#but this is something that a lot of people wanted so i want to provide what i can

[kedreeva]

Hi, sorry if this is a silly question or if you’re the wrong person to ask. I take my cat on walks on a leash but do not have the means to provide a catio. Are there precautions I can take that would still allow me to walk her safely, or is it best to stop taking her outside at all for the forseeable future?

I'm honestly not the best resource for this question; I deal with birds, not cats, but the story about the big cats crossed my path and I thought it was important to share.

For domestic fowl, people are advised to keep them penned in covered areas, exclude wild birds from their areas (ie: use small netting gauges), cover food and water where possible to prevent contamination, and practice biosecurity (work clean to dirty, separate gear for separate pens, limit visitors to property, quarantine new birds, etc).

For cats, a lot of the same likely holds true- it's not a guarantee, but it also can't hurt to limit their access to wild birds and areas where wild birds can poop, keep outside gear away from them, limit visitors that could bring it in (ie people who keep poultry, people who work with wildlife etc), practice general biosecurity as well as you can. Most importantly for cats, and something you SHOULD take as a requirement not a general common sense, is do NOT feed them raw anything right now- dry kibble or pasteurized food only. Those big cats died because their raw feed was contaminated. The wild big cats that have died (mountain lions) likely died from eating contaminated meat/animals. At least one indoor cat has died from contaminated raw diet feed. So I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT FEED RAW. This includes raw frozen.

Past general common sense like that, you'd want to talk to someone from your state ag or DNR or other agencies that could advise you more specifically.

[bonny-kookoo]

Hey Bonny!! I saw you wanted to play a game, so how does this sound for a drabble? Dragon! Yoongi (or Kookie since I know he's your guy) x Fairy! Reader?? Idk if you've written fairies before, but I know you've done dragons! 💜🤍

I have a dragon kook x fairy reader on my patreon as early access, so I'll make this one yoongi!

-----------------

Yoongi

Hidden in the woods

Dragons are rather social creatures- but when a young Dragonblood named Yoongi fails to find a partner while all his friends and family have moved way past those events already, he isolates himself, believing he might just be destined to be a loner. But maybe, he was just impatient.

Tags/Warnings: Dragon hybrid!Yoongi, Fairy!Reader, strangers to ???, reader is described as short oops, SFW

Wordcount: 1.6k (it was supposed to be a Drabble... oops)

♥━━━━━━━━━━•.♡.•━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

“You rarely visit these days.”

His mothers words still echo in his mind as he tries to find a new composition on his piano that doesn’t sound like everything he’s already put out. Of course he hasn’t visited- with his brother’s twins constantly around, he’s always reminded of how far ahead everyone around him is, while he’s yet to find his first real love. He’s thirty, for god’s sake- and yet all he has is his house, a stable career as a musician, and a lot on his mind.

All his friends are married. Some have kids, others are busy preparing for the day they’ll have them. He feels out of place.

Yoongi has made peace with the fact that he’ll be the uncle to all of them, the one guy who never really seems to be happy about anything, never has a family of his own. It’s alright.

He sighs, loudly, gripping his hair for a second in frustration. This is stupid- why is he having an artist’s block right now of all times? People are waiting for something new, especially after he’s already taken a break to help his creativity. And yet, it did nothing- except for giving him a little bit more room to breathe and most of all move out of his apartment and into his new house near the woods. It’s nice here- about half an hour away from the bustling neon city he’s used to after years of living there, and also a bit more distance from his family and friends. A newfound excuse for when they ask him once more where he’s been.

The doorbell rings, attracting his attention. He’s not awaiting any guests or packages- who could it be?

Via the camera installed he can see that there’s a person he doesn’t know at the door- you're rather short, but visibly curious, looking around for any signs of life inside his home, and for a short moment, he sees them;

Delicate little slightly translucent wings. Pointy ears, tilted a bit downwards.

A fairy.

As he opens the door, you seem startled for a second or two, taking a step back, before you speak. “Oh, hello!” You greet him. “I was just about to ask- do you have uh.. Jungkook’s number?” You wonder, and he becomes hostile, crossing his arms. “A coworker of mine, Jimin, said you have it. I’m sorry I’m just, you know, showing up here like that-”

The door closes. But despite what he was expecting, you just ring the doorbell again- and again, until he opens.

“Okay, as I was trying to explain before you so rudely interrupted me-” You tease a little, arms now crossed as well as your wings flap around a bit. “-tell him at least that I need his help fixing my washing machine. He broke it and left the crime scene for me to find, and that’s, pardon my language-” You lean in a bit as if you’re about to tell Yoongi something secret, “-pretty crappy behavior.”

Yoongi stares you down for a moment, before he speaks.

“That’s it?” He asks, and you nod. “Why don’t you ask Jimin for Jungkook’s number?” He wonders, not entirely convinced. Jungkook is pretty much a magnet for people no matter what gender, and the worst part about it is that many if not most always try and get to him through Yoongi.

No one’s ever interested in him. Only his friends, or the things he can provide.

“Cause Jimin doesn’t have it either!” You whine, stomping your leg on the ground in agony. “Listen, I don’t know how to fix it and my bathroom smells like a laundromat already, my coffee machine is also broken and my script has been rejected for the third time, I really need some good news. Please?” You ask, and Yoongi contemplates.

“What if I fix it?” He asks, and your eyes begin to sparkle, wings lifting to flutter in excitement. It’s like in this very moment, he can hear the keys of his piano chime, creating a new piece in his mind.

“You can?!” You ask, stepping closer.

“Probably. Where do you even live?” He asks, before you point towards the woods.

“I live in the woods, pretty much. It’s not that far.” You say, and Yoongi sighs, looking back inside his house. It’s not like he’s going to get anything done either way, so who cares? It might take his mind off of things for a moment or two-

So a few hours later, he’s in your house, enjoying some hot coffee from your machine, which he’d fixed as well while he was at it. Well, fixed is a strong word- he pretty much just explained how it properly worked to you. It was working just fine- you just lost the manual and couldn’t figure it out on your own.

“I always thought dragons were scarier.” You say suddenly, opening a pack of cookies to put in the middle of your wooden coffee table. “You’re really nice. Tall, and a bit gloomy looking, but very nice.” You say, sitting down on the couch next to him, legs pulled up towards you.

