#i do genuinely mean force like i got in trouble for not doing my parentally mandated wikipedia randomized articles

[boycritter]

thinking about when i was 13 and my dad would force me to go on wikipedia with him for at least an hour every day

[n0odlz]

NCC x ETC Headcanons

(No, these are not romantic (눈‸눈)

✦Family Ties

Bill & Aaron

• Do NOT let these 2 near each other. It's only gonna cause trouble for everyone. Christmas dinners? Tuh, as if! Thanksgiving? Forget about it. Heck, even a family trip to the water park! Just go ahead and check that off the list right now..

• Bill and Aaron are cousins, which was only found out after Bill and Aaron got into some huge fight about comics and how underpaid the artists are. Somehow, Mrs. Dickey got ahold of this information and immediately told Bill they were related.

"William, that is your cousin! You two should not be fighting."

"Mom, WHAT? I-... I-.. YOU- YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! "

"Enough, William. I don't have time for your bullshit, especially since we'll be having a family get together this Friday. Don't want your aunts thinking I'm a failure of a mother, do ya?"

• Aaron is obviously older. And you'd think any time something goes wrong, the adults would blame it on him since he knows better. Nope! It's always Bill since Aaron could do no wrong 😇!!1! 11

• The only reason they could ever like or admire each other is because they both lead clubs. Aaron is the whole reason Bill even started the Eltingville Club and any time Aaron brings up the fact that he was totally inspired by his older cousin, Bill denies it with his whole heart.

Jerry & James

• They're brothers! How cute! Well.. No! Maybe when they were kids- actually, no. They've been arguing pretty much their whole life. Probably worse than Bill and Aaron. They're cousins, so they don't even see each other that much. Jerry and James is a WHOLE other story.

• Every fight starts because James is "Older and stronger" and there's nothing Jerry can do about it. James being such an asshole is what made Jerry into one too, no matter how much their parents tried to intervene, nothing would work.

• "Extract the problem" is what Jerry's therapist would say, but how can you extract the problem when you're literally forced to live with it till you're 18? Guess you'll just have to tough it out then, huh?

• (Based on what Mr. Dorkin said) Jerry would've probably turned out fine with a brother. He wouldn't have needed to hang out with the club as much (or at all). But that would only be if he had a little brother. See, little siblings would be easier to handle, especially since they're still growing. They're small and easy to train like a puppy, they've got no real interests or personality so it'd be up to the older sibling to influence them in the way they want! Now older siblings? Don't even think about it. "Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" Well unfortunately, James isn't a dog. And he can't be taught new tricks either.

• If you're wondering why these two have different last names, don't worry, their mom is not a cheater 😸!! Their mom and dad couldn't decide who's last name to give the kids so they decided to give Jerry his mother's maiden name and James their dad's last name

• James obviously makes the million year old "ur adopted lmao" joke on Jerry just because he doesn't have the same last name as everyone else in their family. At some point when they were younger, James SOMEHOW convinced Jerry he was genuinely adopted. I mean.. How the hell do you even pull that off? THEY LOOK IDENTICAL!! DOWN TO THAT FUCK ASS BOB 💔

─────────ೋღღೋ─────────

This is HEAVILY inspired by what anon said in this post (anon, if you come across this post YOU'RE VERY INSPIRATIONAL)

(Also where I got the Jerry sibling thing from)

[doumadono]

Hi, new follower to your blog and I have to say I really love your writings. I might have a Emergency Request to ask you.

In these past months I'm seeing a therapist for varius life problems. Doc said that I'm somehow a “succub” of my mom with the way she controls some aspects of my life and still babies me despite me beign an adult. She's not a bad mother, she always given me the love and attention any child could ask for, but in some aspects (like money, friends, ecc...) I do agree she's nosy and overprotective and we do argue, quite violently too sometimes.

May I please ask for either Hawks or Dabi (whichever is fine) comforting their SO after a fight with their parent. I just need to be told I can be strong and independent on my own. Thanks in advance💙.

Hawks and Dabi & s/o after a fight with their parents

A/N: it's important to recognize that acknowledging certain dynamics with your mom doesn't diminish the love and care she has provided. It's a testament to your maturity and self-awareness. Identifying areas where you feel controlled or overprotected is a crucial step towards personal growth. It's a journey towards establishing healthier boundaries and finding a balance that respects both your independence and the love you share. Embrace the progress you're making, and continue to communicate openly with your therapist.

EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Hawks

The apartment was cloaked in a heavy silence, an aftermath of the emotional tempest that had unfolded during your phone call with your parent. Hawks, ever attuned to your moods, noted the turmoil etched across your face. He moved gracefully towards you, the subtle rustle of his feathers accompanying his approach. With a gentle touch, he enveloped you in the expansive embrace of his wings, creating a sanctuary that shielded you from the outside world. "I know it's hard," Hawks spoke, his voice a soothing melody that echoed through the room, "But strength doesn't mean facing everything on your own. It's okay to lean on others, especially those who genuinely care about you." His fingers traced a delicate path across your face, wiping away the remnants of tears.

You nodded your head slightly. "I-I… I know, Keigo, but I don't want to be a burden…"

"I've been where you are," Hawks admitted, his eyes reflecting the weight of his own past. "But you, you're a force to be reckoned with. You've got the strength to rise above this, and I'm right here with you every step of the way. And you're never a burden. Ever."

With a lingering smile, he pulled away slightly, looking into your eyes. "You've got this," he reassured, his hand cupping your cheek. "And remember, I'm here whenever you need someone."

"Thank you," you whispered, looking up into Hawks' golden eyes.

He offered you a genuine smile. "Don't thank me, dove. It hurts my heart to see you like this," he admitted, his tone stripped of its usual carefree cadence. "Your tears, they hit differently. I'm supposed to be the one who soars above troubles, but when it comes to you… it's different."

His hand reached out, fingers brushing away a lingering tear, as if trying to erase the pain etched on your face. Hawks gazed into your eyes, determination replacing the concern. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes for those tears to drop rarely, you know? Whether it's fighting the world or just being here, I want to see you smiling more than anything else."

Dabi

The cityscape outside your window twinkled in a mesmerizing dance of lights, a stark contrast to the lingering tension from your confrontation with your parent. Dabi, leaning against the wall, observed your restless pacing with a quiet determination. With a swift yet gentle motion, he reached for your hand, his touch a cool anchor amidst the emotional tempest.

"Independence is about choosing who deserves a place in your life," Dabi asserted out of sudden, his words cutting through the lingering turmoil. "You don't need anyone who brings you down, especially not family. You're stronger than you think, and you have every right to be independent and happy."

"You know it is not that easy," you told him, sitting on a couch, pulling your knees under your chin. "I know that deep down they do love me, but sometimes they just… It seems like… Like they're crowding me, ya know what I'm sayin'?"

"I get it," Dabi murmured, his voice a low rasp that betrayed a depth of understanding. "Dealing with family is a special kind of hell, isn't it?"

He sat next to you, his demeanor shifting from the usual standoffishness to a more contemplative stance. "I've been down that road. Having people who are supposed to care but don't… it messes with your head yeah? But you know what, you're not alone in this."

Dabi's turquise eyes bore into yours, a shared pain reflected in their depths. "Sometimes, the hardest battles are the ones fought at home. And not everyone gets it. But I do. I know what it's like, and I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I'm saying you're stronger than you think. I mean it, Y/N."

He reached out, his hand gently resting on your shoulder, a silent gesture of solidarity. "You deserve better. And you've got a choice — you can let them define you or rise above it. I'm here if you choose the latter."

As Dabi spoke, he drew you into a tight embrace, his warmth a stark contrast to his typically cool exterior. "I've seen too many people get held back by toxic ties," Dabi murmured, his voice carrying a rare tenderness. "You're not one of them. You're capable of breaking free and forging your path. And remember," he added, his eyes locking onto yours, "you've got me by your side."

[waterfire1848]

How’s it going @waterfire1848 ?

I saw your earlier post about Lin feeling like Toph didn’t love her like Suyin. And it got me thinking, who else didn’t think their mom loved as much as their sibling? Azula.

So how do you think a scenario, where Lin runs away from home and stumbles (perhaps quite literally) into Azula. Whom is living in secret somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Azula then reluctantly at first (then genuinely) raises Lin would play out?

Hey @745voiceofthepeople ! Great to see you again! I'm doing good! You?

Ohhhhhh. Interesting.

I’ll start by saying that I don’t think Lin would say who her mom is. She knows by now that that either means trouble or people following her, begging her to teach them metalbending. Neither of which she wants. So when she does slam into Azula, she just says she’s a kid running from home.

Azula can’t help but feel some sympathy when she hears the girl talk about how her mom doesn’t love her and only cares about her sister so she agrees to let Lin stay as long as she helps out and doesn’t draw attention to her.

Lin quickly grows to love Azula. I don’t know if this Lin would be a kid/teen who ran from home or if she’s running away right after the Suyin incident but either way she loves Azula. She hasn’t put two and two together, but she does know Azula has a past she’s not talking about. Whenever the two talk about family, Azula uses the same tricks she does to keep her family secret.

