#[ this got rambly ]

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Current obsession - the updates and changes to the Diaz house!!

Eddie has a new painting over the mantle

and a new one next to the front door in red and blue. The fire engine/truck on its side on the table has me feeling a certain type of way - it feels like a nod to the ladder truck explosion that crushed Bucks leg, but it could also be foreshadowing for this season as well - we'll have to wait and see how things shake out!

The water painting has moved again - its now on the wall next to Christophers room ----------------------------------------------------vvv

and these have appeared on the sitting room wall where that water painting has been seen previously - are they making you scream??

what if I showed you this picture from 4x14

are you screaming like I am now?? Becasue I am very very feral about that picture appearing - pennyfarthing megaphone mans megaphone is pointing right at Eddie nad Bucks ears ini these scenes - saying ... at the top of ones voice - the universe is screaming at you and you refuse to listen!!!!

There are new band posters in Christophers room - the Lunadeers one under the solar system mobile. The name Lunadeers is a fun one - its obviously a play on the band the Lumineers - a made up name, but is a play on the concept of illuminating something - the idea of lighting the way in the darkness - illuminating is also the idea of becoming enlightened and seeing things differently or in a new light.

Luna = moon and is obviously connected to the space theming, but there is also the deers part of the name - deers are crepuscular animals - they are more active at night - in the darkness - under the moon

I'm also clowning is a reference to Buddie because the 'mun' in Edmundo is pronounced moon and a male deer is a Buck - so moon-deer - Eddie and Buck - a nod to Christophers two fathers rom the set and props departments!

Then there is also the Violet Brothers poster on the back of his door - heavily leaning wards the yellow and blue colour ways, there is also the fact that violet is a really interesting colour - it represents future hopes and dreams, imagination and sensitivity!

Not to mention all the watery themes things I've already spotted - mostly what seem to be camp stickers on his wardrobe and the pinboard

theres also a 'boom' sticker - which I love as a possible nod to Christophers roast of Buck in 6x01, but also as a nod to the explosives buck and Eddie have dealt with as part of their job - the grenade and the rocket from this episode plus the foreshadowing of the ship going boom!

The cool cool cool sticker is giving me Abed from community vibes (a queer coded character in his own right!)

and Christophers room has now gained a plant - it moves around a bit - its on the table next to the lamp by the window, then its in a basket next to the table, but its possibly a nod to Christopher growing up!

[the-amber-raven]

I would never delete my fics

I got linked to a reddit thread today where people were being advised to download my mortifying ordeals/Buddie fics, since apparently "now that I'm a BuckTommy shipper", I might be "petty" and delete all my Buddie fics.

So. I'll move past the complicated feelings it gives me to have people hoarding my fics while actively shitting on me as a person (and seemingly not even telling me that they enjoyed my work, although in fairness that could just be a difference in usernames.) That's the nature of fanfic, fandom, and putting things out there on the internet and I accept that.

But I do want to reassure people that I would never delete my fics. I still have the cringy-as-fuck Harry Potter fics I wrote in high school up; believe me those would be first on the chopping block if I was inclined to delete my work. And all of my 9-1-1 fics hold a special place in my heart, but none more than the mortifying ordeals series, which consumed basically a full year of my life and reminded me why I love writing. Hell, I got engaged while writing the final chapters of I once was lost. That fic is indelibly tied to my life now.

And look... I don't think it really matters, nor should I have to explain and justify what I do and don't enjoy about a show or fandom, but this whole experience has upset me more than it probably should have and I can't help but want to get it off my chest anyway.

My favourite thing about this show is the found family feels. I either love or am at least intrigued by every single character that has appeared. You'll notice that family is the central theme of every story I write, whether the story is Gen, Buddie, or BuckTommy.

Because yes, the idea of BuckTommy and how that plays into the family themes of the show has intrigued me and captured my muse.

I've also said before that I didn't think Season 7 left Buddie in a great place in terms of romantic relationship potential - in my opinion, the ghost of Shannon would be an absolutely massive barrier to them getting together right now. The post season 7 Buddie fics have also heavily featured character bashing, which isn't something I generally enjoy seeing, and infidelity, which I really don't like seeing romanticised especially since I've had a partner cheat on me.

So yes, I've distanced myself from the post-S7 Buddie fandom because I just don't enjoy the pervasive negativity I've seen and the way that cheating and violence is suddenly celebrated by a significant subset of the fandom.

