#it's not an 'attack' it's an outright attack

[thatmahblog]

You don't even need to be grieving, at any given time it is a bad thing to push your religious belief unto others. It's annoying at best and hurtful at worst. No one has to agree with you or even listen, actually, consent applies to conversation topics. It's not a personal attack if someone refuses to have a specific conversation with you, but you forcing it on them is a form of assault actually. People can say no and people can say stop and you have no right to blame them for it.

You know what? It's always good to remind people what consent really means and spread this around so, there.

The way this applies to conversations :

Freely Given : you don't feel forced to listen, you're not afraid of confrontation, you feel free to refuse to have this conversation.

Reversible : "can we talk about something else?" When you're done, when you've had enough and you no longer want to have this conversation, it must be respected. Stop is just as important as No.

Informed : Is someone using your ignorance against you? Is this conversation a trap? Is information being kept from you to manipulate you into saying or agreeing with something?

Enthusiastic : Read the room. There are many reasons someone might not outright say no or use explicit vocabulary (fear, insecurity, aprehension). If you care you should watch out for discomfort.

Specific : "I was okay talking about death, but not religion", or "I'm normally okay to talk about religion, but not right now". Maybe there's a certain aspect of a topic you'd rather avoid. It's specific, nothing is implied.

TL;DR : Consent is respecting "No" and "Stop", in words or in body language, with no abuse of ignorance, no threat, no "buts", and it applies to everything.

If you care, you shouldn't have to worry about breaking consent on accident. FRIES is mostly a tool of self-defense against denial of accountability and victim blaming.

it's been a year so i feel more comfortable talking about it..

when you're atheist and you lose someone, religious people don't really know how to interact with you. it's fine, we have different worldviews.

'He's in a better place, now.'

Sorry auntie, but I don't believe that. I believe that his brain stopped working at 5h55pm on december 11th 2022, and that's it. Nothing after that.

It makes grief very difficult, because not believing in god or the afterlife also means accepting that you will never, ever see that person again. That's it. The end. Nada mas.

But, back to the aunties and other faceless people gravitating in the grey blurry waters of your awareness.

They tell you 'He's with god now' and you tell them 'Yeah I don't believe that' and.

they. get. annoyed.

Here I am, gutted open, the worst day of my life, barely holding myself together, and they! Get annoyed that I won't smile and entertain their point of view!

Another faceless person tried to heal me with cristals. She also got annoyed when I told her I didn't believe in that.

I usually don't really mind religious people. It's fine, we have different worldviews. I think I'm right but so do they. As long as they're good people, I don't judge them for their faith.

I'll even be grateful for them trying to console me. I get that you're trying to give me strength and love. Thank you.

But I'm going to be true to myself, yes even when I'm mad with shock and grief. And I still can't believe they got annoyed that I didn't play along to placate them, on the worst day of my life.

(I wanted to share because I've never heard anyone talk about atheism and grief, and the loneliness that comes out of it.)

[childrenofcain-if]

Well well well hello there Evan 👀 I can't with Harry Collett with his pouty lips being his faceclaim, he's begging to be kissed by my MC.

Can we know more about the hookups though, are they all going to be part of the House of Styx? How do we even meet them?

you can find the faceclaims here until i make a separate banner for them.

KYLE MADDOX/KYRA MADELYN TØMMERAAS [m/f; available to all MCs who are on the route of D or W]

freshman. political science. norwegian.

straight bleached blonde hair, light hazel eyes, sun tanned skin, 6’1 (for kyle)/5’9 (for kyra).

they’re part of a fraternity (ΔΚΕ)/sorority (ΚΑΘ) at yale.

you’ll first meet them in chapter three if you chose to go with D to the party.

personality wise, they’re charming, forward, confident and a real go-getter.

D and W have personal grudges towards people who voluntarily join greek societies so K is there to piss them both off.

they started out viewing MC as a sort of ‘conquest’, but these feelings can turn friendly or something more if you play your cards right.

TARUN/TARA GURUNG [m/f; only available to non-binary MCs and the MCs of the opposite gender]

freshman. astrophysics. nepali-filipino.

wavy raven black hair, inky black eyes, dark olive skin, 6’3 (for tarun)/5’4 (for tara).

they’re the only one in MC’s year who can give them some competition in figure skating, so naturally the two will be paired together.

you’ll first meet them in chapter five or six when MC shows up for ice skating tryouts.

personality wise, they’re pretty stoic and broody and seems to have the 😐 expression 80% of the time.

all they seem to care about at the moment is being the best figure skater at yale and eventually representing america in the olympics.

once they open up to the MC, you’ll find that they’re surprisingly gentle and wholesome.

EVAN JAMES/EVA JILLIAN VAUGHAN [m/f; available to all MCs]

freshman. sociology. welsh-english.

curly auburn hair, dark hazel eyes, light ivory skin, 6’0 (for evan)/5’6 (for eva).

they’re one of the newest additions to yale’s lacrosse team, shooting them to D1 heights.

you’ll meet them in chapter four when the bacchanalia happens in blackthorne hall.

personality wise, they’re the human equivalent of a golden retriever: friendly, energetic, though they can be a little shy around the MC.

they’re the only one among the hookup/semi-romance options who has a pining and not-so-subtle crush on the MC. kind of a ‘the one that got away’ sort of thing, given that they’d be their first love.

MC will have plenty of opportunities to cheer for them during their LAX games, and vice versa.

SHAWN ABRAHAM BEAUCHAMP [m; available only to non-binary and male MCs]

sophomore. environmental studies. canadian-congolese.

buzzed dark brown hair, light brown eyes, sun tanned olive skin, 6’2.

looking at his greaser-esque aesthetic, you wouldn’t think he’s a plant dad who spends most of his time tending to the little succulents and bonsai in his dorm room.

you’ll meet him in chapter five when you’re finally introduced to the student members of the house of styx.

personality wise, he’s a pretty chill and laidback guy. he curses like a sailor but he’s one of the only people in the house styx you can say is not morally grey or black.

contrary to what most people would assume, he’s very much into academics and he adores lab work and research. all of that does make him rely more on amphetamines and it’s the conversation which leads to him and MC hooking up.

while he won’t show outright affection to the MC, as their arrangement is strictly no-strings, it won’t stop him from being one of the closest friends

LILLIAN KIEU TRỊNH [f; available only to non-binary and female MCs]

sophomore. anthropology. vietnamese.

straight jet black hair, coal black eyes, soft beige skin, 5’7.

she has a peculiar ability to pop out at the most unexpected places, that along with her goth-adjacent doesn’t fail to give many people a heart attack when she randomly shows up out of nowhere.

like shawn, you’ll meet her when the introduction to the student members of house styx starts.

personality wise, she is a headstrong person who likes opposing authority whenever possible and thinks of herself as part of the counterculture.

she inherently dislikes people who aren’t aware of their own privilege since she grew up in a working class household and had to actually work to get where she is right now.

since M and her are almost always at odds with each other, MC hooking up with her is going to end up giving them a stroke.

