#my reasoning for this is that most of the interesting dynamics are removed by that point

[astronomalyy]

Thinking about the lifespans of Dungeon Meshi elves... The fact that they're completely unnatural alters my brain chemistry, because you can tell just how haphazardly the demon implemented their wish. They live five times the length of tall-men, so they age at a fifth of their rate. It's simple maths and the implications are terrifying. No wonder their birth rate and population are declining - their early development is so slow that at the age of two, they're still unable to stand.

They don't reach adulthood until their eighties. What does the infant mortality look like? How many elves succumb to illness or injury before they're fully mature? It only takes one accident to lose the child you've been raising for decades - and could you bring yourself to care for another? Add to that the implication elf culture has no idea how to process grief... just look at the way the Canaries treat Rin after the death of her parents. They're callous and insensitive and detached - part of that's racism, but there's also an element of pure cold ignorance. They don't even recognise the emotion on her face.

And that's just scratching the surface... does elven memory accommodate their extended lifespan? Once you reach two hundred or so, do the years start blurring together? Kabru mentions that their temporal awareness is remarkably poor.

Two years feel like a few months. Their lives are longer but not fuller. They're older but not wiser than the short-lived races, and most refuse to understand this. Those that do grasp it are interesting - namely Otta, who's ostracised for pursuing half-foot women.

A 30-year old elf is a young child; a 30-year old half-foot has entered middle age. Otta is in the equivalent of her late twenties. She knows that her elven lifespan makes her no more mature than a half-foot - but she also acknowledges that it creates a rift between herself and her partners, and not just in the eyes of society. 'She dumps them as soon as they pass 30', but probably not for the reasons Lycion assumes. For this to be a pattern, decades must have passed - it's possible Otta doesn't want to watch them die as she herself barely ages. No doubt some of her previous lovers have already passed away. In the end, all living 400 years accomplishes is leaving them out of sync with the rest of humanity.

Marcille's perhaps the best example. As a half-elf, she's got 95% of her life ahead and the thought terrifies her. She's going to lose everyone she loves, over and over and over again, and this cycle has barely even started. She runs at a different pace. This context adds so much to her dynamic with Falin in earlier chapters.

Marcille loves her! She's scared for her! Maybe even of her! She's grown attached to a short-lived girl who she met as a kid when Marcille was a teaching assistant! Biologically and developmentally, they're the same age, but chronologically she's twice as old as Falin! Considering what happened to her mother, is history repeating itself? Her feelings towards Falin are tangled and messy and fascinating. They're also more than a little homoerotic, which makes Marcille's infantilization of her friend all the more interesting. It feels like her way of resolving their power imbalance, of remaining a responsible (former!) authority figure... but it's also a coping mechanism. She's frightened by the ways Falin is maturing and changing - aging - and keeping her mental image of her friend as young as possible is her way of denying the march of time that's destined to sever their bond.

Marcille's dream of lifespan extension would remove the need for this obfuscation, render them equal... only, they already are! This desire is imposed onto Falin, but it's primarily for Marcille's benefit. Watching her fight for a world nobody wants, for reasons both selfish and altruistic... it's as tragic as it is understandable. I love this manga.

[mortish-writes]

Here is a comprehensive look at the dynamics system across all story routes. If you already read it on Patreon yesterday nothing has changed, don't torture yourself reading it twice. Also I'll post that Kerach sneak peek tonight, promise!

These are the finalized dynamics, they may look somewhat different from the previous ones although they're largely the same.

It's quite long but I have done my best to format it for readability with icons and styling. I personally struggle reading big walls of text and I imagine you do, too.

Character Key: 🌕 Valdricht | 🌗 Serax | 🌑 Kerach Dynamic Key: ◉ What this looks like | ◎ How to build it | ◈ The appeal/thrill Group Dynamic Key: ▣ Overview | ▢ Intimacy | ▲ Pitfalls Range Key: ⬆️ High values | ↔️ Middle range | ⬇️ Low values Content Key: ※ Important notes

Introduction

In Bride of Shadows, romance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your choices shape how each love interest treats you. Each path teaches your companions how to respond, be it with dominance, gentleness, restraint, or something in between. The same love interest can become a completely different type of partner depending on who you are.

Think of it like so: Will Valdricht see you as his partner who shrewdly challenges him, or as his precious treasure to protect and cherish? Will Serax find himself drawn to fiery verbal sparring matches with you, or will your gentle nature bring out his softer side? Will Kerach be your midnight lover, or a platonic protector? Your choices create these dynamics organically.

Note that I've removed the traits. I feel like a lot of players were getting hung up on that, particularly trying to figure out how they could play enemies-to-lovers Serax while still be Valdricht's doormat. I see you. Play how you want to play and don't stress about the personality that will resolve itself as the prelude progresses.

Classic Route - Overview

Perfect for: Readers who love balanced polyamorous relationships and want to explore connections with all three love interests. This is the route you play on the public build.

※Special Note: You can mix and match these dynamics freely, there are no constraints. Kerach romance is optional. Serax & Valdricht are mandatory. No Kerach pregnancy.

🌕 Valdricht | Classic | Anointed Dynamic 🌕

◉ What this looks like: You earn Valdricht's respect through your intellect and careful judgment, becoming his trusted confidant. Your relationship is built on mutual admiration, intellectual stimulation, and the slow burn of proving your worth. You respect his authority as leader, but he values your input enough that you don't fear questioning him or (privately) challenging his decisions.

◎ How to build it: Question his authority (respectfully), show intellectual curiosity, maintain your independence even while accepting his protection.

◈ The appeal: Power couple energy. Respect as foreplay. The satisfaction of earning his regard after 2,000+ years of existence.

🌕 Valdricht | Classic | Devotee Dynamic 🌕

◉ What this looks like: You see Valdricht as your divine protector and guide, finding strength through trust and surrender. Your faith in him awakens his most protective instincts. When you look to him for guidance, something tender stirs within him. He becomes your shelter from the storm, and you become his reason to be gentle...only with you.

◎ How to build it: Accept his guidance gracefully, express gratitude for his protection, seek his wisdom, let him care for you.

◈ The appeal: Worship dynamics. Protective devotion. Submission kink.

⬆️ Anointed Dynamic: 75-100%

Trusted confidant who earns the right to question and challenge him, but still respects his superior experience and authority

↔️Balanced Partnership: 25-74%

Sometimes defers to his wisdom, sometimes asserts own perspective

⬇️ Devotee Dynamic: 0-24%

Sees him as her master, seeks his guidance, grateful for protection

🌗 Serax | Classic | Combustive Dynamic 🌗

◉ What this looks like: You and Serax are ice and fire, creating steam wherever you touch. Your relationship thrives on intelligent verbal sparring and the electric tension of two strong personalities who can't quite stay away from each other. Every argument is foreplay, every debate a dance.

◎ How to build it: Match his sarcasm with wit, challenge his cynical worldview, refuse to be intimidated, give as good as you get in verbal exchanges.

◈ The appeal: Enemies-to-lovers energy. Intellectual dueling. The thrill of taming each other.

🌗 Serax | Classic | Kindling Dynamic 🌗

◉ What this looks like: Your gentle nature melts Serax's rough edges, revealing the wounded man beneath the warrior's exterior. He finds himself speaking more softly around you, his touches becoming reverent. You don't fight his fire--you warm yourself by it.

◎ How to build it: Show vulnerability, respond to his pain with compassion, let him protect you, be the calm to his storm.

◈ The appeal: Healing love. Hurt/comfort. Watching a hard man go soft for the right person (metaphorically speaking).

⬆️ Combustive Dynamic: 75-100%

Ice and fire creating steam, thriving on intelligent verbal sparring and electric tension between strong personalities

↔️ Balanced Tension: 25-74%

Mix of challenging banter and moments of gentleness, sometimes sparring and sometimes soothing

⬇️ Kindling Dynamic: 0-24%

Your gentle nature melts his rough edges, drawing out his protective instincts and softer touches

🌑 Kerach | Classic | Entwined Hearts 🌑

◉ What this looks like: You see past Kerach's wolf nature to the man beneath, and he sees past your fragility to the strength within. Your connection is deep, emotional, and surprisingly passionate. You communicate on a level that transcends words.

◎ How to build it: Show tenderness toward his wolf nature, treat him as an equal, recognize his intelligence and nobility.

◈ The appeal: Forbidden love. Slow burn.

🌑 Kerach | Classic | Pack Mate 🌑

◉ What this looks like: Kerach becomes your most loyal companion and protector. Your bond is built on mutual respect, shared survival, and absolute trust. While not romantic, this friendship runs deeper than blood and will last lifetimes.

◎ How to build it: Accept his protection, treat him as a trusted ally, respect his strength without needing more.

◈ The appeal: Ride-or-die friendship. Platonic devotion.

