#ultimate form dorian

[its-that-guy-again]

This is canon

(Ellis owned by @twenty-two-mouths )

[peacesmith]

i love incorrect quotes @its-that-guy-again

Tanaki: I’ve only had Dorian for a day and a half but if anything happened to him I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.

Tanaki: Standing next to sunflowers always makes me feel weak like ‘look at this fucking flower. This flower is taller than I am. This flower is winning and I’m losing.’  Dorian: Wow, you are not ready to hear about trees.

Dorian: Truth or dare?  Tanaki: Truth.  Dorian: How many hours have you slept this week?  Tanaki:  Tanaki: Dare.  Dorian: Go to sleep.  Tanaki: I don't like this game.

Tanaki: Dorian, what is the ONE thing I asked you NOT to do tonight?  Dorian: Raise the dead.  Tanaki: And what did you do?  Dorian: Raise the dead.

Dorian: Ask me anything. Go ahead, I'll give you a straight answer.  Tanaki: Why are we so fucking awesome?  Dorian: That's the best fucking question anybody's ever asked.

Tanaki, jumping out of Dorian's closet: BOO!  Dorian:  Tanaki:  Dorian:  Tanaki: *makes a sad face*  Dorian: Ahh! Oh my god! You scared me!

Dorian: You know what’s funny about Tanaki? She’s my best friend, and anyone who’d hurt her is someone I’d murder, probably.

[fafnir19]

Witchcraft isn't for Boys

As I walked into the house, I couldn't help but feel a sense of resentment towards my new stepmother, Sandra. I’m Luke and have recently turned 18. As I don’t have any income as student, I still live together with my dad. My father, Joe, had recently remarried, and now we were moving in with her. There was just something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was her overly cheerful demeanor or her constant need to be in control. Whatever it was, I couldn't stand her. Months went by, and Joe was away on another one of his business trips. It was during this time that I stumbled upon Sandra's dark secret – she was a witch. And not just any witch, but a powerful one. Sandra was faced with a dilemma. Should she kill me to protect her secret or train me to become a witch like her? Ultimately, she chose to train me, even though it was highly unconventional for witches to train boys. As my training progressed, so did my magical abilities. With each spell I mastered, my athleticism seemed to grow as well. I was transforming into an athletic jock.

One day, overwhelmed with heartbreak, I approached Sandra and asked if there was a spell that could make me more irresistible to the opposite sex. She gave me a choice - I could have the spell but at the cost of my name. After much contemplation, I decided that sacrificing my name was worth becoming utterly irresistible. The ritual was performed, and Sandra bestowed upon me the name Logan. The spell worked like a charm, and all the girls started chasing after me. However, the spell had some unintended side effects. My wardrobe underwent a drastic change; I found myself wearing tight pants, open shirts with rolled-up sleeves, and loafers. I looked like a character straight out of a trashy romance novel.

On top of that, since it was a parent's privilege to name their child, I now saw Sandra as my motherly mentor. I had transformed into Sandra's ideal son, a far cry from the teenager who detested her presence.

One day, out of the blue, Grandmaster Dorian paid us a visit, only to discover me by Sandra's side. Needless to say, he was livid that Sandra had taken it upon herself to train a boy without his permission. Sandra apologized and defended her decision, highlighting my great talent. A few days later, while Sandra was away, Dorian came by again, this time with a peace offering for me. He brought clothing more fitting for a wizard - tight black velvet pants, a form-fitting black silk shirt, and black slippers. Dorian suggested that I try on the clothes. Intrigued and flattered, I obliged, even if I thought they looked somewhat silly. Once I had the clothes on, I realized they were enchanted. My body hair vanished, and my family jewels shrunk. The silk shirt opened by itself, revealing my hairless chest.

To my astonishment, Dorian explained that it was my punishment for being trained without his consent. My shrunken balls would make me obedient to him, and the loss of body hair and exposed chest would serve as a reminder that I was merely a boy who needed to be guided by a strong man.

Dorian took me to his place, and with a snap of his fingers, I found myself on his couch. His magic compelled me to spread my legs as he positioned himself in between them, stating that he was going to make me his apprentice. Much to my surprise, my body responded with arousal. Dorian, wearing a wicked grin, remarked that it seemed my "engagement" with him had already been decided. Under Dorian's tutelage, I began to learn the art of dark magic. With every lesson, I became smoother, more conceited, and a bit of a bad boy. Dorian's plan came to fruition, for I transformed into a smooth-talking, snobbish bad boy. I now donned tight black pants, boots, and hip-length bomber jackets that accentuated my athletic physique. My hair was slicked back, and I had become a damn good-looking young, arrogant, and ruthless warlock.

Sandra was no longer viewed as a maternal mentor in my eyes. Dorian asked Sandra how she felt about what he had done to me. He insinuated that he had been too lenient with her in the past. Furthermore, he hinted her that he would soon make me her superior, eagerly awaiting the day I would rule her with an iron fist and cruelty.