[hantengudelulu]

Upper Moon 4 *is* stronger than Upper Moon 6

Why Upper Moon 4 Is Stronger Than Upper Moon 6

There’s a recurring debate about whether Gyutaro was stronger than the clones of Upper Moon 4, with some arguing that only Zohakuten is the “real” Upper Moon 4. I disagree—and here’s why that view misses key context.

1. The Entertainment District fight was inflated. While the battle with Gyutaro and Daki was visually stunning and emotionally intense, the narrative clearly shows that Tanjiro’s team barely survived. Tengen was poisoned and outmatched. Tanjiro didn’t have the mark yet, and Zenitsu and Inosuke were pushed to their limits. But that’s the point—it was a major struggle because they were weaker then. That was their threshold at the time.

By contrast, when Tanjiro fought the clones of Hantengu, he had:

The mark,

A significantly more trained and battle-hardened body,

Developed Sun Breathing to a usable level,

Better tactical awareness and swordsmanship.

He was much stronger than when he faced Gyutaro—yet even then, the clones nearly overwhelmed him. That should tell you something.

2. Sekido's reflexes alone prove insane power scaling. There’s a key moment that fans often overlook: when Genya fires at Sekido, and Sekido’s eye visibly tracks the bullet. That’s Superman vs Flash-level reflexes—showcased in slow motion for us to even understand what’s happening. The fact that he could see and react to that speed says volumes about his combat capability.

3. Their Blood Demon Arts would obliterate early-series Tanjiro. People also underestimate just how lethal each clone’s technique is:

Urogi’s sonic scream isn’t just loud—it shatters buildings and throws off internal equilibrium.

Karaku’s pressure gusts can break bones from a distance, throw opponents like ragdolls, and destroy terrain.

Aizetsu’s spear fighting skills plus his weeping spears are deadly and fast.

Sekido’s lightning doesn’t just paralyze I reckon it cooks from the inside out.

Had Tanjiro met them back in the Entertainment District arc, without his mark or sun breathing, any one of them could’ve killed him outright.

4. Total Concentration Breathing is a defense multiplier. Breathing techniques increase resilience and auto-healing. That explains how Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko withstood attacks that might have one-shot someone else. Imagine how fatal Sekido’s lightning or Urogi’s scream would’ve been to untrained fighters. The only reason our heroes even lasted was due to late-series power-ups.

5. Gyutaro’s main advantage was his poisoned sickles. Most of the damage he inflicted relied on slowing opponents over time, weakening their coordination. He also fought in sync with Daki, often using her as a distraction while hiding in the shadows. The clones don’t use poison. They overwhelm directly with brute force, area attacks, and relentless pressure—no gimmicks, just raw, overwhelming power.

6. Unlike Gyutaro, whose weak point was known and visible (dual beheading), Hantengu’s true body was hidden inside a minuscule, cowardly form, smaller than a mouse and fast enough to escape detection, even from marked, enhanced Demon Slayers. Most fighters wouldn’t have even noticed him on the battlefield, let alone known to target him.

Even Tanjiro, with his heightened senses, only tracked him down by sheer luck and desperation, managing to scent him just barely in the chaos. And even then, Hantengu’s neck didn't cut. The only reason Tanjiro succeeded was because sunlight had begun to weaken him IMO otherwise I reckon his sword would have failed agaim. Without Nezuko’s intervention and the rising sun, Hantengu would have escaped, and the clones would have regenerated again.

[marielle555]

“The sexualization of vampires” and what does Oblodra have to do with it?

I remember with sweet nostalgia how in the first playthrough my hands itched on the hilt of the blade, when my sunshine expressed this wish, and I thought that Oblodra had already played her role in the story, and I didn't bother, and just chose the “Attack” button. How the city guards actively expressed their weighty “ay-yay-yay, bad girl” until I managed to do it more or less neatly without upsetting the officers of the law. How I dragged her corpse around looking for a suitable ditch and found a good place for that drow in the sewers of the city. And how Astarion and I kissed (this was in patch 5) afterward, standing knee-deep in mud… Romantic. Really, things can be easier if you just have a little patience (and see how Astarion protects you):

Oblodra attacks on her own as part of the plot and the fight is calmer. Of course, this character has her own importance in the story, the scene of Astarion's confession in Act 2 after meeting her is deeply touching and leaves a mark on the soul in the first playthrough. The only unpleasant surprise is the lack of opportunity for “evil” roleplay when meeting her, when you have to refuse too, just impossible too politely (while the game has plenty of opportunities to outright insult and intimidate other NPCs, even in cases where these unfortunate NPCs do not give the slightest reason for it), but this is leveled in Act 3 by the opportunity to destroy her life's work and kill her. But the fact that Oblodra manages to “surprise” and wonder even after playing through the game is something I didn't expect from her. No, the character herself has nothing to do with it, but the perception of this character… It turns out that haters think that fans of Ascended Astarion are just like Oblodra.

What surprised me in this comparison was not so much the attempt to insult by comparing me to one of the most vile (to me) NPCs in the game, but the lack of any semblance of logic in this comparison. What is this nonsense even based on? Any, even the most insane inferences should, in theory, have at least some basis. The clue, as it turns out, lies in the “sexualization of vampires” and Welch's “message” (from the perspective of their fans, I can't say anything about the author). It turns out that Araj is not just a brazen bitch, who humiliates Astarion, behaves with him as if he were a slave and someone's property, and you see this vulnerability on his face, the change in the tone of his voice and you can't, categorically can't smash her face or at least say who she is, what she is, and what is about to happen to her… That's how this scene is perceived the first time playing through, to then be struck by the evening scene of Astarion's confession, when after his first line at first you really don't understand what he's going to thank you for, and then…

Yeah, the confession scene is brought to tears and you realize it's about PTSD, how much it depressed him, how much abuse he endured. And why that even a little support from Tav at that moment (really, just a little support, just to confirm that “He said it all,” just to show that you, well, you're not a shit, that's all, you didn't take advantage of his vulnerability and his PTSD for some f**king potion) meant so much to him and was so important in prompting such a revelation. But no, the fans of Welch's work (who is the author of Oblodra and the Act 2 confession scene), “decode the message” of the author in such a way, that no critics would never have thought that it is so bad. For there is no hint in the game itself, in the story and in the script that Oblodra is such a “symbol of the sexualization of vampires”, except that her manner of speech and voice are somewhat lecherous (well, or “sexy”, if one considers this manner as such). But some feel that Astarion's line to Oblodra, “I'm sorry? You want to be bitten?” sounds like the character, along with the writers, are ‘’throwing in the face‘’ something unkind to those with a ‘’fetish for vampire power‘’. Because of the word WANT. In a world where vampires are hated and feared, where all the companions are terribly unwilling to be bitten by Astarion, where the general attitude towards vampire bites is far from positive, to be surprised that someone wants to be bitten? Is that strange? Astarion, at the very beginning of the dialog, utters: “Don't worry, we're all friends under the Absolute. I won't bite.” To avoid unnecessary paranoia and suspicion from someone who recognized him as a vampire. Yes, Oblodra's blood is vile and Astarion can smell it, but it is logical to be surprised that she wants to be bitten. It must be hard to perceive any works and play any games, and to communicate with people in general, if the word want in any sentence is perceived as a hint of sexualization or a reproach for the presence of such urges. Do you want to drink a cup of coffee or tea while you read, by the way, hmm?

