collegeoflore · 1 year ago
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sorry i have vampire the masquerade brain worms u can ignore this.
astarion is Obviously ventrue and as someone who grew up in a banite church i feel like xarrai should Also be ventrue but i feel like it would be insane to make them anything but toreador. but then i thought. maybe they are both ventrue trying to come off as toreador. absolutely the funniest shit on earth to imagine two different ventrue trying very hard to make everyone think they’re toreadors for two different reasons. LOL yep definitely here in the pursuit of beauty don’t mind me… :)
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messiahzzz · 11 months ago
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i have seen several posts around that addressed how discouraging gale from taking the crown of karsus is “keeping him from realizing his true potential.” that tara is merely upset at his choice, instead of being utterly devastated at the loss of her little love. that it’s not a bad ending per se because to get there he didn’t need to sacrifice 7000 innocent souls in the process. gale isn’t continuing the cycle of abuse either, he still appears to love tav and does come back for them to offer them ascension. he wants them to be equal, so it can’t possibly be an unhealthy dynamic, right?
but what of gale himself, his own convictions, values, and everything he holds dear? everything flawed and human that shaped him into the person he is?
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player: are you saying you want to ascend? claim godhood?
gale: no, not like that. i don't want to join them. i want to better them. a god's powers, paired with a mortal conscience, a mortal heart.
gale’s motivation for acquiring godhood is that he will able to aid mortals in a way no other god has ever done before. he won’t hide behind pretense nor require blind devotion of his followers. he will understand and be able to empathize. he wholeheartedly believes that he will be different - he will act.
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gale: [..] the gods could aid us if they wished, but instead they cower behind ao. so let us act ourselves.
gale believes that by becoming a god he will kill two birds with one stone: aid mortals and acquire enough power to quash any of his insecurities and enemies in the process. that by ridding himself of every perceived flaw he'll finally feel like he will have enough to offer - maybe, just maybe he'll even be content. his flaws are merely holding him back from becoming the best version of himself, and by ridding himself of everything fallible, he will be whole. maybe this is what all of his suffering has led up to. maybe the orb chose him. maybe the reason he had to endure all the pain, isolation, and excruciating loneliness was so that he could realize that he was meant for something even greater. after all, power feeds ambition. and what is more powerful than a god? his convictions were certainly naive, he possesses enough knowledge to know better. don't get me wrong, part of him definitely wants to spite mystra a lil. but his intentions at that time were mostly pure. a reflection of his self-hatred and feelings of inadequacy.
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player: this is wrong, gale. that power will corrupt you, even if you can seize it.
gale: it won't, i swear to you. it's merely a tool - a means to an end.
once we meet gale at the party in his new godlike form, it is apparent that even with all the power at his fingertips, he has reached no greater knowledge about himself. his insecurities are still as present as before, he merely is less subtle in his compensation - repeatedly highlighting his grandeur and how dull life on faerun is compared to the wonders of elysium. it is also genuinely crushing to see how little he thinks of himself even now.
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gale: i was nothing. a drifting dust mote of a wizard, abandoned by my goddess, my powers lost, my reputation destroyed. and look at me now. i'm their proof.
any perceived dismissal of his Greatness™ is met with immediate disdain.
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gale: a bold decision to treat a divine being with such cold indifference.
nodecontext: aloof, annoyed you weren't impressed with him
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gale: you mortals do love to live dangerously, don't you?
nodecontext: the slightest hint of a threat - you've probably made an enemy here today. or at least, you've lost a friend.
he is still desperate to impress. emphasizing what an honor it is that a new-born god chose to bless their little soiree with his presence. gaze upon all his divine glory! gale has now become the embodiment of everything he criticized about the gods. his original intentions and plans are discarded and long forgotten. he assuages his erstwhile companions by telling them to simply pray to him, in case they should ever require aid. if they're lucky and their ambition pleases him, he might even deliver.
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player: what does the 'god of ambition' offer to his followers?
gale: i 'offer' them nothing. i inspire them to seize their destinies for themselves.
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player: interesting, so you help mortals help themselves?
gale: precisely. though that isn't to say i'm averse to the odd bit of direct encouragement.
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gale: [..] my aims are set a little higher than offering cursory blessings to just any half-decent spellcaster.
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gale: regardless, ethical quandaries are more the remit of my mortal devotees. they do love to talk, and faerun is starting to listen.
aiding "any half-decent spellcaster" is unbefitting of his status. he isn't concerned with questions of ethics and morality either. deeming such matters beneath his divine capabilities.
once gale has ascended and established his domain, what remains of the gale we knew? what of his mortal heart?
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minthara: your ambition is not cruel, but you fear that if you indulge it, you will lose yourself in the mysteries of the weave and unravel the world.
minthara: you are afraid of so many things, and it is that fear that keeps you true to yourself.
gale did lose himself and ultimately became one of his biggest fears. considering that his existence as a being of pure ambition leads him to constantly seek out greater heights, it isn't farfetched to believe that raphael's prediction will indeed come true.
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player[astarion]: ambition? finally, a god i can get behind...
gale: i assure you, this is merely the prelude to a far grander vision. elysium's in for something of a shake-up.
all that remains of gale is a thin veneer of the person he used to be. what he presents is a hollow echo of the old gale. he does retain some of his mannerisms and quirks, but he is definitely a lot colder and more condescending. if his personality already changed that drastically after a duration of only 6 months, what will he inevitability turn into when he has eternity at his disposal?
essentially, you are aiding gale in the eradication of himself. eradicating everything about him that made him into the loveable, charismatic, awkward, kind, buoyant person he was. everything about him that he perceived as defective, flawed, and lesser-than. before, his hubris was merely an expression of his own discontentment and low self-worth, but now he is hubris incarnate. all of his worst qualities have been amplified.
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gale: i am ambition incarnate. as indistinguishable from that most potent sensation as mystra herself is from the weave. and word is spreading.
nodecontext: palpable, almost unsettling excitement from him - hint of megalomania
he put his trust in tav, trusting their judgment and relying on them to nudge him in the right direction. after all, they had plenty of opportunities to show him that they are an ally worth following and confiding in. but in the end, the prospect of what he could be, the things he could give them, the enemies he could yet conquer, won over the desire to simply accept him and help him rebuild a life on solid ground. tav denied him the unconditional love he craves most out of their own selfish desires.
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tara: you were looking out for him. i expected better of you.
as i've already mentioned, gale desires nothing more than to be seen, accepted, loved, and valued. having a partner who wholeheartedly supports and believes in him is enough to make him feel content. most importantly - he just wants to live. to enjoy life with everything it has to offer. his ambition can’t be quenched because he hungers still. believing that only by acquiring more power will he finally be enough and reach said acceptance.
we see in his good ending that his own contentment was even able to influence and (temporarily) sate the orb's ever-present hunger:
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gale: [..] or perhaps the orb's hunger was fuelled by my own, and my contentment influences it in much the same way.
gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.
it is devastating that he doesn't reach the same feeling of fulfillment if he chooses to pursue godhood, and is instead compelled to continuously surpass his own accomplishments. not being granted rest or reprieve.
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gale: i achieved everything we hoped i would, and still i'm not good enough for you?
gale pursuing godhood isn't evidence that he "has been evil all along" or that he "just waited to be unleashed" either. we can't diminish tav's influence in this outcome, they are after all an extension of the player. able to steer every companion toward a path of redemption or to enable them in their worst traits. fandom has already established that by letting astarion ascend you are actively supporting him in becoming the very thing he despises most, putting your own ambitions and idea of what you want him to be above his healing, this is no different.
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tara: the gale i knew wasn't like this. he recognised his mistakes. he was contrite. all he wanted to do was live.
tara: unfortunately, he fell into company that turned his gaze towards foolishness. yes, i mean you.
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player: gale is his own man, tara.
tara: false. he was mine. though now he belongs only to his own pride.
yes, the epilogue cutscene is beautiful and there is something bittersweet and romantic about his love for tav being one of the few emotions that remained a constant throughout the past 6 months. he didn't need to come back for them, but he did cause he loves them still. no matter how warped his definition of love may be now. while it is abundantly clear that tav ranks lower on his priority list than they did before, his commitment remains.
gale fears isolation, hoping to never return to the time when he was hopeless and alone, stuck inside his tower. by heading in this direction he is once again creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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tara: [..] if i pretended you hadn't turned tail on every lesson you set out to learn, i'd have no right to call myself your friend.
morena may as well have already resigned herself to her son’s death. elminster partly blames himself. for his lapse in judgment, as well as being the one who plucked him from obscurity in the first place. mourning the kind, bright-eyed boy who cried at the scorched roses in his neighbor's garden. tara won't be here anymore to care and look out for him either. he has lost his oldest and dearest friend, the one who witnessed his downfall from grace and never left his side. who believed him to be the finest mind AND the finest wizard she's ever had the pleasure to know. who was certain that he’d find a way out of any crisis no matter the circumstances. ...and if tav declines his offer to ascend with him? what does he have left?
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gale: yes, i am rather radiant, aren't i?
tara: don't flatter yourself, gale. you've debased yourself in ways i could never have fathomed.
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tara: goodbye gale, i hope the heavens are worth it.
gale’s godhood ending deals with the loss of humanity, the loss of oneself, and everything one holds dear. it is a devastating and bone-chilling narrative. it is a tragedy.
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gale: i hope you don't think less of me. great ambition should not come at the expense of what you already hold dear. i see that now.
if gale could see himself, he would be horrified at the losses he deemed necessary to get here. he would be horrified at what he’s become.
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theguyinthemathexamples · 5 months ago
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Guns and... Aeons?
May Aventurine grant his luck upon everyone's Boothill pulls!!!
— C/W : spoilers?, set at the end of the 2.2 quest, boothill is boothill ft. argenti, i forgot what his lore is so take anything i say with a grain of salt, LOTS of yapping, guns and roses sneak, very self-indulgent :3
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Boothill never really had much faith in Aeons, much less worshipped any. He already lost it all when he gained the information, that darned rain of fire that destroyed everything, was deployed by a zealot.
Don't get him wrong, he still knew they existed. But he internally wished that maybe, if any Aeon took pity on him on that day, maybe he could have changed the outcome of it all.
Well, that was all in the past now. He'd be a rusted out piece of metal by now if he let himself wallow in bygone events.
A low sigh didn't fail to make itself known, inadvertently catching the attention of the knight just at the other end of the room. Boothill even forgot he was there due to how quiet he was.
"A rose for your thoughts, friend?" The knight inquired, sitting at the other end of the couch. He nearly jumped at the sudden question but was just as quick to regain his composure.
"Nothin' much, just thinkin' and all," he replied, only tilting his head to look at this eccentric friend of his.
Ironic that Argenti was a man quite devoted to an Aeon, especially to a long deceased one, when Boothill was borderline detesting a good amount of them.
"This dadgum pull I've been feelin'... D'you know somethin' about it, knight?"
It was something he'd been feeling for a while now but it's been getting stronger as of late. And the voices... He'll leave those out till Argenti mentions something about it.
To put it frankly, he was worried. Quite more so if nothing else.
"Does it make you feel like wanting to visit the Astral Express, friend?" Argenti inquired shortly after,
Boothill simply nodded, curious as to how this Knight of Beauty knew of such. Sensing his curiosity, said knight certainly wouldn't mind going into the further details.
In fact, he was more than enthusiastic to do so.
"As Idrila's reason to have ascended into Aeonhood, it is only natural that I give high praises to the Aeon of Creation for such magnificence— that THEIR creations have inspired my Goddess to reach THEIR most pinnacle potential."
