#cultural relics are not to be messed with

[yuexuan]

[Review]文物不好惹

Title: 文物不好惹 Cultural relics are not to be messed with

Author: 木苏里

Length: 88 chapters

Tag: Modern, reincarnation, supernatural, fantasy

Summary [taken from novelupdates]:

Upon realizing that his degree in an unpopular field of study might present challenges in his job search, Qi Chen approached the task with a sense of apprehension. However, when he stumbled upon a recruitment post, he instantly sensed that something was amiss.

The job position advertised was for a Cultural Relics Restorer, but as Qi Chen read through the listed job requirements, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of confusion and disbelief.

The requirements were as follows:

1. Preference will be given to candidates who possess extensive knowledge of various metal antique restoration techniques.

2. Strong mental resilience and the ability to swiftly adapt to unexpected and surprising circumstances are highly desirable traits.

3. Candidates must possess the capacity to defend themselves and be comfortable with living life on the precipice (This requirement is of utmost importance).

Perplexed, Qi Chen couldn’t help but wonder about the perplexing final requirement, which seemed completely unconventional and out of place in the context of cultural relics restoration.

Novel | Novel [translated] | Audio drama

Comments *contains spoilers**

Qi Chen was hired as a cultural relic restorer and his first task was to restore an ancient sword. Turns out that the sword can transform into a temperamental human, and Qi Chen’s other office mates were cultural relics as well. 

Pulled into a world filled with ghosts, demons, and cultural relics that have come alive, Qi Chen found himself at the end of targeted attacks. Just what was the reason behind these attacks? What did they have to do with his past lives? And what was the sword’s - Long Ya’s - relationship with him?

A few highlights of the novel include:

The overall buildup of the mysteries surrounding Qi Chen’s background - at first glance, Qi Chen was just a normal restorer who was accidentally recruited into a company of non-humans and his reason for seeing ghosts and such was due to his unlucky birthdate. But overtime the story started revealing more about Qi Chen’s past lives and we realized that perhaps Qi Chen’s recruitment into the company was very much intentional and everything was set up from the start.

The tone of the novel was pretty light-hearted. Even though there was a bit of angst involving Qi Chen’s past lives, in general the novel focused more on the present time and the different cases Qi Chen and Long Ya solve. As someone sort of averse to angst for the sake of angst, I’m glad the novel avoided going too much into the drama of Qi Chen’s past lives. In addition, Long Ya’s interactions with the various clients and Qi Chen were also humorous and kept up the light-heartedness of the novel - his tempers would often get the better of him and he ended up threatening the clients as much as he threatened the villains.

Shortcomings

For all the build-up in mystery, the ending was pretty anti-climatic. The ‘antagonist’ ended up being a nobody that was quickly defeated. The main characters also found the solution to the problem relatively quickly and eradicated the darkness from the world quite easily.

[witchofthesouls]

Okay wait no culture clash: Soundwave and Ratchet both teaching the kids about Cybertonian history and Culture?? Can we PLEASE see some of that??

Ratchet is having back to back fits because nothing is going as planned, and he feels he made a deal with the devil or has been given a monkey's paw because he's getting his wishes in a really twisted way without even knowing there were active conditions.

He returned to Earth to watch on the place that held a special place in Optimus' spark as the rebuilding process is taking a different shape and he's too tired to carry that burden on his own, and found out it there were still Primal Artifacts and other weaponry from the Vaults on the planet.

The once teenage tagalongs are now adults that are continuing Team Prime's directives to collect them. They had sacrificed continuing higher education for the mission, and Ratchet couldn't stand that he already missed a portion of their lives that damn fast and how they're so nonchalant over not improving their own selves. Ratchet then found out that Raf, Jack, and Miko had literally spent lifetimes together as they traveled Elsewhere to secure Cybertronian relics that shaped their planet in some way or form. Not only grew up. They grew old in some of their ventures; delving deep into their Other heritages to ensure they could make it back in the right time.

The kids (because they're all kids to him, even if Raf has a beard) are still limited by an organic lifespan, and humans are shorter compared to other species, so Ratchet clucks over their health, and he counts the days when all he has left are their ghosts and dust. And then a Primal Artifact cyberforms them.

Of course, none of his kids are what the Autobots had thought their frames would be. They're all strange, otherworldly, and dangerous.

Miko is definitely a spitfire. But not a motorcycle or a tank. She's a full-framed War-Forged Seeker femme. She revels in her bloodthirst and dresses well in violence as her plating is a searing and hauntingly bright pink. Her helm has small horns, her mouth spilts wide, and she enjoys showing off rows and rows of serrated teeth with her unsettling optics brimming with tactical programs.

Raf isn't a mech with alt based on lab equipment or even suited towards data. He's something completely else. He's draconian, but not a Predacon, as that root-mode is something familiar to Ratchet. Raf is far more reptilian, even in root-mode. An elongated face with a snout. Teeth hanging over his bottom lip with thick ridges of pointed plates upon his crest to trail up to proper horns, long and notched. His brilliant boy still has the same eyes towards sciences with slitted pupils, and Raf is comfortable navigating around with and without a thick tail and has adapted well to his large hands with thick claws.

Jack seems the most normal. Seems. He could pass off a young mech - handsome with dark and glossy plates and the unique grey-tinged blue optics - but if you stare too long into those optics, strange shapes emerge. Ratchet thought he's some type of jet, but sometimes Ratchet spies wheels along his legs or sees how Jack's silhouette bulks or slims between beats. The hem of his armored coat curls or blends too well with shadows and fog that it's too difficult to tell where Jack is really at.

Soundwave got dragged into this mess via a deal with June Darby, who had traveled into the Shadow Zone because of Ratchet's off-handed commentary that the Decepticon TIC once tied with Megatron in the Pits.

It was the closest thing to help that the trio could receive, especially with their heritages becoming more active in their new bodies.

Miko's sea-yōkai bloodthirst had meld too well with War-Forged programs because they naturally feed into each other. She was starting to frenzy more often. The War-Forged monstrous durability and inability to disable locked mission priorities combined with the Jinja-hime/human hybrid hunting and magical capabilities produced a monstrosity on the field.

It doesn't help that Miko had long incorporated the Apex Armor into her style. Her constant tinkering and experimentation led her from piloting the entire thing to using it as a type of indestructible shield or reinforcement via a controlled surrounding body similar to Susanoo from Naruto.

Ratchet can't keep up. He doesn't have the endurance or the speed to withstand Miko's onslaught.

June could have taken them away, but they already knew how to function as human-based hybrids. The main issue was their new Cybertronian biology.

Ratchet is the most prominent medical expert of baseline Cybertronians, while Soundwave is a well-experienced close combat specialist in brutality and pitted against opponents known for overwhelming strength and voracious mech-hunters.

Ratchet will never admit he's territorial. He won't. He fucking is, though. And it clashes with Soundwave.

Part of it is the medical-programming quirks, but a lot of it is cultural.

