#average middle child behavior

[sad-0-possum]

I think she saw something interesting

[chesapeakebongripper]

Telling someone "thats such an american way to look at things" is NOT a compliment. Being able to discuss and debate tragedies is absolutely privileged and the inability to connect with something happening somewhere else because "I can't see it" is such an awful view on the world go get some fucking help stupid brain

[howtofightwrite]

Have you read GRRM books? He claims swords needed to be “especially designed for women’s hands” how true is this?

About as true as all of those, “girl guns.” Because, as you know, a woman cannot hold a Glock unless it's pink or sky blue. Which is to say, not even remotely true.

You might get a situation where a child would be unable to operate a weapon designed for adults because the grip is too cumbersome, but even this is going to be something of an outlier. Even years later the Nicholas Cage's line from Lord of War (2005) sticks with me, when describing the AK he narrates, “...so simple a child could use it, and they do.”

Just like basically any other common grip you encounter in your daily life, from screwdrivers to steering-wheels and cell phones, selling smaller, or more colorful ones, is strictly a marketing gimick.

Now, is a legitimate context, but it doesn't really have anything to do with the wielder's sex. If they had the money, the time, and the desire for a perfect grip, they might commission a smith to produce a grip specifically for their hand. Though, the only place I've ever come across this was in competitive fencing. I have seen cases where someone modifies their blade's grip with tape or other materials to better fit their hand, or the addition of a leather (usually shagreen) wrap over their grip, but even that is somewhat unusual. (Shagreen is leather from a shark or ray, and it grips the skin, making it easier to hold, especially when wet.)

Ironically, girl guns do illustrate the one case where have some weight: Weapons as fashion accessories.

I know I've complained about weapons (particularly handguns) as fashion accessories in previous posts, but the truth is that using weapons like this is not new behavior. In the early modern era, one of the ways the rising middle class liked to display their status was with a sidearm. (In this case, referring to a sidesword or, later, a rapier.) I've looked specifically into women carrying sidearms at that point in history, but it really would not surprise me in the least if they did, and if there were, that at least some of those swords were specifically designed to be more delicate and, “feminine,” per their owner's tastes. (Though, to be fair, a more delicate grip on a rapier would be fairly impressive, as the grips tend to be pretty thin.) This is a case where you might want to look into it further, if it really catches your interest, but I've never really run this down before.

If you're still dubious, feel free to wander into nearly any HEMA event, and you'll have a better than average chance of a woman being willing to prove this idea false with a Zweihander, that may in fact be taller than she is. (Historically, Zwiehanders could be over 2 meters long, and chances extremely good that you're shorter than 2 meters.)

I know I'm regurgitating previous posts here, but it really is worth remembering that swords are much lighter than people think. Zweihanders are some of the heaviest battlefield swords from history, and even the heaviest examples weigh less than 9lbs. Women in HEMA can, and do, use them effectively. Swords aren't about being big and heavy, they're about being a (in this case) seven foot long razor blade.

Since we're on the Zweihander specifically (and this may also apply for some of the other greatswords, such as the Scottish Claymore), this is a case where you might have a custom weapon forged for you. However, in this case, that's more about the right blade length, then worrying about the grip being too thick or too thin. Ideally, you want the blade length to match your height (roughly), this is because of the drills with the weapon itself, though you could adjust to a longer blade if that's what you had.

Now, to be clear, the idea of someone, particularly a noble, having a blade custom forged for them specifically isn't strange. That's something that did happen, both at the noble's request, and also as diplomatic gifts from other nations. Examples of the latter resulted in beautiful art pieces that you would never take into battle.

If you had a situation where you couldn't use a sword because the grip was too large (for, whatever reason), there are ways to fix that. In an ideal situation, you could simply pop off the pommel and grip, and then replace the grip with one that was a better fit to your hand. If the tang itself was the problem (this is the metal core of the grip, and is part of the blade, which the pommel attaches to), you might be able to shave (or file) down the tang, and then replace the grip with a new one, fitted to the now smaller tang. I'm not particularly wild about modifying the tang directly, simply because there is a (minor) risk of reducing the structural integrity of the sword in the process. Though, replacing the grip (especially on a sword with a threaded pommel) is very doable, and unless someone, somehow, screws up catastrophically, it should be a pretty trivial modification. (Again, replacing a sword's original grip with a new shagreen grip does make a lot of sense if the owner wants that improved grip.)

But, to the original question, it's not really a thing.

-Starke

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[nightmarewolf937]

Gn!Reader with their trio of Deathgrippers...

DeathStrike

DeathStrike is the largest deathgripper of the pack, he's the leader and was the first you encountered.

He was also the first to become possessive and protective of you.

His colouring is one of the more 'common' combinations, but his red is more of a darker crimson colour and his eyes are more amber than straight up yellow.

DeathStrike is possessive, vicious, highly intelligent and dangerously loyal to you only.

Despite being the largest of the three, he's not a titanwing yet and is still in the broadwing stage. It's quite clear that he doesn't need to be a titanwing to be feared and respected.

The other two deathgrippers obey DeathStrike without question, it's most likely the only reason they didn't kill you immediately.

GraveTail

The most aloof of the pack, he's not overly affectionate with you and he keeps his distance on most days. He has the odd moments where he'll curl up around you for a few minutes.

GraveTail is an average sized deathgripper, maybe a bit bigger, but that doesn't mean he struggles when taking down a bigger dragon.

His colouring is mainly black, but he has much more red than the average deathgripper and his eyes are a bright yellow. The red is more splotches than actual shapes and his wing membranes are solid red.

GraveTail is aloof, smart, obedient and bloodthirsty. He's protective of you from a distance.

Another broadwing, he's like the middle child of the pack without the being forgotten part.

He's loyal to DeathStrike and you, even if he doesn't show you much affection like the other two.

GoreWing

The smallest and youngest of the pack, he's not small compared to other deathgrippers, but compared to DeathStrike and Gravetail he is.

GoreWing is the most playful and affectionate out of the three, always wanting your attention and your hand on his warm scales. He craves your affection, even going as far as snapping at the others to get to you.

Speaking of scales, his scales are mainly red with thick black stripes covering his body and his eyes are similar to GraveTail's, a bright yellow.

GoreWing is snappy, demanding, playful and very affectionate with you. He's not the most likely to get jealous though, that would be DeathStrike.

A broadwing too, just like the other three, but he did recently become a broadwing and still has 'childish' behavior for an adult dragon.

Mostly listens to DeathStrike, but will always listen and obey you for some pats.

[problematicsashawaybright]

Yap session about Sasha & Grime no one asked for: I really don't think Grime fully understood how young Sasha was until after he asked her to be his lieutenant. Frog and human development is REALLY different and he had no reference. He probably saw that Sasha had legs and a full head of hair and was taller than all the toads, and assumed she was at least older than a tadpole/young frog. Secondly, Sasha's behavior developmentally isn't normal. Like at all. The average 13 year old shouldn't be able to lie and manipulate people so easily and be GOOD at it. She was able to talk numerous guards into leaving and being on her side. Most teenagers do not have that ability unless they had to develop it out of necessity. Lastly, Sasha was so scared and guarded when she was in the prison cell in toad tower. She wasn't volunteering unnecessary information. And even the information from earth she did mention, Grime didn't understand it, like when she mentioned cheerleading (a sport associated with middle/high school girls on earth) and he didn't know what it was. I don't think he saw a child and wanted to take advantage of her manipulation skills and drive to find her friends. I think he legitimately saw her as a valuable asset and the perfect addition to his army he needed to squash the rebellion and get his soldiers into shape (something she was able to do before she was even allowed to leave). Obviously he did grow to legitimately care about her and learn more about her later on, but in the beginning of their allyship, he solely wanted to utilize her interpersonal skills and strength for his military. If I had to pinpoint the general time he realized she was actually a child, I would say he started to realize it during reunion when he watched things go down between her and Anne and she chose to fall, and then sometime after reunion but before toadcatcher, they had a genuine (well, as genuine as S2 Sasha can manage) conversation and he was like "well shit she's barely older than a tadpole". There is a noticeable shift in the way he treats her before and after reunion. During reunion, he coaches her like you would a soldier. In toadcatcher, he coaches her like you would a younger friend or family member you're worried about. Obviously, it was a piss poor idea to see this strange and insanely unhinged creature and immediately make her your lieutenant without asking any follow up questions, but I don't think he knew that she wasn't a full grown adult until at least post reunion and I don't think he used that to manipulate her to form an allyship with him.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi! I'm not sure if you've expanded on this but could you explain Malleus' mental age? I fully believe that he's still quite young because of a few of Lilia's lines, but i hear other things from other people as well.

Mmm... I don't think the answer to this is very clear-cut? I think, if asked this question off the bat, I would that that I also lean more toward the "Malleus is mentally young" because he acts in very immature and oblivious ways that are characteristic of a middle or high school student. For example, he is very egocentric (+ fails to consider other points of view) and doesn't think ahead about the consequences of his actions. He just does whatever is natural and most convenient for himself, and his Dorm Uniform vignettes are a perfect encapsulation of this behavior that we see repeated many times over in the main story (books 5, 6, 7), events (Glorious Masquerade, Endless Halloween Night, Vargas Camp, etc.), and other vignettes (his birthday ones, Lab Wear, etc.). We additionally see that he has attachment issues and has trouble when faced with change, something that usually arises in one's teen years. There's also the fact that Lilia tells us that dragon fae are still considered children at age 200 and adolescents at 500, and Malleus is 178 years old (which is way below those values). This implies that the mental capacity of fae works on different scales based on their life expectancy, which varies from species to species.

Based on in-game dialogue, it also seems to be that fae physically develop slower than humans. For example, human toddlers start to walk at around 10-18 months, but Malleus states that it regularly takes a fae 30 years to achieve the same milestone and that he was an “early bloomer” that started to walk at 20 years old. Normally, mental development lines up with physical development, so this would imply that even at 178 years old, Malleus may still be regarded as a child in terms of his thinking, attitudes, and behaviors.

Buuut, as I've said earlier, the answer isn't really that simple and gets muddled by a ton of other factors which are hard to isolate from Malleus's maturity. For one, how do we know that he isn't mentally and emotionally stunted because of his isolated upbringing and training to become a king someday? How do we know it's not his privilege and limited life experiences that explain why Malleus seems to be behind his peers in some aspects? For another, he certainly doesn't speak like a normal high school student, nor does he act like one in some cases. Sometimes he demonstrates wisdom that can only come with the age or mentality of a far older person, like when he imparts wisdom onto his fellow students (book 3, Riddle's Suitor Suit vignettes, etc.). Lilia is also so old compared to Malleus that him "babying" the prince isn't saying much, considering that Lilia considers pretty much everyone else in the cast children or mere babies next to him. Malleus also refers to his peers as “like babies” to him, so he seems to consider himself more mature than them, not less. He also insists to Lilia that he is “not a child”, so it seems that Malleus views himself as an adult or, at the very least, a teenager.

It should also be noted that the development cycle of humans and fae are not exact. For example, while you could probably cleanly line up 12-15 months for humans and 30 years for fae just to learn the skill of walking, their dietary needs differ even when they are roughly the same age. A human infant can only take mushy foods after milk, but dragon fae babies can already eat seafood and meat on the bone, implying that dragon fae’s teeth come in much faster than that of a human baby. This is a point against the idea that humans and fae age similarly and have similar developmental benchmarks.

So... It seems to be that Malleus is immature (and thus falling in line with the developmental expectations of your average dragon fae), but that immaturity is tempered by him being raised in an environment that demands that he take on more responsibilities. At the same time, growing up with a focus on his future and being granted few opportunities to step outside of his usual environment also means that Malleus has a very limited worldview that keeps him from growing to some extent. I think, overall, I'd still consider him pretty young mentally, but not much younger than a typical high school student. If he actually had the mental capacity of a child, then surely he’d be in elementary school and not high school. Malleus can comprehend the specialized high school level material presented in many of his classes, so this definitely doesn't make him come off like a child to me.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

I've seen some people making some very good points about Vander and his role as a parent to Powder and Vi, especially related to criticisms about how he wasn't as stellar of a parent as the narrative portrays, specifically that he was emotionally neglectful, parentified Vi and failed to connect with Powder. While I think these points are worth discussing, I'd like to offer my own perspective.