That does not mean I've given up on Buddie altogether. I still have a whole list of pre-S7 buddie fics in my to-be-read list that I've been making my way through and 2 out of my 5 WIPs are Buddie fics (both in the mortifying ordeals 'verse, just to make it even clearer that I'm not at all interested in deleting that series.)

But two of those 5 are BuckTommy, because as I said above, their relationship was intriguing to me and it captured my muse.

I don't think those opinions make me some kind of betrayer, or that they inherently make me a "petty" person but I guess I just didn't realise that not-exclusively-shipping-Buddie was such a High Crime in this fandom.

[boinin]

The dust has settled on Ubers versus Bastard Munchen. Any of us rooting for the Italian side have had to reconsider our theories for the PXG match. It's now being pitched as a battle of the NEL titans, rather than the scrappy underdog match-up some of us were hoping for.

I'm still excited for PXG v BM, as it means we'll get a definitive victor. Not just for the NEL, but for Blue Lock. It'll be either Isagi or Rin, just like in the U20 match.

But beyond that, there's a couple things I'd really like to see addressed. Namely around the master strikers... and the enigma that is Julian Loki.

Loki was introduced much earlier than his colleagues Lavinho, Chris Prince or Snuffy, preceded only by Noel Noa.

Unlike the other masters though, Loki is seventeen. Younger than many of the kids he's coaching... everyone but Rin and Nanase, so far as we know.

Given the other master coaches appear to be at minimum in their mid 20s to late 30s, Loki must have something extremely special going for him to be selected over another player... because whatever way you look at it, his age and inexperience pose a significant red flag.

You should not ask a seventeen year old to monitor a training camp for other teenagers. Come on. I bet Anri was banging her head off a desk when Ego informed her of this decision.

Anyway, building on this train of thought, Loki must have some heft both as a player and a coach to secure this gig. We know he's talented, from the World 5 game (third selection). We also know he's the "top rising star", at least in the French league. But why on earth was he chosen to be a master coach? Is it just to sell BLLK TV subscriptions?

Despite his relative inexperience, there's something about him that puts him in the same league as Noa, Snuffy, Prince and Lavinho, as both a player and a mentor. The question is, how will they establish this?

I have a vague prediction that would sell how good a coach he's been.

Each time so far, the Star Change System has been invoked by the opposing coach. Namely, Lavinho, Prince and Snuffy. Noa's never been particularly happy about it.

Imagine a scenario where PXG are destroying BM, as a result of their disjointed teamwork.

Rin has blown through their defence twice to score, and BM are visibly losing hope. Isagi's spilling puzzle pieces everywhere trying to come up with a countermeasure. But he needs time to think.

Right about then, if Noa decided to substitute on through the Star Change System... it would serve as a powerful commentary.

If resident frigid bastard Noel Noa has to row in to support his team, that says a lot about how well Loki has coached his players.

Does this overly rely on the PXG team's innate talent? Kinda. But you could say say the same for BM and Noa, who's managed to coax fantastic performances from his team in spite of his supposed hands-off approach. We only see things through Isagi's perspective. It's possible Noa's coached the others (such as Jin and Neru) off screen.

In essence: BM have raw talent, about the same as PXG. But the coaches are the ones who've polished it to a killer sharpness. You could argue Barcha were such pushovers because of Lavinho's refusal to refine their footballing early on. Manshine held up better, but like Lavinho Prince let his own narcissism get in the way against BM. Ubers were the hardest to beat, because Snuffy trained all of his players evenly.

So yeah: speculation for now, but I'm curious to see how they're going to justify Julien's placement as a Master Coach. Here's hoping we get some insight during the downtime chapters.

[bookishjules]

annabeth telling grover that "it's easy to forget what's important when you're alone" is so fascinating because for grover.. pan is what's important. like yes his friends and the quest are too, but when left to his own devices, grover prioritizes pan and his searcher's license etc. being separated allowed for the priorities of the group to fall away, and all he could remember were his own desires on a loop: pan. where's pan? gotta find pan. what was i thinking about? pan. he didn't forget what was important, he just got caught in his own feedback loop.

what's important the three of them is the quest. but individually, they all have their own desires that could pull them away if they aren't careful. it doesn't make those desires not important, but rather requires they be pushed to the back burner to give the quest the energy it needs to reach a boiling point. if the smaller pots belonging to the individuals (bc apparently i'm sticking with this metaphor) lose sight of the rest of the stove, they'll see no reason not to let themselves take the energy to heat up faster, which would be great if it didn't sap the energy needed for the communal pot.