Medics function on their own hierarchy, and Ratchet has been the Head for a really long time, serving several Primes, immense hospital networks, and his own clinic. No one had been able to shake him from his position.

He trained in Iacon's universities. Their higher education system fosters a deep sense of competition, alliances, and networks among their students, staff, alumni, and partnerships as the universities function as their own private settlements.

Soundwave, on the other hand, didn't have that kind of opportunity. Instead, his education is eclectic and self-driven since gladiatorial clades would provide martial classes and potential masters as sparkling recruits were a long-term investment, but much had to be clawed for as resources were given to those with the most potential.

Ratchet is used to working with someone who already has all the groundwork and needs experience and refinement into their specialty as well as being the main authority over their journey. While Soundwave is familiar with training groups in various skills levels or backgrounds along with other mentors at the side. An inductee could buy protection services from a mentor, but all are subjected to the management of the clades.

So Ratchet has classical training and education, whereas Soundwave had taken his education through other means.

It doesn't help that there are language differences as well, and Miko is trying to bridge Pit Kaonite and Iaconic together because she's simultaneously learning both. And that Miko with her newfound Cybertronian medical knowledge is becoming a new level of menace.

Since Jasper trio had delved deep into their Other heritage as well. Their respective lineages had followed them through the conversion, and that's a whole other can of fuckery. However, there are cultural misunderstandings as the former humans are okay with stripping down to bare protoform for whatever reasons.

Ratchet, as a medical frame, has been part of the middle-upper castes, so he does carry a lot of those sensibilities. Similar to what Alpha Trion did with a Wastelands mech that would become Orion Pax, Ratchet tried to soothe out those rougher or unpalatable edges but in a more gentle and far less invasive sense, like shifting from talons and claws to blunted edges when not in combat and careful not to show too much fangs when smiling. Contain, contain, contain, is the Iaconic cultural norm.

Soundwave cares little for Iacon's false civility, but the trio does fit some ghost stores and folklore. Jack can be utterly eerie with the way he erases himself and how at ease he is in warped spaces, Miko really gives credence to the tales of Predacon hybrids of the Wilders' traditions, and Raf is something unearthed from Quintessons' fears.

June Darby is something else entirely.

[curioussubjects]

been thinking about the critique of the lords of fortune being too sanitized wrt how they handle their loot. i don't disagree that it's rather cute that these pirates are the good guys, promise! BUT i don't think it's a lazy writing cop out meant to evade accusations of being ~problematic (or, well, not entirely anyway).

first thing: that view is largely given to the player by taash, who i think appears to be a bit naive about the entire endeavor. they are, after all, much younger than the rest of the veilguard. and they have a lot of personal reasons to be biased in favor of the lords of fortune.

second thing: it seems datv is taking for granted the worldstate in which isabela comes back to kirkwall with the relic and helps hawke deal with the fallout. that mess being what it was, it makes perfect sense that isabela (as a founding member and leader of the lords of fortune) would try to...not replicate that outcome in the future -- and she implies as much during taash's recruitment task when she says a relic can be worth gold or a war. it's a very pragmatic approach to plunder rather than a completely altruistic one (and flies a little in the face of taash's "we aren't assholes" claim). i mean, the lords straight up charge a finders fee for the important ~cultural relics they find. and rook themselves can call it out as extortion (even if leadership tries to avoid it from being too much extortion lol)

third thing: i think the lords of fortune as they are presented in the game are also a thought experiment. can there be ethical pirates and delvers? and i can't fault the dev team for playing with the concept because that's definitely something fiction is for. whether they did it well or arrived at a satisfactory answer is another matter entirely, but the presence of the attempt isn't inherently a problem.

all that being said, criticism about the dev's settler bias are important here and deeply affect how the lords of fortune are characterized and how well the thought experiment is handled narratively. i'm not, however, qualified to make that analysis properly, so i won't touch on it beyond acknowledging that it matters a lot.

[tac-the-unseen]

COD museum date night

Fluff

Ghost:

•doesn't really care for museums but he'll go if you go

•He makes sure to hold your hand the whole time.

•makes God awful jokes about the paintings and statues

•laughs at the fat catholic baby paintings

•ends up having more fun then he would ever admit.

•hints at going back for future dates.

Soap:

•He's the one that came up with the idea.

•he images it as super romantic like the movies

•ends up bored out of his mind

•he'll tug on your sleeve and ask to leave like a 5 year old

•can't help but laugh at the nude statuses

•"I would not be posing like that if my willy was that small."

Price:

•He's quite and respectful of the artwork

•he walks slowly and throughly looks over every piece he comes across.

•Dad stance

•hands behind his back, legs spread, chest puffed out, his head nodding slowly as he looks over the art

•if you have a favorite piece, he wants to know everything about it.

•takes you to all kinds of museums if he knows you like them

Alejandro:

•secretly looks up facts about the paintings to impress you

•gets embarrassed when you point out his phone still open on the Google page he used.

•also laughs at the nude statues

•you had to awkwardly shuffle past the glaring art critics and students while Alejandro his bright red and sweating from holding back laughter.

•it becomes an inside joke between you two

•has a great time and wants to go back

Roach:

•at frist he's bored, but as soon as he get to the war section he's pressing his full body on the glass case

•like his eyes have stars in them and everything

•signs fun (and not so fun) facts about the artifacts

•it's the one section he REALLY took his time to look at.

•you bet your ass he's rummaging in the giftshop until he finds something he actually wants.

•you come home with bags of stuff because he couldn't decide

Gaz:

•He too, is respectful and takes his time walking around

•he looks like he's studying all the art

•in reality he's making up scenarios in his head

•he has one earbud in imaging himself saving everybody in the museum from bombers

•he has tuned to world out and is only brought back when you talk about what to get for lunch

König:

•Really like museums!

•he silent while you guys make your way through the galleries

•holding your hand the entire time

•loves the dinosaur section and loves to learn about them

•gets a little upset when he's reminded he's and adult and can't play with childerns interactive games

•he really wanted to play with the magnetic sand :(

•you end up buy him a small tin of magnetic sand in the gift shop :)

Rudy:

•is pretty normal about the date

•drinks a coffee while wondering around with you

•constantly talks about how you guys show start being more artistic together

•you shoot down the having sex with paint idea real quick

•that's a whole lot of mess neither of you want to clean up

•pouts the rest of the date

•gets over it when you take him to the gift shop

Mace:

•he has a deep appreciation for art

•He's fascinated by old tribal artifacts and wants to know how they evolved or translated into today

•is well versed in African culture and folklore

•when you get to the African section you get some frist hand facts!

•tells you stories and tales about certain art pieces and relics

•He finds a south African restaurant 20 minutes away and takes you there to end the night.

•100% bought a glitter pen from the gift store

Thanks for reading <3

[qianqiancandyjar]

DP_the Secret Saturdays AU headcanons

Ghost Hunter Family Masterpost

Sorry, another abandoned comic. Like last one, I'm gonna squeeze something out of my brain at least.

