#and then surprised that he's not debating the human condition with them?

[tadc-harlequin-au]

New Puppet Unlocked: Caine, The Puppetmaster!

Caine's character description:

For the longest time, Caine believed that he was the only Puppet left who hasn't gone insane, and has spent living in near complete and total isolation for it (if it weren't for Bubble, his robotic Butler Blimp), drowning himself in booze for what seemed to be the remainder of his days.

That was, until Pomni suddenly arrived at his office out of nowhere and challenged him.

Her sudden appearance, her fierceness in battle and various other reasons, Caine sought to get Pomni to see the dire situation after a stalemate in their duel; That they're the last remnants of sane minds remaining in this forsaken lands and he needs her help for what must be done next, if they are to improve the world's conditions. Thankfully, the Harlequin was not actually cold-hearted, just hot-tempered.

Reinvigorated in his self-assigned purpose, The Puppetmaster now spends his time either indoctrinating reawakened Puppets and teaching them how to become "human" once more, tinkering/inventing new machines, having friendly debates or sparring with Pomni just to satisfy her urge to battle, and various other things.

Though, he still likes to drink.

Fun facts about Caine:

He is a massive drunkard.

He passes out in the most random places if he drinks too much. One of the most outrageous locations Pomni has found him in was at the chandelier on the main lounge, which even he can't remember how he got there.

Caine still acts boisterous and speaks mostly formally; though there are ways you can break his way of speech, the easiest way to do it is to surprise him.

He avoids using swears, says it's a gentleman's code. Though, some get past his mouth on a rare occasion.

He created Bubble out of loneliness, initially just wanting someone to talk to.

In a comedic parallel, he tends to limit Pomni's cravings for battle by holding her sword hostage as much as possible, of course to the Harlequin's frustration.

His second gold tooth on his bottom jaw was a result of his and Pomni's first meeting/duel. She ended up kicking him so hard in her rage, one teeth cracked in half and flew off.

He tends to look at everyone with a positive mindset and the want to see the best in them; although Jax seems to be a rare exception. Still, he lets the automaton be.

Most of his time is spent hanging around in his office. The only time you'll see him outside is if there's a task he needs to attend to, assembling Pomni back together in the cellar, another sparring match with the Harlequin, or when he talks to Z and/or Kingr, since they are both too big for the insides of the mansion.

Like almost every ADHD-person, he is prone to getting distracted easily.

He has a strict "no fighting in the premises" rule; instead, he tells them to literally take it outside (even if it means being on the neighboring lawn), as long as it's not on the INSIDE.

He keeps his shirt opened because he feels discomfort and suffocated when he buttons it up.

He doesn't like to talk about his past.

When asked what's his classification, he'll avoid and switch topics. His rare anger (but eerily-calm way of speech) comes out when you ask about it too much.

He does admit that his entire body was self-modified.

You can hear his arrival in a scene by the sounds of ball joints slightly cracking in place.

Aside from Pomni, he likes Kingr the most, finding the chess piece's presence calming. This has lead to jokes about a bromance happening between the two.

And just like Pomni as well, Caine fixes Kingr the most because the Helpful King tends to use himself as a shield for the Harlequin.

He's rarely seen without his cane.

He HEAVILY dislikes it when Pomni dies. When he is aware that Pomni is at the brink of death, he'll start panicking and telling her to go back and abandon the mission for now, through Bubble.

After Pomni's surprise arrival (and proof that he could still be hunted down if he wasn't careful enough), he took the manor up to the skies to ensure that the manor remains a safe haven.

Quotes:

"Greetings! I am Caine, and I am here to help you. That's all you need to know."

"I think we can arrange that."

"This is not part of the plan!"

"No fighting! Take it outside."

"Perhaps we can reach to a sort of agreement..."

"Hmm... quite intriguing."

"Why, I must say, this is quite the predicament..."

"Will you be mindful of your own sake next time, pretty please?"

"... I don't-... think that's how-... you know what, do whatever you want."

"... Okay, you don't need to go that far."

"You know what this calls for? [...] A CELEBRATION! [...] BUBBLE, TO THE LIQUOR STORAGE"

"You know, I haven't really thought this through enough--"

"BUBBLE! Did you chew through my latest project again?!"

"Oy vey..."

"I am aware of the effect that alcohol has on me. And quite frankly, I don't care."

"Strange, where am I? Who am I? What are we, but mass-produced products catered to extending one's stay on a desolate, abandoned realm? Are we even human anymore, or are we machines that think we're human in order to save ourselves from the pain of a fake existence? Hm? Oh right, I haven't eaten my dinner."

"Must we really resort to this method?"

"Oh, I just fixed that!"

"Apologies, I blanked out for a second. What were we talking about?"

"Bubble here can help you out on your dilemma. Just don't listen to him for any advices. Personally, I think sometimes he can make you jump off a cliff."

"What do you mean "I need to stop drinking"? I'm perfectly fi- *passes out*"

"Am I aware that it is an unhealthy coping mechanism? Yes. Do I plan to stop? Not exactly, there aren't a lot of options left."

"That is outrageous! Me? With her? That's... It's... *sigh* I can't. She'd never."

"May I just say, for once, what the actual fuck."

[rosebudshifter]

what are your powers in your avengers dr? can you go into detail about how they work?

𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂.𝙷.𝙸.𝙴.𝙻.𝙳. 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚕 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎

Agent: Anisa Cook Alias: The Griffin. Abilities:

Flight at super speeds

Increased Bone Density - individual is able to take harder hits and falls while experiencing lesser pain levels than their peers. and yet this ability has no adverse affect to their ability to float/swim

Allspeak - individual possesses unique neural pathways that allows them understand and converse in any language they encounter. so far this has only been tested with human languages; it is still unknown if this ability extends to extraterrestrial life as well.

Increased strength, stamina, & intellegence

Energy Manipulation - individual can disperse condensed energy projectiles from their hands and body, create small force fields from this same energy, & use it to surround and move objects and people

Energy sensitivity - individual can detect displation & abnormalities in the usual flow of energy between humans & the world around them, allowing an increased accuracy in predicted surprise attacks.

~*~*~

While the exact origin of Agent Cook's powers remains under debate, the current running theory revolves around the existence of strains of extraterrestrial DNA in her genes, two to be exact: one from her mother's line, the other from her father's. These lines can be traced back nearly 10 generations for each, and until now have never interacted. Each strain allows for the potential emergence for some of Cook's abilities, namely the neural pathways that allow Allspeak & enhanced strength and intelligence. However, interaction between these two stains could be the cause of Cook's more aberrant abilities.

They reportedly didn't present themselves until Agent Cook reached the age of 12, but her parents -- scientists who have had previous contracts with S.H.I.E.L.D. and other government organizations -- kept it hidden and quietly helped her control and harness her abilities.

When Director Fury first recruited Agent Cook in 2009, it was under the condition that this sensitive information was kept out of her personnel file in order to ensure the safety of her parents, siblings, and herself. He agreed, but kept a copy of her full file on a private server that was eventually found by Tony Stark when he hacked the helicarrier upon Loki's initial capture in Germany.

okay fancy shmancy explanation over. did i lowkey make myself OP? yeah. am i gonna be glad i did so when i'm fighting chitauri in the battle of new york? yeah.

i guess my powers are sorta similar to captain marvel's, except they stemmed from a freak combination of alien dna opposed to being obliterated by an infinity stone.

i really hope i answered this well, i'm still new to the ask feature LOL

masterlist

[lavernius]

I was going back to see a post of yours where you talked about your Locpez headcanons and that post was from almost more than 5 years ago, so I was curious if you have some other headcanons in mind after that post xd (I'm in a creative block and I really want to draw Locpez, so your ideas would help me a lot).

Oh my god yeah no don’t listen to anything I said on this blog 5+ years ago 😭 I was a beautifully naïve teenager and bad at critical analysis.

This is an awesome ask to receive as someone who loves to talk about Locpez though so I got you boss. Under a cut because it’s long. Big surprise…

I think the ideal Locpez dynamic is something that can hardly be perceived as “romantic” to most people. They’re not very physically affectionate (Locus is uncomfortable being touched, Lopez usually can’t even feel it), they aren’t sweet on each other, they both think compliments and gifts are frivolous and unnecessary.

