screwpinecaprice · 7 months ago
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@glowweek Day 5 FAMILY | FRIENDS
Peridot and specially Lapis do not trust the racoons.
Specifically chose this angle so I don't draw feet. _(:,3」∠)_
Mi own connverse kids Ebony and Rohini are there! And technically Sakura and Zachary. (Please until now I don't know what else to name them. 😭)
And sorry the older Maheswarans aren't there. I don't know where to put them and I already had character overload. 😞
Hibiscus print on Bismuth's shirt is from ManMadeOfGold!
Speaking of shirt, another thing I avoided was thinking of their outfit designs. 😅 It's somewhere a little over a decade of timeskip since SU:Future and I'm sure at least one or two would've reformed during the time. So I'm gonna say they wanted to keep the vibe of a casual outdoors picnic-type event so they wore the casual themes.
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idrawgaystffs · 2 years ago
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Nothing like drawing some crying (both happy and sad)
[Close ups under the cut]
Referenced the clip of Garnet telling Steven to check his tires in the last ep vv
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I like to call this set “if she missed” :)
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yanderenightmare · 3 months ago
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Ryomen Sukuna
TW: captive reader, no-name character deaths, Sukuna in general
fem reader
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Sukuna, in his true form some thousand years ago, carrying you on his arm so that your feet and dress don’t stain with the blood on the floor. A sea of carnage he’d laid to waste only a moment ago—soldiers sent to slaughter the monster’s concubine, a heathenness whore. They’d fallen no different from flowers trampled underfoot.
It's a tragedy. If anyone could free you from his prison, it would have been them.
A heavy finger catches the tear dribbling down your face before it can fall to join the red below. “Don’t water them with your tears,” he says, bringing the droplet to his lips. “Not even in death do they deserve it.”
You view his second face—the warped array of eyes upon an inhuman mask—as a punishment from the Gods for his vile ways. 
“Did you think I’d find it flattering?” you ask sharply through the sorrow. “Murder in my name?”
Nothing betrays the look in his garnet eyes, nor does the way he holds you. He simply lets you sit there, upon him like a thrown, admonishing him no less—as if he hadn’t just saved your life from a thousand swords.
“I don’t,” you bite out when he doesn’t answer. “It sickens me. I curse whichever part of me attracted such a monster.”
That makes him smile. “I’m afraid that’s all of you, turtledove.” He turns you around in his many arms and lays you to rest like a bride. “From your toes to the finest hair atop your head—I covet it all—like treasure.”
He doesn’t rush while wading through the filth who’d tried to take you away from him, basking in their still-warm blood as if soaking his feet with their failure. He would have made it long-lasting if they’d come close enough to breathe the same air as you. But since you’d begged for him to spare them, he’d acted with mercy—making their deaths quick and all but painless.
The things he does for you.
“Does it frighten you to be the only one I care about?” he asks.
You look disgusted. He finds it rather cute.
 “No,” you reply. “It simply hurts.”
He throws his head back and laughs then—boisterously. The echo rings throughout the temple, even making ripples in the red. When he looks down at you again, he bears a great smile.
“Fine then, as you wish.” Evidence of his amusement remains while he speaks. “I won’t subject you to any more carnage from this moment onward.”
You know better than to take him for his word—especially when that awful grin stretches his face.
“No, I shall rather keep you tucked away where no one will ever dare go looking—and before I even dare come see you myself, I’ll make sure to have washed the filth off first so as not to trouble your pretty head with my savage habits. Now, does that sound satisfactory to you, my Queen?”
He’s mocking you, you surmise—cooing at you, laughing at the way you mourn. But it shouldn’t surprise you. If he can rip people to shreds without so much as batting any of his eyes, making light of their deaths isn’t all that more of an offense.
“All this inanity has given me an appetite,” he states with a hearty sigh—dismissing any further argument. “Let’s find Uraume and eat.”
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♡ RYOMEN SUKUNA masterlist ♡ JUJUTSU KAISEN masterlist
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emsartwork · 4 months ago
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Hey yall im not dead!
COSMIX!!! I've officially redesigned all the transformations in the Winx Club TV series hell yeah
Lore and Design notes below
So Cosmix is a rather defunct transformation in the modern era. It used to be used heavily in the age of space exploration but since teleportation and hyper speed ships became common place, the Magix dimension prefers to use those. Essentially, in order to set up a teleportation center, the caster/s need to have been to both the origin point and the target point. Witches and Mages were the primary people responsible for setting up the teleportation system, but in order to achieve the spells requirements, they would require help from a Cosmix fairy. The primary function of Cosmix is the ability to fly through space with out detrimental effects. Cosmix fairies can take 1, maybe 2, people with them while they fly in a shooting star esc trail function. Cosmix is not great for fighting unless the foe is darkness/light based. Defense is strong against cold, pressure, and friction, but not most other kinds of damage.
Cosmix is also theorized to be the Magix Dimension's version of the elementix. So like Sirenix is the transformation that grants access to the Infinite ocean, Cosmix is the one that would grant access to the Magix Dimension if fairies were in the other realms. Because humans already belong to the Magix Dimension, and the transformation isn't required to earn Nymphix, it isn't considered a true Elementix. Some fairies (mostly Solarians) do experience biological changes when using the transformation, seen here in Stella, but it's not super common. The hair takes on the magic color and drifts into nebulous star dust and galaxy clusters. Solarians are located closest to Lumenia, a tightly clustered star formation, and frequent attract Lumens due to Solaria's binary star system. They have formed fast friendships with the Lumens and many Solarians carry a Lumen's Blessing (it's similar to the elemental companions' bonds in the elementix) in their bloodline which contributes to the biological changes when using Cosmix.
I'm still hammering out how seaosn 8 works plot wise but I'll add it to my show changes masterlist eventually.
Design! The initial concept was "man i wanna draw some chunky ass boots" and i kinda ran with the cyber punk look from there. I was also adamant that Cosmix is a pants transformation, both out of practicality and spite because they made everyone so hyper feminine in season 8. I referenced the actual cosmix designs and their "space travel" oufits for the general shapes for these, but obviously there aren't a ton of similarities since I went in such a different direction haha. Also my first time drawing Aisha with twists! I almost gave her a fro cus it would mimic an astronaut's helmet (and lowkey a nod to Garnet from steven universe) but i like how the twists came out haha
Cosmix includes! Hair up and out of the way, a mesh base layer with light veins and stars, a body suit or shorts and top, a padded armor torso piece with some tubing ports, so many buckles and straps, a clear plastic portion(usually part of the torso peice, sleeves, or around the waist/hips), wrist/arm guards, and chunky chunky boots. The wings are also larger than most transformations (rivaling Butterflix/Faunix) and trail more of the fairy's magic color than usual. Simple geometric designs are standard.
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love-takes-work · 7 months ago
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[Image ID: GIFs of Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe sitting in a fire-lit cave. Ruby says "I've never had a third eye before." Sapphire replies "I've never had more than one! It was nice." /.End ID]
A change of vision
This scene is more complicated than it looks at first glance.
Ruby and Sapphire have just fused for the first time and are awkwardly talking about their experience. Ruby says "I've never had a third eye before." On the surface, that's just a statement of fact, as is Sapphire's "I've never had more than one!" Ruby's only ever fused with other Rubies, and we saw that the Giant Ruby still had only two eyes. Sapphire's never fused at all, so of course she's only had one eye her whole life.
But we know from both the show's subtext and from Crewniverse statements that Sapphire's future vision is quite different from Garnet's. Sapphire sees one future, inevitable, unrelenting, separate from her involvement. She does not interfere; she describes what is. Ruby is the opposite; she is a Gem of action and emotion, impulsive, without much consideration. When they are combined as Garnet, Sapphire's future vision transmutes into something more dynamic. Garnet can see multiple futures, and she can get involved to choose the one she wants.
When Ruby states that she's "never had a third eye before," she's subtly making reference to the experience of seeing in a way that's new to her--not just a simplistic statement of physically having a different number of eyes than she's used to. Through being part of Garnet, she had a new experience of perception. She saw outside of the right now. She saw beyond a life of taking orders and carrying them out without any thought of what's next, any shred of judgment, any expectation of consideration. Even though it was just for a moment, her world opened up in a tantalizing way.
And when Sapphire said she's "never had more than one," she was describing a transformative experience as well. There was always one way before. One future. Vision, but no complexity. No consideration for emotion, for desire, for passion. With Ruby's impulsivity, her chaos, her ability to make destiny change, Sapphire's future vision became multifaceted when she was part of Garnet. She, too, saw beyond in a way she never had before. Suddenly, futures could involve choices SHE could make, and though that was scary enough to freeze her temporarily, she knew she wanted to have an opportunity to take leave of her tunnel vision and see in three dimensions (and beyond). "It was nice."
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[Image ID: GIF of Garnet from Steven Universe in her early pink and blue form, looking at the camera with three wide eyes. /.End ID]
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connorsui · 17 days ago
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A Love Long Denied
Astarion x reader
synopsis: Astarion finally drops his guarded facade, allowing you to see the depths of his affection and vulnerability as he admits that, for the first time in centuries, you’ve given him not just freedom—but a reason to truly live.
Genre/warnings: mentions of past trauma and abuse (astarions enslavement), themes of healing and redemption, mild angst, Fluff intertwined with emotional themes, he deserves all forms of love …
Note: I ain't gonna lie astarion gives me the type of man who would gladly talk with you over sum cup of tea and gossip ..like yes darling tell me about the foul co worker Samantha that you hate – I can't... I apologize
w.c: 1.5K
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The night was painted in silver, the moon hanging like a sentinel above, its soft glow spilling over the landscape in a delicate embrace. The world around you seemed to fall away, fading into shadows as Astarion stood beside you, his pale skin luminous beneath the moon’s tender gaze. His eyes—deep and glowing like garnets, rich with secrets—held yours with a gaze that made everything else disappear. Time itself unraveled when he looked at you this way, his usual mischief melting into something unguarded, something fragile. It wasn’t in words where the truth lived, but in the silence between your breaths—a confession that passed unspoken, a feeling he barely dared to understand.
Love, he often mused, was as dangerous as it was intoxicating.
A force that threatened to undo him entirely, to strip away the careful façade of wit and charm that had shielded him for centuries. But you—you had seen past the veneer. Seen the man behind the mask, the one buried beneath layers of pain and self-preservation. It was terrifying to be so exposed, to be so thoroughly known. And yet, what terrified him more was how deeply he now craved it—craved you.
The rogue would never admit it—not in a thousand lifetimes—but the moment your touch met his, a thrill so sharp, so visceral, rushed through him that he swore, for an instant, his heart beat again.
A beat meant only for you.
“You’re staring again, Astarion ” you teased, your voice a soft murmur as you turned to catch his gaze.
Astarion’s smirk flickered into place, quick as lightning—effortless, practiced—but beneath it, something flickered. A brief hesitation, like a shadow darting through the light. He leaned against a nearby tree, arms folding across his chest with the lazy grace of someone who seemed to command the world around him, yet cared for none of it.