i guess, in a way, it's kind of like the labyrinth. finding pan was important, so grover and tyson split off. that individual pot got to such a temperature that it required being brought to the front of the stove to be given the same priority as the rest of the quest. and part of being brought to the front of the stove is being able to call on other's for support.

because goals and quests aren't the only thing that's important. your best friends, the people you can count on to help you find pan in the real world, not just in a vr headset.. without them, you'll forget not only what's important for the group, but also the importance of the group. grover won't be able to find pan without them.

[bubacorn]

thank you @tonguetyd and @sleepiesttoken for the tag! 💜 so... 6 albums i've been enjoying lately

…And I Return to Nothingness by Lorna Shore

sometimes i feel like i don't know what i want to listen to, so i choose Will screaming into my ears. it's a good listen especially when you're struggling to do your shopping amongst a bunch of obnoxious elderly people

favorite song: i'll always be partial to To the Hellfire cause it was the first song i heard from them, but also Of the Abyss is *mwah*

2. technically and EP, but whatever One by Sleep Token

i gotta admit, up until recently, i didn't really listen to One. it was okay, but i just didn't click with it. then the other day for some reason Thread the Needle was stuck in my head, so i spent the last few days listening to the album on repeat

favorite song: i'm gonna say When the Bough Breaks at the moment

3. technically it's not a full album yet, but Keep Me Fed by The Warning

i'm excited about this one. when it came out, i didn't like S!CK that much, but then i also listened to the other two new songs and they got stuck in my head on repeat

favorite song: MORE is a banger, but i also like This Hell You Call A Dream a lot

4. Live in London by Zeal & Ardor

i know i keep bringing up this one, but it's just so, so good

favorite song: right now it's Ship on Fire (my brain sometimes goes 'we got seven different letters in seven rows' out of nowhere, and the word 'widdershins' just sounds so satisfying the way Manuel says it)

5. Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

i promise, i listen to music other than Sleep Token, but TMBTE is just a masterpiece, i start playing Chokehold, and then the next thing i know Euclid is coming to an end. bangers all around

favorite song: i'm gonna say Aqua Regia, just to pick one and not mull over it

6. technically not an album, but it's my best friend, my pal, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good-time boy Jaws by Sleep Token

sometimes, listening to Jaws is like coming home in a way? i do a lot of editing/writing to Jaws (and Dark Signs), i think mostly because of the steadiness of them, and the way they can feel like you're playing one long song, and it's familiar, so my brain doesn't get stuck on the lyrics. i usually can't study/write listening to music with lyrics (or just a certain few albums). Jaws is just so inexplicably special to me

tagging @a-s-levynn @takemetoasgard @stellasplendens @herbal-quintessence @polteergeistt @whataboutyouisamascot (if you want to, of course, no pressure) 🌻 have a lovely day, everyone!

[stargazing-sapphire2]

betrayal and alone for big daddy Henry>:)

"Big Daddy Henry" made me laugh out loud thank you-

Alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

Loneliness isn't a new thing for Henry, honestly. He's felt abandoned for a good chunk of his life, and it's only when he joined the army did he find himself surrounded by other people who actually care about him as a person and listened to what he had to say. It's only when he married Helena and when the Ghosts were formed that he found genuine connection among other people, but he always had that self-doubt in the back of his mind that they'll all end up leaving him behind too. While he's not a bad person for feeling that way, it's his behavior that pushes everyone away from him, but he's too stubborn to admit to any fault.

As for dealing with it when no one is around...he mostly just drowns himself in paperwork and remains locked in his office most days until he's needed on the comms for another operation. But until then, he's content to be left to his own devices.

Betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

I mean...obviously, Rorke 💀. But even then, their connection ran more than just comrades; we can't forget they were literally family for a good amount of years, having been married to Gabriel's sister. I think in that period of time, Gabriel was the closest thing Henry had to a brother, as he had grown up as an only child and longed for that kind of connection, but he never got it. Helena's death had them grow closer especially with Henry's children involved, but it was only after Caracas did it shatter. There was definitely some confliction within Henry after seeing him again 12 years later, and a part of him wanted to believe there was some good left in Rorke, but after he murdered Ajax, Elias, and abducted Logan, all of that changed and hatred clouded Henry's mind completely.