If this was how he talked about his Aeon and this... well, other Aeon, the two would be here till his batteries run out. And he was just about done recharging to full a few hours ago.
It wasn't till a good amount of minutes into the topic that Boothill kinda got a little impatient. No offense to Argenti, of course.
"And it wasn't till recently that their wondrous consciousness graced the unive—"
"Alright, alright, I get it, knight. Don't mean to offend ya, but can ya get straight to why I felt the pull earlier?" Boothill interjected, looking straight at his companion,
He swore that the way this man shone brightened up even more.
"My apologies if I overwhelmed you, dear friend," Argenti said, giving the cowboy an apologetic bow while he was sitting.
"Simply put, this pull you feel is but the manifestations of the Aeon of Creation! Perhaps your brilliant self captured THEIR attention when you were conversing with the Trailblazer," he continued, yapping up another storm as Boothill thought to himself.
"Seriously? This ol' hunk of metal? Catchin' an Aeon's attention? Colour me fudgin' surprised."
"Ah, this is certainly a moment worth celebrating, don't you think so, friend?" Argenti's voice spoke out, bringing his attention back to the knight.
Yet, before this interstellar cyborg cowboy could even agree or otherwise, a black envelope materialized in front of him, the edges lined with red and gold designs.
One surprise after another, huh?
The knight was quick to encourage him to open it up, taking out a letter opener from who knows where. Well now he's starting to get excited.
A golden Star Rail Pass was the first to get taken out of it, its colour shining in the midst of the room's lights. Next was a neatly folded paper that was probably penned by the Astral Express' Conductor. (Somehow; I mean, look at their itty bitty hands) It reads as follows:
—————————✧—————————
Hello, future Astral Express member, Boothill! This letter has been written by Pom-pom to formally invite you to join the Trailblaze.
By all means, this doesn't mean that you should abandon your faith for any Aeon(s) you may believe in, so long as it doesn't prohibit the other members of the Astral Express from going about their days.
As you may have guessed, yes, the golden ticket provided inside is a very formal way for Pom-pom to ask you to join us, as well as a sign that the Aeon of Creation has taken a liking to you!
To compensate for any forms of distress or trouble their consciousness has caused you, the Astral Express will be willing to offer a living space, electricity, wifi, food, water(gasoline?), as well as any other necessities and wants you may have.
Though if you truly want to seek trouble with the IPC, as the Aeon commented, please leave the Astral Express out of association for any crime you may commit in the future.
If you're ready to take on this journey with the Nameless, as well as many others, please use the ticket once the thought of doing so so much as suggests the notion.
• P.S. : Unfortunately, you don't have much time to mull it over, much less get another letter in this envelope to choose who to cover for you instead.
• The Aeon of Creation awaits your presence. •
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As Argenti finished reading the letter aloud, the expectant lilt on his face that he looks at Boothill with catches his attention the most.
"I nearly forgot to mention, dear friend, as a faithful believer of this Aeon, one can assure you that THEY don't mean any harm," he spoke, a smile gracing his lips as he continued. "The blessings THEY give to ones that they favour are quite abundant, and your captivating self truly made its impact on THEM."
"Even THEY couldn't help but praise you endlessly for your courage and demeanor!" Argenti proclaimed, almost making the cowboy in front of him want to tune him out again. ... That last part was a lie.
With a reluctant sigh, finally agreeing with the knight, the golden Star Rail Pass and the envelope in hand, Boothill stood up from his seat and went over to exit his friend's ship— to which Argenti quickly stopped him, hand outstretched for him.
"Need me to lead you there, friend?" He asks, head tilting to his left as his eyes brightened up with that usual glow.
"... Yeah, sure. Ya won't stop botherin' this ol' piece of metal to give ya updates if I said otherwise," Boothill laughed at the end of his reply, taking the knight's hand and letting him lead the way.
Maybe making a decision with a third party beside him won't be so bad.
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Note : ong this took WAY TOO LONGGGGG TO MAKEEEEEEE 😭😭
My most sincere apologies to anyone whose patience ran out while waiting for this fic to come out 💔
BUT IT'S OUT NOW SO REJOICE EVERYONE ‼️‼️
Anyways, have a lovely day to all of you !! (disappears for another month)
And yes dw my interp of sahsr/sahsrau will come out maybe around late june once my recognition finally comes to pass
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randoimago · 10 months ago
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I always wondered how the romanced companions would react if Orin kidnapped the player character. Especially Astarion, Gale, and Halsin. Any thoughts?
Reactions to Romanced Tav Being Kidnapped by Orin
Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3
Character(s): Astarion, Gale, Halsin
Type of Request: Headcanons
Note(s): Idk if you've played Dragon Age, anon, but the first game (Origins) has companions rescuing the main character and that's very fun. I feel like for BG3 it'd be much less lighthearted 😅
Also, alternatively, if Player Character is Dark Urge I can just see an "Oh no!... Well anyways..." cause the companions figure Orin's head will just be eaten off or something
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Astarion
While he has all the confidence in your abilities (you did capture his heart), he does feel that deep seated fear of what may happen. Wyll's father be damned, he'll play along with Orin's plan to deal with Gortash if it means getting you back.
Doesn't care who he has to manipulate and bribe to get extra help. So many innocent people have already died in this stupid fucking conflict, if more die from him trying to save you then so be it. He'd burn down this damn city to get you back to him.
Depending on if Cazador has been dealt with or not, he also has fear of not having you by his side because Cazador might find out and use that to get to Astarion.
If he's become an Ascendent vampire, then he finds it hilarious that Orin thinks she can steal his prized pet from him.
Gale
Tempted to just activate the orb at Orin's mere appearance and the information she gives, but knows that that would be a bit too much of an overreaction (and he doubts you'd end up safe due to the blast radius).
While Gale is a very intelligent and capable man in spellcasting, he knows that it's best to rely on Wisdom for something like this, as much as he wants to immediately run to your rescue.
There is fear for you, of course there is. Fear that Orin will kill you anyway, fear that he won't be in time to save you.
But he knows that he has to stay calm while using time in camp to practice his magic and prepare whichever spells he thinks would be best.
Halsin
Oh he is livid when he learns that you've been kidnapped, but he knows that acting on his rage won't solve anything. There's obviously a time limit on this, but he knows it's best to make a plan first and decide what to do.
While Gortash is an obvious evil that'll eventually be dealt with, Orin is a disgrace upon nature. He'd prefer to strike the snake in her home, but he also understands that it could prove risky to your safety.
But he remains calm as he strategies with the other companions on ways to get you back and the best course of action.
Although, he can't help losing his temper due to some of the disagreements and arguments from the others when your life is on the line.
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Taglists: @reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc
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bg-brainrot · 6 months ago
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**BANGS DOOR OPEN**
I DO DECLARE IT BE HORNY HOURS!!
What is your opinion on Astarion’s fav positions?
Oh and what about him being a bottom!? (Pegging?)
**RUNS AWAY**
Ohoho! Don't run away, we have horny hour headcanons to discuss!
I do think this depends on spawn or ascended Astarion, so I split this up-- NSFW below the cut! CW: Astarion's past and trauma
Spawn Astarion
I've said it before in my headcanon post and I'll say it again and again and again: Spawn Astarion wants to stare into his partner's eyes during sex. Especially as he tries to grow more comfortable in sex, I think he would be open to trying out a few different positions, but ultimately find that he wants to be able to remain connected to them as best as he can, and that means seeing them, knowing that they're enjoying the experience as much as he is. After some time, he'd grow fond of other positions, but not for a while (see: The Thousandth Time).
That all being said, favorite position: missionary. I know people joke about this a lot but I think he really would enjoy it the most! He'd also be a fan of cowgirl/cowboy, and really any position that allows him to kiss his partner throughout, like sitting in each other's laps. He would hold their hand, press cool kisses to the sweaty sheen of their temple, anything to keep himself in the moment. It would be an active effort for a while, but soon it would become habit, effortless as he grows used to chasing his own pleasure without any thought at all.
Now top or bottom? I am of the opinion that Astarion is a switch with a preference to top at the start of his journey -- this is entirely because of the power dynamics at play. He'd been so used to being "on his back" literally and metaphorically that I think that first time in the woods is a moment of taking charge and one that he'd hold on to for a bit. Eventually? I think he would be comfortable as either top or bottom, and would certainly be willing to forgo some control if that's what his partner wants. It would really boil down to: 'I want us both to be happy in our experiences, let's figure what works for us both best' (so it would depend on his partner)
When the topic of pegging is brought up (either by himself or his partner), he would be cautiously excited at first, especially knowing how much his partner cares for him/his relationship with sex and how good it will feel. He's no stranger to being pegged, no stranger to enjoying the sensation, but it would be the first time in centuries that he actually wouldn't feel used by the end of it. So he enjoys it thoroughly that first time, all of his fears melting away with the way his partner coaxes the pleasure out of him, he may even make some noises he hasn't heard from his own mouth in years. Ultimately, it is one of the many ways he reclaims control and, for that, he can't get enough.
Ascended Astarion
Conversely: Ascended Astarion couldn't care less about eye contact during sex. In his act 3 romance scene, he only briefly makes direct eye contact, and it's mainly to get into a better position. To him, it's not about the inherent intimacy of sex, it's about the sensations that him and his consort both feel, that they both bring each other undone utterly and thoroughly.
So his favorite position? Doggy style. He likes deep penetration, and a position that gives him a lot of control. He sets the pace, the pressure-- he would feel every bit the lord he is while his consort begs for more beneath him. Another favorite position is 69, as he loves how he and his consort slot together so well, each heightening the others' pleasure throughout. To him, the more both he and his consort get out of it, the better, and if he can make them squirm with what a skilled lover he is at the same time? Delectable really.
Top or bottom is tricky here. Because I believe he starts out as a switch before Ascension, as Spawn Astarion does-- only I think his relationship with sex takes a different path than Spawn Astarion's, namely because he doesn't metaphorically lay his past to rest in the same way. As such, for a while he refuses to bottom. He sees it as demeaning, beneath him and, as his consort, his partner ought to understand and be willing to accept their place. Then, as he and his consort have more and more sexual encounters, he finds himself growing detached from sex. It becomes a rote power play in which he's more of an observer than an active participant. That is, until he finally lets go of some of that power. When he finally allows his partner to top, oh he enjoys it. A lot. Certainly more than he's willing to admit, but his consort would be able to tell easily enough, especially when Astarion all but demands it. That's not to say he relinquishes control entirely-- while he does enjoy being submissive to his lover, more than he expects, he certainly harnesses what it means to be a power bottom.
Ascended Astarion brings up pegging first, and it comes across as more of a casual topic of conversation than the excitement of a vampire lord ready to come undone. Again, his consort would know though. He wouldn't be able to hide the lustful gleam in his eyes when his consort agrees, he wouldn't be subtle about the way he whisks them away to their bedroom a moment later. He enjoys it in the moment surely, but is surprised by how little it entices him again. Being submissive is one thing, but he's left feeling oddly vulnerable afterward-- he doesn't care for that uncomfortable aftermath. When his consort next suggests pegging he shrugs it off, deciding to opt for something that focuses more on making sure that they get off instead.
Thank you so much anon 🫰🏽this was fun and hope you enjoyed horny hours!!
