#and sometimes they choose to live together

[serpentface]

A pair of Czekl drakes readying at a flower duel.

The one stretching and yawning is dressed in full dueling/dancing attire, which shows off material wealth via fine clothing and feathers while also exposing the sexiest part of his breeding plumage (in this culture it's the head and neck) and his flushed blue skin.

The other is his pair bonded partner, whose drab full body covering and clipped quills establishes that he is not available for reproduction this year, and meets expected modesty standards for a seasonally celibate drake. His presence makes his reproductively available partner more attractive to prospective hens, as it indicates that the celibate drake will have no offspring of his own this year and his full investment will be in his partner's young (and thus that of any hens who choose him).

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[Key for the typical sex assignments across qilik sexual variation:

Hen: Lays eggs, has duller coloration year-round, largest average body mass.

Drake: Produces sperm, has brighter coloration that molts into very colorful breeding plumage, skin seasonally flushes blue, smaller average body mass.

Faeder: Produces sperm and is usually physically indistinguishable from hens in average size and coloration. Can be anywhere between 1-25% of the sperm producing population.]

---

Qilik species-wide descend from an ancestral mating system in which hens did not form pair bonds with drakes and played no role in raising subadult offspring, and rather would mate with chosen drake(s) and leave their eggs with the most favored suitor. Drakes would form long term pair bonds with other (usually related) drakes and cooperatively brood and raise young together. Faeder would wander through lekking grounds and opportunistically mate with hens (without having to directly compete with drakes) and play no further role in hatching/rearing their offspring.

They have brief windows of seasonal fertility triggered by the springtime increase of daylight hours (with some equatorial populations having their cycles triggered by seasonal rains instead). Most drakes experience a significant surge of testosterone which causes their springtime molt producing very bright new feathers and their skin to flush blue (if they are well-nourished).

Modern qilik have full behavioral plasticity that subjects this baseline mating system to tremendous cultural variation. There are some broad commonalities- drakes perform the majority of child rearing across most cultures, forms of drake sexual display (whether directly involved in reproduction or not) are nearly ubiquitous in the form of various cultural practices (dances, songs, mock or real combat, etc), and seasonal fertility is a purely biological trait and a universal.

The nomadic culture and heavily dispersed population of the Czekl people means reproductive arrangements are rarely made in advance. Rather, regional populations assemble in established locations during mid spring for a month-long event where the usually separated hen/faeder clans and drake clans can mingle. This is a time for trade, for drake parents to find suitable clans for any of their young adult hen/faeder children, and for individuals looking to reproduce to find a suitable (and highly temporary) partner.

In this culture, hens usually play no direct part whatsoever in their children's lives and may very well never see them hatched. Hens are believed to be the mechanism that supplies spiritual ancestral guardianship to their young, but their material responsibility begins and ends with finding a drake who can show himself to be strong, handsome, healthy, tied to a good clan, and economically secure enough to take good care of their offspring. This process is sometimes accomplished with simple meeting and talking, but the flashiest ways for drakes to advertise themselves is the flower duel.

This is a combination of a dance and a fight, in which available drakes congregate on a dueling ground, match up against the best looking rival they can find, and attempt to pin them to the ground while also dancing to chanted music and showing off their finest clothing and sexy feathers. Hens will watch these proceedings (usually aided by other members of their clan), and can approach anyone that catches their eye after the fact to converse and ensure that they have found a good father for their children. This also functionally provides a mechanism for drakes who do not have a pair-bonded male partner to attract a co-parent, and this culture's equivalents of romance stories lavish attention to narratives of flower duel rivals becoming enamored in the process of their mock battle.

Czekl culture places very little expectation on even temporary fidelity, and hens will often mate with multiple drakes per season and only provide their single egg (often of indeterminate siring) to the one they deem best. It's up to an individual drake to not only prove that he's extremely sexy and excellent father material, but that he can be good company for the week or so between the first (of usually many) acts of breeding and his reproductive partner(s) laying their eggs. While hens and drakes rarely form any sort of permanent bond in this culture (and aren't likely to see each other whatsoever for the rest of the year), these temporary friendships can be meaningful and enjoyable. There's plenty of things to do at this gathering besides just showing off and fucking, and temporary mates that actually hit it off will often bring their respective clans together to socialize and trade.