One day, Toph shows up (I assume she’d come if Lin was a kid/teen but I don’t know about if she’d come after the Suyin incident when Lin looks to be in her 20s) and Azula and Lin find out who the other is. Lin is confused because on the one hand, this is not the Azula she’s heard stories about. The Azula from her mom’s stories are terrifying and made Suyin wet the bed. This Azula is kind and took Lin in. On the other hand, Lin also got stories from the other Gaang parents about Azula (meaning there might be some truth to their stories) so she becomes a little scared which saddens Azula because she doesn’t want to see this girl that she’s grown to really care for get scared of her.

Azula can’t stay in her Earth Kingdom home and is forced to flee before Zuko finds her. Lin returns to Republic City but gets a letter a few days later from Azula giving her her address and an invitation to come with.

Lin accepting or not is up to you.

Incorrect quote for this

[ Lin is running from bandits and slams into Azula. ]

Bandit: Hand the kid over!

Azula: And why would I do that?

Bandit: We have you surrounded, old woman. Don’t make this hard on yourself. We just want her and then we’ll leave.

[ Azula looks at Lin. ]

Lin:

Azula: *Groaning* I was really hoping to get through a day without fighting.

[ Shoots lightning and fire at the bandits to scare them off. ]

Lin: You’re a lightning bender! That was amazing! I’ve never seen-

Azula: Explain. Now.

Lin: MymomhatesmeandIranaway,butIranoutofmoneyandstolefromthosebandits!

Azula: Slower.

Lin: My mom hates me and I ran away, but I ran out of money and stole from those bandits. They saw me and chased me and that’s how I ended up here.

Azula: Go home, kid.

Lin: Wha-No.

Azula: No?

Lin: No. I won’t bother you anymore but I can’t go home.

Azula: Because you mom hates you?

Lin: Yeah. I’m just some kid she’s forced to take care of because putting me up for adoption would look bad. My sister is her real kid.

Azula: *Sigh* You’re out of food?

[ Lin nods. ]

Azula: Come with me. I’ll get you something to eat and some water.

[milhouseinyoursoul]

these two are the best and most underrated characters in Pokémon and if you disagree you can suck my dick from behind.

(gonna combine their game lore with their manga lore bc theyre pretty consistent)

-both chose the most based starters of their generations (Squirtle and Totodile) and both fucking STOLE THEM from the professor LMFAO

-both have tragic backstories (Green never knew her parents, Silver's abusive dad abandoned him, both got kidnapped by the same dude when they were little, relied on one another n traumabonded, and traded each other mons they'd use on their teams forever <3)

-are the only rivals with any real edge to them. i mean like seriously Blue is just a snotty brat, Wally, Barry and Kieren are whiny pussies, Cheren, Bianca, Hau, Hop, Nemona and Carmine aren't "rivals" by any definition they're just your buddies, Hugh, Gladion and Bede are just Great Value knockoff versions of my boy Silver, Brendan and Calem have no real personality at all, and who gives a FUCK about Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Trace?

these two rival the protagonist because they're genuinely ideologically opposed , not because they're just assholes for made up contrived reasons !!! they're believably troubled kids who learn and grow!!! they were fucking kidnapped as children and forced to do evil, so naturally after escaping and living in solitude for the rest of their adolescence with no positive role models or love of any kind would turn them into mischievous assholes who shove ppl around and steal things and don't understand the concept of friendship!

the only other rivals who have any semblance of an explanation for their behavior are Gladion (honestly he's valid for everything Lusamine put him through but he's just doing entirely too much. just so annoying about it.) and maybe Blue for his Raticate's death ?? but that happens WAY AFTER he's established to be a dickhead, so that doesn't even count!!! and Kieren's crashout in the Scarlet/Violet DLC was so fucking funny because he's really going full evil joker villian mode because you told him a white lie like one time 😭😭😭like rivals used to be absolutely fucking tortured individuals its such a first world problem comparatively...its literally in the same game where both of Arven's parents fucking die and he just eats sandwiches and hangs out with his doggy about it he doesn't turn evil😭😭😭😭😭😭

[fruitless-vain]

My sister has an English Lab as a service dog and she's a great service dog but the Lab Grease is real. They also have a sort of wiry, pokey fur that will get into your clothes and be difficult to get out. It's a different experience from the wispy soft fur dogs like Yoshi have. Every time I pet Bumblebee I am cursed with fur the rest of the day and The Grease until I wash my hands throughly. There is nothing you can do to get rid of The Grease, it is not a sign of poor grooming. It is a feature and not a bug and would be great if she were retreiving ducks from lakes as her ancestors were bred for.

The other thing about labs is the double edged sword of being always hungry. That's a trait that's bred for in most working lines because it makes them extremely food motivated and easy to train. But they are literally always hungry and will eat enough to be a genuine medical emergency if left to their own devices. My sister's service dog has had expensive emergency surgery and a lengthy recovery once when she got into an entire bag of dog food, and a scary close call where we managed to force her to vomit it up at home a second time. (We keep the dog food locked and on a shelf now). The food motivation was helpful when my sister was training her first service dog, but she's said she doesn't want one with the always hungry gene again when it's time for Bumblebee to retire. I imagine since you're experienced in training, the hunger would be more trouble than it's worth. I don't know if you can find a lab that isn't always hungry. Finding a reputable breeder is hard enough, and usually reputable breeders are breeding working dogs where it's considered a desirable trait.

Obviously every breed has their pros and cons and labs have a lot of traits that make them good service dogs. Often the deciding factor is availability of actually good breeders, so, makes sense to start keeping an eye out early. We actually got Bumblebee from a breeder near my grandparent's house, so if you're not having luck in your area, maybe you could expand the search to breeders near friends/relatives you could visit?

Yeah all the things youve listed are why I lean away from the lab and more towards golden! Especially that greasiness, unless they’re fresh from a bath they’re just Oily, a sensory nightmare.

At this current point I think the only reason I’d end up going that direction is if there’s a falling out with finding a golden breeder that meets my needs. I’ve got one golden breeder im keeping an eye on that’s got all their health tests readily linked to each parent dog on their site with good results, is just an hours drive away, states all the early exposure they do with puppies and seems to have a positive reinforcement mindset, as well as emphasizes the importance of off switches despite breeding working line Goldens. My only kind of “hmm” thing currently is that they’re a very new breeder, only had one litter so far, but I’ll be keeping an eye on them and see if they’re keeping up with health tests and such when I’m more readily looking. Isn’t necessarily a bad thing that they’re new but it might mean they are doing everything “right” now and fall out over time.

I mean the other option is always importing or just driving out of province, but I do really like the idea of living close to the breeder having that sort of community, meetups, keeping tabs, etc. plus there’s that fine line where many good breeders don’t want their dogs going far so they simply won’t allow a dog to go to me.

We shall see though

[daughterofhecata]

BINGO!

Got my first bingo on @batmanisagatewaydrug's book bingo 🎉

Short Story Collection: Anaïs Nin: Waste of Timelessness and Other Early Stories → it’s not quite what I usually read, but it certainly was interesting; the stories felt like they were begging to be analyzed and interpreted, but admittedly I didn’t do any of that and instead just enjoyed them as they are.

Childhood Favorite: Alexander Wolkow: Zauberland-Reihe #2. Der schlaue Urfin und seine Holzsoldaten. [org. title: Хитрый Урфин и его деревянные солдаты/engl. title: Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers] → context on this one: Alexander Wolkow is a Russian author who in 1939 ‘re-narrated’ The Wizard of Oz (basically, he changed some names and a couple details, but otherwise just plagiarized wholesale). However, Wolkow also followed that first one, The Wizard of the Emerald City, up with five sequels that don’t draw as much on Oz anymore. As the child of GDR-born parents I got exposed to Wolkow’s books rather than Oz as a kid, and I fucking loved them. It was really fun to revisit Urfin, and I’m genuinely fascinated by the types of masculinities we see – yes, most of the main male characters end up as regents, but they also are and remain soft and emotional, including crying in public, and I just really love to see that in children’s books.

Published before 1950: Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice → first time reading this! Enjoyed it a lot! Sometimes it felt like I did already read it before because I knew a lot from various tumblr posts, but I was not prepared for the whole thing. Did have particular trouble keeping the younger Bennet sisters apart (I thought there were only four and was occasionally confused for the first fifty pages or so), and I do have some minor beef with Miss Austen for just going “Miss Bennet [did/said something]” when there are like. Two to five Miss Bennets actively within the scene. Also the cluster of Catherine [(Kitty) Bennet], Charlotte [Lucas/Collins] and Caroline [Bingley] fucked me up a little. But! I really loved it a lot, it certainly lives up to it’s reputation, and I’m definitely going to check out the movie at some point!

Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Christopher Tauber, Marius Pawlitza: Justus Jonas. Eine Interpretation. → the sequel to a slightly dystopian graphic novel from a few years back, related to the german continuation of Robert Arthur’s Three Investigators; sadly didn’t quite live up to my expectations :(

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin. Das goldene Dreieck. [org. title: Le Triangle d'or/engl. title: The Golden Triangle] → first of all: extremely mean to make me wait more than hundred-eighty pages (more than HALF of the entire book!) for the first actual appearance of my second favourite gentleman thief??? Apart from that it features the casual racism and orientalism you’d expect from a late19th/early 20th century Western European author and was genuinely a bit less fun to read than previous books – which may have something to do with my friend Lupin straight up missing from the narrative for so long.

