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[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

Diabolik Lovers Survey 2020 Results

This year I got 138 responses in total, which is close to double the number I got in 2019 (74 responses) so a big thank you to all of you for taking part and for those who helped to promote it! Now onto the results:

Question 1. Who is your favorite DL character?

1. Subaru Sakamaki (18 votes) (3rd in CL poll, joint 4th in 2019 survey) 2. Shu Sakamaki (16 votes) (1st in CL poll, 1st in 2019 survey) 3. Ruki Mukami (13 votes) (4th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 4. Laito Sakamaki (12 votes) (8th in CL poll, 10th in 2019 survey) 5. Ayato Sakamaki (11 votes) (2nd in CL poll, 3rd in 2019 survey) 6. Reiji Sakamaki (10 votes) (9th in CL poll, 2nd in 2019 survey) 6. Carla Tsukinami (10 votes) (11th in CL poll, 4th in 2019 survey) 6. Kanato Sakamaki (10 votes) (6th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 9. Azusa Mukami  (8 votes) (12th in CL poll, 13th in 2019 survey) 9. Yui Komori (8 votes) (7th in CL poll, no votes in 2019 survey) 11. Yuma Mukami (7 votes) (10th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 12. Shin Tsukinami (6 votes) (14th in CL poll, joint 11th in 2019 survey) 13. Kino (3 votes) (13th in CL poll, joint 11th in 2019 survey) 14. Kou Mukami (1 vote) (5th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 14. Richter (1 votes) (did not feature in CL poll, no votes in 2019 survey)

Note: 3 people said they didn’t have a favorite character and 1 person skipped the question. Karlheinz, Beatrix, Cordelia, Christa and Yuri were all available options but they did not receive any votes. I’ve included where they came in the CL poll (the most recent official popularity poll) to show how the results compare. Below you can also see how the voting breaks down compared to the 2019 survey.

While I was a little surprised that Subaru managed to dethrone Shu as the fandom’s overall favorite, I was not surprised by him, Shu, Ruki and Ayato all featuring in the top 5 considering their rankings in the CL poll. Laito also managed to sneak his way in there but considering that he was the winner of the 2018 survey, that wasn’t much of a surprise to me either.

The thing that I really don’t understand is what on Earth happened with Kou. Up until 24 hours before the survey closed, he didn’t have a single vote (lone Kou fan, thank you for stepping up), despite doing pretty well in the CL poll and the 2019 survey. If anyone has any theories on where all the Kou fans have gone then let me know because I am baffled.

Anyway, onto the rest of the survey, because this post is extremely long, I’ve put the rest below the cut.

Question 2. Who is your least favorite diaboy?

1. Kanato Sakamaki (42 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 2. No least favorite (15 votes) (2nd option in 2019 survey) 3. Kino (14 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 4. Ruki Mukami (12 votes) (joint 6th in 2019 survey) 5. Ayato Sakamaki (10 votes) (4th in 2019 survey) 6. Carla Tsukinami  (9 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 7. Reiji Sakamaki (7 votes) (joint 6th in 2019 survey) 8. Shin Tsukinami (6 votes) (joint 6th in the 2019 survey) 8. Azusa Mukami (6 votes) (joint 10th in 2019 survey) 10. Shu Sakamaki (5 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 11. Kou Mukami (3 votes) (5th in 2019 survey) 11. Laito Sakamaki (3 votes) (9th in 2019 survey) 11. Yuma Mukami (3 votes) (joint 10th in 2019 survey) 14. Subaru Sakamaki (2 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey)

Note: I discounted one vote for Subaru on this question, as the participant had also voted for him as their favorite character so I assumed they misunderstood this question.

Every single year I’ve done this, Kanato has come first in this category by a massive margin and (while I will admit he’s my own least favorite) I am still no closer to understanding why he gets so many votes. If anyone does have any theories then do let me know.

Other than that, Kino’s placement certainly isn’t a surprise given his place in the 2019 survey and that he was the villain in all of the other characters LE routes, which I suspect has not endeared him to many. I do find it interesting that Ruki and Ayato (who did well in the popularity poll) were also in the top 5 for this question. 

I also wasn’t expecting Shu, golden boy of the fandom, to actually rank higher than some of the other characters in this question and to only have one less vote than Shin (who is considerably less popular and did some fairly deplorable things in the other character’s DF routes). 

Question 3. What is your favorite type of DL media?

1. The games 60 votes (1st in 2019 survey) 2. The drama CDs 46 votes (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. The character songs 9 votes (3rd in 2019 survey) 3. The merch (e.g. plushies, badges, straps etc) 9 votes (4th in 2019 survey) 5. The anime 8 votes (5th in 2019 survey) 5. The manga 6 votes (6th in 2019 survey)

I don’t really think there’s much to comment on with this one, the results are pretty similar to last year and given that the drama CDs and the games collectively provide most of the story content for DL, it’s not at all surprising that they’re the fan favorites.

Question 4. If you have played and/or read translations for the games, which is your favorite?

1. Dark Fate (39 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 2. Haunted Dark Bridal (27 votes) (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. More Blood (13 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 4. Vandead Carnival  (10 votes) (7th in 2019 survey)  5. Lost Eden 8 votes (5th in 2019 survey) 6. Chaos Lineage 8 votes (4th in 2019 survey) 7. Lunatic Parade 6 votes (6th in 2019 survey) Note: 20 people said they had not played the games or read translations of them.

DF, HDB and MB all remain as the top 3 games of franchise. I was a bit surprised to see VC jump up so much though, although I know some more translations for it have been posted recently, and a game being translated will always help to boost it’s popularity within the fandom.

Question 5. If you have listened to and/or read translations of the drama CDs, which set of CDs includes your favorite?

1. Bonus CDs (19 votes) (4th in 2019 survey) 2. Para-Selene (18 votes) (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. Bloody Bouquet (14 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 4. Zero (13 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 5. The original do-s vampire CDs (11 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 6. More Blood do-s vampire (8 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 7. Verus II (7 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 8. More, More Blood (6 votes) (not an option in the 2019 survey) 9. Dark Fate (4 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 9. Born To Die (4 votes) (joint 9th in 2019 survey) 11. Verus I (3 votes) (joint 9th in 2019 survey) 12. Eternal Blood (2 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 13. Versus III  (1 vote) (joint 8th in 2019 survey) 13. Versus IV (1 vote) (no votes in 2019 survey) 13. Chaos Lineage  (1 vote) (joint 8th in 2019 survey) Note: the Lost Eden CDs (joint 8th in the 2019 survey) did not receive any votes and 26 people said they had not listened to or read translations of the drama CDs, 6 more than those who had not played or read translations of the games. 

I was pretty surprised to see the Bloody Bouquet CDs bumped down to third place considering that they won far and away in the 2018 and 2019 surveys, especially with the Zero CDs coming so close behind them. Para-Selene (my own personal favorite set of drama CDs) is still a fan favorite, and while I know many people enjoy the bonus CDs, I certainly wasn’t expecting to see them take the top spot.

In terms of other things to note, I do find it interesting that the Eternal Blood CDs (which feature the Mukamis) are less popular than the Born To Die CDs (which feature the Tsukinamis and Kino), considering that in this survey, the Mukami brothers got more votes combined than the Tsukinamis + Kino, and I’m pretty sure all of the Eternal Blood CDs have been translated, while to my knowledge, no English translations exist for the BTD CDs (although you can find a summary of Shin’s on this blog), so I would have expected this to be the other way around.

Question 6. How long have you been interested in DL?

1. More than 4 years but less than 6 years (55 votes)  2. More than 2 years but less than 4 years (26 votes)  3. More than 6 years but less than 8 years (15 votes)  4. Up to six months (9 votes)  5. Over 8 years (7 votes) 6. More than 6 months but less than 1 year (6 votes) 7. Less than 1 month (2 votes) Note: 6 people said they couldn’t remember how long they’d been interested in DL for.

It seems the majority of us have been here for years (truly, there is no escaping diahell) but it was nice to see so many newcomers to the fandom take part this year, especially as we haven’t really had that much new content. 

I mentioned this in the 2019 survey results post but I do wonder whether the release of the MB anime (a little over 5 years ago), may have some correlation with a large chunk of the fandom (or at least the portion that took part in this survey) being into the series for between 4-6 years.

Question 7. If you answered the survey I did last year, have any of your choices changed since then?

Note: Multiple options could be selected here.

My favorite character has changed: 21 votes

My least favorite diaboy has changed: 17 votes

My favorite DL game has changed: 9 votes

My favorite drama CD has changed: 18 votes

There were definitely more changes this year compared to last year (although given the much larger sample size, that’s to be expected), but it does seem most are fairly firm in their favorites. 

Question 8. If you purchased one of the More, More Blood CDs, which version did you get? 

Deluxe edition: 7 votes (5.22%)

Regular edition: 4 votes (2.99%)

Deluxe edition from Animate: 7 votes (5.22%)

Deluxe edition from Stellaworth: 2 votes (1.49%)

Deluxe edition of the same CD from Animate & Stellaworth: 3 votes (2.24%)

Multiple MMB CDs (some regular, some deluxe): 5 votes (3.73%)

Did not buy any of the MMB CDs: 106 votes (79.10%)

Note: 4 people skipped this question.

I mostly asked this question because I was curious as to how many people bought the deluxe edition versus the normal edition, especially as after listening to Shin’s (and from the comments I saw online) I feel like you really need the bonus CD you get with the deluxe edition to nicely wrap up the story.

I was sort of expecting most people to go for the deluxe edition, as I think if you’re ordering your favorite's CD, you’re going to want the maximum content with them possible, even if it does come with a bigger price tag.

As for why so many people went for the Animate bonus over the Stellaworth bonus, I imagine this was because Animate has an international online store (although I think whether you can actually get the bonus drama CDs from them is variable) while Stellaworth only ships in Japan, which means if you order from them, you have to use a proxy service which really hikes up the price.

Question 9. Out of the following things released within the last year, which has been your favorite?