Any connection they once had was gone, and death was the only way for it end.

As for Henry betraying anyone...he's a lot of things, but Henry isn't disloyal. It's not in his character to be that way, flaws and all.

[bitchfitch]

How much of a society is there at this point in the post apocalypse? It's alluded to, but how big are settlements generally, how much contact do they have with each other, etc? Like, cross country communication? Different continents?

The most of the biggest settlements are still clocking in at less than a thousand people, with the absolute largest being around 5k-ish.

The ground is still poisoned in most places, so a lot of communities are nomadic and keep to smaller groups(and tbh the folk who were already doing the nomad thing pre war did better than everyone else by like. A Long Shot. Both because the majority of them weren't in the blasted areas and because they already had the systems and know how in place to survive the world around them dying.)

The cities that have been built up are reliant on areas where moving water has turned over the soil and laid new sediment dragged up from deeper bodies to cover over and wash away the worst of the radiation and chemical weapon residue. So while these places Exist, there's still not enough arable land to really sustain the crops/livestock needed to feed larger populations.

And like. The total global human population was dropped from 10billilon, to barely more than a hundred million at this point. There's not enough hands for anything too grand to have been established yet. It's the sorta transitional period between the "barely surviving the end of the end" to the "begining to recover" phases of post apocalypse restoration.

There is a lot of communication that happens between nearby settlements, and the nomadic groups that pass between them, usually in written letters carried by the nomads, or by scavengers who were making runs in that direction anyways.

Some places do have radio networks built from the remains of old bunker communication systems, but they aren't expansive and there's a lot of holes still kicking around.

And like, There is larger range communication and trade that happens, but it's done the Old school way via snail mail and the nomads who take larger paths. Think Way stripped down 0 CE to get the Vibe on that front. The know how to set like the internet and global scale communications is still there, there's just not enough resources or people to get the work needed for that done at any kind of speed.

like I guess that's the tldr. People are dreaming of getting global communication, large settlements/cities, and the nearly forgotten comforts of pre war time back up and running again, and they Know how to do it, they just don't have the resources and hands to do it.

[em-the-nem]

Masturbation is honestly just a part of my to-do list at this point and I'm not even mad about it.

Cause like sure I get something nice at the end of it. But it's quite funny that my brain is like "welp, that's checked off the list now so we can finish this other thing" and it's such a non-issue for me.

I grew up thinking that masturbation was this super sexy time and for some people maybe it is but for me? It's like scratching an itch, feeding a craving, ect. I had some banging pizza tonight for dinner. I half moaned taking a bite of it at one point because it brought me so much enjoyment in that moment, not even in a sexual way.

This evening laying in bed I decided I needed to masturbate and I was completely silent. I mean it was nice, I came 3 times. But it was just something I did.

I feel like seeing masturbation as a form of just general self care and maintenance of the meat suit has helped rewire the purity culture sector of my brain a lot. I brush my hair cause it looks better that way. I give myself an orgasm cause it quiets my brain and I think better that way.

So idk go masturbate or something

[blingyu]

Why I Think the theme of Stranger Things Supports Byler Endgame

Ok... this will be hella rambly (all my posts on here are just rants tbh lol)

But I think the themes and messages of this show STRONGLY support Byler endgame over anything else to be honest.

The first thing I want to make abundantly clear: STRANGER THINGS IS NOT AN 80s NOSTALGIA BAIT. It drives me insane for so many reasons when people say this.

For one: Stranger Things is not just looking at the 80s from an idealistic pov. Stranger Things to me critiques the era more than anything. Sure, we do have our fun 80s moments like malls and riding you bikes with your friends, and all the retro tech. But it's so much more than that. When you watch the show just for the vibes~ you miss the context.

The party is comprised of people who're disabled, black, and gay living in a small town in Indiana. They're not just seen as weird because they're nerdy to other kids, they're seen as weird because they are inherently different than what society deems as acceptable. All these aspects are something they can't and shouldn't need to fix. Also in S1 the idea of the loveless relationship between the Wheeler's was right in your face.

Jonathan critiqued the idea of Nancy ending up like her parents. Something comfortable, maybe- but not passionate or romantic. The man gets a nice job, they get married, get a house, have babies, the mother is the caretaker. The nuclear family. The Wheeler's are the embodiment of doing everything "right" by the 80s standards, but the show has not shown that as a positive thing; it's quite literally the opposite. It's depressing.