In order to realize their “sins and vices”, uninformed and unsophisticated in all kinds of nonsense that still exists in various corners of the Internet, fans of the Ascended Astarion must realize two things. First, there are a few people in the world who are piously convinced that vampires cannot be sexualized.

Well, we'll keep that in mind, but something tells me that in the global perspective, fanged handsome men are not in danger of lonely existence and lack of loving fans. Though in general, this “they want a hot vampire” story would probably work in some other game, where there would be some elf with a tragic fate (not a vampire spawn, by no means, well, you can remember the story of Fenris from DA2 or Sebille from DOS 2). And this elf would be persuaded to suddenly become a “hot vampire” through some violent and bloody ritual, making him the unquestioned fanged deity of all vampire sexualizers. And without the ritual, he would never have known the taste of his lover's blood, or the taste of anyone else's blood, nothing of this vampire existence. So he would have remained a good elf and a hero, and not a gram of intimacy. And he would have expressed his harsh “ew” to any elf sexualizer, who would have tried to induce him to debauch over the graves of the dead.

It's also worth knowing that Baudelaire Welch, author of Oblodra and the idea that anyone who wishes to see their beloved character in the game healthy and well and (oh, horror!) has no problem with annihilating 7,000 NPCs, can so wish solely due to a very high degree of sexual arousal, is also the author of a game in which you can't sexualize a vampire. “Don't Wake Me Up.”

The character, who is a vampire - Len, and there are sexualization scores in the game, which, when certain actions and dialogues are chosen, lead the player to “good” and “bad” endings. There's also the character Asterius, who is in love with you, and any romance with Asterius is bad. To get the good ending the game requires you to have an romance specifically with Len. Len was created as a character who cannot experience positive emotions, he was constantly tortured to make him the perfect villain, and he was sexualized so that players would want to have romance with him and he was forced to have sex with players against his will. The game has a hidden point system that calculates how much you objectify Len rather than show attention to him. Essentially, any romantic or sexual feelings from the player towards Len are objectification. Well, okay, it's an author's game with its own elaborate plot and story (although my inner skeptic can't find any logical explanation for how it's possible for such a world to exist where, with such technology available, some evil creators or programmers would actually torture some character in some romance game, making him a “villain,” instead of just prescribing a core AI with the character traits desired by the public). Author's game with any unusual plot is good, for those who like such things, but attempts to fulfill their fantasies using an already existing, written by another author character - not so good. Especially with the attitude to the audience, when players, on the one hand, are perceived as fools, who need to be “taught,” and who perform companion quests solely for the sake of sleeping with them and do not know what RPGs and roleplaying is at all, and on the other hand - as some “enlightened connoisseurs” of all sermons and messages, who in no way want to dive into the magical world from the inside and play with pleasure, and consider the game as some kind of literary work, in no way sympathizing with the “pixel man”. Well, if Oblodra is a kind of symbol of sexualization of vampires at Welch's, then I don't mind at all if such “messages for their own” will be in games, when they are invisible and don't interfere in any way with the play of common players. As in the case of Raphael's House of Hope and Haarlep - a knowledgeable person explained to me that this location is written largely for those who like the non-con genre. In ordinary perception, it doesn't interfere in any way - if someone wants to rape their Tav with Haarlep, “give themselves up for a key” or whatever, it doesn't make the fight with an unusually brash mini-boss any worse, nor does it prevent you from taking off his boots to collect a set of armor. It's just pretty funny, when a certain small party of “sexualization” fans start globally perceiving everyone around them through the prism of their own perception.

By the way, when we meet Z'rell after Oblodra and try to hide our true intentions from her by thinking of something more important than those true intentions - I always think about Astarion in that situation. Who else can push any other intentions out of my mind? Astarion gives his approval. The game describes Tav's thoughts as “To think of your attraction to Astarion.” You can think about attraction, you can't think about pure platonic love. Astarion approves of this attraction. Does he like that Tav sexualizes him or what?

Putting aside the whole “hot vampire daddy” bullshit (why they call him “daddy” I'm not aware of, but it's a regular thing), and looking at the really serious aspect - the fact that Astarion was a victim of sexual abuse - even then, understanding how helping him through the ritual could make the Tav looks like Oblodra is all the more impossible. In this case, only the dialog after the ritual with the line “I want your body” deserves to be placed in screenwriting textbooks as an example of the worst lines writing for a player in the game. Larian themselves have unfortunately treated such a heavy and sensitive topic without proper respect and understanding - using Astarion for dirty promotion of disgusting “bear sex���. And all the opportunities that are in the game for “good” Tav (the video from the brothel with UA in a “threesome” with Halsin is just painful to watch, if you have a heart, but this kind of shitty behavior by Tav using a traumatized person for their own perverted pleasure is acceptable and quite “good” here and doesn't even result in “lecturing” the player).

If we talk about what the developers wanted to show that Astarion cannot be sexualized, then it is extremely strange not to give at the same time the opportunity for platonic love, and it is not in the game. There is an option to refuse sex after the Ascension, but that's a line about nothing, it's just a scene refusal, and that line doesn't affect anything at all and is present in the game just “for the sake of being”. Well, okay, not “just to be”, but for the unique, rare opportunity to be a “sexualizer” without having sex. It's truly groundbreaking, it's never been done before.

Of course, deep romantic relationships can be without sex, but in that case the authors should have implemented the possibility for deep platonic love if they introduced such trauma to Astarion. I really want to apologize to him in the act 2 scene if he felt bad around me before, even though I knew nothing. And tell him that I love him and will always be there for him, that I don't need any sex, that I care much more about how he feels. Nothing prevents in this case these two people from having a deep and strong connection, perhaps stronger than many couples who have sex but are superficial about the relationship itself. It doesn't prevent love. Of course, the same will be true after his Ascension. That's what love is, sex is not necessary, it's just that the possibility doesn't exist in the scenario.

But at the same time after Ascension Astarion himself offers to resume intimacy, all his facial expressions and active leading behavior during the scene of the night with him, indicate that he enjoys it. And the scene itself is beautiful, not for nothing, probably some of the “morally enlightened” personas in the UA camp, go through this scene separately and then restart to avoid getting down on their knees. Astarion is perfectly fine with intimacy after the ritual, not a single, even the slightest hint of feeling bad. Deep serious gaze, sincere gratitude, “You have given me everything. Thank you.” And the tenderness with which he kisses Tav's hand. This is confirmed by the developers' notes:

“Player and Astarion standing facing each other.

They gaze lovingly at one another”

“Tav kneels before Astarion. This should be covered by the kneeling attitude, Astarion stands proud before the Player.

He is powerful. He is free.”

“He gazes down at Player. He is savouring the moment.”   

