#hope that was coherent enough lol

[maxthesillyy]

thinking about. i dont know how to phrase this really but. chloe and frank.

like. when Chloe killed Frank i (, personally,) feel like her guilt from it was less because she killed Frank, and More because she Killed Someone (and their dog).

but!!! thats not to say she didnt feel guilty for killing Frank. because she definitely did. because on some level. despite everything. despite all of his shitty behavior. a part of her still cared for him. that tiny 15-17ish year old part in her still cared for him.

because that 15-17ish year old with intense abandonment issues in her only had. a small handful of people in her life that actually cared for her, and when THOSE few people aren’t even doing the best job at it— it’s no shit that Chloe’s standards for Good Friends are going to be Immensely dropped.

and so. it’s kind of like what happened with Rachel, but WAY less intense. when she found someone who didn’t hate her, and was willing to hang around her—after so so long of people hating her and not wanting to be around her— it makes sense that part of her would kinda latch onto them a little bit.

and so, even after all of the shit she’s learned he did— even when Frank starts to hate her— even when he threatens Max and her’s lives— part of her keeps remembering him as one of the few guys who stuck around when no one else did.

it’s just that. no matter how bad the person— if you’ve known someone for years, and they were one of the only nice people to you in a town where theres like. four people that are nice to you— it’s gonna hurt if you kill them. even if it was self defense. even if it was entirely their own fault— even if you two aren’t on even remotely good terms anymore.

ESPECIALLY for such a sentimental person like Chloe. taking that in consideration it makes me wonder. maybe she didn’t feel bad for killing Frank. maybe she felt bad for killing the person Frank used to be to her. but maybe she realized that That Frank already died long ago.

but yeah. im mentally ill. take everything i said with a grain of salt considering it is 12:07 AM.

[raiiny-bay]

finished dhes & kel's character pages so here are the lil edits i made for both of em :-)

[add1ctedt0you]

hi! zhanchengxian for the ask game?

Ship It

What made you ship it?

Awful people should stick together <3. No, seriously lol, initially I didn't ship them, but I read one fic that made me consider them as a thing ( pillow talk by sugar_shoal). And I figured out that I enjoy their dynamic!

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Putting in a room people who have caused each other great harm and watch what will happen is my jam tbh. I like how all of them have to struggle to be together! We have jc's insecurities and grief, wwx's aversion to open vulnerability and his resentment, lwj's stubbornness and pettiness... So juicy!

Like, how do they get there? How do they reach a point of balance? How do you reconcile wwx's deflecting mannerisms, jc's snapping attitude and lwj's selective mutism? imo wangxian works so well (novel canon) because there isn't history, there aren't dead bodies or broken promises or broken comradeship. But, with jc in the mixer, we have it all! They can get on each other nerves (lwj, jc), bring the worst out of each other (jc, wwx) and enable each other worst traits (lwj, wwx). We can have interesting dynamics! They can heal each other wounds or they can cut deeper each other even more... It's so interesting!

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Mmmm. Idk even know what is unpopular here lol, but, I do think that if zhancheng happens during wwx's death, canon is different! While I emphasize with the desire of skipping the hassle of changing canon, and like, people can be into whatever, imo, to have the characters ring true to me, things have to be different!

If lwj has an affair with jc, I don't think he won't fall in love/be softer with him! If they have occasional hook up, fine, but a whole ass (sexual) relationship? He's going to catch some feelings! My interpretation of lwj's character is that, despite his cold demeanor, he's soft and squishy inside! He's prone to love! He's going to understand and emphasize with jc! Cql!lwj is already doing an half attempt at encouraging a yunmeng bros reconciliation, but a lwj who has been ball deep inside jc? Who knows that jc is cruel and snapping, but who knows that jc is much more too? Canon changes imo. (again, I fully understand people who don't want to touch canon)

(I am not talking about jc because it's obvious that he's having feelings for lwj. He's also very mad at all of them!)

(and, if they have a relationship but jc -feeling too much exposed, not used anymore at someone really watching him, doting on him- lashes out and breaks their 'arrangement'... Then yeah, lwj could be even worse than in canon imo lol)

Also, mmm, while zhancheng is mostly about wwx (and it should be like that!), lwj was very much dumped back then during the war. jc was his first real friend! They understood each other! They were a team! They were on the same page! And jc dumped him :-/

[shatlass]

monkey behind the kegs. hiding from and ignoring the shit you don’t want to deal with. it’s not just your problem but you’re the only one who sees it. the problem doesn’t go away and you’re not around to keep an eye on it. it festers and spreads until it infects the people around you. paddy’s (dennis) rotting from the inside out. he can’t say what he needs to say because you stopped cleaning up paddy’s messes. you stopped keeping an eye on them. dennis used to always know what to say. he used to be so good with words. paddy’s is full of mould and pests and you’re making the mess bigger. and you know what you’re doing. you’re letting paddy’s rot for your own good fortune. the monkey’s paw curls its fingers. be careful what you wish for

[flame-shadow]

how do you art so well

more specifically

where are the motivation mines

ahhh, the motivation mines. sometimes it do feel like that. delving into the depths of one's brain to find the seams of creativity...

hehe anyway.

I think differentiating between "motivation" and "inspiration" could help you figure out what'll get you to create more.

My main motivations for art are enjoyment and improvement. I want to draw because I like doing so. The act of moving my pen, the joy of creating things, the satisfaction of visual communication, the act of expressing my ideas. And I want to draw because I like pushing myself. I like trying new things and learning how to work with media. I like getting better. I like seeing how far I've come.

Inspiration is the spark that can make things easier or take your ideas in new directions. Inspiration is not necessary, but it is helpful.

What inspires me are things like bugs, cool clouds, space facts, my friends, my OCs, my friends' OCs, the way light interacts with the world, weird anatomy, other animals, the way I can simplify my strokes and still communicate an emotion, the way I feel, the irritation of a failed social interaction, how someone rendered the scales on a dragon painting, the shape that a curtain makes, the distinct aesthetic of trail cams, etc etc etc.

Even when I don't have a spark of inspiration, I can still draw because I am motivated by things that usually don't need special ideas. I don't share a lot of the extra stuff, but sometimes I'll just fill a sketchbook page or digital canvas with scribbles, circles, lines, smears, etc. That's because even if I'm not creating anything specific, I'm still engaging with the act of creation and working on technical skills like fine motor control, steady lines, and smooth movement. Or maybe I spend an hour drawing what I see around me - the lamp, the clothes rack, the table, the water bottle - which again engage me in the act of drawing and in working on my ability to interpret and express what I see around me.

And if I'm inspired by, say, the way an artist I saw used color, then perhaps I'll try to add color to my life drawing to enhance the scene or reimagine it, make it new in some way.

idk if this is what you were asking, and it's a bit rambly, but hopefully it helps in some way!

there are so many ways to experience art and create, but this is how it is for me :)

[bbq-potato-chip]

does anyone else think that link is so short because getting the master sword at such a young age stunted him or is it just me

[irritablepoe]

Poe revealing himself on the rooftop to fukuzawa and all fukuzawa can think about is "hmm I think I've seen this goofy ass man before why does he look so familiar???" bc he didn't really notice Poe sitting in the corner while they were having the party at the agency

[sskurwysyn]

Context for the left one: Good dad Draxum AU! One lucky day, turtle tot Leo stumbled across a pirate ship chilling in the port.

He instantly climbed on the deck (mostly out of curiosity and bc he was bored) and he sneaked around until he has been found out by Captain Piel (who instantly threw him out cuz lets be real a pirate ship isn't the most child friendly place)

But Leo started coming back every few days and sneaking back on the ship. The crew kinda grew a liking to him and they eventually gave up on kicking him out.

They tried to talk to him about his home and parents but Leo avoided all the questions, which made Piel come to the conclusion that the boy must have a hard situation at home, so the crew let him vibe.

Until one day Piel came out not to one tot, but to four. The kids explained that they are hiding away from their dad and Leo got the idea to hide them all on the SS Queen Alexis, since theres no way he'll come looking for them there.