Idk to me I disliked the idea of Mike and El ending up together long before I liked Byler, not because I disliked El (anyone who hates on her can choke) but because I couldn't see how that could be her ending. When people who ship them say they want it to end with them getting married or having kids idk... I just don't see how that fits with the story the show has always been trying to tell.

That it's okay to be different. Different from whatever bullshit thing society has to say, and how in Stranger Things society is in the form of 1980's Hawkins Indiana, a place where they're God-fearing, and if you stray from being just like them you're bad.

I think all the characters fit that in some way or another. Except... Mike? Well, for those who say he's straight, anyways.

And with El, seeing her with Max in S3 was like a breath of fresh air, seeing the positive feminine influence and Max wanting El to stop thinking of others, think what she wants.

Some people don't like a possible El independence arc, because she does deserve love. I get that angle, but idk to me her ending up on her own isn't sad. I think it's sad that a woman ending up without a romantic interest is even seen as sad. Why?

In the 80s and even now the idea of a woman NEEDING a man was the expectation. If you were happily alone that was seen as wrong. You should want babies, and a husband, and you should want to be a housewife/stay at home mother. Honestly, it was terrible.

So: We don't want Mike to end up like his father (the scene in S4 when El leaves the table paralleling S1 with Karen) and we don't want El to think she needs to be in a relationship to feel happy and loved and content w life.

Then honestly I think the way they've set that up makes a Mike and El breakup super likely.

And with Will's feelings towards Mike confirmed, Stranger Things wrapping up to be a gay love story is incredibly fitting with the themes of being different and turning the 1980s film and television tropes on its head

[dumb-doll-lips]

Also like followed a TikTok channel/user/? (TikTok still confuses me) that’s like about learning English. And will be like wow that’s so impressive that I know the word for headphones. But also have been confused by some things.

[fenapple]

Do I ever talk about Fire Emblem on here? No I don't. Am I going to right now anyway? Fuck yes. SPOILERS IF YOU CARE

Edelgard and Byleth are almost mirrors of each other in one very very specific way.

Edelgard was born with the Crest of Seiros and was then forcibly given the Crest of Flames by the Agarthans.

Byleth was technically forcibly given the Crest of Flames by the other side, being the Church. What's more, Jeralt had the Crest of Seiros before Byleth was ever conceived and thus could have passed it along with his genes.

If he had, Byleth and Edelgard would be so very very similar. Also, could Edelgard weild the Sword of the Creator if the Crest stone weren't inside of Byleth?? That'd be cool as fuck.

Imagine Byleth-has-Crest-of-Seiros!AU where they can just flip whose wielding which weapon whenever they need to. Just to confuse their enemies. True girlboss.

[kaidans-alenko]

Favorite cutscene with Kaidan from the trilogy?

I have a couple but post gellix where he’s like “those Cerberus scientists were good people” cause I think it displays his character really well.

Kaidan is very good at separating how he feels from getting his job done. Do I think he went in grumpy cause he had to help people from Cerberus? Absolutely not, he’s a protector by nature you see that regarding jump zero. I don’t know that he even went in with prejudice towards them either. He heard that there were people who needed help that’s all that mattered to him. It’s why he joined the military. He had the means to help or “do some good” as he phrases it and he takes pride in it.

Kaidan feels very deeply and is stubborn but he’s able to turn that off and get things done when he needs to. And that scene in the crew quarters perfectly demonstrates that.

Cause he even tried to find good in the illusive man during that conversation. Kaidan likes to find good where he can and yeah he wouldn’t spit on the illusive man if he were on fire he also doesn’t like to believe people are just inherently evil(even Vyrnuus he says he didn’t deserve to die or implies it anyway)

It’s just such an amazing display of his character and I love that it’s specific of him cause it just feels that much more special.

[yoshilisk]

i don't get the idea that stampede rushing through things is fine, good even, because the manga rushed too.

the early manga was unpolished and seemingly unplanned. the original run's ending was penned in later because the magazine it was in went under. the tonal whiplash in trimax volume 1 was a side effect of moving from a shonen magazine to a seinen one. heck, there's that story floating around that vash's hair color changed because nightow just thought it'd look cool, and he came up with a reason later.

of course the 98 anime's slower pace wasn't a standalone decision either--it padded things out because it had 26 episodes to fill and barely any of the overarching plot to work with. but the fact that many people remember the mystery/slow reveal aspects of it so fondly suggests that a slower pace is not a bad thing. it gave the show room to breathe and spend time with the characters before it hit the meat. imo the goofy-yet-thoughtful first half is trigun 98's biggest strength.

was it overly slow at times? yeah. but the answer to that isn't to sprint through every existing plot point. it's to find a nice middle ground.

