there was even a village not far from them. However, she understood that she knew nothing about the world outside and was scared to leave the safety of the manor by venturing outside to explore the unknown world. But she did yearn for freedom and to leave Frasco, so she took to fixating on keys, which she found fascinating in being able to unlock doors to different places.

In the last bit of her 10 years in Frasco, A.B.A would accidentally cross paths with the hidden the demon axe Flament Nagel (which she would later rename to ‘Paracelsus’ in honour of her creator, or just cos that’s the only other name she actually knew).

What’s a demon axe doing here anyway?

So what is Paracelsus? He is what’s known as a magical foci, which are objects or even people that get a soul or a collection of memories/emotions/desires attached to them, which eventually leads to them gaining sentience and often supernatural abilities. They draw from the Backyard, which is basically where the information that makes up all reality is stored in the Guilty Gear world, and also the source of magic. This is the origin of ‘demons’ within the GG world, like Paracelsus.

The story of how Paracelsus/Flament Nagel ended up in Frasco actually involves the ancient Nightwalker (technically not a vampire but he's basically a vampire without the bad stuff) known as Slayer.

Now Slayer is this incredibly old, incredibly strong vampire Nightwalker, who nonetheless is a very nice guy who doesn’t need to feed on regular people because his wife, Sharon, is a deathless woman that he can feed on indefinitely without worrying about her dying.

Because of his immense age (AFAIK he’s the oldest of the main GG cast) and overwhelming power (he always holds back in-game), he has very insightful observations of Paracelsus and A.B.A.

The following screenshots are excerpts taken from the English transcript (available here) translated from the Night of Knives Vol.2 audio drama CD (you can listen to it here), and are from the perspective of Slayer recounting his encounters with Paracelsus and A.B.A.

Sometime near the end of the 100 year long war between Gears and humans known as the Crusades, Slayer was roaming a battlefield and came across a mountain of corpses of both Gears and humans. In the middle of it was a wandering blood covered warrior that was swinging an axe wildly. After confronting the man, Slayer realized that it was the axe that was the true master, the man had already lost his mind and was under its full control.

That axe called itself Flament Nagel aka the Flaming Nail, or the Sanguine Gale. I'll still be referring to him as Paracelsus at this point in time though.

Now magical foci start off simple-minded, only repeating small word fragments, and evolve over time to become more intelligent and sapient. At this point, young Paracelsus was a demon axe who had just gained sentience on that battlefield. Hot-headed and hungry for blood, and wanting to prove his combat superiority, he challenged Slayer and got curb stomped. Slayer was disappointed in how primitive Paracelsus still was in mind and soul, so he left him there to rust.

However eventually, Paracelsus was picked up from that battlefield and was sent to the alchemist Paracelsus, creator of A.B.A. We don’t know if the alchemist knew what the demon axe was, or whether he even requested him specifically for research. But the alchemist ultimately didn’t let Paracelsus out, not letting him take control over him and hiding him somewhere in the depths of his mansion.

(Inaccurate information removed, updating with A.B.A.'s JP GG World entry from XRD)

It would be after A.B.A.’s 10 year long isolation that she decided for reasons unknown, to leave the mansion and explore the outside world. By pure chance, she comes across Paracelsus, who because kinda resembled a key, she immediately picked up and she fell in love with him and decided they were married from then on.

Becoming her key

It's always been known that Paracelsus has some form of empathic abilities, and that he could tell that A.B.A. was fixated on keys and assumed the shape of a giant key to entice her to wield him. This was also the first ‘manipulation’ that Paracelsus admitted he had done to A.B.A. during their heart-to-heart talk.

It’s been further clarified in this recent interview, that it wasn’t so much Paracelsus deliberately taking the form of a key to attract ABA, but because ABA had been so heavily fixated on keys that she saw Paracelsus as a key straight away. That image she had of him as a key seemed to immediately imprint itself on him the moment she touched him, because of his true nature as “an axe (that) transforms into the owner’s image” of what his wielder wants him to be.

Slayer actually did mention this was likely the case over 20 IRL years ago in the audio drama CD, when he observed Paracelsus behaviour with A.B.A. in their second encounter.

Because A.B.A. never sees Paracelsus as a weapon, Paracelsus began to change to fit her ideal of what she saw him as, to become something more than just a weapon, and allowing Paracelsus to truly change and evolve physically and emotionally.

It’s important to note, Paracelsus isn’t bound to his wielder, and he doesn’t HAVE to allow this to happen either. Despite being dragged around by A.B.A. and acting like he has no autonomy; he actually has all the power to stop her from the start.

As Slayer notes, Para still has the power to completely take over A.B.A. 's mind and force her to do what he wants if he is truly unhappy. However he has never even threatened A.B.A. with this ability, and if not for Slayer knowing his past, no one would know Paracelsus actually can do this.

Whether consciously or subconsciously, Para was becoming more than just a demon axe from the moment he met A.B.A., and in his heart of hearts, he was begrudgingly accepting of his then situation-ship with her.

Fast forward to STRIVE and it's shown that he still continues to evolve to fulfill her 'vision' of what he is. When described as becoming more key-like, it's more obvious when you place both his old and new design side-by-side.

Notably, the blade part of his axe form has gotten smaller by STRIVE, just as he has sworn off violence and bloodshed by STRIVE.

It's even shown in how A.B.A. wields him., especially when Para partially possess or influences A.B.A. in his Muroha mode in the old games (mechanically this is the Jealous Mode in STRIVE). A.B.A. would wield him like a proper 'axe' blade-first in XX/ACCENT CORE. In STRIVE, since A.B.A. is now the dominant one in Jealous Rage mode, she doesn't wield him like an axe and now wields him by...bashing his head into people.

(Also I'll be going over the in-game animations and what they convey in a future post, don't you worry! You can view the comparison compilation here first.)

This even is shown in how A.B.A. uses Paracelsus as an actual key in her Overdrive "Keeper of the Key", which is a new move for her.

If we go further, I have speculated in this semi-crack theory that due to A.B.A. also interjecting her ideal of Paracelsus being her spouse over the years, that him actually 'reacting' to her advances now could also be an example of his evolution.

Even if he's trying REAL hard not to.

Hope this was an enjoyable read, let me know if you have any suggestions for improving readability or other stuff. Feel free to ask me questions through the inbox in the mean time that I'm working on the next part.

The next part is going to be analyzing and comparing Paracelsus' XX/ACCENT CORE Muroha mode to STRIVE's Jealous Rage mode, which has quite a bit of detail from comparing their effects on A.B.A. in in-game sprites/animations, plus how it reflects on the change in their power dynamics between games.

Edit: Part 2 available here

[songhunter]

trans allegory in mystic fragrance and forbidden rain

aka: the essay no one asked for

Content warnings for: Discussions of homophobia and transphobia, and brief mentions of suicide.

If you guys have any other comments on this topic (especially KnightsPs, I'm an UNDEADP so I'm less familiar with their lore) please comment or rb or drop an ask or anything! I love talking. It's also been a hot minute (3 or 4 years) since I last took an English class so my analysis is a little rusty.

Part 1: UNDEAD's "Monster" and Queerness

Every UNDEAD song (with one exception) has the same premise — the singers are the impure, immoral monsters who are singing to a pure, human audience. There are two genres of UNDEAD song:

“I’m a monster seducing you into the darkness, give into your desires because I know that secretly you want it too” — Immoral World, Savage Love Affair, etc.

“I’m a monster and I’m so badass” — Darkness 4, Nightless World, etc.

Darkness 4 lyrics, translation by Shirayukin on Fandom wiki.

The “monster” in UNDEAD’s music is shorthand for anyone that exists outside of a pure society. By joining the monsters, you become tainted and can't return to society, but that’s the only way you can possibly live as your authentic self. In this way, the "darkness" is a safe space that these monsters have created for themselves.

This is, of course, a reference to Rei and how he feels ostracized from society -- the whole reason why Koga began UNDEAD was as a message to Rei that if Rei felt like a monster, he shouldn't roll over and die, but live with them as an undead. However, the concept of the queer monster is incredibly applicable imo. Historically, lots of villains in horror media were queer-coded as a way of eliciting disgust or a fear response, as a way of making its villain seem strange and, well, queer. (Oh, no! Look at all these horrible people ruining life for the law-abiding families!) The link between queerness and horror has been analyzed to death.

But queer people also love the misunderstood monster who's shunned by "proper" society. The gothic novels that originated the horror genre in the 1800s, like Dracula or the Picture of Dorian Grey, were written by queer authors and/or contained scores of queer themes. Do I need to go into why werewolves, shapeshifters who had to go deep into the woods to hide their wolf form, can be read as queer? Do I need to go into why Frankenstein, someone abandoned by his own creator and shunned by society by the nature of his existence alone (something out of his control), can be read as queer? Do I really need to go into why the modern-day vampire is queer? Vampires? Of course queer people will love these monsters, because they see themselves in the monsters, more so than the victims. (Also, nothing more in line with the queer experience than seeing a monster and going “ngl they're kinda hot actually.”)

In summary: It's very easy to read UNDEAD songs and UNDEAD's conceptualization of the "monster" through a queer lens. The monster is queer, and the monster welcomes you into the darkness and invites you to also give into your desire to live freely.

Immoral World lyrics, translation by Mandy on Fandom wiki.

Also, shout out the love you tried to hide, huh? Show me your truth? Show me your pride?

Dude.

Dude.

Sidenote: The one exception to this “monster” theme is of course the elephant in the room, Sustain Memories. I think it plays well into UNDEAD’s image — at least in !-era, Rei, Adonis, and Koga have always been the monsters, while Kaoru is the human that joined them (see: their Halloween costumes in !-era). So Kaoru doesn’t sing of monsters, he sings of a human love. There's also something to be said about Kaoru being the one member of UNDEAD who tried so desperately to appear cishet and experience a "normal" love in !-era. But also, it's a wedding song because the anime boys look cute when they sing about weddings.

Part 2: What about Forbidden Rain?

Here's the thing about UNDEAD's other monster songs -- they're always proud of being monsters. They're not ashamed, and they want the audience to join them in their freedom.

Forbidden Rain lyrics, translation by @/snaketaper on Twitter.

On the other hand, the singer in Forbidden Rain sees themselves as a "beast" who can never be forgiven, someone who's slowly poisoning their pure lover. They love them so much that they apparently have to let go of them, for their own sake. It's the first song that actually contains references to genuine love (usually UNDEAD is just horny).

The song remains sort of ambiguous about the nature of the relationship between the singer and the audience. It's clear that the audience does actually care for the singer, since they do reach out a "gentle hand" that the singer can't take. But the singer says, "Let's end this thing that never even began" -- are they even together in the first place? Maybe it never began because they were scared of the "beast." Or maybe it never truly began because the relationship was built on a lie. They sing about a beast inside them that they have to hide, and says that their current self -- the one they show to the audience -- is a fake. And this is something that cannot be forgiven.

It's not hard to read this in the context of queerness. Maybe it's about a gay singer who doesn't want to reveal their feelings and tarnish a platonic relationship. Or maybe it's a trans singer who's wracked with guilt at keeping their identity under wraps and hasn't come out to their heterosexual lover, so they want to break off things before they come out and taint their previous relationship.