BUT they both find the excitement and inherent romance of their relationship in constant debate. They keep each other EXTREMELY mentally stimulated and constantly assess each other’s emotional growth. Locus craves the blunt but empathetic criticism and Lopez just needs someone who won’t ever get tired of talking to him.

There’s a lot of weird intimate intensity going on between these two. Locus really wants to metaphorically (and literally) tear Lopez open and stick his hands inside and get electrocuted. Lopez is egotistical and obsessed with the attention so he always eggs Locus on about it. It is NOT normal and they like it that way.

Once Lopez learns about Locus’s history with Felix he starts getting REALLY annoyed whenever Locus is “too easy” for him. His own experience with abuse left him righteous and vengeful and he thinks Locus is better when he has control over his own life/choices and acknowledges that he is a person. This causes a lot of bickering because Locus genuinely just likes Lopez so much he would happily do anything if Lopez asked. It’s OK Locus gets better about it over time

Locus has a bad habit of not processing anything that’s said to him if he deems it unimportant (AKA if it’s not followed up with an order, is unnecessary to his current objective, or doesn’t require his input). But he WILL pick up on and remember the smallest details when it comes to Lopez. Because he clearly has his priorities in order.

I think they generally aren’t loud or obvious about their relationship and most of the Reds and Blues would never even guess that Locus would “stoop” to be romantically involved with Lopez. However Carolina specifically clocks them immediately and enjoys subtly teasing Locus about it to make him fluster.

I always say it but if you’re not making Locpez bear4bear you’re not doing it right!! 

Lopez isn’t a martyr but will always play “human” shield for Locus in a fight. Locus’s conditioning to protect Felix + his developing fear of taking advantage of his partner the way Felix did him makes him freak out about it every time. Lopez has to go “You’re an idiot. If I get shot in the spine they only hit replaceable insulation. If YOU get shot in the spine you’re paralyzed from the waist down.” until Locus concedes.

They like to wrestle. They’re both tanks in nature (even if Locus mostly focuses on stealth) so it’s enriching for them to grapple and tussle and throw each other around. Lopez is only a little shorter than Locus but they’re otherwise almost identical in build/weight class so it works out great.

They’re just a little bit obsessed with each other. In a way that doesn’t seem cute or healthy on paper but is actually really good for both of them (in conjunction with a bunch of their other neuroses it works out) because they’ve both been alienated for too long. It’s yay!

(Obligatory 1A mention) Brown Team is skeptical of Locus when he first joins them but then he proves he not only knows his way around weapon and armor maintenance but also knows how to take care of Lopez and they’re like. Fine. I guess he’s cool. He’s not the stepdad, he's the dad that stepped up. He lets them shoot each other with paintball guns when Lopez won’t

Never let anyone convince you that Locpez makes sense. It does not make sense at all

[master-of-the-elements]

Get to Know My Tav!

(I saw this template and had to get all of this out my head!)

Tufani Anu / Human / Storm Sorcerer / He/Him / 26

What’s your Tav’s…

Favorite Weapon: Cacophony Quarterstaff (prefers to cast via his hands though)

Style of Combat: Long-Range, Blaster, Crowd-Control; Tufani prefers to lead his companions from behind, like a general. He’ll hang back or fly high to cast his elemental spells to do powerful blasts and widespread damage or use the weather to alter the battlefield for his allies.

Most Prized Possession: A divination mirror given to him by his belated grandmother. It allows to him divine truths, aid in rituals, and speak to his ancestors.

Deepest Desire: Tufani is pragmatic and responsible by nature and through guidance from his parents and elders. However, deep down lies a free spirit that longs to live in the sky with nothing beneath him but the blue of the sea.

Guilty Pleasure: Sweets/Desserts. He has a big sweet tooth especially for cakes and breakfast pastries.

Best-Kept Secret: He comes from a long line of powerful, elemental sorcerers via his mother (an earth sorcerer). Therefore, his elemental magic is very intertwined with his emotions and he must keep them in check to cast effectively. The tattoo on his face is also not just for aesthetics. It’s a mark of his heritage and serves as his arcane focus.

Greatest Strength: Empathy, Compassion. Tufani was raised by not just his immediate family but also extended family and the surrounding community as well. He was taught to use his magic to help and aid others. This is why he looks after the companions so much as well those they help on their journey.

Fatal Flaw: Overextension/Addicted to responsibility. Tufani is conditioned to helping out his family, friends, and community so much that it spreads him thin and wears him out. Unfortunately, he repeats this pattern with the camp companions and all the helpless people the meet on their way to Baldur’s Gate that it leads to him being overwhelmed and burned out.

Favorite Smell: Floral and Tropical scents.

Favorite Spell or Cantrip: Ice Storm and Ice Knife. As a Storm sorcerer, Tufani’s atmokinetic magic gives him control over multiple elements: wind/air/thunder, rain/fog/mist/water, light/heat/lightning, and cold/ice. To most people’s surprise, ice is his go-to element, not lightning. It’s the element that intertwines with his anger and it feels good to let it out.

Pet Peeve: Arrogance, Selfishness. Tufani detests arrogance as well as wanton selfishness. He’s not opposed to one putting themselves first , if necessary. However, when it comes before the survival and needs of others, absolutely not. This is initially why he clashes with Astarion and Lae’zel.

Bad Habit: Self- Isolation. Despite growing up surrounded by so many people, Tufani is an introvert by nature. He loves to be by himself when he gets the chance. However, it’s also a coping mechanism that he uses to hide his emotions and vulnerability. Usually leading him to not seek help when he needs to.

Hidden Talent: Expert Gardener/Herbalist. Tufani has a natural affinity with nature. Thus, his love for gardening and herbalism is one of his favorite pass-times. The hobby was passed down to him from both his mother and grandmother. Tufani is also a great at drawing a talent he gets from his father. He usually likes to draw scenes and stills from nature and occasionally people (when they aren’t looking).

Leisure Activity: Reading. He loves to read books about history, botany, and animals. He’ll also read an adventure book from time to time.

Favorite Drink: Tea. He also enjoys the occasional Whalebone Spiced.

Comfort Food: Seafood (especially calamari and crab). He is native to isles and thus has a love for heavily spiced seafood much to Gale’s chagrin (they argue over being camp cook as much as they debate sorcerer vs wizards).

Favorite Person: Wyll Ravengard

Favorite Display of Affection (Platonic and/or Romantic): Interlocking of Arms. He loves it when Wyll offers his arm for him to wrap his own hand or arm around it.

Fondest Childhood Memory: Attending the island festivals with his parents.

And that’s my tav, Tufani Anu! I’ve had these thoughts in my head for a while now and it feels good to finally get it all out.

[svperluminous]

Viren Month Day 3 🔹Viren/Khessa romantic relationship

I wanted to challenge myself and think of a scenario where Viren and Khessa could become a couple. This is going to be a very long post, so I'm putting it under cut.

Below is a canon divergent story idea based on the events in S3. There's some background Janaya, too.

Just like in the show, Viren comes to Khessa's court under the false pretense of asking for a passage through her lands. Khessa denies his request but unlike the show, she puts him in prison (inside a ring of fire, I guess) to await the ritual.

The sheer audacity of this dark mage intrigues the queen. Who does he think he is, martching in like this? But Khessa also wonders what his goals are. She decides to have a chat with her prisoner.

Aaravos had instructed Viren to tell her the truth about his presence in Xadia, to Viren's surprise, concealing only the fact that he is carrying the caterpillar within himself.

Viren uses this as an opportunity to air his grievances with Xadia, explaining that he's here because humanity wasn't left a choice. Khessa is scandalized by his proclamations, in turn pouring out all her grievances against humans. She knows she has heard enough so she leaves to find Pharos to tell him to start the ritual.

Apparently, Pharos is ill. And there's no one to replace him. Khessa is annoyed by that but she has other pressing matters. She knows Viren's army is stationed not far from Lux Aurea and Janai told her that her human prisoner warned about the dark mage's devious nature, so Khessa mobilizes her troops to stand guard and await her command. She doesn't want to send her soldiers to a possible slaughter but she also can't just let the humans roam around Xadia. She's hoping they won't make a move until their commander returns.

That night she can't fall asleep. Some of what Viren told her is beginning to seep into her mind, sowing a seed of doubt in her beliefs. She gets up, puts on a robe and goes down to the prison cells. She has a whole list of counter-arguments in her head and she feels like she won't be able to sleep until she debunks everything Viren has said to her.

