#i know they're just a skin and it would probably be more accurate if they spray painted the ground

[quackle]

i found a better picture of them playing and drawing :)

[noxiatoxia]

Hi! Are there any translation quirks regarding Nagito’s illnesses in his final FTE? Are there any references to it outside of his FTE?

Hi! Thank you for the ask! And sorry about the wait.

I assume by quirk you mean that if there's any extra info, or if something was translated differently/weirdly.

Regarding his illness in the final FTE, it is the same. Malignant lymphoma stage 3 with concurrent frontotemporal dementia. 6 months to 1 year life expectancy.

As for direct mentions of the illness outside of the FTE, I don't think so. The closest we get, I think, is this official (but non canon) story between him and Nidai during island mode.

I sadly don't have the Japanese version of the book on hand, and it's far more difficult to find manga online in the original language, so we'll have to settle for this and hope the translation is accurate.

Anyways, he outright says it was more from luck than illness, but I don't think that factors out illness. Especially if he was in the hospital almost daily.

If you just mean stuff regarding evidence for his illness, there's a few. Sorta. It's less outright and more like...it can be related, maybe.

Here's an entry from the SDR2 artbook:

Fair-skin. His skin is so pale that it's probably abnormal*. Don't say stuff like "Toast is a good choice for breakfast", he really should eat some white rice too.

*The word "abnormal" here is 病的, which means "sick of body and/or mind". Can be used to describe somebody who has a quality that is ill/abnormal/strange. Such as having an illness, or acting in a way that is excessive to a degree of abnormality. Obviously here it's being used to say he's so pale, he looks ill.

(By the way, if you can speak Japanese, the SDR2 artbook is a lot of fun. We get many great details such as: Komaeda's favorite food is bread/toast, his fashion sense is "edgy" and "avant-garde", his hood is likely custom-made to be a hardhat (this would explain why it doesn't lay flat in his sprites) and he obsessively cleans his bathroom after using it each time.)

Otherwise, on the topic of his FTD, I had a chat with @windcarvedlyre about some interesting tics in Komaeda's speech. I'll reiterate them here in hopefully a more concise manner.

Specifically, one could perhaps argue these to maybe be because of his FTD. For one, he is breathier and generally talks slower than Naegi. I bring this up as they both have the same voice actress, so it's definitely a deliberate choice Ogata made.

He also trails off a lot in speech. However, I have a hard time quantifying this because many characters not just in Danganronpa but Japanese media in general trail off constantly. I can say I think Komaeda is up there as one of the people who does it more often in SDR2, though.

And I think I've talked about this before but he uses a lot of filler words. I actually want to go into detail about this more. I don't know if I have before.

So, in Japanese...a lot of English learners are taught "uh" and "um" words are えーと etto, あの ano, その sono, ええ eeh, and so forth. This is true, for sure. But they aren't the only filler words. I think they're the most well known because JP to ENG dictionaries will readily tell you they mean "um" "err" etc. But others aren't really touched on in ENG dictionaries.

Specifically in Komaeda's case, he has a tendency to use "excessive" ね and さ particles. These particles are normal in Japanese speech, and reflect specific feelings and emphasis. But like any word, you can use them in a manner that functions more like a filler word.

However, context is important, as always.

I kind of see it like this: the way Komaeda uses ね and さ specifically reminds me of both Saionji and Koizumi's speech patterns combined.

Saionji uses ね a lot, probably as much as or more than Komaeda. In her case though, I wouldn't attribute it as a "filler word". To me, it reads more as a deliberate act to be cutesy/playful/youthful, and makes sense with her character.

Koizumi uses さ a lot very similarly like Komaeda. Strangely enough, the official English translation actually does go out of its way to occasionally translate this particle usage as "like" by her (e.g the line "this is like, really important!"), but not when Komaeda uses it.

Anyways, since these are merely being used as filler words, any sort of filler word fits. "Like" "um" "anyways" "so", etc.

You can make of these as you wish.

[tklpilled]

it was only days after their contract had been made that kinich asked the question.

"why did you choose that form?" the cave is silent, almost, aside from the crackling flames they're using for light. if not for such quiet, ajaw probably wouldn't have been able to even hear the question, the younger kinich's voice so timid.

"huh?" ajaw pauses, turns from where he's busily munching on a quenepa berry.

kinich isn't eating, knees to his chest as he stares at the ground. he's too damn thin; his body will be of no use to ajaw if it's going to be so weak. "i know you can't go back to your real form, but why this?" he draws aimless shapes in the dirt with his finger. "a human form would be more convenient, wouldn't it?"

"stop with the questions," ajaw grumbles, taking another bite. kinich obeys.

a minute later, ajaw breaks the silence again. "it's more convenient. uses less phlogiston." he sighs. "to think the great k'uhul ajaw has been reduced to this..."

kinich says nothing for a moment. "so, you could change forms if you want?" he finally looks up. "what does your human form look like?"

ajaw scoffs at that. "ha! like i'd show you. maybe one day, if you're not dead yet."

that day came one rainy night when kinich was stuck in bed, burning with a fever, and it was much easier to care for him with real hands. though maybe care isn't accurate, because ajaw doesn't care about kinich's wellbeing. he just doesn't want his future body to be so frail.

similar situations remain the only times kinich has seen ajaw's human form. he never says anything, but ajaw can always feel him staring. it doesn't come as a huge surprise when kinich, one day, specifically asks for ajaw's human body.

ajaw sprawls out on kinich's bed, closing his eyes with a sigh. this form feels more comfortable than his usual one, but at the cost of more of his strength. he flexes his fingers, runs them through his messy blond hair. kinich sits on the edge of the bed, watching silently. then, suddenly, he reaches out.

"what the hell are you doing?!" ajaw jumps away, sitting up, rubbing his arm where kinich had just touched. kinich's hand is frozen in the air, and he blinks.

"your skin feels real."

"huh?" ajaw rolls his eyes. "of course it does. what were you expecting?"

kinich crawls closer, reaching his hand out again, but this time, ajaw lets him. "more...synthetic?" he runs his fingers along the green marking's on ajaw's skin, up the insides of his arms until ajaw slaps him away.

"cut that out," he demands, not liking the oddly tingling feeling that follows kinich's touch.

but when has kinich ever listened to him?

ajaw discovered long ago the unfortunate reality; that with a human body comes human weakness. his sharp fangs have pierced the inside of his lip a few too many times. human bodies are so damn fragile. this, though? it's new. it's uncomfortably foreign, and suddenly he understands why kinich never lets ajaw touch his neck.

"agh! what the fuck!" he tries to escape from the hands squeezing the sides of his waist, but kinich has always been faster.

"if only you could stay in this form all the time," kinich muses to himself, making quick work of turning ajaw into a shrieking, laughing wreck. "this seems effective at reigning you in."

"k-kihinich!" ajaw screeches, head tossed back, electric shocks shooting up his body. "stohohop this ahat ohohonce!"

but, as usual, kinich doesn't listen.

[aeturnum-mendacacium]

Little 8 year old Bruce must be so fucking traumatized because listen people don't get how HORRIFYING bullet wounds our, especially if their on the face, like full blown out flesh,blood,muscles, especially if it's a exit wound. And I'm pretty sure Thomas died trying to protect Bruce and so did Martha so there is a good chance that the bullet went through the front and out the back, and that they might have fallen at an angle that might make the bullet wounds visible,

An example for what this would look like is this person on tik tok who draws accurate wounds, here name is @rabbits.foots, I don't have tik tok and I found it on Pinterest so here is the link:-

⚠️⚠️‼️‼️GORE/TRIGGER WARNING BTW, IT MIGHT TRIGGER SOME PEOPLE SO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DRAWING ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ⚠️⚠️

‼️ https://pin.it/1tCHn5xhl ‼️

Another point is that we don't know how long exactly Bruce was there, it could hours for god's sake till the police found him, since they were in a alleyway which was known for being dangerous, also most people probably thought it was a kidnapped/random situation too, so it must have taken atleast some time where Bruce was alone with the bodies

And btw when someone dies At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primary flaccidity). The eyelids lose their tension, the pupils dilate, the jaw may fall open, and the joints and limbs are flexible.

