#engrained in his very system

[shiroi---kumo]

As I'm working on the final post in the collection of Faces of the King my brain thought to stop for a moment to explain something. I have previously mentioned it in other posts but I just wanted to point it out again and everything else it is effecting.

You see in the world of FF:U there are two major elements and they are Soil and Mist.

Most beings in the Universe (yes probably your muse too) are what would be known as "Beings of Soil" even if they cannot command it as Windarian Soil Mages can. (Staring hard at Kaze right now.)

Kumo refers to these beings as "Soil Souls" because that means their soul is comprised of Soil.

Soil is the crystalized souls of the dead composing a color of varying hue post-mortem.

so humans, and most other beings are beings of soil.

On the other side of the Universal scale sets Mist or "Mist Souls" - meaning their souls are comprised from the magical substance known as Mist and these beings are largely beings of the Sky or the Sea. Mist Souls all possess a color within their soul as well, but Mistericans were the only beings that actively produced it within their bodies and could harness it's magical abilities.

I am telling you all this because Kumo is a Mist Soul (obviously) and there are very few of them left in the universe.

I am telling you this because Soil and Mist both have a governing force. That being that Soil is governed by the Spiral or Spiral Motion

While Mist is governed by The Straight Line or Linear Motion.

I am telling you this because in recent days in writing this man I have made observations and laughed because he does it so naturally.

Kumo is:

straight to the point when he speaks

someone who says exactly what he means

straight forward with his needs and wants

straight forward with thoughts and opinions

straight forward with his intentions

His thoughts follow a linear path

Kumo is very "point A to point B" in his thinking

blunt and direct

planned and organized

orderly with a place for everything

systematic and he will meltdown without them

rigid in the way he does things

Kumo gets:

annoyed at side paths

annoyed with conversations that go in circles

annoyed with topic or question dodging

frustrated with convoluted answers

annoyed with trips that take him all over the place instead of just from one place and to the other

frustrated when his systems are disrupted

[hypewinter]

The boy in the pod slept peacefully, blissfully unaware of his situation. Should he free him? The Fenton part of him screamed ABSOLUTELY! Even if Ellie wasn't here, he'd never let himself live it down if he left his fellow clone here and escaped alone. But then there was the bat part of him. The very same part of him that gave him enough awareness to wake up and enough skills to escape his own pod and sneak around the facility undetected, was now telling him to leave this clone behind. He's dead weight, a voice inside his head whispered. He won't be as skilled. He'll trip their system. He'll get you both caught.

Danny couldn't help but agree with this calculating voice. According to the files he was able to take a peek at, he was looking at the clone of Superman. A heavy hitter, not exactly built for stealth missions. While his clone was definitely leaner than he was, that didn't automatically translate into him being stealthier too.

It'd probably be best to go get help and come back later. Yes, that'd be the best plan. Definitely. That's what he should do. Yet Danny's feet didn't move. What if he didn't make it back in time? What if the scientists concluded he'd go to get help and packed up before he could come back. Or worse. What if they decided to cut their losses and try again later?

The only thing that stopped the shiver of fear that tried to overcome Danny was the fortitude of his donor that was engrained in his body. Danny took a breath then stepped forward towards the control panel. He wouldn't leave his brother behind. They were going to escape together. Even if that meant fighting their way through this entire facility.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Royal Children - Heirs and Spares

The lives of Princesses and Princes are of interest to most fantasy writers, it's where many of our heroes, side characters and antagonists hail from. But what is there life like? Is it always ballgrowns and servants? Or something more?

A Strict Order of Precedence

The first thing to know about royal children and siblings is that there's a very strict precedence of importance. Is it fair? No. But this is a system, it doesn't have to be fair. The heir comes first without argument. They are the most important child, they are always greeted first, they are the one to stand next to the monarch or their parents at occasions, they literally go first - and this doesn't change with age, if the heir is the youngest, they still have precedence over their siblings. After the heir, order of predence goes by age and the order effects the life of the children. For example, the older sister will marry begore any of her sisters. This order of deference will be so engrained in your character's life that they will believe it the norm and rarely question it, it probably won't spark any in-fighting.

Accommodation & Staff

Royal children are usually raised one of two ways. Either they are raised at court, in the same Palace as their parents or they are raised away from court under the care of trusted servants. Being raised away from their parents isn't a sign of remoteness or dislike or terrible parenting, it was a way of break a child into the constraints of royal life while giving them freedom of scrunity or danger. Usually these children are raised in the countryside for their health, as cities are usually cesspits for disease. Their parents would come to visit them or allow them to visit them at court. Children raised at court are raised with a higher level of scrunity and attention. They will be in the public eye.

Royal children will always be surrounded by staff. There will be nurses to wash and dress them, nannies to discipline and direct them, guards to protect them and usually, a guardian known as a governess to run their household and care for their needs. Staff are not allowed to hit royal children and must obey their commands. Some royal children were very close to their staff:

Kat Ashley and Elizabeth I

Baroness Lehzen and Queen Victoria

Klementy Grigorievich Nagorny and the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich

Lala Bill and Prince John

However, some royal children faced neglect from their staff. George VI was abused by his nanny, who would pinch him during important occasions, openly favour his elder brother over him and deny him food, which many have been a cause of his speech impediment. After the Russian Revolution, another of the Tsarevich's nannies proved less loyal than the other. Andrei Yeremeyevich Derevenko abandoned his charge, but not before ordering the boy around and insulting him.

Day to Day Life

Royal children would be educated withing their home by tutors. They would usually take lessons all together (the heir may take other lessons). A royal child would recieve an education in languages, arithmetic, geography, etiquette, dancing, music, sports such as riding and literature. Sometimes they would even share lessons with the children of trusted nobles or their cousins. Only the heir will be taught statecraft and how to reign. There is no rhyme nor reason a spare would learn how to rule.

Some royal children are taught the value of their position. Many royal children will be raised strictly to adhere to their social standing and their place in it. Some children may be raised in isolation, kept from mingling and raised to think of themselves as higher than those around them. Some royal families preferred to raise their children as "normal" as possible. The last Romanov children slept in camp beds, with no pillows and we're expected to tidy their own rooms and help the servants. They didn't even use their proper titles, they were called by their names and given a tight monthly allowance to spend. Alexandra of Denmark and her sisters used to make their own clothes. Some royal children could even be encouraged to play with the children of servants and staff as well as nobility (Kolya Derevenko and Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, Winifred Thomas and Prince John). Companionship was a great honour for noble and common child alike as sometimes, they would be invited to live or be educated alongside by the royal children.

Royal children will not undertake royal duties until they are of age. Younger children be be present for large scale events such as jubilees but would not be expected to partake in any duties themselves. When they are of age, they will usually be granted an annual allowance, be invited to social events, invited to be patrons of charities and participate in royal duties.

Heir Vs Spare

Heirs have more responsibility, all the prestige, more power but they have less freedom, less room to explore their own lives and be expected to always be the epitome of perfect. Heirs will be given responsibilities in government, sitting in on state meetings or undertaking state duties.