“Am I?” he purred, his tone velvet-soft. “Can you blame me? After all, I’m simply admiring a rare and priceless beauty. It would be a crime to do otherwise.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, you know,” you replied, arching an eyebrow playfully as a smile danced on your lips. “But I suppose it’s nice to be appreciated. Just don’t forget that I’m not as easily swayed as your usual admirers.”
Astarion chuckled, a low and smooth sound that sent a thrill down your spine. “Oh, darling, I would never dream of underestimating you. In fact, that’s what makes you all the more intriguing.”
You rolled your eyes at his familiar theatrics, but there was no denying the warmth blooming in your chest. It was a feeling that had grown with each passing day—a gentle flutter that accompanied moments like this, when his affection, though cloaked in jest, revealed itself in the spaces between words. Behind the veil of his playful flirtations, there was something else—a quiet truth that surfaced in glimpses, like sunlight breaking through the cracks of a long-forgotten temple.
Astarion had lived behind pretense for so long—surviving on wit, charm, and carefully crafted words that kept others at bay. But for you—for the one who had broken through the walls he had spent centuries building—he found himself wanting to be known. Not as a game, not as a means to an end, but as the man beneath it all. Flawed, fragile, and desperately human.
Sometimes, in the darkest hours of the night, when the world was still and you lay beside him, he would watch the rise and fall of your chest, your breath steady and comforting. Those were the moments when Astarion allowed himself to feel it fully—allowed the emotion to flood him without shame. He marveled at how the warmth of your body bled into his, even when he himself no longer held such warmth. He was cold, yes, but you
... you were a flame.
A flame so heavily enticing that made him feel as if the meaning of being alive was far greater than the touch of the sun.
And yet that thought both thrilled and terrified him. For years beyond counting, Astarion had been shackled—body, mind, soul. He had been a creature of darkness, bent to the will of others, his own autonomy a distant memory. Then you had come along, a spark of light in the gloom, and he had tasted freedom for the first time in centuries. It was because of you he now walked free. And what a strange thing freedom was. How it made him yearn for more than just survival. It made him yearn for you.
One evening, beneath the stars, the two of you found yourselves alone, away from the others. The air was cool and crisp, and a gentle wind stirred the trees. Astarion, true to form, was weaving one of his fantastical tales—a story spun from equal parts truth and exaggeration, designed to amuse and distract. But tonight, there was a seriousness to him, something unspoken but weighty between the lines of his words.
You listened, smiling at his antics, but you knew him well enough by now to see the shifts in his manner. The way his eyes darted to yours, lingering just a second too long, the way his voice, though playful, held a tremor. And then, he fell silent. The kind of silence that stretched and expanded, until it filled the space between you with unspoken things.
Finally, you spoke softly, breaking the stillness. “You have been silent for so long…I know that mind of yours must have something to say? —”
He hesitated. A moment of vulnerability flickered across his face before the mask fell away, if only for a second. His eyes—once so sharp and predatory—softened as he gazed at you.
��Astarion? –”
“ — My apologies, my love, but you’ve given me something I never thought I would have again,” he murmured, his voice low, almost hesitant. “A feeling such as freedom...”
The word hung in the air between you, heavy with meaning. For so long, Astarion had been defined by his chains, by the weight of a past that refused to let him go. But with you, he had tasted something new. Something precious.
“But I suppose it's more than that,” he continued, stepping closer, his hand reaching out, though he stopped just shy of touching you. “It’s not just freedom you’ve given me. It’s… it’s life. A reason to want to keep living. To truthfully enjoy it as it is”
Your breath caught at the raw honesty in his voice, the sincerity that was so rare for him to reveal. You reached for him then, taking his hand in yours. His fingers were cool, but they tightened around yours with a desperation that belied his usual bravado.
“And I'll admit I never expected this,” Astarion admitted, his gaze locked on your entwined hands. “ — To feel that is .. about anyone, after so long.”
“Astarion...” you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion as you tightened your grip on his hand. “You deserve this—you deserve to feel loved, to feel free. No matter what you’ve been through, none of that defines who you are now.”
You stepped closer, closing the final space between you, your free hand gently cupping his cheek. His eyes fluttered shut at your touch, a shuddered breath escaping him as though the weight of your words had lifted something he hadn’t realized he was still carrying.
“Let yourself have this,” you murmured, your forehead now resting against his. “Let yourself feel it—feel us. I’m not going anywhere, and neither is this.”
His eyes lifted to yours, and for a moment, there was no pretense, no mask. Just him. And in that moment, you saw the depth of his love—the love he was still learning to express, still learning to accept for himself. It was a love that scared him because it made him vulnerable. But it was also a love that he had come to crave, more than he had ever craved anything in his long, dark existence.
Over time, Astarion’s love for you grew. Not in the sudden, burning way that love often does, but in slow, steady increments—like the tide rising against the shore. It was a love that surprised him in its constancy, in its ability to endure even in the face of his own fears and insecurities.
He had learned to show it in small ways. In the way, he would linger by your side just a moment longer than necessary. In the way his hand would find yours, even in the quietest moments. In the way he would watch you, when he thought you weren’t looking, with an expression that could only be described as awe.
And though he would never say it aloud, not in a thousand years, Astarion knew, deep down, that he had never loved anyone the way he loved you. You were the first to break through the walls he had built, the first to show him that he could be more than what he had been made to be. And for that, he would be forever grateful.
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crystallinestars · 1 year ago
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How they choose an engagement ring for you
Short little headcanons (scenarios?) about how the boys go about picking the perfect engagement ring for you.
Features: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Zhongli, Ayato, Itto, Kaveh, and Alhaitham. Reader's gender isn't mentioned, but Ayato's part implies fem!reader.
🦉Diluc – The more time Diluc spent with you, his lover, the more sure he was that you are the one. He knows he wants to spend he rest of his life with you, and so he decides to ask you to marry him. But first, he must find the perfect engagement ring to convey his sincere feelings for you. The Ragnvindr family is of noble origins, and Diluc is no stranger to expensive and beautiful jewelry. He decides to have your ring custom-made to ensure it encompasses all your favorite design elements. Diluc wants it to appeal to your tastes as much as possible because he wants you to like it, and he’s more than willing to spend extra mora to achieve this. The engagement ring will look beautiful and feature a garnet as the centerpiece—specially requested by Diluc. Garnet symbolizes unconditional love and protection for one’s partner, and Diluc swears to love you unconditionally and keep you safe for as long as he lives, even if he doesn’t say it aloud. He takes a more traditional approach in asking you to marry him, first wining and dining you before taking you out to a scenic place. He’ll get down on one knee and show you the ring, finally asking the question. It will be one of the few moments in his life where he will bare his heart to you and leave himself vulnerable.
🦚Kaeya – He never thought he’d find someone he’d want to marry, but here he is, browsing through Marjorie’s selection of engagement rings out of drunken impulse. He imagines how each ring would look on your hand, taking into account whether you would like the style and color because he knows your preferences down to a science. Kaeya tells himself this isn’t that serious, it’s just a fun little ‘what-if’, but he sees the perfect ring he knows will look stunning on your hand, and the same drunken impulse makes him buy it. Kaeya considers returning the ring when he sobers up the following day, but something stops him. He keeps telling himself he’ll do it later, but that later never comes. Days turn to weeks, and week into months, and that ring still sits in its box in his pocket. He’s joked about marrying you plenty of times before as a form of flirting, but asking the real thing feels impossible to Kaeya. It’s not until you find the ring by pure accident and piece things together yourself that the impossible turns to reality. Kaeya will play it cool and try to make light of the situation, but internally he will be a nervous wreck. If you accept, he’ll be over the moon, but if you reject him, he’ll be crushed.
🐋Childe – Nothing is too expensive for Childe to afford, especially if it’s a gift for you. While picking out an engagement ring for you, he will focus more on the look and style of the accessory rather than the price. His main concern is finding something he thinks you will like and will look good on you; he’s literally not concerned about the price at all. Childe buys you a ring with a large gemstone in your favorite color and an engraving on the band about his undying love for you. The Harbinger loves spoiling you by giving you gifts since it’s one of his love languages, and to him, nothing speaks louder than an engagement ring of the highest quality money can afford. Plus, an extravagant and expensive-looking ring will clearly indicate to other men that you are taken and provided for. It’s both a show of love and a means to stake his claim. He’ll wine and dine you before posing the question and pulling out the ring. Childe will be visibly excited because he really wants to take your relationship to the next stage—he knows he wants a future with you, and he hopes you do too.
🔶Zhongli – Another man that’s not concerned about the price when purchasing you the ring (Hu Tao will chew him out for putting the bill on Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s tab again). Zhongli has a very discerning eye when it comes to minerals and craftsmanship. He carefully appraises every ring on display, studying the quality of the metal in the band, the cut and polish of the gemstone, and the skillfulness of the craftsmanship. He will easily spot any flaws in the ring’s design or any fakes that a sneaky merchant might try to sell, so rest assured that you will receive a ring made of only top quality materials. He takes his time in selecting the perfect ring. His love for you is pure and true, and he wants the ring to reflect that. Anything less than the best won’t convey his feelings for you properly, or so he thinks. He’ll take you out for dinner first and then on a nice stroll around Liyue Harbor before asking the question and pulling out the ring, being very charming and polite as he does. He’s very calm about the whole thing, but will hide his disappointment if you say no.
🧋Ayato – After the passing of his parents, Ayato kept their wedding and engagement rings as a memento of sorts. The rings symbolized the loving bond between his parents, and he wanted to remember that. When Ayato developed a deep, intimate bond of his own with you, the thought of marrying you crossed his mind. He knew he could easily afford a high-quality, expensive engagement ring since he was the head of the Kamisato Clan, but he ended up choosing to give you his mother’s engagement ring. The passion and love that his father harbored when giving the ring to his mother are the same feelings Ayato feels towards you. In his mind, this engagement ring is the perfect physical representation of those feelings, and also a good way to welcome you into the Kamisato family. He would be slightly nervous about asking you to marry him, but he would hide his nervousness well. He truly wants to form a family with you, but he’s aware being the spouse to the Kamisato Clan head will come with it’s fair share of responsibilities, and he will understand if you choose to reject him. But if you accept, then Ayato hopes to use his parents’ old wedding rings during your marriage ceremony too.
🐂Itto – It is well known that Itto barely has a single mora to his name. The man can barely afford to buy food much less an engagement ring. Itto thought about giving you a cheap imitation of one, or crafting one out of flowers because it’s the thought that counts, right? But after some thought, he decides that no, he wants to get you a proper ring to show you how serious he is about wanting to marry you. With his mind made up, Itto will work hard to earn money by taking on various odd jobs. He can’t hold down a single job for long, but for the sake of your ring, he tries. It takes the oni a long time to scrounge up the necessary money because he will turn down any help from his gang members. He wants to obtain the ring through his own effort and nobody else’s. Itto won’t be able to afford a fancy ring with the money he saves up, so expect it to look simple but tasteful (thank Shinobu later for helping Itto choose a nice ring for you and avoid getting scammed). His proposal will be public and flashy, but he’d be really nervous about asking you to marry him, even dropping the ring and almost losing it because of his nerves, but rest assured you will receive it.
