#cause it's true. then you start relying on other people to determine your value and worth.

[daddy-long-legssss]

I think one of the great problems that faces people who are in the industry – within which they have to express themselves – is learning to ignore entirely anyone else’s opinion, especially complimentary opinions because the luxury with being assaulted is that you know instinctively that you’re not to take that onboard because that would affect – in a negative way – what you’re doing. But the same thing could be said for compliments, but they come in sheep's clothing. They invite you to give your sense of self-esteem to someone else because as soon as you start relying upon compliments, then you are giving away your own... I can’t think of the word, but you should be the crux of your own opinion. –Grian Chatten from Fontaines D.C. on Live with KEXP [x]

[enamouredfae]

♡ Pick a Card ♡

Advice from your Spirit Guides!

This reading is for entertainment purposes only.

This is a timeless reading for the collective, therefore it is likely that some messages will not resonate with you. Please only take the messages that do! The messages that do not, are meant for somebody else. Remember that the future is never set in stone and that you possess free will! Love you! ♡

Pile 1

Charm: Shell

You may see shells as signs from the universe. You may have Venusian placements. You have a tough exterior, but once you finally open up to people you are a hidden gem! You are a person that values privacy.

Flower: Carnation

The meaning of carnation changes depending on its colour, since this one is a stripped purple carnation, it symbolizes rejection/refusal and capriciousness. It being a dry bud, for me at least, symbolizes that this is a small issue that isn't likely to grow! You might've been refused a caprice recently, or you may have too high expectations that are likely not going to be fulfilled.

Significator: Page of Cups

Self-sufficient is the word I thought of when I saw this card. I think that at the moment you are really starting to work through your emotions, you might be finally doing some introspection, journaling, talking to people, seeing a therapist, etc. You are beginning a journey of emotional growth. You might also be receiving a message soon, be aware of any symbols that matter to you or ask the universe for certain symbols for guidance.

Astro: Virgo and Capricorn

There is a high chance that you have Virgo or Capricorn placements. You may be earth dominant. You may be Mercury/Saturn dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

I thought of soil when I saw these cards, not a plant, but very well-nourished soil. It seems like you are making a foundation for yourself that is not rooted in anyone else, it simply comes from you. You are the soil, the water, the nutrients, and your future self is the plant. Flower crowns may be significant to you as well, or you may find great healing by connecting with nature and connecting to nature's cycles.

What you need advice on:

VI of Wands and X of Pentacles (reversed)

There are a few possibilities I see here. You may be having a hard time getting your accomplishments noticed by others, you might not receive the praise you desire or feel you deserve. Another possibility is that you may have a hard time feeling successful due to your financial situation. You may have received a large sum of money that should make you happy, but it doesn't. You may be very well off financially, but it is causing some hardships, and others might not understand these hardships because they think that they'd be very happy in your position.

Advice:

King of Pentacles and XVIII. The Moon

I feel like at least one of you should monetize your intuition. Some of you have or will meet a person (very likely an earth placement), that is either a business partner or a lover/friend, that will somehow help you with your financial issue. They might recommend you to someone for example. Perhaps if you confide in the King of Pentacles, they'll help you immensely, they're someone you can rely on, if not financially, emotionally. Others should embody the King of Pentacles, be determined, stick to a routine. For others, someone could be hiding smth from you that would help you immensely with this issue. Listen to your intuition! Do not forget that your anxieties and fears are valid, and it is normal to be feeling like this! Your worth is not defined by your financial success!

38. Willow and 5. Cerato and Honeysuckle

Willow talks about self-responsibility: make a plan, stick to it and, most importantly, try to stop complaining. You have the strength to get through this, complaining just engrains it in your head that you have a problem making it harder to get out of that mindset, instead try working on the solution. Cerato talks about the fact that no matter how many people you ask, no matter how many books you read, your gut knows best! Trust yourself and your intuition. Whatever feels right, is! Just know that domestic happiness is very important right now, cherish whoever that may be (King of Pentacles perhaps), be it your cat or even yourself if you live alone, give and accept affection! This could be a message for a specific person but I feel called to note that as I was shuffling the oracles I started singing "Runaway" by Aurora. Perhaps the lyrics are meaningful to one of you, or it can reassure you that this pile is meant for you if this is your favorite song.

Pile 2

Charm: Cactus

You may see cacti as signs from the universe or have a very strong emotional attachment to them due to a certain memory. I feel like a lot of people are attracted to you, but they feel that you will reject or hurt them if they get too close. Or you consciously or subconsciously hurt people when they get too close. You might think you don't deserve love, which is NOT TRUE. Love isn't something that has to be deserved! But if it were, you most certainly deserve it!

Flower: Freesia

Yellow freesias symbolize joy, renewal, and friendship. It is the go-to flower to convey to someone that you trust them. You are incredibly trustworthy, someone to whom your loved ones come for advice. You are a great listener, are very delicate and tactful in your interactions with others.

Significator: IX. The Hermit

You are doing a lot of self-reflection right now, sometimes the pondering even turns into daydreams. You may also be connecting with and thinking about your spiritual/religious beliefs. You are looking to understand the light that illuminates your path. You may have started meditating, or you should start! Spiritual awakening is happening or coming soon! You could be isolating yourself at the moment as well.

Astro: Jupiter and Libra

There is a high chance that you have Libra or Sagittarius placements. You may be air dominant. You may be Jupiter/Venus dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

The words that I kept thinking about at this point in the reading were "letting karma do its job" and "visions of the future". You may be clairvoyant! But most of you act a lot like the Justice tarot card, you like balance and fairness, and have a life philosophy based on these ideas. Your higher education might've played a big role in this.

What you need advice on:

II of Cups (reversed) and Queen of Swords

Someone may be rationalizing or overthinking a perceived imbalance in a relationship. Of course, the Queen of Swords, likely an air placement, is intelligent, they may be right in their thinking but because of the advice received, I believe their judgment is clouded by insecurity. They may feel unworthy of what they receive, seeing that you chose the cactus charm and have libra as an astro card, it is very likely that this is you but this may be your person as well, both options are possible.

Advice:

King of Cups and IV of Swords (reversed)

See, the King of Cups is upright, this person, very likely a water placement, is very emotionally mature, compassionate, and understanding. Whereas the swords person is exhausted and stagnant due to the deep contemplation happening. I feel they may also be insecure, causing the overthinking. If this is you, trust me, you deserve the King of Cups! If this is your person, make them realize that they deserve you! They need a lot of reassurance.

1. Agrimony and 7. Chestnut Bud and Morning Glory

Love, whether romantic or platonic, requires hard work, determination, and affection. Agrimony talks about a person that needs balance, both inside and outside. You may find it by showing more of yourself, especially by starting with your loved ones. Because you might not be used to it, start little by little, and observe how accepting those you love can be. Chestnut Bud talks about focus and learning from experience. For me, it's another confirmation that someone is overthinking, see the girl looking very melancholic, whereas their counterpart is goofing around. Don't take life too seriously! Have fun with your loved one!

Pile 3

Charm: Leaf

You might see certain trees or leaves as signs from the universe. When I picked up this charm I immediately thought "Leave!" So if you were thinking about a voyage, there's your sign, just be mindful of covid regulations, please. The idea of falling also popped up, so you might be falling for someone rn or feeling like you're in a perpetual fall emotionally.

Flower: Orchid

I would just like to point out that, although this orchid dried white, it was actually a baby purple orchid when alive. I will therefore explain both colors: purple orchids represent royalty, admiration, and respect, whereas white ones symbolize purity and innocence. But they are, no matter what color, always a symbol of luxury, delicate beauty, and virility.

Significator: 0. The Fool

You may be starting smth new with confidence, smth you haven't done before, making you a bit inexperienced, but still willing to take the leap of faith. OR you may be acting foolishly by looking back or the opposite way of the thing you'd do with confidence. Let me explain, as you can see the Astro cards are both looking in one direction, with determination, and confidence. Whereas The Fool is looking the opposite way. Your significator may be saying that you're being foolish to look the other way, wondering what-ifs.

Astro: Sagittarius and Mars

There is a high chance that you have Sagittarius, Aries, or Scorpio placements. You may be fire dominant. You may be Jupiter/Mars dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

You have a clear goal that you can easily reach through your actions. Look at Mars' demeanor, he knows Sagittarius is hitting the target. Do not doubt yourself, there's nothing to worry about. Stay focused!

What you need advice on:

XI. Justice (reversed) and Queen of Cups

Clearly, there is a decision to be made here, and you really want to listen to your heart. And you're questioning whether you should? I just want to reassure you, the Queen of Cups is highly in tune with their intuition and their emotions, you should trust yourself.

Advice:

X of Swords (reversed) and II of Pentacles

You are clearly in pain, whether or not it is talking about this decision that is eating you up. Healing and recovery are important right now! It's time to stop resisting an inevitable end, and start recovering. Look, the reversal allows for the swords to just fall out of your back, just look inwards! Don't forget to balance work with fun, you deserve to relax! Another way to see this is that you are restricting yourself by seeing this as a choice, why not do both? Although, if we are talking about people here, there better be a mutual agreement on polygamy! I will not invite you to cheat! If we are talking about activities, you are capable of doing both if it's too hard to choose, you just need to figure out how to balance them. A specific message is that some of you want to go back to doing smth you've dreamt of doing as a child, if that is the case, pls do it, at least as a hobby!

13. Gorse and 32. Vine and Trumpet Gentian

There is a need to heal some inner wounds. I immediately thought of inner child work when I saw the Trumpet Gentian in combination with the Vine. Vine talks about acts of service and leadership skills, try parenting yourself/your inner child, give yourself the love that you may have lacked as a kid. You are worthy of it! Gorse is all about perspective and imagination. Do a brainstorming of possible outcomes depending on the decision you take, you can do this alone, but the input of loved ones that can be honest with you would do wonders. Don't forget your future can go in many different ways, and whichever decision you take is the right one!

Pile 4

Charm: Angel

You may see angels or angel numbers as signs from the universe. You are a person that is divinely guided and divinely protected. It seems to me like you have a very strong intuition or are very aware of your divine gifts.

Flower: Rose

Of course, roses are always symbolic of love. Therefore I believe it is more note-worthy here to talk about the size. This is a tiny rose. Just like the carnation bud, it did not have time to grow and is now immortalized in its youth stage. You may be inexperienced in love, or hold naive beliefs about it. You might be experiencing youthful romance right now.

Significator: XV. The Devil

What I find interesting here is that you got the angel charm with the devil significator. This is very conflicting energy. The sentence that I kept thinking throughout the reading is "wolf in sheep clothing" or "sheep in wolf's clothing", I kept mixing up the words, just very contradictory energy. The way you present yourself to the world is very different from how you truly are. You might also be a person prone to obsessing over people, things, interests, etc. I also would like to note here that this pile was the hardest to get the cards, the amount of shuffling I did here until the cards flew made me sweat hahaha. It's also a very confusing reading. Therefore, I believe you carry a lot of confusion yourself, although your intuition is incredibly powerful, you might suffer from being very paranoid, and sometimes being unable to differentiate your intuition from your delusions. I also think you're very secretive, you do not want people to know or understand you.

Astro: Neptune and Moon

There is a high chance that you have Pisces or Cancer placements. You may be water dominant. You may be Neptune/Moon dominant/ruled. You could have a Neptune/Moon aspect. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

"This is a time of great psychic sensitivity for you. Trust your intuition and follow its guidance." You should try to differentiate emotions from intuition, I know it's hard, but they are different things, and it's very important to tell them apart! Your dreams may hold messages, try having a dream journal and interpreting them if you don't do that already.

What you need advice on:

IX of Wands (reversed) and V of Swords (reversed)

As you can see ALL of the tarot cards I've received in this reading are reversed, implying inner conflicts that require inner change/work. You might've said/done smth you now regret, and you hate yourself for it, you may also be incredibly paranoid that others will find out. You want the paranoia to end. You want to make amends, to reconciliate/atone, but are unsure on whether you should do it. Perhaps you don't feel emotionally prepared to reopen that wound.

Advice:

V. The Hierophant (reversed) and VII of Wands (reversed)

What I noticed here is that The Hierophant mirrors The Devil, not as perfectly as The Lovers, but it is incredibly similar. Once again that energy of opposition, contradiction, and confusion appears, "the wolf in sheep's clothing". For some, my fixation on this phrase could be a warning. For others an invitation to look in the mirror... Try looking at the situation from the other person's point of view! I'm not saying you are a "wolf in sheep's clothing", but that might be how you're being perceived. You are exhausted, remorse is eating up all of your energy. The Hierophant is saying that you should stay true to your personal beliefs, so if you believe apologizing is necessary to move on, do it!

This could be unrelated and for a specific person, but don't be afraid of challenging the status quo! If it hurts none, do as you will, embody your true self! I just want to remind you that going against your loved one's idea of "normalcy" is not hurting them, it's loving yourself. But remember that you also don't owe anyone a "coming out", you are valid whether or not you tell people! Do whatever your heart tells you and please be safe!

!!! : Of course, this doesn't count if what's challenging the status quo doesn't respect others' identity/ sexuality/ ethnicity/ religion/ etc. If challenging the status quo comes from a place of hate please block me. Nobody is using this reading as a sign to do some fucked up shit.

3. Beech and 2. Aspen and Lily

When I saw Beech I immediately thought "talk to someone, or you could spiral." Beech talks about self-acceptance and self-compassion. You must first accept yourself as you are, an imperfect human being, like all humans, before starting to work on embodying your highest self. Stay open-minded! Aspen, on the other hand, invites you to connect with others, not only for advice or consoling but for quality time! I have a feeling that you have very high morals, but having them isn't enough, you must act accordingly!

Thank you for reading! Love you all.♡

You can buy me a coffee if you feel called to do so! This is never necessary, but always appreciated! ♡

[sincerelylaurel]

how to write a character with depression

writingwithacutlass on instagram <3

source: https://optimistminds.com/how-to-write-a-depressed-character/

hello and welcome back to my page! this post has been requested several times recently so here it is. mental health issues are often misrepresented in media so it’s important for us writers to portray it accurately and hopefully help our audience understand it more :) i hope these tips help you do that!

understand depression

if you want to write a character with depression, you must first familiarize yourself with the disorder (and its treatments). do your research! there are lots of resources out there for you to use, and talking to someone with depression can also be helpful, although please remember to be sensitive and empathetic towards them and respect their boundaries.

don’t worry about the character becoming “unlikeable”

do you start to dislike your family or friends when they feel sad/anxious or are depressed? no! just because you’re struggling with something doesn’t make you unlikeable. characters are actually more compelling when they face difficulties and obstacles. conflict propels a story forward.

do not romanticize mental illnesses

pain isn’t pretty. suffering is not dramatic or attractive. depression isn’t dramatically flinging yourself onto a sofa and sighing, it’s not a poetical aesthetic. it’s crying for hours and keeping quiet so your family doesn’t hear you, then coming out pretending to be fine. it’s listening to your head telling you horrible things that you know aren’t true but you’re so exhausted you start believing them. depression is a living hell.

be accurate

don’t use the term lightly. depression is not to be confused with sadness, which is more a feeling whereas depression is a constant deep grief that can linger for days, weeks, months, or even years. depression can change lives.

be precise

your character probably won’t show all the symptoms of depression. there’s a lot of contradictory ones such as lack of appetite and increased appetite, so that could create some problems in your story. pick a few (keep in mind what your character is like) and stick with them.

be realistic

people don’t just awAkEn from their depression because they were given a pep talk. it’s just not how it works. it may cause them to recognise the problem and seek assistance, which is a good thing. on the other hand, it might make a person feel as though they aren’t being understood or even mocked, causing them to withdraw even more.

romance does not cure depression

for some reason this happens a lot in the media. having another character swoop in and “save the depressed character from committing su!c!de” is pretty problematic for several reasons. it’s dangerous to put your emotional well-being entirely in the hands of one individual. that kind of relationship is unhealthy and toxic, please don’t romanticize it. depression can’t be cured by romance, it relies on a lot of other things to get better.

try not to portray this character in a negative light

portraying the “depressed side character” as comedic relief because they’re pessimistic is not okay. true, people who are depressed may struggle to see the bright side of things, but that doesn’t mean you can use depression as a tool in your story for comedic value. remember these things are largely determined by the character’s personality and not by their mental disorders.

depression isn’t always visible

many people hide their depression behind smiles and cheery attitudes. often the most cheerful-appearing people suffer from mental illnesses such as depression. your character will likely appear all full of sunshine and smiles to the other character if they take great care to hide their depression. however, depression can take on various forms, and characters could also be easily irritated, enraged, or exhausted. depression frequently occurs combined with other mental illnesses (especially anxiety) which means symptoms can overlap.

depressed doesn’t mean su!c!dal

although people who are depressed are more prone to su!c!dal thoughts, this is not always the case. everyone experiences depression differently, and there is no one way to write it. some people have very mild symptoms, while some may experience them to the point of su!c!de. depression can also come and go with the seasons (seasonal depression / SAD).

