#and hes kind of a brat
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i am really hoping this entire chapter will be a wake up call for mall/eus. obviously we have yet to see everything-- but his ob seems starkly different. like he is mostly himself, and very aware of what he's doing. he is lashing out, because for one of the first times ever, something is completely beyond his control. we know he threw massive tantrums as a child; he set things on fire, he froze stuff. this is just on a much larger scale-- because he's older, and stronger. and while he has tempered himself and his magic a lot, he's not perfect.
and it's funny too, because he's viewed as cold and unapproachable. but i really do feel like he is driven 100000% by his emotions. and while him joining nrc was a sweet idea offered by lilia-- he has always been a ticking time bomb. because instead of addressing his behavior, it's kind of just been put under a blanket.
#muse: malleus draconia. / 🐲#about / headcanons. / 🍁#iygjshdkgjhsdkjg#man i love him but like?????????#he rlly is too driven by how he feels#i think so anyway#i havent seen 100% of the events#but i have seen / read a LOT this week#and hes kind of a brat#and kind of mean sometimes????#like hes v sweet too but#hsdkjfhgkjsh#two sides of the same coin
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daeron conversation mentioning him being a prestigious musician leading into helaena saying "this [cricket] stopped singing.." ................ with war coming to the reach......... :((((
#DAEERRROOONNNNNNN#hes a lutist…. hes kind…. kms#Guys oldtown brat pack can be something that can be so PERSONAL#Did i show u guys my episode pitches for oldtown brat pack sitcom or was that just twitter#hotd spoilers#hotd#Also where tf is otto.#Oh man his boat probably got taken over by pirates. theyre torturing that old man
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My take on ww that I need more people to envision
#my vision of petty brat sassy childish ww who can't keep his emotion in check going wghwtf tears up at the slightest speck of kindness#i think he's lame and pathetic (affectionate)#nicholas d wolfwood#vash the stampede#i keep on forgetting to post here#vashwood#kinda /p#myuminjiart#trigun#trigun stampede
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one thing i really adore about togame is his word choice and how unexpectedly soft his way of phrasing sentences are. it's almost impossible to translate into english because there's no equivalent verb ending, but you can kind of tell the difference in his tone use. when you listen to sakura talk, for example, the ends of his sentences sound a little harsh and abrupt since he uses a typically informal tone; whereas togame's a lot softer (even if we account for his slower speed), and he uses a verb ending that's rather unusually rounded and unexpected of someone with a physical appearance like him. the elongated ends of his sentences exaggerate this, especially during his pre-bofurin fight when he uses that tone as a way to annoy his opponents.
#when he's ripping the jacket off saruatari and he says the 'we dont need weak ppl in shishitoren' line#you can really hear him use his tone#or when he talks to sakura for the first time#it's a bit of a generalisation but his verb endings are kind of girly in a typical sense#you would hear it more in the way girls talk to guys (a bit pick me ig)#i think it's very cute that there's a strikingly large man whose word choice is surprisingly gentle#it's also why i think he's a bit of a brat#he's whiney and always sounds like he's pouting#when he's telling choji's listen to him i seear he's got his bottom lip out in a pout#that was the point i wanted to make#but i needed to sound like i knew what i was saying#not just 'togame brat'#because im always saying that#now here's the theory behind it#togame jo#wind breaker
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Same bitches who were all about brat summer couldn't even handle Bunny Corcoran
#r/joke r/laughs r/nonserious#hes like. the ultimate brat#like the worst kind#idc i love him#henry probably has a daddy kink lowkey#bcs of his daddy issues ngl#nobody read the tags ill kill u sorry :(#or maybe u'll die urself reading this AGAGAGA SORRY#ofc i had to make this abt winterbunny btw#bunny corcoran#tsh#the secret history#henry winter#tsh donna tartt#winterbunny#richard papen#charles macaulay#francis abernathy#camilla macaulay#winterpapen
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https://youtu.be/RbgDHyeQNdE?si=WXnghZZuAyvgumVL
Keith saying him and Matthews fiancé do the cooking for him and he just sits there and heckles them. So on brand.