With the loss of tension in the muscles, the skin will sag, which can cause prominent joints and bones in the body, such as the jaw or hips, to stick out more. As muscles relax, sphincters release and allow urine and feces to pass. Within minutes of the heart ceasing to beat, the body will become pale as blood drains from the smaller veins in the skin (pallor mortis). This process can be more visible in people with light skin compared to darker skin and since Bruce is pale as a ghost you know he must have gotten it from somewhere

And you can not tell me that a dead body doesn't make noises after they die, cause they do, since all the air in the body is exiting they are cases where the body makes long groaning and moans after deaths, there are so many possibilities

So there he was, 8 year old Bruce wayne witnessing absolute NIGHTMARE and I know since even some adults are not able to stomach that AT ALL

LIKE IMAGINE IT, ITS GORE PEOPLE, DEATH IS GOREY , STOP MAKING THE DEATH SCENES LOOK AND LIKE THEY'RE JUST SLEEPING, MY BOY IS TRAUMATIZED

[theavianlady]

...tw? Tw.

TW: Gore, Blood, Injury, uh...Pain and Sadness-

@psychologicalwarclaire

Ha ha! Tis I! I was the anon!

(Cue dramatic exclamations of disbelief)

Ahem. Tis the anniversary of Spider's Web with Strings Attached, and I wanted to make something! Go and read the fic if you haven't already; it's incredible.

Lots of ramblings and other versions under the cut (if anyone wants to see any other parts with or without different lighting and stuff that I didn't include, just let me know; I'm happy to share).

===============================================================

This is the first (almost) completely original thing I've drawn digitally! Poses are really hard for me, so I'm super proud of this. No tracing, only references!

...so. Many. References.

Except for the bricks, which I'm not counting, because bricks are scary. And the chains. I used a brush. Chains are scary too.

I started July 28th, and then spent almost 40 hours across various canvases planning, experimenting, and actually working on this. Not including research. It took me absolutely forever, but I regret nothing.

Except for the fact that I spent over 6 hours just shading bricks. I didn't even draw them! I took a pattern for the grooves from google and filled it with black, (rotated and edited for some variance in their cells), and then did the red lighting and some shadows you can't even really see. For 6 hours.

I tried to draw their spider brooches many times, but I could not get them to look right (especially from a side angle), so I gave up. Let's all just pretend they're there until I come back later. Eventually. Maybe. Oh, and Leo's chains. At the time of posting, I really just want to get this up and posted, so they're not shaded, but again, I might do it later.

I wanted to have this set when they're both in their separate cells, right after Viper was, uh...in the cell with Leo. So, Donnie is all stitched up and healing, while Leo is...not doing great (not certain about the timeline, because I'm paranoid about everything, so it's probably fine). But, I wanted to convey what happened to Donnie, so I drew that weird glowing spine thing to indicate some kind of mystic healing something. I don't even know.

It didn't turn out as well as I wanted it too, but I'm probably biased. Because there was so much gore on Leo's side, Donnie's looked boring. I couldn't figure out how to do the lighting. The values could be better. It could do with more time spent on the shadows. Etc, etc. I'm a perfectionist.

===============================================================

Uh, in order of posting, behold!

1. Big version.

2. Big version without lighting (except on the bricks) or Japanese characters.

3. Close up of magic spine representation thing because I'm proud of it.

4. Close up of gore-covered-Leo because I'm also proud of that. I have never drawn such...messy gore before.

Fun fact, the group of layers all of that was on is called "Bad Stuff".

5. Close up of Donnie's shell stitches without the spine thing, because I worked hard on those. It was also pretty tricky, because I couldn't find any references for large stitched wounds. Only open ones. If anyone knows any good places for references like that, t'would be greatly appreciated.

Also, they don't usually stitch puncture wounds, because it could trap infection, but I feel like with something so large and deep as dragon teeth it would be necessary? So I tried to include those.

But also, would they just stitch the skin in such deep wounds? Is there still a gaping hole under the skin? Do they also stitch muscles with the dissolvable sutures or something? I'm like, going to go to med-school just so I can draw more accurate wounds and stitches and stuff.

6. Close up of Leo without the gore because he's pretty and I'm really proud of the plastron. And the right forearm armour piece. I couldn't get the other ones to look as nice, much to my dismay.

The Japanese characters write out to Omae wa hitoribocchi da, which translates to You are alone. I think. Google Translate says it's You are all alone, but translation services that I trust slightly more, like Reverso.net and ChatGPT (the most reliable of sources, I know) just say You are alone.

Omae is the equivalent of anata, for those familiar with Anata wa hitori janai. They both mean you, but omae is more...condescending, from what I can tell. Informal and rough, often used to express disdain or superiority.

Wa indicates that anata or omae are the subject of the sentence.

Hitori is present in both, meaning alone, though from what I can see, hitoribocchi is more...desolate and painful. It's a more emotional term for being alone.

Janai kind of means is not, or are not, while da is just like...closing the sentence. A firm, declarative ending particle.

I tried to paste the actual Japanese characters from different translation services (I am not fighting with using a keyboard from another language), but Tumblr wouldn't let me. Boo. So, you can all suffer with my English-Japanese. Also, don't trust anything I say. I'm learning Japanese on Duolingo, but I've only just started and it gets way more complicated. So, pretty much anything I just said could be wrong. I just did a lot of research.

If anyone does speak Japanese, and knows a better way to convey this, please tell me. I crave knowledge and accuracy.

I should get like, a personal human translator. No AI or program can truly understand a language like its people. Especially comparing Japanese and English. From what I've learned, there are a lot of words that could be translated many ways, depending on exact feel. It's complicated, and I'm scared to get farther into Duolingo's course.

===============================================================

I also just discovered yesterday that today is also the anniversary of the Rise Movie, so yay! Happy Anniversary to the movie that literally changed my life. And Curly, you're awesome. It's authors like you keeping this fandom alive, so thank you!

[wailing-bunny]

The Price of Kindness

Blade with language barrier <3 (I researched the Chinese phrases but if they're not accurate I apologize!)

☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂

Dark Content Warning!

Contains: Blade x gn Reader, Kafka (mentioned)

Warnings: yandere, NSFW, non-con, murder, violence (I mean it's Blade come on)

☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂~☂

You made the grave mistake of meeting Blade.

And an even greater one, you made the mistake of being kind to him.

It was all you could think about, as your tears fell like raindrops, dirtying the bloody mattress even more.

He didn’t pay any mind to your cries, however. In fact, you almost felt him going harder, moving faster, as he grunted like he was the one in pain.

You didn’t want to think about it, you didn’t want to remember that hellish day that you met him, but it was really all you could think about at the moment. If only… maybe… if you had done this instead of that… or that instead of this…

Or maybe, the best result would’ve been never meeting him in the first place.

You were strolling in the Luofu, glancing around the place in awe as you admired the ship you've wanted to visit for a long time. You had gone to a few stores, tried a few dishes you were dying to try, and now you were taking a stroll in the streets you admired so much.

Normally, people prefer places like Penacony for travel, and a few people had told you that the Xianzhou Luofu isn’t exactly all that touristic, and that you would have trouble understanding their language. But you didn’t care! It was your dream, and right now, you were standing in the middle of your dream, a happy face on your face.

