#And they strike up a proper correspondence

[corsairspade]

Halenthir scenario where they get married for tax benefits (in a platonic good friends sort of way) and fall in love long distance via sending each other letters with ideas on how to best leverage their marriage for tax evasion.

[catofoldstones]

The Ashford Theory and my patience running thin

Welcome, welcome my guys, gals and non-binary pals, to another scream into the void that the Ashford theory is, in fact, very jonsa

On to the arguments!

1. The suitor has to have the correct last name, not family, look at Joffrey Baratheon, you stupid jonsa

Hypothesis - the suitor has to have the corresponding name, not family, and because Jon is a Snow he’s out of the running. The other prong is fAegon who is actually a Blackfyre and not Targeryen, who can also be the suitor.

Thesis - Joffrey is the only other suitor to have a different name. Joffrey and Jon have also been set up as foils from the start of AGOT. Joffrey is a bastard masquerading as the rightful king and Jon is the rightful king (thrice crowned) masquerading as a bastard. It makes sense that they are the only two suitors to have the wrong name as this establishes them as inverses in another way. The last suitor being the foil of the horrible first suitor thereby showing character growth, and plot progression and resolution? Count me in.

As for Young Griff being a Blackfyre, here’s a meta or two, maybe even an argument, for him being the real Aegon VI Targaryen but take my personal fav evidences of Tyrion figuring out that Young Griff is Aegon VI Targaryen and then, Varys literally telling a dying Kevan Lannister about the true Targaryen prince and why would you lie to a dying man? How does that serve your purpose?

This is literally grrm telling us who Young Griff actually is, though this does not count him I out of the contenders, it reduces the weight of him being the fifth suitor, due to story arcs and well, his doomed fate.

Conclusion - While Aegon VI is a strong contender, there is much, much more literary weight and nuance with Jon being the Targaryen suitor.

2. Lady Ashford was not crowned the Queen of Love and Beauty by any champion!!! Take that jonsas

Hypothesis - tQoLaB is a title analogous to a betrothal/love interest

Thesis - there have been no allusions to the title of tQoLaB while trying to foreshadow a relationship, except for a really, really bad one (r + l) that plunged the whole realm into a civil war and we should not take that as a good sign

Conclusion - we’re grasping at straws here besties

3. Dunk disrupted the Ashford Tourney, therefore Sxndxr will disrupt Sansa’s prospects and other things

Hypothesis - Dunk & Sxndxr are are analogous and since there was no conclusion to the Tourney we can safely assume that it’s sxnsxn foreshadowing

Thesis - Brienne is the Dunk asoiaf corollary, not Sxndxr. Brienne is theorized to be Dunk’s descendant. She even has her shield painted like Dunk’s, apart from their striking character parallels and being a true foil to all the other knights in the story. Mr. Gravedigger is just tall :/

“Your door reminded me of an old shield I once saw in my father’s armory.”

Brienne II, AFFC

Brienne has Dunk’s shield in her family home possibly because she’s a descendant of Dunk but then goes ahead and gets her shield painted exactly like this one

“[The painted shield] was more a picture than a proper coat of arms, and the sight of it took her back through the long years, to the cool dark of her father’s armory. She remembered how she’d run her fingertips across the cracked and fading paint, over the green leaves of the tree, and along the path of the falling star.”

Brienne II, AFFC

Secondly, just because the tourney did not have a (satisfactory) conclusion does not mean that the tourney did not exist to serve a purpose. I doubt grrm would likely give out his whole story as early as 1998.

Conclusion - BRIENSA 4eva!!!!!

4. Valarr Targaryen died of a sickness and Aegon VI is doomed to die and is connected to a sickness, are you looking at the nerves popping out of my thick, brainy skull

Thesis - the fifth suitor is 100% Aegon and there’s no one else

Hypothesis - there is a Targaryen.. currently dead.. in the books… (thnk u @istumpysk for ur galaxy brain). The plague in the story serves to connects Aegon more to Dany than to a northern girl he doesn’t know about and might not like since she’s a Stark and his mother is Elia Martell.

Conclusion - jonsa

5. This is all a coincidence & u jonsas are reaching as always

Hypothesis - though george is known to tie every deep end, every crack theory, even farfetched ones that the readers have not caught, this one thing completely skipped his notice because exceptions are always there

Thesis - yes, because this is acotar & not asoiaf and he’s not grrm, i am

Conclusion - JONSAAAAAAAAAAAA

[weenwrites]

Hey hey Ween! I wanted to ask about you writing something for bots reaction to a human who is new to the team and trying to get too make friends and make conversation with the bots? But they have poor memory and stiff/rough social skills so they may fidget when speaking and too remember their names they have a paper that they carry around w/ all the bots names written in said bots corresponding color scheme (doesn't have to be this I just thought it would be a cool idea 😊). Also tries to offer help in any numbers of ways. Uhh I don't really have any particular bots in mind besides Wheeljack and while I do enjoy scenarios I'm just as cool with headcannons if that ends up working for you and/or inspiring you more🤝🫂. Feel free to add any other bots if ya want👌! (Also it's still Friday where I am as I send this in I don't want ya to think I'm ignoring your post.)

"What was your name, again?"

Summary - How are you supposed to remember all these weird names? Characters - Wheeljack Content - Crack, Gen Category - Scenarios Trigger Warnings - None

✎ A/N: Sorry it took a LONG while! And also what I meant back then was that the request had to be sent in when it was Friday where I was. I can't remember whether you sent it in while it was still Friday my time or not, but eh I'll do it anyway. And I'm sorry if it's a bit short, but I didn't really want to specify anything in the end to try and be more 'immersive'.

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

"Don't forget Bulkhead and Bumblebee!"

"Yes, yes... I've got them down," Y/N mumbles.

They don't bat an eye at the shadow that looms over their shoulder and onto the table, because it's far more important to concentrate on remembering all the names that Miko had mentioned to them. Their colored pencil in their hand glided across the paper with ease, of course occasionally stopping to switch colors.

"Hatche—wait no, it's Ratchet... And... Who was the other one you said, Miko?" Y/N asked, looking up from their paper, "The uh... The one that started with—oh! Wait! Uh, Spokelean!"

"Smokescreen." She corrected with a giggle, placing particular emphasis on the 'screen' part to his name, "So you're done with writing down all their names?"

"Yeah, just about..." They mumbled, brushing some eraser shavings aside and reaching over for their pencil to correct their mistakes.

But they felt nothing but empty space where the correct colored pencil used to lay, and after a quick look around, they had found the escapee-pencil laying underneath the table. With a sigh, they had stooped down onto all fours and scooched underneath the table, reaching out to fetch it when all of a sudden, the heavy thumping of metal footsteps shook the ground.

With a startled yelp, they shot up and the back of their head met the underside of the hard, wooden table. Through gritted teeth and a set frown, they retrieved the pencil and slowly stood back upright, rubbing the back of their head as they looked up to see who had walked in, but they were met with an unfamiliar face.

A white bot sporting red and green streaks on his chest, and a pair of gray... For lack of a better word, finials, on the sides of his head, and a large crest on top. Aside from the fact his paint-job bore a striking resemblance to the flag of Italy, another notable feature of his was the pair of twin swords sheathed on his back.

"Wait... Who's that, again?" Y/N's face scrunched into confusion as they further scrutinized him.

"Oh, hey Wheeljack!" Miko hollered.

And at the girl's beck and call, the bot shoots her a grin upon sight, and he closes the distance between them in mere seconds.

"Hey kid!" He pauses and shoots Y/N a glance, "oh, and who's this?"

"Oh uh, my name's Y/N, and you must beeee..." Their voice tapers off for what almost feels like eternity, and they scramble their mind for a clue—any clue as to what his name was. Miko had literally mentioned his name mere seconds ago, yet now of all times, their brain decided to blank. "Uhh... Your name was..."

"Wheeljack." He finishes.

"Ye-yeah! Wheeljack! Wheeljack. How are you? It's nice to meet you."

"Never better, Bulk and I just got back from patrol."

"Ooh! Did you find anything while you were out?" Miko grinned.

"If by 'anything' you mean 'decepticons', then 'fraid not. We thought we picked up one of the cons' energon mines so we tracked it down."

Miko sprung forward on the couch, "Was it a trap?"

"Nah, it was just an old crater, the cons had sucked it dry and left a long time ago."

Y/N frowns, "did anything good come of it at least?"

"Nothin that I can see, but it is what it is," he shrugs, "Anyway, you're the newcomer, eh?"

"Yes! That would be me."

For a hot second no one said a word. Wheeljack looked to them expectantly, thinking they'd run him through the whole story, not lead him straight to some rather awkward silence. And once Y/N caught the gist of the conversation, they simply pressed their lips shut even harder.

Would it be too awkward to continue now? No one's said anything for some time now, so maybe they shouldn't continue? But if they change the subject now, it might seem like they weren't really listening to him, so maybe they should—

"Soo, Y/N, why don't you tell Wheeljack about how you got here?" Miko spoke up—thankfully being the one to break the ice, "How you met the team and that kind of stuff."

"Right! Right, I should probably do that..." They chuckled, "alright so... it all started like this..."

[isolaradiale]

. . . . .

"Mmhm, I see, I see... Your father did tell us you had a bit of a mishap with your art project. We couldn't help coming to give some advice." Solaris muses, circling the diorama of the city. Currently, it's been moved to a coffee table.

"Yes, he told me I should try and spin it as if I had done such a thing on purpose. But I don't see how I could possibly..." "Oh, we had an idea for that!"

Mimosa flutters from behind, resting her hands on Janus' shoulders. The glint of mischief hiding in her rosy glasses does not escape his notice.

"We could help you mirror it in the city proper, you know!" "What?" "It's an interesting theory. The structures you made still stand, but what gives them life and personality has been greyed out." "I wouldn't say that--" "So how do you fix it? Do you paint them with the hues and values they're supposed to be, or do you pick something new?" "What do you do with the spots where the paint bled together? Do you paint over that, too?"

As the two bounce back and forth in this terrible game of brainstorming, Janus begins to put his hands to his cheeks in mounting horror.

"Oh, no. No no no. Absolutely not--" "If we make someone look like an old black and white movie, what happens? Will they try to change to technicolour?" "Would they paint themselves the colour palettes they're used to? Maybe it's something entirely different. If we make those hues correspond with their personalities..." "I--I'll have no part in this! The last time something like this happened, everything--" "Ah-ah, don't worry."