[forthegothicheroine]

Do you have any gothic novels that you can recommend off the top of your head? Especially to people who want to try their hand at the genre? I've hit a wall in my project and I need to get some fresh inspiration, but I don't know where to start and the book side of tumblr failed me the last time I tried asking them for recs

Hell yeah! I made some old posts for this a while back, but it's good to look at it again with my more recent taste! Let's see...

Classic Gothics

Dracula: The one, the only. Often imitated, never equalled.

Frankenstein: Short, sad and world changing! Can get a little slow at parts, but definitely worth it. (True story, my parents read this to me as a fetus to calm my kicking, so it's part of my personal mythology!)

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward: The most gothic of Lovecraft's work, and possibly my favorite. Novella length, usually found in collections.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Sinister, sexy, philosophical, with a main character I want to punch in the face!

Carmilla: Another novella, about as lush and swooning as vampire stories get.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: A very readable gothic mystery.

Confessions of a Justified Sinner: This one isn't as action packed, but if you have big religious issues like me, it's incredibly haunting.

The Monk: Like the above, but sleazier and crazier!

Northanger Abbey: A gentle parody of early gothics, starring an adorable proto-goth girl.

The Italian: I'll be honest, I find Anne Radcliffe kind of a slog, but if you liked Northanger Abbey and want to read what Catherine Morland reads, this is probably the most accessible.

A Long Fatal Love Chase: This starts as campy and then takes a plunge into gut-wrenchingly intense. The book Jo March was always trying to write!

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Another novella, and Stevenson is one of the best writers out there for excitement!

The Werewolf of Paris: Gothic monster as serial killer, still scary today.

Rebecca: The foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. A ghost story without a ghost, with an ending that's still debated as happy or sad!

Jane Eyre: The other foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. I bounced off the child abuse-heavy beginning a few times, but I'm very glad I finally read to the good stuff!

The Castle of Otranto: Considered the first gothic novel, a goofy b-movie in written form.

Modern-ish Gothics (post-1950 or so)

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein: Fuck the haters, I love this book.

Mexican Gothic: Genuinely scary, genuinely romantic, genuinely creative. A favorite.

Blackwater: A southern gothic saga of a family in a flooded town, whose scion marries a woman who isn't quite human. A whirlwind ride!

A Bloodsmoor Romance: Another family saga, this one northern gothic, with sisters whose lives all go off the rails in different supernatural ways. Give this a try before writing Joyce Carol Oates off entirely!

The Silver Devil: A nasty, problematic bodice ripper where you'll cheer for the heroine to bring the hero down low!

Interview with the Vampire: To be honest again, I'm not super into Anne Rice, but this is a page-turner, and every vampire book that has come after it has had to respond to it in one way or another. Read the next two Vampire Chronicles books if you like it!

A Taste of Blood Wine: My own preferred sexy vampire romance!

The Bloody Chamber: The ultimate dark sexy fairy tale work, accept no substitutes.

Haunted Castles: Contains the brilliant novella Sardonicus, as well as some other campy gothic stories!

A Great and Terrible Beauty: Many millennials were introduced to the gothic genre via this, Fear Street Sagas, or A Series of Unfortunate Events. This is my favorite of the three, though the sequels are a bit of a letdown.

Gormenghast: This series is a throwback to the pseudo-medieval, Otranto-style gothic, but much better. Don't read Titus Alone.

[soppybitorag]

The Captain as Man, Mirror, and Medals.....

a 🚨Red Lever🚨 meta on The Captain appearing in a mirror (and a cracked one at that) in the opening credits of Ghosts and what that could mean in the context of s5e5 and beyond :-D

What do mirrors symbolise?

Briefly, they outer vs. inner perception; who we are vs. what we let people see/want people to perceive us as. Mirrors Cannot Lie, and thusly expose our reality. Reflections are often said to be a persons True Soul, an idea across many early civilisations. It wasn't reflected light rays hitting your eyeballs, it was you seeing your Soul.

But also, we are 'mirroring' people when we copy them, appearing unoriginal and inauthentic.

Captain as Portrait and Mirror -

Now, ghosts can't see their reflections or be captured on camera/film. We don't see Captain looking *into* the mirror, just what is shown to us: the outer self/controlled perception. Also, the way he is framed makes it look like a portrait, something signifying power, virtue, and importance.

What we *see* is a middle-aged man of supposed stature, with a collection of earned medals (reflected, they'd be the right way round, which they aren't irl).

A soldier.

A Truth, as Mirrors Can't Lie.

Portraits can be twisted, however, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray. In it, Dorian's portrait grows more grotesque because of his sins and vices, whilst retaining his external beauty over many, many years.