No one uses anyone in an AA romance. It's a story of deep strong love and trust. Though, of course, I'm curious, if Welch really wrote Oblodra as some sort of symbol of the sexualization of vampires, or if this is already the fantasies of individual “sexualization fans”. How does this thinking work? It's a curious question, it's impossible to say for sure, but two factors seem to play a role here: the obsession with all sorts of intimacy in some individuals, and most prudes, funnily enough, are these very “gooners,” which they like to call players who want romantic fanservice. Second - perhaps they really attach such a high value to their own “sermons”, “messages” and believe that being on the side of some conditional game “good” (no matter what kind of harm is offered under the sauce of this “good”) is so valuable that only another “great pillar” of motivation - sex - can induce someone to reject their “preachings” and help their beloved character to get the opportunity for a happy life. It's true that the worst ending, when you can see with your own eyes how much worse that ending is, will never become good from being called that. No matter how many times it's called that. And it doesn't matter what the people who talk about how bad this finale is are called. And going back to the image of Oblodra and whoever resembles her - there can be completely opposite associations with that image. Oblodra is a bitch. If you give her character a brief characterization, you can fit into that word. What word can you call Astarion's haters, who claim that “kick” him is the right thing to do, that to bring him to his knees in an evil ending is also the right thing to do, and they ascended him for that purpose? Bitches. Well, here we are, finding where the Oblodras are in the fandom.

[iriascend]

Meet Pelleas Venali Thelen, a disenfranchised Berduskan noble with a talent for both the blade and the arcane, who's as socially awkward as he's eager to please.

(art commissioned from the lovely @justvea18 )

Character backstory under the cut :D

The noble house of Thelen doesn’t consider itself Elturgardian. Despite their holdings certainly belonging to the kingdom these days, as all lands under Berduskan rule do after the city’s recent annexation, Thelens instead pledge fealty directly to the city of Berdusk. 

It is not a surprise to anyone who knows the history of this region. Thelens have, if you believe their founding myth, been here even before Berdusk was a village, let alone a city-state. Less than a decade of new allegiance is not enough to change elven loyalties. As people who had lived in the Sunset Vale for hundreds of years, Thelens considered themselves as part of Berduskan nobility, the First Folk, even if they mostly spent their time outside the city, in Fort Stagwatch. 

The fort stands two days north-east of the city, along an old Uldoon Trail section that connects Berdusk and Asbravn, surrounded by a small village often referred to by the same name. It’s been built there to provide safety and a resting spot for merchants travelling between the two cities, given the hobgoblin and gnoll populations in the Reaching Woods just north. The family’s presence on the Berduskan political stage has been marginal so far, especially since they are not very wealthy in comparison to other nobles, mostly earning their coin from road tolls and taxes off their land, and never being particularly interested in reinvesting it. Their position in the city is extremely stable, though. It is thanks to the long-lasting loyalty of the small elven population of Berdusk (grateful for them producing and importing elven delicacies, like berry wine, that would otherwise not be available in the region), and the well-earned support of citizens of their lands, who had always been treated justly and warmly by their Lord. 

This prosperity came to a sudden end around 1400 DR, not long after the birth of a new generation. Leaving his young son, Lue, and his wife, Lady Ciliren, Lord Zelos Thelen left Stagwatch along with a squad of trusted guards. Their mission was to deal with the beasts of Reaching Woods that have been coming closer and closer to civilization, as he would often do; sometimes it was routine patrol, sometimes reminding the inhabitants of the forest where they’re not wanted. He expected nothing more than a pack of gnolls or some bandits, so he left without worry, promising to return in time for his son’s upcoming tenth birthday. He never did, and no trace of him or his soldiers was found despite the best efforts of the rest of his garrison. 

Many believe that he has been assassinated by rival nobles, or by the Red Wizards of Amn or the Zhentarim themselves. For years by then, the two opposing factions tried to gain a foothold in Berdusk. Around that time, the Red Wizards successfully covertly sponsored a small, less powerful First Folk family of Alverkin. Alverkins used this backing to stage bandit attacks on the lands overseen by Fort Stagwatch after Lord Thelen’s disappearance (or maybe even before), then start rumours that Thelens are no longer capable of making sure that the road to Asbravn remains secure. They managed to convince several other small First Folk families to back them in this claim, an achievement made all the easier with how little involvement and experience the Thelens had in the predominantly-human politics. Despite the wisdom of the ruling High Lady of Berdusk and her secret Harper advisors, this plot couldn’t be prevented from coming to fruition. Alverkins took over the Fort in 1403 DR, claiming that it needs a new lord if the crucial food trade with Asbravn is to remain unimpeded. 

While the Thelens were not outright thrown out of their ancestral home, it was clear that they are not welcome there anymore. For a few months, Lady Ciliren and her son were mistreated by the Alverkins who had moved in, growing more and more worried about their situation due to a couple of accidents happening to their most loyal servants. After one of such incidents, one of their cousins living in the city (who was probably also a Harper agent - or at least has been tipped off by Harpers — acting either on his own accord or trying to do something for the Thelens when the faction couldn’t help them before) warned them that Alverkins are actively planning to kill Lady Thelen and her young son. To prevent this, they escaped the Fort during the following night. Knowing they would still be in danger if they stayed in Berdusk proper — young master Thelen having the right to demand the Fort to be handed back to them once he grows up and proves capable — Lady Thelen decided to fully disappear from the view of nobles. 

She chose to escape to the House of Acumen, a nearby monastery located east of the river Chionthar, on the central plains of Elturgard, one of the oldest religious organizations in the Western Hearthlands, operating since the time of Askavar (an elven settlement within the nearby Woods of Sharp Teeth, abandoned in the 5th century). Thelens had been sponsoring and visiting the place frequently, as it was the family’s patron deity, Labelas Enoreth, so she hoped they would at least let her son stay there. The journey to reach it was troublesome, especially for a lone mother with a 10-year-old elf toddler in tow. It took most of the wealth they managed to take from their home to fund this trek. The monks welcomed them warmly and allowed them both to stay, but warned Lady Ciliren that they cannot provide the splendor she may be used to as a noble lady, and that she would have to earn her keep like any other resident. Since she only cared for her son’s survival, she accepted these terms without question.

Since then, Lue Thelen had been growing up as a temple child, among clergy, pilgrims and associated laymen. Even if with time Lue gained the courage to occasionally venture to Berdusk — doing supply runs like other members of the monastery, or venturing out on a solo adventure to see the city, both against his mother’s wishes — he still remained mostly a cloistered child. While it saved him from becoming arrogant and taught the value of hard work, it also meant he hadn’t had the chance to develop the noble cunning or charm he would’ve if he was rubbing elbows in Berdusk. Lady Ciliren had a harder time adapting; in an extremely short time she lost her husband and everything she knew thus far, and then had to work for her livelihood for the first time in her life. Because of this, the mother and son drifted apart despite their love, both having problems dealing with grief and often secretly blaming it on each other. 

Over the years, as he slowly realised why his life looks like it does and what happened to their previous home that he barely remembered, Lue’s heart filled with anger at the injustice of their predicament. He began to cultivate a grudge against Alverkins. He knew better than to dive into politics on his own, though. He became convinced that his father could easily return their House to its former grace and honor thanks to the respect of the people that he enjoyed, and started believing that Lord Zelos is not dead, but simply missing. After all, nobody ever found a body or even blood, and a great fighter like him would NOT go out without a fight. Eventually, Lue swore to find his father and bring him back, so that they can retake their home together. When one of the pilgrims to the monastery shared rumors of an elf with the Thelen crest and the Thelen birth-mark having been seen in Candlekeep in the last decade, Lue became all but obsessed.