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mxtxfanatic · 11 months ago
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I really love how in the breadth of range Xie Lian shows, never does he ever defer to power. One of the earliest (chronologically) scenes we see with this is when he was still just a beloved prince. For one, Xie Lian disregards everyone telling him that he should have let Hong Hong’er fall to his death to continue the parade, because letting a child die to preserve a festival tradition is morally bankrupt. Then later, Qi Rong is injured by Feng Xin—indirectly on Xie Lian’s orders—and despite the fact that Qi Rong was in the wrong (causing chaos, destruction, and injury in the capital streets, attempting to publicly murder a small child, acting above the law and against the direct royal family for his own whims), Qi Rong still demands that Feng Xin’s arm be broken, to which the king agrees because “a servant should never injure royalty.” Xie Lian, seeing the blatant corruption in this, tells his father that if he really thinks Feng Xin was wrong, then Xie Lian, most beloved prince of his kingdom, should be punished in his stead for giving him those orders. Xie Lian never backs down from this, using his status to attempt to cow his own father THE KING into admitting fault and backing down, and it was only because Feng Xin broke his own arm and kowtowed to end the dispute (“you shouldn’t fight with your father, Xie Lian”) that it was “resolved.”
After his ascension, we see him refuse to listen to the older, more “experienced” gods—including Jun Wu—who mock him for attempting to save his kingdom, telling him people are only good for the worship they provide while their actual lives mean nothing. When his kingdom is destroyed and he is at his lowest after being abandoned by his family and friends, he refuses to give in to Bai Wuxiang goading him into destroying Yong’an, despite the fact that none of the people stopped to help him as he lay for days with a sword through him (which by his own stipulations, meant they deserved death). When he ascends again and Jun Wu offers him his place back in the heavens, he rejects the offer, choosing to wander as a powerless, fortune-less immortal amongst the people over living comfortably as a powerful but removed god.
During his third ascension, he refuses to allow the other more popular and powerful gods to escape accountability for their actions, even as he is threatened for it. He goes after Pei Xiu despite everyone saying that it would get him on Pei Ming’s bad side, because he refuses to allow Banyue to take the blame for another’s actions, just because she is a ghost and he is a god. He refuses to stop associating with Hua Cheng despite everyone telling him to because, again, their hatred of the ghost king was based on bias and superiority complexes rather than the reality of who Hua Cheng was.
I could really go on and on, but you get the point: Xie Lian never bows to power or hierarchy to dictate his morality. He knows what’s right and wrong, and he’s gonna do the right thing, status quo and societal expectations be damned.
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xiakato · 1 month ago
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Through The Dance Of Fire And Rain: Solitude
This first part of this short series is mostly world building, smut will come later
The rain shatters on the cold cobblestone walkway, the dark clouds taking over the once beautiful blue. The sounds echo through the desolate, empty streets. The sorrowful cello and piano. The music from both beautiful melting into the rain. The rain doesn’t let up, neither do they. A girl, curious yet afraid, follows the sound. Drawn in, she finds her steps slowly, taking in the sorrowful tune, the darkness hidden beneath such sadness. Typically she stays inside, but something compelled her to exit her safe home, in such weather no less. The once bustling street, now empty, a shell of its splendor. The sorrowful tune leads her to the Cathedral, a place she has gone a handful of times. Yet this place is a mystery to her, The beautiful gothic architecture goes hand in hand with the sadness and darkness that echoes through the streets, the alleys.  She pushes one of the heavy cathedral doors open, laying her eyes on them.  Two beings, one holding a cello, the other playing the piano ever so gracefully. Almost ethereal, the rain hitting the windows in stark contrast of their all white clothing. She wants to stop and watch them from afar yet she keeps walking, entranced. The cello player lays his eyes on her as if he sees through her entire being. Her muddy shoes dirtying the pristine cathedral floors, her umbrella falling to her side, her damp hair sticking to her face. The beautiful sorrow that is unfolding in front of her eyes is too much, overwhelming. 
The woman now takes a glance at her, unfettered in her pursuit of true pain. She has heard of these two, only appearing when the rain does, disappearing as quickly without a trace. A tear rolls down her cheek, she doesn’t notice as her mind floods with her past relationship with the town dock hand. He wasn’t the best but wasn’t the worst, he tried yet it wasn’t enough. He moved on quickly, she didn’t. She is still stuck on him like the mud to her shoes. She comes back to bearings wiping the tears away from her eyes. Focusing on the two ethereal like beings that are now only a few feet away from her. Both of them are staring at her as they continue to play, bringing sadness to this town. Their eyes are devoid of emotion, of life.  The man slowly ends playing his cello.
“What brings you here young girl?” His voice is deep, commanding and soothing. 
“I felt like I needed to come here,” Her voice is oddly confident, surprising even herself. 
“Then,” He pauses looking over at the woman, she stops slowly as well, “You must need answers.” 
“Answers? I don’t need answers to anything.” 
“Answers to why you never got on with the dock hand, tragic. That boy is such a pure soul, heaven has high hopes for him.” 
“What do you mean?” She asks, her eyes quivering yet not leaving the man. 
“His soul is pure, chosen by heaven to ascend when his time has come, he will become one of us.”
“What are you…?” 
“We are angels,” The woman talks now, her voice cold and distant. The young girl looks at the woman, stunned at her beauty despite the lifeless behind her beautiful emerald girl eyes. Looking back at the man, he has a smile, albeit very small. 
“Then why didn’t it work?” She asks, eager to hear the reasoning behind it.
“He’s pure, you’re not. In fact the darkness in your soul is what led you here,”  The man explains to her as he stands up, his height catching her off guard, “Don’t be afraid, the darkness that has been inside your soul this whole time is merely waiting till you are able to feel it.”
“What will happen when I do?” 
“You’ll become like us, we are angels yes, but we are more and less than angels, We are the fallen.”
“The fallen…” She mutters as she looks between the two.
“Yes my dear, The Fallen, we are fallen angels, distracted and consumed by the darkness in our souls.”
“How can I not become like you?”
“Find them, find your fated lover. They will restore the purity in your soul.” 
“Do you guys not find yours?” 
“I did, I wasn’t his,” The woman stares at the window, her fingers itching to play the keys once again. The young girl looks at the man, waiting for his answer
“I killed her,” His eyes reflect a tinge of pain before going back to dull and lifeless, taking up his bow. He stares at the other fallen, “Wonyoung,” His voice soft, tender filled with unexplainable emotion. She smiles ever so slightly hearing her name fall from his lips. 
“Y/n,” Her voice filled with the same unexplainable emotion, the young girl can only stand and watch as the beautiful sorrowful fills the senses once again. She watches on, they ignore her, her questions left unanswered, unasked. She turns away and walks back down the center, slowly taking in the tinge of heartbreak, despair. Pulling back up her umbrella, a note falls to her hand taking it and reading it aloud. 
“The heart was meant to be broken,” She stands still taking in the note before tossing it aside, walking away quickly. She feels their gazes on her as she walks away. 
Getting back home, she is greeted by her mother, “Oh Kazuha, I was just about to go looking for you,” 
“Sorry I took a walk, enjoying the music, “ She explains, kicking off her shoes, and hanging her umbrella. 
“I see, those two have always played such beautiful music, always filled with despair.” 
“You’ve met them?” Zuha asks her mother, curious. 
“Never but some of my friends have, the two of them have been around here since even before your great grandparents my dear.” 
She could only nod, processing the age of the two in the cathedral. Why here? In that very cathedral? She needs more information, the thought of her own predicament fleeing from her mind, she searches through her family's library looking for anything about them, anything. The rain has yet to yield and yet have they. Their sorrow echoes still through the town, her mother sits by the window in the library in the rocking chair. Her eyes closed, her mind filled with the memories of her husband. Kazuha can’t find anything, “Mother?” 
“Yes my dear?” Her mother opens her eyes looking at her only child, the love and affection that is only found in a mother is evident. 
“Y/n and Wonyoung,” She says simply hoping that is enough.
“So you’ve learned their names,” Her mother smiles, looking back at the falling rain, dripping down the window pane, “You wish to know more don’t you?” 
“Yes, mother.” 
“Y/n and Wonyoung, They go back centuries, during the Otrian war. Y/n  was rumored to be a general with a secret love from the enemy nation of Grador.”
“That war was with Grador,” Zuha says, “How does that work in the eyes of his comrades, his subordinates?” 
“Never well, my daughter. The last battle, The battle for Zylourgos.”
“The day that both nations fell.”
“I’ve taught you well Zuha, that day everything changed. Grador’s armies have caught wind of Y/n’s lover. Captured her and brought her to use as a bargaining chip.” 
II
The sounds of marching, armor clanging with each step, thousands of armored men stand close to one another, ready to strike, some scared, some steel their resolve. For Glory, For honorable death 
“General Y/n, we come to make you a deal,” Grador’s general shouts, Y/n’s eyes widen as they drag her out, his hands crushing the stone they rested on, “We will spare your lover, Ning Yizhuo. To bring a end to this war, to end this mindless killing,” 
“What is it that must be done,” Y/n says ignoring the remarks from his soldiers.
“Leave the city of Zylourgos, take all of your forces out of Grador and you may take her with you,” Grador’s General points at Yizhuo. Jumping down from the fortress walls, Y/n stands tall, his strength reverberates throughout the battlefield.
“Release her to me first and we shall leave,” Y/n demands, the general of Grador nods, releasing her. She runs as fast as she can. 
“Y/n!” She calls out desperately, “ Don’t trust th-”
Y/n stares in horror as the spear rips through her chest, “Yizhuo!” he dashes, catching her in his arms, her blood coating his armor. His hand cupped her cheek, her eyes fluttering, catching one last glimpse of his face. As her hand touches his face one last time before her life leaves her, “No no no please Yizhuo, Please not like this. Please please please,” He rocks her in his arms, “Yizhuo please, don’t leave me like this.” 
Y/n screams and screams, yet the screams of pain fall on deaf ears. The sound of iron against iron takes over. That was the day that both nations fell at the hands of one man. 
“The sorrow from his cello makes sense now, but what of Wonyoung?” 
“Wonyoung is a bit of an easier story to tell, Jang Wonyoung, The last Princess of Otria, The Divine Serpent.” 
“Didn’t Y/n kill everyone in both nations?” 
“Wonyoung was the exception. Her chosen one was Y/n,”
“How is that possible?” 
“God doesn’t care for the likes of us Kazuha, questioning him will only lead us to ruin,” She smiles, “Y/n couldn’t bring himself to kill her which led her to become one of the fallen with him, The divine serpent and The divine dragon together forever in damnation.” 
Kazuha sits there in silence looking at her mother watching the rain, enjoying the music. 
“Solitude knows no bounds my daughter, Solitude can make you stronger, but it can also make you weaker. Find your chosen one my dear,” Her mother takes her a coin pouch, “There’s enough to get to the next few towns.” 
“But-” 
“Dont worry dear, I will still be here when you return and so will they,” Her mother gestures out of the window towards the cathedral, “In fact you may even run into them again in your travels.”
Kazuha sighs, going to her room she knows anything she says won’t matter. Packing everything she would need for her trip, everything she hopes she would need at least. She says goodbye to her mother who sits still in that library rocking chair by the window. She sets off in the rain, looking back at the cathedral, leaving with more questions than answers. Yet she is unable to get more, she knows they won’t answer her. She gets to the train station and waits, a book clenched between her fingers. 
III
“Why didn’t you tell her Y/n?” Wonyoung’s voice gained some of the emotion it once had, her slender hands trailing up his neck to his face. 
“Tell her what? That she doesn’t have a destined one?” He looks down at Wonyoung as she nods, “I couldn’t, I… just couldn’t bring myself to tell an innocent girl that she will become like us, beings devoid of emotion.”