Captain, likewise, is forever going to look the age he died, much like how Dorian is forever the age of when he got the portrait made. (Not saying they're similar in personality or really any deeper than that, just thought it note worthy.)

It'd be remiss to forget that in the opening creds, Robin is next to the mirror, flickering a lamp.

He is litterally shedding light on the mirror, implying a deeper meaning/more to be understood about what's there. There's also the fact that the mirror is cracked (cracked? definitely distorted).

Cracked Mirror Symbolism -

Cracked Mirrors can be seen as a form of deception: if distorted they can warp the image presented (even when we expect the truth from them), making things appear closer than they actually are (a common occurance in fairytales, for example), or taller/bigger/wider/fractured.

Some people believe broken mirrors weaken the spirit of a departed person. Oscar Wilde famously used this belief to mark a characters' death in, you guessed it, Dorian Gray.

It's worth noting that Dorian Gray is also the story that led to Wilde's imprisonment for homosexuality.

Cracked Mirrors are notably bad luck in many cultures, too. Romans believed that Gods observed them through mirrors, so breaking them was severing that connection, thusly having the Gods curse you with bad luck.

Ultimately, cracked mirrors present a fractured sense of self, where the inner and the outer are at odds with one another, or there is discontent in one or the other. Perhaps both.

What does this mean for Captain?

Well, we *see* a man of stature/inportance with war medals. Virtuous.

In actuality, the medals were always forever out of his grasp (making things look closer than they are) as he never left Britain, as much as he maybe would have liked to. He stole the medals to deceive the Veterans by façading (being inauthentic/copying/mirroring) as one of them, but bad luck had him put them on clearly wrong to all but him. If he had a mirror, he could've fixed it.

He was most likely one of the lowest ranking people in that room, in a house he once had control over, but no longer did.

Those actions directly led to his death, where he forever is entrapped with and condemned to wear unearned medals.

Of course, he most likely wanted to be perceived as integral/noble by people, but he just wasn't. He thinks himself a coward, wearing a mask, and forever will be. It's no wonder that in his purgatory/button house afterlife, he elects to seek control over how people see him. He's just The Captain.

some extra things I wanna throw in here

Captain died looking into Havers' eyes. He could probably see his own reflection at his end. But at least it was in the eyes of someone who truly knew him and loved him. For him. Told him as much. Because Mirrors Can't Lie.

Also, one way to rid yourself of the bad luck caused by breaking a mirror is, apparently, touching a tombstone with one of the shards and burying it deep down innthe ground where spirits can't find it, at nighttime.

So here are some completely random images.

[quipxotic]

Answers and events I hope for in C3E96; spoilers for C3E95 below the cut, obviously, and also because it got really long:

For everyone left in the room to talk about what Orym experienced in the fight. I think it’s hard to judge where people will ultimately fall on the intra-party conflict based only on what we saw in that last hour of the previous episode when, A) they woke up in the middle of a situation and may have missed some of the context, and B) were so shocked in the moment that some of them seemed unsure of how to act or what to feel. Talking about it would be helpful to everyone, including the audience. I’m particularly interested in the Ashton-Orym-Fearne of it all. Ashton tried to de-escalate and get Laudna to apologize, but was not as demonstrably supportive of Orym having the sword as Dorian and Chet were. Previously Ashton and Orym have been among each others' biggest supporters, so how does Orym feel about that reaction? Personally, I don't think this will open a rift between the tanks, but it would be bad if it did. Also, Fearne was reluctant to take sides between her two friends. How does Orym feel about that?

For Imogen to return to BH’s room and immediately blurt out that Laudna is knowingly feeding Delilah. Do I think this will happen? No*. If she did do it, might Laudna see it as a betrayal? Probably. Might it ultimately help Laudna? I think it could help to have everyone know what she's dealing with and why she's acting out of character. Plus, while the reemergence of Delilah is a recent event in-story, I am personally ready for the narrative to move on from her being the unaddressed elephant in the room. And BH definitely needs to come up with a plan before Delilah either seizes control of Laudna or Percy sees her form of dread and takes the choice out of their hands.

How is Laudna going to act towards the rest of BH after her absorption of Otohan’s dagger? In her conversation with Imogen at the end of the last episode Laudna said she "didn't mean to...," but that seemed to me to have more to do with Laudna’s fear that she’d damaged their relationship, not any actual regrets about her actions. Will she be immediately apologetic with the rest of the Hells? Will she deflect and try to act like nothing has changed? As in her conversation with Imogen, her reaction may depend on how they act toward her and whether they insist on consequences.