Not only is Viren awake, she thinks she heard him talk. Great. He loves the sound of his voice so much he's talking to himself.

The conversation, naturally, doesn't go as it did in her head. Viren is ready to argue against all her rhetorical ammunition and she leaves his cell even more frustrated.

Her next day starts with news that Pharos' condition has worsened and he might be out of commission for at least a week. Adding last night's conversation and 4 hours of sleep into the mix, Khessa is not having a great time. But she's obsessive and she can't let an argument go, so once she fulfills her queenly duties, she ponders some more on Viren's points and returns to his cell to argue some more.

Viren never anticipated that she'd care so much about it. He felt bad for last night, as his passion took the better of him, as it often did. But she remembered what he had said to her. She's an elven monarch who listens.

Despite the painful and difficult history with Xadia, Viren has never actually been prejudiced against elves. He's read a lot about them, their cultures and customs, and unlike many of his fellow humans, he does't see them as a monolith. But he doesn't trust the elves and dragons in power. He knows that the dragons flying over Katolis do that by the Dragon Queen's orders. He knows that the Sunfire elves gathering at the border follow the orders of their Queen, in turn.

And here is said Queen, looking like a heard of amblers ran her over, standing in front of him with some sheets of paper in hand. She's clearly taking their debates seriously and Viren admires that.

Their debate is less hostile this time, though they still don't agree in anything. But Khessa keeps returning and their debates turn into discussions and discussions turn into conversations and by day 4, they're both tired of talking about the same thing so they change the topic.

Khessa tells him about a time when she was a kid and she got so angry at her baby brother, she pushed him into the pond. Viren tells her about a time he had a whole angry argument with one of the council members only to realize his anger was based on a very silly misunderstanding.

"Your plan is really stupid," she tells him on day five.

"Beg your pardon?"

"The plan to strike a preemptive attack on Xadia. We have dragons who can burn your entire army in minutes."

Viren can definitely see her point. He had 5 days to think about the whole thing only to realize that he was blinded by fear.

"She's only saying that because she doesn't know the full plan," Aaravos counters, whispering in his ear. Viren realizes that he doesn't know the full plan, either.

"I can let you go, you know," Khessa says, after she doesn't get a reply. "If you give me your word you will take your troops and go back home."

"You'd trust my word, just like that?"

"If you break it, I'll send a bunch of dragons to burn you alive," she replies with a coquettish smirk.

Viren smiles back.

"Can you trust hers?" He hears Aaravos counter once again. "If you follow my plan, I will show you how you can protect your people from the dragons. If you don't, she might send those dragons after you anyway. And I can't protect you until I get one missing ingredient."

Viren's face falls. He likes Khessa and he wants to believe her but deep down he knows Aaravos is right. She's not a regular elf - she's a monarch. And Viren does not trust enemy leaders.

He declines Khessa's offer and she tries with all her might to keep her face neutral while her heart hurts like it was stabbed with a hot metal rod. The purification ritual will kill this man and for the life of her she can't understand why this is bringing her anguish.

She avoids Viren the following day and on the seventh day, Pharos is finally well. Viren is brought in front of her and put on his knees. She explains the procedure to him, calmly and dryly, relieved that her voice doesn't tremble, and tells the priest to begin the ritual.

Then we have all the events from the episode, with the caterpillar sliding out of Viren's mouth and Aaravos manifesting. And while the whole thing plays out, Viren is terrified - he realizes he's just made a huge mistake! Once again, he has let fear guide him.

Aaravos has backed Khessa at the edge of the structure. Viren can't even make out what he's saying - he feels a knot in his stomach and he knows he has to act fast.

"Let her go or I'll kill the creature!" He shouts, holding the caterpillar close to the head, just close enough so it can't bend down and bite him. The caterpillar squirms and screetches.

The look of shock and betryal on Aaravos' face is palpable, followed by a flash of anger. But the elf quickly composes himself.

"Really, Viren? So dramatic. You could've simply told me you liked this one. I have no intention of upsetting you."

He then approached Viren, handing him the corrupted sun staff.

"We got what we came her for. Unless you want to take her with you as a pet?" He gives Khessa an insidious look.

"Let's just go," Viren says weakly, the hand holding the staff lighty trembling.

...

There's a lot I still haven't figured out, as there are so many events to cover. Aaravos alone is quite a challenge! But the gist is this - Viren does go with the heart of cinder spell but he refuses to march forward, choosing to go back to the human kingdoms, with the spell acting as protection against possible retaliation.

He realizes what Aaravos had done and with the help of Claudia, he starts looking for a solution. They do actually find a dark magic spell that can cure the corruption, so he travels back to Lux Aurea, alone this time, to fix everything.

By that time, the city is already crawling with corrupted beasts and sunfire elves have evacuated to the outskirts of the kingdom. Viren is arrested upon arrival, there's some back and forth between him and Khessa.

Amaya apparently stayed behind to help with evacuation and she keeps insisting that Viren is up to something. Janai is on Amaya's side. Karim doesn't trust humans by default and is disgusted by the very idea of dark magic.

Khessa is torn. She's spent her entire life hating humans and dark magic but a week talking to Viren has flipped her entire world upside down. She has another sleepless night, trying to figure out what to do. And then she comes to a decision.

They leave at dawn the day after, Viren and her. She shuts down her siblings' protests as she mounts her infernotooth tiger because she knows that if there's anyone in the kingdom who should risk their life on this mission, it should be her.

Viren and her fly on separate tigers. She doesn't tell her siblings that one of them is going to be sacrificed for the spell. She doesn't tell them the spell requirs a Sunfire elf's blood, either. But this corruption has already taken so many lives of her people. And as principled as Khessa is, her people are more important to her than her own opinion of herself. But the very idea of sacrifing an innocent creature for a spell is making her feel sick.

Once they land, Viren takes out a vile and pours a purple liquid into his palm, giving it to the infernotooth tiger to sniff. The animal eagerly licks his palm.

"What are you doing?" Khessa asks anxiously.

"I knew how much you opposed killing for dark magic so I brewed this potion that will make the death completely painless. To the tiger, it will feel like it's falling asleep."

It does bring Khessa some comfort.

The spell takes a long time to set up. Khessa glances nervously at the setting sun on the horizon as Viren is finalizing the spell. Unfortunately, the casting takes time as well. Viren repeats the incantation over and over while the set up starts to glow, first faintly but then increasing in brightness. The energy from the dead infernotooth begins swirling around the sun forge but by then, the last rays of sun disappear and soon corrupted beasts start creeping towards them.

Viren is engulfed in the spell and Khessa knows that he won't be much use in fighting the monsters. She unsheathes her sword and prepares for a fight. But before a single beast is able to attack, an explosion of bright light washes over them, knocking the beasts - as well as Viren and Khessa - down.

When she opens her eyes, Khessa sees that the sun forge is back to normal. They're both happy and relieved at the success and without thinking, they hug in joy, only to realize what has happened a moment later. There are definitely budding feelings at this point but neither is ready to accept them yet. But they also don't want to separate.

Viren writes a letter to Katolis, asking King Ezran for permission to stay in Lux Aurea for a bit to help them with resettlement. Amaya vouches for him. She was extremely skeptical at first but Viren did save Lux Aurea. Even if he was the one who brought Aaravos there in the first place. The loving looks Viren and Khessa have been throwing each other the whole time aren't lost on her, either, even if they fly over Janai and Karim's heads.

Ezran agrees, sends more Katolians to help and thus begins a good month of work, during which Viren and Khessa spend a lot of time together. They don't even notice how they relocate to Khessa's bedroom one evening. It starts like most other occasions - with them having a conversation. But their faces get close and they can't keep their eyes off of each other and before they know it, the philosophical discussion on some hypothetical scenario turns into passionate kissing.

Eventually, everyone at the royal court notices that Viren and the queen sleep in the same chamber. Both Viren and Amaya get permission to stay in Lux Aurea indefinitely, relieved of their prior duties.

I don't think Viren wants to be king, not after everything that's happened. And he might not be ready for another marriage for a while. But he is more than happy to be the Queen's partner and serve Lux Aurea as a scholar and, eventually, a Sun mage.