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The modesty standards of qilik cultures trend towards regulating attire of drakes more intensely than hens/faeder, especially when in breeding plumage and skin condition. Czekl society has fairly limited modesty standards, with the cloaca being the only part of the body expected to remain publicly covered in most contexts regardless of gender. The only major exception is that drakes who are choosing to remain celibate for the breeding season (or who have secured as many partners as they can handle) are expected to demonstrate this with full body covering. The exposure of seasonally blue tinted skin and breeding plumage is treated as an advertisement of full sexual availability, and uncovered drakes who refuse any mating are often subject to aggression and treatment as sexually deviant.

Czekl drake pairs typically take turns playing the reproductive role, hence the routine presence of seasonally celibate males at this event. A drake being able to display that he not only has a bonded partner but one who will remain nonreproductive for this season increases his chances of reproductive hookups. It tends to be assumed that partnered drakes will disproportionately invest in their own offspring, so having sex with a drake who has a celibate male partner is seen by most hens as guaranteeing a better future for the one and only egg they can lay each year.

This perception is a cultural bias rather than a response to behavioral drives, as partnered drakes do not actually show instinctive preference for their own young over that of their pair-bonded partner's. The evolutionary background for this is rooted in pre-behaviorally modern qilik male partners very frequently being biological brothers, and thus reaping selective benefits in mutual care for their related young. This is not as ubiquitously the case for behaviorally modern qilik, though incest taboos are rarely applied to bonded drake relationships. In the Czekl sphere, up to a quarter of these nonreproductive pair bonds are between male siblings.

It is exceptionally rare for qilik cultures to form taboos surrounding homosexual behavior between drakes, and when extent they tend to regulate actual sex acts rather than the forming of these pair bonds in of themselves. Less rare is acceptance of drake celibacy (outside of various religious contexts that dictate it), referring to complete/attemptedly lifelong abstinence from mating with hens. Czekl (and most central plains qilik groups) do not police the sexuality of drakes as aggressively as more intensely hen-matriarchal cultures do, but it’s still an expectation that all drakes will participate in bringing offspring to their clans over the course of their lives. Those who remain Serially (rather than seasonally) celibate are often subject to discrimination and sometimes even ousting from their own clans. The clan is the central unit of Czekl society and drake clans (treated as bloodlines) are sustained by their members providing offspring, so choosing never to do so is treated as imperilment of a clan's future.

Czekl drakes forming permanent pair bonds with hens is considered unnatural and deviant (though not aggressively policed, and very rare in practice), and forming these with faeder is HIGHLY stigmatized (faeder themselves are treated as barren hens in spite of their actual fertility, and are discouraged both from mating with hens and from forming bonds with drakes/joining drake clans). The practice of seasonally celibate drakes appearing in this public setting with full body covering has (culturally unintentional) functions in enabling these stigmatized drake/faeder pair bonds to fly under the radar (by giving an avenue for a faeder to hide her dull coloration and therefore sex assignment, under the guise of being a celibate drake), and allowing them to obtain offspring for themselves.

[anotheranonymousquill]

@shinynewmemories these tags need to be seen.

Kindness is hard work. But it can change lives and remind people why we even bother fighting.

Kindness is a sacrifice. Choosing to go out of your way to help people who scorn you, choosing to love instead of ignore, and choosing to resist the every person for themselves mentality is brave.

Kindness easily goes unnoticed. Its often mistaken as weakness or stupidity to help those who could hurt you and respect people weaker than yourself when it's hard enough surviving alone. Giving others food when it invites others to hurt you (literally in the case of giving Katniss bread) isn't convenient. But it's brave. It's selfless and stupid and powerful to look out for others.