🍷Kaveh – The architect is very picky when it comes to choosing you gifts, more so this time since it’s an engagement ring to you from him. Kaveh went to a local jeweler to look at their selection of engagement rings, but he wasn’t satisfied with anything they had. This ring’s jewel is the wrong size, that ring’s metal is the wrong shade, and this one’s design isn’t pretty enough for your likeness. Disappointed, Kaveh decides that he will make you the perfect engagement ring himself. He takes weeks to design it, filling his sketchbooks with sketches of potential designs and crossing off failed attempts before he finally settles on one he thinks will look perfect on your hand. When the time comes to craft it, Kaveh buys only the best quality materials, taking on more commissions to be able to afford them. He works on the ring in his spare time, being careful to ensure every aspect of it looks as perfect as his artistic skills will allow. Once its finally finished, Kaveh feels proud of himself, confident that his ring will be one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry you will ever see—and it honestly is. Even so, he’s still nervous about actually popping the question and giving it to you. When he finally works up the courage, he will take you out on a super romantic date that’s been planned down to every detail. The only unpredictable part about it will be your response to his proposal.
🎧Alhaitham – He’s not exactly frugal when it comes to buying things he likes or thinks are necessary, but he won’t buy you a super expensive engagement ring. In fact, he will get you a simple silver ring with minimal decoration. Haitham prioritizes function over fashion. He doesn’t see a point in giving you an extravagant and flashy ring that would probably hinder you in your daily activities when a simple ring will serve the exact same purpose and be less bothersome. But just because it doesn’t look extravagant doesn’t mean it’s cheap. Oh no, Haitham makes sure the metal is the real deal and made by a professional craftsman. He understands this would be a big step in your relationship, and he wants the ring to convey the seriousness of his feelings for you. The Scribe also won’t make a fanfare out of gifting it to you, he will simply pose the question during a calm and private moment between the two of you. He won’t show any nervousness or excitement on his face, and will be very understanding if you refuse but a part of him does hope you will agree. Haitham seldom likes to spend his time in the company of others, so for him to want you to be a permanent part of his life speaks volumes to how much he loves you. Not having you be a part of his life would certainly leave a mark on him.
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hugthesquids · 21 days ago
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Garnet's biggest flaw
So I’ve seen many people in the fandom state that Garnet has no flaws or virtually no flaws outside her co-dependence in the form of Ruby and Sapphire. But that’s not true.
No character is perfect and Garnet is no exception as she carries with her some fundamental flaws that I find interesting exploring. In fact, her flaws are in a way very ironic to her character.
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Btw she’s an excellent character and this is by no means to discredit her or anything. If anything, I think it’s good that characters have flaws and aren’t perfect as it gives depth to them, and SU is all about not putting anyone on a pedestal.
(There is a TLDR at the end)
Garnet is bad at communicating
Despite often preaching about the importance of communication in any relationship, Garnet has major trouble in this department.
Even after Garnet opens up later on in the seasons, she still struggles in this aspect.
There are many times where Garnet doesn’t explain a thing to others like Steven, and because of this lack of communication, he ends in trouble. In fact, Garnet often resorts to letting her actions speak for her.
And with Steven in particular, someone who needs guidance, it becomes a tough point for him. And it often lands him in trouble.
In a way, Garnet acts like the subversion of the old troupe of “learning your lesson the hard way”. She follows this line of reasoning, and yet she fails to consider that this isn’t a healthy way for Steven to learn. SU likes to subvert classic cartoon troupes, deconstructing them like how all the cartoony heroic adventures were actually traumatising for Steven and hindered his development in a healthy way.
So letting Steven “learn his lesson” with stuff like the proposal in SUF, it actually became the turning point in him spiralling so badly.
It hurt him so much (already dealing with a loss on what to do in life, losing trust in those nearest to him, losing his support system, lots of unresolved trauma bubbling through as Steven freshly processes how screwed up his life was and why he’s struggling so much now), and it essentially started the huge domino effect to what later happens in SUF.
(I’m not excusing Steven’s own actions, though as we’ve seen, he has things that contributed to the path that was taken. For this post, I’m focusing on Garnet’s stake in all this.)
The proposal, a point of neglect
I think the proposal especially highlights this weakness from Garnet in several ways. First a little background from Steven’s PoV.
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He reached out to a guardian that he trusted and admitted he didn’t know what to do with his life, who only turned back and said he should’ve known better and he was dumb for listening to Ruby and Sapphire.
This is when we’ve just learned that Steven was scared at opening up to people because he’s afraid that it’ll push them away but Steven anyway worked up the courage to ask Garnet, who only told him she didn’t have time for him and let Ruby and Sapphire take charge.
This is also just after learning that Steven wasn’t socialised properly and doesn’t understand human conventions too (so he didn’t know it was weird to propose as 16 either. Most of his knowledge comes from cartoons and other media, where Steven himself loved reading books about adventures falling in love like The Unfamiliar Familiar, so this stuff was normal to him. Still not okay, but he was neglected socially.)
(Btw this also adds to Steven’s frustration with his dad later on, as the proposal stuff hurt so much and he didn’t know it was a bad thing to do as Steven was unfamiliar with human stuff and what to even do with his life and his dad didn’t provide that guidance and neither did the gems.)
Steven isn’t the one that brings up the proposal, that is a very important fact.
Steven opens up to Garnet, who dismisses him and lets him talk to Ruby and Sapphire, who are the ones that tell him to propose. Ruby eggs him on even as he goes “really?” and even then he doesn’t immediately do it but double checks by going to Sapphire, the one that Steven trusts to be the logical one of the pair. Ruby and Sapphire are still his guardians, and Steven has made it very clear that he struggles with knowing what to do with himself.
So imagine the betrayal that Steven feels, when his guardians, the ones he trusted and had trouble opening up to but decided anyway, just brushes his feelings off and makes it all his fault for trusting his family, essentially calling him dumb and makes it all about being a hard lesson for he himself not realising it was a foolish idea.
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We as the audience know he didn’t have the tools to know, neglected socially and traumatised, and that he was in a very bad headspace.
And even the gems have seen Steven has not been in a great headspace for a while prior to this.
Robbed of agency
But because Garnet just accepts the future she “sees”, expects it to come and sees it as inevitable, she forgets to take responsibility.
She didn’t help him afterwards even if she could. She didn’t tell the other gems and left him all night and day after to be alone in his slump even though Garnet knew he was miserable and in a sensitive spot and wanted to reach out for support (like calling Greg). Instead he was left to spiral in those bad thoughts and feelings with no sympathy or aftercare.
Garnet let her role as Steven’s guardian slip.
She essentially robs both Steven’s agency with the proposal by saying it was inevitable, but also robs herself of her own agency to act. All because she believes her visions are certain and there is no reason to act otherwise.
But we know this is false, her visions aren’t certain!
Future vision
Garnet’s “visions” are merely calculations. She doesn’t see the future but calculates likely outcomes. Garnet herself has admitted that several times, but continues to contradict it as she still falls back to her habit.
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Sapphire’s future vision coupled with Ruby's influence that lets her see multiple outcomes, gives Garnet the notion that she knows what will happen.
Steven's complaint that Garnet thinks that she "knows better" is an interesting one, because in a way, he’s right.
Garnet inadvertently robs other people of their agency by over-relying on her visions. In her eyes she knows they won't change, that they will always do this.
And that also inadvertently robs herself of her own agency.
It’s kind of ironic too, because if she truly could see the future in all certainty, she should’ve known that Steven would spiral badly after the proposal and needed support. But that’s the thing, Garnet doesn’t know better, she doesn’t see everything or every outcome.
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The biggest irony of this is that despite Garnet being a fusion, has a whole spiel about how conversation is important in any relationship, how her own existence was due to Ruby defying what Sapphire “saw”, Garnet herself is often a hypocrite to her own ideals.
The episode "Future Pool" is proof that her vision is flawed, as it isn't really future vision, but a probability calculator based on the facts she knows (which is also why Garnet never predicted Rose being Pink Diamond or all other numerous surprising things). Even Sapphire in SUF shows it’s all a probability calculation that she’s running.
Even Garnet didn’t predict Bluebird to turn on Steven and all and try to kill him. If she even “saw” that possibility, she didn’t even warn Steven and she egged him on to give her a chance.
But ironically, Garnet didn’t really “learn her lesson” in these episodes, did she? Not the crux of it at least. Her future vision was getting more and more inaccurate in “Future Pool” as she couldn’t get a read on how Steven had grown as a person and wasn’t behaving as expected.
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But instead of stepping back and assessing whether she should reconsider her relationship with the ability, as Steven tires to nudge her to think for herself instead of over-relying on visions that aren’t set in stone, Garnet goes back to the same as usual as she learns Steven had matured and factors that in to get back her more accurate future calculations.
Pink’s palanquin
Another example of Garnet robbing people of their agency and being bad at communicating is when Greg was kidnapped by Blue Diamond.
Instead of communicating to Steven that Blue Diamond was in Korea and that she would kidnap Greg if they went there, she just told him to not go.
Steven was at this point super frustrated at the gems not telling him anything and not communicating, while his rising frustration (and trauma) with the gem stuff was rising and he didn’t want to be constantly dismissed and denying knowing about this gem past that was affecting him so much now.
But again, Garnet is bad at communicating.
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And when Steven goes to Korea, she robs Steven of his agency by saying this would've happened regardless.
Realistically speaking, if Garnet sat down and talked with Steven, acknowledging his feelings instead of dismissing them and how he felt about his heritage and Rose, (which has been a huge contributor in going into Korea in the first place, being denied his feelings) and Garnet actually explained Blue was there and the consequences going there, Steven would've likely not gone.
But in this twist of irony, Garnet denies her own agency with her flawed view on her vision, doesn't make an effort in communicating with Steven, it ends up fulfilling her vision.
Denying responsibility
It's very interesting that being the leader of the team, the one everyone looks up to, she sometimes struggles acknowledging fault or responsibility.
It’s not that she doesn’t ever not admit fault to something, she has admitted plenty of times. But there are times where she’s steadfast in not having any responsibility or that she had a part in too.
And this stands as an interesting contrast to her companions in the cast, Amethyst and Pearl, who are often confronted with their issues and are expected to change their mind or admit fault.
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But there are many times where Garnet simply denies her doing anything wrong. And being the de facto leader, it gets accepted.
Garnet was still very responsible for the proposal thing. And even if Ruby and Sapphire were the ones telling Steven to propose, Garnet could’ve unfused, let the two of them take responsibility and apologise to Steven.
She just brushes it off as them being lovebirds so it’s okay for them to almost ruin Steven’s closest relationship and pins it as his fault for trusting them, despite them being his guardians who he opened up to with a sensitive issue. She denies Ruby and Sapphire their agency and even justifies their bad behaviour because love (but at the same time faults Steven to act on his emotions, despite being actually considerate enough to ask his guardians whether this was a good idea).
Garnet is still responsible for Ruby and Sapphire, because even if Garnet is technically her own person, Ruby and Sapphire are still a part of her and the two of them can choose to become her at any time just as Garnet can choose to become Ruby and Sapphire any time.