[sixteenthshen]

post-finale stuff

Possible spoilers. Beware

Last night, I happened to check the scriptwriter's Weibo and saw that she had liked this fan's post. It's the only non-work related Weibo post that she had liked, so of course, I went to read it. 

The fact that this is the only fan post she's given her approval to must mean that it is on point and she agrees with the characterisation. I thought it's pretty good, so I've gone ahead to translate it here. I own 0 rights to this. I just thought it's a good perspective that may help others like me who struggled with the ending. 

I think I've mostly made my peace with it now, and to sum it up:

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they are. 

A-Xu never once blamed Lao Wen for how things turned out because he understood that. And he’s clearly a better person than I am (lol).

Let me be clear about my stand - the real victim of how the drama unfolded in the last six episodes is WKX. When we feel our hearts ache for ZZS, it's because the show let down WKX (the character). If your heart is only hurting for WKX during episodes 33-34, you should try to ship WKX with someone else, ok? If you think the last six episodes were great and that WKX was very romantic (and only romantic), then I honestly don't know what to say. 

I ship wenzhou. That means I like both Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. I want them to love each other, be good to each other and live happily ever after. And I want them not to be OOC. 

The rest behind the cut. Spoilers for the whole drama. 

------- 

First, the source. Here is a link to that Weibo post, by 爱吐槽的栗小姐. I will delete this if requested by the OP - because this is really in a grey area imo. But I think the intention of a public post is for it to be shared? (especially something like this, which argues a point) 

Secondly, the poster does try to be fair in her post, but as the problem here is WKX's ruined characterisation, ZZS's character is analysed primarily concerning this issue only. There's quite a bit left to ZZS's character and backstory that isn't relevant. I believe that's why the post doesn't elaborate on it, or so I hope.

-------

Ever since WKX faked his death, I received three to four waves of fellow sister fans' mournful wails: "Lao Wen actually faked his death; does he have a heart?" "They were supposed to be of the same heart and treat each other with honesty. How did they regress?" "What happened to their innate soulmate-ness?" "Why does A-Xu always say to face things together, yet Lao Wen always keeps his plans from him?" "A-Xu loves Lao Wen, yet Lao Wen only loves himself"…….

Wait. What have you guys misunderstood about the meaning of soulmates? 

Soulmates are about values, but a person's behaviour… that's methodology FFS! 

(Do they no longer teach this in political affairs class in high school anymore?) 

Wenzhou, these soulmates, are incomparably compatible and mesh well in terms of values. According to the scriptwriter, the entire jianghu wants and tries to get the pieces of Glazed Armour, save the two of them. Not only do they not care for the peerless martial arts, immense power, nor the massive wealth that the Glazed Armour represents, they don't even care for the power they hold in their hands –Ghost Valley and the Window of Heaven. Both of them willing to give it up without a second thought. 

Before they met each other, they were so tired of (ZZS) and so angry at (WKX) this earthly world that they didn't even want to live on anymore. 

After they met each other, they gradually began to feel the warmth in this world again. How nice it would be if they could live in seclusion, hand in hand and just bask in the sun. 

In this world, where everyone else is fighting for power or wealth, they are true soulmates. To intelligent people like them, whether or not they're honest about their identities or secrets is merely a matter of formality. They had already determined their attraction to the other's soul early on and have never doubted it. 

There may be some here who would criticise loudly at this point, "Then can't you be more considerate for your soulmate (the actual phrased used is "spiritual companion")? A-Xu has said many times, let's face everything together, I'll bet that you will be honest with me. If you really love him, then why can't you care for his feelings?" 

----- You guys, you've never been married. 

If two souls meeting can naturally resolve all behavioural conflicts and disagreements, then the theory of "breaking in" * would not exist. 

Let us take a look at what kind of a person WKX and ZZS each are.

Wen Kexing, he's a lone wolf. 

After his parents' death and his entering the Ghost Valley, his smooth sailing life suddenly fell off a cliff. Ever since then, the only person he could rely on was himself. That deep-seated hatred is carved into his bones, yet he can't speak of it to anyone else. He isn't the same type of person as the rest of the ghosts in the Ghost Valley; he isn't the same type of person as A-Xiang, who he raised. If we talk about the world and everyone who lives in it, he doesn't have any fetters or feels any (positive) emotions. 

His supposed craziness is a form of indifference. He's indifferent to others' lives, nor his own, because he just doesn't care. (T/N: I think he does care for his own life, but only for revenge, after that, he's indifferent. Indifferent isn't suicidal. I don't know why some fans seem to be confusing the two. Although he didn't plan to, if he somehow manages to stay alive after getting his revenge, WKX will continue to live on, even if it's only to keep A-Xiang happy because he is indifferent.)

Growing up like this, being solitary became his style. He's used to doing everything alone, used to making his own decisions, used to digesting all his emotions himself. 

Every time he argues with A-Xu, he digests his emotions himself. The next day, he faces A-Xu with a smile again. 

This is how he loves, to take it upon himself to face danger, difficulty and pain alone. It's how he had supported A-Xiang all these years in the Ghost Valley and what he's used to. 

While Zhou Zishu, he's a lead horse (of a herd). ** 

Since a very young age, he's taught to take responsibility. He's used to bearing everything on his shoulders, be it the responsibility of his family or the responsibility for the Four Seasons Manor, even the responsibility for saving commoners from disasters. 

Unlike the lone wolf, the lead horse is ultimately a social animal. 

Regardless of his identity as the Manor Lord of the Four Seasons Manor or the Leader of the Window of Heaven, he's always the one to lead the herd and rarely fights alone. So, A-Xu not only has leadership ability but more than that, he also knows how to be tolerant and accepting of the differences of his team members. You can see the various ways he managed to influence Lao Wen along the road; he's firm when he needs to be and soft the other times. It's absolutely textbook in managing your lover workplace management. 

Zhou Zishu believes in communication whenever there's a problem, that they should be open and honest. So, teamwork is what he's used to. 

Does it mean that when a horse and lone wolf fall in love, that there won't be a breaking in period? 

Obviously not. 

I guess this is where some may say again, "isn't this part of a character's arc/development? The two of them quarrel time and time again. Did WKX not grow at all from it?" 

Of course, after meeting each other, they both grew and saved each other.

When he first left Window of Heaven, A-Xu was lonely with regret. Unlike the lone wolf who's used to doing everything alone, a lead horse without the last of his herd has no way to bear the bone-deep loneliness and merciless self-recrimination.

ZZS wandered around this world aimlessly until Lao Wen started pestering him, until he picked up Zhang Chengling, right up until he felt he hadn't singlehandedly destroyed the Four Seasons Manor. This lead horse finally regained a goal in life. He gained a partner and a lover. Lao Wen sticks to him, Chengling relies on him, and the abandoned Four Seasons Manor became like-new in his hands. He finally reconciles with himself. 

When he first came out of the valley, Lao Wen carried a rage strong enough to burn the world down. But when he met A-Xu, he also met the beauty of the world. 

When the Four Sages of Anji died, WKX understood how he caused innocent suffering. When Gao Chong walked to his death knowingly, he understood that although some may desire power, they could still be righteous and upstanding people. When he learned of everything Long Que sacrificed to protect his family***, he finally relaxed his guard. 

There were so many types of good people and things that he saw along this journey that he hadn't seen in the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu told him he was a good person as they basked in the sun, he genuinely wanted to return to the human (vs ghost) realm and be a good man. 

Along their journey, A-Xu made up for the morals and values that WKX lost in the Ghost Valley and showed him a new world outlook. He appeased Lao Wen's anger, tempered his extremism. The process wasn't easy, but not that difficult either, because, in the end, Lao Wen is kind at heart. 

But in the end, being a lone wolf is how he survived and succeeded in a place like the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu was so heavily injured and needed a lot of rest (for Wu Xi) to save his life, Lao Wen suddenly recalled his enemies and how such an excellent opportunity to take revenge just fell into his lap. Everything was in place, and all he needed to do was hide it from A-Xu; he could leave for a short while and have it settled quickly. Upon returning, he could then live happily ever after with his wife. To a crazy lone wolf, why would he not take a gamble? 

What he couldn't predict was the news would've been leaked (to A-Xu), and he didn't know that by doing so, he would've forever lost his love. 

Both of them were using their own methods to love the other person. Zhou Zishu is more forgiving and accepting because being forgiving is in his blood. While what WKX learned in his years in the Ghost Valley is -- love needs to be protected, like how he has A-Xiang, who he considers a sister, call himself master (to protect her). 

Only when faced with painful consequences can a person's deep-rooted habits and approach to things change. So I don't think faking his death ruined the characterisation of Wen Kexing, but I regret that the last two episodes did not have a scene to show us Lao Wen's heartbreak when he learns the truth. 

Until I know what it feels like to have lost you, I will only love you in my own way. 

T/N: 

*I can't think of the correct phrase for this as I don't read all that much about relationships >< please let me know if you know of it. Here, I'm referring to the process of wearing something new (like shoes) that will hurt at the start until it becomes soft and comfortable. 

** I did some side-reading, and omg, A-Xu is TOTALLY the lead mare. Although he's not the stallion and weak/dying for most of the show, he's the head of their little family, and he expects "to be obeyed", aka, I'm not going to learn how to cook. Call me for dinner. Kthxbye. 

From Rutgers' website: A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares, and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the "alpha mare"), even though one stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role even though she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has had more experiences, more close encounters, and survived more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; if this were so, then humans could never dominate a horse. Dominance is established not only through aggression but also through attitudes that let the other horses know she expects to be obeyed.

***I think this is important here because WKX wasn't crying for his loss. I think a big part of him was realising not everyone in the world was callous and turned their backs on his parents, that he could've gone his whole life without ever discovering what sacrifices some people have made. Good people suffer quietly and in silence. It's a big moment to realise he was wrong about many things that he had let hatred blind himself to the world. Because although he was sad about the Four Sages and somewhat shocked by Gao Chong's death, he hadn't truly faced up to his actions until now. 

(screenshot of the scriptwriter liking the above post) 

------

To add: 

I'm not sure how many of you read my "opinion" posts, but I've been struggling to find a way to accept the last six episodes of Word of Honor.  I first tried looking at open forum postings, comments, and Tumblr posts. None of it worked because it was just arguing and emotions and no one made points good enough for me to accept things. 

So I gave up and went back to reading Chinese sites. I found many posts discussing the plot. Some I liked, some I didn't, but none satisfied my need for a reasonable explanation. I felt they had biases (both ways), or else it lacked logic. After a time, I realised that I should be looking for WKX-stans (or pro-WKX fans) because they would be more motivated to explain his side, but also because well-written posts by wenzhou-fans & ZZS-stans made me super sad.

I'm sorry, but those who keep trying to explain why the ending was good completely missed that episodes 32-34 are the real problem to those who don't like it and only focused on 36. I can understand if people don't think those episodes are a problem, but no one could provide an articulate and sensible reason. There are just too few well-reasoned plot-focused posts in English (sorry). I've seen too many examples of WKX-fans arguing with people who are upset about the ending, backed by nothing more than "look how much WKX suffers, woe is him. And how romantic is this????" *dies* 

Lastly, if you spot anything inaccurate, let me know & I will correct it.

[novasintheroom]

Hey its ray-jaykub! I saw that you did requests and i was wondering if i could get head-cannons on the turtles and what they like to do with their respective s/os

OMG I love you!!! Okay I gotta calm down hooo

Leo

·         Love love loves to carry you over rooftops and sit on high points to look over the city with you. This is one of his ways to calm down and think about things without his brothers’ around to stress him out, and having you there some nights, looking at the glitter of the lights – poetry for his heart

·         Speaking of poetry – you guys will have contests for who can make the worst poems. Just something to pass off to each other between visits, something you find in your bag or in his bed sheets. Cheesy, unrhythmic, stupid, whatever. You guys have cried laughing before b/c of this. However, every once in a while he’ll slap you with a real intimate and loving poem that just makes you melt.

·         You’ve started trying to sneak up on him. It doesn’t work. He still lets you do it, just so he can turn around and grab you at the last second. Sometimes he throws you on the nearest soft surface, sometimes he gives you a big kiss, sometimes he just starts carrying you around like a sack of potatoes – depends on his mood honestly. Your determination to spook him is cute.

·         Watching or listening to True Crime stuff becomes a quick couple’s hobby for you guys. Usually it’s playing in the background as you each do chores or work on some project, but you’ll each talk about the case throughout. You’ve hit him more than once for giving away what happened or who killed who. He’s too good at figuring this kind of stuff out!

·         He loves when you sit with him when he meditates. Even if you aren’t the meditating type, if you just sit quietly by him or read, he already feels much calmer. If he’s practicing balancing moves, he’ll sometimes grab you to hoist you up in the air, “to practice strength” at the same time. You’ve learned it’s a very bad idea to squirm when he’s got you planking above his head; he will start tickling you if you don’t keep still.

Raph

·         Once he gets a good enough disguise, he loves to ride around on his newly built motorcycle with you on the city streets. It’s fun to zip through cars and people and drive out to the sparser points of the city to watch ships come in and out of the bay or go to a park outside the city to watch the lights as they all turn on at dusk.

·         Loooovvess having movie nights with you. Seriously asks for it every week. You two get comfy on the couch with like 3 blankets thrown over your laps and watch something like Jurassic Park or Mad Max and gorge on buttery popcorn and chocolate. Sometimes you’ll slip in a chick flick like Pride and Prejudice. He acts like he doesn’t like it, but you’ve caught a goofy, happy smile on him more than once at the end of the movie, and then he starts lifting your hand like Mr. Darcy and adopting more “romantic” actions and it’s just *chef’s kiss*

·         You guys will spar together. It’s kinda required once you date him; he wants you to be able to kick butt if he can’t get to you fast enough. But these sessions usually end up with you and him wrestling/tickling each other and him holding you down with a foot while he lifts weights. Get comfy princess, he ain’t moving that foot ‘til he get 100 reps.

·         He has a really good eye for fashion and makeup. He’s actually the one that sews together all of his family’s clothes, as much as possible with the scraps they find around. It’s calming to make something instead of the stigma he has of destroying stuff. He’s the first person you SnapChat with an outfit just to make sure it looks good, and he sends back honest feedback, like “why do you still have that scarf, you know it doesn’t match anything in your closet,” or “try the red sweater with that long gold necklace you have.” Everyone compliments your outfits so much because of his input

·         Likes to go swimming with you. There’s a few clear, clean pools in the sewers (Donnie approved) where you guys go just to have a good swim. There’s usually some candles lit and music playing. More often than not, you’ll end up laying on his chest while he floats on the surface and just enjoy each other’s company. At least until he gets the idea to dunk you.

Donnie

·         Sneaking into the rafters of Broadway is a regular event for you guys. He manages to disable any security they have up around your “spot,” and you get a free show with your favorite person. He’ll be quoting his favorite lines for days after, all the while talking about the next show to see. He’d so be a theater kid if he had the chance.

·         One of the main things that got you guys together in the first place was you helping him put together tech he’s working on. It still continues now, since you have a steady hand and a willing ear to listen to his theories and ideas. You’ve even inspired him a few times with your comments! It’s a casual bonding activity for you both, and he values your thoughts.

·         Spontaneous dances are a must. Sometimes he’ll grab you and dance around the room – especially if an experiment of his goes well – sometimes it’ll be goofy dances to see how badly you two can embarrass anyone looking, and other times, you guys will just slow dance before you leave, just as a way to be close before having to part.

·         You guys form your own little potted plant collection in the lair. It’s both a hobby, and a way for you to check on how he’s doing. If he’s doing well, the plants are watered and taken care of. If he’s getting sucked into things and forgetting to care for himself, the plants suffer. He tries to get an auto-watering system for them, but you shut that down quick. It’s good to do some things yourself rather than rely on technology!

·         Cupcake Saturdays are a thing. He’ll take you to a bakery, where you’ll go in and get a box of cupcakes (extra frosting). You guys will then just chow down on them on the rooftop, often with him licking a lot of the frosting off the cupcakes before eating the actual “cake” part.

Mikey

·         Such a fan of trying every new restaurant you can find in NYC. It’s become a date-night tradition every Thursday to either order or pick up some hole-in-the-wall place’s food, meet up somewhere, and Gordon Ramsay the crap out of the food. He does a mean Ramsay impression, and you’ve snorted more than one ramen noodle out of your nose from laughing so hard.