Spares have little in the way of real power but have the ability to live less regimental lives and gave more agency in their personal lives. Spares may act as ambassadors to other nations or undertake state visits on behalf of the monarchy or even take positions in the army. Spares are encouraged to find positions to support themselves outside the family, either in a marriage or undertaking some service to the country. Spares who stay in the country, tend to act as unofficial advisers to their sibling when they become monarch.

All Grown Up

When royal children grow up, there are usually certain expectations and limitations.

Heirs will be married quickly, the lineage must be secure. Heirs will usually marry either as part of a political alliance or marry somebody suitable - from a good family, the right background, and able to fit into a certain mould (i.e malleable, amiable and loyal). They will be expected to focus on the country, it's needs and support the monarch at all times. Their social circles will be scruntised, their every move will be noted and remarked upon. Heirs will never gave to worry about funding their lifestyle, the Crown is their job and it supports them.

Spares can marry or remain single if they choose, (but if the monarch instructs them go marry they must). Spares can travel, they can be idle, they can even persue amusements not permitted for the heir. Spares can win glory on the battlefield and mix with all sorts of people. That isn't to say spares are useless, spares often occupy very important spaces in society and government. Spares will usually take these positions not for just status but also for the pay. This is why spares are granted royal titles such as dukedoms (they can make money off the lands, be able to build a dynasty for themselves and their heirs and gain status).

[johnbrand]

Cycle of Corruption

With @aismoker

Seb did not hesitate, flicking the lighter and bringing its open flame up to the tip of his cigarette. He had never smoked before, never had the intention to smoke before. Seb did not know anyone who smoked, and from an early age his family had preached about the dangers of nicotine. But here he was, the freshly-purchased pack of Marlboros sitting beside him as he took in his first inhalation.

Just as his blogger bro had warned Seb, that first breath was harsh, the smoke roughly scratching at his throat. But his bro had instructed him to keep going, push through the first cigarette. If it was still a little scratchy, have a second. Heck, go through the whole pack. He promised that Seb would notice the change once it came. His throat would surrender, allowing the smoke to smoothly caress itself along the walls like syrup.

Seb assumed he must have appeared strange to the passersby. Some looked at him with the common disdain that was given to all smokers, whether they were newbies or veterans. Some noticed the slightly-above average male and took a second to appreciate him, but then noticed the cigarette between his fingers and shied away. Seb was athletic, kept in shape, but he was nothing extraordinary. Just a lucky genetic draw. But his bro promised Seb it would all change. Smoking would make him what he craved to be: a real man.

Seb could not recall how it had all started. It seemed like only weeks ago he had been scrolling through content online, just passing each blog one by one as he had done countless times before. When he came upon a new blog in his feed though, one boasting of the joys and transformative properties of smoking, he was intrigued. Who in this day and age was promoting nicotine, especially at such a level to create fanfiction of Marlboro? With nothing better to do, Seb explored the page, and before he knew it hours had passed. He had become enthralled, blissfully unaware that a latent addiction had been awoken.

Seb continued to visit the blog, fascinated by the opinions and captions shared by the creator. Eventually, he reached out, and was surprised when the blogger quickly responded back. The blogger, an avid smoker and certified bro-type, was happy to explain his perspective and ideology, further enrapturing the pupil in Seb. It did not take much longer from there until his bro instructed him to purchase his first package of Marlboros, and now on his third cigarette, Seb’s world was beginning to expand.

Enlightened, Seb immediately sent a message to his bro, who responded back with knowledgeable confidence. His bro explained that this was his first stepping stone towards manhood, tying back to their discussions in the past. The blogger had uncovered the definition of masculinity to Seb through pictures of smoking men and by outlying the connections between nicotine and the alpha male. And at that very moment, as he was no longer resisting the smoke's phantom embrace coursing through his veins, Seb finally began to understand his bro’s perspective.

From there, the vicious cycle of corruption erupted. With the continued encouragement from his bro, Seb continued to purchase pack after pack of Marlboros until he began to do it automatically. The process engrained itself as a part of his system, the nicotine like a parasite adding one extra item to his mental to-do lists. And the smoking too, a catalyst initiated by his bro, shifted the direction of Seb’s fate, readjusting his life’s path towards new objectives.

Once the addiction took its permanent residence, things began to change. The smoke physically undertook a reconstruction of its host, creating a suitable body to contain its poisonous splendor. Seb’s musculature grew, his body strengthening a little more with every pack. As his bro reminded him, alpha men smoked, so if he was to smoke, by scientific law he would become an alpha. Larger, broader, naturally commanding a presence. As the years passed, his beard grew in, his body hair grew denser, and his attitude grew smug.

Thanks to the smoking, Seb’s relationships changed too. Family members and people he was once close with grew afraid of his new habits, offering help before simply disappearing from his life. His bro had assured Seb that this was simply for the best; their fear for the emerging alpha did not make them worthy of embracing the better him. With this, his bro helped Seb find new men to socialize with, fellow smokers who could laugh and indulge in their superior lifestyle, discussing the worldly topics around masculinity as smoke coated their interiors.

Seb’s corruption furthered, the addiction consuming him before eventually, almost a decade to the day after his first cigarette, he found himself running his own online blog preaching the revelations of smoking. Now sturdier, gruffer, and wiser, he was delighted when a young blogger popped anonymously into his inbox asking a few questions about his perspective. Seb was happy to indulge, knowing soon he would be enlightening the young man onto his own nicotine journey. And what better way to celebrate such a success than by having a smoke.

[belle--ofthebrawl]

Do you remember my skincare mini series? Do you remember how Rain and Lus were kind of mean to Mountain? I felt kind of bad about that.

the day is long enough to turn you into stone

(contains: Gentle sex near the end, 2k words of mountain getting rubbed down and loved on, trans!rain topping, the glory of a naked cumulus, cockwarming and handfeeding. Written in one go so if something's wrong, no it's not. Unless it's really bad. Will throw it on ao3 whenever.)

Mountain’s been on the move long before dawn, boots on the ground with just enough coffee in his system to convince his aching eyes to open and his tired mind to pay attention. It's the last day in a long stretch of many working ones bedding the gardens and orchards down for what promises to be a proper winter season. Coming in late to the harvest season meant he missed the majority of the fun work; picking and canning and jamming and drying. All that was left was the grunt work, of mending fences and chopping wood, testing and feeding the soil to ensure a good healthy ground to plant the saved seeds in next year. Tools needed to be repaired, sheds and barns and coops needed to be cleaned out and inspected. Feedstores checked and then checked again for the constant threat of pests, but that's helped by the mousers, creeping silently along until a hand was held out and they approached with a purr that rivaled any ghouls.

At some point his brain comes online again. The autopilot shutting off when there's no more work to be done. Of course, there's always more work to be done, but as Mountain sits stop a boulder and slowly chews his way through the sandwich someone had handed to him hours and hours and hours ago, he can't think of anything else he’d like to do more than go to sleep for the rest of the year.