Some push-back or boundary setting from BH toward Delilah and Laudna’s recent actions. Again, I’m not convinced this will happen based on prior experiences and I know they’re about to head into something difficult, but ignoring what’s happening with Laudna has the potential of making that difficult situation even more dangerous. When Ashton tried to absorb the shard, he had about two-and-half to three episodes-worth of consequences and mea culpas. You can debate whether that was warranted, and I know there are strong feelings on all sides there. You can argue that the situations are different, which is certainly true. But Ashton didn’t attack anyone in the party and, intentionally or unintentionally, Laudna did. There's got to be some kind of reckoning with her doing that. It’s not about whose actions were worse, again they are different situations. And it's not about making Laudna suffer because Ashton did, but the whole point of the trust-building exercises was to build a stronger group. This is a setback in that effort and I don’t think it’s just we fans who will draw connections between the two events.

Also, as an aside, I find it funny (in an "Oh look, narrative connections!" not "Ha-ha" kind of way) that both Ashton and Laudna's respective power grabs could have/may have destructive consequences for Whitestone. One up close and the other (currently) at a distance.

For Fearne to question Orym about his pact with Nana Morri. There’s been a lot of fandom speculation around what everyone’s reactions to that will be, so I can’t wait to see how it plays out in-game. I suspect there will be some surprises.

How will the Fearne/Ashton and Orym/Dorian relationships develop? Will the potential for romantic partnerships there change the EXU trio’s friendships with each other?

Let’s go to Aeor everyone! As a C3 fan, it’ll be my first time there but I’ve seen a lot of hints and discussion from C2 fans and I adored EXU: Calamity’s depiction of the Age of Arcanum, so I’m excited about BH exploring the ruins of another city from that time period.

Essek’s reaction to BH’s…everything. To the fight and the tension in the group, yes, but also to just them as individuals. I always enjoy outside characters' impressions of the Hells.

New outfits and character art! Maybe? Hopefully?

Where are the other members of the Cerberus Assembly and where do they stand on Ludinus and his plans?

*I will be very surprised if Imogen tells everyone, but I will not be surprised if she tells at least one person about it telepathically. In the past that person would have been Orym, so it'll be telling if she chooses to confide in him this time. Given the situation, she might go to Ashton, Chet, or Fearne instead and all of them would react to that information in very different ways.

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

More Catwoman

I’m bumping this entry up a few weeks just so we can get all this furry business out of the way.  

Following her being captured by Batman, Selina Kyle was offered leniency from he courts in that she helped the Caped Crusader foil the terrorist plot of The Red Claw.  The arrangement was that she could avoid prison as long as discontinued her activities as the master thief known as Catwoman.  

This proved a difficult task for Selina and while she did indeed resume her role as Catwoman she did so whilst maintaining a lower profile.  Doing so was made even more difficult when Selina was abducted by Garth, the simian agent of the mad scientist known as Emile Dorian.  

On his remote island, Dr. Dorian had created ‘Tygrus,’ an artificially evolved cat-man.  Dorian believed that cat-men such as Tygrus were destined to inherit the planet as the earth’s most superior form of life.  Although Tyrgus was indeed a formidable and sophisticated being, he was also desperately lonely and longed for a mate.  Dorian attempted to provide this mate by arranging the abduction of the famous Catwoman and using a mutagenic formula to transform her into an actual cat-woman.   

Although Tygrus was kind, Selina had no interest in being forced into being his mate nor putting up with being transformed into an anthropomorphic cat.  Fortunately, Batman had investigated Selina disappearance and tracked her to the island.  Working together, Batman and Catwoman were able to defeat Dr. Dorian and his creatures.  

Ultimately, Tygrus only wanted Selina to be happy.  Her gave her the antidote that transformed her back into a human before wandering off into the jungle.  Dorian was sent to prison and a restored Selina Kyle returned to Gotham.  

Actress Adrienne Barbeau provided the voice for Catwoman.  This whole ordeal took place in the entirely bonkers thirtieth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘Tyger Tyger.’  

[alenseress]

Dushan lore (3/?)

I do plan on making more lore art and more text because he's my ultimate way of every artblock, but here are some silly facts until next time

Him and Blackwall bond in Skyhold specifically because he hangs around the stables INSANE amount of time. So much that Bonny Sims (the merchant) starts thinking he's hitting on her. All that because he forms a weirdly codependent mind fuse with the red hart the inquisition acquires. He names him Radish and Cole often remarks that Radish and Dushan are pretty alike. Noone's sure in what way exactly because he sure isn't talking about the redheadness

Him and Krem, surprisingly, aren't that close, mostly keeping it friendly-professional because Krem isn't exactly fond of Dorian, but he is close with Dalish

Viv is his divine but he lets the inquisition go

He gives up nobility after Trespasser as much as he can while being long-distance married to Dorian. He kisses his husband on the nose and moves to Highlands after passing the Trevelyan land to a relative and making cheeky diplomatic arrangements with some neutral nobles in Dorian's Tevinter lineage. Starts a deer farm there while still being an occasional menace. Both Cole and Sera visit him there

Remember Chief Movran? With the goats? Sent to Tevinter? Yeah, Dushan spends big chunks of winters in Tevinter and they link up. Funky guys being funky together

He has a badass wooden arm prosthetic made by Dagna and Harritt and Dalish in collaboration. Parting gift

[dtabookclub]

Q&A

What is Down To Agincourt (often abbreviated as DTA)?