However, I have no idea what to draw to explain the storyline at this point. So I made this long post of my headcanons about this AU.

I did try making new chapters yet I couldn't make a full one to even satisfy myself so I deleted all the drafts.

The Fentons–>The Saturdays

This au sets in the same world of The Secret Saturdays. The Fentons are part of the Secret Scientists, too, and good friends with the Saturdays. But they interact with each other only when they're not busy with their own mission.

Jack Fenton is in charge of all the inventions and equipments of the family, while Maddie is more focused on analyzing everything about ghosts.

Jack and Maddie are less obsessed with their works and focus more on the kids than in the canon. Especially Maddie, who educated Danny to use his power properly. Actually, she stressed the importance of human strength. That leads to Danny's less skilled in ghost powers. Is it a bad thing or good thing?

Danny is the reincarnation of the Ghost King, just like Zak and Kur. But he only possessed the crown part at the beginning. The ring part belongs to Vlad.

About Danny's commanding power: When he uses a specific voice to speak, the words can influence ghosts' mind and make them unintentionally obey. Of course such strong power won't come without a price. Every time he uses this ability, his throat will be severely damaged. The degree depends on how powerful the command is. (Resemblance? Jujutsu Kaisen, ahem)

Jazz is the reincarnation of the King Guardian, mirroring Fisk. She's a shapeshifter, and good at being a spy with her study on psychology. Her ghost abilities aren't as powerful as Danny's, but she thinks them enough to protect her younger brother.

Vlad Masters–>Argost

Before his departing, Vlad was a friend of Fentons. He's more professional on ghost language and culture than the Fentons, so he didn't tell them all what he had read on the asteroid, and then he left with all the secrets.

He knows he need to gather all the relics to fully awake the true power of the Ghost King. He's kinda pissed he only got the ring part. The main part is the crown, so Vlad doesn't have the power of commanding ghosts. Though, he'll try get the ghost army he wants some other way. And maybe one day, the crown will be his, too.

Vlad writes novels as a hobby, and his works happen to be Danny/Jazz's favorite, whoops. (They didn't know the author was Vlad. He uses pen-name)

Backgrounds:

The Ghost King was murdered by a human hero (Perhaps the ancestor of the Fentons) with a weapon made of blood blossoms. Both the worlds of life and death are free from his rule. Yet many years from then, the two worlds that had seperated from each other for so long, turn against each other out of fear and ignorance. The Fentons tried to maintain the balance by keeping the existence of ghosts away from most of the people in the world.

Since the fall of the king, the ghosts in the Ghost Zone had divided into many small groups. They often fight with each other for their own belief or desire. Some want to bring back the king, some want to take the throne, some want chaos and the rest just want peace.

Was bringing back the King the only solution for this mess? What if he doesn't even want to?

Other parallels:

The Red Huntress and the Guys In White–>Francis and the People

Sam Manson–>Wadi

Tucker Foley–>Ulraj

Frostbite–>Tsul 'Kalu

Frostbite is the guardian of Infinite Map, and one of the royal members of the Ghost King. He's been waiting for his return.

(Other additional headcanons to be added. You may add some if you're interested, too!)

[rosewoodroad]

4, 12, 21, 23 and 32 for Wysma 👀

RUBS MY HANDS.

For this ask game! (Took me a while to get to it, but thanks for asking <3 <3)

4. What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

As a progeny, Wysma rarely left Rata Sum, let alone stepped foot outside Soren Draa. But he was obsessed with tales of adventures. When he wasn’t busy with homework or helping out his professor with lab work, he’d gather scraps from his projects to make figurines of great heroes, villains, and battlefields, to re-enact his favourite stories. Some were even mechanically automated!

Having an artistic outlet is something Wysma misses, though he’d be damned if anyone found out he basically made his own action figures as a kid.

12. What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

Terrible jokes. Dad-tier jokes and bad pickup lines are especially effective.

He also generally enjoys witty banter (both as a participant and a spectator. Especially as a spectator. I imagine being a bystander to an asuran roast/debate session is an incredible experience.)

21. What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

As a whole, Wysma doesn’t vibe with many conventional Asura cultural values. After a decade of interacting with the wider world, he finds it exhausting how everything back in Rata Sum has to be a competition. He hasn’t forgotten the stress of trying to keep up as a student, and as he gets older, it’s draining to see progress get held back by internal power grabs, bureaucratic shenanigans, or just plain stubborn pride.

23. What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Tough one! Maybe less that the other persons don't remember and more like it's not a big deal to them in the long run, but there are definitely childhood cringe moments for Wysma.

Back in college, he was enrolled in Statics, but only under pressure from his mentor who was a Statics professor. At heart, Wysma was more of a Dynamics guy and in his freshman years he was prone to making impulsive, experimental decisions in his work. There are a bunch of co-op projects and report cards he wrecked because of this.

As a Peacemaker rookie, he was very gung-ho about his duties as a civil protector but was terrible at following procedure, which left his superiors to clean up the mess and handle even more paperwork to bail him out of trouble (but those superiors had probably dealt with worse rookies.)

32. If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

Unlawful hoarding LMAO. He’s brought back unsanctioned mounts, horticulture, relics of mysterious origins and like 20 cats without consulting the local laboratory authorities (or his neighbours).

All those collections (and cats) scattered around the home instance is absolutely canon to him. He’s not even aware of how bad it is until he gets his homestead and realises how much he actually has to move over. The sole reason he hasn't been evicted from Rata Sum already is because he's the Commander and it would be terrible for the Arcane Council's PR image.

[ghostinthegallery]

Yup, finally time to talk about Trazyn...

I put it off because hey, everyone else deserves some love and attention...but Trazyn deserves more, sorry he is just built different.

It will probably shock no one that Trazyn is my favorite 40k character. He's what got me into Warhammer in the first place. I imagine I'm not the only one who went through the "oh, funny meme steal guy lol" to "guess I'll read Infinite and the Divine" to "can't be invited to parties because I refuse to think about anything that's not Necrons or my new plastic crack addiction" pipeline.

But why is this weird sexy space kleptomaniac so compelling? The answer might surprise you!

(it won't for a while but bear with me there's a twist coming)

Why do we all like Trazyn? First of all, he's easy to grasp. Indiana Jones meets the Collector in 40k. One sentence and you know what he's about. That's invaluable for pitching a character. And then you watch him and he's clever, he's hyper-competent, he's funny. In the grimdark future, this guy makes you laugh! He screws with everyone. And yeah, he's easy to meme, but that's just part of his charm.

He fits into nearly any 40k story too. Space Marines? Aeldar? Chaos? Tau? Trazyn wants an artifact and he's messing with *insert main characters here* to get it. Or maybe *insert main characters here* need something and he's the only one who has it. Doesn't really matter what or why, the second Trazyn shows up he can play off anyone. As an uneasy ally, an opponent in a negotiation, or in a fight. He has an incredible dry wit that makes him super entertaining (especially in a setting where characters can be a bit...serious).

