#average middle child behavior

[galaxydestroyer165]

Normal day at the House of Lamentation

[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.

[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 300 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 12-15 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.

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 talk 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 again, just consider that a VERY generalized statement.

[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….

[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.

[serpentface]

sex and mating systems in qilik species.

(the word 'cock ' is used in tjis post a lot bc its birds so be prepared)

faeder hen, and cock. (these individuals are of a White Sea ethnicity of the eastern forest qilik subspecies)

All qilik species have three distinct sexual morphologies. Hens are largest on average with more powerful builds and dull coloration. Cocks are smaller, with brighter feathers, fan shaped tails (in those with forest qilik ancestry), and bare skin that flushes blue during the mating season. About 10-20% of male qilik (faeder) develop size and coloration typical of hens, being entirely indistinguishable apart from inability to lay eggs and ability to produce sperm.

A rare but highly visible intersex condition in which a qilik has dull hen and bright cock coloration split down the middle of their bodies (bilateral gynandromorphy) is ubiquitously culturally significant (most prominently associated with the Czekl god Vissh, and often given religious connotations)

an individual with bilateral gynandromorphy, posing

Recognition and cultural significance of other intersex conditions varies, typically only being recognizable by variance in plumage.

The mating and childrearing habits of behaviorally modern qilik vary extensively, but all have roots in a common mating system of their pre-sophont ancestors.

Proto-qilik reproduced seasonally to time hatching with spring. During the mating season, they would congregate in colonial nesting grounds, with each cock creating an appealing nest in a small territory (about 20 square ft) in which they perform and drive out rival cocks. Cocks performed an elaborate set of displays for hens, advertising their health and strength with dances and dueling rivals with their claws.

Hens would copulate with several cocks per season, and lay an egg in the nest of each male they mate with. However, they were choosy and have control over when eggs get fertilized, and usually only reproduce with one or two high quality males- the rest are given offspring of no genetic relationship.

The faeder, outwardly indistinguishable from hens, would travel freely among the territories of other males to sneakily mate with hens. They would not build nests of their own, and their offspring is ubiquitously raised by other males.

After the mating season, hens and faeder would take no part in the raising of the offspring, and form social flocks with one another. Males incubate the eggs and raise the young chicks. Intra-male aggression would decrease as the mating season ended, and (so long as resources were sufficient) form loose flocks where they cooperatively raise chicks. Male homosexual pair bonds were very common, often originating when one cock loses its brood.

------

This sex and mating system translates in varying ways in modern qilik cultures.

Generally speaking, qilik construct gender as a trinary or binary. Qilik have no external genitalia and mate via cloaca contact, meaning there is virtually nothing to physically distinguish faeder from hens. Thus, binary qilik cultures often make no distinction. Trinary cultures do distinguish the two, but generally conceptualize the latter in similar terms to hens (social norms and taboos applied to hens extend to faeder as well).

Cocks being the primary child-rearers is basically ubiquitous, with the level of hen/faeder involvement in childrearing varying by culture. Hens and faeder often have significantly weaker parental instincts than cocks, and tend to take instructive roles rather than parental ones. Most qilik do not mate monogamously or form permanent sexual partnerships, with most long-term bonds being homosocial. In cultures with permanent sexual partners in the form of marriages, it is most common for one hen to have several husbands as mates who rear her children.

Qilik form intimate bonds with their flocks, and will typically form an especially strong bond with one or two other people, considered a form of life partnership. These partnerships are almost always same-sex (or between hens and faeder), very rarely between hens and cocks (to the point that such partnerships attract stigma in certain contexts.)

A partner is a close relationship that combines and goes beyond friendship, siblinghood, and romantic love. Partnerships between males may be the closest to common human conceptions of romantic love, as male pairs raise children together. As it is almost never reproductive in nature (and largely or entirely nonsexual), incest taboos are rarely applied and blood siblings semi-frequently form partnerships.

