Ok so before I delve into drafts, here are my thoughts on all the recent shorts condensed and how that affects / is interpreted in my portrayal.

This is very long, so I may edit / add onto this, but ...

Just a small thing and distinction for myself, Dan Heng appears a lot more free with his outfit, he shows more skin and it seems battle ready compared to the more elegant, modest look that Yinyue wore. It almost looks more tradition bound, whereas Dan Heng added his own flair and touch to it. This even appears to be reflected in their hair, with Yinyue wearing it long and fully black compared to Dan Heng's shorter and also more colorful strands, clearly setting the two apart. It makes Dan Heng look far less poised and more distinct, like something personalized rather than what one would have asked for one in this position as a High Elder. Yinyue also clearly had shorter horns than Dan Heng in this particular scene. However, after going through the other renditions of Yinyue again, especially the one from the revised High Cloud Quintet artwork that was leaked a while ago, it's obvious that he did have bigger horns in the past. He did not have short horns like this by default, meaning that they were likely shorter due to being restrained by the Dracocatena Nails that were staked into his body. For comparison's sake, below is Yinyue in his prime:

This basically just confirms my previous theory of the horns being a direct reflection of power and potency. Even more symbolic given that Bailu's horns look like Yinyue's in that scene — small, budding, not at their full potential. On top of that, Dan Heng's has an idle where his horns sprout like a branch, growing into full antlers. I talked about this before, but that whole idle is likely a direct reference to Yaoshi, the Abundance, and also the revered status that Imbibitor Lunae held. Imbibitor Lunae is, at this point, clearly a full vessel of the Permancene's remaining power, a conduit and inheritor in equal measure, someone who now wields the Aeon's last vestiges of power, and the solemn duty that comes with it.

These overlaps are physically visible as well, which is 100 % intended by design. As stated in a previous post of mine, this position is called lalitasana, a stance or mudra from Indian art / dharmic religions. It is also known as " the royal position " and was commonly used in portraits of people whose kingly characteristics were intended to be emphasized. The person is seated on a throne, often stylized as a lotus, with one leg tucked under and the other hanging down. When it comes to Imbibitor Lunae, I find this even more interesting given the fact that Long was adjacent with the Abundance and potentially even became one with the Abundance later on. Thus sharing these traits speaks volumes about how closely tied he still is to these origins, how much these traits are on full display. It's giving Emanator vibes with how significant and deep they run and that's honestly basically what Imbibitor Lunae ( and likely the other High Elders ) already are on paper — individuals favored and blessed by the Aeon that ruled their path, granted permission to wield their powers. The word " Scion " doesn't fit them or what they represent, that matches all the other Vidyadhara as a race, but they are on a whole other level.

Something else to note is that the Imbibitor Lunae did not start out as an Imbibitor Lunae. They gained this identity as they were taught and came of age, undergoing the necessary rites to take up this position. Meaning that in order to become the High Elder, you had to give up your own identity. You had to push who you were aside to become something else. There are countless mentions of how detached and cold Yinyue was when fulfilling his duty, how many people didn't even know who he was as a person, how Yinyue " was a dragon, a hero, a sinner, but never a person with love, hatred, sorrow, or joy like everyone else in this world. " Becoming a vessel of Long, taking up the Azure Dragon's Legacy, essentially meant erasing yourself. This makes his relationship with the High Cloud Quintet all the more remarkable — and so much more significant why Dan Heng has been undergoing this identity crisis and internal struggle. He is the first High Elder since their conception that broke free from this cycle, who is no longer shackled by duty. When he said it was both a blessing and a curse, he meant it. He is the liberated one, and holding onto this hard.

But that animation short made it clear that he doesn't really resent Yinyue or the High Cloud Quintet or what happened in the past. After all, he said it himself : Yinyue is his past, he will always be a part of him in some manner of speaking. But he doesn't want to subject himself to the same fate, he doesn't want his life to be pre-determined, he wants to forge HIS OWN PATH that is not guided by duty or some other higher power. He wants to remain himself and not lose who he has become as a person, or these precious bonds he has found for himself. That is what he stood up and fought for and honestly, it made me so emotional seeing him like this, because facing his past head on was a huge step for him as a character.

This scene and what's being said here screams both deflection, projection and by extension, what Dan Heng almost certainly has been told by others as well. These are the things that stick with him and the past that he must face. That he's seen as a criminal without remorse, that death would be the only suitable punishment — in spite of the fact that he has done nothing himself, he still carried that weight and continues to carry it. Only now does he have the resolve to openly face it, and through it, Yinyue.