When the skin yokai learned that they are hiding because their dad was experimenting on them, and he heard that the dad in question was actually Baron Draxum (THE Baron Draxum, warrior alchemist that's very influential and a bit fucked up according to witnesses) Piel told them to come over as much as they want to. He didn't want to outright confront Draxum, but he also wanted to make sure that the tots had a safe space to go to.

For the record Draxum is NOT abusing them (this au is called good dad draxum for a reason), but at this point in the story he still tries to see them as weapons. He would never hurt them during the experiments, but they are unpleasant and freak the tots out (think about it as a visit at the dentist kinda unpleasant)

Piel and Draxum finally had a confrontation and explained everything to each other, but even after learning that the kids were never actually abused, he was still very wary of the sheep yokai and at that point he has grown too attached to the tots either way, so the uncle position stayed.

[ambalambs]

I finally finished this Miko fic and its a long one lol so I honestly don't expect anyone to read this. I just like having a place I can scroll through thats dedicated to my ocs so im just adding this to my little dragon hoard.

It was near midnight when Brynstan Lockett rose from his bed and made his way to the kitchen. This was a common habit of his. Despite his need to rise early in the morning and tend to his land, he somehow always found himself getting up at some point in need of a glass of water.

Or perhaps that was just the excuse he gave himself. Truth be told this habit didn't seem to really take hold until his eldest son had joined their family all those years ago. Brynstan would wake only to find himself checking on his children sleeping securely in their rooms as he made his way to the kitchen. There he would quench his parched throat, give one passing glance out the window, then make his way back to bed.

But on most nights not all his children would be in their bed. He often would find Miko absent from his. And as he glanced out that little window in the kitchen Brynstan would always find the boy sitting there on the front porch, alone and gazing off into the distance.

It would be much the same this night as Brynstan passed over his usual checks and instead made his way straight to the sink. He yawned deep as he rubbed the back of his neck and barely watching as the water filled his glass. As he brought the glass to his lips he paused, his gaze lifting towards the window before him and training onto the young man that now sat just outside.

For a moment surprise coursed through him as he nearly forgot Miko had returned home just that day. A short visit after such a grand adventure, he had said. It had been quite some time since Brynstan expected to see his son sitting just outside. The familiarity of it was almost jarring and an emotion rose up in his chest he had not anticipated.

There had been so many nights like this of seeing the young miqo'te boy sitting outside alone. Some nights Brynstan would join him and they'd sit and chat until he'd shoo the boy off to bed. Other nights he'd leave the boy be knowing he'd come inside when he was ready. The night was, after all, a Keeper of the Moon's time. But now at this moment, as Brynstan watched his eldest son in silence, memories of specific evenings passed through his mind. Memories of evenings that sitting with his son had held such significance in his life he knew some part of him had changed with each one.

---

The first night was of course different from the others. It just so happened to be the night they first found the lad. Well, he found them to be plain. It was a harsh winter that year and the snow was deep. This evening it was pushing near blizzard winds as the snow fell so Brynstan and his wife were keeping themselves warm inside. Brystan was standing by the window as he watched the snows, his mind already forming checklists for the morning. The chocobo in the barn would be kept warm enough but this cold wouldn't do their land well if it kept up.

His wife, Fiona, sat nearest to the fireplace mending some old shirt of his and humming as she stitched. They had just put their toddler to bed and the house was blessedly silent except the crackling of the flames and the deep roar of the steady winter winds. Fiona sighed heavily and paused her stitching as she placed a hand to her belly. Brynstan glanced at her and gave her a knowing smile as she looked up and met his eye and smiled back. Fiona then resumed her stitching and Brynstan turned back towards the window when something small and dark stumbling through the snow caught his eye. Brynstan froze. It was a small thing. An animal? No its gait was too much like a person. But so small? A fiend? Seemed passing strange for anything as beastly as a voidsent to pass through so close to their farm. Brynstan watched as the staggering form hugged its way against the wall of the barn, travel to the front of it, and then discreetly enter.

"There's something in the barn," Brynstan found himself saying aloud.

Fiona nearly jumped at his sudden declaration. "What? What do you mean?"

Brynstan quickly tore himself away from the window and headed for the door and grabbing his jacket and the lance he kept propped up on the wall beside it. He wasn't well trained in the art but it was a well enough weapon to wield if the situation called for it. A situation such as this.

"I'm going to check it out. You stay here."

Fiona had put down her stitching by now and was making to stand up when Brynstan held up a hand. "No, I meant it, you stay."

"The hells I will. What are you going to do out there on your own? What is it did you see?" She questioned as she tottered a moment trying to regain her balance.

"It's probably just some fox or something but I can't have it spooking the birds. I'll only be just a moment," he told her, though he hoped he sounded more convincing than he felt. With that he pushed his way out the door. The wind was stronger than it looked and he stumbled a moment as he squinted against the snow. The snow was deep as he pushed through it and forcing a trail to the barn. He'd need to shovel tomorrow, he noted.

Once he got to the barn and quickly got inside, he rushed to light a lantern before whatever creature inside could make its move against him. Lantern in one hand, lance in the other, Brynstan held the light high and scanned the barn. All was quiet except the soft kwehs of the chocobo in their stalls. Strange, the birds didn't seem troubled by whatever visitor had intruded their abode. Brynstan slowly and cautiously made his way further in. He paused a moment listening and the chocobo next to him cooed as it pressed its beak against his cheek.

"Where'd it go, girl?" He asked in a hushed breath. Just then he heard a sniffle and some shuffling just up ahead in the shadows. His heart was racing as he made his way towards that sound now, brandishing the lance as best he could. There was more sniffling and Brynstan swallowed thickly as he slowly rounded the corner behind the last stall. He cursed his feet for crunching so loudly on the hay strewn about the ground as he lifted the lamp a bit higher to illuminate the dark corner. He froze when the light fell upon a small crouched and bundled figure pressing itself as tightly as it could into the corner. Bright yellow eyes fearfully stared back at him.

The two just stared at each other for a moment both too afraid to move until Brynstan's brain caught up with just what exactly he was staring at. The small figure was a child. A miqo'te child to be exact if the small pointed ears atop its head were any indication. The fear in Brynstan steadily began to subside as he stepped a little closer to the child.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" He asked a bit harder than he intended. The child flinched and curled closer in on itself. Brynstan stopped immediately. As he took in the frightened thing he suddenly noticed the jacket and clothing they were bundled in was heavily stained in dark and dried blood. "Are you hurt? Where did you come from? Do you need some hel-"

"Bryn, what is it?" Fiona suddenly appeared beside him. Brynstan jumped and whirled around nearly catching her with the point of his lance.

"Seven Hells, Fiona!" He rasped. His heart was racing all over again. "Didn't I say!"

"You say many things, dear," Fiona teased.

"And do you ever listen?"

"Selectively," she grinned and then looked past him to the small child. Immediately her good humored smiled fell from her face and her eyes grew wide in horror. "Oh Bryn! They're just a child! They're freezing!" Quickly Fiona pushed past him and retrieved a clean blanket that was draped over the side of the stall. She slowly approached the small miqo'te as one would approach a frightened rabbit. The child squeaked and huddled as far into the corner away from her as they could, all the while shivering violently from the cold. Fiona shushed gently and reassured them they were safe. The child watched her closely with wide eyes but as she calmly coaxed them and showing them the blanket, the more the child seemed more inclined to ignore fear for the comforts of warmth. As they began to stretch out from their curled ball of a state, their face came more into view revealing their cold blue lips.

Brynstan crouched down beside his wife and set his lamp down between them. "The lad is nearly ice," he whispered.

Fiona nodded briefly. "Is that blood?" She whispered back. "There's so much of it, it cant be his do you think?"

"Couldn't be. We ought to get him inside though and make sure some of it isn't."

Slowly Fiona closed the final gap between her and the young boy. He flinched but relented as she wrapped the blanket around him. "Hush now you're safe now. It's alright," she softly whispered to the boy. He seemed to almost collapse against her then as exhaustion started to overtake him. His eyes fluttered a moment just as Fiona scooped him up into her arms. The two adults gave each other a look before making their way back to the house.