·         If you aren’t a fan of video games, you will be once you date this guy. It’s not even just watching or playing video games with him, he’s just funny when he plays! He’ll make the most stupid comments about something going on in the storyline, or mess around, even glitch out a game. He’s managed to get out of the maps of Among Us more than once. You’re convinced if he started his own YouTube gaming channel, he’d be a quick star.

·         Game nights are a must for you guys. It usually turns into a family game night with you, the turtles, Splinter, April and Casey, which Mikey just adores because he gets to see everyone he loves having fun. You two will usually team up against the others, or turn on each other to stab the other in the back. Uno and Cover Your Assets have made you guys question your loyalty to each other more than once. That Uno Reverse card, man…

·         Arts and crafts are his favorite. Anytime a holiday is coming up, Mikey gets hyped ‘cause he knows you guys are gonna start making decorations for it. You guys will usually make decorations for each other. Mikey loves this, just because he feels like a normal person by having actual Halloween decorations around the lair instead of stuff he and his bros scraped together off the streets.

·         Loves to stargaze with you in the summer time. He’ll convince Donnie to let him drive the truck out of the city to the countryside of New York, bring you with him, and set up on the roof of the truck in the middle of a field (that he totally didn’t crash through a wood fence to get to). Fireflies will fly over your faces, and he’ll joke that they’re shooting stars and make a thousand and one wishes on each of them. He won’t tell you that all of those wishes are for you and him to be together forever, but it’s not hard to guess with how mushy he gets after each one.

[alittlewhump]

Unbidden - Act 1, chapter 8

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Content warnings: death mention, possible minor body horror with regards to injury

It had been a fortnight since Andariel. Morgan was adjusting to his new reality, one where speaking much louder than a whisper for more than a few sentences made it feel like he'd been screaming his throat raw. Where pain was out of proportion to the damage that caused it. Where his left arm was all but useless. Although he felt well enough to get up and move around, the wound on his arm showed no signs of closing. An inky colouration had spread out from the puncture, extending up above his elbow and down to his wrist. It turned his stomach to look at it. Any remaining strength in the limb was negated by the pain that shot through it at the slightest jostle or pull. Akara's expertise in the healing arts was not sufficient to handle a wound like this, caused by a demon queen and determined to linger. She had offered her sympathies and a supply of bandages, which at least allowed him to bind the damned thing so he didn't have to see it. His own limited knowledge of medicine did not extend to this manner of injury either, so simply keeping it covered and clean seemed like the best option available.

Morgan had been spending most of his time and energy on meditation and geomancy. Physical pursuits were not very attractive at the moment, so instead he focused on improving his magic. He would need it more than ever now, given the state of his arm. Eventually he would return to the graveyard he'd marked, to check on the restless spirits there, but he wasn't yet well enough for that journey.

The ground around the encampment was largely untended, but the soil was good. Morgan had been using it to flex his magical abilities cautiously, not wanting them to suffer from disuse. He turned small patches at a time, shuffling the richer earth up toward the surface bit by bit, until eventually there was a respectable area prepared. Nobody had asked him to install a garden, but it felt like it might be a useful contribution. It also helped to ground him. He had often tended the gardens back home, and found now that he was missing that work.

Short forays into the surrounding fields were still within the scope of Morgan's ability. Over the course of about a week, he'd managed to successfully transplant a reasonable variety of usable plants. Comfrey, feverfew, yarrow, and chamomile had all been easy enough to spot, and each had at least one medicinal use. They also had the benefit of being reasonably hardy, taking root well in the freshly turned earth. He had also experimented a little with some preparations of other plants he'd found - an outcrop of sway grass by a small lake, some sage nestled in among a patch of bright trefoil, a little bark from the willow just outside the encampment - but despite following standard procedures for preparation, none of the resultant concoctions did anything to relieve the pain of his injury. He took some fruits from what looked like an oleaster, intending to dry them for another attempt in the future, but he kept his expectations low. If the wound wasn't going to heal properly, it stood to reason that the other effects would also linger.

Cain had been good company, stopping by often. He inquired about the garden as it was talking shape and seemed legitimately interested in the various applications of the plants filling it. Morgan took care not to speak at too much length on any one topic, endlessly interesting though they were. Equally fascinating were the tales Cain had to share in exchange. The story of Tristram had been a sobering one, between the king's corruption by Diablo and the destruction it had wrought. And it seemed that it was not yet concluded, given the hero-turned-dark-wanderer who had fled. It would be worth pursuing that tale to its conclusion; Morgan's original request had been duly fulfilled, but the evident threat to the Balance was more pressing than returning to the Necropolis.

He'd also been alternating between meditating on ways to improve his clay golems and creating small versions to test the changes he'd thought of. So far he had come up with a lot of failed designs, going too far to the extremes to test the boundaries. A build with above average mobility that would crumble in combat, a strong and sturdy make that could absorb a great deal of punishment but would be too slow to hit anything that wasn't standing still. Now it was time to rein it in, to tinker with proportions and the flow of magic through the construct until something better emerged. Morgan slipped easily into the in-between state, retreating into his mind while his body rested in a comfortable cross-legged position. A pleasant breeze ruffled the leaves of the tree he was leaning against. Today would be good for focusing on the smaller details. He lost himself for a time in the contemplation of his designs.

A crawling, prickling discomfort pulled him back into reality. The sun was getting low in the sky. Someone had put their hand on his shoulder, and they were speaking to him.

"- word I've said, have you?" It was Blaise, looking annoyed.

Morgan shifted away from her, and she let her hand fall. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't hear you. I was meditating." The rough sound of his voice was another thing he was still getting used to. He rubbed his throat gingerly. Should have thought to keep some water nearby.

"Of course you were. I said, I talked to Kashya and she's agreed to give you some training. If you're going to keep fighting monsters and demons, you'll need some help. With your swordplay. It's not very good."

She was right, of course. Now that he could no longer hold a shield, his sword would have to be defensive as well - and magic had always been his strength, not actual physical strength or coordination. He'd been planning to refocus himself entirely on the magical side of things, but this was undeniably a good idea even if he didn't relish the prospect of physical training. Any formal instruction in the use of a sword would be useful.

"When?"

"You're welcome. Whenever you're ready. As soon as tomorrow." Instead of turning to go, she sat next to him. He expected her to keep talking, but she didn't. Maybe she was working up to something. The silence stretched uncomfortably. She didn't like him, she'd often said as much - so why was she staying so near? He'd been doing his best to be avoidable, true to his word. She hadn't been taking advantage of it, instead crossing his path at least once a day. Probably some sort of sense of obligation. The Sisterhood had been treating him with a cautious, grudging respect since Andariel's defeat. It was... strange.

That reminded him of a question he'd been meaning to ask. Now seemed as good a time as any, so he turned to study her. "Blaise. Why did you tell everyone I killed Andariel?"

She startled visibly and raised a hand to shush him. "What the hell, Morgan," she hissed, "you can't just say-" she cut herself off, looking around furtively. Apparently satisfied that nobody was eavesdropping, she continued in hushed tones. "Look, if Akara and Kashya knew I killed that big ugly bitch, they'd never let me get away from this backwater. It's different for you. They're expecting you to go. And when you leave, I'm going with you. At least until I'm well away from here. This place... I'm not really cut out to be part of something like this."

"Ah." That explanation made enough sense. He hadn't realized she wanted to leave, but then he often didn't realize things about other people. Perhaps he'd misinterpreted her loyalty as fondness. There wasn't always a correlation there. She hadn't exactly been talkative during their time together - not to him, not about personal wishes and desires. It also explained the closeness; by spending time around him, she was putting on a front, laying the groundwork that would justify her departure. Satisfied, he turned away to look at the sky. It was starting to be tinged with pink, and it was lovely to see.

"How do you do it?" Now it was her turn to scrutinize him. She was staring intently at his face as though it was going to hold anything other than confusion. Do what? Had he slipped back into his thoughts and missed part of the conversation? "I mean, doesn't it bother you?" That clarified nothing. He stared blankly, and she huffed. "People don't like you. As a necromancer. I mean, we didn't exactly give you a warm welcome. But there's no way it's just us. Your kind are... well, hated."

Oh, that. It was just a fact. He'd come to accept it easily enough. People didn't usually take kindly to him even before they knew his particular area of specialization. He shrugged, wondering idly what had lead to the question. She didn't seem to like that response.

"It's normal," he offered.

"It's not normal! How could you think that's normal? How do you... live with it?" She gesticulated, as though the waving of her hands might clarify her meaning. It did not. How else would he live? He took a moment to search for the words to frame it.

"As followers of Rathma, we are driven by pursuit of the Balance. What others think of us is not important."

"Not im- Morgan, of course it's important! The way people treat you matters. You have to rely on other people all the time."

"I try not to."

Blaise pinched the bridge of her nose as though the conversation was giving her a headache. "Yeah, I know you do. But sometimes you don't have a choice. Like - there's no way you could have gone up against Andariel alone, she would have killed you in a second."

"Mm." While certainly true, it didn't change much. Alone, he would have been more cautious, planned better. Probably died anyway. Others would have come to take his place. His individual life only held value in the contribution it could make toward the Balance. Death came inevitably to all things; to die in service was at least honourable.

Blaise seemed agitated. "I don't think you understand - this is life and death stuff. For fuck's sake, you nearly did die! When-" she lowered her voice, which had risen in frustration. It shook a little. "When I brought you to Akara, she argued with me. She didn't want to waste her supplies on you. She was just going to let you die on her doorstep, because she doesn't like you. That's not normal. You can't just think that's okay."

It certainly wasn't extraordinary. That was why necromancers generally brewed their own potions, not that he'd had either the time or the forethought to reach for his own during the encounter. He started to shrug again. Akara had been pleasant enough since - oh. All the pieces came together suddenly, but the picture they formed didn't quite make sense. Blaise had lied to save him. She'd decided, probably on an impulse, out of desperation, to frame him as the hero because the healer wasn't going to touch him otherwise. She had wanted him to live, and had sacrificed her own part in the story to ensure his survival.

Of course, that type of instinctively selfless behaviour was part of the reason he'd decided she was a genuinely good person. But having that kindness extended to him - that was new. He didn't quite know what to make of it. People weren't kind to him, as a rule. That was familiar, at least, predictable. It didn't feel like he'd done anything to earn this special treatment. He'd have to tread carefully.

"It's what I'm used to," he said quietly. "Death comes to all things. We do not expect others to delay it for us. But you... are extraordinary." It didn't really feel adequate, but he would need some time to process this new information, and the moment would be long past by then. "Thank you," he added. That also felt shallow. He had no reference to draw from - what was the appropriate way to convey this tangle of feelings? Indebtedness, surprise, gratitude, admiration, and those were just the aspects he had names for. He purposely held her gaze for a moment, hoping she would be able to glean something from that since his words weren't doing the job.

Blaise opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. Instead, she stood and stretched. "I bet you haven't even eaten today. Come on, Charsi made these beautiful rabbit pies. You have to try them." She extended her hand toward him. He didn't especially want to join a communal meal, but it would be rude to refuse such a rare offer. And he had, in fact, neglected to eat. He took her hand to pull himself up. Tomorrow he would attempt to train with Kashya, but right now he wouldn't worry about it.

[hisoknen]

♡ Chrollo Yandere Alphabet ♡

 My first yandere alphabet! It was a lot of fun to write, send in more prompts!

tw: noncon, dubcon, blood, abduction, mentions of food restriction, forced isolation/captivity, manipulation, and mind break. this is a yandere alpabet. If you do not like yandere content, you can also black list my #yanderealphabet to avoid it showing up on your feed in the future

a/n: thank you @candychronicles​ for looking over the draft and helping out with ideas :)

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Chrollo would show his affection by keeping you around him at all times. He values those in the Troupe over his own life and he would treat you with this same affection. Words, physical affection and protection are his ways to communicate affection. But unfortunately for you the only way to keep you safe is to make sure you are within reach at all times. 

As the leader of the troupe, his goal is to collect and sell valuable items. However, after acquiring you at the auction he couldn’t quite place it but there was just something about you that made need to keep you.

Blood:  How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Chrollo isn’t one who is squeamish around blood. If his darling faces the threat of danger he will eliminate the cause immediately without a second thought, even if the masses will come to suffer. No matter the age, sex or money they may posses, he will eliminate them to protect his darling.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

While he may want to keep you around for some unknown reason, Chrollo does not see the difference between a human and a puppet. You are his to do with as he pleases, but he does wish for you to stop fighting against him and accept your role by his side. He wouldn’t mock you but he would punish you for being disobedient. All things that would in turn make you more dependent on his care and affection. He would probably take to isolate you at first, being the only one allowed in your presence. Taking a break from his duties to properly train you. Slowly gracing you with more affection. The slightest touch from him would feed your skin hunger. A conversation here and there would fuel your core human desires and you would cling to him.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Chrollo is torn between breaking you to the point mentally where you will willingly do anything for him and morphing you physically, and sexually to withstand his requests, in time. He desires to cultivate a caregiving relationship where you can come to him for your needs, but he has desires as well. 

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Chrollo wouldn’t let his darling in on the inner workings of his heart. While he is very fascinated with humans, especially and the way they process and function, he himself is quite oblivious to the way he feels. The more time you spend together the more he would desire to open up but there is something deep down that just won’t allow him to do that. He has shared his lack of fear in death with you and the more you are broken down to relying on him and him alone this would make you anxious and cling to him, hoping that he will let you in. He seems so lonely, even when you’re around. As if he is in an eternal cycle of grief.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Chrollo would feel troubled if his darling fought back. He doesn’t want to hurt you, but if you left him no other option he would subdue you as swiftly and painlessly as he could. He would never kill you, maybe knock you out, take away the privilege of conversation and touch. However this would hurt him as much as it would hurt you so he would be sure to only utilize this punishment when necessary.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

To Chrollo your safety isn’t to be taken lightly. There are many people out there looking for his weak points. He would be less than forgiving in the case that you ever made it out of the hideout. Confining and leaving you to dwell on your choices. Without you in his sight, he can’t be sure that you won’t be put into harm's way and when you try escaping him you are only putting yourself in danger, which is the last thing he wants. Why didn’t you understand that?

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Your worst experience with Chrollo would be within the first few months of being abducted. As someone with a strong will and knowledge of Nen, you would make things very difficult for him. There would be weeks on end where you would hear nothing but white noise. Depending on how much of a racket you would make would determine the food and clothing rations you would receive. It was a cold, dark and lonely time. A time that Chrollo wishes to never repeat. Your cheeks were sunken in, wounds infected, swollen, mind hazy and hallucinating. When you’d finally thought you could take no more, your captor took you in with a warm embrace and soft empty words.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

In an ideal world, Chrollo would have you in the Troupe. This would not only allow him to take you with him everywhere, but also mean that you had grown in strength enough that he could be more lenient with you. He wants you by his side as he reigns terror, what better place for a Queen but with her King. However in order to become a member you would have to kill an existing member and he cherishes the spiders dearly. He may just have to settle for his Queen to remain in his kingdom. In a world where death is inevitable he sees no purpose for marriage. His only desire is that you accept him and his desires for your future together. That you accept all of him and your place by his side.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

At first Chrollo was quick to jealousy or whatever you call it. When he’d first let you out of captivity, you would try to flirt with the members of the Troupe, attempting to find an escape. While he wouldn’t kill a member of the spiders, he would show them what it meant to even consider betraying him. The topic of Hisoka made him the most irritable. When Hisoka had first arrived, he could tell that the jester had taken a liking to you. Stealing glances your way exchanging words with you in moments that he would look away. The way your eyes seemed to twinkle at his advances made his blood boil. Hisoka being a member meant that he couldn’t kill him so he instead confined you once again. Punishing you with silence.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Chrollo, being an avid people watcher, had always seen the way that “couples” would interact. He studied the ways that people sought “affection with those they loved”. The kisses, hand holding, cuddling, passionate sex. While not at first being very touchy with his darling, unsure how he himself could do it and what he would get out of it. The way you would melt into his arms made something in him feel proud. He would let you lead, learning the way you desired to be touched and became fond of tracing patterns into your skin. When you are around the Troupe, he always has a hold on you, whether it be you on his lap, your head on his legs, hand on your back…. He would never allow anyone to see the way he touches you when you are being intimate. That was only a privilege he had and the thought of someone else seeing the way you reacted to his touch was a repulsing thought.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

A day around a year after your last visit to the silent chamber you had your head laid across Chrollo’s lap on a flight of stairs as he read from his book. He’d been thinking about how to court you since the moment he had acquired you at the auction. He wanted to make sure you were at a place that you would accept happily not because you felt like you had to. You had gotten to a point where you desired to be within his grasp at all times. Trying to make him laugh and telling him all about your childhood and plans with him for the future. “Y/N, I would like for you to be mine and I would like to be yours.” he would look down at you, putting his book away and searching your eyes. “Was I not yours from the start?” you would giggle and pinch at his cheeks. While he didn’t smile at your response, when he looked into your eyes he could tell that he had finally obtained his greatest treasure.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

For the most part he is very similar around you as he is with most other people. Calm, methodical, charismatic, confident and emotionally closed off. However there are moments of softness with him that only you see. While he shows a lack of emotion outwardly, he does care and will show that to you at times. The biggest difference would be his inability to physically harm you, something that he would never hesitate to do to someone before. He is still the same man with others, a formidable opponent. 