"And how about your barbecuing skills? It looked like you knew what you were doing behind that grill!" "Well, Matthew is pretty useless so! Unlike Brady—Brady can, you know, does things on his own but Matthew likes when I'm down there so I do cook and his fiancée, Ellie, does a great job so. He just sits back and critiques us but forgets that we're the ones doing all the work for him. Which—hey! It was playoffs! I'll do anything for my children."
NHL Tonight: First Shift | 10.16.24 (x)
unfortunately tracks for him and im still crying into my hands its always the one who cant cook for shit thats the mouthiest about it
and considering this clip from faceoff it really does track
#ask#matthew tkachuk#brady tkachuk#keith tkachuk#florida panthers#i love when you can see the family tree of vocal tics#the ei! is intricate#the apple does not fall far from the tree in terms of vocalisms#oh the tkachuks what a family#the peanut gallery does have a lot to say huh id like to see you pick up those tongs you brat#the art of barbeque is an intricate one MAFFHEW SHUT IT#but maffhew giving ellie shit like the little brat he is#i think it makes the banana bread clip cuter he was soooooo proud to brag about it#but he probably was a little shit about it when she was mixing the batter#“ill do anything for my children” like being his personal cook despite him being a whole ass adult. parenthood is beautiful thing.#(no its terribly sweet btw)#godbless this family who does not take each others shit at all thats the best kind of fambily#like a whole tree of chickadees they do not stop chirping#special thank you to @/fannyyann because its truly a gift you screenrecorded those episodes and it makes clipping so much easier amen 🙏#maffhew being described as useless. oh the princess will not lift a single finger! she will not!!#she is here to be pampered and loved and to be waited on hand and foot!!!!
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fated encounter with that ‘brat’ again
#‘brat’ being the kid in kannas flashback#who is totally joe idc argue with the wall#yttd is so full of connections and fated one-off encounters#also ive been thinkin of no death game au for a min…..#mmm dont wanna talk about it here just yet but mayhaps ill draw another thing for it soon who knowsss#yttd#your turn to die#kgs#kimi ga shine#kanna kizuichi#joe tazuna#joe yttd#kanna yttd#yttd fanart#not ship if it wasn’t obvious joe is just a very kind boy ok he wants to make friends with the whole world
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Platonic Hanahaki AU: Natsume is cursed by a youkai to cough up flowers. He's told that the curse is caused by one-sided love, and so he resigns himself to slowly and painfully succumbing to a disease he can't explain to the humans around him.
In actuality, the curse is being worsened by Natsume's inability to see how deeply the people around him love him. The sicker he gets, the more his friends and family (both human and youkai) come out to show him just how much they care :')
#natsume (coughing up blood and petals): 'i love my new family and friends too much but they naturally don't love someone like me as deeply'#meanwhile he has a literal HOARD of humans and youkai coming by his house to deliver acts of kindness and gifts and teary well wishes#nyanko-sensei is going to bite this stupid brat#natsume yuujinchou#my posts#au ideas#fic ideas
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it's september which means i'm getting the fallout 4 itch again so behold. the return of my skunk son tiberius. he has every disease
taglist (opt in/out)
@velocitic, @deadrlngers, @euryalex, @ordinarymaine, @gurathins;
@mojaves, @shellibisshe, @dickytwister, @mnwlk, @rindemption;
@ncytiri, @calenhads, @noirapocalypto, @florbelles, @radioactiveshitstorm;
@strafethesesinners, @fashionablyfyrdraaca, @aemondtargeryen, @radioactive-synth, @katsigian;
@estevnys, @elgaravel, @aezyrraeshh
#fo4#art#art:tiberius#nuclearocs#nuclearart#he's kind of like if shaggy was a cu/nt who cursed every other sentence on a surface level but at the same time he's very intelligent#but it's buried behind sixteen layers of disinterest dissociation and sarcasm. AND he's a brat#can you tell i always romance maccready with this loser
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Traffic!Scott is such a messed up thing, I need to put him on a petri dish.