Mimosa leaves Janus side to twirl next to Solaris, who makes an artful pose himself, as if framing the splotchy mess of a diorama in his hands.

"We have this one completely under control. Not like last time." "I'll make sure of it. Just a little bit of editing... ah, Mimosa, what if we..."

Janus can only move his head as the two take their leave, watching them scheme and snicker. He turns back to look at the model of the city. And in a scramble that almost makes him trip over his own feet, he rushes to his boxes of paints.

"--I have to at least put the base coat back on, or they really won't have anything at all!"

. . . . .

Welcome to another zany event for the fall season! It looks like Mimosa and Solaris aren't done causing trouble, but this time, it should be harmless. Right? (Right...?)

Taking inspiration from a creative mishap, the Stars have decided to effectively render the city in greyscale--including the people residing in it--to see what really makes everyone so colourful. Thankfully, most people will start with a base hue.

What does that mean, though? Here's a handy-dandy list of notes!

As soon as it strikes midnight that night, your muse will find that they've been completely greyscaled, save for one colour that represents who they are at their core, and only that colour! - Think of it like those 'what colour is your soul' quizzes. If your muse was only one hue, what would it be? For example, a character that is inherently cheery might turn completely yellow or pink, while a hot-headed character may turn red or orange to reflect their personality.

Your muse cannot help but feel and act whatever hue/personality they seem to be. However! The more your muse interacts with the people around them, the more colours (and feelings/facets of their personality) will open up to them. This will also physically reflect on them. - If your cheery yellow muse bumps into a sad, blue muse, you'll both have a new colour to express. Now you can feel happy (yellow) AND sad (blue)! And perhaps a sort of melancholy joy, like watching your best friend win that prize you wanted instead of you. Of course, you're happy for them, but sad you didn't win. - Or maybe those two colours mix into being green with envy... And suddenly, you have a new colour ;3

Any inanimate object your muse interacts with (except their Island Issued Cell Phone) will take on your muse's hue. Every step you take will leave a colourful footprint in its wake, every hand rail will have colourful handprints. More on that later.

With enough interactions and perspectives, your muse will be back to their old selves in no time! If, that is, they want to go back to their old selves at all. Maybe another colour palette suits them better than before...?

"It can't be that easy, though."

And, you're right! The experiment did more than reduce everyone to solid (or no) colours! Some other strange things are happening, too. Such as...

The NPCs of the city have not escaped unscathed. Unlike you, though, they have no hue to them at all. However, they'll absorb colours from your muses by proximity and action. - If your deep-green jealous muse is around, NPCs will turn deep-green too, and may want what you have--and might try to take it by force. But a calm mint-coloured muse may just leave you alone and soak up some vibes. - This extends to creatures of the island, too, so watch out!

Sources of water in the city (the ocean, lakes, ponds, swimming pools, etc) will wash away at least one colour from you. (You can still drink and cook with it without any effect, though.) Better not get caught in a rainstorm any time soon!

To combat this, you can find paint cans with a random colour paint in them around the city. You never know what you're going to get, though!

The city itself is completely greyscale, so navigating it might be a challenge without any colourful landmarks to stand out. That being said, your muse will leave colour wherever they go, like they're a giant paint roller. And so will everyone else's muses! Figuring out populated areas will be Very Easy, but you might get disoriented in places that don't get a lot of foot traffic.

These are the major issues...... for now :)

FAQ

"Do I have to pick a hue at the beginning? I can't decide on one."

It's entirely possible that your muse can start in greyscale, and just has No Personality. In that case, they'll take on the hue of the first person they interact with.

"What do we do if a colour has multiple associations with it?"

Each association of that colour is a valid one, and there are no incorrect colour associations. Each colour is whatever you need it to be in the moment. The definition of "red" for your muse may not match the "red" of your RP partner--and that's okay! What may be helpful is to make an event info post explaining your colour choice, how you interpret it, and how it would affect your character!

"Do we have to stick to basic colours like red, yellow, green, blue, etc?"

Nope. Maybe your muse is a mauve, emerald, beige, or aquamarine. Pick any colour you think is best for the moment!

"In theory, could we use the paint cans laying around to add hues to others by splashing them with it or something?"

PVP is enabled, if you want to be a menace! (with mun permission, of course)

"Is the comic in black and white for plot reasons?"

No, I'm just lazy :c

Have a question you don't see on here? You can message the Masterlist!

See you in a week! Make sure to get as many colour perspectives as you can, okay? :)

[mariacallous]

When I was a foreign correspondent in West Berlin during the dying days of the Cold War in 1988, a British spy gave me a vivid insight into the state of Germany’s intelligence services.

‘If you want the Kremlin to take something seriously, give it to the Germans and tell them it’s a secret,’ he said. ‘It’ll be on every desk in the Politburo the next morning.’

Clearly little has changed in the intervening years.

On Friday, the Russians revealed that they had eavesdropped on a discussion between the head of the Luftwaffe and three top air force colleagues about the highly contested question of donating Germany’s long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

Such weaponry would help that country strike Russia’s logistics depots and supply lines, such as the Kerch Strait Bridge that links Crimea to Russia proper.

Top brass in any self-respecting country would conduct such sensitive discussions on encrypted lines using special handsets, with the participants in secure locations — an arrangement known in this country as a ‘STRAP environment’.

But the gormless Germans used Webex, a conference-call system akin to Zoom.

One participant dialled in from Singapore — using his bog-standard phone. So, too, did the Russian intruders. Unbelievably, nobody noticed the extra, silent participant.

Nothing was decided on the call. The missiles’ delivery remains blocked by German chancellor Olaf Scholz. But the 38-minute recording, released by the Kremlin, did reveal that he has lied to the German public.

According to the brass hats, well-trained Ukrainians could program the missiles with targeting data — something Scholz had claimed would require German specialists on the ground in Ukraine. This would be an impossibly provocative step in his view.

But the worst damage was done not to reputations but to allied security.

‘If we’re asked about delivery methods, I know how the British do this. They always transport them in Ridgeback armoured vehicles. They have several people on the ground,’ said the head of the German air force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, referring to the Storm Shadow missiles that we have donated to Ukraine.

Discussing military secrets on an open phone line is a sackable offence. But you cannot sack a whole country. Western allies are confronting the reality that our biggest and richest European ally is an appalling liability.

No 10 yesterday described the leak as ‘a very serious matter’ but declined to be drawn on whether there are plans to restrict our intelligence- sharing with Berlin.

But no one would blame them if they were considering just such a response. After all, Scholz is in the doghouse for other reasons, too.

Only last Monday, he let slip that British soldiers were on the ground in Ukraine assisting with the use of our Storm Shadow missile system.

This would come as no surprise to Moscow. But it is still embarrassing to have a sensitive detail blurted out by the leader of a supposedly trustworthy partner.

Chairman of the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, didn’t hold back, describing the blunder as ‘wrong, irresponsible and a slap in the face’.

The bleak truth is that, in the eyes of Western allies, Germany is now regarded as worse than useless.

And no branch of its security set-up is in a more parlous state than its clueless, leaky secret services. A senior official in the German foreign intelligence service, identified only as Carsten L, and an alleged accomplice, Arthur E, went on trial in December for spying for Russia. The pair were arrested, not thanks to German diligence, but thanks to a tip from the FBI.

Former CIA officer John Sipher describes German spies as: ‘Arrogant, incompetent, bureaucratic, useless’.

Yet it is no laughing matter for the Ukrainians that Scholz dithers on sending weapons. High hopes of the Zeitenwende — ‘change of eras’ — that he announced after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have shrivelled.

Germany’s puny military remains under-equipped, ill-led and cash-strapped. Berlin’s aversion to hard thinking about security lies partly in its two catastrophic defeats last century, and its role as a potential nuclear battleground during the Cold War.

This past stokes anti-Americanism and anti-militarism. ‘Even the worst peace is better than the best war,’ said a leading German thinktanker as Ukraine began its struggle for survival.

The idea that freedom might be worth dying for counts for nothing.

Greed also plays a big role. Germany has obsessively pursued lucrative deals with Russia and China.

That contributed to Germany’s blind spot when it came to its eastern neighbours such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Yet it was these countries that the Hitler-Stalin pact fed into the meat-grinder in 1939.

Germany owes them a huge historical debt but, instead of making strenuous efforts to boost their security, Berlin blocked Nato defence plans for these states for years.

Worse, German spymasters stole their secrets. As I revealed in my book Deception, the German BND — the counterpart to our MI6 — recruited a top defence official in Estonia, Herman Simm, in order to keep an eye on American influence there.

What the Germans did not know was that Simm was also spying for the Russians. The damage was colossal.

I am no Germanophobe. I lived and worked there for many years. I tried to alert Germans to the danger presented by nascent, and now revived, Russian imperialism. The response was patronising and incredulous.

Meanwhile, Russian spies, thugs and crooks ran riot under the noses of the bureaucracy-bound German police and security services.

That reflects another legacy of the past: a resistance to state surveillance, thanks to the long shadows cast by Hitler’s Gestapo and then the Stasi, communist East Germany’s secret police.

Ultra-strict data-protection and privacy laws stop German authorities conducting the simplest security checks.

The consequences of this were recently highlighted by journalist Michael Colborne, who took only 30 minutes to track down a fugitive Left-wing terrorist, 65-year-old Daniela Klette, of the murderous Baader-Meinhof gang.

She had been living in Berlin under a false identity, despite being on Germany’s most-wanted list. A simple internet picture search led to her hasty arrest by the hitherto ignorant German police.

Germany’s policy makes it the weakest link in Europe’s defence. Suppose that Russia, boosted by success in Ukraine, tests Nato’s resolve in Poland or the Baltic states?

These states would respond with flinty and furious resistance. We and other allies will want to help them. But suppose Germany cries ‘Diplomaten statt Granaten’ — ‘Diplomats instead of grenades’ — and demands that the crisis be solved through talks not war?

Sitting, as it does, on the North European Plain, Germany and its supply lines would be vital in rushing aid and ammunition to the front. Yet Berlin might bristle at direct involvement and close its borders and airspace to allied reinforcements.