And Trazyn ultimately has pretty sympathetic motives. He wants to preserve, to collect, and tell stories through his museum. Museums are cool! Culture is neat! Sure he's a bit...unethical, but he's far from the worst dude in 40k so he's very easy to root for, even if he's a side character or antagonist.

So yeah, witty, devious, immortal museum curator. Perfect character, right?

Well...here's that twist.

Trazyn is actually (in my opinion) really, really hard to write for as a protagonist of his own story.

See most commercial fiction is structured around a character who wants something, but something else gets in their way. Frodo wants to take the ring to Mordor but all of middle earth plus some evil wizards, orcs, giant spiders, etc. are in the way. The issue with Trazyn (on paper) is that he doesn't truly want anything. Sure there are specific artifacts and people he wants for his collection, but that's surface level. Hunting down random cool space stuff is not a change from his day to day, so focusing a whole story around that might be fun for a while, but it wouldn't stick with you. Because any deep, emotional desires he has are fulfilled. He has power, he has purpose, he has his own planet that shapes itself to his will.

Trazyn is used to being in control. Of Solemnace, of his expeditions, of his negotiations. If plan A goes south he has twelve other options, and a few back up plans, and probably an ork warband attached to his belt if he needs it. Oh, and he's immortal. And can't be hurt. Which again, is hella fun, but how do you have suspense or stakes with all of that? How do you write an interesting story for the guy that has everything?

Enter Orikan.

Orikan is one of the only things that introduces chaos into Trazyn's existence. Orikan can break into Trazyn's house, break his stuff, and get away with it. When Orikan is around, the things Trazyn loves are in danger. Orikan shattered relics from their people's history and Trazyn failed to save them. He tried to catch one piece and it shattered because his hand was metal. The thing that usually makes him untouchable contributed to his loss. That is heartbreaking to read. Sure he can fight elves and dinosaurs and steal the most incredible things, but Trazyn can be made vulnerable in the right circumstances.

The thing he wants throughout Infinite and the Divine is not the McGuffin Mysterios. It's revenge. But because Orikan is his equal and opposite, he can't get it easily. There's an obstacle. Which means we have a story on our hands.

There's another scene that I find really striking from that book: Trazyn and his human assistant on Serenade. This old man who Trazyn kinda...mind controlled into service, but also provided him and his family with the best education, medical care, career opportunities etc. Trazyn didn't have to do that, but he is the type of greedy where if something is "his" he takes care of it. That includes (for better or worse) that human man and his family. Blips on the radar to an immortal being, but those are Trazyn's blips so they get the best a blip can ask for (aside from free will but shhhhhh.)

But that doesn't mean Trazyn can prevent the inevitable. His assistant gets old without him even noticing. The man has reached the end of his life, and that is something Trazyn can't control. And he's emotional about it. Not like devastated (it's just a human after all, basically his hamster just died) but it throws him for a loop.

Oh hey, speaking of how Trazyn takes care of things that he considers his...

Trazyn never really gets close to killing Orikan. He says he wants to. He acts like it. That's the story we set up. Trazyn shoots him in the face. But does he try to permanently kill Orikan? Does he ever act with any true cruelty?

He does once. When Orikan was weak and vulnerable, Trazyn crushed Orikan's skull with his foot, and that's so out of character it's our clearest indication as a reader that something is wrong. That's when we realize the song has Trazyn ensnared because normally he would not do that. He wouldn't treat his greatest enemy and rival that way which is... certainly interesting.

And then of course there's that scene at the end. When Orikan is burned and afraid and unable to defend himself, Trazyn doesn't even try to hurt him. He is gentle, careful, he makes sure Orikan isn't permanently damaged. After everything they've done to each other over 10,000 years (and that's just the events of the book, their rivalry is older), it doesn't even occur to Trazyn to harm Orikan in that moment.

That to me is the real secret that makes Trazyn more than a meme character. That greed that makes him care for things, cultures, places, and people. Those moments where he isn't in control. The combination of the two that means something is at stake. He has a deep love for the universe despite this being such a nihilistic setting. That love drives him to do ridiculous things, but that's the core (I think) of why we love watching him cavort around the galaxy so much.

[fairylandblog]

Faerie Drums

Enchanted faerie drums have symbolized magic, mystery, and the fae in folklore and mythology. These drums, thought to have magical powers, can connect humans and faeries, summon mystical forces, and affect nature. They enchant and threaten in numerous tales and legends. Fey drums symbolize the link between music and magic, a notion that spans cultures and resonates in human stories. Many traditions claim that supernatural materials make up faerie drums. We may frame the drum with oak and rowan, ancient trees with protective or magical characteristics. It may have skin from a mythological beast or magical animal, giving it an otherworldly appearance. Deep, resonant drumming calls the fae to assemble under starry skies in woodlands and hills. These drums are faerie instruments with a rhythm that may charm listeners, change perceptions, and bend nature.

Tradition dictates that faerie drums play at faerie revelries in secret glades or old mounds. When the drums beat, they enchant adjacent people into the faerie circle. Hearing the rhythm often makes people want to dance to the unearthly music. The faerie drums can charm mortals for hours or days, and some tales warn that they may get stuck in the fairy realm and be unable to return home. The beats seem to bend time, making a night of dance last years in earthly life. These stories warn against falling for fae magic. Magical faerie drums are also believed to affect nature. In some traditions, the fae use drums to summon rain, wind, or fog to hide. The drums' cadence matches the earth's heartbeat, allowing the fairies to merge with nature. This connection between music and nature emphasizes the faerie drums' balance and power. Depending on the player, their magic can generate beauty and harmony or chaos and disaster. Some stories allow mortals to glimpse the fairy world through a faerie drum. The drum can summon the fae or let the player into their realm if played correctly. Mishandling the drum or using it for personal gain might have catastrophic results. Fae are fiercely protective of their relics, and mortals who mess with them risk their wrath. The dual nature of the faerie drum symbolizes the concept of human-fae interaction, where curiosity and ambition sometimes result in catastrophe.

Enchanted faerie drums have meaning beyond folklore. They symbolize how music and rhythm can change consciousness and transport people to other worlds. Various cultures utilize drums in shamanic activities and spiritual journeys to induce trances or other states of consciousness. Faerie drums, as otherworldly instruments, represent music as a gateway to the unknown. Their charm comes from their power to fascinate and remind us of the wonders beyond the mundane. Faerie drums are emblems of the fragile balance between the mortal and magical realms, not just instruments. Their rhythm celebrates the interconnectedness of music, nature, and the supernatural, asking us to listen to life's hidden melodies. As with all things fae, they warn us to approach the unknown with curiosity and caution, as their magic is costly. The faerie drums, whether they provide joy, power, or danger, symbolize the fae's enchantment and mystery.

