#fear of gambling phobia

[writers-potion]

Writing Mad Characters

Okay this is a bit awkward because I had this question copypasted into Google Docs I use to draft my answers, and I realized I've lost the question in my inbox (which is being flooded).

So...I'm so sorry for whoever asked this question. Sorry for the delay because I was struggling with life in general for the past month and definitely SORRY for losing your question (－‸ლ)

Q: I'm writing a story where a major character is slowly spiraling into madness where small details kinda hint into the downfall right before the bigger details appear and then it the floodgates open. Is there anything I should avoid? Anything that I should keep in mind? Anything that I should research?

Things to Avoid

“Mad” or “Insane” is too general. Writing a cliched ‘crazy’ character who randomly talks to imaginary people and lashes out at strangers, you’ll offend a whole bunch of people who've gone through/have mental illnesses. Read up on existing mental conditions (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic disorder and borderline personality disorder, etc.) to see what your character might have. 

Words like “mad” “crazy” or “insane” aren’t enough when you’re describing their status. As mentioned, these words hardly mean much when it comes to providing a clear description.

Contradicting yourself. Throwing random unhinged symptoms here and there wouldn’t work. In fact, you must have a clear arc on which they’re traveling and ensure that your “hints” are all getting at something.

Making the character overly destructive or harmful to others (when nothing really justifies it)

Justifying damaging behavior with this “madness”. Mad or not, your character will still have motives and goals that drive them forward. 

Making them look incompetent just the fact that they have a mental condition that makes them appear “mad” to others shouldn’t prevent them from achieving success. In fact, they may be even more cool-hearted and logical when it comes to their obsessions/goals. 

Research Tips

Narrow down the mental conditions your character experiences. Even if it’s a fictional condition, try basing it on existing ones and building on top of them. 

Take some time to study characters and/or real clinical cases that resemble the kind of madness you’re going for. 

- Anxiety Disorders: excessive fear and dread (ex. phobias) - Mood Disorders: persistent swings in mood or persistent feelings that interfere with daily life (ex. Depression, bipolar) - Psychotic Disorders: disordered thinking (ex. schizophrenia) - Eating Disorders: extreme emotional attitudes toward food (ex. Bulimia, anorexia) - Impulse Disorders: unable to resist urges (ex. Kleptomania, pyromania, gambling) - Personality Disorders: extreme inflexible personality traits (ex. Anti-social disorder, OCPD) - Past Traumatic Stress: persistent, frightening memories leading to emotional numbness 

Does your character have empathy?  

A sociopathic kind of madness is different. 

General Writing Tips for Spiraling into Madness

Establish a Baseline 

A lot of factors (stress, family history, innate personality, trauma, etc.) can contribute to madness, but it is not going to happen in a week. Define the existing mental and physical conditions your character has, and start from there. 

If you’re aiming for suicidal tendencies at the end, you want to start with symptoms of depression (a condition that may lead to suicide) - growing apathetic, erratic sleeping patterns, irritability, etc. 

This is also the stage where you want to plant some triggers that’ll go off later.

Trigger Events

A perfectly sound character suddenly spiraling down the madness route due to a single accident or traumatizing event isn’t convincing. 

A madness “snap” denies the reader the experience of watching the character’s journey into madness and how they feel about it. 

Internal Conflict (antagonist in himself) 

You must remember that madness is incurable. If someone could “cure” themselves by eating healthy, exercising and taking a few pills, it wouldn’t be much of a madness, would it? This means that the worst antagonist is going to be the character themselves, or the part of them that’s been taken away. 

Show how they are frustrated with themselves, scared of themselves, angry at their “alternative self”. The experience of not knowing yourself is a whole journey of its own.

Physical Manifestations/Quirks

If your character has a routine, show how they break down. 

They might develop habits that they otherwise would never allow themselves to have, perhaps as an effort to “keep this madness out”

Deteriorating Relationships

Depict how the character’s madness impacts his closed/loved ones. In the earlier stages, those close to him might be faster to notice and accept the signs of madness, even if the character denies it him/herself.

The first signs of madness might show when the character is trying to deal with difficult relationships - like losing patience and being unable to pick up subtle social clues.

Choosing Obsessions Over Primal Urges 

For these characters, obsession can take over a person’s normal urge to eat, sleep or even live. This can lead to, more or less, suicide. 

Example: In Black Swan, Nina’s obsession with becoming the perfect ballerina drive her to insanity, to the point where she doesn't mind dying on stage for the show.

[celestialdragoncookie]

Can I request another Yandere Three brothers, but the twist is that Y/N is a Cookie Phoenix with a crown of 5 (fire) gems/stone, the left one is red, orange, yellow, white, and the right one is blue (the reason why is bc that's how I think how powerful the fire is, and blue is currently the most powerful one, and this is true too, I searched it from goggle)

So I my idea is that, Y/N was a hybrid Cookie-Phoenix that was newly turn, and to be more powerful, they must collect all of the fire gems/stones to be more powerful, since in my au, (I created this btw), it's the extension of their (fire) abilities and control, and Y/N is a bit oblivious of the Three brothers, except Dark Cacao cookie, since he's the ruler of the kingdom, and they had already almost all of them... They just needed the rarest... Which was the purple one, but the problem is that it was in the Dark Cacao kingdom, so they disguise themselves as a maid to get it, (btw, Dark Cacao cookie Soul Jam and the Purple fire stones is a bit different, but the colors are exactly the same, and the fire stones shape are pearl shaped), although, they eventually knew her secrets, due to how warm and her eyes we're, which made them intrigued, but she didn't realize it until it was too late

And you can do the rest, either she was captured by them or kidnapped, or whatever you'll like :D

"Uncaged Freedom" Yandere Three brothers x Hybrid Phoenix Reader:

Eons have passed after that fateful, phoenix kind on the blink of extinction as the lady of fate felt pity for the ruler of the sky's shines once again as the egg was created where the sunrays always fall. The egg hatched after thousand of years, as the fetching named herself as Y/N also known as Y/N cookie. The last note from the elder provided the information for the revival of the once great clan, for that purpose she has to explore and find forth mystical blazing five fire pearls. These mystical Pearls said to be the tears of the first divine ancestral phoenix born from collision of the thousand planets, after the ancestor fall the clan began to decline. So one by one, Y/N cookie managed to collect four fire pearls blue,green, yellow and red as the whereabouts of the last pearl was unknown but she managed to hear rumors of mysterious purple gem hidden in dark cacao kingdom. You knew about the legend of five ancient heros chosen by the soul jams, but you only heard about dark cacao cookie infamous of being stoic, serious cold and strict nobody has ever taken out his softer side of his nobody ever did as he rarely took it out.

So you decided to take a gamble by applying for the maid job being offered by the king himself. And after few days letter of requirement has arrived which you gave triumph cry, you ready yourself hiding your phoenix features dressing yourself neatly. On your first day, you were given a post to wash dirty clothes of the warriors during those days you struggle in tough chores, had to face typical maids bullying but that didn't remove the kindle flames of determination inside you, as burning in determination to complete your task unknown to you a sudden presence was spying on you within the darkness chuckle to yourself before disappearing. During night you accidentally tried to sneak inside the kings chambers to see the rare purple gem, but due to your bad luck a dirty rag clasp on your head as sea of unconscious captured your mind. After several hours, you woke up chained to the hard metal as soft clasp could be heard you in drippy state look around your surroundings only to see in a cage as the features tried so hard not to be judged were exposed. Your eyes filled with tears clasping on your beautiful face, heart thumping in fear, loneness especially phobia of dark. Suddenly within the dark three pair of glowing slit eyes look at you one dark bloody crimson, one magenta and the other tulip purple eyes as you managed to recognized the purple one as it seems to be the royal trait of the king himself.

" Hahaha well well 'clapping' looks like your in tight situation my dear Birdy that kimono looks good on you my ' dearest maid'"

His tone was more sickening sweet as viper coil around your dough ready to take a bite, he revealing himself really shocked you because you never heard nor seen him believing the king was a loner. The king sees your confused expression rolled his eyes replies with gruff hoarse voice " no that's not what your thinking maid, this useless cookie here is my biological brother not lover".

The unknown cookie made a disgusted expression and pose he gruff said " ewww who wants to be you, if I had type of girlfriend like you I would burf in disgust". Dark cacao cookie tempted to punch his arrogant face but he didn't want to startled you so he drank it all up. Suddenly another cookie showed himself from the shadows as he was illegal copy of dark cacao cookie himself but with more white hair and black streaks along with dragon features as his blood crimson eyes with black slits glows with unholy desires. He gave a toothy grin circle around the cage poking her dough turned towards his brothers" I guess you weren't that useless after all".

Demonos Cacao cookie really wanted to rip that smug grin from his face but he grip inside that temptation. He growls in annoyance really pissed off as dark cacao cookie replies " you really wanted to piss me off don't you elder brother". The said brother ignoring him turned his attention to frightened you, clutching your whole body to yourself shivering in fear in stutter voice" pleas.....e pleas....e don't hurt me I really didn't want to steal your soul jam I promise".

Dark cacao cookie interigued said " I wasn't mad about stealing my soul jam besides I.... Emm we didn't impression you here for charges of theft". Hearing from the kings mouth your eyes brightened in relief said " really, are you going to set me free?". The three brothers look at each other before giving a devilish smirk " of course young lady your free to go". As dark cacao cookie opened the cage setting you free, flapping your wings bowing in gesture of gratitude " thank you so much..... I?" Suddenly she felt wobbly as her whole dough felt soggy falling to her knees with wide eyes look at the smirking three brothers in fear asked " why what did you just do?". Demonos Cacao cookie smiles " my brother said that your free of charge of theft but he didn't said your free to leave this kingdom hahah as he laughs with hint of obsession in his eyes continues " your too cute to been set free, it said that birds without it's wings will lost its freedom". His magenta eyes falls on your beautiful wings while you shudder in fear your whole body, dough was screaming at you leave this hell this place ran far away from these monsters but due to paralysis effects you couldn't move an inch. Suddenly a breath from behind hit your cheek said " you wouldn't be needing these anymore". As sounds of being ripped as it felt like flesh and bones are forcefully ripped from the body. You scream in pain before falling on the stone cold ground as tears pools from your eyes, look up to see your shredded beautiful wings soaked in strawberry jam in the hands of the king of a monster with menacing smile seems to please with his action. Before falling unconscious you saw the manipulative and please smile of the elder brother himself hearing his dark soothing voice " Oh! Don't worry my dear phoenix, we will take good 'care' of you hahaha".

You mumble as the abyss of unconscious grasping your mind " You psycho monsters". At last your now had fallen into the claws of the three kidnappers and they wouldn't be letting you go anywhere, as the freedom you held so dear has been now caged due to your ignorance and arrogance.

I forgotten to add her

[elite-four-grimsley]

Hi, Mun I've been meaning to asks for advice in how to write Grimsley ? and What are your hcs for him ?