Some aspects of their pre-sophont mating behaviors have translated into cultural practices and artforms. Qilik cultures almost ubiquitously have activities where cocks showcase beauty in dances, and compete with other males in dance-fights (often called flower-duels) where the objective is to pin the rival to the ground while also being sooo pretty and masculine.

[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!

[comfortless]

König is usually depicted as an only child in most peoples headcanons, but how different do you think he would be if he had older/younger siblings?

actually i think it would be really fun to explore König being a middle child. ^^ there are so many possibilities, this is like finding a really big stick outside to poke at poor König with…

tw for emotional/physical abuse, bullying, toxic masculinity nonsense, mental health stuff.

i think that everyone heralds König’s father as being the worst of the worst, but what if that awful behavior was reserved solely for König? maybe he had an older sister that his parents see as being their golden child. she doesn’t get bullied: she’s pretty, average height, her grades don’t suffer from something undiagnosed holding her back. the yelling and fighting in the house is never targeted at her.

König knows his older sister is the favorite, there’s never been any doubt about that. even as children she was granted anything that she could ask for, had their mother doting on her constantly, his father praising her for academic achievements and for simply existing. the love is definitely there, no questions asked. their parents always wanted a daughter and here she is: more capable and wonderful than they could have even hoped for.

and seeing how they may have treated König: the girl follows suit in making her younger brother’s life a bit hellish. she was never violent with him, not like their father, nor was she cold like their mother, but she would chide König endlessly about how he needed to focus on his studies, even when he couldn’t possibly do so.

the protestations would fall entirely on deaf ears here. his sister means well, in a way, but she also serves as a constant reminder of just how wonderful König’s life could have been if he were only more normal. (which, isn’t the case at all in this horrible, dysfunctional family. König just happened to be an “oops”, and his mother’s post-partum depression may have been so bad she never properly bonded with him when it was most important to do so.) i imagine that he loves her, Oma taught him to be good to women no matter how many squabbles that they get into, but there’s definitely a layer of resentment there.

say… he has a younger brother, too. always treated as some fragile, beloved thing. he’s taken out to buy new clothes and snacks when König’s jeans are full of holes and he’s left to his own devices to find food. that’s fair, in König’s eyes. he dotes on his little brother just as much as the rest of them, because their difference in age is smaller than with the older sister, he’s only a grade or two below him. his younger sibling is the closest thing that he has to a sincere friend.

the kids at school bully him in turn simply for being associated with König. pointing out that one day, he’ll probably hit some bizarre growth spurt and behave like an animal trapped in a cage, just as his older sibling did. unlike their sister, König’s not so hellbent on keeping up appearances at school that he would shy away from throwing some poor bastard into the mud to defend his brother. or his father.

though the old man is certainly kinder to his youngest child, he still thinks of him as being too soft. he won’t toss a fist his way, but the arguments in that house seem to triple when he realizes his boy isn’t as tough and strong as he should be. their father is constantly bickering with his mother over babying their youngest too much, and as awful as it is, hearing all of this is probably the first time König’s actually felt any pride in himself. the old man compares these two and almost seems elated that König’s becoming a proper man, one that doesn’t come crying to his mother like his brother does so often.

and despite all of this, König would have a lot of good memories with them. their sister has her own friends, but never held back on spending time with her (weird) brothers. maybe they built a little fort in the forest beyond their house to share stories and hoard snacks or trinkets. König had to set it up, of course, but it gives him a chance to play some sort of mentor to the both of them, showing off how easily he can structure something and share his knowledge about anything under the sun on hazy summer days when they’re picnicking outside to get away from their parents.

i don’t believe König would turn out too differently, honestly! maybe he would be more social, actually having two other people he could talk to if he chose it. in fact, after their Oma’s passing, maybe his siblings and his mother are the only parts of his family he bothers to keep in contact with at all. unfortunately bullying would take a toll on him regardless of if he had one sibling or twelve. he might trust (some of) the people that he shares blood with, but ultimately the world is still something unfair and cruel.

[pineapplerightsideupcake]

So I didn’t want to dump this essay in the reblogs of someone else’s post but they were talking about how it’s scary that more and more US teachers are reporting kids that don’t know basic knowledge by middle school and have to learn emotional lessons at 10 they should have learned as pre K kids.