After some time Brynstan sat in an armchair, leaning forward, his elbows rested on his knees and hands folded in front of his mouth in thought. He watched Fiona sitting in front of the fire with the boy laying on the floor with her, bundled in blankets and his head resting on her lap and sound asleep. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair as she gazed down at him.

"We'll have to inform the Wood Wailers. If this was the work of Garleans they'll need to know," Brynstan reasoned. "Twelve, they never come this far into the wood."

Fiona didn't respond but kept watching the young boy.

"The Wailers will know what to do with him, too," he continued. "How far do you think he traveled on his own like that? To think there was a Keeper village so close."

Finally Fiona looked up at him. "We aren't just going to hand him over to the Wood Wailers."

Brynstan blinked at her dumbly. "What? But why not? Fio, what are we going to do with a Keeper child?"

"Come, Bryn! He's just a child! He hasn't even grown into his tail yet. I'm not about to let the Wailers drag him off to some orphanage in Gridania. A small thing like him they'd eat him alive," she said, a heavy and tired breath escaped her as she looked back towards the sleeping boy again. His lips were finally gaining back their color and his ears flicked lightly as he dreamed.

Brynstan tried to deny it but he could already see he was facing a losing battle when she spoke again, "Besides, he said his father would be coming for him. If we send him off that poor man may never find him."

"Do you really believe he's coming?" Brynstan asked, his clasped hands falling away from his face to rest on his knees. Fiona met his gaze then, her eyes wet with tears she fought to keep at bay. They stared at each other for a long moment then. Both knowing. Both accepting. No matter what came, this boy was now theirs.

---

The second night to come forth in Brynstan's memory happened nearly two months after finding Miko in the barn, and it was the first of the soon many nights he'd found Miko sitting outside. They had shared what information they could get from the boy with the Wood Wailers and, although not much had come of it, the vigilance of a patrol was comforting. At the very least the guard accepted Brynstan and Fiona's requests to leave the boy in their care, at least until his family came to claim him.

The boy in question, however, turned out to be incredibly helpful. Brynstan was surprised to admit it but the boy was a quick learner and eager to make himself useful. He spoke very little and had a shyness about him. Fiona seemed to have a way with him that Brynstan could not seem to master. So often he'd catch the boy's soft whispers or small smiles only in her company. Still though, they found it a trial to uncover the boy's name. A few days after he had begun staying with them their young son, Dustan, coined the name Miko for the lad which Brynstan was grateful for. Calling him "Boy" just felt too harsh on his lips when he'd try to order him about the small chores around the farm. Miko didn't seem to mind it, though, and quickly took to the nickname with ease. Even so far as to introduce himself to their newborn daughter with the name when she finally came.

Even then Miko had been an immense help that Brynstan had not expected. The boy seemed just a natural at being there at the right time to lend a hand for most anything he was capable of. Brynstan remembers several moments of Miko tending to the little girl all swaddled and soothed to sleep when the boy began to hum songs Brynstan didn't recognize. Each time he'd also catch Fiona watching them with such love in her eyes that Brynstan also couldn't help but begin to share the same affection.

And so it was on this particular evening that Brynstan had just taken his turn to change and calm the baby back to sleep and tuck her back into her cradle. He made his way to the kitchen as habit would carry him when a glance out the window he saw that familiar small, curled up figure of Miko. The man paused a moment, surprised and curious as to what would lead the boy to sit outside in the cold so late. He quickly grabbed a quilt off the sofa and made his way outside to join him.

Miko sat there, knees drawn up close to his chest, his arms wrapped around them and his face tucked close as if trying to keep his lips warm. The old barn cat sat curled up against his side but despite the warmth from the little creature Miko still shivered lightly. Brynstan made his way over and carefully wrapped the quilt around the boy even though he didn't seem to acknowledge his presence beyond a brief flick of an ear towards his direction. Brynstan then sat down next to him, carefully eyeing him with a curious look. Miko just kept staring off ahead of them and when Brynstan tried to follow his gaze it merely looked towards the treeline of the woods.

Brynstan looked back at him, "Can't sleep, huh? Something on your mind? You've seemed distracted all day." Which was true. There had been many times that day while tending to the chocobo Brynstan had to grab Miko's attention. The boy seemed lost in thought or zoning off towards the woods in a way he'd never done before. It made Brynstan worry.

The boy sniffled dryly and shrugged, still not removing his gaze from that treeline.

Brynstan sighed and reached out to give the barn cat a brief scratch behind the ears. "It's cold out here, y'know. If you need to talk about something you know you can talk to me, Miko. But I'd much rather we do it inside where you won't catch a cold."

Miko blinked and seemed to be thinking something over. His face squished against the top of his knees and he mumbled, "Rhaj'a."

Brynstan leaned in a bit towards him to catch his words easier. He hummed questioningly. "Rhaj'a? Is that your name, son?"

Miko gave a small nod and glanced nervously in Brynstan's direction. Brynstan gave him a small smile. "It's a nice name. Would you prefer we call you that from now on?"

Miko seemed to think for a moment but eventually shook his head his eyes dropping sadly. Brynstan then noticed there were tears beginning to brim up in the little boy's eyes and he was once again looking towards the woods.

After a moment Miko finally spoke again, his voice a small croak as he forced the words out. "He isn't coming. Is he?"

Brynstan's chest tightened then. "He" meaning Miko's father, it was obvious. And the way Miko asked it wasn't really a question but a need for confirmation. The grown up needed to tell him the fact. His small heart needing to accept it but unable to grasp the uncertainty of a loss with no proof. And what could Brynstan tell him? Not even he knew what could've happened to the man and who was to say he was either alive or dead. But it had been long enough now none of them could hope to expect the miracle to come.

Brynstan had dreaded this moment and half hoped the boy would've managed to move on and forget and remain content in this new home they made for him. But that was a cruel wish to hope for. So instead he sighed and softly said, "I'm sorry, Miko. I don't...I don't think so."

Miko's eyes squeezed shut then, the tears falling past his lashes as he buried his face further into his knees. Brynstan couldn't bear it then and reached out to him, holding him in a tight embrace. Miko cried softly into him but never made a sound but Brynstan knew right then and there as his heart broke for the boy that this boy was his. This was his home and the Twelve as his witness this boy was now and forever his family.

---

The third notable night happened during the second winter since Miko had joined the family. It was Starlight Eve and with it came a light dusting of snow. The day had been filled with preparations for the holiday festivities. Fiona had been baking up a storm and all three of the children had been a whirlwind of excitement. So much so they were put to bed early if only to give Brynstan and Fiona a moments reprieve for the evening before the next day.

But something in Brynstan seemed to spur him to staying up a bit later. As he glanced out the window to see the small miqo'te boy sitting outside, he realized he was expecting, no, hoping to find him out there this evening. The lad was bundled up in his jacket and a scarf wrapped messily round and round his neck. He seemed to be fiddling with something and it was holding his focus intensely. Brynstan snatched a couple of peppermint scones from the bin full of freshly made sweets for tomorrow and made his way out to join him.

Miko quickly looked up and beamed brightly at him as Brynstan stepped outside, carefully and quietly closing the door behind him. "Aah someone is too excited to sleep I gather," Byrnstan said as he sat down beside the boy.

"How could I not be? Aren't you excited too?" Miko exclaimed in a rush. Brynstan shushed him with a chuckle. He then held out one of the scones to him and Miko eyed it wearily. "Didn't Mother tell us all not to touch those until tomorrow?"

Brynstan paused mid bite into his own scone. "I shall incur her wrath should she take notice of a couple missing pastries," he shrugged. Miko giggled and gladly accepted the scone.

They had come to learn last season that Miko's village had never celebrated Starlight. Which wasn't much of a surprise in all honesty. After all, in what way would a Keeper of the Moon village come to inherit a holiday borne of Ishgardian origins. So the whole celebration had been quite the wonder to Miko that year. All the food and sweets, the songs and decorations, the gift giving. Brynstan had never taken much notice to it all when it had become such a common spectacle over his lifetime but to witness the boy experiencing it all for the first time truly ignited a festive spirit he hadn't expected in himself. So this year the boy had an idea what to expect and he had been absolutely buzzing with anticipation.