//OOC: HI HI HELLO HI!! I have a LOT of Grimsley thoughts and HCs (I mean A LOT) so buckle up because I have been enabled and I am FULL of ADHD. Seriously, this is extremely long. I’m so sorry.

((General trigger warning for themes of gambling, addiction to gambling, and underage gambling as well as child abuse and child neglect.))

A majority of these hcs are what I stick to when writing my interpretation of Grimsley on this blog, however it can sometimes be hard to include or stick to all of them based on how an RP blog plays out in the long run. 

However, all of these are what I generally subscribe to unless said otherwise.

Childhood and Backstory:

I tend to write Grimsley with a Galarian background, both of his parents coming from Galar and having moved to Unova before he was born. Since we really only have the vague idea of Grimsley being the "son of a distinguished family that fell into ruin", I basically took that concept and ran with it. 

In my canon, Grimsley's father (HC name: Atticus) was born into a wealthy Galarian family (who may or may not have been involved in some Not So Legal things). Whereas Grimsley's mother (HC name: Morticia), who was not as "well off", seeks to potentially marry rich due to her poor upbringing and lack of familial support. 

I haven’t decided on many of the details of how exactly Atticus and Morticia meet, however once they do, they hit it off pretty well and don’t waste much time getting married for both their sakes (Atticus wanting to produce a proper heir and Morticia needing the financial support). Their marriage at first, while perhaps not rooted in romantic love, is generally stable. 

Unfortunately, Grimsley's father eventually falls into bankruptcy only a year or so after getting married. This was likely caused by poor financial decisions coupled with falling into trouble with shady individuals. Of course the family name wouldn’t have the best reputation in Galar as a result of this, so Atticus and a pregnant Morticia make a run for it to Unova for a fresh start. 

Growing up, Grimsley had a rocky relationship with both of his parents. 

His father had grown bitter and greedy in his attempts to salvage the family name and make back his fortune (of course, in ways that were not always legal). His focus would turn to Grimsley, seeking to make his son into an even better businessman than even himself. However, Grimsley was infinitely uninterested in his father’s teachings. He was moreso fixated on battling and Pokemon, specifically Dark type Pokémon. Because of this, Atticus wouldn’t allow Grimsley to consume any media surrounding his topics of interest. This would only be the beginning of the rift between him and his father. It wouldn’t take much time for Grimsley to begin fearing Atticus. 

As Grimsley’s father became more outright abusive, he would begin to use his ace Pokémon, Malamar, as an intimidation tactic to get Grimsley (and Morticia) to do what he wanted. In instances where young Grimsley had come across information that Atticus didn’t want him knowing (regarding illegal activity), he would make his Malamar use its psychic abilities to meddle with his memory. Because of these experiences, present day Grimsley has a slight phobia of Malamar and feels uncomfortable around them. 

Here’s a post that accurately displays Grimsley’s relationship with his father. ((TW for child abuse))

Grimsley’s relationship with his mother was better, considering the circumstances. Morticia was definitely not exempt from Atticus’ control, so she often wasn’t allowed/was too afraid to treat her son how truly she wanted. Even then, she did her best to teach Grimsley skills she thought to be important. The two of them would play strategy games together, like chess, with an emphasis on thinking outside the box when stuck in seemingly “hopeless” situations. Grimsley looks back fondly on how his mother valued those skills and passed them down to him. He also cherishes the moments in which Atticus was absent so he and Morticia could truly bond as a mother and son.

Here’s a post I made that gives an idea of what I think young Grimsley's relationship was like with his mother. ((TW for implied abuse))

Unfortunately, a particularly bad experience with both his parents would be the final straw for Grimsley and at the age of eleven, he would run from home. 

Here's a look into the aftermath of that. ((TW for implied abuse))

From then on begins his "Pokémon Journey" of sorts, meeting young Marshal, Caitlin, Shauntal, and his Pokémon along the way. I don’t have as many details about this as I would like at the moment, however I eventually would like to write a series of fics detailing Grimsley and his Pokémon Journey. 

I do, however, have a post on how I think Marshal and Grimsley met as children.

I also have a few assorted headcanons for "Pre-Elite Four" Grimsley: 

-Grimsley used to have a Galarian (British) accent as a child, but would eventually grow out of it as he grew up away from his parents. 

-Shauntal helped Grimsley dye his hair blue for the first time when he was around fourteen. (Shauntal being more experienced with dyeing hair as she's a few years older.)

-Grimsley's battling style used to be more brute force/aggression focused before becoming an Elite Four member. He would then begin to prioritize strategy. 

-Before he was old enough to legally gamble in Unova (hcing that age to be 18 instead of 21), Grimsley would often sneak into shady, back-alley casinos to partake in gambling. This, of course, is where his gambling addiction would start 

-As Grimsley grew into an older teen, he would develop into quite the "rebel". The others (meaning Marshal, Caitlin, and Shauntal) would take notice of him getting into trouble on a regular basis (sometimes with the law), but he would ignore their concern, only turning a new leaf when attempting to join the Pokémon League. (Post on Grimsley talking about joining said league.) 

-Grimsley originally lied on all his application documents in order to get a chance at joining the Pokémon League. This was because he had a criminal record at that point (likely having just turned 20). After he was chosen to start the process of becoming an Elite Four Member, Alder was made aware of Grimsley's record, however since he was such an impressive trainer, they erased his criminal record. 

Elite Four Era:

Grimsley, Marshal, Shauntal, and Caitlin all became Elite Four members generally at the same time. I don’t want to get into how that may be unrealistic. All of them joining around the same time makes more sense to my brain. 

The four of them swiftly garnered a reputation as some of the strongest Elite Four members to date. 

Of course, with fame, comes a lack of privacy. This would become somewhat of a problem for Grimsley when his gambling habits inevitably piqued the interest of the public eye. News of his addiction took the region by storm, and because of this, Grimsley would develop a habit of making light of his problems (more than he already would). He will often deny anything claiming he has an addiction, calling it a hobby instead. 

Grimsley became a popular topic amongst news articles and gossip tabloids, new rumors about him spreading what seemed to be every week. (A favorite rumor being that he’s actually a vampire.)

As an Elite Four member, Grimsley became less of a rebel, instead adopting a persona that was/is much more charismatic and personable. He aims to come off as someone charming rather than someone who actively seeks trouble. Despite this, he will still find himself in troublesome situations… Not that he does himself many favors as he has a habit of wandering cities and forests during the nights he’s not out gambling. I feel it’s important to note that, at heart, Grimsley is a risk-taker and has an inclination to disregard his own wellbeing. 

Grimsley, despite wanting to come off as the opposite, has a bit of a hard time connecting with people in a genuine way. The other Elite Four members would be his only real friends for a while, and even then, they’re used to his antics in ways not many people are/will ever be able to be. Eventually he will become friendly with more people, but even then, he isn’t particularly close with many of the Unova League members. Along with this, people have a habit of judging Grimsley too quickly before allowing him the room to open up. 

Other than the Team Plasma situations happening during Grimsley’s time as an Elite Four member, there isn’t much else to note here. I feel that his battling style changing/improving, his gambling addiction, his troubles with rumors and tabloids, and his developing relationships (which I will touch on later) are the most significant things to take note when writing Elite Four era Grimsley. 

Alola Era: 

While in his official artwork it is said that only two years have passed since seeing Grimsley in previous games, I feel he’s instead somewhere in his thirties (his Elite Four years taking place throughout his twenties). This gives more room for him to look as physically aged as he does in Pokémon SM/USUM. Though, I do believe Grimsley began greying in his twenties due to stress. 

Because of this specific dialogue: “"Sometimes you have to lay everything on the line in life, and risk it all... When I did that, though, I'm afraid I lost. I took to walking along the shore in my despair.” We’re led to believe that Grimsley’s gambling finally bit him in the ass. However my interpretation of Alolan Grimsley changes depending on what relationships I write for him. 

In an instance where Grimsley does not have a romantic partner pre-Alola, I typically stick with the concept of him gambling away most of his money and ultimately becoming bankrupt. Consumed by despair and in a moment of impulsivity, he resigns from his position as an Elite Four member and runs off to Alola without a single word. 

While in Alola, he finds a new passion in riding his Sharpedo and in Mantine surfing. We know he makes quite a name for himself while surfing under the name “Big G”. I do think it takes a bit for Grimsley to truly want to battle again, but once he does, he’s invited to fight at the Battle Tree, healing his love/passion for battling along the way. 

However, in an instance where Grimsley has an established romantic relationship during his time in Unova, I’m inclined to drift from canon. Rather than going bankrupt due to his gambling addiction, I tend to write that he’s instead retired because of burnout/stress/etc. He then moves with his partner to Alola where he discovers a passion for Mantine surfing, gets through his burnout, and ultimately joins the Battle Tree. I’ll touch more on Grimsley regarding romance in a bit. 

Relationships: 

Hcs and thoughts regarding important relationships that have lasting/significant impacts on Grimsley.

Marshal: 

-Marshal and Grimsley have a very unique rivalry to me. They certainly consider each other to be best friends (likely the first person Grimsley felt such a way about), however their friendship does not get in the way of the two of them butting heads and competing against each other in the way many pokerivals do. 

-Marshal is not as competitive as Grimsley is, but when put together, the two of them fuel the hell out of each other’s competitiveness. They have a running tally on how many times they've won against each other during sparring matches.

-Marshal is Grimsley’s favorite person to play pranks on. Not only because of how gullible he can be, but also because Marshal has the most dramatic/ver the top reactions. 

-(Side hc: Marshal can’t handle scary things/horror very well, so Grimsley will take advantage of this often. Of course, in an ultimately lighthearted way.)

-I do like to include within my own writing that Marshal has/had a crush on Grimsley. Whether or not this is a requited or unrequited crush is up to your own personal preference. I could go either way as a multi-shipper, but in my current canon, Marshal’s crush was unrequited. This, however, did not affect their friendship negatively. They likely became closer because of it.

Shauntal: 

-I very much enjoy the concept of Shauntal being very caring and acting as a bit of an older sister figure to Grimsley. I don’t ever tend to ship them, since Shauntal is a lesbian to me, this is just a personal preference though. 

-Despite being the oldest of the group, Shauntal absolutely loves getting into mischief with Grimsley. The two of them are partners in crime for sure, no one is safe from their antics. 

-Grimsley and Shauntal have a lot of similar interests outside of battling as well. Both of them enjoy horror genres in media, dabble in gothic fashion, like the same music, etc. (I may go as far as to say Shauntal may have been a bit of an inspiration for a younger Grimsley when it came to fashion.)

-Grimsley has read/owns all of Shauntal’s novels. He’s also her prime subject to dump all her ideas onto when planning out a new book. 

Caitlin:

-Caitlin overall isn’t particularly talkative. I hc her to have narcolepsy and autism, which affects her in a multitude of ways. Grimsley, along with Shauntal and Marshal, are all her biggest supporters. They’re extremely comfortable in adapting to Caitlin’s disabilities, it’s completely natural to them at this point. 