Think about it. He's incredibly competent but will nerf himself, a pacifist yet will terrorise Joel for a giggle. He craves someone to pour into him so desperately, but continues to appoint himself homemaker and provider. He wants peace and tender love yet his closest alliances include one of the Furies, a red-hooded psychopath¹ and a backstabbing weasel² who doesn't even think Scott's real.
He's the friendliest guy in the server. He's a petulant little bitch. He enjoys getting under people's skin. He's generous and devoted. He's dismissive and callous. He loves pretty things as much as he loves chipping away at people's hearts, one well-aimed arrow at a time. He's a creative force. He's a chaos gremlin. He poisons the well and builds walls full of lava. He looks for devotion and commitment within a death game, he'll have you run yourself ragged to earn his approval, he'll trade his life for one sweet word, he'll watch his chosen one become a hungry, hateful thing and giggle in delight as they tear him apart.
HE HAUNTS ME.
¹ 5 am Pearl ily <3 ² Backstabbing weasel (affectionate)
#elle blabbers mcyt#mcyt#trafficblr#scott smajor#smajor1995#head in hands HEAD IN HANDS#i am Unwell#through loyalty he won the game of treason and managed to piss off the eldritch ringleaders so completely by being AN ABSOLUTE BRAT#compliance? never heard of her#everything he's ever let go of has claw marks on it#the aquatic theme from limlife truly suits this character well#predatory and prickly and venomous. takes a particular kind of clown(fish) to feel at home in his arms#this is just an excuse to slide in some majorwood propaganda#but imagine if c!scott let go of that tight leash he keeps himself in#come on mr smajor. give us the villain
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And if I say April Foolsverse Caelum should be a sadism demon what are y’all doing. If I said the most terrifying thing would be this 8 year old telling you to isolate and kys with a huge grin on his face as if what he’s saying isn’t incredibly threatening and fucked up what is the consensus because genuinely this would be my favorite shit
Freelancer: …
Sadism!Caelum: You should kys :)😃
Freelancer: YOU KNOW THAT THATS NOT APART OF YOUR JOB RIGHT? LIKE ME DYING DOESNT PROVIDE YOU FOOD??
Caelum: Yeah but have you considered it’s fucking funny
(He proceeds to have his mouth washed out with soap by Freelancer but escapes mid way through like a pissed off cat, hissing and hunching up in the corner to escape his punishment)
#he would be an asshole#like the worst kind of guy a complete brat#freelancer takes him outside and he’s biting other kids and they’re like ‘SORRY THAT ONES MINE I PROMISE HE DOESNT HAVE RABIES EVEN +’#‘IF HE SAID HE DID’#def giving off satina vibes for Caelum with Freelancer being a much more stressed out version of her dad#He’s still a sucker for Gavin though and loves to rest his head on his big brother’s chest he’s baby#fools!gavin would be the only one to sooth him and tame Caelum honestly#tw kys joke#kys joke#sh jokes#tw sh joke#cw kys joke#cw kys mention#cw sh joke#lemme know if I missed any of those important tags for this /srs#I find the jokes funny but I don’t want anyone to be unnecessarily squicked out if I can stop it /gen#redacted caelum#Caelum redacted#redacted freelancer#freelancer redacted#redacted fandom#foolsverse#redactedverse#redacted asmr#caelum redacted audio#redacted audios#redacted audio#redacted daemons
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sam can control dean emotionally by pleading & using submissive puppy dog eyes while dean has physical control over sam. you understand
#might expand on this later#i partly agree that the power imbalance in their relationship goes both ways#i say PARTLY bc dean isn’t just an older brother but also a father for sam#and sam wants his trust & praise & approval#but i think it’s important to remember that the power they have over each other is not the same#dean craves physical control over sam bc it’s part of “taking care of and protecting sam” for him but also bc he’s extremely possessive#and his biggest fear is losing sam. so he always needs some kind of reminder that sam is his that he owns him#when sam acts like a brat and tries to get out of his control dean goes violent and insane#and yes he’s fully capable of hurting sam in the process (the panic room is my fave example)#sam’s power is more emotional & subtle & feminine#he knows exactly what effect his submissiveness & needy behavior have on dean and sometimes he uses it to get what he wants#anyway i have sm thoughts on this#also i talk a lot about how dean being !physically! sub in their relationship is extremely ooc in my opinion#so i wanted to explain a bit#wincest#samdean#spn
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DP x DC Prompt:
Summoning circles are more complicated than people give them credit for. They’re a bit like a mix between a thumb print, a name, a phone number, and a recipe; and at the same time, nothing like any of those things.