In Love & Beast, the "source material" behind Forbidden Rain, Inogari (Adonis' character) is soft-spoken, protective, and kind. He saves the main police character in the very first scene. He's an ambassador and a respected enough member of society that he's part of the Sakurayama (Rei's character) social club. He uses "watashi," which is even more polite than Adonis' "ore." He literally faints at the sight of blood. He's the picture of innocence and goodness and all that society approves of. But in a Jekyll and Hyde-like twist, he ends up secretly being the killer Beast. In the end, the Beast is finally caught when Inogari realizes the truth and chains himself to a wall so he can be caught by the police in an act of sacrifice.

Inogari is the picture of propriety, but he keeps the Beast repressed, and eventually this Beast destroys him. Even if you try your best to act as part of proper society, you'll never really fit in.

Silent Oath lyrics, translation by royalquintet on Fandom wiki.

Another note: Forbidden Rain has a lot of the same themes of self-sacrifice, repression, and pure, romantic love that Knights songs do. Knights, in game, is a much more traditional idol unit than UNDEAD is. Forbidden Rain thus attempts to align itself more closely with the socially acceptable Knights, but it's still an UNDEAD song at its core. The monster is inescapable.

Part 3: Mystic Fragrance and Trans Allegory

This thread by @/pretty5P on twitter (https://x.com/pretty5p/status/1625958198623539200?s=46&t=lm_x5Uw5f8pKXHUoLzYksw) is a really cool analysis on the perfume symbolism in the song and how it relates to Arashi's gender identity (go read it!!), but if you don’t want to give Elon Musk ad revenue, the gist of it is this: Odette is her "masculine" initial impression, the impression others have of her, and the impression that fades most quickly. Odile is her lasting "feminine" self and the true self that remains when the top notes fade away.

Over the course of the song, the singer (Odette/Odile) grows more and more tainted, going from a pure white dress to a multicolored rainbow dress to a pitch black dress. The final perfume note is desire, the desire to live as themselves, the desire to be with the person they love.

Mystic Fragrance lyrics, translation by KYM2020 on Fandom wiki.

While the song does focus on a pure romantic love, just like Knight's songs, the symbolism of wanting to be Odile is far more similar to UNDEAD's monster. The idea of a "hidden desire" lying in wait beneath pure feelings is explored in almost every song, as is the symbolism of a dress that gets tainted by desire:

Savage Love Affair lyrics, translation by Nina on Fandom wiki.

And just like UNDEAD songs, the "tainting" of the pure is never presented as a bad thing. Note the references to the moon in both -- it's only in the dead of night, in a midnight ballroom, that one can "spread their wings" and reveal their true self. The darkness, the space of monsters, is a safe space, and in the light of the truth-seeking moon the singer of Mystic Fragrance says that their audience is beautiful.

In the original Swan Lake ballet, Odette is a beautiful woman who falls in love with Prince Siegfried. She's cursed to transform into a swan in the daytime, a curse that can only be broken if someone who has never sworn their love to anyone swears their love to her (in other words, someone untainted). Unfortunately, the evil sorcerer who cursed her turns his daughter into Odile, the black swan who looks identical to Odette, and Siegfried mistakenly confesses his love to her. Knowing that the curse can never be broken, Odette throws herself into the lake rather than live the rest of her life as a swan, and Siegfried joins her.

Mystic Fragrance isn't tragic, however.

Part 4: Living your truth

The endings of Forbidden Rain and Mystic Fragrance are where they differ. Both of their source endings are tragic — Inogari is unable to control the Beast and shackles himself to a wall, waiting to be arrested. Odette and Siegfried leap into a lake and drown themselves, because the only way they can be together is in death. Forbidden Rain ends with the singer holding their loved one close to them one last time in the rain before they leave.

But Arashi rejects her source material because she chooses to embrace the monster. She becomes Odile. She decides to live her truth, and as the top notes and heart notes fade away, all that lingers is her true self. That's why Mystic Fragrance has a happy ending.

There's a lot of symbolism in the Mystic Fragrance music video with respect to the person who loved Arashi during the war era and who killed themselves. She spreads her arms like the wings of an angel and sings in front of a setpiece that looks like the cenotaph. Her outfit contains anemones, symbols of a lost love and grief (and, coincidentally, the flower that Adonis in greek myth turned into when he died). Her greatest regret was that that person couldn't love themselves the way Arashi now tries to love herself. In this way, Mystic Fragrance is like a message to that person -- live your truth.

[note-boom]

After reading that Dead Apple Post and all the posts within it, I had commentary and theories and random points to make....but I couldn't really put in into a cohesive post, so instead just have them as bullet points in the form of questions

So, obvious one first. What in the world is up with Atsushi's ability? The thing is. It's him that's described as a guidepost to the Book rather than his ability and when he looks at that blue cube, he calls it himself. And yet his ability is supposedly the one who can guide people to what they most desire, as well as his ability being described as something that can basically devour other abilities

On that note...it's interesting to me that it's been pointed out how Akutagawa's ability can cut through any physical structure (matter) and even space itself (so Akutagawa has a space-matter ability) while Atsushi can cut through and basically unalive any ability (tiger devouring prey imagery anyone?). And then we have Dazai who is able to nullify abilities for a brief period of time, not obliterate them just cancel them out. Which is very interesting to me when we have this whole imagery of Dazai represented by sunset, the ADA represented by twilight, the PM by the night, the Special Division by the day, and Atsushi by the moon. The moon is within the night and it's what sort of...cancels out the power of the night. Meanwhile, twilight (ADA) is the time between sunset (Dazai) and dusk (apparently, it goes like sunset -> twilight -> dusk), and it just sits interestingly to me that the ADA people are framed as those "in between" two great forces (day and night), and Dazai the nullifier as sunset sits in between Atsushi the ability devourer represented by the moon...and perhaps something represented by the sun. And the question culminating out of all that: was Shibusawa (the chaos of "ability" itself) the sun to Atsushi's moon or have we not seen that yet? Or is Akutagawa, also represented with draconic imagery, supposed to be that sun or is he really the night that "backgrounds" Atsushi's moon, as we seen in their fights?

Thirdly, something to be said about shapeshifting abilities. All I can remember off the top of my head right now is Lovecraft's Great Old Ones, Shibusawa's Draconica's final form, Bram's vampire ability, and Atsushi's Beast Beneath the Moonlight. (And from the theory linked in the dead apple post that talks about a possible Fyodor ability being the ability to copy himself makes him a kind of...form-shifter as well?). That said, in all these four, the carrier of that ability doesn't just use their ability, they become their ability. That sort of distinction clearly sets them apart from other ability users, I think...it makes them something....other (it also brings up Tanizaki as a rather interesting point, not as someone who can shapeshift or cause shapeshifting but as someone who can pretend to do so through illusions). And Dazai has all this angst about him not being human, but the real question is how human are those shapeshifters? Lovecraft clearly isn't human, Bram's vampires definitely aren't, and Shibusawa was an ability that survived its user (we've seen some other abilities do that, but none of them are sentient). I definitely think Atsushi's 100% human, and I think his lack of initial control over his ability is a testament to that....but I do wonder if he has the ability to be a little bit other-than-human like the other shapeshifters seem to be.

Continuing the Atsushi thread...we've already established that his ability can reject wounds/regenerate wounds. And while I do think we have evidence that he's recovered from normal gunshot wounds and such things, there's also the thing about him having orphanage scars and how most of the times he regrows limbs etc. etc. it's because an ability wounded him. Do you think that Atsushi might possibly have the ability to recover faster from non-ability based wounds (and thus get scars out of it) but an actual power to "reject" ability-inflicted pain (so no scars)?

Also, the whole thing about singularities is interesting to me, especially considering Chuuya and his...instability. I wonder if there's a difference between curated and manmade singularities like Chuuya's and Oda/Gide's...or if Chuuya's (and Verlaine's) whole singularity experiment was an attempt to recreate something the scientists had already seen...namely, a singularity that could survive within a person without actually harming them. And could Atsushi be one of those people who contain a natural singularity within himself?

[kathrinesadventures]

Hey everyone! I'm Katherine, the Author of Femboy Dating Simulator and Lost in your eyes! Both of them Interactive, and both of them varying degree of "WTF?"

So for first, my proudest and most dedicated accomplishment!:

"Lost in Your Eyes: A Dark Fantasy Romance Book" 

Step into a modern world where you play the lead in a city overflowing with supernatural beings who face animosity and persecution from humans. As you navigate through branching plotlines and encounter a cast ofcharacters, three individuals rise as potential love interests. (Technically 4 now. Might get 5)

Do you choose the worrisome yet charming werewolf, An intimidating but protective healer, the shy and clingy vampire, or the sadistic and seductive mage? The decision is yours, but beware, the danger is around every corner. As you grapple with your troubled past and confront the darkness within, you may realize that your greatest adversary is yourself. Can you find love, redemption, and the courage to save those you've lost or will your obsessions and desires consume you, leading to the downfall of society as you know it?

Introducing, A shy, cute, and extremely JEALOUS, Marcus/Melissa Blaine!

The next one on the spot is the mischievous. impish and just a horndog, Vivian/Vale Valentine!!

Or the calm and cool, but possessive Elizabeth/The reserved, protective John.

And next!

Femboy dating Simulator

Have you ever wanted to play pokemon but wanted to have characters that were humanoid so you wouldn't get blamed for bes***** for wanting to have seggs with them while also loving the characters for who they are and not for their bodies?

Well you've come to the wrong place! ish- I don't know what the hell I'm saying so I'll just copy paste the thingy because my brain is literally slurry paste right now ;-;

Femboy dating simulator! Where you start out as a soldier, a fashion artist, or a CEO of a massive company!

....

Who-dies-once-they’ve-reached-the-peak-of-career-and-the-peace they-were-supposed-to-enjoy-is-ripped-away-from-them.

But don’t fret! You’ve been looked after by a kind goddess who feels that you’ve been wronged and thus gives you a second chance! She delivers you to another world. Her world. This is where things get spicy! You’ve been bestowed with a Rift walker. A creature who is summoned through a rune placed on your body. Each rune summons a different Rift walker and your job is to make a team of the strongest familiars, get to know them, date em, etc etc. But also, most importantly train and bond with them. Your familiarity will be the strongest with how good your relationship is with itthem. So who will you choose?

Laurel? The calm, hard to figure out, brawler?

Thor? The kind, caring and mature muscle daddy? (Yes, I call him daddy cause he daddy material)

The MC’s best friend! (Or close friend depending on which ground you choose) Is he a he or a she? I DON’T KNOW!

And Noah! (Not yet implemented, but you can beat his ass and make him your slave!) (Tumblr won't let me post pictures for some reason, so I'll post link!)

Play Femboy Dating Simulator

Play Lost in your eyes

If you enjoy my content, and want to support me (or help with more arts lol) My Patreon, or Ko-fi!!

I now have a Discord!!