(Divider by @forlorn-crows)

Not like this though. He wouldn't sleep well if he was filthy, caked in the day’s worth of sweat and grime and he honestly can't remember the last time he showered but he thinks the garden hose should suffice as he passes it on his way in. His clothes are tossed in a pail to be retrieved at some other point in time for laundry and he relishes the cold burst of water that hits his skin, tracking down through the dirt that might as well be engrained underneath.A cleaning rag from one pocket is taken to scrub what he seems the worst of it off with help of a shrunken and discolored ball of tallow and lye soap taken from another pocket. He reasons that he'll probably dry before he gets to his room and that the sight of a nude ghoul won't surprise anyone at this point. The rules were a bit laxer around this time of year, since novitiates weren't traditionally moved in until the longest and darkest night.

But there's a wrench thrown into his plans, as soon as he opens the door to his room. The motion sends a flurry of rose petals scattering across the floorboards, just a few in a trail that leads to his bathroom door, cracked open to waft out the scent of something decidedly not of his own toiletry collection. There's just enough candlelight in the tiny room for him to see he won't be spending the night alone.

“I'm not cleaning this up.” Is the only thing he can think to say as Rain opens the door wider. He's shockingly clothed but in such a way to suggest he won't be staying so for very long. Loose, flowing fabric, draped easily and easy to pull off. Mountain tries to be interested, really he does, but it's just that he's so damn tired and the bed is right there. His bones ache. His head aches. Rain is very pretty but Mountain is very, very exhausted.

“Don't worry about it.” Rain says dismissively. He beckons with an elegant arm outstretched and like the work-dog he feels he really is, Mountain obeys with a hanging head. “Oh, stop moping. We're doing something different tonight.”

“Not moping.” He says, sounding childish and petulant but the attitude disappears as soon as he sees the tub. His battered old claw foot has been utterly transformed, scrubbed clean and shining in the low light. The water, tepid on the best of days, has been heated so that fragrant steam rises in lazy whirls as Rain leads him to it. He can pick out lavender and chamomile right away, but it's not his own mixture. It's something from the water ghoul’s expensive and luxurious collection, something that came in an elegantly wrought alabaster jar that Rain pours from as Mountain gathers enough braincells to realize the bath is, in fact, for him.

“Go on.” Rain says. “I can't add everything else until you do.”

Words fail him, especially as he tests the water with his fingers and finds it delightfully hot. Slipping his whole body underneath it brings out deep and guttural noise from his chest, near sexual as it envelops him. His eyes are heavy and refuse to remain open.

“Mmrhn?” Is the best he can manage as a lid is twirled open and the gentle hiss of dry herbs hit the water.

“Pain relief mixture.” Rain murmurs, continuing to sprinkle. “Your own.”

A special blend of three salts, eleven herbs, and four oils. He knows them all by name but his brain dips offline again as Rain comes to perch on the lip of the tub by his shoulders. Mountain cracks his eye open in a Herculean effort and is rewarded with the glimpse of a small silver bowl dipping into the water and, most importantly, the sight of Rain’s clothing folded neatly on the counter by the sink.

He's just a Ghoul, after all.

“Close your eyes.” Rain gently admonishes and Mountain does. The water is poured over his hair and face, Rain giving extra attention to his beard to make sure no part of Mountain is left untouched and dry. Cool cream is smeared on the bare skin of his face with a dampened towel wrapped carefully around his head so he can still breath while whatever Rain out on his works it's magic. Something else is combed patiently through his tangled hair and left to soak in as Rain scratches tenderly at his scalp.

He drifts off; into a hazy dreamscape of grey and gardens that never need tending. His feet float above the ground so his body never aches with the weight of carrying itself around all day and somewhere in the mist, he knows someone waits. Just as he's about to find them and take them in his arms, they call out gently a name not his own and he's too tired to startle, but manages an impressive snort as Cumulus chuckles.

“How's he doing?” She whispers and Mountain hopes she's just as naked as he and Rain are.

“He’d fall asleep right here if we let him.” Rain replies. “Did you find the rose lotion? The one in a square bottle?”

“I thought we weren't doing that rose lotion.” Cumulus answers, setting what sounds like a basket down on the countertop. “Remember? It was too waxy and not moisturizing enough.”

“Oh.” Rain says, starting to unwrap the towel from Mountain’s face. His vision is blurred and he can't make out much- just the figure of his beautiful Lus gleaming mother naked in the candlelight as she unpacks her basket, setting each item down with reverence after a thorough inspection. “Right. Look, in my defense, we came up with this idea when we were smoking.”

“Nuh-uh.” Cumulus counters, a smile in her voice so rich he can hear the dimples. “You forgot everything we agreed on as soon as we saw Mountain strip down and hose off.”

“Okay.” Rain says amicably. “And? Like you're any better.”

“Surprised you haven't dove in there with him yet.”

Mountain makes a noise that informs everyone present he would very much enjoy Rain diving in to join him. But that would leave Lus out and he wants his Lus as well, it's not fair to leave her in the candlelight, lovely as she looks in it.

“He agrees with me.”

“He's agreeing with me.”

They're being so nice to him for once. He thinks the bickering has taken a different turn but it's not like there are any real stakes at play here. Rain’s washing his hair now, soaping out the mask he applied earlier and rinsing the suds out as Cumulus sits on his other side and presses something to his mouth. He opens as he's bid and lets her handfeed him some impossibly delicious, crispy bite of food. Savory and meaty in a flaky shell. His own recipe that he can recognize even as the last of his brain drips out of his skull in the heat of the water and the two beside him. His mouth is wiped when he finishes, cool water out to his lips and he drinks. The next course of fruit and cheese begins as Rain fusses with conditioner, snips at his scraggly beard with a little pair of shears and even cleans and files his nails, brushing on yet another oil to the keratin.

“I could watch you pamper our man all day.” Cumulus teases, holding out a cube of cheese on a stick. Rain takes it gracefully, giving her extended and pointed eye contact as he draws back. Mountain wheezes and the noise brings their attention back on him again.

“Your turn.” Rain says.

He's helped out of the water, gone tepid by now and for once his body doesn't complain about the work of moving joints and muscles and his bones don't feel like they’ve been filled with lead. Cumulus dries him with her power, keeping him warm thermals harnessed to keep him from shivering. His skin, dry from the heat and the harshness of his own soap, is coated in a shea butter lotion and he's led from the bathroom to his bed with a fire crackling in the grate.

“Lay down.” She says, and he obeys. On his back at first but she flips him with ease onto his stomach and really, he's got no complaints there. She's easy to underestimate, always seen with a box of sweets and tucked up with a book but only a fool forgets she's a menace from the pit. Being spoiled up top just suits her better and she's got years of experience to draw on as she straddles his back. Hands that once ripped jawbone from skull press tenderly into his muscles and he forgets everything again as she works him, fingers dancing like she's playing her piano. Her body is a comforting weight atop him, easing any lingering anxiety he might have had about things being left undone or not good enough. It's no use to worry without energy to act on it. If things go wrong, he’ll be rested and restored enough to deal with them. Even his tail is lovingly played with, tugged on and rubbed until it settles.