1. 4-panel More, More Blood comics (28 votes) 1. Winter of Lovers merch (28 votes) 3. More, More Blood CDs (24 votes) 4. Masquerade Jewel merch (18 votes) 5. My Melody collaboration merch (15 votes) 6. Other (14 votes) 7. Merch from Rejet 2020 Fes (10 votes) Note: 1 person skipped this question.

I thought for sure the More, More Blood CDs would win this one but I seriously underestimated just how popular the More, More Blood comics and merch lines were. I suppose given that the bonus drama CDs came first in the Drama CD category and the MMB comics are much in the same vein (as in they both contain humorous content), it isn’t that much of a surprise, especially as the comics are posted online and are therefore much more accessible to international fans than the drama CDs.

As for the merch lines, Winter of Lovers is the most recently released set, so it may be possible that this is partially responsible for it’s popularity (i.e. it’s the merch line freshest in people’s minds).

Question 10. Which of the upcoming DL releases are you the most excited for?

1. Young Blood manga (64 votes) 2. Daylight CDs (25 votes) 3. Releases that have yet to be announced (20 votes) 4. Count Off (9th anniversary song) (7 votes) Note: 22 people went for the “Can’t choose/ Not excited for any of these” option.

The Young Blood manga won here by a massive margin, which is pretty interesting considering that the DL manga ranked lowest in question 3. That being said though I suspect this manga will be more popular than the others as it should give us more of the boys’ backstories.

I’ve seen several people hoping for the unannounced release (that we should find out more about April) to be a new game. Personally I’m not super convinced that’s going to be the case as new game announcements tend to be done at Otomate party (as was the case with CL in 2018), which is scheduled for July. However, I do admit that I think a new game would be a really good way to celebrate DL’s tenth anniversary (which is coming up December next year), so I don’t think it’s completely outside of the realms of possibility that we may get another game at some point. 

Either way I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in April.

And that’s it for the 2020 survey. Again, thanks to everyone who took part, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the results, was there anything that surprised you?

[glitchrpgmain]

                      WELCOME TO THE UNDERWORLD.

congratulations FELIX ! you have been accepted into underworldfm. the role of JASPER will be portrayed by RAFAEL NÚÑEZ. LAITH ASHLEY is now taken. please submit your blog within the next 24 hours & be sure to follow the guidelines outlined in our checklist.

we absolutely love the way you’ve written rafael and the journey that he’s taken!  he truly embodies what we envisioned for jasper in the way that he’s risen above everything that has happened to him throughout his life. his passion for the liberation makes him a formidable enemy for the vampires. we are excited to see what interactions he will get up to -- especially with the two cubs he has under his wings now!

ic.

character. Jasper

name. Rafael Núñez (full: Rafael Núñez León)

age. 378

gender & pronouns. Trans man / he

faceclaim. Laith Ashley

BIO

Abandoned as a baby in 1642, Rafael never knew his parents nor the circumstances of his birth. He doesn’t remember being dumped behind a bar infamous for its pirate clientele nor the way he was screaming out his little lungs under a starless sky that night on Tortuga. Finally, the kind-hearted owner took pity on the infant and took him under his wing. 

Rafael’s upbringing was a matter of many hands stirring the pot. A bar was no real place for a child -- much less the rowdy lot of pirates that frequented it but they made it work. From bar staff to friends and acquaintances and lastly the bar owner’s on and off pirate boyfriend -- everyone took turns looking after and teaching the boy -- for better or worse. 

Rafael was a curious and adventurous boy with a habit of sneaking out and getting himself into trouble. Come teenage years, he started dressing more and more masculine, cutting short his hair and going by a nickname (like any self-respecting pirate). It wouldn't be until many years later that he learned to put words to his identity. 

His first venture out to sea was a short joy. He had snuck onto his other dad’s ship seeking adventure alike the stories he had been raised on but spent most of the journey clinging to a bucket, sea-sick. A stern talk (argument) later between his de facto parents, Rafael was allowed to tentatively join the crew and learn the ins and out of sailing while earning his keep as a deckhand of the crew. 

Naturally, a pirate’s life wasn’t all fun and games like he had envisioned -- more guts than glory. It was a tough lesson learned as they battled not only the moods of nature but the powers that be -- whether it was spanish, french or british colonizers -- the list was long.

In fifteen years, they had had a good run and had banked numerous wins and a few tragic losses. The pirate life was getting more difficult and dangerous by the day. Their luck ran out when they were caught in the crossfire between the spanish and a mysterious, neutral vessel. Their ship was blasted to bits and the crew scattered in the wreckage. To this day, Rafael doesn’t know who lived and died. He himself was rescued by the crew of the mysterious ship. Lycans -- as he found out after surviving their infectious bite. 

Under the pack leader’s guidance, Rafael turned into a respectable Leecher -- tough, level-headed and ready to do what had to be done. After their pack leader's death many years later, Rafael stepped into the role -- crushed by expectations and the increasingly dire situation as they accounted for heavy losses at the hands of Vampires. 

Moments of respite were far and few in between. While he was a good and fearless leader following his Sire’s legacy, he was an inexperienced one. In a fateful ambush, the majority of his pack was killed while he and a couple others were captured by Vampires hoping to gather information about Lycan movements and the Leecher’s plans. Defeated and grieving, Rafael was ready to accept death, unwilling to betray his siblings and feeling like maybe he deserved it. But by some miracle he was saved by another pack who he joined and travelled with for a while. 

By the end of the 20th century, Rafael had settled in New York City. After recollecting his strength, he intended to follow his original pack’s plans to take on Aleksander and his notorious coven. Spread-thin as the Lycans were and without a pack, however, there was little he could do to fight the creatures. As soon as word of the forming Liberation reached him, Rafael joined forces. He had missed the companionship of a pack. 

Nowadays, he runs a boxing club, training humans and Lycans alike while doubling as a training ground for the Leechers. While the outright fighting between Vampires and Lycans may have stopped, Vampires didn’t take too kindly to his business. Some saw it as a threat to mobilise against them often destroying his property and threatening him. Rafael may be Tired but he’s far from giving up.

[thecandywrites]

Isthantari- Part 3

HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS!!!!!! I was NOT expecting this story to take off or be popular. (look anything over like 2-4 notes is a massive success to me, Im not popular, I’m barely a bump on the radar so this is wild crazy success to me which I am very grateful and appreciative for because only 24 hours after posting part 2- both parts got OVER A HUNDRED NOTES OMG and REBLOGS, if you look at your guys’ notes you’ll notice I HAVE TRIED to track all you who have reblogged or commented or are now following this blog or even my main blog @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy and I’m trying to follow you guys back and I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! because it means so much to me, it really does, like I legit cried tears of happiness this morning when I woke up and checked my phone and went - OH MY GOD YOU GUYS LIKE IT, YOU REALLY LIKE IT!- Sally Fields moment (you like me! You really like me!) 

Ok, so let me tag @catsithsitter and @royale-skeleton-key and if any of you ever want to get tagged if I continue this story passed this part three- let me know. Because you’ll notice I’ve left it open ended.  

Part 3

On the fifth day, a Jika rescue team found you and Jaxon had panicked and picked you up to fly you away but you were captured nonetheless as you stared in surprise at him that he could fly and wondered how long had he been able to do that for before you were offered an apology by the Jika who found you. There had been a mix up and misunderstanding, because Jaxon’s mental message was to save his queen, they had thought that you had been the queen, thus why they shot you down at the same time they murdered the real queen. Jaxon’s brother Jye, Dr. Emily Kimble’s Jika, had thankfully explained his own relationship with Emily because he mentally had to fight not to mentally message that to the hive as well because he had wanted to react the same way but once the new queen took over and realized that you and Emily posed no threat to herself as queen because you were humans just doing your jobs, she let them live and ordered for your rescue. And since you were wearing Jika cum as sunscreen- that had actually helped a great deal, the nature of it giving off a bright signal in both the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. You were brought back on board and you gladly welcomed a long hot shower, Jaxon, never leaving your side as he scrubbed your skin clean of his cum with extreme care and finesse as you finally got to really wash and condition your hair and put on deodorant and perfume again and shave and felt more like yourself. But you did get to keep Jaxon’s cocoon and water catcher because they held significant sentimental value to you as you sent them off to be washed before they were returned clean and even combed silky smooth as Jaxon moved into your room with you and used the water catcher to make you a hammock large enough for a whole family and used the cocoon to make your bed absolutely epic and ridiculously comfortable and more than big enough for you both.

Then you were summoned by the new queen and you anxiously wore your best outfit and makeup and loads of deodorant, body spray and perfume, not wanting her to think of you as a threat by your smell otherwise. When you arrived, yourself and all the other human doctors and the surviving members of the royal brothers were gathered there.

“Hello Sable.” Queen Kat greeted you. She was obviously a very young queen and unusually small and lean and even smaller than you, barely five feet tall and if you had to guess only about a hundred pounds or so but her attennae were like horned spikes and she reminded you of maleficent because of how angular she was but had dozens of consorts attending her none the less and you recognized the look about them, like ants that had those parasites and they were completely under her control and you noticed the air around her smelled like the worst B.O. you had ever smelled in your life, it made you want to gag it was so nasty and gross but you couldn’t risk offending her. 

“Your scent is unusually strong your highness.” You tried complimenting her as your eyes watered as she came up to you and looked you over, but she looked unusually fierce and it scared you but Jaxon was right behind you, your back right up against his front, using your close proximaty to try and resist her allure and control over him as Jye was doing the same to Emily. 

“Thank you!” She beamed happily. “I just wanted to see the reason why I’m now the most powerful Jika queen in this quadrant now.” She grinned smugly at you.

“Excuse me?” You frowned in confusion.