⬆️ Entwined Hearts: 75-100%

Deep emotional and passionate connection that transcends words, seeing past his wolf nature to the man beneath [sexual relationship threshold]

↔️ Loyal Companionship: 25-74%

Strong bond built on mutual respect and trust, with moments of deeper connection hinting at something more [light intimacy, no sexual relationship]

⬇️ Pack Mate: 0-24%

Devoted platonic partnership based on protection and survival, respecting his strength without romantic desire [purely platonic relationship]

Classic Route - Potential Group Dynamics

Here are a few of the potential dynamics I've mapped out to give you a better idea of what your relationship could look like in Act I. This is NOT an exhaustive list but a short overview based on some of my notes.

The Power Trio Anointed Valdricht + Combustive Serax + Entwined Hearts Kerach

▣ Overview: Everyone brings something vital to the table, and decisions get made through passionate debate rather than simple hierarchy.

▢ Intimacy: Even intimate moments involve playful power struggles over positions, timing, and control.

▲ Pitfalls: All three compete for MC's attention through their different strengths, and protection disputes turn into ego battles over who knows best.

The Sanctuary Devotee Valdricht + Kindling Serax + Pack Mate Kerach

▣ Overview: MC becomes the treasured center where three different protective instincts create a cocoon of safety and adoration.

▢ Intimacy: Tender competition over who can care for MC best, with layers of gentle touches and reverent attention.

▲ Pitfalls: Smothering protectiveness that limits MC's freedom, and jealousy when she craves different types of comfort from each partner.

The Volatile Triangle Devotee Valdricht + Combustive Serax + Entwined Hearts Kerach

▣ Overview: MC's bond with Valdricht puts her at the top of the hierarchy. Serax resents MC's favored position even as he craves her, creating volatile undercurrents. Kerach operates outside this power structure entirely, challenging anyone when his instincts demand it.

▢ Intimacy: MC surrenders completely to Valdricht, clashes passionately with Serax before yielding, and matches Kerach's intense desire with equal hunger.

▲ Pitfalls: Serax's frustration at being outranked by MC in Valdricht's affections, and Kerach's willingness to challenge Valdricht creating friction.

Dark Maiden Route - Overview

Perfect for: Readers seeking intense psychological dynamics, Stockholm syndrome themes, and breeding-focused romance.

※ Content Note: This route explores psychological dependency, limited agency, and intense submission themes. All three love interests are mandatory romantic/sexual partners. MMFM. Kerach pregnancy.

※ Special Note: The dynamics are linked. Why? Because this is a linear route. Each decoupling is more writing.

Veiled Mate + Wild Beauty / Bound Mate + Tamed Heart are completely linked. You cannot mix and match them within the current narrative. Pick a lane.

Kerach's Fallen Vestal is loosely linked to Veiled Mate + Wild Beauty but can be decoupled.

🌕 Valdricht | Dark Maiden | Veiled Mate 🌕

◉ What this looks like: Your resistance engages Valdricht rather than frustrates him. Every hesitation becomes a puzzle to solve, every moment of internal conflict proof of your authenticity. He doesn't want mindless compliance--he wants to earn your surrender piece by piece.

◎ How to build it: Show internal struggle with desire, demonstrate reluctance to submission, hide your sexual desire from him.

◈ The thrill: Corruption kink. Earned submission. Watching innocence wrestle with desire.

🌕 Valdricht | Dark Maiden | Bound Mate 🌕

◉ What this looks like: You discover freedom through complete surrender to Valdricht's guidance. He becomes your anchor in the new world you've woken into, and you find peace in letting him carry the weight of decisions. Your trust awakens his most protective instincts.

◎ How to build it: Seek his guidance willingly, express gratitude for his protection, find comfort in his control, let him shoulder your burdens.

◈ The thrill: Total power exchange. Stockholm syndrome. That nightmare you sometimes have after waking at 7am so you can get into work by 9am and then spend the next four hours watching the clock for your lunch break with growing realization that you're a corporate slave and this will be your entire life and you just want to scream and then suddenly a hot guy shows up and drags you from your cubical and declares that you're his mate and he's never going to allow you to work again or do anything that doesn't involve having his babies and reading books in his giant library. Gross.

⬆️ Veiled Mate: 50-100%

Your quiet rebellion engages him and every act of defiance is a game he delights in playing

⬇️ Bound Mate: 0-49%

You find deep satisfaction in complete surrender to his control, discovering freedom through giving up all resistance

※ No middle grounds. Your choices in the prelude will put you on one path or the other, however your unique personality will determine how you react within each dynamic. For example, a Bound Mate with a stoic nature might quietly seek his embrace in the night, whereas one with a tender nature will openly display her affection for him.

🌗 Serax | Dark Maiden | Wild Beauty 🌗

◉ What this looks like: Your internal struggle feeds Serax's predatory instincts. He's drawn to the contradiction of your desire warring with your resistance. The more you fight what you want, the more determined he becomes to draw it out of you.

◎ How to build it: Show conflicted responses to his advances, demonstrate that you want him despite yourself, let your internal battle show through your reactions.

◈ The thrill: Predator/prey dynamics. Corruption through pleasure. Drawing out hidden desire.

🌗 Serax | Dark Maiden | Tamed Heart 🌗

◉ What this looks like: Your willingness to be claimed and sheltered brings out Serax's most possessive instincts. You become his creature to protect and cherish, and he finds satisfaction in being your refuge.

◎ How to build it: Seek comfort in his presence, let him soothe your conflicts, accept his protection, show how his attention calms your struggles.

◈ The thrill: Hurt/comfort. Protective possession. Being someone's safe harbor.

⬆️ Wild Beauty: 50-100%

Your resistance feeds his predatory instincts and he never wants the chase to end

⬇️ Tamed Heart: 0-49%

Your willingness to be claimed brings out his most possessive, caring instincts

※ No middle grounds. Your choices in the prelude will put you on one path or the other, however your unique personality will determine how you react within each dynamic. For example, a Tamed Heart with a provocative nature might boldly seek his attention, whereas one with a demure nature will blush and lower her eyes when he approaches.

🌑 Kerach | Dark Maiden | Fallen Vestal 🌑

◉ What this looks like: Each encounter with Kerach becomes a battle between moral conditioning and growing desire. You know accepting him violates everything you were taught, yet you find yourself unable to resist. The guilt only intensifies the forbidden pleasure.

◎ How to build it: Express internal conflict about intimacy, show shame warring with desire, demonstrate how your moral upbringing clashes with your body's responses.

◈ The thrill: Forbidden desire. Corruption through pleasure. Moral conflict as aphrodisiac.

🌑 Kerach | Dark Maiden | Willing Vessel 🌑

◉ What this looks like: You find empowerment in accepting Kerach's nocturnal visits. Rather than fighting your desires, you embrace them. Your willingness turns encounters into mutual connection rather than mere claiming.

◎ How to build it: Welcome his attention without shame, show curiosity about his nature, demonstrate comfort with intimacy.

◈ The thrill: Empowered submission. Breeding kink. Strength through surrender.

⬆️ Willing Vessel: 50-100%

You welcome him, finding power in acceptance

⬇️ Fallen Vestal: 0-49%

Your faith wars with growing desire as accepting him feels like a bridge too far

※ No middle grounds. Your choices in the prelude will put you on one path or the other, however your unique personality will determine how you react within each dynamic. For example, a Fallen Vestal with a demure nature might hide her face during intimacy to mask her pleasure, whereas one with a provocative nature will be intensely engaged, only to reflect on her shame post-intimacy.

Dark Maiden Route - Potential Group Dynamics

The Emotional Anchor Veiled Mate Valdricht + Wild Beauty Serax + Willing Vessel Kerach

▣ Overview: MC struggles with overwhelming desire and internal conflict around Valdricht and Serax, while finding refuge in Kerach's presence. He becomes her safe harbor during the storm of transformation.

▢ Intimacy: Passionate but conflicted encounters with V&S where pleasure wars with resistance, contrasted by comfort with Kerach who offers solace without judgment.

▲ Pitfalls: Valdricht and Serax may grow jealous of MC's easy intimacy with Kerach, while MC risks using Kerach as an emotional crutch rather than working through her internal conflicts.

The Conflicted Haven Bound Mate Valdricht + Tamed Heart Serax + Fallen Vestal Kerach

▣ Overview: MC finds peace through surrender to Valdricht and Serax, embracing her transformation and leaning on them for comfort. With Kerach, however, her moral conditioning creates internal warfare between duty and desire.

▢ Intimacy: Total submission with V&S, while encounters with Kerach are shadowed by moral conflict.

▲ Pitfalls: MC may struggle with the emotional whiplash of moving between complete surrender with Valdricht and Serax, and her guilt-tinged encounters with Kerach.

Fated Mates Route - Overview

Perfect for: Readers who prefer monogamous romance and don't mind a deliciously problematic love interest.

※ Note: Only Valdricht is a romantic option. You will be able to make him jealous, at the peril of Serax and Kerach.