Disclaimer: I am not justifying any behavior in the context of a real-life relationship, only within the narrative presented

First off, I don't disagree. Vander doesn't appear to have made a tremendous effort to connect with Powder, and seems to be much closer to Vi and Claggor than her and Mylo, putting a significant amount of responsibility on them (especially Vi, as the oldest) and Vi is definitely far more responsible for her siblings than she should be at her age, with Vander barely supervising them.

However, I think there's a lot of context people like to ignore. First off, this takes place in Zaun. From everything that's implied about Zaun, people don't typically live into old age. If they survive the street violence, enforcer violence, and unsafe working conditions, they're still likely to die or become incapacitated early as a result of Gray poisoning/horrific pollution, as we see with Viktor. Vander worked in the mines, which would make him even worse off.

It's common for average parents, who had their children in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties, to live to see their kids well into middle age, when they will be reliably established as adults and able to care for themselves without guidance. This privilege does not extend to Zaunites. As someone with older parents at birth, I know the importance of older siblings in that situation. Vander needed to prepare Vi and Claggor to be responsible for their siblings and guide them into adulthood, because he knew that he was unlikely to be able to do it himself.

Second, one of the big ethical issues with parentification is that you chose to have kids, and should not subject your older children to the consequences of your choice. Vander... Vander didn't choose to have kids, they're not his biological children, he took them off the street because they had nowhere else to go. I think in real world adoption, the principle still applies, because adoption is also a choice and a lengthy, procedurally dense one at that, but that's not the case here. It really wasn't a choice for Vander, these kids had nowhere else to go. And this is a common theme in Zaun, there are just feral children everywhere, and people just take them in because it's the right thing to do. Everyone is responsible for everyone else. So, his kids needed to learn that same principle, to be responsible for each other, to look out when they are able for those who can't.

And lastly, as for his overall lack of supervision of his ankle-biters, I think... I think that's just a Zaun thing. I'm always so bamboozled when I hear people compare THIS aspect of his parenting negatively to Silco's, when Silco didn't supervise Jinx either. He let her hang out on a giant fan blade like 60 feet in the air and wander off to explode shit whenever she wanted. Benzo also doesn't appear to supervise his very young child, who doesn't even have any older siblings to watch him, and neither Jinx nor Sevika feel the need to keep one single eye on Isha as she runs around the underground doing as she pleases. It seems to just be a part of Zaunite culture, people lose their parents and their parental figures all the time, so they need to be able to look out for themselves.

All this to say there are definitely things worth criticizing about Vander's parenting, but I feel like people are being a little unfair about it.

[maxdibert]

I don’t think Jily is intended to be read as potentially abusive at all, I genuinely think the intent is to read them as true stag-and-doe love and a happy family that Voldemort tore apart:

But when you consider that Lily is a bright, curious, vivacious child who can fucking FLY and ends up a teen mum with no job and a social circle that consists of only her husband’s friends having been alienated at various points by her husband’s actions from her oldest childhood companion and her sister having been convinced by her husband that he’d totally changed and hadn’t just learned how to better hide his behaviour from her…yeah.

Jily isn’t a relationship that we’re supposed to see as abusive. In fact, J.K. Rowling found James being a persistent jerk amusing and even implied that Lily didn’t actually hate his behavior—she was just “playing hard to get.” It’s a relationship that we can now recognize as problematic because we’re more educated on gender issues and toxic dynamics, and we can spot red flags as well as identify problematic romantic tropes. But for Rowling, who clearly has a very conservative view of romance, this couple was perfect. So, we’re meant to see them as the wonderful love story of two teenagers who tragically died for their son.

Now, when you’re a bit older, have had enough romantic and sexual experiences to write an entire book series, have at least some basic feminist education, and have gone to therapy because of the shitty men you’ve encountered, you become fully aware that having a baby at 19 with a guy you’ve only been dating for two years—who has been an asshole his whole life—and who, while you’re either pregnant or have just given birth, is out messing around on a motorbike with his best friend when you both should be hiding to avoid getting killed in the middle of a war… well, that sounds like anything but an idyllic life. In fact, it sounds like the nightmare of any average cis-het woman between 25 and 30 today.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Radioactive Apocalypse

The constant upset and warring provinces have prepared the world for the worst. Before the blowout, many thought it wise to pay for a bunker for the oncoming atomic apocalypse. Most of the population couldn’t afford to do so, let alone believe that it would be needed. 

They’d be wrong.

Whether you are one of the unsuspecting public or a passive believer, average day life doesn’t have you safely tucked in a bunker when the initial alarms go off. You are smooshed against others in a large crowd all watching and listening in awe. But the moment one person screams it's all over. The crowd twists and turns pulling you in no specific direction. As the final alarms ring out an arm pulls you through the chaotic crowd and into a bunker full of others reeling at the recent events. So here you find that you are trapped safely in the stifling and well-furnished  Atomic Bunker. 

“Who pulled me in here?”

“Does it matter! You survived the initial blast, didn’t you? Ungrateful twat.”

“No need to be hostile, little brother. It's natural to be vexed after watching the world end. Right in front of you.”

“Oh, all those poor souls!”

“My lady, your handkerchief.”

“My baby! My baby! I didn’t grab them! Oh, my poor baby!”

“There there, we’re all very shaken up—”

“B-b-b-but y-y-y-your still smiling—.”

“We are all dealing with the pain in different ways. But let's all take a breather and relax.”

“You don’t sound all that upset to me either.”

“I can say the same thing to you, but I guess you’re just happy to be off the streets, right?’

“Oi!”

Hearing the cacophony of such a colorful cast distracts from the initial fear. Their voices remind you that you're not suffering like the rest of those unfortunate people. They allow you to cry with an audience of fellow mourners and those who can keep calm easily. Before you can let the silence set in, they pull you back with their bickering. It's always either one or two of them that is always voicing their concerns. There’s always a voice of reason, something you’re grateful for as you desperately search for a distraction. 

“Everyone! I believe introductions are in order! I am the middle child of the Penz household as well as the main manager of the bunker.”

With a blonde head of hair and a funky sense of style, his smile persists. Uvil Penz is an interesting guy as you’ll come to find. Aside from smiling during the ongoing onslaught of atomic warfare he always has a way of looking on the bright side for better or worse. 

“Oh, my baby!” 

“Now please miss dry your tears, there are plenty of toys down here to distract yourself with.”

His optimism is surely unique as you can’t quite place where it may stem from. On one hand, you could see it as an unemotional response with an attempt to soothe. But you’ll see him laugh genuinely or offer insight into a person’s emotions. On the other hand, it may come from a sly condescending perspective. It fits right along with his brothers’ behavior. But the way he works to compliment you often, attempting to keep your spirits high, or how he’ll make a request for your favorite foods to be scavenged makes you think otherwise. 

“(Y/n)?”

“Huh? Uh yeah?”

“Did ya know: you’re gorgeous even with those tear streaks on your face.”

“What?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I think you really needed to hear that now.”

Or maybe that’s just you because you have a hard time believing Uvil trying to be soothing when he’s smiling widely after making someone cry. But it's hard to be decisive about liking or disliking the blonde as he could very well be the one who grabbed your wrist and pulled you in. On top of that, he allows everyone to stay even as opportunity knocks on the bunker door. As long as you don’t mind his ever-present smile and disconnected sympathy life will be great.

“I, Uvil Penz welcome you to the Penz bunker. Now little brother, go on. Introduce yourself.”

“Eugh! Get off me! Ugh, my name’s William and I know this bunker better than anyone else. So better learn to respect me!” 

He’s certainly not like his brother. At least not on the surface. With black short hair and a disgusted sneer constantly on his face. He doesn’t bother comforting anyone at least not in the typical way. Any advice or comfort is said through gritted teeth or with an annoyed click of his tongue.

“Look, if yer gonna keep crying do it in one of the soundproof rooms. You're bothering those of us who want to think!”

Not to mention he’s the first to point out your insecurities or make fun of you for grieving at all. Don’t worry you’re not the only one, he goes just as hard if not harder on everyone else. Making sure everyone is well aware that the whole group knows of their problems. Usually snickering or outright laughing at whoever he’s decided to victimize. At one point, everyone will be annoyed with him. As much as he loves to boast about it he is the only one who knows how to maintain the bunker. 

“Gosh, you are such a pain in the–”

“Don’t forget who knows how to start up the generator…so unless you want to enjoy life without lights, you’ll put your fists down.”

“Ugh! Fine.”

“Thank you…meathead.”

“YOU LITTLE-”

Despite his arrogance, his snarky jabs, and the weirdly endearing way he seeks you out the atomic apocalypse wouldn’t be the same without him. For as annoying and degrading as he may be, he’s still willing to share his switch with you when you’re feeling particularly bored. Making sure you can’t see his face when he pokes the controller against your cheek. 

“Come on. You’re bored aren’t you?”

“You…want me to play with you?”

“Well duh! So…are you?”

“I-I’d love to!”

Not to mention he knows the cheat codes to all the games in the arcade room. And if you do him small favors he’ll share his limited edition ramen with you. Now he may ask for your undergarments or your toothbrush but that’s nothing in the endless days spent in the bunker. After all, it's better than the atomic aftermath out there and according to the only Penz willing to go out there, you wouldn’t last a day.

“Well, my introduction’s done. Marc!”

“Yeah yeah, ‘sup everyone. I’m Marco.”

The eldest of the Penz brothers is concerningly nonchalant from the very beginning of your stay in the bunker. With his girlfriend on his arm and an easy-going attitude, he doesn’t really bother to comfort anyone other than her. Except maybe you. 

“Hey didn’t take you for a late-night snacker. You okay?”

“I’m—fine, excuse me.”

“Whoa whoa, lil’ bunny. Don’t run away just yet, the wolf has questions.”

“Please just–I’ll go back to the room.”

“Nah-ah sit bunny.”

“But you took the only chair.”

“Right here, bunny. We’ve got all night.”

Supposedly, he was quite the womanizer before he got with his current girlfriend. Will makes a point to mention it anytime anyone you is found flustered or flattered by his attention. Even so, he doesn’t let that stop him from caging you against the bunker walls to ask for something. Or teasing you when he retrieves something from outside the bunker. 

“Come on just grab it.”

“Why are you holding it there? Just hand it to me normally!”

“So rude. I don’t feel like complying with a fussy bunny who doesn’t use their words.”

“Ugh! Fine. Please just hand it to me normally.”

“Ha no.”

“WHY NOT?!”

“It’s perfectly fine just grab it, babe. I don’t mind if you touch me along the way.”

For all his teasing and carefree behavior, he’s a good scavenger. Able and willing to brave the atomic wasteland when the bunker needs supplies. He’s strong and prepared to take on any unruly travelers who come by or intervene during scavenger hunts. 

He’s not all that opinionated when it comes to debates in the bunker. More excited to grab a snack and watch the chaos unfold. Smiling lightly as things get heated and tensions rise. In that way, he’s like an idle NPC but the second his boundaries are crossed then you have to deal with the rare and angry Will. 

“C-calm down Will…y-your not going to k-kill him right?”

“He’s the one who thought inviting our bunker-mates to play in that wasteland was a good idea.”

“Honey, it’s okay! (Y/n) didn’t actually go, right? So it’s okay, right Fin?”

“Yes, my lady is correct.”

It’s just better for everyone that no one gets on his bad side. And that everyone doesn’t mess with the things that make him happy: His peace, his girlfriend's peace, and your peace the happiness of specific bunker mates.

“Oh yeah, this my girl.”

“Um hello everyone. My name is Aria, Aria Mensloth. Marco was the one who brought me here.”

“Lucky you, I bet he’s the only one willing.”

“...Oh uhm yes I am quite grateful. I hope we can all get along.”

Aria is the sheltered blue-haired girlfriend of the eldest Penz brother. Opposites attract because, despite his immense uncaring personality, she’s generally more caring. Trying to check up on everyone she can even if her privileged life brings more misunderstandings than intended. 

“You seem upset, is it perhaps because you skipped breakfast this morning?”

“Uh no.”