Science Fiction: Karel Čapek: W.U.R. Werstands Universal Robots. Utopistisches Kollektivdrama in drei Aufzügen. [org. title: R.U.R. Rossumovi univerzální roboti/engl. title: R.U.R. Rossum’s Universal Robots] → I was partly interested in this because this play is the origin of the word “robot” (from the Czech “robota” for a specific kind of forced labour), and it already carries a lot of “typical” elements of robots, except that Čapek’s robots are called machines, but are still very much made from flesh and blood like humans, there’s nothing mechanical about their bodies yet. The influence of the Golem legend is obvious, which was expected considering Čapek was a Czech writer, and the ending honestly shouldn’t have surprised me – of course Čapek wrote a dystopia, the ending certainly resembles the ending of Válka s mloky/The War with the Newts. A very interesting read for sure!

2024 Award Winner: Cari Hunter: A Calculated Risk → I chose this from the Lamda Awards list sort of randomly because I am still a crime novel reader at heart and went in pretty much without any kind of expectations. What I got was a pretty gritty police investigation (refreshingly realistic) and two ex-girlfriends trying to figure out how to interact after no contact for fifteen years. Jo is silly as hell and I was in love with her from roughly the moment she managed to injure her arse on a chase and had to explain that to her boss, and Isla is so beautifully competent and practical and vulnerable. Genuinely ticked all the boxes for my favourite kind of crime novel with queer characters! Gotta check out the author’s other books!

Nonfiction: Learn Something New: Ingrid Strobl: Die Angst kam erst danach. Jüdische Frauen im Widerstand 1939-1945. [no english title/translation; lit.: The fear came after. Jewish women in the resistance 1939-1945] → I was told of this book a few years back in a class on ghetto literature and finally got around to reading it. It deals with the role of Jewish women in the resistance against the Nazis, particularly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland. Certainly a very interesting study, especially as someone with a pretty good knowledge of the history of the Shoah, particularly in Poland, and some of the (non-jewish) resistance in and around Prague, but not so much about the resistance especially in Western Europe.

Social Justice & Activism: bell hooks: The Will to Change. Men, Masculinity, and Love. → This was shorter and much more straightforward than I had expected (my first time reading bell hooks, I was lowkey afraid it would go into a Gender Trouble direction stylistically) and the little jab at Harry Potter and the movies came very unexpected (but I can’t say I disagree; I guess she was ahead of her time there). The part about rape culture was particularly interesting to me. It also left me angry in multiple directions.

Read and Make a Recipe: Hefeknoten → I still had some leftover fresh yeast from making pizza dough and was really craving something sweet and yeasty so I looked for a recipe and found something with an absolutely unnecessarily long-winded description that was pretty quick and easy, and they turned out absolutely perfect honestly. (Pic & translated short version of the recipe under the cut!)

Horror: Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House → a recommendation by @autumncalls, and I really, really wanted to like this book. But I’m afraid the most I can say is that, yep, that certainly was a book. I don’t know if I’m simply not accustomed to reading horror (the last was… maybe fifteen years ago), but it mostly left me shrugging. Yep, was a book.

Recipe (I'm doing the work translating it and cutting out the unnecessary storytelling from the original. You do the work translating the measurements into whatever you Americans use, if you wanna do these.)

For 20 pieces:

200ml milk

60g sugar

half a cube of yeast

550g (wheat) flour

1 egg

100g margarine or soft butter

1 teaspoon salt

~30g melted butter

sugar for rolling them in

Heat up the milk a little (maximum 37°C), stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar and crumble in the yeast. Let it rest for a few minutes. Mix the flour, the rest of the sugar, egg, salt and the margarine/softened butter in a bowl, add in the yeasty milk and knead for like 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour. Let it rest for an hour in a warm place. Preheat oven to 200°C. Make the dough into a long roll (? Like, a tube or something. make it cylindric.) and cut into 20 pieces. Each piece should once again be made into a roll. Into each one, make a knot and tuck the lose ends into the middle. Bake them for 10 min in the lower third of the oven until they start to brown. Let them rest for 5-10min. Melt the ~30g butter and pour some sugar into a small bowl. Spread the melted butter on top of the knots and then directly roll them in the sugar.

[casually-salad]

Because you’ve genuinely have my interest, could u please share your Paula headcanons/takes?

YESSSS OMG!!!!

Okay so I talked about them a little bit on the notes of the first drawing of Paula I did back n forth with mega-mix and honestly it helped me kind of put together my thoughts because I was struggling to initially!! I do want to say though that I haven't interacted with the earthbound fandom a lot so I don't know how other people usually think about her - so I'm sorry if this is like . Kinda melodramatic?? Idk if I'm just like being crazy lol. I have a lot to say about her so here's everything under cut .

Also sorry for the delay I started the type this out last night but I got too tired and went to bed and then work was hell ToT

So just like! Paula is so interesting to me, the introduction of her just through small talk throughout onette and twoson really built her up to be this powerful character that a lot of people looked up to. The way how it seems like literally every single person put her on this pedestal - like how she was this all-powerful being almost angelic in nature... And then whenever it comes to the talk of her being kidnapped, I mean yeah it almost feels justified with how much she's talked up and how powerful and incredible she seems to be! And I really personally struggled getting to the Happy Happy village ALSO the second sanctuary being there too kind of made her seem even more so ya know?? But when you find her she's just another kid, she's scared and even though she seems to have some knowledge of what's going on this is like !! Still kinda scary for her!!!

And she may have incredible psychic powers but it's kind of almost scary the pedestal she's put on. She's treated more as like this force of nature or angel that is there to protect everyone! And I feel like it's doubly so with the magic she learns/has. She has the best offensive moves in the game, she learned some of them the quickest, she always packed the biggest punch, she was one of the fastest characters at least in my party and kind of the only one I actually used items on. But she has the lowest HP and by the end of the game she was constantly dying to almost a single hit or two. And for being this powerful yet so frail you would think she knows a healing spell?? But no.. the only one she has is PSI magnet to heal her PSI, not herself. The only thing she has to actually protect herself is a stuffed toy! Yet that falls apart too, just slightly slower than her.

Then there's some other stuff that happens in Twoson that I didn't mention. There's Everdred, who's this random criminal who knows what happens to her! And he seems care about her but blows off her kidnapping as something she could probably push through with how nonchalante is about her being kidnapped. But at least him to her is the stranger, it's not as bad as her parents. Her mom knows that she's been kidnapped and doesn't care, thinking she can take care of herself, and her dad doesn't even know!! I know it was probably intended to be like. kind of funny but it's so so sad! Your daughter, the talk of the town, is missing and EVERYONE but you knows??? That just feels downright neglectful. So what if she's capable of handling herself, why aren't either of them even remotely worried??? Paula is still a kid, and the happy happy cult is HUGE!!!!! Especially since pokey probably went in to stir up trouble there's no way no one else wouldn't have seen him, him leave, and him come back and take Paula except Everdred! It's clear Paula talks to her dad, I mean she told him about Ness! But like... Seeing as Paula has always had these powers how long would he have known? I'll get into it more in just a bit cuz I want to grip all those socks together.

And of course her using telepathy to initially contact Ness (( n Jeff later on of course )) kind of really added to that! She's the only character in the game that I think uses it (( unless you count giygas/ the mani mani statue but I'll get into that)) which makes me wonder if she had any other powers that just did not incorporate into gameplay and so we're not mentioned/ are implied I could've missed. And then her power of prayer, and to me that really kind of amplifies how much of like a god like pedestal she was put on. She's seen as a literal angel, one whose heavens shines down on, and with the way how she's talked about in her Town it seems like she is quite literally treated as one. rather than being a normal girl who wants to play with kids that are her age, and younger, she's like a holy figure sent down from the heavens to protect Twoson, and I really think her parents feed into that. Especially at the end of the game whenever she just wants to go home and be in normal kid, but I think that she knows even whenever she goes home now it won't be the same. She will never get to be that normal kid.. maybe that's why she likes taking care of the daycare students! While they all still look up to her and idolize her much like everyone else in her vicinity seems to do as well they are getting to live that childhood wonder it seems like she didn't get to have because she had to grow up quickly to keep her status as a town icon because every single person was relying on her. She had so much pressure from such a young age to perform, to use her PSI, to do good and to be this holy God like figure for them to look upon! She has to be the gifted girl, the Golden girl, a mother figure to the preschool students, a role model for her community, a guideline for her peers to follow so they will do good too, she has to be the salvation, she has to be the one to bring the party together the defeat giygas, she has to be powerful yet kind and sweet and caring, but she can't be a kid. And she never will get to be. And whenever she leaves she not only has to be all of that but she has to be the world savior too, she has to be the one to stop giygas too - she has to be the one that has to pray for everyone's help, she has to be the one who saves everything because that's what she was already doing. She was already compelled to it.

