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biblically-accurate-dca · 2 months

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full breakdown of the daycare attendant's color scheme & minor design details throughout their apperances

bc im mentally ill abt them lol

warning: this is a very long post and will probably only interest a very specific audience of people

3d model

(source)

their body follows the pattern of having a "primary" color, a "secondary" color, and an "accent" color. this pattern shows up for all of their apperances.

the primary color is the one applied to the crescent moon on their face, the right half of their torso, the upper half of their forearms, the middle "in between" sections of their fingers, and their legs.

the secondary color is the one applied to the other half of their face, and the other half of their torso.

the accent color is applied to their lower forearm, their palm, and their finger tips.

sun's color scheme is a pale tan color(primary), a light orange color(secondary), and a light grey(accent). notably, sun's 3d model's palms are colored with their primary color instead of their secondary.

moon's colors are a pale white, a blueish black, and bright dark blue respectively. also the white of their upper arm fades out into the blue of their lower arm before ending at the elbow, but this doesn't show up on sun's arm. (also also, moon's eyebrow & eyelash are colored in with their secondary color, while sun's isn't colored in at all.)

the buttons on their chest tend to fall more in line with the main colors of their clothes, except for moon's 3d model which is their body's secondary color instead.

nothing major to say about their clothes, so here's a thought about their color schemes: even though moon shares a lot of colors with sun (red, orange, and yellow), sun's design doesn't have any of moon's blue. (though sometimes sun is shown with blue eyes? so who knows.)

their ruffles and ribbons all tend to stay the same color (red), all except for the ruffles on moon's neck which turn blue. this is a consistent detail throughout all of their designs.

their little elf shoes are orange and stay the same color regardless of which form they're in. there's a crescent moon on the inner facing side and a star on the outer side. the crescent moon's two pointy parts(?) are pointed towards their heel.

i will not talk too much about their head/face, but here are some details that are different in other iterations: their eyes do not move, sun's rays cannot rotate and can only move inwards and outwards, and moon's hat goes over their forehead.

also their ribbons have no physics in this game LOL

concept art

(source)

covering this first because the general color scheme and the placement of those colors is nearly identical to their in game model (albeit with brighter, more saturated colors). the overall design is also highly similar, but with a few notable discrepancies:

one major detail that's different in all their drawn iterations is that their torso is one solid piece instead of two separate parts like it is with their 3d models.

moon's arm gradient is still present on their concept art, however sun now has a lighter colored gradient on the end of their arm to match moon's coloration! (this could always be shading but it feels too specific for this to be the case). (also, moon's arms, fingertips, and stars seem to almost glow? which is potentially what their unused emission textures are based off of.)

sun's palms are colored grey! also, the middle sections of moon's fingers are colored dark grey on the concept art (pretty much everything with their primary color is colored like this ((except their face)), but it's probably just due to shading this time since it's not present anywhere else but here.

they seem to have a little circular panel near where their arm bends that isn't present on their 3d model. same with a rectangular panel on their leg.

their clothes, ribbons, and shoes are mostly the same except for a couple small things: moon's pants have faint lines on them to match sun's, their shoes have no symbols on them, and the bit of ribbon on the ends of their pants is colored yellow instead of red. (also moon's shoes are colored darker.)

their face has a lot of notable differences too, but one of the biggest ones is that they have no left cheek! their grin stretches a lot farther up on that side of their face because of this (they have no lips on that side of their face either!). the circular indent on their cheek is colored in on sun's face, their eyes aren't being squished by their cheeks anymore, and they also have a lot more teeth (which don't stretch into the corners of their mouth, and are colored differently than the rest of their face.) lastly, they share the same color for their eyebrow and eyelash!

official art work

something important to note is that all of the dca's (current) official art will have this color scheme and all of the same details due to them either being drawn by the same artist, or because all other current official artwork of them is based off of this design and/or the concept art. (any and all additional artwork i mention can actually be found on their wiki page, but i'll link to it here if i feel it's important.)

one of the most notable details of their official art is that their accent color has been changed to a light grey color for both of them (albeit slightly warmer or colder to match their respective color schemes). though, interestingly enough, moon's palms (similarly to sun's 3d model) are colored with their primary color instead, despite both designs having this detail in the concept art.

additionally, something that was changed from the sketch for this drawing, is that (like their concept art) their shoes lack the little symbols on them, and the ribbon tied on the end of their pants was colored yellow instead of red. something that wasn't changed though is their lack of a left cheek.

moon's button aren't visible here, but other artworks (such as their claw machine artwork) show them as a blue color to match with sun's red.

sun's arm still has the little circular panel near their elbow that can be found on their concept art.

their face has a lot of similar details to their concept art, while still being stretchy and cartoony. they have a lot more craters spread around their face, and sun has consistently been shown to have a chipped tooth... it's cute.

before i move on, i'd like to talk a little bit about their various eye colors! there are several instances of sun with golden colored eyes (e.g. this drawing here, their in game plush, their claw machine art, their piñata from ruin, their actual design from ruin, and an exclusive design from steelwool's store.), while there are only two instances of sun with blue eyes (the sunnydrop candy poster and their icon on the daycare pass).

moon's eye color (when their eyes aren't just... closed) tends to just be red, but there are still a few instances of them with a blue right eye (their plush and piñata, with their claw machine art's eyes being entirely blue).

there's actually even a few specific instances of their eyes being black (their 3d model, the golden moon plush, and the golden sun plush... however that one is more brown than black.)

there's also that one book cover of moon with the pink spiral eyes but that was more of a one off thing.

ruin

this is where my bitching session starts

very noticeably, their eyes move around in this game. did they finally get the glitter glue out of their eyes after the earthquake or something? does no one care about their dead fish eye swag...

speaking of eyes it's actually kind of lame they have yellow eyes instead of blue. the blue eyes actually have some additional meaning to them when you consider moon, but the yellow eyes are just... well, they're already super yellow. what makes them so special. make moon's eyes yellow for a change.

ok actually relevant: they use a mix of both sun and moon's primary colors, while using exclusively moon's secondary colors... both of their accent colors are used too with sun's on their right and moon's on their left.

suddenly their unused emission textures decide to join the party... this was a weird decision for them to make when those textures weren't even visible before. but ok.

all things considered they're actually not even that damaged. the most major damage is to their outer casing and their leg... like, compared to the others this is pretty good? even compared to the original shattered animatronics this is good??

wait is their hat just sitting on the very top of their head? is that because of the rays? are they holding it up? why was this a thing that was changed.

hw2

ok well the hat is even farther back now. what the hell. why

iirc their eyes don't noticeably move around as much as they do in ruin, but they do still move around sometimes (iirc they spin around after sun's cartwheel?) which i guess is fine. whatever. im the only bitch who would care about this anyway

they nerfed moon's ultra bright high beam eyes in this one... sad!

this is such a non problem but sometimes (especially in sb) when you shine a light on moon their pants have this little purple shaded section on the inner thigh parts and it looks. weird. in this picture it's not visible due to the shaders but it's very noticable in the daycare section of sb when you get a good look at them with the flashlight.

actually you ever realize how their design literally makes no sense whatsoever. how does their casing change color, and why is their coloring so inconsistent between the two without visibly affecting the other? how do their CLOTHES change color like that?? where the hell does the hat come from??? why do specifically and only the neck ruffles change color???? where do their pupils come from????? i will stop talking about this now

jack o' moon

they do have moon's color patterns, they're just shifted around a little. they even sort of have the lack of a texture on the sun rays that moon's model has! but this time it's actually intentional.

their face has the world's shittiest paint job which i think is really funny. i guess it does sort of look like a pumpkin yeah.

idk how the hell their glowing mouth overlay works but it's certainly a thing they have. the glowing eyes are also pretty cool looking admittedly. and the insides of their eyebrow, eyelash, and craters glow a little bit too.. that's cute.

the ruffles on their neck and waist, and the ribbons around the bottom of their pants are green, while the ribbons around their wrists are purple (but a small part of the ribbon on their right wrist is still red)? their shoes are similarly purple.

potato sack pants ♡ it's a really good part of the whole look actually

basically their design is like if bbw eclipse was stupid. but like in a funny and endearing way WAIT ACTUALLY SPEAKING OF THAT

balloon world eclipse

bitching session is officially OVER

first off: sun's faces! so the first face very obviously takes inspiration from their in game artwork while still having the general face shape for their regular look. the scattered look of the craters on their face and the color of their eyebrow reflect this as well. sun doesn't have their trademark chipped tooth but overall it's a very nice look and it serves it's purpose very well.

since sun's 2nd face and moon's are the same i'll go over them both here... this look is very much based off of their concept art look! but it's more noticable in the shape of their eyes and the way their teeth are drawn this time, because they actually do have a left cheek... but the corner of their mouth still stretches up the same way it does when they don't have one! also, the base color for moon's eye is a little purple here which is always fun.

now ECLIPSE... brightly lit yellow eyes with red flickering pupils... the light being pushed out between the cracks of their teeth... a menacing color scheme too dark for sun but too bright for moon... the faint color of the illuminated crescent moon hidden inside the darkness of their face... their complete and utter lack of a left cheek because it never got added onto this sprite... this is PEAK eclipse design

also, this isn't about their design but i edited these sprites for something a while back and noticed that some of the pixels were just ever so slightly off color? which leads me to believe this was done in a regular art program not made for pixel art, and that whoever made these isn't super experienced with it.. however that honestly just adds to the charm for me. i really love these sprites.

harvest moon

oh mmy god look at it

#my post #daycare attendant #dca fandom #sundrop #sunnydrop #moondrop #this is the cumulative effort of an entire year of hyperfixation on absolutely useless shit #do lmk if i missed something!! i had to rewrite half of this post cause tumblr didn't save my draft -_-

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despair-nagito · 6 months

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Because some people need to understand it

I'm posting this because I'm bored of seeing people (including part of KmHn shippers) saying that KomaHina is "problematic", "abusive" or "toxic" and treating it like if it was canon while it isn't.

KomaHina isn't a "problematic" or "toxic" ship. Unlike some people are stating (probably due to their headcanons, misunderstanding or in result of completely ignoring Komaeda), Hinata and Komaeda's canon relationship wasn't abusive. Their canon relationship is complicated but not abusive. You're allowed to headcanon them as having an abusive/toxic relationship but stop pushing it down other shippers' throats because according to canon they had lots of misunderstandings towards each other AND they wanted to understand each other better. They both cared about each other. Seriously, a complicated relationship of two (or more) characters doesn't make it problematic in any way. Problematic is one thing and complicated is another (both can overlap but not always and their relationship is an example for a complicated but not problematic one).

KOMAEDA

Komaeda wasn't a yandere or dorodere. He didn't want Hinata exclusively for himself. He didn't hurt anyone Hinata was close to (oh, wait, he didn't have any friends, everyone was remembering Hinata when they wanted something from him or just were some programmed AI but still it doesn't change the fact he didn't try to separate Hinata from the rest). On the contrary. He asked Hinata to kill him so he would get a chance to escape. He never tried to make Hinata believe the same way as him. He wasn't selfish. Do you remember Komaeda telling Hinata that he's in love with him? Before the fourth class trial he tells Hinata: "why do I care about you?" His confession is the answer why he cared about him. (remember: FTEs are canon what is explicitly showed in the case of locking Imposter's last FTE until Island Mode and locking Komaeda's scenes if Hinata didn't spend time with him during the first day). Komaeda wasn't obsessive about Hinata, he simply wanted to help the one he loved. He said that just the fact of their eyes meeting was enough to make him happy.