This nightmarish prospect is not fiction. Germany closed its airspace to reinforcement flights at the start of the Ukraine war. The uncomfortable truth is that Germany slumbers as Europe burns, and that means sleepless nights for the rest of us.

[tokiro07]

All this talk about Reborn's got me thinkin' about the Unione Famiglia

[Note: I had to take a few liberties with how Dying Will Flames actually work, but I'm pretty proud of what I came up with]

Sky

Juiz - as the first head of the Unione Famiglia, naturally Juiz uses the Sky Flame. Box Weapon: Fierbois Saber - using the Sky Flame's Harmonization characteristic, Juiz converts enemy Flames into Sky Flames, allowing her to disarm opponents and turn their Box Weapons against them. Box Animal: Lion (Julia) - same as above, Julia's roar turns Box Animals against their owners

Billy - originally masquerading as a Storm Flame-user, Billy revealed his true identity as the leader of Sotto, a rogue faction of the Unione Famiglia. While a part of Unione, Billy reverse-engineered the Box Weapons of as many key members as he could, replicating their abilities with his Sky Flame. Weapon: Revolvers - Billy fires concentrated Sky Flames which he can combine with other Flame attributes for various effects. Animal: German Shepherd (Veronica) - acts as a seeing-eye dog and helps direct Billy's aim

Earth

Fuuko - though initially believing herself to be a jinx, Fuuko learns that she had been unconsciously using the Gravitation characteristic of her Earth Flames to draw foreign objects to people she made contact with, often leading to accidents. With deliberate control, Fuuko has gained the ability to increase the attraction between any two specific targets and can even summon meteorites. Weapon: Handgun - Fuuko can fire Earth Flame bullets that carry a gravitational pull and hone in on a target or give a target pull as if she touched them. Animal: Tanuki (Andou) - can touch opponents in Fuuko's stead to transfer the gravity effect

Storm

Nico - having conducted extensive research into Dying Will Flames, Nico is adept at using all attributes other than Sky, Earth and Night for a variety of combat situations, though he primarily uses Storm and Lightning for their offensive and defensive capabilities. Weapon: Psycho-Pods - each Pod corresponds to a different attribute, with different combinations producing a wide range of abilities. Animal: Lab Rats x 12 (Tesla, Einstein, Edison, Curie, Darwin, Newton, Hawking, Bohr, Sagan, Kepler, Rutherford, Nobel) - each rat has been trained to mimic the abilities of other Union members, allowing Nico to recreate their fighting styles, albeit in a simplified manner

Mui - Weapons: Gloves/Broadswords- by channeling Storm Flames through her weapons, Mui's attacks Disintegrate whatever they strike. Basho Fan - when swung, the Basho Fan produces gusts of wind that carry Storm Flames to extinguish enemy Flames. Animal: Panda (Didi) - mimics Mui's fighting style and also strikes with Storm Flames

Swamp

Rip - Weapons: Scalpels - using the Swamp Flame's Fermentation, anything cut by Rip's scalpels begins to rot; biological targets have their ability to heal impeded by this process. Prosthetic legs - when kicking, Rip can launch concentrated, blade-like bursts of Swamp Flame; he can also use their Fermentation to manipulate gases in the air, producing jets that allow for flight. Animal: Horse (Iseult) - mostly used for transport rather than combat, Iseult can also fly using Fermentation

Lucy - unconsciously, Lucy's Swamp Flames excite her microbiome, causing her to be consistently sick; with proper control of her Flames, Lucy would likely be able to create a sort of "Swamp Flame Sickness" that she could weaponize to make enemies ill, though she likely wouldn't even if given the opportunity. Weapon: Pan tunic - similar to Rip, Lucy channels Swamp Flames through her Peter Pan costume in order to fly. Animal: Butterfly (Tinker Bell) - by sprinkling it scales on a target, Tinker Bell can share Lucy's Swamp Flames and grant limited flight abilities to others

Sun

Andy - formerly known as Victor, Andy was created when Juiz forced a card charged with Sky Flames into his skull, erasing his memories by neutralizing them via Harmonization. Unusually, Andy is able to enter Dying Will Mode voluntarily, channeling his Sun Flames through his body. Using his Flames' Activation characteristic, Andy's body is able to rapidly recover from any wound, and even propel lost body parts as projectiles. Andy is also quite adept at using Lightning Flames, which he uses to Soldify his spilled blood. Weapon: Kurikara - using Lightning Flames, Andy makes his katana near-indestructible; with his Sun Flames, Andy can swing Kurikara at incredible speeds. Animals: Wolf (Victor) - upon taking damage, Victor can use Sun Flames to create temporary clones from lost body parts, effectively creating an entire wolf pack very quickly. Andy is unaware why he thought to name his wolf Victor, the name seemed to just pop into his head. Silkworm (Clothy) - as Andy's clothes get damaged easily due to his fighting style, he uses Activation to spur Clothy's silk creation, perfectly tailoring clothes for himself within seconds. He does attempt to make the clothes more durable with Lightning Flames, though this often simply doesn't prove effective

Top - Weapons: Shoes - when charged with Sun Flames, Top is able to move at incredible speeds while also easing the fatigue that would normally come from moving so fast. Runner's Regalia - by wearing armor charged with Haruka's Lightning Flame, Top is able to move even faster by ignoring the damage that he would normally incur due to wind resistance while also gaining greater offensive output. Animals: Roadrunners (Miguel and Pedro) - a pair of birds that help guide Top as his dynamic vision becomes impaired while moving at highspeed

Forest

Ichico - inexplicably, Ichico suffers from a form of insomnia that makes it impossible for her to sleep. Using the Forest Flame's Realization, Ichico creates flowers that help to ease the negative effects of this insomnia. Animal: Octopus (Oxford) - riding on Ichico's head, Oxford grows vines to create additional limbs to perform tasks for Ichico

Bunny - Bunny manifests large flower bulbs to completely envelope her targets and render them immobile. Animal: Rabbit (Pikilienta Pohles) - "Pipipenda Pohpepu" as Bunny calls it plants seeds in the ground to help set traps for targets, ensnaring enemies when they get close enough

Lightning

Haruka - as a smith, Haruka's greatest ability is for improvising creations on the fly, greatly aided by her Lightning Flame's ability to draw in and bind materials with its electromagnetic properties. Weapons: Isshin Armor - using the Lightning Flame's Solidification characteristic, Haruka's armor becomes near-indestructible. She can also use magnetism to rearrange the armor's arrangement as necessary for different scenarios. Naginata - though unskilled in its use, Haruka can harden and electrify her naginata to make it an effective weapon regardless. Animal: Tortoise (Tesshu) - with its hardened shell, Tesshu serves as an anvil for Haruka to forge weapons and armor upon for her teammates.

Kururu - Weapon: Microphone - using the electrical properties of her Lightning Flames, Kururu creates a magnetic field that pulls others towards her. Animal: Ostrich (Kogomi) - Kogomi dances alongside Kururu to generate a greater magnetic field that both reaches further and is harder to resist

Mountain

Phil - Weapon: Entruster - rather than a traditional Box Weapon, Phil's entire robotic body is capable of channeling his Flames. By using the Mountain Flame's Synchronization, Phil can assimilate minerals such as stone or metal to alter the shape and capabilities of his body. Phil can also fire concentrated blasts of Mountain Flame to devastating effect. Animal: Worm (Ayatori) - Ayatori gathers rocks onto its body, making itself larger to wrap around enemies and constrict them. Outside of battle, Ayatori is quite small but long, and Phil often plays Cat's Cradle with the flexible worm

Void - Weapon: Boxing gloves - by controlling the earth around him, Void can shift the ground to grab onto his opponent's feet, making it difficult to evade his attacks; he can also gather stone into a large gauntlet or full armor, greatly increasing his striking power. Animal: Rottweiler (Bison) - while Void fights, Bison helps gather material for powering up Void's gloves more quickly

Rain

Yusai - Weapon: Katana - by launching Rain Flame slashes at her opponent's Ring Boxes, Yusai uses their Pacification characteristic to prevent them from channeling Flames and activating their effects. She can also target her opponent's body to render them numb, also preventing them from taking action. Animal: Crane (Gekkou) - by flying above the enemy, Gekkou secretly rains Rain Flame down onto the arena, preemptively disabling their ability to use Box Weapons

Enjin - Weapon: Gakuran - channeling his Rain Flames through his outfit, all of Enjin's attacks carry the ability to extinguish enemy Flames. Animal: Boar (Banka) - coated in Rain Flames, Banka charges into the enemy, forcibly extinguishing their Flames

River

Gina - Weapon: Beret- coating her hat in River Flames, Gina focuses the Flame's ability to control fluids such as water and air to create transparent constructs such as blades, though with practice she finds she can make constructs without a focal point. Animal: Jellyfish (Shinohara) -using River Flames, Shinora is able to become transparent and form barriers and limb-like constructs to aid Gina in battle

Tella - Weapon: Speakers - by manipulating the fluidity of soundwaves, Tella can create powerful defensive barriers in the air. Animal: Parrot (Morse) - as Tella is mute, Tella can transmit soundwaves to speak through Morse

Mist

Akira - Weapon: G-pen - by channeling Mist Flames through his pen, Akira can Construct real illusions with his drawings. Animal: Squid (Anno Un) - by spreading Mist Flame-empowered ink, Anno can render itself and Akira undetectable

Creed - Weapon: Gatling gun - rather than casting illusions, Creed Constructs ammunition for his gun, giving him effectively unlimited ammo. Animal: Bombardier beetles x50 (Units 1-50) - when thrown, Creed's Units Construct and launch fragments, incendiaries, gases, or flashes of light, allowing them to serve as reusable grenades

Desert

Sean - though a weak illusionist, Sean is adept at using his Desert Flame's Hallucination ability to render himself invisible. However, to keep the "sand" from getting in his eyes, he often finds himself closing his eyes when using this ability. Weapon: Butterfly knife - Sean is able to turn his knife invisible, but generally he uses it when he is already invisible himself, so there's no particular advantage to this. Animal: Chameleon (Irmao) - also able to turn invisible, Irmao is not blinded by the use of the Desert Flame, and serves as a guide for Sean while his eyes are closed