“Oh well, for me this is a bigger change from the usual three-course breakfast I’m used to.”

“Okay…”

“Do you not know what that is like?”

She has the best intentions but she’s still learning. Too bad for her the ones in this bunker she is familiar with don’t bother correcting her or informing her unless directly asked. Her boyfriend would sooner chuckle and play with her hair than fill in the blanks. Her butler refuses to say much else than what is needed. So guess who she decides to attach herself to? You, of course. You're the most normal lovely bunker mate around and you don’t immediately insult her when she seeks to shadow you as you navigate your life in the bunker. 

“Ah, so you pick your own clothes out. How fascinating!” 

“Uhm Aria don’t you do the same?”

“Oh no, my butler picks everything out for me. It’s always been that way.”

“Oh…Would you want to try picking out your own clothes, sometime?”

“For myself? Oh no, I’m far too inexperienced….but maybe I could help pick out your outfits!”

“Wait–”

“Does that sound like a good idea, Butler Fin? Can we do it?”

“I see no problem with that my lady.”

“Oh good!”

As Will’s girlfriend, she’s an important person to keep happy. Wouldn’t want to deny her, especially when her beloved boyfriend is working so hard for the rest of the bunker. Not to mention her butler with an ominous gaze who is more than willing to exact her every wish. No matter how invasive it is to your privacy. You’ll have to be careful with your words. Wouldn’t want to make her cry...right?

“Aria, don’t.”

“Ari! Call me Ari!” 

“Ari sorry okay! I just don’t want to bathe with you, so please get off.”

“Y-you’re not trying to leave me, are you?! Didn’t Uvil tell us not to waste any supplies!? So please let me join!”

For as pushy as Aria can be, calling her out on her behavior or offering to tattle on her to her boyfriend usually gets her off your back. But where she lacks persistence, her butler makes up for it. 

“Hello everyone, I am the Mensloth Butler Finster. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Finster or Fin, is like any depiction of a dutiful butler come to life. Even with the threat of the atomic apocalypse, he’s still maintaining his mistress throughout. He doesn’t talk much outside of responding to Aria and occasionally the Penz brothers. 

“...”

“Look butler-man, if you’re goin’ to make breakfast why not feed us all?”

“...”

“Butler Fin.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Can you make breakfast for Will, (Y/n), and me?”

“Yes, of course, my lady.”

“Wow….really?!”

You’ll find when he’s alone he can speak without addressing his mistress only when he wants to. But he seems to enjoy your company, especially during the night cycle when Aria is fast asleep. He smiles openly with you, cracking jokes about the day he appeared numb to before. 

“Well, it seems as though you were right about them. Fighting with each other like chickens in a coop.”

“Right? I thought I’d be the only one who noticed.”

“Please your observations are hardly wrong, it helps that we can talk like this with each other. Helps us remember how to communicate. I really appreciate that you’re willing to.”

“Oh uh, no problem I like talking to you too..”

“No, thank you (Y/n). I doubt I could hold any level of sanity if it weren’t for you.”

When push comes to shove, he is capable of holding his own in a debate. His actions can be interpreted as that of a selfless and devoted butler. But it can also be read as that of someone with their own agenda—something practically impossible to decipher by his behavior alone.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for (Y/n) to leave the bunker, either.”

“Y-your actually s-s-speaking? On your own?”

“Well, I bet it’s only because he wants his master lady to not cry like a baby!”

“Was that your intention, Finnster?”

“...My lady, is my top priority at all times.”

It’s a nice illusion though, that he’d be a somewhat normal character, considering he’s often the only one whom you can hold a normal conversation with, without walking away thinking he’s obsessed with you. But his actions do. Oftentimes, watching his behavior without his explanation would make anyone worry.

“Excuse me?”

“I just wanted to ask about you pushing Aria that one time. Why would you do that?”

“Push? Push?! Oh no you’ve got it all wrong, I was attempting to support her back as we looked at the sewer. She did lose her footing but as you saw Marco and I caught her all the same.”

“Oh okay sorry, for misjudging.”

“It’s fine, though I’d be quick to forgive if you joined in some baking with me.”

Always good at conversation, and always willing to help, Butler Finn is a friend to confide in. Someone to talk to about the odd behaviors and conversations you've had with others. One of the other ones you can talk to about this would be your resident walking encyclopedia. 

“H-h-h-hi e-e-everyone I’m S-S-Simpson G-G-g-gron, Will b-b-brought me here.”

He’s like a stereotype incarnated, listing off all sorts of facts you would have never found yourself dedicated to remembering. With a stutter at the beginning of every sentence, Simpson refuses any sort of leadership, very similar to Will’s approach. Rather than having a bonafide position to argue when debates happen he prefers to chime in with what he knows for sure. 

“Look, the sooner we head out. The sooner we can all actually eat something real.”

“But you realize what the risk of leaving may mean, right?”

“The world burned away! Yeah, I got it.”

“A-a-a-actucally I think Uvil sir is r-r-referring to radiation posioning.”

“What?!” 

“The atomic b-b-b-bomb is not only the bringer of destruction, b-b-b-but a disease bringer.”

When he’s not bringing up important information he’s hanging around Will, stuttering a lot less and talking technically with one another. While Will is prickly, he’s able to properly articulate what he knows while also hurting your feelings. Simpson on the other hand…just can’t. It’s something you’ll try working with him on but once he gets going he just can’t stop.

“Okay let’s try this—why should I consider learning code?”

“Well…i-i-it’ll help y-y-y-you understand the programs you use the m-m-m–m-m-most?”

“Good. Now how so?”

“Well..learningtheintricaciesofcodingwillnotonlyallowyoutomanipulateyourownprograms–”

“Okay—now hold on–”

“Butintheendlearningthecodecsnotonlyallowanyonetoknowthesourcesofthewebsitesthatfunctionwithai–”

“Hey-wait!”

“IsitnotwisetolearnwhattheoneswhowillsurvivethistragedyworkthroughyoureyeslookasenchantingaseverAnywaythereallanguagetheyworkwithnowisbinarycodebutthatshouldn’tbe.”

“And there he goes.”

The real advantage of this though is his ability to return the favor of listening to his rambles. He happily listens to yours and comes with questions you’d only find yourself answering in an imaginary interview. But the adoring indigo-green gaze behind those iconic square glasses makes it impossible not to appreciate him. Not to mention, he and Will are the only two who religiously compete with you in the arcade room.

“Ack–that move is illegal!”

“Actually it's quite the opposite, really. This is the rule within the actual manual of the game’s lore–”

“Yeah, (Y/n) don’t be a crybaby you didn’t do your studying.”

“But you hid all the gaming manuals from me!” 

“Well, you are the one who bet something unspecified of yours. It would be unwise not to sabotage you.”

“Ack-! To be admitting it so openly!”

“No use lying about our tactics now that we are guaranteed a win.”

As the most obvious voice of reason, it isn’t a bad idea to be in his good graces. It also makes it harder to believe your own observations when you listen to his. Able to look at the bigger picture while you only have your snapshot or so he says. 

“But doesn’t this kind of product, have dire consequences for eating past the expiration date? And wasn’t there some craze about the aphrodisiac effects it has?”

“That’s a widely spread misconception, the craze was actually about the dopamine rush from the expired product.”

“Really? I’m pretty sure I remember the fanfics celebrating the stuff.”

“You are mistaken!”

“Uh okay.”

So if there’s anyone to rely on it’d be him. He may not be able to care for you as well as some of the others in the bunker. Or be as concerned as others but he’s trying his best. Of course, others may not even heed any of his efforts. Then again some of them hold themselves very highly. 

“Oh, my baby!”

“Miss are you okay to talk or–”

“My name’s Henrietta Spitz! What’s your name?”

“Uhm (Y/n).”

“(Y/n)! Oh (Y/n) I’m so sad!” 

Henrietta is probably one of the oddest characters in the bunker. Known as the distraught young mother who was dragged in by one of the…good samaritans within the bunker. If you aren’t swallowed by grief you’ll be swallowed by hers because she doesn’t let anyone forget what she’s gone through. 

“Wahhh~(Y/n) can I sleep with you?!”

“Uhm why would you need to?”

“I used to sleep with my baby at night. It’d just help me loads if your warm soft body next to mine.”

“Just like your…baby?”

“Yes, just like them~!”

But when she’s not wailing into your chest about her lost child, she’ll start up with a new…grieving routine. One that revolves around you drinking her milk…right from the tap that is. You want to argue with her–put a stop to this weird practice that she seems deadset that you be the only participant. But she cries aaalllll the time. If she isn’t set on fussing over you or forcing you to ‘help’ her grieving she whines and screams bothering everyone in the bunker. So you’ll take one for the team…right?

“I-I have milk for everyone!”

“ We have rations Miss so it's not an issue.”

“B-b-but we might run out! It’ll stop coming if it’s not drunken up!”

“Then perhaps the breast pump you had in your bag would be helpful.”

“B–b-but to keep this up I need to have a hungry mouth on there. It just won’t be the same.”

On top of that, her fleeting sadness for her child seems to conveniently leave her countenance the second it’s too inconvenient. It’s not all that obvious at first, easily being written off as her healing grief. But when she uses it for her own agenda so obviously it’s a little hard to take her seriously.

“STOP CLINGING TO (Y/N)!”

“Nooo! I want them to spend time with me!”

“It isn’t healthy to keep them locked up in your room like this. And (Y/n) you want to leave, don’t you? Finally, get to stretch your legs?”

“Yeah, I–”

“You can’t!”

“Why not?”

“I-I-I-My baby!?”

“What?”

“If you leave, the thoughts of my baby will come back and I just can’t bear it. (Y/n) please!”

Some will argue that what she’s doing is projecting her idea of her baby onto you. That she’s stuck in a psychosis that revolves around the one who she feels is meek enough to baby. But a grieving mother who would be projecting wouldn't do what she does. Everyone grieves differently but it’s the nature of her advancements that might lead anyone to suspect she’s not as motherly as she seems.

“Oh~(Y/n)~!”

“Yes?”

“Did you know something else my baby did?”

“Uhm what?”

“They’d let me wash them all over. And give kisses to me–”

“Okay.”

“On the mouth with an open mouth!”

“Okay? And?!”

It raises some concerning questions and speculations about her story. And how she was able to make it inside the bunker when everyone separately admits they did no such thing as lead her in. Or how she often mixes up the name of the child she seems so stuck on grieving. 

At the end of the day, she’s friendly to you…and maybe only you. She’s quick with her own insults the second anyone goes to question her or make their suspicions known. That and she seems to wryly refer to some hidden piece of information that keeps everyone from encroaching on her behavior. 

With all that being said. She’s definitely not one to forget for her attention to you, barely rivaled by the self-appointed scavenger and protector of you+ the bunker.

“I’m Grant and that’s all you need to know for now. I’ve got questions.”

“Ask a way, Grant.”

“Why do you even have this big of a bunker?”

“Is it so bad that we thought of comfort before the world’s end?”

“...I don’t buy it.”

If there was someone you’d expect to be the main character of some dystopian novel it’d be him. Cynical, confident, and muscled like no other, he becomes the bunker’s prime protector. Despite openly not trusting the Penz brothers he is the first to demand they do something when problems arise. While he’ll sooner croak than admit he relies on them, he does often light the fire for action from the prickly trio. 

“So what are you going to do about this?”

“Hm? Are you acknowledging me as the leader now?”

“No, but if everyone else has already I’d rather not rock the boat.”

“How benevolent of you!”

“Grrr.”

Hotheaded but not impulsive Grant becomes a significant facet of the group. Especially since the bunker needs more supplies. Brave and bold enough he’s willing to dawn the Hazmat suit and venture into the rumored wasteland that remains. It helps that he goes out of his way to help you settle and find your stance as the world goes through change.

“Hey. Here's some of the stuff I brought back. From the address you gave me.”

“Grant! This is-! I’m so surprised it even survived!”

“There wasn’t too much left but it was small enough and I thought it would survive the cleaning process.”

“Grant, really thank you!”

“...I-it’s no problem, you’re just lucky the blast didn’t damage it all too much.”

You’ll find he’s a compassionate guy at heart hardened by some terrible past he occasionally alludes to. But that harsh exterior tends to make up most of his image. Which can often lead to the group having…misconceptions about his personality.