When the mani mani statue started to appear to her I think it was the reason why she knew Ness, I mean it had to be. And so she has almost conflicting ideals inside of her as well, cuz I imagine she wants to live up to that status she's been forcefully put on... Yet there's something evil inside of her, and part of me wonders if the statue compelled her to gather the chosen so that giygas could defeat them all at once? Although it shows up in Ness' Magicant and whenever I see it reference I mostly see it with him, that statue haunted her wherever she was, it's the reason why she was kidnapped and literally almost killed, it's the reason why she's kidnapped a second time, and I think her small reaction whenever it's been destroyed is her finally being released from the spell that it put on her.. and it really makes me wonder if she even wanted to go on this adventure. Was she just forced along because of the thing that was compelling her from the back of her mind? How long had she been fighting it trying to get it out in a way yet it just.. only grew stronger as a grew closer to her. I can't imagine how badly she just wanted to go home after it, how whenever she was freed from the spell she just wished it was a nightmare that she could escape from finally, that she could wake up and maybe she could be back in her room with a teddy bear and no powers. But even without the statue she doesn't have a choice anyways, everyone in her City is looking up to her and putting more power in her than ever before, and she can't let them down. she never has.

And so this is where I get into a lot of speculation and headcannon stuff that I didn't just read directly from the game. I kind of got into that in the paragraph above a tiny bit though I'm not going to lie these are kind of what I thought about her while I was playing the game, this is stuff that I've mostly configured after finishing it.

So firstly I want to start with her home life, and I think she really truly had a isolating one, although both of her parents clearly supported her PSI abilities, I don't think they supported her much at all outside of that. She has her own bedroom in the house which is pretty cool for her and all but I imagine that it's just another example on the way how both she's put on a pedestal - so important she gets the only bedroom in the house, more deserving than either of them, yet with how isolated she is because she's closed off from the rest of her family, the rest of the children and the preschool, the rest of the world. Judging by the reactions a lot of the adults had to nest and him whenever the game was over I can only imagine that's what Paula was dealing with her entire life. Any fears, doubts, or anxiety that came from her powers that she didn't want her parents kind of just shuffled aside and I think she's probably had these Powers her whole life like Ness. So she's probably been having nightmares for just as long. There had to have been so many nights where she woke up terrified that something was going to be after her, dreams of giygas and the death of everyone and everything, and I imagine her crying to her parents, and rather then treating them with the full sincerity and fear that she was feeling but just assumed that their daughter was powerful enough to deal with whatever was frightening her and let her go through it on her own. It's kind of implied that outside of the preschool and she doesn't have any friends at all, she's never had anyone hurt age, let alone with her abilities, that she could talk to her can fight and.. and even whenever she does meet Ness there's no way he could have understood how many years of pent up terror she had to have been going through. I imagine she's angry, and I wouldn't blame her to be, yet she doesn't have any way or outlet to express that... Her choice of weapon being a frying pan to me is significant because it's such a Hands-On battering weapon, not even the baseball bat feels as violent as it is. So spending her whole life terrified alone and angry she probably bottled up everything that she was going through, I mean she wouldn't want to crack the shell that every single person in her entire life had built up for her, not letting her choose. And I honestly think that even though she was scared whenever she was kidnapped, this might have been something she expected or even anticipated. And even though she had made contact with ness, I know you can sleep and she cries out for help again and.. but then she doesn't again. And I think she kind of just accepts her fate of being a sacrifice for the great, being basically a holy figure for her entire town what a fitting way to go out.

By the end of the game all she wants is to be a normal kid because this thing that's been in her head for her entire life is finally gone. I imagine it isn't until the end of the game, post game pass the credits that Paula would finally open up. I imagine she probably did not speak with any of the gang for a real long time... Only doing so whenever her nightmares come back, of course not as severe but they're still there. and although I think her and Jeff probably would be really good friends once they start talking again he wouldn't get what's going on because he doesn't have PSI, and poo is too busy (( and would be too far although I don't even know if her parents would notice her leaving again )) she confides a ness.

And.. I think primarily the reason why she wouldn't really end up opening up throughout most of the journey is because of him indirectly, much like she he has these psychic powers, but despite the pedestal that she was put on he shows up in the town and basically pushes her off of it almost.. his psychic powers are different, they aren't ones shared by the enemy they're his own. And I imagine she recontextualizes her PSI as something evil this whole time, and her worldview just kind of shatters. The holy gift she has, basically the only thing she has, is the thing that's been used for evil this whole time. I can imagine that for a while she would almost resent him, he has a mom who loves him, a dad who isn't quite there but it's still constantly checking in on him the making sure he gets rest, and what's worse is even she gets checked on by him and ness's mother. He was the one who was chosen by the meteorite basically, by a warning from the future to save the past, by something good... Well she's plagued of these visions of something evil. And throughout this whole journey Ness super easily with strangers and is able to help make them allies.. but if it was just her? She probably wouldn't be able to. And for all the years she had to suffer with visions and nightmares, when Ness has his and goes to Magicant he's met with comfort and care.. their friends listen to him and are worried about him, and she is too. And of course she is! And I think that hurts her, the fact that she cares so much because she cares about him! But don't hurt parents? I mean she had to explain to them everything but.. they didn't seem to show as much compassion as she had for her friend during his fight with something evil inside of him. And the resentments that she feels I know she probably hates herself for, cuz that's her letting the evil win, it's her recreating the hate that she sees around her. But I think whenever Ness wake up and he looks frantic for a moment, she sees herself as a child waking up and being terrified, and all she wants to do is to comfort herself, and she can kind of do so by comforting him.

after the end of everything, i imagine she can finally formulate a sense of self - reaching out to ness and opening up, and for the first time having SOMEONE who understands her, and how much hurt she had gone through for so long. I think finally she could really form a sense of self of her own, no longer puppeteered by another force but rather being free for the first time. I really hope that no longer burdened by her duties she can finally play with the kids her age, live freely and as her self. sure she still has her PSI, but its a part of her, not a force of angelic power, and all of her praying would have finally paid off.

And also I do kind of think it's interesting how much the idea that her and Ness are dating kind of almost pushed on immediately as soon as he makes a girl friend. There's a lot of stuff I have to think about in this game whenever it comes to adults not listening to kids, their feelings their fears and their worries, but this is just another example of it, and another example of Paula's agency being taken away from her. she didn't get to the side if they were dating or not ((and neither did Ness)) . Jeff says it of course, but throughout the whole game you have ness's mom who tries to push that label on to them whenever they literally just met, as well as her own father. In the clarify I don't have any problem with them being shipped I just think it's kind of interesting that she never had the agency to decide if that's something that she wanted explicitly in text.

And so like, those are kind of some of my thoughts I have on her right now, I definitely want to replay the game again and think about it more from her perspective for sure I actually started mother 1 today so I plan on finishing that and hopefully mother 3 before I do so again... She's really a tragic character to me, and there's nothing more that I want for her than for her to be okay, I wanted her to be a kid again, I want her to be happy.. and the conversation I've been having in the post I mentioned at the beginning they had mentioned PSI leaving the Earth with giygas and although I don't think that's what happened I think a world where Paula can live power free and no longer burdened by them and she can truly be a kid for the first time in her life is really nice.. I love her a lot, and she was easily the most impactful character from the game.

I'm so sorry if this is not what you were prepared for, and if this is too rambly and it doesn't make any sense - doubly so if anyone that follows me reads this because I know 90% of the people who do are here for my My Little pony horror stuff, but I think Paula is going to stick with me for a very very long time and I'm glad that she isn't cast aside for the other characters like I was worried she might be whenever I started actually looking at fan art and stuff. I don't really know how to end this, but I do genuinely really appreciate the ask a whole lot.

[uxccz]

Wait a darn minute, I think I've just realized something. I don't if this is consider ch1ld @buse or anything but when I was little I was getting hit a lot of with the belt because of things I did bad, I wouldn't say I blame my parents, tho I feel like I sound brain washed into thinking this was normal.

It was just I guess normal around my family (and really any other close family) to hit their kids if they were bad. I was a complete jerk when I was little, like I got in trouble a lot so I mostly for in trouble and got hit by both my parents a lot.

It still happens occasionally but like not as often as it used to be (mostly because now I stay silent and am more self aware, tho I usually just get slapped hard)

Tho what I have realized that is weird is that everytime I got hit really hard (usually with a belt or sandal, spanked on my arms, legs, thighs, or butt), my mom would always come maybe like 5 minutes after I get sent to my bedroom (where I automatically have to sit on my knees and go against my bed to mostly cry until I was able to get out, it usually took 30 ish minutes of me sitting there in that painful position to "think about it"), anyway, she would always come with a cream to make sure my marks don't get too bad and heal right away.

The marks were usually obviously hand prints or whatever they used to hit me with, so they would often get swollen and hurt a lot. But now that I think about it, isn't this just them getting rid of the evidence they hit me?.

Like, in Dominican republic (where I was born), it's kinda normalized to hit your kid if they do something bad (of course not in public since everyone wanted to stay good with their reputation), so maybe that's why I see it normal?

It wasn't until I came to Canada that I found out that hitting your kid was bad and that it wants normalized around Canadians and that there was such thing as "gentle parenting".