He’s noticed something glittering all over the small house- like sparkling glitter, but much finer, and barely noticeable. Looking closer to his pants, he notices it there as well- and even after a brush with his hand, it sticks to his fingers now.

“Oh- I’m sorry! It keeps getting everywhere, especially now.. Wait- I have like, a plastic thing-” You hurry, getting up to search for something in a drawer close by your TV. “Ah, there!” You say, giving him the lint-roller. “It’s one designed for fairy dust. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought about that..” You say, but for some odd reason, he declines.

“It’s fine.” He denies. “Doesn’t bother me.” he tells you, and again, you look at him like he’s just told you the earth is flat after all.

but it truly doesn’t bother him. It would, technically, if he was anywhere else. But right now, in this moment, he couldn’t be any more indifferent towards the ‘mess’ you leave sticking to his clothes and skin.

As soon as he’s back home, the sight of your sparkling smile is still in his mind, as his feet almost automatically move towards his piano, where he sits down, and presses a record button to play something new. The melody has been stuck on repeat in his head the entire way back home through the thick snow, like his imagination was finally finding color again.

But it’s different from what he usually creates.

This piece is playful almost, intriguing. It’s a little hesitant, like someone holding back a thought itself just to not indulge too much in a fantasy they’re already creating in their mind. Fluttering notes interrupt these parts however, sneaking in with excitement and curiosity, trying their best to convince the player to let themselves go.

And Yoongi does, as he finishes the piece, and leans back in his chair, recording finished before his phone chimes with a message.

“You left your scarf at my place!” Is what you tell him.

“I’ll get it tomorrow.” He texts you back.

“I could make us dinner?” You question.

He contemplates, finger hovering over the virtual keyboard of his phone, before he begins to write his answer. Fluttering touches of his fingers moving with a hint of excitement, fine fairy dust on the skin of his hands shimmering in the setting sun dipping everything in a golden glow.

“I’d love that.”

[charms-cat]

SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON

Casting

Making famous rapper Choi Seunghyun/TOP play a failed rapper is some perfectly ironic casting 😂

(I know it wasn't intentional. I just thought it was funny)

Fuck Myunggi

Junhee! Kick him to the curb and keep him there! That guy is definitely gonna be a deadbeat dad.

(And, not to get too moral policing here, but it was cruel of her to keep the baby when she knew she was in heavy debt. No child should be born in poverty)

EDIT: somebody misunderstood what I meant by the above paragraph. They thought it was "classist. Every child deserves to live. If the mother decides to have a child, then it's her choice. It's wrong to tell a mother that she should've gotten rid of her baby just bcs she can't provide a perfect life for her child" (not verbatim, but this was the gist). They removed their replies, so let me clarify for anyone else who's confused.

Children are expensive. They will need things or want other things. They might lose a school book or rip their coat or catch an illness or want a toy. All things that need to be fixed, and all of them cost money. And I just don't think it's something children need to be worried about. You might give them an allowance to teach them financial responsibility, but no child should be worried about the income of a household. They shouldn't fear losing or ruining anything bcs they already know that replacing it will be a financial strain on their family. They shouldn't fear the resulting medical care of (being born with/experiencing) poor health bcs they know it'll be (heavier) debt for their family. Children should only worry about childish things, not the potential collapse of their family.

It is not classist to not want a child to be born in poverty. You don't need to provide a "perfect" life for your child. But you wanting a child is not a reason for them to suffer the effects of the life you're currently living.

TLDR; if you can't be comfortable with your child being a little clumsy or careless or sick bcs any of those might be a financial strain, then you shouldn't have children.

I get that Junho didn't want to admit that his brother was the sociopathic Front Man, but he could've just said, "I saw his face but didn't recognise him." People's lives are at stake here, you pig. Smh cops are just useless.

In Junhee's case, we can only hope that she has other friends who'll help her with the baby. Her debt is most likely in the millions, and she already lost both her parents. I'm sure you can ask any parent and they'll tell you that a newborn needs lots of attention. So either she'll need to outsource that vital childcare while she works (bcs I doubt a government check would be enough for both of them) or she needs work that allows her to bring her baby.

STOP KEEPING VITAL INFO TO YOURSELVES FFS

And Jungbae, oh my God. Five seconds to just say "(Youngil) killed someone" and Gihun might've known to be on alert around him. It doesn't take a detective to work out that, "Hey, this guy is going kinda crazy. He might kill us if he needs to. Maybe I should tell someone." Buddy, even if you think he only turned to murder out of a need for survival, he still can't be trusted.

TRAITOR

Y'all I fucking knew that ship captain Park was Suspicious, with a capital S!

+ they made it a point that Wooseok said "which of you got drunk and spilled the intel?" Only to later show him drinking and spilling intel

The very moment he was questioning Wooseok in that restaurant and saying shit like, "I didn't believe him at first," and, most importantly, "so everything (Junho) told me was true?" He was on my impostor radar. Idk how to explain it too well. Like, yeah, I believe Junho would've told him some stuff but telling him "everything"? or enough for him to make a sudden turn from "this is baloney" to "I 100% believe you and in no way do I think all these men are just part of the same cuckoo conspiracy group."

Also, now that it's confirmed that he's a measly fucking rat, I just wanna circle back to the fisherman who said that he was given "leftover bait" by some guy. Who would just have that shit on hand? Fisherman captain Park. Who was "interested" in the drones and how good surveillance is these days? Captain fucking Park. Bastard.

Gyeongseok and Noeul

Do we think Gyeongseok (the dad) is still alive? I think so since they focused on his character but haven't really expanded on his story line + I didn't see a corpse and he wasn't shot in the head so it's pretty suspect + Noeul avoided shooting him in the first game too (for his hair flying. yall, was he supposed to control the wind??) and I'm pretty sure she's the soldier (that shot him) since she was also the only one connected to him outside the game

Add. Note: I really hoped that Noeul had a chance to shoot those rapist bastards during the shootout. Y'know, disguise it as a "why would the players do this? 😔" moment

Death flags 🏴

Hyunju, those fake friends didn't deserve you 😭. I love her. She's been a boss all season.

Gihun saying he'll outlive Jungbae was probably the biggest death flag I've seen so far. But I thought for sure that old guy (10B won in debt) and that shaman were gonna die. I mean,,, telling other people they're gonna die (and you're gonna live) is an ironic death flag.