His jokes shouldn't be taken seriously. He was literally making no idea that it could be taken as an offense while it wasn't his goal to offend anyone and he was making no idea when someone was offending him ("winning personality? Are you praising me?")

He will be happy

After completing the Final Dead Room, Komaeda says: "he will be happy! I was finally useful!" what obviously refers to Hinata. To it, he was shocked about learning that Hinata was a reserve course student.

You aren't the traitor, are you, Hinata-kun?

There's an optional interaction in Chapter 5 after Komaeda's announcement of staying at the restaurant. If you go back there and interact with him, he's surprised and then says: "people like you will be devoured by them" (not an exact quote) what could mean he learned about his actual identity as Kamukura and was warning him but there's also a possibility he remembered the situation from before the program of him and Kamukura talking (Kamukura is Hinata so he could easily match both appearances).

HINATA

Do you want Hinata's side? Here you are: Hinata never hated Komaeda. He even wanted to forgive him after learning about him being terminally ill (I'll go back to this part later in the post) and just was confused like everyone else but unlike the rest he knew the real Komaeda – that traumatized, terminally ill guy and the thing Hinata wanted was to understand him. In chapter 4 when Komaeda tells Hinata that he "played" Russian Roulette Hinata is worried and shouts: "you could die!" Later, in chapter 5 after they force-opened the doors Hinata was scared to the point he couldn't move and later he was refusing to accept the fact Komaeda was dead. During the investigation when Hinata for the first and only time enters Komaeda's cottage, "All Star Apologies" is playing in the background when Hinata wonders what Komaeda was thinking and doing when he was still alive – he never was so deep in thoughts after someone's death as after Komaeda's death.

In the morning after the trial when he's informed about Komaeda's last will he's full of determination what is seen only if you interact with Komaeda's cottage. In chapter 6 when Hinata is reading about hope he says to himself that Komaeda's hope was the real hope. He wouldn't think it if he hated Komaeda. The ultimate confirmation of Hinata not hating Komaeda is SDR2.5 that was written by Kodaka (I'm mentioning it because DR3 wasn't) and you can see Hinata doing everything to wake Komaeda up of comatose. In the ending there was a party on a ship and they weren't participating in it. They were standing together away from the rest.

Is Komaeda's ghost whispering to you?

It's possible you don't remember this part because it happened during the class trial. It shows perfectly that though Hinata was trying to deny the feelings he had to Komaeda, he couldn't stop thinking about his wish to understand him.

ISLAND MODE

It's also interesting to take a look at Island Mode that is an alternative plot. It's full of Hinata caring about Komaeda and shows him being interested in him in a romantic way. Just see Komaeda's ending. Hinata is kind of disappointed when Komaeda stops and asks: "will you be my friend?" but later they're holding hands and it's not the only time they were doing that. They were also hand-holding two times in SDR2.5 and in UTDP once. If there wasn't comphet, they would obviously become a couple in Komaeda's ending because their relationship was developing in the most natural way in comparison to the rest (they actually were attracted to each other and Komaeda was never forcing Hinata to anything, and vice versa).

WHICH "DERE" KOMAEDA IS?

Going back to the part about Komaeda being ill. He's the perfect example of byoukidere – a character who's usually sweet but suffers of an illness. Komaeda was very sweet to Hinata but there were moments when symptoms of him being sick were appearing, "twisting" him (do you remember when Komaeda started "rambling about hope" and when he snapped out he was making no idea what was going on?) There was also a very important moment during Chapter 3 where he almost died of despair disease. Without following his FTE you won't understand why was his condition so bad. It was also the moment when Hinata was openly worried about Komaeda. Komaeda is also an utsudere. He was traumatized, suicidal and was initially masking it (he was taking the mask off while talking to Hinata).

"IT'S NOT CANON AND NEVER WILL BE"

Them being a couple is heavily implied by canon but it doesn't make them a canon ship. Yet, there's something that IS canon. They were attracted to each other in a romantic way and seriously, you don't need them to kiss on screen. Look at the scene above. If there was nothing between them, they wouldn't spend time like that when the rest was throwing a party. In my opinion, this is the moment of them being the closest to each other in the whole series. Sure, Hinata looks nervous but it can be easily explained by the fact that he was next to someone he "liked" while knowing the other person "likes" him back and Komaeda… Well, Komaeda is Komaeda.

»Click here« to read an anonymous comment to the post.

Update: 7.12 2023

#danganronpa #danganronpa 2 #nagito komaeda #hajime hinata #komahina #hinakoma #spoilers #comship #proship #proshipper #danganronpa proship

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spicyvampire · 2 months

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Okay so after the whole Sakuna/Wansarut and Phaya/Tharn "characters description" fighter (protector)/healer+protector(mediator) post, now imma talk about about our resident Snake (PhD), Doctor Chalothorn being a fighter and well how do you convince a fighter to not fight?

I've already made a whole gifset about this but I needed to put the stuff into words cuz u just can't say everything in a gifset so this post is gonna be about a few things, first of all, the way Charlothorn's goals shifted in the last 2 episodes, from wanting to kill Phaya so he can have Tharn, to wanting to save Tharn and Phaya's end not really mattering anymore, and second of all Tharn's role in this shift and where have we saw something similar to this shift before aka Wansarut and Sakuna and how Wansarut even did that

Same disclaimer as the last one applies : pulling this out of my ass from watching the show, these are raw out-of-order thoughts, ill try my best to separate but like the last post because I'm going to have to go back and forth between Wansarut (love of my life, talking about Wansarut has to be my favorite activity rn), Sakuna, Tharn (smooching him smooching him), Phaya and Chalothorn this might get hard to follow but hey that's what it's like inside my brain so welcome to the mess

Putting it under keep reading

So like I said in the last post, Chalothorn is a fighter, like you can't get more fighter than this, the man is literally the prince/ruler of Nagas and he is right in the middle of the battle field anytime there is a fight to be had, and like I said in Sakuna's part of the post he is a level that can probably can only be rivaled by Sakuna's brother, you can't be a higher level of Naga fighter from what I understand, so like how do you fight this man if you are Wansarut and Sakuna? (ep. 8)

Keep in mind that : the answer is that they never were supposed to fight Chalothorn

SCENARIO 1 : Chalothorn wins

This is what we've seen in the show, Sakuna/Wansarut/Phaya/Tharn would never win against him in a fight because they just aren't strong enough to began with, Sakuna and his Garuda were not Chalothorn's level when he was alive, Wansarut is a healer/protector not a fighter, Phaya can only do ✨Sparkles✨ of Garuda powers as of rn and while Tharn can do some powerful protecting he is of the gang the person who is the less in contact with his past and magical self (other than for protecting Phaya magic, we have not even seen his Naga in this lifetime) and also his past self wasn't even a fighter, so it makes sense that Chalothorn just keep killing them and every single one of their reincarnations, he kills them so much that it was destroying his own soul (ep. 8) because surprise he is getting affected by the little cyclic karma thingy they got going on too, this isn't just about Wansarut/Sakuna and PhayaTharn, Chalothorn is trapped in this shit too

Clearly fighting is not the answer, because even if you win, which Chalothorn has been doing a lot of, you still lose, Chalothorn is losing control of his Naga form, not only does it destroy his soul (ep. 8) but he might just not be able to turn into his human form anymore aka would be forced to be a Naga forever (ep. 9)

Another lost of this is that he keeps losing Wansarut and having to wait for the cycle to start again so he would get another chance, like the level of psychological damage getting done to him because he kills the one he loves and he is always left behind alone to wait is enough to drive anybody insane (ep. 11)

And I think that's one of the reasons why it took him so long to understand that he should let Wansarut/Tharn go, because when you do something so despicable and keep doing it over and over again you have to justifies your bad actions to yourself so you don't break and the more you justifies them the harder it becomes to see clearly through them, so you just keep doing it, like Chalothorn probably hates himself more than he even hates Phaya or love Tharn at this point because he keeps killing reincarnations of Wansarut, like this is his reaction to killing Wansarut the first time, falling to his knees screaming and everything (ep. 8), the cognitive dissonance in that man's brain must be insane

SCENARIO 2 : Phaya wins

Now let's imagine for a second there that they did win, Phaya succeeded in killing Charlothorn, and then what? Isn't Charlothorn just gonna reincarnate and come back for them again? Like yes it might take some times but it will happen, and then Phaya and Tharn would be the one destroying their souls and making their karma worst, that's just not a solution

Also we saw with Narong's case part of the show that "victim turned attacker" is not the answer (anyways that's what the show says), when Tharn and Phaya are talking to the abbot at the end of episode 5 the abbot keep repeating that over and over again killing is not the answer

When Phaya Says "Those victims are left with no choice but to fight back in order to survive. They have to kill." The abbot answers "The basic code of moral conducts for human beings like us is the 5 precepts. One should be abstained from killing other living beings. These precepts can bring peace and happiness to your family and the society. Undertaking the 5 precepts will benefit not only yourself but also the people around you." Basically straight up telling them that [not killing] is the only answer that will bring peace to everyone

Also so many parallels can be made between Narong and Chalothorn (which is probably why it was easy for Chalothorn to possess Narong to attack Phaya but let's not get into that), because like isn't this Chalothorn? (ep. 5)

His mind is so clouded by anger and wanting to kill Phaya and getting Tharn that he is obsessed with it, he literally do not see anything else, specially if Phaya is in the room and/or mentioned, like I said a bit higher in this post, he hates Phaya, but he probably hates himself too, and so much hate and anger just blinds people

Also sidenote that I'm not really gonna dive into : How do you think Tharn would feel about Phaya killing Chalothorn, knowing what u know about him? like Tharn loves Chalothorn as a friend, and that's even if Chalothorn is responsible for all the bad things in his life (ep. 12)

Tharn may be looking at Chalothorn saying this but he said "Please stop killing each other." he could not be more clearly talking to both of them, he doesn't want Chalothorn to kill Phaya but he also doesn't want Phaya to kill Chalothorn

SCENARIO 3 : Tharn Wins

Now lemme say this, you can literally never convince a fighter by fighting him, like if you've ever had a fight/argument with someone you know that you cannot reach a compromise in the heat of the fight when everyone is angry and losing the control of their emotions, it just doesn't work, but what does work in the context of the show?

Wansarut and Sakuna

And now I'm back to Wansarut (<3<3<3<3<3<3) and Sakuna because well Wansarut did change a fighter's mind before already, this is part of Wansarut's power that's why I also describe Wansarut as a mediator, and what did Wansarut do exactly?