That also reminds me when I came to Canada, I had online class (covid), that meant I would have to eat lunch at home, I HATED eating lunch because it usually had tomatoes and salad. The salad wasn't bad, it was the tomatoes.

I would leave them last and I would get hit by my dad and yelled at and sometimes even physically forced to eat it. Tho I just remembered this memory of me sitting on the table, having tomatoes on my plate that I left, my dad got angry at me after some arguing about me not wanting to eat tomatoes, he yelled at me to the point he made me cry and he yelled at me to close the curtains (since you could see out backyard and people could see us. P.S I lived behind a school so there was always people outside) and then he got me with a belt.

I wouldn't say my parents are bad people really. I mean, I was annoying, but maybe this is just me blaming it on myself but I would get angry at younger me for the things I did so I never saw it as a bad thing that they hit me and I still think that it was my fault for acting that way and really, since I said those things or after that way, I deserved it.

But now that is happening to my younger brother (3 y/o), I feel guilty, maybe this is just big sister guilt but of course, he is getting hit WAY less but like he is genuinely scared when anyone mentions the belt so yea😞

But back to me, this would also happen to my sister but like I said, I was the one that was annoying and just a brat so I would get myself in trouble more. I don't really know ahhh.. But idk I don't blame my parents for it, I mean, it helped me grow I guess? I deserved it anyway because I was genuinely such a trouble maker but what I do find weird that I used to think was I guess "normal" is how they would put creams to make sure I didn't have any marks left in me.

[cadet-aviator]

In trouble (1)

On the long bus drive back home from Camp I had had five hours to think it all over. 

It had not been a good experience, that was obvious. I just didn’t understand it. I could see that pushing a boy like me to the point of exhaustion could perhaps have a good effect, in showing me that I was capable of a lot more than I had imagined, but I couldn’t really see the point of how they went about it in Camp. 

For one thing, I had not had a single word of encouragement, no ‘well done, lad’, nothing. I had spent hours and hours just standing in the presence of these retired officers who didn’t even seem to notice I was there, who clicked their fingers when they wanted a drink. It was just assumed that I would perform at 100%, and anything below that was unacceptable.

The only response was negative, demerits and corrections, punishments. 

And it was all so eerily calm. I would stand there and lose focus a bit, trying not to fall asleep in the dusk, and suddenly an officer would stand before me and calmly say ‘For failure to maintain proper posture of attention, two demerits, cadet.’ And I would say ‘Yes Sir. Thank you Sir’. 

I said before: I was used to being disciplined, and I didn’t disagree with the reprimands. At first I was even genuinely disappointed in myself, for not being that 100%. 

I confess that once I got off the bus (and had undergone yet another inspection) a kind of depression set in.

I was convinced that the whole thing had been a bad mistake, something I should have avoided, something very far from the everyday practice of being a good school cadet, keeping my shirts clean, knotting my tie, doing my drills, trying to be strong and cool and pure. I loved all that, but was sure that I was not professional soldier material.

I went in to the barracks for this evaluation at 6 AM confident that I was going to say ‘Thank you, but I will not continue as an Army cadet, Sir’. 

But that was not on the cards.

They were actually a bit angry, during the evaluation, or pretended to be angry. The young officer looked over my record and said that 24 demerits in three weeks was quite bad, and very disappointing. It was particularly bad because they had had high hopes, I came with the Admiral’s personal recommendation, and it was clear that I had let him down – a major embarrassment to everybody.

So there were consequences. I had signed a form, before I went, which had made me an Army cadet for the duration of the Camp, and they now came down on me with the full force of military regulations. It didn’t matter that I was only 15, and not a Malay national, and still in school – I had ‘offended’ the honour of this Army cadet corps. 

I was given a list, and they read it out to me. I was basically given a disciplinary sentence.

The 24 demerits were changed into 240 hours of cadet ‘Disciplinary service’. Every free hour I had was going to be spent working in the barracks, doing the dishes, laundry, weeding in the garden, serving as mess waiter. Two periods of two hours during the week, and all of Saturday afternoon, so eight hours in all, for a period of 30 weeks. I would get home inspections twice a week. Also, my performance in school cadets would also be monitored, and any demerits there would be taken into account by the Army cadets, and added to my service.

I had to write a long letter of apology to the Army cadet corps acknowledging my below par performance, and to the Admiral, personally.

Finally, they would recommend that I not only do those three weeks again, but that I would be signed up for an additional three weeks of 'junior cadet officer training', which would mean putting me in charge of my own group of miserable boys.

My parents were duly informed of all this; legally the Army could not impose a sentence on me without my parents’ consent, but they made it clear that this was all very serious, and could lead to more serious measures. They had already informed my school.

I was completely dumbfounded. I didn’t talk back. I didn’t protest. I was dismissed. 

(All images are AI generated)

[teriwrites]

Boy of My Imagination: Chp. 6-7

My Live Reactions to Reading Through My 2015 Novel

Open into a little flashback to the club that Penny mentioned in her journal entry. She's overwhelmed

Okay, tbf, Penny, you're the one who, unprompted, gave Chrys the name and address of this place.

But also, Chrys is an adult who should know better than to bring her friend who's still very much in early recovery to a CLUB

At least she figured it out eventually. Yk, in the club. Well past Penny's curfew. Probably having had too much to drink to drive them home.

Seriously, what a clusterfuck

Like Penny, you're not even allowed to drink with your medication, what are you even doing? Just hanging out??

I understand wanting to find a bathroom to clean yourselves up, but why can't you use the one in the club? Why are you wandering the streets looking for a convenience store??

Okay ig Chrys didn't get hammered, she's just tipsy, but still. Definitely shouldn't be driving.

'While I was familiar with the city of Honolulu, I wasn't sure that I trusted it in the dead of night.' i'm gonna take a guess and say it's 11:30pm right now

'There seemed to be no missed calls or new text messages, which worried me almost as much as if my mother had called twenty times.' real

'My mother was like a storm; it was best to prepare for the worst.' holy shit dude that is not a normal thing to say about your mom

Also shout-out to my mom, who's genuinely really cool and chill

Of course they pass by some kind of altercation going down in an alleyway

(2015 Teri, 'goon' still has a different meaning in 2025. Also no self-respecting gang member would describe a rival as a 'goon', they're not like the 1920s mafia)

Of course the 'thugs' (don't love that word here) spotted them, and they took off sprinting and managed to get themselves lost in the city

Oh shiiiiiiiiit Penny doesn't have her phone on her, they've been using Chrys'

Apparently they have the same phone??? since neither of them noticed until Penny went digging through her contacts

They called 911???? I mean, I guess idk what I'd do if I got lost in the middle of a city in the middle of the night with no way to contact anyone I knew

Will be interesting to see how this Teri takes on the subject of cops, seeing how they were an antagonizing force in the last modern WIP, and now they're gonna be escorting the MCs back to their car

"If my mom finds out that we had to be escorted by the police because I couldn't remember the area and forgot her phone number, she's not going to let me out of the house for a month," I groaned.' ok she kinda has a point there though

Okay the cop was just like... tired. He was there. Truly giving us nothing.

Except a ride back to the parking garage ig

Btw, how does Penny remember the name and address of a club but not her mom's phone number?? Like I get it nowadays, I don't memorize any numbers but my own, but in 2009?? In 2009 I could've recited both of my parents' phone numbers, and I was 11 years old

'[Chrys] seemed to be oddly quiet that night, though I couldn't guess at what was wrong.' you can't?? can't even hazard a lil assumption?? can't piece it together???

At least all that gave Chrys time to sober up

'It was Chrys' fault that we'd gone to the club; I was able to admit that much. However, I still felt responsible for being the final decision maker in whether we got to go to the club, and I felt guilty about not being able to find the car. How long was my memory going to be an issue?' probably longer than 3 weeks, hun

"Hey, Penny?" Chrys asked. She held clothes to change into, and was ready to go into the bathroom and wash her face, before we would switch off. I looked up. "Yeah?" "I know we're going to get into a lot of trouble tomorrow when your mom wakes up," Chrys admitted. "But today was cool, man." I didn't exactly agree with her, but I nodded.' (Poor Penny. She's only 21, she should've been at the club! Wait...)

Chrys is all about that type 2 fun

Ahhh here we go, now the journal entry is actually fully filled out

'I slammed the door of the Honda shut. Clouds overhead blocked the blinding sun's rays. It seemed appropriate that the only two overcast days in the past month were on the day Chrys arrived and the day she left.' awww Gertrude kicked her out, didn't she?

Bro it sounds like she wasn't even scared for her own daughter's safety, she was just pissed about breaking curfew??? grow up, woman, be a parent

"Mom didn't listen to what actually happened. We nearly got shot at!" you saw a dude with a gun, you didn't nearly get shot at

Ah, the perfect timing for some more context surrounding Chrys: as she's leaving

'Chrys' parents were the only people I knew that seemed to fit the term 'upper class'. It wasn't just the fact that they were loaded with cash. The way that her parents acted and treated others made me think of snobby European nobles in the early 19th century.' call them out!