EDIT: just gonna add that Jungbae also said, "we're both gonna make it out of here" to Gihun + he was the only person to know the "true nature" of the antagonist so that's three different death flags for him 😭

Side note: I found out that the actor for said old guy (Song Youngchang) is a convicted sex offender/rapist. Maybe that's why I wanna see him die so badly.

Hyunju! And Daeho

And I feel sorry for Daeho. I thought he was lil too peppy for a soldier and I was right(?) The guy's never seen live combat.

I just know that your wife, who would've died to bring a life into this world, would be fucking disappointed

HWANG INHO YOU BASTARD

God. The worst part of the whole plan was the fact that they actually got so fucking close, if only they hadn't let that bitch join their ranks

[gender-vortex]

I know I maybe phrased my previous responses poorly, but I am not against people being diagnosed with dsm-5 disorders. I just want there to be more nuance in how the general paradigm of psychiatry believes these disorders arise.

As for reading too far into the dsm-5, I really don’t see how that’s the case. The section of the dsm-5 we have been discussing literally says that disorders are “clinically significant disturbances” that “reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or development processes underlying mental functioning”. As I understand it, this is saying all disorders have corresponding dysfunctions in the physiological / biological / developmental processes of a person that cause said disturbances. It seems to me that societal issues as a cause for disorders does not easily fit into that definition. (If you have a different interpretation of this quote that explains your viewpoint I am genuinely interested in hearing it).

And regardless of whether it is in the dsm, this mindset is certainly present in the psychological care I have received. The previously mentioned report for my psych eval made practically NO MENTION of the fact that I go to an extremely competitive and academically rigorous high school. It is a 36 page long, densely packed document all about my mental state and functioning at the time, and yet there’s like a grand total of maybe ten words addressing my school environment, despite the fact that it is a huge stressor in my life and provides lots context regarding my experiences. Doesn’t that seem a little off to you? To me, it seems like one instance of a larger trend in psychology/psychiatry to tend to ignore the circumstances and environments people are living in.

Also, when I am talking about psychiatry improving societal issues, I’m not talking about individual psychiatrists taking different approaches with their patients or whatever, but rather as a collective, through their conferences and research papers and so on. Maybe when they write the dsm-6, it will be more clear regarding the impact that societal issues can have on disorders. They did something similar with the dsm-5: in response to people’s concerns that they were pathologizing normal behaviors, they updated all disorders to require that symptoms cause “clinically significant distress”.

I know these ideas of minority stress are not new ideas, and I am not saying the biomedical model of mental disorders is trash. I’m just saying that in my experience, psychiatry and psychology seem a bit quick to favor the biomedical “it’s inherent to you” view of things, and often leave out the stress of people’s lives, even when it provides important context.

…psychiatry assumes that society does not cause distress in biologically normal people, who are considered biologically normal at least in part because they are economically productive. This assumption permits the conclusion that if a person is distressed to the point of unproductivity, it is because that person—not society—is abnormal. Thus, psychiatry’s commitment to biological essentialism not only masks the role of the constructed sociopolitical environment in creating distress but depoliticizes it by characterizing that allegedly irrational distress as induced by biological abnormality.

– Kiera Lyons, “The Neurodiversity Paradigm and Abolition of Psychiatric Incarceration” (2023)

[genderqueerdykes]

I'll be honest, I don't really see the queer community as a community considering how the only thing that connects us is just queerness, cause I see a community as a safe network, which is pretty much unachieveable with this many people who all share diffrent personal views.

i'm not sure what you mean, i hope this is an appropriate response

i totally agree that there are a lot of people with varying experiences that may never relate to each other. people from one identity to another may never relate, but i'd like to point out something that i think people don't consider. that diversity you mention is the exact reason why, in my eyes, queer community is community, and like you said, a safety network

the cool part is that a cis butch lesbian may relate to a gay bear, or a trans man, a trans woman may relate to a cis femme lesbian, polyamorous people may relate to pansexual people, aromantic and asexual people relate, trans and intersex people relate, and so on! just because they're different experiences doesn't mean they don't intersect in productive, meaningful ways

i'd say shift the focus a bit and think about it as many people coming together who bring something unique to the table. it means there's something for everyone. more than enough. the lines in between the boxes disappear. we blend in together instead of staying isolated. general queer spaces are so helpful for people who are questioning, too. maybe some people want to get together to discuss what queer even means. the diversity provides a lot of unique perspectives

that's how i feel, personally, but i do understand where you're coming from. if it's too broad for you, or doesn't feel right then hey, it doesn't have to. i get your point of view, too. everyone has the right to define whether or not those spaces are productive or helpful for them

[ariestrxsh]

So after seeing the last video and seeing Matt gifting Nick and Chris condoms I did some thinking (I will probably sound lowkey crazy)

Matt saying “he doesn’t want any nieces or nephews anytime SOON” is giving Chris is fucking with someone for sure and he needs to have safe sex (excluding Nick here cause he can’t have kids with another man)

and my thinking got to the point where I thought Chris might have got his license so he can drive to people’s houses and therefore women houses, women who may be sleeping with him

Idk bruh but thinking about Chris using those ultra thin condoms makes me wet

I definitely think Chris might be sleeping with someone, which might be what prompted him to buy the condoms. Lmao. But who knows? I feel like there are a lot of reasons people get their license, and I'm sure it's a combination of the freedom it provides, the sense or independence, and maybe also so he doesn't have to take ubers/have Matt drive him to girls' houses. I could also see Chris being a virgin, though and Matt buying those to tease him or something. It's hard to say, but I also get incredibly wet thinking about Chris using those condoms. 💖

[bigfan-fanfic]

Some Type of Way (Male!Reader x Joel Miller)

Sarah smirks at her father as the man helps her gather her overnight bag for the sleepover.

"Wipe that look off your face it or it'll stay like that." Joel nudges her shoulder playfully. "What are you even smirking about?"

"Someone has a daaaaaaa-aaaaate."

"Smart mouth."

"Buy my silence."

"I'm letting you go on this sleepover, aren't I?"

"Yeah, cause you have a daaaaaa-"

He tugs her out of the kitchen by her backpack. "All right, I have a date. Happy?"

When she finally gets to plant her feet, she looks up at him. "Are you? I mean... how many dates is this? Have you two-"

Joel raises an eyebrow. "Do you really wanna ask that question, baby girl?"