🌕 Valdricht | Fated Mates | Anchored Maiden 🌕

◉ What this looks like: Despite the mate bond's pull, you refuse to let Valdricht's experience and age intimidate you into blind compliance. You recognize his attempts to guide and shape your responses, meeting them with shrewd observation rather than naive acceptance. Your careful resistance forces him to earn what he wants rather than simply taking it through manipulation.

◎ How to build it: Question his motives, assert your independence, maintain your independence despite attraction.

◈ The thrill: Age gap. Earned submission. Cat and mouse.

🌕 Valdricht | Fated Mates | Drowning Maiden 🌕

◉ What this looks like: The mate bond leaves you vulnerable to Valdricht's centuries of experience. He knows exactly how to guide your responses, using your inexperience and overwhelming attraction to shape your choices. You're drowning in feelings you don't understand, but survival means learning to use your submission as a strength.

◎ How to build it: Accept his guidance without question, show overwhelm at new sensations, demonstrate your inexperience.

◈ The thrill: Worldly/innocent. Power imbalance. Lost little lamb.

⬆️ Anchored Maiden: 50-100%

You refuse to let his experience intimidate you into blind compliance, meeting his manipulation with shrewd observation

⬇️ Drowning Maiden: 0-49%

The mate bond leaves you vulnerable to his centuries of experience as he uses your innocence against you

※ No middle grounds. Your choices in the prelude will put you on one path or the other, however your unique personality will determine how you react within each dynamic. For example, a Drowning Maiden with an idealistic nature might see his guidance as romantic destiny, whereas one with a cynical nature may recognize the manipulations even while being unable to resist his allure.

※ No group dynamics. Too many spoilers, play and find out.

Tips for Players

Building Your Ideal Dynamic

Be consistent: Your early choices set the tone, even in the prelude.

Play your truth: Choose options that feel authentic to how you want your character to respond.

Don't min-max: There are no "wrong" dynamics, only different love stories (and kinks).

Dynamics lock: After the prelude your dynamics are fixed, at least for Act I...

Dynamics evolve: Your dynamic will evolve with each act. More on that later.

Understanding the percentages

Numbers aren't everything: A 30% Devotee dynamic is just as valid and complete as an 80% Anointed dynamic. Once the prelude ends the percentages will disappear and you will be left with a detailed description of your dynamic.

Classic extremes are optional: You can absolutely stay in the middle ranges for more balanced relationships.

DMR & FMR have no middle ground: Your dynamic will be based on your final percentages in the prelude, with some choices (i.e. sleeping with Valdricht pre-Meyrrvik in Fated Mates or eager/reluctant first time with Kerach in Dark Maiden) carrying much steeper weight. Once your dynamic is fixed, your personality determines how your MC operates within the dynamic. No escape, only evolution through acts.

[esthelle-wanders]

Warriors and Artemis: What The Heck Is Going On With Them (a self-appointed analysis)

SO I don’t tend to get too involved with shipping— but during my time in the Linked Universe fandom, I’ve noticed something consistent: while everyone has their own set of headcanons for favorite couples, Hyrule Warriors Zelink is the princess-hero duo with the widest variety of interpretations.

Aside from other factors— like Warriors fans living for angst— I think this stems from the reality that, in the context of Linked Universe specifically, the dynamic between Wars and Artemis is among the Link-Zelda relationships we know the least about.

Hence, in light of the recent holiday, I wanted to take a moment and collect all the clues we’ve gathered for this relationship over time. And, maybe, spark some conversation! (Buckle up and maybe make some hot chocolate, there’s surprisingly a lot to talk about)

[All image credits go to Jojo, with thanks!]

Part 1: Jojo’s Hints

When considering any Link-Zelda dynamic in Linked Universe, the easiest place to begin is Jojo’s response to the “love interest” question…aka, Default Zelink.

Obviously, this response doesn’t define the limits of fandom creativity, or invalidate the thousands of excellent stories we can tell with our own interpretations. It is, however, incredibly helpful as a starting point when we’re trying to puzzle out where Jojo might take a relationship in future updates!

Note: Redacted

[Originally, this next section included my analysis of a Q&A Jojo gifted to the Linked Universe Discord server. It was brought to my attention that this material was not meant to be shared outside the server. Of course, I have removed it. Creator boundaries are very important, and regardless of my intent or awareness, I want to honor that. Thanks to @luna-loveboop for catching this!

For the purposes of this analysis, I’m leaving my conclusions intact, and replacing this specific section with a link to the LU Discord server. If anyone wants to read the evidence there, along with a host of lovely lore tidbits, absolutely check it out!]

Analysis Resumes:

So, here’s what we know:

1. Wars and Artemis are almost certainly romantically involved.

2. It’s more than mutual feelings, but less than an established relationship.

3. It’s been at least SIX years since the end of their adventure.

Obviously, I still have questions. Chief of which is: what does it mean that this is where their relationship stands, when it’s been 6+ years since their mutual adventure?

This sparks a few more questions.

1. If there’s mutual interest, why hasn’t it progressed?

2. Are there obstacles to a definite relationship?

and, of most interest to me:

3. If there’s an obstacle— are either Warriors or Artemis the reason for this?

Conveniently, that part’s next!

Part 2: Warriors and Artemis

A. Warriors’ side

Thus far, Wars has referenced Artemis (directly) exactly once (in “Moving Forward”):

This doesn’t tell us anything about the specifics of their relationship, but it does show that

1. Artemis is a fond subject for Wars: he cares about her.

2. She’s an exception to his hangups with secrecy: he trusts her.

(I considered providing instances of the “Wars and Not Being Told Stuff” saga, but that would 1. take forever and 2. test Tumblr’s image limit. I think we can all agree that this is a trait of his.)

This is a pretty reasonable indicator of how Wars feels about Artemis… for now. He cares about her, and even more notably, he trusts her.

But what about the princess in question?

B. Artemis’ side

As of now, the Zeldas have only come up a handful of times in LU.

Aside from background comics and cameos, references in the main story are largely restricted to Time giving Sky relationship advice in “Miss Her,” Wild addressing his thoughts to Flora at key moments in the aftermath of Twilight’s injury, and Time mentioning Lullaby in “Timeline talk 1.”

And then, of course, there are the Malon chapters.

Romance, as it pertains to the Links, is the subject of conversation at multiple points throughout this “arc”— but for my purposes, the most important stuff is this panel from “The Bet.”

Okay, aside from Wars making political-intrigue fanficcers very happy, this is super informative. A few key takeaways:

1. Wars also assumes Default Zelink.

2. He doesn’t see birth or status as an obstacle to marriage.

3. He’s so confident that he’s willing to bet on it.

(Admittedly, the Chain places a lot of bets— but it’s still worth mentioning that he’d stand his ground on this)

From here, I think we can make three statements and remain well within the realm of probability:

1. Wars thinks very highly of his Zelda.

He sees how much Time loves his wife, and Time’s general self-possession, and assumes it has to be the princess.

2. If there are obstacles to HW Zelink, they probably aren’t external.

Wars treats public support as a given, as long as the involved parties can play the political game.

3. He seems to be speaking from experience.

There’s no signs of frustration, or even a hypothetical here— he’s talking about this like it’s par for the course. Ergo, he probably hasn’t experienced anything that would contradict that assumption.

My conclusion: Artemis isn’t the obstacle. There’s no indication here that Wars’ Zelda is unable or unwilling to make the political arrangements he mentions. In fact, given how unconcerned Wars appears, I’d say it was never a point of contention at all.

That’s as far as I’m willing to go with this panel alone— but if we factor in Zelda’s attitude in Hyrule Warriors proper, I think it’s reasonable to assume that Artemis is open to taking this relationship to the next level.

*inhale*

So. If there’s mutual feelings, and there aren’t any external obstacles, and it’s been 6+ years— why aren’t they a couple?

Part 3: Let’s talk about Wars

Specifically, Wars and his relationship with… relationships. Of the romantic kind.

Since the earliest years of the LU fandom, it’s been fairly well-established that Wars is the resident flirt.

This comes from a few of the side comics, but also from the first-ever Linked Universe post:

Over time, the fandom’s interpretation of these traits seems to have shifted a bit.

Early fanworks tended to depict Warriors as the “Casanova” of the group. More recently (within the last few years), I’ve seen the widespread reading that “women problems” has more to do with Wars’ personal trauma than with a hypothetical reputation as a womanizer.

While these alternate perceptions have a big impact on how we might interpret situations like this—

— surprisingly, it makes very little difference to this self-appointed investigation. Whether he’s a chronic flirt, processing trauma, or both, the fact is that Wars doesn’t seem interested in “settling down” with a definite relationship.

This is clearest, I think, in this panel from “Powerful Ring”:

Warriors is being a tease here, but using the term “shackle” telegraphs a pretty clear opinion. Time even draws a bit of attention to it with his good-natured “aside.” It’s not something you’d say if you were actively looking to get into a long-term, committed relationship.