I also want to touch onto the Shackling Prison. We already knew that Yinyue was there, we knew that he was kept there mostly in solitary confinement and restrained ... but all these recent artworks really show just how harsh that treatment really was. He wasn't just bound and kept locked away, he was literally impaled by countless nails, suspended and likely in perpetual agony. Which makes it even wilder to me that during this entire time, he never spoke. He never said anything. He legitimately held onto an iron will until the very end, and that in and of itself is also testament to the detachment and dissociation Yinyue had developed to serve his position as Imbibitor Lunae and which he proceeded to utilize in other situations outside of his role. A dutybound tool that bore whatever misfortune happened to him quietly first, not an individual permitted his emotions. They had to be swallowed down and suffocated and it was likely a persistent state of being because you were always Imbibitor Lunae, every hour of the day. I really believe it was the High Cloud Quintet, especially Yingxing, who were the ones who gave him that sense of self back, who humanized Yinyue and gave him back individuality after all that had been methodically ripped away by rites and ascension. Speaking of which ...

The revised artwork and animation short also hammers home once more how close Yingxing and Yinyue really were before everything went to hell. They have now added the matching Passerby's Roaming Dragon Bracers onto them ( it was missing before ) and in the short they now also have distinctly matching earrings. They are not beating the married allegations.

Keeping everything else I just said in mind, this scene hits so different and becomes incredibly bittersweet. Most people never knew who Yinyue was, nor did they bother to see him as a person — but the High Cloud Quintet did. They were what the Astral Express now is to Dan Heng. They were his found family, his closest friends, the people who actually knew who he was beyond titles and decorum. I love that parallel between the two of them and how it was only upon remembering his friends that Dan Heng found the strength to face this inner turmoil head on, and it was only then that Yinyue conceded and told him to live on as he wished ... This was the resolve that broke through to Yinyue, because it resonated with him, because it threw all the projection he was doing back into his face. And I'm really happy they framed it in the way that they did here, because it's hinted that this is what heavily drove both of them forward. Not themselves — not their duty or responsibility or some other higher power, but the loved ones they surrounded themselves with and cherished.

disclaimer for this meta is that this isn't any forced study upon any rouge / rogers out there. this is simply me mentioning them as more or so npcs in my ace's canon to explain things and routes i took upon with him and divergency present on this blog. if you don't want to acknowledge them as a writer of these two characters you don't have to.

okay so, i wanna make a little post and addition to my ace's canon or rather explain something i should've done in the past. i'm super on time really. anyway, here rouge does not die immediately. she does live through the birth process but suffering massive organ damage which ultimately gives her at best only few years to live before her body gives out. it was alright to her though, she spent her time with ace until he was a toddler. teaching him both spanish and brazilian as the first languages he spoke instead of her american english because rouge wanted him to speak languages she used to speak to roger. this is why, when her time came and rouge passed away, entrusting ace to garp just like roger wanted.

ace as a kid spoke very mixed languages because essentially he managed only to pick up mainly spanish and english but still used to mix them a lot. sometimes he'd say a sentence in english and sometimes in spanish or he replaced words with one another when he forgot what was the word in english. this is also why ace is able to at least remember how rouge looked like, the memory is really faded after the years but he can recall some specific details about her. this ( and outstretched canon about ace's journey with heart pirates and rehabs ) explains his age as well as ace arrives in goa not as a toddler but as a very young child already and keeps growing here and along the way making friends with sabo. ace essentially meets luffy 4 years before he left foosha for his first journey.

ace, speaking mainly spanish as a kid was really hard for him because... no one really wanted to make the effort to try and communicate with him or understand until he met sabo.

in collaboration with @celestiialnotes sabo was pretty patient about ace's communication and his adhd which is essentially why sabo is such an important person to ace as his brother, just like luffy is. sabo learned spanish through listening to ace speak and while he can't write it he could roughly understand and translate what was ace talking about. It was also the language rouge wanted ace to pick up and know and so he does continue to speak it sometimes. despite mainly using his mom's native language ( american english ) ace does speak spanish fluently and the language is important to him, just like his mother is.