[broodwoof]

thinking abt. things.

things like solas not joining the inky for a given mission and discovering smth in his books that might help track the red templars so he brings the info to cullen only to find him shaky and sweaty and obv cullen tries to brush it off but look me in the eye and tell me solas wouldn't recognize withdrawal for what it is

mini fic bc I can:

He hasn't actually been to the Commander's room before, but he found something useful. He would normally bring it to the Inquisitor's attention, but they were out on the field and it seemed redundant to hand it off to someone else, especially since there were few he trusted to properly convey the intricacies of the information. Besides, there was no reason for him to fear Cullen. There had been countless opportunities for him to push back against Solas or the other mages, but he seemed truly dedicated to setting aside his past as a Templar. The role, if not the abilities.

Because of this, Solas entered the office lightly. What he found was... surprising.

Cullen looked haggard, worn, with deep circles under his eyes. He also looked absolutely shocked by Solas' presence, straightening up and trying to compose himself. Trying... and failing. A better posture couldn't hide the sweat shining on his face - inappropriate, considering they were high in the mountains, surrounded by snow and ice - nor the trembling of his hands, even though he tried to still then by laying them flat on his desk. "Solas," came his delayed, stiff greeting. He inclined his head slightly to the Commander in response, then moved nearer and set the book down on the desk. Cullen looked at it with obvious curiosity, but Solas no longer intended to discuss it. Not at the moment, anyway.

"Look at me," he said instead, voice far firmer than he ever would have thought to use with Cullen. The human seemed quite as surprised, gaze snapping up. "Focus on me. Breathe."

"What are you-"

"I said breathe," he insisted. Cullen continued to stare for a moment before doing as he said, although it was more a huff or sigh than a true breath. Solas arched a brow. "Breathe deeply."

Cullen frowned but obeyed, taking a deep, genuine breath and exhaling slowly. "Good," Solas said gently. "Feel the desk under your hands. The air against your skin." He watched a furrow grow between Cullen's brows. "Do not concern yourself with these things, just feel them." The Commander let his eyes slip shut as he focused, face relaxing slightly. "Keep breathing. Do you feel the cold air? Concentrate on how it feels in your nose, your throat, your lungs."

Slowly his trembling eased, although Solas knew it wouldn't disappear. He'd seen people go through this: in the flesh and in the Fade both. He knew deep breathing wouldn't counteract the physical effects of withdrawal - he had to assume from lyrium, distantly impressed by Cullen's willingness to undergo such a risk, to break the chains the Chantry and the Templar Order bound him in - but it would help with the feelings of panic. With the sense of being unable to possibly withstand such horrible feelings and urges.

"Good," he said again. Cullen had continued taking deep breaths, eyes still closed as he concentrated on his immediate surroundings instead of his panic. "This is normal. It hurts, I know, and your body is fighting you. But you still have control. You are stronger than this."

"Am I?" Cullen's eyes opened at last, meeting his with a strange desperation. Solas nodded.

"You are. To have gotten this far is evidence enough." Cullen snorted, then shook his head.

"So, who told you?" Cullen asked, Solas arching a brow.

"No one." Now the human frowned again.

"Then how..."

"I recognized your condition." Cullen stared for a time, searching Solas' face before eventually shaking his head and standing upright.

"You are... thoroughly unexpected, Solas." A pause, as if he was debating whether to say more. "Thank you." He inclined his head slightly.

"My pleasure, Commander."

[candy-blue429]

skk’s relationship is so much more complicated than ‘they hate each other they want each other DEAD they’re TOXIC’

Like while this is more obvious in the novels and other media like Dead Apple, you can see this just from the anime. Like ik the anime doesn’t provide as much context as the manga+other content but you can still tell they’re relationship isn’t that simple.

To start off with, skk first met as some REALLY emotionally/mentally fucked up 15 year olds.

Dazai, though we know nothing about his life pre-15, is as fucked up as they can be. He is extremely suicidal and sees no point in living at all. For Christ sake, he’s in the goddamn mafia. His only influence is Mori, who is a pedophile bastard who only sees Dazai for his intelligence & ability and neglects the fact that he is a 15 year old who clearly needs help.

Chuya is literally a fucking vessel of god. He doesn’t have any memories prior to the Arahabaki incident. He is the head of the Sheep, which just means he is in charge of protecting a bunch of powerless orphans who also have a lot of issues. He’s also a very trusting and loyal person - he values friends. When the Sheep stabbed him he looks genuinely surprised and despite them literally trying to kill him, isn’t mad at them and takes Dazai’s deal so they aren’t killed. He blames himself & Dazai for the incident, but not the sheep. Then he proceeds to join the mafia & swear loyalty to Mori, and no matter how much I love the members of the mafia it’s not what you would consider a healthy environment.

You really expect Dazai and Chuya who met under these absurd conditions to develop a normal, healthy relationship? Like

And as for wanting each other dead, they do say that but it’s not actually… genuine? Again more examples in novels etc but even in the anime during their fight against Lovecraft, you can visibly see that Chuya is extremely concerned when Dazai pretends he’s dying. And when Corruption doesn’t seem to be affecting Lovecraft, Dazai voices his concern of Chuya not making it much longer. Yes, this is more likely an ‘Dazai has low physical fighting stats and can’t defeat Lovecraft on his own’ concern but still. They both can’t really afford the other one dying even if it is for their own benefit and not concern for the other. (I would personally argue that they have concern for each other but that’s a debate for another day)

The rest is kind of my own interpretations but I feel like the reason skk fight all the time and are like ‘god I wish you would die already’ because they are polar opposites.

Even visually they’re opposites. Dazai with the dark hair and eyes and the slim, tall figure. Chuya with light hair light eyes and short, muscular figure.

Personality even more so. Dazai is often not very emotional, distant - even though he is physically human, emotionally, he is very much so ‘No Longer Human’, especially during the Dark Era. Chuya on the other hand is very much so human despite being the vessel of god. Like I said he is fiercely loyal. He’s compassionate. He likes people in general and is depicted to have a pretty large social network. In Stormbringer, Dazai even refers to Chuya as ‘disgustingly human’ (sorry if it’s worded differently in the translated version I’ve only read it in Japanese)

That’s the whole point of their dynamic - they’re opposites. They’re partners. They’re supposed to complement and complete each other. Dazai the brains, Chuya the humanity, and when Chuya uses Corruption and becomes god, Dazai’s No Longer Human returns Chuyas humanity. Idk if I’m making any sense but like to me, that’s such a poetic and cool dynamic.

Like yeah, skk isn’t some average normal healthy relationship that you want to mold your own social life after, but there’s so much more context and nuance to their relationship I just…… idk. I probably didn’t make sense in all my rambling but I’m also not normal about these two in any sense so I guess it’s fitting

[cyborg00-why]

If you had an original villain for Cyborg 009 what would they be like and what would their backstory be?

Oh my goodness, this is a flood gate opening sort of question! To be honest I have a few OC villains I've made fan art of but they are... maybe too long winded to get into. If I ever get around to doing like mini character sheets I will share them though.

Though I do have an idea for a villain that is a character we see very briefly. It's a bit long so I'll spare folks and have it under the cut.

Somewhere in my fic burn pile is a concept for Hilda later returning as a villain, she would have also been taken after the accident with Albert as well as the lion. Due to the severity of her injuries she would be spliced together with the lion, and have an altered form for battle in the same vein as Mary (Merry?). She would have been a final "mock up" before Black Ghost moved on to the "prototype" cyborgs. Something looking more like the prototype series but being maybe more comparable in quality to the cyborg men. Like a proof of concept for cyborg without need for life support tubes.

There would have been some melodramatic elements like a memory loss subplot later revealed to be feature of her cybernetics, not a bug. Because she was made to be a proof of concept she wouldn't have been made durably or for practical application. Instead once the prototypes were approved she was going to be a final "field test" to impress investors to garner funding to continue making cyborgs 005+. Because of this, and Black Ghosts assumptions of an intimate relationship between her and 004 one of them had to have their memories erased so they would fight without reservation. This would also tie in to the internal lab debate of cyborgs being better or worse with their humanity removed, so she would have also be a test for that.

However, because of cybernetic difficulties with 002, 003, and 004 they would never have the chance to meet. Instead being shelved in cryogenics until science and funding caught up and filled the gap between man and machine. Once it had though, Black Ghost already received funding and resources to continue on the series without their little rigged demonstration. So once again Hilda would be kept in cryogenic storage, likely having been forgotten over the decades.