“For a stupid delinquent that guy’s awful complex.”

“Speak for yourself! He keeps trying to tell me what to do!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! He said the time I spend hanging out with (Y/n) is unhealthy! What a nosy brat, criticizing my grieving process.”

“...Whatever."

The animosity for certain members of the bunker would become all too clear for you as the days pass. Such behavior is natural for those trapped in the same tight quarters. The same tight quarters that you can’t seem to leave; forced to watch these characters destroy themselves as they fight over something you.+ 

“Oh, guess it's my turn my name’s–”

“We’re happy you're here (Y/n).”

“Yes, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” 

“Nice to make your acquaintance.”

“We are all happy to meet you, (Y/n)!”

“Pft, suck-ups. Welcome, I guess.”

“I-I-I-I-I hope w-w-we can be close.”

“Oh (Y/n), you remind me so much of my lost little love! C’mere!”

“Hey Guys! Give them space!” 

The coming months will certainly be almost as chaotic as the world’s declining state. With your new family den of lions, surely there’s a sliver of a chance that you’ll thrive in the radioactive apocalypse. 

It’s best you start documenting your adventure now….

[somethingclevermahogony]

🍽️ - What does a traditional meal look like in one of the cultures from your world (food, way of eating, and/or table manners)?

Happy WBW!

Hello! Thank you for the ask, and sorry for taking so long to answer it! I've decided to use this question as an excuse to make a sort of guide. Each post in this guide will introduce the "traveler" to a different aspect of visiting Labisa. This post will act as the first section and will include a poll at the end to select the next topic. For those of you that are new to my blog and have no idea what is going on, Labisa is an important city within the setting of my WIP. If you'd like to know more about my WIP, I'd suggest checking out these links here (Most of these are concerned with the Land of Kishetal, but some also address places like Korithia) : Intro, Language, Phrases, Food Pt1, Food Pt2, Maps, Magic, Status Symbols, Labisa Tour, MC intro.

Chapter 1: Food Section A: The (Average) Labisian Home

So, you’ve been invited to a Labisian home for dinner!

Part 1: Meeting Your Host and Accepting the Offer

Maybe you lent a hand in the market, perhaps you’re a relation, or they could even be considering you as a potential match for their child. Whatever the reason—congratulations! The Kishites have a reputation as a reserved and at times cold people, but once their doors are open to you, their hospitality is unmatched.

Through the use of a hypothetical dinner invitation, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know at each stage of the experience. With these insights, if you ever find yourself at a Labisian table, you’ll be able to fully enjoy the evening while also ensuring you’re on your best behavior.

For this hypothetical dinner, your host is a man by the name of Karush. Karush is a potter, and as such falls somewhere in the middle of the Kishite/Labisian Hierarchy. Just by his name (a commoner's name), and lack of a familial name, you can tell that he is not a noble.

Still, as an artisan in possession of his own home and shop (they are in fact the same place), he is far from the bottom rungs of Kishite society. 

The offer to dine is simple enough: "I would be honored if you would dine with my family and me."

Of course well it is very tempting to immediately say "Oh yes, I would be delighted". Labisian customs and decorum dictate that you should refuse the offer at first, to not seem overly desperate. One or two refusals, with tactfully flimsy or non-specific excuses, should be more than sufficient. Not doing so is not necessarily insulting, but may come off as naïve or otherwise unappreciative. 

When you do relent make sure to say thank you/thank you very much, Olda(a)b (Ohl-dahb) or Olda(a)b Dana!

REMEMBER: Body language and tone are important! While, it may be customary and polite to initially refuse the offer. You must convey with your body language and tone, that you are flattered and accept the offer. If your host actually believes that you don't want to come, they may be insulted or else retract the invitation, thus costing you a lovely experience.

Once this particular ritual has been completed, the time and place of the dinner will be arranged, in this instance at Karush's home just before sunset. Kishites tend to time their dinners in the twilight. As such, their evening meals can be rather late in the summer months, and quite early in winter.

While you may sometimes be guided directly to the home at the time of the invitation, particularly if the invitation is made shortly before dinner, more often it is expected that the invitee will take an hour or two to prepare before coming to the visit. It's only mid-afternoon. As such, you still have four hours before dinner. Karush, however, does walk you to his shop/home in Potter's district, though only to show you where it is, before he sends you on your way, eager to finish his own work for the day and to greet you later that evening.

Karush: Please, I would be very happy if we dined with my family (Pakida, Ekbirashawas dana ek ushkishanas li dulri ikir) YOU: I can't, I am very busy. Sorry. (Ik nahiwa, Ik wa jawura dana. Akdi.) Karush: You must! Our bowls are overfull! (Zazaya! Umrunuf ikirun kani jaburu!" You: I shouldn't... (Ik nat zaza...) Karush: I insist! (Japiwa!) You: Yes, I will come! Thank you very much! (Duda, ik uwwiwad! Oldab dana!)

Part 2: Preparing for Dinner

So, you have four hours to get ready, what all do you need to do?

Get some perfume! Kishites care greatly about hygiene, and particularly about how they smell. Perfumers and perfume shops are abundant. Just follow your nose and you should find a decent one. The Perfume District is a good place to start. There are certain scents/components you should avoid when picking out a perfume/scented oil for a simple dinner.  1) Peach Blossoms: Peaches are quite expensive and, as such, any perfume with peach blossoms will also cost you dearly. Save this for dinners with the nobility or royalty. Don't be a show off. 2) Fennel and/or Lotus: Both of these ingredients are associated with sex and are believed to act as aphrodisiacs. Only wear these scents if you have a very particular evening in mind. Karush does not seem to be seeking that sort of meal. 3) Jasmine and/or Myrrh: These scents are associated with death and grieving. Best to avoid these at the dinner table. Here are some scents you SHOULD wear: 1) Haasir: Always a popular choice, the floral yet somewhat citrusy scent of the haasir flower is welcome at any gathering. 2) Apple Blossoms, Violets, and/or Juniper: All of these scents are believed to stimulate the appetite and, in the case of juniper, to help with digestion. 3) "Woody Scents" : Woody scents are a welcome and pleasant choice, particularly when paired with something floral. One popular mixture consists primarily of a mixture of cedar, lavender, haasir, and rosemary. Ask for Miwi(i)r lu Dolhi (Perfume of Comfort.)

Bathe Yourself! While you're buying your perfume, ask where the nearest public bath is. There are three levels of bath, the highest of which, the royal bath (Dabiwi Lu Jakun), will be out of reach for you. The lowest rank, the common bath (Dabiwi Lu Nikun), is typically little more than a covered pool, with little sanitation and less than stellar amenities. Instead, ask for the artisan's bath (Dabiwi Lu Sikarikun), as here you will find a more pleasant and overall hygenic experience. While there, make sure that your hair is cleaned and tamed (braids are common) and that your teeth/breath have been seen too. A full rundown of the bathing experience will be covered in a different chapter of this guide. You: Excuse me, where is the nearest artisan's bath? (Akdi, lowa ga en jalittu dabiwi lu sikarikun?)

Pick an Outfit! Just as important, if not more so than a good scent, are the proper clothes (Note: These should also be perfumed. For those that are unused to Labisian preferences, this can be initially overwhelming. Smoke is a popular way to perfume clothes. Hang your clothes over a fragrant fire to pick up some of the scent. There are some stores/shops where you can pay to have this done. Just make sure they are reputable, lest you end up with signed clothes before your dinner.) Part of picking out an outfit comes with a level of tact, seasonal, and social awareness. What time of year is it? How well off is your host? What part of the city are you in? Karush is a man of moderate wealth, certainly able to afford some level of finery should the need arise. As such, your outfit should preferably match this expected level of class. Some jewelry, colorful dyes, perhaps even some body paint. These are all excellent choices. Silk and gold are best left for more extravagant company.  It is spring (Labisa can get quite a bit of rain), and as such you will likely be eating indoors. As such, it is best to wear more covering clothes. It's not unheard of for both men and women to go topless in the warmer months, but that would not be particularly appropriate or sensible in this particular case. As this is a fairly casual affair, your normal street clothes should suffice, so long as they are clean. You may embellish them with some additional accessories if you so wish, though be careful not to come off as tacky. A future chapter in this guide will address clothing more fully. For this particular instance, we suggest the following: A plain besawi, or loincloth as the undergarments. Make sure your besawi is clean before attending. If necessary, the tusawi is the name given to the length of cloth used to support the chest. Unlike the besawi, the tusawi is not socially necessary, and its use will purely be based on the needs of the wearer. A tunic or sakulu. In this instance, a white or similarly lightly colored tunic, with perhaps some decorative elements or trim, should suffice. White with a yellow or blue trim is a classic choice. For a more masculine presentation, wear a sakulu ends around the knee. For more feminine presentations, instead pick a sakulu which ends around the mid-calf. For women, it is customary to also wear a scarf or shawl (lupu). Sandals (alugun) or slippers (rulugun). Simple leather footwear should suffice, so long as there are no holes and no offensive odors. Many people go barefoot. However, when treading in the potter's district, or really anywhere on the dirty streets of Labisa, it's best to have some protection on your feet. These are the basics, though you may also wear jewellery. Men and women alike adorn themselves with necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings, and other accessories. In this instance, we suggest avoiding gold. If you have it, silver may be a good choice. Northern amber and Apunian glass beads along with semi-precious stones are excellent choices. For a household of Karush's standing, five pieces of jewelry should suffice. If you have a personal seal, wear it as a necklace or ring. Karush will almost certainly have one of his own and there are few things that Kishite artisans/merchants enjoy more than comparing their seals. As with all things, when picking your accessories, ensure that you will not outshine your host. Body paint can be a welcome addition. Designs on the cheeks, necks, hands, and arms are ways of adding decorative flair to your person, without spending too much money. Geometric designs, suns, and letters (regardless of if they mean anything) are all popular choices. While you can do these yourself, it is better to have them done by a professional at one of the baths. See two examples of appropriate outfits for this particular dinner at the end of this section.

Get a Spoon! Odd as it may sound, it is customary in Kishite, and particularly in Labisian culture, to bring your own spoon when dining at someone's home. In this one instance, you can go all out. If you have a golden spoon, bring it! Regardless, find a spoon you are proud of. If you forget your spoon, that is fine, though you will almost certainly be teased about it. Some may even wear their spoon on a chain as a sort of necklace.

Pick a Gift While there is no specific law saying you must bring a gift, and not doing so will not cause great offense, it is typically considered good form to bring some sort of gift, typically one meant for either the spouse or the children of whoever invited you. What NOT to gift: As you may have noticed throughout this guide, the Labisian sense of pride is a major factor when it comes to proper etiquette. The same can be said of gift giving. DO NOT bring a gift which is out of reach financially for your host. So, in this case, do not give gifts of gold or other precious materials, or exotic materials which would be out of reach for the average potter. As a good rule of thumb, a gift should cost no more than an average day's work for your host's profession. It is thus important that you determine what your host does for their work, before you attend. In this case, as a fairly well-to-do potter, you can expect Karush to make the equivalent of 4 bronze (zubakip) in a day, which is equivalent to approximately 8 baskets of barley. This puts him far above the lowest paid laborers who may only earn the equivalent of 1/2 a zubakip each day. Do not bring prepared food items as a gift, as this may be taken as an indication that you believe your host is unable to supply enough food for the meal or that it will not be of good quality. Do not bring scrolls or books, as in all likelihood your host and his family are illiterate. What you SHOULD gift: The classic gift is alcohol. A jug (subi) of local wine or even a wine from elsewhere in Kishetal is almost always appreciated. Avoid foreign wines as these tend to be on the expensive side. The exception to this is Ikopeshi wine, which is not only renowned for its quality but also its relative affordability. Our personal suggestion is a mid-price Nalochian red wine, which should be available at any wine merchant.  Alternatively and more affordably, beer is a good idea. The best in this case, would be a beer made in your own household. However, if this is not possible, go to your preferred beer hall and purchase a jug of either Wakishar: (Wawa- Sweet, Kisharu- Beer) or Olikishar/Olkishar: (Oli- Blood/Red, Kisharu- Beer.)  If you do not wish to gift alcohol, other ideas include: local honey, sesame/olive oil, spices (black pepper/cinnamon/herbs), semi-precious stones (remember the price!), pottery (it might be best to avoid gifting pottery to a potter), clothing (a new shawl or tunic will be appreciated, though be careful to get the right size), clay or cloth toys, small pets (songbirds, lizards, etc.), and other small relatively affordable items. Now that you are prepared and have picked out your gift, you are ready to go!