Well Wansarut healed Sakuna, even if he is from the enemy side, and took care of him and acted in a way that was protective of him, even if again Sakuna is an enemy of Wansarut's people (literally brother of the Garuda king) because that Wansarut's character, Wansarut is a healer/a protect/a mediator that's how Wansarut fights (ep. 8)

Then Wansarut tough Sakuna about Naga culture (Naga offering and breathing fire to pay respect to Buddha, on the 15th nigh of the 11th waxing moon)

And while being in love with each other did facilitate this change of view in Sakuna (which would later turn him a bit into a protector of Wansarut), you really do not need to be for this to work, like the best way to change people views on some things truly is just to expose them to the thing from the POV of the people living it, when nobody is in any immediate danger

And that is exactly how Tharn succeeded in convincing Chalothorn that the love between Phaya and him is good, by being there for Chalothorn and taking care of him, and being patient, until Chalothorn was ready to let him go on his own, not in the heat of of fight when everyone is angry and putting the blame on each other, which was again so healer/ protector/mediator of him like I talked about in my other post

Tharn and Chalothorn : the final

So with Wansarut and Sakuna we saw how Tharn could change Chalothorn's mind and what really does work, now imma dive into the last 2 episodes of this show aka the shift in Chalothorn

So in episode 6, Chalothorn says this

And at that time I think those words were true cuz that's literally what he has been doing isn't it? Like everytime he lost, both Wansarut and Sakuna's reincarnations died, so he was "okay" with killing Wansarut, as long as it meant that Sakuna was also dead and they weren't together (crazy way to fight cognitive dissonance if you ask me) but then something changed around episode 11 because Chalothorn started saving Tharn even if Phaya was still alive? (Ep. 11) (ep.12)

The importance of Chalothorn saving Tharn those 2 times, is that 1) now Tharn knows what the fuck is going on and 2) (like I said in the other post) Tharn end up understanding that Chalothorn can be talked too and reasoned with (the abbot would call it enlightenment), because in that 2nd saving he told Chalothorn to not kill Montee, and Chalothorn listened

Sidenote : Wansarut also did tell Chalothorn to not kill Sakuna and Chalothorn did listen that time too, like Wansarut has a BIG influence on this man (wish we saw their relationship before the mess), the only reason why the fight did continue was because Sakuna did not let Wansarut go

Why did he listen then? because he loves Wansarut, it really is as simple as that, and that's why he also listened to Tharn with Montee, because our chronically involuntary celibate man is head over dick for Tharn (valid and relatable)

So remember when I was talking about cognitive dissonance and stuff, well by ep 12, Chalothorn cannot justifies killing Tharn anymore, he is tired, he is turning into a Naga, and he cannot stand seeing another reincarnation of Wansarut die again, but most importantly he cannot stand to see Tharn die by his own hands

It's easy to concentrate on Phaya's distress in this scene but Chalothorn is in as much distress as Phaya, you can hear Chalothorn's voice break when Tharn is dying in both Phaya and his arms after asking them to stop killing each other, they are both screaming Tharn's name, and this time Chalothorn just listen because this is too much, his hatred for Phaya is just not important anymore, killing Phaya is just not as important anymore because anyways Tharn did choose him didn't he? isn't that what he wanted? even if Tharn clearly is in love with Phaya, Tharn did choose to come with him, so in a way none of this shit even fucking matters anymore

So for the 3rd time, he saves Tharn, this time by literally giving Tharn his soul so he would live (wish we saw him breaking down over Tharn dying in his arms in the Naga caves until he ended up giving Tharn his soul tbh), Chalothorn chooses to save a life instead of ending one and thus ending the curse on his part

#the sign the series #the sign #mjtag #tagging you mj cuz u liked my chalothorn gifset so you might like this #hope this makes sense i kinda did not re-read after i was done writing it #my only critic of this show is that i needed them to huminaze chalothorn more #by showing me wansarut interacting with chalothorn before the whole sakuna situation #and also by showing me chalothorn crying/breaking down/panicking over Tharn dying in his arms in the Naga caves #until he decides to just give Tharn his soul #this show needed to be 14 episodes SO bad #i ended up not putting my critic in this cuz it was just too long #but what i just said in the tag is basically it my critic is that it needed to be 14 episodes #i can elaborate in an ask if asked about it #anyways this show really makes my psychology and character lover brain tingle

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pet-pet-peet · 11 months

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Can I’m have the dorm leaders x male reader who have a rare sickness that let him only eat desserts nothing else vegetables meat fruits nothing if he eat will appear strange stain on his skin and start to spill blood over his mouth headcanons

Omg I wish I could eat desserts all the time..

Also, I casually involve Sam because honestly he’s a cutie and no one gives him attention

I am trying to go through my drafts and post the ones I had done, this will not be inspired by canon!

Tw: Description of prior mentioned food sickness/allergic reaction like symptoms

Pairing(s): Riddle, Leona, Azul, Kalim, Vil, Idia, Malleus x male reader who can only eat desserts (separate)

𝕽𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖑𝖊

He thinks it’s a bit odd that you eat so many sweets all the time, surely it isn’t good for you!

He holds an intervention over dinner, where he serves you a healthy dinner for any other human

You look at it, then deny it while you listen to his concerns, which makes him sigh and keep explaining his concern

You tell him about the illness you have, that there’s no way for you to eat anything else, and he seems to understand..kind of?

He definitely asks a lot of questions, since he’s never heard of the such before; but when he’s satisfied, he’ll make sure you have a healthy amount of sweets at your disposal

𝕷𝖊𝖔𝖓𝖆

He’s very confused, but he doesn’t mention it at all; not until he notices that you deny any other food

He’ll ask Ruggie to bring some for you every now and then, and you end up just giving it away to someone else all the time

He’ll ask you why you deny literally everything that doesn’t have a sugar content, and you tell him pretty plainly that you can’t eat anything other than sweets

He doesn’t really do anything about it after, figuring that if you were lying about it you would cause it to backfire on you eventually

Accepts it more once he notices you don’t have any long-term effects, and you seem to be very healthy so he doesn’t care

𝕬𝖟𝖚𝖑

He’s been through a lot in regards to his weight, so he’s a bit cautious about calories and the kind of food he eats

He’ll probably think you weren’t being very honest with him..so he blended a bunch of stuff together that had nutrients and proteins he thought you needed

The poor thing was so scared when you started coughing blood, and when your skin started swelling and turning red-

Desperate, he takes you to Sam in hopes that he has some sort of cure or remedy in stock; luckily, he did

He apologizes profusely and promises he won’t do anything like that again, getting you all of the sweets you can eat to make it up to you

𝕶𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖒

He never questions you and accepts it at face value, he trusts you completely!

He makes sure the kitchen has all the ingredients necessary to make you whatever dessert or sweet you want to try or that you like

Makes you new desserts to try that he grew up with in the land of Scalding Sands, he likes being able to see how you react to them

Always has a dessert table just for you during his parties

Fine tunes his ability to sniff out poison for anything you can’t eat, too, as an extra precaution

𝖁𝖎𝖑

He’s very sus, but he’ll roll with it if it makes you happy and as long as you don’t seem to be crumbling in front of him

He does at one point do an oopsie, as he’s under the assumption that anything with sugar is okay for you to eat

So he decides to make an extra amount of his morning smoothie, just so he can share it with you!

He also panics, drops his smoothie all over everything when you cough out blood and swell up

Sam coming in clutch again to help a dying boyfriend due to his poor, distraught boyfriend’s mistake

𝕴𝖉𝖎𝖆

He doesn’t question you, either, just shrugs and says he’s fine with it since it’s how it is

He’ll try to do research on it when he can, though; it’s hard to find a lot because of how rare the disease is

He makes sure to keep snacks for you stored in his room when you pull all-nighters together

Might do some research into different desserts you’ve been wanting to try, then asks Trey if he can make them for you

Very supportive, especially since it gives him an excuse to stock up on candy

𝕸𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖚𝖘

He’s actually surprised; it’s very rare for him to meet someone with a condition he’s never heard of!

Might ask Lilia if he knows anything about it, but that’s an accidental curse as it influences the old fae to start cooking for you-

He likes to eat ice cream with you! It’s his favorite food, and it’s something you can indulge in together

Likes trying your favorite foods, some of them he’s new to since they’re not in the Valley of Thorns

His highlight is always when he’s able to sit under the stars with you, some sort of dessert in both of your hands; it lets him feel like a kid again

#twisted wonderland #twst #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #kalim al asim #kalim al asim x reader #vil schoenheit #vil schoenheit x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader

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ferretwhomst · 9 months

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NICE my post got two notes anyways here's my thoughts on the pines fam handling over/understimulation as a neurodivergent and mentally ill family in my own personal canon

putting this under a readmore again because uhhh as always with my headcanons there's a lot and it'll probably be annoying to scroll thru over and over

if anyone else has any thoughts about this feel free 2 add onto this post <3 <3 <3 would love to hear it!!!!! ^_^

starting off with mabel, obviously she CRAVES stimulation so so badly and is constantly looking for something new to do, to the point where her default state is Slightly Overstimulated. i figure she also struggles with emotional dysregulation (even worse because mabel is literally just a kid and isnt equipped to handle heightened emotions with grace just yet sdfjjds) and she absolutely canNOT be understimulated or else she will explode the ENTIRE state of oregon. however a couple too many unpleasant sounds or textures or tastes at once and her entire day is ruined- well, it's not really, but it sure feels like it at the time. she starts angry crying and hitting things and only really calms down when she is completely separated from whatever was upsetting her or vice versa (her threshold for the amount of overstimulation she can handle before snapping probably lowers Significantly post-weirdmageddon), having waddles with her usually cheers her up a lot quicker though<3

ford is actually similar to her in a few aspects here, he too is running as far away from understimulation as possible, always sitting in his room tinkering with some new invention or running around catching some new creature to occupy himself. (he wasn't always like this! as a kid, between him and stan he was definitely and obviously the more docile one. but as an adult he feels the need to seek stimulation moreso because he needs to distract himself from his constant stream of often unpleasant thoughts) this has the unpleasant side effect of isolating himself from the people around him, but it's not intentional, it's just that busying himself with projects and studying the supernatural is his Default Solution to having nothing to do. it's comfortable for him. he also has the Thing where if he isn't explicitly invited to join someone, he doesn't feel comfortable doing so, even if he really wants to.

dipper and stan are completely different from mabel and ford in that they just. nobody ever told them that understimulation is not the default state of existing for everyone else??? so they just??? Put up with it regularly???? dipper stims frequently without realizing to combat this- clicking/chewing on pens over and over and pacing his room for example, but more often than not it isn't Quite Enough and he doesn't know Why. this is also why dipper's anxiety is So bad- sitting around without making an effort to distract himself from his many thoughts will often get him catastrophizing within minutes (him and ford probably bond over having Too Much Thought Head Full). in fact, if he didn't have mabel around to remind him to have fun and use his time wisely instead of getting stuck inside his own head for hours on end he would probably be a very different and much less emotionally stable person than he is in the show jsdjfjsda

stan doesn't stim very much except when he's genuinely scared or upset, in which case he is cracking his knuckles, gripping onto the closest fabric so hard it almost tears, pulling off his cuticles, picking at scabs etc etc (you can imagine how much he fucked up his skin in the days following both instances of him losing ford). he probably had very different habits when he was a kid though- because come on. stan was totally the poster child for audhd, constantly running around and being loud to satisfy his lil brain. however within a few years certain nd behaviors stop being "cute" to others and instead start attracting a shit ton of ridicule so now his only stims are ones which are inconspicuous and could be passed off as stress habits instead of being a clear sign of neurodivergence- plus he probably ended up developing shittier coping mechanisms while running around for 10 years after getting kicked out. but it's not like he can smoke or drink all the time with the kids (wendy and soos included) around though so his options are kinda limited

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elminx · 3 months

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Numerology, Part 2: Musings on Numerology in Spellwork

Note: I began my discussion about Numerology, how it relates to astrology, and why I use it here. This post is about the practical application of numerology. Please refer to the first post for how to calculate the numerology for specific years, months, and lunar events.

When thinking about Numerology, it is important to remember that it works sympathetically. Geometric shapes and numbers have intrinsic cultural meanings which we can apply magically. We will spend some time discussing the shapes made by varying numbers - the shape of the number itself and the shape made by combining that number of objects. You probably already understand how Numerology works in spellwork and might even use Numerology in your magic practice without knowing it! Numbers commonly used magically are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9. I will focus on those numbers in this post. Numerology will change somewhat based on cultural practices and superstitions. If you are not American, your mileage may vary.