“Not being able to tell her that is emotion Y/n,” Wonyoung lays her head on his chest, “We aren’t as emotionless as you think.” 
“She doesn’t have a chosen one because of me Wonyoung, of my choices, my actions, my.. Destruction.” 
“God has a plan for everyone Y/n, that was just his for you,” She sways in his arms as they use their powers to continue to play the music. The two dance through the rain, their pristine white clothes covered with darker than black ink, as they dance through their despair, through the streets, empty, devoid of laughter, love, of life. Kazuha’s mother smiles as they pass her house.
“Those two always enjoy themselves in some way,” She cracks a smile as she fades in golden rays of light, the two watching as the rays of light ascend to the heavens. God has reclaim one of his precious angels. The two continue dancing as the rays of gold continue to ascend around the town, the rain comes to an end. The two fallen disappear from the streets, the music stops. People flood the streets once again.  The train finally comes, with Kazuha boarding and finding her seat, her heart feels heavy, burdened by something she feels like she missed. She ignores that feeling, as the train sets off from the station. Her stop isn’t far but far enough from home on foot that it is a two day ride on horseback. She watches through the train window, the clouds that once covered the ever expanding blue now retrating. She smiles softly as the train follows the hill side, silently saying goodbye to the place she grew up. Vowing that she will be back, better and happier. Still the music haunts her mind, she can’t get her mind off it. She slightly understands the pain of Y/n but she can’t come to even understand the pain of Wonyoung, her destiny was to be unable to let him go.  Despite her not being his destined, his chosen one. She watched as he destroyed her nation and another because of another, yet she stands by him. Not allowing him to stand alone in his abyssal despair, haunted by the memory of holding his dying lover in his arms. 
Wonyoung has devoted herself to him, and only him despite knowing he won’t love her the way she does him. Kazuha’s mind doesn’t wrap around it, and doesn't understand what love does to a person. Will she ever? She thinks to herself. 
“Excuse me?” A voice knocks her out of her thoughts, she looks over to a rather good looking man standing before her, “Is that seat taken?” 
“No, go ahead,” She gestures with a friendly smile, he smiles back sitting in front of her. 
“So where are you headed?” He asks, getting comfy in the seat, “Anywhere exciting?” 
“Unsure, I’ve never left my hometown, so I’ll go where the wind guides me.”
“Ooo a fresh new adventure! Ah, where are my manners? I’m Pulcinella,” He offers his hand to her, she shakes it and he leaves a kiss on her hand.
“I’m Kazuha,” She tells him, as that smile never leaves his face. 
“So I’m guessing that your hometown is the one we just left,” She nods, confirming his suspicions, “tell me have you met them? The rumors around your town say there’s fallen?” 
“No I haven’t,” She feels as if she shouldn’t tell this man she just met about them, she feels off by that smile never leaving his face. 
“Ahh rats, I wish to actually meet the fallen once,” he chuckles as they feel back into normal conversation. He’s easy to talk to, he has a broad view on the world, soon he grabs his bags saying goodbye, he jumps out of the window and disappears before she even sees what happened to him. 
May her journey be long and fruitful.
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hannah-banana-lou · 7 months ago
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Come back to me
Husband william afton x Wife female reader AU
it's here!! sorry for the delay. i have been super busy!!
(Pt.2)
i'm not the best at writing smut but i'm trying! i promise!!
Content warning: Marriage issues, verbal abuse, smut!!! (lots of it in this chapter!!!), age gap couple - William (early 50’s) Reader (mid/late 20’s)
UNDER 18’S DNI!!!
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Come Back To Me (Pt.2)
You’re home. He kissed you for the first time in months, less than 40 minutes ago. It’s sparked hope within you. Maybe that tiny bit of affection means that he will change? Go back to normal?
Think again.
He is back to his cold, distanced, usual self. You find yourself in the kitchen. Making a late lunch for your twins. He is standing next to you. You finish what you’re doing and smile over at him, placing your hand on his. He immediately recoils. Your eyes widen, confused. Before you can question it he storms off upstairs, into his home office. Slamming the door with force, which made you and your toddlers flinch.
You spend the next few hours confused. Your mind is miles away. Searching your brain for Answers. Clues. Anything.
the rest of the day goes by quickly. running errands, dropping the twins off with your mom for the weekend. you hope that the weekend alone with your husband might provide some answers. fingers crossed.
you get home. he is out. nowhere to be found. not sure where he is or when he is coming back. the clock reads 9:00pm. he should be back by now. you made dinner, hoping he would sit with you and enjoy the meal. like old times. it's now gone cold.
Sitting in the living room, the silence is uncomfortable. you've been alone in the house before but this, this just feels weird. like you're waiting for something to happen. alas, nothing does. your thoughts are consuming you. where is he? why isn't he back yet? is he okay?
as if you manifested it, your mobile rings.
Caller ID: the pizzerias landline.
you pick up the phone, answering it immediately "Hello? will?"
"Hi, i won't be back for another hour" his voice is strained, rough. almost breathless
"oh" you respond. suspicious at the sound of his voice "what are you doing at the pizzeria so late?"
"working" he responds quickly. you hear thudding in the background.
"what was that?" more like who was that? you think to yourself.
"What was what? anyways. i have to go, i'll see you in a bit" he cuts off
"love you" you respond, voice soft, deflated.
For a few seconds you hear silence on the other end. "bye" he grunts out before he hangs up.
you sigh. breaking the silence of the house as you get up off the sofa and head upstairs to what used to be yours and William's bedroom but now it's just yours.
you climb into bed, crawling under the duvet. closing your eyes, trying to sleep. ultimately failing. the bed feels so big, so lonely.
After what feels like hours, you start drifting off to sleep before you hear the front door open and slam closed. keys jingling as they're inserted into the lock.
Heavy footsteps ascending the stairs.
The bedroom door creaks open. the landing light flooding the darkness of the bedroom.
Silence as he stands in the doorway.
Eyes directed towards your, assumed, sleeping figure. you hear him walk closer. the bed dipping as he sits on the side that was once allocated to him.
Silence again.
Staring at your back. he takes his boots off and gets under the covers, letting out a tired groan. you stay silent, waiting for his next move. why was he in bed with you?
he rolls over to you, wrapping his arm around you, hand resting on your hip, head rested on your shoulder as he plants kisses upon the skin.
"you awake?" he whispers into your skin
"mhm" you respond. soft. tired. a whisper.
you feel his hand gently move away the hairs adorning your neck. moving his kisses from your shoulder up to your neck. the hand resting on your hip, gently caressing your side as he trails it up and down.
"i miss you" he whispers out, kissing and painting your neck with saliva.
you let out a soft moan at his ministrations. confused to say the least. the mixed signals messing with your mind.
he snakes his hand down your side, fingers sliding under your pajama pants. no panties. no resistance. he paws at your thighs, before dipping his finger between your soaked folds. index finger circling your sensitive nub. eliciting a moan from you.
he growls, moving his finger down and plunging it inside your tight hole. moving it at an agonizingly slow pace.
in... out.... in.... out...
he slips another digit inside. speeding up. another moan from you. you bite your lip, attempting to suppress any thing else from coming out.
he curls his fingers, rubbing deliciously against your sensitive spot. mouth open, moaning loudly. you grab his arm, unsure why. Not trying to stop him at all.
he chuckles "Look at you" he whispers, mockingly. fingers working faster inside of you. you're close. he can tell. the soaked digits abandon your dripping cunt. you let out a protesting whine.
he rolls onto his back in the middle of the bed. you sit up, looking over at him. his cock straining against his pants. "here" he snaps his fingers, pointing to the space in between his legs. you obey. crawling between his legs. moving your hands up and unbuttoning his pants, pulling them down with his boxers. his cock springs free. standing to attention.
Big. thick. adorned with bulging veins. pink tip. as you remember it.
you place your hand around the shaft, leaning your head down, licking a stripe on the underside of the shaft to tip. mouth wrapping around the tip. he lets out a groan. a hiss.
your cheeks hallowing as you suck. hand stroking the base. working in unison. His fingers raking through your hair before grasping at locks. pushing you down onto his cock. taking him in your throat. causing you to gag slightly. he bites his lip, pulling you off and pushing you back down. thrusting his hips into the air with each suck.
after a while he pushes you off completely. you look up at him confused. he Shifts his body, getting onto his knees, turning you around and pushing you down into the bed. ass up in the air. he yanks your pajama pants down to your knees. moving his face down. kissing your cheeks before spreading them open. your pussy dripping. he accumulates the wetness on his fingers, sucking on them. letting out a groan at your taste. one he's missed.
silence.
you try to move your head up and look over your shoulder but he pushes your head back down into the duvet. you gasp as you feel his tongue dive into your soaked sex. tongue fucking your hole before licking stripes. sucking on your nub. obscene noises. rubbing his face into your pussy. beard scratching against your skin which only adds to your arousal. fingers back inside you, working in unison with his tongue. moans and groans from both of you. your core pulsating, grabbing the bed sheets as you're edging closer and closer to orgasm. getting desperate. grinding against his face as you feel your release closing in. before you know it you're screaming, cumming. shaking.
he plants a firm slap to your overstimulated pussy causing you to flinch and jump forward. you hear a small grunt as he grabs your waist, pulling you back to him.
"you wanted my attention, now you've got it" he growls out. grabbing his cock and aligning it to your tight entrance.
he pushes in abruptly. not even caring about if you can take it all or not. you did a while ago. in his mind, you should be able to now.
a loud whimper escapes your throat. he's quick to comfort you. shushing you.
"shh...shh i know, it's been a while bunny" he smooths his palm over your ass cheek with a modicum of affection.
"Relax bunny" he continues, slowly sawing into you. not the speed he wishes to go but your pussy is like a vice clamp right now.
a few soft and slow thrusts into you. whimpers and moans leaving your lips and he feels you relax. He takes that opportunity to stop lazily sawing into you, instead he speeds up, pounding into you at a unforgiving pace. moans, grunts and skin hitting each other, filling the silence of the room. grasping at the bedsheets as you feel yourself reaching peak again, toes curling, a loud squeak causing him to chuckle. a firm slap against your ass cheek, causing a red mark. his hands firm on your hips, pulling you back onto him with each thrust.
he's panting, in a frenzy as he feels himself get closer. before you know it he's filling you up. his seed painting your insides. pulling out. collapsing back on the bed with a thud, you follow suit. he wraps an arm around you possesively.
planting a soft kiss to your forehead. "i'm going to try and be better. for you. i promise" he mumurs between panting breaths.
you hope his promise was true. not some fake excuse to stall you on getting a divorce.
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schrodinger-swriter · 9 months ago
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Heyoo!! I was wondering if I could request A, D, F, K, L, P, Q, T and X for Angel Dust x reader for the Hazbin fluff alphabet? Thank you!!!💕
A, D, F, K, L, P, Q, T, and X for Angel Dust
I hope this one is okay, I feel Angel may be another character I'll have difficulty catching right, but nonetheless I hope you enjoy, Anon!
Apologies for such a short note, I'm getting another headache coming on.. I think I will write out this post and rest.
For the Tunes segment I would like to apologize for having a trash taste in music, I naturally gravitate to songs I already know with these kinds of questions..