“Well it was Jaxon who contacted me to come and overthrow Queen Ki, because she was so weak she couldn’t control the hive from swarming a lowly human who smelled better than she did, a very great disgrace among Jika you see. For a Queen to have a scent weaker than a lesser species such as a human is a sign of great weakness and taking over was extremely easy and I apologize if you were caught in the crossfire, I understand since Jaxon is weak too for thinking you, of all specimens in the universe- is his queen.” She giggled menacingly. “Jika culture dictates I should kill him for inferiority. But it’s him that has handed this over to me so I will show lenience and let him live. But beware, if you ever attract any others,you and they will be put to death. Having more than one queen will spell chaos and I refuse to put up with it in my own realm.” She warned and you had never felt so gutted in your life.

“So...I’m the reason his family is dead?” You asked as tears blurred your vision and your whole body wanted to tremble and shake.

“Yes, but again, she was incredibly weak, I’m sure any other human woman brought on board would have had the same affect and the same outcome so don’t take it personally. Jaxon should be commended for remaining loyal to the species and doing what’s best for the hive. Now I understand you are working to improve Jika foods and making them more palatable to humans as well as to the other species and I wanted to tell you I fully support your work and you will have whatever funds you need to realize that goal. So many earth foods are positively delightful and perfect and we owe earth and it’s inhabitants a debt of gratitude and if food is how we can do that and protecting you from other species who mean you harm so you can keep producing those foods, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.” She reassured you and you just got the sense she was just a bratty, presumptuous tween but she held the power over millions of Jika. This was the mother ship for all the Jika in your quadrant.

“Which I have a thought about that your Majesty.” Dr. Helga Wads piped up.

“Oh?” Queen Kat asked as she turned and strutted up to Dr. Wads.

“I have noticed that ruling families in the Jika are made up of a single family line but that the offspring of an outside queen with native males could be more robust and I think there is something that can be said for biological diversity, if you were to mate with males from other families, it could be promising for the future generation.” Dr. Wads explained as you and Emily both stared daggers at her, neither of you wanting to give up your mates for that endeavor but at the same time, you knew that your own personal relationship could be brought into question or exposed and much ridicule from the human side and Jika could come your way. Inter-species relationships were still seen as taboo. Even though they had been going on for the last decade or so, since aliens came into contact with humanity.

“Really? I’ve never noticed, we shall have to do “research” as you put it, and I’ll start with your Jika- Kin is it? You will isth with me- now.” She ordered as she came near him and you and Emily watched in horror, trying to conceal it from your faces as Kin became just like a drone and one of her many consorts before she mounted him in front of god and everyone and rode him a little before sucking on that gland but she buzzed angrily and within a split second had eaten his head before hopping off of him and kicking his twitching corpse aside, his cock and gonads popping off and remaining in her before she expelled them before they erupted all over the floor so that none of it actually got inside her before her own consorts gathered him up and consumed him too and you watched as they did, the spikes on their own armored exoskeleton grew in length and thickness as they ate him.

“Why did you kill him?” Dr. Wads demanded.

“His royal jelly was not to my liking and thus his seed was not worth preserving, your theory has clearly proven false, the next theory you have that proves false or that questions the supreme Jika ways, you will meet the same fate your Jika just met.” She threatened as Dr. Wads gulped and her own cheeks flushed as you and Emily each gave a worried and meaningful look to each other, both of you trying to think of a way to save Jaxon and Jye from that fate.

“If you will permit me a request Isthantari.” You blurted as Emily looked at you in heartbreak, knowing there was only one way you would know that phrase because you must have learned it the way she did and the Queen looked unbelievably pleased at you referring to her as such.

“Could Jye and Jaxon be withheld from this. Since they are from the same family and same generation, you may not find them to be your liking either and they are... valuable to us and can assist us and are...vital to our work and our well being.” You pleaded, trying to sound scientific and official in your request.  

“Very well, I suppose you may also use the others as well since I don’t think they will fare much better.  I suppose I should have considered that if such a queen were weak, her batch would be too.” She spat in disgust as you felt everyone else in the room collectively exhale in relief before you were all dismissed.

Once in your room you went to your bathroom and furiously scrubbed the streaking makeup off your face. You were fuming, you were heartbroken, you were shocked and horrified all at once. Maybe things would have been better if you never came. A whole royal family may still be alive.

“Sable?” Jaxon called out worriedly from the other side of the bathroom door and suddenly your rage sparked and ignited in your chest.

“I don’t want to talk to traitors right now.” You snarled at the door.

“What?” Jaxon asked as he finally opened the door and you took the washrag in your hand and threw it as hard as you could and hit him in they eye with it as he recoiled from that and made a pained sound which only hurt your heart worse but you were still furious.

“You traitor!” You accused as you pointed at him as your own face twisted into an angry snarl as Jaxon bowed his head guiltily. “Just because I stink worse than your sister, you went and called another queen to execute your own fucking sister?! Do you Jika have no familial bonds at all or is it just the hive and nothing but the hive to you?!” You demanded as you shocked yourself at how speciesist you sounded.

“What are you gonna do when I get old and my stink changes huh?! Are you gonna find another younger, stinkier Isthantari and have her kill me off?! And since when could you have flown?! When were you gonna tell me you were healed?! We could have rescued ourselves instead of being captured!” You sobbed angrily.

“Look, can we, please talk. Please? Just hear me out. Queen Kat is still my sister, she’s just a younger generation, the last generation of my family. When a queen retires, she’s not completely done giving birth, she’ll usually have one queen left, a last batch of eggs, these eggs are incubated within the queen herself and she gives live birth to them and that last queen becomes a super queen, because the first few years of their lives, they get to have the queen’s undivided attention and eat the queen’s own royal jelly and the queen passes down all of her wisdom she had acquired as her consorts instruct the super queen’s super consorts, who I don’t know if you noticed have shit I wish I had, did you see their spikes on their skeleton? Anyway, very rarely will a super queen get overthrown. There’s a lot of stability and prosperity that comes with having a super queen for the hive. If Emily had let my brother contact her when they first met and he went through what I’m going through now, she would have been here then. It’s part of Jika makeup, find the best queen and serve her.” Jaxon tried to explain.

“Then what am I?” You asked.

“You are still my Isthantari, nothing will ever change that. And when you get gloriously older, you will still be my Isthantari, the human equivalent to that is marriage, till death do us part, literally. I just...I wanted and needed to protect you. A strong queen will tolerate rivals who she knows are not strong enough to pose a threat to her personally but who serve a purpose to the hive, she probably could have let Ki live to keep birthing offspring until she’s large enough and mature enough to do so on her own, a weak queen can not take the risk to differentiate that. The message I got from the hive mind, that the drones and anyone and everyone who was around you and realized you were stronger than her- that got reported to the hive mind and it was a matter of time before she dispatched her consorts to kill you and I couldn’t let that happen so I beat her to it. Humans have a saying for this, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. That’s who Queen Kat is. She is our friend. I know she may not look it or you may not feel she is, but you smelled her yourself, to yourself- you stink, but not nearly as bad as her right? And even to me she smells awful because I’m smart enough to know the difference between strong and good, because while she’s stronger- you’re still better. You still smell glorious and amazing and you always will and even if you didn’t, I’m still in love with your mind and personality, heart and soul so don’t worry about me or my loyalty to you ever coming into doubt or question. And she’s still so small, it will take her a very long time, like another year or two, maybe even three- to grow big enough to start producing eggs which means all of Ki’s children are safe and nothing bad will happen to them because Kat knows she can’t do anything detrimental to them or else she herself will personally suffer and the hive will suffer from a loss of drones and Kat is very smart. She didn’t kill Kin because she thought he was distasteful, she did it to make a point to Dr. Wads to never challenge or question Jika ways.” Jaxon explained calmly which made your own anger abate as he slowly and carefully came closer before wrapping you up in his embrace.

“So when did your wing heal?” You asked as you reached around him and flicked it with your finger.

“Hours after eating the first coconut crab, but I wanted to spend more time with you alone, away from all of this. You saw how the Kat’s consort’s spikes and exoskeleton grew when they ate Kin? Well that’s why I ate so many crabs, my wings are the strongest they’ve ever been and my exoskeleton is now stronger than anyone else’s, even Kat’s consorts, if she had tried to force me to isth with her, she would not have been able to eat me or bite my head off, I’m tougher than her mandibles ever will be.” Jaxon insisted.

“So you need to eat more crabs?” You realized.

“I don’t need to but they are delicious. I know Kat and her consorts won’t eat them out of prejudice.” Jaxon shrugged as you took a minute to think all of that over and realized he had very valid points.

“Then I have an idea on how to save your brothers at least.” You offered mischievously before you called Emily to your room to discuss your idea with her, as she herself was so excited and relieved to hear it before you both mounted an expedition to the tropics and paid locals to capture coconut crabs to buy them as you and all of Jaxon’s royal brothers helped you to go to every coastal island in the tropics to look for sizable coconut crabs before you had a private feast just for you, Jaxon, Emily, Jye and the other remaining royal brothers- you and Emily eating another huge red snapper as you watched Jye, Jaxon and the remaining royal brothers eat hundreds of crabs, their own abdomen’s swelling as you watched their own exoskeletons grow thicker and tougher and even spikes formed. You knew if the Jika as a whole were to discover crabs that they would probably wipe out the earth’s population of them, but for right now, this was a way to protect Jye and Jaxon and the rest of their siblings and would have to remain your little secret as Jye and Jaxon talked in the Jika language between each other, their clicks and buzzes of delight music to your ears.

“So, if you are comfortable talking about it, I’d love to get any and all information you could give me about your relationship with Jaxon.” Emily instigated as you two sat side by side on the beach.

“He fell in love with my stink.” You snorted a laugh.

“Well yeah, but did he try courting you?” Emily asked.

“Uh, well he flirted a lot and he gave me a perfume made from Jika flora.” You noted.