[aria-ashryver]

SICSIG vs ID2 - Part 2!

bc there are even more similarities that it warranted a second post! (You can find Pt1 here)

some of these had me floored lmao. Spoilers ahead for Immortal Desires 2, up to and including CH14!

Vampiric Gifts exist

Cas has magic / a vampiric gift of his own

It was witches who first created the Talismans

Cas is scarred from being tied/chained up with silver

Cas swearing a blue streak when he's stressed lol

Gabe being forced to acknowledge his double-standard where Luca's vampirism and his own vampirism are concerned

Terri O'Rinn showing some steel when it comes to her child's safety

And she evidently has a mean right hook

Terri also being the one to make Cas cry when he experiences maternal love and care for the first time in his life

One of the trio punching through an enemy's chest cavity?! (Cas approves 😎)

This is basically an approximation of how Cas crying makes me feel T-T

CW: gore

MAJOR recurring themes/motifs of what makes a monster (this is a huge one in Starlight, and a super important part of Gabriel's arc 🥹)

(trust me, this is a culled-down version of the 56 mentions of "monster" i could have included lmao)

CW: suicidal ideation

Cas and Gabriel ✨holding hands✨ and thereby fundamentally altering the dynamics of their relationship forevermore (i can't believe they are basically married already, wow)

The Cas vs Gabriel Extremely Emotional Breakdown Smackdown!!

And then this last, silly, unimportant little detail of... oh, I don't know, GABRIEL HAVING A SECRET VAMPIRE HUNTER COUSIN???!?!?!

Like why cousin, specifically???? 👀 Lennox (after showing up out of fucking nowhere with zero groundwork or foreshadowing) goes on to elaborate that he's a distant cousin, several times removed --their great grandfathers were brothers-- but in Starlight, Joaquin Adalhard is a first cousin. Gabriel lived with the guy. They recognise each other on sight.

This one, out of all of them, is the wildest one for me lmao. WHY COUSIN??? WHY A SECRET ADALHARD VAMPIRE HUNTER COUSIN??? They could have gone "You're not the only one descended from Captain Adalhard" or "we are relatives, you and I" or "we share blood", but no, they went with cousin(ok, granted, that's literally the easiest family connection to make, bc there's lots of versions of "cousin" when you add the "once-removed", "twice-removed" etc, but still. I am CACKLING???)

Anyway, this was incredibly fun to make: if you are still reading and have no idea what longfic I am actually taking about, you can find snow in crimson, starlight in gold over (<-Explicit link) on ao3! I hope to see some of you there! 🥰

(obligatory poly!Gas summoning circle: 🕯⚫)

[greenapplebling]

Sun god Aten and... love goddess Hathor?

So I'm not an expert myself but I was hearing a podcast about underrated love gods (Valentine coming up and all that shadda shadda) and Hathor came up and I was like "yooo, you sound familiar?"

And then I remembered it. It was like 2 years ago when I looked her up briefly bc someone made a Yuunoa theory and the gist of it was that if Yuu is/represents sun god Aten and if the cover of Vol 23 (see below) implies that Shinoa is/represents the goddess of the moon (I don't remember her name, but I think it was a goddess that was linked to cats/had the head of a cat) then that could be a foreshadowing of Yuunoa being endgame bc those 2 gods are married in the Egyptian mythology

Anyways, the op of that post got fact-checked by the whole comment section (lol). That moon goddess they were talking about is portrayed as Aten's daughter more often than not, is love goddess Hathor the one who's usually portrayed as Aten's wife and mother of his children (Note: including Aten/Ra*, Hathor had lots of spouses but all of them were related to the sun)

*Note #2: Aten and Ra are confusing to me but it seems like they are different entities, but there's a moment when Ra merges with Aten, though Idk if it's permanent or temporary

I didn't say anything at the time, but to me, the more I learn about Hathor the more I believe that there is a character who could represent her: Mika

1- The entity of many forms

Even though Hathor is known for being the goddess of love and motherhood, it seems that binding her to just a concept is unfair bc Hathor is known as the goddess of the many faces or forms. This is a little confusing to me, but she seems to have many roles. For ex, not only is she Ra's wife and lover but she can also be his protector if needed (more on this later). The way I connect this to Mika is that he's the character that passed through the most forms along the story: from angel to human to vampire to demon

Love goddess Hathor

2- Motherhood

I don't think this should be a surprise but I always thought one of Mika's most prominent traits is how motherly he is. He takes cares of others, he protects, he loves. We don't get to see this side of him often in the present (unless it's Yuu) bc of his trust issues, but I think it's noticeable how much he cares about others. And if that is not convincing enough, let me remind you of Mika's biggest desire: have his family back. In the dream Yuu and Mika took care of the other children, made food for everyone, bathed them, etc., Mika even jokes that they're like their parents and if that doesn't scream family-oriented then I don't know what does

3- The first vampire

I mentioned before how one of Hathor's forms is to become Ra's protector, right? Well, there's a story of how Ra mistrusted the humans and thought they were conspiring against him, so he sent Hathor in the form of Sekhmet to earth to punish everyone that was scheming against him. At some point Sekhmet tasted blood and, no longer caring about her divine job, she let her bloodlust run wild to the point she almost destroyed humanity. Sekhmet is the first vampire in mythology that we have records of. Not only do I tie this to Mika bc of his former vampirism but also bc his protection of Yuu was at his peak when he was a vampire

War and healing goddess Sekhmet

BONUS: 4- Aten's wife

Mika being Yuu's wife is a running joke in ons, do I need to say more?

.

What do you guys think? Do I have a point or am I going bananas? Lol, I'm open to corrections and discussions if I got anything wrong

[vickyvicarious]

💙 Jonathan, 💜 Mina

Jonathan: How do they show love when they’re busy, drained, or otherwise unable to show it to the degree they usually do?

Honestly, it's almost an issue that regardless of being drained or tired he will push himself very hard to keep showing his love. He and Mina both don't tend to rest when they should. That said, there are of course still times when he can't physically be there, or he is just too tired to interact in the same way. So, what's a Jonathan to do?

When he's not there it's simple: Make a document! He'll write notes. Letters, if he's away. Or just little scraps of paper left somewhere in the house. Even if he can't get them to her right away, later on he'll reveal that he has been thinking of her even when apart.

When he's with her but too worn out/drained/etc., he values physical contact. Just sitting by her side quietly. Cuddling. Holding hands or putting his head on her shoulder. Any kind of simple loving touch.

Mina: What do they consider to be the bravest thing they’ve ever done? Would those closest to them agree?

Mina finds it very hard to acknowledge her own bravery, sadly. She doesn't tend to think about it too often, and doesn't linger on it too long if she does. But privately, she thinks the bravest thing she has ever done is to insist on asking her friends to kill her if she became a vampire. She was deeply afraid of death, honestly, but feared becoming a monster who harmed her loved ones even more, and was determined to ensure that couldn't happen. It would have been easy not to push so hard though, and in several ways she was tempted, but she stuck firm and made sure she got the answer she felt was needed (well, except from Jonathan).

Most of her friends would agree with her, but Jonathan doesn't. He thinks the bravest thing she has ever done is to willingly exclude herself from the group's information, in order to cut Dracula off from knowing what she knows. Honestly, any time she willingly returned to face Dracula is incredibly brave in his opinion, but Mina's moments of deliberately choosing not to know and trusting in others (first with his journal, as well) is especially brave in his opinion. He hated not telling her but he thought she was so courageous to be able to set aside her desire to know more, and simply place her trust in others.

(He knows how much she wants to know and learn things, how much she wants to be helpful. And on a personal level he has a lot of experience with information being the only remaining link to sanity and can't quite imagine how horrible it must be to have even that cut off.)

.

send a heart to get a headcanon

[mickmundy]

okay so i know i kinda answered this in an ask BUT i really have been meaning to go through my gf and i's chats and find even more of our bushmeds so! ah! let's just think of this post as the dutchiebee medsnip masterpost where i will update with links to tags for each of these the more i ramble!! heh!! the catch-all tag for my personal bushmed rambles is still #medsnip of course, but some of these have specific tags as well! aaand as usual you can feel free to send asks or talk to me about any of these, i'm always glad to babble about them!! hehe!!

“Canon” MedSnip: the medic and sniper in Thou Giveth Fever is just the Main/Default/Canon/Whatever medic and sniper. takes place in same universe right after the comics! i default to talking about them the most!

Dutchiebee OC MedSnip: arlowe and wren! a lot of their story takes place pre-teufort but they eventually become RED’s medic and sniper! ^v^ “canon” red medic and sniper don’t exist in this universe. they’re already dating by the time they wind up at teufort together! we’re still working on a lot of their backstories but i’ll eventually talk more about them/write a fic for them too! ^u^

Vampire Medic/Hunter Sniper: sniper’s a vampire hunter who is hired by old, powerful and big vampire medic to do some dirty work for him. they end up falling for each other… but not before spilling a lot of blood together!

Merperson Medic/Human-Merperson Sniper: lots and lots of versions of this live in my mind but i think the one i'll elaborate on most is mermedic and lonely human fisherman sniper... for their fish parts, medic is a blanket octopus and sniper is a spotted wobbegong!! hehe... i also love the idea of mersnip and human medic, who harvests/researches exotic animal parts and is given sniper as a gift (mann co caught him? who knows) and thinks that sniper is simply too fascinating (handsome) to kill! hoo!

"Priest"-Demon Medic/Priest Sniper: medic was a human that was killed by the church and comes back as a demon set out to destroy it. takes interest in the church that sniper has been a part of for his whole life and begins causing chaos (falling wooden beams, gossip, making people question their faith etc. whatever medic thinks is fun at the moment)... but sniper catches his eye.... they develop feelings for each other..... but sniper doesn't know what medic Really Is.... gasps.... hehe

Researcher Medic/Swamp Monster Sniper: sniper is a werecroc that lives out in the comfy cozy australian bush/marshland (haven’t decided yet). roughs it as a human and also as a crocodile and loves being alone. until one day a very curious “doctor” starts stomping around his secluded slice of heaven in search of/researching the plants and animals of the area (to harvest for his zany experiments of course!)… sniper hates people but this one just seems kind of… Charming… hmm…. !

Cult God Medic/Nonbeliever Sniper: medic is a shapeshifting god/demon/spirit/whatever that thrives and grows in power from the cult that is convinced he exists and worships him. likes toying with them and giving them “signs” he exists and whatnot and loves the praise because, well, who wouldn’t! :-) hoo! buuuut a Certain Denier has caught his eye…! sniper thinks that cult nonsense is a load of crap and doesn’t fall for it. Naturally this makes medic Carnally Desire him and his attention… HEHE… >:)

Old/Retired/Domestic MedSnip: would follow my “canon” versions of them. years and years later, some vague skip of time. the sorrow..,., the sweetness.,., in the Unlikely Event they retire… how might that go.. :) sniper’s fine with aging but medic is NOT. everything can be defied! age! death! isn’t that what you want sniper!! but maybe sniper wants to retire to some small house on the german coast with medic.,., medic can extend his life infinitely with his “devil deal” but what about his sniper.,., who has already died once… but could either of them Really ever retire…? HEHEH.., i’ve actually written a lot of this and i should probably publish it in a standalone fic. very emotional very angsty!!