In reality, most summoning circles in spell books and ancient texts are incomplete, representing only a fraction of a particular spirit’s identity.
A complete circle will actually be a series of different summoning circles, with each concentric ring representing an aspect of the spirit’s identity and having individual requirements and/or offerings needed. Ghosts have an innate awareness of them and are able to draw and describe their requirements from any sort of inward reflection.
Ghosts will often give out incomplete circles as a means of communication and transportation. A single ring of the circle will only open the door, and each ring added makes the pull and connection to the summoner stronger. Ghosts will also sometimes use incomplete circles to mark and monitor their haunts and as a way of claiming territory.
A complete summoning circle will occasionally but inevitably change over time, as parts of the spirit’s identity change.
The circle will always be a closely guarded secret. This is because, much like giving your true name to the fae, giving out your full summoning circle will allow the summoner to not only capture you, but to command and control you.
After Danny was shown Dan’s future where he killed the world, he made Jazz memorize his complete circle and told her to use it if he ever turned evil. She thought he was being ridiculous, but learned the spell when she saw how frightened he had become of himself.
When the summoning circle of the Ghost King was added to his identity, he tried to make her memorize the new circle, only for her to flat out refuse, saying it’s not healthy for him to make these kind of contingencies. They get into a really bad fight and Danny flies off determined to find someone he can trust with his circle should he turn evil.
As he’s flying over his town he feels the slight tug on his consciousness indicating someone is trying to summon the Ghost King. He lets his awareness bleed through the summoning just enough to see that… yup it’s cultists again. At least there’s no sacrifices this time.
He’s about to shrug the summoning off like he has so many others when he suddenly sees someone fighting through the cultists. Oh! Make that several someones.
With a giddy sort of eagerness Danny watches Batman and his sidekicks cut through the crowd of religious fanatics, even taking down a couple that looked like they were using ghost-based magic. He’d always admired the Dark Knight, but seeing him fight in person is something else.
It’s as the hero is tying up the cultists and checking their injuries that a lightbulb goes off in Danny’s head, and, after a moment of steeling his determination, he lets himself be pulled through the summoning circle.
The Bats all tense up as the circle at the center of the room grows brighter, readying themselves for another fight. Danny tries to smile reassuringly as he feels his form materialize, though they likely can’t see it in the bright flash of light that accompanies it.
He frowns when he realizes the summoning had dressed him in his royal armor and cloak, the crown of fire burning above his head and ring of rage glaring from his right hand.
He tries raising his hands in an “I am not a threat,” pose, before realizing it looks exactly like the Box Ghost’s “Beware!” pose. He tucks his hands under his armpits, then awkwardly waves at the group of vigilantes.
“Hi there! Wow that was really cool- Thanks for taking care of these guys for me.”
The vigilantes once again tense up as Danny steps out of the circle towards them. Danny smiles sheepishly.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to talk to you, Batman.”