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

If punishment is absolutely necessary, he will do so by isolating his darling. Forcing them to be alone and without his comfort. The silent cave is the place you dread most in the world. It is without his touch, his words, his smell and the feeling of his skin beneath yours. He doesn’t want to hurt you, but when he feels that you really won’t be able to understand his disappointment in you, he would prefer to not see you suffer. 

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

You would have the right of your privacy stripped from the moment you were taken captive. Outside of your time in the cave, you had no time to yourself. You are to be at his side at all times, if need be, within earshot, eyes on you at all times. Outside of not being allowed outside of the hideout, you also haven’t been able to contact anyone you'd known before the auction, you’d begged relentlessly to talk to your family and he always refused, saying that they had forgotten about you already. His reason for this was he’d already gotten rid of all of them, to ensure that you would have no one other than him to turn to, but if he told you that, there was the chance that you would turn on him.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Chrollo is very patient with you generally speaking. When you do have days or moments of retaliation, he treats you much like how one treats a child when they throw a tantrum. He won’t engage and ignores your attempts to rile him up. 

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

If you left, he would hunt you down, no questions. You wouldn’t be gone for long that is for sure. If you died he wouldn’t know what to do. If not by natural causes, he would be sure to rampage, killing anyone with a connection to the incident. He would be unlikely to move on, seeing as before you had come along he’d never had the desire to keep a prized possession for so long. 

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

Chrollo wouldn’t feel guilt for abducting you. If not for him, you could have fallen in the arms of someone horrible, anything he was grateful that he’d stumbled across your cage in the first place anything he was grateful that he’d stumbled across your cage in the first place. Chrollo has insomnia and some nights when he’s awake and looking down at your sleeping face, he does wonder how things would be had the circumstances been any different.  That is the exact reason he would never let you go. A little bird like you wouldn’t be able to survive without him looking after you, he was sure of that. 

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

What brought out this side in Chrollo’s was his upbringing in Meteor City. Growing up in the tattered city filled with outcasts, he’d always been fond of collecting pretty things, it helped keep away the loneliness. His favorite things to collect were old books. They gave him an idea or a fantasy of what could be beyond the city. He would protect these books and small trinkets with all of his might. If they were ever taken, he would stop at nothing to retrieve them.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

He would prefer not to see his darling in tears. If it was out of fear of him, he would simply lick away your tears and shower you with affection. When you

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

Something that Chrollo does differently than the classic yandere is not physically hurting his darling. No matter how he may desire to get a point across that she is his, he feels that much like how you would train a cat or raise a child, subjecting them to physical fear would leave them untrusting of him. 

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

His desire to keep you, along with the long nights of solitude in the cave you attain from acting out. 

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

He would mentally hurt his darling, threatening their family, friends and privileges but he would never physically harm them.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over? (will come back to)

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Since he found his darling at the auction there was no pining or a snap. He simply took them.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

That’s what he’s been doing since the start. Breaking you and molding you to conform to his lifestyle and treatment of you. While not physically harming you, he is quite the emotional sadist and will break you mentally.

[atheistforhumanity]

Hi. Sorry if this is a bit long, I would totally understand if you don't want to respond to this. So, I live in a very religious country, questions are immoral and we must follow said religion dearly or else. I have only recently begun reading about atheism and so far I feel my beliefs in religion are falling apart. I am no longer convinced of the religion, I am not sure sure if there is a god but i no longer care. However, there is one argument for religion that I just can't seem to respond to that is how do we get a sense of purpose and have a (objective) value system without religion. Without religion, we start lacking purpose because life doesn't matter and when we die nothing happens, so what's the point? With religion however, there is a sense that we were created by a god, who created us for an important reason and it's our purpose to discover that destiny and fulfill it. And without religion, we have no objective set of values, we merely rely on a subject ever changing world view. Like say with lgbt rights. I could say that everyone should do what they want as long as they are not harming others or themselves and that's why I believe that lgbt people should do whatever they want. But, someone might view it as harmful to others or the people in said relationships. So our values are subjective. With religion however, we can just refer to the rule book and that's it. While multiple religions have different set of values, they can still help communities agree on their values. So my question, in a world that lacks religion, how can we have consistent morals and identify our sense of purpose and reason for existence. Thank you.

Anon, thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts with me. I appreciate when anyone seeks my opinion. Thank you. 

You’ve brought up some important topics that many people struggle with. As you have said, I’ve heard many people say that confusion in these areas are most responsible for them being unsure of what they believe. Hopefully after this post you’ll gain some clarity and be able to make a new assessment. 

What is Our Purpose?

I often hear from people that a sense of purpose is their main reason for sticking with religion, even when they have doubts. The religious often flaunt their idea of purpose as an unmatched quality only they can provide. So here is a different way of approaching this question.

When a religious person asks me how to know their purpose, I first point out that they are assuming that we are meant to have a purpose or that an objective purpose is a requirement of life. Many people try to figure out life through the lens of what is meant to happen, but I believe this is misguided. We think this way because our minds seek order and finite understanding of the world around us. Therefore, we assume that we must be meant to do something. 

However, I submit the cold reality of our existence. We are the results of millions of years of evolutionary change on 1 planet out of many, many trillions. Our form of life does not have any objective purpose, because our creation was not planned or orchestrated. This is an idea religious people have a hard time grasping. That what exists was not crafted, constructed, or produced from a greater mind. All evidence points the fact that we are the result of trillions of random occurrences over billions of years. 

If you let go of the assumption that we were purposefully created, then you can let go of the idea that we require an objective purpose. After all, the idea that were created by an intelligent force has no evidence to support that view. There is no evidence to support the existence of a god. There is no evidence to support the idea that we innately have purpose. 

This is not a bad thing. Many people often dive immediately into the lake of hopelessness, saying that nothing matters without purpose. I reject this idea entirely. It is short sighted to say that if my life is not eternal then nothing I do matters. A nihilist says this while existing in a world wide society of billions of people where we see, feel, and know pain and happiness by our actions and the actions of others. We are all aware of well documented history where single figures have had profound world changing effects for good and evil. To put it simply, every action has a consequence, and regardless of how you feel about that consequence, since it undeniably miniscule to profound effects on others that live, it cannot be said that it does not matter. Not when we are creatures of wants, needs, and desires. No, to say that our actions don’t matter is an absurdity. 

Where Do We Get Our Values? 

I say that your actions matter for the fact that they have consequence. But how do we know what is right and wrong, or what those terms even mean without an objective guide?

I have a few things to say on this topic. The first is that the Bible or Quran do not actually set objective morals. Without getting into too much detail, we must recognize major contradictions in the holy books. Rules are set, such as thou shall not kill, but the rules are also broken very quickly and without remorse. Both God/Allah kills and murders on a whim, and on a mass scale. Both God/Allah instruct their followers to kill and slaughter. The morals given by these holy books are purely subjective because they only apply when they say they apply. For instance, rules against not enslaving your neighbors meant exactly that, don’t enslave other Jews, but you can enslave others. 

More importantly, these morals change and progress over time as society challenges the old ideas and ushers in new thinking. No Christians or Muslims live under the exact moral law as set down at the dawn of the religions. ISIS is an example of an attempt to do so. So these religious morals are not actually accepted as objective by the people. 

Second, religion only claims that their morals are object and cannot prove this claim. It takes very little critical thinking to know that one would rather live in America under secular law than any location in 12th Century Europe when religion controlled laws and morals virtually 100%. Every religion has a different set of morals that they claim is objective, yet none can show themselves to be better than another. More importantly, none can show themselves to be as moral as what secular philosophy has produced, which gives the Western world freedom and liberty like the world has never seen. 

As for the idea that it would be easier to follow a “rule book” whether that be the Bible, the Quran, or the teaching of Buddha the same could be said for any other moral philosophy. Society would be simple if we committed ourselves to Utilitarianism completely, but we cannot say it would be better. Our experience across the globe has bore out the simple truth that adopting eclectic laws in an environment where they can always be challenged and improved on is the best model the world has ever seen. There are still theocracies in the world and millions of people from around the globe do not flood to immigrate there. 

Not All Opinions Are Equal 

Once we remove the idea of objective morality, people often go straight to the idea that nothing can be determined because there will always be differences of opinion. They think that without objectivity set by a higher power that no idea can be proven wrong. This is just not true. There is a universal prohibition against murder. Regardless of the fact that some people find it acceptable, by virtue of intellect and practical application it is undeniable that forbidding murder is the best choice for all societies. 

Here we take our first steps toward a new idea of objectivity. Ideas are not objective because of their source, but rather by their merit and application. Universal agreement is not required for an idea to be objectively true. For instance, many people believe the world is flat, but this is objectively false. Morals work the same way. Murder is objectively wrong, but there are still criminals that take it up for sport or work. The fact that someone is too ignorant to see a truth does not mean it is not true. 

Let’s look at the issue of lgbtq people specifically. I wrote another post explaining why the American medical community ended its stance that homosexuality was a mental illness. For much of the 20th century in America, homosexuality was considered to be an illness and a moral wrong. This changed when the American Psychological Association actually started researching homosexuality and could not show any evidence that it caused harm of any kind. 

What if someone says that being gay is harmful to the person? Well, since we’ve found no justification for this, such a person is left with this argument. Homosexuality is bad, and therefore homosexuality is harmful because it’s bad, and it’s bad because it’s harmful. This is a perfect example of circular reasoning. 

While it is not always easy to tell who is right or wrong in a debate, we have developed knowledge of faulty arguments such as circular reasoning, and we know objectively that they are not valid. No matter how many people do not understand this or refuse to accept this is irrelevant. Circular reasoning will never prove anything, no matter how emotionally charge people are over the issue.  

Conclusion

I hope that you take some time to think about these ideas and apply them to the questions you’re wondering about. In short, I believe that religion attempts to create a false need in the mind of society to confirm itself as the answer. We are fully capable of living full, productive, and moral lives without religion in our life or society in anyway. 

[hakurasakura]

hi new follower here and i absolutely love your blog! <3

i was wondering if you’re still talking about charts?? if so i’d be so grateful if you could do mine! thank you if so :)

hello and welcome! and im glad you love my blog!

im sorry that this took a while (and that it is super long). everything is under the read more (disclaimer: i only did the planets and their positions. im still learning about the asteroids and the degrees)

taurus sun (12 H): when taurus natives work, they work hard. they do it with a steadiness that may rarely be considered quick–rather it’s a dependable and steady effort that has its payoffs. security is immensely important to taurus. although hard-working, their comfort-loving nature sometimes makes them appear lazy. this is only because they separate work and leisure so well. when they work, they work hard, and when they play, they don’t really “play” as such…they relax. solar taureans like to own things (and sometimes people). a nice home, a piece of land (this can be modest), a paid-off car, a couple pets, maybe a solid business…in love and relationship, there is an earthy kind of possessiveness that may be considered jealousy by some, but there is actually quite a difference between being possessive and being jealous. taurus sun natives are rarely jealous and petty. they do, however, think of the people they love as theirs–it adds to their sense of security.

the sun in the twelfth house indicates a desire for perfection. these people usually do not get full recognition for their abilities and efforts, but they do not mind. they are satisfied with their simple, quiet life in solitude. if they become managers, they will do their job inconspicuously and with modesty. their services to other people are an area in which they are likely to achieve recognition and satisfaction. these people are usually interested in psychology and research of psychological phenomena. even though they may feel the need to interact with others, they often feel alienated even in the middle of a social event. it gives them the opportunity to observe, make sense of things and understand.

capricorn moon (9 H): people with this placement see safety in being useful to society and you look for justification in the outside world. they may underestimate what they want from themselves and for themselves. shyness may be accompanied by resentment of the fact that others ignore you. they shouldn't seek approval from the outside, it will not get rid of their doubt and it is harmful to them. they have to trust their inner values, otherwise, it may happen that they succumb to external pressures. the need to cope with adverse reality since childhood may give them the ability to "survive" difficult periods. their talent for business can bring them success but they may be missing some carefreeness.

the moon in the ninth house creates an understanding and imaginative mind. these people are great dreamers and thinkers who have novel ideas. their views are solid and sincere, but they change their minds easily. they have a variety of interests and hobbies; they like to lecture other people. the Moon gives these people inner self-determination, which gives them the energy to lead and direct those who lack the same degree of awareness.

gemini ascendent: very curious, very observant, and analytical. always looking to expand their social circles.  love asking questions and mingling with others. can appear as restless as gemini rising people have an air of impatience even though they do not mean it. gemini rising people often seek a certain amount of personal freedom and space. and they enjoy intellectual debates and exchanging ideas. from my personal observations, gemini rising people can either be 1. bubbly, changeable, talkative and a little quirky, or 2. quite witty and clever, cool and intellectual (presenting themselves in a less cheerful and changeable way).

taurus mercury (12 H): they may take their time to arrive at a decision, but they get there — they are actually quite decisive, even stubborn with their opinions. mercury in taurus may be slow to start a new project, but they see it through to the end. they may need to poke them to get them going, however. they have much common sense at their disposal. these people rely on their senses when it comes to processing information. smells, noises, and mood are all employed. their communication style may, at times, be slow and measured. they are quite deliberate in what they do. when it comes to learning, mercury in taurus natives prefer demonstrations, concrete answers, and basic concepts. these people learn best when they see real-world uses for the theories they’re trying to absorb. not that they wouldn’t be able to comprehend the abstract–they simply process information better when they can personalize it (what use is it to me?) and attach it to the practical world.

mercury in the twelfth house represents the subconscious mind. thinking of these people is influenced by their subconscious and past experiences. Their decisions are based on emotions instead of logical thinking. these people have a tendency to be secretive and they do not like to express their opinions, especially in the public. they lack self-confidence but they are good at hiding it. this position also suggests difficulties in learning new things and it is an obstacle to developing the potential of the person.

taurus venus (12 H): love for venus in taurus centers on the physical world and creature comforts — they revel in sensual surroundings. these people project themselves as solid and comfortable. they need a certain measure of predictability and dependability in their relationships. venus in taurus can be possessive in love, and they are threatened by fast-paced, high-energy situations in the context of relationships and love. these are sensual partners who require lots of “hands-on” expressions of love. their lovers may complain that venus in taurus can get a little too comfortable and settled. it’s true that they resist change in their relationships, but even when they seem stuck in a groove, however, they are constant partners.

venus in the twelfth house suggests secrecy and solitude. it points to the introspective aspect of character and the need to spend time alone. it creates socially withdrawn people who are a bit lonely and disappointed in their romantic relationships. they are very emotional but they can subconsciously control their emotions. this position usually creates a significant degree of compassion for oppressed people and all those who are in a bad position.

virgo mars (5 H): these people are productive, goal-oriented, practical people. although they can be a little scattered at times, simply because they are doing so many things at any give time, mars in virgo natives get things done, and quite well! they have a knack for handling a wide variety of tasks at once, and a tendency to take on perhaps too much at the same time. these natives are not particularly aggressive by nature. although they can be a little hard-nosed and critical at times, they rarely resort to pushing others around. these people are protective of their “system” of how to get things done. there is a perfectionist at the heart of all people with this position.

mars in fifth house natives are fun, romantic, active and creative. Also, courageous and always eager to take risks, they're often sure of themselves and look only to have as much fun as possible. Mars in this position suggests they love to love and pursue romantic relationships everywhere they go.

aquarius jupiter (10 H): jupiter in aquarius is most lucky when they’re allowed to break the rules. they need complete freedom to try out their creative ideas, for they often payout in the end. this placement isn’t afraid to take risks as they offer great rewards. they bring in good fortune through their inventive thought process. they are out to change the world for the better, and they reap the benefits of their humanitarian efforts.

jupiter in tenth house keeps luck on people’s side in most situations in life. it makes natives with this placement very lucky when it comes to their career. however, they can also count too much on their good fortune and end up reckless or too relaxed when the situation would require them to focus. these natives are usually very open to making new friends, self-confident, charming, and very convincing. people will love and honor them for all these traits. they give a lot of importance to social status and want to be as free as possible.