Kindness unites people. It can turn foe to friend and competitor to ally. In games where everything is at stake, choosing kindness can change everything. In giving up his privilege, sharing what little he had at a cost to himself simply because Peeta has genuine compassion for people and refuses to give up that compassion, he changed the world.

Katniss fights and sacrifices for people she loves. Her refusal to give up on protecting them inspires people to keep going when it looks like there is no hope.

Peeta loves because it is the best way he knows to fight the lack around and inside of him. He was never the best fighter, only the second. He was never loved by the people in his home, so he turned to the only thing that felt worth it and built his life on small steps of kindness, love, and joy. His love for people and refusal to stop choosing kindness even in a game of death, reminds others that's its worth helping those around you and loving your community.

Together, with Katniss's refusal to give up, and his refusal to play by the rules that divide humans into competitors, they could keep a fire alive long enough to do damage. Rage can spark rebellion, but many things can and they had a lot of dry kindling for this one. But you need to keep the fire burning if you want to actually cook anything. And sometimes it takes more than just a spark to burn away any snow dampening your cookfire. If you excuse my overreach with this metaphor.

So yeah, as op said, compassion is rebellious. And a love of people deep enough to act on that compassion is powerful.

Katniss: I have chosen Gale and the Rebellion.

Peeta: *suggests that they shouldn't quell the rebellion, breaks the law to offer Rue's and Thresh's families money, uses his velvet tongue to enrapture the Capitol people, lies about Katniss being pregnant in an attempt to stop the Quarter Quell, refuses to fight for his own life in either of his two Games*

girl Peeta's continued existence is an act of rebellion!!!!! he's rebelled against oppression since y'all were 11 years old and he tossed you that bread! his compassion is more rebellious than Gale's fury ever was.

[blossoms-phan]

can you imagine how fucking wild it is to like actually be with someone romantic stylez and start a life together when you’re just kids and accidentally create a media empire and navigate all of that by each others sides and doing life and all these new experiences for the first time and remaining unwaveringly humble and gracious and kind despite what the world sometimes threw at you and travelling around the world countless times together for your careers and just for yourselves to relax and keeping each other grounded through personal and health struggles and career setbacks and a pandemic and spending years building and designing a home from the ground up after making multiple places your home over the years except this time it’s forever and sharing a life and family and friends and laughs together and bringing a career centric part of that back except in a fun way and going on your third tour together that is silly and fun but so healing and having people be so shocked at the mere sight of you but also having sweet conversations and cheering so loud for you and your person and everything about your lives together that you’re laying out on that stage and then going home together and choosing each other again and again and again and again and

[neoraso]

bf things with boynextdoor

03z + 04z

sungho

cooks for you without a second thought. wants his baby fed and even before you started dating he always made extra when he knew you were coming around

sticks up for you always. if he sees ANYONE mistreating or teasing you too much he makes sure to end it there.

thinks you're THE funniest person alive. laughs harder and smiles more when you're around

lots of dates (shopping, cafe, eating, museums,etc.) but also loves to just stay in, cook and watch movies with you, talking and cuddling, he serenades you sometimes playfully >_<

loves to play with your hair and hold your hands- so simple but its so endearing and special to him to feel the back of your hand or your fingers curled in his own.

riwoo

was literally so shy around you before you started dating, now you are the person he feels most at home with. he doesn’t say it all the time but it shows when he’s around other people

carries your bags for you, holds your drink, etc. with no hesitance- even if someone points it out

is quite observant about your moods, habits, likes and dislikes. prides himself on knowing things about you no one else seems to care about-especially when he pulls out the most thoughtful gifts that leave you floored

feels a sense of responsibility for your care and overall wellbeing, but also feels incredibly comforted and safe with you

loves to share food and treats with you, all the time but especially when you look like you need a pick me up

jaehyun

he tries to not hang off of you like a backpack but fails within an hour and especially at night

everyone he introduces you to, coworkers, family members, friends, etc., all act like they know you from how much he talks about you. he thinks the world of you and loves to brag

every time he sees you it's like you've been gone for 6 years, even if it's only been a day; hugs so tight and gives 1 billion kisses, coos at you

an obvious mention: cute aggression that occurs so often it might be like a chronic affliction... srsly... kisses your face and head with a surprising amount of force and ur literally js sitting there, minding ur business

he elevates you. he's a great guy who you know deserves the world and it makes you want to live up to that. he feels the same about you and you guys encourage each other to be your best selves.

