#this is not canon to the main storyline

[maranull]

I want Loretta to strut into the DLC, smack everyone to their senses and drag Miquella to the Haligtree by the ear

[mspaintbladie]

ten lords commission blade au doodle (+ huohuo) (blade's rough fullbody under the cut)

[screwpinecaprice]

Although I barely make content for my connverse kids, there is a series of headcanons it's storyline follows so might as well jot it down. ¯⁠\⁠( ⁠•́⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠•̀⁠ )⁠/⁠¯

I headcanon that Steven isn't really immortal and that the Pink Diamond Gem will become an heirloom of sorts.

I headcanon that each of the Diamonds is some kind of representation or parallel to what forms the Universe. I don't know what the others could be, but Pink is the organic parts. Organic creatures, specially the sentient/sapient kind, is a rarity in the vast ocean of space, which was why she's the smallest.

Her affiliation to organics made her much more sympathetic and fascinated with them, and she was captivated with humans the most. Eventually, after living with them and her envy and wonder for them grew, she had the desire to be one. Or rather, something deep in her gem wanted to.

While she can make a baby without giving up her form, she chose to sacrifice herself so the gem can be passed down to Steven.

However, as Pink/Rose and Greg are different species, there had been an inconvenience. The offspring exists, but the gem and organic connection is imperfect and unstable.* The gem needs to develop it's connection to the physical body more. This can be done by letting the body naturally learn to adapt to the gem/magic, then passing both the gem and the DNA (with that learned knowledge) down to the next generation; who's physically more capable of hosting the diamond. The result is not instantaneous so it's going to take a number of generations before the gem and body becomes perfectly fused. (Slow burn route, babyyyy)

Passing down the gem can be done in two ways.

One is the natural way: by giving birth to the child with the gem intact. Of course, this will cause the parent to die. (There miiight be a chance they will still live despite now not having a gem, if they have the technology for it. But it can get trickier down the line as the body and gem becomes more connected.)

The alternate instance the gem can be passed down is when the current keeper becomes deceased and their "Pink Form" (like the Pink Steven in Change Your Mind) appears. They will guard the gem until a progeny claims it. There's a possibility the gem rejects the new body though.

There's a cool down after the gem is passed down. Of course, that and how mentally ready the person is can affect how long the cool down lasts. (Which was why Steven's gem powers didn't come out sooner.)

I was thinking about when you inherit the gem in the second way, how part of the cool down works is that you can still see the prior host as an apparition others can't see. They can talk to you and stuff. (Guide you? Torment you? Be your friend? Idk) But they can't really interact with anything else. They disappear when the new host (keeper?) is fully mentally ready to take in the gem.

*I was wondering also. Either conveniently or by design, Steven has a positive disposition as a lower morale can disrupt the gem's balanced state. Unfortunately for our boi, he's the first meat host, so he has to learn how to keep a stable mind the hardest. 😞

[14dayswithyou]

Is the secret scene at the start just a metaphor?? Or is Ren actually a siren?? I’m struggling to make it make sense if the playground comic is canonical

✦゜ANSWERED: aaaaa the default storyline will always officially be canon (and by extension, the playground comic as well). The Mer Ren scene is just a lil homage for me to say "thank you" to everyone for all of the hard work they put into the AU! ^^

And while it does showcase Ren's canonical abilities (and the things he's capable of), it's not official material because it's only an easter egg. Just a bit of fun for those who know about it!! ♡

[boyfridged]

in your fic “paint it over” is that how you imagine jason making it out of the explosion at the end of utrh? not exactly the events that follow, but the preferable characterization of bruce digging jay out of the rubble and carrying him to help. and how do you think jason made it out canonically (without the help of bruce) also!!! what are your thoughts on the specifics of jason’s scar and how he’d behave toward it. i liked the part of your fic where jason was temporarily unable to speak due to the trauma his neck received. i think the scar is something that rests on the junction of his shoulder/neck, and that can be hidden with whatever clothes he wears -> no one knows he has it (or how he got it) either. i like to imagine while bruce knows his batarang made contact with jason’s throat it’s never fully registered to him that it scarred until he sees it for himself (and while i believe bruce would turn the moment in head over and over again until it’s engraved in his brain, his delayed realization—to me—is due to his repression of the occurrence)

oh i adore this whole ask. some of it i explained in my notes, but this fanfic is quite dear to me, so i will elaborate.