The person was at a loss to explain it but I think I can shed light on it:

Half the people I know who have kids just don’t parent. As in they do the bare minimum to keep them alive. So many kids just aren’t being raised at all. Food and clothing is tossed at them periodically by completely uninvolved adults. So they sit in front of a screen all day and don’t learn even the most basic things. A huge part of that is because everyone works all the time. Both my parents worked but my grandparents were homemakers or retired by the time I was born. Now kids go from overworked parents to overworked and over crowded and understaffed child care centers to exhausted grandparents that can’t afford to retire but at least can pick them up from school. My friend who works at a private school for 3-10 year olds says that there are tons of kids there from 6am to 7pm and that she knows about half her kids better than their parents do. At least in her (modestly) fancy private school she is actually educating them. Most kids have those same hours but in low quality programs or over burdened public schools.

My cousin who is a SAHM says that she’s often the only parent in the class that even responds to the teacher sending info home. Parents don’t go to meetings. They ignore phone calls home. They ignore calls to pick their kids up. A huge part of that is they’re working working working.

It’s why you see some 13 year olds twerking on TikTok and the others are self diagnosing DID and Tourette’s. It’s why there are 900 genders and porn sick 12 year old boys.

A friend of my sister’s nearly got her daughter taken away because she developed malnutrition because she was letting her basically live off candy. This woman was a cook/caterer. She worked 6 or 7 days a week. Shifts were often 12 or more hours. She couldn’t slow down because her husband developed a pain killer addiction because he’d already destroyed his back at 28 with non stop manual labor and warehouse shit. She was only able to worry if her kid ate protein or vegetables because my sister let her and her daughter move in with her until the divorce/financial crisis was settled. Most people aren’t that lucky.

A tremendous amount of people in the US live paycheck to paycheck. This was always how it worked for people in “low income areas”. And as long as those people were disproportionately black or non white immigrants nobody cared. How many movies are about a Brave White Teacher coming into low income schools and asking “where’s your mom?” And gets back “she works three jobs and dad left”. How often are the kids presented as being emotionally stunted, behaviorally challenged, and embarrassingly ignorant. “Wow Mr. S, you’re saying the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around. Pssh, do a rap about it if you’re so right” But now that the wealth gap has widened to the point the average white household is as poor as this country was happy to let POC be, and POC have an even lower standard of living, suddenly it’s worth discussing.

It’s poverty folks. It’s crushing, inescapable poverty. And it’s not just now starting to be a problem. It’s just the first time it was affecting enough of the “right kind of people” to pay attention.

[brezelzeit]

OC info post! **completely nonpolitical, the time period this character is from and what he's associated with I do not endorse, but this should go without saying (ironically tho this character sorta ends up working against the bad things associated with that anyway tho lol)** Name: Tobias Schnur Born: September 28th, 1895, near Freiburg am Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Occupation: Gestapo officer (rank: Kriminalrat (Major)) Height: 5'8" Gender: Male Physical description: Average build but slightly chubby, upturned nose, small beady eyes, soft in the face and belly, balding receding hairline on the sides, small silver vintage style wire frame round glasses Hair: Dark brown Eyes: Blue Clothing: Black suit, black fedora, red, black, and white striped tie, and occasionally a leather trench coat, although he does wear other suits and coats from time to time