"So did you already finish writing your letter to nymeia?" Brynstan found himself asking.

Miko shook his head. "No, I couldn't decide what to put in it. Nor did I want Mother writing it for me. She's been teaching me the letters but its...difficult."

"That's fine, lad. The Starlight Sentinel shall still stand regardless. And there's always next year. Perhaps by then your penmanship will improve."

"I hope so," Miko grinned as he set aside his snack and continued to fiddle with the thing in his hands.

"What is it you've got there?" asked Brynstan, leaning forward ever so slightly as if it could help him see just what Miko seemed to have in his hands.

Miko didn't seem the least bit shy about it, however, and proudly held up his crude creation. It was made of pinecones and twigs and twine. Perhaps some leaves thrown in as well? It had the shape of a four-legged creature. To Brynstan's eye it looked almost like a misshapen cow. "It's Dalamud! Menphina's wolf!" Miko beamed. But then he frowned and lowered his creation back to his lap. "Or it was supposed to be. Turns out I'm not very good at this."

Brynstan laughed. "Well it's got a close enough likeness to it. But what brought on this creation so late?"

Miko sighed. "Well during the winter solstice all the kids in the village would make Dalamud figures and give them to each other. I never got to give any out before since none of the other kids would take mine. But I thought maybe this year I could give one to Dustan and Bayla and you and Mother! But I don't know when the solstice is..."

"So you thought to make them for Starlight?"

"Yup!" Miko beamed up at him. Brynstan smiled back despite the tug at his heart. It was good Miko was able to talk about the home he had lost. There were times he would even speak about his real mother and it wasn't shadowed by the sadness or loss. It relieved Brynstan that if anything, the boy wasn't being claimed by the grief.

"I think that's a brilliant idea, son," Brynstan told him as he gently bumped their shoulders together.

Miko giggled and turned back to stare at his creation. He then quickly held it out to him. "Did you want this one? Sorry it's ugly. I think I can do the next one better."

Brynstan held out a hand. "It would be my honor." Miko grinned and gently placed the makeshift wolf upon his palm. Then he reached back down to start munching on his neglected scone.

"We should really get you to bed, though. You don't want to be too tired for all the festivities tomorrow," Brynstan told him as he started to stand up.

Miko sighed and nodded. "Do you think those people who were doing all that singing last year will be doing that again?" He stared up at him with the biggest and brightest of eyes.

"The carolers? Oh I imagine they will. They tend to always have someone around town to sing something every year."

"Do you think I could join them? Or try to? I've been trying to learn some of the songs. Or maybe I could play the violin for them?" Miko asked in a rush as he hopped up to follow Brynstan inside.

Brynstan chuckled at his enthusiasm. "I'm sure there's no harm in asking. But for now I need you to scurry off to bed before we get caught red handed with the crumbs of these scones on our scarves." Miko laughed as quietly as he could at that and Brynstan gave the boy a soft nudge back inside the house.

---

The fourth night was not the most pleasant of memories. It was the one moment in Miko's young life he had ever expressed any form of teenage rebellion. Brynstan recalled that night with a grimace.

Miko had come of an age when most children in his village would have been welcomed to join in on the hunts. He had taken it upon himself to uphold that tradition and brought home a deer. He had looked so proud as he carried his burden back to the farm but Brynstan recalled now how quickly that bright familiar smile of his had died in an instant at their reaction. Gridanians had to follow strict rules of the wood, after all. To poach could incur the elementals wrath and Brynstan had been filled with instant worry for his family's safety the moment he laid eyes on that deer.

They had called upon the Wood Wailers to express their concern. Miko sat in silence at the dining table as the adults discussed. Brynstan could tell Fiona had tried to comfort the boy, to reassure him he wasn't in any real trouble, that they were just trying to be careful, but whether Miko was really accepting the matter was another thing entirely.

Now as Brynstan got up to check on his sleeping children as he did most nights, he came to Miko's room and found his bed empty. He could feel a twinge of frustration run through him at that. After everything that happened that day why couldn't the boy just stay in bed for one night. So he stomped his way to the front porch not even stopping to take a glance out the window to make sure Miko was even out there. There would be no mistaking where the boy would be. And as Brynstan burst through the front door there he was, once again sitting and hugging his knees and clutching an old scarf in his hand. He wasn't curled in on himself like he had done those few years ago but he looked prepped to pounce if he needed. His ears were pressed flat back against his head and his eyes stared daggers toward the treeline.

"Miko, what are you doing out here? You should be in bed," Brynstan sighed.

Miko pursed his lips and his grip on his scarf tightened, the tip of his tail flicked with agitation.

Brynstan let out another tired huff at the lack of response and moved to sit beside him. "Listen, son, we've already said what needed to be said. The day is done let's not dwell on it."

"I don't see what the big deal was. It was just one deer," Miko snapped.

"And one deer is all it could take to anger the elementals," Brynstan squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"The elementals have never bothered the Keepers," Miko pushed and leveled Brynstan with a glare.

And oh that look ignited a fire in the older man. Miko was never one to talk back and this sudden side of him was not something Brynstan expected nor thought he'd have to prepare to deal with, especially so soon. At least not with Miko. He assumed he'd get that lip from his other son.

"That may be so but this family is Gridanian, Miko. Whatever you do could affect this family and you have to think about that. The elementals do not discriminate. Man, woman, child, it matters not to them, they will spread the Greenwrath for even the smallest of harm to their woods. You could bring back a rabbit and they could curse this whole house. Even your brother and sister. Is that something you want?" Brynstan fumed, gesturing to the house behind them.

"Of course not!" Miko cried, his voice cracking slightly. His nose was beginning to flush as frustrated tears started building up in his eyes. He quickly looked away from Brynstan and trained his eyes back on the forest again, his grip on the scarf in his hand turning his knuckles white.

Brynstan paused realizing just how harsh his response had been. The lad didn't deserve that. But gods, Brynstan was afraid. He sighed then trying to calm himself as he ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, son-"

"Yeah Son," Miko scoffed and immediately the pair of them froze. Miko's eyes grew wide as if he had shocked even himself with the outburst.

Brynstan felt as if the boy may as well have just slapped him. "Yes. Son. None of this has anything to do with that. You belong here. If your mother or I have done anything to make you feel otherwise-" he paused unable to form nor process the words he meant to say. All the while he spoke Miko had begun to curl in on himself, turning his face away from Brynstan and burying the side of his cheek against his knees. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Miko's shoulders began to shudder. As Brynstan watched him a moment, realizing the boy was crying, a sudden weight dropped down into the pit of his stomach. His eyes fell upon the scarf clutched so tightly in Miko's grasp and filled with immediate recognition. The scarf was small and darkly stained. It was the very same scarf Miko had been wearing when he first showed up in their barn. Fiona had done her best to clean the stains from it but blood is tricky.

The realization of Miko's crouched and ready pose, the scarf in his grasp, the eyes so focused on that treeline. Was he aiming to run away? A sudden rush of panic overtook Brynstan for a moment. Miko was a capable child. He proved just today he could hunt and fend for himself out there and the amount of time he already spent in those woods on his own it was basically a second home to him. But he was still just a child and to be out there alone? Brynstan couldn't bear it. Was this situation truly all so bad that not even all these years of care and love could keep him?

"Miko, please," Brynstan whispered. He reached out a careful hand to grip Miko's shoulder but the boy quickly jerked away. "I'm sorry, son. Truly I am. I didn't mean-" he sighed again. "Rhaj'a..."

Miko visibly tensed and his shoulders stopped shuddering. Brynstan could barely hear the small muffled gasp as he continued. "I know today was...well it wasn't how things should've gone. And I am sorry for that. Really I am, son. The Wood Wailers said they'll bring a Seedseer out here just as a precaution but things should be alright." He paused a moment and in the brief silence he kicked himself for not being better at words. But Miko just sniffled and still didn't turn back to look at him.