Part 3: Domestic Etiquette aka How to Act Before Dinner is Served

Arriving

It is customary to arrive shortly before it's time to eat. We would suggest about 30–45 minutes before you believe the meal will begin. When you arrive, do not enter the house immediately, but rather knock and wait for a response. While most Labisian houses do have doors, some do not. Luckily, in this instance, Karush does have a door. Knocking on the door more than three times is considered to be obnoxious. If the door is open or there is no door, knock either on the door frame or on the nearest window still. With luck, your host will hear you and will come to welcome you in.

Coming in Before crossing the threshold, it is customary to go through the traditional greeting procedure. See below (note that while your host may use informal language during this greeting, you should always use formal language initially, unless you are already well acquainted with them): Karush: Hello friend! (Dusa Nipati!) YOU: Hello! Thank you for your hospitality! May I enter your home? (Dasuda! Uk sanipafi dar, olhab! Hiwa kipaliya en sayut dar?) Karush: Yes! Enjoy my home! (Duda! Dasupiwi en sayut ikir!) At this point, you should present your gift to the host, if you have one, and then enter. There is no need to remove your footwear upon entering the home, unlike some cultures where the need to remove your shoes is common practice. In fact, removing your shoes is seen as odd, unless you're living there.

Greeting other occupants of the house The correct way to greet someone is Ga dasu kugiwaz da(a)b (or Ga dasu kugiwaz da(a)bun if you are meeting multiple people at once. If you so choose, you can ask how they are doing, Mowa Da La? If they ask you this simply respond Wa dasi ash (I am very well). Introduce yourself. If you happen to be noble and thus have a familial name, it is best to keep it to yourself to not embarrass or else demean your hosts. "Kubit ikir wani..." is how you should introduce yourself. Shaking hands is not a custom within Kishite/Labisian culture, nor is bowing outside a noble context or to say thank you. Rather, when greeting another person, show them your palms (think of the classic shrugging pose, though without the inclusion of shoulder movement.) This shows that your hands are empty and that they are clean.

A Welcoming Drink

Upon first arriving, it is customary that you will be given something to drink. This will of course vary. Most often you will be given a small bowl (umru) of homemade beer and a reed straw or something similar to strain it. You may also receive a small bowl of wine or kisika. Thank your host or the person that gave you the drink (Olhab). After thanking them, take a small sip, and thank them again. Kisika is a drink, often enjoyed by children, composed of water, vinegar, honey, salt, and typically some sort of fruit juice. It can be found sold in markets across Kishetal. It is considered customary to finish this first drink and to hand the bowl back to whoever offered it to you before you take your seat at the table. You will typically be shown where to sit.

Part 4: The Labisian Home and Table

Most Labisian houses, or at least those of average size, have two areas meant for dining. The first is located in the home itself, typically near the hearth. The second is either outside in front of the house, or else is located on the roof and is accessible via a ladder. In warmer months, the outside is preferred. However, now, while it is still somewhat chilly, you dine inside.

The inside of a Labisian house, despite many windows and vents, can be, at times, a bit smokey. Additionally, don't be surprised to see a dog, pigs, or even horned rabbits wandering across the reed-covered floor. In this instance, as this building functions as both a pottery shop and a home, there are no animals, and it is slightly larger than the average home.

You walk through the pottery shop in to reach the house proper. You are greeted by a small and somewhat cramped room which functions as living room, kitchen, and dining room. The hearth is softly glowing, the smell of cooking food is thick in the air, drowning out any unpleasant aroma's from the outside. To one side of you is a doorway leading to the sleeping quarters and storage. Behind you is the washroom (little more than a closet with a pot, a window to dump your waste, and a basin of water to clean your hands). Karush's wife, Gelagi, introduces herself and tells you about her herb garden and the four geese and the horned rabbit which she has been tending on the roof. Most houses of this size will have such features. She also shows you her pithoi, one containing grain and another containing oil (for cooking and fuel). She notes that Karush made both of these pithoi as well as the rest of the ceramicware in the home. After this impromptu tour, you are finally shown your seat at the table. Only sit where you are told. Many customs and practices surrender sitting placement. Most important of all, the primary cook, in this case Gelagi, must sit closest to the hearth. Karush sits to your right, while the youngest child of the family, Saha, sits to your left. A chair is left empty for their second child, Gani, who is currently fighting in Makur. It is unusual that a family only has 2 children, as the average Labisian commoner household has between 3 and 8 children. It is best not to comment on this.

The table itself is made of wood, likely gathered by the family. You sit on small stools, everything is fairly low set, with the tabletop only slightly passing your knees when standing. Unlike in noble/royal settings, commoner tables can be rectangular. The exact reasoning as to why the table is never rectangular in noble settings has been lost to history. On the table you will find the following:

Two bowls, one of wood and one ceramic. The wooden bowl is meant to hold cold foods, such as olives and fruit, while the ceramic bowl is meant for holding soups and stews.  Underneath these you will find a large flat disk, typically also made of ceramic (as is the case here). This is your plate. These will be decorated with various textures and paintings, typically of natural scenes. What you will not find are utensils. Within Labisian cuisine, regardless of status, it is expected that all items will either be served in bite-sized pieces or else will be easily broken apart with the hands (such as with bread), as such knives are not necessary. For liquid dishes, like soup, it is expected that you will bring your own spoon.

Alongside these you will find a drinking vessel, the exact nature of which will depend on what the primary drink of the evening is. For wine, this will most often be the double-handled olsagi. If the primary drink of the evening is beer, it is more likely that the bowl-like kishumri will be favored. There are no strict rules about what beverage goes in which vessel; this is just the most common configuration.

There are two communal basins or jamuru at the table. One is filled with a mixture of water and vinegar, typically slightly perfumed. This is meant for washing your hands and is used by all at the table. Before eating anything, make sure to give your hands a quick wash. Be careful not to let any of the washing liquid drip onto the table, and dry your hands on your sleeves/shoulders (as these are the furthest parts of your clothed person from the ground they are viewed as cleaner.) The other basin should be empty at the start of the meal. This is intended for any garbage, including spit or snot, that you or anyone else wishes to dispose of during the course of the meal. DO NOT CONFUSE THESE.

Part 5: The Meal

Finally! The moment of truth! Dinner time! Everything is placed on the table at once. Though you may feel inclined to do so, do not help with bringing food to the table or else setting the table, as this is considered to be somewhat uncouth. The meal that Gelagi and Karush have prepared is a relatively typical one for a family of their level in society.

The typical structure of a Labisian meal for a commoner is Bread, Beer, Meat/Stew, and Fruit/Cake. This is not the place to eat if you have an issue with carbs and fats. Labisians eat more meat on average than any other region in Kishetal, while simultaneously eating fewer vegetables and greens. Labisian's are famed for their love of and skill at producing fried foods. The food in Labisa is generally hearty and heavy.

In this particular instance, in addition to a small bowl of olives, the meal consists of the following:

Bread: Kipikiriki aka "Crunchy Bread" Kipikiriki is a variety of thick flatbread, primarily made from emmer wheat. It is somewhat similar to focaccia, and is partially leavened using yeast gathered during the brewing process. Flour is combined with this yeast as well as olive oil, and small amounts of honey and salt, all of which are subsequently placed into a ceramic pan which is then placed on the coals. The resultant loaf is thick and somewhat fluffy, often with a darkened or even blackened bottom. It is this overcooked bottom that gives the bread its name. Use this to mop up sauce and grease, or eat it on its own. It is not unheard of to dip the burnt parts in wine. This bread makes up the majority of the food for this meal.

Beer: Aruhakishar/Akishar aka "Dry Beer" Unadulterated, typically plain beer, this particular variety is the basis for all other kinds. This particular batch is one that Gelagi has made, and subsequently flavored herself. The brew is made from barley, wheat, water, and a small amount of honey, with the addition of black pepper, imported cardamom, and citrus peel to give it a more complex flavor. The beer is served at room temperature from a large bowl known as the kishija. Alongside the bowl you will find a pitcher of water called the bisayuli. If you so choose, you may water down your beer once you have poured it.

Meat/Stew: Olibiha aka "Hot blood water" and Abrichu You are in for a treat. The family recently slaughtered one of their rabbits, and along with some pork gifted to them by a neighbor, they have made an old Labisian comfort food, Olibiha. Olibiha is a stew consisting of meat (in this case rabbit and pork, including the livers and hearts), beets, onions, garlic, fat (in this instance a mixture of lard and olive oil), vinegar, salt, and various herbs and seasonings. The name comes from the deep red color imparted by the beets. Diverting from tradition, Gelagi has added chickpeas as well, to make the dish more hearty. In addition, Gelagi has used the remaining rabbit to make Abrichu, a variety of sausage made from minced meat, old bread, onions, mustard, rosemary, and dill. This is mashed into a patty which is subsequently fried in olive oil. In truth, this was mostly done as a way to use up the meat before it spoiled. You were a convenient excuse to make extra food.

Fruit/Cake: Figs and wine Aside from cakes like Kipisha, desserts are a relative rarity in the Labisa. Dessert tonight is a plate of figs, topped with honey and cracked black pepper. Gelagi apologizes profusely for not making some sort of cake or sweet, and instead offers you a cup of sweetened wine to go with your fruit.

Part 8: Manners

With the food laid out before you, it is tempting to immediately dig in. However, before doing so, make sure you are acquainted with Labisian traditions and table manners. While significantly less stringent than the complex rituals of noble banquets, there will be no need for hand signals or the like; the expectations of the common table are no less important.

Here is a list of the most important rules of etiquette to consider while dining at your average Labisian home:

The guest of the house must be served first. For your first helping of each item, whether it be drink or food. It is tradition that the host serves it to you before they serve themselves or anyone else. Attempting to serve yourself is seen as rude. wait to do so until after you have finished what your host has given you. Do not ask for a larger portion or anything like that; There is no taboo against serving yourself seconds. Though you may be the first served, you should not be the first to eat because...

The host takes the first bite Allow the host to take the first bite/sip of each item. This tradition stems from a show of trust, showing that the food is not poisoned. It is also a show of deference, acknowledging the host's place as the head of the household.

Never refuse food Expect the host and the cook to offer you prize morsels, even after the first initial serving. Never refuse these, as doing so is rude. If it is too much, simply place the food on your plate.

Allow all person's at the table to start eating before beginning a conversation Ensure that everyone at the table has been served and started eating before you begin to chat. Not doing so is considered obnoxious.

Wash your hands before serving yourself Before touching any ladles or picking up food from any communal tray or bowl, rinse your hands in the washing basin and dry them on your shoulders.

Never put food that has touched your mouth back on plate or table All bites should be complete. If a piece of food touches your mouth, it should never be placed back onto the plate, the table, or serving platter. If you find that you do not like a bite, or you find a piece of gristle or bone, you should spit it onto the Jamuru meant for waste. If a piece of food is too big, break it apart and eat it bit by bit, or else tear off the portion which touched your mouth and set the rest of the unsullied morsel on your plate.

Only your hands and forearms may touch the table. Never rest your head, feet, or any other body part on the table

Eat with your mouth closed, do not talk with a full mouth

Do not wash your face or anywhere besides your hands with the water in the washing basin

Finish what you have been served It is considered good manners to clear your plate of what the host has initially served you. There is no such expectation for the second serving, that which you serve yourself. However, you should explain to your host the reason why you can't/don't want to finish the remainder.

Do not suck on your fingers.

Do not bite on bones You may occasionally come across a bone in your food. Remove them and place them in the waste basin. Do not attempt to bite/crunch them and do not comment on them.

Do not pick your nose

If you need to sneeze do so into the waste basin and then apologize

Turn away from the table to cough

Burping is considered fine, even complimentary towards the cook, though only if it does not interrupt someone. The same can not be said of passing gas, if you need to do so, ask to be excused.