short answer to whether this is how i imagine jay making it out of the explosion: not exactly?

the premise that i wanted to explore with paint it over is almost the opposite of a fix-it, and definitely not what i believe it should be in canon.

what i wished to explore there is, however, the part of utrh that is perhaps the most shocking to many readers: that bruce leaves jason to die.

in-universe, i think the answer why it happens is surprisingly simple enough: bruce does not come because he is just... not there. my understanding is, that in a way, the events of under the red hood did not happen. there is nothing to follow. that purple mist in the finale of the utrh, that is often read as a force resurrecting jason (not technically wrong, either)- i believe that is the timeline already rewriting itself, making the whole story into something that was not.

and the reason for the above is the infinite crisis. if i'm not wrong, it's also the inifinite crisis miniseries where bruce meets dick right after the explosions in (or of) bludhaven-- that in batman clearly happens in the background of his confrontation with jay. however, in infinite crisis (#4, just checked it now), bruce tells dick: "i wanted to make sure...you're alright... i was in new york when it hit. got here as soon as i could." which could be a lie or a matter of the editorial not being synced enough- but i'm willing to give them a benefit of the doubt given how it ties with that sudden, stunted ending of utrh.

this makes sense for canon for several reasons. in the animated movie, since it spares us the infinite crisis tie-in, bruce says of the whole incident: this changes nothing. it changes nothing because although aditf isn't, utrh is a tragedy; it changes nothing because since his death, jason is necessarily always pushed at the peripheries of the narrative, no matter how much the fate itself tries to fix it, becoming a tragic footnote. the dead have one right and it's the right to remain silent. and that is ironically ensured on a cosmic level, with his violent attempt at being seen hidden in the folds of the timeline. you can also see it clearly in canon -- i believe it was not until the infinite frontier that the events of utrh got just tangentially mentioned (before that, even lobdell barely touched upon it). other than that, they have no consequences; they are barely ever spoken of; they seem to slip out even from jay's solo comics.

this move was necessary for batman, as a character and as a title: let's say bruce does hold red hood as he does in the alt cover of annual 25 (and the cover of the deluxe edition of utrh.) that would implore a reckoning with his failure and his (suddenly non-productive) grief that would either reconstruct the whole myth or lead to some terrifying implications. these terrifying implications are, essentially, what paint it over is about. it's about the worst happening and about there being no way back from it. and jason, in receiving what he wanted (his father's love and care) wants to deny that reality. they both want to. yet even jay cannot ignore it completely -- and i chose to use the batarang injury to emphasize it.

and about the scar: i mentioned it briefly before, but in the au jason aggravates the wounds on purpose, hence it will scar worse and cause long-term issues for his voice. it's a theme i also keep in some of my other stories (to come...) and i very much think this is what would happen in canon if he had to take care of that injury. yet as it healed, i believe he'd take to hiding it, mostly. still, as it stands, my primary take might be that in canon (if it was to follow the interference into the timeline from the crisis at least) jason would simply end up with no scar at all, and only memories for evidence of what happened, which is perhaps worse for him too (but of course better for bruce. and as it happens, this is bruce wayne's story and everyone else is just living in it- or dies in it- for better or worse. and if we're ignoring that metaphysical timeline bullshit, as you said, i believe bruce would repress it all anyway.)

[stardustdiiving]

How evil is arlecchino and what is she cooking

As of 4.2, I’m really curious what they’re planning with Arlecchino as a character, especially as a villain/antagonist/morally dubious character, and how far/which direction they may go with that

Intuitively my impression is we’ll see her do something way more “villainous” than she presents herself as being for majority of Fontaine’s AQ in front of us right—(which isn’t a surprise given that, you know, Arlecchino nor the House of Hearth have never been presented as 110% ethical LOL) but I find myself not being in complete agreement with most analysis or speculation threads I see about Arlecchino’s morality and the like, level of sinister people seem to ascribe to her.