Brynstan let out a tired breath. "Listen, what do you say tomorrow we get in touch with the Trappers League? I'm sure they'll let you join them for their hunts if we ask, what do you say to that?" He tried to sound more cheerful. To push that hopefulness onto Miko, the fear of him running away still coursing through him. He had to try something, anything to get his boy to stay. But in the silence Brynstan's worry grew. He tried to push it down, just pretend it isn't there. And at the end of his desperation all he could say was, "You are loved, Rhaj'a. Your mother loves you, your sister, brother. I love you. You're home here, alright?"

What else could he say? When Miko still didn't turn to look at him or show any sign of response, Brynstan relented. He stood with a sigh and opened the door. "Let's just...sleep on it for now. In the morning we'll all have clearer heads and I'll take the two of us into town and we can meet with the league and- oof!" In a rush Miko had sprung up from the deck and squeezed Brynstan in the tightest hug he'd ever given him. His face pressed hard into his chest and Brynstan could already feel his tears seeping into his shirt. But that didn't matter. Brynstan quickly hugged him back and squeezed just as tight. But just as quickly as the hug started, Miko immediately pulled away and rushed inside and bolted to his room.

Brynstan watched him go, his chest tight from the sudden rush of emotion and relief that Miko didn't just bound off for the woods. He was still here under his roof and that was enough. As he stood there wiping his own eyes of the tears that also had began to form and letting out an exhausted breath, he thought to himself, Do better, Brynstan. You have to do better. And with that he made his own way back into the house.

---

The fifth night had come many years later. There had of course been many nights the two would still spend chatting into the late hours on that porch. But none of true note until this night. The seventh umbral calamity had already come and gone. The farm had finally begun to flourish again and life had settled down to the same old routine.

Brynstan stirred from his bed at the soft sound of a violin playing just outside. He knew exactly who was making that music and swiftly rose to join his eldest son outside. Miko immediately stopped playing the moment his father caught his eye and he smiled at him as he set the instrument aside.

"Please, you don't have to stop on my account," Brynstan told him as he sat. The moon was bright this night and it almost seemed to illuminate the entire land before them.

Miko shook his head with a soft smile playing at his lips. "Nah it was just a distraction. I'd rather replace it with you anyway."

"Oh I'm a distraction now?"

Miko lifted a hand and pinched his fingers together. "Just the teeniest one." The pair chuckled as Miko dropped his hand and turned his gaze up towards the moon.

Brynstan followed his gaze a moment then looked back at him when the silence fell hard between them. Miko had grown much over the past few years. He was still small as most miqo'te men are but he was a man grown now. It was moments like this that made Brynstan suddenly feel very old, and he smiled softly at that thought.

"What's on your mind, son?" Brynstan finally asked. There was that tale tell look in Miko's eyes when he gets to thinking too hard about something that Brynstan recognize all too well.

Miko bit his lip a moment, his fang catching, before he finally took a deep breath. "I've been thinking," he started. "I think I want to try adventuring." He looked at Brynstan then to gauge his reaction.

Brynstan merely nodded thoughtfully. In truth he had sensed something like this coming. As Miko grew up so too did his wandering spirit. He could see it in the boy's eyes when he'd listen to stories about far off lands or about heroes and their grand adventures. Miko was also helpful to a fault. The town had grown familiar with their ability to call upon him to help with any task no matter how miniscule. An adventuring life in truth wouldn't be too outrageous for someone like him. There were dangers to such a life, yes, but the lad had proven himself more than capable many times. Even more during the calamity...

"Does this have to do with those dreams you've been having?" asked Brynstan. Not long after they had taken in Miko it became obvious he had some kind of unique gift. Headaches spurned by visions of moments in the past would plague him and although it was unusual and unsettling at first, it was never something that they paid much mind too. There were of course tales of others with such a gift, rare as it was. But they only increased in intensity and frequency when the calamity drew near. And ever since Miko had claimed he kept hearing a voice calling to him from his dreams. Dreams of a crystal.

Miko shrugged. "In part, I suppose. Whatever it is I do feel like it's calling to me. As if there's something I must do or see. But I won't ever figure out the answer to whatever it is by staying here. But..."

Brynstan softly smiled at him. "But it's hard to leave."

Miko smiled back at him, shyly.

It wouldn't be an easy thing to let his son go, but Brynstan could see it so keenly in Miko's eyes he needed this. He needed to go out there and see that grand world. The good, the bad, all of it. Brynstan knew he was ready for it but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want him to go either.

"Have you told your mother?" he finally asked.

Miko scoffed. "Oh no not yet. She's going to butcher me."

"It seems likely," Brynstan laughed. "But she'll understand. She probably knows already. I swear sometimes she's the one with the crazy visions instead of you."

Miko chuckled and looked back up towards the sky. "Yeah probably. But gods do I want to go out there, Dad. I want to see it all."

There was a wistful way he said it that only starstruck adventurers do. Brynstan sighed then and took a more serious tone. "And pray tell where would this new sprout begin his grand adventure?"

Miko looked back at him. "I was thinking Gridania? It's the nearest city and I'd still be in the black shroud. So still close enough to home."

"And how will you make your coin?"

"I'm good with the bow. I'm sure that can get me started with some jobs to start. Or I have my music!" Miko grinned as he plucked a couple strings on his violin. His smile fell though when he noticed the pointed look his father gave him. "C'mon adventuring is the way I'll make the coin. It's a profession. I'll go to the guild and figure out what I'll do from there."

"Sounds promising," Brynstan muttered.

"I can do it, Dad. I know it."

Brynstan held up a hand. "No no I know you can. I think that's what worries me the most."

Miko eyed him a moment then smiled softly. "I won't be gone forever. I'll always come back."

Brynstan nodded. He turned his own gaze up towards the sky this time. "You said the dreams you've been having were only partially your reasoning for choosing this. But, son, I know you. And I need you to promise me now that the other reason isn't because you want to storm off on some revenge path against the Garleans." Brynstan finally met his eyes then.

Miko's bright smile faded for a moment as he leveled his father's gaze. "I promise," he said flatly and pointedly. Brynstan held his gaze for a beat recognizing that flash of familiar anger behind his eyes that only seemed to happen when the Garleans were mentioned. But quickly Miko chuckled ruefully and waved him off. "I mean if I happen to be forced to knock in a couple of their heads along the way I wouldn't be opposed. But no. I'm not going into this for anything like that."

"Just the call for adventure then?"

"Just so."

"You're truly the embodiment of Oschon the Wanderer," Brynstan declared with a soft laugh.

"And wander I shall!" Miko beamed.

Brynstan shook his head at him with a grin. "You know I should've seen this coming. You Keeper boys are known to never stay put."

"Oh now you're the expert on what Keepers do?" Miko teased.

Brynstan chuckled and gave Miko's shoulder a small shove. The two laughed lightly for a moment as they turned their gaze back up towards the stars. They basked in that silence a moment then, lost in their own thoughts. Brynstan's full of worry for his son, of how he would fill the void of his absence, who would take his place to fill in his hands on the farm, the concern for whatever dangers he would face on his travels. Miko's lost to that awaiting journey, of what wonders he'll see, what people he'll meet.

"Y'know your sister will miss you," Brynstan finally said.

Miko nodded. "I know. I'll miss her too. But I'll write. I'll write everyday if that'll help."

"Has your penmanship improved?"

Miko made an uncertain noise and shrugged. They both smiled at that. "Will you be alright though? With the farm, I mean."

Brynstan waved him off. "Oh don't you worry about that. I've still got your brother and the Tollers have plenty of sons to spare. I'm sure I can recruit a few of them for the harvest."

Miko nodded in agreement.

"But I will miss you, too," Brynstan finally said, still not looking at Miko but keeping his eyes towards the sky. He could feel Miko's eyes on him but he dared not meet his son's gaze.

"Me too," Miko finally replied softly. They sat together quietly then until after a moment Miko took up his violin again, playing a soft and familiar tune into the night.

---

And now, as Brynstan brings himself back to this present night, he finds himself opening that front door to join his eldest son once again on that front porch. He doesn't say a word as he joins him, both leaning their backs against the wall of the house this time and gazing up at the moon. It was bright again this night and the sky was clear. The stars shining like little beacons against the darkness. Miko sat with one leg outstretched before him, the other bent and his arms hugging it close. He didn't look towards Brynstan when he approached but his ear turned as always to acknowledge his presence. Brynstan didn't mind. The silence of his son's company was enough. But he still couldn't help himself to at least break it after a moment.