"Ew. No, never mind." she shudders. "But still... you like him a lot."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Dad?"

The car pulls up. She has to go, but he can tell this is important. "Yeah, baby girl?"

"I like him too." she says softly.

Joel hugs her tight for a moment and they share it together. All the things they don't say, all the hopes they have. Then she smirks again.

"Say hi to him for me."

"Will do. Now you call me if anything happens. I got you that dang cell phone for emergencies."

"Yeah, Dad!"

She breezes off, and Joel stands on the porch, distracted, until you pull up.

He holds you tight when you hurl yourself into his arms, pulling you inside, closing the door on the world so he can just experience you.

Joel's life is pretty stressful. Being a single dad, dealing with his less-than-steady carpenter work, and trying to muddle through. But you are always his oasis, it seems.

He wants to give the people he loves everything, and he hates that he sometimes can't give them all he thinks they deserve.

But you don't ask for much, really. No matter how many "stay-in" dates with crappy spaghetti with store-bought sauce he makes, you don't ask to go out for fancier meals. Sometimes you even take him out.

Sarah likes you too - you relate to her well, even if you try to not get involved in her raising, knowing Joel might take offense.

He feels some type of way about you. And though you both know he's head over heels for you, you've never rushed him to say it.

Joel has always been uneasy about owing people. But with you, the emotion of gratitude is something powerful.

"I thought we would cook together this time, so I brought some stuff." you grin, and he kisses the top of your head.

"And here I thought I'd be your personal chef tonight. What, you don't like my spaghetti?"

You wink. "I love your spaghetti. But I think you'll love my garlic bread more."

When you first started dating, Joel was rigid in trying to maintain the role he thought he had to play. Provider and rock, masculine and constantly steady.

But your ease and the comfort you bring to him has allowed him to soften, to show you his true self, the one that usually only comes out around Sarah.

He's a jokester, with a wry and sarcastic wit, but also happy to follow along and find something to enjoy or find something humorous in any situation.

He puts on some music from an old CD and you two dance with each other as you cook and bake the garlic bread.

"I'll handle the cleanup. So we don't have to worry about it in the morning." you offer, and Joel winks.

"You mean I ain't kicking you out right after tonight?" he teases, and you smack him in the gut. "Fine, fine, but you let me cook breakfast for you."

"Oh, you drive a hard bargain, sir. But I guess I'll allow it. Besides, I got the whole weekend off, so I can stay over if you want."

Joel comes over, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing the back of your neck. "Do you have to leave?"

He's asked things like this before, flirting and romantic, but you sense something... more, this time.

"Well... my lease will be up in a couple of months."

He stiffens, recognizing the unsaid offer, and then he hugs you closer. "I'll have to talk to Sarah about it, but... how would you feel about moving in here?"

"Are you sure, Joel? I know you're starting to save up for your startup and-"

"I want this. You. I want to wake up with you and take you to bed. I think I wanna share my life with you. Fully."

There's a moment you turn and kiss him where he knows he should say it, but he just can't, yet. He's far too cynical and far too wounded to say it without knowing for sure.

But ironically, the fact that you don't push is bringing him to that conclusion anyway. "You make me feel some type of way, Joel Miller."

He kisses you back, barely resisting the urge to pick you up and carry you off right then. "So do you, babe. So do you."

He'll tell you. Soon enough. After all, you two will have all the time in the world...

[charming-not-sincere]

For some reason, this thread reminded me of one of Ghil Dirthalen’s videos, The Grim Anatomy. https://youtu.be/4Bu6PL0GZAw?si=7jroRT-U511_RWyg

She says close to the end of the video around the 4 minute mark, “What I find so interesting about this book is that it seems to try to answer the question of what happens biologically during a possession. From the provided translation, it almost sounds like a possession is concentrated in the blood. Could there be a medical treatment for a possession, and could it be as simple as a blood transfusion?”

This got me thinking about the rotten flesh that Lucanis is eating. Is it maybe less about the flesh and more about the blood contained in the flesh? You can get bloodborne diseases by eating the raw flesh of something, or someone (though I wouldn’t be surprised if they started out with an animal or something for ease since I’m pretty sure it’s a hell of a lot easier to get an animal possessed than a non-mage human), that had the disease. Pretty sure this is how a lot rabies happens in the wild. So they’re treating possession like a disease they are trying to spread and feeding inmates “diseased” (previously possessed) flesh to get them possessed.

I also saw a post by @sorcerly connected to this thread that asks about what happens to the body post possession. Picture below.

If they do “unzip,” all that flesh and body probably still contains the “disease” of possession, but not the actual spirit attached to it. Which could be how Zara is “creating” “new” spirits since there isn’t already a full spirit attached to the body anymore. Although, I will mention that I think it’s less likely that spirits unzip their host and more that they burst out like baby Xenomorphs. I find this idea especially likely since essentially the rotten meat acts as a parasite carrier but lots of little eggs (diseased cells). Sometimes they don’t take hold because the immune system flushes them out, but this could be another of the many reasons why torture is being used. Torture inherently weakens the immune system, making it more likely that the disease will catch.

Then as the baby demon grows it latches on to the strongest emotion the person is feeling. This is probably another reason why torture is used. Torture definitely brings out negative emotions, which is probably what you’re going for if you want demons. Until finally it grows strong enough to burst out of the body.

I will say eating or drinking the blood of the deceased possessed body is probably not the most efficient way to get to the end point since stomach acid would probably make it more difficult for the disease to take hold but between it being a quasi medieval fantasy setting (so therefore lack of knowledge that it could be transmitted more easily through infusion) and other factors like sadism this may be either the best method they’ve found so far or what they feel is the best method based on “But I want to see them suffer!” reasons. Or again it could play into the torture making this whole thing work. I feel like if that were the case they would let people know that they’re eating dead people. But that could also backfire and cause people to just starve to death. Hard to say.

Also explains the question: if the demons do chest burst from the people they’re possessing, where are all the dead bodies? They’re probably in some storage locker waiting to be chopped up for lunch.

Hey so what the fuck is up with Zara feeding people demon’d meat to force possession

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Chapter 5

Chapter 4 Normal Story | Chapter 4 Premium Story

Thank you @shatcey for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

"The God is infatuated with a foreign girl" –– the rumor spread among the people faster than a fire along a fuse.