The catalyst to her being rediscovered would have been the prototype cyborgs initial escape off the island lab, as Black Ghost was trying to evacuate goods and machinery. As the series progressed and the other newer models of cyborgs were sent after 009 and friends, we would have eventual been introduced to Hilda.

I would have introduced her in place of Joe's old friends. Albert would have had a moment of rare domesticity and would have spotted a woman in town who looked "identical" to his wife. He would have been shocked and gone somewhere else to collect himself, only to have her "organically" run into him and make small talk. A morbid, if not traumatic curiosity would come over him and he would leave awkwardly. She would tail him thanks to stereotypical catlike sense of smell (corny ik). And it would escalate from there in a similar way to Joe with his old friends. Though the melodrama of Albert having long since come to terms with her loss, only to realize she was in fact alive, to then be confused and upset with survivors guilt (if he would consider his condition as that idk) while having to fight her, and ALSO the sheer rage I think he would have for what Black Ghost had done to her... it started to feel maybe a bit too much lmao.

The biggest issues for never going through with this beyond a long set of bullet plot points were:

We already have Lion Man in the pantheon of Mythos Cyborgs, previously mentioned Mary (though while feline never defined as a lioness I think), and in the 1968 series we also deal with that weird gold lion. It would not surprise me if there were other lions I was forgetting in the series. Lots of lions, perhaps even too many lions. Kimba's influence was great it would seem.

Remember how I said it was a bit too much? When I really sat and thought about an outcome that matched the flow of the plot it felt very depressing. The timing of this in the CS continuity would be the Yomi arc, so what was going to happen there? End game would have been one of Helena's sisters? Would I have to write her out? Or redirect the romance subplot? Would it be a melodramatic venture into a shitty mid 30's love triangle? Would Albert even believably be involved in a love triangle? It felt cheap at best, but overall unfair to everyone.

When I did have a solution to the depressing ending, it wasn't a happy ending either. That felt very forced, at least with what flowed well with the themes the story was going to focus on. It would have been open ended with there being enough room for healthy speculation for the reader to decide on their own how things went. However, that also came at the cost of writing a very long fic and I don't think I am capable of that for at least the foreseeable future... so it was scrapped! Though like my OCs I have doodles of her design concepts somewhere

Thank you for asking! This was a very fun question to answer. In turn I would love to hear about other folks Cyborg Villain ideas if they would like to share!

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Mobile Suit Gundam and Ashbaugh

In MSG (Monosodium glutamate lmao), we see a few aspects of how the war is portrayed negatively. The first episode primarily shows how war affects civilians. We first learn that they originally lived in another colony before the war caused them to move and during the episode, we see them have to evacuate from where they lived due to an attack. This is incredibly ironic because in WW2, Japan wanted to expand their empire and their greatness, but the land they original have is destroyed to rubble and people were forced to live in horrible conditions.

Another thing we see is how kids have to both take the responsibilities of adults and block out emotion or sorrow to take action in the war. Amuro has to push himself to pilot the robot despite his panic and age. Fraw has to stop mourning the death of her family that she witnessed to go escape to the base and then never mourns the loss, only continues helping around the colony. This depicts the loss of humanity in war because action even to just save lives is so involved that emotion is blocked out. And at its worst, people over time lose their humanity in favor of violence and conquest. We see that this initial impact on Amuro is furthered when we get to one of the later episodes and he takes immediate action and his mother begins to cry because the boy she raised is gone.

We can see this violence and conquest more in the commanders in the first episode who prioritize transporting the Gundam over the transportation of the civilians. The consequence of their action and the monkey patching of the rest of the military crew trying to car for civilians leads to about 30 deaths in the first episode alone. The same can be said about the military government during ww2. The lack of care for the damage done to their civilians and providing food and resources lead to many deaths from the bombings all over and the eventual starvation of many.

I'm surprised because I thought from reading Aushbaugh that the criticism of Japan in WW2 was going to be a bit more direct than it was. I'm curious how matsumoto's series compares in directness. I think both are almost cruel because their target audiences are children and having to bring kids in to a debate on ww2 seems a little inappropriate but /shrug.

[satancopilotsmytardis]

*breathes deeply

Oof. This was a lot. Dabi knowing he should leave but he can't because he has to know just what this guy is to Shig. It doesn't really seem that Dabi knows a whole lot about the kink scene, just by the way he described everything happening.

Dabi shifting back because he gets horny and gets off to them. 🫣 I don't know how to feel. Although knowing Dabi, he's also getting off on the shame of it too. (You know the author's good when you also feel like an uncomfortable voyeur.)

Dabi realizing that he could never have Tomura that way, because he's just a cat to him. Even if he was to reveal himself, there's the chance that Tomura would hate him for lying. That and the fear of rejection that comes with the fact that he'd been lying for months. Pretty much spying on him and using him. My heart can't take this.

Oh everyone knows, whoops.

Dabi moping after the incident, debating whether to leave or not is heartbreaking. He tries to punish himself, but that makes Shig worry so he can't do that. He can't leave either because that'd hurt him too. He's stuck because it's either him or Shigaraki suffering, and he really doesn't want Shig to suffer more because of him. 😢

No! That does not mean stop being human.

Oh, we get to see how a meeting with the less favorable League members go. Exciting!

...

...

...

TANCO WHAT THE FUCK?!?!!

So AFO bribed Moonfish with flesh to kill the 'distraction' Tomura is having. And Dabi nearly died. (How the fuck could you do this to Tomura on his birthday? He did not wish for his cat to almost die.)

The only thing Dabi thinks about while dying is Tomura hurting again. His job was to make Tomura happy and he failed at that. Agajfkrbee Dabi not expecting to be sad when he dies again fucking hurts. (He knows the League will take care of Tomura, that's sweet)

"Being Onigiri was worth every pain of being Toya and Dabi because they brought him to Tomura." 😭😭😭😭😭😭 He was happy, that's why it was worth it. He didn't think he deserved happiness, and he got it anyway and didn't want to let it go. He agrees to stay alive because he's not gonna let down Tomura. Because Tomura cares and he can't do that again. 😭😭😭😭

I can now see how you made yourself cry. You made me fuckin cry too.

Recovery is a bitch. Dabi promising to do better for the League, because there's no way he'd be doing it for himself.

Dabi hating the cone like a true cat.

Toga trying to make Shig and Keiro happen because she wants the drama and she's a romantic at heart. And her getting the pet stairs. Toga is such a sweetheart. I love her so much. Dabi trying to condition Shig to hate Endeavor.

Tomura standing up to AFO. I'm so cheering for him. Especially because he tried to fucking kill Onigiri. You don't go after a man's cat.

Stain's back! Watching Spinner and Toga lose it over their idol. And Stain just not caring lol. He just shuts them both down. It's interesting to see your take on Stain, since he's never been a major part of your writing before. I adore how you write characters and Stain is no different.

Taking buttons? Oh however can Dabi abuse them? Immediately demanding treats. Not surprising. Aww a pet button, how cute.

...I'm crying again damnit. Dabi just can't. Tomura doesn't understand because he's just a cat, and Dabi wants him to know. He wants Tomura to know so bad he wants to cry only to find out he can't. My heart can't take this anymore.

Tomura admitting to bring Stain back as a bodyguard for Onigiri. Because he couldn't handle that loss again. He's nearly lost Oni twice and he's so determined to keep him around.

It's cute that Stain tells Onigiri he did a good job helping Shig. Because it really was the cat.

First babysitting job for the cat. Tomura learned his lesson with Toga and now has instructions for the treat jar. Dabi being smug that he has more hidden. His favorite button. 🥺

WHAT?! Stain knows?! You broke my brain. Officially gone. Does that mean Stain's a shifter too? Is that how he got around unnoticed for so long? I have so many questions now.

Dabi has two choices, be a dumb cat, or tell the truth. And we know Dabi isn't gonna tell the truth.

God this chapter was such an emotional rollercoaster. I ate it up though and I can't wait for more. May the Muse be with you my friend.

YES, YESS, YEEEESSSSSS!!!

Dabi was such a mess this chapter from the voyeurism, to nearly dying, to confessing his feelings, to getting found out! He was going through it!!!