Personality traits: Shy, quiet, calm, submissive, analytical, loyal, rational, anxious (he is calm but it's mostly a cover for this, fortunately he and/or others take care of this mood for him often), cynical, intimidating (to those he interrogates), mischievous, withdrawn, detached, sweet, caring, distrusting, skeptical, polite, warm, careful, melancholic, insecure, nervous, awkward, helpful, curious, inquisitive, easily embarrassed, thoughtful, sensitive, laid-back, hardworking, sarcastic, disciplined, cowardly, independent, capable, creative, romantic, friendly, playful, modest, cooperative, controlled, composed, inhibited, good mannered, inviting, seductive, passive, pessimistic, uncomfortable, intuitive, a wallflower Orientation: Gay MBTI profile: ISTJ Enneagram profile: 6w5 Likes: being alone with his thoughts, his boyfriend Dieter, daydreaming, creating, reading books, nature, keeping to himself, peace and quiet time, routine; doing things the way he is used to, feeling calm, self-care, his dog Schmutzig, playing accordion, detective work, sleeping, his patience Dislikes: the fact he can be very needy, his insecurities, being unhappy and unhappy people, immature and selfish behavior in others, overprotective behavior, feeling like he is unattractive, not knowing how to solve certain problems, people with attachment issues, his anxiety problems, being sickly, seeing those actually enjoy torture (he has to do it for work but he almost never takes sadistic pleasure in it, unless it's a very rare case that he has a personal conviction/attachment towards- he finds the behavior of some other Gestapo men insanely cruel), being bullied (both the memories from his past as a child and other Gestapo being a jerk to him for not being as cruel), loud noise, people yelling

Hobbies: playing accordion, reading, drawing, cooking, shopping for clothes, golf, soccer, swimming, going to the movie theater, listening to radio shows, collecting stamps Socio-economic status: lower middle class, leaning poor, born and raised on a farm in the off-skirts of a city Afflictions: has an illness- brought about due to a bad reaction to mustard gas in WWI. He tends to sweat profusely, get stomach aches, fatigue, nausea, randomly, although not everyday. Parents' names: Arnold and Beate Schnur. Favorite food: Cheese spaetzle with bacon or ham and onions and asparagus Speech patterns: pauses a lot and tends to interject "hehe" randomly into conversation. Has a breathy, soft, nasal voice; sort of high pitched, can get whispery at times. Here's a post about my main character/main ww2 OC Tobias "Tobi" Schnur! Most of these pics are older art I don't like as much now that I've improved a bit more, but it's all I have that's finished and on hand of him atm. Above is a bunch of basic facts about him!!! He's sort of inspired by/based on Toht from Indiana Jones in looks and clothing and mannerisms, but personality wise is a much better person and a bit more sympathetic. And more human, more 3D. And a heeeeccckkkk of a lot fruitier heheehhehe

[dwellordream]

“With more household technology available, women could have found themselves with more time to spend outside the house. Moreover, the birth rate had declined. In 1800, white women had given birth to an average of 7 children each; in 1900, the average was 3.56; and in 1929, it was only 2.4. Women of all groups were having fewer children. Birth control was still controversial, and it was even illegal in many states, but middle-class women were able to get birth control devices from their private physicians, and in large cities some clinics opened to serve working-class women.

However, this still left many working-class women without birth control. And even when they could get birth control information, in an era before the Pill had been invented and when diaphragms and even condoms were not always readily available, they often found their husbands uncooperative. Yet, even though they continued to have more children than middle-class women, birth rates among the working class also declined. No sooner were there fewer children in the home, however, that experts began to agree that mothers should pay more attention to each one.

As advertisements for a laundromat in Muncie asked, “Isn’t Bobby more important than his clothes?” And one ad selling electricity declared of the “successful mother” that “she puts first things first. She does not give to sweeping the time that belongs to her children… The wise woman delegates to electricity all that electricity can do.” Women who were involved in charitable work, social and political service, and even wage work--despite the fact that most working mothers took paying jobs only out of dire need--were attacked as selfish, as taking jobs away from men who needed them to support families, and as undermining the stability of the home. It was argued that having a woman in the home would keep a child off the streets.

…In an economy built around gratification rather than thrift, women’s activism outside the home was taken as a sign of an unfulfilled life. Women did not cease, of course, to rely on other women for support and intimacy. As with politics, however, the range of tolerated behavior shrank, and what had been acceptable before the war now was questionable. Some young women even feared to share apartments with each other lest they be suspected of homosexuality. And, in the same way that new fears of radicalism split women’s political organizations in the 1920s, new fears of homosexuality made it harder for women to form women’s groups whose purpose was women’s equality and independence.