Latla - Weapons: Crystal ball - instead of creating illusions per se, Latla uses her Desert Flames to conjure images of the future in her crystal ball as a form of fortune-telling. Broomstick - powered by her Flames, Latla's broomstick serves as effective aerial transportation. Animal: Ladybug (Leila) - able to sense oncoming Flames, Leila warns Latla of oncoming attacks and generates a field of Desert Flames to distort her image, making attacks miss Latla

Cloud

Shen - using the Cloud Flame's Propagation characteristic, Shen can attach his Flames to an opponent's body or Box Weapons and assimilate a part of their Flames. This gives him moderate control of the affected area, allowing him to force the opponent to move in ways that they don't expect, particularly when they're distracted while initiating an attack. Weapon: Nyoi-Kinko - using the Cloud Flame's Propagation, Shen's staff can extend or expand at will. Animal: Monkey (Wukong) - able to concentrate Cloud Flames into a literal cloud, Kinto'un, Wukong provides Shen with aerial transportation

Feng - using his Cloud Flame's Propagation, Feng has developed a technique to feed on the Flames of defeated opponents, resulting in seemingly perpetual youth. Weapon: Zuishin Tekkan - by charging the rod with Cloud Flames, Feng changes the rod's shape between a staff, a tri-sectioned staff, and nunchaku, each with variable length depending on the amount of Flame used. Animal: Macaque (Liu'er) - just like Shen's Wukong, Liu'er concentrates Cloud Flames into a mount for Feng, known as Kokuto'un

Glacier

Tatiana - Animal: Hedgehog (Klubnika) - using the Glacier Flame's Freezing ability, Klubnika expands its body to encase Tatiana in a sphere of ice that she can manipulate at will. Tatiana can expand its radius, reshape it into a cylinder for a more focused strike, scatter fragments in all directions, and even create limbs for greater precision. This ice is so versatile that Tatiana does not require any other weapons

Chikara - Weapon: Camera - by focusing on a target through his camera, Chikara can designate where to conjure his Glacier Flames to freeze a target in place. Animal: Deer (Ryo) - as Chikara has to focus on a relatively small area to use his weapon, movement is difficult, so he relies on Ryo to maneuver him to the most advantageous position in battle

Night

Ruin - though unknown what his original Flame attribute was, having his Flame drained from his body nearly killed him; however, his Dying Will resurrected him with the Night Flame. As a resurrected corpse, Ruin is effectively immortal, able to use his Night Flames to turn his body incorporeal when taking damage. Animals: Cat (Shadow) - using the Night Flame's Transportation characteristic, Shadow allows Ruin to effectively teleport. Bat (Blood) - on Ruin's command, Blood creates constructs out of Night Flames that can easily bypass enemy defenses

[vertigoblockbuster]

Info Dump: Ashlesha Nakshatra

Ashlesha nakshatra is the 9th lunar mansion in the Vedic zodiac, spanning 16.40' - 30.00' Cancer. The associated constellation with Ashlesha is Hydra and it's ruling deities are the Nagas, a cohort of superhuman beings that are part-human and part-serpent. A coiled serpent symbolizes this point on the zodiacal wheel.

Ashlesha is a commonly misunderstood nakshatra. Snakes don't exactly conjure fuzzy feelings. When describing the human personality, those with Ashlesha prominent in their natal charts are often noted for their propensity to behave in cunning, manipulative (often emotional), and deceptive ways. These natives are also widely recognized for possessing profound healing abilities as well as potential for enlightenment.

The symbol of a snake brings to mind a few extrapolations we can make about Ashlesha's nature. A particularly striking one, though, is understanding the serpent as representing Kundalini. Kundalini is a source of largely untapped energy inside of all of us that is located in the Muladhara or root chakra at the bottom of the spine. Associated with the lowest and most primal point of consciousness, the root chakra is concerned with our sense of survival and feeling safe. When someone goes through a Kundalini awakening, this sleeping energy is aroused and travels up the spine until it penetrates the crown chakra, like a coiled snake being charmed to life. Similar to a snake shedding it's skin, the person is transformed in this process.

Kundalini is pure life force and deeply sexual. One way those who have experienced Kundalini awakenings arouse this power within themselves is through the practice of tantra. Practicing tantra doesn't always imply sexual union, but it's one of the most potent forms tantra can take. Being in a state of extreme vulnerability during physical intimacy creates a perfect space for an awakening to happen. Similar to the way your body can't lie in the way it responds to another's, nothing that is buried in the depths of your subconscious is "off limits" during a transformational process. The person you hold to be "you," along with all of the corresponding beliefs, fears, and traumas, has to be discarded along with your socks.

From looking a little bit at how the snake is representative of transformation through arousing Kundalini, we can see that Ashlesha is a very spiritual sign. People with prominent placements in this nakshatra are usually interested in the taboo and occult, and often psychology. There is an interest in self-transformation in Ashlesha people that might be coupled with insecurity about how to achieve it. If we are operating from an unconscious place as represented by the sleeping serpent in the root chakra, it makes sense that these people have a reputation for resorting to manipulation and mind games (that they will beat you at every time). These behaviors are often rooted in a tremendous desire to feel safe and loved. If proper guidance is sought out and an Ashlesha person is willing to be really honest with themselves and tap into their less basal psychology, there is a lot of potential to heal and transcend some pretty gnarly subconscious material.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Ashlesha people naturally have healing abilities in spades. The practice of tantra, a very Ashlesha activity, is not just about drawing up power that previously lied dormant, it's about bringing soothing calmness to the parts of ourselves that maybe we didn't even realize were wounded. You have probably seen the symbol of two snakes twisting around a winged staff at a hospital or on an ambulance - the Caduceus. The staff with the snake has been used as a symbol of medicine for thousands of years, since around 1400 B.C..

The Rod of Asclepius (represented by a singular snake twisting itself around a staff) came before the Caduceus. While the Caduceus came to be used by the Greeks in association with Hermes, patron of messengers, merchants and thieves, the Rod of Asclepius belongs to the Greek god of healing, Aesculapius. The Caduceus's use as a medical symbol as opposed to the Rod of Asclepius is actually due to a mistake made by a U.S. Army Captain in 1902. It's an interesting and a kind of funny story and you can read a little more about that here: https://www.caduceusmedicalgroup.com/for-patients/legend-of-caduceus/

Why are snakes used as a symbol of medicine and healing when they are also a widespread symbol of evil and harm? A couple reasons. The ability of snakes to shed their skin indicates longevity and their tendency to quickly switch from a resting state to one of action represents recovery from sickness. The use of the snake and staff as a symbol of medicine also has Biblical roots as seen by the story of Moses leading the Jewish people through the desert:

While wandering through the desert, the Jewish people became angry with God and Moses, demanding to know why they had been led from Egypt to die in a wasteland. In response God sent poisonous snakes to them, wounding many people and killing others. The Jewish people came to Moses and expressed remorse for forsaking the Lord and begged him to pray to God to have mercy on them. God instructed Moses to build a staff with a bronze serpent mounted on it so that anyone hurt by the snakes could look at it and be healed.

Ashlesha belongs to the Mercury-ruled nakshatras along with Revati and Jyestha. In astrology Mercury rules over things like communication, intellect, kind of brainy/cerebral things. It's not really considered to be a benefic planet (like Venus or Jupiter, bringing pleasant, positive things) or a malefic (like Saturn or Mars, bringing difficult, negative things.) Mercury is dual in nature and can go either way - you have the free will to use your mind for good or for bad. The duality of Mercury can be seen clearly in the symbolism of the twins as representing Gemini. This duality exists in Ashlesha natives in their ability to flip back and forth (doing this fluidly and often without realizing) between channeling their higher versus lower consciousness.

Since Mercury is the sign of intellect and communication, it makes sense that it is the ruling planet of the nervous system. What this means for people with heavy Ashlesha influence in their natal charts is that they are highly sensitive to their environment, picking up on subtleties in communication (including ones they aren't apart of) and social dynamics. It's also not uncommon to see Ashlesha people being fastidious when it comes to personal hygiene. Beyond bodily cleanliness, this high-strung nature is extended to the way the person relates to the world. Details of interactions are picked apart, and there is a concern for social technicalities and "rules." This is a more nit-picky sign than a big-picture one. Funnily enough, while Ashlesha is often critical towards other people, they are hyper sensitive to the same lens being applied to themselves. It's like there is a sentiment here of "I'm trying so hard to get these tiny details perfectly correct (because I know that how you do one thing is how you do everything) and you should know that so you have no right to point out my (very real) personality flaws."

There is an interesting polarity in Ashlesha because on one hand, it's a very primal and sexual sign. On the other, Ashlesha is concerned with cleanliness and purity. A celebrity example of this polarity is Marilyn Monroe, who was an Ashlesha ascendant. She might be the most well-known sex symbol to exist, yet this was largely a mask she wore in an industry that wanted to profit off of her. Those close to her described her personality as sweet and empathetic, and have said that she obviously possessed a great deal of intellectual prowess. Since her death and more has come out about her life, it's obvious that she was deeply unhappy with the way she was portrayed in Hollywood as being naive and overly sexual. She was attracted towards more serious roles even though she never really got a shot at one. Her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller is one example of her attraction towards intelligence and self-expression.

At the risk of looking Ashlesha through an overly male lens, the polarity of sexuality and purity that exists in Ashlesha can be related to the psychological concept of the Madonna-Whore Complex (MWC). The MWC is a term created by Freud to describe problems men have in relating to women, particularly those they are in intimate relationships with. Men suffering from this complex, whether conscious of it or not, place women into one of two mutually exclusive categories, Madonna or Whore. Women are labelled as being either warm, nurturing, and loving or sexually desirable but not both at the same time. When left unexamined, this complex can create hefty dissatisfaction in relationships if a man is either unable to experience sexual attraction towards women he respects or is unable to respect women he deems sexually attractive. Even though the MWC concept is outdated in it's support of a patriarchal view of society and heavy influence from Western Judeo-Christian principles, the problem it speaks to is one that still exists.

With a sensitive, mercurial nervous system and desire to explore transformative (often sexual) healing, we have Ashlesha as a character that is rigidly virginal while simultaneously having an intense (maybe suppressed) sexuality to them. This is a flighty and finicky person that has a huge yearning to be asserted upon so that their sexuality can come out of it's sleeping state and they can experience the pleasure and healing that they desire.