At some point, she slips off and lays next to him with a little plate of chocolates. Rain’s on him now, pouring more oil in a straight line down his back, humming as he dots more here and there. Mountain grumbles until he's fed a candied pecan from Lus’ lips and the kiss distracts him enough so that he doesn't notice Rain shuffling back to sit on his knees as he idly plays in the spills of oil, finger painting that takes his hands lower and lower.

With one hand on each cheek, Rain pulls him apart. Warm oil splatters directly on his hole and he jolts with a whimper that Lus smothers with her chest. Rain dips two fingers inside, easily finding the spot that has his legs shaking in moments. He didn't have the energy for sex, he thought, but what they wanted was vastly different than what he expected. Rain’s fingers steadily pump in and out of his body for ages as he and Lus kiss, the water leaving his own lip prints in the film slowly absorbing into Mountain’s skin.

“You hard, baby?” Lus asks him between breaths and Mountain is embarrassed at the way he whispers out no, chasing the taste of her but she just smiles patiently at him.

“Don't need to be, honey. We’ll take care of you.”

When he's finally deemed ready, he's pushed onto his side, Rain tight to his back while Lus throws a luscious thigh over his hip, going for his neck. He feels the press of Rain's breasts against his shoulder blades, his own hips rocking for purchase until his tentacle eases out of Rain's body and wriggling home into Mountain's. It curls up inside him, heavy and deep and pressed right where he needs it. His cock is gripped in a soft, manicured hand, not to rub and tease but just to hold and comfort. He doesn't know which way to turn to kiss them and their laughter is gentle.

“Just let us take care of you.” Whispers one.

“It's the least we could do in return.” Murmurs the other.

His sleep, after an orgasm milked from his still soft cock, is deep and dreamless. It's a long time before all three of them wake up.

[velvetcloxds]

GONE | E.M.

word count: 1.5k

warnings: written before the inspo guy totally ruined this concept for me, how very fitting the first title was inspired by that song

summary: your dad made it clear you and eddie weren't allowed to even see each other, let alone talk to each other, eddie takes the risk to come and surprise you on valentines day

previous parts: linger | fleeting

You were frustrated to be at work, it was odd being at another building while someone else was trying to use your system and clear a mess you’d already tried to clean only to be taken away from it before it was done. You got constant calls from your dad, questions which prompted you to drop everything and solve their problems even while not there. More than anything you were back to the realization that this job absolutely sucked, Eddie had been enough of a distraction to help you forget all of that. Your dad declared a strictly no communication order between you and Eddie, he’d found him with a hand on your shoulder, leaning over you to check the booking list and it was like all the little puzzle pieces fell into place and he realized the two of you were actually not just good at working together.

In a perfect world, you’d riot, and rebel against the notion but you knew better, you weren’t supposed to get close to Eddie in the first place, to anyone who works with or for your parents. It made total sense, you knew as much, he reminded you about how being his daughter meant that you weren’t just a girl working with a boy your age and being too friendly about it, you were creating a weakness in the business, and it might seem all nice and dandy for the time being, but people change, motives change.

It was engrained in your head to consider the family, protect the brand, the name, you’d never even looked at any of the other workers too friendly for that very reason, but Eddie snuck up on you. He made you feel your age, made you feel like just a girl who got a crush on a boy who was sweet to her despite herself and what started as you being sure he was just a friend, there was now a little ache in your heart that made you realize it definitely wasn’t the case. With Eddie you felt normal, just a girl, not your parents’ keeper, not the household emotional manager, just a girl who could smile at a boy and shrink instantly when he smiled back at you.

So, you’d survived a week without him, and all the emotions he’d managed to stir up in you and made it all the way to Valentine's Day, a horrendous day in a normal year, an absolute nightmare when your heart felt like it was in mourning. You’d still put on your pretty red dress and put some fresh flowers in your hair and did your makeup all pretty, only now it was only the cleaners and the guests and the little birds that stopped by at lunch that got to see it- not your guy, your Eddie. You had to delete his number just to stop yourself from talking to him, remind yourself to act casually whenever your phone chimed and you thought just maybe he was talking to you instead, had to keep a hand on your leg to stop it from jumping up and down. It got to the point where you were happy to be called to the basement to check on some sort of water leak, at least you wouldn’t have to think about him anymore.

It didn’t help, the road was there too long, you got to thinking about what he’d tell you if he was there, if he’d have been a little cuter on such a day, if he’d already found himself a cute girl to spend the day with instead, wondered if he’d seen your love day post on someone else’s phone.

“Careful,” you thought you’d reached peak desperation when you heard his voice, but your mind wasn’t actually playing tricks on you, because it was actually him who moved you out of harm’s way, one hand on your elbow pulling you from a bunch of paint cans, the other holding onto a single red rose. “What, I leave you alone for one week and you succumb to your terrible ways?” he didn’t make much of a show about handing you the flower, shrugged when your eyes met, and smiled when you sniffed it.

“Eddie,” you wanted to thank him actually, told him how glad you were to see him, wonder out loud if he missed you at all as much as you missed him. “What are you doing here?” his face fell, you didn’t mean for it to, but if someone saw him here, saw him with you, if it got back to your dad your next move would be right out of a job. “If my dad-“

“I know, I know,” he shrugged again, you didn’t like it, he wasn’t wearing his smile nearly as well as he used to, it wasn’t nearly as genuine. “Look, consider it a platonic, strictly professional visit.” Liar. He pulled something from his back pocket, pages folded in half, completely skewed, somehow a perfect representation of him. “I just had to drop off some paperwork for you,”  when he opened it you nearly swallowed your tongue, it was one of your short stories, his handwriting in the margins, a bright yellow highlighter used to highlight some parts, you had no idea what to do next.

“Where on earth did you get that?” you gasped, very unladylike when you snapped it from his hand, it was somehow turned into a work of art now, his words and your own, you’d never even allowed anyone to read what you wrote let alone have someone react like this to it.

“I have my ways,” the smile snuck through, the good one, the one that made you gooey. “Listen, I figured if I can’t actually hear your voice I might as well get to hear the next best thing,” he tapped the top of the paper. “You’re really good, you know, don’t know why you’re hiding that from us common folk,” the compliment was completely sincere, but it made you snap back to reality.

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” you caught him off guard, made him waver in his usual ways because you’d never spoken to him like that, so few words but so somber, he’d never been the one to prompt them from you, he hated it. “I didn’t even think about how this could turn into such a big dramatic thing- you were just so easy to be around, to exist with, made me feel so human, so safe- I didn’t think we’d get into so much trouble for it.”

“I’m easy to be around?” he scoffed, leaned back against some stacks of tables, eyes ever dreamy as he looked you over. “Don’t think I’ve felt so comforted just being with someone ever before, warmth literally fills the air around you, if anyone should apologize for not being weary it should be me- should’ve known that being friends with you would be hard enough.”

“A bunch of idiots, we were,” you sighed, and you allowed yourself another moment of selfishness when you went to stand next to him, sighed again when your arms squeezed against each other, braced yourself before resting your head on his shoulder. “First guy I ever liked like this, and you just had to work for my dad and ruin it all.”