ㅤㅤ𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 ?ㅤㅤㅤon the palm.

you    give    and    give.    you    are    a    gentle    heart,    broken    but    still    standing...    always    lending    a    hand    for    those    who    need    it,    expecting    nothing    in    return.    you    deserve    someone    taking    your    hand    and    kissing    your    open    palm,    the    hands    which    have    selflessly    helped    so    many    others.

tagged by: @fenixburned tagging: @fenixburned ( for shae this time ! ) ; @floodborn ; @beaureguarde ; @pose1dson ; @chth0nia ; @lightningstruck & whoever else wants to do it!! say i tagged you, i wanna see.

WHAT COLOR CHARACTER ARE YOU?

ORANGE.ㅤㅤOrange characters are charismatic and talented. They push themselves to be the best at everything they put their mind to, and get upset when they cannot meet their own standards. THEY TEND TO BE PRODIGIES, seeming almost superhuman in their genius or abilities, but they often base their self-worth off of how well they perform, making them feel isolated from others around them. While most people perceive orange characters as cocky and self-absorbed, THEY ARE ACTUALLY QUITE INSECURE IN THEMSELVES. They want attention and validation from others around them, but because of their faux confidence and the constant ( often somewhat empty ) praise from the people around them, the people that are truly closest to them often withhold it. This often leads them to push themselves beyond their limits or act out in unhealthy and self-destructive ways in an effort to get some kind of recognition. These characters seek to impress and HAVE A HARD TIME TELLING PRAISE FROM LOVE. They have a constant need to be the hero, in whatever context that means for them. These characters usually have a sense of humor and wit that can tend to flatter themselves ( although much of what they say is rooted in truth ), but it is contrasting to some of their more self-deprecating natures. They can be serious loners since they isolate themselves from others in an attempt to protect themselves. Although they would never admit it out loud, they crave acceptance and belonging. Others generally do not see this because orange characters are loathe to admit weakness and build up defenses by making it clear that they do not care what others think, although they do. In childhood, it is likely that their parental figures were either absent or abusive, OFTEN HOLDING THEM UP TO HIGH STANDARDS while not providing them with enough positive reinforcement. Other characters need to treat orange characters not as an annoyance or give up on them quickly, but to make it clear that they are willing to love and support them REGARDLESS OF HOW USEFUL THEY CAN BE, and voice affection where it is due.

TAGGED BY: @maquiscursed & @chiselight ( thank you!! ) TAGGING: @tideblades, @theoneandonii, @narvvhal, @zajevre, @ayahimes, @dawnsdark, @chiselight, @asterinae and whoever else wants to do it!

⠀cannot believe the absolutely staggering number of people who are wildly misinterpreting perry's death. the number of times i've seen folks complaining that he (and the partygoers) are being killed for sex, drugs, kinks, etc., and claiming the episode is shaming that lifestyle... do y'all not understand the point of the show? of what the entire usher family stands for, symbolically?

⠀perry isn't punished for throwing a wild sex rave. he's punished because he's making at base $20k per attendee, and still has the gall to install cameras around the venue and ensure he has an inordinate amount of ongoing blackmail money once all's said and done. he's punished because what he has isn't enough. because he wants more, and because he's willing to use underhanded methods to get it.

⠀satisfaction is not in an usher's vocabulary; they'll stuff their pockets to the brim and still stand, hands open in earnest, awaiting or demanding more.

thinking abt the potential relationships between eilistraeans and selunites and going crazy a little bit. zora would treat a selunite with as much reverence and love as she would a fellow eilistraean i think

➖Eu não sou viciada em café, apenas perciso dele para sobreviver ➖

the thing that really tears me apart about august is that he really does have a lot of untapped potential that only shines through in his work with vic and june.  he has fantastic vision in all of his films, but he never received any encouragement or interest from his family, aside from natalie.  this has, of course, destroyed any sense of self-worth or confidence in his abilities, and he’ll be damned before he lets anyone point out his accomplishments.  he never heard it from the people he needed the most; he’s not gonna take it from anyone else. 