In the beginning of this post it was mentioned that the ruling deities of Ashlesha are the Nagas, beings that are part-human part-serpent. To understand the Nagas and what their ruler ship over Ashlesha means, let's look at where they dwell in the universe, how they came to live there, and the space that they created for themselves.

In Hinduism, the cosmos is conceptualized as being globular in shape and divided into three layers - similar to how the earth has it's cool outer crust, hot central core, and it's warm mantle between the two. The outer layer of the cosmos is called Swarga, where divinities and nakshatras (or stars) are. The middle zone is called Antariksa, where part-human part-divine beings live. The 9 planets used in Vedic astrology as well as the planetary gods exist here. The third innermost layer is called Buu, where we live on earth.

These three basic cosmic layers can be further divided into fourteen worlds. Seven of these fourteen layers are deeper within the core of the cosmos, or deeper inside of the earth, and seven lie above earth's surface. When Indra banished the Dragons and Nagas from Swarga, the outer part of the cosmos, they fell to Buu, the inner part of the cosmos. Being serpentine in nature, the Dragons and Nagas burrowed below the earth to avoid the gods policing their activity. Under the earth they created their own alternative paradise: Naga Loka, a world full of sensuality (the word Ashlesha literally means "to embrace"), pleasures, and what many would call hedonism.

Naga Loka, though technically an underworld, is not like hell. It is filled with pleasure rather than punishment and pain. One reason as to why Naga Loka is so beautiful is because it is tucked away from the sunlight - think of how neon and incandescent lights shine hypnotically at night or the bio-luminescence of some deep sea marine creatures. The absence of sunlight in Naga Loka also means that those dwelling there do not visibly age.

The word Ashlesha itself meaning tight embrace, entwining with another, and intimate contact, is a nakshatra associated with the taboo. This is not only because of the stigmatization of sex and sexuality by society, but also due to it's close relationship with the reptilian. Snakes and dragons are creatures usually representing evil and villains in all kinds of stories - Nagini in Harry Potter, the deadly cobras Nag and Nagaina in Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and the serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. When someone is called a "snake," we know that that person is being accused of being deceitful, sneaky, and underhanded. A pop culture example: Taylor Swift, capitalizing on her feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in which Swift was accused of being a snake, created her album Reputation. The album is full of vengeful, vindictive themes, and takes full advantage of her assigned snake-like character by incorporating heavy serpentine symbology into her work.

----------

I credit Vic Dicara for the information about the Nagas and Naga Loka. If you're interested in learning about Vedic astrology check out his YouTube Channel.

[francesminos-tt]

I sent the question before completing it but one more request to toxic!joffron

Luke becomes the lord of the tides and, although he doesn't have a good relationship with his uncle-brother-in-law, Daeron is competent in his field of work and therefore becomes one of Luke's helpers...

Daeron is behaving more decently to make a good impression and ignores an attempted fight from his husband, this makes Joff jealous/moody/bitter/upset

Obviously, when night comes, he begs Joff's forgiveness

Joffrey lay back on his armchair and threw a handful of berries into his mouth. The fruit was fresh, sweet with the right amount of tang, an exotic delicacy to have on a late summer evening. The sun was just about to set, the gentle evening breeze bringing the fresh scent of the garden through the window to his room. Joffrey bit into the fruit, letting a few drops of juice drip down his lips as he watched his husband’s back in front of the writing desk.

“What are you doing?” Joffrey asked, grabbing another handful of berries and throwing them at Daeron. The small fruit landed on Daeron’s white shirt, leaving a trail of purple stains on the fine silk. Joffrey chuckled, pleased with himself that he managed to somehow ridicule his proper husband.

“I am busy now, Joffrey.” Daeron said, not even bothering to lift his head, “I need to send this letter by tomorrow morning.”

“Since when did you become so diligent?” Joffrey scoffed, “Who are you writing to, anyway?”

“Your brother Lucerys.” Daeron replied, his tone calm and civilized, “Old Town is ready to correspond with Driftmark in unifying harbor taxes. It’s a huge step to regulate trading laws of the realm.”

Joffrey hummed as he gulped down the remaining wine in his goblet. He almost forgot that Daeron was a good negotiator, unlike Joffrey himself, who believed in actions rather than words. Joffrey knew Daeron was polite and gentle to others. He just didn't realize his brother Lucerys was one of the nobles that Daeron decided to be polite to. Lucerys had inherited Driftmark and become the new Lord of the Tide for only a year, but he had proven himself to be a capable ruler. He had restored trading between the Triarchy and Driftmark, replenishing the Treasury with harbor taxes and sorts, thus weakening Old Town as the main trading port in the realm. Lucerys wanted to strike a deal with the Hightowers, and surprisingly, instead of sending his own husband, Aemond, he turned to his uncle/brother-in-law for help. Daeron had grown up in Old Town and once served as cupbearer of the current Hightower Lord, so he was the natural choice. Not to mention everyone would agree that Daeron was better negotiator than Aemond.

But still, Joffrey didn’t expect Daeron would actually take the job seriously.

“What do you expect to get from this, huh?” Joffrey walked to his husband and sat on the edge of the desk, pulling the quill from Daeron’ hand, “Are you expecting Lucerys to kiss you on the forehead and call you a good boy?”

Daeron lifted his head to look at Joffrey, irritation palpable in his light violet eyes.

“Give it back.” Daeron demanded, “I don't have time to play your game, Joffrey.”

“What if I say no?” Joffrey curled his lips up into a mischievous smile, twirling the quill in his fingers, “What are you going to do about it? Spank me?”

Daeron’s eyes narrowed and his lips pursed into a thin line. Joffrey could see his nostrils flare, as if he was trying to hold back the desire to lash out.

But Joffrey didn't want him to. Come. Lash out. Show me how angry you can be.

They stared down at each other for several minutes, until Daeron broke eye contact first. He didn't push Joffrey to the ground, nor did he pull Joffrey’s hair or grab the brunette’s neck. Instead, Daeron sighed heavily and rolled his unfinished parchment up before standing to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Joffrey asked, shocked at Daeron’s self-control. Daeron had never showed any mercy around him. Daeron was always quick to anger, easily provoked by Joffrey’s insult. He would turn from a polite prince to a violent beast in the blink of an eye. Their sex was filled with bites and rough thrusts, collecting bruises on each other body like triumphs.

Joffrey liked it. He liked his influence on Daeron. How he managed to bring out the worst side of the gentle prince that everyone loved. How he was able to make Daeron forget all about proper etiquette. He was proud that he was the only one who could break Daeron’s polite facade.

Until now.

“Somewhere I can write my letter in peace.” Daeron replied without looking back. Before he reached the bedroom door, the door was pushed open by maids with dinner plates in their arms.

“Go on. Get the fuck out of my sight.” Joffrey cursed, throwing the ink bottle at Daeron’s direction, only to have the intricate glass bottle land on the floor, staining the fine Lysene carpet with black ink.

Daeron did just that. He left the room with the roll of parchment in his hands. Joffrey was furious. How dare Daeron act like he was the useful one in court? He was just a cheap ambassador picked out by Lucerys. Why did he have to act like he fucking mattered?

“M-my prince,” one of the poor maids asked in a trembling voice, “w-w-where should we put your dinner?”

“Don’t bother.” Joffrey said through gritted teeth, “I am already stuffed.”

By anger.

Daeron didn't come back until midnight. Joffrey wasn’t counting, of course. In order to fight the frustration, he ordered a hot bath. He submerged his naked body into the scorching hot water and stayed there, watching his skin turn pink from the heat. Joffrey sat in the bathtub until the water turned cold, until he began to shiver and goosebumps formed on his wet skin.

Still, Joffrey didn’t come out. He curled into a ball under the cold water, shivering and swearing, cursing Daeron in every way possible.

Hypocrite. Traitor. Liar. Insufferable motherfucker.

Why did Joffrey feel so betrayed? The answer to this question was right there, but Joffrey stubbornly refused to look at it. He would never, under any damn circumstance, admit that he was upset because he could not get his husband’s attention.

Fucker.

“What are you doing?” Daeron’s voice jolted Joffrey out of his trance. Joffrey lifted his head, only to find his husband was looking at his trembling frame with an unreadable expression.

“Taking a bath. Isn’t that obvious?” Joffrey rolled his eyes, his teeth chattering.

“In icy cold water?” Daeron raised one of his eyebrows mockingly. God, Joffrey hated his perfect eyebrows.

“None of your business.” Joffrey lowered his gaze again and continued to dwell in his own frustration. He didn't need Daeron’s pity or anything.

“I am going to bed.” Daeron declared, “And I’d like my husband to enjoy me.”

“Fuck off.” Joffrey said, looking at his own twisted refection on the water surface, “Why not ask Lucerys to enjoy you, since you are working so hard to kiss his ass? Oh, wait, is it because you cannot get pass his husband?”

“Are you jealous, Joffrey?”

“Of fucking course not!” Joffrey threw the deadliest glare he could manage at Daeron, “Do I look like I care about you for the tiniest bit?”

Daeron chuckled. The motherfucker dared to chuckle. Joffrey was so furious that he splashed icy cold bath water at him, soaking Daeron’s perfect hair and wiping off the smug smile on his perfect face. It was childish of him, Joffrey knew, but he couldn't help it.

“Okay, enough.” Daeron wiped his face with his hand roughly before putting his hands under Joffrey’s armpits and picking the brunette up from the bathtub like a wet cat.

“What the fuck! Let me go, you traitor! I am going to kill you!”

Daeron dumped Joffrey on the bed sheet and covered the brunette’s naked body with his own. He didn't care the water dripping down from Joffrey’s body would ruin his silk shirt. His shirt had already been ruined by the berried Joffrey had thrown at him anyway.

“Fuck off!” Joffrey kicked his feet vigorously, but the cold water had made his muscles stiff. His husband caught his ankles swiftly and gracefully.

“Do you want me to fuck you so badly, that you have to repeat the word for so many times?” Daeron pressed his knee between Joffrey’s legs, and brushed the brunette’s pussy with his kneecap.

“Go to hell-” Joffrey’s sentence was cut short by Daeron’s lips on him, the alpha’s tongue invading his filthy mouth without mercy.

