You Make Amanda Appreciate Life, Valentine! ❤️

fiddleford is such a fucked up little guy. realized this because every time I see art of him kissing someone I automatically do a quick check to make sure he's not also pressing a gun to their head

took ref from Rafal Olbinksi "Memories" picture

Some Evidence in Favor of Jade

One thing I've constantly seen in Jade hate posts is the idea that she's trapping good and innocent people like Aventurine and Topaz and chaining them down to the IPC.

But I actually think it's this act--choosing Aventurine and Topaz to be her proteges--that tells us a lot about whether Jade is a fundamentally bad person or not.

First, it's key to understand that Jade is in a significant position of power within the Stonehearts. When Diamond chooses not to appear, it's often Jade who goes in his place and acts as his voice. When it comes to making administrative decisions on who will get to join the Stonehearts, Jade had a direct hand in supporting Topaz's ascension (by accepting recommendations) and an even more direct role in Aventurine's ascension, choosing and testing him for the job herself.

So Jade is a character with enough power to have a strong say in who gets to become a leader in the IPC. She possesses enough authority and trust from Diamond to catapult a wanted murderer like Kakavasha straight up 45 ranks in the Star Rail universe's single most powerful corporate entity. She helps to decide who rules.

And who has she picked with that power?

Aventurine and Topaz are both good people. Although they'll do whatever is needed to advance the IPC's aims, they're both essentially kind-hearted and unwilling to put others at unnecessary risk. They both deeply value friendship and exhibit many of the other positive traits one associates with heroes--loyalty, generosity, gentleness, and honesty. Topaz takes a hit to her own reputation and rank to protect Belobog. Aventurine, infamous for high-stakes gambles, specifically spells out that he absolutely refuses to cheat his way to victory.

In an organization that is otherwise known for the literal colonization and extermination of civilizations--in an organization that puts wealth and material value above anything but their own god--in an organization with people like Obsidian who literally want to turn things into a bloodbath--Jade's top picks are both quintessentially good characters.

She is extracting value from them. She is profiting from their work for the IPC.

But Jade had the power to promote complete monsters into the Stonehearts. She could have picked heartless, profit-driven villains who would have forwarded the IPC's goals at the expense of the human element entirely. She could have promoted more evil into an already evil organization. But she did not. Jade chose to support two disadvantaged young people who had clawed their way up from the bottom while still maintaining their principles. At least two of the Ten Stonehearts are people the Trailblazer can associate with without extreme moral guilt, thanks in part to Jade.

The people that Jade chooses to throw her support behind mean something. Topaz and Aventurine's presence in the Stonehearts indicates that Jade is capable of not only recognizing goodness--but has actively chosen to elevate (at least relatively) moral people into positions of authority. This act, choosing to promote and support inherently decent human beings, speaks greatly to Jade's sense of who deserves power--and, from there, to her own sense of justice.

Just something worth thinking about, I feel.

found this old saw lineart decided to color. early morning supply run!

Mini comic I made after reading this thread;

https://x.com/_angeistone/status/1790401343187730927?s=46

playing hetaoni in 2024

@cookies-hetaoni thanks for your hard work on this, we had a blast

hello everyone! i’m alive and i have some news to share with you!!!!!

i’ve made my first fic translation from Russian to English. this work belongs to Urasawa’s Monster and i want to share it with you and show some illustrations to it. i’m an interpreter and a co-author of fic actually😭. i’ve left a link so it would be more convenient for you to check it out. i hope you’ll enjoy it!

Eyes Stinging

There were no people in this place who deserved to die and Grimmer stepping over another corpse thought about how it Should have be done with the person who took their lives. The Magnificent Steiner today either wasn’t impressed by the opportunity to defeat one “bad guy” or decided not to come to the rescue because, honestly, there is no one left to save.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40189056#main

@theartifxce

there's moreeee!!