Batman steps forward, approaching Danny as he stands just outside the circle, a living shadow that looms larger than life. Still, Danny senses something soften in his gaze as he looks over the teenage Ghost King, stopping just out of reach of him. Danny gazes back at his childhood hero, hoping he’s making the right choice.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
#Red hood doodling these intense circular designs in the corners of his favorite books not knowing what they mean#Dick: Oooooh what’s that little wing? it looks cool! Jason: (blushing but can’t figure out why) Nothing! Fuck off!#Jason’s subconscious: he called me cool! :)#Jason storming into the Batcave - ‘WHERE’S MY COPY OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE- DEMON BRAT I KNOW YOU HAVE IT!!!!’#Jason starts tagging the edges of Crime Alley#He’ll suddenly get on coms like ‘Get out of my territory Old Man!’ (How did he know we were here? He’s across town!)#dpxdc#dpxdc prompt#ghost king danny#summoning circles#summoning circle lore#danny phantom#batman#halfa jason todd#or at least some kind of undead#but I guess that’s only in the tags right now#my writing
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my biggest gripe with the manhwa rn is that they made javier more of an asshole than he is in the novel and then took away most of the scenes where we see him being kind and soft with others.
javier can be an ass, he is a brat and he's especially annoying when he's with lloyd, but above anything else he is kind and loyal and selfless and good. i cannot emphasize enough how good javier is. he's the kind of person who cannot see someone in trouble or danger and do nothing about it. he's the kind of person who would sacrifice his life for total strangers and no hope of any reward. he's the kind of person who can't even enjoy a lavish party without feeling guilty because he'd much rather help people in need with that money.
he's so fucking good, lloyd is a little annoyed by it because he keeps getting dragged into life-threatening situations because javier just won't stop helping people they don't even know. mind you, lloyd is also endeared by this and would not want him to change but god can it be frustrating in his endeavor to keep them both alive.
there's this particular scene that i just. i'm so sad it was cut. where javier is helping around the refugee camp, going without sleeping and eating so he can focus on helping as many people as possible and then he spots a little kid that got lost on his way back. so he decides to help him.
and he's so gentle with this kid.
Javier walked over to the kid and called him. The flustered boy looked up. Javier strove to put on a warm smile on his face. "Are you lost?" “...” The boy nodded, his eyes all wet. Javier carefully stroked the boy's head. "I think I can help you with that. Why don't you let me help find your tent?" suggested Javier. “...” The boy nodded again. "But why didn't you eat the food? It's going to get cold. Are you not hungry?" "I am… hungry," the boy finally said. But what he said next caught Javier by surprise. "But I won't eat it," said the boy. "Why not?" "My mother is hungrier." "Is that so?" "Yes." “...” Javier wondered why this kid came out to take the food when he had a mother. There must be a reason, he thought to himself. He held out his hand. "I will hold the tray for you." "..." "I won't spill it. I promise." "Okay..." Javier took the tray and wrapped the boy’s hand with his own.
like. god. javier is not a naturally warm person. he's very reserved and stoic and sometimes outright cold, but he still tries so hard with this kid. because he knows what it's like to be him. he knows what it's like to be a child and be scared and hungry and without a home. and he remembers how much it meant for a kind adult to reach out a hand to him and help. and he wants to be that to others too.
everything he does, he does because he genuinely believes it's the right thing to do and therefore his obligation. and even when it doesn't come naturally to him, like being warm and gentle to a child, he still tries his best to do so.
and like that wasn't enough, when they finally find the kid's mom, javier finds out she's blind. recently blinded actually. that she used all her strength to get her child to safety and now she has to depend on him to take care of them because she can't do it anymore. her blouse is smudged with porridge.
so javier kneels down and explains who he is, why he's there and that he wants to help. he lifts up a spoonful of food and slowly and carefully starts to feed her himself. she's a complete stranger and javier doesn't hesitate one second to do this for her.
this is who javier is!! this is who he is at his core!! he's kind and he's selfless and he's above all else good!!
if your audience can't imagine javier comforting a child, then you failed your audience. you missed the point of his character.