“Tell me about it, a guy falls for a girl like you, and she just has to be related to the jerk who signs his checks,” he lingered, paused before he let his hand brush against yours, sighed shakily when he rested his head on top of yours. “Shit, I really liked you, you know.”

“I really did like you too, never expected you’d break my heart before I even had the chance to give it to you,” he wasn’t sure how to reply to that, the thought of being given your heart was absolutely insane, a heart like that, so bruised yet so trusting of all he was, what kind of guy would be lucky enough to have the chance to hold onto it.

“Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart,” he breathed, and you were looking at the rose he’d given you as if you expected something of it, all the answers to your situation, a promise that this wasn’t the end of what could’ve been something so amazing if everything was just so completely different.

“Happy Valentine's Day, Eddie,” you sighed, placed the flower right back into his hand, and reminded yourself that you just had to make it to the bathroom before you’d allow yourself to cry- it represented him so well, so beautiful, so lovely, but you couldn’t let anyone see you with it, couldn’t hold onto it even if you wanted.

[nervytumbleweed]

“Why do you like clannibal so much it’s so weird”

Okok I know someone else did this but I wanted to put it into my own words, plus I forced my mom to read the books and she’s not a fan. I completely expected that which is exactly why I forced her to read the books 😭😭😭

Because it’s beautiful, raw, and real. Because it’s not weird you only find it weird because you can only physically see Hannibal as a monster. Because there’s so much character growth throughout both the books that’s so deeply hidden by a portrayed “monster” and portrayed “innocent” woman that so many people just skip past because they find it wrong. The way Harris hides the growth so subtly and that it hits you at once in the end you have to take a second look. You have to reread it to really grasp the fine details of how each character develops. How Clarice is going through her daddy issues but also questioning her own morals and the fbi. Even though it’s hidden in deep in his writing it’s so clearly there. Which is why she’s such a complex character she can hide that part of her and still keep doing her job because that’s how she was taught because she doesn’t want to give up faith in the one thing she wants to be good for her when it’s so obviously not. Because the system wasn’t designed for women to have that kind of success. Which is what’s so real about harris’ writing. He shows her success and then he shows how that early success for her (or for any woman unfortunately) can be detrimental to their career. As Harris has said before he’s never had to make anything up. Though I’m sure he was talking about the brutality of the murders, the fbi part of it is still unfortunately true. The fact that Hannibal is clearly very interested in her but he’s got a mental block (which we don’t know anything about till the ending ish of Hannibal unless of course you read Hannibal rising first) he’s complex in the fact that yes he sees himself as a monster and a psychopath but deep down he’s not but tries so desperately to cling to that by being arrogant and rude to people who he doesn’t find worthy. He wants people to see him as a monster because of what’s been taken from him so he builds that wall. And by building that wall he soon believes it himself until Clarice comes along and begins to make that wall crumble. Yes he still has those attributes from years of being that person but when he’s with her it’s simply not that what so ever.

Side note: Also the age gap isn’t weird both of their brains are fully developed when first meeting, it’s not like Clarice is 19 and Hannibal is 50 💀

Ugh I just love how you just have to REALLY read the book to see the engrained mental fight of both characters and the growth in them and not just in the last part of the book Hannibal.

[wingzie]

Hi Lovely!

You are the G.O.A.T Jikook historian and I love, love, love your threads on Twitter. I also love your posts you’ve been doing here on your thoughts and perspectives all things Jikook, jikookers and the fandom.

I have a question. I’ve already talked about it a while ago but I wanted your take. What’s your opinion on people feeling like Jikook haven’t been the same post-2020 and the fact that EVEN MORE feel like since chapter two Jikook are not in a ‘relationship’ anymore. I use ‘relationship’ as it’s the easiest word to use for them for this ask, whatever people believe the labels for Jikook’s jikooking should be.

Do you think that:

a. There IS a difference in Jikook of the past and Jikook of now?

b. Do you think that if they once had something they no longer do?

c. Do you think that Jikook are no longer close after chapter 2.

We know Jikook are currently serving together and used the buddy system but apart from that, if you were to answer the above with evidence as the Jikook historian you are, what’s your take.

Thank you for your part in making Jikook spaces fun and informative 😉

💜

Hello! Thank you for your kind words and for sending in the ask. Let’s get into it with some honest truths: I don’t see a difference and I don’t think anything has changed. I am very much aware of what people are saying, but this is a pattern that repeats itself every single time there is less content to “feed” those who are less patient. Or, even worse,  those who want to control Jimin and Jungkook.

On 8th March 2020, BTS were told that their April concerts in Seoul would be cancelled. As we know, this later included the cancellation of their entire tour. Both the members and entire fandom were very upset about this, but I remember very vividly reading takes on the Jikook side of Tumblr saying: "but what about our Jikook content?" When, in all honesty, that should never have been the main focus when the entire world was experiencing a pandemic. I've seen this complaint several times. This happened during their vaction in 2019 and it's even happening now whilst they are in the military. It is incredibly selfish. I may be a Jikooker, but I understand that Jimin and Jungkook are their own people.

Hindsight is also a wonderful thing. There are a lot of times that we don't know about something, until it is revealed later on. We didn't know that Jikook ate dinner together after one of their concerts until the docuseries was released. This goes for 2018 AND in 2022. There are certain things that Jikook do because it is to heavily engrained into their routine together. We just won't always witness or hear about it.

How is this all linked though? There has been a change in content releases. We were used to Memories being released every summer and a Run episode every Tuesday. Episode 155 was the last weekly episode, released in October 2021. The last Special Episode was released in February 2023. They would have been filmed years apart, but they still show the same closeness and loving spirit. Both of these episodes also included some Jimin butt loving from Jungkook!

When chapter 2 began, it was obvious that Jimin and Jungkook were focusing on their own things. They do not have a persona in BTS to explore with, so this was their chance to share their stories or experiment with other music. Though busy, they still supported each other massively with social media posts or hyping each other on Lives. This is another pattern which has maintained over the years.

We also know that they have been on several trips together. They may have been on many more that we don't know of. I personally don't worry about it, I just support them as much as I can without putting any pressure on them. That would be unfair. I just think that whenever we do see anything from them, we are very lucky.

I know this response is probably what you (and others) weren't expecting, but I think those saying these things are probably too involved in Jimin and Jungkook's lives. That also goes with the amount of leaked photos and videos lately that I have seen on all platforms. Respect goes a long way and some are abusing it. (And thank you for always showing it in your own posts!) I am working on a "Jikook during Chapter Two" post, coming soon!