[tallcrishorror]

WK5

Mazzikin: The Shadowy Spirits of Chaos

Okay, so buckle up for this week’s dive into the supernatural, because today we’re talking about the Mazzikin – a lesser-known but seriously spooky entity from Jewish folklore. If you love cryptids, ghosts, or just a good old-fashioned haunting, the Mazzikin might just be your new obsession.

Who Are the Mazzikin?

The Mazzikin (sometimes spelled "Mazzikim") are considered malevolent spirits or demons that come from Jewish tradition, especially in the Talmud. The name comes from the Hebrew root "mazzik," which means "damager" or "harm-causer," and yep, that’s exactly what they do. These entities are said to interfere with humans, causing harm, confusion, and chaos in their daily lives. Think of them like the ultimate bad luck bringers – they might trip you up, cause accidents, or even lead you astray on your way home at night. They thrive in disorder.

What’s extra creepy? These spirits are often invisible, so you may not see them, but you’ll definitely feel their presence when something starts going wrong out of nowhere.

Mazzikin in Pop Culture

Though the Mazzikin aren’t as mainstream as other mythical beings (where's their Netflix series?), you can still find references to them in modern media. One of the most well-known adaptations of the Mazzikin is Mazikeen from Neil Gaiman’s Lucifer and The Sandman comics (and of course, the Lucifer TV show). While Mazikeen in Lucifer is more of a demon and warrior from Hell than the traditional Mazzikin, her character draws inspiration from these chaotic spirits. She's fiercely loyal, unpredictable, and has a unique mix of danger and charm – much like the Mazzikin spirits who walk the fine line between this world and the next.

Also, if you’ve ever heard of the "Dybbuk," another famous Jewish spirit, there's some overlap with the Mazzikin. Both can possess and harm, though the Dybbuk is more of a haunted entity that takes over a person’s body.

Are the Mazzikin Real?

If you’re wondering whether these spirits are real or just a relic of ancient superstition, it's up for debate. Some believe that stories about Mazzikin arose to explain the unexplainable – accidents, sudden misfortune, or even mental illness that couldn't be diagnosed at the time. Others think they could be metaphors for the chaos and randomness in life – that moment when things go wrong for no apparent reason. Is it fate? Is it just the universe messing with you? Or is it something more sinister, like the Mazzikin?

On the flip side, some paranormal enthusiasts think the Mazzikin might be real entities, a type of poltergeist or mischievous spirit that just wants to make your life a little more difficult. Given their presence in various mystical texts and folklore, it's possible they could be manifestations of human fear or even actual spiritual beings from another plane. If you’ve ever had a string of bad luck that seemed too coincidental, maybe you’ve brushed up against a Mazzikin yourself.

My Take?

Personally, I think the Mazzikin reflect our need to explain random misfortune. In a world where bad things happen with no rhyme or reason, it makes sense that people would invent malevolent spirits to explain it. It’s way easier to blame an invisible demon for tripping on your way to work than to admit you’re just clumsy, right?

But, who knows? Maybe the next time your phone dies out of nowhere, or you stub your toe on the one piece of furniture in your room, it could be a Mazzikin messing with you. 👀

What do you think – chaotic evil spirit or just a metaphor for bad vibes? Let’s talk about it, tell me in the comments!

[transingthoseformers]

Sorry. Yes, Unicron Trilogy!

Some Decepticons seem more likely to accept leadership changes by combat more than others and the Unicron Trilogy is one of those for me.

Basically, the MTMTE Minimus gets transported by himself to the next dimension due to Brainstorm working on his "Beam Me Up Scotty" project. He is on the Earth of this world hiding out and relaxing on a surprise vacation until the Lost Light arrives and picks him up. While exploring, he finds an unusual relic that seems vaguely Cybertronian he touches, and it awakens as a Minicon.

Minimus in his Irreducible Form because at this point, they have been universe hopping awhile, and he has gotten more comfortable. So the Minicon and he are the same size. He understands them, and they seem bemused that he is so small. They are just starting to converse when he is snatched up, quite rudely by a bright red jet who vaguely resembles Starscream and then he's in the middle of a battle.

He gets kidnapped by the Decepticons and presented to Megatron, a strange horned Megatron, as if he is an object. He voices his complaints, startling them and the Decepticons are fascinated especially when their attempts to make him "imprint" doesn't work.

He quickly discovers that the universe is messed up and the Megatron has enslaved a subsection of the population who are Minibots, and as Megs and Roddie have rubbed off on him, he decides to stage a revolt. He is kept in a cage since he is "useless" but "pretty" like a decoration and Starscream, a certainly odd flavor of Starscream, is the one in charge of him and treats himself and his "own" Minicons well enough.

They talk which seems to make Starscream at first suspicious but then brighten up, which is a little sad to Minimus that he is so lacking in positive interactions. Starscream tells him a lot about this universe and Decepticon history and culture.

During the fight, Minimus winds up fighting Megatron one-on-one and takes him out with his own gun. The Decepticons stop fighting because legally he challenged Megatron to a one-on-one for the Minicons Freedpm but technically it was "for everything Megatron had" which includes leadership of the Decepticons. These are his most, obedient soldiers and raised Decepticon so the take a knee and call him Lord Minimus which certainly makes things awkward.

Damnnnnn, on now that'll lead to interesting consequences!

Especially regarding how it's Minimus who's in charge, Starscream, and the newly found freedom of the minicons

[cbairdash]

Author’s note: Hoist the Colors may eventually inspire fiction. Most likely will and I’ll gladly write it. But right now, it’s a role-playing game setting with what I hope is an interesting take and look at an “Alternate History” of Earth. It isn’t really “steampunk”, though I can see how someone would get that impression. For me, it’s more a “flintlock fantasy” set on Earth of 1722 in all it’s historical mess… that I’ve stirred up even more!

So, with that said, this time we get into one of the many locations in Hoist the Colors. The Caribbean, but maybe not as you know it!

Hoist the Colors: The Caribbean

It’s the crossroads of the world. Those islands are rich with history and hope for a fresh start. But behind all that lurks monsters of our own making…

- Helena Barrow, Captain of the Horizon’s Rose

The Caribbean. A wide archipelago made up of the Caribbean Sea with its collection of islands and island chains. It’s a tropical region between North and South America, known for its diverse cultures, settlements, trade, and a storied, bloody history. The region has always been home to one culture or another for over 7000 years. 

It has been witness to, and withstood, invasions from Europe, trade wars of conquest, plagues, bloody pirate rampages, and a worldwide cataclysm. Specifically, the event called Crossing’s Fall that shoved the region and its inhabitants into the world’s view. 

At midnight on October 31, 1712, the mysterious events of Crossing’s Fall changed the world. Warped it with shattered fragments of Otherworld appearing and melding with Earth. Near mythical animals appeared around the globe along with refugees from Otherworld. The landscape changed as well. In some places, it was dramatic, but in others, subtle. In the case of the Caribbean, it was more the former instead of the latter.