-Quality time with Caitlin will often just be allowing her to rest in one’s company, which is exactly what Grimsley allows her to do. He also enjoys hearing about any dreams she’s had as of recent, finding her prophetic abilities to be rather fascinating. 

-Caitlin is freakishly good at all of Grimsley’s favorite card games (unless she falls asleep), which Grimsley is quite the sore loser about. He claims it’s cheating because she can "see the future". She has neither confirmed nor denied this. 

-I also do not tend to ship Caitlin with Grimsley since she’s also a lesbian to me. This is another personal preference, however. 

-(Side hc: Caitlin is transgender mtf in my canon, and the other E4 members have supported her throughout her transition since they were children.)

Iris:

-Before Iris became Champion, Grimsley thought himself to be extremely bad around children. Not only because he views himself as a bad example, but also due to the trauma he has surrounding his own childhood. He doesn’t want to end up like his father and put another child through what he went through. 

-However, Iris almost immediately won his heart with her bubbly and excitable personality. I think this is what started Grimsley’s embracing his “uncle” type role, literally or not.

-Iris absolutely loves spending time with all the Elite Four members. Along with sparring with them, she also enjoys painting their nails, doing their hair (and vice versa), going out exploring looking for dragons, etc. 

-Though Grimsley isn’t as bad of an influence as he originally believed himself to be, he does get into trouble sometimes by teaching Iris gambling card games. 

Piers and Marnie:

-I almost always will subscribe to the idea that Grimsley is Piers’ and Marnie’s uncle. However, it does depend on what I’m writing when I’m deciding on when Grimsley figures out that he’s related to the two of them.

-In some instances I would have it already established like he’d known such information for a while. In other cases, I’ll write it as a big reveal of them figuring it out one way or the other. Either way, I don’t have a set way I’d write it every single time, so that’s up to the writer. 

-Grimsley’s relationship with Piers is pretty relaxed, especially since he’s older and would rather his uncle’s attention be on Marnie. However, this doesn’t mean the two of them don’t get along. They enjoy discussing Dark types and battle strategies together. They’re also both quite sarcastic, and their sarcasm will feed off each other. 

-With Marnie, Grimsley will “coddle” her a bit more. He’s very enthusiastic about her up and coming career as a Gym Leader and loves giving her battling advice. He’s very much inclined to spoil her with whatever she wants, embracing the title of the “fun uncle”. His enthusiasm for her will carry on even in his Alola era. 

Burgh:

-Now Burgh/Grimsley is very much a rarepair, however it is my favorite ship for Grimsley. I’m aware there’s a lot of more popular ships for Grimsley, so if you’d like, you can take this as general advice for writing him in a romantic relationship when applicable. 

-Burgh became Gym Leader around the same time that Grimsley became an Elite Four member, and this is how they would ultimately meet (through the Pokemon League). 

-The two of them would take a mutual interest in each other, finding the other to be intriguing along with being physically attractive. 

-Burgh and Grimsley strike up a friendship due to their passion for battling/Pokémon, advocating for stigmatized Pokémon types (Burgh with Bug types and Grimsley with Dark types), and just how well they bounce off each other and connect. 

-I don’t have one set way in which I write them officially getting together, though I do think it would always be in more of a private setting since Grimsley and Burgh both value privacy when it comes to the emotional aspects of their lives. 

-As the two of them grow closer, they’ll slowly drop their respective facades. Grimsley will allow himself to be more vulnerable and open up about his problems (namely his gambling addiction). His lesser known, softer side, makes itself known the more comfortable he becomes with Burgh. 

-Grimsley loves pet names, but Burgh loves them even more. While Grimsley will often have a set amount of go-to pet names (love, dear, darling), the sky’s the limit for Burgh. Every day it seems as if he comes up with a newer, more absurd pet name for Grimsley. Burgh thinks it’s hilarious, Grimsley thinks it’s extremely endearing. 

-Grimsley is generally very dramatic, moreso in the sense of being sarcastic and sometimes a bit mean-spirited. He’s overly dramatic with how he presents his sarcasm because he finds it personally funny. He’s dramatic in his mannerisms so he comes off as more likeable, attention catching, and charismatic. In contrast, Burgh is more dramatic in an artistic sense. He'll swoon over a piece of art or a bug because he finds it so stunningly beautiful. Though, he definitely does it for show as well, especially with Grimsley. It might look like: "Whateverrrr will I do if my dear Grimsley doesn't give me attention right this second!!!" He doesn't mean it seriously, but he thinks it’s silly and Grimsley finds it adorable. 

-Grimsley has a habit of laying on top of Burgh in a very catlike way. He’s definitely the one to occupy Burgh’s lap or dramatically flop on top of him and go limp. 

-I love the concept of Grimsley being a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart. He craves for that cliche romance when it comes to his relationships. Expect a lot of dates, cooing adoration, and romantic displays of affection. 

-Grimsley is the one to steal Burgh’s clothes. (I hc Burgh to be taller and bigger.)

-I’m a big advocate for Burgh being someone who helps Grimsley begin his recovery as a gambling addict. I think both Burgh’s encouragement, along with Grimsley’s desire to want to improve for Burgh, are things that help with this. Of course, he doesn’t recover overnight. It’s very much a gradual process, but a process nonetheless. This is why I believe Alolan Grimsley would not go bankrupt if he has a romantic partner before SM/USUM. 

-This isn’t to say that Grimsley wouldn’t/couldn’t improve due to platonic relationships. In fact I think he was much better off because to his friendships. However, I very much believe that Grimsley committing to a romantic relationship is a big step in it of itself since he’s very flighty in the first place. This romantic connection and commitment then allows him to open up and begin recovering from his addiction. (This can absolutely be translated into something like a QPR if desired. This is just how I personally write Grimsley.)

((Here are some other Grimsley ships that I would like to shout out: Marshal/Grimsley, Will/Grimsley, Will/Karen/Grimsley, Nanu/Grimsley, Cynthia/Grimsley.))

((I also would like to note there’s several other characters that my current Grimsley muse has interacted with and established friendships with. However, they’re very much specific to this roleplay blog, therefore I did not include them.))

Assorted HCs and Writing Tips: 

-When I write Grimsley, I tend to make him much more theatrical and dramatic than any ingame dialogue portrays him. I love the idea of him being extremely petty, overdramatic, and sarcastic. Essentially I’m attempting to convey the vibes of someone who’s a disaster on the inside and wants to come across as charming/funny/charismatic on the outside. (This behavior mellows out quite a bit once he’s in his Alola era, acting more tired and a tad more genuine.)

-Grimsley is the least responsible out of the Elite Four. He is by no means a bad friend or person, and obviously he’s very clever and smart, though he does have a knack for disappearing without saying anything only to show up hours later. He's mischievous at his core with a love for pulling elaborate (but mostly harmless) pranks on the others (with the help of Shauntal). 

-I’m a firm believer that Grimsley is an awfully sore loser. He doesn’t lose often in battle, but when he does, he’s extremely dramatic (especially in his expressions, see: Alolan Grimsley). I do think that in Alola he’s more outright with his dramatic losses, while in Unova he’s able to behave himself for official battles. 

-Grimsley prefers card games when gambling as opposed to something like a slot machine. He thinks slot machines are too luck-based and don't include enough skill/strategy. He’ll also play tabletop games like roulette. 

-When writing Grimsley’s mannerisms and behaviors, I like to base a lot of them off how cats act. This includes things like walking like a cat (with care and thought… most of the time), him slow blinking when around people he loves (cats do this, look it up), and sprawling out in random spots to nap. I’ve also given him a lot of catlike traits in general, such as his eyes glowing in the dark, the ability to purr, etc. This is entirely optional, but I just think these things fit him.

-I do think Grimsley struggles with insomnia. This leads to a lot of sleepless nights along with a lot of spontaneous naps throughout the day. I also like adding the detail of Grimsley finding it easier to fall asleep when sleeping with a romantic partner (namely Burgh). 

-Grimsley’s hair is completely natural, aside from the blue color, which he regularly dyes up to when he retires. He starts greying early around his temples and sideburns, which I mentioned earlier. 

-He absolutely spoils his Pokemon. His Liepard is the most spoiled (because it wants the most attention in the first place), but all his Pokemon are as spoiled as much as they want to be. 

-I will often subscribe to the hc that Grimsley has an irrational phobia of Bug type Pokemon. Not only do I think this makes his relationship developing with Burgh very interesting, but I love the idea of Burgh helping him get over his fear as well. Since it’s irrational, this means that he doesn’t have any sort of trauma that makes him afraid of the typing. I don’t like making Grimsley hateful toward Bug types or any other types either, as he’s an advocate for stigmatized types already and that’d be extremely hypocritical of him. 

-I like making it so that Grimsley’s personal style is gothic. I also think he’s very particular about being called things like “emo” or “punk” and will correct people on the terminology. He has a habit of dressing very formally, even to events that are casual. To him, a button up and neatly ironed slacks is casual. 

-One of my more personal/projected hcs is the fact that I’ve given my interpretation of Grimsley both ADHD and anxiety. Though I do have some in depth reasons for these decisions as well. People with ADHD have a hard time setting aside time and focusing on topics that they have no interest in, which is why Grimsley was so disinterested in things his father would attempt to teach him. He was very much fixated on competitive battling and Dark type Pokémon. Also, people with ADHD have a predisposition to addictions. This would also correspond with his gambling addiction (and his somewhat of an addiction to risk-taking, especially as a teen). I’ve also given Grimsley a few fidgets that are his go-to’s, such as: flipping his coin, shaking his leg, and shuffling cards. As for the anxiety aspect, I believe he has a lot of anxiety surrounding his self image and how people perceive him. He wants to be perceived a certain way and will often become anxious if he feels like he isn’t. 

-Because we see Grimsley become a talented Mantine surfer, I like adding the detail that he enjoys water-based sports even before he’s gone to Alola. This is why he ends up finding such a passion for surfing. He doesn’t do many sports aside from that. 

-Grimsley is very crow-brained and likes collecting things and giving items to people he likes as a show of affection. He has a playing card and coin collection, however the coin we see with him the most is his favorite/lucky coin. 

-As mentioned before, Grimsley likes the horror genre, though he mostly goes for classic horror. He enjoys the shitty movies that no one would expect him to actually enjoy. He also likes musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors. He’s essentially a theater kid who never did theater.

-I like writing Grimsley with a pretty flirtatious personality. He certainly wouldn’t have much trouble flirting with strangers he’d meet at casinos, however I do think he’s an absolute mess when attempting to talk to someone he knows and has a genuine crush on. Please don’t go to him for romantic advice, he’s an absolute mess.

AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS!! Thank you if you've actually read this far. I know this is way longer than what's probably appropriate, however I am so extremely neurodivergent. Don't mind any typos you might find, I tried my best to catch them all.