The kiss was ruthless and suffocating, just how Joffrey liked it. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Joffrey melted under Daeron’s touch, the alpha’s skin hot like a furnace, warming him through the core. Joffrey moaned into the kiss, wrapping his legs around Daeron’s waist and holding the alpha there with all his limbs.

“I like when you are jealous,” Daeron said after he broke the kiss to nibble Joffrey’s neck.

“I am not jealous.” Joffrey said stubbornly before adding, “Don't mention my brother’s name in bed.”

Daeron bit down on Joffrey’s collar bone, hard enough to draw blood. He licked the tiny bite mark he had just made before moving on to bite Joffrey’s chest, nipple, waist, hip and everywhere. Joffrey’s cold skin had regained its heat, so hot that it nearly evaporated the water drops on his skin. Joffrey grinded his hip against Daeron’s, trying desperate to satisfy his desire.

“Fuck! Don't stop there!” Joffrey cursed when Daeron’s lips stopped just above his omega parts, the alpha’s nose brushing against the dark bushes between his legs.

“I apologize for ignoring you, dear husband.” Daeron said, blowing some warm air at Joffrey’s twitching pussy lips, “So I am going to make it up to you. Just how you like it.”

Joffrey had to bite the back of his hand to prevent himself from screaming when Daeron parted his fat lips with teeth. Bite by bite, the alpha took apart Joffrey’s pussy, folds, clit, entrance. He licked and sucked, tasting the sweetness of Joffrey’s slick, devouring Joffrey as if the omega was a rare delicacy to enjoy.

Joffrey twitched and tossed, grabbing fistful of sheets so hard that he almost tore it apart. He was exhilarated, satisfied that Daeron’s attention was finally on him.

“You are cute when you are jealous.” Daeron murmured against Joffrey’s twitching entrance.

“Shut up.” Joffrey retorted.

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

My darling, 

Not much to report on my end of things, I’m afraid. Until I receive proper correspondence from you, my hands are tied. Not in the way I’d like them to be, of course, but if you plan on returning anytime soon, I’m sure proper arrangements can be made. 

Have you heard from Gale? Our ally and I have done our best to keep tabs where we can, but we figured primary intel would come from you – after my interruption of that vile ritual, I can assure you, I won’t be hearing from the wicked witch wizard any time soon. (I thought about making a wicked witch/wicked lich play on words, but I’m not sure now is the time for terrible witticisms.) If he’s written to you, or tried to contact you in any way, you must let me know. As of right now, we don’t know when or where he’ll strike, and we need to be ready. 

The question I don’t want to ask – the one I’m gritting my teeth at the thought of putting in writing – is how you’re faring in the House of Hope. However, if I don’t ask you now…if I don’t know where I stand with you, after all this has transpired… 

No. I won’t do it. As I said before, I’m feeling hopeful that we shall triumph, as we always do. And when we make it out of this, I’ll ask you myself. 

I love you. It doesn’t matter how many times I say it, every time feels like the first time. Like the sun on my face after so many years in the dark. It makes me feel alive. 

I suppose I should start practicing for when I get to tell you face to face. Though, of course, when I see you again I may be otherwise indisposed with other ways of greeting you. After all, you’ve been gone for so long… 

Tell me if you’ve heard anything, and we’ll move in when we can. And tell that devil of yours that I’ll share if I have to, but do warn him of one thing: 

I bite. 

–A

Astarion-

Gale... is so scared. I can feel it, in my heart. It's like he's curled up there for protection. I think he tried to contact me, properly. A letter came through, fell into shards of ice and ash.

I love you so much. I love you so much it hurts me. You have been so beautiful and brave. But I can't just lie to you, it isn't fair. I love Gale too. I want him to come home.

I want to come home.

I'll understand if you want to leave me here. If you don't want to see me again. But I had to stop being a fucking coward and make a choice.

I'm not asking anything of you.

Take care, alright? I'll see you soon.

I promise.

-Doe

[twstunes]

hi what’s up i’m back at the conspiracy board and THIS TIME i’d like to talk about the lace masks the overblot victims have, how they relate to their corresponding member of the Great Seven, and how we may have already seen Maleficent’s corresponding mask

aka Here’s How Our Good Pal Hornton Might Not Overblot (Because Someone Already Called Dibs)

please note: this is an analysis of the overblot lace masks only, not any other facial changes caused by overblot, such as changes in eyeshadow/lip color/etc

Nearly didn’t go through with this post bc Riddle’s mask breaks the mold a bit, effectively being an eyepatch shaped like a crowned heart. This mask does not seem to correlate with the Queen of Hearts’ facial construction at all, though this may be because her face design is a little…bland, in comparison to the rest of the Great Seven? Riddle’s mask is more likely based off the Queen’s heart-shaped scepter, or her recurring heart and crown motifs.

Leona’s mask is also shaped like a pseudo-eyepatch, but this serves the purpose of emphasizing the scar over his left eye. The portion of the mask over his left eye has a distinctive curl to it that resembles Scar’s scruffy eyebrows. The ‘strap’ of the eyepatch appears to be based off tribal (y’know. ‘tribal’) designs, and does not appear to correlate with Scar’s facial construction; it’s likely there just to help emphasize the scar.

The heavier lines of Azul’s mask very strongly match up with Ursula’s high, dramatic brow and widow’s peak; the way they flare out over Azul’s forehead is likely meant to complement the flared-out look of his head and shoulder decorations. The netting portion over his eyelids/brow area makes for a good translation of Ursula’s flashy eyeshadow into lace mask form.

Jamil’s mask can be neatly defined as two parts correlation, one part decoration. The portion along his chin clearly corresponds to Jafar’s beard, while the portion around his eyes corresponds to Jafar’s pronounced eye bags and the upturned, fox-like look to his eyelashes. The portion of the mask over Jamil’s forehead bears a passing resemblance to a reared-back cobra, such as the one Jafar’s staff depicts.

Vil’s mask is one of the simpler ones, which makes sense—he’s already got a lot going on with that headgear. Its design directly echoes the pseudo-widow’s peak of Queen Grimhilde’s balaclava-esque cowl, with a rendition of the iconic heart-and-dagger symbol resting just above Vil’s nasal bone.

(Side note: Vil’s mask is the only one thus far where the main body of the mask does not connect with the victim’s eyes in any way.)

Idia also has a pretty simple mask, likely due to having a very much non-lace mask covering more than half of his face. Similar to Jamil, the netting portion beneath Idia’s eyes hearkens back to Hades’ deep eye bags. Although the thin lines going from the top of his eyes may just be meant to mimic robotic faceplates, they could also be a translation of Hades’ very square, angular facial construction.

And now we have the Dark Mirror.

First and foremost, the portion of the mask smack dab in the middle of the Dark Mirror’s forehead is…literally just Maleficent’s iconic horns, just with a little extra stylization. When these horns are held in consideration, the flared, tattered look of the full mask takes on a striking resemblance to both Maleficent’s dramatic robes AND her transformation sequence into her dragon form. (The four-pointed star just above the Dark Mirror’s nasal bone, plus the line leading down over the nasal bone proper, could also be a translation of Maleficent’s tall, purple-lined collar.)

In addition, the heavy lines defining the top of the mask match up well to Maleficent’s high brow, and the netting portion very distinctly does not cover the Dark Mirror’s eyelids—similar to how Maleficent’s makeup(?) only covers the space from the bottom of her brows to the tops of her eyelids.

Lastly (by which I mean this is my weakest point but it still feels significant enough to include), the overall build of the mask puts heavy emphasis on the eyes. It’s worth noting here that (nearly) every time Maleficent’s dragon form is shown, her eyes glow the same bright, burning green as the fire she breathes. The almost flame-like appearance of the mask’s tattered edges adds to this concept.

[ircnwrought]

so many misc amaya headcanons bc i had way too much time to think about her at work today

the court of the autumn king is extremely formal and misogynistic. to that end, to touch a member of the royal family, particularly its female members, is a treasonous offense. only family members, attendants such as handmaidens, and body guards are allowed to touch amaya as the autumn king's wife. she has grown extremely uncomfortable with touch outside of these circumstances, which makes her return to prythian an adjustment in more ways than one. she sometimes stiffens before returning a hug, even from the ic, and is generally the first to pull her hand away from a handshake or move her body to avoid accidentally brushing against someone. it's a habit that slowly breaks as her healing journey in the night court continues.

einar sealed the marriage contract to amaya with a ruby wedding ring that she wears continuously on her left ring finger. the gem is slightly too big for her finger, because the autumn king cared more about the cost of the ring than its aesthetic, and its red color is representative of his court. the ring was charmed by a witch so amaya is unable to remove it so long as she remains married to einar and to send shots of pain through her body should she be unfaithful, a spell she has not discovered yet as she's never sought to break her marriage vows, which she considers as sacred as a night court bargain. she is only able to remove the ring when she is widowed upon einar's death.

when amaya was growing up, she favored low back shirts/dresses so she could easily call her wings and often dressed in night court colors. the blues, silvers, and purples worked wonders with her coloring and she was often radiant. after the plot, she is extremely self-conscious about her scars and adjusts her style of dress accordingly, taking to wearing high necked shirts/turtlenecks. her clothing is chosen for her by the autumn king in modest cuts and in the colors of his court (reds, oranges, blacks that usually wash her out). she will not readily show or talk about her scars to others.

einar did not see amaya's scars for a period of time after their wedding as she was never fully undressed in his presence, often still wearing her nightgown to bed as she feared what his reaction would be. when he finally did see them, she claimed they were from discipline inflicted by morven during her childhood, to which einar replied that discipline is often needed to ensure proper demeanor in a female.

amaya was a virgin upon her marriage, a fact that morven had court physicians attest to when the marriage contract to einar was signed (gross)

after einar abandoned bryce, amaya secretly kept in touch with ember to foster a relationship between bryce and ruhn. amaya believed their children should not have to suffer for einar's ego. she never blamed ember for the affair and she never held einar's sins against bryce. einar never found out about the correspondance.

amaya's magic is completely unique to her and is a manifestation of the night court's power to her outlook/personality. she is able to combine her daemati and shadow magic powers to create extremely convincing illusions/mental scenarios, a power that was exploited by morven to interrogate (torture) political dissidents. additionally, amaya figured out that shadows hold memory (think how water holds memory in frozen 2). she is not a shadowsinger and cannot understand the language of shadows, but she was able to use these "memories" to be able to somewhat teleport herself across distances (similar to winnowing but she doesn't have to have knowledge of the place in advance to use the power). for example, she can use shadows to walk through walls, though she's never been to the room on the other side. this "teleportation" power also allows her to make her body semi-corporeal, a skill that comes in handy when parrying a strike from an enemy.

when amaya uses her magic, her eyes go completely black, a remenant of ancient illyrian magic that has long since disappeared from the world but remains in the night court bloodline. she often carries sunglasses with her to be able to use her magic in public without her eyes giving her away.

i don't identify a mate for amaya purposely esp since she isn't canonically alive by the events of a.cotar and cc (and it gives me more options as a writer for plotting ships with parters), but einar certainly wasn't it. she is only his wife in name for legal purposes so there is no question their children are einar's heirs. she is not his mate, was not crowned queen, and is not treated as a consort.