aries saturn (11 H): saturn in aries realizes there are times when even they are not ready to handle a situation with unknown consequences. it’s a struggle that causes conflict with other people, and they have a hard time controlling their temper. saturn in aries tends to look more closely at them and decide whether or not it is in their best interest to steamroll ahead. this person is not as much of a trailblazer as other planets in this sign, but that doesn’t mean they hold back all the time. the people tend to be more rational and thoughtful. this can be used to their advantage when they’re actively trying to get ahead in life. they can rely on their powers of persuasion to get their point across in a concise and effective manner to get what they want.

people born with saturn in the eleventh house in their birth chart have lots of acquaintances but no too many close friends and these are likely to be older than them. their oldest friendships will last a lifetime. they're drawn to people who are serious and have a purpose in life.

aquarius uranus (9 H): uranus in aquarius is in its own sign and it creates inventors and people who like to apply new, untested methods and procedures. they like to fight for moral values and they love freedom. they do not let their emotions and feelings to restrict them. they are open-minded and open to radical reforms. aquarius is known for its humanity, and uranus further strengthens these tendencies.

with uranus in the ninth house, these people believe in freedom of beliefs, religion, and liberty in your way of life. more than any other placement of uranus, this makes someone interested in the truth of the system. in fact, uranus revolutionizes and changes their worldview quite dramatically.

capricorn neptune (9 H): neptune in capricorn gets their drive and ambition. this helps them to come up with new ideas. for them, inspiration comes from logic, reason, and the practical uses of different theories to better society. as a conservative personality, neptune in capricorn doesn’t often get “struck” by creative thought. they develop their ideas more slowly and thoroughly, as they do everything else in their life. they would rather work on things at their own pace and in their way. they don’t like to work together with others when brainstorming. more times than not, they would rather sit by themselves in quiet reflection. they are often obsessed with status, so neptune in capricorn tends to focus on ways to increase their wealth and influence. they like power and are always thinking of new ways to acquire more.

a natal neptune in ninth house suggests a very strong faith in life. with neptune here, there is a strong connection with the divine. these people are strongly aligned with their higher self. many neptune in ninth house people are very religious.

sagittarius pluto (7 H): plutonian sagittarians are understanding and philosophical. personal transformation can occur especially through philosophical searching. pluto in this position strengthens their innate (not learned) religious consciousness and feeling. one can expect them to create a new spiritual or mystical direction, and attempts to merge existing religions and churches.

pluto in seventh house natives are connected to the concept of a good family, a close and loving atmosphere at home. relationships are especially emphasized here. after all, they want to fulfill their sense of belonging as well. if it’s affection and intense emotions that drive them, everything is good and the prospects for a long-standing relationship are blooming. this placement of pluto makes people crave deep emotions and display a sense of responsibility that is rarely seen, plus lead their lives by their own very specific values.

[daydreamindollie]

00 | seven accursed princes

𝙘𝙝𝙥𝙩. 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 : prologue to the seven accursed princes. 

⏤ inspired by and based off of the manga ‘Sincerely: I Became a Duke’s Maid’

𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 : 1.1k

𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 : reincarnation!au ; bts!princes ; maid!reader ; reincarnated!reader ; curse!au ; fantasy!au

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 : mentions of major character death

𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : pg

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 : eventually ot7 bts x f!reader

𝙖/𝙣 : this is- i don't even know what this is for. It mainly stems off of the +idea/teaser bullet point babble i previously posted. i was just inspired and started writing a day or two ago. i want to make it clear that the planning for this series is still in the works so regular chapter posts won't be here for a while, therefore the state of this series is still '𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣...' so please don't expect anything more for the meantime. all i can say right now is, i hope this gets you excited for the future of this fanfic series! lots of love x

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Between the worn, aged pages of a tragic novel resided eight grand kingdoms. Each was prosperous and had something valuable to offer, unique to what their independent sovereign state can cultivate in its lands or through its people. Although affluent in their providence, royal bloodlines were besmirched with a curse like none other.

The curse that all their first crown prince shall never succeed the throne.

Many speculate that it was all the result of nobility angering the holy ones through their selfish actions and poor conduct towards their people. With no heart or regard for those below them, the holy ones cursed all royal bloodlines to never have their true crown prince, with each subsequent child lacking further and further in skill and value to offer their kingdom. In some ways, they were able to bless the firstborn, crown prince of each kingdom with talent and potential whilst also delivering a curse that made them too weak and, therefore, inadequate to rule.

Laws were eventually passed to avoid the curse affecting royal bloodline as much as possible, meaning that females could now succeed the throne. This, however, did not apply to anything else and only applied to the royal family. Females that wanted to inherit their family business or estates would still be unable to.

There is not a soul that doesn’t know about the curse or that every firstborn prince, who would originally be the crown prince, was instantly taken to a Baron’s estate mansion. The manor is secluded and located deep within dense woodland. Roads leading up to the estate are tedious to voyage on coach as well as horseback and, therefore, visitors are scarce. No one dares approach the manor except for the servants forced to maintain the estate in fear of the curse being contagious.

Seven accursed princes live there now, not knowing of the others’ existence. Trapped in their rooms and atop their beds by the chains of their own exhaustion as was the consequence of their affliction.

Not only that but rotting flesh with peculiar alien script over the decay was yet another burden.

It is said that the curse leaves one side of the individual in a permanent state of spoil, primarily affecting their torso and upper limbs. The curse never heals and never fully decays away, either, which only furthers their suffering. It’s a delicate and sensitive area that must be handled with care, however, most servants in charge of nursing the afflicted princes rush with the mediocre treatment; slaves to their fear of contracting the same curse.

They needn’t ever have worried, however, as it was not contagious. Only those unfortunate firstborn crown princes were the hapless ones.

Their misfortune deprived their precious hearts of love and affection, leaving them to only look towards their imminent demise. However, it isn’t until one fateful stormy night where the princes are taken away to the Baron’s primary estate where they meet Areum, their 8th kingdom’s first crown princess. Fortunately for her, she wasn’t affected by the curse as it only pertained to firstborn, crown princes.

In her terror at the first sight of them, she screams and calls them for how they appear.

“MONSTERS!”

So blunt and soaked in horror was the little princess’s shriek that their worlds came tumbling down.

It was at this vulnerable time where they were finally able to lean against and be there for one another. In doing so, they helped each other gradually recover from their curse, many years later. They were cured enough to be invited back to their kingdoms in joined celebration and worship for the holy ones during the Holy festival, the end of which they were designated dukedoms by their families in compensation for their injurious childhoods.

Another fated meeting with the princess Areum within these festive times also fully cured the princes of their curse. This new love was not meant to be, however, as the princess was already engaged to the crown prince, Taehyung’s younger brother.

Sudden love and admiration for the princess blinded them into leading a rebellion. Relying on one another, they fought for the love that they felt would complete their circle of affection. Their fortitude and influence was comparable, if not outstanding, to royal forces and when combined intimidated and forced high standing individuals to cower in fear. Truly, they were blessed with formidable skills and remarkable traits worthy of being crown princes, whispering of promises to better their kingdom.

And yet, despite their efforts and the true devotion they had for one another supporting them, their rebellion ended with their passing. As it was the same devotion that blinded and ultimately trapped them. With no means of escape, they could do nothing but accept their ineluctable punishment.  

One by one, they were executed for all to see in the capital the day before the wedding of Princess Areum and the Crown Prince. Owing to the execution transpiring through order of age, the one to suffer most from seeing his loved ones die before him was Jungkook, the youngest.

Succeeding their deaths, two kingdoms were united through marriage, causing more tension to rise as an imbalance of power was established through this. Many talk of the curse of the princes, their efforts in overcoming it and eventual deaths after being blinded. Many rumors were spread of them. Some romanticised their love for each other and admired their determination, all under rose-tinted spectacles. Others viewed them with more negativity, shaming them for causing such an uproar where many inconveniences could have been avoided had they not been so selfishly inclined.

And thus concludes the tragic novel of ‘The Seven Accursed Princes’.

A heart-wrenching tale of woe that left many to speculate over why it ended with such disappointment. Nobody was satisfied. Neither the readers nor the characters of the novel.

Redemption for the princes was never sought after until murmurings of a sequel being written and published in the coming future came about.

You lived long enough to finish reading the first novel, ending with a heavy and sorrowful heart full of only pity and a want-no - a need to, somehow, make everything better for them in some way. On the other hand, they were merely fictional characters. There was nothing you could do but read the sequel.

Unfortunately, you were only able to read the prologue and first chapter before facing your own unexpected passing.

Many label death as the end of everything, one’s life, dreams, and ambition, therefore it is common for many to view death as unfavorable. However, it can also be a new beginning to something completely different.

To you, it was but the latter. A doorway was opened for your soul following your death. Through this, your spirit was able to cross dimensions and finally be granted a body in a new world.

Into the world of ‘The Seven Accursed Princes’ novel.

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navi. || prev.

[sherlockcallmymama]

Legal Solutions Columbus GA

Accidental Injuries Lawyers Columbus, GA –– Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C.

Accidents along with the injuries and damages they can cause may have a major influence on the life from the injured person and their families. If you or your relative has been injured or killed inside an accident, it is only natural to feel completely helpless and angry as these are natural emotions to such an event.

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But, it is also important to think about the highway back to recovery. It is rather probable that your damages and injuries may be paid by the party liable for the accident. This is when a law office experienced with taking on accidental injuries cases can assist you deal will the negligent parties and their insurance adjusters to get you compensation for damages and injuries.

Here is the form of qualified legal experience you can get when you use the knowledgeable attorneys at Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Law Firm. Our legal team has extensive expertise in handling accidental injuries cases in Columbus, GA and will offer you great support with this time of need.

Personal injury lawsuits may be especially complex along with the aftermath of a serious accident is often combined with confusion and emotional upheaval. Allow our experienced accidental injuries attorneys to deal with the complexities to help you hop on using the recovery process.

So How Exactly Does a private Injury Case in Columbus Work?

After a car accident, it is really not uncommon to obtain a proposal in the insurance adjuster representing the at-fault party. At this point, most people wish to determine it can be also worth contesting this offer when the amount may seem reasonable and won’t involve a long legal process. But, there are some important aspects to consider before you make this decision.

Here is what you must understand about accidental injuries cases:

The true price of your case should come to the “damages” you have sustained as a result of negligence of some other person. The whole damages includes the financial costs, emotional distress, mental anguish and physical struggling with injuries linked to the accident. Additionally, punitive damages might be laid in the at-fault person if their actions were especially egregious.

Under Georgia Law, the plaintiff, or the individual that received the harm, is qualified for compensation equal to the volume of damages they experienced as a result of accident. These damages has to be purchased by the defendant, or the at-fault person. More typically, it will be paid by the defendant’s insurer.

The damages awarded will probably be decided by both sides after negotiations. Both sides will develop a figure they think is fair and can try and reach a happy-medium settlement which everybody can decide on. If this settlement can’t be reached in negotiations, the case may be come to court along with the judge will order the harm award be paid.

Who Can Be Named in a Accidental Injuries Lawsuit?

Very often it is easy to detect an at-fault party and start creating a case against them. Still an informed team of experienced accidental injuries attorneys will offer you no end of benefits here. However, there are occasions that the true parties responsible are certainly not as obviously identified and there could be many parties liable for the incident mainly because it played out.

At Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C., we have now extensive experience investigating cases of accidental injuries and provide all parties responsible to terms using their negligence. A few of the parties we incorporated into our lawsuits are:

A number of these entities and people we have now expertise in negotiating with include:

-Individuals

-Businesses

-Government institutions or cities departments

-Manufacturers and Defective products

-Insurance providers

You will find various ways that each of these potential defendant has to be contained in the accidental injuries claim. You can even rely on each of these defendants counting on experienced legal teams to safeguard their interests in these case. For that reason it will be imperative for the chances of you a reasonable shake which you also include a qualified legal team to pursue your case in negotiations and courts if needs be.

What is the time limit for filing a private Injury Claim?

Most states could have an occasion frame by which accidental injuries cases can be done, this time around limit is named the statute of limitations and varies between states. In Georgia, defendants have 24 months in the date from the incident that caused the injuries to create their accidental injuries claims. After that time, the case could be void.

Call the law firm of Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. if you would like to understand a little more about the statute of limitation mainly because it applies on this site in Columbus, GA.

Simply how much is My Personal Injury Claim Actually Worth?

There are several factors that are involved in properly qualifying your own injury case in fact it is tough to come up with a general approximations without exploring the information on the case. At Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Law Firm we provide you with free consultations to people who have suffered injuries from negligent parties. We are going to review your case and give you a clearer picture of your respective chances for recovering compensation. We are going to also counsel you in the best approach using this point.

Below are a few factors that will change the overall price of your own personal injury case:

-Future medical cost and lost income

-Exactly how the accident happened

-Future brings about medical issues

-Medical expenses

-Wages and income lost

-Injuries suffered

The specifics of each of these factors must be thoroughly examined and their damages converted into a cash value. Those accidents that resulted in serious damages could have far greater influence on the life from the injured person which can add value to the case.

A number of these damages are really very easy to calculate, like the cost of treatment, although the damages for suffering and pain or emotional may require professional opinions and resources to calculate. A respected law office, like our, could have every one of the resources and connections to create precise calculations and a strong case for negotiations and court battles.

Just How Long Could It Take for My Columbus, GA Accidental Injuries Case being Settled?

There are several important steps that will need to be obtained from submitting the lawsuit to reaching the very last settlement. Before a settlement may be reached both sides will need to decide on an award amount through negotiations. If this can’t be completed, then your matter will need to be settled in courts.

There are many individual factors in every individual case that will use a role in prolonging or shortening the procedure. Naturally, those cases that are straightforward and include only minor damages will probably be completed far faster than others including more dangerous physical impairment pain suffering and extensive medical treatments.

Critical Factors Affecting the Time of a private Injury Case in Columbus

Settlements

For those who have an extremely specific notion of what kind of settlement you think is acceptable, you will probably find that negotiations will take a little bit longer. Negotiating to get a top-dollar compensation requires more work than when the injured party is flexible within their expectations. But, this doesn’t mean you ought to accept the first offer you are given.

Insurance providers are really careful concerning their work and can try and do just as much as they can to lessen the pay outs they make for medical expenses. When they can prove that your injuries were not actually attached to the accident, they have got no responsibility to offer compensation for these people.

When the injuries are, undoubtedly, attached to the accident, they have got different ways to lessen the payouts they have to make. As an example, they could say your injuries are certainly not as serious as you may described them and can only need moderate health care for the near future. Obviously, this is not carried out with your full recovery at heart, however in the interests from the insurer.

These are just some of the important reasons to experience a qualified accidental injuries law office in your corner to ensure all the information are properly included plus your case is bullet proof before entering negotiations.

Furthermore, having a accidental injuries attorney in your corner will guarantee the procedure is conducted as smoothly and favorably as you can. Perhaps the case is strong and runs very smoothly from learn to final negotiations and a settlement. But, in cases where the matter is not so easily resolved, it must be come to court. It will likely be necessary to have strong legal counsel in these an occasion.

There exists still a chance to recover damages from a car accident if you were partially responsible for the injuries. In Georgia, the law of modified comparative negligence implies that given that an individual is below 50% responsible for the accident.

While the idea of employing a team of high-caliber lawyers is normally an extremely expensive prospect, we will not allow financial capability to stand in the way of getting our clients the compensation that they need to get a full recovery. In the Lawyer of Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C., we operate within contingency plan, or perhaps a “No Win, No Charge” arrangement.

Our extensive experience in such cases has allowed us some understanding of the plight of accident victims and their immediate needs. One important thing they certainly do not require is usually to be weighed down with financial burden of employing a good lawyer for the compensation the law entitles these people to.  In addition to the many costs of medical expense, you will find the potential of reduced wages when the individual is unable to make the same type of work effort because of their injured conditions.

For that reason, we don’t charge out clients a cent for our expert advice, professional consultations or extensive expertise in accidental injuries lawsuits – until we win them the compensation they deserve and everybody goes home happy.

The contingency arrangement makes certain that financial need will not be an issue to get the legal assistance you have to pursue your compensation. So, you have absolutely nothing to lose along with the practical information on a whole recovery to get. Phone us today!

To Schedule Your Free Consultation and Case Evaluation Contact Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Accidental Injuries Lawyers Today!

There are several aspects to consider from the aftermath of your accident where there can be many feelings of upset and frustration at the moment. Don’t do or say whatever can place your chances for full compensation in jeopardy. Get yourself an accomplished Columbus Accidental Injuries Law Firm in your corner.

Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Accidental Injuries Law Firm has the skill and experience you will have to allow you to get the favorable settlement you really want for. There is not any need that you can lose sleep over the legalities of your respective predicament. Let us become the perfect legal support as you hop on using the important business of a full recovery.

[thesugarace]

Alright

I finished HLITF season 1 for Kaga and I SWEAR TO ALL 12 ZODIAC GODS

VOLTAGE. PEAKED!!!! AT KAGA’S SEQUEL

THIS STORY IS AN ABSOLUTE 

(Early warning: minor/major spoilers and a lot of rants/fangirling/thirst etc etc all bec I just absolutely love this story and I feel the need to share this love with everyone. Also, I keep seeing everyone hating on MC in this but I actually really liked her here and so I MUST defend her)

Okay

First of all look. loOK. LOOK AT THESE CGS!!!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE WE GET A HOT AND SEXY KAGA CG, A LITERALLY STEAMY ROMANTIC CG AND A BOMB AF STORY ALL FOR $3 EYE-

And oh my huedhaut dont even get me started on the story. It was absolutely on point. It has everything a HLITF story promises to have:

justice in the eyes of our straightlaced MC vs the PSD ✔️

Conflict btwn Kaga and MC precisely because of that ✔️

Our girl pulling a vanishing act bec she refused to compromise her values ✔️

the refusal of each side to back down and their love for each other TEARING THEM APART INSIDE ✔️

OUR GIRL SHOWING OFF HOW INSIGHTFUL SHE REALLY IS AND FINDING A SOLID AF LEAD ✔️

MC’S GROWTH in finding a somewhat compromise between her principles and what is required of her as a PSD detective ✔️

And of course, my absolute favourite: ANGSTY ANGSTY MY-WORLD-IS-ENDING-BECAUSE-MY-MC-IS-IN-DANGER-ANGSTY KAGA ✔️

Okay, I need to address the one thing that everyone just hates about this story en masse and it’s MC. Personally, I dont agree with her about the some parts, especially the interrogation because she did hinder an investigation and in law enforcement that is one big No-No but I do see where she’s coming from, especially with the surveillance thing and the whole copping out and literally running away to the countryside. I saw reviews abt her being completely naive but seriously, put yourself in the position of the one being spied. She’s so against it because to the suspect, what they’re doing could be harmful to him, especially so if he was innocent. I think as a person, she believes in the more publically-accepted justice - the kind of justice that everyone wants but is really very difficult to obtain.

And this is where we get to the beauty of this story. As per their MO, the PSD is ready to do whatever it takes to get the culprit even it means breaking the law. They’re desperate to get the culprit because people are actually getting hurt and the longer this guy gives them the slip, the more people are going to get hurt. Even in MSB, its been established that to the PSD, the end ALWAYS justify the means and they dont give a shit if they look like criminals for it. So this is where the conflict arises between MC and the PSD guys. For the PSD, there’s an opportunity where they might get the culprit but its illegal and for MC, what the PSD wants to do is too risky for something only based on suspicion; she wants to stay on the legal path but she has no lead whatsoever and time is not on either side. People dont seem to realise the weight of MC’s viewpoint and have a tendency to think of ‘officers doing something illegal’ as something as light as jaywalking or smt. No, these institutions have a wide reach and one misstep could bring harmful repercussions onto countless innocent people not to mention the implications of their actions on their integrity as an institution of the law and the integrity of the entire justice system. However, the PSD’s side is a lot more true to reality albeit in more complex situations: their duty beyond all else is to prevent crime and there are times when there really seems to be no way. I’ve been working in law for the past few years and this is a classic dilemma that has been simplified but quite well executed in this context. Justice is not as clear cut as the right way, the right end. The law may simply be black words on white paper but different circumstances dye it with their own colours. This is where MC is lacking. She’s like a freshman at law school - someone who truly believes in the importance of justice but actually has little idea what that actually entails. She is not entirely naive but more in a sense that she’s never been confronted with these kind of complex high-stakes situations (she worked in a police box before this for Ichthys’s sake) and that inexperience disables her from seeing and evaluating the entire situation from the PSD’s pov. For her, its like playing poker for the first time and she’s already betting with the million dollar chips.

The second thing I REALLY must defend her in is the whole quitting from the academy. For the love of Zyglavis, she did NOT run away just because Kaga told her she’s not suited for PSD, it was just the trigger. Lemme put it in a different scenario (btw this scenario is not meant to mirror the situation, its only meant to evoke how MC felt in the story) Imagine you live in a city and you and your significant other are living together. A pandemic has struck your city but everyone refuses to wear a mask and the government is even encouraging people not to wear a mask. You know that wearing a mask slows down the spread of the virus and you are trying to convince people to wear one but they just ignore you. The number of cases is dropping and people think its because they dont wear masks unlike other cities but you know that people should still wear masks or the numbers might spike. So you try to convince everyone to wear a mask and people start berating you for being so stupid as to believe that masks will slow down the spread of the virus when the numbers are dropping without the city wearing them. You go home and your significant other berates you for forcing other people to wear a mask and says ‘since you wanna wear a mask so badly, get out of my house and move out of town’ That’s what it felt like for MC: the absolute frustration + sadness from the rejection of what she truly believes in by the people she’s surrounded by. Time and time again in the story, she’s confronted with the fact that the justice she believes in is not the justice PSD serves. For someone who is working towards joining the PSD, that has to be killing her inside every time. It just serves as a reminder that she is not suited for PSD nor is she what PSD wants in a detective, something she has been struggling with since MS1 but she perseveres perhaps because of her dream to become a detective or because of her aspirations to someday be Kaga’s equal or at least be someone he considers he can rely on. I really believe it’s the second one, after all, it was his rejection of her that really broke her inside and finally convinced her to quit. That’s why if you buy the ending set, you’ll see in the extra stories that Kaga gets extremely angry AT HIMSELF that MC quit the academy. He knows that our persistent Kappa doesnt give up so easily, not even when he scolded her for ruining his interrogation. Its because all these factors built up and he was the one to push her over her limit. So yes, our girl is not fragile yall. She’s just been through so much and I honestly dont blame her for leaving like one order of R&R for our MC here, she deserves it thanks. 

Okay, I need to end this soon cause its starting to get too long but what made me really love her here is the whole LIME thing. That part made love her so much because even when she quit on the academy, there’s still a fire inside her to do what it takes to achieve justice, even if it meant relying on the people she didnt agree with. Even when she was so broken inside believing that she’s not one of them, she’s not needed by them, she’s not worthy of helping them; she just wants to help!

IM SO FREAKING SOFT FOR HER BECAUSE THIS GIRL WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH IS STILL FIGHTING IN HER OWN WAY AND JKASHFHASKJHAKSHKJHGA BRB CRYING

ALSO 

THAT BLOODY PHONE CALL OH MY FREAKING SCORPIO THAT PHONE CALL. I died when he told her that quitting is not an excuse to leave his side. THESE TWO EYE-

Okay, you have to read that phone call scene from both sides because then you’ll see how much these two are being stubborn because they still dont accept the other’s pov abt the case but at the same time how much they love and miss each other is gnawing at them inside AND THEYRE STRUGGLING TO HOLD ALL THOSE EMOTIONS BACK WHEN THEY HEAR EACH OTHERS’ VOICES OVER THE PHONE FREAKING KRIOFF TAKE THE WHEEL PLEASE

Anyways, I really enjoyed reading season 1 for Kaga, especially because of his MC - I see her actually growing from the small police box officer to a PSD cadet and the sequel, especially, shows promise in how she’s going to navigate the world of law enforcement and facing difficult choices. Our girl really decided to return to the academy without finding a proper middle ground between her values and what PSD requires of her but she showed determination to work on it so I really hope we get to see more of that in later seasons. Also, WHIPPED Kaga is my fav but soft Kaga is up there as well. MC SAYING HE SOUNDED SAD OVER THE PHONE AND HER TEARING UP I CANT. THESE TWO ARE BAD FOR MY HEART.

Okay, Im not sure what I’ll be reading next. I kinda wanna start on his season 2 but considering how amazing this season is for Kaga, Im really curious abt the other characters so I might start on them before starting any season 2s. Also, idk if I would make these long argumentative-ish essays a thing but just idk why, my brain is really good at spewing essays out when it comes to HLITF and I think its fuelled by the panic from all my unfinished work so yay 

Thanks for reading!!!

[justgottafinishthischapter]

Building A Character: Creating a Personality

Coming up with a character in and of itself is easy. Let’s use for example a tough chick who grew up on the streets and steals, kills, and spies to make ends meat. So I’ve created an ends justifies the means, self-preserving, and probably loner rogue archetype. So congrats, I’ve made a character. What she lacks however, is a personality. She has no depth or anything interesting about her. For this exercise, I’ll be referring to her as Samantha Pole.

Something that works for me that might not work for others is that I tend to form base personalities and character arcs from characters I’m reminded of when I think of the character I’m creating. With regard to Sam, characters like Raven from Teen Titans and Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time are great models for her character because both are closed-off loaners who have a hard time letting people in. This is helpful for me personally as a way of recognizing traits I see in this character in other similar characters. Then I can evaluate their characters and their arcs and see how the writers handled their characterization, and how I might have handled it differently. This might also be when I look at their character’s tropes on TV Tropes to see what might work for the character of Sam.

Now that we have a base template and outline of who Sam is, let’s start analyzing ways and methods to help give her depth. For me personally, it really helps me to sort my characters. Such sorting includes:

Myers-Briggs Test 4 Temperaments Hogwarts House Avatar Element Game of Thrones Play style Astrological Sign Sense of Humor

MYERS-BRIGGS TEST

The Myers-Briggs test divides people into 16 personality types in 4 fields of traits and dynamics. The first letter is either I (Introvert) or E (Extrovert). What this means is not whether they’re sociable. I myself can be very friendly and outgoing. However, at a big social gathering with lots of strangers, I feel uncomfortable and would rather stay close to someone I know. Thus, I am an Introvert. The second qualifiers are N (Intuitive) or S (Observant). Intuitive types think about the world in the abstract and what could be rather than what is. Observant types see the world for what it is and take the world more literally, focusing more on the present than daydreaming about what might be. The third category is T (Thinking) or F (Feeling). Do they act more on logic or emotion? Do they lead more with their head or their heart? Thinkers tend to plan ahead while Feelers tend to act first. Thinkers are more practical while Feelers are more empathetic. Finally, we reach J (Judging) vs P (Prospecting). Judging types are orderly, procedural, predictable, and well-structured. Prospecting types live on a whim doing whatever feels right in the moment and meeting challenges when they arise. So based on these traits, I would have to label Sam an ISTP type. She’s a loner so she’s not going to like large groups or put her trust in others. She’s in a bleak and realistic situation, so she’s probably not going to have her head in the clouds if she wants to survive. Being a thief and sneak is going to require some forethought, and being able to overrule emotion with logic. And because she’s probably always on the move, she can’t really let herself fall into routine. This may be her most balanced trait, as there would likely need to be a lot of judging in order to look out for herself, but I feel that due to the unpredictable state of her life, she can’t really rely on structure and order. So now that you’ve learned what your character’s Myers-Briggs personality is, it’s time to figure out what that means. But while there are plenty of websites that have tried to paint out exactly what each trait could mean, I personally found a lot of value in videos put out by IDRlabs on Youtube that all follow the format of ISTP in 5 minutes. They use cute little cartoon cut outs to explain in a dry but informative way how a personality type works best when problem solving, figuring something out, how they go about putting their trust in others if they do at all, etc. I recently sorted one of my own characters as an INFJ, and their video helped me figure out when he’d seek the advice of others and when he would seclude himself to try and work through problems on his own, which I found to be very useful.

FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

The four Temperaments or the Four Humors is a construct straight out of Ancient Greece, and was even still upheld in Medieval Europe. It was believed that these personality types were actually caused by contents of the body, and that letting out certain fluids would change one’s temperament. Those being Choleric (Yellow Bile) Sanguine (blood) Melancholic (Black Bile) and Phlegmatic (Phlegm). Cholerics are aggressive leaders who charge into danger, but can be bossy dictators. Sanguines are jolly and cheerful, if not a little immature. Melancholics are reflective artists, but can be aloof and worrisome. Phlegmatic are calm and level-headed mediators, but can be shy and meek. Fun fact, in Medieval medicine, women were always supposed to be Phlegmatic, and being too much of the other three meant she must have been unbalanced and it was time to call the doctor to come bleed her or pull out some bile so that she could return to normal. TV Tropes has a page listing all the different associated traits, and some do overlap so it’s a good idea to arrange these into a graph. It’s also worth noting that unlike other personality tests, this one is not so much about just picking one. Everyone has all 4 types inside of them, it’s more a question of how these traits rank in order of relevancy to one’s personality. For Sam, I would say that she’s primarily Choleric with that aggressive drive to survive, followed by a stoic and reflective Melancholic, a compassionate Phlegmatic, and then at the bottom a jovial Sanguine.

HOGWARTS HOUSE

Everyone already knows this one, I don’t really need to explain it. But if you’re not sure where a character would be sorted, Mawrti on Youtube made videos for Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff that sort multiple fandom characters into houses and have much longer lists of character traits to really help you get a feel for where your character belongs. While I don’t agree with every sorting myself, I still think it’s a useful guide. For Sam, I’d say she’s a Slytherin. She doesn’t have time to let emotion cloud her actions, and she does what she feels is necessary in the name of self-preservation. It doesn’t mean she’s heartless, it just means she knows when to set emotion aside and do what needs to be done. Slytherins understand that sometimes completing the goal is more important than sparing someone’s feelings.

AVATAR ELEMENT

Water is the element of change. It is the element of adaptability and balances offense with defense, able to turn one into the other. Water follows the path of least resistance, spreading in every direction until it finds the shortest and quickest route to the sea. The people of the Water Tribe use wolf symbolism frequently in their culture, as they are focused on the benefit of the group rather than the individual which is crucial for surviving in their arctic home. Earth is the element of substance and defiance. Its people are determined, stubborn, and unyielding. Their spirit and will is as solid as the very earth they bend. Earth benders are hard to rattle, and when something goes wrong, they’ll dust themselves off and push forward. Rather than avoiding obstacles, they ride it out and overcome. Fire is the element of Will. Firebending is the act of taking ones desires and willing them into affect. Firebenders are passionate, ambitious, and merciless in pursuit of goals. They have the foresight to envision what they want to achieve and the drive to make it happen. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads value peace, harmony, and oneness with nature. They are pacifistic, valuing spirituality and mediating tensions between the other three elements. But they can also be too detached, avoiding problems and running away from responsibilities rather than dealing with them. Sam is tricky because she has the drive to survive and accomplish this goal of a Firebender, the resilience and fortitude of an Earthbender, and the adaptability of a Waterbender. However, I would ultimately rule that she is a Firebender, as she is most heavily characterized by her will to live and overcome by any means necessary.

ZODIAC SIGN

There are multiple websites dedicated to this stuff, so I won’t really bother to go into it here. But something I personally enjoy doing is combining Zodiacs with alchemy ideas to decide someone’s “Core Element” as I like to call it. What I mean is that each Zodiac basically comes with 3 elements. Each Zodiac itself is tied to Water, Earth, Fire, or Air. Each season is tied to an element as well. Spring is Air, Summer is Fire, Autumn is Earth, and Winter is Water, at least in Medieval alchemy. And each zodiac is aligned with a celestial body, each of which is also tied to an element. Combine this with the 4 Temperaments: Phlegmatic (Water), Melancholic (Earth), Choleric (Fire), and Sanguine (Air); and with Harry Potter Houses: Slytherin (Water), Hufflepuff (Earth), Gryffindor (Fire), and Ravenclaw (Air); and the Avatar element you gave them and the element that appears the most frequently across the board is their true “Core Element”. For Sam, I would say that she is a Scorpio. Scorpio is a Water sign starting in November. Sept, Oct, and Nov are the three Autumnal months, so she’s seasonally Earth. Neptune and Pluto sort of both rule Scorpio. Neptune is Water aligned and Pluto is Earth aligned. She’s Choleric, a Slytherin, and a Firebender. Her final element tally would come to: Water (3), Earth (2), and Fire (2). Thus her core element is Water.