It is wise to keep in mind that numerology reads like an ascending story that begins at 1 and ends at 9 - once you understand this story, you can identify where your intended spellwork falls and apply numerology more accurately.

Number 1 1 is the number of beginnings. Everything starts with 1. When we are born and take our first breath, we individualize and enter selfhood. This is why the number one is connected, through the 1st house and the Ascendant (dictated by the exact minute of our first breath), with Aries and the planet Mars. One can look at all ideas as intellectualized pregnancy; we need energy and oomph to bring that idea out of our minds and into reality. That energy (Mars) comes from the number 1. In this way, any start to a project or beginning of any kind can be augmented by the use of 1 numerologically. We do this instinctively with based candle magic (burning a single candle), by writing one focused petition, or by making a spell bag or a spell jar. Other than the Number 9, the Number 1 is the most complete number. Many types of spellwork can be achieved with a single candle burn or other action. To begin a longer project or to perform a one-off spell, apply the Number 1.

We have all heard the phrase "One is the loneliest number". Though this is true for many, there is one big caveat to it: if you are not a number 1. Those who carry Aries (or the first house) strongly in their charts know this intimately. Many tasks are better performed alone. When that doesn't work, we move on to the later numbers.

Practical Applications: 1 Magic is fairly simplistic. You can burn one candle, write a petition for 1 thing, create 1 spell pouch, or enchant 1 item. This is really the basis of magic. The energy of 1 can be combined well with the energy of any of the other numbers as I will outline below.

Number 2

Number 2 is a connection number; it can be used to combine or to separate. It is often used in relationship spells of all kinds - one might burn two candles in a movement spell to bring two people together or in a cord-cutting to create distance. There are also candles made with two wicks that might be used for marriage work for good or ill. That said, relationships are not the only thing we want to draw into our lives. If your magic involves you and anything else, you can use the powers of two to draw together or push apart.

An easy way to think about the sympathetic magic of the Number 2 is to consider a line between two points. You can strengthen that connection by decreasing the distance between these two points or weaken it by moving them farther away from each other. Or, alternatively, you can interpose something between the two objects, breaking the line altogether. Practical Applications: Because of the nature of 2 energy, it also almost always includes the energy of the Number 1 as well. In this way, when doing relationship work, one will use one candle to represent the first partner and the second candle to represent the other. Alternatively, we can use one candle and a spell jar to bring in or remove, depending on our needs. Sometimes, especially in separation work, we may combine a third candle or object (therefore invoking the number 3) that we move one candle towards. Sort of a "fuck off and go find something else" energy. Number 3 If you look at it from a procreative perspective, three is a creation number. It takes the combined DNA of two individuals to make a baby and in this way, three naturally comes out of the combining of two number 1s. This shows the natural association with fertility and fecundity magic of all kinds, but don't let that pigeonhole your thinking about the number.

Undoubtedly, 3 is the most commonly used number in modern witchcraft and other esoteric practices. Whether it's within the Christian idea of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Wiccanized Maiden, Mother, and Crone, the Threefold Law, and many other practices, three is almost always considered a very magical number. And it is!

An easy way to visualize how to use the number 3 is to think about the triangle. A triangle has a base with two connected points and a third point offset from them. Depending on how you draw your triangle, it can be used to increase or decrease energy. An upright triangle is believed to increase energy whereas a downward-facing triangle is believed to decrease energy. (you see this in the folk magic of Abracadabra, as an example) Practical Applications: Incorporating a triangle shape into your magic is an easy way to bring the number 3 into play. Additionally, you could burn 3 candles or use 3 items in your spellwork. A great "basic" creation ritual is formed when you use 1 candle + 1 oil + 1 herb in a spell. Here you are adding the Number 1 of new beginnings with the Number 3 of creation.

Number 4

The number 4 is a stabilizing number. It is highly represented in our world (we acknowledge four seasons Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, the directions North, South, East, and Wes)t, and in magic with the four common elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. We marvel at the longevity of objects like the Egyptian pyramids which have four sides.

The Number 4 can be represented as open (an equal-armed cross) or closed (a square). As one might imagine, for ultimate stability, a square is advised. A square 4 is complete, it needs no outside influence - this can be highly advantageous for certain types of magic where you want to control something or hold something in place. Alternatively, four energy can remain open and than it carries the energy of all. Open 4 energy carries with it the liminality of the crossroads: it contains everything and can travel everywhere. This echoes the prevailing idea that through the four primal elements of earth, air, fire, and water, control of all things is possible. Pathfinding, compass magic, road opening, and many other types of magic often invoke 4 energy. In this way, you are turning the inner creation of 3 into reality and forcing it out and into the world.

Practical Applications: When you put something into a box to control it, you are invoking the energy of the number 4 (and some of the number 6). Calling the elements to complete a magic circle of protection is also invoking the 4 energy of control. 4 naturally combines with 1 energy quite well. It is common in candle magic to separate the burning surface into four quadrants: sometimes the past/present/mental/physical, or other times, the elemental energies. This can be used for divination purposes (reading whether the candle wax flows amongst these quadrants). Alternatively, it is common to burn 1 primary candle and 4 support candles when trying to accomplish a complicated task. This combination is especially well applied for things like building long-term wealth or growing a business, topics that are well supported by the structure of 4 energy. One can also burn one candle with lines leading away in the four cardinal directions, this directs the energy of your 1 intention out into all the corners of the world. Number 5

The number 5 can be seen as a tense number that breaks the perfect symmetry of the 4-sided square. You may notice that five is considered a tense number in the minor arcana of the tarot that often indicates conflicts and strife. Alternatively, the 5 Major Arcana card in the tarot is the Hierophant which shows the other way that five energy can be used magically: to focus.

This has been used traditionally in magic through the shape of the pentacle or pentagram. Here, in modern magic, the four elements of magic are joined by a fifth: spirit. For some, spirit is considered to reside within us all but others view it as a Higher Power, much like the Hierophant or "Pope" of the major arcana. I want to note a connection here to the 5th House, the Sun, and Leo - all rulers of the number 5, and the mythology of how Jesus was born under the sign of the King of Kings which would almost certainly make him a Leo. In this way, 5 is our power number. You can use the number 5 to increase or decrease the power of yourself or another - especially through the use of the upright (power up) or down turned (power down) five-pointed star. Practical Applications: I often see the use of 5 in magic through the shape of the pentacle. Point the star upwards for an increase in power or downwards for a decrease in power. A pentacle can be drawn onto a surface, made with an arrangement of five candles, or drawn in the air with your finger or tool of choice.

Number 8

Though I find reference to the number 8 less often in magical lore, I think that it is important to mention here. If you turn an eight on its side you can immediately see that it is an auroboros or infinity sign. This gives an important hint as to the meaning and uses of this number.

As an infinity sign, the energy of 8 is neverending. This energy can be harnessed for beneficial and baneful magic alike. Want to trip somebody's life up? Put them in an endless cycle of not having enough or of being forced to repeat the same lessons that they inevitably can't seem to master. Alternatively, do you want all the money that goes out of your house to return to you? 8 can do that, too. What about the love that you send out into the world? With the number 8, the possibilities are endless. I will caution that the number 8 is more fiddly and you have to be willing to accept the nadirs that come with the apexes of this energy. As an example, if you are trying to save money, that eight money trick wouldn't work so well because it is predicated on the idea that money is going out to come back in. I would instead look to the number 4 combined with 3 (see also that pyramid energy) for money matters of that kind. Practical Applications: What comes around, goes around. Draw an infinity symbol, and go from there. You can put a candle representing yourself or your target on one "end" and the thing that you want to return to them at the other. Focus on the cycling of energy here, it is easy to manipulate energy around this shape. You can use your pen, your finger, or some other object to direct it if you wish. For returning magic, consider writing your intention in the pattern of an infinity sign. Because breathwork is cyclical, it holds a natural affinity with the number 8. Try breathing in and out prosperity while imagining it as an ever-returning infinity sign between you and the world as a way to get yourself in the right headspace to perform some money magic.

Number 9

As the last of our base numerological numbers, 9 is the number of endings and completion. This can be used to stop something in its tracks or to bring a long-standing project to fruition.

Practical Applications: Many traditional spells call for burning a candle or performing a ritual for nine days; this invokes the energy of completion. Also, all 3x3 magic uses the energy of the number 9; the idea here is that the creation of 3 performed 3 times will reinforce your final result (9). I will write more about 3x3 spells in particular as they are a topic worth their own post. -----------------------------------------

My goal in writing this series is to take numerology out of the hands of the New Age woo-machine and place it where it rightfully belongs, in our magic. No matter how mathy you are, numbers still exist. They make up a fundamental way in which we all collectively choose to view the world. We can use that. Moreover, numbers are ALREADY in our magic. If nothing else, I hope this series helps you to understand why a particular writer might call for you to use 3 cloves or burn a candle for 9 days.

Do you need to use numerology in your magic? Absolutely not. (Why do I need to keep saying that?!?) Can it help your magic?

Absolutely.

Do you like my work? You can support me over on Kofi by tipping me, purchasing art or an astrological report, or becoming a monthly supporter of my writing.

#numerology #witchblr #words #mine #spell crafting

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lendeah · 3 months

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UNBOUND

Chapter 2: The Thunderstaff Legacy

series masterlist

Summary: After months of separation, Neri reunites with her family, and the burdens of her responsibilities as the Heir resurface. Her sole escape appears to be through her magical research, which Gale, due to a mysterious illness, has been neglecting.

Pairing: Gale x OFC!Reader

Tags: Slow Burn, Mentor/Protégé, but everything is healthy I promise, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Soft Gale (Baldur's Gate), Gale Needs a Hug (Baldur's Gate), Professor Gale (Baldur's Gate)

Word count: 4.8k

AO3 LINK

Chapter 2! Everything is starting to come together in my head. This chapter is especially background plot filled, but I promise from this point on things will start to get more dynamic! Also there will be more Gale and Neri interactions as they delve into the research :)

"The Karsus Weave!? Are you completely out of your mind!?"

But Neri merely rolled her eyes and focused on her work, undisturbed by the reaction. She was jotting down notes as Corlin poked at the burnt robotic piece on the table with different magical instruments, filling the laboratory with a strong smell of sulphur. Eiruk stood beside her, amazed by Neri's calm demeanour despite his disbelief.

"You know Vanja wouldn't approve of this research, right? How in the nine hells are you even going to locate those stones?!" Eiruk continued rambling.

"Vanja is no longer my mentor, so everything will be okay," she said as she continued lazily scribbling on her page. The piece they were working on seemed to combine a necrotic curse and a fire spell, causing it to decay while simultaneously burning. Despite its deteriorating state, the piece somehow managed to continuously repair itself, suggesting there probably was something hidden within it.

"Neri, you know how dangerous it is to meddle with the weave and its godly power," Eiruk exclaimed frantically. "Your new mentor will only lead you to your death, right before graduation! And then who will choose my suit? Corlin? He can't even tie his own shoestrings!" He gestured wildly to the other student sitting next to them.

Colin gazed up at her, his gold-trimmed glasses precariously balanced on the tip of his nose, and gave a gentle smile.

"Well, I think it's a thrilling opportunity. You have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the weave and magic itself. Not everyone gets that chance," he remarked, pointedly disregarding the other boy. Eiruk sulked in response.