#i talk a lot <3#tged#the greatest estate developer#ch 127#javier asrahan#sorry i have a lot of feelings about javier and how fucking good he is despite being constantly shoved into his role as badass protagonist#the world wants him to be the knight of blood and iron so bad but he's a kid whose world fell apart when he was a child#and then received kindness for kindness sake and he has never forgotten this.#he will always try to be the helping hand that he received from someone else first#HE'S A BRAT BUT ONLY WHEN HE'S WITH LLOYD. THAT'S BEST FRIEND PRIVILEGE BITCH.#and even with lloyd it's meant to be proof of his trust and closeness to him!! it's meant to reflect how javier doesn't feel the need#to be perfect and always in control with lloyd!! how he trusts him with the annoying and whiny and mean parts of him!!#there's a point to their banter and their bitchiness to each other!! he's not an asshole just because!!#also i've decided i dislike that they made him so expressive. he Would Not Say That. nor would he make that face.#when lloyd can tell what javier is feeling it's supposed to be special because no one else can.#no one else gets to know javier like lloyd does. THIS IS A BIG POINT OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP HOLY SHIT HOW CAN YOU MISS IT.#i'm fine. i'm good. i'm normal about this.
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also like au where teenaged Li xiangyi runs into also teenaged di feisheng mid fight with a di assassin, li xiangyi finds out about the mind control bug via idk overhearing the two Di kids being like 'yeah neither of us want to do this really but y'know. it's not like we have a choice' or whatever, and thus li xiangyi, baby activist for JUSTICE ends up fully derailing his sort of vauge plans to set up a sect in favour of dealing with this terrible injustice because it's, y'know, pretty fucked up and also he's been in the martial world for about six weeks max and in that time he's seen one (1) sect fully massacred like his repressed trauma backstory, presumably thrown himself into a bunch of other unfair fights, and is now faced with a guy only a couple years older than him who's digging his kind-of sect brother's grave after being forced to fight him to death because of fucking mind control slavery
(because on the one hand he's still kind of an arrogant brat, and on the other hand this shit is fucked up and also super personal and kinda complicated in a way that 'just sword the problem to jail/death' can't actually fix, given the whole mind control thing, and he is very rapidly finding out that wow, turns out everything off the mountain is actually very extremely fucked up and way more complicated than he thought.)
shan gudao shows up after like, barely a week away doing idk, sketchy nanyin related things probably, and his arrogant brat of a shidi is immediately hey guess what shixiong new plan we can get back to sect building later, also this is my new best friend he's awesome at sword and barely socialised, also also he's crashing with us now or rather I'm crashing with him and his band of weirdos he's collecting!
#mysterious lotus casebook#li xiangyi#di feisheng#waters words#anyway Jinyuan alliance But Plus Li Xiangyi is just. incredibly compelling in the kind of train crash way to me#di feisheng who is fully Not Ok bc killing another di kid and then there's this? random arrogant brat?#but he knows and he has skills and he's maybe the girst person to ever tell him#that hey. that wasn't ok. that was fucked up. let me help you.#(also like i sort of get the impression that the thing that tips di fortress from 'wow brutal training but like. fine'#to 'oh thats Fucked Up and Super Evil' is actually the mind control bugs. like. socially#li lianhua only finds out about the bugs when they go to di fortress!#prior to that it seems kinda like. not Fine but like. not 'oh my god what the fuck' that di fortress is just churning through kids)
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HOSPITALITY AND GIFT ECONOMY IN THE HIGHLANDS: A POST.
Rites of hospitality are of key importance and taken very seriously in this cultural context, especially given the frequency at which individuals will be traveling (as herders, or along intra-Highlands trade routes). These rites exist as the concept of 'Shiab's peace', a divinely mandated contract of hospitality under the watch of Shiab, goddess of the hearth and of travelers. This is invoked with a standardized verbal exchange with a member of the household- the prospective guest will greet with “I would ask Shiab’s peace of you”, the host, if accepting, will respond with “You will have Shiab’s peace here.” While not explicitly an oath, it is understood as such and ascribed the same profound significance (both social and spiritual consequences for violation).