[laerrynseelie]

read it on ao3

Princess Suntar of the Unseelie Court is a ray of sunshine amidst the dreary, dark caves and jagged cliffs. She laughs when it is appropriate, always has the exact right thing to say, and charms everyone in her path.

Some say who you become is due to genetics, others how you are shaped by the world. Suntar knows that she was created by the cards she was dealt in life.

Her brother has always been a study in contradictions. Andhera, heir to the Unseelie Court, with more expectations upon them than her, strived to be more than they were made to be. A dreamer, a romantic, a friend. Suntar has internalized and weaponized it, using it as her sword and shield through life.

She does not know how Andhera does it, how he survives with all that earnestness in his open heart.

Suntar has always known exactly who she has to be, the place she holds in the world. She is a princess, she is a symbol, a pawn, a hand in marriage, a political alliance. She is the spare. Who she is isn't important - it's what she is that matters.

Suntar has always known her place in the world. As second-in-line, as an Unseelie, as a lady. And so she learns what is expected of her, knows how to manipulate courtly doublespeak and which fork to use and each time, fails to teach Andhera along with her.

They had been close, once. When her imagination and ability to dream was as strong as his, when they would make strange noises just to hear them echo in the caverns, when he would gift her with pretty stones he had found and befriended. Shards of volcanic glass, rocks he had smashed open to reveal crystals inside, stalagmites he broke from cave walls.

But he didn't wish to learn decorum. When, as a little girl, she already knew that she couldn't act a certain way, Andhera would continue to lick cave walls and carve faces into rocks. She noticed the way the ladies in waiting looked at them, when it stopped being cute and started being weird. She had tried to stop them, stole the rocks and scattered them, but they always found them again. Listen to me, she yells at them from inside her head. The world will not be kind to you.

As time went on, she stopped being kind to him.

Despite being raised together, the siblings became very different people. Andhera is chicken scratch in the margins of an oft-read book, private and illustrious all at once. Suntar, on the other hand, is well-practiced calligraphy on letter paper, mistakes prestidigitated away before the ink has even dried, true feelings hidden behind courtly pleasantries.

Isolated, away from society, Andhera drew into himself, hiding his unwanted feelings from the world, while Suntar only learned to strike out at others. Differing sides of their mother.

Sometimes, Suntar clutches Advisor's hand, and pretends it is enough.

When Suntar begins going to other courts, writing correspondences, practicing her royal manners, she learns what it means to be Unseelie in Faerie. She doesn't know how to relay this to Andhera.

He stopped being kind to her, too.

They are Unseelie; they are not built to wrap their arms around each other like parentheses, to curve their bodies into question marks and hold one another when they don't have the answers. They are not built to huddle for warmth to survive.

Andhera is spring rain that brings flowers and fresh starts. She is sea fog, salt crystals and obscuring mist brought up from the crashing of waves.

Hope is not simple, comfortable, or easy. Hope is a risk, a gamble, a struggle.

She is there at the duel with Captain K.P. Hob. Sees Andhera, who never learned the proper decorum for duels, not only regain their honour, but gain a friend. She almost smiles, then sees Viscountess Grabalba, thinks of the failed engagement, and stops. She feels a lump in her throat that mimics the stone at the back of her neck, and leaves in a gentle pitter-patter of rain.

Hope has a cost.

As she discusses matches and marriage with Prince Apollo, Suntar has no qualms about leaving love behind.

She is her mother's daughter, and no matter how much you love the ocean, it will always drown you. Love, too, is a gamble, one that is not worth the risk.

In a world of reputation and politics, what use does the wind have of love?

Sentiment is a weakness, yes, but there is still much to be had from loyalty. Does Andhera realize, she wonders, that she fakes her accent too? When she heard them speak in public for the first time, and mimicked it the best she could to protect them both?

Whenever she hears rain, her first instinct is to cast Calm Emotions.

Suntar hums a little tune as she returns to her quarters, one travelling quickly through the Bloom. It's a song about Andhera, sending a princess away on a mighty steed. A replaying of one of her most embarrassing moments that causes a pang in her chest.

Some days, she is the shining gem underneath their skin; others, she feels like the edges, raw and struggling to heal.

She thinks of the prejudice against their court, and Andhera's pride this season. She thinks of Mucky, made of dark water and rising flames, and feels a little pride in them, too.

The phrase "come hell or high water" comes from their court, after all.

As she prepares for the ball that evening, her hands find an old hair pin. She doesn't look at it, simply uses it to secure her hair into a bun.

An obsidian shard, jagged edges perfect in its imperfection, with only a small part of its surface marred. Carved faintly, difficult to see in the dark rock, is a smiley face.

[dragonologist-phd]

#7 for the spotify wrapped prompts?

send me a number 1-100 and i’ll write a short fic based on the corresponding top song on my spotify wrapped

7. Fistfight - The Ballroom Thieves

how did you find me? I was already halfway gone you were a bright light you were a fistfight

(ao3)

Galfrey knows she shouldn’t be here.

She knows this in a broad, existential sense- she shouldn’t be here, alive, with her youth artificially extended by centuries as she fights her endless war. She knows this in a more exact sense- she shouldn’t be here, on the road with the marching army, while her thrown sits empty and Kenabres still smolders.

And she knows, quite specifically, that she probably should not be here, in a dark corner of camp, crossing blades with her new Knight-Commander.

When’s the last time you actually used that sword in a real battle? Cleo had asked, with her sharp smile and eyes that danced with quiet laughter. With the courts so far away and the queen’s identity a secret from the rest of the camp, there has been nothing to stop the tiefling from brazenly goading Galfrey at every opportunity.

Galfrey suspects that even if circumstances were different, Cleo’s behavior would be much the same. One thing she has learned about this woman is that she does not stand for decorum.

Another thing Galfrey has learned about Cleo is that she does not hold back, even when simply sparring. The tiefling’s greatsword slices ferociously through the air, and Galfrey brings her own blade up just quickly enough to save herself from being skewered.

I’ve been fighting real battles for longer than you’ve been alive. Her answer had been truthful, but it would be lying to say that the sound of steel singing through the night air is not something she has missed.

Galfrey parries, and swings, and parries again, matching Cleo strike for strike with precise swordsmanship. Training match though this may be, the Knight-Commander puts forth every ounce of her strength into her attacks. Her light armor allows her to move more quickly than Galfrey, and her muscles ripple with every blow delivered.

Nothing held back, nothing restrained- a true barbarian’s strategy. Truthfully, Galfrey had expected nothing less. She can still hear the scorn- the scorn!- in the woman’s voice. But you’ve been sitting in your castle for what, the last hundred years or something? Giving out orders for other people to fight for you? That’s no way to keep up your combat skills.

I have no problems keeping up with anything, I assure you. A calm and composed response, as is proper. That is what Galfrey must be, at all times, for she is not only a queen but a symbol to all the people of Mendev. The people’s symbol cannot be easily baited into a common soldier’s games.

But then Cleo’s cutting grin grew even sharper, and the fire of a true challenge entered her voice. Prove it.

Their training match lasts longer than Galfrey intends- long enough for her to forget that her guards are hovering just a few yards away, long enough for her to remember what being a warrior used to mean. When it finally ends, there is no clear winner, just two women breathing heavily as they finally lay down their weapons and call a draw.

Not too bad. Still a little rusty, Cleo has the nerve to say- and then she has the nerve to wink at Galfrey as she adds, But at least you made me break a sweat.

And Galfrey knows those taunting words- that blasted, sharp-toothed smile- shouldn’t leave her just as red-faced and breathless as the sparring match.

But gods damn it all, they do.

[tf2workbench]

The Vaccinator reimagined

I wouldn’t say the Vaccinator is a badly-designed weapon; it gives lots of new gameplay opportunities to both its user and its opponents. However, it can also be a little awkward, as it lacks the raw power of a full Ubercharge. This can cause games to stagnate, frustrating the user’s team.

Consider this more of a theory post than a “needs rebalancing” post, though. I want to explore a way to give the Vaccinator a full Ubercharge, inspired a bit by my damage reflection medigun post.

Vaccinator Iteration 2 (*) Press your Reload key to cycle resistances (bullet, blast, and fire) (+) Every 10 seconds of healing generates a consumable shield (up to 3). Press your special-attack key to give your heal target two seconds of 75% resistance to your selected damage type and to corresponding critical damage. (+) While healing, Medic and patient have 10% resistance to the selected damage type (+) +33% Ubercharge rate (+) No lost Ubercharge when switching targets during charge (+/-) Ubercharge grants 50% resistance to all ranged damage [stacks multiplicatively with consumable shields] (-) -66% overheal build rate

This version maintains the choices inherent to the resistance system, but also gives you a proper Ubercharge with blanket protection if you need to break through something.

User interface My first concern is that it gives Medics too much to consider (it has four buttons!) This can be a problem with the base Vaccinator too, as Medics have a lot to keep track of, especially at higher levels of play. This requires playtesting to determine, though, so I’ll leave it at that.

Pocketing One problem that already exists with the base Vaccinator is that it can let a Medic-pocket duo win a bunch of small-scale fights courtesy of the brief Ubercharges and strong resistances. I worry that this would be exacerbated with this version, which has no delay between deploying shields. Unlike the base version, you’d be able to get all three resistances on a target at the same time, letting you handle slightly larger groups of enemies.

On the other hand, note that the shields don’t actually protect you, which can be a serious liability. This means that Vaccinator duos have a clear weak point - the Medic - that may actually make them less troublesome, even for an uncoordinated opposition.