Idk how to put it, especially in regards to her children I do agree they are not a wholesome found family, that Arlecchino is not above pulling strings or using them for her own ulterior motives, but I kind of hesitate on the idea she only cares about the Hearth children as a means to the end/things she can control and there’s nothing else going on with her characterization wise there. I’m not saying that impression seems remotely unreasonable or unfounded, but just that it feels there’s something intentionally missing in how we are supposed to conceptualize her as a person

My main reasoning for this hunch is the fact they have not elaborated on Arlecchino and the previous Knave—who Arlecchino is stated to have taken over the position from by force. The extra tidbits I think about are that 1) Arlecchino was previously an orphan in the Hearth 2) the previous Knave is described as way, way crueler to the children of than Heart than Arlecchino was from when she took control of the House

Often, people’s major indicators that the House of the Hearth is kind of super fucked up are the NPCs we meet in world quests who are part of it and clearly suffering. But one thing I haven’t ever seen people mention w this that i think is a very interesting detail is, in The Very Special Fortune Slip Inazuma worldquest, where we stop this House of Hearth guy (Efim Snezhevich) from manufacturing tension between Watasumi/the Shogunate to restart the war with his other Hearth subordinates, at the end of the quest we get this dialogue that reveals he had been acting under the previous Knave’s directives:

It’s also mentioned he’s employing this plan in an attempt to “rebuild the prestige of the Knave” following Signora’s death, iirc? Now, see, the dialogue itself says that this is “assuming our captive is telling the truth” so who knows what’s really going on, but I find this a really odd/interesting thing to highlight. I’m a bit fuzzy on other world quests with Hearth members, and am not saying none of them were acting and subsequently being treated poorly by our Arlecchino, but like, this gives me a lot of questions especially when paired with implications this previous Knave seemed to be way worse

Like, what drove Arlecchino to take over? How unexpected and controversial was this within the House? Assuming the above information is all true it definitely says something this guy went rogue and acted on what the previous Knave would want and didn’t think our Arlecchino would greenlight it, which does feel consistent with the previous Knave being described as basically worse & crueler than our Arlecchino. It also makes me question how much house of hearth things we’ve seen outside the main story are the work of our Arlecchino or if there’s a bigger divide of loyalty. Heck, I could be wrong but it doesn’t even seem like we know if the previous Knave is dead or not

This isn’t me saying Arlecchino couldn’t possibly be treating hearth children worse than she wants us to know, especially ones who aren’t her “favorites” the way the fontaine trio seem to be, but I really don’t feel sure about making a solid conclusion of her exact level of malice the way ppl r generally understanding it rn when it feels there’s going to be more about her. Just the idea of she, as a Hearth child, clashed with the previous leader who was known for being cruel, overtook their position and took on less harsh methods of leading that made at least some members with more power/possible closer proximity to the previous Knave go rogue and try to commit atrocities in the previous Knave’s name…I feel this leaves a lot of room to suggest there’s more going on with how Arlecchino is as a person

I don’t mind if she’s just very evil and deceptive bc if she totally had me fall for thinking she was less evil than she actually was that’s fun tbh. But I feel people suggest that’s all her character could be with no degree of like, “sympatheticness” or deep grey morality and that if her character did go there it would be automatically poor writing and genshin walking back on making a truly evil woman when IDK. I feel you can claim at this point they have left it open ended and it’s never been completely confirmed she’s pure evil. Also sometimes I just get a hunch and feel cautiously confident in Genshin executing certain characters well. Not all characters, just certain ones. Especially given Fontaine’s character writing being very good and a character like Lyney feeling very solid to me when any development with Arlecchino would likely involve him and his siblings as well, I honestly feel open to the idea of Arlecchino being satisfyingly written to be both villainous/morally dubious but “sympathetic/likable as a person” in ways outside of just her ruthlessness if that makes sense

If I’m wrong/they drop the ball with it more than I anticipate I’ll eat my hat but I am pretty excited about her character and which way they decide to go with it. I will say the only potential impression I have of where they’ll go with her has been wondering if it will go in a “cycles of abuse” direction—I’d be surprised if they ever elaborated on Arlecchino’s character especially in how she feels about things and her also growing up as an exploited child of the hearth wasn’t relevant

[deepfriedpaddymayne]

GOD isn't it insane how paddy has this whole. unlovable renegade complex, which is subtle but very much There, and then he has not one but TWO whole characters whose main role in the story is just. being utterly smitten with him.

[itty-bitty-sunshine]

This ask has been rotating in my mind a bit

(I recommend reading it first before going on this one. But beware of graphic descriptions of violence and wounds and blood)

"All I could see was you hurt! I don't want this! What is wrong with me?! Why, why— I dont like seeing you like this, what happened? ...did I do this?"