[yuri-for-businesswomen]

i just now learned about a recent case where a german man kidnapped and did unspeakable acts to two boys. one was german, one was a refugee. the first one was immediately treated as a missing case, but the second one was not because the cops were afraid the mother was hiding her son to avoid deportation. and the worst part is, that little boy was kidnapped in a government institution (lageso in berlin) where his mother went for help! its infuriating beyond belief.

racism is so deeply engrained in german institutions, its not funny. yet police refuses any reforms or real investigations and deny even the notion - despite mounting evidence - that there is an issue with systemic racism in german police. and we dont have an independent institution to control the cops, you know who investigates their failures and issues? other cops. and we all know how they stick together like literal shit.

but it also made me think about „missing white woman syndrome“. does anyone really care about an eastern european white woman who goes missing while being exploited in the west through prostitution, in the domestic field, nursing, or as a „mail bride“ dependent on her husband? does anyone care about a white woman in the usa going missing from a trailer park? does anyone care about a white woman who was homeless, mentally ill, drug addicted, disabled, impoverished, prostituted, or otherwise marginalised going missing? and do people not care about white men going missing?

and it also made me think about this current trend of oversimplifying and decontextualising racism. one thing i hope we all can agree on is that anti black racism is very persistent. i cant think of a single country where black people are treated preferably over other races, best case is to be treated equally as a black person, and even that is not the case in most countries. but this doesnt just apply to white majority countries. in japan or korea, or under the kafala system in the arabic gulf states, for example, black people are systematically discriminated against and exploited too. white people are also not the only ones guilty of colonialism and imperialism - albeit i dont want to minimise the scale of portugese, spanish, french, british/australin, german, dutch, belgian (neo)colonialism or the north american slave trade.

i dont know its just, everything always has to be put in context and looked at from an intersectional perspective but i feel a lot of people who fault white supremacy for everything dont do that. and dont get me wrong, white supremacy is the root of a lot of inequality and issues, but despite the name its not merely a black and white problem, its complex. for example, even if a roma or jewish person is white, neonazis dont consider them the same race as white people. or i remember my turkish professor once saying, „in turkey im considered white, but in germany im a person of colour“. because race is not just phenotype, it is also culture, nationality, location and ethnicity that matters for who is holding power and privilege.

meanwhile a lot of the same people will refuse to agree that sex matters. or claim that sex - which is a lot less ambiguous than race by the way and nobody argues that mixed race people prove that race is not real or doesnt matter the way they argue intersex people prove that sex is not real or doesnt matter - is a spectrum while chanting „black lives matter“. and i know that black communities do have that conversation about colourism and how whiteness is something even people of colour are supposed to „strive for“, which is why for example the harmful practice of bleaching your skin exists. so it is being acknowledged that race is a spectrum, but some of the same people who rightfully talk about black lives and how blackness is its own social category will call you a bigot for talking about female lives and how being female is a social category.

im not going anywhere with this, just some thoughts that came up regarding discussions on racism and sex and how they intersect too. feel very free to chime in especially as a person of colour obviously!

[cool-cube]

whipped up three useless aliens today, which i've called Snot Rocket, Blabbermouth & Terrable. i am obsessed with making useless aliens to the point where it has become a problem but i've barely shared all of them (i probably never will)

anyways here they are

Snot Rocket (left) can shoot out very tensile mucus from his body. He can expel it as strings from his nose or as small globs from his mouth. It's not particularly dangerous but it's texture, smell & general look makes it incredibly disgusting to everyone around him, even himself.

Snot Rocket himself is tiny, weak & pathetic, making him easy to beat in a fight. His one ability even grosses him out, which often makes him feel sick when Ben is trying to use him. Snot Rocket's immune system is also worse than other species due to the nature of his powers, making him more susceptible to catching diseases.

Blabbermouth (middle) can generate his own oxygen from the sack in his throat, letting him breathe in places with little to no air. He can also survive oceanic depths & is a fast swimmer. He also has a very large vocal range, which lets him reach super-high pitches to pierce your eardrums.

Blabbermouth gets his name from the fact that his species don't stop talking. It is engrained into their brains for them to continually talk even if there's nothing to talk about. This can be used to annoy enemies, but it also makes him a godawful choice for stealth. He's also only about as strong as a human & lacks depth perception due to his single eye.

Terrable (right) doesn't have any notable powers. He's fairly durable & can photosynthesise but he has little to no methods of attacking, unless he's used as a projectile by someone else. Terrable's Species are, for reasons unknown to Ben, the single most feared thing in the entire Milky Way. The reason for this is the fact that they have been shown to slaughter any and all threats that stand in their way when faced in a life-or-death situation in a matter of moments. Ben has no idea how to access this strength, doesn't know about it and doesn't even know why almost all of his villains run away from Terrable.

Terrable's prescence only makes him scary if you know about what he's capable of. If you don't know, then he's a very easy alien to deal with. So long as he is not placed in a situation where he will absolutely die, Terrable can be beaten in any situation that he faces. Terrable has very short legs, which makes him rather slow, but his kind have been shown to move at alarming paces when threatened.

[wazzappp]

So, I recently acquired a copy of Blue Diamond, which collects issues 7-16 of the New52 Blue Beetle 2011(?) run, and there is some nice lore.

Scarab hosts have lengthened life-spans, especially considering Sky Witness was a full grown (middle? aged) adult at time of bonding with Khaji Da.

Also, not shown but still of interest, Khaji Da + Sky Witness are the inspiration for “the cruel god, Quetzalcoatl”, due to Sky Witness, a Mayan Priest having near-single-handedly chased the people who would become the Aztec Empire out of Mayan lands using the Scarab’s power. (Also, the armor looked very very different on Sky Witness than it does for any other Scarab Warrior?)

Long term bonding results in scarab technology staying, even after the scarab leaves, although this may be affected by how hastily Khaji Da left him. (Sky Witness [SW] got obsessed and possessive over Khaji Da, [guy calls it his love and was pissed about Jaime, like *yikes*], realized that the armor couldn’t extend his life anymore, so he went into a pyramid, and blew it up so as to entomb himself and the scarab inside of it and prevent the scarab from taking another host. Khaji Da immediately detached in a semi-successful attempt to flee.)

Scarabs change their host’s dna, adding some of their own.

In that case, I’ll change my statement about the scarab mimicking genetic markers on native cells to avoid an immune response, and instead state that the scarab inserts its own dna into the native strand of dna that codes for those markers, as well as tampering with the immune system during the adjustment period, so as to avoid the body responding to its own modified cells, as well as Khaji Da.

Might send you another ask bc I might have more to say but don’t want to risk this getting deleted while I look for the panels I’m thinking of.

ooOOOoooooo Good to know!! I didn't like what New 52 did with Jaimes character but I will say the genetic fuckery / body horror is very very nice. Jaime watching his own fingertips burn off. Forever engrained in my memory I LOVE IT.

FUCK YEAAAAA KHAJI DA HAS GENETICS FOR THE WIN. eeeehehehehehehehe were mimicking viruses again here you love to see it you LOVE to see it. Assimilating the central nervous system (leaving the brain for last) first and then going for the immune system sounds like some good pathogenesis. Rabies style (in the club. freaking it rabies style) moving through the axons to try and avoid an immune response would make sense. LEAVING THE HOST GENETICALLY ALTERED FOREVER EVEN AFTER SEPARATING HOW VERY VIRUS OF YOU KHAJI <- compliment.