taesan

loves to have matching items with you (will spend hours customizing shoes or hats for you both)

loves days in where u just listen to whatever records you picked up the last time he brought you to the shop and lay there or slow dance around

lovessss meaningful gifts and gestures. will buy or make you snacks when you’re stressed or just bc would steal the moon for you if you asked

thinks everything you do is so cute and perfect and wonderful. literally so biased he will choose you to win over anyone

likes to pick you up from work or school even if its just to walk to the bus stop together and ride home (greatest protector award goes to…!!!)

leehan

your rock. soothes all your worries no matter how silly they seem. says really profound things like they're simple and- you guess they are when he’s around.

treats you oh so softly; tucks your hair behind your ears, pulls you into a hug like you're glass

nothing is embarrassing to him, he will wash your hair, shave your legs, brush your teeth for you. just ask and he’s there

likes when you sit with him while he watches his fishies,, you dont even have to be watching too but he feels so content with both of his favorite things to be around

the type where if you fall asleep on the couch instead of moving you, he'll just slip next to you to sleep too <<33

[mitigatedchaos]

All living things have a degree of natural magic which is rooted in their bodies, which allows them an amount of natural resistance to magic (e.g. preventing all wizards from just having an "instant heart attack" spell).

The casting of magic involves the interface between the magical systems of the body and magical fields in the outside environment. Casting spells involves the manipulation of complex fields along this interface (particularly near the surface and just beyond it) to produce stable effects through channeled base magical energy.

People have different levels of natural aptitude for sensing these fields, for manipulating these fields, and for drawing base magical energy to themselves.

This aptitude can be developed through a combination of theory and rigorous practical training.

A talented wizard can feel the magic flowing around him, allowing him to make real-time, fine-grained adjustments to the fields, which allow for the greater control necessary to cast more complicated spells (which might have greater range or more complex effects, or hold together at higher energy input levels).

Heavy mass or very thick clothing near the surface of the body provides some protection against magical attacks, as the outside magic has to overcome this thicker material before reaching the body.

At the same time, this means that it dampens the outside magical forces that the wizard needs to use to gain leverage in order to cast with less effort, and overcoming this dampening effect requires more magical energy.

As it happens, ordinary cloth (or whatever your preferred armor level is) is light enough that it has essentially no effect on casting. There are underpants wizards, but any properly-educated wizard knows that stripping all the way down to your undergarments has no positive effect on casting, so underpants wizards are widely mocked in wizard society and stripping all the way down to cast spells is considered a sign of being a pathetic, powerless, and desperate. (There are even idioms about this that have made their way into the broader society.)

As such, wizards could wear armor, but they usually choose not to, as this means that their spells require more mental exertion to cast, and use more base magic energy to achieve the same effect. They sometimes wear armor under special circumstances.

Items like staves and wands are forms of capital that have a variety of different functions, including storing a spellform for a wizard to retrieve and cast later (imbued with a small magic charge to maintain it), casting a spell from the user's base magic energy without having to focus on it, and so on.

Because heavy weight around their body inhibits their ability to sense magical fields and do magic, wizards tend to be rather conscious of how much weight they are carrying into a battle. (Many wizards can still carry a backpack and pouches, but this isn't a load-out for maximum sensitivity.)

A wizard could have a sword made, but for most engagements, would typically prefer to have another four pounds of quickly-accessible crystals or gems that store magical energy or prepared spells, or the same weight of devices that making casting particular spells (such as a short ranged attack spell) easier.

Likewise, a wizard could train with a sword, but given the light weight of clothing they normally wear, they would generally prefer to train spells that help them keep the engagement at range.

A wizard who doesn't carry a staff will often carry a small dagger as a backup weapon.