Emma: Living God… I can't go on anymore…

Azel: ..........

I wipe away the dripping sweat and step into the shade of a building to avoid the scorching sun.

Even so, my body is hot, and my limbs are already complaining of fatigue.

Azel looks down at me with a cold expression as I collapse on the spot.

Azel: What do you want me to do about it?

His mystical eyes are harsh, with no trace of the compassion he had when we first met.

I may have incurred the God's displeasure, but I no longer had the luxury of fearing divine punishment.

Emma: It's just as you suspect.

Azel: …Ah, so you're saying…

Azel kneels before me and lifts my chin with a forceful grip devoid of any tenderness.

Azel: You want me to be kind to you?

Emma: Please… I beg you…

(If this continues, I'll…)

–– Time rewinds a little.

Nadia: By order of the King, I, Nadia, have been assigned to attend to your needs, Lady Emma, starting today.

Aisha: I'm Aisha. We, the head maids of the harem, will serve you to the best of our abilities. Pleased to meet you.

Emma: Oh… Thank you for your concern. But I'm just a humble book merchant, so I don't need—

Nadia: Now, let's start with a bath. The Living God might visit you in your dreams.

Aisha: We must groom your hair beautifully, polish your skin thoroughly, and as for perfume… I wonder what the Living God prefers.

Nadia: We don't know, so let's use roses for now. Lady Emma seems to be from Rhodolite.

Aisha: That's a good idea! Let's do that.

Emma: You really don't have to go that far!

Emma: At least let me bathe alone— Please, have mercy…!

-

Izzet: I am Izzet, and I will be in charge of your protection from today forward, Lady Emma.

Izzet: I usually serve as a messenger, but this time I have officially received a royal order to eliminate any danger approaching you.

Emma: Oh… Thank you very much. However, I am just a humble book merchant, so I don't need a guard—

Izzet: Please reconsider. The Living God's favor is an honor for women all over the country.

Izzet: Even with the divine protection of the God, it's not possible to say for sure that there won't be any envy, resentment, jealousy, or anger…

Emma: … I understand. Thank you for your service. I look forward to working with you.

-

Enis: I apologize for summoning you so suddenly.

Enis: Are you having any trouble at the castle? If you tell me, I can help with most things.

Emma: Thank you for your kindness.

Emma: If you would be so kind as to listen to my wish…

Emma: Could you please treat me as just a humble book merchant, as before?

Enis: I cannot do that. You are the one and only woman who has received the Living God's favor.

Enis: For many years, Tanzanite has struggled with the lack of a woman who could capture the Living God's heart.

Enis: But finally, our long-held wish has come true, and the royal court is overflowing with joy.

Enis: It is the king's duty to increase the national power and entertain you… Please accept it.

The seriousness of being misunderstood as having the Living God's favor is something that sinks in with the passage of time.

-

Emma: Clavis, please stop.

Clavis: I haven't even said anything yet?

Emma: You have a mischievous grin on your face… You're enjoying this, aren't you?

Clavis: Haha, yes, I'm quite amused right now! Now, I'm sure you have a lot to talk about, right?

Clavis: This gentleman will listen to all your troubles.

Today, once again, we hold a secret feast with Clavis and Luke in a guest room of Tanzanite Castle.

From the moment I was summoned, I knew what the "main dish" of the feast would be.

Clavis: Luke, give Emma some alcohol.

Luke: No way I'm letting her drink. It's Tanzanite tea today.

Unlike Clavis, who can't stop grinning, Luke seems concerned for me, skillfully brewing the tea with practiced hands and offering it to me.

Emma: Thank you. This tea… I don't think I've ever seen it before.

Luke: I heard it's made by crushing several kinds of fruits. It's called "Zel Tea," and it seems to be very popular right now.

Emma: "Zel Tea"?

Luke: I heard it's taken from the Living God's first name.

(It's even become a name for tea!?)

Luke: They say it has all sorts of benefits, like curing illnesses, erasing worries, and making love come true.

Emma: …The people in this town really are devout.

Clavis: And you've been favored by that amazing God, haven't you?

I avert my gaze from Clavis, who can't stop smirking, and take a sip of the tea to calm myself down.

(Hmm, it's sweet and delicious.)

(It's a far cry from the image of the Living God… but I like this flavor.)

I take a breath, savoring the sweetness, and clear my mind of all distractions.

Emma: I have absolutely no recollection of such a thing, but it seems that's the case.

Clavis: Oh, you have no recollection…! So it was love at first sight for Prince Azel?

Luke: He has good taste.

Clavis: As expected of a God. But it is a bit surprising.

Clavis also takes a sip of the tea that Luke brewed for him and relaxes his expression as if satisfied with the taste.

Clavis: I thought he wasn't the least bit interested in romance that has no monetary value…

Emma: …Perhaps he just found a foreign woman to be a novelty.

Luke: No way. Look around Tanzanite. There are tourists from all over, men and women alike, right?

Clavis: Yes, a "foreign girl" isn't a rare existence for a God.

Clavis: Therefore, regardless of your origin, he must have found some value in you.

Clavis: Now, the question is, what exactly is that value… What do you think, Luke?

Luke: Me? Well…

Luke: Maybe it's a way to keep us in check?

Emma: Keep you in check?

(...The conversation suddenly took a disturbing turn.)

Luke pulls out honey from somewhere and puts it in his own cup, stirring it with a spoon.

Luke: You've probably noticed it too, haven't you? About the reason we came to Tanzanite.

Emma: Vaguely… It has something to do with the three-country alliance, right?

Luke: That's right. We're investigating the reason why Tanzanite formed the alliance, due to various circumstances.

Luke: So, I've been looking into it for the past few days, and it seems like the God holds the sovereignty when it comes to politics.

Luke: In other words, if there's some reason why they formed the alliance, the God is at the core of it.

Luke: And that God has set his sights on a woman who's close to us, right?

Luke: Tanzanite is outwardly welcoming us. But if they're wary of us behind the scenes—

Luke: There's a good chance they could take you hostage if something inconvenient happens.

(Hostage… I hadn't thought of that, but it's possible.)

(Even if the "infatuation" thing is just a coincidence…)

(There's no doubt that the Living God had some purpose in binding me with debt.)

(But, it doesn't make sense if that's "all" there is to it.)