“So he did. The males from the royal batch, will make gifts for the queen so that she chooses them, the bigger and better the gift, the more she’ll favor them and mate with them for life. They will usually spend the first year of her life observing her and getting to know her to make her the perfect gift. Most queens have multiple vaginas- depending on the size of the batch- the more she’ll have, it wouldn’t surprise me if Kat has dozens of them since she’s a super queen and so if ever a male irritates her or disappoints her or isn’t living up to her expectations but she still wants them to father offspring because they’re genetically viable, she can yank their privates off and keep them in a dedicated vagina inside her abdomen and the two will fuse so that she can draw all the sperm she wants from them without having the hassle of dealing with the male and feeding him and taking care of him. Some queens have dozens of vaginas just for that and they already knew about males from other families thing, she’ll often send her own drones and consorts out to “kidnap” other males just in case their version of ‘inbreeding’ happens, which I haven’t quite figured out how many generations of the same family line have to propegate for that to happen yet.” Emily explained.

“Really?” You asked in astonishment.

“The ones she actually likes, she keeps them alive to ‘service’ her whenever she wants though.” Emily added.

“Which actually I need to ask you about that. What will happen when I reach menopause and I’m not “viable” from a biological perspective? Will Jaxon loose interest? Will he try to find another Isthantari?” You asked her.

“No.” Emily firmly shook her head no.

“When the Jika first came, I was near the end of my own cycle when Jye first met me and he thought I was God’s gift to him. And I worried about the same thing, but he stayed right with me just as I entered menopause and I’m still going through it and he’s still just as madly in love with me as ever, if anything he’s grown with me and when we go to the surface to do our grocery shopping together, he’s around everyone and he notices that some women still smell good to him but he still prefers me over them. And I ask, every single time and his answer is always the same and completely sincere. Now he does worry that I will find another Jika that I like more than him even though part of him thinks I should have at least six other Jika to attend to me but I am happy and content with just him and I’m personally not really into polyamory, not to knock it, it’s just not for me. But anyway, considering it’s only the specialists and up that have penises to begin with, because the normal green drones, don’t have penises because they are not incubated long enough to develop them, if the drones are the standard for incubating then they get to be incubated for X amount of time, while blues get one and one third, military gets one and two thirds and purples get literally double the amount incubating time while the queens and princesses get triple, the longer they incubate for, the bigger and more advanced their brains are, they actually get personalities and obviously “equipment”. Now the specialists from the blues and reds up, they have penises but the blues, are literally a third of the size of the purples, and only have one testicle, the reds are two thirds the size of a purple and have two testicles and the purples, obviously are full size and have three because they’re meant to mate with the queen, the only reason the reds and blues have a penis and testicles at all are just in case the royal family gets infected with some kind of sickness and they all die off, the military and the specialists still contain a “back up”- if you will- of the genome the hive collectively had and they can inseminate another queen to keep the genome going so it’s not all completely lost. Now there was one instance where a hive was attacked and only a handful of greens survived and no one else and when they were rescued by another hive, they got re-incubated and came out as purples to save the genome and serve the new queen and during the re-incubation process they grew their brains and their sex organs but that was a very rare, extreme case, otherwise the greens are basically asexual and have no desire to mate, they just want to work to serve their queen and I hate to paint them so flatly or so one dimensional but that’s the way it is.” Emily explained as you listened with rapt attention.

“Now what about his royal jelly?” You asked.

“Actually I wanted to ask you about that, what does it taste like to you? Because it really does change from individual to individual.” Emily returned.

“It tastes like a...you know at Red Lobster? That Bahama Mama? It tastes like that only...I guess creamier. Like mango, pineapple and banana milkshake with some peach, passion fruit and guava and actually this last time we had sex it had a heavier coconut note to it, but that’s because, obviously they love coconut crabs and besides the wild fruits, that’s all he ate.” You specified.

“Ooh, see Jye tastes more pina colada to me, heavy on the pineapple and heavy on the coconut but you’re right, heavy on the banana too but with mine I get hints of peach and apple though and when we’ve argued and we’re having makeup sex, it’ll have a margarita twist to it. Like tequila and lime notes.” Emily explained.

“Really? No way.” You marveled. 

“Now there was one time, when he first discovered ripe passion fruit, his ‘nectar’ as I like to call it too, had some heavy passion fruit notes so maybe some of it has to do with his diet because he eats pineapple and coconut every single day. I can’t imagine how awesome it would be to be stranded on an island for almost a week, did you guys get to fuck like rabbits?” Emily giggled.

“The last four days we did, once we started, yeah, we..can not help ourselves to stop. It’s the best sex of my life.” You confessed as your cheeks burned.

“Yeah, that knot is something else huh?” Emily snickered as her own cheeks burned bright red too.

“Oh my god!! Yes! Like now I love some werewolf smut like any other girl but the real thing? Lord have mercy! Oh and does Jye ‘buzz’ when he’s in you? Because that is epic, it’s like a living vibrator.” You giggled.

“Oh Honey, there’s been a few times when I can attach a tube to his nectar duct and have him take me from behind, like bend me over a counter top or a desk or something and fuck me into oblivion or even up against the window, that’s great too so I can still suck it down and not make a huge mess everywhere because that stuff is outstanding and I swear I can get tipsy drunk off of it too. And when he grabs my hips with his lower hands while his upper hands can grab me by the hair or the shoulder or even my breasts? Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm- DAMN. That’s some good shit. Like god tier epic good shit, like I want to take him behind that tree and have him fuck me over there right now.” Emily cackled as you laughed so hard you were crying.

“That’s amazing, I’ll have to try that.” You snorted as you wiped your tears away. “I was just blown away by their cum! I have makeup that I paid an arm and a leg for that doesn’t glitter and glow nearly as much as that does. And it saved me from my sunburn! Because I put it on and it has this cooling affect to my skin and like a mineral ice-ish affect. And it’s even moisturizing, like my skin felt like I put body butter on when I took it off. And it didn’t itch or anything like normal glitter can sometimes. Like part of me wants to collect it and bottle it and sell it as makeup. Granted it’s precious stuff to me and I am very possessive about it because part of me is like ‘no! that’s all mine!’.” You explained.

“Really? See I think there would be so much potential there then because that never occurred to me to use it for anything I mean you can’t really “use” human semen for anything other than it’s intended purpose. Now I want to investigate it, I really do, but I don’t know, depending on the outcomes and results- if I do and I publish my results, every blue, red and especially purple Jika would never be safe if their sperm is good for something other than inseminating a queen, now if you do get pregnant, which I really don’t think you will but just in case, you probably would have to stay to be studied, just a heads up.” Emily warned and you nodded in understanding.

“Hey Em?” Jye suddenly asked.

“Yeah Hun?” Emily returned.

“My brothers would like to find Isthantaris besides Queen Kat, could we help?” He asked as Emily grimaced and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

“Babe, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t think it’ll be tolerated. I think the only reason we’re tolerated is because we serve the hive too.” Emily tried to gently break it to him as she gestured between herself and you but perhaps you were rebellious but you were already thinking of a way that could happen, knock that bratty queen down a peg. Granted you would have to be careful because you didn’t want to start a war or anything.  

“Is there any way we can get them to live off the mother ship? Put them on one of the other ships to keep them away from her watchful eye? Or even get them to live on the surface, get jobs on earth as...I don’t know correspondents or something? Or better yet, is there a way to close them off from the hive mind so that that thought won’t get reported and we won’t get murdered for thinking that once we’re back on board?” You questioned as Emily looked at you in alarm while Jaxon and his brothers looked at you excitedly.

“Yes! Our entire conversation has been outside of the hive mind.” Jaxon informed you proudly.  

“Good, because while I don’t want to overthrow another Queen, I think you guys should be entitled to have a life and love outside of the hive, she’s already demonstrated how she doesn’t care for you by killing your brother Kin and didn’t even save his seed for future use, she doesn’t need anything you could ever offer her. So why not? What she don’t know won’t hurt her right?” You shrugged as you grinned mischievously.

“So you’ll help us Sable?” Jye asked excitedly.

“Yeah, I know there’s a lowkey monster dating app, get cell phones and get on it and Emily and I can screen the candidates to make sure you guys don’t get taken advantage of.” You offered sweetly as Emily narrowed her eyes at you.

“You are playing with fire, but you’re right.” Emily sighed in resignation.

Now to find others who would like to date a Jika too…

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, BECKY! You’ve been accepted for the role of GONERIL with an approved FC change to URSULA CORBERO. Admin Jen: Truly, Becky, you have left us speechless with this wonderful application! Your take on Grace was a bit unusual, and certainly not what I was expecting as I had established her in my mind as very cold and clinical. But the way you integrated emotions into her portrayal was brilliant -- it gave her a touch of volatility and extremism that accentuated the terror that Grace embodies so perfectly. I loved your future plots especially the evil scheme that you elaborated on and your writing sample left me trembling in both fear and admiration; everything just came together so intricately! I can’t wait to watch as she burns Verona to the ground! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Becky

Age | 22

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | I’ve sold my soul to you now, I can’t ever leave

Timezone | Ok so I wrote BST on Odessa’s app but the rest of the UK gang put GMT (time is a social construct and I’m actually a cosmic entity floating around the globe giving u all forehead kisses)

Current/Past RP Accounts | x  x

In Character

Ok so I know you didn’t exactly accept her as an FC for Grace but I’m hoping you warm to edgy-looking neo-noir Úrsula Corberó once you’ve read the app. I admit that my idea of Grace may not be quite what you’re looking for but I wanted to give applying for her a shot because I love me Hot Mess of a character! (but I am also happy to come up with alternatives if not)

Is evil something you are?      Or is it something you do?

Character | Grace ‘Goneril’ Daly

What drew you to this character? | So like any good prophecy/vision/intervention of fate, I woke up one morning with a mighty need to play a character who is Odessa’s opposite, the black fur coat leather skirt cigarette ash psycho babe to my honey sweet lace and silk angel of retribution, so I’ve sort of been slyly waiting for Grace’s bio to be released.

It’s her contrast to Odessa that initially drew me in with the chance to explore another character whose existence and presence in Verona revolves around her father’s ties to a mob, but resulting in a drastically alternate result. It will be very different playing a character who doesn’t particularly have a motive for killing (beyond self-preservation and power-lust) and is loyal to only herself.

