Look what came through the mail today! The letters & ( •̀ω•́ )σ 3 little gremlins from letterstoear.

Just wanna say i adore the flower stickers on the letters too much, they are that much worth mentioning.

Nerd-to-nerd communication

Something super pointless and self-indulgent I've had on the backburner for a while. I love trying to make the pieces they gave us fit together!

Al-AN and Robin would absolutely bond over learning about each other's biology. I could talk about this forever but I'll get into all of the headcanons I have for these two in another post eventually

Below the cut is another version with some extra bits and pieces and the transcription

Transcript :

Architect Anatomy A. Architect "Brain" - Doesn't "store" information so much as allow for easy communication with the network B. Brainstem - connects the information received to the central nervous/circulatory system C. "Heart" - Circulatory system pumps the bioluminescent fluid to other organ systems and surface veins. Each node connects to a vast vasculature network D. "Kidneys" - Organs that filter the bioluminescent "blood" and other bodily fluids, absorbing and distributing collected material E. Nerve Center - Receives raw sensory data and filters it. Filtering can be unconscious or intentional

F. "Respiratory" Tract - Intakes gases or liquids and filters out material for use. Disposes of waste on exhale. Provides cooling to internal systems

The respiratory tract functions less like a set of lungs and more akin to a computer's cooling system, with the ability to absorb material from the environment to use in other parts of the body. It also would likely help the architect's body analyze the environment it is currently exposed to on a molecular level. It is also truly unidirectional, with the intake vents near the "collarbone" and the exhaust vents on both sides of the abdomen

The architect organ cache in-game felt like it was definitely not a complete model of the internal organs, so I wanted to come up with something to fill some more space. I also just really liked the idea of Al-An being capable of something similar to breathing, without having a respiratory system in the traditional sense. Feel free to use any of this in your own headcanons if you would like :)

BONUS - a gif of all the layers!

Looking for good romance fics on fimfiction is such a mental endurance task because most of them will be stuff you're not interested in, a good number will be child x adult crap (usually Spike), and then a handful is maybe the worst, most abhorrent and disgusting premise you've ever heard of and they'll have, like, 400 likes. And I'll think to myself, hm. Maybe I don't wanna associate myself with this fandom.

thank you so much for posting abt your experience with getting reduction, because it’s made it a lot less scary of a concept to me. i have a lot of paid and discomfort caused by my chest but surgery of any kind is terrifying to me- seeing your joy and honesty about your reduction gives me a lot of hope for my own future. thank you for sharing :)

I'm glad it's relieving some of your anxiety about it!!! tbh I was shot back in time knowing what I know now, I'd go into surgery again feeling a lot more confident. If I knew that the healing would be so manageable, I coulda saved myself a lot of stress LMAO

before lesson 11 has come out

Solomon: You really just gave him the grimoire....

MC: I invested it in trust that will reforge my pacts.

Solomon: Well... I think you can call it the way, yes. Though you could have done more.

MC: You know, I don't even need it to control them.

MC: ...And if the grimoire was your version of a knife under the pillow I recommend you to remember who you sleep with. :)

Solomon:

Solomon: I—

Thirteen: You two, get out of here!

Man. I just can't help but imagine Critical Role x Baldur's Gate 3 drabbles or a fic or something of that some sort. Idk, I just think it'd be really funny and also a chance for some really cute scenes. Especially with the Mighty Nein.

Now obviously there'd probably be SO much mistrust between the two groups, but just imagine if you will(possibly very minor spoilers under the cut):

Caleb and Gale(and maybe Essek) talking about wizard stuff and cats.

Jester introducing everyone to Artagan. I think Astarion would either like him or fucking hate him.

Karlach, Yasha, and Beau just working out together. Buff lesbians

Fjord and Wyll bonding over shitty patrons. If it's post Ukatoa then Fjord giving Wyll some hope about his situation. I just think it'd be sweet.

Caduceus and Halsin. That's it. I think they'd talk for literally HOURS, just drinking tea and talking about random shit and their respective circles 'n such. ALSO, I'm just imagining them sort of gossiping about and spilling their respective party's secrets to eachother. They'd be silly lol

Jester overhearing the whole convo with Astarion and Tav(if there's a tav in this??) about him not being able to see his reflection and immediately getting to work drawing a portrait of him. As soon as she shows and gives it to him, he's his usual sorta sassy self about it but he absolutely cherishes it.