Here's my Grimsley playlist as a present <3

[lazerv4]

Thoughts on Total Forgiveness

Just my raw thoughts not a review or anything

Total Forgiveness starts with Ally Beardsley and Grant O’Brian pitching the show they are about to embark on to Sam Reich their at the time President of Original Content at CollegeHumor (now CEO of Dropout). The pitch is simple, student debt is a cripplying problem and they came up with the accordion method, what if instead of many years of suffering under their loans they could instead make the suffering happen in 4 months and pay their debt as they gamble on challenges between the two of them for money which the show would award weekly. Sam hesitates but greenlights the show much to the delight of Grant and Ally who get right to work on the first challenges which end up being Grant has to interview a lawyer specializing on student debt while covered in leeches and Ally has to interview an ex partner about what went wrong while they eat the spiciest food Grant can find. Afterwards we see the actual challenges go through as Grant does his assigned interview while bleeding profusely and Ally has what can only be derived as a cringe nightmare of an experience with their ex eating thai so spicy they almost throw up, then when they are both done we see them together, they both look like they’ve been through hell and that is just the first episode.

Episode 2 begins a little bit meaner with Ally getting an Oompa Loompa makeover and getting their driver’s license renovated while Grant wears a dog shock collar for barking the entire day which leads to him spending the day mute, this is where we start to see the main dynamics of the show develop with Ally embracing the horribleness and Grant trying his best to have fun with it but struggling a bit.

Episode 3 is a kinder episode to Grant with him simply going camping which apparently he hates, meanwhile Ally is buried alive for an entire day in a sort of sensory deprivation coffin while they are still in the office.

Episode 4 meanwhile has Grant performing a cringe inducing stand up show purposely sabotaged to be terrible with the caveat that if a joke doesn't land he has to say “it’s all love” which just makes it so much worse, on the flipside Ally has to publish an excerpt from their teenage diary, a move which severely backfires on Grant as it seems like a growing experience for Ally that improved them as a person all things considered, no suffering all money.

At this point not a single point has been lost and both Ally and Grant are giving their all to the challenges and still enjoying themselves to some extent since the point of the show is to compress suffering they do struggle but nothing too bad has happened yet, this is where that begins to change.

Episode 5 is one of the hardest things I’ve had to sit through. Grant gets the challenge of being locked in his studio apartment with 8 family members for a weekend which while I’m sure it was a nightmare, it doesn’t translate to tv. All’s challenge this week was to sing the United States national anthem at a minor league baseball game and to make it way worse, they apparently don’t even know the lyrics so they completely fucked it up and even have a random laugh in the middle of it, it’s the sort of horrible second hand embarrassment that is legitimately hard to endure and I have seen some people say this and another upcoming Ally challenge are borderline unwatchable because it’s just too cringe, but if you can get through it the series has more for you.

Episode 6 is the phobia episode where Grant must face needles and Ally must face snakes, for Grant he just has to inject himself so B12 with the alleged most painful needle which he does albeit it leads to one of my favorite gags when he says “I’ll be fine in 5 minutes” after he pulls the needle out only for the show to cut to him having a full panic attack with an oxygen mask. Grant won his challenge and valiantly faced his fear but as for Ally, well things would go different for them. Ally’s challenge involved that some night, any night at all, Grant would come in with a live snake and Ally would have to sleep with it on their bed. While Ally had been a very ambitious and fun loving contestant, this broke something and they just completely refused to engage with the snake and complete the challenge leading to the first loss and the domino effect which would shape the series into what it became.

Episode 7 is where challenges start to get unreasonable, with almost 4000 dollars on the line this contest had to get difficult so both Ally and Grant came up with this, Grant wanted Ally to spend their whole week piss drunk which at first Ally enjoyed and it annoyed everyone else but quickly it started getting to them and by the end of the week you can see their health suffer because of it and the remnants of a broken person just trying to finish the last day to claim the win, while Grant broke Ally’s body their mind seems unbreakable. As for Grant, Ally came up with a really strange and complicated challenge, basically Grant had to get an erection with no stimulation while being timed which ended in a really bizarre contraption so this could be shown without well showing Grant’s genitals. This challenge has been often called unreasonable and impossible by many people and to an extent it is but Grant still accepted it and attempted it as hard as he could, an attempt that proved unsuccessful leading to his first loss of the show.

As of now Grant has earned $10750 while Ally has $13250, as the gap starts to widen so do the challenges as the series starts to lead to it’s climax.

Episode 8 is the real turning point of the series with Ally getting the other famously cringe and unwatchable challenge in having to become a herbalife shill to her new roommates and do unreasonable actions Grant assigns via an earpiece to try and make them quit but their will somehow remained strong which showed how much fun Ally was having with this whole show as the chaotic person they are, meanwhile Grant was having a rough time. Ally’s challenge to Grant was to sell all his earthly possessions at a flea market and try to earn a thousand dollars which a some points seems maybe doable but very quickly while Grant still doesn’t realize it, it’s very clear to the viewer and to the crew that Grant won’t be able to accomplish this. He leaves this challenge defeated and returns to his empty apartment with now nothing to his name except around $600, not only did he lose the challenge but he also lost everything he had, this is where we first start to see how this show has damaged Grant and Ally’s friendship and also emotionally damaged Grant who seems barely still holding it together by the end of the episode which leads you wonder, how can this escalate further?

Episode 9 got mean, Grant challenged Ally to get a neck tattoo with the name of their new girlfriend who they've been dating for 2 months while Ally challenged Grant to shit in public as performance art (again his genitals are covered but chest up everyone can see him). The challenges this week feel very mean spirited and with Ally now being up $24250 to Grant’s $10750 things are heating up and they are starting to feel more like bitter rivals than loving friends doing a dumb show together. Going with Ally first while Sam seems hesitant to approve this challenge Ally wants to do it and still seems have fun with it as a big dumb joke even if it’s their first tattoo it’s just a gag to them and they don’t mind the embarrassment with them even bringing said gf to the parlor so they can watch the tattoo be made. Meanwhile Grant struggles, even before the exhibition opens we can already see he is stressed and uncomfortable, he doesn’t seem like he wants to do it but the money is too life changing to not go through with it so he presses on, he is notified that when he is done he can pull a string that will drop confetti to signify he has completed the challenge and so he gets on the toilet in front of a lot of people. The atmosphere is not tense, it’s closer to something sad and depressing, something akin to the feeling of exploiting someone and when Grant pulls the string and the confetti falls, you can’t help but feel awful, a big thing through this episode has been Siobhan (another dropout cast member) giving some advice to Grant and Ally separately about how to mend what they are breaking and she stays as everyone leaves to speak with Ally as Grant angrily prepares to go home. As Ally approaches to tell Grant everyone was an extra, the mood is again tense, he just replies he is “done for the day” and that it was “funny” as he just walks away checking with the crew really quick to see if he can leave and then just exiting the building silently. This episode seemed to be the tipping point for Grant and what would have ended their friendship with Ally as even with this the gap just widened and made everything seem worse and worse while making each other more antagonistic towards the other that while Ally had been taking as dumb fun, they had now realized was hurting Grant and something had to be done if this friendship was gonna survive this show, let alone a 10th episode.

Episode 10 is just titled “Finale” with no allusion to the challenges like all the previous episodes so you go on not exactly knowing what to expect. It begins with other dropout cast members talking about the strain this show has had on Ally and Grant before going into the challenge pitching part of the show where Ally is alone with the production crew struggling to even come up with something until they says they have a pitch and the show cuts to Grant alone with the crew as well, they try to check on Grant to see if he is ok and he clarifies he doesn’t blame anyone and he is not the victim of the show but he is struggling. He is not sure what to pitch except something horrible and life changing so he is gonna go through Ally’s challenge first, cut to Jess and Katie (dropout cast members) in Santa Monica, they have a letter for Grant that Ally wrote the challenge is just to enjoy the day at the beach with his friends while wearing a dumb outfit and to decompress the show a bit to see if maybe he has it in him to forgive them. The show cuts to a montage of Grant having fun for his $10k prize just hanging in the pier and doing dumb stuff with Jess and Katie.The mood is so different, so fun and afterwards Grant talks a bit about what the show has done to their friendship and how he is regretful Ally couldn’t be there with them before announcing he now knows what his challenge is and shot fades. We start the scene in a bar called “State Social House” that same night as Grant and Ally meet in the empty bar and Grant reveals the challenge is to have 3 mezcals with him, while they begin drinking they also talk about their sentiments regarding what the money has done to their friendship, the reminique about what they've been through and what living with debt has done to them, how they hope to remain friends after this and even hopefully for the rest of their lives as they approach the third drink to which Ally comments about prompting Grant (a seasoned bartender) to want to smell and check it’s profile, this leads Ally to telling Grant to just drink it and take the $10k and to make the gap smaller to which Grant replies that he can’t accept that, at this point Ally has made their choice so they drop the mezcal on the floor on the most shocking moment on the entire show. What is next is just pure friendship and love for the people around you. Grant starts crying and they hug in the sweetest moment in the show, this is the moment that turned around the show according to Sam in a “episode 11” interview. The show then cuts to Grant paying one of his loans and he becomes able to finally be able to start paying his loans instead of just interest, Ally also talks about their loan consolidation as the show begins to wrap and we get the final scene with is a small dinner they set up and the talk about everything they learned about loans and how they are designed to make people’s life worse before the show ends with a toast to it’s history and a tally of the remaining debt before finally saying goodbye one last time.

Total Forgiveness did eventually get a reunion episode 11 sort of podcast thing but that is mainly talking behind the scenes about how of the rails the show went and how it was almost cancelled before the final episode essentially redeemed the whole thing from feeling like like a dystopian torture system as well as how Ally and Grant expected Jackass but got something much deeper, something about the effects of debt on people, something like most of dropout special. Total Forgiveness may not be for everyone, it can be a hard show to sit through, but for those able to go through with it the way it develops as an allegory for its own themes is fantastic and beautiful and in some ways the only example of prestige reality tv I can think of. It is truly one of a kind and a beautiful little show that can’t and shouldn’t be replicated, it should stand as a monolith and be cherished for all it accomplished in showing the struggles of debt. Ally and Grant did something incredible that would only be possible at a platform like dropout and with how the show turned out and how it stands along with other titans at dropout they should be proud.

[irkimatsu]

🍋‍🟩🍈🥒

All greens! The fact that the phobia one has a cucumber as its emoji is really funny for Husk in particular because, well, cat.

- ⭐ blue-dream-boye

Oh god I didn't even notice the cucumber, that's fucking hilarious

🍋‍🟩 - is your f/o superstitious? is there any habits they follow or quirks they have to follow said superstitions? like not opening umbrellas indoors to avoid back luck?

Absolutely superstitious - when you're a gambler, you'll cling to any ritual you can find in order to turn your luck in your favor. But how much does he truly believe it anymore? Perhaps it was something he held closer as a younger man. But even as he "grew out" of it he'd still keep lucky charms and do private rituals out of habit. And, you know. Just in case. It can't hurt.