GAME OF THRONES PLAY STYLE

Each of the houses in Game of Thrones tend to play the game differently. House Stark are the honorable rule-followers. They keep their oaths, and are very traditional. They bow to the way things are, and tend to die because of this honor. They only start to thrive when they break this honor system and play the game like the rest of Westeros. Their words Winter Is Coming implies a readiness to face hard times, and a determination to survive as a group. A single wolf hunting alone in Winter is far less likely to survive. House Lannister is about upward mobility and maintaining their place. They are cunning and manipulative, able to play the chess game to put themselves into positions of power and influence. But that can also be a corrupting force. Their words Hear Me Roar speak to their ferocity, and their sigil of the lion showcases that with them, Family is about the survival of the pride. But that word pride is also a major flaw of the house, and their pride is one of their biggest detriments. House Tyrell strikes a balance between the two. Like the Starks, House Tyrell is unified with a genuine familial love for one another, like branches of a tree that all share the same roots. Like House Lannister, the Tyrells know when it its time for sweet honeyed words, and when it is time to wrap a thorny vine around their enemy’s throat. Their words of Growing Strong implies that they tend the garden of their schemes and they reap what they sow. They have an eye for the long game and the patience of a gardener to bring that plan to blossom. The exact counter is House Grayjoy, who take what others have made for their own. They are as hard as iron and as cold as the salty sea. They are raiders who take what they must to survive. Their words We Do Not Sow speaks to this willingness to take what is not theirs by right and reflects the pirate and viking origins they get their historical basis from. House Targaryen is the near extinct house of Daenerys, characterized by Machiavellian strategy, cunning, and a merciless iron fist to opposition of authority. While Danny fights for just causes, yelling and burning is a primary method of dealing with her problems, and her stubborn pride causes her to be unreasonable and arogant at times, especially when she was the Queen of Meereen. House Baratheon are really better soldiers than politicians. They make better walls than scholars, and have a temper about them. It is only Renly, who lacks many of the Baratheon traits, who is a genuinely fitting politician. Their words Ours is the Fury speaks to their aggression and wartime tactics. Their sigil of the deer is fitting not only as the king of the forest, but that deer fight a lot among themselves during mating season. Frankly, I don’t know the playstyles of House Martell, Tully, or Arryn. They’re smaller houses in the narrative of the show. If you want to know more, check out their house symbolism videos on Youtube. As far as Sam goes, I think she’s a Grayjoy. Not necessarily looking to claim the Iron Throne, just working to keep herself alive no matter who she has to hurt to do so.

SENSE OF HUMOR

Everyone has some sense of humor. Some have more than one. But the kinds of things they find funny says a lot about the kind of person they are.

Sarcasm (snide remarks, usually pessimistic. Think Daria.)

Irreverent (nothing is sacred, anything can be made fun of. Think Family Guy)

Toilet/Low-Brow humor (bathroom and sex jokes, think Teen Titans Go!)

Gross-out Humor (comedy from making people cringe at the disgusting nature of what they’re seeing.)

Slapstick (physical comedy, laughing at pain. Think Three Stooges)

Satire (parodying and mocking other things, often centered on a theme or running gag. Think South Park.)

Social Commentary (An exaggerated or satirical jab at real world issues facing the modern world at the time the product was made.)

Dry Humor (often pairs with Sarcasm, it’s a witty remark that’s often either a veiled, subtle, or clever jab at someone or something. Think Olenna and Tyrion in Game of Thrones.)

Dark Comedy (humor that comes from joking about a dark subject matter, or making light of a serious topic. can overlap with self-deprecating humor and aggressive comedy.)

Wholesome (jokes that don’t make fun of or belittle anything to make the joke. Think knock-knock jokes.)

Vaudevillian (comedy that often comes in the form of routines or running gags. Coyote and Roadrunner, Bugs and Elmer, and Tom & Jerry are all examples of Vaudeville style comedy routines.)

Self-Deprecating (comedy at one’s own expense.)

Pranks/ Deprecating (comedy at someone else’s expense)

Aggressive (comedy aimed at telling jokes that would upset certain types of people, often with little regard for how they’d respond. Think Ron White or Lewis Black.)

Sight Gag (comedy that is found in facial expressions, costumes, etc. Looney Tunes is a master of expressive sight gags, and Monty Python is no stranger to costume gags.)

Situational (comedy that comes from telling real life events where something funny happened. Think Gabriel Iglesias.)

Pop Culture Reference (jokes that acknowledge other works. Often overlaps with parody or in-universe play-on-word. Think Bojack Horseman.)

Torture Porn/Butt Monkey (comedy focused around torturing and kicking around a single person repeatedly, even when they didn’t do anything to prompt just comeuppance. Think Jerry Smith on Rick & Morty or Squidward in later seasons of Spongebob Squarepants.) 

Conversing with the Camera (fourth wall breaking jokes that recognize the media that the story is set in. Ed Edd ‘n’ Eddy and Chowder both used this type of joke a lot.)

Once you’ve completed this step and have a solid idea of your character’s personality, it’ll be time to move on to motivations and character traits, but that’s for a later post.

[duchessofostergotlands]

As someone in the charity sector do you have any advice for the average person looking to donate? What should we look for when determining if the money will actually help people in need. I’ve heard negative stories about Red Cross/Salvation Army & other night names but during tragedies they’re the names everyone mentions to donate to! I want to help but don’t sure the best place to start.

Hello :) This is a very interesting question. I remember volunteering in Calais at the refugee camp and being shocked that MSF were the only major NGO there. The Red Cross weren’t there even though all their adverts made out like they were. Everything was done by local or small scale refugee groups like L’Auberge des Migrants while MSF provided medical services. 

A few years ago, people really didn’t pay much attention to which charities they supported. It tended to be based on name recognition. In recent years people have become much more conscious but I still think there are completely massive misunderstandings about how charities operate and what is helpful. I’m going to do a few bullet points I hope are helpful!

If you are interested in providing funding after something like a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis I personally would not give money to a major organisation. I would try and find the local groups on the ground. That might even mean searching news articles and google in foreign languages or putting a call out on social media. These organisations are not well funded, they are much better at understanding and supporting local need, and they don’t usually have the same entrenched issues major NGOs in the development or aid fields have like the culture of exploitation Oxfam have had to deal with. 

If you’re interested in a more chronic problem which requires a societal or generational shift I think funding bigger organisations is a better approach, personally, because they have contacts and influence smaller charities don’t have. They can often pick up a phone and be in contact with a government minister which small charities just can’t do. 

Don’t rely on what you think a charity does. There is a major organisation I won’t name who get a fuck ton of funding because people have been helped by local branches. What they don’t realise is that the national branch and the local branches are all totally separate legal entities who do different things and essentially are charity franchises. That national body makes its money from people’s misunderstanding, from people who want to give back to a local charity that helped them but don’t realise that charity will never see a penny of the donation. Visit their website, check out their annual reports, and find out what they actually do every day. Then you can see if it aligns with what you value

 Read the small print. If it’s important to you to know that your money is going towards a certain cause or project, this is a really important thing. So for example, a lot of people who are part of Sponsor a Child programmes think that their money goes towards that child. In reality they could be using the same child for 100 different people and the money goes towards projects supporting similar children. That doesn’t make it bad, it’s more efficient tbh, but it may mean people feel cheated if they thought they were really the only one connecting with this child. I think this also plays in to impact figures. Every charity lies about their impact. It’s just a reality. But if you look at the small print or dig deeper in their reporting and accounts you can see how they arrived at that figure. 

How do they portray the people they support- this is a big one for me, especially in the international development world but none of us are immune. I will not donate to organisations if I see them engage in what we call “poverty porn.” Essentially it’s the adverts you see where little African babies are shown with their ribs visible, crying, maybe a fly lands on their face, a sad voice over talking about how Kwame cries for days in his mother’s arms. When I see those adverts it makes me wonder whether they had Kwame’s mum sign a consent form like they would have to for a kid here. Does she know that her baby is as a poster child for malnutrition and suffering? They perpetuate the idea that African people are a homogenous mass of starving, voiceless people and that’s not true. And even those who are starving are also people with human dignity. If I’m going to donate to an organisation I look at their branding and advertising and the way they talk about their target population and think “would I be ok being talked about this way?” If not, I won’t donate. You could go even further and see if they have Participation/Involvement groups where service users can feed into their work, do they have any of their service users on their board etc. An organisation that works exclusively in Africa having 100% of their board being White Brits is a red flag. 

Unrestricted funding- I talk about this all the time to anyone who will let me haha. A lot of times people will judge based on the amount of money that goes straight to service users. You hear all sorts of drama about how only 7p from every 10p goes to service users etc etc. But the thing is everyone wants to fund that 7p and if you’re an ambitious organisation you cannot even spend that 7p if you don’t have the other 3p. So for example my salary is part of that 3p. But if I was the one who did the application and got us the 10p in the first place, we wouldn’t have that 7p to spend on service users if we didn’t have that 3p. We also have HR people whose job is to do background checks to make sure people legally can work for us. That keeps children and families safe. If we didn’t spend part of that 3p on them, the 7p we spend on children could fund salaries of dangerous predators or people who aren’t qualified. Unrestricted funding is really really valuable and most charities would rather have a smaller donation that’s unrestricted than a larger one that’s project specific. So if you see those things and think “only 80% of their funding goes directly to service users?” remember that the other 20% is really really valuable too. 

I’m not really sure where to put this and it may be more relevant for major funding organisations rather than individuals but let’s go with “not all charity is created equal.” I have a colleague who runs a charity supporting kids in Africa and he was talking about how projects often don’t consider the real world ramifications of their funding. The example he gave is a charity that provides computers to schools in African villages. What they forgot is most of those places they were donating to don’t have internet access. So they spent a lot of money to give people fairly useless computers instead of looking at how they could ensure that connectivity first. Look at why they’re doing the things they’re doing. Ask them if they have evidence, where they got the idea from, have they tested it?

[divisibleby12]

Explorations of Samurai Champloo and why Fuu is the strongest character (in my opinion)

It’s such a powerful story: chance, luck, journey, your blood family and the family that you choose... your past, and almost one-shot or “drabbles” where each episode is some random adventure that doesn’t “flow,” but it does... in how in these random adventures, their friendship grows, each character grows, and they get one step closer to finding forgiveness, or redemption... peace from their past... so that each of the can move forward, on their own… “back to where they started.” It’s a very realistic take on life (even when it’s not). And because of the friendships and memories they created none them of the same anymore at the end. I find myself repeatingly being drawn back to Samuria Champloo—when I find myself back at a “forkway” in my own life—when I am sentimental about the goodbyes I have had to say, but also trying my best to move forward.... like Fuu, Mugen, and Jin.

1. Each character, in his or her own way, are somehow rebelling against the government. They refuse to obey in one way or another, rejecting the written rules that society has created. And yet Jin and Mugen are held to a some wisp of a young lady by an individual sense of duty they can’t ignore—a promise held down only through spoken word and understanding. When you really think about it, its almost ridiculous: Jin and Mugen are both two extremely powerful and dangerous men who have only relied on their own ability, strength, and words for survival. They both, for their own different reasons, reject the arbitrary rules and standards this new changing society is being built on... and yet, they are held to an innocent teenage girl by nothing more than a “pinky promise.” Furthermore, we are are constantly reminded of the importance connections and ties of family or groups, and yet in a world that money and contracts (written word) is increasingly becoming important, Jin, Mugen, and Fuu, who owe absolutely nothing to each other and aren’t family, are put through life and death experiences, and are delicately held together only by spoken word and understanding—by a pinky promise. It’s almost comical, and that’s espeically true in Mugen’s case (explored and more starkly highlighted in the episode where Mugen’s past is confronted). But that’s extremely powerful too, in a world in and age where only the written rules or words matter, here are people who still trying to do the right thing... abide by the unspoken rules of honor, duty, and virtue... even if for the initial reasons may be somewhat misguided or selfish. 

2. Which brings us to the dynamic and growth of each character. Mugen and Jin are opposites; Mugen is the anti-hero and Jin is the traditional hero... the “perfect samurai.” So of course they hate each other; they each represent to each other what they despise or hate about the world. Jin believes in order, rules, and structure (although he rejects this new society where honor means nothing), and Mugen rejects society and all its rules because he’s the “lowest of the low;” he has no place in society so he forces his way through. And then there is Fuu, not a samurai herself, but the daughter of a samurai. And she’s the youngest, and the “weakest,” but also have the strongest heart. She isn’t tied down by titles or rules and from the beginning, never judges other by their title, appearances, or past: she has an open-mindedness that Mugen and Jin don’t have.  No matter how much they try, both Mugen and Jin are still tied down by society and it’s rules... Mugen because he can never have a place, and Jin because he doesn’t know what his place is anymore. Mugen, no matter how hard he tries, cannot bring himself up... branded by his tattoos and his past. And you can see that through their dynamics. Jin is ironically, although the most quiet, is also the most honest (I owe this to his upbringing; he was trained to put emotions aside so his skills could progress, devoting one self completely to a cause greater than yourself. That doesn’t just happen; that comes only with hardwork and devotion). Mugen and Fuu are on the other hand, are much more emotional, with Mugen being the most dishonest; that although he is rather dumb and simple (where his actions always reveal what he is really feeling), he never actually speaks those truths. Mugen is brash and angry, bringing chaos wherever he goes... but that speaks to the hurt he is carrying.... hurt that he won’t ever admit to... maybe doesn’t even realize he is carrying (since that’s all he knows). Society rejects him, so he rebels through actions and chaos; forcing their acknowledgement, even if its scorn; kill or be killed. Fuu is dishonest too, but that is because she is young, immature, and scared. But she grows, and because of her heart and care, faces those fears and herself as well. 

3. Which brings me back to Fuu. Fuu represents, to me, the power and hope of our youth. She’s not tied down by the same things the boys are; instead, she must struggle with how to bring forward the values of the samurai-- honor and a strong sense of duty-- into this new world. But she is young... and alone. She doesn’t have the same skills the boys do... so she must provide for herself another way: by asking for help and rely on others. And to many, that would be defined as weak, but that’s actually why I believe she is the strongest character. At every turn, she literally gambles her life on the whim of others... and she’s scared. It’s why she constantly nags them, and is so annoying (prompting them to abandon her at the beginning)-- she knows they could leave at any time. Her own blood father abandoned her and her mother... and her mother is died; she is no stranger to being left behind. And here she is, two strangers tied to her only with a flimsy promise that she helped save their lives once. She knows it’s a gamble, and due to her youth, can’t help but complain about it or get into throwing petty arguments at them. She’s insecure and scared, and she desperately doesn’t want them to leave her, but if her own mother and father left her... well... I think she knows this reality deeper than any of them. She’s pragmatic, although a bit crazy, and forgives extremely easily... being both selfish but never really caring about herself at the same time. 

You see this when the first time they left her and they’re reunited at the brothel. Instead of scolding them for leaving her -- no use really -- she scolds them for not remember their promise not to kill each other. But it’s not Jin that comes back and saves the day.... it’s Mugen.... Mugen ,the “anti-hero.” Mugen, who has a flashback of her, and can’t ignore her, for whatever reason: honestly, their “duty” has probably already been fulfilled when they saved her the first time... thus the reason why Jin probably doesn’t save her (no need?). But Mugen relies on his instincts, and something about her he couldn’t ignore. Maybe it’s stubbornness... of never having to get by without any help from anyone, and here is some little bitch who decided to help him (psft, he doesn’t need her and refuses to be in debt to anyone), or because too... of who she was.. because of her overwhelming kindness and even bravery... and we see how she forgives people over and over for unforgivable things. And Mugen... deep downs... I think wants to be forgiven too... to be given a place.. to be cared for. And Fuu forges a place for both men; both men who were lost and passive... just... going with the flow, but Fuu, even though she was scared, took action, and took them along with her by sheer will. She saved them... even if they were the ones always saving her. 

For Fuu was never afraid to speak up for what was right. Mugen had no means to “speak up” except to well… kill. Jin had no means either, except to protect the weak against corrupt lords and government. But it didn’t necessarily change much; still stuck and lost. But Fuu’s determination to never back down, and with the two protecting her, making sure her voice of justice didn’t (literally) die… maybe still, in the end, didn’t dramatically bring any change… it didn’t bring down the government or anything… but it did change them. It gave them all the courage and the ability to face and reconcile with their pasts. And throughout their whole journey… they were able to bring small changes and victories throughout the different places and people they touched… and that does, in the end, make a difference… even if it’s just small grain in the sand… but it’s still something. And Mugen... found peace... and even forgiveness... the “anti-hero” who ended up being the hero who helped Fuu complete her mission of meeting the samurai who smelled like sunflowers (while Jin was there to help clean up the remaining mess). Mugen didn’t believe he was worthy... for all his bark and fighting back, he was insecure too... no room for forgiveness.. that he was unloveable. But Fuu... believed in him, gave up her own selfishness so Mugen didn’t have to be alone (because they all understood each other quite well at the end). That was Mugen, and even Jin’s... way of thanking her, and giving her back love. Jin would have stayed with her; he would have been content with that I think. Maybe he didn’t find a master or lord to serve... didn’t find a cause to serve... but he found friends... and thus found a new definition of “how to serve.” Mugen, who never obeyed anyone, and never ruling over anyone else... willingly choose to sacrifice, willingly choose to listen to others...  isn’t that love? And Fuu... who never tried to bend others to her will... she just accepted, let her own heart grow instead of trying to change others; let go of control, and ultimately... letting go of that control is what gave her freedom, I think.. to just accept others for who they are. And that acceptable, in the end, saved them all, I think. They were stronger together (when the boys rather just believe they could be strong on their own) and Mugen and Jin would have never been able to understand or see that, if it was not for Fuu.... bringing them together. 