Emma: Even if that's the case, Rhodolite and Tanzanite aren't on bad terms, are they?

Emma: Is there any reason to be wary of Prince Luke and Prince Clavis to the point of taking a hostage?

(If there's something they don't want the three-country alliance to know about, they might be wary.)

(But, if that's the case, they could have refused entry to Rhodolite.)

Luke, who had been serious until then, suddenly laughed and took a sip of his tea.

Luke: Well, that's true. I might be overthinking it.

Clavis: Luke, you…

On the contrary, Clavis becomes serious this time.

Luke: Wh-what…?

Clavis puts down his cup, approaches Luke, and places a hand on his shoulder.

Clavis: Big brother Clavis is touched right now. To think that Luke is seriously working…!

(I was kind of thinking that…!)

Luke: G-get off me, it's annoying!

Luke brushes Clavis's hand away and quickly retreats to the corner of the room.

He was surprisingly agile for someone who usually slacks off.

Clavis: I'm more surprised by your growth than the Living God situation.

Luke: …I should have slacked off if I knew I'd be praised this much.

Emma: Why? Serious Luke is cool too.

Luke: I'm not really working seriously. It's just…

Emma: …Just?

Luke: No… Anyway, I'm fine as long as that God doesn't harm you in any way.

(I wonder what he was about to say?)

Luke's attitude bothers me, but I miss the timing to press further.

Clavis: The hostage theory might have some merit, but I'd still like to believe in the theory that he's fallen for your personality, Emma.

Clavis: Because that's much more interesting, haha.

(That's the one thing that's not true.)

Clavis: Emma, there are various theories, but what matters is your will.

Clavis: Is Prince Azel's favor unwelcome, or are you not entirely opposed to it? Could you tell us for reference?

(Ah… So this was the main topic.)

I take another sip of tea, as if to hide my trembling hands from nervousness.

Emma: I don't think it's unwelcome.

Luke: Really?

Emma: Really, it's an honor to be liked by a God, isn't it? I'm happy… ahaha… haha…

(...I wonder if that was a bit too unconvincing.)

Emma: Anyway… there's nothing to worry about.

Emma: Thanks to the Living God, my treatment might improve, but it won't get worse—

Luke: It will, won't it?

My shoulders jump in surprise.

Luke: You're tired, aren't you?

(...I guess I can't hide that much.)

Clavis: Some people enjoy being pampered, while others are not used to it. You're clearly the latter.

Luke: If you don't like it, refuse it.

Emma: …I have been refusing, though.

Emma: It's a national celebration to be favored by the Living God.

Luke: That's not our problem.

Clavis: Haha, if push comes to shove, let's all three of us, you, Luke, and I, run away!

Clavis: Even though you're favored by the God, you're still just an ordinary person. There's no need for you to stay in the castle.

(...Oh, right. There's the option of escaping from the castle.)

(The owner won't be back for a while, and it might be a good idea to take refuge somewhere other than here.)

Luke: But, even if we run away, wouldn't they assign maids and guards to any inn we stay at?

Luke: I don't think the treatment would change much.

Clavis: Then let's find a love escape destination where we can live peacefully.

Clavis: It seems like it'll be a three-way, muddled love-hate drama between me, Luke, and Prince Azel.

Luke: Don't do anything unnecessary, okay?

(If that's the case, I know just the place.)

(The one and only place where maids, guards, and even the king can't easily enter.)

*back to present time*

Emma: Please… I beg you…

(If this continues, I don't think I can remain safe, both physically and mentally—...)

Emma: Please let me live here too!

Azel: Rejected. Goodbye.

(There was no room for negotiation…!)

Azel, still holding my chin as I kneel, pokes my cheek.

Azel: More importantly, I'm counting on you for the next errand.

Emma: Again!? I just went shopping!

(And thanks to that, my whole body is hot and I feel sluggish…)

Azel: Poor you. But you owe me money.

Azel: If you could pay it all off at once, you wouldn't have to run errands…

Azel: But you can't, can you?

(That smile… It's infuriating.)

Azel lets go of my hand and offers me a folded piece of paper.

I reluctantly accept it and check the contents. My head swims as I see a long list of items written in illegible handwriting.

Emma: Living God, are you aware? I'm not in a position to walk around town freely right now.

Emma: Whether I'm working as a book merchant or running errands in town…

Emma: I have about ten people following me, including guards and attendants.

Emma: Everyone stares at me, and tourists who mistake me for a celebrity call out to me…

Azel: That's not my concern.

Azel: Those attendants and guards cannot enter the temple without my permission.

(That's right… That's why this is the only place I can take refuge.)

Even though I pleaded with him after making a difficult decision, Azel doesn't seem to care.

Azel: I don't care if you're exhausted, so just go quickly.

Emma: …Then I guess there's no dinner for today.

Emma: I can't cook if I'm tired, so it's a shame.

Azel: Then how about cooking before you go to town? That solves everything, doesn't it?

Emma: …You evil God…

Azel: You're incorrigible, increasing your debt again with slander?

(He always has a retort…)

As I clench my fists tightly, Azel suddenly looks away.

It's not that he's averting his eyes from me, but rather that he seems to have noticed some presence.

(...Is someone coming?)

I can see a figure in the distance amidst the swirling sand.

As soon as the figure sees Azel, they kneel and bow their head.

Azel: It's rare for you to enter here, Izzet.

Izzet: The High Priest requests your presence, Lady Emma.

Emma: …The High Priest?

(If I remember correctly… He's an authority figure on par with the King and the Living God…)

There's only one reason why someone of such high standing in Tanzanite would summon me.

I gasp, and at almost the same time, Azel places his hand on my head.

Azel: If he has business with her, he should come here himself.

Azel: I'd like him to know his place.

.

.

.

Chapter 6

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[lumiidragon]

This is probably a weird question but do you have any advice on spotting those scams where someone asks you if your commissions are open

I remember you posting about someone who asks if you can draw their kids pet or something (I can’t remember very well)

Are there any others you know of?

I'll be honest, I've rarely gotten potential scams that weren't PAINSTAKINGLY obvious, but my biggest red flags for the one that I had posted about were:

-They were a blank blog that wasn't even following me. Why would you commission an artist you're not even following, yanno? If you get a commission request from someone, do just a little basic check such as check out their account. If it's a blank account, an account that's not following you, or an account that has shady shit on it, then that needs to be your first sign that something is off.