Edit:

As for the elves, 1) elven wizard swords are themselves magical devices which, thanks to clever and expensive magic-enhanced elven smithing techniques, happen to be useful for casting some varieties of combat spell, 2) elves live longer and so have more time to cross-train in additional fields, which is used to reduce their weaknesses, and 3) elven wizards carrying longswords is probably part of elven tactical combat doctrine, which reflects the deep nature of elven civilization in some way.

Note that this is primarily cultural; elven wizards raised outside of this elven civilization might not have longsword training.

It's possible that elven civilization cross-trains elves in dozens of vocations in order to improve the quality of elven politics. Everyone has to learn at least 5 years' worth of smithing and shipwrighting and carpentry and then manage a 10-year construction project. (Most of the elves the players encounter adventuring are young elves putting off the 100 years of multi-disciplinary training.)

Help me out here.

Can't-Believe-it's-not-D&D

System doesn't have proficiency rules for weapons and armor - you put it on if it makes sense for you, or don't if it doesn't.

Wizards going into battle typically don't carry swords and do not put on armor.

Why not?

Psych! The system does have proficiency rules for weapons and armor

It's just that "not proficient" is the default state and it's fine.

Proficiency is an extra thing "on top" - if you're proficient in swords but not proficient in axes, you'd still rather have a +1 axe than a sword

So the reason isn't "proficient with staff, not proficient with sword" - swords are better than staffs.

Oh also Elven wizards go into battle with longswords - they get longsword proficiency for being elves

So whatever makes wizards stay away from swords and armor isn't is simple as "metal interferes with magic" because clearly the elves don't give a fuck.

?

[concretejunglefm]

Any poly bad omens thots?

Oh anon you know do!!

Where should I start?

Matt x you x Folio: where it all began for me. From Folio just wanting to listen in, to watching and eventually joining you and Matt. At first, it might have only been about sex, but there was something more than that between you all. You had always seen the way Matt was with Folio, even when he’d treat him a little mean behind closed hotel room doors. You and Folio had always shared something playful, almost flirty, and while most guys would probably be uncomfortable with the closeness between their best friend and girlfriend, Matt always encouraged it. He was never worried, and maybe there was a part of him that always knew you’d fall for each other, that you’d find the same reasons in each other that made him fall for you both, even if he was a little hesitant. Is there ever jealousy? Not necessarily, more a little insecurity from Matt when he feels like he’s not as fun and playful as Folio. Watching you both together can sometimes make him feel like a third wheel, when the bad thoughts are a bit too loud, but in reality, he’s the glue that holds you both together. Without him, you’d be nothing.

Matt x you x Noah: started a little unconventionally. Matt, being a supportive boyfriend because you wanted to introduce a partner into your cam work, introduced you to Noah as there was no one outside of his friends that you trusted more. It was only supposed to be one time or two, nothing more and Matt would be there the entire time to make you feel safe. But with the physical came the emotional you had long been pushing down, and all it took was Matt to look in your eyes and see that you love Noah too. You all seem to be in love with each other, and if only it were that simple. You could be together without any issues. But unfortunately, it’s not, and you’re too afraid to admit your own feelings for fear of losing Matt and the love you share. It's them who suggest a weekend away, somewhere that allows you to all set aside the physical aspects of your potential relationship and discuss what it is you want, without casting judgement and as well as your boundaries, figuring out the next step in this something new you all wish to explore.

Noah x Nicholas x you: you were brought into an existing relationship between them, two soft boyfriends who both had crushes on you. Why should you be forced to choose? Even if they initially acted as though you had to. You now spend your evenings watching them stream and play video games, keeping yourself off camera while Nick idly strokes any part of you he can reach, while his other hand is always on Noah in some way. The best part is when you can come together and tangle yourselves in a cuddle or a soft make-out session. While away from this arrangement, you find yourselves growing more enamored with one another, especially when you spend days engaged in each other’s hobbies or simply have a date night.