And just like in real life… may be we don’t always live to see how justice plays out… and we come to say goodbyes to the ones we love. But those small changes stay with us... and it makes us all stronger, as we move forward with the blood family we had no choice with, with the family & friends & actions we choose, and love throughout this journey.  

[goblin-gardens]

Gob Or Not? An Extremely Scientific Examination Of The Mighty Nein

A couple weeks ago, as an attempt to lure my friend Grim into Critical Role, I made a Goblin Inventory of the M9. this post is an updated survey of the team, slightly reformatted, mostly to be more accurate to my current understanding of the characters (as of Episode 58) and also funnier.

Abstract:

The goals of the initial report were two-fold. First, to examine the differences between being a member of the goblin species and Being Goblin, and second to determine whether Nott The Brave was truly the most Goblin of the group. The first findings showed that Nott scored a 40 out of 77 on the Goblin Scale, not an especially high score and far from the highest in the group. While the conclusions of this survey are not wildly different, the key to Science is repeating your experiments and coming up with not-exactly-identical findings, and doing this roughly a billion times and then you can say that you’re Probably Right (Most Of The Time).

The Goblin Quotient is determined by quantifying, on a scale of 0-11, how fully a person embodies each of the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Goblins. These are, 1) Collection Of Crap, 2) Chaos, 3) Minionhood, 4) Gooey Center, 5) Laser Pointer Focus, 6) Furious Devotion, and 7) Hideous Cackling.

the full text of this very serious academic paper is under the cut and not behind a paywall.

1) Collection Of Crap

Top scorer, Caleb Widogast As a wizard, Caleb has purposefully immersed himself in Collecting. He is constantly filling his pockets with spell components including, but by no means limited to, sulfur, molasses, honeycomb, bits of copper wire, and literal bat shit. it’s all just. in his pockets. being slimy. Other Caleb Collections include: Books, Paper, Friends, Magic, and Pain. unfortunately, he still has not collected a fantasy therapist to help him KonMari some of it into healthier boxes. Nott’s new form has upped her Collecting habits, but this is a fundamental hobby of Veth’s. This quells some uncertainty about how much of this is truly Her. turns out, lots! (Runners up: Jester, with the animals and haversack of holding, Nott, with the buttons. Special mention: Fjord, with his balls.) Lowest Scorer, Yasha: a 6 of 11 ain’t shabby, but it’s not much compared to the others. This might be due to her having had less screen time, but she does tend to travel light.

Trait The Second) Chaos.

Top scorer, Jester Lavorre: The M9 are a pretty Chaotic group, but Jester is the only one who’s built a religion out of chaos. She’s a high priestess of drawing dicks on things. Her magic powers come from a divine mandate to fuck shit up. Pets (to which she has added Yarnball) up the chaos meter, and their virtually indestructible plot armor means they’re not going anywhere execpt maybe home wth Yeza. In general, Jester’s childhood in the Lavish Chateau was sort of like a pandora’s jack in the box getting wound tighter and tighter and tighter past all physical comprehension, and though the lid has been lifted, the spring is only just starting to sproing. we haven’t even reached the Zenith yet! After seeing some more of Veth and Yeza, it’s clear they’re not the most sedate of couples. Some eyebrows have definitely gotten singed in the Brenatto lab. However, since they aren’t the ones who burned it to the ground, a bit of Safe Science Techniques have to at least be assumed. (Runner up: Molly, with the egg dick incident) Lowest scorer, Beau: She’s not settling down, but she is… settling. Beau does her share of the check-ins, and has made the highest number of Agreements To Not Be Assholes Together. She might be in the running for mom friend??

C) Minionhood.

Top scorer, Fjord “No-Name” Swordvjore. In CR, goblins are not often leaders. They will work together to target weaker and easy opponents, but aren’t typically masterminds. They aren’t prone to individual heroism and rarely, if ever, go out of their way to save a friend. In their villages, little value is placed on familial relationships or education, they’re not big team players, and everyone has a terrible sense of humor. So how does Fjord factor into this? By showing the other side of the coin, like how tactics that don’t rely on using yourself as canon fodder are more successful, or like how the power of friendship and diverse skill sets makes your team stronger. Nott is not much of a follower, though she is an aggressive supporter. Though both these green kids were outcasts when they were younger, finding love with Yeza, stating a family and running a business has given Veth a strong sense of what she wants, and it’s not to be a leader or a follower. (runners up: Caduceus Clay, committed WildMinion and Jester, Travelerite) Lowest scorer, Caleb Widogast. He’s had his brush with Minionhood and the further and safer from it he feels, the more he wants revenge.

Four) Gooey Center Top scorer, Yasha Nydoorin. The Gooey Center is protected by a spiky, brittle, intimidating, crunchy, and/or off putting exterior.  Yasha is our big, scary, tenderhearted wlw. our giant soft-hearted, angelic, full-of-boiling-murderous-rage, lightning-punching, funeral-not-having runaway who loves her wife and makes us cry. she shaves her arms with her sword. she uses books in non-traditional ways. she vanishes into the night sometimes in a very mysterious and tragic manner. she is our most Romantic player character, and she is super ripped and super queer, which are all aspirational goblin qualities. in practice, most goblins connect with their gooey center by being squished by someone like Yasha, maybe with a giant hammer. Nott does more to protect others’ feelings than her own, really. Poking at her sore spots makes her stab at yours, but she’s pretty up front about how she feels. When actually fighting, she’s proven to be pretty adept at not being hit. (runners up: Caleb, glass canon with a very crunchy exterior, Fjord, known horc twunk, Caducues, mystery boy, and Molly, who rudely showed us just how how close that center can be to the surface) Lowest scorer: Nott! She’s actually…. Relatively well adjusted? Has emotional intelligence?

5️⃣) Laser Pointer Focus Top scorer: Caduceus Clay. Related to Minionhood, this is the aspect of Goblinry that the leader uses to achieve goals. the dogged focus of a True Goblin is powerful and direct, but can be redirected with the proper pressure or leadership, or lost when a cause or leader is not compelling enough or doesn’t provide adequate payment. the Laser Pointer Focus has an investigatory aspect as well, gathering little bits of info from every which way in moments, though the information gathered is rarely put to use immediately. Caduceus, who sees all but doesn’t always act on it, and is content to support the Nein and follow their meandering path to his goal, checks many of these boxes. Nott knows exactly what she wants in life, which is her old life. She knows how to get it, which is to keep Caleb alive until he can learn a powerful enough spell. The difference between her pursuit of her goal and Caduceus’s lies in the fact that this isn’t a Hero’s Quest for her, with no Tests of Character or Symbolic Goals set or arbitrated by an outside force. (runners up: Fjord, spiritually chasing a laser pointer at all times, Jester, whose laser pointer always points at chaos. Special mention: Frumpkin) Lowest scorer: Beau. Maybe she’s still figuring out what her driving forces are. She knows what they aren’t, but Not Being The Same Type Of Shitty As My Dad isn’t a full thesis. She’s dedicated to protecting her friends, but until we see exactly what it is that she defines herself in opposition to (ie. get that sweet sweet Loregard) her intentions might remain a bit fuzzy around the edges.

VI) Furious Devotion Top scorer: Beauregard Lionett. Also going hand in hand with Minionhood (Minionhood has two hands), this is the trait that makes goblins actually willing to die in battle against adventurers and town guards and shit. It doesn’t require any comfort with or willingness to follow authority, it’s the more feral side of love that is reigned in by Minionhood in true Goblins. this is the part of the Goblin that drives the Collecting of Crap because it genuinely loves all the shit it finds. Beau is a prime example of this trait, especially because as she gets more and more invested in a person or ideal, her willingness to let go, even in the face of likely death, decreases dramatically. see episode 55 for reference, among others. she also has a rather Goblinish inability to effectively communicate the depths of her feelings, though this is sort of an aspect of her defense of her Gooey Center and something she’s actively working on. Now here’s something Nott’s got. So much love. More love than can be contained by one family. Angry love, protective love, throw-all-the-dishes-on-the-floor-in-a-pile love. Draw the dragon’s attention so her friend she’s had for less than a day can get away love. She can and will sacrifice herself for the people she cares about. (runners up: Nott, whomst loves, Yasha, very good at using the Fury to pursue the Devotion, Jester, whose love is so powerful it brings people back from the dead, and Caleb, even less able to discuss his feelings than Beau) Lowest scorer: Fjord. This does NOT mean he doesn’t love his friends, or that he’s not sometimes very angry, but they aren’t connected. He’s still keeping everyone at arm’s length, tbh. Again, this is something that will be easier to judge with more backstory.

and finally 7) Hideous Cackling Top Score: Mollymauk Tealeaf. This is what a Goblin does when surveying their Collection of Crap and the Chaos they have caused. This is how they communicate with fellow Minions in the know, how they react to seeing someone else’s Gooey Center, to catching the Laser Pointer. This is the easiest way to express their feelings of Devotion. The Hideous Cackle of a True Goblin is un-selfconscious and entirely for the benefit of the Cackler. Cackling Hideously is an act of self love. You can find your goblin group by listening to the Discordant Chorus made by Cackling together, and when you’re all reveling in the cacophony, there you are. It’s a little hedonistic and a little punk and a little queer, disregarding conventional expectations of beauty or family or polite behavior, and all about diving deep into the things that you are and the things that make you happy. An extremely Molly philosophy, truth be told. Nott Cackles, sometimes. More since Yeza is back. Unclear whether this arc ending in safe Brenatto Boys will leave her more prone to Cackling, or if she’ll miss them and be too sad :( (runner up: Jester, gleeful agent of chaos) Lowest scorers: Caleb and Fjord. Part of their higher charisma is being careful with their words and presentation. A truly Hideous Cackle doesn’t have time to be self conscious.

And now, the rankings themselves!

Nott The Brave Collection of Crap– So. Many. Buttons.  10/11 Chaos– FLUFFERNUTTERRRRRRRRRR!  8/11 Minionhood– Eh. She’s more of a supporter than a follower.  3/11 Gooey Center–  She’s not particularly secretive about her feelings or opinions 4/11 Laser Pointer Focus–  Her main goals are all inwardly motivated and have not changed during the campaign.  3/11 Furious Devotion– Her love is extremely powerful.  10/11 Hideous Cackling– Reunited with her husband, she has felt freer to Cackle, she also seems to appreciate her current job a lot  6/11 total score: 44/77

Caleb Collection of Crap– keeps everything in his pockets except for his cat, which is in his heart.  11/11 Chaos– Absolutely creates it, and is starting to revel in it.  6/11 Minionhood– Formerly a Minion, he is now hellbent on the destruction of the System. Good for him.  0/11 Gooey Center– Easily smashed by any large or medium-sized hammer, but maintains staunch denial of inner Gooeyness.  8/11 Laser Pointer Focus– Has goal, will travel. Difficult to redirect.  5/11 Furious Devotion– Slow to accept his own devotion, but very committed once he has.  10/11 Hideous Cackling– Having friends and talking about his feelings is good for him. He’s getting better at this. 3/11 total score: 43/77

Yasha Collection of Crap– A whole book of pressed flowers!  6/11 Chaos– She doesn’t really revel in it :/.  5/11 Minionhood-- Serves a higher power and follows along the decisions of others in the group, even when not super enthused about them, like going to Xhorhas.  8/11 Gooey Center– All the Gooeyer for being well protected, and though her emotional walls are not the most formidable in the party, the amount of protected feeling was unexpected  11/11 Laser Pointer Focus– Loyal to two guides, the Stormlord and the M9, though the Stormlord can pull her easily away from the group.  9/11 Furious Devotion– Very very angry.  10/11 Hideous Cackling– Could stand to be a bit more open about it.  4/11 Total score: 53/77

Fjord Collection of Crap– Collection is limited in scope and volume, but high in Strangeness.  8/11 Chaos– a troublemaker, for sure and certain.  7/11 Minionhood– Literally A Minion right now, summons demonic minions on occasion.  11/11 Gooey Center– Desperately wants somebody, anybody, to tell him he’s doing a Good Job. Adamantly refuses to admit that.  8/11 Laser Pointer Focus– this man cannot resist pushing buttons, be they physical, emotional, or likely to end the word.  10/11 Furious Devotion– He is angry, but it’s not focused. To get more points here, he needs to be less angry at himself.  3/11 Hideous Cackling– too self conscious! loosen up! needs to Cackle in his own voice.  3/11 total score: 50/77

Beau Collection of Crap– Wants to know everything, is building a family. Some points lost for minimalist monk aesthetic.  8/11 Chaos– Aspiring member of Nott the Best Detective Agency, punches people to learn about them. BUT she is apparently a Voice Of Reason, which makes it harder. 4/11 Minionhood– would destroy me for even suggesting it.  1/11 Gooey Center– just! wants! everyone! to! get! along!  7/11 Laser Pointer Focus– Is becoming a moral compass?  2/11 Furious Devotion– JUST! WANTS! EVERYONE! TO! GET! ALONG!  11/11 Hideous Cackling– Tries too hard to be cool. Like yeah, she is cool, but she tries too hard to make sure people know.  5/11 total score: 38/77

Molly Collection of Crap– Behold the coat. 8/11 Chaos– He has that certain je ne se quois.  10/11 Minionhood– The Moonweaver in not a fan of her followers following anyone’s orders. also he has his own minions and doesn’t want them  3/11 Gooey Center-- Loves openly and without reservation. and also……………………  8/11 Laser Pointer Focus– Molly’s focus is loving his friends and knowing fuck all.  5/11 Furious Devotion– Found a tall sad lady and made his circus adopt her. gives money to orphans.  7/11 Hideous Cackling– Genuinely personified this action for two years.  11/11 total score: 52/77

Jester Collection of Crap– In addition to being the Holder Of The Bag, she also collects doughnuts and cool shit. While most of her random shit has potential uses, it’s also a whole lot of random shit. Some of its weasels.  10/11 Chaos– Spreading discord is a religious mandate for her. Her powers come from chaos.  11/11 Minionhood– A champion of the Yes And, she is more likely to voice her opinion of an existing plan than come up with her own. She is definitely a better minion than the Traveler’s other ONE.  10/11 Gooey Center– Physically well-defended, she has the luxury of wearing her heart on her sleeve. 6/11 Laser Pointer Focus– It might seem like she’s easily distracted, but that’s actually because her surface level attention is secondary. her primary goal is actually Fucking Shit Up, and she’s good at it. 7/11 Furious Devotion– Gets attached and does. not. let. go.  10/11 Hideous Cackling– The end goal of practically everything Jester does is Cackling With The Traveler, and she often succeeds.  10/11 total score: 64/77

Caduceus: Collection of Crap– Dude has a swarm of bugs living in his staff, and his backpack is full of tea.  8/11 Chaos– NOT a fan of stuff that disrupts the proper order of nature, but he is developing a wonderful and unique sense of humor. 5/11 Minionhood– Of all the M9, Caduceus has the strongest adherence to an ironclad and pre-written set of ethics and willingness to follow the path a greater power has laid out for him.  10/11 Gooey Center– Encourages everyone else to talk about their feelings, yet doesn’t talk about his own in the same way. Mysterious. 7/11 Laser Pointer Focus– Has a well-defined goal, but not a well defined path. 11/11 Furious Devotion-- You can’t be On A Quest To Save Your Home (And The World?) if you’re not devoted to your home. However we haven’t seen the fury? Structured devotion is different and not exactly Goblin. 5/11 Hideous Cackling– Cackling is a bit more intense than what he does, but he’s on the right track. 5/11 total score: 51/77

final ranking (out of 77)

38, Beau 👊

43, Caleb 🐱

44, Nott 🏹

50, Fjord 🗡️

51, Caduceus 🐞

52, Molly 🎴

53, Yasha ⚡

64, Jester 🦄

All in all, a pretty Goblin Group, and Nott, the only one who is physically a goblin, is not even in the middle of the pack. Clearly, true Goblin Spirit is something else all together. 

It seem that perhaps the True Goblin Was The Friends We Made Along The Way. also Jester.