Whilst I would usually play a character like Grace as being a cold-hearted, emotionless ice queen, I feel as though Grace is better suited to burning. She is a slave to her emotions, the rise and fall of them dictating her mood, all while highly strung and fuelled by a chaotic form of energy. You can very much tell when she is happy and when she is not. She’ll cry in front of you just as gladly as she’ll laugh and kiss you. She’s unkind, ruthless, impulsive, emotional, and she’s ready to antagonise people to her tar-black heart’s content.

Character inspo: Azula from Avatar, Jennifer Check from Jennifer’s Body, Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter, War from Good Omens. Trope inspo Alpha Bitch, Ambiguous Disorder, Blatant Lies, Daddy’s Little Villain, Go-Getter Girl, Hair-Trigger Temper, Improbable Weapon User, Jerkass, Sadist, Spoiled Brat, Virtue is Weakness.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

i.                    A masterplan;

Step One: Grow to become an important part of the mob you were all but born into. Turn yourself into the perfect player, capable with weapons and unblinking in the face of danger. Step Two: Leave them. Join their rivals. Prove yourself to them by dispatching of a few former associates, low hanging fruit. Become just as relevant within their ranks. Step Three: Collate what you have learnt about the two mobs. Their strengths, their weaknesses. Make a few friends with similar goals to yourself. Corrupt them. Step Four: Start your own mob. You now know your enemies intimately. You know what it takes to break them. Bit by bit, steal Verona out from under their noses. Laugh at their mistakes and dance in the ashes of their burning empires as you build your own. Step Five: Be remembered forever.

ii.                   The double agent;

Traitor. Grace wears the title with pride, her smile sharp when she comes face to face with both Capulets and Montagues alike. Slinking from one mob to the other was a seemingly effortless transition, welcomed by none other than Damiano himself. She fed him information about Cosimo and his crew, spilling secrets around the end of her lipstick-stained cigarette. It was an easy way in, but now that she’s settled amongst her new comrades she finds herself looking back across the bridge with interest. Power is power but information is advantageous – Grace isn’t above feeding Montague-whispers back to her old associates, not if it means she wins friends on both sides of Verona. That way, it’s impossible for her not to win this war.

iii.                  Sisters, sisters

Regina and Catherine. Both are equally as disgraceful to the Daly name – one can’t even bring herself to be enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie, shiny and golden, before them, and the other flutters her lashes and talks of peace, of all things. Grace has never paid them much attention, but now that she’s sided with the Montagues she’s realised that the Capulets could do with having their numbers thinned. Whether she’ll try to convince them to switch sides with her for the Montague brownie-points or simply wipe her sister off of the face of the earth forever remains to be seen, but if Regina and Catherine think they can keep their heads down and get away with making the Dalys seem anything less than destined for greatness, they’ve got one hell of a storm coming.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | I sure am, same goes for Odessa now, it’s time to make like Grace and embrace reckless abandon

In Depth

In-Character Para Sample:

She is the thing watching you from the edge of the road, where long grass shivers with the motion of something far more alive than it has any right to be; a pair of eyes that glint in the final rays of the sunlight’s reaches, bleached white enamel teeth ready to sink themselves into those who mistake the night’s cloak as a thing to hide under rather than be consumed by.

She is fresh fruit in the heat, a slow rotting taking place at the centre disguised by mouth-watering scents and a flesh that glistens under the sheen of morning dew. Decay is a dance, slow and tantalising, the heart turning to a sticky dark mess that slides through the fingers of anyone who dares to try and save it.

She is a doctor who has never been able to stop her hands from shaking at the prospect of a new body, eager to pick up the scalpel and press it down into soft flesh, revealing a mass of life clinging to the bones. Her favourite colour is red, the sort that looks black in the evening, droplets turning to pools that spread through pressed shirts and silk pyjamas like tears on pillows. There’s blood on her hands, not always metaphorical. She licks it off, rarely quite satisfied.

Grace fucks like the meeting of hips will reveal the monster that lies beneath her, as though touching there and there and there will unlock ribcages and unleash what’s trapped inside of hearts. But to understand why, you must crawl inside her skull and make sense of what lurks there beneath the smoke of burning houses and vultures picking at once-satisfied things–

“Please take a seat,” Damiano says, and Grace lingers before lowering herself onto the chair, her gaze gliding over the mahogany desk between them before raising to study the man himself.

He smells like her father. That’s the first thing she notices, the faint cologne. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes and the signet ring on his finger keeps catching on things, releasing a dull metallic sound each time. His presence is more regal than Cosimo’s and yet she finds herself thinking the exact same thing – you aren’t worthy.

These men had all inherited their empires, passed down like heirlooms, and as a result they had become lazy. Content. Uninspiring.

“I’m very happy to be here,” she chimes pleasantly. “However… unexpected it may be.” She doesn’t tell him how much she wants this. Doesn’t explain that being welcomed into the inner sanctum of the Montagues is as pleasing as a night of post-murder hot sex. “I’ve always been a huge fan of your work.”

Damiano doesn’t laugh, but he doesn’t need to. Grace is well aware that she wouldn’t have gotten this far if he didn’t intend to offer her something. “I have a proposition.”

I bet you do, she thinks, her well-orchestrated plan playing out like the sweetest of songs. Black-nail-polished fingers press to her chest, feigning surprise. “For me? Damiano, you’re spoiling me.” The words curl up from her lips like tendrils of cigarette smoke. She punctuates them with a light laugh.

The deal is a simple one: information for protection. Spill some secrets to join the ranks. Grace does so without blinking, switching silver for gold, and slowly the pieces begin to fall into place. As with any self-proclaimed god, she grazes her knees on carpet to say thanks to Damiano, sacrifices those she’s left behind, and fills her head with only the loveliest visions of tearing his and Cosimo’s empires to the ground.

Extras:

Pinterest board

Time for more of ‘Becky attempts to write headcanons’:

Her parent’s little angel turned little devil. Spoilt from a young age, she soon learnt that she could get away with near enough anything provided she smiled sweetly to her parents and told them just how much she loved them. When her sisters were born, the attention that had been on her drifted and Grace found that she had to work harder and harder to hear her name on her parent’s lips.

Grace grew up restless. Her ambitions would flit like moths around a lightbulb, becoming half-planned dreams and broken things. It wasn’t until she was rushed to hospital following a road traffic accident* (which resulted in the removal of a kidney) that she decided to train to become a paramedic. *Her parents later suggested that it was no accident and had in fact been planned by the Montagues,

As a paramedic, she always manages to be first on the scene when an incident linked to the mobs is called in. Strategically, if someone fails to complete a murder she can finish the job herself, or silence any witnesses. Similarly, it also gives her the opportunity to plant fake evidence or remove weapons from the scene. For those evading the eyes of the authorities, she can also help those who have been hurt and can’t risk a trip to the hospital.

She is resourceful and will use whatever is to hand as a weapon. Has been known to dish out the odd black eye, broken nose, crushed windpipe, and acrylic nail scratches. Her father himself trained her to use a pistol and rifle under the guise that he was teaching her to hunt (which, technically, wasn’t a lie – they just never specified the quarry).

She lives by 3 important rules. One: trust only those you would die for. Two: protect what is yours. Three: if something is boring or unimportant, do not waste time on it.

Grace needs to be needed and wants to be wanted. She can’t stand shrinking into shadows and being forgotten. No, she must remain the life of the party and attract the attention (be it good or bad) of everyone.

She was once arrested and fined for drunk and disorderly behaviour on whilst on holiday in England. She slept it off in a cell and was released the next morning with a hefty fine.

She is a big fan of piercings and has a stick n poke shark on her ribs.

Inspo quotes:

“I’m a slave to my emotions, to my likes, to my hatred of boredom, to most of my desires.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise.

“Her mood is cruel, her nature dangerous. Her will fierce and intractable” – Euripides (translated by Philip Vellacott), Medea

“But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.” – Junot Diaz, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao

[dishonoredrpg]

Congratulations, ALYX! You’ve been accepted for the role of THE MAGICIAN with the faceclaim of HANNAH KLEIT. Tasmin was such a delight to read about. I really feel like you pinned down The Magician’s internal personal conflicts in contrast to the contrast of the world around her -- everything is going up in flames, but Tasmin’s field of vision is so much narrower when compared to the other characters around her that things might have to start melting before she takes notice. I’m interested in seeing how this plays out on the dashboard, especially with the plots you’ve given me, and how the fruit on the table will slowly begin to rot. Forget a marriage -- what about rebellion?

Please review the CHECKLIST and send your blog in within 24 hours.

OOC

NAME: Alyx

PRONOUNS: She/Her

AGE: 21

TIMEZONE, ACTIVITY LEVEL: CST; I’m honestly not doing anything right now because i’m not taking summer classes and i’m not currently working, so i’m usually hovering most of the day. I’m good at keeping up with activity and will usually post a few replies a week if not more.

ANYTHING ELSE?: The Magician is my first choice, but if I manage to write an app for the Tower, then that would be the obvious second choice.

IN CHARACTER

SKELETON: The Magician

NAME: Tasmin Declair (Cisgender female, she/her)

FACECLAIM: Hannah Kleit is definitely my first choice, but my backup would be Adeline Rudolph.

AGE: 21 years old.

DETAILS:

I tend to go for the soft characters with a rough past, and I felt like The Magician had qualities that I usually gravitate towards. I like those characters that have a sense of duty driving them. The Magician is dealing with these new powers, powers that could get her killed both by merely using them but also by discovery from the king or another high up player, but she’s still focusing on the goal of marrying up to better her family. She doesn’t have a rough past, but her pleasant upbringing adds to this angst in my opinion. She’s the beloved firstborn, the daughter meant to bring her family up in the ranks, and she has to deal with those expectations as she goes through the court. I assume it also goes through her mind of—- what would my family think about me if they truly knew? Magic is frowned upon, especially her type of magic. It’s this burden that I think intrigues me further.