An apocalyptic Destiel fanfic series set in the endverse universe. You can click here to access the series on AO3. Oh, and it's over a million words long (more on this later).

What's the book club and how can I join?

A discord server for anyone who is interested to read along and discuss the series. This is a google calendar link to the discussion timeline. Click here to join the discord if you are interested!

General rules and disclaimers about the server:

This is an adult space. Discussion of adult themes is allowed, but please be respectful (i.e. if someone requests a trigger warning, please be courteous). No racism, sexism, transphobia, antisemitism, ableism, or other form of discrimination is permitted. Please also know that I am reading this for the first time along with you, so i may not be able to provide content warnings ahead of time. If anyone is rereading with us and would be willing to do this, please reach out

How long is it again? How much time will this take me?

1,121,311 words (which is pretty long)! If you follow my schedule, you will be reading an average 11,000 words a day (exact numbers depends on chapter length), for 101 days. This is a similar pace to reading a book the same length as A Picture of Dorian Gray per week. Note that for the first two fics in the series, it's a bit higher (~14-15k per day), and lower for the third fic (~16k every two days) Another good frame of reference for word count would be the complete Potter series. (I am loath to even acknowledge JK, but this is a good way to put the length in perspective, as most people are familiar with the series). Of course, these examples are all different reading levels, and how long it takes will ultimately depend on your own reading speed

Can anyone join?

The fics in this series are rated mature to explicit, so I do ask that you do not join if you are under the age of 18. Since this will be my first time reading through as well, I am not familiar enough with the material to say whether it is suitable for minors. Other than that, pretty much anyone is welcome! You do not need to follow me or anyone else (though you might want to follow this blog for updates).

When does it start? What's the exact timeline?

The discussion for chapter one will start on May 22nd, and the final chapter will finish on August 30th. This gives people a little time to get the word out, or get a head start on reading! Discussion of each day's chapter can begin at 12 am eastern time. If google calendar does not work for anyone, please let me know! I would be happy to type it out as a list if needed

What if I fall behind? Or read ahead?

There will be separate channels for people who are behind schedule and ahead of schedule. Please make sure to read and follow the spoiler tagging guidelines when using these channels. (These will be pinned in each channel)

Are re-readers welcome?

Absolutely! In fact, it would be great to have some people who are already familiar with the series. For example, since it will be my first time reading through, I won't be able to provide content warnings for those who ask; if someone who has read the fics already would be willing to fill this role, I'm sure it would be appreciated. As long as you follow the spoiler rules, we're happy to have you!!! There is also a channel just for rereaders where you can discuss the entire series with no spoiler tagging required

I have a suggestion/idea/other question

great! Send me an ask on here or discord (and feel free to use anon if you are more comfortable with that) :)

[ohsangwoosbat]

“Cheeky”; jacob x arno

by me based on my friends artwork :)) enjoy!

-

-

Prestige and nepotism. That’s what the room reeked of— the foul smell enough to have you crinkling your nose, brows knotting tightly. Jacob had no desire to be in such kinds of places, nor did he care for these fancy clothes he’s been forced to wear.

“Stop that.” the taller man hissed, nudging at the smaller man’s shoulder. “Stop what?!” he gawked, thick eyebrows furrowing in confusion, “looking at everyone like they kicked a baby”, Arno sighed, looking down into his lovers dark chocolate-orbs. It was as obvious as day that Jacob was judging the other party-goers; granted understandable, they have a mission to complete and his blatant stank-eye was gonna make them look suspicious-

The british man huffed out a dramatic sigh, complying with his partner’s words. They both subtly scanned their surroundings, eyes searching for the man that they were supposed to kill. no sign of him.

Gesturing towards the tables on the opposite side of the room, Jacob grinned up at the french man. “Care for some refreshments, luv?”, the taller of the two cringed, rolling his eyes in disbelief. “Sure..”, he answered shortly, eyes returning to scanning the room. Smiling to himself like a twat, Jacob waltzed over to the other side of the room, his eyes still cautious though. There were drinks; fancy champagne imported from france, that probably tasted like muddy water— perfect.