We’re encroaching on the image limit, but it’s worth noting that Wars’ attitude here contrasts sharply with Sky’s, and even Hyrule’s. Sky is all bashful interest, and Hyrule expresses doubt over his own ability to “settle down” as the Hero. Meanwhile Warriors, who sits between them on the Zelink romance scale, projects pointed, if very light-hearted, distaste (or at least disinterest).

So here’s Warriors’ side, updated:

1. Warriors cares about Artemis, a lot.

2. He also trusts her, a lot.

3. For whatever reason, he doesn’t want to be in an official relationship with her.

Part 4: Conclusion

Okay! Time for the TLDR:

1. Wars and Artemis are almost certainly romantically involved.

2. It’s more than mutual feelings, but less than an established relationship.

3. It’s been at least SIX years since the end of their adventure.

and, finally,

4. Wars himself is the obstacle to taking the relationship further.

Annnnd that’s as far as I can go, without veering off the tracks into headcanon territory.

Of course, while I tried to be as neutral and “canonical” as possible, at the end of the day, this is just speculation! And Esthelle amusing herself tracking down hyper-specific panels in Linked Universe like it’s an Important Assignment and not an Excuse To Read The Comic Again.

Whatever it turns out to look like, there’s so much potential in the Wars-Artemis dynamic! They’re interesting, and we should talk about them more— even if I didn’t plan to write quite this much about them in one post. I can’t wait to see what Jojo has planned.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! If you have additions, corrections, theories, or general thoughts, I’d love to read them.

[dangermousie]

I was chatting about this with a mutual and it made me want to expand this because I've been thinking about this for a bit on and off.

I think the disconnect/arguments between people who watch/read books/shows/movies etc, label things as green flag/red flag and complain when there are "problematic" characters or "dynamics" - both in terms of the narratives and people who enjoy these narratives being targets and people who like me love some intense/fucked up/weird stuff is because these two groups of people approach fiction in two fundamentally different and incompatible ways.

The former view it as a sort of aspirational content or self-insert - they want to watch/read about people/lives/situations they would enjoy being in/with in real life. It's sort of a self-insert wish fulfillment, the way other people watch youtube channels about traveling the world or cooking or home decorating - you imagine yourself in this.

And I think this is where the disconnect comes in - because a decent chunk of them assume everyone else uses fiction for the same reason so if you enjoy e.g., watching a dysfunctional relationship or a bad dude/lady or some world set up that is nuts it's because you think this is all great in real world and that you want to be (or be with) with a problematic partner/in problematic situation and you think it's morally worthwhile.

To that former "aspirational" type of fiction consumer, fiction taste = morality.

But the disconnect is that for that latter "we like fucked up/dark/problematic/intense/whatever" group it's not really about aspiration or self-insert. People didn't love Hannibal because they secretly long to run off and cook humans in a stew. The fans of 2ha don't really want to kidnap their hot teacher and keep them as a sex slave in a palace. Harem dramas aren't popular because women are dying to poison and frame others to get to sleep with a fat old powerful megalomaniac. Most of consumers of mafia romances don't really think it's a great idea in real life to be taken against your will by a hot killer with abs who can't control himself around you and is great at forcing you into orgasms against your will.

That latter group (among which I find myself) likes all that stuff precisely because it's nothing they have or want to have in real life. It's a safe way to explore fantasies that would not be great in real life (I assure you most people who have noncon fantasies don't want to be raped in real life; also in real life no most people don't want to bang a buff but super murdery villain; fiction is a safe place in a way) but also to explore situations and interactions and characters you would never want to in real life from the safety of the page/screen. To use a very easy example - think of the large audience of action movies. I am pretty sure most fans of action franchises don't want to be in car crashes/insane chases/explosions/etc. Any more than roller coaster enthusiasts want to actually be thrown upside down for real or horror movie fans want to either chase someone with an axe or be chased with one. I myself love really intense situations in fiction, ones that push characters to their limits and sometimes beyond, but I cannot imagine anything less pleasant to go through in real life.

Unlike with the self-insert group, this is actually the very opposite. It's like a game of what-if, a glimpse into an alien world fascinating precisely because of its difference with my life. An exploration of aspects of life/relationships that one could never safely or happily do in one's life but are interesting at a safe fictional remove.

This is getting repetitive so I am going to stop but I really do wish more people would understand that enjoying X in fiction does not mean enjoying X in real life (or approving of X in general.) I mean, I love period epics but you'd pry antibiotics and rule of law out of my cold dead hands.

The moral panic over fiction reminds me both the old "video games make you into killers" panic of a few decades ago and the much older belief that reading novels would wreck morals of society especially by those weak women since the novels' (lack of) morality would warp them. Most people have brains and use them and can distinguish between fiction and reality. I wish people would accept that.

P.S. A corollary is conflation of morality/quality/enjoyment. By that I mean I wish more people would accept that moral message, quality, and enjoyment of work are all three separate things. You don't need to prove that some fictional piece is immoral and/or badly made to justify you not enjoying it. It can be well done and just not for you. And conversely, you do not need to prove a work having societal value or being high quality to justify enjoying it. It's fiction. Just enjoy it or don't.

[prettyboykatsuki-moved]

cw for the most longwinded and insane discussion of psuedocest and caleb and mcs relationship in lds.

MY THOUGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!!!! but for now...

MAJOR CW FOR PSUEDOCEST AND SPOILERS FOR CALEB CARDS

like. not only is caleb being a siscon integral to his characterization - it also crucial to understanding what is actually going on in their dynamic because when you remove the familial context (and, in turn, remove calebs sole reason for being KJDSHJDS) none of the conflict of the story will feel meaningful or make any sense

calebs and mcs relationship is run of the mill traumatized sibling codependency. the amount and the extent in which the both of them emotionally rely on each other is reinforced in the myth where it affirms that caleb is basically fucking winter solider and that if mc had the chip in her she would end up with a similar obsession about protecting him.

but caleb has harbored a stronger desire for her since forever.

and MORE than that , i do not think his desire for her genuinely conflicts with his interest in acting as her older brother.

so much of the conflict caleb experiences is about wanting to maintain the image of protection and strength in order to make sure mc never feels completely out of depth and keep himself as a safe space in her life. he makes a promise in her bond as to not restrain her. his priority has always and will always be her family. acting as her dependable gege is something caleb goes to great lengths to do

this is proven again by their hidden waves card where he doesnt want mc to see him sick. he cant be sick, cant show weakness. because he wants her to continue to depend on him for as long as they are live. he wants to continue to be the person she relies on.

the distorted nature of their relationship exists because for calebs desire to monopolize mc and continue acting like her gege are not at odds INTERNALLY. rather, he is under the correct impression that expressing that to mc would alter her already fragile connection and feelings about family.

WHICH IS WHY THE CONVERSATION THEY HAVE IN THE MAIN STORY CAPTIVE BIRD - WHERE CALEB EXPLICITLY SAYS THAT IT WAS MCS MISTAKE TO THINK HE WOULD KEEP ACTING AS HER GOOD OLDER BROTHER IS SOOO DKJFHSJD !!!

thank you mao for the translations on that for affirming the psuedocest in it AND the tragedy in it.

based on all of that and the way i see it - i think the underlying sexual tension is probably something that has existed in their relationship for a long time. something that mc has probably felt but somewhat willfully chosen to overlook or acknowledge because of what it would mean . to what capacity she has understood it is imo still up for debate

TO ME........ i think this is about a willingness to the accept that distortion. the intentional cruelty in deying to mc that he was ever gege in the first place. i do think that this is of course partially because of his frustration over his feelings but also a way for him to make mc confront their relationship more head on. mc sees it a denial of their bond and i think this will require resolving at some point

but because i think caleb knows even better than mc that mc could accept A LOT from caleb simply because of who he is to her. but its not what he wants. he wants HER as she is. to have all of her.

to act as both. to be everything to her she is to him. in order to do that, i think he probably first intends to make mc conscious of him this way. forcefully because its the only way she'll really get it and come to him of her own volition and accept what has probably existed between them for a long time

i think this is also an act of mercy on calebs behalf. because i think it would genuinely be easy for him to get what he wants out of mc on the guise of acting as her brother only. i think it is knowing that he chooses not to do that and instead goes so forcefully in making her aware of him and his desires. i know that sounds insane but for now thats how i see it.

its a matter of caleb wanting to be both her gege and everything inbetween. above and below.

SORRY AND I AM INSANE .

[kateysummers99]

Do you think the WWBM Interacial movement has now got to a critical point where momentum has starting to challenge even the majority of White Women now as far as there choices for relationship ? May we as White Males even lose this group of females to African Men more then we keep ourselves ?

The short answer is definitely yes.

Because of my own personal experiences and also just looking at major social trends, it's pretty obvious that IR relationships (in general, but specifically white girls and black guys) are much more common now than they were 10, 30, and 30 years ago. 