As soon as his coming-of-age Naming Ceremony had been completed, marking him officially an adult, he took up his father’s old spear, picked out a new name — Pelleas, after a tale of a wanderer forever looking for his comrades-in-arms — and set out for Candlekeep.

[maleyanderecafe]

Duke Richard's Haven (Webcomic)

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Created by: Onehit / East / Gecha / Asis

Man, I really do like boyish female leads in these type of webcomics and this one isn't even one where she has to hide as a male. This one has an interesting premise where the main character actually reincarnates into another person, but her original body still is alive, though I wish they used it more than what they did. There are two possible male yanderes in this one, the first being the main lead Jules and the second being a second lead, Eric. As of writing this, there are about 70 chapters out.

The story starts out with Ilian, an old swordslady retiring after her years of service. Despite the protests, she wants to live her life happily but is instead attacked by a bunch of mercenaries instead. Prideful, she decides to jump off of a cliff and prevent them from taking her and instead reincarnates into a girl named Haven, having gone back in time for 10 years. She decides to live as her, as she wants to save her child (adopted), Raul, as she wasn't able to do so before. She first is able to block off her aunt's attempt and stealing her heritage before kicking her out. As a result, she goes to IIian's safe to get her things, only to meet Jules, the person she took care of as a child when she was still IIian. Haven refuses to sell any of the items to Jules out of pride (which is a shame as it would have probably been more than enough to pay her mansion's debt), though thanks to this, Jules starts to take an interest in Haven. Haven then hires a bunch of workers to get them to do garden work, something she was good at when she was still IIian, which allows Haven to slowly gain money for her household. As the story goes on, she ends up helping Jules with his sleep deprived state, serving him tea at night. At first he is very antagonistic towards her, but starts to accept her slowly as she reminds him of IIian, so much so that he becomes her patron, so she can learn both academics and swordfighting. During this time, she also meets with Eric, the lead worker's son and befriends him. Her sword fighting is taught by Gaulis, Jule's right hand man, and she's able to beat fanboy Retrich in a duel using wooden swords. This is also the time where Gaulis notices that she uses the same type of duel wield as IIian causing Jules to question who she really is.

After a timeskip, Haven ends up attending a ball with both Gaulis and Retrich after getting an invite, and gets scorned by the women there as she wears more masculine clothing, though this soon flips on its head once she reveals that Jules is her patron with Jules coming to defend her. She ends up winning over most of the girls there and even befriends one whom she helps with her own gardening business. She also gets invited by her aunt again to get favor for her daughter so she can get into the high society, but she refuses pretty outright considering her aunt's abuse. We get to see Jules backstory on why he cares about IIian so much. When he was younger he was shunned as the black mage, thus causing him to run away. IIian was able to hide him away and basically raised him, not caring about where was from, thus Jules developed an obsession with her as she grew older and sees the similarities in Haven. Haven/IIian's old friend eventually passes away, something that happens early as a result of Haven changing the original timeline. Here Haven also sees Ilian and her son alive for the funeral. Here we get to see how IIian was able to get her son, as she actually adopted him from another knight who worked closely with her after his death. She ends up going to her recently deceased friends place, however, has to hide when Jules goes there as well and bandits come to ransack the place. Eric ends up being a squire, giving up his dreams of building boats to try to get closer to Haven and even tries to pledge his allegiance to her.

Haven meets Jules at the ball where she protects him from an assassin, and Jules ends up once again noting how similar she and IIian are. Haven, with Eric goes to the snowy area where her son Raul died to try to prevent his fate, but also ends up facing with Jules again as a result. In this timeline though, Illian is the one who gets killed, much to Jules's dismay but Raul is able to live. Haven is able to stop Jules outburst of emotions, though Jules lashes out at her. Haven is able to safely bring Raul back and tries to adopt him as her brother (though still treats him like her child, much like before). She feels pretty distant though as he still doesn't see her as when she was Illian and is still cautious around her. Jules on the other hand gets extremely depressed, even going to an auction to spend money on something that could go back in time just to try to save Illian again. After people start coming after Raul, Haven tries to separate herself from him so he can be safe and looks for Jules, who has tried to variously kill himself after Illian's death. Haven and Raul get jumped again by Raul's grandfather who wants to take his grandson back to get him killed. Haven defends Raul, getting tortured in his place before Jules comes in and saves both of them. After this, Jules ends up confining Haven inside of his mansion for a while, not wanting her to get killed as he now recognizes her as Illian. We also see a flashback of before Haven was confined with Eric, who tried to fight back against him, only to fail. Eric gets extremely angry and heartbroken when his confession is rejected by Haven, as Haven favors Jules. Jules, Haven and Raul end up going out together and having fun, but Raul ends up getting kidnapped causing the two to panic. Luckily, Eric is in the area and is able to save Raul, however after seeing Jules and Haven be lovey dovey, decides to be petty and have Raul and him play together out of their sight. After Haven finds him, she's pissed off that she kept Raul away from her and Eric gets really angry as well, kissing Haven and telling her to back off from Jules as he's insane. After a while, Haven makes a deal with one of the knight's parents to help them own a store. During the ball, she also changes her appearance, abandoning her more boyish apparel for a more feminine one in order to try to separate her old self, Illian and Haven, as she feels that Jules is too devoted to Illian and is projecting onto Haven. After the ball she gets to see the crowned prince for the first time and Jules is able to find her, stating that even with her changed appearance he will still find her and love her. The last couple of chapters have her going to war and trying to get into the army as a low level knight.

The story itself has some interesting premises, but as I said before, it's not really used effectively. The idea that you are not only able to go back in time into another body but also able to see your old body still living and being its own person is fascinating, but Haven basically only sees Illian a handful of times, once when attending a funeral and once at her death when trying to save Raul. I don't really understand why she wouldn't even speak to her old self and she doesn't even seem to be that surprised that her old self died or is still, well roaming around. It seems like a very big waste of time that this happens as it adds very little at least to Haven herself. It does leave a bigger impact on the male lead Jules, as while he does see Illian in Haven, he has a huge breakdown upon Illian's death and uses Haven as way to cope and become even more obsessive over her once he figures out that she is also Illian.

I do like Haven as a concept, but in execution I feel like it's a bit strange. I really generally like more tomboyish female leads and I love when they are in more swordsperson or fighting roles, which is something Haven is and wears more masculine clothing. However, she does make a lot of weird decisions throughout the story, like not selling her old items despite the fact her house is in debt, the fact that she never interacts with her old self at all, and most importantly, the fact that she falls in love with Jules in the first place. You can argue this for any regression story or isekai where the female lead is isekaied into a child's body/form, but it is especially weird here as it is shown that Illian raised Jules as a child, but in Haven's body still develops a crush/feelings for him. Which is... weird as mentally she seems to be around 40ish while Jules is half or even more than half her age. It makes it very weird when she does fall in love with him as the story goes on (and once again, she essentially raised him). I do like Haven's personality of getting things done, even at a young age, befriending her workers and starting a company with her estate to get money, as well as getting herself to swords lessons and other things as it does seem like someone who knows what they're doing inside of a child's body. I also think the moments where she realizes that Raul will never see her as Illian, or at least have the same relationship with her was sweet as well. One of the things I was more iffy about (though this is more of a nitpick and probably a personal taste thing) is her couple of chapters of when she does become feminine to try to separate herself from Illian personality and appearance wise. Even besides the fact that I prefer her in her boyish form (I know, it's an ongoing thing with me), I think the reasoning of her wanting to separate herself from Illian is... weird? At this point, Jules pretty much knows that Haven is Illian as well so her trying to redo her appearance doesn't make sense to me, as it's not as if Haven is trying to change her personality at all, and Jules still knows that it's Haven, and still sees her as Illian (the original) regardless. I think I would have preferred it if she did so more out of her own willingness to dress like that, maybe to explore what dressing like that is to offer. At least for now though, it does seem like it was reverted once she joined the army, it just seemed it was a weird addition (though again, its probably not a big deal).