Oh wait, Chrys is from Hawaii?? I thought she was from California for some reason

Huh... something something rich white people moving to Hawaii and treating it as their personal 'tropical paradise' while actual indigenous people struggle to do stuff like pay for medical care

Not that Penny's a great example of the latter, seeing as her family has a PRIVATE BEACHSIDE VILLA

But also wow Chrys Hates her folks

Oop, the boy is back

"There!" I said, pointing now. "He's over there, looking at the sign?" Chrys didn't respond. She shuffled down the bench to see more clearly, but she didn't make any response. I glanced back at her, but she was watching me, not looking at the boy. "Penny," she began. "There's no one looking at that sign." I turned back to make sure he was still there. "Sure he is! He's across the station, over by the Greyhound." This time, Chrys didn't bother looking over. "Penny, there's nobody over there. Are you feeling okay?" (siri, play the Twilight Zone theme music)

Okay, seriously, why is Gertrude treating her daughter like she's 17??? She's a college junior, she's 21, she's an adult, you can't just GROUND her

(At the time of writing this, however, I was 17, so fair enough)

A return of Gertrude walking in unannounced and leaving the door open as she goes

I would go ballistic

Family's gonna be taking a vacay~

To their own villa

(Teri, Hanauma Bay is a Nature Preserve, they can't just have a house there)

Family vacation is clearly a ruse just so that her parents can keep a closer eye on her

I know the messaging I was going for in trying to write Penny's body dysmorphia. Try to emphasize that being thin does not equate health. That it doesn't magically solve confidence issues. Etc.

But omfg it's painfully out of touch

Kinda funny that I called out the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch as a 'jackass' though

Also!!!! First time usage of a 'swear word'!!! Pretty sure this is the only curse my parents would let slide when I was growing up, so I felt a little more comfortable putting it in writing

'April 23, 2009 We dropped Chrys off at the bus station today. She's going to be heading back to her parents. Poor girl. Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich are the kind of people that help me see why the French revolution happened. Not that I'd wish they'd go to the guillotine or anything, but if they'd lived back then, that's where they'd have gone.' (She really said 'eat the rich' lmao)

Ending Thoughts:

I totally forgot about the 'wind up at a club, get lost in the middle of the city' part of this story lol Seriously, most of what I was reflecting on while reading back through this is the insane kind of control that Gertrude keeps trying to enact over her daughter, and the really rough attempts to pass along a message about body positivity. I think at this point, I was a bit more aware of my writing and what messaging could come across to readers. In 2011, I didn't give a rat's ass about discussing real-world problems, but they crept in anyways: oppression, treatment of prisoners, power struggles. In 2013, I was a little more aware but struggled to find the fine line between my character's perspective vs. my own. In 2015, I'm much more intentionally writing in my own thoughts, but with very little grace. Just a lot of hammering, and in loud, abrasive, insensitive words.

[casino-lights]

The Empress, the Hanged Man, and the World for both Lidia and Cazi!

Thank you so much for the ask! I got in my feelings with the last question :')

The Empress: What does family mean for Rook?

For both of them, the Crows are their family. It does differ slightly for each, though.

Lidia didn't really consider herself part of any family - and she certainly had no real allegience to her House - until she met Lucanis and Illario and was brought into the Dellamorte-Cantori-de Riva alliance. Lucanis became a brother to her, Teia became a sister, and Viago is the brother in law who keeps pissing her off because he keeps fumbling her sister and yet her sister is still crazy about him for some reason. She also took a shine to Jacobus, but she projects a few of her own unresolved childhood issues onto him and thus just wants to protect him and make sure he knows he's loved. Family, to her, is untouchable. They are infallible, and if the relationship sours, it must have been because of her somehow. In her eyes, they cannot possibly be at fault. She trusts those she considers family to a worrying degree, and would sacrifice anything and everything for them. She tries to keep this number small, but she is hungry for love and belonging, so she latches on quickly to anyone who shows her enough genuine care and calls them family regardless of how long they've known each other.

Cazi has memories of her parents, unlike Lidia. Though some are good, most are bad, and so it was difficult for her to see anyone as family for a long time. In many ways, her view on family is opposite to Lidia's, and it requires a great deal of time and many repeated displays of trust and care for Cazi to see someone in a more familial light. Family puts in effort to love and care for her, even when it's hard, and loyalty is an absolute necessity. However, she does have trouble realizing that familial love is not a transaction, and that she is allowed to receive acts of service and devotion without immediately needing to reciprocate them. Cazi often said she wanted to be just like Teia, who she looked up to for years, and considered her the closest thing to a sister she ever had. Once she was an adult and Houses de Riva and Cantori were allied, Viago assigned Cazi to train his own younger sister and then promptly regretted that decision once Cazi began dating her, and he is now unfortunately stuck with her as his sister-in-law. She pesters him at every given opportunity, and though they would never admit it openly, they love each other dearly - so long as Cazi keeps his sister happy. Additionally, Emmrich's two children become Cazi and her girlfriend's stepchildren - though they're almost the same age - and Manfred soon becomes a son to them as well.

The Hanged Man: What does Rook do when their hard work doesn't pay off? How do they cope with failure?

Lidia is a perfectionist when it comes to her contracts. If something doesn't go right, she makes it go right, no matter the cost. She has an unblemished record of never losing a target and she intends to maintain that, regardless of collateral damage or the time it might take. Failure is simply not an option for her, professionally. Personally, however, her definition of failure is strange and nebulous, as she rarely lets anyone close enough to consider their loss a failure. Illario's betrayal is the closest thing she considers to a personal failing, and even then, she and Lucanis stubbornly forced him down the path of redemption. She simply never gives up.

Cazi, on the other hand, considers failures a new and interesting kind of success. She doesn't worry about specifics, and she trusts her skills and her charisma to smooth over any issues that may arise from things not going to plan. Usually, she works out a way to achieve her goals regardless of the hurdles in her way or number of previous attempts. The only true failures she would ever count are interpersonal ones, things she couldn't take back or salvage: breakups and deaths. And those, well... she hasn't encountered any of those yet. Some nights, when she can't sleep, the idea of it terrifies her so much she has to take a walk to clear her head.

The World: What does happily-ever-after look like for Rook? Is it attainable, or just wishful thinking?

Lidia's perfect life looks to her like success and respect among the Crows. Once upon a time, she would have said it involved reigning at Illario's side while he held the seat of First Talon, perhaps even sharing it with Lucanis, but she knows that'll never happen now. Still, she dreams of being seen as a voice of authority and experience for the Crows, perhaps a Talon herself someday. She aspires to be legendary, a name said with awe as young Crows recount her perfect history of completed jobs and a large contribution to the freedom and independence of Antiva. Occasionally, when she's feeling especially sappy and self-indulgent, she also wonders what a family with Illario would be like. She has daydreamed about two or three little dark-haired Dellamortes with slightly pointed ears running around in the gardens, happy and content with the knowledge that their childhoods are fully their own and their parents are gentle and unconditionally loving.

Cazi, unlike Lidia, is unashamed of the fact that she hopes to have a family someday. (Most likely because she doesn't feel the need to apologize for her partner half the time.) In fact, her ideal retirement looks like advising the Crows in her free time and raising half-dwarf babies with her girlfriend and Emmrich as her new full-time job. She keeps a realistic view of it, as she knows dwarves aren't the most fertile species, but she does get a fond, faraway smile each time she hears children laughing. She has no dreams of her antics making it into legend or song, and would prefer to simply lead a full, fun life, indulging her whims whenever possible and fulfilling her partners' dreams as much as she can so they have as few regrets as she does.

[cryptidsurveys]

Thursday, December 12th, 2024.

When was the last time you did something you didn’t want to do, to please someone else? I baked a Devil's Food cake for my dad yesterday. I wasn't really in the mood to bake and it's not like he asked me to do it right then and there, but he picked it out at the store and I knew we both would enjoy and appreciate it, so it wasn't a big deal. I was happy to do it in that sense.

If you wear mascara, what brand is it? Do you have mascara in any colours other than brown or black? I haven't worn mascara (or any makeup) for years now. I've only ever had it in black.

Do you have a favourite outfit that you like to wear for nights out? I don't have nights out. I'm such an early bird; I hate the thought of being out after dark unless I'm coming home from the shelter…or going out to look at Christmas lights, but that's an entirely different thing.

When was the last time you painted your nails? What colour(s)? It's been years. I'm not sure what the very last color would have been, but probably something like black, dark red or green, silver, or some shade of pink. Possibly no colors at all and just a clear topcoat.

Do you know what you’re going to wear tomorrow? Most likely sweatpants and some combination of animal shelter attire. Gonna be there from 8:00am-5:00pm.

When you have a soft drink, do you prefer it in a bottle or can? I would most prefer it in a glass with plenty of ice.

What’s your least favourite alcoholic drink? Probably vodka because it reminds me of dark times.

Do your parents get annoyed if you go out and come home drunk? Regardless of the exact circumstances, my dad would be concerned due to my past issues with alcohol.

Do you like iced tea or coffee? Those are pretty different things, but I like them both.

Who was the last person to embarrass you? What did they do?

When you’re upset, do you tend to comfort eat or lose your appetite? I just try to stick to my usual routines.