Until you were caught up in an emergency, where you were cornered into a wall.

“Blade…”

You hissed in pain. “At least be a bit more gentle… “ You begged.

Of course, he didn’t listen. As if he couldn’t even understand what you were saying.

And to be honest, you couldn’t understand him either.

A man, trying to rob you, cornered you into a wall. He was saying things you couldn’t even understand. But it was clear he was a robber.

You cried as you tried to explain to the man that you didn’t have anything valuable with you. And the man, instead of understanding you, started to get violent.

Just as you were ready to accept your destiny, and regret your choice of coming here,

You heard the sound of a swift blade.

Cutting through delicate skin, and not even letting the victim scream.

You were shocked, scared, hesitant, happy? You just hoped he wouldn’t kill you too. You fell to your knees, looking at the dead body now laying limply in front of you.

You should’ve screamed.

You really should’ve. But even that wouldn’t have saved you.

“Shh.”

You looked up. A man with black hair, and eyes as sharp as a blade, was glaring at you, with a hand on his mouth, urging you to not speak, or scream.

You stood there confused. Not knowing what to do, but you obeyed. Scared for your life, so you obeyed.

A shushing sound, you’re all too familiar with, was heard. And just like before, you bit back your words, and closed your mouth, trying to muffle any sound that could be audible.

Because just like before, you were scared for your life.

At first, he was really intimidating, but after realizing he had saved you, you started to grow less weary of the man. Even inviting him to a café you saw on the way.

He gave you a look, not speaking, or making any move, as if he was judging you. You stayed there awkwardly, before remembering.

He probably doesn’t understand you.

So you quickly open a translating app, and show him your phone with a smile. Perhaps you were too calm for a person who just saw someone get murdered, by the person right in front of her, but you didn’t care. You were a bit lonely, to be honest. And although weird, he looked like a handsome gentleman.

Though, after seeing your screen, his expression did not change. He just glanced at the screen, before turning his attention back at you. He huffed, a frustrated sound.

And with that, he turned around and walked away. You frowned. How mean.

Just as you too were about to turn around, you heard a sound.

“Lái.”

You tilted your head, not understanding, before he made a beckoning motion, and you gasped, now starting to follow him with a smile.

“Bì zuî.”

He grunted. You yelled in frustration that you did NOT understand him, but when he gripped your hair and yanked harshly, you got the memo and stopped talking.

But he continued to pull as you sobbed, now growing more frustrated. What did he want you to do? You whimpered in pain, and misery, feeling hopeless. You wanted to go back home… You wished you had never came to the Xianzhou Luofu. You wished you had never talked with this weird man. You wished you had realized that the wanted posters among the galaxy had his face on them.

You shared a meal with the man. Although you couldn’t understand each other, you still tried your best to show him your appreciation with the translator on your phone.

He himself, didn’t talk much, nor react. But he wasn’t glaring at you with such hatred anymore. Maybe he wasn’t even glaring in the first place? That may be his natural expression. You weren’t sure.

Regardless, it was fun. And he was a good listener. Even when you stopped talking, thinking you bore him, he urged you to continue talking.

You eventually came to the conclusion that he was just bad at expressing his emotions. You were happy to make a new friend though.

After the little date, he even invited you to his house.

But you didn’t know, that you would end up being kidnapped by the Stellaron Hunters instead.

A slap brings you back to the present. A harsh one too. You yelp in pain, furrowing your brows and looking at him with a confused face.

He looked…less feral now. Less like an animal. He was panting, still glaring, but his expression was softer now. Less like wanted to kill you by ravishing your insides.

He did the latter anyway though, you were so tired, you barely felt him pull out. You finally could breathe.

You tried to roll over to rest more comfortably, but the smell of your own blood covered in the sheets, and the pain of your open wounds brushing against the surface made you whimper in pain.

Which you quickly regretted, when you felt his eyes lock on you again. He was about to grip your wrists again.

“Bladie, let them rest, will you?”

You heard her voice, and breathed a sigh of relief. Blade tsked before getting up, and leaving with the lady who was chuckling in amusement.

You closed your eyes, finally happy to be able to get some rest. You heard his voice among their distant talk, something catching your attention.

“Maybe it wasn’t too bad of an idea, after all…”

And you opened your eyes in shock when you realized.

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

Could you recommend some good resources on accurate depiction of parchment in the medieval period? I feel like most people interested in medieval studies have a basic understanding of what it is and how it’s made, but you seem more well-versed than most on its tactile properties and regular use cases. Where can others acquire this knowledge?

most of what i've learned about manuscripts and book history has been either during my degrees or from work (i have worked in various libraries including with special collections, although mostly with early printed books and later paper manuscripts in that capacity). and in terms of what it's like to interact with, i have learned this mostly from interacting with it, but if you don't have a library or museum near you that will enable you to do this, it's a bit harder. this makes it hard to give recommendations although there are lots of very good books out there about books and manuscript history

(there's one i read early on in my journeys with palaeography etc that went into loads of detail about different writing surfaces including wood and wax tablets and so on, but i cannot remember the title and past me did NOT write it down which was really unhelpful. if i remember it i'll post about it)

there are also a ton of online resources about manuscripts though. lots of museums have online guides to manuscript production, parchment, writing through history. there's lots of codicology stuff out there. so it's not like you have to learn it in a formal environment -- that's just where i learned it and therefore mostly from lectures rather than shareable resources

but to understand parchment specifically i think understanding the process of making it is a crucial step to understanding why it is the way it is (and why it's not paper). here's a couple of youtube videos that give an overview

this is a more detailed video about a project that got people to make parchment themselves which is just kinda interesting (haven't watched it all the way through but am watching parts):

once you understand how parchment is made and the resources that go into it, i think it's easier to understand why it probably wouldn't be used for ephemera and scraps, and that helps you think about situations where people might use something else -- e.g. a wax tablet to take hasty notes, send messages that don't need to be permanent, send messages that are emphatically not permanent (your recipient can melt it and hide the note), etc -- as well as beginning to rethink the modern world's reliance on the written word in general and consider how oral messages and other non-written communication might have been used

as for the tactile side of things, as i said in a previous post, if you can't touch book parchment, go find your local irish musicians and see if the bodhrán player will let you handle their drum (or good quality orchestral timpani will do too! but with a bigger drum it's harder to feel both sides of the skin). drumskins made of goatskin are very similar on a tactile level to parchment, just a little thicker and not processed to quite the same level as a writing surface. it helps you stop thinking of them as super fragile once you realise people are whacking them with a stick regularly, and you can learn about the difference between the hair side and the flesh side of the skin and stuff and see the way the hair leaves traces in the skin and so on. this helps with the tactile understanding

(the cheaper the bodhran, the rougher the reverse side will be even if the front is still nice and smooth, which also makes you realise the difference between high quality books where you can barely tell which side of the page is the hair side, and low quality ones where they're not fully treated, there's still hair, whatever)

i talked to a conservator lately who told me the way he got into book conservation was via musical instrument repair -- they are more similar than you would think -- and i know trad musicians scattered far and wide enough to be reasonably confident that even if you're in an area with no touchable medieval manuscripts, you can probably at some point find a drummer who will let you play with their bodhrán in exchange for a pint or something, lol

but in the mean time there's lots of cool videos about there about parchment making which i do think is a crucial step to understanding it as a writing surface! and i will see if i can remember the names of any of the books i've read...

[phyx-m]

Beneath The Silk | True form Sukuna x Reader

🔗 Masterlist

Chapter 9: The Space Between

Content warning: angst

🔗 Songs for this chapter:

Shame - Mitski

Chapter 8 | Chapter 10

Shame, your familiar acquaintance returns, leaving you motionless on the futon for several long minutes.