Also I feel like Astarion would see different bits of his own past in some of the Mighty Nein, specifically Caleb and Yasha, and it'd piss him the FUCK off.

Jester and/or Molly reading the groups fortunes just for fun, the Oracle of the Moon Deck has some cards that would make the groups fortunes REALLY INTERESTING. Maybe Molly also pulls out some of the old circus tricks for fun.

On the topic of Molly, I think Lae'zel would have this very confusing respect for Molly? She'd find them really foolish at first and not think much of them, but I think she'd then see them actually in combat and be impressed with their skills.

I feel like Nott/Veth would just start mothering some of the bg3 party. Like not heavily, but a bit similar to how she does with Caleb. I could def see her pairing up with Astarion to steal some shit. Maybe King joins in if he's there.

Jester giving some of the group tattoos. Not everyone would get them obviously but I could definitely see Karlach and I suppose Tav going for it.

Nein Sided Tower shenanigans. That's all.

sometimes I think about the fact that bacta lost his virginity to tryst's sister. who looks enough like him that they easily pass for each other when they swap clothes. *touches ground gingerly* something psychosexual happened here. (good for rendezvous honestly it isn't her fault her brother is too emotionally dense and/or dysfunctional to get in there.) and then the next morning he found out the first person he was ever in love with probably isn't dead after all and never contacted him. it's a lot, to be a bacta in this world. single father despite having three co-parents, harried husband and grieving widower who's never once been married but is sometimes for sure divorced, teenage boy at his first real party, 'as your doctor I feel compelled to point out -- okay, that's, you're doing it anyway, sure, why not ', haunted veteran at the tender age of 17, owner of what must be the most common face across the galaxy, parentified oldest sibling despite being the youngest adult on the crew, sole qualified clipboard holder....... he's somehow doing it all at the same time and he's doing it on phindar, while making cupcakes

are people not allowed to find a subplot/trope boring or uninteresting anymore? is a story boring if it doesnt have a cheating plotline?

every story needs to hit a quota of five extramarital affairs before I crack open the page that’s exactly what I meant

i know its probably been done to death but i love the concept of the shivering isles as only a realm of "madness" insofar as no one in tamriel has a concept of what neurodiversity or mental illness is lmao

[long] U TURNED ON ASKS YIPPEE!!! hi i’m that recent anon, i love ur posts so much :))) thank you for everything, and the fic you linked was incredible! that facet of swagdoons in which red is so so painfully genuinely in true love with ash, under all the layers of power plays, through the real pain of each and every one of ash’s betrayals… i will die!!!! and thank you (& your friends) for posting about the casino quartet, i am soooo thankful for the introduction to the best polycule ever. one thing i love about the casino quartet is how clown and branzy are obnoxiously public (people know so many details that they really did not need to know) (hence people feel so confident that they’re genuinely devoted & reliant on each other that they’ll try to use one against the other) (prime example: the season 3 obsidian trap), while ash and red are obnoxiously private (no one understands what the fuck is ever going on between them) (no one knows how to manipulate their dynamic, no one can properly account for their incomprehensible relationship while trying to strategize) (prime example: boosfer’s phobias video). i like to imagine that clownzy are the closest people to the internal workings of swagdoons (they see the domestic arguments & the intimacy behind closed doors, listen to their private rants about each other, were present for some of the loaded swagdoons history that ash and red don’t even really talk about themselves). also i watched zam’s first stream of the hardcore smp yesterday [8/21/2022] and i find it so funny how ash will bring up clownzy and clown will bring up swagdoons. (ash announces he’s going to recite “the bible: part 2” and reads aloud a clownzy angst fanfiction; clown says in the middle of a formal meeting that red should sit on ash’s lap because they’re swagdoons). why are they always like this. and idk if you feel much interest in the latest season of the kaboodle smp but i’m really hoping for some clown x ash homosexualities, to fill out the casino quartet dynamics. as of now, we’ve got clown immediately showing vaguely gay interest towards ash, the mysterious teleporting guy in a suit who violently glitched into a server-wide campfire meeting out of nowhere. (clown: “ooh, who are you~?” ash, who otherwise doesn’t show interest in anyone or anything besides gaining riches: “…where do i know you from?”) (ash: teleports in, kills someone’s pet cat, teleports out. everyone, rightfully: WHAT THE FUCK?! clown: shocked delighted laughter.) (everyone is stuck unable to interact with ash, who keeps ignoring all conversation to ask for valuables. but clown swiftly catches on to ash’s rhythm and uses an emerald to try to bribe ash to follow him & tell him his name, as if ash is a cat. it somewhat works.) (after ash leaves, clown tells the others that he’ll “keep an eye on” the new stranger, who will be “safe in [his] hands”.) i watched this all go down from our beloved ivorycello’s POV [7/1/2023]. anyway uh. hiiii and thank you & all you other regular swagdoonsers on tumblr for the friendly reception :) i’m so excited for lifesteal season five plotlines. for some reason i’ve been Thinking about the intro to season 5 in which everyone gathers around in a circle waiting to start, ash sees this and places himself at the center to make an impromptu dramatic speech LOL, and red is the first to step in with him to tell him to go back to his spot. i’m choosing to imagine this as another instance of the god complex bf with enough power to back it up x the only guy who can rein him in and is bizarrely casual & familiar about it dynamic. ok i’m out ✌️ love you /p