Grabbing two glasses, he instinctively sniffed one, inhaling the over-priced bubbly liquid. The sweet floral smell and boisterous laughter around him, completely harmonising into something nausea-inducing, causing the young man to click his tongue in disgust. He much preferred cheap whiskey; a good ol’ on the rocks from the local pub. He didn’t care for this rich people cuisine, unlike his french counterpart, whom was quite used to the finer dining of france. Snickering at the thought, Jacob looked over at Arno, only to notice someone else had the same idea and was actively checking-out his man. unbelievable-

Dorian’s outfit for the night was a striking one— a black button up with puffed sleeves, that flowed into a cuffed wrist; a keyhole cutout in the back, exposing his soft skin. It’s understandable that it would draw attention- i mean, Jacob had felt his pants tighten the moment he laid eyes upon it, of course taking the opportunity to praise his lover and ultimately earning a slap in return.

Scoffing, he downed his glass and headed towards the taller man, eyes dark with jealousy, but also… amusement? The cheekiest of smirks had formed upon his face, oh he knew exactly what to do next.

His hand smoothed over Arno’s small waist, gently pulling him a little closer as his thick fingers fiddled with the fabric, maintaining eye-contact with the supposed secret-admirer. Startled by the sudden touchiness, yet not opposed to it, the taller of the two paid no mind towards Jacob as he continued scouring the area.

Time to show he’s all mine , he grinned cockily, leaning his face inches from the keyhole cutout. His breath fanned the soft skin of his lover, the ticklish sensation sending a shiver down his back. Ever-so-slightly, he placed his lips down onto the bare area, gaze of the stranger fully captured in his own. That cheeky grin— oh how they wished to knock it off his smug, stubbled face.

They wouldn’t have to though, cause as if on que, a hand swatted at his shoulder, earning a hearty chuckle from the brit. “What on earth are you doing?!”, Arno questioned in disbelief of what had just happened, earning another one of his lover’s signature grins; “oh, nothing!”

~the end~

[monards]

everytime i think about the parrllels/similarities between rhine and the shade of life i convulse

In "Before Sun and Moon" we see the shade of life first mentioned when talking about the creation of the earth. "The Primordial One and one of its shades created the birds of the air, the beasts of the earth, and the fish of the sea. Together, they also created flowers, grass, and trees, before finally creating humans — our ancestors, numerous as the stars in the sky, uncountable as the sand on the shore." and the thing is that everything rhine has done has been a (albeit a crude) imitation of this. 'Birds of the air,' can be accounted to Durin; 'Beasts of the earth' can be accounted to the rift wolves and many of Rhine's other little mess ups; 'Fish of the sea' obviously represents Elynas. Plus, her title "A flower that is not of this world" accounts for the whole vegetation idea. And obviously, albedo (and by extension subject two/dorian, if you want to count him,) would represent the 'humans'. Almost all of these parallels though are, very obviously, warbled verisons of what the shade of life did. Durin is a dragon, and by no means a bird (sorry durin); The riftwolves are definitely not what they meant when implying 'beasts' ; Elynas is a serpent,, and decidedly not a fish. And Albedo isn't technically 'human'. The better part of this is that each of these directly aim to hurt whatever it be they're imitating. Durin would obviously harm the birds. Elynas likely obliterated the fish population in Fontaine. The riftwolves have obviously kill many land animals. And Albedo has the imminent issue of destroying mondstadt, and its humans.

and this is all without even MENTIONING the concept of hearts and its associations. In the new fontaine wings (Wings of Merciful, Wrathful Waters) we see it describe, "When that first heart was removed, the envoy of Celestia, the leader upon whose shoulders lay the duty to create life, came to the great primeval sea, and there she created another heart. That heart had like nobility unto a dragon, but lacked its outer form, and had the majesty of a god, yet was bereft any divine duty. And though it was created by a ruler of humans, its substance and essence were all original matter from this world, entirely without outside elements." And just reading it-- its just like. Wow. Okay. We're REALLY going with this now Rhine was (as we can assume) someone who was relied on in Khaneri'ah to use to art of khemia to create life. Khaneri'ahs underground, so they obviously wouldn't have the resources for normal agriculture. Hence that duty to "create life" being hoisted onto Rhine. Plus, the idea of hearts is literally one of the key points of every majorly important rhine-creation (I.E the still-beating hearts of elynas and durin,) -- but the things is that hearts in rhine's circumstance, directly oppose what we see established by the shade of life. "its substance and essence were all original matter from this world, entirely without outside elements." implies the shade of life made them out of only things from this world; but obviously. Rhine most certainly didn't follow that path, like. at all. We know Durin, Elynas, and likely most of (if not all) of her other creations are from 'cosmic darkness' that was enough to deem them not from this world.

the most important thing about all this though is what i feel like this means for the heart of Naberius. we know, by law of assumption; Naberius is more or less likely the descender who got chopped the bits and recycled into the gnosis. And its more or less likely that Rhine having imitated every the step the Shade of life had taken in the steps of creating teyvat; Rhine's end goal is to obtain her ultimate form of perfection this way, or the 'truth'. Descenders are the only ones not bound by teyvat's laws and fate. And if we can assume Rhine has some goal to change or alter fate; considering the heavy idea of prophecies and fate around both her, the hexenzirkel, and khaneri'ah. And even then; if its ultimately to learn the truth, Naberius would be unaffected by irminsuil. And since they're far older than most other entities in teyvat, Rhine has to be chasing after something that only someone like them would know. What that is? no clue. I'm too tired to figure that out right now okay guys.