What… just happened?

It takes a moment, but gradually, you come back to yourself, becoming aware of your inner thighs. The dampness there, it’s a little sticky, a little sore. The sheets, too, are a mess.

Dragging yourself off the futon and onto your feet, you feel a dull ache in your neck. Touching it gingerly, there's a sting and your heartbeat pulsing in the wound. You can make out the indentations and grooves of teeth—Sukuna’s teeth. When you pull your fingers away, they're coated in blood. Unfortunately, it will probably leave a mark and become a soft scar.

Moving quickly, you strip off your yukata, put on a fresh one, and head toward the door. As you slide it open, it rustles softly rather than its usual mournful squeal—Ren must have had it repaired for you.

With the door ajar, it presses open to reveal the dark, deserted corridor. You step out.

Despite it being the middle of the night, shame has you moving, desperate to cleanse and rid your body of Sukuna’s touches. Slowly down into the silent passage, you start walking left. You don't stop. After a few twists and turns, you reach the bathing chambers.

In the murky light, you fumble until your hands find a clean cloth and a basin of cool water. You dip the cloth in and then press it against your inner thighs and cunt. The cloth is scratchy and cold on your sensitive skin as you drag it over yourself. Although you soon feel clean, you continue wiping as if the repetitive motion could somehow erase what just happened.

There was always a possibility that you would find yourself in a precarious situation to fulfill your task. However, you were unprepared to relish being beneath the King of Curses. Enjoy his hands all over you. Enjoy it even down to the smallest touch of his fingertips.

The long deprivation of touch must have driven you to desperation. 

That’s all it was—nothing more. And now, it’s nothing but regret.

“You are pathetic,” you whisper to yourself.

Perhaps Sukuna’s muttered insult, spoken before he left your chambers with a look of absolute hatred and disgust, more accurately reflects your character: weak.

It wouldn’t be the first time he’s labelled you with something cruel.

You clench your teeth and continue scrubbing the space between your thighs, the cloth now feeling like needles against your skin.

“How could I be so fucking naive?” you murmur, eyes beginning to sting.

You long for your sister’s presence—Yuna, sweet and lovely Yuna. Her gentle voice and soothing words have always brought you stability when you felt lost or when you would forget yourself.

But your sister is not here. She’s far away.

With your head tilted downward and your focus on the cloth, a tear slides down your nose, which you quickly wipe away.

A tiny sniff, and you dip the cloth back into the water, wringing it over and over again as you prepare to clean the bite wound next.

The soft flicker of a lantern’s flame suddenly chases back the darkness. You turn your head, still obsessively wringing the cloth in your hands. Cutting through the doorway, white hair and a white kimono pierces the blackness.

“My Lady?” Uraume’s monotone voice pushes into the space. “What are you doing here so late?”

They enter the room, the lantern casting a small pocket of light around the two of you.

You remain silent, holding the cloth in the basin. The soft sound of water droplets falling from your forearms is all that is heard. Uraume studies you with a wary gaze.

“You are bleeding,” they observe, nodding toward your neck.

You swallow, throat dry and tight.

“Yes.” Is all you say, unwilling to explain why you are awake or how you got the wound. Yet, Uraume's expression suggests they already know.

What if your desperate moaning and begging woke them up? What if others at the shrine heard you? Ren… and Sayuri.

Oh god.

Your stomach cramps and pulls with humiliation.

Uraume moves around the room, placing the lantern on a nearby bench before turning back to you.

“May I?” they ask, flicking their hand toward the cloth submerged in the water. You look down at it clenched between your fingers.

An offer to help.

If this had happened a few hours ago, you might have declined. But something compels you now. You unknot your fingers, the cloth floats in the water, and you step back, giving a subtle nod.

Uraume steps forward, slips their hands into the basin, and wrings out the cloth a few times before standing beside you.

They press the damp fabric against your neck, wiping slowly, downwardly, to remove the blood. Their actions are careful, as if you might shatter at any moment. And you feel like you might.

Sukuna has tormented you from sunup to sundown. In a single day, he has inflicted pain, compelled you to consume human flesh, pursued you, healed you, touched you, brought you pleasure, and ultimately threatened you.

For a moment, he almost lulled in, making you forget what he truly is. Yet, in a way, he has done you a favour by reminding you of his true nature.

A deep, festering bitterness begins to well up inside you.

Your hands clench into fists, nails digging into the skin, that familiar sensation pricking there.

With your eyes fixed forward, you breathe through your nose as another tear crawls down your face. You force yourself to stay still, even as more fall. Uraume remains quiet and focused, but aware of your distress.

After a few heartbeats, they pull their hand away.

“It is not deep enough to require additional treatment,” they remark as they step away and discard the pink-tinged cloth.

You swallow again.

“Thank you,” you manage to say, rubbing at your stinging eyes.

You don’t fully understand why they show you this kindness, but you are profoundly fucking grateful.

Uraume nods and moves to retrieve the lantern.

“This way. I’ll take you back to your chambers.”

You follow quietly down the corridor, trailing behind them. Upon reaching your room, Uraume enters first.

Before you step inside, you pause and look down the passage at the door to Sukuna’s chambers. The distance between your rooms stretches like an impossible expanse.

After one last glance, you enter your room. Uraume is already in the process of removing your sheets. The sight makes you feel ill, and you quickly move to assist them.

“Please, let me handle that,” you insist, face heating at how dishevelled they look, covered in wet drool from Sukuna’s stomach maw and a few droplets of blood.

“It’s fine,” they respond, but you ignore their reassurances. Instead, you help them remove the items, and Uraume places them into a wicker basket in the corner of the room before retrieving a fresh set of sheets from the wardrobe.

In an unexpected turn of events, you both quickly start making the futon together.

“As the weather cools, a method for keeping your chambers warm will be provided in the coming weeks. If you need it sooner, please inform me, Sayuri, or Ren,” Uraume says, placing the soiled sheets into the basket and picking up your discarded yukata.

“Thank you, I will,” you murmur, following them as they head towards the door.

“Is there anything else I can assist you with, my Lady?” Uraume asks.

You hesitate for a moment.

“Actually, I do have a small request.” You cross the room quickly and return with the letter you wrote last night. “If possible, could this be delivered to my sister?”

Uraume takes the small missive and tucks it securely within the folds of their kimono.

“Of course.”

You both linger in the doorway for a moment, your hand resting on the door, eager to close it and finally get some rest.

“An animal, when cornered, will not hesitate to attack,” Uraume says abruptly.

What?

You stare at them, struggling to understand their sudden, cryptic words. 

“Goodnight, my Lady,” they add, bowing, then pinning you with a purposeful look before picking up the lantern and disappearing down the shadowy corridor.

Who is the animal in this situation?

“Goodnight,” you reply faintly, watching them leave before sliding the door shut with a soft click.

🔗 Chapter 10

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #5

They're so cute...

OH, she set them up!! Here we go!

Wanda making squeaky toy noises when Cosmo hugs her is all I've ever wanted.

"We're real, all right! ... Real fairies. Not real humans."

BUDAWHAAAAAAAA-? Thank you Cosmo for just confirming elastic skin, which has been one of the most important headcanons in my worldbuilding. I did not expect you to do that for me, but... thanks?

Pfft, Wanda changing her legs.

ERG??? Is that you?

Okay, there's that "We've been retired for 10k years" implied time travel bit; I think I remember that from the story bible + early convos with my friends, so at least I came prepared to expect that.

This is either time travel - which plays perfectly into my established "Cosmo ate a time key during dinosaur times and has been running around through time unsupervised for ages" headcanon anyway, LOL - or they're flat-out lying to Hazel, seeing as the audience already knows Timmy is confirmed as a recent godkid, so... Hm.