"It wasn't you," you say honestly, hand gently cradling the side of Sun's faceplate. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why do I see those things? Why is my memory messy and I... i keep..." he doesn't finish, but you understood enough.

"It's okay, I'll fix it" -somehow. You offer him a smile, comforting but not giving him an actual answer. This is bad enough as it is. He doesn't need to know those are not dreams. You're afraid he'd never look you in the eyes again.

Then everything would have been in vain.

You hate keeping things from them. You convince yourself it's the same kind of secret you keep when you pull all-nighters to convince management of something and then let your friends believe it was the higher-ups goodwill all along. It's so they can have hope. Be happy.

"I'm not sure why you get to see it, but I'll fix it." Though you don't even know where to start. First things first, you decide, and that is to calm Sun down. "I'm here, I'm safe, we are both here, you'd never hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you. Look at you now."

"What if we bugged out?"

"You and Moon wouldn't hurt me, Sun." And it's the truth. They wouldn't.

The thing that you keep at bay is not Moon.

[disabilityshowdown]

[IDs: Taimi is a light skinned asura (a dwarf-like species with large bat ears) with short brown hair and gold eyes. She is dressed in a black and green cybernetic suit. Eli Vance is a black man with a grey beard, wearing a yellow coat, green suit, and black beanie.]

Disabilities: Taimi has a degenerative disease causing chronic pain and limited mobility, Eli is an amputee with a leg prosthetic

[sprinkanao]

eventhought the main theme of this anime is magical girl, when full Illustration dropped with almost all character, I love the way artist behind of these collaboration/event official art put the canon couple standing next to each other or having the same pose 😙

[prettyupsetnerd]

losing braincells from reading the dungeon meshi subreddit's posts/comments

[wacky-nameless-inventor-24]

hand holding + 1 + ur royalty!madfen kids!

anon you have no idea how much I love you.

1. tiny hands in big hands

(ask game here)

Mads breathed a sigh of relief when the crying finally stopped. The baby in his arms finally fell silent as he stuffed the small wooden bottle with its magical lid in her mouth.

The room was dark and he couldn’t see her well, but he could feel her tiny hands against his. It was like she was trying to take the bottle from him, her small arms that weren’t strong enough to hold it becoming extra powerful in the face of her hunger.

Despite his annoyance at being woken up this late, Mads couldn’t help but smile. “Someone was hungry.”

From next to him the king and his son still slept, surprisingly not woken by Maddie’s earlier wailing. Mads knew her twin would wake soon, and send the room into another state of baby screams and chaos as they tried to find the other bottle.

But all was peaceful for now, and Mads allowed himself a moment to soak it in, tiredly leaning his head back against the headboard.

He could still feel her tiny fingers clutching tightly to his, and he couldn’t stop his chuckle.

[oceandiagonale]

Like a good "the story was sad and got me in the feels" bummed or a bad "I didn't like the story at all" bummed?

like the end was really anticlimactic bummed, there wasn't anything big going on and we really didn't get much of a villain or anything bummed..... I don't really know how I'm going to work with this game when there's so little going on outside of administrative baloney and childhood trauma kjdhfjks

[lover-of-skellies]

I present: A Fucking Gremlin

[tea-cat-arts]

Fu Hua and Senti are the only characters that should be allowed to interact with Kevin actually

[grimowled]

the timid @second-wife-playbook said: "Your Highness. It's…good to see you're well."

THIS ONE WAS certainly the more ... pleasant sibling of the terrible duo of brains-and-brawn (so what did that make her?), though she had little to offer as she always seemed to be keeping mostly to herself, in the quiet and more cached corners of grand ballrooms they were all required to mingle in. but he didn't resent her for it - quite the contrary, sometimes he envied her aptitude for being a perfect wallflower.

(no such luck for a prince of the ars goetia!)

but he surely had to reward the achievement of grasping his attention. a practiced pleasant smile curved the sharp v of his beak and he peered down at her with glowing red crescents, reciprocating the quietly unobtrusive greeting with a light tip of his crowned top-hat, taloned fingers gallantly splayed atop the golden buttons on his chest.

"likewise, my dear coronis."

(perhaps he really did seem well; though the burden on his shoulders had not lessened, the light at the end of the most troubling tunnel of vicissitudes with stella was finally in sight.)

"--I have not seen you in some time. how have you fared?"