Fusion
And that’s another flaw Garnet has. She thinks she “knows better” about fusion, just because she’s a permafusion for thousands of years.
And while she does have a lot of sage and good advice about fusion
She still has her flaws about it. And often lets fusion become a scapegoat for her own responsibility or other people’s.
Like when Sugilite runs rampage.
They don’t even apologise to either Steven or Pearl for all the hurt Sugilite had caused (heck, she almost seemed fine with killing Pearl or at least being fine with all the destruction she caused. Steven even had his bones cracked when a huge boulder hit his face due to Sugilite).
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Even if Sugilite wouldn’t be able to apologise, Garnet and Amethyst still could as it was their decision to fuse in the first place even with Pearl’s warnings that they tend to lose control. In fact, Garnet was the one to bring up fusing with Amethyst in the first place.
The only comment Garnet makes afterwards is how Sugilite overworked their bodies and that’s why they’re tired at the end of unfusing. No apology for the hurt they caused.
It’s an interesting contrast to how other fusions act.
Smoky is still apologising on Steven’s behalf with the havoc caused in “Guidance”. Steven apologises to Mega Pearl for Pearl and Pink Pearl, since the trip to the Reef didn’t turn out well. Even Stevonnie is treated as both their fusion and Steven and Connie, and Stevonnie treats themself as that too.
Meanwhile Garnet flip flops between being the result of Ruby and Sapphire’s actions to having no responsibility for Ruby and Sapphire.
Garnet even excuses Bluebird, saying Steven can’t judge her just because she’s a fusion of two of Steven’s enemies that wanna murder him. Which first of all, that was his house and he has every right to not want some strangers invited in there, let alone the fusion of his previous murderers.
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Second of all, he absolutely can judge people based on their components. In fact, Garnet is yet again a hypocrite as she really likes Stevonnie, Smoky and all the other fusions because they’re the fusions of their friends. She doesn’t treat them as just their own people, the components matter too with the relationship she has to them. Garnet likes Fluorite, sure, but she isn’t family. But Smoky Quartz is family even at first sight, just because they’re a fusion of Amethyst and Steven.
Reflection
Garnet is by no means perfect, and that’s what makes her a good character. She has flaws like everyone else, just as she has strengths like everyone else.
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She doesn’t mean ill with any of this. A lot of it is her being well-meaning too, and she tries a lot to be a leader for the team which is a tough spot.
In fact, being thrust in a leader position is probably why Garnet started over-relying on her future vision. She had to fill the spot Rose left for them, be the mature one as everyone processed their grief and keeping the team together, especially how prone to conflict Pearl and Amethyst were with each other earlier on before Steven stepped up to be the heart of the team.
So it just becomes this interesting if a little tragic and ironic thing that the very things Garnet preaches about and is a symbol of that others look up to, are the very things Garnet is really bad at.
TLDR
While Garnet is often seen as flawless or nearly perfect aside from her fusion with Ruby and Sapphire sometimes showing co-dependence, she does have significant flaws. Her biggest flaw is poor communication, which contradicts her emphasis on its importance in relationships. This flaw becomes especially apparent in her interactions with Steven, where her lack of guidance contributes to his struggles, such as in the proposal situation and the Korea thing.
Garnet’s over-reliance on her future vision also leads her to undermine others’ agency, assuming outcomes are inevitable rather than communicating and acting on them. This creates a paradox, as Garnet’s vision isn’t always accurate, she knows it isn't, she knows it isn't really future vision but a probability calculator and she often has blind spots and she herself is a result of that blind spot.
But Garnet still falls back to treating her visions as inevitable and misses opportunities to protect or support others, including Steven, by denying their and her own agency. Additionally, she sometimes avoids taking responsibility, particularly when it comes to the consequences of her lack of communication, and also using her future vision and fusion as an excuse in certain aspects.
Despite these flaws, it makes Garnet a more complex and compelling character, as dealing with her leadership role she was forced into after Rose's absence. Acknowledging her flaws gives depth to her character and emphasizes the show’s theme that no one is perfect.
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rosenotactuallyquartz · 2 months ago
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“you, you’re supposed to change”
(pearlrose, healing, & body positivity)
the angst in pearlrose is deep & meaningful, but the purely comforting parts have impacted me, too. as i wrote this, i realized how much my perception has been shaped by my own experiences. i relate to all of this in some way, and that’s what comfort characters do, really.
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unsafe versus safe environment symbolism
(sensitive subject matter, abuse mentions)
pink diamond hates being a diamond. she’s forcing herself to be someone she isn’t, which is exhausting and uncomfortable. she’s smaller than the other diamonds & they literally look down on her. of course, she’s beautiful, but pink is forcing herself to fit into the expectations of what a diamond should be, even though it causes her pain. she doesn’t smile easily; she feels powerless & weak. as pink, she’s unhealthy, being in constant fight-or-flight & facing unimaginable punishments such as being kept away from light, isolated. deprived of anything that might help her live or bring her comfort. she’s repressed & her her “home” at the time is horrific.
initially she shifts to a quartz so she can fit into another group for a day. a lot changes from there.
rose is finally in a safe environment for the first time in her life. as time goes on, she realizes that rose is her true self. an important part of the rebellion is that she wants gems to understand that their life is their own and they don’t need to fit into homeworld’s society. they can be whoever they want to be, they’re perfect the way they are even if they don’t look or act as they’re expected to based on their gems. she doesn’t exactly fit in anywhere, she looks how she wants, she becomes aware of some unique powers, & she’s comfortable being just rose. once she’s able to escape from her abusers and never needs to return to that environment again, she permanently reforms as rose.
she’s shorter than she was as pink diamond, but it doesn’t scare her. in fact, she doesn’t feel smaller; she feels bigger, literally & figuratively. she was only small on homeworld because she was abused, made & forced to feel small & weak. now, she’s stronger, aware of her powers, & no one looks down on her—they often look up to her. this can be challenging: she struggles to trust herself & to be vulnerable (see eye-to-eye) with others. healing takes time & isn’t always perfect; leaving an unsafe environment brings trauma & it’s okay to need support and have ongoing issues. her body is also very different: her true self is naturally chubby. as time goes on and she adjusts to her new environment, experiences life on earth, & is more relaxed than ever, she wears what she wants, embraces her femininity & sensuality, and her belly is no longer flat. she lives with someone who gives her consistent protective care & intense romantic love—such a contrast to life on homeworld. being abused can exacerbate guilt & make one feel undeserving of something so new and different: genuine love. she’s loved anyway because she is, in fact, deserving of it even if she doesn’t think she is. pearl doesn’t stop when she needs to remind her that she’s important (“yes, you are”) every now & then. garnet, ruby, sapphire, & ame are safe people she has a unique bond with & loves living with. she feels more comfortable with her form than ever before.
i love the symbolism, especially in a society that often views putting on weight as solely negative, an indication that one is unhealthy & unhappy. rose is a reminder that it can be a sign of healing, and she’s far healthier, stronger, more comfortable as rose than she ever was as pink.
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image description: the far left depicts rose quartz in her quartz outfit, a crop top & pants with her arms in the air and a smile on her face, the background being the kindergarten. the middle is of rose with the crystal gems, dressed as witches for halloween. the far right is of rose in her white dress in story for steven, looking at a cd, the background being the blue sky.
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“you weren’t built for fighting”
pearl’s body is different from the gems who are supposedly “built for fighting.” according to homeworld, pearls are made to to “stand there and look pretty.” they’re made to feel weak.
sword fighting is a passion of hers and she’s incredibly skilled. rose gives her a decision to stay & fight with her or opt out, and pearl argues that she wants to fight. from there, she never tries to change her body. she protects rose, and aside from the excessive self sacrificing issues i’ve brought up in the past, she has a very important line in do it for her. just think about the life you’ll have together after the war!
yes, she was putting rose’s life over her own. at the same time, she didn’t expect to die. she had hope in her goal to save both of them, and she was never intimidated by the fact that the gems she was fighting against were bigger than her, with body types that were supposedly “more capable” of doing something that she was passionate about. she proves them wrong, as she has a memory in which she protects someone who’s much bigger than her by fighting against a gem who’s also much bigger than her.
when she sings strong in the real way, it’s clear that pearl is not completely comfortable in her own skin yet, and much like what i said about rose, that’s okay. healing takes time, isn’t linear, and the way that the homeworld gems underestimated pearl for being a pearl understandably has an impact on her. still, as she slowly builds confidence, she teaches steven that there are other ways of being strong.
pearl focuses on what her body can already do & she uses all of her traits to her advantage instead of trying to change them. ballet comes naturally to her, so she has a pattern of fighting that involves ballet & quick, graceful movements that her opponent struggles to keep up with.
she also uses traits that are less about her physical abilities & more about who she is, such as her intelligence & attention to detail. she often outsmarts her opponent & can confidently say "you can’t beat me" because her main motivation as she learned to fight was to protect rose. her love for rose is so deep that she believes it's stronger than anything or anyone. it’s amazing how pearl uses her love & ballet movements—things that would be considered weak on the battlefield—to become a powerful, terrifying, & intimidating sword fighter.
people sometimes mock her nose, a feature all pearls have, & while it annoys her, she never tries to change it. it’s who she is, & she’s proud to be a pearl (that’s right! i am a pearl!)
pearl wears whatever she wants and doesn’t try to look intimidating or like a rebel—it doesn’t need a look, and she doesn’t need to fit stereotypes; it's just who she is. she loves legwarmers & skirts. occasionally & on other platforms i’ve seen fans make fun of her thin arms & legs. they miss a comforting message: she doesn’t cover anything. now, the thing i wrote about rose in the last section? i closely relate to it, and i always knew i did. i’m now realizing i relate to pearl in a way, too, even if it’s to a lesser extent. when i was a little girl i was smaller than my classmates & i’d be encouraged to hide my arms with long sleeves. i really wish i knew this character back then. she’s so pretty, so bold with a lovely sassy side, and she doesn’t change a thing. she doesn’t need to.
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image description: pearl in the episode we need to talk, in a studio where greg makes his music video. one leg up and the other en pointe (standing at the tips of her toes). she has a smug smile on her face and her eyes are closed.
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a good partner
i love that my favorite ship is not only sapphic representation, but they both have underrepresented body types. they’re both flawed & traumatized and their relationship is complicated, but nevertheless they are entirely & deeply in love with each other.