SLDKFJSD I love how the guy who accidentally sent his baby stroller down a steep hill is wearing a #1 Dad hat. "My expensive stroller! ... I mean, my baby!" - Yeah, we're still in FOP. All the parents are terrible here.

Setting her up as loving french fries and then turning her into a fly who found french fries was clever.

Cosmo once again being so close and yet so far to his mark. Good to see him back!

Me when I return my would-be murderer's daughter, who is a bug.

I AM SO GLAD that even in 10,000 years, Wanda's small talk skills have not improved far beyond "I'm Human McRealPerson" and "My husband is a grilled cheese sandwich" from back in the day, sdlkfj. That's my girl!

oh no, the Venus flytrap gift they brought over is about to go so wrong.

Yep, she's still goin'. Talking about the carwash.

GIRL check your fingers.

OH MY GOSSSSSSH, he's dressed for a classy party in Fairy culture. Cosmorella? We thought you were dead!!

... That's an ant? I would've guessed tick.

It's a guy ant? Buddy, are you sure you're supposed to be foraging?

Let's go!!

SDLKFJSDKLFJSLKJF noooo... No, no, no, no, no... Not the thing I use to symbolize memorials for the dead, c'mon!

It IS an accurate item for a Fairy house- these were all over the place in Fairy World during the old show, AND in that color, though you usually see more than one "wand" per pot.

I'm super impressed the artists studied the old interior design customs. Huh.

Cosmo lives here. Also, BABY!!

OOH, I'm excited that Cosmo and Wanda's window overlooks Fairy World because it's kind of a portal. I did something super similar with a rat cage in an upcoming Frayed Knots scene, where Anti-Cosmo and Wanda are godparenting together during school. Nifty!

He even confirmed it's a spell on the front door! Wow. Somehow, Past Me nailed that.

"We can choose which world we go out into!" -> /Me with my 'fic where Kevin Crocker is confused that Shirley's Pizza Parlor has an exit on the other side that goes to Retroville.

Cosmo: We lived in Timmy's fishbowl for 20 years. Wanda: It was 7.

You are both wrong- it was like 68 <3 But honestly, I forgive you for not wanting to tell Hazel time was frozen for 50 years. I don't think she'd like that. Actually, I don't think she was born yet, because my vision is time freezing at the end of Season 4, and Dale was rescued in Season 2, so... Yeah, she wasn't born. Still, you don't wanna just drop that on someone.

That's actually very funny that Cosmo and Wanda are struggling because they're out of practice during their retirement.

THERE'S THE SIGN!! Way to go.

Oh, and the credits are done in a similar style to the old ones? Even the colors? That's so cute! That's also nice that Hazel's VA was a story editor too- That probably helps with the passion and vision.

That was cute. I liked it. Huge relief to see something well-researched and made with love after "Fairly Odder" was a struggle for me.

I've got a little more time tonight, I might be able to get one more episode done before bedtime.

[mediocreanomaly]

May we have Vashwood x reader part 3 please?

Authors Note: my poor anon you've been sitting in the box but I shall release you.

Sorry guys! I was super busy and then I put a bunch of work into a DnD Campaign so my creative brain was fried a bit then I got sick and then my hands got messed up from saving my cat from a dog attack and- I'm rambling! Sorry for the long wait is what I mean! Enjoy!

Other Parts Here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 3 (Alt. End)

Vashwood x Reader Soulmate Au Pt.3

No. No absolutely not is your first thought, your second thought being I'm going to kick these idiots ass.

"Are you listening doll face?" The man, who's name is presumably "Nick" says.

It's quiet besides the blood rushing in your ears. Everyone in town is probably asleep or close to it by now and these two just keep watching you like you're supposed to know how to react to this, like this is remotely a normal situation to be in.

"Did we break them? I told you it was too much! You never listen to me" the spikey one pouts. They seem comfortable with each other, you wonder how long they've been together. You suppose it makes sense that if they had found each other first they wouldn't have thought to look for you, having multiple soulmates was rare and considering you did everything in your power to stay out of trouble it tracked that a third soulmate would be nearly undetectable, maybe you should have gotten hurt more often...no that was stupid these two had certainly caused enough pain for the three of you.

"We didn't break them just give them a second they're thinking, Jesus spikey are you the reason they say blondes are dumb?"

"Hey!"

The two men bicker and you notice that they're different in a lot of ways right off the bat. Blonde and black hair, blue and brown eyes, light and tan skin, it almost makes you wonder how you're supposed to play in here. How in the grand scheme of things the universe chose you to stand next to these, frankly, very bizarre (and handsome) men. You need to say something, you need to voice your concerns your hopes your worries-

"I hate you" It's all you can really think to say. In a way it's true and in more ways it's not. Be that as it may with all the emotions flooding through you right now on top of the fact that they've revealed themselves in the most unorthodox way possible it's making it hard to express what you actually feel clearly. Something along the lines of "you two made my life a living hell for such a long time I wanted to kill you but I've matured since then but that doesn't take away the childhood that got stripped from me but I also understand it's most likely not your fault and the fact that there's two of you makes more sense but also gives me 100 more questions-" would probably be more accurate. but "I hate you" is what ends up coming out your mouth.

"You...what?" you flinch. You weren't exactly ready for that to be asked in the most heart shattering tone in the world and when you glance up to see the blonde wears an expression akin to that of a kicked puppy you feel regret creep through your veins.

"Vash they don't mean that, I said mean shit too when we found out" Nick huffs. Ah so the kicked puppy's name is Vash good to know- ah...hang on a moment..

"Vash?" you repeat, "Vash like....like Vash the Stampede?" you say dumbly, but there was no way the man you had nearly made cry from one sentence was the Vash the Stampede that was plastered on every god forsaken wanted poster across Gunsmoke

This catches his attention, the wounded look turning into something more wide eyed like a man who's forgotten to turn off the oven at home.

"We never even introduced ourselves!" he says in alarm, brushing himself off as if it'll cause a redo of the entire situation.

"Needle noggin-" "shh"

Vash scolds the other man whos already patting his breast pocket for another smoke clearly annoyed with how this whole thing is playing out.

"Vash the Stampede and-" Vash nudges Nick who reluctantly adds

"Nicholas D. Wolfwood"

"-at your service! We've been traveling far and wide-"

"Because Spikey always get's chased out-" this earns Nick an elbow in the side which you also wince at when you feel it dig into your own ribs. Vash quickly gives you an apologetic smile but continues.

"-in hopes of finding you! y/n, we're your soulmates!" He finishes with a half hearted wiggle of his fingers and and look that reads "tada?"

You blink dully at them. Yeah that added up. This would be your life wouldn't it? First you are tormented by pain your whole life and now you find out it was because your soulmates were the man with a 1,000,000,000 double dollar bounty on his head and...actually you have no idea who this Nicholas guy is. Considering the cross...Jesus reincarnate? Unlikely but at this point you'd believe anything.

"nuh-uh" it...comes out your mouth before you can stop it.

"nuh-uh? What the fuck do you mean nuh-uh?" Wolfwood gapes pulling his glasses up, yeah...not your best moment.

"I mean, no thank you. Look, I'm sure you're great people- or maybe you aren't I don't know I heard a rumor Vash the Stampede eats babies-" "What?!?! I don't-"

"Besides the point!" you interrupt "Look I didn't ever plan on meeting you, hell I'm not sure I even want to know you. So...I think it'd just be easier if the two of you just..." your sentence dies in your throat the longer they look at you hoping they catch your drift.

"Because we hurt you?" Nick steps a bit closer and you tell yourself it's the soulmate connection currently frying your brain and not the fact this well toned man has his whole chest out right now.