Jules from the beginning is pretty obsessed with Haven/Illian as in the original timeline when she did die, Jules soon after took his own life. In this one though, I'm not sure why he's so obsessed with Haven being like Illian considering that Illian in this world is still alive. I guess it's more of the fact that they are so similar that it confuses him. In the beginning he's already trying to buy off Illian's stuff and he's able to pick up on her mannerisms extremely fast and relating them to how Illian does things. Other characters are able to do this as well, namely Gaulis, though it's mostly seen through her fighting style if anything. Jules is generally pretty overprotective towards Haven, especially towards other people like Eric who is also pining for her. It comes full steam when he sees Illian die in front of him, even attempting to kill himself unsuccessfully until Haven is able to snap him out of it. He also confines Haven for a while in his mansion trying to get her to admit that she is Illian and otherwise funds Haven mostly because she is similar to Illian in this way. After she is able to get Raul back from Eric, he even admits to saying that she would sacrifice Raul's life to make sure Haven lives (though he also says he wouldn't do that because it would make Haven sad), as well as attempt to buy an artifact that would allow him to go back in time just so that he could try to save the Illian as well. It does make sense given that Illian was the one who both saved and raised him to some capacity, so having this kind of devotion is pretty understandable.

Eric as well has yandere tendencies, though not to the extent of Jules. He throws away his dreams of building ships (I was almost about to say becoming a baker because of that bdg song, sorry about that), just so that he can be by Haven's side, even when she ends up rejecting him. He tries really hard to get on Haven's good side and even confesses to her, and understandably becomes pretty bitter that she chose Jules over him as a result. Given his more petty behavior of not giving Raul back after he was kidnapped and trying to keep Jules away from Haven in various moments, he does seem very protective over her and just wants to be with her. Though because of the fact that he's not nearly as strong as Jules nor to the even more obsessive degree, he's more of a second yandere light character.

Overall, I think that while Duke Richard's Haven is pretty entertaining, there's a lot of things that could go better if it was written with more intent. Lots of fun concepts and cool swords lady things, but I feel the romance is a bit wonky. Nevertheless if you are interested, please try it out.

[ai-manre]

Ah more misinformation and support for terror. TRF (a well known pakistan backed terror organization) had claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The terrorists were identified as two Pakistanis and another who'd served in Pakistan military. Days before the attacks, pakistan firm BSI was caught requesting satellite images of Pahalgam and the minister had gone on a rant about Kashmir belonging to Pakistan.

In response, India targeted 9 TERROR sites. Excerpts of clebrated Defence Analyst, Tom Cooper's analysis below:

In response, Pakistan targeted Indian civilian population, schools, colleges and religious sites:

India never hurt more innocent civilians than it absolutely couldn't avoid. Pakistan outright threatened to launch terror attacks in India if India retaliated to Pakistani terror:

Shame on you for supporting indian murders. Shame on you for backing terrorists. Shame on you for villifying India for protecting its own sovereignty.

Hinduism is a peaceful religion, that’s why I don’t eat meat! I just jerk off to civilian deaths (including children) in Pakistan and call for their indiscriminate murder <3

[emblemxeno]

The thing that I think Fates does so incredibly well, enough so that it's probably my favorite in the series in this regard, is how much it frames context and rewards players for being willing to interact with the characters and the world.

You're given a very specific image on characters just from their first impressions as a whole, and the more you ultimately look past that, the more you unearth the whole context behind the setting. The conflict is a great example of this; it seems like one of the many typical "good vs. evil" conflicts in the setting, and the problem with that is the more you interact with the characters and the more you actually interconnect details and known concepts, the more it quickly becomes different from that. The Nohrian siblings are abuse survivors, their father warped beyond recognition into a puppet for an insane god who seeks to burn the entire world to the ground and everyone just treating this day-to-day insanity as somehow normal or justifiable, while Hoshido only has any kind of knowledge in regards to Nohr based on the Faceless attacks that Garon sends through the barrier; this leads to a lot of demonization of the Nohrians that are just not something they're even aware of, with a major part of the parallels they have in a route shows they need each other much more to coexist than they do to be enemies. Nohr was starving, driven by meritocracy and ultimately was still recovering from a country-devastating civil war, while Hoshido was plentiful, had all of its servants determined by the elite, and knew very little when it came to peace. The implication and fact that both were conquering empires and Mikoto's reign was an anomaly, the warped nature of Garon being a sign something was very wrong as a whole, and both factions just assuming the status quo was as it was and that it was just to be accepted that these two factions were meant to clash with each other in ways that completely justified the other.

What Fates does so well that stands out to me is how much of the narrative ends up being expanded upon and given depth by communication. There is such obstruction on much of the characters motivations and you only get the full story from outright seeking out these perspectives, but what it fully intertwines and exposes is that both sides are full of human beings worth protecting and that's clearly something that matters. And it's hard to think of a route that illustrates that more than Conquest, which takes an entire sledgehammer to the idea that the invasion and conquest of a nation full of innocent people wasn't anything but avoidable and that you weren't the hero for it; you did it because you had to with how much obstruction the politics in Nohr led and how you barely had any options to challenge the system that wasn't deliberately breaking it, but it ultimately showcases how much of the conflict is still the choices within the characters. Chapter 24 confirms what Hinoka says in Endgame with Corrin becoming a pariah for his choice (and understandably so), with his final confrontation with Takumi having him understand what he had to do and not trying to twist it or justify it, but how much of it that it actually was his doing and how he needed to take responsibility for that. Which is precisely what he did at the end of Conquest and ultimately talked with Takumi and allowed the two to communicate how they wanted to feel.

And that's ultimately the core of Fates; how much communication reveals the humanity of the other side and how they're not just tragic victims for you to roll over against, how it's important to understand when somebody needs to be talked to and when somebody is speaking in bad faith. Even Kaze defects because Corrin actually communicates his plan to Kaze in Chapter 11 and because he didn't have any real alternative in this regard, but it makes for such a fascinating narrative as a whole because it's deliberately rewarding to those who seek out this kind of knowledge. It doesn't withhold any information for those seeking to find it; even the Ancient Texts reveal the entirety of the cosmology of Fates for those interested enough to dig into it, and it reveals a perspective that I think is just fascinating.