I also like that she’s not a big player in the war so far. Yes, she has powers, but her ambitions don’t lie with joining a rebellion or killing the king. She’s here to find a spouse and settle down in a good noble marriage. It makes me eager to explore her further and see how she reacts as the plot escalates. I think the characters that might not have the biggest role at the beginning are the ones that people need to watch out for, and she’s definitely one of those characters. There’s no prophecies guiding her path, no dead parent to form her decision, she only has her fear and her standing propelling her forward.

I don’t know— she’s really just the type of character I usually go for. I just find her story interesting and I want to see what becomes of her as her life becomes more complicated and she falls deeper into the political atmosphere of Tyrholm.

BACKGROUND:

Your earliest memory consisted of you looking down on your youngest sister, Nesryn. She had seemed so small, so fragile, and you were terrified of holding her. You thought you’d break her, but your mother had reassured you that you were strong enough to handle her with ease. You were the oldest. It was your job to protect her and Sabina. You nodded slowly, and as you felt Nesryn’s small body slip into your arms, you knew you would do anything to protect them both. You looked at your parents with that soft spark of life, and they smiled back at you. You were always taught that family came first, and this was that first moment you truly understood their words.

Childhood days were spend in a tight balance of leisure and work. You spent hours chasing Sabina and Nesryn around the gardens. Your dress would be covered in dirt and the remains of flowers that were trampled under your enthusiastic feet. Your mother would chuckle at the sight of you before whisking you off to change. You would beam at the sound of her laughter, at the slight nod of approval, because there was a part of you that liked the praise thrown your way. You were the oldest, the light of your family, and approval from your family had always been a certain goal in your mind.

Your father had been more of a challenge. Light feet would slip across the floor as you peaked into your father’s study. A few business gambles had propelled the Declair household into a comfortable wealth, and you watched as he worked to keep your family in that rank. You would tug on his pant leg as he filled out papers, and finally, after what felt like a century in your young mind, he would place the papers down and pull you onto his lap. “You’re a strange one, Tasmin.” He’d comment, looking at you with that unreadable gaze. “The best ones are.” You’d answer, firmly believing in your words. Little did either of you know how right he would turn out to be.

Years go by, and you spent less time racing around the garden with your siblings. Carefree adventures turned into careful lessons. You learned about history, etiquette, and the various positions around the court. You fight to retain the knowledge because every right answer meant that certain nod of approval that kept you going. You strived for perfection, strived to be that perfect daughter for your parents, and you felt yourself getting closer to that goal. If you could memorize another king, if you could successfully tell them which fork is used for which course, then perhaps you’ll continue being their little light. You don’t aim to become a soldier or a princess. You don’t aim to be one of the heroes you read about in your history books. All you need is a lifestyle that’ll make your family proud.

When they tell you that you’ll be going to court in search of a suitor, you simply nod and accept your fate. You always knew this was your future. You had your life planned out ever since childhood, and you had readily gone along with it. Your parents would place their expectations on your shoulders. They would talk about you marrying up, bringing more status to the Declair name, and you knew you would try your best to accomplish that goal. The only love you needed was from your family. You valued their words, their compliments, more than a suitor’s. You had smiled at your parents, gently shoved your sisters, but there was a doubt that lurked in the back of your mind. What if you couldn’t accomplish their vision?

You had pushed that doubt away, but it had resurfaced the day before you left for court. There was a nervousness that you had never experienced before, a burning in your veins that couldn’t be tamed, and you tucked yourself away from prying eyes. Your heart beat faster, your breathing was shallow, and all you could do was wonder what was wrong with you. You wanted this life. You had agreed to go to court. Sweat dripped down your face before a bright flash of light erupted from your hands. Searing pain wracked your body as the room filled with light, the same light you would often be accused of, and a true fear penetrated your mind for the first time in your life: How were you going to hide this?

You let the pain die down into a slight warmth before you pushed the tears away. You were the first-born, and you would do this for your family. You would put on a smile and endure the pain. You would slip on gloves to cover up the burns that formed on your hands if it meant seeing that same glimpse of approval in their eyes. You would allow yourself to arrive at the castle, the belly of the beast, if it meant helping them get a better life. You had to because the other scenarios were too horrible to think about. Little light, will you glow, or will fear diminish you entirely?

The question still stands as you walk through the corridors of the palace with nervousness to your stance. Your eyes were trained to watch the reactions of others, but now you seek out something different than approval. You seek out any suspicion on your behalf. You keep your head down, your ears open and you try to walk through the castle without raising alarm. You will do this for your family, even if it kills you. Sadly, it just might.

PLOT IDEAS:

Collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction.

You were normal, and now you’re not. You were a sister, a daughter, a socialite, but never were you an enemy of a kingdom. Magic is banned— knowledge you bore ever since you were old enough to learn the history of the kingdom— and now you possess the very magic that you read about in old books. What will you do? I’d like to see Tasmin taming her magic. She’s very inexperienced with it, and I want to see her get a bit more in control as she gets more involved in court life. I think it would be interesting to see her using her magic in small ways, such as her giving light to The Moon’s plants, and progressing from there. I also think it would be interesting to see someone take her under their wing. I know the Priestess seems to suspect her powers, and it would interesting to see her learn from someone that has had years to master their craft. I think she definitely needs to seek out help if she wants to last at court, and I want to see her lasting.

You are shadows and I am light.

The Emperor. That was the name fed to you before you left for court. You felt that familiar doubt creeping in at the thought of a lower socialite such as yourself pursuing anything with the king’s son, but you would try. You would try because that’s what your parents wanted of you, and who were you to let them down?  I want to see Tasmin trying to get courted by the Emperor. I like the light and dark dynamic that these two possess, and I feel like that’s the sort of thing she’d do to satisfy her parent’s wishes. It would make more sense to go for someone lower than the prince, both because she’s rather lower and because his father is the one that banned most magic, but this is an instance where she’s going against her better judgment for the sake of her family.

Expectations fall from me like waves.

Oh, perfect daughter. Oh, the apple of their eye. Were you made to be Atlas, or did you choose to carry such heavy responsibilities on your shoulders? Were you designed to carry that torch all the way to the end, or will you allow the flame to burn out? Only time will tell where you land. I feel like Tasmin has gone through life with a sort of craving for validity, especially when it comes to her parents. She loves being seen as the golden child, and she takes their disappointment to heart. I want to see her focus less on her family and more on herself. Maybe her parents are disappointed that she hasn’t made a connection with any high ranking nobles yet. Maybe they find out about her magic and erase that image of her as the family’s light. Maybe nothing happens at all. I just want to see Tasmin gradually acting more for herself rather than others. This is her first time away from her family, and I want to see Tasmin Declair— not the daughter or sister that she got used to being. I also think it’ll be interesting to explore what she wants as she dives deeper into her time at court. She’s always wanted to impress her family, but she’s currently not around her household. It’s the perfect time to allow her to grow past that initial mindset of hers and into her own individual person.

The weight of their eyes sits heavy on your soul.

They know. You don’t know how it happened, but they know your secret. Did they catch a glimpse of your burns? Did they merely peer into your soul? You don’t know, but you’ve gotten on their radar. This might go along with the first point, but I love the dynamic of the Sun and the Magician. I like the fact that the Sun is offering to help them, especially because the Sun is someone that is highly valued by the king seeing as they’re the assassin. I think Tasmin is scared to accept the hand that the Sun is extending because a part of her believes that it’s a trick. She doesn’t know if they’ll grip her hand and drag her straight to the king, to remove her gloved hands and show him the impact of her power, to leave her at his mercy. She doesn’t know if the offer is truly genuine, but a part of her reaches towards the offer. She wants to control her powers. She wants to get rid of the fear that haunts her. She just doesn’t know if the Sun will be a trusted mentor or a snake in disguise. I would love to see Tasmin accepting their help and watching the partnership unfold. I think its interesting to see such a powerful person taking an interest in her, and I’m curious to see how a necromancer could help her with her light.

They bare their teeth and you hide in cover.

You never thought death would occur so soon. You always pictured yourself living a comfortable life and dying of old age. Your timeline has shifted since the discovery of your powers, but you still long for that old vision. Oh, how the universe loves to mess with fate. This one doesn’t necessarily have to do with death, but I want someone to discover her powers. The High Priestess and The Sun are aware of her powers, but what happens if a member of the royal family discovered her secret? Would they end her time at court right then and there? Would they look the other way in an act of kindness? Would they use it to further their own agenda? What if it’s someone who is part of the revolters? Would they try to persuade her to help end the king? I love the possibilities that come with holding in such a big secret. I personally would love to see someone blackmailing her into doing something in order to keep her secret safe, but honestly, all routes with this plot point would be interesting to explore.

CHARACTER DEATH: I’m always up for the possibility of killing my character. I don’t know if she’s involved enough to warrant death, but the beauty of rp is that it leads you down unexpected roads.

WRITING SAMPLE

She didn’t know how long she had been preparing for this day. Her mother spoke about her departure party for the past few months, and she had worked to make sure it would be perfect. Her dress had been tailored to her liking. Her hair fell into a braid just above your chest. Her shoes were freshly polished. Tasmin looked at herself in the mirror and she felt like the noble that she was intending to become. A small smile fell on her lips as she envisioned herself at the palace. A picture of her dancing with a respectable noble glimpsed through her mind before it flickered away. The image had left behind that aching feeling in her chest—- that small glimpse of doubt that had occurred before.

What if she couldn’t find a respectable partner? What if she was forced to arrive back home with nothing to show her parents? What if she put in all this work only to fail in the end?

Tasmin shook her head. She couldn’t let those thoughts ruin her day. She knew she had to focus on the party and preparing to leave for Tyrholm. She slipped away from her mirror, but a flash of pain caused her to stop in her tracks. A burning sensation flashed through her arm, and all Tasmin could think was: Not today. Please, not today.