Women’s focus was not supposed to be other women. According to the advertisers and the new psychologists, their emphasis was supposed to be on how to attract men. Women could find fulfillment, the argument went, only through marriage. In the 19th century, marriage was supposed to involve self-denial and self-sacrifice by women. Now, particularly for the highly educated middle class, it was supposed to prove sexual satisfaction and self realization. Marriage was supposed to be the gateway to a fuller life, not just for women with low-paying monotonous jobs but also for college-educated women. Sexual fulfillment in marriage, not a career, was depicted as the ultimate fulfillment for women.

…Despite the increasing availability of birth control, a new focus on sexuality, and a redefined concept of housework, marriage had a hard time living up to its reputation. Not all women found marriage a way to a fuller life. Tensions rose around consumption. Raising children became more and more expensive, and working-class women continued to have less access to money and birth control. Fears of conceiving another child they could ill afford affected these women’s sexual pleasure. And expectations of a way of life that did not materialize led to disappointment.

In a 1920s study of Muncie, Indiana, when working-class women were asked what gave them the courage to go on life when they had become thoroughly discouraged, not one of the women mentioned her husband. In difficult times, husbands became not so much individuals as the focus of their wives’ problems and fears about jobs and conception. The divorce rate rose steeply. From 1870 to 1920, the number of divorces in the United States increased by a factor of 15. In 1924, one marriage in seven ended in divorce. More wives than ever before had done paid work during marriage. They knew they had options other than staying in an unsatisfactory marriage. Life was not easy for divorced women, but no longer was divorce the disgrace it had been in the previous century.”

- Sarah Jane Deutsch, “Fun, Fads, and Family.” in From Ballots to Breadlines: American Women, 1920-1940

[sweepweep]

Oh he- he died. The guy that was being preyed on in Stranger Things just. Got dragged away after his car was crashed by some strange goop... But I guess there are. Stranger Things (ba dump tsss~).

He and Mike's (one of the main kid characters) mom were going to have "private swimming lessons" (ew) and something made him crash and that somwthing dragged him away.

(First before I continue I want to clarify that I don't support this and I'm not trying to justify this sort of behavior. I'm just trying to point something out) These two characters are kind of sad though because the guy is an abusive asshole in general (Especially to his half sister but she shows him that she's not going to take this anymore by drugging him and threatening him with a bat with nails in it. Really fucking sad she had to go that far) but the show shows you that its like a cycle of abuse that started with his abusive dad who didn't change even after he got remarried and the guy's mom is gone and his step mom is really passive about telling the dad not to do that to the point where its no help so he definitely has mommy issues which is probably why he's trying to date an older lady (no excuse). And Mike's mom is basically all alone in raising the kids and keeping track of them and just being there even if sometimes she seems distant she is clearly trying to do her best AND make time for herself (Seriously when she first meets this guy she was in the middle of her self-care scented candle bath with a book and had to get out in her bathrobe because her husband was sleeping in an armchair. Unfortunately this is when this whole... thing starts.) and her husband just looks. Dead. He doesn't know what's going on ever. He doesn't know where his kids are. He doesn't help his wife. He just sleeps on the couch or ignores everything and always looks like he's just waiting to die. Even when the cops first came in season 1 to ask about his kids he barely even cares while the mom is worried. While she's leaving for the date (ew) she sees her husband sleeping with their youngest child sleeping on his lap and she looks sad before leaving and it fucking breaks my heart. I get wanting to move on from an unhealthy relationship (...But why did it have to be with someone your oldest daughter's age????? There wasn't anyone else??????????)

First off, you are very punny I laughed out loud

Second, WOW that’s a lot sadder than I thought Stranger Things could be :(

When I first learned about it, I thought it was just an average thriller sci-fi style but wow that gets deep

[icarusignite]

The Darkest Hour Before Dawn

Pairing: Spencer Reid x OC! Althea Devereaux

Chapters: 0 / Prologue / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

AO3    | Wattpad

Synopsis

Althea has always been the overlooked middle child, never quite standing out despite her best efforts. But, when a series of tragic events strikes her family, she is forced to step up and prove herself in ways she had never envisioned. With unwavering resolve, she sets her sights on joining the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, driven by a deep desire to find answers to the biggest mystery of her childhood. It is the one thing that kept her going, the thought that if she could just join the team, she could finally solve the case that has haunted her for years.