Fuck, I've got to turn everything to angst - a desperate Overlord toward the end of his reign, wasting what little money he has left on advertised lucky charms knowing damn well it's a scam, but he needs this luck, so maybe it's worth the investment, maybe, maybe...

But on the other hand, I can also see Overlord Husk selling fake charms. Buy this expensive hunk of gold and you, too, can be a winner like the Gambling Overlord! His sales pitch is so charming that even more wary customers can't help but give his trinkets a second look...

🍈 - does your f/o believe in fate? do they thing everything is preplanned out by the universe or a higher power, or do they think that the idea of fate is bogus? why?

You know, I've thought about this one even before this ask game, and the best I can come up with is "it's complicated". Especially in his position; how many times can you try to turn your life around, only to fail? Does that make your failure, your fate? A higher power obviously exists in this canon, but I think even while alive Husk decided that if said higher power has any influence on human lives then said higher power is a fucking prick. He's not going to act like he's not in charge of his own life; he made the choice to gamble and scam his life away, and he believes he's in the exact afterlife he belongs. But was it fate that cursed him with his addictive personality and thrust him into the worst possible environment for it? Would his life had been different if he'd been born somewhere far away from the casinos and nightlife, or if he had the strength to say no to it all?

It's no use laying awake and worrying about it. He made his mistakes, he's here now, all he can to is own it.

🥒 - what's your f/o afraid of? do they have any phobias? anything minor they're scared of?

I don't know if he has anything I'd call a "phobia", since I'd say his fears are quite rational given what he's been through. A fear of losing control is a big one; all of his worst mistakes tend to happen while drunk or for the sake of a game he can't break away from. It makes being Alastor's puppet all the more traumatic, I imagine. It's also part of his physical boundaries; he hates being groped at like a fucking zoo animal. Grant him his autonomy, damn it. Being turned into an animal that people seem to struggle to see as an independent human is another way he's lost his agency. Though that last part is more of a dislike than an actual fear; he wasn't afraid of Angel getting in his space, he just wanted him to get out.

I think before I can decide on more fears or phobias for him, I need to know more about his history and exactly what makes him tick...

@blue-dream-boye

[bladewandered]

isn’t that ZEPHYROS VELATHIEN? i’ve seen them wearing the crest of FERANTHOR. i hear they’re 36, but they’re also a HALF-ELF. they’ve risen up the ranks to become a RANGER/RECRUITER (BASTARD PRINCE). they seem to be CONFIDENT & INDEPENDENT, but also ARROGANT & ALOOF. if you look closely, you'll see their aesthetics include DARK SILHOUETTE OF A BODY BATHED IN MOONLIGHT, BRIGHT LAUGHTER AND SOOTHING WORDS, THE COLD EMBRACE OF DEATH.

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: [ ZEPHYROS BLAIDDWYN VELATHIEN ] NICKNAME: [ ZEPH, Z, LITTLE SHIT ] AGE: [ 36 ] GENDER, PRONOUNS: [ MALE, HE/HIM ] TITLE: [ BASTARD PRINCE RANGER + FRECRUITER ] SPECIES: [ HALF-ELF ] KINGDOM: [ UMORIA FERANTHOR ] HOUSE WORDS: [ NEVER FELLED, NEVER DEAD ] CASTLE NAME: [ OAKENHOLD KEEP, FERANTHOR CASTLE/WALL ] OCCUPATION: [ RANGER + RECRUITER ] RELIGION: [ THE HORNED STEAD, EVEN THOUGH HE LIVES IN FERANTHOR, HE STILL BELIEVES ] LANGUAGE: [ COMMON, UMORIAN, HAS PICKED UP ENOUGH CHASQUIAN, VISSAIC, RITRINCIAN AND LYSINLINGUAL DURING HIS TRAVELS TO COMMUNICATE ] ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: [ HOMOROMANTIC ] SEXUAL ORIENTATION: [ HOMOSEXUAL ] SEXUAL TEMPERAMENT: [ SWITCH] SEXUAL POSITION: [ BOTTOM ]

RELATIONSHIPS

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: [ TBA ] CHILDREN: [ NONE ] PARENTS: [ KING LOTHAR ADRIEL BLAIDDWYN (ELF) + TAVION VELATHIEN (SORCERER) ] HALF-SIBLINGS: [ GETHIN BLAIDDWYN, TBA. ] FRIENDS: [ ANSEGAR, TBA. ]

PHYSICAL TRAITS

FACE CLAIM: [ LUKE THOMPSON ] EYE COLOUR: [ GREEN, GREY, BLUE ] HAIR COLOUR: [ BROWN ] HEIGHT: [ 1.81 METRES / 5'11 FT ] BODY BUILD: [ FIT, STRONG, BUT ALSO KINDA LANKY. NOT SUPER CHUNKY. JUST ... WELL, JUST RIGHT HEHE. ] FACIAL HAIR: [ LIL BABY STUBBLE BUT MOSTLY SHAVEN UNLESS HE'S NORTH OF THE WALL AND CAN'T SHAVE. ] TATTOOS + PIERCINGS: [ A FEW SMALLER ONES; UMORIA'S CREST BEHIND HIS LEFT EAR, FERANTHOR'S ON EACH WRIST UNDERNEATH PROTECTIVE CUFFS, ELVEN FOR ICE ON HIS ANKLE, 1 RING IN THE NOSE, NIPPLE PIERCINGS ] NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: [ ALWAYS WEARS A BUNCH OF RINGS AND A SIMPLE SILVER NECKLACE WITH AN AMULET HOLDING HIS MOTHER'S PORTRAIT, ALWAYS HAS A SWORD BOUND TO HIS HIP AND A DAGGER ON HIS LOWER BACK, USUALLY SMIRKS ]

PHOBIAS AND DISORDERS

PHOBIAS/FEARS: [ FALLING IN LOVE, BEING TRAPPED, FAILING AT THE WALL/ LOSING AT THE WALL. ] MENTAL DISORDERS: [ AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT ]

PERSONALITY

INTELLIGENCE: [ QUITE SMART TBQH SMARTER THAN I'LL PROBS BE ABLE TO DO HIM JUSTICE ] LIKES: [ COMPANY, OUTSMARTING/OUTDOING COCKY ALPHA MALES, TAVERNS, COIN, WINNING, GAMBLING, SMITHING. ] DISLIKES: [ LAWS/RULES, BULLIES/TYRANTS, ALPHA MALES TALKING DOWN ON HIM, SLEEPING UNCOMFORTABLY OUT IN THE OPEN, BAD ALE ] POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: [ CONFIDENT, INDEPENDENT, SMART, CUNNING ] NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES: [ COCKY, ARROGANT, ALOOF, OVER-CONFIDENT, RECKLESS (SOMETIMES), LIL' SNOBBISH ]

AESTHETICS

AESTHETICS: [ BRIGHT LAUGHTER + SOOTHING WORDS, THE COLD EMBRACE OF DEATH, DARK SILHOUETTE BATHED IN MOONLIGHT, DARK LEATHERS, FLURRY OF ICE. WHISPERING WINDS OF THE NIGHT, SWORD IN THE SHADOWS. ] INSPO: [ EZIO AUDITORE, HAN SOLO, PRINCE OBERYN MARTELL, DORIAN (DA), KAZ BREKKER, FLYNN RYDER, CENTURIES BY FALL OUT BOY, THE MAN BY THE KILLERS, YOU KNOW MY NAME BY CHRIS CORNELL, DIRTY DEEDS DONE CHEAP + BACK IN BACK BY AD/DC, HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN BY THE ANIMALS, RENEGADE BY STYX, THE PRETENDER BY FOO FIGHTERS, WAY DOWN WE GO BY KALEO, FAR FROM ANY ROAD BY THE HANDSOME FAMILY, MY BLOOD BY TWENTY ONE PILOTS. ]

KINKS

KINKS: [ QUICKIES. CASUAL HOOKUPS, BREEDING. VERBAL FEMINISATION. PUBLIC. PRAISE. WORSHIP (HIM :P). HUMILIATION. SOMNOPHILIA. WATERSPORTS. TEASING. AFFECTION. TOYS. PLAYING HARD TO GET HE HE. KNOWING HE'S WANTED. ] ANTI-KINKS: [ VORE. SCAT. INFANTILISM. ]

BIOGRAPHY

Zephyros Velathien, born the illegitimate son of King Lothar Adriel Blaiddwyn of Umoria and Tavion Velathien, a gifted sorcerer, grew up in the capital of Umoria without knowing his royal heritage. Raised by Tavion, Zephyros lived a life far removed from the opulence of the palace. Tavion was not wealthy, but he provided his son with love, warmth, and a sense of belonging. Zephyros’ beauty—his striking features, inherited from his father, and his undeniable charm—was the one thing they could claim as their own.

A natural rebel, Zephyros made trouble wherever he went. His mischief came in the form of playful pickpocketing, mostly to collect little trinkets for Tavion—things that would brighten his father’s day. Tavion never reprimanded him; he knew it was a part of who Zephyros was. But there was something else about Zephyros that couldn’t be ignored: his love for his father. Despite his rebellious nature, Zephyros was always a “momma’s daddy's boy,” fiercely loyal and protective of the man who had always been there for him.

As he grew older, the capital began to feel too small, and Zephyros yearned for freedom. Tired of the same faces, tired of the same routine, he decided to leave Umoria and explore the world. He was tired of the same fleeting encounters in the cities, the same men who came and went. He wanted something more—something new. So, he traveled light, relying on his charm to secure a place to sleep and food to eat. Zephyros didn’t care for relationships. His encounters were brief and transactional—he’d sleep with whoever could offer him a warm bed or a meal and coin, though he usually went for nobles he knew had plenty of coin to spare for a pretty face. Love was never on his radar; he was too focused on his own desires and needs to entertain anything deeper.

During his travels, Zephyros came across a recruiter for the Night's Watch, a mysterious and dangerous organization stationed at Feranthor, a northern outpost guarding against the evil forces that lay beyond the wall. Zephyros was intrigued by the Watch, their cause, and the freedom they seemed to offer. After a few days in their camp, Zephyros was convinced to stay on and see if he could be of use to them. His charm, wit, and connections were exactly what the Watch needed in a recruiter. The fact that Zephyros wasn’t above sleeping with men to get what he wanted worked to his advantage.

At first, the benefits were what mattered: free food, free shelter and an opportunity to travel even farther, all while serving a cause he barely understood. But over time, Zephyros came to realize the importance of the Night’s Watch. He grew to understand that the work they did was vital—not just for Umoria but for all the kingdoms. Though he was still reluctant to form emotional ties, Zephyros could not ignore the sense of purpose the Watch gave him. It became his new focus, and he was good at it—charismatic, persuasive, and quick on his feet.