She forced herself to leave her room, but the pain crept up on her as she tried to make her way towards the party. Sweat built upon her forehead before she finally slipped away into a darkened room. Deep breathes were taken as Tasmin tried to force herself to calm down. She knew she had doubts, but she wanted this life. She wanted a fine suitor to settle down with. She wanted that peaceful life that came with never worrying about money. She wanted that classic dream of the white picket fence and children running around her feet. I want it. I want it. I want it.

Her eyes had fluttered shut as she repeated the mantra in her head. She had doubts, but those doubts would disappear as she started her journey. She had worries, but those worries would be gone once she spotted her mother’s caring smile and her father’s silent nod of approval. I want it. She was the oldest— she needed to help secure her sisters’ futures. I want it. She had trained for this since she was young. She knew what she was getting into. I want it. What was the alternative? Disappointing those that had cared for her so well? Watching their pride fade away? Please, let me have it.

The burning sensation increased in her arms, and a silent plea hovered on her lips. Let this misery end. Let the burning subside before the party grows too restless. A small tear trickled down her cheek as sweat built upon her forehead. A metallic taste filled her mouth as her teeth dug into her tongue, and she began to wonder if the sensation would ever leave her body.

The thoughts faded away as light burst out of her hands. Tears fell from her eyes in rapid succession, but it was the fear that truly caused the most damage. Wrong— this was all wrong. She was normal. She was made to live a healthy, normal life. She— she couldn’t possess magic. It wasn’t possible. It was a fluke.

It wasn’t a fluke, and she knew it. As she watched the light bloom from her hands, she knew it wasn’t a fluke. Her lip quivered as this new, unfound fear threatened to swallow her whole. Her mind thought back to her mother curling her hair in her youth and the way she would talk about her oldest daughter lighting up any room she walked into. The memory was replaced with another— her two sisters commented that her smile was its own source of light. A final memory pushed through all the rest of her father placing her on his lap. “You’re a strange one, Tasmin.” The words had sparked certain courage in you as you replied, “The best ones are.” What would they think about this revelation? More importantly— what would the king think of this discovery?

Tasmin fell to her knees as the light slowly faded away. The darkness engulfed her once more, and Tasmin was left with nothing but her own thoughts and her shaking body. Her hands felt raw as she attempted to brush her tears away. A sob finally forced itself from her throat as she struggled to get to her feet. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be a day of celebration, but instead, fear had overwhelmed all her senses. She stood there alone with your thoughts for what felt like a century before finally, she forced herself to open the door and wander back to her bedroom.

It took minutes to fix the makeup that had been smeared off. It took even longer to rummage through her drawers in search of some gloves. Finally, she was able to look in the mirror and see a semblance of her old self. The ends of her hair were singed, her hands ached beneath their covers, but she looked like the same girl that had stared into the mirror earlier. It was the small comfort she needed to force herself to enter the party and play the part of the dutiful daughter.

If they would ask about her gloves, she would lie.

If they would ask about her hair, she would lie.

If they would ask about her timing, she would lie.

She would lie, lie, and lie again if it meant keeping that light from escaping her parent’s gaze. She would lie forever if it meant making them proud. Sadly, she didn’t think she had that long.

EXTRAS

https://www.pinterest.com/aesthctics/oc-the-magician/ here is her pinterest!

Headcanons:

Burns mark her skin after using her powers. She has the power of light, but light can harm in the same way it can heal. Her power feels like the equivalent of touching a lit light bulb. Because of this, she slips on gloves whenever she goes out of her bedroom. She doesn’t want people staring at the rawness of her hands and asking questions, so instead, she merely covers it up. A simple lie about having cold hands leaves her lips whenever someone notes her fashion choice, but little did they know, her hands were never cold.

She often writes letters to her family. She tells her parents about the people around the court and the potential matches she’s found. She tells her sisters about all the desserts she’ll sneak back to them when she returns home. She even wrote a few that talked about her powers and her fear, but she always ends up tucking those away in a drawer. One day she hopes to tell them the truth, but for now, she’s content with just keeping the conversation light. She couldn’t bear the thought of making them worry, or worse, disappointing them completely.

Tasmin will spend her free time in the courtyard. The area reminds her of the garden that surrounded her home, and she enjoys wandering the area to clear her mind. She often likes to have her breakfast there instead of inside, and there’s visible disappointment in her features if the weather is rainy.

Tasmin likes to keep her hair short. She always enjoyed the lower maintenance that came with shorter hair. She also had singed it a few times when using her magic, so the shortness helps keep it out of her way. Finally, she was a bit scarred from seeing the Moon’s hair caught on fire. Tasmin didn’t want that to happen to her, so she solved the issue before it arose.

[cosimaballettithomas-blog]

Blog No. 8

The topic of this week was environmental problems and sustainability having to with species and the ecosystems in which they live; specifically, endangered species and extinction. Chapter 9 of the Miller textbook titled “Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach” addresses issues such as species extinction and the impact of humans on driving this extinction. While extinction, specifically biological extinction is in and of itself a tragedy, it can also lead to what Miller refers to as secondary extinction which occurs in response to a keystone species’ extinction causing other animals to go extinct that were dependent on the species which can lead to mass extinction (Miller 2012, 191). Another kind of extinction is known as background extinction which describes the natural and eventual extinction of all species occurring at a very slow rate. The current extinction rate is in part caused by human activities and occurring at an abnormally rapid rate (192). In fact, as reported in the video “Global Wildlife Population Declined by 50% In Last 40 Years,” the global wildlife population experienced a 50% reduction within the last 40 years. And this is only an average, some species have exhibited far greater reduction, especially freshwater vertebrates that have declined by over 70% (Geo Beats 2015). Luckily, we have statutes and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act which not only protects listed species under federal law but develops plans to recover populations and holds prosecuting power of violators. However, illegal poaching and animal trading still occur despite these laws. There have been many cases where a species simply cannot recover, whether it be from illegal or legal activity. A devastating example of this was the Passenger Pigeon that at one point was the most abundant bird species in the world to the extent that one time “a flock of these passenger pigeons was so huge it darkened the sky and took three days to fly over [the] location” (Miller 2012, 194). By the early 20th century, the species had disappeared completely due to human activity including habitat loss, unregulated commercial hunting, and how easy it was to kill them. These birds were targeted for purposes such as pillow making, food, and fertilizer from their bones and because they travelled in such huge groups, one could simply shoot at the flock and expect a reasonably successful yield.

The precautionary principle describes “when substantial preliminary evidence indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment” and precautionary measures are taken to “prevent or reduce such harm” (Miller 2012, 213). This is important in emphasizing the urgency and importance of protecting endangered species and should always be considered by governments and agencies before approving any project proposal that may impact the environment. The three important issues related to this principle are (1) Figuring out how to allocate limited resources in compliance with species/habitat protection, (2) Deciding which species require the most attention, (3) Determining which habitats are most important to protect (Miller 2012, 213). In relation to this, and to answer Miller’s Critical Thinking Question #9 on page 215 of Chapter 9, the first policy I would implement to prevent further extinction is a ban on all hunting/poaching that is not done out of necessity such as for isolated/subsistence populations and population control. Secondly, I would allocate more funding to the general field of conservation biology that protects endangered species and endeavors to rewild the critically endangered ones that have been removed from the wild due to threat of extinction by poachers, environmental changes, etc. Lastly, I would ban all trade and sale of commodities such as fur and ivory and implement stricter laws and punishments to enforce this ban.

Additionally, I’d like to add that I think all zoos and other institutions created for the purpose of entertainment should be shut down and the animals should either be, if possible, returned to their natural habitat, or, if they are unable to be rewilded, be brought to reservations located near their natural habitat so that they can at least be in their niche climate. This would force people to travel to reservations to see the animals as opposed to bringing the animals to them, which is a traumatizing process from which many animals perish due to shock and exhaustion. And this should only apply to non-endangered species. For endangered ones, similar to the efforts to protect the California Condor, these animals should be isolated as much as possible to better ensure that they will be able to be successfully re-wilded or at the very least protected. I reject Miller’s argument that zoos and aquariums play an important role in educating people about (Miller 2012, 212). Although that may be true, animals do not exist for our entertainment and the value of education does not outweigh the value of allowing them to remain in their natural habitats. And regardless, people should not be able to visit zoos because it promotes the anthropocentric idea that animals have less intrinsic value than humans. If I were in charge, I would shut down every last one of these places; however, if they must exist, they should exist as reservations located in niche climates and only the non-endangered animals should be allowed to be viewed. All endangered species should be kept completely isolated from humans, with the exception of those assigned to their protection.

Another, more current example about an endangered species from an Environmental News Network article describes the tragic fate of the Northern White Rhino species of which the last remaining wild-born male died recently leaving just two females. The male was named Sudan and he died almost a year ago and “his death is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him” (ENN 2018). The species itself has been driven to almost total extinction due to poaching. In relation to the issue faced by conservationists about determining which species should be given priority, this is absolutely an example of one and it is situations like this that I think demand urgent action to be taken by whatever means necessary. Sudan was under 24 hour protection by armed forces (pictured below) and I think that this is the kind of measure that needs to be implemented more regularly into conservation efforts. Not only is it incredibly effective and necessary, but it shows the extent to which some cultures will go in protecting wildlife.

                                                                                                  (Daily News 2015)

Chapter 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach of Miller is more broad and “focuses on large-scale ecosystems and biomes or aquatic zones that make possible and support individual species” (Prof’s PowerPoint). 30% of earth’s land is comprised of forest, of which there are two types: primary growth which is “an un uncut or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for several hundred years or more.” These forests are rich in biodiversity because they provide an array of niches (Miller 2012, 2018). The second type is secondary growth which “is a stand of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession” that grow after a forested area has been cut down for human activities such as timber production” (Miller 2012, 218-219). Another less common kind of forest is a tree plantation which is comprised of a few tree species of the same age for the purpose of commercial use and profit maximization, the risk being that it depletes biodiversity and soil which could eventually, after several clear cutting cycles, degrade the land beyond repair. According to Miller, human activity is responsible for the deforestation of approximately 46% of the planet’s original forest largely within the last 60 years (Miller 2012, 224).