Jaime living longer than everyone he knows / straight up not aging angst my BELOVED. God I love messing with him so much. Pulling a jellyfish on Jaime might be Khajis biggest accomplishment and also their biggest mistake. This boy without his family. I think Bad Things would happen really quick.

Please do!! Always makes me happy to see the source material taking the body horror just a little farther <33

[boabelboo]

okok so if you have visited my blog at all ever you will probably know that i am very interested in district nine and i never really explained why, so here is my silly little analysis/explanation of my d9 interest.

so, to me, district nine was a missed opportunity (or, just a very silent representation) of a metaphor. i know that thg is allegorical, and the intricacies of the lore and world building don't necessarily all have to add up into one perfect picture. it isn't "underdeveloped" when there was no need to develop it in the first place. this is just a personal collection of thoughts.

in the hunger games, there is a recurrent motif of bread being a symbol of hope. its seen time and time again, the most common example being peeta burning bread on purpose to give to katniss when she is on the brink of starvation. other examples include when district eleven all banded together to buy katniss their specific district bread as a sign of thanks and, further on the "district bread" subject, sending the bread as a gift during the 75th games with secret codes and messages for rebellion.

bread is so deeply engrained (ha, see what i did there) into the hunger games' lore that the location is even called panem, stemming from 'panem et circenses', latin for bread and circuses. the phrase was coined by juneval, a roman poet, who used his poetry as satirical commentary on roman society. he is referring, in this passage, to the roman practice of giving free wheat to the citizens, and putting on circuses in order to distract them so leaders could gain more political power.

this very obviously and intentionally mirrors the tesserae system, with the wheat/grain only being "free" if you give up one slip of your name to be entered in the reaping. the "small" price to pay.

how does this link in with district nine, you may not ask?

district nine's whole thing is bread and grain. i at first thought that it was strange that they made a whole other district JUST for bread and grain when district eleven was right there.

the reason i came up with in my head for this, was that it is a (intentional or not) parallel to the society juvenal is referring to. panem is so focused on bread, so desperate to churn out more and more as gifts, as grain, as food for the capitol, that they needed a whole district just to manage the supply.

this doesn't make district nine special by any means, all of the canon tributes from district nine do not survive the blood bath in the games, and there are only two named characters (with names relating to bread/grain, i may add).

the metaphor in my mind is that the most irrelevant district is given the bread role, something that is meant to be special that they can use for propaganda. this is the wheat. this is the helpful and free distraction that attempts to brainwash them to forget about the capitol's crimes (the gaining of political power, in juneval's terms). this could be why, in the end, district nine never became part of the rebel plan. maybe they gave this role to district nine because of them being involved in a rebel plot previously (in tbosas, it mentions jabberjays being sent to districts 11 and 12, known for being rebellious, but also 9).

the bread and grain produced from the hands of district nine's workers is used to starve them. they can only get food if they work vigorously or sign up to end their life, but they are so focused on staying alive, on getting the free wheat that juneval refers to that they forget and are distracted by the circus, which is the game all along. starve them enough to keep working, make that their end goal, and use that as a distraction to gain political power.

it's a kind of morbid irony that the district that works so hard to provide bread, the soul focus of panem, is one of the most starving.

[zachary305]

You and the Cycle (Naruto)

Naruto was a pretty intriguing watch, especially coming from someone who had never seen the series prior to this. Jumping from the very first episode to episode 162 of the sequel series was a bit jarring, but I was really surprised with how easy it was to follow along. I found the fights super entertaining and the characters themselves very interesting. Its through these characters though that Naruto explores a key concept in discrimination: the cycle of hatred.

I would define the cycle of hatred as being a self-feeding loop in which hatred towards one group causes hatred within that group, and their hatred causes more hatred, and that hatred causes more hatred, etc. It’s a nasty philosophical ouroboros present within everyday society, one that exists solely because of our reaction. Naruto explores this through the character of Pain or Nagato. Despite setting himself on a journey to bring about peace, the destruction of Nagatos village led him to become disillusioned with this idea of harmony. He began to believe that hate was present throughout not only every person, but engrained within the “ninja system itself.” Now in this, Naruto briefly touches on another idea important to the cycle of hate; systemic discrimination. Basically, Nagato believes that the system itself perpetuates the hatred and violence present within their society. In his mind, there is no ninja system without hate. And to some extent, Nagato is correct. To need to use these powers suggests that some idea of conflict exists, with conflict comes violence, and with violence comes hate. Another cycle that exists because the ninja system exists, but then if the ninja system didn’t exist, violence would still happen, which can be stopped with the ninja system, etc. Once again we have trapped ourself in a paradox and that is essentially what the cycle of hate is, a paradox.

Nagato sees a single solution to this cycle and that is to simply make others too scared to express their hate through violence, basically a cold war technique. He wants to bring about peace through fear, but to create that fear he resorts to the destruction of the hidden leaf village. Here lies the fault in Nagatos plan, by creating this fear, he also creates hate. His plan isn’t viable because hate will have to be conjured to even bring about his plan. So how can one stop the cycle? It’s actually Naruto himself who is the one to show the simplest and best answer; You cannot stop the cycle of hate, but you can stop the cycle of violence. Naruto chooses not to kill Nagato, because he knows killing Nagato would only make the cycle continue, so Naruto chooses to hate, without violence. This is the true nature of the cycle of hate. By trying to eliminate hate in others, one is missing the entire point of the cycle of hate. You have no control over others emotions or actions, you only have control of you. YOU have to make the active decision to end the cycle. You are the only person that you can act for and at the end of the day it is your actions that decide if the cycle continues. By freeing yourself from the cycle, you free future generations from it.

[journeytothewest-daily]

Apologies for the double ask, but there were some things I wondered about!

Is the emperor missing the point by giving Tripitaka a golden alms bowl?

What on Earth is vegetarian wine? Was it permitted to monks?

I've seen HKers burning paper money in games and movies. Do you know if geography impacts how common it is? Are any groups particularly associated with it?

Do you think all the suicides are a criticism of dogmatic systems of honour?

Thank you for the new chapter ☺️

Why do you think he shouldn't be given a golden alms bowl? As a monk, you can't want to have one of those, but you can use it as you'd use any other. And Buddhist monks lived on alms from people, which helped feed themselves etc. Just like the OG Buddha.

To tell you the truth, I don't know what vegetarian wine is, since all wines are made from plants :( My research didn't give me any explanation.

I only know it's common for Chinese or Han people, I don't know of any other culture that does it, even though many groups worship ancestors as well.

JTTW can be read as satyre, but I think you can do that with scenes that seem funny. We've seen several people killing themselves so far and in my opinion, the author wasn't letting us know what he thought of it all, but what people do. Systems of honour were very engrained in the mind of the people of the time, and although from the distance, if we wrote the novel now, we could be critics of it, I personally think Wu Cheng'en doesn't let s into his thoughts in thi matter but most often on the palace politics ones.

Thank you for the interesting questions! You're very observant, I'm sorry I couldn't provide an answer to everything.

[dbfandom]

Letters, Numbers and Emojis used for characters and their ships in Dragon Ball Japanese fandom!