Althea's opportunity to join the BAU comes in the form of an unexpected surprise and she finally achieves her goal, acquiring a place on the team she has both admired and resented. Her relentlessness in the pursuit of justice earns her the respect of her colleagues and even the attention of the brilliant Spencer Reid. As she delves deeper into the world of criminal profiling, she discovers that her own personal experiences have given her a unique insight into the minds of criminals. However, she realizes that the truth may be more complicated and dangerous than she could have ever imagined and some secrets are best left buried.

In a world where tragedy and triumph go hand in hand, Althea remains determined to succeed where others have failed her, to make a difference in the world and finally bring closure to her family's long-standing tragedy.

❝And in the end, all that remains is the echo of your name .❞

Althea Devereaux

❝I may have started off as the mediocre middle child, but I refuse to end as anything less than extraordinary.❞

Spencer Reid

❝Well, statistically speaking, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than finding a date on a Friday night...but hey, that's just the law of averages.❞

Kaitlyn Devereaux

❝I don't need a medical degree to tell you that a broken heart can hurt just as much as a broken bone.❞

Sebastien Devereaux

❝I guess being the baby of the family doesn't protect you from getting sick. Should've asked for a refund on my birth order.❞

"Nyx"

❝You can't just come in here, with your FBI team and your big guns, acting like you're the hero.❞

Ayaan Ahmed

❝I didn't think it was possible to feel this hot after exiting a burning building, but I guess that's just the effect you have on me, Doc.❞

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Young Althea Devereaux: Mckenna Grace Young Elinor Devereaux: Violet McGraw Older Elinor Devereaux: *** Sarah Devereaux: Carla Gugino Michael Devereaux: Ralph Fiennes

The rest of the criminal minds cast as themselves. More characters will be added as the story progresses.

Spotify Playlist

Trigger Warnings and Disclaimer

This is set in the criminal minds world so it will contain quite a bit of violence, abuse, murder, assault, etc. There will also be portrayals of self-harm, self-destructive behaviour, mental health issues, etc. so if that makes you uncomfortable, please be warned. I will put in additional warnings at the beginning of particular chapters that contain specifically triggering content but just an overall warning that it is going to be quite dark.

Also, it goes without saying, sadly I don't own any of the original criminal minds story/characters (I would very much like to own Spencer and Emily). I only own my original characters and the plotlines I give them.

A/N:

Heyyo, in honour of binging like 4 seasons of criminal minds during peak exam season, I thought I'd write a story for it. This OC has been living in my head rent-free for quite a while and I finally found a place to put her so yay. Get ready for heaps of tragedy and angst lol. I am looking forward to this story and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. The story will be set starting season 1 and onwards.

I was gonna have a ships collage chapter but then I realized that may be a bit spoilery so I guess I'll just say that in addition to our main ship, we'll have Hotchniss (I adore them with all my heart), a very badass sapphic couple, and a few others. Hope you enjoy :)

Also, I would absolutely love to hear yall's thoughts on the story as we go along, it really motivates me to write and I get a sense of what yall might wanna see more/less of. I suck at writing summaries but hopefully, the synopsis wasn't too bad lol.

Cheers.

Taglist (comment to be added):

[the-kp-of-nrc]

Everyone welcome, the Kupid of NRC

its happening guys oh my god its happening

Here he is at long long last, Kupid Myrar, my dearly beloved dumbfuck. Kupid is my Yuusona, and the current main focus of this blog! All appropriately tagged posts are from him^^

(More info about him will be under the cut to help preserve space)

Kamden (Kupid) Myrar

Kupid, the son of a lawyer and a high position state senator, was born the second child Kamden Myrar. With his mother working in the senate, his family (comprised of his parents, an older sister, himself, a younger brother, and an Irish Setter) moved around semi-frequently as he grew up. The summer before he started high school, the family finally settled in a suburb of their state capital. Kupid attended the local high school for a year, only managing to make a few friends, before he disappeared the night before his second year. Leaving not a trace behind, Kupid woke up that morning in a coffin and began his journey through the hellscape wonderfully generous world of Twisted Wonderland and NRC.