Changed Lands

Like elsewhere on Earth, the land itself had changed. Fragments of Otherworld became new mountains or foothills in places like Cuba, Jamaica, or Puerto Rico. Rocky islands rose along the coastlines of South America, New Spain, and Florida. The Bahamas, an island chain of scattered small islands, became even more fragmented, and dangerous, with primeval jungles having overrun the more remote ones. 

Across those islands are towns and cities nestled in those dangerous jungles. Ports of call for ships from around the world from Europe, Americas, Japan, China, and beyond. Not to mention local ships such as pirates prowling the waves for a fresh kill. Deeper inland, lost Earth cities are mixed with Otherworld ruins, from ancient stone forts to lost tombs and forgotten libraries. Riches and relics wrapped in fog-shrouded mystery or lethal curses. 

But the most remarkable change was not on land, but in the water. Sirens and other threats joined sharks and other perils already there. Then, across the Caribbean expanse, there was the appearance of the mysterious Arcane Gates. Those alone changed everything.

Riddle of the Gates

The gates appeared for a moment at the stroke of midnight, October 31, 1712, in flashes of emerald lightning. It was dozens of Arcane Gates across the Caribbean, each with their own unique knotwork and mysterious lettering. Then, as quick as they appeared, they vanished. But they weren’t gone. 

As learned in later years, the Arcane Gates had gone ‘dormant’. Waiting to be sensed by a Wavebinder, Navigator, or anyone trained in the Etherwave Arcana. Later, Maria Fairbain, a Sunweaver thayan and seasoned Wavebinder relic hunter, ‘discovered’ the first of many Arcane Gates in the Caribbean. It lay in the middle of the sea between Puerto Rico and Hispanola islands and wasn’t alone.

To date, Navigators and Wavebinders have discovered more Arcane Gates in the Caribbean region that exist anywhere else in the world. No one understands why and the Gates gave no clue. But dozens of Arcane Gates were enough to upset the balance of trade and power around the world. Which was already overturned by the change to the lands, people, and a flood of the Etherwave Arcana into the world. 

For the rest about the Caribbean in Hoist the Colors, see the link above!

Taglist: @thelaughingstag

[mackeralsauce]

*asks you about your fics boy*

ohohoo you've unleashed the pharoah's curse by asking this, boy... /silly

there's gonna be a lot so i'm gonna put this under a read more label, prepare for way too much worldbuilding and way too much autism >:D

so as the summary suggests, The Ruse Theory series of Cuttletavio fics is my interpretation of the ship. Not an attempt at an AU or canon divergence, but what my personal theories are regarding what REALLY went down with the Great Turf War, the ship/character dynamics, and the cultures of the two factions. While the fic IS about Cuttletavio (Cap'n Craig Cuttlefish x Shogun/DJ Octavio Takowasa), there is also a wider focus on the worldbuilding of Pre-War Inkadia.

There's a lot of choices sprinkled throughout that are actually based on small lore tid-bits and other such notes. For instance, the inklings' faction is named Haven because the inkling territory on the Inkadia map is labelled as a "haven" while the octarian territory is labelled as a "wasteland". On the topic of Haven/Inkadia's faction of inklings, I feel their culture was always somewhat similar to American culture; that in which it is heavily consumeristic. Looks great on paper, but when you really visit it, it's a horrible mess for everyone but the rich. It isn't entirely the same of course (they do not have three branches of government nor a real 'government' to begin with, they are ruled by their military), but there are key comparisons to be made.

Since the inkfish (both sides, inkling and octoling) are a different species than us humans, I feel their cultures may have grown and innovated at a different pace. Thus, instead of focusing on one specific human 'decade' of culture, there is an intermingling of different things from different decades. Haven has a mixture of things from the 20s all the way to the 70s. As an example, Craig is meant to have a certain 70s style to him in design, but his speech is more akin to the 20s-40s, a little of the 50s as well.

The Octarian Shogunate's culture is definitely more akin to Japanese culture. However, while Haven's similarities to America are pure coincidence, the Shogunate's are moreso of a result of left-over relics being discovered. As they knew the locations of human bunkers, its not too farfetched to infer that perhaps some historical relics and documents were brought to these bunkers, and thus during exploration the octarians would find these and learn from them. It would not be entirely the same- especially due to the language barrier of not understanding their texts entirely/completely and deciphering human languages could take ages- but they would perhaps find influence from old illustrations and pictures of architecture, culture, and other signifigant things. It would also make sense as they have a habit of recycling.

Despite the Shogunate appearing to be more tradtional and old-fashioned, their technology would actually be leagues ahead of Haven. While Haven has to rely on black-and-white films and simple vinyl records for music, it is very likely that the octarians have developed color photography- although bearing a preference for art/paintings instead- as well as more advanced music storage. Perhaps even digital means! Whose to say? Regardless, I think they definitely developed the musical synthesizer.

SORRY FOR INFODUMP... there will be more to learn and come in the coming chapters of the fic.... yahoo!

[boundlss]

IMIRAY: PART I

Part 1 of a hopefully pretty extensive series of posts detailing the world in which my homebrew DND campaign is set! This one will probably just be the basics and listing important locations / setup things ... Anyway, I know people don't often read longer posts about things that aren't relevant to them, but I like talking about things!

Imiray is an isolated planar world that was originally created as a "gift" for the Old Gods who won their way out of the infinite layers of the Abyss. Steeped intrinsically in magic of Celestial and Abyssal influence, Imiray exists as one of many interconnected planar spheres in the complicated web of worlds given to Abyssal creatures powerful enough to become Gods.

It is, however, unique in that the Gods who won the world no longer rule over it---instead, Imiray boasts a much less stronger pantheon of twelve deities who preside over the land and the people in it.

The world, largely run by humanoids, is divided into six major geopolitical players. Each of these nations has their identity represented in the form of a dragon or dragon-like creature, though the identity of any people can manifest itself physically like this.

BASIC INFORMATION - LOCATIONS.

AIVA. Once a large and sprawling nation with beautiful land and prosperous people. Because of a calamity that happened a century ago, though, most of the land was rendered untreadable, and infected with a vicious disease known only as The Fading, which rendered people both physical and mental ghosts of themselves at its worst. Shaken by the calamity, most of the remaining population of Aiva crammed southward into its capital city of Aerath, securing the help and support of the nearby Avariel Elves on their floating islands and the Tritons and Sea Elves who lived just off its coast.

EPHELION. A cold dictatorship where research and progress are valued above all else. In the past, they tended to favor those with innate or learned arcane prowess, but recent developments in technological advancements have changed the focus of their culture at large to be focused on "improving the ordinary human"---though there are large swathes of the common people who disagree with this. Their calamity-causing attack on Aiva in the past has taught others not to mess with them, but they continue to relentlessly pursue advancements in competition with their tense political ally, Oskolda.

OSKOLDA. A sprawling desert whose civilizations have largely migrated underground, mutating due to the influence of the sprawling underdark. Only its capital city remains on the surface, a strange and vibrant cacophony of light and noise from the surface-dwellers who consider themselves the last true Oskoldans and sell their souls for a chance to stay on top even despite the strange and unnatural heat. Their charming and benevolent God offers protection to the surface's residents if they can only pay the right price---and if not, hopeful survivors will always have a chance to try their luck.