A potential host can refuse (though usually doesn't, hosting is an honor and can be a power play), but the mere request for Shiab's peace imbues temporary spiritual protection on the asker- one’s most loathed enemy must at least be allowed to leave unharmed, even if denied guest rite. (This isn’t a get out of jail free card, a request for Shiab’s peace is a request for hospitality, not mercy, the goddess will not be protecting you if you attempt to use it in the midst of combat or etc).
Once mutually invoked, the expectations of Shiab’s peace are as follows:
The host should provide for the guest’s basic needs generously within their means, and allow them to stay for a night and provide them a place to sleep.
The guest and host much each provide their names and titles, though the guest is under no obligation to explain the reasons for their presence and cannot be asked.
The guest must accept all food offered (and gifts, though this is not specific to Shiab's peace and rather part of a wider practice in the gift-economy).
The guest must ask for nothing, and take nothing that is not offered.
The guest is under full protection of the host, and vice versa. Theft, assault, or murder committed under Shiab's peace is a grave broken oath and one should expect very severe consequences (both supernatural and mundane, should others find out).
The guest (unless offered continued hospitality) must see themselves out after sunrise the following morning. They cannot be made to leave early.
If a guest is offered continued hospitality, they should offer to participate in any needed chores (the host can accept or decline at their discretion).
The protection of Shiab's peace continues until the following sunrise after the guest leaves (ie a host cannot pursue their leaving guest to steal from them)
Shiab's peace is universal and transcends conflicts, and once invoked cannot be violated under any circumstances. Members of a rival clan or of a tribe yours is at war with, a foreigner you're suspicious of, etc, are all fully under protection (and under their full expectations as a guest).
A guest that violates their expectations can be made to leave, as they have broken the oath and are no longer protected. (in practice, many hosts will let MINOR violations slide unless the guest is like, really annoying or godawful)
The host, in practice, will usually be the wife of the household (if present), as the wife is considered the owner of a family’s home, land, and property, and has final say on how resources are used and given. The host is expected to provide the guest food and drink and a place to stay for one night, and supply any other obvious basic needs (ie: if the guest’s clothing is worn or wet, they should be given fresh clothes). These gifts should be generous within one’s means, and in practice will usually be a square meal, mead/wine/murre, multiple rounds of tea, and a breakfast the following morning. A host that does not provide expected basic needs within their means is in violation of Shiab’s peace and has broken their oath, and should expect consequences.
A guest is not literally oathbound to practice ideal social etiquette, but it's a cultural expectation (ie, the guest should finish all their food and save some bread for last to scoop up anything left in the bowl, not a hard requirement but good manners). They are fully expected to accept any and all gifts offered. A guest should neither take nor ask for anything not freely given (all basic needs should have been met by the host to begin with). It IS acceptable for a guest to imply further needs in conversation, so long as they do not directly request them: ie mentioning in conversation that their leg is hurt and they can only hope their travels do not make it worse, as it would take days of rest for it to heal (“I need to stay multiple nights, can we work that out?”), or mentioning that their pack khait has gone lame and cannot carry their supplies, they fear they will have to leave both animal and supplies behind (“Will you lend me a pack ox/khait?”). These roundabout requests are still at least expected to be Truthful in nature (and all of this is happening under the watch of a deity, there may be consequences for lying).
Hosts may give extra gifts at their discretion- these can either be charitable, or indebting. A charitable gift will be given with further verbal declaration of Shiab’s peace, which establishes it as an act of goodwill and that the guest is not in the host’s debt. An indebting gift will be given with no declaration of Shiab's peace. The guest is obligated to accept either.
Indebting gifts are a part of the wider political and economic structure of the Highlands, a separate (though linked) practice to guest hospitality. The vast majority of the economy relies on trade of goods, with an additional dimension of this gift economy. Being able to give gifts is a display of wealth and power, establishing one’s family or clan above another in a social hierarchy. The most powerful are able to give the most extravagant gifts, and will have many other clans/families considered perpetually in their debt if the gift cannot be met with one of equal or greater value. This debt is immaterial- it is not actually Expected to be paid (it’s better for the gift-giver if it ISN'T), rather it establishes/reinforces one's place in a power structure and regulates the conduct of the gift receiver (it can be evoked to call in favors or settle disputes). A debt held by a single person translates to their immediate family, while a debt held by a clan matriarch/patriarch translates to their entire clan.