Personality

Kupid is a pretty standard kid. He wouldn't call himself "chronically online," but is definitly well versed in modern internet slang. Due to his dimension hopping tendencies, he picks up well on local idioms, customs, and behaviors. He's well adapted and can easily blend in, often becoming aquainted with people of his similar age wherever he ends up. While he's not a person people are naturally drawn to, he is rather likeable and is good at making conversation.

Overall, Kupid is rather laid back, but also takes no shit. His curious nature tends to get the better of him, at he often finds himself in situations that either require assistance of an ally, or his quick escape route (ie. a mirror). He's good at making friends, but can also hold a harsh grudge against someone who's wronged him or a close friend. While a little bit hard headed, Kupid is a great listener and a tough friend. He sticks up for those close to him, will fight until nearly dead, but also knows his limits

(this section can be found on the ref sheet featured in this post^^)

Appearance

Kupid in general is pretty simple. He's pretty average in terms of build and height. Despite his hair, he's the type to blend in rather than stand out. His clothing style is a general alternative style with no specific sub-culture inspirations. The most prominent parts of him that stick out are the red and black split dyed hair, and matching nostril piercings that are connected with a chain that spans across his nose.

His overall color theme consists of red and black for his hair, and blue and pink that shows up in his clothes. His usual outfit consists of a gray sleeveless turtleneck, beige jeans, split dark pink and blue converse, and a split light pink and blue windbreaker.

Trivia

This all was posted earlier on my account, and it will be added on to as I think of things^^

After arriving in TW, Kupid really couldn't have cared less about Grim, but after the Heartslabyul book he quickly came to see that little gremlin as his familiar for realsies

since the game isn't finished i took some liberties with what happens after Yuu gets sent home. They're able to keep communication between the worlds open so Kupid actually returns to NRC for a second year by Crowley's invitation

Grim is his baby. That's his cat, his familiar, his weasel, whatever you wanna call him. But you bet your ass Grim went with Kupid after he went back to his own world

During his second year Kupid learns he can actually use mirrors as a method of transport (like the ones used to go to the dorms) and eventually uses them to dimension hop

Before going to Twisted Wonderland, his hair was a lot shorter and brown, but after waking up in the coffin, he found it much longer and split down the middle. While in TW it grows naturally in that split color, but grown brown while in his world

Similar to his hair, when Kupid was asked his name after getting out of his coffin, Kupid couldn't think of his given name, Kamden, and could only think of "Kupid," and switches between which name he goes by based on what world he's in

His fursona would be a rabbit

He has a toyhou.se page with similar information and all the drawings I've done/received of him

Likewise, he also has an Art Fight profile, and an official Spotify playlist

Misc info

Eye color: green

Hair: split red and black

Height: 5'7''

Weight: 162

Positive trait: A thorough thinker

Neutral trait: Stupidly loyal

Negative trait: Quick to follow

Personality overview: While a little bit hard headed, Kupid is a great listener and a tough friend. He sticks up for those close to him, will fight until nearly dead, but also knows his limits

Mannerisms/dialogue examples: Uses slang from the many universes he's traveled through, even if it doesn't exist in his current one

Fears: The mirror dimension

Hopes: Keeping both of his worlds at an equal balance with each other, aka being able to consistently cross over between the two with no issues

Skills: Potionology :P, general support, quick to adapt, leadership

Powers (if any): Using mirrors idk

Not good at: Sports

Favorite food: yellow starburst

Favorite drinks: Dr pepper

General likes:

Food dislike: any kind of spice

Drink dislike: sparkling water

General dislikes: Tuesdays

Border credits to @/saradika-graphics <3