Unicorn Medic/Pegasus Sniper: EHE this is an extremely self indulgent one but i love it all the same! does what it says on the tin… what if they were ponies!! i’ve talked about it here and posted sniper’s design here! i need to work on medic’s just for the sake of having my own ref sheet to match sniper’s but i talk about him in the twt thread i linked! ^u^ <3 i just love gushing about them because i love ponies!!

[diamondcitydarlin]

re: the 'what did guillermo feel when he first met nandor if his family can't even be in the room with a vampire longer than an hour also the convo with his abuela etc etc'

I think it's worth considering Guillermo's background with vampires here a bit too? Maybe I fixate on this a bit more because it reminds me so much of my own closeted queer mall goth vampire days myself, idk, but I think it's significant! Because Guillermo was drawn to vampires and the concept of being one long before Nandor stumbled aimlessly into that Panera bread 5 minutes before closing. He obviously watched Interview with the Vampire at a young age, and anyone who has seen that film will likely tell you about the not-so-subtle homoromantic/erotic themes within. But it's not just sexy stuff of course, it's also an exploration into a kind of queer domesticity- a family dynamic if you will, for however 'toxic' it is (ymmv I love Lestat dont come for me). We also know he 100% dressed up as Armand for at least one Halloween (but like, I know- it was more than just one).

As mentioned in earlier posts, I'm very much into exploring the lore of the 'vampire slayer' and giving the figurative 'him' more of a self-contained identity, maybe even biological aspect like vampires/werewolves, other monsters, and that seems to be the way the show is interpreting it as well. It's an interesting way to interpret them because at the end of the day it emphasizes just how much more they're like the monsters they try to kill than humanity, which can be an interesting element to play with esp in a story where a vampire slayer and vampire have managed to fall in love despite everything.

And it that vein, vampires and vampire-slayers are indisputably linked, which is also a really fun and interesting thing to play with. It would make sense for vampires to be able to smell 'the death' on them, and it would make sense for vampire-slayers to be able to inherently sense vampires nearby and fly into a primal rage. But given this link between them and the ways they're drawn to each other as a product of who they are, I think it can't be impossible that sometimes this 'drawing' to one another manifests as something else entirely. Maybe only once a few centuries or something, but still.

So maybe there's more to explore here about what vampire-slayers are and what their direct link to vampires is, exactly. Maybe it's not ALWAYS kill-on-sight. Maybe it doesn't ALWAYS manifest as primal rage. Maybe this inherent link between the two sometimes becomes something no less primal and powerful, but something much closer to a mutual desire for each other. It would explain the Guide's past dalliances with Van Helsing, wouldn't it? WOULDN'T IT??

Idk just some fun things that could be canon things maybe.

[trash-gobby]

🦇 Dwayne Fluff Alphabet 🦇

FLUFF ALPHABET TEMPLATE CREATED BY @snk-warriors

Link to Fluff Alphabet Here

Summary: Some more TLB fluff alphabet headcanons while I continue to write. This time with Dwayne!

Pairing: Dwayne X GN!Reader

Character: Dwayne, Reader, Laddie Thompson

Link: The Lost Boys

RATING: PG

⚠️Warnings!: None.

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

✨ Dwayne is obsessed with the idea of taking you to a biker racing convention. He loves the atmosphere and wants you to join him on that kind of adventure

✨ He’s also super into going for long rides with you and talking shop if your into cars and bikes

✨ He’s also just into sitting around on the beach at a bonfire and having a quiet one-on-one conversation. He loves hearing you talk.

✨ Also loves doing beachside and boardwalk activities with you and Laddie. It’s great seeing you and Laddie getting along so well

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

✨Qualities which Dwayne finds beautiful in a partner at empathy and patience.

✨Physically he’s really attracted to striking eyes which have a very piercing gaze and shorter hair.

✨ He also really loves a partner who is a good listener since he doesn’t feel like he can vent to the other boys when they’re annoying him. Dwayne likes that you don’t judge and just listen to his complaints while providing good comforting words when needed.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

✨Dwayne is the best man to have around during a crisis, whether emotional or otherwise.

✨He’ll know when you need him to calm you or just sit with you if that’s what you desire.

✨Amazing at understanding and setting boundaries that make you feel comfortable with talking to him about just about anything.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

✨ Dwayne is a very family-oriented individual. He wants to grow the boys small gang into a big vampire Brady Bunch, and he’d love to do that with you.

✨ In my headcanon of the TLB universe vampires are infertile. That won’t stop Dwayne from wanting to adop kids. However, if your not interested he’ll respect your wishes, but it’s something he’d love to do if your down.

✨Also loves the idea of opening a chop shop or motorcycle shop with you. He hasn’t brought up the idea to the boys yet because it’s something he wants to do on his own and doesn’t want to hurt their feelings by excluding them from being a part of the business in a larger aspect.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

✨Dwayne is by no means passive, but he’s not a super domineering or controlling partner either.

✨He likes balance in partnership. Sometimes he’ll take the lead and sometimes you will.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

✨Dwayne tries to avoid getting to the point in a disagreement where it becomes a full on fight.

✨He’ll try to deescalate things as much as possible and make compromises where you need them.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

✨Every day that Dwayne spends with you he’s grateful that he found his person.

✨ He’s even told you, whispering it in your ear as you all sit around in the cave hanging out and shooting the shit.

✨ He also likes to show his gratitude through getting you small gifts that have meaning significant to your relationship. For example a beautiful shiny seashell which he’d made into a wind chime which you’d both found wandering the beach together on one of your first dates.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

✨ Dwayne is a pretty open book with you because to him honesty and communication is key to a good relationship.

✨ He’ll tell you about some things which he wouldn’t even bring up to the other boys. To him your like his safe space/person to open up about his little anxieties about.

✨ However, he does keep some of the darker secrets of his past to himself as there are some things which even he doesn’t really want to share with you or anyone for that matter.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

✨ Being with you has allowed Dwayne to feel more comfortable coming out of his shell. He feels he can talk more with you and encouraged to be a bit less stoic and silent by your presence.

✨ You also allow him to feel like he can be a bit more selfish sometimes (in a good way). Sometimes he ends up doing everything for the other boys and is the group mother. You helped him realize he needs to set boundaries and put his foot down about taking on to much responsibility in the group.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

✨ Dwayne isn’t one to get jealous easily. He trusts you and knows that even though someone else may flirt with you, they don’t stand a chance. You love/care for him and wouldn’t return the sentiment of the other person.

✨ If for some reason he does end up feeling jealous, he will likely try to bottle it up for some time and deal with it on his own until he feels like he can talk to you about it.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

✨ Dwayne is a really good kisser… like a REALLY good kisser.

✨ He takes into account your comfort level and what kind of kissing you enjoy in order to make you get the most out of the experience, as well as him.

✨ He loves running his hands through/over your hair and cradling your face while he presses his lips to yours.

✨ Your first kiss occured while you guys were on the bus heading back from a date. He asked if he could kiss you goodnight and you nodded in agreement, finding him asking consent to be sweet and thoughtful. Then he leaned in and you experienced a kiss which you would describe as laced with passion and fireworks. It was perfect.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

✨ When Dwayne realises he is in love with you, he’s going to wait a little bit to confess his love to you. He won’t be sure if you will return his feelings and wants to see if the feeling will pass or stay forever.

✨ When he’s gotten over this phase of bottling his feelings up, he’ll confess his love to you and ask if you feel the same while sitting together on the beach looking up at the stars.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

✨ When it comes to marriage Dwayne is more interested then many of the other boys. He’d be totally open to getting married to you, but he isn’t really interested in the spectacle of a giant white wedding.

✨ If you guys were going to have a service he would want it to be small, with only extremely close friends/family.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

✨ After your second date going to see a re-screening of Casablanca, Dwayne started calling you “kid” jokingly, like the main protagonist calls his love interest in the movie (“He’s looking at you-”). It started as a joke, but then ended up sticking.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

✨ Dwayne is pretty subtle on his feelings when he’s in love. He tries to keep it on the down-low, but to those who know him well, like the boys and you, its obvious. Just the way he looks at you with so much love in his eyes makes it clear.

✨ He expresses his feelings through spending time with you and wanting to be near you. Whether you guys are snuggling in the cave on the couch and talking to each other in hushed voices, or going for long walks on the beach.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

✨ Dwayne isn’t one for massive PDA. He’s cool with kissing you in public, but he’s not gonna get super hot-and-heavy.

✨ One some occasions he may makeout with you on a bench or if your sitting on the beach together, but wouldn’t take it any further then that.

✨ He isn’t embarrassed about being physical in public, he’d just rather do some things privately.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

✨ If you have younger siblings, Dwayne is amazing with them. So much so that when you need a babysitter you/your parents are more than happy to let him watch them.

✨ He’s also really good with your parent(s)/guardian(s) and can charm them even if they think his physical appearance is rather intimidating or gives off a punk vibe they may not find appealing.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

✨ Dwayne is a very creative romantic. He loves making you little crochet things all the time to make you happy when your down or when its a special occasion.

✨ He’s also the kind of guy to make you things and create events for dates which cater to your interests or a mutual interest you share (i.e. renting out a bar, creating hanging solar system/constellation inspired theme in order to impress you for your birthday).

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

✨ Dwayne is a fantastic person to have in your corner for anything. He’s super supportive of your creative choices, hobbies and career choices.

✨ He will try help you when asked, even if he doesn’t know what your doing or have any experience.

✨ Is not one to crowd you if your wanting space to complete certain goals.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

✨ Although Dwayne likes adding creativity to the things you do together, he does like a certain level of predictable ebb and flow.

✨ He likes being able to have a routine with you because it allows him to feel comfort and organize his other responsibilities in order to be there for you.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

✨ Super empathetic partner.

✨ He is really understanding of your problems and pain, trying to see your perspective even if he doesn’t have the same lived experience as you.

✨ He tries to be empathetic by listening to everything you need to say and be supportive of you sharing your problems and feelings.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

✨ Dwayne’s relationship with you is extremely important. He puts it on par with his relationship with the boys (whom he considers family).

✨ The only relationship he cherishes more is with Laddie, who he sees a younger brother.

✨ When it comes to material things and career/hobbies, Dwayne sees you as more important, as he puts more stock in relationships then hobbies or career paths.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

✨ Really likes it when you braid his hair. It relaxes him and he loves the way you do it.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

✨ Dwayne is quite affectionate. It really depends on his mood how affectionate he is.

✨ Some days Dwayne just wants to lie with your head in his lap while you both read, and other days he’ll be more all over you with kisses.

✨ He also takes into account how you feel about physical affection.

✨ Dwayne doesn’t see physical affection as always the most important thing in a relationship, and if your not interested in/don’t desire physical affection to a certain degree, he is totally cool with that.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

✨ Dwayne is really good about being apart from you. Sure he will miss you if your away for a long time, but he won’t be completely unstable, pining for you for hours.

✨ He knows your going to be back eventually, and is perfectly fine sending you letters if your traveling/living in another country, talking over the phone, etc.