I think there are lots of reasons for this and I’m obviously not an expert (I work in finance, not cultural psychology), but lets just look at the obvious trends:

Girls today are more empowered in general, and especially regarding sexuality and romance. I mention this a lot on this blog, there are less things hold girls back than there used to be. Movies and TV and culture in general are so much more accepting that people can love who they want to love, and that applies especially to society being more accepting of girls expressing their sexuality. I grew up in a time when dating black guys was an obvious but implied no-no, and it's just not the same today. (Note this is NOT true everywhere. Sadly there are racists and homophobes still, but they will probably be holdouts until they die.)

Black men are idolized for their physicality and masculinity by society more and more every day. Sports, music, advertising media, movies, social media and TV shows - you name it, black guys are constantly the icon of masculinity, status and power. This is really true for their masculinity, where we regularly fetishize the sexual prowess of black men in every day culture with phrases like “once you go black you never go back.” 

Porn is free and everywhere. Also something that wasn’t the case when I was growing up, but now you just pick up any cell phone and in a few seconds be privately and anonymously staring at an amazing black man and his huge black cock (or whatever your fantasy is).

Also in the last few years, social justice and institutional racism has become a hot topic, I think a lot of women recognize that the same old white male patriarchy that has been suppressing women since the beginning of time has also been responsible for suppressing Black people. This puts white women and black men on the same side on a pretty deep level, where they see each other in the same existential struggle for happiness against the common enemy that is old white guys.

Another interesting thing that I've read reports about is more and more young white guys who are essentially "staying single" forever, sometimes due to porn addiction. They make a sexual connection with porn that is easy and judgment free, which is the opposite of the real-world dating situation where they deal with complex social dynamics and competition (including trying to compete against more masculine black men who are constantly in movies and music).

So if that's a growing tend... then young women find themselves more free in choosing partners, society idolizing black guys, exposed to IR sex and porn, and more culturally aligned with black guys… and young white guys basically removing themselves from the dating pool.

As for me personally, I have always thought think black guy / white girl couples are the most beautiful -- there's a special passion and primal attraction that goes deep down that you just don't see with other couples.

So yes, I think black guy and white girl couples are definitely more and more popular. I don’t think we’ll ever get to a point where all white men are unwanted forever (sorry white boys who message me, desperate to live in such a world), but I do think increasingly empowered girls and wider acceptance of female sexuality will naturally trend to more black guys and white girls together - which is all beautiful to me :)

[localfandomenjoyer]

I know people voted more in favor of a Hades/Perse Kronide pairing but. I feel like the Zeus/Perse pairing makes more sense? It's not going to be as ideal a match as Hades or Apollo, sure, but your point about Zeus removing his greatest political rival in the immediate aftermath of the Titanomachy through marriage makes sense. Uniting two conflicting claims to the throne through marriage is a popular means of problem solving for a reason: it's bloodless and ensures the line of inheritance is clear. And since Perse helped Zeus overthrow Kronos despite being his heir, I really do see her having more of his respect and ability to curb the worst of his nature. Being Queen of Olympus also makes for a suuuuper interesting starting point when the events of Greek mythology and canon come around. Would that mean she's Zeus's second wife after Metis? If so, not sure how she'd trust him not to stab her in the back like he did his first wife? IDK this dynamic is so complex and intriguing and messy and INTERESTING I'm invested!! (Also the Queen having more of their subjects' love and support than the King will always be a trope I love.)

I'm not just going to follow what the voters say, that was just my way of seeing how people feel. Ultimately I'm going to go forward with what I feel can offer the most interest to both myself and the audience. Even then, the votes seem to be roughly split three ways. There's not even a 10% gap between the most and least voted for option.

This tells me that none of the ship choices are particularly repulsive, so I can go with any. I suppose the real question is tone. The ideas I have for Perse/Apollo are more humorous, but probably aren't the best for a narrative or very good versus what other authors have already written, whereas Perse/Zeus is more serious and messy.

Oh and I completely agree about the trope, though I'm more general and just love it when one half of the royal couple is popular and the other half a statesperson.

[hallabun]

Optimizing Bellara’s Romance

So, I am writing this up in case anyone is interested in getting the most out of romancing Bellara, and in avoiding the pitfalls many of Veilguard's romances have. This all comes down to preference, of course, but here are my personal recommendations. Spoilers ahead!

1. Is Bellara’s romance a good fit for you in the first place?

Bellara’s romance is a pretty textbook friends-to-lovers slow burn. If you’re looking for spice, you’re not getting it here. Additionally, with my own personal optimizations, you won’t get the pillow talk scene either. I swear there is a reason for this and I will go into detail below, but... To summarize why, it’s to push the romance’s progression further into the game’s plot for consistency, and to have Bellara directly involved with the game’s finale.

2. Flirting

When flirting with Bellara, you will notice most of it is just general reassurance. Taking the flirting option whenever you see it will make Rook’s dynamic with Bellara a bit more dry and one dimensional. So don’t do that. You only have to flirt with Bellara once to get her initial romance lock-in scene. I recommend seeing what dialogue option fits best for your Rook, as some of the platonic options are much more charming than the romantic ones. For friends-to-lovers to work, you have to be friends first, after all. So, joke around and get to know her! There are a couple of romantic dialogue options I did really like, but they pop up more in the second act rather than the first. I’ll go into this more below.

3. Timeline

The longer you can put off Bellara’s romance, the better. Now, I’m not saying to put off her personal quests and to leave them all for the end - I’m saying you should plan on locking in her romance and finishing up her personal plot towards the end of Act 2, as opposed to speedrunning it in the very beginning. Bellara’s first lock-in is more of a “we’re interested but we’ll just take things at our own pace” deal, while the final lock-in is Bellara asking if you’re sure you’re still interested after all that’s happened with her and her brother. By having these lock-ins occur towards the second half of Act 2, it makes for less downtime with nothing happening between scenes.

It also optimizes the friends-to-lovers feel of the relationship. During Bellara’s personal quest where she first finds out Cyrian is alive, before any of the lock-ins, there’s a lot of protective and comforting touches between Bellara and Rook, making for a good, subtle hint that they're getting closer. The first lock-in happens a conversation or two after this quest as well, further adding to my point.

To specify, the timeline I like to go by is below. This is to get the best friends-to-lovers feel, while making the pacing more natural and having Bellara more involved with the plot.

Initial Meeting [Act 1] -> Ignoring Most Flirt Options [Act 1] -> Taking Some Flirt Options [Act 2, Early] -> Bellara Discovers Cyrian is Alive -> Take Flirt Options [Act 2, Midway]* -> First Relationship Lock-In [Act 2, Midway] -> Mix of Romantic and Platonic Options [Act 2, Midway] -> Final Relationship Lock-In [Act 2, Late] -> Send Bellara to Deal with the Wards [Act 3]

*I know it looks bad, but these options aren’t actually too flirty. They’re more like… being a bit TOO invested and concerned about Bellara, hinting at deeper feelings.

4. Why make her handle the wards? Doesn’t that remove a scene?

Short answer: yes, it removes a scene.

Long answer: yes, it removes part of a scene, but that works in the relationship’s favor, especially tone and pacing wise. Let me explain. A major issue people have with the romances in Veilguard is that the universal romance scene all companions have in Act Three seems out of place and tone deaf. Like, aww… you’re sad your friend died? We’ll bang, okay?

Neve and Bellara have a special opportunity to circumvent this - sending them to deal with the wards. They’ll be kidnapped and blighted. So, if you’re romancing Bellara, having her get kidnapped not only adds insane stakes to the plot, but it also removes the poorly timed romance scene during the finale. You will get an altered version of this scene post-credits. The theme of “we don’t know what the future holds, so let’s embrace the joy in our lives right now,” becomes very, very fitting … especially since Bellara is healing from being blighted, and her future is uncertain. Bonus points if your Rook is a Grey Warden whose future is also uncertain. It also touches upon the, "what happens after the plot ends?" question a lot of the romances fail to address.

Pacing wise, Bellara is also one of the few romances where her first kiss happens DURING this romance scene. She doesn't even have an almost kiss. So having it occur after the credits, and cutting out the pillow talk, makes for a slower, but smoother pace for the relationship, as opposed to having their first kiss, immediately followed by sitting in bed naked after heavily implied sex. The change feels fitting for the tone of Bellara’s romance.

In addition to all of this, and in addition to all of the cool scenes you get from having your love interest kidnapped, it fits Bellara’s arc very well. Bellara is prone to overthinking things and needing a plan for everything; she even mentions being envious of Rook’s ability to “throw caution to the wind” and “face danger” everyday. Even if that's something she already does, but doesn't recognize. Well, when Rook is in danger in the finale, Bellara specifically decides to face it head on one more time. No planning, no thinking. And it wraps up her concerns with the gods as a Dalish, and, oh man… it’s just really good.