A year after joining, Zephyros took the oath of the Night’s Watch. He swore an oath to protect the people from the monsters that lurked beyond the wall. His love for freedom remained, though, and his life continued to be one of constant travel and movement. As a recruiter, he would visit villages, towns, and cities, always looking for new blood to bring into the fold. While his charm and beauty made the job easy, Zephyros was more than just a pretty face. He was a skilled fighter, known for his precision and speed with a sword and dagger. He was quick, deadly, and resourceful, and when he fought, he used his ice magic to enhance his attacks. His blades would grow cold, and he became a blur of icy movements, striking down his foes before they could even react.

Zeph never sought love or emotional connections. He had little interest in relationships, preferring the temporary pleasures of a casual encounter. But after joining the Night’s Watch, something shifted. His encounters weren’t just for material gain anymore—they were more so for the sake of satisfying a craving. It wasn’t about food or shelter; it was about the fleeting satisfaction of the moment and coin, because he did still like dressing pretty. Despite the temporary nature of his encounters, Zephyros kept everyone at arm's length. Love was not for him, and he never allowed anyone to get too close.

However, in Feranthor, one person learned of Zephyros' true bloodline—the fact that he was the bastard son of a king. At first, Zephyros didn’t believe it. He returned home to confront Tavion, who confirmed the truth. While the revelation didn’t shake him—he had already found a cause worth fighting for—it did feel good in a way to learn more about himself, to meet a potential sibling. He took some time to let it all sink in, but eventually, he returned to Feranthor, knowing his place was with the Night’s Watch.

He was no fool; he had a sharp mind and knew how to survive. His travels had taught him how to fend for himself, and his quick wit and fighting skills had made him a force to be reckoned with. But it was in Feranthor that Zephyros found an unexpected bond: with Ansegar, a young warrior who had grown up in the Night’s Watch. Ansegar, ten years Zephyros' junior, had always looked up to him, and Zephyros took him under his wing. Though their relationship wasn’t blood, Zephyros cared for Ansegar like a brother, protective and loyal.

Zephyros had come a long way since his days in the capital, pickpocketing for trinkets and sleeping with men for material gain. He had found a place in the world with the Night’s Watch, and though he kept his distance from relationships, he had discovered a new purpose in life. No longer was he a boy running from responsibility—he was a man with a cause.

But that didn’t mean his nature had changed entirely. He still loved his freedom. And he still had a penchant for fleeting pleasures.

[craftyjellyfishcat]

here at long last is Mason, a member of the police department of whatever the name of the city that Jeff and him reside in. He's also the adoptive father of Lizzie, whom he's protective of.

Age: 31 years

Occupation: Police Officer

Likes: Upholding the law, his daughter Lizzie, cats, doughnuts and honey buns, Jeff, his mama, Coffee, flowers, and meat.

Dislikes: Crooked cops, beans, his estranged father, Gambling, Criminals, Karens and Bigots.

Fears/Phobias: Ghosts

(Lizzie belongs to @hoshi-neko-hikari)

[hauntedselves]

Steele’s Notes on Therapy and Personality Disorders

Level of motivation & readiness for therapy:

No motivation: referred by legal system or treatment is demanded by  family or work

Fantasy motivation: My therapist will fix me

External motivation: “I want to keep my job or my relationship”

Limited motivation: “I want to get better but am sure I will fail, so what is  the point of trying?”

Moderate motivation: “I want to get better, but I am scared.”

Good motivation: “I am here to work hard, even though I know it won’t be easy.”

Behavioural problems that affect prognosis:

Generally, these accompany personality accommodations

Chronic self harm

Chronic suicidality

Chronic eating problems

Addictions : substance, sex, gambling, etc.

Severe isolation

Extreme risk-taking behaviors

Violence and aggressiveness

Inability to work or function in daily life

Sociopathic behaviors: stealing, manipulation, violence, etc.

Phobic avoidance

How intense and pervasive are the phobias?

Which emotions are avoided? Why?

Which wishes/needs are avoided or conflicted?

Which dissociative parts are avoided / despised / feared?

How is relational closeness is avoided in each part?

How is relational rejection is avoided?

Particular traumatic memories that are avoided?

Ways in which change is avoided. Why?

Inner conflicts

What are the client’s core conflicts (e.g., “I want to be close: Being close is dangerous;” “I want to feel better: I don’t deserve to feel better;” “I love my father: I hate my father”)

Do not take one side or the other, but hold both for and with the client!

How does the client avoid the conflict?

What emotions, cognitions, predictions, etc. are at the heart of the conflict?

How do these conflict manifest among dissociative parts and in the therapeutic relationship?

Typical conflicts:

I want to know / I don’t want to know

It’s true / I made it up; it’s not real

Avoidance of parts

Loyalty to the perpetrator: I love him / I hate him

Avoidance of closeness / Fear of abandonment

I want to get better / Getting better means things will be worse

I want to get better / If I am better my perpetrator will not have to pay the cost

I am bad or evil / I need to be loved

I have needs / Needs are bad or stupid

I want to be known and seen / I want to hide

Defensive fantasies

These may be held in particular parts or may be held by the person as a whole. They prevent therapeutic engagement, grieving, and realization.

Someone (the therapist) will fix this / make this go away

Someone will love me unconditionally and perfectly

Someone will meet all my needs and I won’t ever have to suffer

I am completely enough for someone else; they won’t need anyone but me

Someone is completely enough for me; I won’t need anyone else

Other

From Kathy Steele’s presentation 'Integrating Personality Disorders in our Work with Complex Trauma and Dissociation' (PDF), 18 August 2021, Delphi Centre.

[Transcribed from a PowerPoint presentation without notes; therefore this post is without context]

[theoutcastrogue]

Caravaggio, chiaroscuro, and the underworld

[text by John Berger, abridged, emphasis mine]

Caravaggio was the first painter of life as experienced by the popolaccio, the people of the backstreets, les sans-culottes, the lumpenproletariat, the lower orders, those of the lower depths, the underworld. There is no word in any traditional European language which does not either denigrate or patronise the urban poor it is naming. That is power.

Following Caravaggio up to the present day, other painters – Brower, Ostade, Hogarth, Goya, Géricault, Guttuso – have painted pictures of the same social milieu. But all of them – however great – were genre pictures, painted in order to show others how the less fortunate or the more dangerous lived. With Caravaggio, however, it was not a question of presenting scenes but of seeing itself. He does not depict the underworld for others: his vision is one that he shares with it.

In art-historical books Caravaggio is listed as one of the great innovating masters of chiaroscuro and a forerunner of the light and shade later used by Rembrandt and others. For the Caravaggio who actually existed light and shade, as he imagined and saw them, had a deeply personal meaning, inextricably entwined with his desires and his instinct for survival. And it is by this, not by any art-historical logic, that his art is linked with the underworld.

“The Calling of St Matthew depicts five men sitting round their usual table, telling stories, gossiping, boasting of what one day they will do, counting money. The room is dimly lit. Suddenly the door is flung open. The two figures who enter are still part of the violent noise and light of the invasion. (Berenson wrote that Christ, who is one of the figures, comes in like a police inspector to make an arrest.)”

His chiaroscuro allowed him to banish daylight. Shadows, he felt, offered shelter as can four walls and a roof. Whatever and wherever he painted he really painted interiors. He only felt at home – no, that he felt nowhere – he only felt relatively at ease inside.

His darkness smells of candles, over-ripe melons, damp washing waiting to be hung out the next day: it is the darkness of stairwells, gambling corners, cheap lodgings, sudden encounters. And the promise is not in what will flare against it, but in the darkness itself. The shelter it offers is only relative, for the chiaroscuro reveals violence, suffering, longing, mortality, but at least it reveals them intimately. What has been banished, along with the daylight, are distance and solitude – and both these are feared by the underworld.

Those who live precariously and are habitually crowded together develop a phobia about open spaces which transforms their frustrating lack of space and privacy into something reassuring. He shared those fears.

The Cardsharps (1594). See here about the painting, and here for some of the paintings it inspired.

The underworld is full of theatre, but one that has nothing to do with either cosmic effects or ruling-class entertainment. In the daily theatre of the underworld everything is close-to and emphatic. What is being ‘played’ may any moment become ‘for real’. There is no protective space and no hierarchical focus of interest. Caravaggio was continually being criticised for exactly this – the lack of discrimination in his paintings, their overall intensity, their lack of a proper distance.

The underworld displays itself in hiding. This is the paradox of its social atmosphere and the expression of one of its deepest needs. It has its own heroes and villains, its own honour and dishonour, and these are celebrated by legends, stories, daily performances. The last are often somewhat like rehearsals for real exploits. They are scenes, created on the spur of the moment, in which people play themselves, pushed to the limit. If these ‘performances’ did not take place, the alternative moral code and honour of the underworld would be in danger of being forgotten – or, to put it better, the negative judgement, the opprobrium of the surrounding society, would advance apace.

The underworld’s survival and pride depend upon theatre, a theatre where everyone is flamboyantly playing and proving himself, and yet where an individual’s survival may well depend on his lying low or his not being seen. The consequent tension produces a special kind of expressive urgency in which gestures fill all the space available, in which a life’s desire may be expressed by a glance. This amounts to another kind of overcrowding, another kind of density.

— John Berger, Portraits: John Berger on Artists (Verso, 2015)

[prettyhennytea]

Kardashian Konfidential: Unveiling the Epic Clash of Kim and Kourtney in Season 4, Episode 1!

Get ready for another thrilling season of The Kardashians on Hulu! This famous family is back with Season 4, and they're not holding anything back. The last season ended with a major clash between Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian, and it seems like the tension is far from over.

The premiere episode titled "You're a witch and I hate you" takes us on a wild ride as the Kardashians embark on a lavish trip to Cabo without their kids. However, Kourtney decides to skip the trip despite being invited. Here are five key highlights from the Season 4 premiere that had us glued to our screens.

So....we thought we were done with the Dolce & Gabbana drama, but unfortunately it resurfaces in this episode. Kim's collaboration with the fashion house becomes an issue once again as she and Kourtney rewatch last season's edits. The sisters engage in shady side conversations and confessionals that leave them both harboring resentment.

During a phone call before the Cabo trip, Kim informs Kourtney about an upcoming D&G dinner in Milan that she will be hosting. Despite knowing her sister wouldn't want to go, Kim extends an invitation anyway. This sparks a heated debate about Kim allegedly stealing Kourtney's wedding 'vibe'. Tempers flare as they argue over originality and attention-seeking motives.

The tension escalates when Kourtney psychoanalyzes Kim's intense work ethic, accusing her of being egotistical and unale to handle someone else being in the spotlight. Things take a darker turn Kim reveals that she believes Kourtney isn't genuinely happy and even discusses her with separate group chats involving their sisters and Kourtney's friends.

This revelation pushes Kourtney further away from her family, feeling like everyone is ganging up against her, with Kim leading the charge. The explosive phone call ends with Kourtney tearfully calling Kim a 'witch' and expressing her hatred before hanging up. Kim responds stoically with a simple 'K'.