Forest fires are a necessary and often natural process for burning away flammable ground material, freeing up mineral nutrients, and releasing seeds from plants to stimulate germination; however, climate change is causing more frequent and intense fires that are wiping out habitats. Miller furthers that “rising temperatures and increased drought will likely make many forests more suitable for insect pests, which would then multiple and kill more trees;” moreover, drier forests and more dead vegetation intensifies these fires thus emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere (Miller 2012, 224). Although we have deforested almost half of the world’s original forest land, there are many ways in which we can forest sustainably, including identifying and protecting high biodiversity forests, banning the logging of old growth/primary forests, limiting road building in uncut areas, mandating sustainable timber logging, etc. (Miller 2012, 230).

Another risk posed to terrestrial land, in this case rangeland, is overgrazing by too many animals for too long. The best solution to this is to promote sustainable grazing by controlling the amount of animals and the time in which they spend grazing to maintain the land’s carrying capacity. This is called rotational grazing where “cattle are confined by portable fencing to one area for a short time and then moved to a new location” (Miller 235). Another way method is fencing off particularly diverse sections of land such as riparian zones which are “strips of lush vegetation” that tend to be neighbored by ponds. Cattle farmers should enclose these zones and provide supplemental feed and artificial watering ponds to allow them to regenerate (235).

One of the issues we are running into and will face to a far greater extent as the global temperature rises is our inability to replicate ecosystems. Despite this, scientists have discovered ways of accelerating ecosystem restoration, including A) restoration or, returning damaged habitat to a state similar to its original state, B) rehabilitation which turns a damaged ecosystem into a functional one by removing pollutants and replanting vegetation, C) replacement which involves replacing habitat with that of a similar kind, e.g. converting a forest into a plantation, D) creating artificial ecosystems such as wetlands for water absorption and treatment (Miller 2012, 244). Miller also lists some ways in which we can sustain terrestrial biodiversity including preserving threatened land, planting trees, recycling more efficiently, protecting undisturbed land, restoring ecosystems, buying sustainably produced wood, etc. (Miller 2012, 247).

Word Count: 1675

Discussion Question: What is your opinion on zoos and aquariums? Does the value of education trump the physical and psychological wellbeing of animals?

Work Cited

Miller, Tyler G., and Scott Spoolman. "Chapter 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach." Edited by Scott Spoolman. In Living in the Environment. 17th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2012.

Van Buren, Edward. “Prof’s PowerPoint Notes.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzKbjVLpnX0RMjVGYUwwZlBXa28/view

Beats, Geo. “Global Wildlife Population Declined by 50% In Last 40 Years.” Dailymotion. September 30, 2014. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26ybub.

Miller, Tyler G., and Scott Spoolman. "Chapter 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach." Edited by Scott Spoolman. In Living in the Environment. 17th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2012.

Wagner, Meg. "World's Last Male Northern White Rhino Gets Armed Bodyguards, 24-hour Protection." Nydailynews.com. April 09, 2018. Accessed March 01, 2019. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/world-male-northern-white-rhino-armed-body-guard-article-1.2186002.

Yale Environment. "As the Last Northern White Male Rhino Dies, Scientists Look to IVF to Save the Subspecies." Environmental News Network. March 21, 2018. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.enn.com/articles/54147-as-the-last-northern-white-male-rhino-dies-scientists-look-to-ivf-to-save-the-subspecies.

[startyourfuturerp]

Congrats, Scoob! You’ve been accepted as Noah Puckerman. Please remember to follow everyone here, and send in your account within 24 hours!

ooc

name: scoob age: 26 (fun fact: i often have to check my own birthday to remember this bc time isn’t real) timezone: pst pronouns: he/him triggers: rfp past blogs: rfp

ic

name: noah elias “puck” puckerman

age & date of birth: twenty two, 4/18

schoolyear: sophomore

hometown: sandusky, ohio

major(s)/minor(s): physical therapy with a minor in music

backstory:

Growing up in bumfuck nowhere already made a place like Ohio feel miserable enough, but having to do it with the reputation that Eli Puckerman left behind? That made it a whole new ballpark of hell. It was definitely some kind of dirt bag record that between all the local rednecks, beatniks, and losers, there still could be a man like Eli who could bring shame to his name. He had various identities, reputations, secrets, and enemies across the C’s of Ohio which made sense for a man with the brands of womanizer, abuser, con artist, gambler, and drunk following him where ever he went. But the treatment in good ol Sandusky was always much more fierce and fresh due to simple face it was full of a town both sick of his shit yet couldn’t seem to keep their attention off of his family.

It didn’t take long for the whispers to start of Eli Puckerman having skipped town on his wife who was as equally blind sighted by a pregnancy as he claimed to be. While some rumored it wasn’t even Eli’s, the most popular comment was it didn’t matter if the patriarch came back, because that child would still wind up as another kid Eli Puckerman didn’t raise. So it was no shock that the day Sarah was born, Ava told a ten-year-old Puck he had became both a big brother and the man of the house. She didn’t sound happy to say it, and Puck didn’t fully know what that meant at the time, but it would be one of the first times Noah Puckerman would step up to impossible odds. Granted, that was easier said than done when it came to a kid that hadn’t even grown out of his thrift shop Power Rangers shirt (however, the day for that came pretty quick).

While Puck wanted to due justice to the titles he had been given, he couldn’t help but be plagued by thoughts of what happened. Even with Eli’s inconsistency, as a kid, Puck always was ready for the days (or late nights) his dad would come stumbling back in from a bender, and when he did, it was a good thing. Eli was his son’s hero, and Eli could attribute that bit of good, underseved karma to the fact his kid didn’t know any better, yet. Instead of being a monster, he was the guy guiding Puck into manhood: teaching him the best rolling papers to use, which beers were for the right times of days, how to talk to women in way his mother didn’t need to know about… Noah and Eli had their own world. And once the man left, so did everything that had become Puck’s foundation.

From that point forward, it became more and more clear of all the signs his dad would have left them no matter what he did. No matter if his mother got pregnant or not. He started to find the faults in the memories of his childhood like the times he noticed Ava flinch when Eli was near and wound up, his father leaving at all hours only to return without explaining anything, his parents subtly fighting with sharp words rather than volume, the times Eli would remind Puck he needed to be better, the kinds of friend’s his father had and brought home… the list had no end in sight. Eventually it got to the point where it didn’t matter if these realizations came from his own memories, his dreams, by authority figures, or just random people on the street– there was always a new level of low the respect Puck once had for Eli could go. And once Puck’s childhood was shattered by all his continual thinking, he tried to do the opposite of that in order to stop it all together: acting without thought. It was because of his acting out and seemingly general lack of caring that he earned a new title his dad never had: bad ass (number wah). Though, like everything else, that title came judgments and looks which Puck pretended to not notice, but always did.

If it wasn’t for the relentless way Puck never backed down from a dare that made him the ‘man’s man’ among his friends, it became unquestionable when he lost his virginity before any of the guys in his class. Jewish summer camp had treated him well, with Puck befriending some of the older guys that had also been forced there by their Yenta moms. Rather than let a summer go to waste, they hatched up a plan to sneak in to the theater camp across the way. It was there that Puck got his first experience with sex, and while at fourteen it was a brag to of slept with a nineteen year old, the effects were everlasting in socially good (and emotionally damaging) ways. Though, if you asked Puck himself, he’d see only the fact it was was obvious he had another talent to go along with his bad assery: teasing and pleasing. This new knowledge led to him constantly finding new conquests and succeeding in that department. It only flourished once he started a local pool cleaning business, too. The thing about being scum meant he was also the bad boy fantasy women from all ages seemed to enjoy. His life style quickly found an unsurprising alliteration of boozes, babes, bucks, and bongs– which naturally had even led to bail bonds. Or would have, if he wasn’t a minor and thus committed to juvenile detention with no bail.

They were just minor crimes, and while he would often pridefully share his story at parties, he’d never talk about in therapy. However, one thing that did come of it that no one noticed: having jail time be a new common factor between Puck and Eli made Puck all the more determined to pass his classes. As well was bully others a little less so he could focus on his own self. It was as if failing at not getting his ass locked up, it put an emphasis for Puck to accomplish at least one he knew Eli had never done: graduate. And Noah Puckerman would be damned before that became his fate, too. Unfortunately, not being the most book smart guy, or being all that great at asking for help, resulted in a struggle on doing things the old fashioned way. Thus, sometimes that meant doing shady things, but Puck already knew the real world wasn’t as cut and dry for him as it was for most. Some people got to play teacher’s pet, and other people, ones like him, got to play teachers plug (not in a weird way). See, Puck thought about things his classmates didn’t: teachers had needs too. So sometimes he’d be trading a top shelf J to a faculty member wanting to unwind at a Josh Groban concert for an A in their class. It didn’t harm anyone, and Puck knew he had to succeed somehow. He wasn’t going to disappoint his mom, sister, or himself again.

With enough motivation and method to his madness, Puck was able to get his diploma, and it was even more satisfactory on the account of he knew he had practically no one who believed he could besides his family. The next issue was that he hadn’t quiet planned for beyond that. Puck had played on his high school’s basketball and football teams, but didn’t look in to a scholarship for them. Scouts didn’t go out to Sandusky just for shits and giggles, either. However, unbeknownst to him, Ava and Sarah had managed to take samples of Puck’s music abilities and sent them to colleges around the country. When Puck heard he had an admission to Ginsberg with a full music scholarship, it wasn’t expected but it was welcomed all the same. At least, after the girls had spent forever convincing Puck to actually go and leave them, promising they would be okay. And while he had been initially hesitant going somewhere so new and unlike home, it easily was the best decision he made. You know, besides that threeway with the Dean’s twin daughters and bringing his drug business to college as a side hustle to pay for the costs his scholarship doesn’t.

samples: rfp