-They sent me the exact same message they sent a friend of mine. It helps to be involved with other artists and the art community. You'll catch things like this easier. What they sent me was basically word-for-word to what they sent a friend of mine, and she wasn't even offering open commissions, just HTTYD head shot commissions. Commissioners aren't sending artists copy-paste messages. So if you see other artists saying something about a scam with those types of messages, watch for that.

-The type of commission didn't align with my usual subject. I am a fanart artist with some original work speckled in. I don't draw IRL stuff unless it's for IRL people simple because that's just not what comes my way. I draw HTTYD as my main with some other fandoms so my usual commissions are OCs. In fact, every commission is someone's OC, not someone's pet. So although there's nothing against someone wanting a commission of a subject you don't main in, it is weird to go and commission a fan-artist "your son's pet" (and weirder that it has to be specified as "their son's pet" as well.

-The BIGGEST one, they refused to go to my Commission Carrd link. I have a commission section on my Carrd that I expect people to go to, read up on, and fill out a form. I do this because I need people to known and understand how I work, what I do and don't do, and so I can guarantee that people are reading and accepting my terms. I don't want to do business with someone who can't be bothered to read my terms. When I offered my Carrd for them to read my rules, they flat out said "No. Just post your prices here." That reply alone made me tell them "professionally" to fuck off, I'm not interested then.

A super easy way to protect yourself from scams is to really make sure your bases are covered in your TOS and make sure that you're sending proper invoices with those terms and conditions and have all of the information set so people are less likely to scam you.

Most scams you're going to see are going to be pretty obvious, so follow your gut instinct. If something seems "off" or "uncomfy" about a client, politely decline the commission and move on.

The more "complicated" your hiring process is for a commission, the easier it is to spot a scammer in the process because most are not going to go through all of that. People who are actually interested in commissioning you are going to take time to read your rules, terms, prices, ect. If they don't have the time to bother with your commission information, then they aren't someone you're going to want to work with regardless if they're a scammer or not. I'm sure that there are a lot of other ways other artists' can provide, but these are just my basic takes on it~!

[dykedvonte]

I keep seeing fanarts of ppl's OC's being on the ship, so do you think that if there was 6st crewmember (specifically, another woman) Anya would've been more safe? Like, someone to actually call Jimmy's begaviour out, someone Anya might wanna trust? Is there a possibility something might have changed (even if a little) or it would not have mattered at all?

-💀

I feel like the game would make it part of the commentary on where she would believe and help Anya but still be sort of dismissive? Like the whole “don’t waste time crying and being scared keep going and move on, don’t let him win”. It’s supposed to be positive and reinforcing but sometimes it does more damage in those times of mourning and grief, it feels patronizing, like you don’t understand what you’re going through but they do. Even if they did call out his behavior it’s still on Curly to act and while another voice would help, it’s still 4 against 2 on guys that don’t get it until they have to vs women who always have to.

I don’t mind mouthwashing OCs but I do get a bit bored as they tend to be borderline saviors or like Jimmy aligned. They are either more complicit than Curly or just Jimmy haters for no reason, outside of what the creators know about what he did to Anya. I am never irked by OCs but in a story like mouthwashing you really need to think about what your character adds to the commentary, especially if they are there during the crash. It’s nice to have like characters on Anya’s side more whole heartedly and interesting to see characters who placate Jimmy but sometimes it’s one note.

I can’t and don’t want to police peoples OCs it’s never my intention when I comment on trends I notice, but I do feel like the way people make their OCs interact with these two characters and especially Curly, really show a grave misunderstanding of the narrative and these characters as people vs roles in the story. Still, I know people just make up characters for fun and that’s fine. Great even, but I guys I’m focusing more on OCs that are supposed to have those serious dynamics. My favs tend to be pretty-Tulpar or post-Tulpar au OCs.

The inevitably of the crash is on Jimmy. He did that not because he wasn’t stopped but because all his means to kill Anya were taken. The gun, the axe. Even if Curly did strip him of his co-pilot privileges and try to keep him contained there’s only so many people. An extra body helps but they have jobs they have to do, he’s the only one steering the whole ship and Jimmy would likely have an out: food, bathroom, etc. He’s not new and if he couldn’t crash the ship directly, who’s to say he wouldn’t sabotage something else? A clunker like the Tulpar wouldn’t take much. An extra person helps but it’s just another thing that prolongs what a person like Jimmy is willing to do to shirk responsibility.

It’s more than just needing someone to stand up to him and think that’s what is missing when it comes to inserting a character into the mouthwashing setting.

[king-candybug-backup]

I'm noticing an uptick in comments complaining that most of the current WIR fandom content is Turbo instead of the other characters and, like... you guys know you can search other characters by their specific tags, right??? Or exclude Turbo from search results by temporarily blacklisting him in your filtered tags?

Idk, it's just weird to me to be discouraging towards people making fandom content just because it's not the specific content you want to see, like, it's ok to want to see other content, but complaining about how other people aren't catering to your tastes enough instead of just making the content you want to see yourself is kinda bad vibes, y'know?? (And that's not to say that I think those comments are intended out of malice of course, I really don't think they are, I just wanted to point out that it can come off as a little entitled, as well as discouraging towards people who just want to draw Turbo, which is something that should be fine if that's what they want to do. Fandom should be fun for everybody, and there's lots of tools available to curate your experience with it!)

[sadbeautifutragic]

.

[coolnonsenseworld]

I've made this recap, because I've felt that this year wasn't as prolific for me as usual and if I made the best ten/twelve kind of thing, I would have to bring up the Calendar (again), Mythos Klance Zine which is still in the making, or Commissions which I still haven't revealed, but they deserve their own space. So instead! I made a recap. Do I feel better now? Not really 🤣 I've done a lot more work that wasn't sketching this year - I made PDFs, wrote and once I started a piece I tried my best to finish it - and it translated into this. And once I think of all the progress I've made - it matches my expectations. I worked on things that were difficult for me previously and I'm proud of that. But I guess I will always miss sketching day in and day out and creating my own pieces and having more time and mind space for personal projects. I wish for next year to keep people entertained and share what I've created, and to not get drained in the meantime lol.