[very long response under the cut]

HI ANON!!! glad that you enjoyed my post and the fic i recced in the tags!!! it’s one of my fav fics and your post Really reminded me of it so!!! i’m glad you enjoyed it!!!!! (loves reccing fics) me when reddoons and loyalty and how it plays into swagdoons . (<- i remember i made a post responding to something i found on lsheadcanons about vampire!ash and human!red that Could be used for a metaphor about swagdoons and loyalty . something something about red Literally fueling ash out of choice)

anyways!! WELCOME TO THE CASINO QUARTET ENJOYER GANG!!!! they r my absolute beloveds, god bless. and you’re SO RIGHT clownzy would do so much pda in public and be all mushy (but in the Worst times possible . i am talking about mushy flirting while they are being chased down by the authorities while ash and red are screaming at them to stop and focus on running away. anyways) but i think?? you’re referring to the trap where branzy is held ransom by purple duo and heh as to get clown to “save” him? but yeah . they’re always so closely associated with each other that even in small things (ex someone in the start of s5 warning someone that branzy “knows a guy” in reference to clown) and since branzy is the “weaker” of the two tbh i’m not surprised if someone holds branzy for ransom again this season (i’ve heard whispers of them teaming up again this season so !!!)

but even though there’s been a lot of acknowledgement by other cc’s, there’s not any. record of someone taking advantage of their relationship yet? like you said the closest thing is the one of them is lying video but like, that video was arguably where swagdoons showed their trust the Most (esp with cheating during spilt or steal . that was SO them) but. yeah the way their relationship is very subtle . there’s no real massive declaration of love but small moments (which. i think why there’s SO many swagdoons clips that r just small gestures but swagdoons enjoyers still go BONKERS over <- big enjoyer of their streams for that reason) (and as a result i associate the song “no big deal (i love you)” by dodie with them . a lot of the one is about not verbally saying i love you but. yk. the love is still there and strong . love that song in general so <3) but Yeah i do also like the idea that clownzy r one of the Only people who see swagdoons be domestic with each other in full . something something about casino quartet being domestic and trusting each other so much here willing to stop all of the facade and be vulnerable with each other

but LMAOOOOO that hardcore stream goes so hard . the bible part 2 caught me so off guard when i watched it like LMAO????? it’s fantastic . also in that same stream zam is like “the bible part 3: ash nd red were walking down the street” and swagdoons are INSTANTLY shutting him down and telling him to stop (this is a recurring thing for some reason apparently zam mentioned swagdoons during vidcon and got hit with a ball i response but also zam did say swagdoons made out in the dennys so ???? idk anymore) but ooooo i didn’t know about clown mentioning swagdoons . maybe i should check that out (i was only skimming through the void so…that is something for me to check out)

and i am watching kemp rn too! except i am only watching from ash’s pov, which is. a time for sure. he has already made a deal with god and figured out how to exploit his glitching thing. but ash WAS looking at clown when he teleported into the campground and defrost was like O_O at clown so. tbh i’m kinda excited to see where they go since they might have a “hold up…do i know you?” moment (and if ur interested there is a fic of them …….clown and ash my beloved) (and here’s the clown and ash meowing clip if you so desire . this clip is the clip of All Time) but hearing what the rest of the conversation with the ksmp members afterwards is INTERESTING when i just watched ash teleport away and go “i hate it here’ LMAOOO ……..that is interesting of clown though……..i wanna see them together more ……like an enclosure