And I think that's the thing that gets me, because Conquest is just especially relevant IMHO in today's day and age. As an American where it feels like apathy and complacency led to tyranny and oppression, it's important to remember that people are complicated and nuanced, that suffering does not need to happen and that all nations ultimately have humanity to them at the end of the day. Xander and Ryoma try to speak for the longest time how this war and their victory was a tragic inevitability and needed to happen. Corrin, who was shielded from most of the outside world, knew this wasn't the case and that, no, it didn't need to happen. Because we take for granted how much it is communication needs to happen, because we aren't meant to be alone and I think anything that tries to prevent you from communicating to the other side or lies to you to prevent you from seeing the full picture is one that ultimately doesn't want to lose its credence to the audience. This is why I don't like 3H; Fates is entirely consistent with what it believes if you actually communicate properly, while 3H remarks on how "tragic" it is characters like Edelgard are being revanchists who side with Those Who Slithers and doesn't want you to actually question what it says versus the actions of these characters. Fates, meanwhile, leaves it up to you to have these actions be in any way consistent, because the whole point of Fates is how we're ultimately in control of our actions and that allowing us to be dictated by circumstances as it's "just so" is precisely how the characters got into the mess to begin with. Quote Corrin at the end of Conquest:

Anankos? What are you talking about?! Your god has nothing to do with this! We all make our own decisions. You are responsible for all of this, monster! You destroyed the heart of a good man for your own selfish gain. But even you could have chosen a different path. No matter the circumstances we are born into, or the blood in our veins… We are all the masters of our own fate! That is why I am not like you, nor could I ever be. I chose the path I believe in, the path of peace. And that conviction, that strength… I will use that power to defeat you!

Fates I think is truly special, and part of why I get so emotional about it and the lack of respect it gets and people just dismissing it has no depth is that I can clearly see what's being said, and I think it's absolutely wonderful and needs to be preached to the core more. Fates is the kind of story that I think is amazing when you actually construct the full picture and truly unforgettable, not just for how internally consistent it is, but how much it ties into FE's core themes as a series and how much of it we just take for granted concepts like tyranny and cruelty and realize the best way to defeat this is to take responsibility for our actions and actually communicate than dismiss the instance as an inevitability. Almost all failures comes down to excuses, and the way Fates is a sledgehammer and jeremiad to the concept of moral complacency and how interwoven it all is just makes the game so special to me and my heart.

YES YES YES, THIS IS THAT *GOOD* SHIT

What I really appreciate about Fates, like you said, is that it really walks the walk when it comes to communication, humanity and grasping with the weight of people's lives.

It's true that it's cathartic to have characters like Hector or Ike be really gung-ho about removing the problems directly in their way, and taking no shit from their enemies.

But in a broader sense, what speaks to me is Corrin, painted as naive and childish, is correct in the philosophical statement being made.

Why is fighting each other endlessly the status quo? Why do you have to kill your enemies at every opportunity? Why is a future where people can respect one another so unbelievable?

And even then, with all of that, the story doesn't let malefactors off the hook. The abusers of that cruelty and irrationality are punished for it. Corrin gives them the chance, but when they're so set in their ways after that? No dice.

The tragedy here, is that sometimes, innocent people who would very much be able to be convinced, are caught in the crossfire. Dying for their lord, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being too belligerent and forcing someone's hand in order for them to survive, and just plain bad luck. And Fates' story, rightfully, treats this as something to be upset over, because it respects human life. It doesn't treat it just as a tool to make you sypmathize with what a character is going through, or as just a statistical risk in the background; rather, it materializes the effects of your actions.

And isn't that the beauty of FE stories as they are? They are simulated war chronicles, after all.

[lyn31]

Hiii, i hope you don't mind me requesting this (if someone havent requested the same thing) i'm obssessed with your writings 😬 👉👈 so... can you write about the Li family going on a beach trip when the twins were younger (maybe 1 y.o ish?) and their reaction to touching sands and the sea for the first time? Since i saw some babies being kinda terrified of them and then we have our unbothered serena having a fun time building sand castles and eating fruits and even helping taking care of the twins, like stopping when one of the twins were about to eat sands or something, overall just a fluffy family time, anyway thank you in advance, love ya 😘

Awwww, I hope you still do! This is quite late ahahaha I write it in a span of few days just this weekend, but here it is! Enjoy the chaotic fluff! 🫶🏻☺️ Let me know what you think! 👀💕

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First Beach

Summary

A first beach day always becomes a quiet testament to love, growth, and the joyful impermanence of childhood.

Ao3 link

My Masterlist ✨

Notes

Pairing: Zayne x MC/Reader Family fluff, more focus on the kids! chaos, banter, cuteness overload!

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The first scream of joy comes before you’ve even finished setting the picnic mat down.

Lucas, already half-free of his tiny sandals, is barreling toward the shoreline like the ocean sent him a handwritten invitation and he RSVP’d with fireworks. His arms are flailing, hair bouncing, mouth wide open in an elated squeal that has every sunbather within a five-meter radius turning to look—some amused, some startled, one older lady outright clapping.

"Lucas!" you call out instinctively, already halfway rising to your feet. “Wait—don’t go alone!”

Callum, several paces behind, pauses. He’s staring at the water like it just said something suspicious in a language he almost understood. His brows furrow, one hand gripping the bucket Serena gave him like it might defend him if necessary. He inches closer to his sister.

“I’ll go,” Zayne says beside you, calm as ever—but he’s already standing, brushing the sand from his hands as he jogs to catch up to Lucas.

Serena gives you a serious little nod and says, “I’ll go too,” like she’s somehow twenty-five and this is a very official joint mission. She takes Callum’s hand before darting off after Lucas and Zayne, her tied-up hair bouncing with each step.

“He’s actually going to launch himself into a wave,” you mutter, brushing your chest like you’re about to have a heart attack, watching your son throw his arms in the air like he’s about to hug the entire sea.

Zayne reaches them in seconds—Serena trying her best to coax Callum into the shallows. Callum hesitates at the edge, eyes still wide and cautious. That is, until Lucas turns around, grinning and soaked, and lets out another whoop of glee.

Callum follows. Of course he does.

Serena does her best to shield him from rogue splashes, while Lucas stomps through the water like he’s conducting an orchestra made entirely of waves. Zayne steps in easily, positioning himself between them and the deeper water with practiced ease, catching Lucas mid-splash and adjusting Callum’s hat in one smooth motion.

You laugh—a soft breath of disbelief—and settle onto the mat, brushing sand off your legs as Serena gently herds the boys like a mother duck in miniature, earning one of Zayne’s approving nods. Watching them now, all sun-drenched and chaotic, sparks an old memory.

Serena’s first beach day. No running or shrieking then, just that wide-eyed stare like the ocean was something ancient and unknowable.

You’d barely gotten her out of the carrier before she froze, chubby feet planted in the sand, body angled like she was trying to hear it better. Not scared—just quiet. Thinking.

Her brows were slightly drawn, lips parted, eyes impossibly wide beneath her sunhat. You’d crouched beside her, brushing a hand over her back.

“What do you think, sweetheart?” you asked softly, though she barely spoke yet—one word at a time, when she felt like it. She didn’t answer, but she did look up at you, then back at the waves, like she was trying to ask, why is the bath so big?