✨ He’ll stay loyal and wait until your able to return. Although once you do he may be waaay more excited than you’d think.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

✨ Dwayne sets healthy limits/lengths he’ll go for the relationship. At least more so then the other boys.

✨ If he’s truly fallen for you though, there is nothing he won’t do for you in order to protect you and show his love. He can be a bit overprotective though.

[alexiethymia]

Jeanne Theories (but more like questions)

A dump for all my questions and theories about Jeanne. In the manga, the third chapter is named after her (Chapter 1 is Vanitas, while Chapter 2 is Noe). Arguably, you could say she’s the third most important character. Among all of the main characters, her past seems to be the one we know least about. This actually ties to my questions relating to vampires and their ages. 

I am a bit confused about how aging works with vampires and how that reflects physically. We have Noe and Dominique who are chronologically the same age as Vanitas. Assuming nothing goes wrong, human Vanitas would die of old age (except we know that isn’t the case), while Noe and Dominique would look physically the same how many years later. Jeanne’s age wasn’t intentionally revealed because I think it ties in with the plot, but we know she’s centuries older than the main cast. She’s been with Ruthven since before the betrayal, and grew up with Chloe. This is where it gets confusing for me. Chloe became a vampire at four, but physically stopped aging at eleven years old. Jean Jaques was also a hidden vampire changed by Babel but he ended up growing and looking older than Chloe (at least physically). Same with Jeanne. She and Chloe met when Jeanne was younger than her, but Jeanne grew up to look like a young woman. I’m curious as to the difference as to why it was only Chloe who stopped growing physically at around eleven years old, although she’s older than Ruthven.

Jeanne’s link to Luna of the Blue Moon

I don’t think the line above is a throw-away line. Jeanne was of Ruthven’s time, and we find out that Luna had also seen her, specifically during the time of the Great War. She left that big of an impact on Luna that they would retell the story to Vanitas (and I presume Mikhail too), which had that much of impact on him as well.

They removed this context from the anime which makes it as if Vanitas heard of Jeanne through stories, except we know from the manga that it was more personal since he heard it from Luna. 

Why exactly did Luna have admiration towards Jeanne? Was it because she was slaughtering Vampires of the Red Moon? But contrary to the rumors, recent chapters would show us that Luna didn’t seem to be a vengeful entity or hold ill-will toward Vampires of the Red Moon. 

Luna was also probably the reason why Vanitas felt an initial connection with Jeanne. Like with his hourglass earring, the name, the book, the gloves, etc., despite their complicated past, Vanitas seems to be (consciously or unconsciously) maintaining a link with Luna. 

Jeanne’s Slumber (possible connections with Sleeping Beauty)

Why was it necessary for Jeanne to sleep all this time? And why did she have to wake up now, at this exact moment in time? What exact thing does Ruthven need to use her for, and for what purpose? Because let’s admit it, Lord Ruthven is shady af. 

It’s also ironic how Jeanne reads Sleeping Beauty and places Vanitas in the princess’ position, when she has more in common with the fairytale. Having to sleep for a hundred years, her mark is that of a rose with thorns evoking the imagery of ‘Briar Rose’ and the spindle, while her epithet ‘Hellfire Witch’ evokes imagery of the evil fairy who could turn into a dragon and breathe fire (admittedly I may be focusing on the Disney version too much). 

We know she’s named after Jeanne d’Arc, a martyr who was burnt at the stake (please, please, let this not be foreshadowing of how she dies) hence the connection to her epithet ‘Hellfire Witch’, but even disregarding how vampires (and perhaps humans as well?) have true names, Vanitas says she was ‘bestowed’ a saintly name. We know she was adopted, and we don’t know the circumstances of her birth which are shrouded in mystery, but could Ruthven have been the one to grant the name ‘Jeanne’ to her? 

If not for the fact that we already had Florifel and Eglantine in the first chapter, I would have thought Jeanne’s true name and malnomen if she gets one later would be connected to the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. 

Jeanne’s Malady

The vampires in Vanitas no Carte are different from the stereotypical portrayals of vampires, except for one - Jeanne. Jeanne has that uncontrollable desire to drink blood, and yet as of now, doesn’t appear to be a curse bearer. Based on her patchy memories, we can infer it was Ruthven who made her like this, is the one to supply her with her sketchy medicine, all the while forcing her to swear not to talk about it.

Is she in the same predicament as Loki, Luca’s older brother, forced to have the symptoms of a curse bearer and yet being prevented from being cured, by Ruthven? For what greater purpose? Why is it necessary for Loki to be a curse bearer? And more intriguing than that, why is he consenting to it? It all relates to the Queen somehow, something which no one is privy to except the Oriflamme Family. 

Sleeping Lions

Who could Marquis Machina be referring to? Everyone in the Oriflamme family, and by extension Jeanne, have connections with the imagery of lions and fire (they seem to have an elemental affinity like how Luca displayed, except that Ruthven’s is black fire, which makes me wonder what color Loki’s flames would be if ever). Jeanne can’t seem to manipulate the World Formula like Ruthven and Veronica though. The flames come out of her gauntlet, Carpe Diem. 

In relation to that, I think Misha’s patron is Marquis Machina. In the same way, Marquis Machina built Carpe Diem for Jeanne, I think he built Misha’s hand and dog for him. I mean Marquis Machina doesn’t seem to be working with Ruthven and Charlatan. His pieces seem to be the kin of the Blue Moon (Vanitas and Misha), the dhams, and the De Sade family. It could also be that the De Sade have their own agenda and are just using Marquis Machina or it’s just a mutual beneficial arrangement. If so, an eventually power struggle is bound to break out, possibly between the De Sade and the Oriflamme families, and poor Jeanne will be caught in the middle. Where then does the Shapeless One play into this? Perhaps a third faction? A silent observer? A loyalist to the queen? There’s still too little information to theorize. 

Who could the Sleeping Lion Marquis Machina wants to see wake up be? 

Jeanne, Faustina, Luna, and Naenia

It could just be a stylistic thing, but the long flowing light colored hair seem to be common among all of them. 

In relation to Pandora Hearts and its themes of will and what measure is a person, what if the Jeanne that we know now is just a consciousness inhabiting a body (kind of like Oz and Jack), specifically the queen’s body to be exact. It would certainly be foreshadowing to when she says ‘promise to kill me when I’m no longer myself anymore’.

Alternatively, the current Jeanne we know may just be a vessel or a golem to house the Queen whose body has deteriorated. It certainly would explain why she was treated as a doll even in her earliest memories. ‘Jeanne’ isn’t supposed to exist. 

Although it’s a long shot, since Ruthven has connections with Charlatan, and by extension Dr. Moreau, could ‘No. 70′ have been Jeanne? Again like I said, it’s a long shot. I think it’s likelier that No. 70 is a character we haven’t been introduced to yet. 

Jeanne’s Parents

This is a Mochizuki work. Of course, there’s got to be something to it. Why exactly did they side with the humans so suddenly in the war? What horrible thing did the vampires do to have over a thousand of their kind turn against them? And yet the way it reads, rather than betray Ruthven, I think Jeanne’s parents along with all of the vampires who were slaughtered were sacrificial pawns. Maybe I’m just really biased against Ruthven, but I think he was the one to lead the rebellion of his students, and like Chloe, although he presents himself to be an ally of the current Vampire Monarchy, perhaps he’s just biding his time to get revenge for his students. In working with Charlatan, it’s vampires who he’s harming.

What greater purpose could he have in wanting to assassinate his own nephew or ally himself with a known vampire extermination unit of the Chasseurs (Gano and his ilk) or in killing so many vampires by having their true names corrupted? 

Face to face with Noe, we see in their meeting that Noe says the exact same words Ruthven told Chloe when he was younger. Noe reminds Ruthven of his students, while Ruthven reminds Noe of his teacher. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this, but it seems like the Ruthven of now scorns his past self’s moderate and progressive ideals of vampires and humans living in harmony. He speaks of our side, your side, and Noe having to choose one or the other. And yet all of his collective actions at this point have served not to protect but rather harm vampire kind, which puts him in direct opposition to Vanitas who wants to save vampires. 

In relation to Jeanne, there will be a boiling point. She’s loyal to Luca and she’s loyal to Ruthven. She’s incredibly fond of Dominique. As of now, she also loves Vanitas. And yet down the line, inevitably Luca and Ruthven will be on opposing sides, so I am curious to see how the betrayals and conflicting loyalties will play out. 

[hannigramficrecs]

Hey, do you have any "long" (30k up only) hannigram fics, with hannibal's pov (preference, but not absolutely necessary) of AUs, like the best long fic AUs you can think of, like time-travel, different meetings, abo, etc.

No vampire, mermaids or werewolves au tho.

If you can, of course. Thank you alredy 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I’m not sure if these are all Hannibal’s POV, but here are a list of all my favorite long AU’s (sorry if I included too many LOL). Also if anyone’s interested here are links to the mermaid and werewolf fics

Palace of Dreams by MaiTai1327 [words: 41,986]

A lonely boy at a Lithuanian orphanage creates a memory palace for him to hide away from his despicable circumstances and the nightmares haunting him. In his dreams, his palace becomes reality. And one day, he finds another boy hiding in one of its rooms.

Our Stars are the Same by beforethedawn, ConstructFairytales, Destinyawakened [words: 42,578]

Someone’s moved into the old creepy, supposedly haunted, mansion down the way from Will Graham and his family. Will never expects to befriend the new family’s son.

Vena Amoris by PaperPlaneChemTrails [words: 55,596]

Will Graham is a producer on a Bachelor knock off reality TV show. Against his protests and better judgement, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is cast as the primary love interest on the show. Despite his many initial misgivings, Hannibal is a hit, and Will finds himself as drawn into the story Hannibal is creating as everyone watching at home. Everything is going well until Will becomes suspicious that he is the real object of Hannibal’s affections, and all of a sudden contestants start to turn up murdered.

Little Arts of Vice by drinkbloodlikewine, whiskeyandspite [words: 44,991]

Cruel Intentions AU. “Tedium draws me to observation,” he murmurs. “Contemplation.” “Manipulation,” Mischa adds calmly, tilts her head when Hannibal narrows his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t deny it, Hannibal, you’re proud of that one. And in truth you do it well.” “There is little to manipulate when watching a dog chase a bird.” It starts with a bet.

A Past of Plank and Nail by gleamingandwholeanddeadly (something_safe), printersdeadly, printersdevils (tuesdaysgone) [words: 87,821]

Hannibal needs a kitchen remodel, and his colleague and friend Alana knows just the guy to help him with his rundown new home. Enter Will Graham, carpenter and contractor extraordinaire, and devastating addition to Hannibal’s daily life. When he starts running out of new projects to keep Will around, Hannibal fast realizes his infatuation is more than simple attraction - and that getting Will to agree to dinner is only the first hurdle.

Redemption by houseofcannibals [words: 132,427]

After very publicly losing his mind and murdering three young women in an unconscious state, FBI consultant Will Graham is sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences in the notorious Shawshank State Prison. Upon arrival, he is unsettled to find himself in a cell neighboring that of infamous serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter.