[neurodivenport]

sappy but i love that i find this much joy in just a silly show like this. i’m glad i’ve curated an online experience for it filled with people who feel the same way about it as i do. i’m just very happy

[kariachi]

So, I said I was giving this shit to the Tetramand so, let’s get a look into a facet of death stuff with at least one of Khoros’s dominant cultures.

Warning: This deals a lot in death, decay, scavenging, infestation, and flesh-eating bugs.

Well outside of most settlements, out of scenting and water-fouling range, one will find holy ground where the dead are left to be eaten. Only when the flesh is gone will a funeral be held, and the bones lovingly interred.

The line between ‘pure’ and ‘impure’ is thin, and flesh skirts that line like a tightrope walker. Living flesh is generally considered pure, and there are traditional rituals undertaken before actively damaging it, though in the modern age such rituals are less common for smaller actions like fist fights or minor surgeries. There used to be a time where if you got into a drunken fist fight you’d be in more trouble on a religious level than a legal one because the odds were you didn’t do any rituals or prayers or anything. They’re still undergone before major surgeries, battles, hunts, executions, and so on though. There are even rituals undergone at the start of labor, to ensure that any damage that needs be done to facilitate safe birth and the survival of the babe doesn’t bring down curses on the professionals involved or cause the flesh of dam and child to become impure.

This is because impure flesh generally correlates to dead flesh. A wound that’s gone necrotic is impure, a wound that’s become infected skirts the line between the two states. An infection you can treat, but necrosis, then you have to bring in the maggots and perform the rituals, it’s a whole thing-

Dead flesh is impure, it brings disease and bad fortune. Scavengers eat dead flesh, they remove the impure. For this reason they’re held as holy creatures, to injure one is blasphemy. The larger ones, the equivalent to our vultures and hyenas, are revered in song, though you would never keep art of them lest you invite bad luck. Those that hang around the holy corpse grounds are given names that are passed down through the generations, names only they can bear. Imagine if you could get excommunicated for naming your kid Joshua because only the holy turkey vultures could be called Joshua.

Maggots, on the other hand, are a more household name. They’re more personal, thanks to the longstanding use of medical maggots in healthcare. and the fact you’re more likely to see them in your day-to-day life than the other ones. When’s the last time you found vultures in your cracker tin? Maggots are the first to a corpse, the devourers of impure things in the home, the ones who clear the impure flesh from a living being. They’re considered, not good luck, nor a good omen, but a positive force. Something has gone wrong, but it’s okay, the maggots are here for you. They symbolize corruption, death, and all things foul in media and art, but are overall seen as a healing force, a rescuing force. In the days of the Thousand Wars, rebel art of the ruling family often showed them surrounded by hordes of maggots. Images of their crest being devoured by maggots were commonplace. In several Khoron dialects ‘whistleblower’ translates as ‘maggot voice’.

They are everywhere in art and media, and in traditional rituals and healing. In the distant past treatment for an infection included gently shaking the medical maggots’ pupae over the injury, though over the millennia they’ve since been replaced in these rituals with rattles in the shape of pupae- allowing them to pupate in peace. The medical maggots have moved as well. Originally they were kept in the temples, but in modern times they’re found more often in hospitals, though in these cultures they’re still tended by individuals with religious training.

“But Achi” I hear you say “if dead flesh is impure, then are these folks vegetarian?” No, though they do eat less meat proportionally than other Tetramand cultures.

I mentioned before that before one goes hunting, one performs certain rituals. This is also the case before slaughtering an animal, or fishing in the areas where it’s an option. These rituals serve two purposes. One- they prevent curses from befalling one for the crime of purposefully harming pure and holy flesh. Two- they serve to prevent the holiness of the flesh from escaping. Before the event a ritual is cast over the implements, and another over their wielder. These prevent curses and ‘stick’ holiness in place. The effect of the ritual on the implement only applies so long as the implement is still in contact with the flesh, however, and so a third ritual is undertaken over the corpse. This grants a boon over the flesh, keeping it pure, and includes the discarding of the organs. Organs are a culinary no-go for these people, and ritually impure.