Jolly x you x Noah: you never could've anticipated anything coming from moving in with your boyfriend Jolly, aside from it being the next step in your relationship. You had already been friends with Jolly's roommates, especially Noah, but now that you were living there, you came to discover the extent of Noah’s insomnia. Your own fractured sleep pattern allowed you to keep him company and over months of nights spent hanging out, something began to shift, not only between you but also in Noah. He found himself actually falling asleep on numerous occasions when you were around, mostly on the couch, his head resting on your shoulder. Noah knew then what had happened; he'd fallen for you, but didn’t pursue it further. It was Jolly who brought it to the surface because he recognized the look on his best friend’s eyes—the same look he had in his own when he looked at you. Noah was in love with you, but it was Jolly who suggested taking the next step into something new together.

Nick squared x you: these thots are pending but they're hot. Folio has a more dominant side of the primal kind when he's paired with Nicholas, one which they both like to use and exploit when it comes to you. Their favorite thing is to chase you, before Nicholas takes his time tying you up for their own fun and your pleasure. Outside of this, they’re incredibly playful together and with you. Their personalities and hobbies complement each other perfectly, making them the ideal set of boyfriends for you and for each other.

Matt x you x Noah x Nicholas: this is purely for fun. Matt is your boyfriend but he has an enjoyment in sharing you with his friends, at least those who he trusts and is closest too. Nick x Noah have a habit of sharing you together, one because they love to make everything a two person job, and two they love worshiping you and pulling you apart together and in different ways which make you completely incoherent by the end

Matt x you x Davis: a soft and caring Davis paired with a mean!matt, who loses all of that when this man is around. Could you really ask for anything better?

Nicholas x you x Davis: what started as a lesson out of curiosity blossomed into something more, especially when Davis came back around for a follow up which involved him being the one to show Nicholas what he had learned, before they used it on you together. You didn't anticipate it going further, that soft look Davis gave you wasn’t just him becoming infatuated with the new dynamics of your relationship. It was more than that, and it became harder for him to deny it as he spent more time with you until one night, he blurted it out. There was no jealousy or irrational outbursts. It was Nicholas who brought the conversation to light and allowed everything to be shared, not clouded by the high of an orgasm or your lust for one another. Instead, it allowed for genuine clarity on the situation.

sub!Noah x you x sub!Folio: who'd have ever imagined that Noah would want to share you? Certainly not you and certainly not with one of his best friends. It happened purely because Folio wouldn't leave Noah alone, aware of what happens behind closed hotel room doors because the walls are thin, and curious to find out more, he would always work to get Noah into more trouble with you, or simply tease him for the sounds he could hear coming from his room the night before. While Noah is your good boy, Folio wants to be, he wants to prove that he can be a good sub, he's just a little overly eager and impatient, but you eventually teach him the basics and the benefits of having patience, especially when it results in him coming apart at the seams in a whole way beyond anything he could've anticipated. Outside of their contrasting personalities, Folio and Noah make for an interesting dynamic in your relationship. However, there’s a perfect middle ground where you come together in harmony, especially when all three of you are tucked in bed together, squished between the two most obedient pups you could ask for. Maybe now is the time for Folio to have his own version of a collar, just like Noah’s?

All omens x you: you’ve been friends for longer than you’ve officially been together with any of them. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t underlying circumstances and shared moments that ranged from sexual to romantic with each of them. It could have almost felt like cheating or playing them, until you discovered that they were all aware of it and had planned it all along. They were just unsure of how to approach you about it. When you’re together, you take your time to spoil them all by buying them flowers, cooking their favorite meals, and taking your time to have dates with each of them, making them feel special just like they make you feel special. There’s definitely playful jealousy and rivalry, but never anything malicious because they all share the same thing in common: their love for you (and each other).