Stain is so immediately done with his fan club, Onigiri is the only one who gets a pass!

Dabi does have to immediately abuse the buttons, you can bet that Shigaraki had to hide the "treat" button as soon as they brought it upstairs

I'm so excited for the next chapter and I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you so much for commenting!

[apenitentialprayer]

Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, by Felix Parra, 1875.

The saints are the true interpreters of Holy Scripture. The meaning of a given passage of the Bible becomes most intelligible in those human beings who have been totally transfixed by it and have lived it out. Interpretation of Scripture can never be a purely academic affair, and it cannot be relegated to the purely historical. Scripture is full of potential for the future, a potential that can only be opened up when someone "lives through" and "suffers through" the sacred text.

Pope Benedict XVI (Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, page 78). Bolded emphases added.

Bartolomé de las Casas was born in Seville, Spain, in 1484. At age eighteen, he came to the newly "discovered" lands, and five years later he was ordained as a priest in Rome. As an encomendero, he owned indigenous people who worked for him in the gold mines. Although he claims he treated them kindly and fed them, he acknowledged that he neglected teaching them the Christian faith. He was also a horrified eyewitness to a massacre of Cuban natives by invading Spaniards. [… But t]he text that was at the center of Bartolomé de las Casas' "conversion" is Sirach 34. In April 1514 he read this text in preparation to preach to the Spaniards who came to the new world to establish new villages. The passage immediately challenged his current privileges as an encomendero. By his own admission, he read these verses in light of the situation of the indigenous people working for him in the Indies and realized that he was living in darkness; he was blind to the fact that he had become a tyrant who treated people unfairly. Thus, Bartolomé de las Casas embraced the mission of "preaching against injustice in order to bring light to those dominated by the darkness of ignorance" [History of the Indies]. His audience comprised people unable to realize the injustice behind their actions against the indigenous people, "such was and still is their blindness." He then proceeded to preach sermons against the oppression of indigenous people and to highlight their deplorable condition. His words were later followed by his decision to give up his "right" to possess slaves. His fellow Spaniards were in shock: "Everyone was surprised, even astonished, to hear this, and some walked away remorseful while others thought they had been dreaming — the idea of sinning because one used Indians was as incredible as saying man could not use domestic animals." [… In 1543] he was named bishop of Chiapas. The authority attached to this position allowed him to engage in official debates with those defending the use of violence in the evangelization of indigenous people, such as Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda (1551). After a fruitful life defending indigenous people in Spain and in the new world with his pen and his preaching, de las Casas died in Madrid at age eighty-two.

Carlos Raúl Sosa Siliezar ("Scripture's Impact on Bartolomé de las Casas' Theology: Lessons for the Interpretation of Key Johannine Themes"). Bolded emphases added.

Ill-gotten goods offered in sacrifice are tainted. Presents from the lawless do not win God's favor. The Most High is not pleased with the gifts of the godless, nor for their many sacrifices does He forgive their sins. [As] One who slays a son in his father's presence — [so is] whoever offers sacrifice from the holdings of the poor. The bread of charity is life itself to the needy; whoever withholds it is a murderer. To take away a neighbor's living is to commit murder; to deny a laborer wages is to shed blood.

the Book of Sirach (34:21-27)

[lowkeyclueless5137]

You know how in that one Overblot AU you have where the Overblot boys transform into their Overblot form when tired and stuff. Consider that Idia and Ortho technically both have Overblot forms, and thus cue the First Years having a heart attack when they see Ortho in his Overblot form for the first time since Idia and Ortho overblotted at STYX, away from everyone else. And all the while Yuu is like 'Yeah, that's Ortho'.

That's inky Aftermath, I believe, anon :3

Anyhow, you brought up a very good idea of this Au, mainly how the Shroud bros work, bc, out of all, their overBlot conditions were different by all means.

When I was a wee wee dumb child... Surprisingly, I had a lot of toy cars and trucks. Some of them, I fucking dismembered to see what's inside and then reassemble them. What was interesting out of this was that I tended to put random shit inside if they had space, then close them back together.

I brought that up, for the sole motive that it's similarly to how Ortho works in this Au.

Imagine that for him, his whole Phanthom/overBlot being shoved all in the memory card. Taking that as the safe and sturdy material source from whom Ortho could take a more human-looking form.

But it was different.

You see, as I debated in my various double Isekai aus, the og Ortho was a completely separated entity from robot Ortho. So in the Isekai series, them meeting is 2 people interacting and becoming friends, showing how many differences they have in between them.(the best examples I could give were the magical girl Isekai and jjk Isekai, where there is literally a whole mountain of differences)

In here's not the same. The og Ortho and the robo Ortho have way too many similarities, to the point where, when they merge together, they become 1 entity that is a total mix of both. Kind and efficient like robo Ortho, but also outspoken and a bit more rash like og Ortho. Thus, he would experience moodswings sometimes or very visible changes in behavior.

How Ortho would be post book 6 is a whole other can of worms.

Like at first, when he presents back, everyone has a surprise when they see a fully human Ortho. He was moving and looking like a completely normal human, down to everything.

Then he goes back to a robot look the very next day. Sometimes he's half and half, but most times is either fully hooman or fully robot. No one really was trying to question it, or more like, they were afraid to question it, in case Ortho would show heavens know what.

The answer was painfully simple: it's his overBlot form, all toned down. When he gets extremely tired, his overBlot form constricts down into the robot body, thus relying more on the mechanical aspect of himself. When he's in high energy, he's looking fully human.

The only instance when you see his full overBlot form is when he gets mad or very scared. It's the fight or flight reflex when he's scared, hence if he's not running away, expect a bigass punch.

It's also a bit terrifying to see him changing forms if you don't know what really went down with him. Mostly because blot literally pours over from his robot body or gets sucked in. Pretty scary if you think about. :D

I guess Idia is also a bit guilty of the, sometimes, bratty attitude, bc he keeps spoiling him. :'3

[kingofthenorth]

HI!! oc questions: do u have more that are based in an existing universe or ones whose universe u made up? if u made up a universe(or multiple) what are some of ur favorite worldbuilding details? what are some of ur oldest ocs and when was the last time u changed something about them? do u have any that are direct self inserts?

Ooh, these are some good ones!

Overall, I have way more that come from my own little universes. So much so, in fact, that I couldn't tell you how many worlds I've created, let alone how many characters are in them. I spend entirely too much time thinking about this stuff.

One world in particular has the most extensive worldbuilding. I'd wanted to make it feel as real as possible, so as a teen and young adult, I spent countless hours coming up with history, fashion, religion, maps, and languages to flesh it out. Here are some of my favorite details:

In the Gomnivev language, any noun can be treated as a name so long as the final consonant (provided it ends in one) is doubled. This comes in handy given that Gomnivev first names are almost always a detail about the day the baby was born. You get lots of people named after birds that were singing, fruits/vegetables that were in season, or weather conditions from the day they were born. For example, "aean" is a crocus, but Aeann is a proper name for someone born when aean flowers are blooming. Because there are no capital letters in the written language, this is the easiest way to distinguish between the nouns and their Human Name counterpart.

Banazar, Rezeki god of the dead, is the god subject to most debate among scholars due to ambiguity surrounding his gender and origins. Names that end in -sar (common) or -zar (less common) are explicitly male, but some of the very earliest texts describe him as "mother to the dead," in his role caring for departed souls. Instead of just running with it, religious scholars fight bitterly about what this means. As for his origins, he's the only god that didn't exist in the beginning, when the Original Gods created all there is now, but also isn't a child of the Original Gods or their two daughters, like the rest of the gods are. No one knows where he came from.

Many Rezeki garments sport wild patterns, but the exception to this is their most popular formal wear, the mema. Mema, which are not unlike a toga, are almost always solid color so that one can pin decorations onto them and make them look different each time they're worn. Brooches and baubles meant to be worn on mema are a common gift, and can be anything from crudely hand-fashioned by one's kids to crafted by artisans. What matters is that it's fun and unique!

My very oldest OCs are from a story I came up with at 8, hoping to one day turn into a tv show. The original story was about a high school club for kids with superpowers, and the protagonist, Jairo, had none, but joined anyway to help out. In high school, I was reminded of the story and revisited it, deciding that it made very little sense that he'd be allowed to join, and changed it so that he had powers too, but they weren't as useful overall, else it wouldn't be a viable story. Imagine my fucking surprise when, years later, the BNHA anime came out and I saw the similarities. I am, perhaps, a bit of a fool. lol. lmao, even.