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ATTRACTION:
This one is very tricky, given that Angel throws himself at any guy he sees. Though, that's because he feels it's what is expected of him, is it not? At least gathering from his wiki as well as his actions within the series... Pinpointing his type is a little difficult and what he knows he's attracted to. But what about subconscious attraction? He needs someone who's willing to deal with his sarcasm and meanness, but won't totally blow him off. But he also needs someone he can just unwind with, you know? Very hard to say, and comparing how he acts with the rest of the cast is offering little idea.. Definitely going to need to be patient with this one, too, but that's not exactly an attraction thing.. hmm..
DATES:
A club may be his first go to, especially if this before he starts taking the redemption thing seriously. Though, that's not exactly the best date idea now is it? You go there to get drunk or take enough substances to not think straight for the next week; or to fuck. Sure, you can bond with someone over a shot, but is it really.. genuine? Add in he might be stressing over you like he did with Niffty if this is within the second half of the show's current timeline, and you get drunk before he can.. No, my mind keeps wandering to the two of you simply having an at home date. Together, at your place or yours. If it takes place at the hotel he takes you to his room. Less of a date as it is a hangout session, and he might try to initiate sex.. More experienced with intercourse than the romance side of things, so that's going to take time too.
FAMILY:
Sinners can't have biological children of his own, but Angel Dust is fine by that. Perhaps he feels responsible for a moment and admits (likely internally) that he can hardly keep an eye on himself, how can he keep an eye on a child? There's also some level of fear that the kid would follow in his foot steps and end up in a nasty situation, Angel knows he's not exactly the best.. role model. He's more likely to ascend than be a father.
KISSES:
Oh he loves physical affection. Sure, a lot of it is going to be sexually charged. Diving into the romance vs sex side of things, it may take him a while to fully get a grasp on the difference between lustful feelings and romantic ones and how to act them out. Not all kisses and cuddle sessions need to end in intercourse. He loves giving you quick kisses, long kisses, kisses with tongue, kisses without tongue. He's not picky at all. His favorite place to kiss you is really anywhere on your face... but if you give him the chance he'll say his favorite place is more... down south
As for receiving, I think he stands at around the same.. point.. Yeah, point! Not picky when it comes to him getting affection!
PETNAMES:
He calls you everything under the sun. From schnookums to Honey, you've heard it all. He defaults to Baby and Babe, though. Tends to replace your name with something endearing unless there's something serious going on or he's trying to get your attention. Similar to the above segment he's not picky about what you call him, but he does seem to get this look in his eye if you call him something rather sweet and innocent.
QUESTION:
Oooo this ones tough....
He asks what your favorite position is/j
No, but real talk, I think if you two were alone and you're in his room... perhaps in one of your hangouts... he might let his walls slip a bit, ask you some real.. personal stuff, perhaps seeking some sort of validation or even reassurance. This is more likely after a rough day and after a drink or two.
TUNES:
Perhaps I'm biased because I've been getting back into Maneskin but I can imagine you two absolutely BELTING it to this song! Not exactly a "couple song" per say, but definitely a song that you two vibe with together!
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As well as this song, for the same reasons above
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Though I'm also picturing the Reader and Angel drunkingly singing Tally Hall's version of Just A Friend (while the pair are giggling and getting way into it, you know just having a good time!)
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XRAY:
It depends on how long you two have known each other. Are you guys a quick fling that fell together fast, or were you both a slow burn? If your relationship formed quickly, he may be a little stumped on reading you.. which can sometimes lead to him being a little insensitive to your feelings and vibe. Or awkwardly standing there unsure of how to approach you, likely slinking away to let you handle it on your own. But in something that had left more time for the two of you to get to know one another, he's going to let you vent and complain to him. He can tell somethings off with just the tone of your voice or if your wording is a little off. You two aren't totally in sync, but he's not as clueless as the former.
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alpaca-clouds · 5 months ago
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Astarion, his siblings and his "victims"
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I wrote a blog about how I really do not get those folks, who do honestly in their heart believe that Ascending Astarion is the "good" ending. And frankly, the comments that AA fans left underneath really make me just shake my head.
One of the people understanding my point also put a really good comment underneath:
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Because I really get the feeling that the AA fans do not even consider the siblings and the "victims" of Cazador as actual characters within the story.
And yes, sure. From a writing perspective they are not big characters. I mean, the siblings do have very little in terms of background. Some have a bit more (mostly Leon and Darylia), the others a bit less, and then there is Yousen, about whom we know nothing but the name. And out of the other 7000 we obviously only really do know Sebastian in any regard. Which from a writing perspective is absolutely fair, because the focus definitely is on Astarion. Yet, the interactions you do have with the siblings - and with Sebastians - are meant for the player to understand that this is about empathy.
It is very likely that pretty much all of the siblings got abused just as much as Astarion - or at the very least lived in the same fear of abuse as Astarion. They are all the victims, even though it is fairly likely that they also abused each other. That is just something that abusers use in their advantage: Trying to get their victims to abuse each other. BUT that does not stop them from being victims.
And yes, it is absolutely heavily implied that some of Astarion's "Victims" also have raped him (same with the other siblings). Because as he was ruled by the order of Cazador to bring him victims he had not even a lot of chance to fight back. But we know that is not true for all of those 7000 souls. Some of which will just be purely innocents, who got seduced or kidnapped, and who have at times been made to suffer endless hunger in that dungeon for at times 100 and 200 years!
This means that to ascend Astarion, what you do is to kill a lot of innocent victims of abuse. More than that, you are with it condoning the abuse their abuser had put them through - because you are quite literally enacting the plan this abuser has come up with.
I feel this is a big thing that is also missed with the Vellioth memories. While Vellioth obviously would have prefered to live and go on abusing Cazador for years and years to come - he is also proud for Cazador to defeat him and then continue the circle of abuse. Because in Vellioth's minds he has "taught him well".
While yes, Cazador wants to ascend himself, at least if Astarion ascends all the planning for the ritual, and all the "lessons" he has taught were not for nothing. Astarion will continue Cazador's legacy. He will simply become the next Cazador, until inevitably one of his own spawn will rise up against him and so on and so forth.
If Astarion ascends, Cazador lives on through Astarion. Because in that case Astarion does all the things Cazador would've wanted to happen.
Of course we as players are biased for Astarion, because not only is he the one vampire spawn we know, but we really get to know him really good. Not the very least given the fact that Astarion also is literally the companion with the most playtime for his companion quest. But just for a thought experiment imagine that by sheer luck one of the other spawn also has gotten loose from Cazador and was doing a quest with some of their own companions, while Tav/Durge, Astarion and other companions were doing theirs. And now imagine that other spawn - no matter who of the other six it might have been - went in wanting to sacrifice everyone else, including Astarion, to ascend themselves.
I can guarantee you, that each of them could have made as much of an argument for it, as Astarion.
Would you still think that would be a good thing?
By all means, argue about the fact of how good the relationship between Ascended Astarion and your own Tav/Durge might be. How it is totally not an abusive relationship despite the non-consensual choking...
But that does not change the fact that the ascension itself is a bad thing that is going to continue Cazador's plan and Cazador's legacy.
And no, there is simply no world in which killing 7000 people, of whom all have been abused before, while at least several thousand of them are innocent, is "the good thing".
... Also, I just want more fandom content about the vampire siblings, because I just think they are neat.
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flippinpancakes64 · 4 months ago
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can you please write some headcanons for Carlisle with male reader who is a workaholic and Carlisle constantly has to remind him to go to bed (sometimes even having to drag him to bed)?
Carlisle Cullen with a workaholic Reader
Thank you for requesting and I hope you like this!
Again in your request you mentioned a male reader but I tried to make it more gender-neutral I hope that's okay
Also I tried doing something new... I tried actually writing a narrative story to go with this. Carlisle is one of my favorites and I got really inspired. Tell me if it sucks please like genuinely
Yeah edit here from after I'm done writing this, I got really carried away...
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He understands what it's like to be obsessed with working
I mean he's been working for like 400 years
And he doesn't even need to
The only difference is that it doesn't matter if he spends all of his time working
He doesn't need to sleep, eat, or rest
He could literally do the most back-breaking labor in the world for two weeks straight with no breaks at all and he would be fine
A little bored but fine
But you?
This can't go on
For as long as you guys have been dating, he has noticed the same pattern repeats basically every week
You work yourself to the bone for like four days straight, he steps in finally and tells you to take it easy, you take it easy for a couple days, and then you're back at it
He understands, your work means a lot to you
But you mean a lot to him
So he does his best one day to show you what he means
You're sitting at Carlisle's desk in the Cullen house. You didn't even need to ask anymore to be able to use it. What's his is yours. It's late at night, the moon is high in the sky and the house has quieted down. No one is asleep, of course. And if you were awake enough, you would be able to hear the hushed, quick conversations taking place through the house. But as you sit at his desk, finishing some paperwork that didn't even need to be done for another week, your eyes were drooping.
This was the third day in a row that you had done this, and Carlisle was tired of it. He was sitting on the couch downstairs, not really paying attention to the show that Rosalie had on the TV, when he heard your breathing begin to slow. He heard your pen strokes become less and less frequent, and he finally heard you drop your pen altogether. With a sigh he stood up and ascended the stairs. And there you were, one hand propping your head up as your other arm laid atop the stack of papers sitting in front of you. Eyes closed, breathing even, peaceful.
He would have smiled at the sight if he wasn't so frustrated. He had no idea what to do anymore. No matter how many times he has asked, begged, pleaded, and bargained with you to just simply take care of yourself, you've never listened. All it's ever gotten him have been empty promises that end up with the both of you here again. Him watching his beloved human mate working themself to death.
So he starts on his final plan. Last ditch effort.
You wake up to the feel of your pen being taken from your lax hand. You blink the sleep out of your tired eyes to see your boyfriend standing above you with a smile on his face.
"Oh, hey," you say, yawning slightly. "I was just, uh, resting my eyes."
"Really?" He says with a hint of playfulness in his words. "Looked to me like you were sleeping. Maybe even like you're tired and ready to go to sleep for the night."
You sighed. "I told you already, I just need to finish these reports for Wednesday."
"Wednesday as in next Wednesday? As in a whole week from now?" He says with a frown, "Why do you need it done so soon?"
You groan in frustration, "I just do, okay? I've already told you I just like to be on top of things."
He sighs and grabs your face, forcing you to look at him. You shiver slightly at his cold hands. "This is not 'being on top of things,' this is full-on obsession," he says sternly.
You huff and pull your face away. "You're not one to talk. You work all of the time. So stop being a hypocrite."
"I'm not trying to argue. All I want is for you to see what you are doing to yourself, and to me." He sighs.
And that's when you finally let your eyes fall on the man that you love, really taking him in. His hair is disheveled, his eye bags are pronounced, his clothes are ruffled. This is the roughest you've ever seen him look.
"I'm worried about you," he says in explanation of his appearance. "I love you, I want- no I need you to take care of yourself. I worry, constantly."
You sit there stunned for a second, processing the fact that you have made this perfect man, the epitome of surreal beauty and professionalism, practically get on his knees and beg you to go to sleep. You steal a glance to the stack of papers on the desk, calling your name, crying for just one more to be completed. Your mind fills with the anxiety of turning in your paperwork late, the embarrassment of facing your boss, the stress of catching up. But one more look into his golden eyes and you stand up.
He flashes a blinding smile and drags you to your shared bedroom. He waits patiently, following you around as you change, brush your teeth, and finally crawl under the sheets.
It's only as you're cuddled up to him, looking into his beautiful eyes and stroking his handsome face that your thumb smudges something under his eye. Some more rubbing and the "eye bag" under his left eye is gone.
"You liar!" You gasp indignantly.
All he does is chuckle and kiss you.
Outside the door you can swear you hear Alice laugh lightly.