Do not scratch yourself Scratching, adjusting, or otherwise messing with your person is seen as rude. If you absolutely need to do so, ask to be excused and wash your hands upon returning to the table.

Do not talk about spirits or practice sagecraft at the table Labisians are deeply superstitious, and any action which may bring spirits into contact with their food is viewed as bad luck. If you are lucky enough to be a sage, save any demonstrations until after everyone is done eating.

Do not leave the table without asking for permission from the host

Slurping is fine, spilling or dribbling is not No one likes a messy guest. Speaking of which...

Drink responsibly Labisians, as you have seen, are lovers of wine and beer However, getting intoxicated during dinner, particularly as a guess, is considered quite rude.

To show that you are done eating, make a show of pushing your plate away from yourself or alternatively, place your plate on top of your bowl

Part 9: After Dinner

With the meal finished and cleared away, it becomes time for games, drinking, and more involved conversation.  Expect to stay another 2–3 hours after the meal has ended.

It is usually now that your host will bring out wine, typically flavored and altered with various herbs in order to promote good digestion. Etiquette and manners become less stringent at this point and the jokes become more baudy. 

A good sign that your host and family have appreciated your company, is when they begin to tease you and make somewhat raunchy or inappropriate jokes at your expense. It will almost feel like flirting, though in most cases it is not. The Labisians enjoy teasing their companions. If your host or their family makes fun of your clothing or some other minor thing, do not be insulted, but rather feel happy to be included. In these instances, they return the favor by teasing them back. As long as you are not overly offensive or crass, they will appreciate the gesture.

This after-dinner period is called Feparati, though in the case of Karush's home, this will be a far more tame experience than the raucous and often violent/sexual parties which follow royal/noble banquets.

Labisians have a love for word games, a particular favorite being "Ku Ku" aka "One man", a game of homophones or near homophones, in which two players list homophones in quick succession.

Riddles, rhyming games, insult slinging, and guessing games are similarly popular.

Part 10: Goodbyes

With the night growing late and work in the morning, Karush informs you that it is time to go home. Rather counterintuitively, Karush will offer you a bed for the night. Do not take it. Offering shelter for the night is merely a part of Labisian etiquette and tradition, and it is not expected that you will actually take him up on the offer.

As you are leaving, make sure to thank Karush for his hospitality. Now that you are no longer a stranger in his home, you may do so with informal language.

You will almost certainly be offered some sort of food or leftovers to take home with you. Do so gratefully.

Before leaving the home of your host, it is customary to kiss the door frame as this is seen as a sign of good luck and a promise of your return.

With this basic information you should have all the knowledge you need to make friends and to be a model guest at your next Labisian dinner party! See you in the next chapter!

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[pinktrashgoblin]

SERIOUS POST.

This may have some uncomfortable topics. But please read this whole thing. It’s important to be transparent, and I don’t want Cin to spread more shit.

my deepest apologies to people who are just here on my blog and reblogging my work for fun.

EDIT: I can’t believe I have to say this but don’t fucking harass anyone mentioned in this post. That just reflects on YOU.

Alright, Cin. Since you want a response so bad, here ya go.

So what is this whole thing about?

User @/cintagonisupset is going around telling people this.

I’m already seeing the impacts, having my friends come to me about this. You’ve got my hands tied, so I’m making my statement.

First and foremost: I‘m not going to pretend that I didn’t make dirty jokes in my server in the past, before my birthday when I was 17, a minor myself, and before I banned such jokes last year. With 100% earnest I know this was a bad idea, and I have taken the time to be more careful about what I say around certain audiences. I am not perfect. But in his haste to fuck me up, he left out some crucial details.

1: I was 17 at the time, a minor myself, and was and still am in high school. I was a high schooler, making high-school-tier jokes in a server of other high schoolers. I am not ACTIVELY MAKING THESE JOKES like he says I am, and I do not condone the idea of doing so.

2: I am autistic. I struggle with social cues, with decision-making and so forth. I am only recently 18, but that does not mean I am mentally or emotionally mature, far from it. Mentally I am still a child. I struggle more than the average person with judgement, and often slip up around those I let my guard down around. I am working on this to avoid things such as this.

3: I am incredibly susceptible to peer pressure. In a place where those jokes were made, I wanted to feel like part of the group. So, as I often do, I mirrored behavior to feel like I fit in. I wasn’t sitting my high-school ass down and going “Let’s make raunchy jokes with kids!”, I was thinking in terms of “Maybe if I talk like them, they’ll like me and I’ll fit in somewhere” without fully realizing what everything meant, and without being able to properly process the social queues associated.

4: This was MONTHS ago. I do not actively do these things, nor condone them, I think it’s fucked up and I’ve done everything I can to be better than that. But to misrepresent the situation as me actively doing so isn’t great either.

So with that out of the way.

Do I think it was a good idea? No, absolutely not, but let’s not pretend that this is unheard of in high school and definitely on the internet. Since the dawn of time kids have made stupid jokes with one another. I was a middle schooler once and a high schooler now, I know exactly what goes on in those places. Let me restate: that doesn’t make it good, but let’s not pretend I’m the only high school kid who’s ever made a joke like that around their peers.

My point is, once this thing has become so normalized all over the place, in school, in media, it becomes difficult, especially for a neurodivergent such as myself, to deduce what to and not to do. I have fundamental principles and rules, but that does not mean I am not susceptible to being pressured into this sort of thing.

As I mentioned: I am not emotionally, or mentally, mature. I don’t know everything. I don’t fully comprehend the nuances of things. I am not always aware of what I am saying. I cannot understand social queues in the same way you do.

Make your conclusions as you will, but this is my stance, and this is the truth.

Also, maybe don’t tell people to kill themselves and that nobody likes them? Just a thought. (BTW: As mentioned I am autistic, it’s not as simple as “grow up”.)

TL;DR: I made raunchy/dirty jokes in my server when I was 17, in high school, with a bunch of other high schoolers, and Cin is telling me to end my life because of it.

Please consider my words. I have worked hard to build what I have, and feel it is important to be transparent. I want nothing but to make a positive impact on this community and the people within it. This does not mean I am perfect, but I am trying my best and my intentions are good.

Feel free to ask me, or leave opinions in the reblogs and replies. This is a conversation, not a preaching.

Also, about the art thief thing: I genuinely have no fuckin clue what he’s going on about there.

Edit: I have deleted the “P.S.” section regarding a suspicion I have to avoid further conflict.

[thealmightytrashdump]

Can you make some headcanon about his childhood? 🤔 i know he was manufactured so i suppose there were some "standards" he needed to follow at that time.

I like to imagine baby wesker couldn't be a child really. Like he was immediately groomed from maybe 7-8 weeks old to be "superior." Taken from his parents at a very very very young age. Raised mostly likely in a strict competitive environment all his life. No wonder this man has a ton of fucking issues.

First off. Getting chosen/kidnapped/orphaned. They had to select a child with quote unquote "superior genes." I'm halfway convinced they chose upper middle class white children, mayhaps with the 1940s Nazi Hilter Aryan race mindset. Spencer was in an older generation with older generation concepts cough RACISM cough so to speak.

So they obtain the child, in order to do whatever the fuck to him, they erase his birth identity from existence. Scrub him from the world and give him the new name they chose to fit the project. Albert Wesker.

Maybe they even went as far as given him a fake birthdate. Not birth year, but a fake birthday. (Basically canon at this point)

Wesker probably couldn't celebrate any holidays, or maybe all he would get as gifts were expensive reading materials/study guides/office supplies. Maybe the toys they gave him were secretly tests and puzzles and whatnot.

Maybe some of the other Wesker children were different ethnicities and they just didn't make it. So in a twisted sense perhaps that confirmed some prejudices that may or may not have been had by Umbrella's founders.

Of course his caretakers would encourage suitable behaviors and discourage certain idealogies. Not necessarily correcting bad behavior per say, more so correcting any undesirable traits like free will and fun. So maybe even from a young age, he was taught that being cruel was okay, maybe necessary to survive his upbringing. He didn't know better and no one was certainly teaching him good morals. Me thinks he wasn't raised religiously, but definitely could be wrong on this.

Of course being specifically chosen to be in the project means he naturally excelled in a boarding school learning environment. He definitely got some excellent af education.

Maybe he was on the autistism spectrum and they catered/designed his education for him specifically to succeed. Maybe they just abused him hard enough for him to learn how to survive despite any perceived learning setbacks. Either way, he did graduate at 17.

I like to think he was privately tutored but also maybe got some public university experience (where he could've met William), but canonically they supposedly met after he got his degrees and was shipped off to the arklay mountains where he worked under Dr. Marcus, right?

I like to think one of his private tutors tried to unbrainwash Albert and the trio founders of Umbrella stopped that nonsense real quick.

He has to have been raised with the other Wesker children and had to have realized their deaths/project failure was too systematic and put two and two together. For sure, Alex was the favorite of Spencer, and Albert (in terms of the wesker program) was average at best. He was superior genetically to Alex, but she was way more Intellectually advanced. Perhaps, he was an unruly child and needed a stricter lifestyle than Alex did. Either way, this is why Umbrella recuited William in, and tried to pit him and Wesker against each other. It would give Albert a goal to work towards, to strive to be better so to speak.

Albert was, of course, intelligent enough to not make enemies of his peers, Alex and William included. But that doesn't mean he liked them. Or hated them. I think he thought of them as coworkers.

His "friendship" with William (who was not raised to be a really smart sheep) definitely introduce some very interesting concepts to Wesker.

'What if not sheep but instead, a sherpard?' Which sparks his initial interest in learning about Spencer (who at this point imprinted himself on Wesker's psyche) and Umbrella. He was initally content with just getting his "dream job" as a researcher in Umbrella, but eventually begins thinking like "a sherpard" thus makes the deal with an increasingly paranoid Spencer to betray Dr. Marcus.

Of course, that means he's still under Spencer's thumb but he's starting to see the fucked up lamp in his dream bubble of a life. So schemes to get out of it by either: convincing Umbrella to let him join the military for some juicy secret B.OW. testing OR attempting to leave his predetermined life via joining the military.

(This would be around the time the virgin Wesker meets the hot dommy future Jake mommy. Mans never stood a chance.)

Either way, he must've not liked the vibes of the military because he immediately comes crawling back to being a researcher in Umbrella. Maybe due to his military experience, he gets promoted to head of security in arklay and selected to be undercover via S.T.A.R.S. Cap Wesker. Two positions, he most likely disliked heavily.

Keeping in mind, around this time, Alex was off on some island being God, William was making breakthroughs with the G virus, and now there's a new bitch(s) introduced as another rival in his life: Alexia Ashford (and her brother) who creates the T veronica Virus.

I imagine at this point, he's getting burned out, overworked, and basically the lowest asshole on the Umbrella totempole among his peers. I bet his ego was bruised and he just got tired of it.

At this point, he only had the T virus credited to him (and William), and he didn't even create it. Dr. Marcus (and co.) created it. All this man has at this point is knowledge and a ton of research and a killer body that survived one progenitor virus (this has enhanced his immune system and most likely gave him his naturally fit buff hot body.)

When the revived Queen leech Dr. Marcus starts fucking things up in the arklay mountains, this motherfucker's first thought after he realized he couldn't contain the problem (as head of security, Wesker would be the problem solver), he fucking decides to dip. "Bollocks to Umbrella." He says, and cuts a deal with some random ass organization/US military and accidentally dies trying to get some last minute B.O.W. research to sell.

Remember he had William design him a specific version of [Insert virus here](I think it was the T virus with some Wesker goop mixed in) so he probably did that as a failsafe, so he could survive. Though, it was probably untested but at this point, his career has basically imploded, and he knew it.

He literally writes that the arklay mountain and the raccoon city incident was the downfall of Umbrella and it was technically his (and William's) fault. He has nothing to lose (except his life), and everything to gain, if his gamble paid off.

And it did. He survives, and gets called a fucking loser by Chris and Jill and also sergei. Lmao. No wonder he was so smug and petty when next he sees them. Wanting to gloat and show off as much as possible.