So in Japanese media, it's common to use shorthands to talk about characters or media (if you've read Bakuman you've seen the explanation about "Wanpi (ワンピ)" being used for One Piece (ワンピース, Wan Pi (long vowel) su).

Because of their email/texting system, it's also more common to use one sole symbol to talk about characters, but also to not appear in search functions (posts are rarely tagged :()

Some of these symbols have been widely accepted by the Japanese fandom as a whole, but some others are for personal reference only (and as such, two artists may use the same emoji for different characters and nobody really cares).

Today I'm going to give you just a few of them, if you'd like more, don't hesitate to ask in the replies or in the tags, spread this blog and more ;)

Goku: Goku is usually referred as 🥕 (carot, kakarot) and 59 (五九 ; go-ku). This is why the Cell jacket has a 59! You will also find people using 空 (the second kanji for Goku's name).

Gohan: Obviously, his name meaning "rice" (as in shorthand for meal), Gohan's emoji is🍚 but you will also see 58 (五八 ; go-hachi (close enough)) to talk about him. You will also find people using 飯 (the second kanji for Gohan's name).

Goten: Goten gets🍤(for TENpura) and sometimes it's either 57 (because he's younger than 58 and 59), or more commonly 510 (五ten for go-TEN). You will also find people using 天 (the second kanji for Goten's name), but this is also the first character of Tenshinhan (and it's also used for him, as it's the symbol on his DBS outfit).

57 is also used for GoChi day (五七 go-shichi); this usage is more common than the Goten one.

Because of this, May 9th is Goku day, May 8th is Gohan day, May 10th is Goten day.. and May 7th is Gochi day :p

This is also why in mobile games, you have "Son Family Week" around those days!

(this is why Piccolo Day is funny and why people fight over whether it's Goku day or Piccolo day :p)

Those of you who follow my fic know this already, but Trunks' emoji is 🐯 (tiger, which is read Tora in Japanese.. Because Trunks' name is actually Torankusu :p). People will use トラ (the first two katakana of his name).

If you see 来, that's the first kanji for Future. 来🐯 or 来トラ is the short version for Future Trunks, and 来🍚 or 来飯 is for Future Gohan. Automatic translators will usually read it as Mi-Tora / Next Meal and just go into Blue Screen of Death mode.

So I'll be borrowing TruTen (Trunks x Goten) as an example for how ship names work in Japanese. Unlike in English, however, the order in which you put the characters is important.

天トラ / 🍤🐯: Ten-Tora. In this case, Goten tops.

トラ天 / 🐯🍤: Tora-Ten. In this case, Trunks tops.

It's a little more than just "who tops/bottoms", since the roles are very codified (Uke and Seme tropes if you want to look it up). They're so codified you should be able to tell from the book cover alone which way it's going to be!

So when I mentioned shipping wars in the past post about shipping terminologies for Japanese speakers, it's because the tropes about M/M relations are so strong and engrained in Japanese society that some people will refuse to consider "the other way around" (up to and including blocking each other on social media).

As such for Vegeta/Goku, probably the most popular M/M DB ship, the KakaVege and VegeKaka fans tend to be very opinionated about the "correct" portrayal. Anthologies (collective works) will be either one or the other, but not both at the same time.

The concept of switching isn't very common, and you'll see from the tropes that one has to be the assertive and control type and the other has to be a little more shy, smaller, etc.

In the case of TruTen (トラ天), this translates to Goten usually being smaller and more "delicate" and sensitive than Trunks (and so despite the fact that Goten, as an adult, is a solid 10cm taller than Trunks, but you'll rarely see that in トラ天 content!).

Of course this isn't universal, there are content creators and readers who will appreciate both, and who will appreciate dynamics that fall outside of the traditional tropes, but people tend to purchase stuff more easily if they know what to expect in terms of tropes used.

After all, the whole point of being two men in a relationship is that there's no woman in the relationship. They're gay, your honor!

Note that some content creators will use 89 (or 5859) for the HanKu ship. You have been warned.

[thecrimsonrescue]

this is like, a behind-the-scenes question- but how do you decide on ranks?? like, do you decide to make 'sets' like how you have Crow, Pidgeon, and Dove, so you keep the same number of the 3 ranks? or do you pick a bird/animal/whatever and go based on vibes?? or do you go in with a rank in mind and picks bird based on vibes??

Good question! Sometimes I make sets, and sometimes I pick the animal. See, Exotic birds are quite easy for me to decide on rank due to my experience with them, So I usually decide on the vibe, size (sometimes), usual personality traits, certain biological traits, and if they're a bird that would be considered a predatory, even sometimes media I enjoy can influence how their rank is decided (including au). Appearance plays into my decision but it's mostly the experience I've had with said birds that help me properly decide on it. for example, I own a Cockatiel and a Parrotlet, Parrotlets are smaller than Cockatiels and tend to try and show dominance despite their small size and obvious strength difference, they test even the biggest of birds and tend to be brave to a fault, Yet get scared of the silliest things, Taking in the size, personality of some of these birds and my experience I'd come to the choice of making them Omega ranked. Cockatiels tend to be excitable and playful, they're bigger than parrotlets but are much more...Silly? All birds tend to be silly but My cockatiel is an absolute enigma and makes me laugh, they are sweet but temperamental and it screamed omega to me. for the birds I have not had much experience with I do plenty of research and decide on what I have studied and seen. Swans are seen as elegant, but swans can be very assertive if need be. They're bigger birds and they're protective of their mates and eggs. I also took in the inspiration of "The Swan Lake". I wanted an Alpha designed to look dainty and sweet but have mad protectiveness engrained in them.

Pigeons have always struck me as sweet but spunky birds, they're smart but hold sass, and they're usually seen as less "delicate" than Doves and less "Pretty" (which I think is a lie but I love birds in general). They're strong birds, survive very well, and are often misjudged. they've struck me as a rank beta due to their size, role, and certain personality traits. a lot of how I decide these also comes from gut feelings and I've always been that way. sometimes, I do sets of three when I think of birds that work well and aesthetically mix, Cockatoos and Cockatiels, There will be a third to the set which will be a kind of Cockatoo, Either Galah or Goffin. This is saying, Some different types of existing birdie bitties may actually have different ranks, however, I've yet to delve into that with you folks.

As for non bird bitties? My non-birdie bitties usually are based on how i view them or my understanding of them (just like the birdies) My nectar bitties are the rank they are because of the time spent with Sugar gliders. Hades, my Grillby is actually based on the song "Hey, little Songbird" from the Hadestown musical. it's also takes into consideration the au. It's always made me think of my Au Grillby (at least when I began to remake him), shaping him to be a large figure that fully gave me the vibes of an Alpha, and due to his personality and AU role, it's been what I've chosen. I try to keep the same number of ranks but I get ideas and I have to act on them before I lose the idea. long story short, I am a being of chaos and I have a system to my madness but sometimes I stray from it with the thought of good ideas. There's a way I do things, it's just a crazy one.

I hope this was a good answer, I went on a full ramble.