Dan Heng's new idle pose resembling Yaoshi's so strongly is genuinely spicy since Long ( the Aeon of Permanence that the vidyadhara originate from ) was absorbed the Abundance, meaning that their paths inherently had an overlap before they were assimilated. They were not that different at all. On top of that, this is apparently a reference to the lalitasana, a stance or mudra from Indian art / dharmic religions. This relaxed attitude is known as the " royal position " or " royal ease " and is common in portraits of royals and religious people whose kingly characteristics are purposefully being emphasized. The person is seated on a throne, often stylized as a lotus throne ( very notable given all the lotus themes Dan Heng has in this form ), with one leg tucked under the seat and the other hanging down ( " pendent " ) to touch the ground and / or rest on a support. Oh, also the fact that his horns / antlers grow longer in this pose, and one of Yaoshi's signature features being their large deer-like antlers ... 👀

i  feel  like  due  to  the  novel  being  a  paid  source  of  information  and  well,  not  all  people  wanna  go  through  a  lot  of  text  on  the  wiki  where  it  is  briefly  explained  ( though  there's  much  more  examples  in  the  novel  itself )  but  just  to  let  you  all  know  -  ace's  fire  abilities  /  his  fire  body  does  not  burn  everything  that  ace  touches.  let's  go  quickly  over  what  mera  allows  the  user  to  become  upon  granting  them  the  fire  powers.  (via  wiki) 

he  mastered  controlling  the  flame  flame  fruit  abilities  to  the  point  that  only  ace  chooses  what  his  flames  will  burn  and  what  not. ( this fact allows him to sail the striker and not burn it. the boat is solely designed to be powered by ace's flames. ) his  fire  is  insanely  destructive,  but  only  to  people  who  are  ace's  enemies.  during  the  time  when  ace  was  a  captain  of  the  spade  pirates  he  used  to  fight  bounty  hunters  and  marine  soldiers  who  tried  to  get  onto  his  ship  and  he  still  did  use  his  fruit's  abilities  without  causing  any  damage  to  the  ship  or  his  crew  but  only  the  enemy  opponents.  ace  even  says  in  his  novel  that  "  i  ain't  gonna  throw  off  any  fire  that  burns  my  crew"

ace  can't  burn  his  clothes  as  well.  he  could,  but  if  it  worked  like  that  then  each  time  he'd  use  his  fruit  powers  he'd  just  end  up  bare  on  the  screen  lmao.  if  he  wishes  to  burn  something,  it  will  burn.  it's  all  about  mastering  his  flame  abilities  and  firey  body.  it  is  said  that  ace's  fire  devoured  massive  battle  ships,  countless  cities  and  even  islands.  it's  insanely  destructive,  especially  in  his  skilled  hands  but  ace  will  never  ever  harm  people  close  to  him  or  himself  with  mera  mera  no  mi  fire.

my  personal  headcanons  over  his  flames  is  that  he  can  create  various  shapes  off  his  fire  too  with  either  smaller  or  bigger  range,  the  study  of  my  own  personal  hcs  about  his  mera  mera  no  mi  awakening  is  in  my  pinned's  study  post  to  read.  people  are  capable  of  holding  ace's  flames  without  getting  burned  or  suffering  physical  harm.  ace  can  literally  make  a  small  fire  ball  for  your  muse  to  hold  and  toss  in  their  hands  if  they  want him  to.  

Alright, I sat my butt down and wrote out my thoughts from a previous post more in-depth. This study / headcanon pertains Nahida's 3.6 second story quest. Do not read this essay if you have not finished her story yet!

King Deshret's confirmed name is Amun, which indicates that what is written on his tomb now has more substance. The right side reads as Amun Khenti-Ament, which is his true name and likely a title. Khenti-Amentiu was a title also used for Osiris and Anubis and it appeared on necropolis cylinders, but it isn't an actual name. As such, the full true name I will be using from now on will be Amun Ra-Horakhty. Amun is known as a god of the air and often closely associated with the sun god Ra ( i. E. when merged together as Amun-Ra, in some versions they are even interchangeable. ) Horakhty represents Horus, who is known as a son of the sky, and ties into the falcon imagery that is heavily referenced with Deshret's lore. Regarding Alhaitham specifically, Horus is also well known for reincarnation, most notably rebirth in the east. ( With the desert being " western Sumeru. " ) All three of those gods also have associations in the form of Amun-Ra and Ra-Horakhty respectively, often merging together as reformed deities. And to fully round this study out, the right side of Deshret's tomb reads Mek Dsrt Waf Khasut, which very likely references Mek Kemet waf khasut, literally translating to " protector of the desert who curbs foreign lands. " This is a huge hint towards his rebellion against Celestia's Heavenly Principles and its imposed reign. King Deshret and Al-Ahmar are better known names and are more widely used.( For comparison, Buer = Amun, Kusanali = Al-Ahmar, Nahida = Deshret )