5. Optional Flavor

This is just an aside, but I've found RPing as a Grey Warden with a less than pristine past really enhances the dynamic. Bellara is the only companion you're able to confide to about this; Rook explains how they do all of this for redemption. With how much guilt Bellara deals with during her plot (some of it understandable and some of it unnecessary), having a Rook who also struggles with this, but has largely improved since becoming a Grey Warden, is really nice.

Not to mention, Bellara calls Rook a good person, something that could really mean a lot to them. Bellara also shows no judgement to Rook when talking about their past, and only admires their ability to keep moving forward regardless of the risks. She also still loves her brother despite the mistakes he's made, and she is more than willing to admit she might have accepted Anaris' offer if she were in his shoes, so she's no saint either.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just keep trying your best.

Also, like mentioned above, a Grey Warden Rook is dealing with the blight, much like a blighted Bellara. A Grey Warden Rook also is the most fitting for someone with a past they're not proud of looking for redemption. Bittersweet... but mainly sweet, I think.

[ongreenergrasses]

i just wanted to add my 2 cents and say that i think the scene with gale and katniss's make up team is not really a sign of him lacking empathy. he was always horrified at their torture, he was just asking katniss why she cared so much about people who don't have empathy for her (which is a normal thing to as ur best friend). then katniss compares them to children. and gale accepts it and moves on and tries to make them feel welcome.

and that's what drives me nuts about collins writing. because they are not normal capitol citizens, these are people who actually participated and aided in the slaughter of children. and everything they did to these children (waxing, make up, tattoo removal) were all non-consensual. the prep teams in the hunger games also likely aided in sex trafficking of victors. and at no point are katniss's prep team concerned about her during the qq, in fact she has to console them. they are concerned what katniss's death will feel for them! like at certain point that level of ignorance is malicious.

tbh thats why i really wish we were able to have a viewpoint of other victors bc i think having seen the operation of the hunger games system for a lot longer and likely wouldn't view the prep team as innocent children. i know it's a series for preteens so collins couldn't discuss it but a bunch of people having complete access to the these young tributes is a situation ripe for abuse. sorry for the multiple tangents this rant took 😅

I don’t think Gale is lacking empathy in that situation or in general either, but even if he was I feel like. that’s completely fine? for all the reasons you pointed out. these people are nonconsensually modifying children’s bodies with the explicit purpose of sexualizing them, completely out of touch and unempathetic towards those children as they head towards almost certain death or alternately a life of coercion and control, now canonically knowingly complicit in sex trafficking them, and in their own way in positions of power creating conditions rife with abuse that was most likely happening outside of these things. like it is reasonable and understandable to not have empathy for those people, especially if they’re inflicting that on your best friend. but Gale listens to Katniss’s explanation. he extends empathy to them despite this after hearing her out. I think his reaction overall is actually indicative of a very compassionate person and it gets completely misconstrued in bad faith.

I would’ve loved to see the other victors’ povs on their prep teams. I think there definitely could be some resentment and unhappiness there, and it would say a lot about the dynamics. at the same time I also feel like maybe some of the trafficked victors would end up becoming closer with their teams because they’re consistent faces and even if they’re involved, at least they’re predictable and could show kindness. really interesting to explore

[k-rospring]

Sorry for not posting in a while, I’ve been quite busy and not been feeling the best lately so I haven’t drawn much. But I made something I wanted to share with you all:

A redesign for Shadow Milk! Which I have lovingly called “Laundry Detergent Cookie.”

I didn’t like his original design that much, it felt like a smorgasbord of ideas with no substance… and the monochrome is just not cutting it… so I made a new design! My goal was to emphasize certain parts of his character which weren’t expressed well in his original design, while making sure nothing of value was lost from it. (I also took some inspiration from a friend’s idea)

Full concept below the cut!

(WARNING ⚠️: Mild canon-typical (i think?) horror)

Here is everything I changed and my reasoning for it:

-PALETTE: To start, I simplified his color scheme has been simplified to 7 colors (8 if counting his eye) (which, in my opinion, should be the maximum for most cookie designs), much less than the 13 in his original design. It makes the design much easier to read. I also gave him an accent color in light purple, which is the main color of Bachalomoth the Dreamer, further emphasizing his Blueberry Yogurt Academy connection. I also removed the pitch black (besides for his eye’s outline) because it looked messy and replaced it with a very dark blue as a stand-in.

-COLOR: I gave him more white in his design, so it’s more obvious he’s supposed to be a milk cookie, and emphasized the two-toned or two-sided look that his original design had.

-HAIR: I changed this much more than anything else in his design. The only thing I really kept the same here was the other-realm eyes, since that’s a very iconic part of Shadow Milk’s design, it’s part of what makes him “him.” I made his hair white and more “splashy” to mimic spilled milk and also made it long to mimic a snake’s tail, with blue and purple highlights to keep it interesting. I also added bubbles coming off his hair, like what would happen when one would blow bubbles in a carton of milk (except the bubbles are mostly blue and purple). This also adds to the ghostly or eldritch feel his original design had, and makes it easier to make sense of his physics-defying hair (I still do not understand how his OG hair works). This new hair shape also allows him to have more dynamic and expressive poses (demonstrated in the picture).

-HAT: I let him actually wear his hat. As my friend said, hats are for wearing, not for holding. I also did a thing where in his more freakish sprites, the blueberries at the end turn into snakes, similar to Eternal Sugar’s tail getting thorns, Mystic Flour’s eyes glowing, or Burning Spice’s hair fluffing up to look like black flames, to further emphasize the snake theming and that this is an eldritch god.

-FACE: I changed the shape of his eyes (or, eye, he only has one of his original eyes) to more closely mimic a human eye, because it more closely fits the rest of his design. I also replaced the cyan for blue and purple, keeping them two colors though, because two colors was also iconic in his design. The cyan was not cutting it, though. I also gave him a half mask covering his “scarred” eye. And his “scar” is now… something else entirely… I mostly added that there because of headcanon stuff. Important for my take on his backstory, where the witches burned him as punishment, but now other-realm eyes are in his burnt eye’s place. He takes off his mask as a scare tactic, as a way to add dramatic effect to his performances, and as a form of mockery: a way to mock the Cookies, and a way to mock the Witches themselves.

-OUTFIT: This is what I changed the most next to the hair. Firstly, I made his neck ruff and ruffled sleeves smaller to not clash too hard proportionally with his hair and hat. They were too big to me even in his original design, though. I made the ruffles on the black sleeve black as well, to make it more consistent and enhance the whole two-toned look. I also removed the blue diamonds on his sleeves and the large one on his torso because they seemed redundant. Instead of a leotard, I gave him a dark blue shirt or suit (not sure what its called) with a fluffy-looking hem that tapers down, and decided to not completely remove the diamonds, instead putting them at the long parts of the hem. I gave him two-colored pants, one side being white and the other being dark blue with a purple diamond pattern. This makes him look more “clown-like” in appearance, and to add, the diamonds are supposed to represent snake scales in this iteration.

-CONTRADICTION: I added a theme of contradictions for Shadow Milk, going off a concept Cookie that was supposed to be in the place of Shadow Milk, and something I read on the wiki, where milk is usually used for good-hearted or innocent characters (Milk Cookie and Milky Way Cookie) while Shadow Milk is incredibly malicious. His face is mostly obscured by his hair and mask (which is also something criminals do to hide their identities), but he also always wants people to look at him and loves to be the center of attention. His design now has rounder and “fluffier” shapes but he still has the slit eyes and sharp teeth, giving a sort of “wolf in sheep’s clothing” effect. It makes him look more whimsical while still appearing intimidating and dangerous.

I was kind of nervous to post this, but I hope you guys like it! I’m very happy with this myself and I hope you think the same.

(P.S. You wouldn’t normally be able to see it, but his outfit looks like this from behind:)

[kittybobitty]

Ranking the Danmei I Read this Year

I got into Danmei this February, and wanted to do a top 5, but then realized I'd only read 5 this year lol, so instead I'm going to rank them from least favorite to most. So without further ado:

5. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

I picked this one up just because it sounded so ridiculous and funny, and never expected it to be so sweet! It's pure fluff and love. I've only ranked it low because it's just very low stakes compared to the rest of the series on the list. It's a great read in between much higher stakes series that constantly feel like they're ripping my heart out. I love Li Yu's character and how in love with him Prince Jing is. I'm looking forward tk getting the final volume next year!

4. Heaven Official's Blessing

We all know it and love it for a reason. I was absolutely enamored by hualian's love story. I love the lack of relationship drama because they trust eachother so completely, and I think it has one of the best confession scenes of any media ever. However, I did rank it lower because I didn't find the ending completely fulfilling. I know MXTX is doing an amended version and I'm anxious about her removing some characters but I am curious to see if I find the ending any better.

3. The Scum Villain's Self Saving System

It made me laugh so much, and then volume 3 broke my heart. I really love how related Shen Yuan is. It is MXTX's first series and it does feel like it is her first in a lot of ways, but this series has so much heart. I honestly would love to see more of the world explored, because I think it's so vast and interesting.

2. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

I LOVE this series. I love our himbo protag living in the regret of his previous life, I love how much of a hopeless romantic CWN is behind his cold exterior and damn, it's good spice. I am spoiler free and have not even read volume 7 yet (it arrives tomorrow!) But it's definitely the longest series I've read, I belive it will have 11 volumes in total. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out, but until then, I will keep all the related tags blocked haha

1. The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Anyone who follows my blog probably wouldn't be surprised by this. The series with too many titles, MDZS, was my first danmei and still sits atop as my favorite. I see a lot of myself in Wei Ying. His story breaks my heart, but his love story with Lan Wanji heals me. I love their dynamic, their relationship to the juniors, and their devotion to each other. I was to keep experiencing this series in new ways; I already am collecting the webcomic, I've started watching the donghua (and I'd like to buy it) and I will eventually watch The Untamed. Theres also the new stage play happening soon (no idea how I'll see that) and me hoping and praying for someone to pick up the manga for publication in the west. I love Wangxian so much!

And that's all I've read thus far. I know it's kinda basic as far as danmei go, but everyone has to start somewhere! I would love recommendations for what to read next. I do prefer the cultivation storyline, but I'm also open to Palace Dramas. I'm not particularly interested in Modern stories.

I'm likely to pick up Thousand Autumns soon, and I've heard Remnants of Filth is in the same universe as Erha, so I may also check it out. Feel free to leave other recommendations (please also note I'm currently only interested in series that have been published as books in the US, and not interested in reading fan-translations)

Happy new year everyone!

[laurelwen]

Sorry, it's me again. There's this thing that has been...whispering in the back of mind since I read this post for the first time. Nigel wrote: "... I removed a rat's heart and pretended to be disgusted" Why on earth would he feel the necessity to PRETEND to be disgusted in front of Alex?

I've taken a minute to answer this because it's a very good question but difficult and complicated to answer within the context of the film. For those who aren't sure what you're referring to, please see this post transcribing Nigel's notes.

The short answer is: I don't think the people making the props were entirely consistent with the character as scripted. I think most likely they were given some general directives (such as "make sure it highlights the words "egocentric megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur") Outside those few directives, they just sort of let their poetic license run free, injecting their own ideas of a what a "fucked up weird guy who dissects animals" would say into the text, and creating a different version of Nigel than the movie presents us with. The worst example of that is the newspaper article in Alex's book--which doesn't make ANY sense in the context of the film. No one really expected crazy fans to obsessively pause the movie and use photo enhancing techniques frame by frame to determine what was written in his journals or the text of the article, so I think there was a lot of leeway and perhaps some laziness when it came to the props.

It's hard for me to come up with an IN character justification for Nigel to have written that, because it doesn't gel with my observations of him as presented in the film. The journal entry itself is written before he is kidnapped by Alex and the dynamic of their relationship shifts. This IS the entry that made Alex angry enough to kidnap him and teach him a lesson in the first place. This is the Nigel who barely responds to Alex's confrontational anger over the dissection in the dorm room, the Nigel who seems to be completely unmoved by or even very aware of how his actions might impact others. He doesn't care enough to even consider what effect he has on others, and even if/when he is aware, I sincerely doubt he'd bother to *pretend* anything. Nigel doesn't seem interested in pretending to be anything other than what he is, a defining trait that causes him a lot of problems.

Later in the movie, Nigel does shift a bit into a more puckish role. He fucks with Alex in a variety of ways, very noticeably in the train scene when they're going to visit his secret room. He's playful, mischievously antagonistic, poking and prodding Alex and seeming to enjoy his discomfort. This demeanor is more in line with the kind of guy who might write about deliberately messing with his roommate's head. But I still don't know why he would feign disgust in the middle of the dissection given that he's been dissecting animals regularly and Alex would have no reason to think he's grossed out by it.

I suppose if we apply that puckish attitude backward and say that Nigel was already trying to mess with Alex even before the kidnapping, we could sort of squint our eyes and imagine him being very over the top Fake Disgusted as he waves the heart around in Alex's direction. I still don't find that very likely, but it's the best I've got.

If you wanted to, you could use this as part of a theory that Nigel was the real instigator all along and had been intending/planning to manipulate Alex from the moment he was transferred to the school and forced to share a room. In such a reading of the film, all of his behavior could be seen as pretense in some way, including his initial lack of reaction to Alex--calculated to rile Alex up, put him off balance, etc.

I don't personally buy in to that interpretation, just as I don't buy into Alex being the sole instigator. I think either reading ascribes far too much power and control to these teenagers, however intelligent and manipulative they may be. But if you want to go that route, here's a supporting piece to add to your puzzle.

Thanks for the ask and I hope this rambling mess makes at least some sense!

EDIT: please read my reblog of this post. @silhioutte pointed out the very obvious mis-read of this line.

[Like Minds Masterpost - Main]

[fuckyeahisawthat]

The failmarriage hatesex fic is growing a second chapter which is very funny to me because Paul/Irulan was a ship I was actively not interested in. But apparently I just needed to unlock the Secret Good Ship Dynamic in my head that makes it compelling to me personally.

Calm, cool, collected ice queen Irulan, effortlessly manipulating things from behind the scenes? Boring to me apparently. Irulan who is frustrated, furious and scared, desperately trying to find a lever to exercise some control over her situation but extremely aware of the fact that she is trapped on the space cocaine death planet under the control of a man who has recently become the most powerful person in the universe and seems rather inclined to violence? Fucking catnip.

And then combine that with Paul being cold and kind of mean but never physically violent, which leaves the threat implicit, which is often scarier (and Paul is always most interesting when he's scary), and leaning into that ambiguity of never exactly knowing how self-aware he is about how much power he has over her.

And then the final element being that Chani is not there. Which seems counterintuitive because I am Chani's #1 defense lawyer. But the thing that I always found unappealing about Paul/Irulan was the idea of the blonde offworlder princess supplanting the indigenous woman canon love interest both in terms of narrative focus and as Paul's primary or ideal partner. And I could never quite make the threesome dynamic work in my head with the book characters because I could never figure out why Chani would ever like or trust Irulan, especially after the whole, y'know, feeding her birth control without her knowledge or consent FOR YEARS thing (which is horrifying enough on a person to person level, but add in the racial/colonial dimension to it and f u c k i n g y i k e s d u d e.)

But ironically once Chani removes herself from the situation--for completely justified reasons--her place in the narrative becomes irrefutable. Because Paul and Irulan both know that he wouldn't give her a second glance if Chani were still around; that he's only fucking her because she's there; that he is just using her as a stand-in for the person he'd rather be doing this with, and she's an inferior replacement as far as he's concerned. Chewy chewy chewy.

And the cherry on top is Irulan belatedly figuring out that she maybe possibly has a tiny bit of a humiliation kink, and the only person who's ever clocked it is Paul. RIP girl but he is gonna be SO fucking annoying about that.

[olderthannetfic]

Hi! I'm the anon from 777220931549528065 back with a sort-of request for recommendations on fics. Thanks to the people who were nice to my thoughts because whenever I say this, I'm accused of hating her character or being a misogynist whenever I say she's an irrelevant character. I actually like Naruto (the manga not character, for the most part) but the ending ruined it for me completely and made me recontexualize the story as a dark political thriller focalized through Naruto who chooses to delegitimize others' rational grievances because he needs external validation from the same shinobi system that is the real antagonistic force in the whole series. Just writing back because I wanted recs for Sakura as a character outside of shipping. I like the main setting and dynamics until the end, but she's a character that's totally irrelevant in every single way: narratively, thematically, socially, and politically. She's not even "eye candy female character who is often around but is not allowed to contribute TOO much lest The Boys feel threatened" like one person described. She's not eye candy in the series like an Orihime, but I also can't get into "Sakura spite fics" like someone else put it because, again, she's completely irrelevant.