[influencedxxx]

promise this is the last thing I ask U for a while BC I feel like I'm asking until much but Ur rlly cool and I love Ur opion on everything <33

What do U think emiari + jeckole were like as kids. Like 10 and younger?

okay here we go again.

So, obviously Nicole moved around alot. It caused her to never get attached to anything, not even her own mother who was always preoccupied with her own issues and personal life. From middle school on, she mainly relied on summer school. Socially, in here early years(10 or so), she was always surface-level nice with people. But she also had a streak of instigating arguments through lying, or just getting into them herself. She'd go to one school, either thrive or ruin her reputation, then she'd move. Life started over, and she got practice in people. You can see where that led. Like, imagine THAT for like years and years. And she was already predisposed to antisocial behavior, sooo. But she

Now, Jecka. Her dad wasn't SO harsh with her when she was little, mostly just stuff like "sit up straight" and "be a lady". Average narcissistic parent experience. Her father would fight with her mom where she could her, then take her out for ice cream and be sweet and stuff. Yknow, manipulation. But enough about her dad. Jecka spaced out alot as a kid(canon), and that's cause she has ADD. She wasn't allowed to bring her belongings out of the house as a child, because she'd lose them. And she was a big daydreamer, ESPECIALLY when her parents were fighting. She had to study more and more from 4th grade on just to keep up(before she discovered Adderall). Also, femininity was kind of subliminally forced onto her throughout her life, leading to her hyperfem aesthetic.

Emily was simple, Emily was a big meltdown-haver. Not in public so much, but at home she could be a nightmare if she was in a bad mood. She'd scream and cry, she'd refuse to eat, refuse to do work, ect., ect. But alot of it was because she felt like she wasn't being heard. Her emotions were SO BIG and she NEEDED to externalize that. Yknow??

Ari was shy(im losing motivation bro). But yeah she was probably pretty normal, she was in girl scouts, blahblahblah.

[loominggaia]

Paramonimos Family Tree

I thought some family trees might open the door to more stories, character depth, and even prequel content. Here's one for Jeimos, because their family is wild!

See also:

The Shadow Sector (story)

Damijana (article)

VADAMIO OPTIMOS (BIRTH NAME: VADAMIO BOROS)

Vadamio was born in the rough, crime-riddled Shadow Sector of Damijana. He was an ambitious child with big dreams of one day living it up in the lofty Star Sector, so he studied hard and joined the Damijani military, working his way through the ranks from grunt to heavy weapons mechanic. His decades of hard work paid off, and eventually he was able to ascend into the Middle Sector. Only then did he decide to settle down and have a family.

He married a Middle Sector elfenne named Darleen Optimos, and in traditional Damijani fashion, adopted her surname. They had a child together, but this boy was born with profound disabilities. Vadamio was relying on his children to get rich and help him ascend to the higher sectors, so he decided to have another child. This boy, too, had significant health issues and could not live up to Vadamio’s high expectations.

Vadamio’s third child, Ojio, was his best bet. He placed immense pressure on this boy to study hard and get into a good college, so that one day he could carry the Optimos family higher in Damijani society. But it seemed no matter what Ojio did, it simply wasn’t good enough. Years passed by and Vadamio found himself still stuck in the Middle Sector, fighting hard for another promotion while struggling with the chaos at home. On top of everything else, he was diagnosed with cancer, and his job performance began to slip due to his poor health.

One day, his wife Darleen was accused of betraying the empire and snatched away by the Damijana Guard. Vadamio was investigated as well. Though he was found not guilty, the empire labeled him a “person of suspicion” and he lost his job with the military. Now depressed and too sick to work, he survived off of unemployment checks and his childrens’ welfare benefits while he pushed teenage Ojio to save the family from falling back into the Shadow Sector.

Ojio would go on to marry a woman from the Sun Sector and finally ascend a level. Unfortunately, Vadamio died of his cancer shortly before his son’s wedding, and never got to see his accomplishments.

DARLEEN OPTIMOS

Born to a painfully average Middle Sector family, Darleen wished to be anything but average. She had a powerful creative streak and a gift for the arts. She embarrassed her family with her edgy fashion choices and increasingly rebellious behavior, speeding around on her motorbike and blasting music late at night. They feared her behavior would reflect poorly on them and draw the attention of the Damijana Guard, so they kicked her out the day she became of legal age.

Darleen needed money, but she hated working for “the man”. She decided she would be a homemaker instead and managed to seduce a hard-working military man named Vadamio, marrying and having three children with him. Two of her sons were born with profound special needs, and the stress of managing so many kids proved overwhelming to her. Suddenly, working for “the man” didn’t sound so bad anymore.

She ended up working for the Jelly Magic Candy Company, manufacturers of the famous Hot Jellies candy. This Damijana-exclusive candy came with a piece of propaganda in every package, usually in the form of a history lesson, stickers, or a short story with strong pro-Damijana themes.

Darleen’s job was to design new propaganda items for the company. She excelled at her job, but deep down she hated the authoritarian themes she was forced to push onto her people. Eventually she couldn’t take it anymore and began sneaking her own anti-propaganda into certain packages, highlighting the empire’s many flaws.

These little acts of rebellion kept her sane as she drudged through her job, but there came a day when her luck ran out and her superiors caught on. Darleen was snatched away by the Damijana Guard, never seeing her husband or three sons again. Her fate is still unknown.

OJIO PARAMONIMOS (BIRTH NAME: OJIO OPTIMOS)

Ojio was born in the Middle Sector to Vadamio and Darleen Optimos. His father was an overworked weapons mechanic for the Damijani military, and his mother chose to work a low-wage job at a candy manufacturer just to get a break from her kids. Ojio had two profoundly disabled older brothers, and all three children were left in the care of a nanny more often than not.

His nanny was usually occupied with his brothers’ special needs, so Ojio spent much time by himself and learned to be independent from a young age. He had a habit of taking apart his toys and putting them back together, and as he grew older, he began doing this to furniture and appliances. He was fascinated by all things mechanical, particularly robots. His father had impossibly high expectations of him. Any grade less than 100% was punished with violence, so Ojio resorted to cheating his way through school whenever possible. At one point he even hacked his highschool’s computer system to raise his grades.

When Ojio was a teenager, his mother was imprisoned by the Damijana Guard. His father lost his job and was diagnosed with cancer shortly after, and Ojio became the Optimos family’s last pillar of hope. Vadamio expected Ojio to get rich and help the family ascend to the Sun Sector by any means necessary. Ojio eventually accomplished this by marrying a Sun Sector woman named Tarajeen, but unfortunately, Vadamio died from his cancer before their wedding. Ojio adopted his wife’s surname, Paramonimos.

Ojio would go on to invent a new version of the infamous Damijani vending machine, which was notorious for taking money and failing to dispense items. In reality, Ojio stole this design from his college mentor, but took all the credit and got rich from it nonetheless. He used his earnings to buy a condominium in the Sun Sector and start a family with his wife. They had just one child, a daughter named Kaseen Paramonimos. From then on, Ojio worked as the head product designer for Prodigy Electro, Damijana's largest electronics manufacturer.

His brothers became wards of the empire after their father’s death, having never seen a coin or a visit from Ojio since. He resents both of them for “stealing his childhood”.

FABNIO PARAMONIMOS (BIRTH NAME: FABNIO JARATOS)

Fabnio was the sole child of two wealthy, Sun-Sector born parents. He favored musical toys as a boy, so his parents enrolled him in children’s music classes. Fabnio learned to play several instruments such as chordophones and woodwinds, but his favorite was always the piano. He displayed a real passion for music that only grew as he did, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already conducting his highschool band.

After high school, his parents enrolled him in Damijana’s most prestigious musical college. Fabnio graduated with several degrees, and between his good looks, his natural charisma, and his parents’ connections, he was able to land a job at the Damijana Guild of Theatre. This government-funded guild is responsible for producing all domestic media in the Empire of Damijana, from films to stageplays to music. 

Fabnio started his career writing commercial jingles, but before he knew it, he was composing scores for movies and ghostwriting music for pop stars, both domestic and foreign. He was the mastermind behind one of Damijana’s most popular musical groups, Starlight Supernova. 

Fabnio created this band specifically to schmooze up to Chieftess Serafeen, as the chieftess had just announced Project Starlight, her big campaign to colonize the moon. Fabnio wrangled up three cute teenage girls and composed catchy songs about astrophysics for them to perform for the chieftess. Chieftess Serafeen enjoyed the performance so much, she commissioned several albums of this music and funded a live tour for the group to perform worldwide, spreading hype over Project Starlight to foreign lands.

Though the lyrics promoted Damijana propaganda, younger audiences were oblivious to this. Kids and teens worldwide were captivated by the catchy music and the bold, futuristic aesthetic of the performers. The band made big money, but the actual performers barely saw a coin of it. Due to the deal Fabnio signed with Serafeen, most of the profits went directly to Project Starlight.

He still ended up with a decent chunk of change in his pocket, but it suddenly disappeared as sexual harassment lawsuits began rolling in years later from the girls in his band. Fabnio settled these matters out of court, buying the performers’ silence before deciding to retire. He now spends his golden years coasting on the fortune he made by exploiting young people.

EMALEEN PARAMONIMOS

Emaleen was born in the Sun Sector to highly-educated parents. Her brain surgeon mother and physicist father had high expectations for her, so they pushed her into many extracurriculars before she could even walk. Emaleen became fluent in several languages by the time she was a teenager, and she scored far beyond her grade level in math and science. As a young adult, she practiced ballet at Damijana’s Guild of Theatre, and during this time she fell in love with another guild student named Fabnio.

With their parents’ blessings, Emaleen and Fabnio married. Emaleen gave birth to two daughters, but this did not slow down her academic pursuits. She decided to drop ballet in favor of a more lucrative career path, following in her father’s footsteps in physics. She became a physics professor at one of the most prestigious STEM colleges in Damijana, and she encouraged her daughters to follow the same path, as Damijana’s Project Starlight was ramping up and physicists would be in high demand for the foreseeable future.

Her husband Fabnio was a famous music composer. At some point he signed a deal with Chieftess Serafeen and created a pop music group to promote Project Starlight. The band was called Starlight Supernova, and they turned out to be a worldwide smash hit. Its performers were all teenage girls, and their beauty and flashy outfits appealed to youths all over Gaia.

Apparently they appealed to Fabnio too, for his performers eventually accused him of sexual assault and threatened to sue him. Fabnio settled the lawsuits out of court, used his fortune to buy his victims’ silence, and retired from the music industry. Emaleen was shocked and deeply upset by the allegations, and though she knew they were likely true, she feared the fallout of bringing more attention to them.

She did not want to divorce him and potentially destabilize her daughters’ lives, so Emaleen decided to stay quiet about her husband’s crimes and pretend they never happened.

TARAJEEN PARAMONIMOS

Born in the Sun Sector to Emaleen and Fabnio, Tarajeen was the younger of two sisters. Both parents were wealthy, highly-educated, and highly-esteemed people, and they expected their daughters to ascend even higher than themselves in Damijani society. Emaleen encouraged both of her daughters to pursue STEM, enrolling them in every relevant class she could afford. Emaleen already had her childrens’ whole lives planned out for them, deciding that they would both work for Chieftess Serafeen on Project Starlight, Damijana’s campaign to colonize the moon.

Emaleen also pushed her children to join the Eyes of Damijana, a team of government-sponsored agents responsible for spying on their fellow citizens. These agents had to pass rigorous testing, but Tarajeen made the cut and proved her loyalty to the empire. She was assigned to spy on a young man from the Middle Sector named Ojio, who was marked as a “person of suspicion” due to his mother’s traitorous behavior. Tarajeen found herself charmed by this strange fellow, and the more she watched him, the more she fell in love.

Tarajeen and Ojio decided to marry, but Tarajeen’s parents and sister were furious with her for marrying someone from a lower sector. Though Ojio’s inventions would earn him enough money to ascend to the Sun Sector, Tarajeen’s parents still did not approve of him because he was not born there. Tarajeen’s relationship with her family became strained. She worked hard to earn their approval back, even achieving her mother’s dream of getting hired on to Project Starlight as an astrophysicist.