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shenanigans-and-imagines · 11 months ago
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hey! hc questions for Astarion & ace! Tav (sorry if some of those have already been answered):
- Who picks flowers for the other?
- Who has a hobby only the other knows about?
- How do they hype each other up?
- How do they express their feelings?
- Who's more protective?
- Who gets jealous easier?
thank you for your work! I always get excited when I see you have posted something new about this ship ^^
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Who picks flowers for the other?
Tav does it for Astarion. I know there is some dialogue about him not liking flowers, but it’s different when they’re a gift from his love.
Tav never buy them. They just collect a small bundle as their walking. They then arrange them in a vase or spare cup, accompanied by a story; some local legend or tale about the flowers or just something they make up on the spot, Astarion can never be sure. Still he listens attentively as the story is just as much part of the gift as the flowers themselves.
Who has a hobby only the other knows about?
Tav knows about Astarion’s many tries at different hobbies.
Post game Astarion finally has the time to figure out what exactly he likes to do. Yes, there’s reading, but he figures out he genuinely enjoys embroidering and sewing. Making something with his own two hands and having something tangible at the end is extremely satisfying. Plus, it helps him clear his mind of anything besides the task in front of him. He’s since expanded this to jewelry making and knitting. Although he’ll die before he admits the knitting part.
How do they hype each other up?
Compliments. Compliments all around.
Astarion specifically goes on and on about Tav’s immense musical talent. Tav is already fairly secure in their abilities, but having somebody in the audience they know truly loves their work is heartening.
As for Tav, they know Astarion has his vanity and is willing to indulge him, complimenting him on his looks and choice of clothing. And if they throw an “I love you” at the end of it, he won’t say no.
How do they express their feelings?
I’m going to just assume you mean their feelings toward each other since if I went through all the emotions we’d be here all day.
Tav is actually a very physically affectionate person who has been denied it for years. Once they get permission to show their love that way, they don’t stop. Hugs for certain, leaning against him, hand kisses, cuddling, they’re all in. Quality time is next on the list. They don’t care what they’re doing so long as they’re doing it together.
Astarion is more verbal in his affections. He’ll just tell Tav how beautiful, talented, and amazing he finds them. He teases and tries to make them laugh. He can be quite the poet when he puts his mind to it. I’ll also add physical affection to the list. It takes him time, but once he understands he’s safe, he doesn’t want to loses the feeling of having them close.
Who’s more protective?
Astarion.
Not to say Tav isn’t, because they are, but it’s less visceral than Astarion. He spent so much of his life afraid that even when he does get together with Tav, it doesn’t lessen his fear. If anything his more afraid because he has somebody to lose for the first time in centuries. He considers ascending not just to keep himself safe, but to ensure he can protect Tav, forever. He’s never felt this way before about anyone. There’s no telling what he’d be willing to do for them.
Who gets jealous easier?
Hard to say. They both have their moments. I’d say Astarion is more vocal while Tav let’s it build up over time.
If somebody is flirting with Tav at a tavern, he’s by their side the next second with an arm around their waist and a smile that’s all fangs. He can also get real petty if he feels like they’re giving other people too much attention over him.
If somebody flirts with Astarion, Tav doesn’t say anything because they don’t want Astarion thinking he’s trying to control him or “too much”. But it hurts and if it happens too many times they’ll crack and ask if Astarion is getting bored of them. It would’ve be the first time. It’d take a lot for Tav to admit they’re jealous, but once they do, Astarion would have a field day.
They’re both working on getting better about it. It’s not a pretty thing.
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ozthedm · 1 year ago
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Vampire Ascendant Ramblings!
I love Baldur’s Gate 3. I love the vampire genre. I am particularly fascinated with the concept of the Vampire Ascendant for a number of reasons that mainly boil down to “what does it mean to be the Vampire Ascendant and what is the true cost of this power?”
This post is essentially a collection of my observations, thoughts, and headcanons regarding the ascension ritual. Think of this as fanfic inspiration material. Get ready folks, because we’re about to dip a toe into 5e lore and get existential.
What does the Rite of Profane Ascension actually do?
Raphael explains the ritual as thus:
“If he completes the rite, he will become a new kind of being - the Vampire Ascendant. All the strengths of his vampiric form will be amplified, and alongside them he will enjoy the luxuries of the living. The arousals and appetites of man will return to him, and unlike Astarion, he will have no need of a parasite to protect him from the sun. But the ritual has a price, as all worthwhile things do. Lord Cazador will need to sacrifice a number of souls including all of his vampiric spawn if he is to ascend… Your soul will set off a very wave of death, bringing Cazador his twisted life.” 
TLDR: If Cazador offers up the souls of 7000 vampire spawn, then maybe he’ll feel less like shit.
Other specific perks include:
The hunger for blood that plagues all vampires will no longer affect him.
His heart will beat again (Could he even be considered undead at that point?)
He still gets to remain immortal in the sense that he will never age
He can choose to extend his protection from the sun to his spawn, but this protection can be revoked
He can be reflected in mirrors.
There are some details that remain unclear, so here’s where we step into headcanon territory:
Running water will no longer harm him
A normal wooden stake won’t be enough to paralyze him. You’d be better off with a magical weapon
Although he will still need an invitation to enter homes, His enhanced vampiric charm practically makes it a nonissue
And now a couple of notes on Mephistopheles and the contract itself:
“Devils bargain with mortals to upend the divine order. They stake claims on souls that would otherwise go to the gods or be cast adrift somewhere other than the Nine Hells. If you are already a creature of Law and Evil devoted to no other entity, your damned spirit is of meager value.”
  - Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
Mephistopheles is an arcane innovator. His realm, Cania, is essentially a giant laboratory where he conducts extensive experiments. 
When it comes to souls, Mephistopheles prefers quality over quantity. He mostly acquires the souls of highly accomplished wizards and sages to help him with his research. To demand the souls of 7000 vampire spawn seems uncharacteristically beneath him (especially for the power he’s offering) 
My thinking is that Mephistopheles is working on something that specifically requires vampiric energy and lots of it. The 7000 spawns are nothing more than fodder.
A devil’s deal never ends well. This is repeatedly stated throughout the game. Considering what we know of Mephistopheles and how little Cazador cares for his spawn, this whole contract sounds far too good to be true. So what’s the catch?
A few possible ideas as to the downsides:
Mephistopheles is always watching. After all, this is a completely new kind of being that warrants study. 
The Ascendant’s hunger for blood is replaced with a different hunger. A hunger that is indescribable and insatiable. He will always yearn for more. More power, more control, more anything. He may even return to Mephistopheles in an attempt to fill the void. 
The Ascendant’s own soul is included in the price, albeit differently. Where the other souls were simply consumed by the ritual, his will serve another purpose. (Not gonna lie, this one sent me on a whole existential journey trying to figure out what is means to have/lack a soul)
I might post more thoughts later, but this is enough for now
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nyerus · 1 year ago
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Hi! I would love to hear your thoughts about classism in TGCF, but specifically regarding XL. It surprised me to see people hating on XL for not knowing or doing better during his teenage years of luxury as the crown prince and making XL a complete villain because he didn't take down classism and restructure society despite still being a kid himself. It struck me as odd that the fandom is well aware of his 800 years in poverty but also not really addressing the fact that XL, too, is a victim of classism albeit a little different from someone like MQ.
Hi there! So sorry it's taken me this long to get to this ask, I've just been in sort of a funk for a few days haha.
But yeah, this is definitely a topic that comes up from time to time, with lots of discussion about. It surprises me that despite that, there are still people (maybe just newer fans? idk) who still hate on Xie Lian for his naive views as a 17yo. Especially since, despite being a naive 17yo, he still really wanted to help people less fortunate than himself. He didn't quite understand how to do this in the most effective ways (because he was a teenager), so it came off as somewhat patronizing as he was a person in a position of power compared to everyone else. Yet his desire to help people was genuine, and he didn't personally think of "common folk" as being any lesser than "royalty" -- even though in this case, there kind of literally was a difference. (E.g. when Lang Ying goes from being a commoner to a king, he gets a "kingly aura" that protects him!) So it's honestly kind of incredible that Xie Lian is willing to say things like "I think people are equal, even gods and humans, and if the Heavens disagree with me, then it's the Heavens that are wrong" with his entire heart.
I imagine a large part of the hate Xie Lian gets from certain fans is jealousy or resentment, due to the fact that Xie Lian was "born privileged." But on it's own, "privilege" is not "the great enemy" -- it's what said privilege means in the context of society, and what someone does/doesn't do with it that merits judgement. Xie Lian doesn't fully understand the privilege he had until he loses it (again: because he was 17!), but he still understood it enough to use it to protect and help people. That's more than many other characters can say. Him starting out as a prince doesn't automatically disqualify him from class struggles or the horrors of poverty. It's nonsensical to think so, when this is a character who literally spent almost 800 years busking for scraps, while sleeping in dirt outside and eating garbage….
On the flip side, as you mentioned Mu Qing -- yes, he was a victim of classism. But he's a very strange figure to use as the poster boy for that, though he often is by people who are critical of Xie Lian. This may be a controversial take, despite it being something I think that makes the character of Mu Qing really interesting: but he's a very "typical" guy within the concept of classism. He's someone who started off with a bad lot, but then ended up ascending to the highest point you pretty much can in that world/society. Which is great! He did that through hard work, and it paid off! But now, since he got his "happy ending," that's kind of it for him. He doesn't do anything to materially improve the lives of those less fortunate, especially those he has no personal connection with. This doesn't make him a bad person -- it's not really his job to that, even as a god. He's a martial god, so he's there to subdue threats and all that. Yet you can clearly see, that's exactly the type of person society values because such "rags to riches" stories give legitimacy to the whole system, and because they don't rock the boat once they're on top.
So then it's odd to be angry at Xie Lian but not Mu Qing (or others) for the lack of some "grand revolution" that some readers seem to want.
Ironically, Xie Lian used what power he had to try and help people -- and he was worse off for it. If he had done nothing, he would have been able to live a happy and carefree life. He would have lived and died as a rich prince/king with no troubles. Like, that's the point! The societies we live in punish those who want to broadly help others or make meaningful change, while rewarding those who quietly play the game for themselves -- because it helps keep the wheels turning. It doesn't matter at "what end" of the spectrum you start out on, the rules apply the same way. If you go against the establishment, there's a price to be paid.
Throughout Xie Lian's long journey, he learns this lesson the hard way. And the fact that in order to change it, he would somehow have to change the hearts and minds of pretty much everyone -- which is an impossible ask. How is he even supposed to that, or restructure society as a whole, without vast amounts of collateral damage? In the end, Xie Lian discovers that he was not wrong in his desire to help people, even if he cannot help everyone. He can still help people he meets in whatever ways he can, and that is still important. To show kindness, mercy, and empathy towards your fellow man is worth it. Helping your neighbors or complete strangers you meet once and then never again -- all that is still worth it.
I wish I had the time to sit down and really talk about this in a more organized way, but these disjointed thoughts are all I can manage at the moment! I hope it was still valuable to you in some way, and thank you for sending in the ask!
(Also, I recently reblogged a post that talked about something similar if you wanna check it out, Anon. It's right under the manhua highlights I think!)
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shardpencil · 1 month ago
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Conspiracy theory time!!!
I know Odium's Champion theories are probably redundant at this point BUT i have one cooked up hot for you all. It's a long one.
Featuring Spoilers from all SA books and some minor spoilers from WaT previews..
Adolin will be TOdium's Champion!!!