Finally, I did once make a couple self inserts, but I ironically never connected well to them. One I forgot about entirely until just now, and the other I changed so much, I often forget she was based off me in any way. It turns out, I much prefer exploring characters that aren't all that much like me. If anything, I think there's more "me" in the worlds I create than the characters in them. I'm in the politics, the public consciousness, and the messages, but not so much the characters.

[redrage71890]

I've spent the last few weeks creating a Twisted Wonderland OC and here is the random process I went through because I'm a former design kid and am kind of conditioned to go through some kind of process.

To sum it down I scavenged for a Disney villain and rested on The Headless Horseman since he's technically a Disney villain in The Legend of Sleepy Hollows and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad.

(Sorry if its hard to read my handwriting)

I didn't write down my brainstorm and kept all of that internally, but I was debating whether I should make my guy a fae or human. Along with hairstyle ideas and in different angles.

(I like to sketch in different colours for different parts of the body)

Three outfits away and there colour palettes were pretty hard to come up with and I ended up searching gothic and hunter esc palettes for ideas. I decided with the first outfit.

This is what the text says for the expressions notes since I honestly can't read it even zoomed in:

Smiling Always a mischievous/evil smile. Has trouble smiling truthfully.

Board Common expression. Hard to distinguish whether he’s being genuine or not.

Annoyed Has a hard time repressing his ticked emotions. Rather strange sharp teeth on his right side and regular teeth the next.

Sad Tear ducks are probably dry from years of tears he's shed. Crying hurts his face because of his scars.

Surprised Surprised Rarely surprised. More shocked than surprised.

Unfazed Often seen when the Mayor tries to act' hip' with the younger kids. Mostly seen when accompanying the Mayor.

"Astaroth is a relatively quiet and responsible figure in the town, he relies great advice for kids because of his experience. Though he has a strong hatred towards humans from years of abuse and discrimination from his magic and being a fae. For his crimes in Briar Valley, he was cursed with permanent scars and injuries that can never heal with burning pain."

Unique Magic: "Phantom Wonderer" - Able to turn his body invisible and phasing through physical objects. Additionally can give others that same ability by keeping a hold of them, whether they be living or inanimate.

Curse: "Burned Remains" - Cursed by Malleficia, he's forced to keep his scars and injuries with a burning sensation. Scars that can't heal and or kill him, burning pain for all the injuries he's accumulated.

(P.s: Astaroth lives in a town I made named 'Backwoods Valley' in Shaftlands)

[nursingwriter]

Right to Die Why Patients Should Be Able to Control When and How They Die Patients should be able to control when and how they die It is immoral to force a person to endure unremitting, unbearable, or prolonged pain End of life conditions rob people of their dignity and will to live (Bernstein, 1997) Elderly patients endure unnecessary pain before they die (Foley, 1995 and Isaacs and Knickman, 1997). The medical community can adequately address pain management. There are some patients that whose pain cannot be managed (the medical management of pain). Various other factors such as inability to afford the medications, lack of physician skill, and the side effects of medications prevent pain treatment (the medical management of pain). Personal and Religious Beliefs of a Few Should Not Impede an Individual's Right to Decide How They Die 1.Non-Christains and others who are not religious overwhelmingly support assisted suicide, but Evangelical Christians oppose it by a 2-1 margin (Langer, 2003). 2. Federal and state courts have repeatedly found that the right to decide about medical treatment is protected under the constitution (Coleman and Miller). Abstract Older Americans with chronic illness are increasingly demanding the right to control what happens to them during their last few months of life, but they have no right to do so because the practice of euthanasia is illegal in this country. As a result, they are robbed of their dignity during their final days as unspeakable pain renders them helpless. The medical community, for a variety, cannot adequately manage their pain. In most circumstances, the courts protect the patient's right to decide about medical treatment, but they draw the line with euthanasia. Unfortunately, there is a religious monitory that wields great political pressure at the expense of the critically ill. This is a situation that needs to change. 1.0 Introduction Do you believe you should have the way to control the way you die when you are at the end of your life or should others make this decision for you? This is a question subject to great debate. According to the American Psychological Association, "End of life is defined as that time period when health care providers would not be surprised if death occurred within about 6 months." (End of life issues and care) Older Americans with chronic illness are increasingly demanding the right to control what happens to them during this time with many wanting euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, as an option. Data from the American Psychological Associate verify the tremendous pain endured by the terminally ill while the National Institutes of Health acknowledge that this pain is often impossible to manage (the medical management of pain and Fact sheet on end-of-life care). Even so, most Americans do not have the ability to determine their own destiny; they have to endure needless pain and suffering because of the influence of the personal and religious beliefs of others that it is somehow more humane to let people suffer than it is to end their pain and suffering. 2.0 Why Patients Should Be Able to Control When and How They Die People should be able to control when and how they die for three major reasons: a) it is immoral to subject dying people to unnecessary pain and suffering; b) the medical community cannot adequately address pain under all circumstances; and c) personal and religious beliefs of a few should not impede an individual's rights. 2.1 it is Immoral to Subject Dying Patients to Unnecessary Pain and Suffering It is immoral to force a person to endure unremitting, unbearable, or prolonged pain. Unfortunately, there are times when the burdens of life outweigh the benefits because of uncontrollable pain (End of life issues and care). Nothing turned the spotlight on the issue of euthanasia more than Dr. Jack Kevorkian. In 1997, he assisted in the suicide of a Colorado multiple sclerosis (MS) patient whose body was later discovered in a motel room. According to a letter left by the patient, Kari Miller, "The pain I was forced to live with and what the MS had done to me became intolerable. "MS "had robbed me of all my dignity and my zest for life." (cited in Bernstein, 1997) Unfortunately, Miller's experience is not an isolated one as indicated by statistics compiled by many researchers Caregivers reported that a third of 1227 elderly individuals were in unnecessary pain during the 24 hours before their death. Studies show that two thirds of elderly patients have pain in the last month of life." (Foley, 1995) "Although palliative/comfort care could relieve most of this pain and suffering, patients typically spend 8 days in ICU (an intensive careunit) comatose or on a ventilator and 30% of patients spend at least 10 days in ICU before they die." (Isaacs and Knickman (1997). 2.2 the Medical Community Can Not Adequately Address Pain Management Despite claims that the medical community can adequately address pain management, it cannot do so for a variety of factors. Proceedings from a National Institutes of Health conference reveal that, "The data indicate that there remains a proportion of patients whose pain presents difficult, and so far unsolved, problems for successful management." (the medical management of pain) Even if pain killing medication is available, many can't afford it because they lack health-care coverage or even if they do they still cannot afford expensive pain medications. Others are denied adequate pain killers because of their physician's lack of knowledge, inadequate training, or specific beliefs. Yet, others are concerned about the side effects of pain medication, including addiction and would prefer to deal with their pain in a different way (the medical management of pain). Regardless of reason, the pain of the chronically ill is not being adequately addressed. The American Pain Society found that over forty percent of individuals "with moderate to severe chronic pain have yet to find adequate relief, saying their pain is out of control..." The study also found that "only 22% had been referred to a specialized pain treatment program or clinic" (the medical management of pain) 2.3 Personal and Religious Beliefs of a Few Should Not Impede an Individual's Right to Decide How They Die Some people believe that euthenasia is the same as murder. As a result, people are prevented from facilitating a comfortable death that is already in progress by others who hold personal and religious beliefs that are different from their own. This is happening in a country that's supposed to uphold the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and personal liberties. A 2003 survey conducted by ABC News revealed that forty percent of all Americans support legalizing assisted suicide. The survey reveals that religious beliefs are highly correlated with opinions regarding euthanasia, "Non-Christians and people who profess no religion overwhelmingly support assisted suicide. But it's opposed by most Christians, who account for eight in 10 Americans, and especially by evangelical Christians, who oppose assisted suicide by a 2-1 margin." (Langer, 2003) One can't help, but wonder how much religion is influencing our courts on the issue of euthanasia. Federal and state courts have repeatedly found that the right to decide about medical treatment is protected under the constitution, yet they draw the line for applying this privilege to physician- assisted suicides (Coleman and Miller). 3.0 Conclusion The rights of the chronically ill to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering in their last few months of life through euthanasia should be protected, but it's not. Instead, the chronically ill are forced to endure unspeakable pain. Either they cannot afford the medications that might help them or their doctors lack the technology and medications that to control their pain. Even so, their individual rights are overshadowed by political pressures from religious groups and the failure to correctly apply constitutional rights to physician-assisted suicide as yet another individual decision to determine medical treatment. This is a situation that ought to change. In closing, Albert Schweitzer, a noted physician, humanitarian, theologian and composer said, "We all must die. But if I can save someone from days of torture, that is what I feel is my great and ever new privilege. Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." (the medical management of pain) Bibliography Bernstein, S. (1997, September 30). An act of mercy or murder? http://www.aish.com/societywork/sciencenature/Doctor-Assisted_Suicide.asp Bernstein includes opinions (both pro and con) on whether services be available to any patient who is terminally ill and facing certain death within six months. Coleman, C.H. And Miller, T.E. Stemming the tide: Assisted suicide and the Constitution. http://law.shu.edu/faculty/fulltime_faculty/colemaca/pdf_docs/coleman_miller_watermark.pdf Coleman and Miller acknowledge that the Constitution guarantees individuals the right to reject unwanted invasive procedures and to die a natural death. However, they argue that it does not and should not authorize physicians to dispense lethal medications at a patient's request because vulnerable individuals would be at risk and because the practice could not be limited to the terminally ill. End of life issues and care." American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/pi/eol/arguments.html#2 End of life issues and care, published by the American Psychological Association, provides a detailed description of the arguments in support of assisted suicide and the arguments in opposition to assisted suicide. Fact sheet on end-of-life care. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/pi/eol/factsheet1.pdf Fact sheet on end-of-life care, published by the American Psychological Association discusses the adult's mental health needs near the end of life and the obstacles they confront to having a comfortable death. Foley, K.M., (1995). Pain, Physician assisted dying and euthanasia. Pain 4, 163-178. Foley discusses how access to and delivery of pain treatment are seriously deficient in the present health care systems in the United States. The author advocates expanding services and resources to care for the dying patient. Isaacs, S.L. And Knickman, J.R (1997). To improve health and health care. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Isaacs and Knickman examine programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a health care philanthropy. They reports its history, evaluates its effect, and discusses lessons learned as well as provide a frank discussion of why some problems can't be easily solved. Langer, G. (2003, March 19). Opposing assisted suicide. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/assistedsuicide_poll020319.html Langer reports a 2003 survey conducted by ABC News on public support for legalized assisted suicide. The survey revealed that religious beliefs are highly correlated with opinions regarding euthanasia. The medical management of pain." ReligiousTolerance.Org. http://www.religioustolerance.org/euth_pai.htm The medical management of pain asserts that pain management in North America is in a state of chaos. There are too many patients whose pain cannot be managed and, even when it can, various factors such as lack of healthcare affordability and poor physician training render the system ineffective. Read the full article