Carnivore, Won’t You Come Digest Me? by HigherMagic [words: 64,019]

Role Reversal AU: Following the execution of Garrett Jacob Hobbs, Hannibal is forced to see Doctor Will Graham for a psychiatric evaluation before he can return to the field. Once cleared, Jack insists that Will shadow Hannibal in the hopes of catching the Shrike’s copycat. Hannibal has become a master of making sure the FBI stays blind to his extracurricular activities, but Will is a man who sees far too much, and won’t be so easily overcome.

Page Six by ThisBeautifulDrowning [words: 66,839]

Crime reporter Will Graham’s column on page six of the Baltimore Sun garners him the attention of many: fans, hobby detectives, the FBI…and others. Hannibal cut off a piece of meat with surgical precision. “I find your company rather engaging.” “Maybe I don’t find you all that engaging.” Silence. Hannibal grinned. “I see that it will take more than one dinner to earn your forgiveness. Challenge accepted.”

Falls the Shadow by littlesystems [words: 72,455]

AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.

Rescues by drinkbloodlikewine and whiskeyandspite [words: 99,552]

Mischa is living with PTSD, and Hannibal seeks out a service animal to help her. He meets Will, trainer of therapy dogs - cue puppies, adorable interactions and lots of dogs. And smut. Of course.

Where the Albatross Crash-Lands by HigherMagic [words: 40,220]

Everyone has two marks on their arm: one is the name of their soulmate, the other is the name of their mortal enemy. There’s no way of knowing which is which. This same trick of fate makes it so that your Marks are the only two voices you will ever hear when you go deaf at sixteen. Hannibal has a nice voice. Will hopes he’s his mate. He hopes he never hears the voice of the Chesapeake Ripper.

Provenance by drinkbloodlikewine, whiskeyandspite [words: 62,735]

A delightful AU about a rare book dealer, an owner of a high-end coffee shop, and murder. This does involve Hannibal Lecter, after all.

A Fortunate Wound by starkaryen [words: 83,312]

Will Graham, a police officer in Baltimore, is shot while he’s on duty. The surgeon on call in the ER is Hannibal Lecter.

Until I Met You by Dormchi [words: 33,990]

Detective Will Graham needs an expert and Fire Lieutenant Hannibal Lecter happens to be available. Basically this is just arson, murder, coffee, and fluff.

Canvases by thatviciousvixen [words: 36,660]

When Hannibal meets a handsome artist with a keen interest in death he knows he’s finally met a kindred spirit. All Will needs is a little push.

In Sickness and in Health by BonesAndScales [words: 67,450]

Everyone knows that Will and Hannibal are married. Not everyone knows that they are married to each other.

The Escapists by whiskeyandspite [words: 35,368]

Will’s cellmate said nothing, and Will didn’t venture. He had been prickly enough as a lecturer, where human interaction was mandatory, and prison was not the sort of place one made friends. One either made allies or enemies, or stayed quiet enough to avoid both. Will doubted he’d be that lucky; far too easy to rile up especially when stupidity was the catalyst. Prison, Will thought absently, was similar to college.

Sweeter Bitter by wormsin [words: 89,503]

Will is an awkward student and Hannibal an intrigued mentor.

Before You And After You by ache_for_him, Breakmybones (CarterReid), CarterReid [words: 33,734]

Hannibal and Will had a past: a dirty, bloody, violent past. Will was sure he’d never see his own personal monster again - then he walked into Jack Crawford’s office.

Ethics & Aesthetics by fragile-teacup [words: 106,330]

Pride and Prejudice omegaverse AU

Look, Mother! The Sheep Have Devoured the Wolves! by HigherMagic [words: 102,934]

Hannibal and Bedelia are married, but unable to have children. At Margot’s insistence, Hannibal agrees to meet the Omega that was a surrogate for her and Alana. Will is rough-edged, unrefined, and everything Hannibal shouldn’t desire. This arrangement promises to be clean, and simple. Of course, nothing concerning Will Graham is ever simple.

Wings of Wax and Feather by BelladonnaWyck and raiast [words: 55,947]

“Did you just smell me?” "Difficult to avoid. My apologies, I didn’t realize there were any Omegas in this section of the prison.” “Most get sent to the Omega Holding Facility two counties over. But then, most don’t get done in for rippin’ out an Alpha’s throat in the middle of the street.” or Hannibal Lecter had always known the winding road of fate may one day lead him straight to a prison cell. He’d never imagined he’d find his true mate there.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by slashyrogue [words: 52,811]

They meet by chance at a Christmas Party and share a kiss that seals their fate.

Purity by PixieDust291 [words: 130,528]

Will is cast aside by his alpha and sacrificed to the Wendigo that hunts in the forest. However, after confronting the creature Will then finds himself in the home of Hannibal. The alpha lives alone and seems to have taken it upon himself to nurture Will back to health. Over time Will grows comfortable with Hannibal and slowly reveals the reasons for his abandonment. Hannibal, being a pure bred alpha of the highest caliber, is well aware of just how rare and valuable Will is and decides to take the wounded omega for himself.

Quatervois by stratumgermanitivum, whiskeyandspite [words: 33,226]

Will is an Omega who desires independence and freedom. Hannibal is an Alpha who finds his mind curious. They make a deal: if Will can convince Hannibal that he is worth more than breeding stock, and can go through his heat without begging for his Alpha, Hannibal will not mate him, but make him a ward instead; Will could go to college, get a job, do anything he wanted. If not, then he will be Hannibal’s mate, bear pups, and accept his role. But is it really as simple as that?

[everything-laito]

if I don’t have tendinitis by the end of writing this series, I am officially immortal. anyways here’s the long awaited Laito and Cordelia analysis: Part I

Hi, Corn here! Holy shit I’ve been wanting to write this for forever now; idk how long this series will be but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I’m gonna wing it.

Lemme get something REAL clear before I begin. Because for some fucking reason I still see people trying to say that Cordelia did not molest/rape/etc Laito. Cuz she did. It’s called grooming and manipulation, sweetie. And I’ll explain that too. 

Also, I’m not defending or justifying Cordelia’s actions (there’s a difference between explaining why something happens and defending it. For example, we know racism is harmful and awful, but explaining what it is and why it happens isn’t defending it). I also don’t defend Laito’s nonconsensual or abusive actions either on here, I also wanna clarify that. I just merely explain his theorized rationale and psyche.

God I don’t even know where to start, or where this is exactly going to end, but my god, time to pop off. I’m going to divide this into sections as well. 

Also I think this is usually a given with all the Laito stuff I put on here, but, spoilers ahead! And trigger warnings galore! Pedophilia/rape/abuse/grooming/depression/anxiety are the ones I can think of now, but all of those are really a given on this blog. Just wanna emphasize it because I’m gonna go deep into em. 

As always,,,,, rant under the cut~!

Section 1: Before the Storm (insert Life is Strange joke here)

There’s quite a bit of back and forth about where Cordelia started doing this. I just finished Dark Fate and the conversation between the triplets caught my eye. Laito mentions in his Dark Fate Ecstacy Epilogue that implies Cordelia wasn’t abusive at first. It’s revealed how Karlheinz used Cordelia just for his Adam and Eve experiment to create a new human race, which is why he blatantly ignores her after courting her and making her have kids that she didn’t even wanna have. Which is. Yikes. I’d say that’s a form of coercive pregnancy abuse.

The conversation turns to Laito who then says that Cordelia lost her mind due to of sexual frustration and then hurt the triplets. Sexual frustration is a real and common thing, but I’m gonna explain the potential logistics of this being turned into abuse. 

Sexual frustration in general can be described as a sense of “dissatisfaction stemming from a discrepancy between a person’s desired and achieved sexual activity” (source). I know it’s from Wikipedia but the phrasing of that definition is just too perfect. (also Wikipedia’s good just to get the basics from ;) ) Sexual frustration can happen from physical, mental, emotional, social, religious, or spiritual barriers. Everyone has some kind of ideal sexual activity, whether it be innate and or learned (like getting used to sexual acts over time, whether that be from a traumatic or consensual experience). However, I can safely say that Cordelia has high libido, regardless of the reason. 

Oxytocin, my absolute favorite hormone to talk about, is huge in this case. Touch starvation (what I’d say most of us are going through now because of quarantine) also depends on oxytocin level. We’re social creatures, and we need touch in some way. Having sexual needs is also not a thing to be shameful of (if you do have them), since that is also very human and very biological. Oxytocin is needed for so many things! From social bonding, sexual bonding, reproduction in general, and general emotional wellbeing. Everyone has different levels of oxytocin needs. With a lack of oxytocin, whether it causes sexual frustration or touch starvation (or both), it can create fear, anxiety, and or depression. This has to do with my favorite part of the brain, the amygdala. It’s this lil almond shaped part (hence, amygdala, which is Latin for “almond”) is responsible for empathy, your fight and flight response, as well as SO many other things. I’ll talk more about the amygdala later, because I’m getting off track. 

Back to the logistics of oxytocin deficiency and abuse. Basically, I didn’t initially think that touch starvation or sexual frustration could get so bad that someone would resort to abuse. Haven’t found anything that supports that either. However, since it is linked to depression and stress, I do believe Cordelia would have other underlying psychological issues that made her response to depression and stress just so much worse. It’s kind of obvious that Karlheinz absurd her, and when someone goes through a traumatic episode, there’s different coping mechanisms or different emotions are triggered. Maybe even before Karlheinz she had issues, but we will never know. I just know that Cordelia seems susceptible to some kind of manic episodes, such as mood swings and intense behaviors. 

Dark Fate confirms that Karlheinz most likely used this, and used Cordelia due to her Founder blood and that her psyche was “optimal” to eventually have the triplets kill her. Karl can see the future and past etc, I believe that was confirmed in Lost Eden too. Anyways, all of this paves the way to what Cordelia did to the triplets.

Section 2: The Beginning

There’s been quite a bit of back and forth between when did Cordelia start sexually abusing Laito? We know that Kanato and Ayato were abused when they were young, but there’s no flashbacks in Laito’s routes that depicts him being a child (to my knowledge). Not saying Laito wasn’t abused when he was a child, but I can assure you that the first time Cordelia had explicit sex with Laito was when he was older. 

Special thanks to @vampiretsuki​ and @amiecris​ for helping me think this through on Zara’s server! 