Let's talk about it:
RAYSE VS TARAVANGIAN
I first want to draw attention to the differences between Rayse-Odium and Taravangian-Odium and their Champions. As the vessel of Odium has changed since Oathbringer, so must our perception of their chosen ones.
According to Hoid, Rayse was an awful person. He was cunning, ambitious, and often had selfish motives for wanting to obtain power and conquer the Cosmere. "Blackthorn" Dalinar made sense as Rayse's Champion, because as a young man, Dalinar's "passions" were selfishly motivated as well. Yes, he was helping his brother, but Dalinar did enjoy the wanton killing and longed for the feeling of the Thrill.
Taravangian carries himself differently as Odium. He has always been motivated by noble causes, such as saving his home city of Karbranth, knowing that he might have to do evil things to reach his end-goal. Even after he ascended, Taravangian holds on desperately to this notion that he alone has the power and willingness to reach the greater good in the end. I firmly believe that his pick for Champion must represent this very same philosophy.
BOOK EVIDENCE POINTING TO ADOLIN:
This first passage comes from WoR. Sadeas is talking about Adolin as he watches him duel:
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We learn a few things from this
Sadeas thinks Adolin can be goaded into anger and is capable of making rash, impulsive decisions.
Adolin has less control of his "passion" than Dalinar. Plainly this means he has less self-control than his father. I also note the careful use of the word "passion", as it is used often in OB in association with Odium.
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Now Sadeas is comparing Adolin to Dalinar--and not just Dalinar, but the Blackthorn.
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What do you know? Sadeas proves himself correct by goading Adolin, threatening his family, and causing him to get angry and lash out. As Readers, we now know that Adolin is capable of extreme, impulsive actions--including murder--if the end goal is to protect his family.
I also think Adolin's wording here is very ominous "My father thinks I'm a better man than he is...he's wrong" Knowing what we now know about the kind of person Dalinar actually was in the past, the wording of this passage, in retrospect, reads eerily.
Then in Oathbringer,
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He clearly has complex feelings around what he did. It's a little worrying that there was a part of him that actually enjoyed the physical sensation of killing Sadeas, but he at least has some shame about the act itself.
Interesting that he thinks of the sensation of stabbing right after thinking of his father, too.
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Now we learnt hat Adolin doesn't feel sorry about what he did and says that he'd do "it again right now" (directly to Dalinar, no less). I think it's important to note here that he did it because "it needed to be done". He did it because specifically he thinks Dalinar never would, because he knows his line of thinking does not agree with his father's. In Adolin's mind, the destination was more important than the journey.
There was a part of him that was ashamed that he murdered someone, but that doesn't really matter--because he easily dismissed the whole act because it allowed him to achieve the optimal outcome.
Next, lets flash forward to RoW...
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The passage above is from the last conversation between Dalinar and Adolin before Adolin leaves for Shadesmar.
This is where we start getting the hint that Dalinar sees something..off within his son. He says he's not disappointed in him, however, Dalinar's wording here implies that Adolin is not quite living up to his own expectations, morally (aka he's disappointed). This passage also reflects Adolin's words as he's killing Sadeas, when Dalinar says something along the lines of, "I want you to be...a better man than I was at your age." So many uses of the phrase "better man" are being thrown around specifically with Adolin and Dalinar.
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This next passage I think is the most condemning. Here, Dalinar is placing Adolin and Taravangian in the same bucket, ideologically. Funny, since Taravangian literally becomes Odium later in the same book.
Shortly after this line Adolin does insist that he isn't like Taravangian and wants to carve his own path, however, his previous actions speak louder than his words and he certainly does not regret those actions.
I also think the highlighted line above foreshadows something darker in store for Adolin...in general. The consequences of this conversation did not come to pass in RoW, so we can only assume that it's going to go down in WaT.
Since the end of Oathbringer, anger has been building within Adolin, directed at his father.
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Adolin recognizes that his own anger is volatile. He "doesn't trust it".
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In the latest passages of WaT, Adolin reported that he assumed that his negative feelings would eventually wane, but he has instead become even more angry. I was a little surprised reading this, since it feels a little too intentional, too deliberate. Brandon is building up to something, but its not clear what that is.
What I'm thinking is that , this pain/anger will lead to an impulsive action on Adolin's part that he may regret making. He's already done it once before (though he had no regrets about that lol).
So Adolin has all this built up anger directed at Dalinar, and one of these days he's just going to snap, just like with Sadeas. I sincerely doubt Adolin would just straight up kill his father like he did with Sadeas, but I do think Adolin is capable of making some sort of stupid decision directly in opposition to Dalinar, in affirmation of his Consequentialist beliefs. Whatever this is, will likely be Adolin's downfall.
WHAT MAKES THE IDEAL CHAMPION FOR ODIUM
I fully think the optimal opponent to Dalinar has to have a few things:
Significance to Dalinar that forces him to NOT want to kill the champion and challenges his Idealism (this is the most important one IMO--this is the real "heart and soul" of the contest)
The capability to actually beat Dalinar in a fight
Significance to the audience (aka us, the Readers)
SO NOW ON TO THE CANDIDATES
A Fused
OC being a random Fused would make sense somewhat, however, this choice would be awful since they wouldn't have any meaning to Dalinar or us the audience. I think a Fused as champion would be such a letdown personally.
2. A Herald
Again, this might make some sense and would be a very formidable foe, but it just doesn't provide the emotional stakes for Dalinar or the Reader. A Herald as OC would likely not challenge Dalinar's existing ideology as strongly as some of the other candidates here.
3. Gavilar
This would be interesting. Brother vs brother would definitely satisfy condition #1, and potentially #2 and #3 depending on how invested he is. Overall, this pick just isn't giving enough of anything for me to support it. I just think we haven't gotten any evidence for this other than a faint ambition of Gavilar to become immortal and just being an absolutely shitty human being.
I think its theorized that hes somehow still alive, but IDK, there's just not enough evidence presently...and Gavilar just coming out swinging from the spiritual realm would be so bizarre. I love the stakes it creates between Dalinar and his brother though!
4. Moash
Yes, Moash has done some shit and works for Odium, but I think the only way he makes sense as Odium's Champion is if Kaladin somehow becomes Honor's Champion.
5. Gavinor
Probaby one of the more popular OC theories presently, because of that one quote from the WoK epigraphs.
“I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw. ”
This quote is often attributed to the Gavinor theory because it mentions killing a child. However, Gavinor is not "a suckling child"--he's older than that.
I think Gavinor as OC perfectly satisfies the conflict between Taravangian and Dalinar. Killing Gavinor would challenge Dalinar's personal worldview and force him to submit to Taravangian's. There's no way Dalinar will kill a kid, simply because killing an innocent child is wrong and there's no way around that within the confines of Dalinar's Idealism. Gavinor would also be easy to trick into making some agreement with Odium.
The only problem is, Gavinor is a CHILD. Dalinar could easily kill him if he wanted, and I'm not sure if T would take that chance, even if it means having Dalinar submit in ideology. I feel like each Champion must have at least some understanding of the philosophies they represent... Dalinar for Idealism, and OC for Consequentialism. Gavinor would not understand his role and the stakes involved and thus, I believe it would cheapen the whole experience.
As Readers, we are somewhat familiar with Ganivor, but whether he lives or dies to us is more of a question for Dalinar and the plot, leaving us to feel indifferent. We don't know who this kid is, and we haven't spent enough time with him to be truly emotionally invested in his fate.
6. Adolin
Adolin perfectly satisfies point #1. There is no way Dalinar is going to be comfortable with the prospect of killing his very own child. He may flat-out refuse to fight him, which would consequently void the contract and release Odium into the Cosmere.
(Probably inconsequential but, vaguely, I think the "suckling child" epigraph could fit Adolin. He isn't a child, but he is Dalinar's own child, and we even got a flashback chapter in OB where Adolin was literally a suckling child...anyway.)
Based on Adolin's recent developments , I believe he could champion Consequentialism (he's already teetered on the edge of it before in conversation with Dalinar). To reiterate, he is clearly the type of person to do anything, including murder, to protect those he loves. I could see Adolin and Dalinar's present argument turning into some big philosophical conflict that they'd have to work out on the top of Urithiru. The point here is that Adolin would actually be representing Taravangian's philosophy as his Champion, as well as challenging Dalinar simply for being what he is.
#2 Adolin is the best duelist in the world, and according to Brandon, one of the best swordsmen he has written (excluding Lan and immortals who have unfair experience). Unlike Dalinar, Adolin is a "regular person" and doesn't use any form of outright investiture. Dalinar on the other hand, does not wield a shardblade, and only has his Bondsmith powers. The match-up would be interesting to say the least: all magic vs all "physical". Opposing in fighting style as well as opposing in philosophy. I also think Dalinar would have a hard time winning if Adolin decided to go all-out for whatever reason.
Odium is going to want to make sure that if the plan to ensure Dalinar refuses to kill his champion falls through, that OC will not be easy to kill. This way, there is no possible way that Dalinar can actually win the contest. Adolin is the only opponent to Dalinar that can truly create this no-win scenario, making him the ideal pick over all of the others.
And #3... Adolin means EVERYTHING to us, he has been so many characters' rock, and he's been so important to us as the Readers. He's made us laugh and cheer and cry. Being in such a difficult position would hit so many emotional levels. This duel between champions is the one event these first five novels have been building to...I think that it has to pack one of the biggest punches Brandon has ever delivered.
OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME SUSPECT
Adolin isn't a Radiant. He's free real estate
He has death flags all over the place. Adolin is the type of character who means everything to everyone around him--his death or corruption would be the perfect plot device to ruin everyone's day and all their days to follow. Whether or not he becomes OC, i sincerely doubt he will make it through WaT alive.
I forget where exactly this is mentioned, but in the text Adolin says he was born "under the sign of nine". The number nine is associated with Odium and the Unmade.
Adolin seems to be associated with an Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram (BAM), in some way. Shallan, Renarin and Rlain will be looking for BAM during WaT, which makes sense because they can see into the Spiritual Realm, where BAM resides. However, Shallan reported seeing BAM in Adolin's shadow, which felt like a very intentional detail from Brandon. Odium's Champion has been known to have nine shadows...and there are nine Unmade. The Unmade seem to have a connection with OC as well, such as the Thrill and Dalinar. Adolin has slowly been "reviving" his deadeye Maya, and BAM had some involvement with the ancient Knights Radiant killing their spren and the deadeyes. There's definitely going to be some connection there. We also know that Odium's Champion can be seen from the Spiritual Realm, where Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain are looking for BAM and Adolin will have some involvement. Lots of suspicious pieces of evidence surround this plotline that I haven't quite pieced together, but they're there.
I would also like to point out that ADOLIN IS THE ONLY MAIN CHARACTER WHO IS A DUELIST. I personally see it criminal that he wouldn't be involved in this "contest" in some way.
SO HOW WOULD IT EVEN HAPPEN
He could get into an argument with Dalinar and volunteer to prove a point.
Similar to the first one: Adolin could volunteer...with the intent of killing himself or letting Dalinar kill him. I personally think this is the most interesting of all these scenarios
All of Adolin's built-up anger towards Dalinar could simply make him more malleable/easily tricked
Odium forces him into making a deal by threatening his loved ones.