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8 Unsolved Mysteries of World War II That Still Haunt History

The Second World War was the deadliest conflict in human history, leaving behind a legacy of destruction, heroism, and untold stories. But amidst the rubble and shattered lives, there are mysteries that still baffle historians, survivors, and conspiracy theorists alike. What happened to Hitler’s body? Where did the gold of the Third Reich disappear to? How did a fleet of ships vanish without a trace? In the aftermath of such a monumental war, it’s not surprising that some questions remain unanswered. But as the years go by, the mysteries deepen. Some are fading into the abyss of history, while others continue to ignite fiery debates. Let’s take a journey through eight unsolved mysteries of World War II that still haunt our understanding of the past. 1. The Disappearance of Luftwaffe Pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille Hans-Joachim Marseille was a German Luftwaffe ace, one of the war’s greatest pilots with an extraordinary kill rate. But his final moments remain shrouded in mystery. On September 30, 1942, Marseille died in a fiery crash while flying over North Africa. Official reports say that he was shot down, but there were several conflicting versions of events. Some speculate that his death might have been caused by mechanical failure rather than enemy fire. The mystery surrounding his death persists. Was it truly a tragic accident or was there more to the story? Why have the records surrounding his death been so inconsistent? 2. The Fate of the Amber Room The Amber Room, often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” was a breathtaking chamber constructed with amber panels, gold leaf, and mirrors. Housed in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, it was a priceless masterpiece of the 18th century. But during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, it vanished. Despite numerous efforts to locate it, the Amber Room’s fate remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the war. Did the Germans hide it away in a secret location? Or was it destroyed during the chaos of the retreat? And if it still exists, where is it? 3. The Vanishing of Flight 19: The Bermuda Triangle Mystery In December 1945, five U.S. Navy bombers, collectively known as Flight 19, disappeared while conducting a routine training mission over the Atlantic. The planes had been scheduled to return to base, but they vanished without a trace. Attempts to find the missing aircraft only deepened the mystery, as one of the rescue planes sent to search for them also disappeared. Some theories suggest that the planes fell victim to the infamous Bermuda Triangle, while others believe they may have been lost due to navigational errors, poor weather conditions, or even a technical malfunction. The disappearance of Flight 19 remains one of World War II’s most enduring enigmas. 4. What Happened to the Nazi Gold? During the war, the Nazis seized vast amounts of treasure, including gold, jewels, and precious artifacts. But as the Third Reich began to crumble, much of this gold seemed to vanish. The most famous case is the so-called Nazi Gold Train, rumored to have been hidden in a secret tunnel somewhere in Poland. Over the years, treasure hunters and historians have scoured the area looking for clues, but the gold has never been found. Did it get smuggled out to foreign banks, or is it hidden in some deep underground bunker, waiting to be unearthed? 5. The Disappearance of Adolf Hitler's Body The death of Adolf Hitler on April 30, 1945, was officially declared a suicide in his Berlin bunker. The Soviets were the first to arrive and claim the body, but what happened to it after that has never been fully explained. Some say it was burned by Soviet authorities to avoid creating a shrine, while others suggest that Hitler’s body was secretly transported to Russia, and even possibly switched with a body double. The truth is buried in Soviet archives, many of which remain sealed to this day. Where is Hitler’s body, and why are we still unsure about the details of his death? 6. The “Lost Battalion” of the 442nd Infantry Regiment The 442nd Infantry Regiment, composed mainly of Japanese Americans, became one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history. But in 1944, one of its battalions went missing in Italy during an intense rescue mission. The battalion had been surrounded by enemy forces, and their fate was left uncertain. After weeks of searching, they were finally found—surprisingly alive, though suffering from horrendous conditions. But the mystery lies in what actually happened during those missing days. Why didn’t they contact their commanders? Were there deeper secrets surrounding their disappearance? 7. The Ghost Ships of the Pacific: The Mystery of the SS Cyclops In March 1918, the SS Cyclops, a massive U.S. Navy ship, set sail from Brazil to Baltimore. But it never arrived. The ship disappeared without a trace, along with 309 men on board. Despite an extensive search, no wreckage or debris was ever found. What happened to the SS Cyclops? Some believe it was sabotaged, others suspect foul play, while there are even those who claim the ship fell victim to mysterious forces in the Bermuda Triangle. With no evidence and no survivors, this remains one of the great naval mysteries of the 20th century. 8. The True Extent of the Soviet-Supporting Spy Network During World War II, the Soviet Union infiltrated various Western governments with a network of spies. While some spies were caught, many operated with impunity, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. One of the most famous and chilling unresolved mysteries centers around the Cambridge Five, a group of British intelligence officers who secretly passed information to the Soviets. But the full extent of Soviet espionage and the identities of all their agents have never been fully revealed. How deep did the infiltration go? Were there spies in key positions within the U.S. government? The files remain classified. Conclusion: The shadows of World War II still loom large, and some mysteries may never be fully unraveled. The questions left unanswered continue to haunt our understanding of the war, and as time passes, the chances of uncovering the truth become slimmer. However, that doesn’t stop the curiosity, the research, and the wild theories that emerge time and again. What will we uncover next? Only time will tell. What do you think about these mysteries? Do you believe any of them will ever be solved, or are some secrets meant to remain hidden forever? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below! Let’s unravel history together! Read the full article