It’s preferred to eat meat fresh- within a day if you can, and up to three if you can get some holy fuckers to come in and work some prayers and rituals. Meat should also be kept in one piece as long as possible and the skin not removed. Skin isn’t pure or holy in itself, but serves as armor to protect the pure and holy flesh, which itself shields the holier bone (which we’ll get to). Large animals are shared whole by several people, and it’s preferred to take a bite-sized piece from the whole at a time- removing the piece with the bottom left hand and eating it with the top right. If you need to store meat long-term, then you should keep it whole, packed in salt or ash, and stored in a sealed container with a webbed design. Traditionally this is pottery, but nowadays you have more options. If the critter needs to be stored in pieces, each one should be wrapped in caul fat or the stripped veins of the leaves of select plants before being salted/ashed and stored away. The skin should never be removed.

Now, back to dead people.

Let’s go through this systematically, hm? Your grandmother has just died, what do you do? Well, the first order of business would be to call the Corpsemen. This position, as well as maggot-tender, is traditionally a male-only profession. Between the dangers of childbirth and of the battlefield, traditional belief is that women are too close to death already to safely do the job**. You would call the Corpsemen, and in preparation lay down a large piece of cloth near the corpse.

When the Corpsemen arrive they’ll be dressed in what is damn near a hazmat suit, covered head to toe in in dark brown fabric made from plant fibers, often with images of flowers and fragrant fruits woven in or printed on. Ahead of themselves, they’ll be burning sweet-smelling incense. They’ll place this incense on the cloth provided, say a series of prayers over your grandmother’s body, and proceed to remove her clothing and accessories. These will be placed, with care, on the cloth as well. Your grandmother will be loaded up and, taking their incense with them, the Corpsemen will cart her away.

While they’re taking grandma to the corpse grounds, you’ll have somebody from the temple come to your home and ritually cleanse both it and all the items touched by your grandmother’s corpse and the Corpsemen.

Upon reaching the grounds, the Corpsemen will find a spot to lay her out all peaceful and proper. Once she’s in position, they’ll proceed to ritually slice through her skin, allowing easier access for the scavengers. At this point, with a few final words, they’ll leave the corpse to its fate. Each day they’ll check in on it, see how the devouring of the impure portions is going. Some bone may be lost as well, but faith in the Eaters of the Dead is more-or-less absolute, clearly something was wrong with it.

Once the bone is as clean as it’s going to get, they’ll call in the holy lot to collect them. Bone is the most pure and holy part of a body- strong, clean, and the supporting center of all animals- and so must be treated with utmost respect. Bone is never eaten, it’s removed before cooking and considered one of the most valuable crafting materials- used in religious items, the most formal of clothing, vital construction, and more. Bone is a symbol of strength, a source of good luck, and of great religious import.

Your grandmother’s bones will be collected and brought to you by your local holyfolk. From there you’ll hold the funeral, with prayers and rituals to wish her well in the afterlife and that nobody joins her for a good long time, vows made in her name, plenty of wine and plenty of food. Never meat, you don’t eat meat at a funeral, but eggs and fresh milk will often be on the menu instead. As part of the funeral, your grandmother’s bones will be sealed in a container on which your family will write messages- often prayers, but also poetry, quotes from loved films and books, or even from your grandmother herself, recipes- before placing it in a family shrine, mausoleum, or possibly even in the temple itself depending on her social standing and job in life.

Should your aunt off at war die the situation will be managed similarly, though the military will be handling everything. You’ll get her personal effects sent to you as soon as possible, and her bones sent later when they’ve been cleaned. In this situation you may want to get some special blessings put over her bones, just in case. You never known with those other scavengers.

In either case, it’s expected that after the funeral you’ll send a small gift- often food or drink- to the Corpsemen who worked with her, or to the military in the latter case.

In the case of organ removals or amputations, they’re handled similarly. Though of course in the case of organ removals you don’t get bones back, and in the case of amputations you don’t hold a funeral. You do, on the other hand, prepare the container your bones are going to go into and keep the bones of your lost body part in it, stored the same as any other bones and in the same location.