“pearl is falling in love. pink, as rose, is intoxicating. she’s free somehow. they both are, when they are on earth.” — rebecca sugar, end of an era, page 77
i’ve written about this a lot, but pearl falls in love with her true self, the person she is when she’s happy & safe. she doesn’t have anything against how rose used to look, she just knows that person isn’t who she truly is. pink was unhappy, uncomfortable, repressed. the environment was unsafe for both of them & everything was so forced. pearl sympathizes with pink (i.e., crying when she fakes the shattering, telling steven & sapphire about how she really did everything she could as pink, just all around feeling sad for what she went through) but she adores her form as rose; seeing rose fills her with joy & warmth. rose isn’t fitting into any society & she’s no longer a diamond; she’s a rebel who’s still figuring everything out. she’s imperfect, she’s not forcing herself to fit into any homeworld expectations, & pearl’s met her true self & she falls in love.
a good partner will understand who you were in the past & they’ll care for & sympathize with that person, but they’ll be in love with the most genuine version of who you are. pink was a higher status gem as part of the great diamond authority, but that wasn’t her true self. that's why pearl loves just rose. pearl is also a reminder that a good partner won’t love you any less if you gain weight. if someone gains weight because they’re healing, happier, & aren’t forcing their body to look a certain way that doesn’t reflect who they truly are, a good partner will not only accept the weight gain but they will love it. while it may be tricky to grasp this symbolism because they’re gems, the point is this: rose being comfortable in her own form and true to herself is not just lovable but deeply attractive to pearl. the form that was the most beautiful, in pearl’s eyes, was the one that rose had when she was the happiest.
society can be a bit painful at times. sometimes, people feel like they can only be liked & loved if they’re thin and distinguished in some way, even if it’s inauthentic & they aren’t happy. but pearl fell in love with rose when she was no longer thin & no longer a diamond—and still figuring things out as a crystal gem leader, too.
they not only accept but adore each other just as they are. sketches & the fusion dance show pearl embracing their sensual relationship, teasing rose, & showing off their connection on camera. pearl does this confidently, by being herself.
they defy stereotypes beautifully. rose, who is larger, contrasts with pearl who is shorter & thin, but rose appears more shy in their flirtatious moments. she’s also more feminine and pearl tends to be more bold & she’s incredibly protective of rose. they remind us that you don’t need to be short & thin to be feminine & gentle, nor tall & big to be protective and bold. their genuine, beautiful, & sometimes, sensual chemistry goes against stereotypes and as i said before, they have underrepresented body types. a lot of characters in the past consist of the more masculine character being taller and bigger (but muscular, not fat) while the more feminine character is shorter and slender, yet has large breasts and some curves. really… how frustrating is that? pearl + rose are sapphic representation and they defy multiple stereotypes, not fitting into that very oddly specific box, and in my opinion they look incredible together.
lastly, remember the symbolism in rose’s section, where i talked about how abusers looked down on her & people on earth looked up to her?
in now we’re only falling apart, pearl literally lifts her up. encouraging, supporting, uplifting her.
this is rose’s first experience with love & pearl goes on to confess her feelings. they nearly fuse; something that’s done only between the same (“equal”) gems on homeworld. rose isn’t familiar with being loved & genuinely cared for. she’s scared, but pearl uplifts her before they connect. it’s representative of how intense her love is; how she’s the first to show her affection, the first to express love for her, and she’s encouraging and supportive, showing her love until her death.
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image description: sketches by rebecca sugar. the left image depicts white diamond talking to pink with a mocking smile, pink looking very afraid. the right image depicts rose kissing pearl’s forehead. they both look comfortable & they’re smiling.
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healing your younger self
i wrote this when i was describing why rose is a comfort character for me:
“i loved princesses & fairytales as a child & [rose] gives me nostalgia with her healing powers & other princess traits. my four-year-old self watched princesses who did everything right, did no wrong, were loved by everyone. straight with one specific body type. i couldn’t quite relate to them, & of course i wanted to be a princess. but rose! she’s sapphic & chubby & she fights with her knight who uses she/her pronouns & she makes mistakes & has mental health issues & is disliked by some. i can’t even begin to explain how refreshing that is. she’s unique, realistic, relatable, different from the stereotypes, complicated, & just as beautiful (if not, more) as any princess that i loved growing up. her story with pearl has so many fairytale features & yet it’s so complex.”
pearl + rose's story has many fairytale elements, yet they embody qualities i felt i couldn’t have as a kid to be like the princesses i admired. princesses symbolized beauty to me, so i thought i had to fit into a very specific mold to be beautiful. pearl + rose, with their imperfections, underrepresented body types, sapphic love, trauma, etc. remind me of the fairytales I loved as a kid but are even more beautiful & interesting in my opinion. it’s really lovely & incredibly healing.
i wish i could go see four-year-old me and say that it’s okay to be yourself, you don’t need to change anything to be a princess!
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image description: official artwork by elle michalka. pearl stands in front of rose with her sword as they meet garnet. the background is pink, like a sunset, with bushes of flowers.
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gems being gems can help with self esteem
for gems, everything moves quickly on earth. human beauty standards & ideals shift quickly and gems couldn’t possibly keep up with them. not that they would want to. instead, they focus on all the wonderful things about earth.
rose loves growth because it’s a symbol of how people are constantly changing and inventing who they are based on their experiences. it’s comforting to remember our favourite characters whenever we’re made to feel bad about our differences because of messed up beauty standards. for example, some parts of society act like putting on fat or getting stretch marks is always a negative thing, or it’s unattractive. rose wouldn’t feel that way. in fact, i wouldn’t be surprised if she loved getting her own stretch marks, i.e., when she was pregnant with steven. i’m in no doubt that pearl would love them on rose too, & she’s bright enough to understand exactly why they develop. “rose, i love it so… oh, you don’t know what it means? it means you’re growing. yes, you are! you must be happy after that long speech about how beautiful you think it is that humans are never the same and everything should grow. yes, i remembered. how could i not. you talk about it every. single. day.”
gems have a variety of body types. steven shapeshifted to be taller on his birthday, which hurt him. this symbolizes that everyone has different versions of what’s healthy. forcing yourself to look a certain way, even if it’s deemed “healthy” or “attractive,” can be unhealthy if it doesn’t suit your natural body type or involves a harmful process.
as magazines and celebrities became popular in beach city and thinness was the desired beauty standard, maybe once or twice, some absolute loser called rose fat, in a rude way. rose, being unaware of beauty standards, would have likely stared blankly and replied, "yes, i know i’m fat, are you okay? are you angry? but why? i’m confused, do you hate my pink hair, too?” later that day she’ll visit the bakery & feel guilty when she eats lots of blueberry pie… but only because she doesn’t want pearl to think she likes the pie from the bakery more than the homemade pie pearl makes for her. you deserve something from a good bakery too, and to be completely unfazed by any hypothetical jerk who dares to say anything cruel about your body.
you’re wonderful. yes, you.
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image description: two sketches by rebecca sugar. on the left, pink is in gym clothes: a pink hoodie glancing over her shoulder with an unhappy, angry look. on the left, rose is wearing a crop top, a hoodie, & leggings, all grey. she has a peaceful, almost curious look & she seems to be pulling her hair back.
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novantinuum · 7 months ago
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jen's "Hard-Light Hybrid Steven" headcanon dump
Okay so I'm just making this its own post, because frankly at this point... the original post is so hard to get all the pulp out of due to the headcanons being spread over multiple reblogs and half of it being in the tags.
So here we go. Self indulgent headcanon time. This is how I'm now personally interpreting things within the realm of my own fic work and the post-canon storylines that live in my mind. This is NOT, however, a work of meta- I am by no means suggesting this to be what I see as "canon," only having some fun playing around with ideas I think are cool on a speculative fantasy anatomy level. Take it as you will basically, lol. This is ultimately just for me.
With that stated:
"jen what the fuck do you mean when you say hard-light hybrid Steven, what are you even suggesting"
Essentially I am proposing that Steven becomes progressively more hard-light based in form as he ages. When he was born he was two almost entirely separate halves mashed together- organic and gem- and those two halves slowly but surely merge over the years (hard light replacing organic matter) until one day they are literally inseparable, and Steven is one permanently cohesive being... entirely hewn from hard-light, but with a level of anatomical complexity that still makes him a complete anomaly amongst Gems and humans alike. Instead of the innards of his body being solid light, he is still formed of cells- only now, those cells are entirely hard-light.
His gem is somehow mimicking the form of organic matter with a level of detail that's absolutely unobtainable by shapeshifting or tailored reformation alone. Steven has become the single most complex hard-light system to have ever existed.
Some more specifics on how I imagine this merge working:
Much of the "merging" is natural over time, basically his gem branching out new bits of hard-light circuitry within his body as it integrates within his system.
However, this process is sped up significantly by all the spills and injuries Steven deals with throughout his childhood... because his body's instinctive response to injury is simply to replace damaged cells with hard-light analogues. An almost instantaneous patch job.
Steven's component halves being so distinct early on is a large reason why he takes so long to harness many of his powers.
This is also why Steven's (mostly) organic half is so weakened during the split in Change Your Mind- at that point there's a lot about his anatomy that's been converted to hard-light, so it's basically as if White Diamond yanked the power source out.
(Same idea for why he's so weakened during the movie when his gem's on the fritz... his gem's connection with the rest of his body got partially severed for a time, which. Is not Good for someone who at this point is more hard-light than not hard light.)
At a certain point post-canon, it becomes impossible for Steven's organic and gem halves to be separated. They are so tightly integrated that attempting to remove the gem would only poof him.
Now, here's the thing though...
Steven does not realize that Any of this is taking place until the blunt reality of his strange new anatomical nature is put on display for all to see... when he actually DOES poof.
Here is how (in my own post-canon musings, which I have simplified here because y'all don't live inside all the intensive lore that jangles about my brain) I envision that taking place:
So, Steven would be in his mid to late twenties at this point. He's married to Connie, and they have an infant son.
Recently, there was a fairly severe Gem incident that left Beach City and Little Homeworld pretty damaged. Things are still being mopped up from that.
Steven, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl head out on a quick mission one day to intercept one of the last few supporters of the Gem who attacked the Crystal Gem's hub of operation, and at first it seems like it's gonna be a straightforward trip.
Then, Steven sees the Gem in question pull a destabilizer wand on Garnet, and- unwilling to watch her to get ripped apart like that again- throws himself in between. He can take it, he thinks. These things never hurt him one bit as a kid
He cannot take it.
He poofs.
His gem unceremoniously falls to the ground, along with the clothes he was wearing and whatever he had in his pockets.
Cue the others going "what the actual FUCK" because based on everything they've ever witnessed and known about him no one had "Steven poofs" on their bingo card.
The insurgent Gem is captured and dealt with, but now... oh, boy. There's literally no playbook for this. Nobody knows what to expect.
Steven's gem is quiet for WEEKS. During that time, the Gems end up consulting the Diamonds on Homeworld to ask for intel on diamond reformation, but none of them are much help- Rose and Steven are the only ones who have actually poofed. Beyond them, this is completely unprecedented.
In a very vague sense, Steven is aware of what must have happened during this time... (even if a part of him wants to deny it, because How???)
He can pick up vague snippets of what's happening just beyond his reach... catching voices and what must be faint sensations of familiar people handling his gem, but beyond that he has no awareness of the passage of time, and he has no means by which to reach out to them mentally.
It takes almost two months for him to finally reform. When he does, his gem quickly shifts through its previous three forms and then just... outright h a n g s for a while on the new one... as if what's trying to "load" up is so complex it's goddamn buffering.
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(my brain can only think of This image uyhjfsdbyuhjfg)
No one really knows what to expect but when he finally reforms, he... looks mostly the same? Still rather human in appearance, externally? The only notable difference is that his irises are pink now. (But with no diamond pupil- not unless he's going Full Power Mode.)