[camilleflyingrotten]

[sieglinde-freud]

i miss claude so badly im already planning my golden deer maddening run while still in the middle of black eagles. i just want my guy. my favorite guy. unfortunately i just love the black eagles as a group/cast but i am mourning my man (i never kill him btw)

[swordmaid]

I do think that there’s a part of shri’iia that will always love lolth. she can’t help it ; she’s devoted so much of herself to that goddess before, and despite the hurt and resentment and the trauma, she was still her home, you know? and I think it will take a long time - like way past her oath breaking era to fully detangle herself from lolth just because of how much and how long she had dedicate herself to her (nearly 2 centuries worth). and before this whole oath breaking thing, and before her getting this new freedom, shri’iia didn’t even know there were other gods to worship than lolth. that a life outside of lolth was possible, and her entire existence didn’t depend on lolth. like the option to think differently wasn’t available to her, hence why she had such a difficult time fully grasping at the concept of freedom, and why she took so long actually accepting it for herself. and why an option to run back and return to lolth despite being free is plausible for her too. anyway, I think even post bg3 or whatever her dnd canon is, I think there’s some part of her that will still love lolth. she isn’t like minthara where she can fully scorn the spider queen; minthara had options and freedom that shri’iia wasn’t born with. she was afforded the luxury of being comfortable in her status as a drow woman because she was already born into that power that they’re expected to have, meanwhile shri’iia had to reach and truly fight to have a taste of the privilege that minthara was already born with - and it’s the very power that lead to her being used by her matriarch. regardless, I think that’s such an interesting dynamic to have for her, just all around complicated religious feelings. and why I think she won’t turn into an eilistraeen in the future even though her new oath aligns with eilistraee’s beliefs. I think some part of her would feel like she’s still betraying lolth - despite not following her anymore - at the prospect of worshipping somebody else, and I do think she mourns that devotion she once had. that - and the fact that she was ‘complete’ when she followed lolth, and her oath was divine and pure, but now it’s all broken and severed and she’s just making do with what she’s left with.

[good-beanswrites]

hi hi ! i hope requests are open ? i wanted to request something with 05 - any trial ( but if in t2 , id lme it if it wasnt about 06 or 03s injuries if thats ok?) and with any prisoner just not 07 06 or 03 ... maybe more on the angsty side..? i hope this is ok aknskdnsñ

Ah thank you for the request!! Shidou my beloved... It makes sense, but it's still a shame how often he's paired with all the others, seeing as he has enough angst all on his own ;---; I placed this kind of between trials/beginning of the second -- Shidou's one interrogation question always made me think he was trying to quit smoking that trial, but I always wondered if he succeeded. TW for brief mention to his suicidal mindset.

Shidou remembered being the envy of his coworkers, always praised for such steady hands. The thought came to him bitterly while he cooked. His trembling fingers fumbled with the knife. He asked himself again why he’d decided to quit smoking.

It isn’t as if quitting now can save me.

But that’s what he was hoping for, wasn’t it? That one good decision after so many misguided ones could change his fate? That the path to atonement didn’t need to involve any more death?

He couldn’t count how many times he’d repeated the list of symptoms to patients, yet he found himself frustrated with each new consequence. The sleepless nights, the shakiness, the dizziness – even his cool temper was tested by the irritability of withdrawals. 

After snapping at Yuno for something harmless, he’d offered to take her place as cook for the night as way of apology. He assumed taking on her chore would help keep his mind off of things. He prepared a familiar meal, one with many fond memories attached. 

The task only succeeded in aggravating him further. 

Since removing his gloves, the sensation across his palms had driven him mad. Objects felt foreign between his bare fingers. The herbs weren’t cut as precisely as he liked. The vegetables didn’t cook correctly. He had to rush the timing. Things spilled and splattered more than usual.

Shidou swiped some hair away from his face, glowering down at the countertop. He may not be in his best shape, but surely he was better than this? As much as he tried to avoid it, a thought wouldn’t leave his mind.

I usually have another pair of hands helping me out.

Cooking continued in a heavy silence. Not even the simmering from the stovetop or the gentle clink of utensils could lift it. 

When everything had been added and stirred, Shidou dipped a spoon into the pan. He tested his creation.

Not quite right. I followed the recipe perfectly. What’s missing…?

He went back to the scattered ingredients. A little of this went in the pan, a little more of that. He took another taste. Then another, a few minutes later. No matter how he adjusted the meal, the result was the same.