Cattle raiding is both a practical means of resource acquisition and a part of this wider political schema, and often figures into the gift structure. Stealing cattle and then giving them back as a gift is a power play, it declares ‘our men are better than yours (they’ve stolen the cattle successfully) and we are wealthier than you (we don’t even need them)’, while also settling the score and dissuading retaliation. Stealing cattle and then giving MORE (or different, higher quality) cattle as a gift is a massive power play, declaring much the same things to a greater extent, dissuading retaliation, AND putting the theft victim/gift recipient into the debt of the thieves.
Power structures within tribes are passively enforced by this gift giving structure- the ruling clan of each (which in practice usually controls the best agricultural land and largest herds, and is most involved in trade) will provide gifts to all clans subservient to them (and particularly generous gifts to potential rivals), keeping them indebted and lower in the social structure. Ruling clans who lose the ability to afford to give gifts, or find themselves indebted, will often be usurped (not strictly as a result of their debt, rather that losing ability to stay on top of the gift system generally occurs in conjunction with a diminished material power/wealth).
These combined practices result in very complex, often aggravating political power structures, but reduce the frequency of open conflict between clans within a tribe (which are frequently at odds), providing other avenues for power/material acquisition and for the settling of scores. Most open conflicts occur between clans within separate tribes or entire tribes (less likely to have secure power structures enforced by gift/trade), though practices of raiding and combat-sport provide some levels of tension release via less-violent score settling.
Other dimensions of the gift economy are not directly indebting (in not establishing a power structure), and considered paid via mutual partnership. Alliances between clans of different tribes are usually established in continued gift-giving (declared explicitly as gifts of allegiance), with the implied payment being mutual material support (supplying warriors, sharing grazing land, open trade, etc), which is usually reinforced with binding oaths. Marriages also involve gifts. A bride price is fairly standard (which is a straightforward payment for property and assets the wife's mother will be passing into her son-in-law's care), and a husband who cannot supply one is considered in his mother in law's debt (and may not gain full integration into the family until this is paid). But as supplement to the bride price, members of each family will freely give gifts with no expectation of the value of their gifts being matched (declared as such by being specifically described as a gift of marriage), as a means of further allying both families and a show of goodwill.
#This figures into some small backstory stuff#The time when Brakul and Janeys were lost in the wilderness and dying so badly for a couple weeks was ended when they met a#single Naid-Troibadnas man who was a known recluse + exile + generally disliked and requested Shiab's peace from him (given they#were in the process of starving to death). The dude was meticulously polite and fulfilled his obligations as a host perfectly and#also gleefully took the opportunity to shower them in indebting gifts (especially since Brakul is Bict-Urbinnas and a rival-#and Janeys was some rich south Wardi brat who had no fucking idea what was going on and it was funny)#So Janeys was like 'Wow that guy gave us an entire khait that's fucking STUPID of him lol but great!' And Brakul's just like#Well. The second or third worst guy I know owns my ass now. And yours.#The guy still regularly informs traders along the Yellowtail route that the Haidamane family is indebted to him (doesn't expect anything#to come of it he just thinks it's hilarious) to the point that it reached Janeys' father's attention and at one point he sat him down#like Son........What the FUCK did you do.#Also this cultural backdrop made Brakul initially very wary of Janeys' propensity to give him expensive gifts.#Like he got the gist that the same practices are not at play but it still made him nervous that there was some expected debt#or an attempt to establish a power structure. (It IS kind of a power play but it's just like. courtship peacocking rather than#trying to establish superiority. And also some levels of 'please don't leave me pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease')#Though over a decade in he has no such concerns and is very content to be lavished.
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