Steven also reforms WITH an outfit much like a Gem would.
The second he's back, he runs to embrace Connie (who is sobbing in relief) and asks how long he was out.
And he did NOT anticipate that answer to be two months.
As it turns out, he missed quite a few baby milestones while he was gone, and he feels horrible about it- it's not his fault of course, but he feels so bad that Connie had to go that long without his support, and that there's all those special "firsts" with his son he'll never get to experience.
This whole incident marks Steven's final "retirement" from participating in real combat- he outright tells the Gems to not involve him in any other combat situations unless the whole ass planet is under threat, basically. The potential risks are just not worth it now that he knows how long he'd be out of commission, should he poof once more. He can't put his family through that again.
Now, with all that outlined...
Ways that Steven is Weird now:
He looks rather human- his hair looks like hair and his skin looks like skin- but after he reforms, literally every "cell" of his body is fashioned out of hard-light.
However, if one were to theoretically slice him in half (which I PROMISE I am not going to do, this is only a thought experiment ahahah-), his internal anatomy would glow much like the Gems' do. (See below image for what I mean.) The "human-like" appearance of his skin and hair and other externally visible features does not extend very deep.
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He "bleeds" pink now- but it's only surface, and is all just excess hard-light. No real blood.
His body would no longer show up on a radiograph- just the gem.
Many of his anatomical features (not all of them, though) are now vestigial in certain ways-? Like, various functions have overtly been taken over by his gem... he doesn't need to breathe or have any lifeblood beyond light pumping through his system, so his heart and lungs serve no necessary purpose anymore... but all of these organs still "exist" as like an echo of what once was, perfect mimics of their organic form but hewn from hard-light.
That being said, Connie enjoys the reassurance of his heartbeat, so he retains that function while conscious.
(Not to mention, "breathing" is literally just a habit for him by this point.)
HOWEVER, when he sleeps (another thing he technically doesn't Need to do but does anyways) his breathing and heartbeat stops entirely and it kinda spooks Connie out. The literal only evidence she has that he's still kicking during these times is the soft hum of his gemstone.
He does not have a biological NEED for food or water anymore and can fully operate on exposure to light alone, but he still really enjoys eating and drinking anyways. In fact, he's still able to absorb energy from food... so it's basically like he's over-charging his battery or whatever. He also still experiences taste (so still posesses some form of taste receptors) and instinctively feels "hungry" at meal times, so like... the running theory is that he must have hard-light analogues for all these receptors and neurotransmitters and hormones that communicate sensations like hunger in his system even though their function is entirely redundant with his gem powering everything.
Furthermore, his memories and sense of self and everything one might refer to as "the soul" is stored exclusively in his gem now. Which means, if one could manage to analyze his brain like one could with a human brain, there would be entire sections that simply... don't light up the way that others (such as the parts of the brain that govern motor control, as an example) do. This is because all the "data" once stored there has migrated.
He can fully shapeshift now, if he wanted to.
He can also still visually "age"- it's all based on his mental state, same as before.
But despite being hard-light in nature now, he can still interface with organics in fusion because his form is still so organic in shape and function. He's still the bridge between humanity and gemkind. I like to think that... theoretically... a Gem might be able to fuse with an organic too, but the sheer burden of trying to shapeshift and maintain such cellular complexity is what stops this from happening.
Steven, though? His very existence as a hybrid acted as a template by which hard-light could learn to understand organic life. He is still an intensely unique being, even IF he no longer consists of any actual organic matter.
_
I am sure I will probably add something to this later, but for now, those are all my musings.
Anyways, thank you for taking a brief visit to the deepest recesses of my brain, where I am chewing at the drywall and bouncing around the room like a cat who has just devoured the goddamn motherlode of catnip. Good night! !! :DDD
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styrmwb · 4 months ago
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References to Previous Final Fantasies in Dawntrail
Or, how 9 + 11 + 6 = 14, somehow. (SPOILERS, OBVIOUSLY)
I've played every mainline FF, plus a few others, so one of my favorite things about playing XIV is seeing what they do with previous FFs, and how they incorporate it into the world/story. Dawntrail very very much did this, to the point that I could literally predict plot points before they happened. (THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT I LOVED THIS)
So I figured I would put down my fanboying in text form, for people to read the insanity of a madman who has played too many JRPGs from a single series.
Note: I have not completed every single side quest, but I have done the entire MSQ, every dungeon, and 3/5 of the role quests. This isn't a complete collection, just what I noticed :)
V
Krile's "real name" is Maya. The original Krile in FFV was Krile Meyer Baldesion. (XIV might also have the middle name but I don't remember! I'm gonna put it here regardless!)
VI
Valigarmanda is the first Esper you encounter in VI, right at the start of the game. Its summon attack is Tri-Disaster. I really liked how they kept it frozen in ice, just like the original, and because Tri-Disaster is a SMN ability, they changed it to Tulidisaster to fit the Tural location.
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Pictomancer was first in VI as well, being Relm's job. She even got to be in XIV as well, being credited as the Archon who created the art (HA). Shoutouts to the Relm reborn joke it needed to happen
IX
One of the two most important games in this expansion. There is A Lot here.
The preorder bonus/deluxe edition had a Wind-Up Zidane and Garnet, the two main protagonists of FFIX.
Alexandria is lifted directly from IX. The name, the style of the buildings, and even the castle with the crystal popping out of the top, shown in the dungeon and in Yesterland in Living Memory.
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(This is the Dissidia NT version, but I wanted a picture that showed the castle and the roof architecture)
Solution Nine is named after one of Zidane's Dyne abilities. While not direct, Living Memory, the final zone, is very reminiscent of Memoria, the final dungeon of IX. I wonder if you can get a special sword by completing the entire MSQ in under 2 hours?
Living Memory also features quite a few locations from IX. The Canal Town looks very similar to Treno, and features a location called the Daguerreo Medical Collection, named after the city as well. Underneath Proto Alexandria in Yesterland, where the data terminal lies, looks very similar to the part of Alexandria Castle where Steiner can grind to level 99 (I don't know how else to describe it if you know you know). In the Windspath Gardens lies the Cleyra Museum of Nature, also named after the IX city.
Some quest text in Living Memory tells you about other locations in the Unlost World. Lindblum, the city that holds hunts and is very technologically advanced; Conde Petie, where the Dwarves are from (mentioned by a Milalla who said he was from there), and the Iifa Tree. There might even be more here, that I either missed or haven't done yet.
Another quest has you go on a treasure hunt for a password. This password? "I Want to Be Your Canary", the play from FFIX.
Solution Nine has a couple buildings with monsters from IX as signs. One building features a Mu (Which is also mentioned in Living Memory), and another building features Yans, both friendly and not friendly.
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Another monster that I noticed a reference to was the Gimme Cat, which is featured on the popcorn in Living Memory. It's also mentioned as an energy drink, but called a "Gimme Bat" instead? I guess it does have bat wings.
While XIV doesn't have any direct plot important characters from IX, the ones we do have are very reminiscent of its cast, and clearly are done like that on purpose.
Otis is Steiner (with maybe a little tiny bit of Beatrix depending on how you look at it). Captain of the Knights of Alexandria, he speaks in an older fashion, similar to Steiner, and is very loyal to his princess.
Sphene is an interesting mix. The most obvious one is Garnet, both being Queens of Alexandria, being named after stones, and loving their people. The other one, which might be argued isn't intended, is Garland.
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(No, not those guys. The other one.)
Garland in IX is an artificial being whose purpose is to continue his world's life. To do this, he would try to fuse Terra (his planet), with Gaia (the main planet), and control Gaian souls for Terra instead. What did Sphene do? Try to fuse her reflection with the Source, to use their souls for her own people. I personally think this is a very clear similarity.
In general, because of this similarity, the latter half of Dawntrail shares very similar themes with IX's plots, dealing with death and souls. I also think it's pretty funny that both start out pretty happy and cartoony, and end fairly depressing and existential.
Another plot point used in the MSQ is the play sequence. While IX's is based off love, and XIV's is the history of Alexandria, both feature a sword fight scene. (99 out of 100 nobles approve).
Finally, several songs from IX are used in Dawntrail. In the above mentioned play, Swords of Fury plays, just like the original. And a few scenes later, Vamo'alla Flamenco (previously used for the DNC quests) plays, though it should have been during the sword fight!! Prima Vista Orchestra and Fleeting Life are used in several scenes, usually involving Sphene. Something to Protect also appears, but in a scene I can't recall. Finally, the Court Jesters' theme gets a remix as the main song in the Strayborough Deadwalk.
X
There is a singular joke in Heritage Found made about dodging lightning bolts right before the flash so they don't hit you. The person who wrote this line wanted to induce PTSD in as many people as they could with only a single line of dialogue.
XI
The other most important game in the expansion. In a way, Dawntrail FEELS like it could have been an XI expansion in another lifetime. I might be looking too much into it, but I feel as though this was foreshadowed back in the first patch of Endwalker, as Dawntrail takes A LOT from the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion.
In Endwalker, the Alzadaal's Legacy dungeon was based off of the Alzadaal Underwater Ruins in Aht Urhgan. The dungeon used many models from XI, such as the Rampart, the Xzomit (hell yes!), and the Acrolith. The dungeon had a visual similarity, as well as the areas in the dungeon being named after zones in Aht Urhgan (Bhaflau Thickets, Arrapago Reef, and Mount Zhayolm). I know this is Endwalker and not Dawntrail but trust me it's important for the foreshadowing.
Gulool Ja Ja was a boss in the Besieged mode of ToAU, leading the Mamool Ja Savages to assault Al Zahbi. Both incarnations of this character are VERY different from each other.
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Similarly, Gurfurlur was also a boss in Besieged, leading the Troll Mercenaries. It's very funny to me that both of these warmongers became such nice people in Tural.
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The Yok Huy as a whole are actually Trolls from XI. The different name I assume coming from the fact that Trolls are already an enemy in XIV, in Labyrinthos.
While this isn't direct, and is probably unintentional, the fact that the final boss in Vanguard was a naga/lamia like entity only makes me wonder if it was somehow a callback to Medusa and the Undead Swarm, the last remaining Besieged invaders.
Zoraal Ja is a Notorious Monster in the areas around Aht Urhgan.
To continue on with Mamool Ja facts, Mamook is an area in ToAU. They don't look very similar, but they do both share the title of Autarch as their ruler. Mamool Ja in general come from XI, so it's no surprise that in the expansion that well, expands on them, it uses XI for inspiration.
This next one might be a little insane. The general plot of Treasures of Aht Urhgan, is that after killing Promathia, a god that wishes to end all life, the Adventurer goes to a completely different area to have a relatively calmer adventure. Here, they meet a female member of royalty named Aphmau. Her brother, Razfahd, unable to rule over the country, has a conquering nature, and uses an Automaton body to control Alexander for his goals. This... can't be a coincidence, right?? We kill the Endsinger, who wanted to end all life, go to a completely different area to have a relatively calmer adventure with our female member of royalty, Wuk Lamat, and we fight against Zoraal Ja, her war hungry brother that is unable to rule, so he uses the power of Alexandria (a mech suit) for his goals. You... you see what I'm cooking here right??? RIGHT!?!?!