"N-No, well maybe? It's complicated" you had never planned on meeting your soulmate- or soulmates but in hindsight a bit of practice of what you were going to say might have been smart.

"We don't have to leave yet, we can stay- just so you get used to us! We aren't that bad...promise" Vash offers and damn those critically effective puppy dog eyes he uses as he moves to get a bit closer too.

"It's not that I think you're bad, it's just...I mean I hardly know you" you try, you already know it won't work. Despite not knowing them you can tell they seem the hard headed type.

"We're soulmates" Nick counters lazily as if you're the one being irrational.

"I- I don't know, I'm cleaning up here and-" "we can help!" the eager blond insist, with another step closer.

"you really don't have to-" "it's the least we can do, we owe ya don't we?" Nick muses, again another step.

"Well I wouldn't say that, I'm sure it wasn't your fault-" "Maybe, maybe not but we've been looking for you for a long time" You notice Vash has a beauty mark right under his eye there's a weird urge to reach out and trace it.

"Looking for me?" you ask

"Mhmm, since we caused you a lifetime of distress I'm sure, blessed are the merciful and all that, it's your turn to receive a little mercy" ignoring the awful half bible quote Nick's smell is invading your nose, like smoke, cedarwood and-

You aren't 100% sure how it happens, all you know is you're sandwiched between the two men. It was a trap for sure, moving in ever so carfully like they were herding a scared animal. This should alarm you, two men you've just meet keeping you in place, but for some reason a warmth spreads across you. It's like seeing an old friend or coming home for holidays, a certain sort of familiarity and safeness despite not knowing much about the two at all.

"You can feel it can't you?" Vash coos down at you, using his flesh hand to tilt your head up to meet his face, stark blue eyes deeper than the ocean gaze down at you and god when did he take those glasses off?

"It was weird the first time we met too, but it feels good though right?" Nicks voice makes you shiver as his mouth ghost over your ear, hands coming to settle at your hips.

"It feels.." your eyes flutter "Like home" the three of you say in sync, Vash and Nick chuckle as if this was a predictable response but something tells you they must've said the same cheesy line when they first met.

"We don't want to hurt you anymore" Vash's other hand rubs soft circles against your ribs and you feel the sudden urge to melt into the two of them.

"We've been thinking...that we should balance it out." Vash hums as Nick works on nipping at your ear

"Balance it out?" You almost don't recognize your own voice with how breathy it ends up coming out. They really shouldn't be having this effect on you, you should be yelling, or scolding them- no you'd definitely scold them later that was still on the table but...right now seemed like a bad time.

"yeah sweetheart, pleasure for pain right?" Nick chuckles in your ear, deep and gravely whether it's from lust or the cigarette he just put out you aren't sure.

"So?" he continues, "What do you say?" you feel Vash kiss at the corner of your mouth and Nicks hot breath against your neck

"Let us show you how good we can make you feel instead?"

[applestruda]

hi hello im a big armor and design nerd, and was wondering if you’ve ever shared your thought process behind the boatem knights’ designs? they are all very cool and I love them

I haven't! I will say there are varying levels of thought process behind the designs, such things usually depending on how familiar i am with the hermit. I WILL ALSO SAY THAT IM NO ARMOR EXPERT IN THE SLIGHTEST! my designs are purely for fun, they're probably not completely functional or accurate.

the designs for reference

Impulse: i was generally sort of thinking that base wise, he was building this big industrial factory. while this doesn't directly transfer into a fantasy knight's design, i was thinking about how just like, tanky, his base is. like big industrial buildings equaled larger plates of armor and more overall protection in my head (im pretty sure, besides pearl, he's the most armored knight). then theres just smaller things, such as a purple collar to match his actual s8 skin and the bowtie, as well as a little decorative "i" . I also have longer trailing pieces of fabric to mimic the long coat he was wearing

Grian: he's sort of the opposite from impulse. for him i was trying to think of light armor that could still allow for flight. its why he has a lot more padded areas. (now ofc im sure his armor is still heavy and flight would be hard but hey this is fantasy im not suuupper pressed) there's a little less thoughts behind the rest of the design as it's mostly just a play on his base skin of red sweater and grey pants.

Pearl: she's probably the second most tanky knight, and honestly there's not too much of a reason for it. her armor is a lot more curved, i guess would be the word, bc to me it sort of made crescent shapes. also i dont think i necessarily had this in mind, but the scalemail segment of her armor is fun to me considering her being a moth hybrid in bkau.

Scar: in s8 scar very much sort of gave me steampunky vibes with his big swaggons, so instead of going with the usual metal armor like the rest of the knights, i figured that leather would maybe match his vibes a little more. on top of that, scar is definitely more of a ranger than a like, traditional knight in bkau, so the light weight armor was also meant to lend to that. the rest is ofc based on his s8 tycoon skin.

Mumbo: he doesn't have all that much behind his design, besides the fact that its meant to match his base suit skin a little. i think at the time i was designing him, i hadn't really watched anything of mumbo's, so i didnt quite know any specific paths to go with him. though being honest, as of now i wouldnt change much either.

anyways those are some general thoughts for the knights. there was probably more thoughts in my head when i initially designed them but i dont remember everything. hope this all made sense :]

[jaywalkers]

hi róisín, since ur in med, i was wondering : is aftg v medically accurate ?

hihi! i'll preface with that i'm not a med student, i'm a final year paramedic student, but i think my scope and areas of practice fit the antics the foxes get into in aftg enough to comment on it!

i won't talk on aftg's take on medications, antipsychotics or otherwise, because a lot of other lovely people who are far more educated on the topic have written about it! when it comes to aftg's treatment of injuries, though, i do have some things to say.

i'm going to tee up a couple of examples of frontline medical treatment in aftg and make some comments on them! granted they're very messy, but i hope they're understandable enough.

from the best, to the worst:

kevin's hand

i don't think it's unfeasible that kevin was back to playing capacity two years after his injury happened — while i think that his hand was probably severely fractured, and there was likely different fingers involved too, with good surgical intervention (which he was likely able to access) hand fractures, even complex ones, can be healed enough in 4-6 months.

the ligament injuries would be the more pertinent, and i think those would be the more pressing concern for him outside of the healed bones, considering ligament injuries can cause chronic issues not limited to pain. i would be surprised if abby was the sole medical provider for the foxes, because while she does appear to be a well-rounded sports nurse, kevin probably would have needed to work with a dedicated physiotherapist and/or a hand specialist to get the use of his hand semi-back to normal.

other questions abt kevin's medical problems? please observe here

2. neil's wounds post baltimore

when it comes to how these wounds are treated by medical staff, i have no concerns. the hospital neil is brought to by the FBI seems to have treated the wounds well and left him to sleep off any negative follow-on effects from the chloroform. the only thing i have qualms with is the implication from the hotel scene that the hospital has put an adhesive dressing over neil's burn on his cheek, which is a big no in wound-dressing — burned skin is very delicate, and adhesives can damage or rip it away with removal. it's why we use glad-wrap in the prehsopital setting for burns, because it's sterile and not sticky!

abby, when she gets her hands on neil, changes the bandages so the wounds can be visualised and aired out, cleans them again, and then re-dresses them cleanly. i have no issues here.

when it comes to how these wounds are treated by andrew, i have only this text from my brother when he first read the series a couple of years ago

throughout the series, including post-nest, andrew is constantly getting his grubby little mitts in neils fresh wounds. he should not be doing that. in particular in the hotel scene he peels away the adhesive dressing over a burn which is just a recipe for tissue-loss, severe pain, and increased risk of infection. i don't know how abby didn't scream because i would have.

just andrew. in general. yikes, my dude. don't do that.