While the sisters' feud continues to simmer, Kylie Jenner steals the spotlight during the Cabo trip. Despite being usually absent from family events these days, Kylie joins them on this adventure. Her presence is celebrated by Kim's toast on the private jet, where Khloe also gives a shoutout to Kendall Jenner so she doesn't feel left out. 

Kylie's underrated star power shines as she playfully makes Khloe uncomfortable by repeatedly saying 'titties' at the dinner table. She even excuses herself from a meal to cough out phlegm in her throat, leaving everyone amused and slightly grossed out. In a confessional moment, she cheekily teases Kendall about their age difference, adding some spice to their dynamic.

Khloe opens up about her rocky 30s and how it reflects in the drama surrounding her life on the show. She emphasizes that she's focused on protecting her heart and looks forward to rebuilding herself when she turns 40 in 2024 - once Tristan Thompson moves out of her house for good. 

During their time in Cabo, Khloe's fear of whales becomes evident as she screams at their sight near the beach shore. This hilarious phobia stems from childhood experiences that have scarred Khloe but provided plenty of entertainment for viewers.

The Cabo trip showcases the light-hearted nature of this famous family as they share laughter and jokes together. Kris Jenner laughs until tears stream down her face at a silly joke while prompting Kim to jokingly ask if she had consumed a weed gummy before hand. Mama Kris also attempts speaking Spanish throughout their vacation with comical results. 

In an unexpected turn of events, Kendall and Corey Gamble mend their relationship after a previous feud. And perhaps the most shocking moment comes when Khloe and Kim admit to never having had a beer before. Kendall and Kyle seize the opportunity to introduce them to the wonders of a cold brew by handing them Coronas Surprisingly, both Kim and Khloe enjoy it, hinting at potential beer endorsements in their near future.

With Kylie reigning as the queen of memorable moments on this trip, its safe to say that Season 4 is off to an exciting start. Don't miss out on all the drama, adventures and unexpected revelations as the Kardashians continue their journey every Thursday on Hulu!

[kaz-identified]

I'm tired of waiting for asks I'm answering a whole ask game here and now.

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name? Faolan name comes from the fact the commonly accepted way to refer to the protagonist of Destiny is "Young Wolf". Faolan itself is a name, irish in origin, that means "Little Wolf". Her last name Ashford, is generally accepted to mean "Ford by the ash trees." A ford is a shallow place in a river that can be easily crossed. And ash trees represent, generally, a place between life and death, or represent death itself. I like this last name for her because it, to me at least, means crossing a barrier between life and death. This works very well for her, a character constantly caught between life and death, often acting as a bringer of one to allow the other. Her name before she was raised was Atticus. This is because I like the name. I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird.

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range) Physically she's stuck at 22 forever </3. But she was rezzed about six years ago in the real world.

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)? Our favorite boy Crow and her have something going on there, that's for sure <3

🍕 - What is their favorite food? She doesn't a lot of the time! She's too busy. But when she is forced to sit down and eat something, she's not picky. But she's particularly fond of rice in any form.

💼 - What do they do for a living? Well, you'd assume Guardian is a job in and off itself, right? NO. She makes most of her glimmer through Gambit and Crucible, as well as a far bit from gambling and illegal Sparrow racing.

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies? Sparrow Racing, that's about it.

🎯 -What do they do best? Faolan is a warrior at her heart, she always has been. Even when she was a child wandering the wastelands with Ulysses following the collapse. She fights like nothing else matters but ending the opponent in front of her, but she's clever enough to know when to disengage.

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do? She likes fighting, her friends, generally moving fast lil speed demon, winning, racing people, competition, and she likes books. She hates Vanguard meetings, sitting still, and days when there isn't wind.

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories? Lighting the braziers at the Iron Temple.

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories? Carrying Cayde's body back from the Prison of Elders.

🧊 - Is their current design the first one? Yes! She's had the same face since she was originally made. Thank you, Rudder. Though, her armor has changed quite a bit.

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC? She wasn't inspired by anything! I didn't make her! My brother did! I just added gaps between the events in Destiny to make a more compelling character to write about. And Rudder based her design off of my when he was making her for me, so I guess me?

🌂 - What genre do they belong in? Sci-fi. Obviously.

🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have? One biologically, but she's ostensibly claimed Ripley as her sister. So, effectively two.

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like? They're super dead! But her various mentor figures, pretty solid. I don't think she would've survived Forsaken without Ikora as support.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC? I like all the memories I have of her. Just because she's my character in Destiny. All the hours I messed around with Bella and Ben in the Reef, the misery and screaming in Spire, the late night Crucible sessions, the staying up till way past late. The friends Destiny, and by extension, Faolan, has helped me make. People that I wouldn't know if Rudder hadn't snatched my controller from my hands and made her for me on December 22nd, 2012.

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC? I write about her at least once a week.

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC? I can't. She can't die.

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias? Lygophobia, the fear of the dark.

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival? Besides the obvious, the Witness, she has MAD beef with Marcus Ren because it's HIS FAULT she got banned from the SRL.

🎓 - How long have you had the OC? Oh jeez... six years?

🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC? Ah, about eleven years old!

[sketchy-saram]

BASICS

full name: Calliope (Calli) Jones

gender: Female

sexuality: Lesbian

pronouns: She/Her

OTHERS

family:

birthplace:

job: Awkward Mob Boss

phobias: Fire, Hospitals, Boredom

guilty pleasures: Fighting Argent, Gambling, Cheesy Romance Movies, Cat Videos

hobbies: Working Out, Fixing Cars

MORALS

morality alignment: Selfish Neutral

sins: Desire / Despair / Envy / Fear / Hunger / Pride / Rage / Sloth

virtues: Charity / Chastity / Diligence / Humility / Justice / Kindness /Patience

THIS-OR-THAT

introvert/extrovert, organized/disorganized, close-minded/open-minded, calm/anxious, disagreeable/agreeable, cautious/reckless, patient/impatient, outspoken/reserved, leader/follower, empathetic/callous, optimistic/pessimistic, traditional/modern, hard-working/lazy

RELATIONSHIPS

otp: Calli/Angie

acceptable ships: 

ot3: Maybe Calli/Argent/Julia, but that would have to be totally at Argent’s behest.

brotp: Calli burns most bridges, haha.

notp: Any of the guys!

(Step 2/5!)

[barreloftears]

𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙 𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖘

barrett olivares is based on barrel from the nightmare before christmas. he is a 25 year old cursed human, moonlight casino employee, and uses he/him pronouns. he has the power of temporary reanimation.

penned by HARPER

reflection

face claim: diego tinoco sexuality: bisexual height: 5'9" eye color: dark brown hair color: black piercings: ear lobes tattoos: snake on his forearm , mother & sister's death date in roman numerals on right collarbone.

attitude

positive traits: disciplined, resourceful, playful, private, industrious, bold negative traits: compulsive, devious, impatient, mischievous, paranoid, subservent likes: really loud music, horror movies, violence, cracking jokes at inappropriate times, the color black, pranks, meaningless sex, rooting for sports he knows nothing about, the smell of permanent markers dislikes: belts, the ocean, the sound of a door slamming, creaky floorboards, bright colors, talking about the past, the l-word, nightmares, when it's way too hot out, political figures phobias: thalassophobia - fear of the ocean or large bodies of water hobbies: breaking the law, loitering in the casino, trying to learn how to gamble but not being able to make sense of it, spending way too much time with temporary suitors and booze, sketching, trying to bring road kill back to life, trying desperately to forget the past but never being able to let go of it simultaneously, latching onto shona & luis. aesthetic: the sound of fist meeting drywall, the crack of a leather belt, wanting to understand love but not knowing where to start, an empty graveyard clouded by thick mist, black converse with blood-stained canvas, worn leather clubs, the sharpening of a knife against a piece of loose asphalt, manic laughter that echos down a dark alley, the sound of a dripping sink that won't stop fucking dripping

relations

mother:  daniela oliveras ( deceased ) father: matías oliveras ( deceased ) sibling(s): luciana oliveras ( deceased )

headcanons

barrett still hasn’t been able to fully process the trauma he had endured as a child, not yet seeing it as trauma but seeing it as his experience of NORMAL. he didn’t feel the need to tell other people about it, but hearing about the childhoods of other’s did lead to him questioning his own.

the man can often been seen engaging with violence simply to try and make sense of it. what was violence FOR ?? what purpose did it serve ?? did it represent love or a lack of it ?? 

he is beyond easy to manipulate, and a lot of that stems from the fact that he learned that not showing discipline results in consequence. that isn’t to say he isn’t notorious for breaking a law or two, but that is heavily because he operates doing what others tell him to… even if it isn’t legal. if they tell him to jump, he’ll say how high or… off what elevated surface. 

when the temptation to disobey orders passes through him, he is met with violent flashbacks of punishment he was faced with when he was younger, and so he prefers to simply take instructions and not question them. not out loud, at least. 

barrett doesn’t see love as something that should be desired, or sought out for, opting instead to question it when it’s presented and not trust it when it’s mentioned. he doesn’t understand it. if what his parents shared was love, why did his father do what he did ?? 

barrett can often be found binging horror movies in his free time, engaging with violence in a passive way to try and see if it’s the violence that bothers him or who inflicts it. nothing makes his skin pebble with goosebumps quite like the memories of his father… and he has yet to find a horror movie that truly spooks him.

luis and shona, though often the ones bossing him around, are two individuals that barrett would do anything for. cut off a finger? sure. rob a bank? okay. go to the ends of the earth? in record time. he has already lost one family, even if it was a broken one… he would be damned if it were to happen to him again.

barrett does not wear belts, and even the innocent removal of one is enough to send a crippling anxiety he couldn’t seem to shake pulsing through him. he opted to knot shoelaces around his waist to keep his pants up if absolutely necessary, often leaving him without ties for his shoes.

the man will happily busy himself with sex and booze and laughter in order to distract himself from the impending doom a moment of self-reflection would bring him, opting to cozy into the comfort of oblivion instead of focusing on the damage his memories always seemed to bring him.

barrett is terrified of large bodies of water — he will not walk within viewing distance of a lake or even a stream, the babbling of the smallest creek enough to make him lash out in terror. even a picture of one is enough to have him crawling into his shell. 

his reanimation talent is one he practices often, but he keeps it primarily to himself… unless he’s pulling a prank on someone to get some sort of distracting amusement out of them. outside of luis and shona, no one knows about the talents he possesses. or…. anything about him at all, for that matter.