AND S5!!!! i am so excited for s5 of them …..idk who’s pov you watched but in ash’s pov he Did mention wanting to team with branzy, red, and clown SOOOOOOOO ………. <- he also said this last season and that didn’t end up happening . i am going off of copium /silly

but i Do think swagdoons r gonna have a more power dynamic-y relationship this season esp with the whole free market stuff (and at least. according to red’s stream today he Said that lala legion were trying to look for camelot’s old base so…….. eyes emoji. what’s up with that) BUT YEAH!!!! lots fo exciting stuff bc i’ve also heard clownzy might team up again. …….. casino quartet nation is winning

IDK IF ANY OF THOSE RANTS MADE SENSE hopefully i didn’t miss anything and i was. semi on topic BUT !!! YEAH!!!!!! love u 2 anon /p ur asks r lovely :)

that physicist lady on youtube who sometimes insults me with the straightest face i ever seen tells me gravity is not a force. my shock grows every next second of the video.

not the news calling PALESTINIANS the invasors. fuck you fuck you fuck you

I hope this doesn't sound too weird but, are you open to people just - dropping a message in your inbox to chat? I just think you re a really cool guy with a lot of interesting stuff to say and I want to talk about it more but I don't know how open you are to that !!

dhdhgh I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to answer this one, because I'm not exactly opposed to chatting with people, I'm just. not really online! I publish asks and sometimes it takes me forever to reply, I only really check my messages once a month because my notifications are broken and the bots are annoying™, and frequently I forget to reply to comments because I'm. mostly just busy offline with other work because I Have Bills To Pay. sorry! I don't really have a good answer for this RIP

RE: your post about Rebecca.

To add onto this mess,lets not forget that she is the reason why that teenage boy died in the fist book. Like she knew the entire time who the murderer was and didn't do anything to stop him to "keep the detective safe 🥺" . But that boy is literally dead because of her and it's never brought up.

YOU'RE SO RIGHT !!!! like oh my god, if you wanted to repair/maintain your relationship with your child, why would you? keep secrets that are getting OTHER people killed on the detective's watch?

like it clearly was backfiring on the detective bc both the captain and bobby were pressuring them from either side – there was a limit to what the det. could actually even do because of the little knowledge they had of the whole situation !!! so for rebecca to just. *know* that this was going to happen. UGH. it frustrates me to no end because whether or not the det. is worried more about themselves or the townspeople, why should rebecca get to decide that her child's life is more important than someone else's?

i think why i like the idea of dark content so much, is that it is the opposite extreme for feeling unloved/unloveable.

whether i am or not, reading about about a person being so deeply and unfathomably in love with you (or another person) that it makes them lose all sense of judgement or morality is intoxicating. their love is so magnetic for you that they can’t even hate you no matter how much they try or want to. they can’t help but act selfishly to ease the insatiable hunger they have for you, even if it’s against your wishes.

it’s seeing this extreme unmeasurable love, even though incredibly dark and twisted, that soothes a soul of yearning for connection. mine.

there’s something so sickeningly beautiful about love’s corruption. how it diseases people.

of course in real world scenarios, this is not ideal. but indulging in it when there are feelings that are so strongly opposing in my reality is so soothing. ironic, i know, dark content being soothing. but how can it not be thrilling to see the deep fathomless level that someone could love another person?

enough to corruption, depravity, immorality, and just… darkness.

Do you like when your fans make their own speculations / theories about your AU? I'm asking because some people simply prefer if people don't do it

Oh, no, I like it! It doesn't happen very often, but when it does I find it amazing that someone came away from something I wrote and thought about it to the point they have speculations and theories. If anything, it's incredibly flattering, even if I can't always give a long answer to their theories in case I give too much of the plot away, haha