3. jean

jean. he is the kicked dog of this series and i genuinely don't know how he was alive at the start of the book series, let alone at the end. at the start of the series, he has (according to the EC) experienced not only numerous fractures to various bones, but has had two incidences where he 'bashed his head open on the concrete', and needed 266 stitches total. also ten incidences of waterboarding.

if we break this down: that's two major head injuries, multiple incidences of significant amounts of blood loss, and ten incidences of asphyxial peri-arrest events.

it's further implied by both the novels and the extra content that jean was not given time to heal from these injuries, and instead had to play games. add to that the hours of the nest and the living conditions, and i actually cannot fathom how jean was not yet dead, by either a single incident or the culmination of many. exy is a contact sport. those head injuries, plus an accidental shoulder-check into the plexiglass could have, and should have killed him.

i'm glad he didn't. i think it's important that he didn't. but it is a miracle of biology and the sanctity of his cerebral blood vessels that he stays alive to the end of the books.

---

anyway i hope this all makes a bit of sense! im writing this half-mad with eight hours until my last exam for my 2nd to last semester so i'm running on energy drinks and way too much memorisation work of how benzos work. thank you for the question! and as always, please field more my way i LOVE this stuff.

[adobe-outdesign]

could you review the sweet kacheek?

Kacheeks are one of those Neopets that I feel has pretty iconic status in terms of being recognizable as a Neopet. Part of this is because it's been around for a very long itme, but I also think part of it is that they're one of those pets where they're obviously an animal, but which kind of animal remains unclear; in other words, it's a great abstract design.

Visually, they're pretty straight-forward; long tails and a simple vaguely rodent-like body with a flat face and large head. The body is broken up with lighter cream areas on both the tail and underbelly, almost like a fox if a fox was a bipedal rodent thing and not a fox at all. I do wish the off-putting hairs on the head were an actual tuft of fur or something, but otherwise it's a fine design.

Kacheeks are a little hard to place in terms of customization. Stickly speaking, the design itself didn't change at all, but their heads become more proportionate with their bodies, their bodies became less chubby, and their faces got subtly altered, with extra eye highlights, a bigger mouth, and less mirthful eyes.

I'm also not big on the customized version's tail, which feels too long relative to the body and gained an odd shape where it flares out at the base, becomes thin, and then flares out again. Some of the lineart there also implies bends in the tail that don't make sense.

In other words, the customized version is probably better in the sense that it matches other Neopets' visuals a lot more, but it just became a lot less cute in the process.

Favorite Colours:

Plushie: Kacheeks are one of those species that feel like they don't have a lot of stand-out colours, which I attribute to being around for a long time (getting low-effort versions of early colours and whatnot). That said, the plushie Kacheek is really nice. The little heart-pattered fabric swatches are super cute, and there's lot of stitching and and patchwork in the design. The color palette also looks good, using a soft pastel in contrast with the bright blue accents.

The UC/styled version looks cuter and more plush-like, but the converted is still good and accurate for the most part (except for missing the stitching on the tail tip and inexplicably mirroring the blue patches; the pre-conversion art was facing to the left, but the patches would still be on the other side regardless).

Disco: Disco is normally just one of those "whatever" colours, but I don't know, I find myself really liking this one. The Kacheek was originally known as the Badeek, sporting sunglasses in its earliest design, and this colour gives them a fresh pair of adorable oversized green glasses that really add something. Beyond that, the color palette works surprisingly well together and there's lot of details, like plenty of flowers, some striped, and multi-layered coloring on. Groovy.

Halloween: What I really like about the Halloween Kacheek is the mouth, which is perfectly haggard-looking and appropriate for the colour. The green palette works well here, and I love the clothes, which compliment the green with a nice brown and a cream collar to match the tail accents. As a bonus, the clothes are removable in customization and the base itself looks pretty good.

BONUS: I'm counting the mutant Kacheek as a bonus because I really like it but also feel underwhelmed by it, and I'm not sure if the iconic-ness of the design is genuine or just me being biased (being a filthy Mutant Graveyard of Doom lover). The head looks fantastic, with the exposed brain coming right out of the skin, black eyes, and fangs.

However, the lower body is just so... nothing-y. It looks exactly the same as a regular Kacheek minus the much-needed markings. Couldn't you have like, changed the body shape? Added more black or pink accents to the palette? Put more brain matter elsewhere in the body? Like, anything? But like I said, the head looks fantastic, and adding clothes via customization will go a lot way in hiding the mediocre rest of the design.

[gavisuntiedboot]