"The moon is bright tonight," said Brynstan, simply.

"Yeah. I keep thinking if I look hard enough I'll see a little loporrit running around up there," Miko said as he squinted his eyes.

"Well, any luck?"

"None, unfortunately," Miko sighed. Brynstan glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Miko looked tired. Brynstan had seen it the moment he had returned that morning, strolling up the path on his chocobo. He had greeted them with his familiar bright and lighthearted smile they all knew. Quick to joke and laugh, but there was a shadow to his bright eyes now that wasn't there before when he had left home for the first time. It weighed on Brynstan, just as the sight of that scar across Miko's face glared at him, the very sight of it a sudden and unforgettable reminder of just what his son had been through.

Brynstan swallowed dryly at the thought and cleared his throat. "So does it feel different looking up at it now that you've actually been up there?" He tried asking to distract himself from his wandering thoughts.

Miko shrugged. "Not really. From here it's still beautiful."

Brynstan nodded. They fell silent again, an odd thing Brynstan thought. Miko seemed short of words tonight. Perhaps he talked himself weary earlier when he shared his stories with them. His siblings wouldn't seem to give him a moments rest with all their questions. But it was nice, this silence, Brynstan had to admit.

"I found him," Miko suddenly said, cutting through that silence like a knife. "My real father. I found him."

Brynstan stared at him a moment, his breath catching in his throat for just a moment. There was no change in Miko's expression, however, as he kept his eyes trained on that far away moon. "I see," was all Brynstan could muster.

Miko drew in a heavy breath and finally dropped his eyes. "Turns out the Garleans had taken him. Dragged him straight back to their homeland and put him to use in the ceruleum mines. He died only a couple years ago. I guess the cold finally caught up with him."

It took Brynstan a moment to notice his mouth hanging slightly ajar. He quickly snapped it shut and swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, son. That's-" once again he was failing at his words. As he watched Miko he couldn't quite read his expression. He seemed almost disconnected by the fact he was sharing. But then his brow furrowed deeply in thought before he spoke again.

"Y'know I think the hardest part of it all is knowing all this time he was still out there. He was just right over there and I was already a warrior of light. I-"

"Miko, no. Don't do that to yourself," Brynstan immediately jumped in knowing exactly where this was heading.

"I know, I know," Miko quickly recovered. "It's just... do you think he heard about me? About the young warrior of light out there liberating Doma and Ala Mhigo and wondering when he'd find his way there to liberate him too?" Miko finally looked up at Brynstan. He could see the sudden pain in Miko's eyes then. That same pain he saw in the eyes of that small child asking if his father was coming. When Miko spoke again it was almost a whisper. "Do you think he knew it was me?"

Brynstan sighed then, mulling over what to say. "Son, there was nothing you could've done. You didn't know. How could anyone know? And if you did find out sooner what then? Would you have abandoned the scions to carve your way into the tundra to save him? You'd have been outnumbered one to thousands trying to get to him. You wouldn't be sitting here now, having saved all you have, if you had."

Miko closed his eyes and nodded solemnly and leaned his head back to rest on the wall behind him. "I think that's why it's so hard to accept. I've done so much, saved so much, brought hope to so many, but I couldn't even save my own parents."

Brynstan sighed then. "You were just a boy."

"If I had known what I was back then-"

"Stop that." Brynstan nearly growled, his patience wearing thin.

"It hasn't been just them, though, Dad. Ever since coming back from Ultima Thule I cant stop thinking about all those I lost. Haurchefant, Minfilia, Papalymo, Venat," Miko paused a moment. Brynstan watched him as he closed his eyes. All the names and faces passing through his memory, before he finally spoke again, "hells even Zenos."

"Zenos?!" Brynstan blanched. "Why the hell would you spare a thought on that monster?"

"He wasn't a monster-"

"After everything he did to you?" Brynstan gestured angrily at the scar on Miko's face.

Miko rolled his eyes and sighed. Brynstan stared at him hard waiting for him to respond, but Miko seemed to hold his tongue a moment trying his best to decide how to explain. "He was what I could've been," he finally began, meeting his father's eyes. "If you and Mother hadn't found me and taken me in. If you hadn't raised me with so much love, taught me how to love and hope inreturn, I could've been him."

Brynstan gaped at that, suddenly at a loss for words.

"In the end, all Zenos had was me. And I never once offered him a hand or a chance to know better. Maybe everyone would've been right. Maybe he was already a lost cause. But I should've at least tried." Miko let out a tired sigh then once again rested his head back against the wall. "Maybe that's the balance for a warrior of light. You save so much but lose just as much in the end."

"You're heart is much too big, Miko," Brynstan said softly. Miko glanced at him, a tired but bright smile pulled ruefully at his lips. "No matter what you think, you would never become like him. You have always tried much too hard to be good without any help from anyone. It's just your nature, son. And when it comes to not saving some, you're always trying. You're just one man. One man can only do so much. Even one as strong as you."

Miko's shoulders seemed to soften as Brynstan spoke.

"And besides," Brynstan continued. "Look at the family you made out there. Those scions. Look at how much you've gained from it all, son."

Miko chuckled then, the smile that stretched across his face true and genuine. "I know. They're pretty great."

Brynstan found himself smiling then too. From the moment Miko had come home all his changes had been so evident. Straight down to the way he carried himself, there was a maturity there. His son, a great and powerful warrior of light who had slain gods! How terrifying and powerful he was now. Never in his dreams did Brynstan believe such feats would be told about his own son. Especially now as he watched this young man smile at him, all he could see was that small boy he'd raised.

"They'd be so proud of you," Brynstan found himself saying, speaking once again of Miko's parents, his eyes brimming with tears, "I'm proud of you."

Miko's bright grin softened. "Thank you."

"My boy, the warrior of light," Brynstan seemed to chuckle to himself as he looked back up towards the sky.

Miko was silent a moment at that. Then said, "Warrior of light. Im not sure what that even means anymore. Light is supposed to guide, like a beacon. To bring life and sanctuary and hope. But light also casts shadows and the brighter the light, the greater and darker the shadow. So I guess I'm just afraid what kind of shadow I cast."

Brynstan chuckled lightly again. "A Zenos shaped one, it seems."

Miko shoved his shoulder lightly at that. "Okay okay."

"You've let your bard skills go to your head. You're beginning to think too much like a poet."

"Well maybe a poet I shall be in my retirement."

"Twelve have mercy on us," Brynstan prayed as Miko rolled his eyes at him. They fell quiet again then as a thought stirred in Brynstan. "Say, earlier today when you were telling us about your duel with Zenos, you mentioned him asking you if you found fulfillment on your journey."

"Mhm." Miko kept his eyes towards the sky.

"Well, did you?" Brynstan pressed.

Miko didn't respond right away but kept looking towards those distant stars. Then a bright and brilliant smile spread across his face as he finally looked back at him. "I loved it, Dad. Every second of it." He then let out a light laugh.

There it was. The light Brynstan had been hoping to see. There it was in those bright yellow eyes and the hope and joy that followed. That desire to go back out there and experience more. To not yet let that journey end.

But then Miko's ear suddenly turned away, hearing something Brynstan could not. Miko quickly turned to look in the direction of what caught his ear. "Oh!" He exclaimed, "it seems we have a visitor." He then lifted up a hand and suddenly a great blue bird landed upon it. Brynstan jumped at its sudden arrival and stared at it in awe. Its belly was bright white like the moon's light and its long tail feathers gently drifted off behind it in the breeze. There was an eeriness to the intelligence behind its eyes though that left Brynstan somewhat weary.

"I didn't expect you to come by so soon," Miko said to the bird, his voice gentle. "Were you already feeling a bit lonely, my friend?"

Brynstan watched them as Miko then closed his eyes and gently pressed his forehead against the bird's. And it too also closed its eyes in turn. It was a moment Brynstan couldn't bear to interrupt and as he stared at his son, the moonlight illuminating him, he saw him quite literally in a different light. Here was the hero who knew more about life than he would ever know. Who had seen and experienced and felt things beyond what Brynstan could ever imagine.