Do you have a friend or relative that turns into a complete ninny when they’ve had too much to drink? I don't know what Oliver is like when they're drunk. I don't think they're much of a drinker in the first place.

Have you ever eaten so much of a favourite food that you got bored of it? Yeah. Speaking of…I might be drifting into a new "food phase" due to my recent stomach issues. I was kind of forced out of my habits and don't yet know how things will settle in the aftermath. There are some foods I don't want to give up and will likely go back to eating as long as there's no trouble, but others I might have to give up or at least consume less frequently or in smaller quantities.

What’s the unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten today? The small piece of chocolate in my breakfast oatmeal bowl.

Who was the last person to send you a message on Facebook? Does/did that person go to the same school as you? Let's go with Instagram. The last person to message me was Ollie and no, we've never attended the same school.

How is your hair looking today? Fine. It's too short for bed head / hat head to affect it much.

What is your favourite brand of haircare products? I don't have a favorite brand or product.

Have you bought any alcoholic drinks in the past week? No.

Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink? No.

Do you know anyone that talks constantly about themselves and never even bothers to ask you how you are? I mean, aside from initial greetings, most people don't genuinely ask me how I am.

When was the last time you used a public toilet? Tuesday.

If the last person that hurt you apologized, what would you say to them? I'm not even sure I'm interpreting their actions correctly; I could just be overly sensitive and paranoid. But assuming I am correct, if they apologized, then I would probably just brush it off and tell them not to worry about it.

Did you go shopping today? No.

What was the last thing that put a smile on your face? Esther. She's perched on the arm of my computer chair, watching as I type this.

What is something you’d be happy to receive as a gift, that doesn’t cost a lot? Baked goods or utensils / tools related to baking. Cook books. A new coffee mug.

You’re given an extra $10 and told to go and treat yourself. What do you buy? I'm honestly not sure. Maybe I'd go get a coffee and a snack or something.

Has anyone ever asked for your phone number, and you refused to give it to them? Not that I specifically recall.

When was the last time you used someone else’s phone to text or make a call? Whose phone was it? Probably my dad's phone.

Do you have a favourite comfort food, that you absolutely must eat whenever you’re ill or upset? If I'm actually sick - i.e. with something other than a migraine, like a virus or whatever - then it kind of depends on what I can tolerate. There aren't any foods I have to eat, but there are some that I go to more than others.

If you were to decide now that you wanted to get drunk, what alcohol is available in your house? There's some bourbon left over from when I made that berry tart a few weeks ago.

What kind of music does your significant other/crush like to listen to?

When was the last time you ate cake? What type of cake was it? I had a tiny piece of that Devil's Food cake last night.

Who did you have your first kiss with? Do you remember what colour his/her eyes were? I'm not even sure what to consider my first kiss.

What’s the last letter of your surname? R.

In your phone’s contacts, who is the first person listed under ‘M’? What colour is that person’s hair? Mom. Brown / graying.

Whose Facebook timeline did you post on most recently?

Are there any themes from TV shows that you like to sing along to? Not really.

Kinky question time … to turn you on quickly, where is the best place to touch or kiss you?

Do your grandparents ever ask you about your love life? My grandparents have all passed away. They never asked me about my love life.

Do you eat dessert after dinner? I don't normally eat anything right after dinner, but I will have some dessert-like snacky bits before heading to bed.

Does anyone send you messages to say good morning or goodnight? No.

Have you ever had too much to drink and felt embarrassed about your behaviour the next day? Boooy have I ever.

Have you ever gone into school/work with a hangover? No.

What was the last thing your parents gave you money for? I'm not sure.

Who were the last people you had a group conversation with on Facebook? Never been in a group chat on Facebook. The only group chat I'm part of currently is the one for cattery. We don't really have full on conversations there, though; it's more for the sake of relaying important information.

The last time you were in a car, who was driving? Me. Went to therapy yesterday morning.

Who was the last person you took a photo of? Either my dad or Liv and Riley. Not an identifying photo, but a "behind the scenes" of a kitty photo shoot we did a few weeks ago.

What was the last thing that stressed you out? Intrusive thoughts.

Tell me about your last night out. Did anything interesting or amusing happen?

Who was the last new artist you came across, that you really liked?

What was the last video you watched on YouTube? Marfoogle TV.

What was the last song you listened to, that reminded you of someone? Not sure.

Have you ever told anyone that you were never going to speak to them again, but then you did? Probably.

How old is the last male you texted? 71.

When you go out drinking, what do you prefer to drink?

What was the last thing a friend bought for you? A little alien comic book.

What colour was the last mug you drank out of? Mostly white with bits of tan, gray, and red.

Do you have a collection of anything? No.

Is there a food or drink that you haven’t had before, but would like to try? I finally tried bubble tea!!! Lol, this was actually quite some time ago, all the way back in spring, but…!!! I got a taro one at Mongolian Grill.

[heartlurch]

Can you tell more about your cannibal shaymin OC who hates being in land forme? idk her name but she seemed cool... I like pokémon OCs and she had a really neat look and vibe about her... any other poké OCs you have would be neat to learn more about too!

(Under the cut for courtesy.)

Whoa, so interesting for her to be remembered, I made her years ago... (2019 mayb?) She wasn't as developed as some other concepts of mine, I never settled on a name proper, but I think of her as named something kind of severe. Like 'Clarity'... in contrast with her very sick, hazy mind.

She's genuinely just a vvvvery very ill, disordered individual, I imagined her very troubled when developing as a baby, put-off and violent towards any littermates or parent figure. She's not very old... young adolescent? And her diet is 'improper', as shaymin aren't meant to predate on other pokes, so she is underweight as her body isn't absorbing nutrients properly. Though I think unlike our world, pokemon are magical, enough that there is some wiggle room, esp as a pseudo-legendary... so her diet won't kill her, just hobble her, maybe further her unwellness. It's not exactly a hunger like a normal predator, it is something possessing her to do this, I would say almost like a delusion (that this is her 'destiny' in some manner, that's why it 'feels so good'.)

Eventually she was slated to have a mate that was a very overweight vaporeon my wife developed, one that got really good at hunting in its own habitat ww... I knew my wife was thinking about her being drowned, pulled into the lake by him.

As for OCs, I have several, many were made during a particular winter in 2017 where me and my wife sat down to design several pkmn to pair with one another. :3 Most of them compiled here & most didn't get a name. I think only the zigzagoon had one, 'Dart'... His mate, the persian with a blue gem, is named Lapis. I remember their narrative was one where her owner desperately wishes to breed her for her rare color mutation, but she is so persnickety and will not deign any proposed sires... The owner isn't cruel so doesn't force anything into her. But then she becomes charmed by a dirty little stray zigzagoon and instead obsessively wants to groom, cuddle, mate with him lol, and the owner just has to be like sigh, if this is what she wants....

I believe the chinchou was paired with a goreabyss that was very saturated (from her successful diet, much bloodsucking done ww), they meet oneday and she decides to not... kill him, for now. (?) The shuppet paired with a swirlix that is repulsed by sweets, thus suffers from a poor diet also. When the swirlix is unwell, the shuppet is able to feed on her negative emotions, and when the swirlix gets nursed back to health by shuppet, then it is his turn to become lethargic and unwell (no longer able to feed from her.)

Butterfree, electrike etc. were all just design pitches, not developed.

Since I really like the 'chu line, I had various sonas of them also. I had a 'set' of 2 pichu which were 'composite sonas' to represent myself, born from the same egg but instead of recognizing one another as siblings, saw each other as halves of the same whole. Technically they have defects effecting their development, improper tails and one has lop ears (cartilage issue?) Their egg was abandoned, so they have no troupe, and they're unable to be kind to one another actually... so they're sort of doomed to die if no one takes care of them. There's alternate timelines where, if they're somehow very lucky, they are able to evolve into pikachu/raichu... but then just become absolute monsters like that. Like I mean flat out going to become rapists kfkfkf

The pikachu, Muka, was an exploration of if those pichu weren't born separately, instead combining into 1 being. In this case, the lop-eared one would be melanistic (which I sometimes think of 'shadow' pokemon as being that in this world) ; the result is Muka is very visibly a chimera. He is still abandoned as an egg, and development was very difficult, but he has a 'more complete mind', less fractured.