"Indeed, Colin. And it is not about seeking godly power, Eiruk. Think of the implications this research could have on the field of magical study!" Neri exclaimed passionately.

"But we're discussing the Karsus Weave... Do you recall what happened to Karsus and his empire? It was decimated! All because they got involved in matters that should have been left alone!" Eiruk worriedly rambled, running a hand through his black curls in agitation.

Colin rolled his eyes, "Of course, but that was thousands of years ago Eiruk. That doesn't imply the same is going to happen now."

"Exactly! And besides, Gale wouldn't have chosen this path if he thought it was too dangerous." She smiled at Corlin, as he nodded in agreement, green eyes sparkling as he returned her grateful smile. "He's smarter than that."

Eiruk seemed unimpressed by her optimism. "Well, the road to the Nine Hells is paved with good intentions," he muttered, crossing his arms.

Ignoring Eiruk's negativity, she turned to Corlin again. "Corlin, I need your assistance with something."

The younger boy immediately perked up, "Yes! What do you need?"

Eiruk huffed in frustration and left them to go retrieve something from the bookshelf nearby.

She pointed at the robotic piece on the table. "This piece seems to be enchanted with some form of self-repairing spell. Can you use your magic detection tools to analyse its composition?"

“Yes, mam!” Corlin eagerly grabbed his tool kit and got to work. As he did so, Neri found herself thinking about Gale once again. After their first meeting a few days ago, he hadn't called for her again, leaving her feeling slightly anxious. Maybe he regretted choosing her as his apprentice? Or maybe he was just busy with another research?

Just as she was about to dive even further into her thoughts, a gentle tickle on the back of her neck snapped her back to reality; someone was sending her a message. Her heart raced with anticipation, hoping it was her long-awaited mentor reaching out to her. A deep voice spoke inside her mind:

"Lady Neriyra Thunderstaff, you have been requested for a meeting with Lord Baerom Thunderstaff II. A carriage will arrive to collect you before the clock strikes noon."

Ice ran through her veins as the message ended. She hadn't expected this summons so soon. It had been months since she last saw her family, and it was never a pleasant experience. She realized it must have been at least half a year since she left the Estate in a whirlwind, hoping she didn't have to return until after her graduation. Their relationship was always tense, to put it mildly. She constantly clashed with their expectations for her as the heir, and she was sure this visit would be no exception.

"Neri? Are you okay?" Colin's gentle voice brought her back to reality. The blonde boy was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

Neri took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "I'm fine. Just... a little distracted." She forced a smile, hoping it was convincing enough.

But Corlin wasn't fooled. He knew her well enough to know when something was bothering her. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked sincerely.

Neri shook her head. "No, thank you. I just... need to take care of some family business."

Corlin's expression turned sympathetic. He knew about the strained relationship between Neri and her family, and he could sense that this sudden meeting was causing her distress. Eiruk, who had just returned, raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Leaving so soon? I might have to report this to Vanja."

Neri smirked at him. "I'll just tell her about what happened last night, then we'll be even."

With that, she excused herself from the group and headed out of the laboratory. As she walked, she tried to calm her nerves and conjured a dimensional door that led directly to her room; she didn't want to waste any more time climbing all eight flights of stairs.

After entering her room, she unlocked the closet, which was magically designed to appear small but held all her clothing and more. She located one of the red and black floor-length dresses that she had been gifted for these events and reluctantly put it on. With a sigh, she released the messy black braided bun she typically wore for work and fashioned her hair into a tidy crown of braids. She added some silver chains and earrings to complete the look. But the most crucial part was concealing her pointed ears within the elaborate braids - a skill she had mastered since childhood.

As the sun began to set and evening descended upon the bustling city, Neri took a deep breath and pushed all doubts and fears aside, putting on a façade of confidence as she greeted the carriage driver on the marble stairs of the academy. The grand carriage was adorned with opulent red and black velvet and intricately woven silver trimmings, every detail paying homage to her prestigious house. She settled into the plush seat and gazed out the window, watching as the passing streets slowly transformed from the middling academy district to the more refined North Ward where her family's estate awaited her arrival.

As they approached, Neri could feel her anxiety rising again. The grand mansion stood tall and intimidating against the rolling hills of green grass. The carriage came to a stop in front of a massive iron gate adorned with intricate silver weaponry patterns, signifying the Thunderstaff family crest. Neri's mind raced with conflicting emotions - fear and nostalgia clashed within her as she stepped out onto the familiar gravel drive, leading up to the entrance of her childhood home. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face what awaited her behind those doors.

Neri walked up the familiar marble steps that led to the grand entrance of her family's mansion. Two guards bowed at her arrival; they must have been new, as she didn’t recognize their faces. They opened the massive oak wood doors, revealing a lavish hall adorned with gold and silver décor and opulent crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. Neri walked through the grand entryway, passing by familiar paintings and statues that she had grown up seeing. Memories flooded back, of two children running around the granite floors, throwing cantrips at each other, laughter reverberating in the tall walls. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she walked towards the dining room, where she knew her family members would be gathered. The sound of their low chatter could be heard from outside, filling her with dread.

She took a moment to collect herself, before stepping into the grand dining room. A hush fell over the space. The only sound was the soft rustle of fabric and the shuffle of feet as she made her way to the centre. Her head bowed in respect, and she took in the scene before her. Her grandfather was just as she remembered; sharp features and piercing hazel eyes, as he stood at the head of the long table. To his left was her aunt Marle, her chestnut curls tumbling down her shoulders in perfect waves, a small smile on her lips. Neri's uncle, a tall man with broad shoulders and a thick beard, sat next to her aunt, his eyes locked on Neri. Neri's heart skipped a beat at the sight of her father sitting on her grandfather's right side, his expression as stern and unyielding as ever. Her mother Lynx was seated next to him, radiating beauty and elegance in a deep red gown embroidered with silver thread and adorned with glittering jewels. Her mother's dark hair was swept up into an intricate updo, hiding her pointed elven ears from view, just like she had hid hers. Neri couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she glanced at the empty seat where her sister Lila should have been, but she quickly masked any sorrow with grace and poise.

"You are late, Neriyra."

She slowly raised her head to meet her grandfather's gaze.

"Please forgive my tardiness, Lord Baerom," she spoke calmly and without falter.

Her grandfather's sharp gaze seemed to pierce through her very being, but Neri held her ground and refused to look away. She was well aware that he was testing her, as he always did. Despite their complicated relationship, a part of her had always yearned for his approval, even if it came in the way of glancing duels.

"You are fully aware of the importance of punctuality in our family," he said icily. "But I doubt you have any concern for our relatives or their affairs. You have always been a disappointment as an heir after all."

Neri winced as his words landed with a familiar sting. She had heard this same criticism too many times before. Ever since her sister Lila vanished without a trace, she had felt even more like an outsider in her own family - a feeling that seemed to only intensify with time.

"On the contrary, Grandfather," she replied calmly. "I am fully committed to our family and its legacy. I understand the importance of punctuality and I apologize for my delay."

Her grandfather's expression remained stoic, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

"Excuses, Neri. You always have an excuse," he retorted. "Your father was the same, always making promises he couldn't keep. I had hoped you would be different, but I guess I should've known. You are of another kin, after all."

Neri felt a flash of anger at her grandfather's words, but she quickly schooled her features into a neutral expression. Her grandfather constantly reminded her that she was the sole potential heir to the Thunderstaff House, much to his dismay. He had removed his own father from the will when he married her mother. In contrast, her aunt was unable to conceive, which had been a source of criticism from their grandfather throughout her entire life. And her sister Lila...

Neri spoke confidently, "Grandfather, I want to assure you that I will do everything in my power to keep my promise to both you and House Thunderstaff. I am determined to prove myself as a worthy heir."

Her grandfather's expression softened slightly at her words, but his tone remained stern. "That remains to be seen, Neriyra," he said. "Take a seat."

As Neri settled into her seat next to her mother, she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. It had been far too long since they had been together in the same room. Her mother's smile was warm and comforting. She squeezed her hand tightly under the table, a silent reassurance that everything would be okay. As for her father, he remained stoic and distant, not even sparing a glance in her direction. Not that she expected it anyway. She guessed he would probably stay silent for the whole affair, as he always seemed to do. A familiar ache settled in her chest as she realized how much their relationship had deteriorated over the years. But for now, she pushed it aside and focused on the comforting touch of her mother's hand in hers.

Her grandfather cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Now, shall the dinner begin."

The servants brought out familiar dishes that she hadn't tasted in years - spit-roasted fowl, glazed root vegetables, and a crystal decanter of their private reserve wine. She watched silently as her mother served the food onto her plate, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between her and her parents. Her mother, who still looked young and radiant because of her elven nature, could easily be mistaken for Neri's sister with her silky black hair and eyes like deep pools of onyx. Her father, on the other hand, had the typical Thunderstaff features - dark brown hair, tanned skin, sharp features, and hazel eyes.

It was crushing when she was born, as Baerom's last glimmer of hope had been for her to resemble a Thunderstaff despite her origin. However, she inherited moon elf traits from her mother. Another reason for him to despise her, she supposed.

The air was thick with tension and unspoken words. The silence was broken only by the clinking of silverware and occasional small talk from her aunt Marle and her husband. Neri picked at her food, lost in thought.

"Have you been keeping up with your studies?" Her grandfather's question cut through the hum of conversation like a knife.

"Of course, Grandfather," Neri replied smoothly, receiving an approving nod from her mother. "I have recently mastered appertaining Ravenous Void."

"That is...adequate for a woman," he conceded after a moment. "However, you know our family expects you to complete your studies quickly and follow in the footsteps of your father and myself by joining the military. Theoretical knowledge is nothing if you don't put it to good use."

Neri felt her stomach drop at the mention of the militia. It was a topic that had been constantly drilled into her since she was old enough to understand. As the first child and heir to the Thunderstaff legacy, it was expected of her to continue the family tradition of mastering evocation magic and serving in the Waterdhavian military as a general or high-ranking official. For so long she had wanted to shout, to demand to be heard about her true desires, but she knew it would be futile. They had had this conversation over a hundred times, all of them with the same outcome.

So instead, she offered a polite smile and nodded obediently. "I will do my best to uphold our family's reputation, Grandfather."

He nodded curtly before resuming his meal until he spoke up again. “I spoke with Stedd Moonstar recently. Your union with Helion will happen earlier than anticipated."

Neri paused mid-bite, her fork hovering in the air as she processed her grandfather's words. So that was what this dinner was really about. Neri's heart began to race as she looked around the table at her family. Her parents remained stoic, keeping their eyes trained on their plates. Her aunt Marle looked worried, her brow furrowed in concern. But it was Grandfather Baerom who held her gaze, his piercing eyes locked onto hers.

"What do you mean, Grandfather?" Neri asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

Baerom took a sip of wine before answering.

"Although we planned to wait until your graduation for the formal ceremony, the Absolute's destruction of our ranks has left us in urgent need of an economic and power alliance. We must solidify it immediately."

Neri's hand tightened around her fork as she tried to process the information. She had always known about the arrangement between their families, but she had managed to delay it until she finished her studies with the pretence of having to live in the tower. She had hoped she would find a way out by then.

"I-I understand," she managed to choke out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mother reached over and placed a comforting hand on hers. "We know this is not what you wanted, but it is for the good of our family and Waterdeep," she said softly.

Neri forced a smile, trying to hide the turmoil inside of her. She knew they were right, but it didn't make the situation any easier for her. It wasn't even because she wanted to get married for love, she just wished she had been given the freedom, the possibility to choose.