To piggyback off of this, Wuk Lamat very much fits the role of the XI heroine. A girl who is very clearly the main character of the story, and hangs around you more than anyone else.
Edit: one last thing that I forgot to put down before posting, one of the hunts uses the Magic Pot model from XI. We love Magic Pot.
I THINK that should be everything I found? I know for a fact we're going to get more since the Alliance Raids are based of off XI (I'm so excited)
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XIII
A couple enemy models were used from XIII.
The Silver Lobos in Urqopacha use the XIII model. I'm fairly sure they've never been used in XIV yet, but I could be wrong.
Similarly, the Strayborough Deadwalk uses the Gremlin/Ahriman enemies. I do not think they've been used before this, feel free to yell at me if I'm wrong :)
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Type-0
While not like, direct, the concept of erasing the memories of anyone who has died (especially seen as a blessing) was a major plot point of Type-0's world.
I think that's everything? My memory isn't the greatest, so I'm sure there's something I noticed that I missed, and again; I haven't done everything, so there might be even more out there that I've yet to find!
Please, feel free to comment anything else that you may have noticed, and hopefully you enjoyed reading :)
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ericas-spop-blog · 8 months ago
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Light Hope - Permanently Delete
Anyone else notice how Light Hope never brought up activating the Black Garnet to Adora, and instead remained focused on combat training? Something that was, at best, extremely incidental to her programming's goals?
Like, in Season 1 you can argue there's an element of placating Adora - that Light Hope is training her because otherwise Adora was just going to tantrum and leave - but by Season 4?
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By Protocol, Adora is bored and frustrated, and is actively seeking the First Ones' secret weapon.
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And yet Light Hope remains vague about 'balancing Etheria', implying that more She-Ra training is needed to achieve that goal.
Except, y'know, it isn't.
=======
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Adora getting better at fighting isn't going to activate the Black Garnet, the one piece of the Heart that's actually missing.
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Once all the channels are open, it doesn't matter what state the Horde or the Rebellion are in, and Adora's competence (or, indeed, her concious compliance) is entirely irrelevant.
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So why didn't Light Hope push Adora to capture the Garnet?
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And why did she use Glimmer to that end? What changed?
Well.
========
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Of all the characters in this show, Light Hope is the one most explicitly bound by Fate. For all that she is more than what she was made to be, she is unable to abandon the Castle and the Heart, or stop searching for a new She-Ra. She cannot so flagrantly deny her programming.
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But she could frustrate and circumvent it, driven by a secret memory of warmth.
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She could slow walk her search for the next She-Ra, modifying the parameters to ensure the most unsuitable candidate possible.
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She could 'accidentally' place them somewhere where she might never be able to reach them.
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She could waste time on pointless trivialities and parlour tricks, things that are ultimately irrelevant to the Heart's true purpose.
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And, of course, she could mis-order the steps, requiring the planet to be 'balanced' before revealing how that could be done.
=====
Light Hope's distant, high-handed, frustrating bullshit is not malice, or an expression of her intrinsically inhuman nature - it is a form of protection.
Her attempts at creating a new She-Ra are ineffective, not because she is incompetent, but because in her deepest, most secret of hearts, she does not want to succeed.
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Until, of course, that resistance is discovered - and crushed.
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[But not completely, not forever - because in the end there is always, always a choice]
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voidlesscreator · 6 months ago
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Core Fusion AU
The people that live in the Infinite Realms are able to fuse like gems in Steven Universe. Why you may ask? It's because their body is made up of ectoplasm that comes from their core, which is very similar to how a gem's form is made up of light and comes from their gem itself.
Fusions occur when two or more ghosts share a similar strong emotion or obsession, such as protection, love or hate. The fusion is a state where the occupants share thoughts and work together to operate a single body, so a lot of trust needs to be present or a singular goal in both minds.
Core Fusions also merge unique powers together to strengthen or link them together more.
Due to this, core fusions are typically seen as a way to show trust in any form or bond between ghosts, and as a way to strengthen forces and power.
Danny is probably able to fuse with ghosts and humans but was never told that it was possible for him bc he's half-human.
Now, this could work for both Dp x Dc and Dp x BNHA.
Dp x Dc
Danny can fuse with people who have been touched by death or have been dead and came back (like Jason).
The fusion would be a physical form that mixes both or more appearances while their cores (pseudo or not) appear as jewellery they wear as the fusion, which changes depending on the fusion.
Since I'm fixated on the dead on main ship right now, let's say that Jason is the one to core fuse with Danny first, and there can be an in depth backstory on how they meet and leads up to the core fusion, and it helps with the pit rage. Danny takes them to either Frostbite or Clockwork to figure out what is going on and they learn about core fusion and how it works.
-possible plot idea ahead-
In Gotham, Red Hood has been MIA for several months from both being a vigilante and a crime boas, and the rest of the batfam are freaking out about it; especially since a new crime boss has come into play going by "The Monarch" or "JD Fent" (The Monarch plays into Danny being either Ghost King or an adjacent role in the Infinite realms, and the JD Fent is a mix of their names bc I think it's cool :D).
Meanwhile, Jason and Danny have been chilling together using core fusion to keep away from the batfam and have been improving Crime Alley with Danny's inherited chaotic mad scientist gene being used to harness ectoplasm as a renewable energy since Gotham has a large quantity of it (bonus points if the ectoplasm can be re-filtered to be safely used again for power).
The GIW or another ghost could show up in Gotham to hunt down JD and the batfam accidentally get captured since a lot of them have died (I think??).
Cue a garnet-style reunion and a "stronger than you" scene before escaping and telling the rest of the batfam the truth.
Dp x BNHA
Similar to the other one, but quirks count as mini-cores and that's how people gain their powers. Quirkless people don't have cores and therefore don't have powers.
Danny could be able to fuse with the previous OFA users and just pull them out of Izuku or they could just fuse by Danny grabbing onto Izuku when using his quirk in a fight.
And I'm just imagining during one of the fights Danny grabs onto Izuku and a flash of light shoots out and once the light clears, Danny is gone and a person with three sets of arms with an appearance similar to Danny's and the other OFA users mixed into one before battling it out with the LOV.
Please let me know if anything doesn't seem like it works! And this prompt is free to use by anyone if they want to! :]
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kamesama · 5 months ago
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— scapegoat: ryōmen sukuna.
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— notes + warnings: this is a heavy one ( i mean it ); n/sfw, minors do not interact; virgin! fem! reader given away as a sacrifice; true-form! sukuna; non-con; violence; gore; blood; nudity; foul language; humiliation; degradation; implied character / reader death. — word count: 2166
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you have never looked lovelier.
lips red with thick layer of paint; hair held up flawlessly by an ornate pin; body burdened by fine silks. chagrin and shame danced upon your cheeks, leaving blush trails in their wake. their waltz served to ridicule you, its snicker reminding that there was not a single silver lining you could find for yourself to cling to.
and how could you? 
you were a morsel sold for a mock-promise of peace. a sacrifice made for a fleeting moment of stillness. your torment would provide a single eve’s worth of undisturbed slumber, at best.
how many restful nights did you indulge in as a result of someone else’s defiled maidenhood?
the legends echoed off the rugged walls of your skulls; bed-time stories of carnage and cruelty and corpses. of a beast’s menacing frame, caked in red. of his four-eyed, garnet gaze that rolled and glided without a shred of subtlety. of his tongues; starved and shameless. of his hands; mammoth and malevolent.
will someone frighten their children with laments for you? when your bare body is devoured by ivy and when spiders nest in your empty sockets and when field flowers erupt from within your rotten ribcage out of sole pity for your snaffled chastity, will you be mourned and honoured? no one else ever was. 
had you raised your chin, you would have found him seated, one of his hands supporting his jaw in a manner that was nearly overwhelmed with boredom. but you didn’t look up — your chin nearly settled into the subtle hollow between your clavicles, as if refusal to bear witness to his horrific majesty would, somehow, render you invisible. 
if only humility could save you.
“come closer, woman,” he called out, his voice firm and profound. it made you shudder; the elaborate imagery on your gown grew blurry. 
drip.
drip.
drip.
hot droplets left dark stains upon your lap. they expanded gingerly before coming to a halt. your muscles begged you not to let them contract. the tension grew denser than honey.
“come closer,” the echo of his command was guttural, “or i’ll rip your legs off.” 
a pitiable sob escaped you, leaving you uncertain whether your grieving was due to you betraying your own thews, or to the sheer expanse of your misfortune. with trembling limbs, you stood up, cautious as not to stumble over the hems of your extravagant wrapping. every tiny step forward made your heartbeat slam louder at the bottom of your ear canal; misplaced. 
it was the mocking curvature of his belly-mouth that you first laid your gaze on. the inhuman sight pulled your eyelids wide open, exposing the glossy white of your sclera rapidly turning bloodshot.
perhaps you would have turned on your heel and succumbed to the overwhelming amounts of epinephrine coursing through your veins. perhaps you would have fled, even if it cost you anything between your heel and your hip. perhaps you would have, if his calloused fingers hadn’t gripped your jaw, coal nails disturbing the integrity of your smooth cheeks. 
the abuse was barely bloodier than a pinprick.
the force of his touch stretched your neck muscles enough to make it strenuous to swallow. he angled your head so that his eyes — four restless rubies glistening underneath the flickering candlelight — could skim across your entire face. they appeared to lick over every convexity, concavity and crevice. your vision deadened momentarily underneath a thickening layer of moisture that soon after dripped over the rims of your lids. 
“you’re pretty for a whore,” he hummed, his lips arching upwards into a vicious grin, but his amusement withered just as swiftly, “or is it that pesky paint?” he tutted, “they always tuck you in those bothersome shrouds. what for?” his thumb rubbed across your bottom lip, smearing the bold red hue onto the surrounding skin. he cocked his head to the side, his eyes sparkling with a heterogenous mixture of exasperation and entertainment.
“have you got no tongue?” his grip parted your lips as he slid two digits into your wet, warm mouth to caress your teeth, gums and tongue with a callous touch, “there it is,” you could feel your flesh gripped in-between his fingers, “do you need it?”
a perturbed hum sounded from the midst of your throat. the smallest nod — as tremendous as your confinement would allow — served to add weight to the desperation of your agreement. 
“then use it. does your kind take their women all wrapped up?” 
“no…” your voice was timid. pathetic.
“so why should i?” 
you wouldn’t know how to respond, had he given you a chance to. he pushed you away suddenly, planting a profound, dull ache into your mandible. a fog-like haze forbade you from knowing how you maintained a sloppy balance upon your two feet.
“strip, woman. let me see my gift the way it should have been presented.” there was leisure caressing his voice, absorbing into his marked skin. yet, he appeared menacing nonetheless. you clutched the front of your gown with trembling fingers, out of fear that his starved gaze alone would rid you of your decency. your spine bent slightly in an attempt to guard whatever curve wasn’t already veiled by your silken clothes. 
but that annoyed him; his patience seemed to simmer and it evaporated quickly enough to thicken the tension all the more. once again, you found it hard to swallow.