I also made a goal list for next year. I will have to improvise adapt overcome accordingly, but on it we have the Space-themed klance desk merch set which I was sharing lately on Patreon, hopefully with icons which you can download for your phones/tablets, taking commissions once again, including traditional, sewing and finishing a pattern for Cuddler toy keychain, finishing HEX and starting Cursed Love (Ancient AU), recording sketchbooks and/or sketching, make a plot-full Winter Wonderland continuation (with winter wedding), and a few more, and I hope any of these make you as excited and inspired to start a creative new year as me! I'm sure there is a lot more to come.

And here is a question I think everyone could benefit from while thinking of the ending 2023 and incoming 2024 - is there something that would truly make your next year simply happier?

[bacchuschucklefuck]

What about sorcerer Adaine? It'd keep the way her parents treated her consistent because of in that case they'd see her having the easy way of casting instead of studying to be a "proper" caster

this is a great idea!! the only reason why I'm not gonna pick it up is bc I've already locked down sorcerer for kristen haha

[a-dragons-explanations]

Okay, I'd initially decided not to respond to this chain any further because it didn't seem like we were going to get anywhere other than stressing us both out, but in the interest of... idk, respecting the fact that I appreciate you stopping to explain what this has looked like from your end and clarifying some things, I guess? I do want to actually respond.

Which - thank you for doing that, genuinely, because I think we've been talking past each other for a lot of this conversation, and I apologize for my part in that. I have clearly misunderstood some things you've been saying. (For instance: at no point did I get the message that you thought I'd misunderstood something, and to be honest even reading back I can't parse that out of anything said prior to this response.)

I will be honest in saying that I do think that disagreeing on whether people are allowed to exist or not is not "just having a different opinion." I did not start thinking you were interacting in bad faith until the last couple of messages (where if I'm completely honest, I started getting the same "being dense on purpose" impression you've clearly been getting from me in turn), however expressing disbelief in the legitimacy of someone's experience is not really something you can just agree to disagree on. (Bad faith is different from malice.) I do appreciate that you weren't trying to be rude, but the fact remains that coming onto someone's post defending endogenic systems calling me "genuinely insane" and "probably why people say leftists are sensitive" for doing so is rude by I think anyone's measure. That's not a very neutral or respectful way to express an opinion, and it came off to me as starting an argument on purpose, which is why I responded the way I did.

My second response, to your initial "I don't want to discuss this right now" reblog, was not me getting upset about it again - it was me trying to explain why I'd gotten frustrated, while acknowledging that forgetting to respond to stuff happens and that explained why it had looked like you'd ignored me the first time.

The context that you lost the headspace for having the discussion after the initial comment explains why you suddenly reversed course after you started the conversation initially, and that's much more understandable now that I know that - if I'd known that to start with I wouldn't have been so annoyed. Without that context, from my perspective, the exchange basically looked like:

A: here's my opinion defending an often-bullied group's right to exist. B: hey this is a stupid opinion you have and I disagree. A: why do you think it's stupid and disagree? I'd like to talk about it. B: I don't want to talk about it actually.

Does it make sense why that felt frustrating and like shit-starting for no reason to me? (I don't want to keep overexplaining myself, just - this conversation looked very different without that piece of context you just provided, which is why I've been reacting the way I have.)

I'll be honest, I completely misunderstood what you were apologizing for. It sounded to me like you were apologizing for either not realizing I was the same person (???), or more likely apologizing for doing this twice on my posts/reblogs, without acknowledging the thing I was actually annoyed about, which was the perceived A-B interaction I just described above. This was a misread on my part, and I probably should have asked for clarification; that seemed clear enough to me that it didn't even occur to me that I might have misunderstood. (To the point where to be honest, even rereading it now knowing that's an incorrect interpretation, it still reads that way to my brain.) I apologize for that; that one's on me.

Given that understanding that the apology was actually meant to be for the thing I was annoyed about and not the mostly-unrelated things it seemed to be about, I appreciate the apology, and I think we can probably let this conversation rest there, unless some part of my explanation for why I've responded the way I have to all this needs more clarification?

Genuine question, does our system need to label ourselves as ‘endo-neutral’? (Mostly because we just really, really cannot bring ourselves to care. Also people are people and we can’t care (low empathy))

I ask asking because I (and the system) are not involved in syscourse, and I’m not sure what to put in the tags to prevent people from being upset.

Ignore this ask if it is rude in any way (genuinely)

(This was written by the co-host)

If you want my opinion, if you want to say “we don’t want to be actively involved in syscourse,” that exact sentence is the only way to say it.

Personally, I’m kind of of the opinion that “endo-neutral” isn’t a real thing unless you’re “neutral” in the sense that you haven’t done enough research on it yet to have formed an opinion (which, that’s valid but a different thing than true neutrality). You can’t really be neutral on whether people are allowed to exist or not. Either you’re okay with people fakeclaiming other people, or you’re not. “Endo-neutral” just tells me you are okay with it, you’re just not actively doing it yourself - which is a little like this comic:

Y’feel?

This is not me saying you have to involve yourself actively in syscourse. As a matter of fact, I recommend you don’t actively seek that out, in most cases - it’s not really good for you, generally speaking. Not wanting people to drop syscourse on your doorstep is perfectly reasonable. But unfortunately, if you interact with other systems much, it’s probably going to come up eventually, whether you like it or not. Eventually you are going to be in a space where someone starts talking about how endogenic systems aren’t real, and you’re going to have to decide how to respond to that and whether you’re willing to tolerate it.

Ultimately, I don’t think you have to be emotionally invested to decide whether you think something is right or wrong. I know there’s probably some extra energy investment required for that for you, but unfortunately I think that’s just something you’re going to have to deal with, as harsh as that might sound. I don’t really see a way around it. Which, it’s as good a time as any to ask yourself - where do your morals lie? What basic principles do you build your morality on? Are they internally consistent, and if not, what needs to change to make it so? And if you follow those principles to their natural conclusion, what does that tell you about the situation you’ve been given?

(Also, entirely pragmatically, if your goal is to avoid people getting mad at you, “endo-neutral” in my experience kind of just gets both sides upset anyway - endo supporters because of everything I just said, anti-endos because anyone who tolerates endos is the enemy according to them. You’re probably better off just stating you don’t want to argue about syscourse to achieve that goal.)

But that’s just my two cents’ worth. Hopefully it’s good food for thought at least.