But this man was also still his boy. That same little boy freezing and blue from the cold that he swore he'd never stop loving.

[sonicf64]

so, you might've seen this poster as of late since some folks have been claiming that it's from 1928 to try and prove that mickey with gloves is public domain:

of course, this has been debunked already

anyone with a half decent knowledge on mickey mouse should know that mickey didn't have his gloves during his first year. he first got them in the 1929 short "The Opry House", so for him to have his gloves in a poster from '28 wouldn't make much sense; especially since mickey didn't have gloves till his second short from 1929. why would mickey have gloves in an unspecific poster a year before he'd actually wear them in a cartoon?

well, i found the heritage auctions listing for the poster the article that claims it's from 1928 mentions and in the description it reads:

"...So this is very likely the only poster created for Mickey until the 1930 era. Therefore, this is the original and very first appearance of Mickey Mouse on a one sheet and could date from the release of Steamboat Willie."

so yeah, it turns out that article's claim of the 1928 release date came from a small bit of speculation from the auction's description writer, which the article ran with and people are still trying to run with almost 12 years later. isn't that lovely?

tl;dr the article many people are using as proof that gloved mickey is public domain didn't look into it more as the article got that date from a small guess made by a heritage auctions description writer 11/12 years ago. mickey first got his gloves in 1929 for the opry house

[maraiheroine]

compared to other alien species, the people of the Marai system are a more recent addition to the galactic Demaxian empire. Their dependency on water-based worlds was a great fortification of their society from outside forces, right up until it wasn't; when instead it was used to trap them into compliance with the far greater force of the Demaxian fleet. An agreement between the factions was swiftly created when the Marai elder leaders realised what would be at stake with trying to oppose this, and now the Demaxian empire offers security and travel empire-wide as citizens for marai people, in exchange for the water from their planets to be extorted and shared with the rest of the empire. Although these planets are nearly completely submerged, the impacts of the empire's pilfering is already being felt with declining wildlife numbers and other changes to the ecosystems.

The Marai people, often rudely called other, incorrect terms by other space-faring people, can be rarely found in space relays or planets that do not provide water-passages or are completely barren of the liquid. Although they have hydration-suits that make maneuvering through these spaces possible, not everyone is going to want to lug a huge contraption around and be gawked at just so they can breathe, compared to having a normal, submerged life. It is also the case that other species that are not aquatic-based or amphibious will rarely go out of their way to don suits for use underwater to interact with the Marai in their homeworlds. This necessity has made their integration into the Demaxian empire rough, to say the least. A mandatory army service is being planned out, mostly to have Marai troops that can make possession of other aquatic-based worlds easier. Outside of this and guarding demaxian-built structures and bases on these worlds and the Marai's system-planets, however, it becomes more of a nuisance to have them posted or used for other means. Beyond aquatic work, tther roles such as performers, artists or stationary jobs have been the majority of roles picked up by Marai in the empire's society at large. Their rich history and folklore are rather popular for only recently being openly shared, and for having a lot of referencing to Ora throughout many works. Although being interrogated on this numerous times, it is a kept secret that there are untapped Ora banks deep below the Marai planet oceans, which are key roles in the continued life beneath the waves.

What little dry land there is available on their planets is either inhabitable or lush but untouched forests. Many of the latter islands have become Demaxian holiday resorts. The worry, kept between Marai, is what will happen when their homes are drained enough and the empire's equipment finds the Ora, and is able to reach it.

[aelswiths]

Which TLK relationships do you wish the show explored more (I mean platonic and family, even rivals, not just like ships - but I didn't know how to word it. Sorry).

Oh man anon, this is a very tough question because there are many relationships I wish were explored more. This question brings to mind a couple different answers, some that are family focused and some more general (which I’ll briefly mention later). It’s a long one so I’m putting a read more for everyone’s sanity lol.

I think the one I think about the most is Aelswith and Edward, and to a lesser extent Alfred and Edward. In some ways this is very on brand, being you know the Aelswith blog lol, but I do feel like this relationship has gaps in it.

Compared to aethelflaed we don’t have as much childhood focused scenes between them, so I wonder a lot about the type of relationship they had. From the show it seems to me that Edward was clearly very beloved by his parents but it’s also obvious that there’s tension between them at the beginning of s3. Now this could be explained as due to his relationship with ecgwynn and his children, but I feel like there’s more to it. Especially as we move into s4 & 5, it’s very clear that they’re almost estranged from each other and it’s always had me wondering why. By the end of s4 it appears that they have almost reconciled, but by the time s5 starts its clear that Aelswith doesn’t even live in Winchester anymore and to make things even more interesting she ends up in bebbenburh. It’s so bizarre to me, since her family is most important to her, why would Aelswith decide to remain as far away from her only surviving child as possible? By the end of s5 it also seems as if they’ve reached a reconciliation and clearly care for each other, so it’s very odd to me unless there’s more to this relationship.

Other relationships I wish were explored were Aelswith and her grandchildren, I really wish we had more insight to what happened between her and Æthelstan after s4. I find it highly unlikely that she’d just accept someone else raising him and not being in his life, so I wish we knew more about what happened (and what happened to Aelswith in general after s4 because the way they swept that poisoning under the rug bothers the hell out of me, but I am off track).

I also wish we knew more about Aelfweards relationship with Aelswith, since in s5 he and Æthelstan get along and don’t have any grudges it makes me so curious as to what he thinks of Aelswith and if he wonders why he doesn’t have a relationship with her. I think a lot about post s5 Ælfweard and how he must be questioning everything in his life because of Æthelhelm. I also wonder if Aelswith ever saw him afterwards.

As for Aelfwynn, I feel like we did get some good material I just wish we had more than one season and that we knew what happened to her after s5. I do wonder if after s5 Aelfwynn ended up leaving England because it wasn’t safe for her, and if that’s the case I just don’t see Aelswith going with her which means they probably never saw each other again :(((.

And that concludes the family specific aspect of this question, the more general aspect I’ll try to keep short. Essentially I wish we’d been given a better idea of what aelswith’s relationship with the court in Wessex was. From what the show portrays it’s very clear that from the few advisors we’re shown she interacts with she has a tense to contentious relationship with them all. Which I find very curious because it’s clear that Aelswith has means and influence, great enough that in s4 at the height of his power not even Aethelhelm can remove her and while imprisoned she’s able to raise loyal guards to free and escort her to Mercia. This tells me that Aelswith is an influential figure and that she has great respect and I really wish we saw more of that because it’s another interesting layer to unravel and explore. It does also make me wish that they’d continued to explore aethelhelm and Aelswith’s rivalry in s5. The way s4 ended with the poisoning was such an interesting choice and had a lot of potential for character building and they just didn’t build off of it.

Anyway, I feel like the takeaway from this ask is I think we should’ve had a show about my emotional support family because there’s so much potential about them that’s not explored.

[lonesome--hunter]

I need a new hobby. what would you suggest that doesn't cost too much to begin since I'm broke lol

Dollar Tree has a pretty decent crafting section and cheap canvas and paint I'll just do whatever bullshit painting for fun. And sometimes they turn out great!

I also scrapbook just kinda go with the flow and random. Half journal/writing crap/momentos. I've done those since high school and it's really neat to see a little time capsule of you from the past. I put movie stubs, theme park maps, pictures, I keep track of books I've read and movies I've watched. To me it's like journaling without pressure.

I also have insane dreams and nightmares so I've started writing them down in case they give me writing ideas. (I've had many dreams about being tortured by Josiah. Those are fun.)

Collecting cheap stuff is fun for me. I collect postcards from wherever I visit even random towns. My friends know to send them to me whenever they travel. I still need to figure out how to display these. I have a ton of cool ones.