// Anyways this isnt even beginning to mention how at the end of the wings description it adds: "Humans desire judgment because they feel guilty. Humans want, and so they want to give things up — humans always desire a god." because holy shit that's one big can of worms to be opening up at 11:35 on a Tuesday night.

[its-that-guy-again]

This happens almost every night between them

(Ellis belongs to @twenty-two-mouths )

[peacesmith]

who’s that pokemon?!

[redrocketpanda]

Thanks for answering my ask before. If you don't mind me asking (again), can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......

Hello again - thanks so much for all of these questions!

Hmmmm, I have so many favourite things across so many different forms of media that choosing a top 7/10 is super hard. I've gone with my gut of the first things I thought of that I love, but the list could easily be wayyyyyy longer. I'm sorry - I tried to keep this as short as I could... In no particular order:

My Hero Academia (anime + manga) MHA is the first anime that I think I ever really properly enjoyed. I watched it in 2021/2022, immediately fell in love with it, and proceeded to devour both the anime and almost all of the manga. I obviously adore all of the characters, but I also love the way that MHA portrays superpowers - both in terms of how they function (w/ there being unique limitations to them) as well as how it depicts/explores superhero society. I don't normally go in for superhero type media anymore, but the combination of all of the above (plus literally the sickest soundtrack from Yuki Hayashi) easily makes it one of my fave ever things

The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers (books) I could write an entire dissertation on why this is one of my favourite series of all time, and why Becky Chambers is one of my favourite authors. But the shorter answer is: literally everything about them. Chambers' writing is beautiful, her narratives are full of love, hope and community, and her characters are incredibly diverse and well written. My fave book from the series is Record of a Spaceborn Few.

Dragon Age series (video games) I first came across Dragon Age at a fan convention back in 2016/2017 during a panel on queer media (I think). In addition to the panel discussing the general queer relationships/characters in the series, they specifically highlighted Dorian and Krem in DA: Inquisition. The following day I went out, purchased all the games, and then played them through from the first game. IThe games are super fun to play, the writing is *chefs kiss*, and I love the themes that the games explore. I love them so much I've even written an article and done a podcast episode about them!

Jurassic Park franchise (films, books, games) Jurassic Park is one of the franchises that I was raised on (along with Star Wars) and I have been obsessed with it ever since. I've seen all the films (up to Jurassic World), read the books, own books about JP, played a bunch of the games, and even have a poster map of Isla Nublar on my wall. Dinosaurs are one of the big reasons I love them, but also I think the films have always been very interesting to me for how they give us a lens in which to think about animal rights + conservation in a science fictional setting (something else I have also done a paper on!)

Final Fantasy XV (video game) I'll keep this one short and sweet: best boys on a roadtrip that will both make your heart full of joy but will ultimately leave you a sobbing mess on the floor (Honestly I didn't play FFXV until the end of 2022 and I am still !!!!!!! over it)

Haikyuu!! (anime) sksalkkljsa. I don't even know what to say about this. HQ is just the fucking best.

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (video game) I don't talk about it so much anymore, but Exocolonist is still one of my favourite games and it makes my heart feel so much whenever I think about it. I love the entire aesthetic of it. I love how impactful your choices feel and how many different routes you can go down. I love how inclusive the game is, not just in terms of gender, race and sexuality but also with polyamoury + family/community dynamics. The worldbuilding is beautiful, the soundtrack is *cries*. Just...it's such a wonderful game.

Manic (film) There are a lot of films I could choose for this list, but if I can only choose one (bc space) then I think Manic is a good pick. It's the 2001 indie film with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Don Cheadle, etc, and is set in an adolescent psychiatric ward. This film means a lot to me personally, I'll just leave it at that.

Xandri Corelel series (books) I spoke a bit about why I love the series so much in response to your favourite characters question but to summarise: cool as fuck science fiction series where cool as fuck autistic bisexual polyam protagonist, Xandri, is the head of the xeno-liaisons team. It's got stellar worldbuilding, excellent characters, and explores lots of interesting issues. Also, my favourite book is Tone of Voice (2nd in the series) partly bc its got space whales in it.

Mass Effect (video games) I think by now its pretty clear I love science fiction, so Mass Effect was always gonna be a big hit with me. I actually played Dragon Age first, and then a friend told me I had to play ME. The entire series is just sooooo good for very similar reasons to a lot of my other favourites: well-written, beloved characters, cool ass narrative/s, choice-based, fun FPS moments, cool worldbuilding, sick soundtrack!