At last, Tarajeen and her family were starting to make amends…at least, until Fabnio was accused by his teen performers of sexual assault. Her parents demanded that Tarajeen ignore the allegations, but she refused, and had another big blowout with her family. She and her sister were particularly vicious towards each other, and at one point Tarajeen used her authority as an Eye of Damijana to snitch on her sister’s son, Lorio, for illicit drug dealing. Tarajeen’s CEO nephew was imprisoned for ten years and lost his whole company, prompting Tarajeen’s family to shun her completely and pretend she didn’t exist.

Tarajeen would have just one child with Ojio, a daughter named Kaseen. Tarajeen had developed a close personal relationship with Chieftess Serafeen during her time working on Project Starlight, and Serafeen promised she would hire her daughter as a space ranger if she could meet the high qualifications. Tarajeen and Ojio pushed Kaseen very hard in academics, hoping to make that promise a reality and finally ascend to the Star Sector–the highest tier in Damijani society. But Tarajeen still had two jobs to work: she was a portal technician and a government agent, which left her very little time for her child. She was forced to hire a nanny to pick up her slack.

One fateful day, a portal component exploded at the Project Starlight lab, releasing mysterious particles into the air. Tarajeen was injured in the blast, but soon recovered unscathed…or so it seemed. Shortly after, she began experiencing hallucinations and strange paranoid delusions. Kaseen suspected that the arcane particles from the explosion had driven her mother mad, but both Serafeen and Tarajeen denied this. Tarajeen only slipped deeper into insanity, even falsely accused Kaseen’s nanny of being an enemy spy and got her imprisoned. Her erratic behavior at work finally drove Serafeen to imprison her, as Serafeen felt that she was putting Project Starlight at risk. Tarajeen was snatched by her fellow agents and has not been seen since.

KASEEN “JEIMOS” PARAMONIMOS

Kaseen is the child of Tarajeen and Ojio Paramonimos, born in the Sun Sector of Damijana. They prefer to go by their gender-neutral middle name, Jeimos, and do not consider themself man or woman, but something in-between. Jeimos’ parents did not understand or accept their whimsical identity, however, and forced them to keep it a secret, fearing they would attract attention from the Eyes of Damijana for “suspicious or disruptive behavior”.

The only one to indulge Jeimos’ identity was their beloved nanny, Felice. Jeimos’ parents worked such long hours that Jeimos spent more time with Felice than with them, and came to love her like a parent. All their actual parents seemed to care about was their academic success, forcing Jeimos into every extracurricular they could squeeze in. Their mother, Tarajeen, worked on Project Starlight and was a friend of Chieftess Serafeen. Serafeen promised to hire Jeimos as a space ranger when they came of age, but only if they met the high qualifications. Tarajeen sacrificed Jeimos’ happiness in favor of their grades, but Jeimos could only take so much before succumbing to the pressure.

After Tarajeen falsely accused Felice of being an enemy spy, Jeimos ran away and used drugs to cope with their pain. They got addicted to a powerful drug called “pyre dust”, which left their overworked father scrambling to cover for their bad behavior. Tarajeen’s madness came to a head one day, and she was imprisoned by the Damijana Guard for “disruptive behavior”. Jeimos confronted Chieftess Serafeen about this, but the meeting did not go well, and Jeimos was forced to flee Damijana altogether as a refugee.

THIO AND SANJIO OPTIMOS

Thio was the first-born child of Vadamio and Darleen. He was born with a malformation of the brain, which left him with a severe intellectual disability. His father Vadamio was devastated, as he was counting on his children to get rich and help him ascend to the Star Sector one day. Vadamio hired a nanny to care for Thio and decided to have another child to fulfill his dreams for him. His second son was Sanjio, who was intellectually healthy but physically twisted and paralyzed.

Yet again, Vadamio was disappointed by his child’s condition and immediately wrote him off as an invalid, leaving him in the care of his nanny while he gave all his time and attention to his third child, Ojio, who didn’t appear to have any major disabilities. Ojio was under immense pressure to get into a good college and save the family from poverty, while Thio and Sanjio were starved for attention from their overworked parents.

Thio became closely attached to his nanny, believing she was his mother. He constantly tried to get his father’s attention and approval, but was always met with disdain. Vadamio was so ashamed of his eldest sons that he forbade them from going to school or leaving the home unless necessary. Thio listened to the radio and terrorized his brothers to entertain himself, while Sanjio used books from the library to give himself an education. With his voracious appetite for knowledge, Sanjio surpassed even his father’s intelligence by the time he was a teenager. He was particularly interested in philosophy. He even managed to teach himself the arts of telepathy and telekinesis, using magic spells to manipulate things around him and speak to others, despite his paralyzed vocal chords.

One fateful day, the boys’ mother Darleen was accused of treason and imprisoned by the Damijana Guard. Things only got worse from there, as their father lost his job and was then diagnosed with cancer. Ojio was under more pressure than ever to take care of his family. However, after Vadamio passed away, Ojio married a wealthy Sun Sector woman and refused to accept responsibility for his brothers. Thio and Sanjio became wards of the empire, locked away in a bleak nursing home for the severely disabled, and never saw Ojio again.

The brothers had been forgotten by their family and society, but Sanjio did everything in his power to make sure they still had each other. He insisted on staying in the same wing as Thio, where he could oversee his care. Despite his condition, Sanjio used his sharp wits and magical prowess to protect his brother from the corrupt staff at the institution. Likewise, Thio’s body was healthy and strong, and he too would protect Sanjio with his muscle. The two rely on each other to get by in such an inadequate environment, praying that one day their little brother will remember them and welcome them back into his life.

KATEREEN PARAMONIMOS

Katereen is the eldest daughter of Emaleen and Fabnio, born into a privileged life in Damijana’s Sun Sector. Katereen’s mother had her whole life planned out for her since the day she was born, deciding that she would one day work for Project Starlight. Emaleen pushed her into STEM fields and filled her schedule with all the relevant classes she could afford, leaving her with little time for leisure.

However, it quickly became apparent that STEM wasn’t Katereen’s calling, for her soul yearned for the stage. Emaleen eventually gave up on her plans and allowed Katereen to pursue her dreams, against her better judgment. Katereen was passionate about acting. Her father was a highly-esteemed member of the Damijana Guild of Theatre, so he was able to pull the strings necessary to land big roles for her. As much as Katereen loved being an actress, she was never very good at it. While her acting skills were critically panned, her good looks kept drawing big audiences, and she became more famous for her sex appeal than anything else.

Katereen went on to marry a very old, wealthy Damijani film director and have a child by him, a son named Lorio. Her husband soon died and Katereen inherited his great wealth, using it to fund her son’s business ventures when he grew older. Lorio became the CEO of his own health supplement company, and Katereen helped promote it by starring in its commercials. She publicly attributed her good looks to Lorio’s supplements, but in reality, she had countless cosmetic surgeries.

Katereen never remarried after the death of her husband. However, she did hire a live-in female “assistant” who she seems unusually affectionate towards, and happens to follow her everywhere she goes. There are rumors that the two are romantically involved, but Katereen refuses to comment on this.

When her sister Tarajeen got married, Katereen and her parents disapproved of her groom because he was born in a lower sector. Katereen once tried to seduce him in order to sabotage their marriage, but this only caused more drama between her and Tarajeen. The sisters were sour with each other for years, but things really blew up between them when their father was accused of sexually assaulting the girls in the tween pop group he managed. Tarajeen shunned her father for this and would not allow him to see his grandchild anymore, while Katereen believed she should let it go and forgive him. Katerine admitted that Fabnio had assaulted her in similar ways when she was younger, but argued that it was best to forgive and forget, as bringing attention to it would only make the family look bad.

Tarajeen was furious with her sister for keeping their father’s despicable crimes under wraps for all these years. Tarajeen not only worked on Project Starlight, she was also an Eye of Damijana–government agents that were assigned to spy on their fellow citizens. She used her intel to build a case against Lorio, whose supplement business was doubling as a drug dealing front. Lorio was imprisoned for ten years, and this act of hostility enraged Katereen so much that she refused to speak to Tarajeen ever again. She still maintains a close relationship with her parents, including her abusive father, so long as he keeps sending her checks and landing her new roles in her career.

LORIO PARAMONIMOS

Lorio was born in Damijana’s Sun Sector, the sole child of Katereen. His father was a wealthy film director who died of old age when Lorio was still a toddler. Lorio has no memory of his father, but his inheritance allowed Lorio to attend a prestigious business college and go on to start his own business selling vitamins and supplements. Katereen was a popular Damijani actress, and her endorsements boosted Lorio’s brand. Before long, Lorio became the CEO of a retail chain, with his supplement stores present in every mall in Damijana.

However, the secret to Lorio’s success wasn’t just due to his mother’s endorsements. His stores were actually fronts for a large drug-dealing operation. He ran this business successfully for many years, until one fateful day, his aunt Tarajeen exposed his crimes to the Damijana Guard. Lorio’s assets were seized, his business was shut down, and he was forced to work at the prison camp on Slegelse Island for ten years.

He was released from prison with nothing and no one. Even his own mother was too ashamed to associate with him, so Lorio sank into the Shadow Sector and turned to petty thievery to support his alcohol addiction. He currently lives in a storage unit with his scant belongings, hoping that one day the universe will give him another chance to shine.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[baronessblixen]

TIL: a massive study of over 770,000 participants found that there is a difference between elder, middle, younger, and only children.

Middle-born participants scored highest on Honesty-Humility and Agreeableness, traits that reflect modesty, fairness, and cooperative behavior. These findings held true across both samples, with middle children scoring approximately 0.20 standard deviations higher than only children on these traits. Following middle-borns, the rank order of scores for these traits was youngest children, oldest children, and only children, who scored the lowest.

--and--

“On average, people from larger families tended to be higher in Honesty-Humility and Agreeableness,” the researchers said. “When we compare people from families with the same sibship size, the birth order differences became rather small, although middles and youngests tended to be slightly higher in these traits than oldests did.”

Interestingly, the study found that only children scored higher on Openness to Experience, a trait associated with intellectual curiosity and creativity. Within families of the same size, oldest children also tended to score slightly higher on Openness compared to their younger siblings. 

...“One way to think of it is like this: If you choose at random someone who was an only child and someone who grew up in a family of six or more kids, there’s a 60% chance that the more agreeable or cooperative person of these two will be the latter (as opposed to 50% if there were no difference). So, you can’t tell much about the personality of a given individual from their birth order or family size, even though there are clear differences when averaging across many people.”

--caught my attention.

Probably none of this is surprising, but there's finally hardcore data to prove patterns and tendencies.

I read about this! Yeah, I'm not surprised there are differences. I just talked about this yesterday, actually. I love this for middle-children. Something good should come out this. It makes sense, too, cause they have to deal with their younger siblings and their older ones. I'm not surprised that gives them an advantage in social situations.

[creepyscritches]

Be mean to children and die by my hand I guess. The way I would have been fired for yelling at parents and admins if I finished my art ed degree and taught 12yr olds. Did you know average drawing technical ability of adults (~40yrs) is about the same as 12yr old kids? It has been observed that at 12 years old is when children begin to learn shame over their creative endeavors and that tends to just stop their artistic development in its tracks. The parents' tone shift from "I love what you made in art class" to "Why are you still drawing on the back of your homework? Do you not care about school?" is fucking lethal to children's ability to be creatively vulnerable (spoiler: all creativity is vulnerablilty) and this ties into silent damage to an extremely intimate form of self esteem. You wonder why kids go into shells in middle school? Have you considered that they retreat to their shell to protect vulnerabilities that adults, peers, and general communities aggressively devalue the moment kids are old enough to start destroying their childhoods in favor of colleges they may not even want or need to attend? Have you considered being excited and honored that they share THEIR work with you? If a child makes something, then that IS worth excitement. They made something that has never existed before and partook in one of the most awesome human behaviors we have - - acknowledge it! Encourage it! And show gratitude to children! Not every artist needs to fight their way to adulthood hoping to not completely lose their creative drive in the process. Have you considered not embarrassing children for having the opportunity to learn awesome things for the first time? Maybe play a game of illustrated exquisite corpse with a room of middle schoolers and then come back to the table if you still feel like insulting development of students. Especially if you still consider blaming them for the failures of their various caretakers and educators. Die by my hand I guess lol!