[saltedcaramelchaos]

Way Less Sad

so…. @ghosts-and-blue-sweaters. Remember when I sent you an ask like “can I comment to you about AJR?” Well, I may or may not have gone to send you an ask about a pattern I noticed in a couple of their songs… but it just turned into an analytical rant about Way Less Sad in particular lol! So here we go I guess

-

The song compares “life is getting better but it’s not 100%” (living sucks but it’s sucking just a little now), and “just be happy already” (don’t you love it), without telling you which is the right way to think. It’s the duality of objectivity versus positivity, genuine flaws versus hollow happiness. Will you put on the mask or will you drag everyone down? Should you be honest to yourself, however almost-perfect that may be, or make everyone happy?

I also love the line “It’s stupid but it’s all I have.” We have to cling to the things that make the world bright, because we’re terrified of what will happen without them. And the bridge— “I’m not dead so I guess I’ll be alright”, start another day of monotony, another chorus of failing to be perfect. You’re trying too hard, but you can’t not try. You have to put your effort into something, even if it feels wasted, because something will fall apart if you don’t, and it might be you. The world isn’t going to fix itself, and neither are you, but you may as well have the satisfaction of having tried.

(…AJR isn’t great with resolving the problems their songs are about)

[nerice]

Oddly specific q but what is the situation with belle & the tracker in her? Does Faye install it to be able to track her down? Did Jumie install it (into every child) so Belle never gets lost? Can Faye control Belle with it?

Red Hurting Sun & Dream Game sound like such painful but also intense(good) chapters! And Faye seems like the most complex and evil character while also being hurt and having her reasons if that makes sense????? Anyway ily your shadowblogging bye <3

GOOD EVENING ANON DEAREST I CAN FINALLY ANSWER THIS !!!!!!! PRAY THAT MY WRIST HOLDS OUT

uh so. the tracker is important. the tracker is like /the most important/ as far as central plot mechanics are concerned and the last time i did a comprehensive writeup on it this happened.....

(with the other writing linked in that document full length is closer to 35k. rip) SO THIS ANSWER WILL BE ABRIDGED for all our sakes.

the tracker is what pulls every single book together, even if it features in some more prominently (nerice, dream game) than the others. by the time it concerns belle, it has long ceased its original function. the first time it turns up is back on nerice, where eliada helps the warlords build a tracker for reina bc he himself is also sulking that she keeps refusing 2 talk to him. bitch behavior <3 tldr is that the swords of a tracker (the person, that eliada is) are the only thing able to pierce a true ruler's skin (a/s mechanics, dw abt it) and so thru him they're able to engenieer a mechanical dragonfly that upon contact, burrows under the skin of reina's wrist (if you ever wondered where her scar comes from... :^)) this is also what, ultimately, causes her to split her soul in an attempt to get rid of it, which causes the moons to break and kickstarts the entire fucking verse saga. with the end of her world, the tracker becomes inert but reina keeps it for unwise sentimentality reasons (hands u meme abt it) w

in old plot, eliada petitioned to get his hands on it during one of their roa deals (bonus points bc jumie wld be around for that trade, even if eliada n reina only euphemistically talk abt it as 'the dragonfly' and she'd only see a small box change hands) but lately i've been more inclined to move that event into lhnh where reina, from her end, volunteers the tracker to make eliada talk abt the soulless (gray) bc it makes slightly more sense thematically for her to refuse all his trades until then. either way, the tracker is back in eliada's hands by the end of the azra war era.

bc the tracker was not simply tracking reina. eliada's entire quest is abt understanding the precise workings of true rulers, so, given the opportunity, he made the tracker also collect,, not quite her blood? smth more vague and metaphysical, refined through an inner process into something more, something more essential. [true ruler essence] for the sake of meta terminology. he cannot actually do anything with it in his current position but plans on analyzing it and comparing it to true rulers of a/s once he returns home. which is the entire problem bc he is stuck as long as the verse is broken [PLAYED URSELF. <3] which brings us to. him & faye thinking long and hard forever abt how to fix the moons so they can both go home. yippee

which is ofc how we get to belle. how we get to the entire daughter con situation (skipping over many messy timelines that preceded arriving at this final, working solution) which, in tldr terms, is this:

a vessel whose soul is the tracker. whose very existence is linked the essence of reina before the split, before the fall, an essence from before the moon core broke. an artificial child, created for the sole purpose of burning this essence back into the moon core and thereby repair it. so you have belle, who thinks herself a descendant, but really is just a dead dragonfly with true ruler dna walking. faye connects her to the moon core by forcing her to swallow the eternal souls (chess's eyes that gray so generously removed once upon a time. <3 wld say the only good deed he has ever done but this shit was part of what broke the entire machine in the first place, it just happens to conveniently hand faye a way to also put it back together) and really all that is left to do then is set belle on fire via angel theory & fuse her existence into the moon core. make her the conduit through which the entire machinery can begin to work as intended again. just that 7000/10 times belle breaks under the strain, the weight of the universe, leaving faye to do it all over again bc the theory is solid. it's the daughter that's wrong :^)

[shivunin]

For the character impression ask game: Oghren, and also Alistair 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Have a lovely day!!

Hello and thank you for asking!!

I hope you have a lovely day as well 💗

(Character Ask thing)

Alistair

First impression: I had a vague idea of who he is by the time I played Origins (I played Origins last), but my first impression was something like, "Aww he's just a funny lil guy."

Impression now: I don't think the first impression was inaccurate, but I do think he does a really good job of playing dumb (and I definitely bought it at first). I think it (and the joking) are a defense mechanism that worked well in templar training, so he's carried on doing it. He likes to be underestimated (especially when he does not want to be in charge!) and jokes are only one way he manages others' perceptions of him. It makes me extremely sad to think about how he's been searching for a family all his life, thinks he's found it in the Grey Wardens, and then loses it utterly.

Favorite moment: I really like the conversation that goes with his mother's medallion. Also the eulogy he gives if the HoF dies (I uh...played a Cousland once, they got engaged, and then she died 😬) but it's a really lovely speech.

Idea for a story: I have a loose outline for it, but I have plans for rewriting/writing around the hardening conversation (because I don't think it should happen in just one conversation). I think telling him to stand up for himself shouldn't sound like "get ahold of yourself." Also he and Wen going into the fight with Loghain, which is a scene I've been fiddling with for a while.

Unpopular opinion: If not for Inquisition, I would let him be a Warden. I think he'd be happier. Despite my dislike of Anora, she is a competent ruler. Alistair could absolutely be good at it, too, but I think life with the Wardens would be less isolating.

Favorite relationship: I mean! Wen and Alistair for life. Their friendship means so much to me. But as far as canon dynamics go, I like he and Zev a lot.

Favorite headcanon: I do not believe that Alistair is straight or cis. Not a very detailed headcanon, but there it is.

Oh, also, I like to pretend that he and Fiona get to meet eventually. In my head, that has happened. He deserves to know at least one family member and why their role in his life went down the way it did

Oghren

First impression: Oh cool, dwarf companion! Now I can finally get rid of all this booze I've been carrying for the whole game.

Impression now: Ahh man. Oghren. Could've been such a cool character. Could've supported the themes about being used up and discarded by people in power when you are no longer useful. Unfortunately, the constant sexual harassment is so off-putting that I cannot see past it. I think he's really interesting in theory, but like...his writers were on some nonsense when they put together his dialogue.

Also...the fact that without the gifts in the DLC packs, the only way you can befriend the alcoholic is to give him alcohol...doesn't feel great.

Favorite moment: I think his introduction in the Awakenings DLC is really funny

Idea for a story: Errr well! Wen almost kills him once. On account of the sexual harassment (and the fact that the particular brand of comments he makes really strongly remind her of Vaughan). Also her looming out of the corner of his eye whenever he's running late to visit his kid. He will be a good father or he will pay the price, and that is a threat.

Unpopular opinion: Idk! I think he is definitely a product of his time, so to speak, and the "edgy" tone they were going for accommodated this particular type of toxic masculinity. It's a shame, because I think a frank discussion of addiction and rehabilitation would have been really impactful, but...what can you do?

Favorite relationship: Having just read all of his dialogue with every companion, I am going to have to go with Shale. I think they have some interesting conversations about golems and dwarves.

Favorite headcanon: That he gets clean sometime in the course of Awakening and pulls it together for his family.