One of my most recent sonas was Hondew, I made him like, early ~2021 or something... another chimera. (This concept stuck w/ me for a sec...) I have a write-up of him still:

"As a trapinch (and vibrava) he was a very simple minded creature, highly food motivated. would overeat if he could. but he was just getting by in the desert and could only do so much. Surviving to his final evolution was good fortune. The resulting intelligence and stats boost... are used all towards his high food drive. but now he also has the ability to enjoy playing with his food, and devise ways to hurt things.

his moveset is focused on paralysis (mean look, thunder fang) to slow things down and avoid giving chase(or being chased). he's not a fast flier, nor can he fly very high. as he gets fatter and less mobile, it means he problem solves how to work around these things. enabling him further..

he delights in eating baby pokemon and eggs, there's a sick enjoyment in doing so. and he clears the area of unwanted competition by making an inhospitable environment where there's a dirty rotten baby eater on the loose ! :(

He'll never pick a fight directly with a pokemon as high leveled as him. he has patience and tenacity on his side. he will play the long con of harassing you, tormenting you, and evading you with a tricky moveset. and most pokemon just would rather live elsewhere, where the competition is more manageable and there isn't a huge jerk nipping at your heels every second.

he likes to manipulate things in his hands, and the frequent use makes them more dextrous than most flygons. he can often be seen holding something. meticulously running his claws over it. in the case of avvy's shinx, he loves to touch her fur and carries her around everywhere. she's very novel, as shinx are not native to his deserts. he keeps her on a whim, but grows very attached to her over time"

Aside from him I think my most recent exploits were these other unnamed ones, a salandit and a togekiss. The togekiss is there to love and fuss and chuff over the little archen that nips at it, and the salandit is endlessly consuming cutiefly. I have a liepard and nidorino in the works, but they're indistinct in my mind still...

(Often I suppose naming the pokemon doesn't always come to mind bc they are equivalent to wild animals & sometimes it just doesn't really feel important or cross the mind.)

My only other OCs I belieeeve are in PMD verse, compiled here. Their narratives are not very different from the plot of their respective games. I think only the PMD sky set of phanpy (Vvyrd) and vulpix (Vivi) deviate, as Vivi evolves and her nature changes as a ninetales, she eventually steals Vvyrd away into the mountains to live in isolation. The skitty/mudkip were only from playing the demo fr DX so I don't think they had proper names... The super team was of a bulbasaur (Periwinkle) and fennekin (Wish) !

That's!!!!!!!!! Everything I think...........

[rin-and-jade]

TW: venting

How do I deal with an entitled alter?

Someone i know, is always by my side. Gled to it practically, and they're very ... needy

They constantly want things to go their way, they criticize my every move, saying they want this or that changed, they wanted yellow on MY painting instead of the pink that I chose.

Argh it's so... frustrating! And I can't get them to back off! I keep telling them that if that want to,- then they can just leave, but then they tell that they CAN'T and I just don't get it, it's such confusing behaviour but there's no escape from them. They keep following me everywhere I go and wanting me to change this and that for them.

Why can't they just be an adult like I am and learn how to back off! I never wanted them around, but they're acting as if they earn something from this and I just don't know what to do about it. They've been following me for so long, I can't take them/it anymore. Just- tell me how I get rid of them please?

They're like a child. Act like it at least, and they cling tight, like they need something.

Something they long for, but can't quiet express,,,, I think everytime they say they want this or that,, , , , it's a test.

To see how much I love them.

To see when I'll bend. When I'll snap. When I can't take it anymore and shout or yell or just- say something mean- anything I can to get them to lay off of me.(/us)

I'm so frustrated, this testing of theirs, is seriously breaking me down, and wearing me thin, so thing that I don't have patience or empathy or any emotional capacity left over for them. I just want to get rid of them.

I feel like a parent that's been kept up for several nights by their screaming child.

But God they have got to learn boundaries, - have got to learn that not everything goes their way, that they can't just force someone else to bow down for them and to get them to fill the form of parental love they're missing.

I can't be responsible for them, I won't be responsible for them. But it feels like they're trying to force me into giving them what they want.

They cling to me like they've chosen me as their parent, but i just- I'm not capable of being that for them.

I really don't want to be one for them.

I can't handle it.

They never tell me what they're REALLY looking for. But I really do think it's that parental love sorta thing.

I think they've just been so neglected that they're looking for the long lost pieces of what they need to feel whole again, but I can't give them that! I'm A HOST! For God's sake, I have a job to do, I can't keep going around having to babysit some other alter, it's too much responsibility that I'm not capable of bearing on my shoulders!

Please, how do I reject them ?

I think i can agree that people shouldn't take on work that they can't do for various reasons, so your reason here is valid.

First and foremost: express your genuine feelings of their actions. This can be done in an example like "i know you're trying to seek some closure from me, though the cruel actions is making everything unbareable and i will not allow my remaining autonomy to be taken for granted until you change your ways" , the idea here is to never direct to the person instantly (to prevent the abandonment or any negatively repressed feelings that can take offense) and only point out that it'll be rewarded if it acts more favorably (in this case, not nagging or trying to snap you)

Second: reccomend them that talking straight to the point on what its seeking for, instead of dropping clues or micromanaging or passively attempting to get feedback,, it will provide them an answer or a need or a thought that wants to be said.

Third, and last: ask what kind of issues or troubles or anxiety or worry or unresolved feeling it has. This will give you a better understanding about the situation you and them are in. If not told, then I suggest giving time and space and see if they open up. If it did reply to your question in an angry or a blaming way,, do not respond or react to it.

From these 3 steps, it'll help you gauge with what could be the issue or the problem in a deeper level. Feel free to update the results to me if you want this help to be continued! But, i wish you goodluck for now.

- c

[hatsunevitu]

did i mention i love kyman crossovers? i have come up with a kyman au that is a crossover with infinity train.

first of all if someone has no idea what infinity train is, that’s a cartoon about an odd train with an endless amount of cars in it. people get to this train suddenly, and they have a green flashing number on their hand, each is individual. it represents the main psychological trouble a person has. number can go up and down depending on how far a person is from solving the problem. the main aim of the train is to help ppl solve their trouble and make peace with themselves. (for example the main character of season 1 was a girl whose parents were divorced, and she blamed herself for that. she could only get off the train when she realised she’s not responsible for their decision and sometimes things change for the better)

so basically m4 + butters got to the train to the different cars each, but eventually they would find each other. i think first of all kyle found someone like butters or kenny, and cartman found stan. they would wander around through all those cars trying to understand the meaning of the numbers. when they finally all met up they saw that everyone’s numbers are different (butters has the biggest one and kenny has the least one) except for kyman because they share the same number. and it really pisses them off, because they have no idea why the hell they have something (anything) in common. so they’d start arguing and fighting AND THE NUMBER SUDDENLY WENT UP.

cartman: Aye! Are you copying me or what?

kyle: What are you talking about, Fata– oh! Your number! The same as mine…

cartman: Yeah, Kahl, that’s what I wanted to ask you about!

kyle: I have no idea why it is this way. Probably a coincidence?

cartman: What are the odds of this, huh?

kyle: I don’t know! And fuck off already, I’m already pretty sick of hearing you again.

cartman: You’re sick?? I’m the one who is forced to stay in a godforsaken closeted space with fucking Kyle!

kyle: Ughhh, it was much better to walk with Kenny, you fat fuck.

cartman: Yes, I also prefer Stan’s company muuuch better! …Wait.

kyle: Huh?

cartman: The number. It changed. It was 167 and now it’s 176!

kyle: …Mine too…

cartman: So they are connected.

kyle: I guess they are…

cartman: Oh, screw it, now my number is connected to the jew’s number! That’s not good, I swear it’s a bad luck…

kyle: Shut up already, would you?? I’m trying to think. You made our numbers go up.

cartman: Oh, so now it’s my fault?!

kyle: Whose else could it be?

cartman: My number was totally fine until I met you! I bet you did something to it and now because of your tricks I’ll never leave that train and never go home and that means I’ll never eat my goddamn KFC dinner my mother had promised me today.

kyle: Oh, so that’s the only thing that bothers you??

cartman: No, it actually bothers me a lot that I’m stuck here with you, of all people!!

(lmao btw the numbers are not random, 167 is a number of s16e7 “cartman finds love” and 176 is “ginger cow :D)

so they fight a lot and their number goes up and up, and then cartman does one small nice things for kyle and number goes a but down, so he realises the number depends on their friendship??? so he starts using it trying to act nice and good to kyle (not genuinely ofc)

cartman, opens the car’s door for kyle: After you, my dear friend.

kyle: What are you doing?

cartman: What? Just trying to help you, that’s all.

kyle: …You enter this one first.

cartman: What. Why?

kyle: I don’t trust you. It’s probably the most dangerous one and you just want to lock me there or something.

cartman: Why would I do that, Kahl?

kyle: Because you hate me.

cartman: That’s not true! It’s just friendly fighting, nothing more. Come on, Kyle, I’ll help you with that car! Hey, and did I mention you look sooo great today?

kyle, raising an eyebrow: The fuck are you talking about? What’s the catch? And why do you keep looking at your number?

cartman: Oh my GOD! Can’t I just be nice to you for a goddamn minute without you suspecting me of some delusional ideas, you fucking jew?!

kyle: I want to know why you’re nice, because I will never believe you’re genuine about that.

cartman: Oh, for fuck’s sake, just keep going!

and he realises it doesn’t work until it’s sincere.

so it takes them about two months to fix their friendship and be honest about it. that they don’t actually hate each other, that they have much more in common than they thought. and then they’re stuck at something like 10, for, um, two weeks. nothing they do can change their number no matter how nice and good they are to each other. the thing is the train wanted them to be honest to themselves, and they couldn’t do it without admitting they like each other more than friends :3

AND OH GOD PLS TELL ME IT DOESN’T SOUND DELUSIONAL AND CRINGE BECAUSE IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS SHIT FOR LIKE THE WHOLE DAY.