VASKAL. The most newly formed nation from a revolution against Oskolda. The residents of Vaskal are secretive, owing in part to the strange crystal relics that were erected there in a past conflict between gods that seem to ward off every school of magic. The hierarchy of Vaskal is slow to trust, and its still-reigning Queen forbids the use or word of these anti-magic crystals to reach further than the borders of Vaskal. Most passing through would be forgiven for mistaking Vaskal as entirely empty, but the people who walk through the shadows have their own clandestine technological empire brewing under the surface.

MIRI. A nation very few enter and even fewer leave. No one outside knows what goes on in Miri, only that control of its government was seized five hundred years ago by a laughing God who bent the nation to its whims. Rather than the semi-tropical paradise it once was, Miri is a microcosm of the Feywild contained neatly within the country's borders, owing to the Archfey on the throne. Those born there are unable to leave, and the Mischief-Maker who calls himself Queen sees to the personal extermination of nonbelievers.

HANAZIRA. Formally known as the Free People of Hanazira, they are a collection of nations who formed an alliance to better stand up against global powers such as Ephelion. Outsiders criticize Hanazira for its roots sunk deep into traditional ways of living, but Hanazirans adapt what the rest of the world creates to suit their own needs. However, their way of life has been steadily more endangered by a strange chasm in the ground housing what they refer to as The Beast, which haunts the minds and torments the souls of anyone who steps near---and its influence is beginning to spread.

[thenamesblurrito]

So how does society view the 4 factions? Are they always doing hero vs villain battles? If not the Decepticons or Predacons, who are they usually fighting?

society thinks of the faction “heroes” as... well, as a lot of things. as medical anomalies, as threats or saviors, as horrifyingly powerful wildcards that you can only pray will choose to be benevolent today. ask ten individuals their opinion, you’ll get eleven answers. some folks are massive fans, some would like to see them publicly executed, some couldn’t care less as long as they can get to work on time. from a political perspective their existence is nightmarish. let me quote a bit from the seventh ask here about the media:

the heroes aren’t referred to as heroes, but rather as vigilantes at best and violent gangs in a turf war at worst. Froid has remotely diagnosed them with pathological dissent. at the same time, some folks have jumped on the market to make hero merch, and it becomes a very lucrative business for some. public opinion is constantly torn between fear and anger at how they do whatever they’d like and gratitude and admiration for how they throw themselves in harms way to prevent disaster and save people. it’s really a giant mess all the time that changes by the day.

(the rest of that answer is relevant too)

this is just further complicated by the fact that really, while the factions are formed on pretty solid principles in theory, the heroes are just kids who don’t exactly know what they’re doing. there’s only 21 primary protagonist relic users, 26 if you count Soundwave’s minicons, so they’re genuinely more a gaggle of street gangs than cultural movements or political statements or military factions. they’re a buncha teens who stumble across superpowers and proceed to mess around and moralize about it all, in that weird blend of absolute nonsense and genuine deep cuts that characterizes this kind of discourse

as for what they’re actually doing to earn that reputation, they do actually serve the public! ...when they aren’t being stupid and showing off. or being stupid and fighting each other, sometimes, often, even within their own faction. they switch sides and get mad at each other and do weird supernatural stuff on accident, all the time. they flirt, badly, like really badly. they can’t even get their own drones to fight each other. they kill each other without realizing it. they sell fanmerch or make it themselves and occasionally hand out candy for no reason. they sometimes create the very villains they have to defeat!

but seriously they ARE useful. the opening episode has Trypticon nearly tear the JAAT apart, full of innocent children, and the first seven heroes are the only reason the school survived. other supernatural threats include victims of corrupted relics overwhelmed by power and out of control, victims of Unicron administered by the real antagonists of the story, and more random or strange disasters like an ancient predator or a horrible earthquake. the heroes step up every time, each for their own reasons but they are INSTRUMENTAL in keeping people alive amidst this onslaught of threats. granted, many of these threats are created specifically to take down the heroes, but they don’t know that, and if they weren’t there, the school would be eradicated. some of the threats they do create themselves on accident, but they own up to it and take responsibility instead of letting havoc spread. when they can actually focus on doing good for the world, they save lives and make the world better... and then they start arguing about the ideal way to make the world better, and who knows best, and bootlicking and setting an example and sticking it to the man and taking the moral high ground and then they’re fighting each other again. sigh. they’d be so effective if they didn’t nerf themselves...

if you check their bios i sort of assign a rival or equal opposite for each of them, the person they gravitate towards on the battlefield as a well matched opponent. this is both for convenience sake and also to underline how they are genuinely fighting not because of massive moral differences but because of teen grudges, ideological tantrums, personality clashes, and the desire to do cool stuff with superpowers. it’s a rude wakeup call when they have to face the anime serial style monster of the week, because it snaps them out of their petty us-vs-them mentality for a minute, and then an even RUDER wakeup call when they face the REAL villains, because this is legitimate life or death! but, yknow, if they all got along it wouldn’t make an interesting story!

[talesfromsiteredacted]

Random Things 035/Dyo Says In His Sleep

Before we begin, for the record 035 on a humanoid body does sleep. He also says some strannge ass things while sleeping. As his 'brain' is anomalous, it gets weird. And now... Dyo's Greatest Hits.

"I'd like to thank the Academy, but you're a bunch of talentless hacks. Goodnight, and come up with an original idea for once."

"Doctor... is that a syringe in your hand, or are you happy to see me?"

"Banana? Honey, I'm the whole fruit stand."

"Roses? For me? You do care, 682!"

"I could totally pull off the seashell bra. I'll prove it." A pause. "On second thought... this damned thing is impractical and uncomfortable. And I kinda like pain."

"My queen, that wig is too much. And why make those poor canaries suffer in that dreadful mess?"

"What do we do every night? Try to break out of containment and take over the world. Do keep up, old chap."

"I'm sorry I said that loincloth makes your ass look big. Will you kindly stop hitting me with a fishing rod, 076-2?"

"Cargo shorts? Dr. Clef, you disappoint me."

"What do you mean, 'sarcasm and pessimism will not look good on your performance review'? I'm not even employed here."

"No, as tempting as naked yoga sounds, I just don't like you, Dr. Bright."

"Hey, hey, hey! Party Keter in the house, yo!" A brief pause. "Fine. I am never saying that again."

"Cactus Man! Cactus Man! Does everything a cactus can. Look out! Here comes the Cactus Man." A minute passes. "Please don't sue us."

"Okay, this is now serious. They brought lawyers."

"Those boots, with that skirt? Tres impractical, my dear."

"Hob and Morpheus are spot on, Shakespeare's a twink. And had legs like a anorexic chicken. Tights... did not flatter him in the least. The Plague Doctor can confirm."