There hasn’t been any flashbacks that specifically show us the first time that happened. However, I believe that there was a flashback in HDB that shows one of the first times. Here’s a scene from Laito’s Dark Epilogue:

Cordelia: ー Laito…Laito… Laito: …Hm? Is something the matter? Cordelia: I have a favor to ask. It just isn’t enough. You can do it, right Laito? Laito: You really are something…So that’s why you came to me again? Cordelia: Fufufu…That’s right, Laito. Come on, quickly… Laito: …Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll love you plenty. Cordelia: Aah…My cute Laito~ I love you. I really do. Laito: I can do it…right? Cordelia: Of course, Laito. Now, quickly…

First of all, ew. Second of all, Laito’s diction implies that this was maybe the second or third time this occurred. He asks a question, and ends it with “again.” We know by this that it is not the first time, but the question also means that Laito might not have expected to occur again. His tone also implies some surprise to it, at least in my ears. His other question, “I can do it, right?” screams hesitance to me. If this scene took place down the line, or after many times he did this with Cordelia, I don’t believe he’d be some level of surprised or hesitance. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Oh! What about Ayato and Laito’s Versus II CD?! Didn’t it mention that Laito wasn’t in the triplet’s shared bed 9/10 times?!” And yeah, if you remembered that, kudos to you! Yes, you’re totally right. I thought this was some inconsistent writing, but I don’t believe so. I believe Cordelia was grooming Laito as a kid. For some reason, grooming never came to my mind, it was Tsuki who mentioned grooming, and Cris also backed that notion up. It’s not confirmed if Cordelia planned to do this to Laito in the beginning (which I doubt, I think she sexually exploited him on a whim due to sexual frustration and because Karl wouldn’t; and the suitors she had wasn’t “enough” for her) but I think it’s implied that it happened (from the earlier excerpt). As for grooming, here’s an excerpt from the VS II CD:

Ayato: You weren’t even there 9 out of the 10 times. Laito: So you knew, Ayato-kun. Ayato: … Laito: You know, I have been thinking how I came to be the person I am today. I am still wondering why wasn’t it Ayato-kun or Kanato-kun.

God that’s so SAAAD! This is why Laito being groomed from a young age would make sense. It would also make sense as to why he was so dismissive and hesitant to help Ayato out. In Ayato’s flashbacks, Laito is there, but doesn’t interfere when Cordelia gets into the picture. Laito tends to run away from his problems, and this manifests even when he’s a kid. To further the support of the claim, it’s definitely not farfetched that Cordelia would do something to a child, especially her own child. She used Kanato for his singing voice when she was having sex..... yikes. That’s another form of sexual exploitation. So uh, let’s dive right into see what grooming does,,,,, *opens another private window* Here’s the source I’ll be using too. 

Grooming is a process that is typically used to sexually exploit children. Ewewewewewewew. It can be a quick or gradual process. It’s basically harnessing the trust in children utilizing constant contact. There’s not much explicit evidence describing this with Cordelia, but if Laito wasn’t sexually exploited when he was younger in the fashion he was “used” to when he got older, again I do think he was groomed. It would make sense as to why he either avoided conflict with Cordelia as a child. Either that was his own disposition (which to a degree I think it is), or maybe he was confused about Cordelia’s actions towards his other brothers, since he “loved” Cordelia. Young Laito typically fell silent when Cordelia entered the room, which again could be because of his disposition, fear, or he knows not to say much in front of her. 

During the grooming process, a child can result in not being able to see coercion and deception. In general, kids 7 years old and under biologically are not able to differentiate persuasion from their own decisions, which results in the laws surrounding advertisements catering to children. Fun fact. I know we’re dealing with vampires and so their brains might not work like that, but from what I’ve seen, they’re pretty human. Also, we’re still not sure about their ages or how vampire biological ages work, but bear with me on this. 

Another stage of grooming involves cutting off the child’s support system, whether it be family, friends, etc. I made a comment in an analysis that Laito doesn’t have a support system, and at the very least, his brothers. But even that is pretty weak. You know how it’s mentioned how Laito wasn’t even in bed with Ayato and Kanato most of the time? That’s probably due to Cordelia weakening Laito’s bonds with them. Furthermore, on the website I’m using to get information from, it says this:

Control and alienation is exercised in the following ways:

[more bullet points here]

- creating conflicting feelings of love and hate, protection and exploitation, guilt and innocence, entitlements and duties.

OOOOOHHHHHH BBBBBOOOOOYYYYYY!!!!! Ayato and Kanato say that they fucking hate Cordelia. But... Laito’s the only one that says he “loves” her. He also says that he hates her. So, from this, I think it might be safe to say that Cordelia groomed Laito as a child, and continued to use those tactics when he was older.

Well, I’m gonna end it here for part one. That was quite the ride, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! Next part, we’ll be getting into Laito when he’s older and the effects it had on him, along with some other crazy dark sides of psychology. I still won’t be answering many of my inbox questions until this huge analysis is finished, sorry! I kinda wanna focus on this first. But feel free to hit me up with any questions! I’ll still get to them :)

Any Cordelia/Laito questions will most likely be answered in this series, just a heads up. But if you have any questions pertaining to Cordelia/Laito right now or after the series, feel free to hit me up still! Any clarifying questions for this post or anything in general are always encouraged as well if you’re confused or want me to elaborate on something :)

Part two is planned to be up next week! See ya then ;) -Corn

[khrystalsnow]

ALL TIME FAVOURITE FICS

I wanted to make a list of my favourite fics (not sure if I’m missing any). There’s probably more that I would put here but they’re buried under my likes however, I may add more in the future. I hope you enjoy!

*PLEASE let me know if I did a mistake or put the wrong link!

LEGEND:

🥺Fluff

🤬Angst

😏Smut

😂Crack

FICS

Passion Fruit by @joonbird 🤬😏knj

-The very first fic that introduced me to tumblr fics (bts) which is just heaven sent. I remember reading this in awe because of the writing and the characters. Daddy namjoon showed oc a whole new world when he ate her out and I’m kind of jealous😔 I really love the plot and the character development for the oc and this was overall a good read!

Comfort Inn Ending by @joonbird  🤬😏jjk

-Another one of Amy’s work (top tier), that broke my heart into a million pieces. Honestly, I’ve read this series once, because of how good it is. Its sad, like I broke down a couple of times because of the two characters, kind of sad. That just shows you how amazing it is, that I can’t even reread it.

Hot Summer by @httphopewrld 🥺😏🤬 jjk

-I don’t know why but after I discovered this fic, I couldn’t stop thinking about this and the plot. Curtains are not really something we think about most at of the time but JK! Why couldn’t you just buy some curtains?! I mean I don’t blame the reader for peaking though. I’m really happy with the ending and how they talked it out like mature adults in the end.

Greedy by @xjoonchildx 🤬😏 myg

-A part of the Guarded Series which is just amazing! I picked Greedy because it’s currently ongoing and I really like yoongi’s perspective more than the other series. Yoongi’s a loner and people in his line of work, knows that. When he met oc, its like he finally found something that he can treasure on his own and completely different from the people around him. I just want them to be happy😭 I can’t wait for more chapters to come!

Hammer it Home by @gukslut 🥺😏🤬 knj

-I recently read this and fell in love with it really quickly! I’m pretty sure that everyone knows this fic and loves it just like me. I can’t really say anything more, except daddy joon is absolutely filthy, so read it.

Flower by @readyplayerhobi 🥺😏🤬 jhs

-God, this is such a good series. It deals with a lot of topics such as panic attack, body insecurity, anxiety, having children etc. (please look at the trigger warnings). We get to see the oc begin to date hoseok and see their relationship grow beautifully. Both of the characters are so different individually, but together, they look so beautiful:((

Boyfriend Material by @ladyartemesia 🥺😏😂 jjk

-The amount of times I’ve reread this is unreal. I want someone like jungkook in real lifee😭😭 I really love how its in bullet points to get the points across and easy to read. It also just seems so much more personal because it feels like we’re with them throughout the process of their relationship.

Of Fire and Love by @hollyhomburg 🥺😏🤬 myg

-When I first read part 1, I already fell in love with it. Dragon yoongi, namjoon and hoseok, sorcerer jin and jungkook, fairy jimin and human baby tae!!! I’ve reread this series multiple times and it just never gets old😌I love how everything connects and the smut is spicy✨

A Song Request by @n8dlesoupguk 🥺🤬 jjk

-THIS! IS! SO! CUTTTTTEE!!!! *PUNCHING THE AIR* ahhhhh the amount of time I smiled while reading this is unreal!! I love jungkook and I love this fic. I cant say anymore because of how cute it is! READ ITTTTTT!

Only For Love by @lysjeon  🥺🤬 jjk

-This has a special place in my heart because it was my first social media au. I LOVE the characters especially sarang 🥺its so well done and reread it all the time. Chae’s aus are really good 10/10 would recommend her whole entire masterlist

I Found  by @hxseok-honee 🥺🤬😂 myg

-Ahh!! binged this at 1am and I don’t regret it! It’s a hogwarts au featuring slytherin, brooding, meany, yoongi and hufflepuff reader that is friends with the whole squad. It really has everything that I love about hogwarts aus. The progression of their relationship was a whole roller coaster and at the end I was really happy for yoongi to be able to find his forever girl and be friends with crackheads. 

The Dinner Party by @lamourche 🥺🤬😏 myg

-Beautiful writing and the story is immaculate *chef’s kiss* I think about this fic once a month and reread it multiple times. I love it and hate it at the same time because I just want them together and figure their shit together, especially in the recent chapter. The circumstances and emotions are relatable that I just wanna hug both of the characters 😔

Rattled by @gukslut  🤬😏 jjk

-I’ve already recommended this before, meaning, this is really good. It follows jungkook as a single father with reader as his neighbor. Its angsty as fuck and will probably make you cry for jungkook because how much struggle he goes through with raising lovely areum by himself (respect for single parents!), but they figure it out in the end!

Seven Seas by @readyplayerhobi​ 🥺🤬😏 kth

-When I read Atlantis!Taehyung, I was sold. This fic pops up in my head once in a while and I love it every single time I read it again. OC is a smart bitch, and works hard to achieve whatever she desires. I love her relationship with taehyung sooo much, I could picture them together being oc’s parents: lovey dovey even when they’re old and supports one another😌

Intro: Her by @jamaisjoons  🥺🤬😏 knj

-God the amount of serotonin this gives me every time I read it is *chef’s kiss* maknae as namjoon’s kids is also a bonus! I really love family aus and this completely filled me with happiness. 

Chasing Butterflies by @ddaenggtan​ 😏🥺😂 jjk

-Pretty sure everyone already knows and loves this fic but I just had to put this here. It’s literally perfect! Oc pining for weeb jungkook is everyone because he’s cute as hell😔 the SECONDHAND EMBASSAMENT I felt when she confessed is too much😂😭 Please read it if you haven’t because IT’S SO GOOD

A Home Found In You by @lovmail​  🥺(wholesome) jjk

-Another single dad jungkook because I love it😔 This fic introduced me to rochelle’s account and binged all of her other fics (which are also great). This also pops up in my head at random times and I always give in to the urge of rereading it because its so good!

For Love and Money by @jimlingss​ 🥺🤬😏 ksj

-This shit was a whole roller coaster alright but I loved it! it’s a forced arranged marriage and when reading the first chapter, you will want to read more. I love both of the characters soo much and the progression is immaculate, so glad they got their shit together in the end😌

Brass and Strings @jimlingss​  🥺🤬😂 knj

-This was also another roller coaster of feelings and angst. It’s a little long but the pacing is really good. I LOVE the main characters so much!!! oc’s a badass, despite what she’s been through and I strive to be like her ngl😔 This made me cry on multiple occasions, just read this you won’t regret it.