[elekid]

TheEnigma21's avatar

TheEnigma21·5/3/2021

in General

Psychological Diagnoses of Multiple Characters

Jonathan Joestar - PTSD

Dio Brando - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy), Intermittent Explosive Disorder, and Mythomania

Erina Pendleton - PTSD

Speedwagon - PTSD and Social Anxiety Disorder

Will A. Zeppeli - Schizotypal Personality Disorder and PTSD

George Joestar I - Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (another name for this personality disorder is "Anankastic Personality Disorder" and this disorder should not be confused with obsessive compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder) and PTSD

Poco - Conduct Disorder

Straizo - Gerontophobia

Bruford - PTED

Tarkus - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Wang Chan - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Dario Brando - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism) and Alcohol Use Disorder

Jack the Ripper - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Gynophobia

Doobie - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Elizabeth I - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism)

Elizabeth/Lisa Lisa - PTED

Joseph Joestar - Histrionic Personality Disorder (somewhat on this disorder's spectrum), Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and PTSD

Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy), PTED, and Entomophobia

Rudol von Stroheim - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Smokey Brown - Conduct Disorder

Kars - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism) and Anthropophobia

Esidisi - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Anthropophobia

Wamuu - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Santana - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Donovan - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Wired Back - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Gynophobia

George Joestar II - Dependent Personality Disorder (formerly during childhood)

Adolf Hitler - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism), Substance Use Disorder, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Able-phobia (if there is such a word to mean fear of people with disabilities)

Jotaro Kujo - Schizoid Personality Disorder and PTSD

Jean Pierre Polnareff - PTED and Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Iggy - Conduct Disorder, and Binge Eating Disorder

Holy Kujo - Dependent Personality Disorder (maybe?)

Anne - Obsessive Love Disorder

Enya the Hag - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and PTED

Vanilla Ice - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Intermittent Explosive Disorder

N'Doul - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Oingo - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Boingo - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Covert Narcissism)

Anubis - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Mariah - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Sexual Narcissism)

Alessi - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Daniel J. D'Arby - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism) and Compulsive Gambling

Telence T. D'Arby - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism)

Pet Shop - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Nukesaku - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Covert Narcissism)

Gray Fly - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Impostor Captain Tennille - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Hydromania

Forever - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy), Compulsive Sexual Behavior, and Pedophilic Disorder

Devo the Cursed - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Rubber Soul - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism)

Hol Horse - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Malignant Narcissism)

J. Geil - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Nena - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Somatic Narcissism)

ZZ - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Steely Dan - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) and Conduct Disorder

Arabia Fats - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Midler - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Chaka - Stockholm Syndrome

Wilson Phillips - Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Overt Narcissism)

Josuke Higashikata - Dependent Personality Disorder and Chelonaphobia

Yoshikage Kira - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Psychopathy) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Giorno Giovanna - Autism or Asperger's Syndrome

Pannacotta Fugo - Borderline Personality Disorder (Petulant Borderline) and Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Diavolo - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

Jolyne Cujoh - Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Enrico Pucci - Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

[rxshingpxlse]

[ adore delano, trans woman, she/her ] — spotted in the streets of brooklyn, it’s SKYLAR MASON. they have lived in the city for SIX YEARS, working as a/an OWNER OF BLUSHING BLOOMS. the 35 year old will probably be seen around GREEN POINT a lot, seeing as that’s where they live. people say they can be a bit PERFECTIONIST and JUDGY, but friends know them to be CREATIVE and HELPFUL. you know for sure you’ve found them when you’ve come across CRUMPLED UP RECEIPTS AT THE BOTTOM OF HER PURSE, MESSY BUNS WHILE DOING SIX DIFFERENT THINGS AT ONCE & SNAPPING AT PEOPLE WHEN STRESSED OUT . welcome to brooklyn, it’s been waiting for you!

character information

name: skylar mason

nicknames: sky, ky

gender & pronouns: trans woman & she/her

sexuality: pansexual

age: 35

birthday: August 9, 1989

place of birth: new york, ny

occupation: owner of blushing blooms

borough: Queens

time since arriving in NYC: Since june 27, 2024

aesthetics: crumpled up receipts at the bottom of her purse, messy buns while doing six different things at once & snapping at people when stressed out.

pets: kitten named muffin

appearance:

faceclaim:  adore delano

height:  6'

build: small

eyes:  green

hair:  Brown

piercings:  double hole on one nostril, 3 ear piercings, daith, & industrial

tattoos:  sunflower collage on left thigh, tulips on left shoulder, & roses on right shoulder.

personality:

traits:  perfectionist, judgy, creative, & helpful

labels / tropes:  the hippie

mental health:  good

physical health:  Healthy as a horse

likes:  flowers (obvs), listening to vinyl, gambling

dislikes:  secrets, hiding things

fears:  Snakes

phobias:  None,

skills: nothing extraordinary

pet peeves:  people who don't like flowers

biography: tw: transphobia

skylar always knew that she was different from birth, it was just something that she felt deep in her soul. she wasn't sure how or why, but would learn later in her teen years how.

the obsession with flowers was always there for her. nobody could tell why, but she loved the anatomy of the flowers to the point where her parents kind of thought that it was weird.

when she was in high school, skylar had a boyfriend and it was nice, but something didn't seem right. she didn't love him because she wasn't loving herself the way that she was supposed to.

after some deep thought and questioning her gender identity and sexuality. with some research and soul searching, skylar finally came to terms with how she was transgender and she had no preference in who she loved. it was something that her family made her feel ashamed for to the point where her parents kicked her out at the age of fourteen.

skylar lived on the streets before meeting the mason family and they took her in with open arms.

skylar had no problem with making it known that she liked whomever, but something that she never confessed was the love she had for her best friend because she was scared of losing them. when it came to college, the two went away together and she studied horticulture.

after graduation, skylat's best friend took off for the west coast and while she wanted to go with her so bad, she got a job of an opportunity down in florida. she worked down there for ten years before she realized that it was time to come back home and she moved back to brooklyn and bought blushing blooms.

while skylar loved the anatomy of flowers and learning how to grow them, she decided it was time for her to just create pretty things and that's why she wanted to work in a floral shop. of course she still studies them a bit, but it's not the same.

skylar then took over as the owner of blushing blooms and she has been happier than ever since.

[deaddovestellnotales]

OC meme

Tagged: @lolthslover Thanks!! I really appreciate you tagged me! <33 Tagging: @inscrutable-shadow @i-eat-worlds

B A S I C S

Full name: Curumë

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual, Demiromantic

Pronouns: He/Him

O T H E R

Birthplace: (im still trying to figure that out)

Job: Adventurer (Class: Warlock), former Burglar (Class: Rogue)

Phobias: Curumë fears confined spaces as well as tight grips. He hates the feeling of being cornered and held tight in a spot. It makes him feel like choking. Curumë additionally finds deep bodies of water very unsettling, because he doesn't know what lies beneath and the thought of drowning terrifies him.

Guilty pleasures: Curumë has a weakspot for cute animals, such as bunnies or kittens. He'd never admit it though. Another one is his taste for expensive wines. It's a guilty pleasure for him, because he feels its somewhat snobbish, but he just can't help it.

Hobbies: He enjoys high-stake gambling. He also enjoy's doodling. Not that he has a talent for it. It's just something he finds fun to do and which gets his thoughts flowing. Another hobby he picked up after being forced into a pact with his patron is knife throwing. At first he just did it to practice his combat skills, but he actually enjoys it quite a bit, especially showing off with it.

M O R A L S

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Sins: Greed, Pride

Virtues: Loyalty to the people he considers his friends

T H I S O R T H A T

Introvert / Extrovert

Organized / Disorganized

Close-minded / Open-minded

Calm / Anxious / Restless

Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between

Cautious / Reckless / In between

Patient / Impatient / In between

Outspoken / Reserved / In between

Leader / Follower / Flexible

Empathetic / Unempathetic / In between

Optimist / Pessimist / Realist

Traditional / Modern / In between

Hard-working / Lazy

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

OTP: I don't really have anyone I ship him with but I am also currently fleshing out his relationships and other people in his life. If I had to think about BG3 though and pick one of the companions... Either a hate-ship with Astarion, or a pretty functional one with Wyll because they can relate probably, though they would clash a lot about their ideals.

Acceptable Ships: What's that? I only know extremes!

OT3: None

Brotp: Astarion (but like Hate Brotp? LOL), Karlach maybe

Notp: Astarion (if you don't like hateships), but I also don't think that any of the other companions except for Wyll would even be compatible with him.

B A C K S T O R Y

Before embracing his current life as a Warlock, Curume was an unremarkable street thug, a cog in the wheel of a criminal syndicate. Most of his endeavors involved low- to mid-level thefts, securing a life of comfort beyond the constraints of rules and regulations. Why labor within the confines of society when circumventing it could lead to a more lucrative existence?

Yet, Curume wasn't entirely without morals. He shared his ill-gotten gains with his gang members and friends from the criminal underworld when circumstances allowed. One of his daring heists led him to target a bizarre, reclusive wizard known for his obsession with ancient history, religions, cults, and arcane artifacts. While others deemed the wizard eccentric, it was an irresistible challenge for Curume.

The heist unfolded strangely, leading Curume into the heart of the wizard's library, a treasure trove of cryptic documents, enigmatic relics, and ancient tomes. His curiosity got the better of him, especially when he discovered an unusually adorned map. With a keen sense for opportunity, Curume handed over most of the loot to his client and gang, retaining the map and the cryptic notes strewn across the wizard's desk, hinting at even greater treasures.

Over the following months, Curume delved into deciphering the notes, many of which were written in an unfamiliar, archaic script. He indulged in countless daydreams about the potential rewards the map could lead to. Finally, he unraveled the truth: the language was abyssal, a fiendish tongue. The map pointed to an ancient temple that promised unimaginable riches from the depths of the hells.

Curume's thrill-seeking spirit couldn't resist the call. Alongside his most loyal comrades, he embarked on a journey to find this temple, hacking their way through dense undergrowth as they ventured deeper into the wilderness.

Upon entering the temple, things took a dark turn. Despite the tantalizing artifacts of immeasurable worth, it was a specific item that captivated Curume: an abyssal dagger, resting upon a sinister altar. The moment he laid hands on it, a fiend was summoned, locking the temple doors and rendering the party paralyzed, unable to flee, speak, or fight.

Horror washed over Curume as the fiend reveled in the idea of dragging them to the hells for their audacity. In a moment of desperation, Curume was allowed to speak and made an impulsive offer: he'd surrender his soul for their freedom.

But the fiend merely chuckled, explaining that Curume's soul alone wasn't enough to also save his companions. In a sinister twist, his companions were whisked away to the hells, leaving Curume to face a contract. Grinning, the fiend urged him to sign, adding a cryptic condition: "I'm not all malevolence. All I ask is that you occasionally deliver artifacts, knowledge, and fragments of wisdom to my temple. A small while, but a while nonetheless."

Yet, the most crucial line for Curume was this: "Perhaps offer the most precious thing you possess next time, and I'll release your companions as well." With that, the fiend vanished in a sulfurous haze, leaving behind only a note that encouraged Curume to explore his newfound Powers

For More Information about Curumë (including moodboard, playlist, etc.) check out his notion website: https://fish-hearing-c49.notion.site/Curum-DnD-Edition-3be1dbca1c6a4d2d9e530ee95a9277a2?pvs=4