He grasped the edge of the counter, trying to curb his frustration.

“Sh-Shidou?” 

Haruka peered his head into the kitchen.

“What are you doing in here?” He straightened. His voice came out with its usual coolness; if he wasn’t careful, people often mistook it for harshness. Seeing the way Haruka flinched, he tried to speak easier. “Is dinner late? My apologies, I must have lost track of the time.”

“It’s just, the others were, uh. You’ve been in here a long time, and… I’m s-sorry to bother you.” Then, a moment where he studied Shidou’s tense expression. “W-what’s wrong?”

It’s not like hers. It’ll never be like hers again.

“Nothing at all.” Shidou mustered up a smile for him. It wasn’t his fault the others had become impatient. And, it could hardly be called impatience – it was long past when dinner should be ready. “Go tell the others it will be ready momentarily.”

“O-oh. Okay.”

Shidou took a long breath. He had already lost so many pieces of her. He had nothing of any of them, in fact. There wasn’t anything he could hold close – no photographs, no possessions. He had no familiar rooms to sit in, or paths to walk along. Most mourners are haunted by a house full of reminders of their loved ones, but Shidou would have seen that as a luxury. Now, he couldn’t even have this.

Once he finished cooking, he made a plate for everyone but himself. He slipped out of the dining hall unnoticed. Everyone was too excited with his finished product to bother with him.

That’s nothing new…

The panopticon was quiet. His cell was quiet. With his gloves back on, the soft touch on the smoking room door barely made a sound. Shidou pulled a lighter from his pocket. 

He’d rid himself of all cigarettes when he first quit, but it had been easy enough to find a stray one tucked somewhere in his room. Maybe he’d left a few on purpose – something in his subconscious knew he’d break down eventually.

It took a few tries to get it to light in his clumsy hands. He couldn’t help listing off the reasons his hands could be trembling. Nicotine withdrawal, general hunger, bodily fatigue, emotional distress… it could go on. 

It was a relief to take a deep inhale. He felt his chest unwind a bit. His mind finally slowed. 

He shouldn’t let himself feel so relaxed. In a place as dangerous as this, one good decision may not save his fate, but one more misguided decision may seal it.

He’d never admit it out loud, but –

That thought is a relief, too.

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent game related things .. hrmm...

[thompsborn]

no because like i have a fic i started that’s a super in depth heart shattering fic exploring harley and peter breaking up and spending 12 years apart and then coming back together and how it would explore them as individuals and as partners and

and also i have this little fic idea where peter and harley break up but also they had this plant that they took care of together and a week after breaking up peter shows up at harley’s door like “if that plant dies i will actually strangle you with my bare hands” and they begrudgingly post break up bitterness have to be around each other a few times a week to share custody of this fucking plant and that somehow leads to them falling in love again

and i plan to write both it’s only just a matter of time and how long it takes me to write them

[eimearkuopio]

Schrödinger's Messiah. He is both dead and alive until we open the box. If we have had enough faith, He will be alive.

I'm not ready to open the box yet. It's been too long. I believe, but I am afraid. So if you want to open it, do it yourself. I'm going to go set up the Resurrection Feast and hope it won't be a funeral.

[nguyenfinity]

More school stuff!!

These are spreads from a type specimen booklet, the objective was to make an 8-page 5″x5″ booklet showcasing the many uses and variations of only 1 typeface on any topic of your choice

So I once again decided to get silly with it--

My other topics in consideration were:

A full summary of all 16 seasons of Ninjago (scrapped because I’d have to write that summary myself and I did not have that kind of time [we were allowed to copy paste as long as we included our source])

The entire national Pokédex. All 1015 of them. Just 8 pages of listing every single Pokémon. It was funny until I realized that’s way way too much.

Narrowed it down to the full dex of just one region but that was still too much-- (body copy requirement was just 5 paragraphs and too much text would be too cluttered)

[prescienceofdawn]

.

[misterradio]

HE SUCKS JONATHAN ON STAGE ?!???!!!!!!??????!!!!!????