Fully confirmed that King Deshret was pursuing forbidden knowledge to challenge Celestia, as did other divine beings at the time. He was the only one to succeed because of Nabu Malikata's aid. My guess is there was generally a faction that was willing to rebel against the Heavenly Principles, which Deshret was apart of by extension, even if he was primarily pursuing his own idealistic dreams without outside influence. I cannot see Deshret adhering to the will and guidelines of someone else. But most importantly, happy that it was made clear that Deshret was not the only one who considered this path a worthwhile risk and that he was not the " crazy one " for trying to do so, which fits much better with my portrayal. Any madness Deshret had came with the Forbidden Knowledge.

King Deshret was almost certainly a Descender from Celestia, and I will write him as such. This has been hinted several times, most notably as being heavily referenced as a son of the sky and him often being seen looking up at the sky with nostalgia. The reason he descended in my headcanon is due to not agreeing with Celestia's ways / the Heavenly Principles, which ultimately led to him rebelling against them as a god. This is also in some part why King Deshret rejected the offered gnosis.

More or less confirmed that Deshret and Nabu Malikata were only briefly romantically involved ( if at all? ) in the Vourukasha's Glow description. They are not romantically involved in my personal lore to begin with, but finding out that the Goddess of Flowers then proceeded to essentially be two Lesbian Moms ™ with Rukkhadevata was an interesting turn of events. So even if King Deshret had feelings in the canon lore, he essentially still wound up watching the gals and their bird child thrive from the sidelines.

Deshret and Apep were basically frenemies. They were not exactly on good terms, but because their goals aligned, they came to a mutual understanding. Deshret came into a position where he could practically utilize Apep as a failsafe in the event the forbidden knowledge would destroy himself, indicating that Deshret actually thought pretty far ahead. When this came to pass, Apep swallowed his remains after he sacrificed himself. That is a neat reference to Apep and Ra in the original myth, where Apep was said to swallow the sun ( Ra ) every single night. This corrupted Apep and is also the reason why Deshret's tomb is empty. Apep having consumed Deshret's forbidden knowledge, and by extension also his body, is one the two primary reasons why Alhaitham's memory of his pre-reincarnation life is almost entirely missing. This is also partially rooted in Deshret's self-sacrifice, but the consumption made it worse. Alhaitham is in a similar position to Guoba where the sacrifice coupled with the assimilation of Deshret's former body and knowledge has caused him to no longer have these memories or any of the prior powers.

Looking at Wanderer's concept art, I'm going to incorporate some things that were shown but never made it into the final version of his abilities.

Although I already enjoy how his Windfavored state looks in-game, the way they showcased it here is such a missed opportunity and something I will be applying to my portrayal. He will retain the appearance that is shown in canon, but these all serve a different purpose. My current idea is that the form with the veil is a traveling stance, solely there to support his ability to float and ascend, but not meant for anything more. The one on the left with the swirling black hole shape is his offensive stance, being visible when he actively uses his strongest abilities and skills. It essentially serves as a catalyst for more powerful Anemo resonances. As a result, his in-game default becomes a hybrid between the two. He is able to fly, and he is still able to attack, but it is the equivalent of a restrained form, enough for most tasks and therefore the most commonly used one, but not his strongest. You only see it during his ultimate / rare occasions.

I am stealing this design for his ultimate. It's basically the same as in canon but with more detail and prettier. Not sure why they scrapped this.

Honorable mention goes out to these concepts. I consider these variations on his skills. Basically, more flavor on top of what we see in-game since he canonically definitely would not be restrained to a kit the same way a playable character would be. In other words, these are valid for me too.

⠀constantly thinking about leo's heart-to-heart with perry and wondering how many vulnerable sibling moments we didn't see. how many times leo, or maybe even vic (definitely not camille lol) tried to get through to him over the years and make him realize that his worth is not based solely on roderick's approval. hell, he even tries to convince himself that it's all one big farce that leaves you at roderick's beck and call. and yet he's still so eager to prove himself -- stubbornly and in his own way, yet with the same underhanded methods that his family's known for. his vision, his stubbornness, his arrogance, is his downfall.

* hope's compulsion is quite powerful , and it in combination with her witch ability of telepathy , and she can project her conscience into another , the words almost sounding like they come from nowhere and everywhere all at once . it can be used to sway or influence , and for some it's maddening .