Inside My Mind by @jimlingss​ 🥺😏 knj

-The amount of times I think about this on a monthly BASIS. It’s half fluff and smut which is the perfect combination for me😌 I love the concept of mind reading, but when people can hear nsfw thoughts though😳 honestly read it if you haven’t, IT’S SO GOOD 

The Deli Diaries by @jimlingss 🥺 pjm

-This shit was the CUTEST shit ever!! both characters are so cute (I’ve said that word so many times😭) and their interactions during work is so cute😭 At this point just read Kina’s whole masterlist

The Alpha by @ladyartemesia​ 🤬😏 pjm

SO GOOD, immaculate, well written, the plot 10/10. This fic is amazing!! I get so excited whenever I see that it’s updated. The world is so fascinating and detailed that you wanna learn more about it. The plot is so thrilling and the action parts got me so hooked! I can’t wait for more part to come!

A Court of Curses  by @readyplayerhobi​ 🥺🤬😏 jhs

UGGHHHH one of my favourite hobi fics ever!!! of course it’s a vampire and witch au. I love the main characters so much OK😭 they just wanna love each other and it physically hurt me when they were also hurting😭😭😭 but the ending is so satisfying, so I’m happy!

[the-insomniac-emporium]

thoughts on Bela///Donna?

What a lovely can of worms you've placed in my inbox, dear nonnie. I cannot wait to open it and lose followers (regardless of what I actually say).

Since this is, uh, a subject of some debate among RE8 fans, I will be inputting my thoughts on the idea of the ship (and the possible controversy), as opposed to doing HCs or something for it (which I recognize might be what you were asking for, despite the excessive /s).

This is all based on my playthroughs of the game, as well as what I've managed to double check on the fandom/wiki for it. I know that a lot of people who read fanfic for the game haven't actually played it, likely having been lured in by Tall Vampire Milf, and so I hope that some people will be open to a reminder of, like, canon vs fanon? I've mentioned in a previous post that there's a lot of details for RE8 that are not made clear, and I feel the need to reiterate that in this post. Capcom left a lot of stuff up to people's imaginations, or kind of just hinted at in game or in concept art.

But more importantly, regardless of what game we're talking about, regardless of the conclusion I come to (and the one you come to) at the end of this post, I want to say that I absolutely understand the need/desire to have your own perspective/take on the characters from the game, as well as their dynamics. If a ship makes you uncomfortable because you see the characters as being family members, it's totally okay. Block the ship tag, or filter it out when you look through fandom stuff, don't follow people who post for it, etc, etc.

If you think of characters as being family-family (like, not just "we got married and are now a family" but, like, "we're siblings/parent and child") and still ship them? uh. sorry, bruv, maybe think of hitting that unfollow button. No, seriously, hit that unfollow button. This blog is anti-incest, thank you very much.

The last thing I'll say before putting it under a read-more (for both length and major RE8 spoilers) is that I recognize that I might have missed something, either in game or developers talking about things on social media, and so if you read through this and go "god, J, you're such a dumbass for forgetting *critical piece of media*" or even just "okay but have you seen *small but meaningful piece of media*?" please. Just. Please. Tell me. Link me to that shit. I WANT to know if I'm wrong. I've literally avoided talking about this for as long as I could in order to TRY and make sure I have all the context I need.

With that said, let's examine what context we are given for Alcina Dimitrescu, Bela Dimitrescu, Donna Beneviento, and their relations to each other. I will be leaving my personal thoughts on Bela///Donna at the very end of this, as somewhat of a conclusion, somewhat of just a "hey, this is what you technically asked me about".

Firstly, let me begin by explaining what I consider to be the 3 tiers of "canon"

In-Game/Direct: The highest, truest tier, the definitive canon. This is everything that takes place in game, excluding certain hallucination scenes (ex: Mia was not really in House Beneviento, but we can infer some things from what Donna made Ethan hallucinate about). Things either happen, or are directly stated by characters. There's some wiggle room for dialogue, as characters can lie, but overall we, as the audience, assume we are being told the truth. At the very least, games usually eventually make it clear when a character has been dishonest. Examples of Direct Canon include the following: Ethan is infected with the mold, Lady Dimitrescu drinks blood, Heisenberg wears sunglasses, Mother Miranda can shapeshift.

Concept Art/Developer's Notes/Indirect: Mid-tier and debatable, the "we think, but we're not sure" of canon. Resident Evil: Village contains lots of concept art that the players can browse through, all of which include notes from the developers about the game, characters, environments, and story. Sometimes the notes make something "direct", but oftentimes they do not specify whether the listed idea is still canon or if it was removed during development. This tier also includes information that is implied/can be inferred from tier 1 information, but is not directly stated. Examples of Indirect Canon include the following: Donna's mother died by suicide, Moreau was going to have his lover fused to his back, Duke was originally a fifth lord, Heisenberg was going to have a twin. As you can see, not all of the concept art ideas made it into the final version of the game, so it can be hard when some information seems like it might still be true (such as the matter of Donna's parents).

Fanon/"False": Sometimes collective ideas in a fandom become so widespread that people start interpreting them as actual canon. Sometimes it gets hard to remember what's just obscure lore and what's fanon. When we get a piece of fiction as overall vague as a lot of Resident Evil: Village is, there's bound to be some confusion over time. That's one of the main reasons I waited to talk about Bela////Donna until after I had recently replayed relevant sections of the game, as I wanted to remind myself of what we're actually told. Examples of False Canon are difficult to pinpoint, but might include things like: Hufflepuffs are good at finding things? The Avengers got along for awhile and all had their own rooms in the tower? There's a number scale for the danger level of ghosts in Danny Phantom?

For this post, I will be limiting the majority of my notes to the first two levels of canon, and will do my best to mark them as such. Now... let us... begin.

Alcina Dimitrescu:

Born no later than 1914, Alcina Dimitrescu was 44 years old when she was granted the Cadou by Mother Miranda. (1st Tier: Canon. Source: A note in the castle basement from a servant is dated 1958, and mentions both Alcina and her children. Secondly, Miranda's experiment notes state that Alcina was the 181st subject, and was given the Cadou at age 44. By doing math, we can then determine the earliest Alcina could have been born.)

Alcina refers to the other Lords as her family once without any disdain (when Ethan first arrives at the castle and is caught, Alcina says "you've escaped my little brother"). In a private journal (located near where she threw the infamous vanity) she insults the other Lords, and expresses anger that she is "treated like a sister to them". She argues with Heisenberg without any hesitation, and seems honest in her hatred of him (per Maggie Robertson's wunderbar performance). (1st Tier/2nd Tier: Canon with a sprinkle of interpretation for the last line)

Alcina openly refers to Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela as her daughters, and wrote in her experiment journal that she felt instantly connected to them (as mother and daughters). (1st Tier: Canon).

Bela Dimitrescu:

Likely born in the 1930's or 1940's, in order to be an adult by 1958 (the first dated appearance of the Dimitrescu daughters). (2nd Tier: Based on inference)

Dialogue shows that all three of the daughters do love their mother, and reinforces the bond Alcina's journal mentions. (1st Tier: Canon)

We are not given any information about how Bela feels about the other Lords, or even what she knows about them. Once can assume that she shares the ideas of her mother, either because Alcina tells her things directly, or because Bela (who is eager to please her mother) picks up on them over time. (2nd Tier: Based on inference)

Donna Beneviento:

No idea when she was born. If you've read one of my recent posts, then you know that it's almost entirely a matter of 2nd and 3rd tier canon.

Of the four lords, Donna seems to have the most story within the 2nd tier, and has very, very little in the 1st tier. Duke says she's somewhat isolated, and that her "playmates" never leave the house. Miranda's notes state that Donna is mentally ill, and the gardener's diary states/implies (bit of both) that Donna has severe social anxiety. (1st/2nd Tier: Mostly canon)

Supposedly, her parents committed suicide while she was still a child. This is indicated in concept art/the attached developer's notes. However, the only part that's also directly stated in game is that her parents (specifically her father) died while she was young. (1st/2nd Tier: Mostly canon)

While Donna only has one voice line in the game (and it's sad), Angie talks a fair bit. Angie seems to disapprove of the other Lords, or at the very least enjoys mocking them, as well as enjoys watching them fight with each other. As Angie is connected to Donna, and Donna has some level of control over her, one can assume that the two have similar (if not the same) opinions. (1st/2nd Tier: Mostly Canon)

Donna was adopted by Mother Miranda as an adult. It's unclear exactly how old Donna was, or what exactly Miranda did as her "mother", just that Donna was excited about it. (1st Tier: Canon)

Other Relevant Information:

Heisenberg refers to the other Lords as his siblings a minimum of 1 time. Similarly to Alcina, however, he openly insults them and seems to hate them. He just, you know, hates Mother Miranda the most. (1st Tier: Canon)

Mother Miranda does not actually give a shit about the four Lords, intended for them to die before the ceremony, and has been manipulating them for her own gain this entire time. Her notes and dialogue make it clear that she only cares about getting Eva back. Somehow mother of the year and worst mother ever. At the same time. (1st/2nd Tier: Mostly Canon)

It's unclear who treats Alcina "like a sister" to the other Lords. Were there cut lines of dialogue that cemented the idea of them being a "family"? Did Miranda call them a "family" as part of pretending she cared about them? I've done my best to dig around, but there's very little in game that treats them as a family of any sort.

As each Lord ruled their own section of the region, they don't have any mentions of interacting with each other outside of meetings with Mother Miranda. None of the notes for any Lord (and their relevant experiments) mention what the others are doing. In game, their environments are very separate, very well divided, though this is likely as much for gameplay as it is for story.

Conclusion:

I do not not believe there is enough in game evidence to suggest that Alcina and Donna consider themselves to be siblings. There's the possibility for a large age gap, Alcina was a fair bit older than Donna when she met Miranda, Donna is a social recluse whose closest bonds were with dead blood relatives and dolls, Alcina openly dislikes (if not hates) the other Lords, they seemingly lived very separate and distanced lives, and Mother Miranda does not enforce the idea of "family". Furthermore, the sheer contrast between how Alcina interacts with/speaks of the other Lords compared to how she interacts with/speaks of her daughters says a lot about her feelings. Even if Heisenberg takes the brunt of her anger, Alcina never once says anything remotely positive about anyone other than Miranda and her daughters.

As Alcina/Bela and Donna are not blood-relatives, the definition of what would count as "incest" does vary depending on who you ask. Personally, I do count non-blood relations as potentially incestuous. For example: Alcina "dating" one of her daughters would be incest, regardless of the fact that she's a mutated human and her daughters are weird swarms of flies.

Now, I do understand how popular the idea of the four Lords being a real, chaotic but still close family is. And as I mentioned above, it's totally valid to not like the Bela///Donna ship, whether it's because you think they're family or some other reason. I don't personally see them that way, even in my definitely-not-canon stories.

Do I personally ship Bela///Donna? Nope. Have I liked art for the ship? Admittedly yes, even if I thought some of it was, like, maiden x Bela because Donna didn't have her veil and I'm a DUMBASS who doesn't always remember to read tags. Would I ever write for it? Yeah, probably, assuming I didn't miss anything in game/that I don't eventually change my mind.