“i said, strip,” the frigid tone of his voice seemed to momentarily freeze the blood in your veins and drag your skin up into goosebumps. your breath paused in your throat, your fingernails clawing at the vivid shrouds enough to overwhelm your knuckles.
you sniffled, “please don’t.”
the voice you pleaded with was a meek thing; pitiful and demure. it would have stirred some sympathy in anyone who possessed at least a single chamber of a heart; sukuna barely had an excuse for the whole thing. 
“please don’t?” he parroted, his voice heavy with cruel amusement. you could hear the wickedness in his words; as carnivorous and as famished as his eyes. the wood cried out from underneath the soles of his bare feet as he stood up, an enormous shadow devouring your frame. his fingers dove into the strands of your hair, disarraying the style it was carefully arranged into; the stunning hairpin fell without a complaint. he yanked your locks, pulling your head back to the point your slender neck curved into a strained arch. his misplaced mouth grinned viciously at the scene, wet tongue coating the thick lips with shameless lust. 
your eyes glistened in the flames’ glow, burdened by the bite of your tears. your lips quivered along with your fingers; it made your efforts hilariously puny as you attempted to tug on his wrist lest he easened the grip or withdrew completely, “s-stop-” you cried out, “stop!” 
the sound echoed, bouncing off the walls before dripping onto the timber floor. he tore the intricate design on your robe with a merciless jerk and ripped the girdle. the gown opened up akin to curtains to reveal every virginal secret you so obediently maintained all these years. it would have pooled in a smoothly wrinkled pile around your feet if it wasn’t for your arms stretched upwards, holding onto sukuna’s wrist in vain attempts to weaken his unyielding grip.
your skin was bared to bathe in the warm light. yet, the air was cold; icy enough to send shivers down your spine and cause your nipples to stiffen. sukuna’s carnal gaze ingurgitated you from the subtle line of the collarbone, down the valley between the breasts and all the way to the smooth curvature at the low of the belly.
his hand let not a single second go to waste; he grabbed your round flesh with all but a tender caress and pulled you closer with another tug to your hair. the accursed tongue finally indulged in the taste of your flushed skin, trailing a dripping wet line up from your navel and to the tip of your sternum. 
“i won’t stop,” he spoke, “not unless you beg better than that. beg for mercy, woman,” nothing across his features promised compassion — not his eyes, not his lips, not the ink lines ever-so-faithfully parallel to the angle of his jaw, “i may just humour you.”
how could you possibly let a thread-thin chance slip through your fingers?
“please,” you cried out in a hoarse voice. your poor hands had no idea what to do; with one you pulled at the wrist of the hand that cupped the mound on your chest, and with the other you continued your fruitless endeavour of attempting to lighten the force with which he held your locks, “please stop, i beg you, please,” you sobbed, tears pouring down your reddened cheeks whilst you sniffled so as not to let your nostrils leak.
the tension dispersed and his hold grew limp.
it was enough for you to slip out of it — just slip out of it.
sukuna caught your wrist, pulling you into his lap swiftly as he sat down onto the mat. you were caged in a way that ensured stillness, and a hush made your limbs halt, “move another muscle and i’ll taint the floor with your bowels,” his palm laid against your forehead, horrifically larger than your skull. he grinned, eating up the sight of your troubled face; reddened cheeks, wet eyelashes, whimpering mouth. your bare chest heaved as you tried your best to make your starved gasps as quiet as possible, your heart slamming against your ribs so strongly that you felt it might give out.
you wished to hug your body; to cover yourself up. shame devoured you as much as his gaze.
“good girl,” he cooed, “that’s how a bitch like you should act,” his hand pushed your head back to expose the smooth expanse of your neck. he leaned down, trailing his lips across your pulse, “obedient.” 
he pulled onto the remains of your torn gown to bare you further as his mouth abused the sweet spot where your neck merged with your shoulder — licking, nibbling, sucking. you writhed against him, your heart pounding; the fervent pulse was palpable against his scorching tongue as he lapped up the cold beads of your sweat.
“that’s more like it…” he whispered, “you should be grateful. the last one was,” his hot breath brushed against your windpipe, provoking a tickling sensation, “be honoured that i’ll take you, fill you with my seed, you insolent whore.”
his crooked smile widened as his teeth sunk into your flesh; bone-deep.
a sharp intake of breath.
silence.
a scream.
chains with which his threats held you down corroded, allowing you to writhe and kick as he chuckled through his blood-stained lips. he gripped your flesh, your thighs a canvas that he painted cherry crimson and plum purple with his fingers, ensuring that your very marrow wore his mark. he didn’t hush you again, instead letting you whine and wail. even as one of your hands broke free to slam his shoulder and slap his skull, he continued to lap up the essence with his tongue and to gnaw the flesh with his teeth.
“what did i say?” his voice slithered into your torn veins, his palm pressing across the small curvature of your stomach, right where your womb laid. it crept just a little higher, fingernails leaving thin red trails that begged to bleed. your guts twisted at the reminder; you imagined your intestines unravelled across the wood.
but it didn’t matter. 
you wanted to leave. 
you had to leave.
so he let you.
you stumbled off his thighs and onto your bare knees, attempting to crawl away. the futile endeavour bestowed upon him the lovely sight of your bruised skin and round buttocks; the appetising arch of your spine and just a glimpse of what remained untouched between your legs.
you were howling for air. crying. wailing. sobbing. 
he watched, and he listened.
closer. 
closer.
closer.
your cheekbone pressed against the hard floor, succumbing to the tremendous force. he handled your breast in his palm, fingers enclosing around the firm nipple, pulling and massaging enough to make you mewl at the bittersweetness of his lecherous touch. another hand gripped your thigh to enlarge the gap between your lush flesh. the last searched for that chaste orifice with its fingers.
against the floor, a strand of your disheveled hair soaked in a shallow mixture of your sweat, tears and saliva. your tendons pulled at your bones, fire in you yet to be extinguished. 
his touch made you shudder. your core clenched.
“don’t worry,” he comforted, “i’ll have you screaming,” he pressed against you, “clawing, rutting,” he caged your arms against the timber, “be honoured,” he reminded, his words dripping right into the shell of your ear as he besmirched you, “someone gets to sleep soundly because of you.”
ivy.
spiders.
field flowers.
you will never look lovelier.
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thank you for reading!
— kamesama.
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screamingcrows · 2 months ago
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it's Saturday; don't forget to terrorize your local scholar. Short Dottore fluff below.
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You brushed it off as restlessness the first time. Anticipation perhaps? Zandik had been gone a while after all.
Kisses were peppered down his chest and stomach, remembering to pay extra reverence to the countless patches of marred skin. Little licks teased at the edge of his underwear before you tugged it down, - not enough to free the growing bulge - not quite done with your fun to indulge his desire.
Zandik was used to getting what he wanted in his own time, and the hungry glint in his eyes when you looked up from the expanse of his skin was a testament to his restraint. Closing your eyes, your lips descended upon the dip of his waist, not quite having the time to relish in his soft sigh before it morphed into a clipped sound akin to the cry of a wounded beast.
The second time was difficult to ignore as he jolted underneath you, muttering an apology for the quite determined knee that had caught you between your legs. It took a moment for you both to regain some composure, his rough palm rubbing your hip gingerly all the while.
By then, a hypothesis had begun to take shape, and as any good scholar would - and you were determined to make him proud by acting as such - a third replicate was necessary to ensure significance. All thoughts of bringing him satisfaction vanished. Therefore, it was with no remorse when your teeth sank into the tender flesh just above his hipbone, lips tugging into a satisfied smirk as Zandik tensed, fingers gripping the sheets tighter as he fought what was no doubt another instinctual reaction.
You gracefully ignored his little hiss of "quit it", letting your tongue drag across the quickly forming goosebumps. Another huff passed his lips accompanied by a small shiver. It was captivating to witness. Usually composed enough that people around him forgot his humanity, seeing him struggle to keep still, chest thrumming beneath your hands, was nothing short of a treat.
Proudly, you sat up, fully aware of the wicked glint in your eyes, finding amusement in the tired one he shot back. It was no doubt hubris keeping him from expressing more dissatisfaction than that.
The subdued chuckles you got from pinching at his sides were precious, fledgling glimpses of the life that you would surely come to lead once Pierro's play came to an end. Still, it was far from enough in that moment. Not when you could see how he worried at his already chapped lip, hands swatting fervently as though you no more than the bugs of Sumeru. A little nuisance. His little nuisance, if the sliver of fondness hidden in those garnet eyes could be trusted.
It was an exercise of trust, you realized, a man with his past laying himself bare and relinquishing control as you prodded at all that he was. Warmth bloomed in your chest, briefly stilling your hands to rub tenderly at his waist as you smiled down at him.
It was when you dove back down, licking with renewed vigor and intent that he broke. In a moment, his expression morphed from quiet discontent to pure disbelief, swatting incredulously at the hands now pinching his sides, choking out little protests between full laughs. The purest symphony rang out in your shared chambers, vibrations travelling from his chest to your heart as he laughed without restraint. Everything seemed a little brighter, hardships irrelevant when presented with the sight of glittering tears rolling down his cheeks, large palms trying to encircle your wrists.
Zandik did eventually succeed in wrestling you off, trapping your hands against his heaving chest by pulling you close, warm puffs of air hitting the top of your head as he slowly regained his bearings. A thin layer of sweat coated his skin and had you whining in protest when he rubbed himself against you, lips pressing against your forehead before his whispered promise of revenge reached your ears.
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themeltingmoons · 5 months ago
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proposal scene from Episode 231 of Lore Olympus - Eclipse Part 2. As Hades proposes to Persephone, I always wanted to redesign and redraw this scene since it came out but never got around tountil now
I appreciated the vibe of Hades’ moth-inspired design but felt the execution could be enhanced. After researching moths native to Greece, I was drawn to the striking Death’s-head Hawkmoth—famous for its symbolic connection to death and the supernatural, which felt particularly fitting for Hades. This moth’s golden hues beautifully complement his existing palette of red and blue. I mixed the moth form with his Titan form, adding a blue star pattern and opted for a toga instead of nudity, at first I was actually going to leave him naked I don’t mind nudity at all but it always came off awkward for me to draw him in the nude for some reason maybe because we never see him prancing around in the nude idk? For Hades’ headgear, I replaced it with a gold laurel to complement the moth wings, enhancing his regal presence I also don’t know what the original was supposed to be.
For Persephone, I chose a sheer garment because I thought it was elegant and initially adorned her hair with purple flowers. However, I later opted for yellow Adonis flowers to better pair with Hades’ wings and added more symbolic depth reflecting her narrative of life and death.
Finally, regarding Persephone’s engagement ring, What the heck! RS! It should have been a garnet! I mean come on garnets are literally named after pomegranates! Anyway the band is sculpted into serpents and seeds of grain, with the serpent’s eyes set with sapphires and diamonds encircling the central garnet—because, as my grandmother always says, ‘It’s not an engagement ring without some diamonds!’ ;) This design not only adds luxury but also deepens the symbolic connection to their mythological roots.
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