Her aunt pointed out, "Lord Moonstar is the only suitable candidate. You two have a similar background, after all."

What she meant was that Helion, like her, was half-elven, and thus the only suitor willing to marry her despite her origin. Her uncle smirked knowingly.

"When will the union take place?" Neri asked, steeling herself for the answer.

"In three months time," Baerom replied firmly. "Lady Moonstar has already begun making preparations."

Neri felt her heart sink as her grandfather's words echoed in her mind. Three months. In just three months, she would be married to a man she barely knew and expected to fulfill her duties as a wife and noblewoman.

The rest of dinner passed by in a haze for Neri. Her thoughts consumed her, making it difficult to focus on the conversations happening around her. Her family discussed wedding plans and political strategies, but Neri found herself unable to contribute. Instead, her mind was filled with schemes and ideas of how to escape her impending marriage. Perhaps if she completed her research ahead of schedule, she could impress Vanja enough to finally secure the title of Blackstaff Heir. In Waterdhavian society, this position held great prestige and influence, particularly among the upper class, even more than the House Heir title. But there was more than just social status on the line. If Neri became the Blackstaff Heir, she would gain enough independent power to potentially change or even break her betrothal agreement with Helion Moonstar. Additionally, securing this position would mean escaping her future in the militia and establishing herself as a respected scholar in the Academy. Excelling in her research with Gale was her last hope for breaking free from a predetermined destiny.

At that moment, her sole objective was to stay focused and keep her family unaware of her true intentions. A fierce determination surged within her, igniting a burning desire to achieve her goal. So, she remained silent and finished her meal.

🔮

Two weeks had passed since Gale had summoned her to the Blackstaff Academy, and still, there was no word from her mentor. Neri found herself growing impatient, constantly checking her sending stone for any messages, or summoning. At that point, she had read every available book about Karsus and the Netherese Empire in the Academy library, studying the rise and fall of the powerful mage who attempted to become a god, spent countless nights practicing her conjuration spells, as Gale had deemed them essential to their investigation. She couldn't help but wonder if his sending stone had broken or if he had met an unfortunate end. The thought sent a chill down her spine – if that were true, all her plans would be thrown out of the window.

Every time she woke up to no word from the wizard, Neri had to resist the temptation to sprint to Gale's tower. Time was slipping away, urging her to take action before it was too late. Her anger and frustration simmered, bubbling with each passing day until it reached a boiling point. Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, she threw caution to the wind and snuck out of her room in the dead of night. With fire burning in her eyes, she made her way to Gale's tower, determined to confront her mentor.

As she stood at the doorless wall of the tower, bathed in moonlight, Neri hesitated for a moment. But then she thought of all those sleepless nights and days of waiting, and her hesitation turned into determination. She pressed her hand against the symbol, demanding entry with her name, hoping that this time it would open as easily as the first. And fortunately for her, it did. The hidden door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the familiar interior of Gale's tower. Neri wasted no time and stepped inside, marching up the stairs to Gale's study, ready to unleash her pent-up rage on her mentor. How dare he forget about her? Did the man not understand the urgency of the research? Of course, he didn't know, but her life was on the line!

She finally reached the top of the stairs and entered the room with her chest heaving. The sight halted her movement completely. If the room was a mess the last time she had entered, now it looked as if someone had broken in, attacked both Tara and Gale, and exploded a bomb in the process. Yet, upon closer inspection, she noticed that Gale was sitting on the floor, seemingly meditating, and muttering to himself. Her blood boiled in anger, realizing that this is probably how he had spent the past week while she spent all her time studying and waiting for him to summon her.

"Excuse me, Master Dekarios," Neri exclaimed, hands planted firmly on her hips.

Gale's head snapped up at the sound, his eyes wide with surprise. He quickly scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over his own robes in the process.

"N-Neri!" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback by her sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Neri repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I came here to see what was taking you so long to contact me."

Gale's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at her. "Contact you? For what?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

"For our research," Neri snapped impatiently. "I've been waiting for days for your call, and all this time you were just sitting here meditating? Do you even realize how much time we're wasting?!"

Gale's face fell in realization, and he let out a deep sigh. "Forgive me, Neri. My mind has been preoccupied with myriad affairs. There is much transpiring at present."

"That's no excuse," Neri snapped back, unable to control her frustration any longer. She also had so many things going on in her life, yet she was dedicating her precious time to investigate, not meditate.

Gale held up his hands in surrender. "You're right, it's not, and I apologize for neglecting my duties as your mentor."

Neri took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It wasn't like her to explode this way, much less at a superior. However, Neri's anger slowly dissipated as she finally took in Gale's exhausted appearance. The man looked about to faint, with his skin sickly pale, purple bags under his eyes, his cheeks hollowed, and his clothes rustled and stained with ink.

"Master Dekarios... Is everything alright?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

Gale tried to maintain a composed facade, but it was clear that he was struggling. "Merely a minor setback," he replied weakly. "But rest assured, I shall endure. And please, feel free to call me Gale. Only Tara insists on calling me Master Dekarios, much to my chagrin."

Neri hesitated for a moment before taking a seat on the floor next to him.

"Please forgive me for saying this, Mas- Gale, but you don't appear to be doing well," she said softly.

He winced in response, and she noticed a subtle purple aura emanating from his chest that she hadn't seen before. "The truth is, I have been struggling with a certain ailment since I returned from my journeys. However, you can rest assured that it will not impede our research from this point forward."

Was he dealing with an illness? And where had he been before his return? With every passing moment, the man became more of an enigma to her.

She sighed and told him, "How about I start tidying up while you gather all the information you have about the research, and then we can work together to figure out our next steps?"

Gale stared at her for a moment, looking as though he were trying to process her words. He finally nodded, some of the tension leaving his face. "That - that would be appreciated, Neri. Thank you."

For the next hour, Neri busied herself cleaning up the room while Gale tried to organize the mess of papers on his desk, floor and... everywhere, really. She occasionally glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing how he seemed to wince every time he moved too abruptly. Her heart ached a bit at the sight, but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She picked up a wooden box that had fallen and placed it back on its shelf. As she put the books and other items back in their places, Neri couldn't help but feel guilty about snapping at him earlier. She had never done so to Vanja in the ten years she had been her apprentice. But then again, Vanja had never been neglectful of her duty as her mentor.

As Neri finished cleaning up the mess in the room with the help of her magic, she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. The formerly disorganized and cluttered room now had a pristine appearance, complete with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and large windows offering a stunning view of the sea. She turned to look at the wizard, who was now sitting back in his chair, staring intently at a thick tome.

She walked over to him and stood next to his desk, "Gale," she began tentatively, "if you don't mind me asking, where were you before you returned to Waterdeep?"

Gale's hand paused mid-motion as he was flipping through some papers. He took a deep breath before answering. "I was... at Baldur's Gate, fulfilling some unexpected duties. Believe me, you don't want to hear about it right now."

She could sense that there was more to the story, but she didn't press any further. Instead, she gestured towards the stack of papers on his desk. "Shall we begin with our research then?"

Gale nodded and Neri sat down in the chair next to Gale's desk, her quill and notebook in hand.

"As stated before, I will need your help with a location spell. However, for this specific research, I need you to come up with a completely new spell. The usual location spells won't suffice for this matter."

She frowned."How so?"

"The spell I need you to create is a combination of a locating spell and a gate spell. We need to find the exact location of the magical artifact we were researching, but we also need to be able to reach it in order to retrieve it safely."

While Gale went through the intricacies of the spell with Neri, she furrowed her brow in deep concentration. She had some experience with divination magic, and location spell was basic enough. Magic Door on the other hand was known to be one of the most challenging conjuration spells, requiring intense focus and precise execution in order to open a safe passage. One mistake could result in being transported to an unknown location, perhaps even the depths of another plane of existence.

"So essentially, we need to both locate and create a dimensional door to the location of the stones at the same time, right? But why not simply try to physically detect them instead? The locating spell can reveal their whereabouts, and it's much less dangerous than attempting to create a portal."

"Yes, however, I am afraid my condition doesn't allow me to travel long distances anymore" Gale confessed. "Also, we are under borrowed time. Anyone could find the stones before us and that would make matters worse."

We are under borrowed time because I have to stop my engagement, Shethought to herself, but instead said, "I'll do my best to create the spell you need. But I may need to consult some of my colleagues at the Academy for their expertise."

Gale looked hesitant for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Of course. And whatever resources you need, I will provide."

With that settled, Neri turned her attention back to her notebook and began jotting down notes and ideas for the spell. She had never attempted something like this before, but she was determined to succeed to get a hold of her future.

Both the illness and his departure from Waterdeep are references to the game's canon events! Hope you enjoyed this character and once again let me know any mistake or feedback you want to share:)

#bg3 fanfiction #gale x reader #bg3 #bg3 fanfic prompt #bg3 tav #gale x tav #gale fanfic #baldurs gate fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 #gale baldurs gate #gale #baldur's gate 3 #fanfic #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 gale #baldurs gate gale #gale bg3

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turtleblogatlast · 7 months

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okay so just so you know, im literally in love with your prison!leo au, yesterday i spent like over an hour scrolling through the tag and i think i read every post at least twice (more for the comics). its combining ‘prison dimension has permanent effect on leo, and not just mentally’, ‘immortality angst’, ‘object or place having a form of sentience’, AND ‘leo is somehow made significantly younger than his brothers which very much changes their dynamic without him wanting it to’ all into one which is just amazing.

i love how you combined comedy and tragedy very well!! like, for example the idea of leo being mistaken for the youngest brother, than a son, then a GRANDSON, is kinda funny for a second, but when you think about it for more than a couple seconds its also. really tragic. this poor kid may never be able to fully grow up - not only is he likely going to outlive his whole family but hes also permanently in the body of a child, lacking a fully developed brain and maybe never having the full maturity of an adult (at least in path b, until hes able to find a ‘cure’, if ever). its just. so good!!

anyways aldjsldkksld enough of the gushing (i mean i could keep doing it for like two thousand more words, but if i did it would probably devolve into keysmashes at some point from the Grip this au has on my brain). i am curious, what would happen if leo got sick? i know you mentioned that things like a common cold wouldnt really affect him that much, but what about one of those sickness is that leaves you pretty delirious/feverish and can take you out in a matter of a week? (could be a type of mystic sickness or curse as well, where you don’t know if the victim will survive or not and the only option is to wait it out.) what would happen? would they sort of just decide that its better to find a way to temporarily kill him so his body could regenerate as new, or would they try to take care of him and see if they could wait it out, since i imagine it would be the only time he’d really let his family take care of him in that way. thats all assuming his body wouldnt just automatically find a way to heal the separate curse and he’d be well again within an hour (still not fully sure as to how his healing works, sorry!)

anyways, love this au and im going to be obsessed with it for the next Month thanks

[ cw: discussion of murder / discussion of mercy kill / risky behavior implied / ]

Omg I’m

So touched???

Thank you for enjoying my AU so much, it really makes me happy to hear this :’) This whole AU was thought up exactly because of my interest in the concepts you mentioned - particularly the one regarding the Prison Dimension having a permanent and visible effect on Leo.