It's hard for me to take Sakura being paired with major characters seriously because she has no meaningful ties to most male characters, especially the Uchiha. The only ones who show interest in her—Naruto, Rock Lee, and some nameless soldiers—are individuals without status, clans, or influence. Meanwhile, figures like Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Neji, Itachi, and Sasuke, who belong to prominent clans, show no interest in her—and that’s intentional. For these families, particularly the Uchiha and Hyuuga, marriage is about politics, alliances, and legacy—not just romance. Sakura offers no social, political, or economic advantage, giving these clans no reason to consider her. While it's understandable why Sakura might admire powerful figures like Sasuke or Itachi (or other Uchiha like Obito, Madara, or Izuna), those same characters have no practical reason to pursue her. Even if they were interested, their clan obligations would make it unlikely. Someone like Madara, who was fiercely devoted to his clan, wouldn’t take an interest in someone who only imitates their identity—wearing the Uchiha crest without even mastering their signature katon technique and knowing nothing of their history. Sakura’s accomplishments are impressive given her lack of a powerful lineage, but that same absence limits her potential. She's not a Senju, so she can’t match Tsunade’s abilities or wield Mokuton. She’ll never rival Naruto or Sasuke’s strength. In a feudal-inspired world where clans hold political and social dominance, Sakura’s lack of influence makes her irrelevant to those larger systems. Marriage, in this context, is strategic—not romantic. That’s why Hinata, Ino, and even Karin (if her being an Uzumaki had been emphasized more) make stronger matches in terms of clan dynamics. If anything, Sasuke ending up with Sakura feels symbolic—a sign that the Uchiha’s fall was complete. Marrying someone without political value or clan ties reflects the clan’s loss of power and influence and actually erases their ideological and thematic legacies. Meanwhile, Naruto’s relationship with Hinata aligns him with the powerful Hyuuga, reinforcing his victory over Sasuke in yet another significant way. But she’s so displaced by the entire story that her being a student of the last Senju and carrying on the Will of Fire goes completely over her head, too.  I could only like a Sakura-spite-fic like that if it completely changed her backstory and woobified her, but that would remove everything I actually like about her character. I just want a fic that’s about her, just developing her as a character grounded within the world outside of shipping, unless it’s with someone like Rock Lee or a clanless OC. Any recommendations?

--

[mummy-loves-crinklybottys]

Hi! I’ve been going around Tumblr wanting to ask this question to a few Mommies to get a better understand of how I should go about this, but do you have any tips for new Mommies? My boy friend recently came out to me about his fetish and wants to start incorporating it into our lives every now and again. Though… I’m quite submissive in my own right and not sure how I should go about acting or feeling about any of this. I want to be what he wants and enjoy it too. I think I just need some help. Thank you in advance 🧡

Ok so there's no short answer to this.

First things first: in my opinion, the most important foundation for any kink-related activity is enthusiastic, informed consent from everyone involved. Please make sure you’re not being pressured into doing anything you don’t truly want to do. Consent isn’t just about saying “yes” — it’s about feeling safe, comfortable, and excited about what you’re participating in.

If something makes you uncomfortable or you’re not enjoying it, don’t do it. I strongly advise against engaging in anything that doesn’t bring you some form of pleasure or fulfillment. Your enjoyment and wellbeing matter just as much as anyone else's.

It’s tricky to offer detailed advice about the dynamic without knowing more about what your partner is interested in exploring, but I’ll do my best. 

The "Mummy" in me has always been there (I just didn't recognise it as that until it was introduced to me by an ABDL).

 I've always been nurturing and caring and I like being in charge, I was born to lead- but gently, which is why being a Mummy suits me- I adore it. Also I don't know if your partner is interested in exploring diapers but sadly, I know that many DL's feel a lot of shame around this desire. I have always been passionate about creating and celebrating joy- regardless of how 'weird' other people may think it is- my number one priority as a Mummy is to empower and encourage my little to embrace the diaper-loving side of him without shame- in fact we celebrate it!

I could easily delve into all the amazing reasons I love being a Mummy, but that is not what you asked!

I would recommend having a very open discussion with your partner about what parts of the MDlb dynamic appeals to him, and talk about how you can incorporate into your relationship- in a way that you enjoy also- are there any parts that appeal to you?

For some it's just sexual, for others it's a lifestyle. No two Mummy's are the same and two little's are the same.

The most important thing to remember is that as long as everything is ethical, respectful, and all parties involved are consenting adults, there is absolutely no shame in exploring this "adult playtime".

I’m not sure if your partner identifies as AB, but what I will say is that there can be a lot of shame and misunderstanding surrounding this. It’s important to remember that interests like this often stem from a need for comfort, emotional safety, or stress relief — not something “wrong” or unhealthy. Like any kink or identity, it deserves the same respect and acceptance as any other. If your partner has shared this, it probably means they trust you. Try to meet that vulnerability with curiosity and empathy. You don’t have to fully understand or participate right away — or ever — but approaching the topic without judgment helps build a safe space for you both.

My tips to start:

• Ask your partner what this dynamic means to them. Everyone experiences it differently — for some, it’s about emotional comfort/ regression; for others, it may include elements of kink. Understanding the “why” behind it can help you feel less uncertain. Is it about diapers or regression? Is it about loss of control or humiliation? Just make sure it’s not about removing all responsibility in the relationship — you deserve to be considered, respected, and prioritised as a partner.

Yes, as a Mummy, it’s my job to make sure my baby feels cared for and looked after — but he also has a responsibility to completely adore and worship me, and to do his best to make me happy and proud.

• Set boundaries. Don't feel pressured to do everything at once. It’s okay to take your time, and set limits. Consent and comfort go both ways.

• You don’t have to ‘roleplay’. When I'm a Mummy it's just an extension of who I am. I know some people are put off by the idea of being a “caregiver” because they assume it means doing everything for their partner. Let me be clear: being a Mummy does NOT mean becoming a slave to this man.

• Learn together. If you’re unsure or feel awkward, communicate with your partner and remember- it's ok to laugh!- sex is hilarious when you think about it. Kink doesn’t have to be serious.

Continue to read blogs, watch videos, connect with people/communities online- to give you a broader understanding of the dynamic and 'cherry pick' what works for you.

• Aftercare and regular check-ins are essential in my opinion. This dynamic often involves a lot of emotional vulnerability for both parties, it blurs alot of lines.

Make time to check in with each other — not just about what felt good, but also about what didn’t. Feeling safe, seen, and heard is important for both of you. Communication is so important, don't be frightened of it.

[ecairnsart]

do u think noir!peter ever let his curiosity get the best of him to see felicia unmasked??

I can definitely imagine a scenario that would work for him seeing Felicia without her mask, but I don't think that curiosity about her appearance with her scars is a factor in that bringing that situation about.

For Felicia's part in this situation, the major conflict is obviously between her guardedness (something that she's had from the first time we encounter her in Noir, which is a big contrast to early 616!Felicia, a total romantic) and her vulnerability. The mask is a literal barrier between them, and she's going to use it to shut him out until she's ready for anything else. I think that they'd have to re-establish some form of a close relationship before she'd be willing to be that vulnerable with him again, which is what I was exploring in some of my art from a few years ago. There's also the factor of her own personal relationship to her appearance, feelings of desirability, which ties to both by their early relationship and her own individual backstory & previous relationships/work. Crucially though, I think that she also wouldn't take her mask off if she expected his reaction to be pity - that's never been something that she wants from him.

(Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face #1, 2010)

From Peter's side of things, I think that a major emotion he'd bring isn't curiosity, but guilt. Noir!Peter's relationship to guilt is pretty different from 616, where the whole story really kicks off when he holds himself responsible for failing to prevent his uncle's death - meanwhile Noir!Ben Parker's been killed before the series starts, long before Peter gets any powers, and Urich's the one who's carrying shame for his role in it. (The other great detail here of course is that, because Noir!Ben's death had nothing to do with gun violence, Peter is comfortable carrying and using a gun - thanks @traincat for pointing this out). So his general relationship towards guilt, and his feelings of responsibility towards others, stem from universe-specific sources and events. In this case, he obviously blames himself for Felicia being attacked by the Crime Master, and the scars on her face are the most visceral reminder of that.

(Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face #4, 2010. The second image is most directly about Robbie, but applies to Felicia as well)

As a sidenote, a 616 story that's got some similarities to this situation is when Felicia was injured/nearly killed by Doctor Octopus in Spectacular #75-76. It's interesting to read these side by side and contrast their relationship dynamics in each story - they're pretty dramatically different.

(Spectacular Spider-Man #76, 1983)

So those are the reasons that each of them would struggle to get to a point where Felicia would remove her mask in front of him. The reasons that she would do that are, I think, relatively straightforward; desire, intimacy. Those are much easier things for him to express than her, because she's much more cynical and emotionally guarded than he is in this universe. The ideas I was working with in this sketch are mostly about how they might negotiate that before she's fully willing to be seen by him - the blindfold means that he can't see her of course, but also that she doesn't have to feel the vulnerability of eye contact, and gives her a lot of control over the situation. On the other hand, like this he can still feel her scars - arguably far more intimate than seeing them.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that Felicia taking off her mask to show anyone her face should, for the sake of the story and the drama of it all, be very unusual and only in highly specific circumstances (and even then, we as the readers don't necessarily need to see! But this is is more a matter of how a scene is framed and how much is left to imagination.) (I'm not really into the direction the Noir story has gone post-Eyes Without A Face since the Spider-verse stuff started happening, and I for one did not enjoy that we ended up first seeing Felicia's face unmasked in a Spider-Gwen comic of all places. That's a character she has literally no connection to! Ugh.) Any moment when she first decides to take her mask off is going to be really fraught and vulnerable for both of them, but I think it's clear that it's also a necessary step if they're going to be able to have the truly close relationship that they want with each other.