[seven-homosexual-dinosaurs]

Fuck it Bell’s Hells vigilante au

-The Hells are a group of superpowered vigilante roommates in a modern au

-If you think housing seven people in a single home is difficult, you’d be right

-But hey, fighting crime doesn’t pay and they like to support each other

-It used to be eight of them, but Bertrand died and Dorian moved away

More under the cut

-Laudna shares a room with Imogen, Ashton shares a room with Letters, Orym shares a room with Fearne, and Chetney either shares with Ashton and Letters or takes the couch

-Letters is a sentient android who pretended to be faulty in order to escape his creator. Was found by Ashton in a junkyard. He exists most of the time in his small, robot body, but they switch over to a human-looking body in order to go out and exist in the public. As far as anyone but the Hells know, they’re human. An excellent cook. He has advanced healing capabilities

-Fearne doesn’t technically have real hooves, but her prosthetic legs are made to be hooves and she thinks that’s just as cool. Really toes the line between villain and vigilante with all the crime she commits. Her parents left her with her grandmother when she was young to escape certain powerful people. She has shapeshifting and plant powers

-Imogen ran away with Laudna when they were teens. She definitely needs glasses, but she hasn't gotten around to seeing an optometrist yet. She's still doing some deep digging on her mother, who left when she was young. She is afraid of heights and has major daddy issues. She has telekinesis, psychic, and lightning powers

-Orym's husband was killed one day when he was out fighting crime. Out of all of the Hells, he is physically the strongest. Great gymnast and acrobat, he used to do ballet. He's the one that invested in their home security system. He knows how to make one thing in the kitchen and it's pie. He has minor plant powers but mainly relies on his own athletic abilities

-Laudna's joints "suck absolute ass", as Ashton put it kindly. Her parents were killed by the upper-class Briarwoods when she was younger, and they tried to kill her too. She took a bus out of town and lived on the streets for a while, terrified the Briarwoods would find her and finish the job. Met Imogen and ran away with her. She can transform into her form of dread, as well as the ability to control/manipulate ichor she can secrete.

-Ashton grew up in an orphanage until he ran away with the Nobodies. They shoplifted and robbed to survive, with the occasional odd job for some shady folk. Ashton got left behind during a heist gone wrong, so he ended up taking the entire fall. They felt betrayed enough by this to leave the nobodies and work on their own for a while until he met FCG and eventually the Hells. They can turn parts of their body into solid crystal at will

-Chetney is an old woodworker that pretends to be offended anytime anyone offers him the senior discount for the shits and giggles. He thinks using machinery for woodworking is an insult to the craft. As much as he pretends not to care for the Hells, he's grown truly fond of them over time. He is going to fuck Fearne one day, just you wait. He is slowly working his way from the "friends" status to "friends with benefits". He has a werewolf form he can enter at will

-Bertrand used to be the owner of the house the Bells currently inhabit. He didn't have any special powers or abilities, but he tried to help people where he could. When he died, he left his house to Fearne, who immediately invited the rest of the Hells to live with her

-Dorian fought and lived alongside the Hells for several months until one of his enemies found his civilian identity and went after his brother. The villain was ultimately killed, but Dorian didn't feel his family or identity was safe anymore, so he and his brother left the country just to be safe. He used to share a room with Fearne and Orym. His power is the ability to control people by singing

-If you're wondering why the Hells are vigilantes and not heroes, that would be for one main reason: they all fucking hate cops. As a group of disabled minorities who've repeatedly been shunted and hurt by the system, they have no respect for cops or their bullshit. In fact, many of their fights are against cops

-The police force tried to claim they were working with and helping the Hells at first, which resulted in several of the Hells going on record to say absolutely fucking not, showing up at protests in costume, and Ashton incorporating ACAB into his costume

-Since then, the cops have been very anti-Hells, trying to convince the public that they're terrorists and menaces, with mixed results

[lawtism]

ok but lowkey tempted to write a paper about how death note can literally parallel the portrait of dorian gray

ryuk = lord henry, who influences dorian to change his lifestyle drastically to a hedonistic one (not unlike ryuk's and light's shared goal of alleviating their boredom)

light = dorian gray, a handsome charming man who stays young and beautiful while a portrait of him grows withered and ugly the more dorian continues to commit sins. he dies after stabbing the portrait, leaving a withered corpse and the portrait now restored to its beautiful form

L = basil, the artist of dorian's portrait who considers dorian his ultimate muse, only to die by dorian's hand because dorian believes his downfall is basil's fault

misa = sybyl vane, a shakespearean actress who gets engaged to dorian and is absolutely in love with him, only to kill herself after dorian rejects her to save his image

rem = sybyl's brother james possibly, just more gay. sworn to murder dorian if he ever harms sybyl, but dies by unrelated causes

i am probably the only one who would care about this