I know I haven’t updated it in a while, but I am still working on it and have even finished drafting the next comic, I can’t say when I’ll finish it but this ask definitely pushed me to work on it more so thank you so much <3

As for your question- it depends! In most regular illnesses, Leo would get over them very quickly, only experiencing the briefest brush with the symptoms before his body throws it away, if that. If the illness is mystic in nature then things get a little more complicated, as you’re right in that it could potentially end up as an endless loop of the first part of whatever weird sickness he gets. So if the illness is something that instantly affects you in the worst ways, and it’s something you just need to ride out until it leaves…that can potentially be harmful. Of course, it needs to be a powerful illness to bypass the prison’s curse to that extent though. …then again, maybe something would prefer that for him, should it appear beneficial :)

As for whether the fam would decide to just…’reset’ Leo to get rid of the illness…that’s a tough one. It really depends on how long Leo’s been back, and even then, it’s not something they’d just do, it’s hard for them to even imagine really. More likely, a sickly Leo would merely try to find a cure himself in his delirium, and end up ‘reset’ along the way.

I hope my wishy washy answer was enough! And really, thank you so much again for the kind words, they mean a lot :’)

#p!l au ask #prison!leo au #murder implication #mercy kill implication /#risky behavior implied /#I swear I’m working on an update!#path A has turned out to be very hard to come up with a solid introductory comic for but I believe I finally got it 👌#anyway- ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️#I still love my boy and his undead self to death #even if path b kinda makes him very sans Undertale esque at times lolol I swear it wasn’t on purpose

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volatilechemicalz · 3 months

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points. might you explain a dead plate au….or three…….👁️👁️

I'm not gonna go super in depth here since I don't want this post to be really long (+ I'd probably rather have them on their own separate posts if i were to do that) butttt

Table for Two is basically what I think would happen after the table for one ending, ,, rody goes back to la gueule de saturne after manon never picks up . overtime he starts to piece together what happened to her but before then he starts to get closer with Vince so . conflicted emotions and feelings everything is a mess he is so mental illness (also . gay . who would've guessed)

I haven't settled on a name for this one yet maybe going with Kitchen Sink but idk anyway . Timeloop au . After every ending the week resets to the beginning. Both Vince and Rody remember the previous loops . also alternate endings that are different from the game . Everything is so fucked

And then there's Ashtray which takes place after Abbatoir (<- idk if I'm spelling that right I forgot) and it's just Vince being haunted by Rody and Manon's ghosts because I haven't seen a haunted Vince au somehow so my brain started working . Extra metaphorical salt in the metaphorical wound is that Rody and Vince had their whole discussion during the chase scene before Vince killed him so he has some things to think about

#noodle talks #not art #ask #moot #dead plate #dead plate rody #dead plate vincent #🍽️#🔪#dead plate au #anyway im insane :3

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agrazza · 17 days

Text

Dalyria POV excerpt/drabble

So I have cut out a lot of exposition/backstory/being-stuck-in-Dalyria's head from ch. 40 of "On Darkness", but some of it is actually not too bad? It just doesn't fit the vibe of the chapter. And I think it stands alone well enough as an exploration of the sibling dynamics from the house-spawn's time with Cazador. Also, a few of you expressed interest in Dalyria POV. So anyway I've decided to post some of the material that (probably) isn't making it into the chapter below the cut. Warning for Cazador. Rated: Strong T Summary: Dalyria (now free in the Underdark) recalls what life was like under Cazador's thumb.

Losing a patient had gotten easier, after two centuries with Cazador. He cared so little for the living, after all.

Dalyria was fairly certain that in the time before being turned into a vampire, she had taken the loss of a patient very hard. Not particularly because it was sad, though it was, but because she’d seen it as a failure. Failing to heal someone, failing to solve the puzzle of an illness, failing to keep someone alive… It hadn’t even been a question of professional pride, exactly, though that had certainly played a part. Patriars only wanted the best, after all.

But it had been more of a matter of a personal pride. She was good at her work, and wanted to be better. It was nice, to have a good reputation, but she cared most about her own improvement, always striving to be better and know more than she had before.

She’d been so very prideful, back then. So full of herself. So eager to test the limits of what she could accomplish.

Cazador had twisted that desire up in her. He coaxed and commanded her to precision with her scalpels, punished her if she made undue mess, was exacting with exactly how much pain she was expected to give. Or to take. Her pride in her own work became a fear of her master; there was no predicting his most mercurial moods, and like the rest of them, she’d always been quick to obey. What was the point in doing otherwise, when he could simply force obedience with his magic if you didn’t comply quickly enough? It was easier, and less painful, to do it right the first time.

Sometimes, she was still surprised to find the compulsion gone. She would catch herself, about to do something, or not do something, solely based the small voice in the back of her mind that constantly reminded her of what Cazador’s opinion would be of her every move. And then she would remember, like a breath of fresh air that she didn’t deserve, that his opinions didn’t matter anymore.

If she were brave enough, no one’s opinions mattered anymore, except her own.

It was different for her and the other house-spawn, after all. The rest of the spawn had been trapped, too, but theirs had been a prison of loneliness and silence; of piercing, aching, all-consuming hunger. One evening of terror and pain, and then a lifetime of drudgery and darkness. It was horrible, certainly, and Cazador’s children had all those curses as well, but they also had the ongoing torture, and the guilt— the indignity and humiliation of their bodies and minds being used for another’s whims. The spawn in the prison had to suffer the loss of their life once, for an age; the house-spawn suffered it again and again and again.

She thought she might have preferred the dark, had she the choice. Of course, what had happened to the imprisoned spawn was horrible. Many of them had gone rightfully mad. Some were vicious, furious, and desperate. The hunger alone was enough to torment a person, and the unending imprisonment was a torture all on its own. But she’d seen some of them come out of it with bonds formed with their fellow prisoners. Cazador hadn’t had enough cells to separate all the spawn, and she knew that some— not all, but enough to make it a statistical trend— were still rooming with their fellow prisoners now in the keep they’d settled, even in freedom. The horror they had experienced together had broken some, but it had strengthened others. There was camaraderie, in shared pain.

The house-spawn had never had that luxury. They’d fought each other for every scrap of ‘affection’ Cazador would deign to dole out, hoping for just another drop of insect- or vermin-blood, never sated, never satisfied. And if it wasn’t the vicious hunger, it was the pain. Pleasing the master meant you might escape a flaying. Playing along with his games meant that you might have to wield the knife, but at least you wouldn’t be the one screaming that night. Informing on a sibling who was disobedient— in spirit, if not in practice, as it was near impossible to truly disobey the master— would mean a respite, maybe even a few mouthfuls of rancid blood or a night of safety from Cazador’s vicious and numreous hungers. Any house-spawn caught conspiring together, even on something as minor as sharing a hunt or finding brief enjoyment in something that hadn’t been explicitly allowed would be punished more than usual.

And Cazador had liked his punishments. Oh, he played at doting father, pretended to expect them to be obedient and dutiful, but he enjoyed the ‘discipline’ most of all. He made rules that were impossible to follow to the letter, had exacting, meticulous standards, exerted his compulsions in such a way that left them just enough room to stumble, and he relished the opportunity to catch them failing him. The best way to avoid his wrath was to point out when another of his house-pets had fallen short of his expectations in a more egregious way.

And Cazador had particularly taken pleasure in disciplining his dearest ‘children’ in the name of improving them, of making them great. Dalyria had always been deeply, shamefully thankful that she’d never been Cazador’s favorite. Petras and Leon had always hoped that earning more favor would mean that, eventually, they might receive a blessing in the midst of cruelty.

Petras had always been furiously jealous that Cazador sent Astarion and Violet to lavish parties, used the two of them to bribe patriars who liked a pretty face in their beds, dressed them in finer clothes than he gave the others. A cushier sort of prostitution than the scraps they all normally had to go begging for in the slums.

Leon had always hoped for the few privileges that the Cazador’s whims would grant them; music lessons for Violet, books for Astarion, the days when he would suddenly play at doting father and give them a mockery of affection. They were all so desperate for anything other than suffering that even a bare scrap of generosity from the master was a shameful luxury.

Sometimes, Dalyria had wanted to be jealous too, had hated whatever sibling currently had Cazador’s favor and wished she could believe his lies, just for a few moments. But Cazador was only generous when it suited his cruelty later. A gift never truly belonged to one of them; they were all for Cazador’s use. Cazador was a jealous, petty master, and the more he gave his precious pets away, the more he had to reassert his own sense of superiority when his jealousy reared its head. He pretended he was above it all, that such feelings had nothing to do with the necessary discipline to improve his wayward charges.

But Dalyria had seen through him. She had listened to Astarion’s screams even when he performed perfectly, had watched Violet go mad as her flawless music filled the cold dead halls, and she knew Leon and Petras for fools. There was no satisfying the master, no blessing to found in that house. And there had been no friendship to be found with her so-called siblings, any of whom she would stab in the back without second thought to spare herself a few moments of agony.

The other spawn, the ones locked below in the dark, had never lain awake at night, listening to the only people who might have possibly understood her sob and scream with pain because she had handed them over to Cazador for the price of a dead rodent. They had never been asked to flay their cell-mates, or watch them be flayed, or to compete against their fellow prisoners for the prettiest prize for Cazador’s bed, or made to watch the master enact every cruelty of his vicious imagination on his favorite pet, only to know that it was their turn next. The other spawn had received the one real blessing Cazador had been capable of giving— his forgetting them.

So yes, sometimes she was envious of them. Perhaps, she even hated them a little. It seemed fair enough; they certainly hated the house-spawn back, for the role they had played in their damnation.

#bg3 fic #on darkness #dalyria #cazador szarr #Astarion has honestly blocked a lot of this out to cope #dalyria has a far more scientific/methodical mind in my interpretation of her so she has been unable to do this #she is coping by being a workaholic #this is an extremely rough draft

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ashsostrange · 7 months

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i’m (not) sorry to say, but miles is better off by himself.

idk if i’ve ever written a post this long, but i got energy tonight. y’all have been sucked into the black hole of shipping, so let me ground you and remind you of this amazing thing called being single. i’m gna talk ab margo and gwen, but mostly gwen bc she’s obv miles’ (main) love interest. i’ve said more than enough about why miles and gwen don’t work/make sense. if you wna be enlightened then feel free to click the links.

thoughts on ghostflower: here!

reblogging a moot's post w/ added thoughts: hereee!

i love ranting so let’s get it! 😛

i don't have much to say about margo bc sadly, she's barely there. what i will say though is that as cute as miles and margo would be together, there’s one more movie left lol. the third movie’s gna be busy as hell. there’s literally no time for romance, and to rush miles and margo (two people who just met) into liking each other in, like, a three hour timespan would just be terrible writing. plus, we all know she’s there for some bs having to do with miles nd gwen, which is literally soooooooo very lame, words can't describe. one, where are you finding the time to cram in jealousy/all this angsty romance mess when miles’ dad is ab to die and the universe is ab to collapse bc of a nigga that looks like the lovechild of a cardboard box and a cow?? two, is this really all margo is here for?? to make gwen jealous or “help miles realize he’s in love with gwen” ?? shameeee, like summer said. 😐 i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: margo could be SO much more than a disposable love interest!!!

gwiles/ghostflower fans, i’m going to tell you something that will make you upset. i said i was coming for you and i meant it 🗣️‼️

before you yell at me and push smoke out of your ears, i need you to put your right hand on your chest and close your eyes. you feel your heartbeat? good. now, count to three while taking deep breaths and remember that none of this shit is real so you’d look stupid af trying to attack me. 🙃 some of y’all are getting TOO comfortable being unnecessarily disrespectful and ion like that lol. don’t try it here bc i’m on another level of not gaf!