With an uncoordinated team One of the Vaccinator’s big strengths is that, as mentioned, you only need two or three people to make it work. This makes it ideal for when your team just doesn’t seem to be willing to stick with you. As we discussed, this version can’t protect you as effectively, meaning Medics with struggling teams might have a bit more trouble.

This is unfortunate, but I’m trying to strike a balance between designing for the best case and designing for the worst case. If a weapon only shines when your team is unsupportive, it won’t give you a great experience in the opposite situation. In this case, I think having the resistance shields is still a nice boon for when your team is at a disadvantage, meaning that this Vaccinator is still no slouch in uncoordinated groups.

Versus other mediguns I’ve talked about the “Medigun triangle,” which is not really a hard-and-fast rule but works a bit like a triangle anyway. The Kritzkrieg’s Ubercharge can easily break through the Quick-Fix’s, which can outheal the damage of a patient under the stock Ubercharge, which can nullify the Kritzkrieg’s crits. But on the other hand, the Kritzkrieg builds faster than the stock medigun, allowing you to deploy a preemptive strike.

This Vaccinator doesn’t completely beat the Kritzkrieg’s charge, but the combination of crit resistance and damage resistance is very powerful - and it also charges faster than the Kritzkrieg. I’m sure that it isn’t a full denial of the Kritzkrieg, but it’s a significant relationship that we should keep in mind lest it significantly change which mediguns see use.

Conclusion Overall, this turned out remarkably well, with no really glaring issues. More would be revealed in playtesting, of course, but I’m still quite pleased at what we’ve managed to accomplish.

What about you? Do you prefer something about the Vaccinator that I haven’t discussed here? Or would you like the “real Ubercharge” feel of this weapon?

[jeevanrekhablog]

Endocrinology Hospital in Jaipur, Comprehensive Care for Hormonal Health - Jeevan Rekha Hospital

Endocrinology Hospital in Jaipur: Comprehensive Care for Hormonal and Metabolic Disorders

Endocrinology is a specialized field in medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to hormones and the endocrine system. these disorders get affect different glands in the trunk, such as arsenic the thyroid gland pancreas adrenal glands and acromegalic secretory organs, up to amplified health Problems include diabetes thyroid gland diseases metabolous disorders and further. If you are looking for an Endocrinology hospital in Jaipur, Jeevan Rekha Super Multispeciality Hospital is one of the leading options offering state-of-the-art facilities and expert care to patients suffering from endocrine and metabolic conditions.

Understanding Endocrinology and Its Importance

Endocrinology focuses on the body's hormonal system which is vital for maintaining balance and ensuring the proper Role of organs and problems. hormones are chemic messengers that order a breed of physical methods, including increased metastasis breeding and mode. When these hormones are imbalanced due to various conditions or diseases, they can very importantly affect a person's overall health. endocrinologists are fine to name and care for these conditions to fix hormonal correspondence and improve the character of patients

some green endocrinal disorders include:

diabetes mellitus: a progressive check where the trunk either does not get decent insulin (type one diabetes) or cannot in effect employ the insulin it produces (type ii diabetes)

thyroid disorders: conditions such as arsenic hypothyroidism thyrotoxicosis thyroid gland nodules and thyroid gland cancer the crab strikes the thyroid gland gland's power to get hormones that order metabolism

polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos):  check in women defined away hormonal asymmetry strong periods and cysts along the ovaries

osteoporosis: A metabolous pearl disease where castanets go toffee and delicate appropriate to  release of weave typically consequent from hormonal changes or lack of calcium or vitamin d

adrenal disorders: conditions poignant the adrenal gland glands, such as arsenic addison's disease, cushing's syndrome and adrenal gland tumors

pituitary disorders: Problems relevant to the acromegalic secretory organ which get strike increase breeding and general hormonal correspondence in the body

[bronze-bell]

The garden was supposed to be still, with nature's music overtaking those chaotic and ever-overlapping and oh-so-loud thoughts. And yet, amid the sounds of leaves swaying and birds chirping, came the sound of breathing. Not his own breaths, but another's, behind him, ragged, shaky. He had to be imagining this. It was just his mind creeping in on him again.

Until it wasn't. Until he felt a tap on his shoulder and whipped around, very quickly needing to re-balance on his cane to get his bearings back together. The first thing he noticed was the flash of red and gold in front of him. The second thing he noticed was the letter in the postman's hands, held towards him. The third thing he noticed was, as his eyes wandered upward despite how he tried to keep them down, were the tear stains on a face that he could tell had makeup on it, that his arm almost reached upward to wipe away - he didn't have Victor's color of concealer or anything, but maybe he could fix something. But all he did after that twitch of motion was take the letter, the postman already out of sight by the time he could investigate even the blank seal. When he looked up, to see no one there, it was too much. Everything was too much, the words and voices and noise kept ringing in his mind. Holding the letter between his knuckles, he would strike his tuning fork as he forced himself to tread the path back to his room, forced himself to concentrate on the thing that worked to silence his thoughts.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

(The letter is written on a rather thick, firm cardstock, the kind that doesn't fold easily. The kind that holds its shape. The kind that isn't so transparent as to show its components to those who can shine the correct light upon it. The envelope is sturdy to account for the paper within, and the seal is the same as previously. As before, Frederick can be seen waiting by the postbox, every so often striking his tuning fork as he waits, the letter in his inside coat pocket.)

Dear Victor Grantz,

I will not pretend I have a proper reply, especially since our distorted writings have... different ways of showing up. Regardless, the fact that you've sent me these writings at all... The fact you replied to me in the first place after I may have said more than you were ready for means a lot to me. I don't want to be alone again.

Victor, I know how it feels to not do well and not be able to show it. To have to pretend it's all fine. We can say these things in our correspondence, why not in any other way? Even if you're not better, I want to be with you. I don't care how much louder the voices get when I put together what happened, how much pain you're in.

When such things need to be kept secure, simply dropping them in the postbox and hoping nobody breaks the seal and snoops isn't good enough. The wrong person knowing the wrong things can... truly ruin you in ways untold. I know words on a page like this are difficult to erase, so it is especially important these stay between us.

(The handwriting here is shaky, words barely keeping themselves within their lines.)

Thank you for... believing in my work. It is more than I can say many people do. Maybe you are the one who is too kind. I do not know what finding comfort and talent in your work looks like, but I hope one day you will find that.

(The words reorient themselves here, but it is noticeable that the penmanship was done with a tense hand, as if to force such a thing, rather than let the letters flow where they may.)

Something as small as that brought you into so much... anyone could have found that letter, but you did, and you returned it. You... truly are kind.

...Perhaps that may be what they meant by 'easy to please', but... at the same time, I think there may be more to that. Not having to give much in order to satisfy... and then using such things in all the wrong ways.

I... cannot quite make out the entirety of the words here, but if I am understanding correctly from the parts I can see, you... you don't have to say a thing. I'm... afraid for you. Afraid I'll lose you.

Having such a window to the soul is a double edged sword, I suppose. Showing so much and yet not being clear about the meaning of what's visible.

I will not write such a guess. For both of our sakes, given what I've seen written previously. There is the superficial knowledge of people, and then there is this. Then there is giving each other all this information, and trusting the other with such things.

Regarding your last point, I doubt I've been thrown quite as many ways as you have. Even so, when we lose our balance, I hope we can catch each other when we fall. You're more than a postman, Victor. So much more. A person like you should never have had to go through all that.

Sincerely,

Frederick K.

P.S. Would you prefer I burn the rest of our correspondence, given your notice at the end of your last letter? (I considered asking Florian for advice on how to do so, but I was concerned that I'd tip him off, so I did no such thing.)

The postman leaves as he usually does after the letter, except... You can still hear his faint, tense breathing from somewhere around, even when he's seemingly left for any other place in the manor. He must be watching, you realise. Waiting for your reaction. Maybe you should look for him, after you have finished. Be very careful to not scare him away. After all you've gotten him to trust you enough to stay somewhat near.

(the letter is written on similar cardstock, and the envelope is brown and boring, as to not draw any attention. The seal is a similar brown, almost like it's trying to blend into the paper. It's loose, you realise, as only a small dot of melted wax keeps it together, making it easy to open even with gloved hands. He seems to have designed it so you would not need to use a letter opener, if you wished to read it here and now.

It is, again, stained, but the edges are crinkled too, as if he had been gripping it tightly as he delivered it to you. Most of the words inside are shaky, but still all are readable.)

[Dear Frederick,

You do not need to burn the letters. I am hopefully understandably paranoid nervous about anybody potentially reading them, but knowing you have kept my secrets so well... even with enough evidence to ruin me it's strangely sweet of you. Thank you. Keep me them safe, please.

I do not want to be alone again.

I am fine, I promise you. I had a visible mishap yesterday, but I am feeling better now. I can't not be. It's physically impossible. Even if I cry, I am fine. Even if I break, I will always be okay. The problem is when other people think I am not, and I get punished for it. Do not worry for me, if they find me again you'll be the first target and you're my only living friend in

I cannot talk, you should know this. It's not even the stitches anymore, they're not as tight as they were before they came here. That's how I'm able to eat properly, now. I carry a chalkboard for these sorts of occasions, but I have always felt anxious about keeping people waiting as I think. It may turn into a one-sided game of yes-or-no, I apologise.

Of course I believe in you, I don't think I could imagine a world where I do not. You fit your job like a glove, and it is wonderful to see. I do not think I have seen anybody better than you at what you do. It was a surprise when I realised people just wanted you for your appearance. I've always paid attention to the music itself, so I never thought it needed to matter. I still don't think it does.

Of course I returned it, that had has always been my job, and I don't even know how it had gotten lost in the first place. A dog who bore an address on their collar seemed to know the way to it, and she was almost my only friend then, I would follow her anywhere even if the address seemed strange, so I managed to complete the delivery.

I think I they were used in the ways they always were supposed to, but I am not used to having people to praise yet, so I am not confident in that. Does it matter if it feels nice?

I'm not a pers

You are incredibly sweet for being afraid for me, by the way. I don't understand why you are at all, but it's... Lovely to be cared about. I wonder what emotions you hold when you read the words I write you? Are they what I think they may be? I would like to see, some day.

Sincerely, Postman.]