Off Limits

Ok so there was a rlly cute ask in my inbox that was about introducing Gavi to Ramadan or taking him to iftar but it's gone now!!! I literally cannot see it anymore. But dear anon who requested a Ramadan-inspired Gavi fic, this is for you!!! So reader is Arab/ Desi/ North African/ a similar culture.

~~~

"Pablo, as God is my witness, I will break up with you if you don't get away from me."

Was it harsh? A little. But it was the only way you could get your clingy partner to leave you alone. For the past hour, he continuously tried to hold your hands or cuddle you, and you had to push him away in a panic every time. Ramadan was finally upon you, and you could not be more excited. It was a month of great food and company, and jut general peace. It was a time for you to really embrace your culture: long dresses and dangly jewelry, coffee cups painted in gold calligraphy, and lanterns decorating every possible surface.

There were several traditions in your family that took place every Ramadan, a main one being that you and your female relatives would all go and get henna done on your arms and legs, your skin remaining tinted with elaborate patterns all month long. However, since moving to Barcelona (and moving in with your long-term boyfriend), this tradition has become harder and harder for you to maintain. This led to an Amazon overtight order of about 20 henna cones, and two hours of you bent over yourself trying to pipe out the tiniest of designs onto your hands and feet. It was unfortunately during this time that Gavi came home from training, plopping onto your couch as he tried to grab your hand, smudging one of the flowers you had gone cross-eyed drawing. After letting out a yell that probably scared the dogs in Madrid, you calmed enough to explain what you were doing and why he couldn't touch it.

"So it's like a tattoo? I don't really like tattoos ya know." He said, rolling over onto his side and pouting, touch starved and desperate to touch you. You continued drawing as you responded.

"Yeah but they're temporary. And they're brown instead of black. And tattoos are hot. You would look hot with tattoos Pablo."

This elicited a laugh from the boy, his eyes creasing and his teeth dazzling. He loved watching you focused on your sketches. Your teeth was between your lips, tension evident in your features. There was nothing that you did that wasn't entertaining to him. Gavi loved looking at you, studying you, catching every minor change in your expressions or body language and storing them deep in his memory.

Eyebrows scrunched in concentration, he tried to imagine what he would look like with a tattoo.

"Maybe Spanish men aren't meant to have tattoos, amor. We just don't look good in them."

"Pablo how can you say this when Ramos literally exists?"

"Your answer to everything cannot be 'It's hot because Sergio Ramos does it'!"

"Why not? Long hair? Hot on Ramos. Tattoos? Hot on Ramos. Being a father-"

"Please stop. I am begging."

You broke out into fits of giggles, the banter flowing naturally between the two of you. When you finally finished your hands, you beckoned Gavi over. Instructing him to place his arm in your lap, you began drawing on his tanned skin.

"Ay, what are you doing?"

"Proving you would look good with a tattoo. Sit still!! You're gonna make me mess up."

"But-"

"No buts. I had to redo half my hand because of you. And besides, you're always in long shirts, no one will see."

This silenced the whines from the boy looming over you as you bent closer to his arm. Despite a flinch every so often from the cool sensation on his skin, Pablo stayed perfectly still. He brought his free hand up to move the hair from your eyes, giving him a better view of your face.

"There. All done."

A loud laugh resonated throughout the room. On Gavi's forearm sat a small angry face with bushy eyebrows.

"Is that supposed to be me?"

"Yeah. I think it's pretty accurate."

Trying to pull you in, he reached for your arm and you pulled away in a hurry.

"Pablo my hands are still wet!! No touching!"

"Are your feet still wet, too?" You nodded, afraid of why he wanted this piece of information. He moved closer to you on the couch, clean arm wrapping around you, his head resting on your shoulder.

"That means you can't run away from me." He smiled, and placed a gentle kiss to your forehead. Cheeks heating up, you snuggled into his chest, hiding your embarrassment at the affection. You two stayed like this for a while, just watching TV and enjoying the shared body heat. Once your hands had dried, you went to peel off the top layer, revealing the stained pattern beneath it. After some lotion, you returned to Gavi, peeling off his design as well, the two of you once again in fits of laughter at the angry face on his arm. You settled back into him, and he looked down at you.

"Can I hold your hand now? Or are you off-limits until the end of Ramadan?"

You interlocked your hand with his, rubbing your thumb in soothing circles. Bringing your entwined hands up to his face, he admired your hard work.

"It looks gorgeous, mi amor. You did so well." He kissed the back of your hand, straight over the delicate patterns.

"Want to see something cool?" You asked. "Look in the center there. See if you can read anything."

He brought your hands up once again, refusing to release you from his grip for even a second. He looked through the swirls, until the found a dainty "PG6" hidden in the design. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, pulling you into his chest, and nuzzling against your neck.

"I can't believe you're all mine."

A/N - I literally was writing this as my henna was drying and then I tried to open a Barbican with wet henna and I stopped for a minute and was like wow this is the most Arab experience I'll ever have. Anyways, short and sweet, hope y'all enjoy.

[ckret2]

Do you think Shapeshifter can make a new face for himself if Mr. What's-His-Face steals it from him? Or would Mr. What's-His-Face's magic somehow prevent him from recreating his face no matter how hard he tries?

That's a fantastic question.

Okay so we know that the stolen face and the body are still magically connected somehow. Mabel's body doesn't suffocate and die while it's missing a face, and it can see what's happening through her eyes and based on that information write messages or signal the people around her. And on the other hand, her face can speak (which needs vocal cords) and blink, look around, and make expressions (which needs a brain), so the connection's clearly going both directions here. The face isn't severed from the body.

We know that the Shapeshifter actively alters its DNA when it shapeshifts. And we know that embryos of different species look very similar early in development; their heads, torsos, and tails start out looking nearly identical before the embryos develop enough to look like their respective species:

which would mean that if the Shapeshifter is accurately altering its DNA to these target species, there would be a set part of its body that's always "the head"—which would mean "the face" is probably always in the same place.

But, it doesn't accurately alter its DNA. Most of the forms it takes are learned from pictures and illustrations—it has no way to know those creatures' DNA. So it probably doesn't work by reading and copying a creature's DNA, but by looking at a creature and rewriting its DNA on the fly to produce a body that outwardly resembles the target. It doesn't turn itself into a clone of its target, it simply mimics it. And so—like moths that mimic predators' faces by growing eyespots on their wings—there's no reason the physical features Shifty is mimicking should grow on the "appropriate" body part.

All the same, most of the time we see Shifty shapeshift, it appears to be converting its body parts into the target creature's same body part—eyes to eyes, head to head, arms to arms, legs to legs, etc. Unless motivated otherwise, it usually seems to rewrite its DNA similarly to how embryos work: rather than rewriting a body from scratch every single time, it falls back on a basic blueprint for body shapes (so that the head is always the head, etc) and then programs the details (pigmentation, texture, hair, clothes) to give it a more "specific" appearance. But, as we've seen, it's not strictly limited to such appearances:

So, here's what I think:

The part of flesh that Mr. What's-His-Face takes, he keeps. And if Shifty tries to transform, say, from human-shape into elephant-shape, then the face that Whatsis has will turn from a human face into an elephant face. This is because Shifty's first instinct is to keep using the same part of its body as a face.

But with deliberate effort, Shifty could turn a different part of its body into a face, and could transfer the part of its body currently serving as a "face" to some other part of its body, like, the back of a hand or something, so now Whatsis just has what looks like blank back-of-hand skin in his collection.

Internally, this would be like rewiring the nerve endings from your face and hand so that they swap places, and now the face part of your brain is receiving signals from your hand and the hand part of your brain is receiving signals from your face. Somebody pokes your cheek and it feels like they're poking the back of your hand. If you're some kind of alien with crazy DNA-altering powers you could do it, but like, it would be really confusing for a while. And I suspect for a while, Shifty would probably keep accidentally trying to use its stolen face as a face again and then going "dangit" and re-shifting its parts around to make something else a face AGAIN.

Shifty might have an easier time just walking around looking like Slender Man with Pale Man palm-eyeballs until it can track down Whatsis and steal its face back.

[rocksibblingsau]

"Death is tragic, but sometimes living can be so much worse."

So..... same anon that send the rant ask that this come from and I just have to say how good this is. Like unbelievably so and everything from your response as well, I cant say this enough I love your writing and how you interpret trolls and their world

Honestly, you're so right that they likely had that "hes in a better place now" (pun not intended), it fits so well with what we know about pop trolls mentality and life-style. The same trolls that erased and forgotten everyone that was lost during the escape, including the heir, would also accept a little brother as dead and go on without checking so they can better ignore the grief of losing him. Thinking about it, thats a way better and in-character reason why Floyd never came back

People say that he was out partying or he forgor or whatever, but the thought that some 3-5 years later he stopped to think and realized "oh... hes probably dead by now", and now having to choose between confirming the "reality" that his brother died waiting for him or just moving forward, be happy and never think about things that upset you (that just pop trolls second nature at this point)

There is a part of me that still wants to write Brozone facing that grief either by having to save Floyd without him or reuniting some other way, now with the added against of "everybody including you forgot your brother ever existed, isn't that fun!". Thinking about it, I may even write that Branch died in the woods or something instead of the bergens. He didn't die because they left him in the tree, he died because they never came back for him. And the same mentality that "helped" them "grief" (read: ignore) his supposed dead is the same mentality that caused the pop village to ignore and ostracize him (that being what actually killed him). Tragic, gut-punching, hope they surfer and cry about it :)

But for my actual headcanon of the brothers mentally during those 20 years, I can only imagine your view of the situation is just that good and accurate. Thank you for entertaining my thoughts and sorry for the rambles lol

Thank you! I love overanalyzing things, and Trolls is a very fun subject to work with!

It's very in line with Pop mentality to just accept that and move on. Bruce especially lives on Vacay Island where "every day is a vacay". I could see a bit of that mentality existing there. Maybe not the 'sugar coat everything in glitter' degree but 'why worry?' type of ignore your problems.

Branch dying on his own rather than in the tree I think is a way more terrifying reality. Hundreds of Pop Trolls were eaten, and that's seen as the Bergens fault. Branch getting injured and having no one to check in on him so he passes is on the village. It's been mentioned in Rock Sibblings but the fact is, that was a reality Branch faced. Poppy likely would've come by EVENTUALLY but she was younger than him.

In Rock Sibblings the truth is if not for Poppy deciding to follow after him, no one would have ever known what happened to Branch. In Techno Branch and Classical Branch, no one actually does until 15ish years later.

With his brothers, it's sad to say that with an alive Branch, there's very little that could have them initially realizing that Branch is hurt. I mean look at him in Trolls Band Together. He's not fully grey but he's very drastically darker than they all are despite initially all having the same skin tone. Yet none of them react or mention it. They're fine to ignore the situation at hand.

Never apologize for rambles. That's what we do here.