The position of Corpseman is a mixed bag. You can’t enter temples or any holy ground aside from the corpse grounds unless you’re actively on the job. Should you marry someone who can get pregnant and they do, you can’t be near them for the extent of the pregnancy. Same for if anyone you love becomes ill, and for any elders in your family. If you’re a man and you marry, your in-laws will keep their distance from you. It you’re a woman, you’ll find yourself with few suitors. Socially, the Corpseman is a pariah, their work makes them impure and unclean and they are often excluded. Even when they leave the position, they’re barred from any professions involving food, religion, or healthcare.

On the other hand, Corpsemen are paid very well, and they and their children are provided with scholarships. In the past becoming a Corpseman was the best way for a young man to gain independence, allowing him to support himself comfortably without need of a female relative or a wife. It’s an honorable profession as well, and having a Corpseman in the family in believed to bring good luck in childbirth. The bones of current and former Corpsemen are immediately granted the right to be interred in their home temple, and the job can be left without many lingering effects. There is a long period filled with cleansing rituals after one leaves the position, at the end of which one is considered mostly purified. Not entirely, again there are jobs they can’t hold and it’s expected that they’ll perform certain rituals before interacting with the pregnant, ill, or elderly, to ensure their safety, but otherwise they can essentially reenter society and start visiting temples again. See pregnant partners and shit.

Due to this, the job is generally considered to be for young people. Oh, some decide to stick with it and dedicate themselves, but most Corpsemen you see will be between the ages of 16 and 30. Most take the job for the high income and scholarship money, but eventually drop it to move on to other things.

Yes, I’m seeing someone in the back? “What about the fly thing”? Okay, the fly thing.

It’s believed that their equivalent to flies carry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. After all, what’s the first thing that comes to the dead? Flies. They show up, hang around a little bit, and go with no real indication of having done anything. Clearly, fuckers showed up for the soul. The fact medical maggots ended up turning into them? Only helped this. Fuckers turned the impure flesh into something so holy it can carry the soul. Truly little miracle creatures. Even their avatar of death rides a giant fly.

It’s not all fun and delight though. Flies in a household with no dead are considered an ill omen. It’s believed that they can get confused and begin to try to pry the souls from the living, killing them at best and leaving them as the undead at worst. Anymore most people just shoo them out of the house and call it a day, but the more devout sorts still will have someone come from the temple to ease them out and lay holy protections on the house and the people in it. One plant in particular is thought to keep whatever forces confuse the flies at bay, and so is a common gift for those moving out into their own homes.

~

(**This belief, that death follows women more closely, extends to many facets of life. For instance soldiers, hunters, fishers, and executioners are expected to live apart from women for a time after a kill. Should any of them touch a pregnant person it’s considered bad luck. Women who are elderly, ill women, or pregnant people should never share a roof with a member of the other groups, nor should they be allowed near corpses. A soldier, hunter, fisher, or executioner who becomes pregnant should undergo cleansing rituals as soon as they discover this, for the sake of themselves and the baby.)

[possessingtheproperspirit]

Hello! Time after time - 1 year after the end of “the way you left me” 🥺

Hi! Thanks for sending this 🥰

I think one year after the end of the way you left me, they're about to get engaged. They've talked a lot about getting married, about what that means; they've talked (emotionally) about how he'd been planning to ask her to marry him before he went missing. They're both on the same page about what they want to happen next.

Lily still feels some guilt about that, knowing she was engaged to someone else a few years ago. She doesn't see Ed around the hospital anymore: a few months after Lily and James got back together, Ed moved to Cardiff to be closer to his sister and her family, and although Lily misses seeing him, she's relieved in a way, too, because she felt a swell of guilt every time they bumped into each other, knowing how happy she is with James again now.

Lily started therapy, because six months passed where she felt like her lungs were in a vice every time he left the house alone, waiting for him to come back. One time, he went out to run some errands, and ended up going for an unplanned drink with Sirius; he came back to find Lily sobbing on the sofa. That was when she agreed to speak to someone.

The therapy has helped a lot; she still feels a tickle of fear, and thinks she probably always will. But her and James talk a lot about that fear, about his 'lost' years, about how there are so many things in life they can't control. She knows he used to worry, too, about losing her all over again; they've worked hard to build that trust back, and worked hard to understand each other, to understand the place they'd found themselves in all those years ago.

But they have each other. They don't spend a night apart if they can help it; they go out and do things they never used to have the time to do before; they have the time, at last, to really be with each other.

In spite of everything, they know it will be okay. Together.