Odium or BAM convinces Adolin that serving the side of Honor will bring the downfall of civilization and his loved ones. I'm kinda thinking in a similar way that the ancient Radiants and their spren abandoned their oaths and rejected Honor...but the full story has yet to be revealed here (which may happen in WaT)
I do not think Adolin will suddenly just "turn bad". If he does become OC, it will be because he is trying to be heroic, to do what he sees is the "right thing" and put the end-goal above the means to get there. Adolin has had disagreements with his father but he still loves him. And I definitely think Adolin is the type to be self-sacrificial, to put himself in harms way to let his father, brother, wife, friends, and the world live in peace.
Whatever ends up happening or not happening, there needs to be a lot of character work going on with Adolin to actually get to any of these points!
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Obviously the problem with this whole theory is that it seems like Adolin is being set up to revive his shardblade, Maya, and become an Edgedancer. Personally, I think there's no room for Adolin to both become and Edgedancer and become OC. It feels like he's gotta go one way or the other.
So I'll just throw out some reasons why Adolin can't/shouldn't become a Radiant:
Every member of his family is a radiant--it's too redundant within the narrative.
Lift is our Edgedancer POV character, we don't really need another one.
Adolin works really well as a non-radiant
Even if Adolin revives Maya, does it necessarily mean that Maya will bond him and make him an Edgedancer?
Adolin is pretty expendable at the moment. What point is there to have him revive Maya with an unusual type of bond...just to die immediately?
To say the least, Adolin isn't a "journey before destination" kind-of person. He likely couldn't speak one of the most basic Radiant oaths.
Right now, Adolin-Edgedancer seems like a waaay more obvious path, which is why I'll say I am skeptical that it will actually happen the way we all think, especially since Adolin has this darkness within him that he still needs to address.
But, Adolin's train of thought does have a LOT of similarities to an Edgedancer's. He remembers those who have been forgotten--especially his mother and Maya. But you know who else "remembers the forgotten"? Yep, it's TOdium:
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Lets look at the WaT interludes. Here, Taravangian-Odium is literally remembering the the children who died in some forgotten country. He also refuses to forget his old self, Taravangian, and let the shard of Odium consume him.
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Note the similarity between the above passage and then the one below:
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Both Taravangian and Adolin say that they feel like they are the only ones willing and capable of making "hard decisions" in order to stop the danger. This is the "dark side" that an Edgedancer, or any Knight Radiant for that matter, could never have.
Let's also explore the possibility that if Adolin does revive Maya completely and finishes that arc, that she will actually side against the current Knights Radiant...
"We chose!" were Maya's infamous words during the trial at Lasting Integrity. This confirmed that the Radiants and their bonded spren at the Recreance both willingly chose to abandon their oaths. The full reasons why they abandoned their oaths are still somewhat unclear. The Stormfather once reflected that it was because the ancient Radiants and their spren thought that by forsaking their oaths they would be saving the world.
There's no reason to believe that a revived deadeye spren such as Maya would actually want to reinstate those oaths upon revival or support the current Radiants in their fight. Maybe they would even side with Odium? If Honor committed some serious enough offense to have the bonded spren collectively on-board for suicide, it's fair to guess that they still wouldn't have a good opinion of him to this day.
ADDENDUM
I wrote the majority of this post before WaT chapters 16-17-18, so I'd like to add some additional evidence stemming from recent developments.
Let's start with some further conflict build-up:
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Adolin takes this upon himself to fix this. Guess who also took it upon himself to save Kharbranth, who--only chapters ago--accepts the burden of saving everyone and fixing things?
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This particular paragraph feels...unusually vicious for Adolin? Also, notice how similar what Adolin describes Dalinar doing is to what he himself did. Hear how this sounds when we replace one word, and it sounds like it could be an angry Dalinar talking down to Adolin:
"You always barrel forward. Doing whatever you want. Consequences be storming damned. Like you did years ago, killing Sadeas. And you never bothered to tell me."
One point Dalinar was particularly angry with son about was the fact that Adolin did not tell him that he killed Sadeas.
Adolin is so, so much like his father..and the version of him described here that Brandon is drawing attention to is, worryingly, the Blackthorn--the previous champion of Odium. Father and son are both hypocrites, but how can we be certain that Adolin will become the better man in the end, like Dalinar?
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Interestingly, Adolin does recognize that perhaps his anger has gone too far. With the sheer amount of negative remarks out of Adolin this chapter, this felt like a welcome way of reeling in all of that. Yes he's mad, but he's not about to do something stupid...at least not now.
What I think Brandon is doing here is placing Adolin on this edge, where, to us, the character could swing one way or another--either Adolin gives in to his passion, or he learns to forgive his father. Teetering upon this edge, all Adolin needs is a push in the wrong direction (as Sadeas literally stated in WoR), and he can be brought to taking an extreme action. Again, this action doesn't need to be physically violent, but it will almost certainly be directed against Dalinar
WHY THOUGH?
Journey vs Destination is the heart of the first five books of the Stormlight Archive, and everything up until now has been leading to the infamous Contest of Champions. This duel doesn't need to be fought in a traditional sense with swords and sorcery, but what is important is that Dalinar and Taravangian's ideologies clash.
We understand Dalinar's side. Dalinar has a whole book about accepting the journey, growing to be a better person, and living his ideals.
We also understand Adolin's side. We probably cheered when Adolin "took out the trash" and killed Sadeas for the sake of protecting his family.
The point is that an Adolin vs Dalinar match-up will not just put the characters in conflict within the story, but it will also make the Reader stop and think about what they personally believe. With the contest painted in this way, both sides have perfectly valid points.
TO SUMMARIZE
Adolin is a Consequentialist, like TOdium
Adolin resembles an Edgedancer, but so does TOdium, so it could really swing either way. Plus maybe a revived Maya would side against Honor?
Adolin is pissed at his father, the alleged "Champion of Honor"
Adolin has a history of making rash decisions out when his anger reaches a breaking point
Adolin would be an ideal pick to challenge Dalinar's personal philosophy, he can hold his own in battle, and we care deeply about him...creating the perfect tragedy!
IN CONCLUSION
Adolin will be Odium's Champion, you heard it here!
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THE AFTERMATH
So what happens next? I've been thinking about this a bit. What can be done with Adolin's character in the back five books if he does survive but has to live with the consequences of his shitty choices?
Adolin's present conflict with his father seems to be rooted from Dalinar killing his mother, which Adolin says he can never forgive.
In the next five books, Adolin is placed in Dalinar's shoes. Maybe at this point he regrets his decision, has to repair the damage he caused, and learns to forgive himself in the same way his father did (also--finally--forgiving his father in the process).
I really hope Adolin lives and gets to have his drink with Kaladin in Shallan. Maybe in Stormlight 10, they do get that ending :)
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anmaje · 8 months ago
Text
S&Co Sherlock recommended Vivaldi to John and I Lost My Mind
The fact that our Sherlock Holmes recommended Vivaldi to John so suddenly and apruptly is something SO personal! When I read a transcript of the mailbag episode (thank you @eardefenders ) I could NOT stop thinking about it, and have been listening to his many wonderful concertos since. I work in a church choir and am therefore somewhat classically trained, I have also played violin for many years as a child, and still do at times, so allow me to go on a geeky tirade about Antonio Vivaldi and Sherlock's understanding of John.
🎻🌱🌻🍂❄
In the second mailbag episode, a question is asked "If you could make a Spotify playlist for eachother of your own favourite songs, what would some of the highlights be [...] ?"
John answers with the rockband Elbow, who use orchestra and especially strings in their music. Which is why he recommends it to armature violinist Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock says that he would probably never make such a playlist, as he wouldn't find the task fulfilling, but he has an epiphany and IMMEDIATELY interrupts himself, not even finishing his sentence, and he simply says "Vivaldi". I have not heard the delivery of this line(cause I'm poor ✌), but the fact that the answer falls to him so suddenly and it simply MUST leave him immediately so John hears is delicious characterisation. Sherlock also answers with pop, as John likes popculture (a somewhat less personal answer, but still very considerate).
After another question it is established that Vivaldi isn't even a favourite of Sherlock's. He much prefers Mozart, Bach(I will come back to Bach) and Tchaikovsky.  Now Sherlock is a violinist, so there is no way he has escaped the genius of Antonio Vivaldi, like he's escaped pop. And so this recommendation is really because he feels John would like it.
But why does Sherlock think that? What would John Watson, a middle class everyman, like about Vivaldi?
Let me tell you:
When we analyse the symbolic meaning of instrumental classical(in this case baroque) music, we often look at the biography of the composer (Vivaldi gives us a little more to work with, which I will return to). I will start here. Antonio Vivaldi of Venice was taught the violin by his father and was ordained at 25 but didn't work as a priest for long due to illness. He instead became a violin teacher and composer. (Who else do we know that took up a very respected line of work but ended up where his father did? Why John Watson of course!) Vivaldi taught abandoned girls at an orphanage for more than 30 years, and saw immense potential in them and their education. The most talented of the girls stayed into adulthood as a part of their renowned orchestra and choir. He wrote most of his music for these girls and women to perform. He also took the talented singer Anna Tessiseri Giro and her sister under his wing, and Anna became his protégé. What a great guy! Supporting the talents of young women! Of course John would love him.
Going into Vivaldi's musical genius, we have to talk about baroque music. Vivaldi left a huge mark on the late baroque period. Especially the form of concertos which I won't bore you with (🤓), but also the general style of the period. That style is characterised by grand ornamentation (like the baroque in general), driving movement (in rythm) and contrast such as ascending and descending notes. All this produces beautiful an grand pieces. Additionally, Vivaldi used melodic  repetition(his critics say too much), which is what gets the new hit pop song stuck in our heads. Something our John is very prone to suffer under. Vivaldi also took a narrative approach to music. Not only through his many operas, but also in his concertos. Everyone knows his Four Seasons, whether you want to or not. He wrote four concertos, one for each season, and for each season there was an accompanying sonnet(which he presumably wrote). These concertos and sonnets depict both the gentleness and wrath of nature, all beautiful. But also people: herders, shepherds, drunk peasants celebrating the harvest and hunters. These are working people that Vivaldi chose to portray. John has a working class background, despite his social climb, he still shares most empathy with these people. Of course he would enjoy a celebration of their troubles and joys throughout the year.
Now back to Bach. A baroque man that Sherlock enjoys. The baroque ends with Bach, that is atleast what I've been taught. All of the period leads up to him. His complicated polyphonic(2 or more lines of melody at once) pieces are iconic and definitive of the period. And who inspired J. S. Bach? Well Vivaldi of course! Bach adapted several of Vivaldi's works and quoted him directly in his own compositions. Bach used bigger orchestras and different instruments (organ and harpsichord as he played them himself) and his works are generally more complicated than Vivaldi's Italian one-melody-centric works, but Bach is the metaphorical student! And Sherlock must absolutely be aware of this.
To me reading the mailbag episode, Sherlock started out uninterested, but the question had him think through his favourites. All complicated and very much not to John's tastes. But when thinking of Bach he went back to Vivaldi, which you must, and he is different. Vivaldi the sick priest, Vivaldi the teacher, the life long supporter of young womens' and abandoned girls' careers. Creative Vivaldi, Vivaldi the storyteller, which John is also. Vivaldi who celebrates nature and the dramatic lives of incredibly normal working people. Vivaldi and his repetitive melodies, although not in Sherlock's taste, fits John's so well. Vivaldi who inspired Bach. John who inspires Sherlock. ❤🎻
Tirade over! Thank you for reading. If you want to listen to some of Vivaldi's work I recommend The Four Seasons and a spot near a window with a suitable drink for the weather in your part of the world. For Bach you might want to look up whether your local church/music school holds concerts or similar events where Bach features, organ is a thousand times better live (if not, stick to his piano or string work).
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