"I met Madame Shelly, a rather charming young lady. Keen intellect, warm smile, and impeccable fashion sense. Not my type, but very lovely. She used to tell the best stories."

"Meh. 'Archeologist' is just the socially acceptable way of saying 'tomb raider' or 'grave robber' in my opinion. Even if what he found went to a museum, Indiana Jones still stole relics from various cultures and sold them for profit."

"You want me to wear clothes? Turn. On. The. Air. Conditioning. It's over 85 degrees in here, and so humid if I had hair it would frizz."

"Donut. It takes some stones to wear pink armor. You're a badass Spartan. Own. The. Armor! Flaunt it! Yeah! Pink and proud, baby!"

"Ooh! Look at the big, strong, scary SuperTyrant in his precious little fedora and trenchcoat. As dumb as this thing is... it's got style. It's a massive bullet sponge from bioweapon hell, but done with actual taste."

"Do I have to share with... HIM? But... he takes way too much. It's my pint of Genocide By Cacao, I stole it fair and square!"

"WHAT? Oh, sure... I spend WEEKS hand embroidering my costume, after cutting and sewing and wigmaking, doing Oscar worthy work, and no one cares. But! Slap some eyeliner on him, braid bloody golden rings and bells into his hair, and suddenly everybody wants to know if Khal Drogo is now in Foundation custody. I worked really hard on my Olenna Tyrell ensemble. Golden roses are complicated! Abel didn't even try! Iris did all the work, give HER the free pizza. This stupid 'Game of Thrones' costume contest is rigged!" Thirty seconds pass. "And that pizza is terrible and loaded with preservatives anyway."

In hindsight... whomever introduced Dyo to the works of George R. R. Martin...has made a grave mistake. At least it was entertaining.

[altaniadventures]

Prompt #6: Ring

Rules & Info || Prompt List || #FFxivWrite2023 || kofi

It was week three of unearthing random junk around the Crystal Tower. The doors were open per se, but the tower had "reawakened". Cid and Nero were doing exhaustive analysis in order to chart the best course of action. Altani was waiting for something dangerous to come along so she'd have something productive to do.

In the meantime, she walked the dig sites. People were finding dishes, metal fragments, and other bits of old Allagan life. In the corner of her eye, she spotted something small poking out of some upturned dirt. Altani leaned down and freed it from the clod it was hiding it. Brushing off the debris, it seemed to be a simple ring. It was made of some strange alloy with blue lines on it.

Turning the object over in her palms, she walked over to a shady area where she spotted G'raha. He was reading something and writing notes. His face was intently focused.

Altani grinned, recognizing an opportunity to mess with her 'nemesis'. She slipped on the ring for safekeeping and quietly began to stalk the distracted miqo’te. She crept up slowly until she was close. His ears had not twitched. She crouched behind his shoulder, looking at the dusty thing he was reading.

She couldn't read very well. Eorzean was not her native tongue, and her Echo helped with the spoken word. Unlike most of G'raha's tomes in the tent, this book wasn't on Allagan relics. It was in Doman, and it was about the customs of the peoples on the Othard continent. He was on a chapter concerning the Dothral tribe.

"Trying to learn my weaknesses, scholar?" she whispered into his ear.

His ears stood straight up and his tail puffed out in surprise. G'raha almost tossed his own book as he scrambled around to see the source of the voice.

Altani laughed, falling back to sit in the grass. "You should see your fucking face. Absolutely priceless," she said with a giggle.

There was a flush across his cheeks. Probably from the embarrassment of being snuck upon, she thought. It was difficult to catch a miqo’te unawares with their amazing hearing, but she was a practiced hunter. She could get the jump on anyone.

He settled back down in his spot, but didn't reopen his book. Instead, he tucked it away. He sighed good-naturedly. She never did turn down a chance to tease. "Did you have a purpose in looking for me, or was this an attack of opportunity?"

She scooted next to him in order to talk easily. "I was looking for somewhere to be. Bothering you was just a bonus." Remembering her ring, she stuck out her hand. "I found an Allagan thing. Since you're not doing anything important, might as well tell me all the useless facts you have," she said with a grin.

"They're not useless! Every piece of knowledge we have about past cultures leads to greater understanding today. Even some of the most mundane objects from Allag are fascinating in their complexity."

Without thinking much about it, he took her hand and brought it closer to his face to examine the artifact.

Altani's eyes widened, but she decided against yanking her hand back. He wasn't hurting her.

His hands had more callous than she would have expected for a soft Sharleyan scholar. There was strength there from pulling a bow. They were warm to the touch, which felt nice on her perpetually cold fingers.

"It's an Allagan wedding ring," he said after some inspection. He let her hand slip out of his, clearing his throat and moving on to his lecture. "You can tell by the two slots. It is meant for two people to place personal tomestones in so that they can speak long distances. Like a link pearl. It carries data for the married couple so that they may always be close. Some believe that the reason we exchange rings today comes from this ancient practice. We should probably turn this over to Rammbroes."

She took back her hand. Surely it wouldn't matter if she kept this one little thing. "Some people exchange rings. I didn't know that was a thing until I came here."

G'raha frowned at her. "People get married everywhere. It isn't limited to Eorzeans."

Altani shrugged. "True, but my people don't do that. For the Borlaaq, you can devote yourself to your hunting partner. It is a simple ritual in front of the matriarch. Nhaama blesses the union of the two women and they go off to be alone for a few weeks," she said. "There's no ring involved traditionally. My mother has no partner." 

He looked thoughtful. "I did read that your tribe has no men. It is not unlike Moon Keepers. Sun seekers don't traditionally exchange rings either."

She waited for him to elaborate, but he stayed uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn't quite looking at her now. He was avoiding the topic, and she could guess why.

Altani broke the silence. "So are you a bastard too then?"

G'raha sputtered for a moment and began to laugh. "Altani, you can't ask people if they're bastards!"

"It's a silly concept. Who cares if your parents are married? We don't have a word for that in Xaela. I'd never heard of such a thing until I came to Eorzea. I'm already aware of how traditional Sun Seeker culture works. You don't need to be embarrassed." She shrugged. "I left because I wanted to live my life different than how my people do. Still, I'm not ashamed of how they chose to live. There's nothing wrong with you or me."

He smiled. For a woman who spend almost every waking moment making fun of him, she had a kind streak a mile wide. He always hesitant to speak on Seeker culture with outsiders. Even if he didn't personally chose to live that way, people rarely understood.

"Of course, that's just on the topic of culture. There's a lot wrong with you otherwise," she said with a smirk, bumping her shoulder against his. "Maybe being around all those relics did something to you."

"Those are disrespectful words coming from a warrior of light who just slipped a priceless Allagan ring into her pocket," he replied. "I could be convinced to look the other way for a price." His smile was friendly, but his swishing tail revealed his mischief.

She sighed. "It's another lecture on the Archmagnus, isn't it?"

He laughed at her and just grinned.

She sighed once more. It was indeed another lecture on the Archmagnus.