listen, even if (when?) gwen and miles team up to save his dad, it won’t change the fact that gwen was keeping some hefty info from miles, yo. she was smiling in jeff’s face and cracking jokes like she didn’t know he was bout to die. y’all gotta be so very real with yourselves. you wouldn’t wna date, let alone be FRIENDS with someone who kept something that big from you, regardless of the circumstances or lack of ill intent. one of the most important people in your life concealing the fact that you’re about to lose another important person in your life is insane.

i’m aware that gwen didn’t tell miles about his dad because she genuinely thought it’d cause mass destruction if he saved jeff. thing is, even if miles knew that, i think he’d still feel betrayed. that’s 100% valid because this is his dad we’re talking about. he just lost his uncle not too long ago, too. i wouldn’t blame miles if he never wanted anything to do with gwen again. i wouldn’t blame bro if he got sick to his stomach every time he saw her. it’d be justified, bc if he never followed her that night, then he wouldn’t have had the chance to save jeff.

my point is that you can be a “good person” and still fuck up bad enough to make someone never wna speak to you again. miles is a sweetheart so he’ll probably forgive gwen. my thing is, miles forgiving gwen doesn’t mean the two of them are obligated to be friends again. they can handle it maturely, go their separate ways, nd never speak again. it’s really not even gna hurt y’all cuz it’s the last mf movie anyway??? 😭😭

if it isn’t clear by now, i don’t want miles and gwen together at all. they have no business being around each other frl 🙃 not as friends and definitely not as lovers. like, sure, that one scene where they’re swinging/talking on the bank was my absolute fav. it was cute. i shipped them before i really thought about it. that scene is still my fav, but my adoration for it isn’t gna stop me from keeping it real.

i really don’t care what anyone says or how in love they think these two are, this isn’t a “forgive and forget” situation. if the writers truly wanted gwen and miles to be involved romantically, then not only should they have structured their dynamic better, they shouldn’t have made gwen the person she was in this movie. love, love, LOVE redemption arcs because it’s a reminder that we're human and we're flawed, but you can’t redeem yourself from that. sorry. (not) i say miles should leave that girl alone 🤷‍♀️ leave all potential girls alone ffs.

in conclusion, it’s okay for miles to be single. he's 15 anyway, it's not like he'll die without a girl. i’m the suckiest sucker for anything to do with romance, but characters in film/animation don’t need to have love interests for a project to be considered good. if you feel like it does, then maybe ts you’re watching just sucks, lmao. a girl and a boy can be friends without one having feelings for the other, or both of 'em having mutual feelings. (in the media idk ab irl..) it’s time to stop forcing ts. please.

and it’s okay y’all, i promise you. it’s okay if miles and gwen don’t end up dating. it's okay if they reconcile and stay friends. it’s okay if they reconcile and don’t stay friends. though unlikely, it’s also okay if miles doesn’t forgive gwen at all! resolutions like these go to show that you can “forgive” someone without letting them have access to you anymore. that’s what miles needs to do. straying away from the “happy ending” everyone is expecting would be nice. it’d be a different approach and a realistic way to complete the franchise. (i’m not just saying this bc i love angst)

but before the gwiles (ugly ass ship name btw) fans start throwing up and telling me to end my shit, it’s 99% unlikely that anything i just stated will actually happen. we’re more than likely getting a kiss between miles and gwen, nd that’s bc the writers are probably high off the same dope they were on when they wrote gwen sneaking in thru miles’ window, j for his parents to be way more calm about it than any other normal parent would be. i could say some more about certain scenes but that's for another night.

miles doesn’t need to be with anyone. especially not gwen when it comes down to it.

oh and i HATE peter b. fuck that nigga. he was nun but an extra in this movie and i know he’s an opp in the next. 🙎‍♀️

that’s all! if you read allat then thanks, cuz i wrote a lot. if you're feeling angry, then go for a walk. this isn’t a place for any typa criticism bc i am right, therefore, i am not requesting confirmation. 🙌 i said what i said. have a good night.

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plitaka · 9 months

Text

Okay so because I’m gay and mentally ill I have decided to take it upon myself to go through Kafka’s demo frame by frame and overanalyze the shit out of anything I find interesting

It’s insanely packed with blink or you’ll miss it details so buckle up folks- this is gonna be a ride

Right off the bat she starts off with the same coin she also ends the demo with. This isn’t something that’s been part of her character so far nor do I think it has any real significance, so she just brought it to be extra and torment the poor souls she’s planning to slaughter anyway. Annoying dramatic bitch

Also just to get this out of the way now, this is indeed the Belobog museum, or at least its assets. The floor of some of the inner rooms, the staircases, the chandelier and the big golden clock thingy are the same, and in one of the shots you can clearly see the portraits of the former supreme guardians which is. Makes you wonder if they just picked the museum for grand dramatic interior or if she actually had reasons to have business there.

This. This fucking part is probably no longer than 5 seconds and yet, even with the video on 0.25 speed I had to constantly rewind and pause to catch everything and it still probably isn’t 100% accurate. Also I had to cut out a lot things because Tumblr only allows 30 images per post but like, you get the picture

“What do you see” over and over again as images of Rorschach tests flash across the screen so fast you barely have a chance *to* see. Personally I mainly see spider like things and butterflies. Among them are images are some flashes of the robo guards, which to me give the feeling of them getting caught in her web, losing themselves and their control to her mind games and technique.

Something else worth nothing is that this sequence is kickstarted by her throwing the coin and ends with it still in her hand, just thought that was an interesting choice

Before moving on to the next point, however, I want to point out the obvious irony of her telling the guards “don’t be afraid”. Truly words to hear from the woman who is incapable of feeling fear. And what is the name of the demo? Dramatic irony. We’ll get back to that.

Anyway, after that we see the camera pan away from her and over the guards as she uses spirit whisper. The camera movement is accompanied by a single rose petal that starts from Kafka and flies over the guards, which kinda feels like the visual representation of spirit whisper, a gentle rose petal innocently brushing across them as if carried by an invisible breeze

I wanted to make a joke about how her bounty is as large as her strap but seeing as I’m restricted in the number of images I can put I’ll just state the obvious and say she has the largest known bounty of the Stellaron hunters. I’m going to guess the only one higher than hers is Elio’s.

can’t be 100% sure this is what’s going on here, but the imagery makes it look like she’s taking a nice calming stroll and playing Vivaldi in her head while letting the guards slaughter each other, either by controlling them with her strings or with spirit whisper

Dozens of hands reaching out for her, trying to grab her as she’s cocooned in a vulnerable state, pupils visible. I’m sure we’ll eventually get an ingame explanation as to what’s actually going on with her eyes, but for now I do think this is a VERY interesting time to show them. She’s in a compromising position, she’s cornered and vulnerable, but she’s confident and cocky and always, always in control. To anyone else this would be horrifying, but she can’t feel fear, why should she care. Like genuinely this is terrifying imagery that in media is more often than not used to showcase or symbolize sexual violence of sorts and personally makes my skin crawl. I don’t want to get too much into it here I think it needs its own separate post, so for now I’ll keep it short and say that up until now, her pupils have only been shown in situations where she’s at a physical disadvantage (held prisoner at the divination commission, whatever this is etc)

Something a bit lighter to focus on is what she’s saying; “the silk is too fragile to be a treat… unless you’re more fragile than the silk.” Symbolism aside she always seems to refer to silk when talking about fragile things, which we know are, in her opinion, the most beautiful. I really don’t think she’s referring to herself here seeing as the next scene demonstrates she’s far from fragile, so I think she does mean it in a much more literal way and is talking about a spider web; too fragile to capture humans, strong enough to capture its intended prey, this being weaker bugs. All in all she’s probably insulting them by comparing them to bugs weaker than a fragile silk web.

Nothing much to say about the fight scene other than that it’s incredibly choreographed and confirms that Kafka is strong enough to roundhouse kick a guy in the head (god I wish that were me) and do backflips in midair while firing her guns. Also the elevator counting down the survivors as their forces dwindle is fucking rad.

“Destiny has thousands of faces, why does it choose to wear this one?” In the context of the scene this reads to me as her mockingly lamenting the guards’ fate as she beautifully takes them down one by one, but it’s also one hell of a peculiar sentence from someone working for a guy who supposedly sees destiny and directs his followers according to that. She’s a nihilist, everything is predetermined in her eyes, she’s one of destiny’s slaves, but destiny also has thousands of faces? Is she really so nihilistic that even her own worldviews are contrasting in her eyes? As I’m writing this it makes me think of dadaism more than anything else. To quote from wikipedia: “an early 20th-century international movement in art, literature, music, and film, repudiating and mocking artistic and social conventions and emphasizing the illogical and absurd.” Kafka herself in an artist in many ways; she’s an actress first and foremost, always dramatic and theatrical, following a script to a T. But she’s also a musician, everything about her steeped in classical music and references. Anyway, dada is an absurdist nihilistic movement, and you know which real life author known for his absurdism lived and wrote parallel to the Dada? Franz Kafka.

Genuinely Idk where I was going with this I just thought it was worth sharing, MOVING ON-

Neat way of visualizing what I’m assuming is supposed to be her spirit whisper. Also I’m extremely stingy with images (thanks Tumblr), but if you slow down the video around 1:17 you could see that the shot of her katana very quickly flashes into another spider, just wanted to mention that.

These are all narrative screenplay terms that flash by in like a millisecond each after the big ult (that, btw, has a similar shot saying ‘intermission’ right before she casts it but it flashes by so fast and with such bright colors that I couldn’t take a proper screenshot of it) and shown on the Belobog Museum’s projector. The most interesting one here imo is Oneiric Structure; “a cinematic story using dream like visuals, exploring the structure of dreams, memories, and human consciousness”, very fitting considering how much of her abilitieseing how dramatic irony is yet another narrative device.

All these movie terms and framings, however, feel to me more like a wink to Kafka’s roots than anything else. This is the third time she’s been tied to movies somehow (the web event, one of her leaked messages that actually mentions how she’d hate for her life to be turned into a movie), and this is one time too many for me to stop denying that the inspiration for her character was at least in part Makima from Chainsaw Man. I won’t elaborate too much not to spoil the 3 people unfamiliar with csm, but this whole thing feels like a homage, a love letter to Fujimoto’s own love letter for cinema.

Also she *is* an actress following a script, so there’s that as well.

The demo ends with her taunting the one remaining guard with the very same coin from the beginning, flipping it in her palm and asking the guard to guess the ending with heads or tails, prefacing it by saying “sooner or later, the curtain has to fall”. To me this indicates that she sees life as kind of a one gigantic play, with no fear and no value for human life everything is a performance to her, it doesn’t matter beyond what’s happening on the stage in the presence. But also the way this is all framed makes it very easy to assume she’s actually talking about the end of the guard’s life, and asking him how he thinks this encounter between them will end, lol.

Another thing about the coin that Meadows mentioned “her flipping the coin over and over is both like, play with fate, a distraction (like, think in movies, you see someone flipping a coin your eyes are drawn to it and not the sleight of hand happening elsewhere), and ofc her clear obsession with vintage shit”

This has been it from me for now, too dead to properly edit through this rn so I’ll probably go back and add some details once I’m feeling better. Would also love for anyone to chime in with their own conclusions since this is just one person’s interpretation. Especially if you have more knowledge than me about classical music and have ideas regarding the use of Vivaldi’s winter

#honkai star rail #kafka #character analysis #More like demo analysis but whatever #And good luck to everyone pulling tomorrow!!!

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