Zayne had knelt on her other side, reaching for her hand and adjusting the brim of her hat. “We’ll stay close,” he promised, not that she looked particularly worried.

It wasn’t until her foot sank slightly into wet sand that her confusion turned into action. She squatted low, grabbing a handful like she need to know more, squishing it between her fingers and turning it over in her palm. She’d played with sand before, but this—damp, heavy, shifting sand—this was something new.

So you built her something. A crooked tower at first, then a little wall to go with it, both you and Zayne working quickly, guiding her tiny hands to help.

When it was done—just a lump with vaguely architectural aspirations—Serena beamed. Absolutely beamed. She pointed to it, then to the bigger one Zayne shaped beside her, and made a quiet, triumphant sound, somewhere between a breath and a hum.

Then the tide rolled in.

A little wave reached out like a hand and tugged the base of her tower. It crumbled instantly, dissolving into the shore like it had never existed.

Her mouth wobbled, hands frozen midair, unsure what to fix—what to save.

“Oh, sweetheart,” you said gently, already reaching for her.

Zayne touched her back. “It’s alright. This just means we get to build more.”

She looked between you, uncertain, then gave the smallest nod, her eyes shining with sudden, serious determination.

A squeal from Lucas jolts you back to the present.

Lucas has kicked water high enough to soak Zayne’s pants. Callum gasps, scandalized, while Serena laughs, reaching for another seashell to add to her growing collection of ocean “treasures.”

You smile, standing up and brushing the sand from your legs.

Time to join them.

Lucas spots you first. He lets out a delighted squeal and does an awkward little jump that turns into a half-run, his chubby legs kicking up water as he makes a beeline for you. Just as suddenly, he stops short at the edge of the wet sand, toes wiggling like the ground just changed languages on him.

“Oh?” you say, amused, crouching slightly. “Finally noticed the sand, have we?”

He giggles behind his hands, clearly thrilled by this new texture, then immediately squats and scoops up a double handful of it—damp and lumpy and definitely not edible, not that he knows that. He stares at it with intense toddler curiosity, turning it over like it’s a precious relic from another world.

You can’t help but smile. It's always the sand.

Zayne approaches with Serena and Callum in tow, the latter still gripping his little bucket with both hands like it's mission-critical equipment. You notice it's already got a bit of sand inside—undoubtedly thanks to Serena, who’s walking just behind him, keeping a close eye on both her brothers like she’s the head of beach security.

“Callum’s collecting ingredients,” Zayne says mildly, like this is a perfectly normal thing to say about a bucket of sand.

Callum glances up at you briefly, proud but bashful. His cheeks are pink from sun and exertion not even his sunhat can help with that, and his eyes flick to Lucas’s overflowing hands as if to say, I got mine the proper way.

You’re just about to praise him when Lucas shifts—and lifts the handful of sand directly to his mouth.

“No—wait—!” You lunge in time to catch his wrist, managing to stop the full mouthful, though a generous smear coats the outside of his lips.

Lucas blinks at you, clearly wondering why something that looks so fun can't be eat.

You wipe his mouth with the edge of your shirt and say, “Nope. We don’t eat the sand, baby.” You glance at Callum. “Not even if your brother makes it look like a five-star snack.”

Callum solemnly hugs his bucket closer, as if to declare he would never.

“But!” you continue brightly, crouching again. “We can do this.”

One scoop becomes a second. Lucas watches, still mildly betrayed, but quickly perks up when he sees what you’re doing. Serena drops beside you, solemn and focused, reinforcing the mound with extra scoops.

Zayne sinks to the sand like this was inevitable, sleeves already rolled up, casually adding structure like he’s been waiting all day to get roped into this.

Callum hesitates just a step away, eyes flicking between everyone. Then—quietly, without a word—he walks over, kneels beside you, and very carefully turns his bucket upside down.

A perfect, clumsy little sand dome flops out. He stares at it. Then up at you.

You grin. “Perfect technique, engineer Callum.”

Callum beams.

“Daddy,” Serena says suddenly, tilting her head like she’s just had the world’s most important idea, “can we have a sea monster inside the cave?”

Zayne blinks, already halfway through reinforcing one of the lopsided walls. “A monster… inside the cave?”

She nods seriously. “A sea monster. Big teeth. But nice.”

Beside her, Lucas lets out a delighted shriek, clearly sold on the concept. He flops down next to Serena and starts digging with his hands like he’s going to personally uncover the beast.

Zayne sits back on his heels, considers the structure in front of him as if it’s a legitimate design challenge, “Alright,” he says, adjusting his posture like a consultant brought in late to a crisis. “I’ll make the interior spacious enough to accommodate a creature of… substantial size.”

“Daddy's serious now,” you whisper to Callum, who’s already begun collecting more shells with solemn purpose. “This just became a full-scale operation.”

“Do be careful with the west wall,” Zayne says calmly, pressing in another scoop of sand with surgeon-like focus. “It’s still soft near the base.”

“Oh, you mean this part?” you ask innocently—and then accidentally-on-purpose chip a corner with the edge of your hand.

“Oops.”

Zayne slowly lifts his head, his expression blank but unmistakably judging. “Yes. That part.”

Serena gasps. “Mummy!”

“Oops again.” You give her a wink.

Lucas cackles. Callum presses his bucket mold to the sand with extra determination, like someone has to hold this team together.

Under Serena’s direction, the kids begin accessorizing the area around the cave. Pebble paths. Shell fences. A driftwood “bridge” that Serena insists must be guarded by the sea monster’s best friend, which is apparently a crab. Lucas offers to be the crab. You gently redirect him.

When the cave and the "sea monster" is finally finished—lumpy, slightly uneven, but deeply impressive for a family armed with only tiny buckets and too much enthusiasm—everyone pauses to admire it.

“Oh there he is,” Serena whispers, eyes wide.

Lucas, not missing a beat, roars and hurls himself into the cave like a cannonball. It partially caves in with a satisfying crunch. Sand flies everywhere.

“The monster is here!” you announce, tossing a little sprinkle of sand a way like confetti.

Callum springs to his feet, bucket in one hand like a shield but spread out in front of Serena and you, with a loud babble.

“You have to fight him!” Serena yells, crawling behind you and ducking low. “Only my brother can save me!”

Lucas, covered in sand and absolutely thrilled to be the villain, lets out another delighted screech and flops onto his back, kicking his feet like a triumphant kaiju.

You plop down beside Zayne with a soft laugh, brushing your sandy hands together.

“That’s the best monster cave we’ve ever built,” you say.

Zayne, watching the scene unfold with a gentle look, nods. “We should put that on a plaque. Li Family Sand Structures. Established today, Destroyed Within Minutes.”

You nudge his shoulder with yours. "You’ll fix it again, won’t you?"

“Of course,” he says, brushing sand off his pants—then reaches over to gently flick a bit off your shoulder too, his fingers lingering just a moment. “I built it once. I can do it again.”

You both share a smile, exchanging a quiet, knowing look, before turning to watch the kids.

Callum “defeats” the monster with a triumphant stomp near Lucas’s belly, and Serena throws her arms around him in a hug so dramatic it knocks them both over.

Lucas cheers anyway, proud to be conquered.

The tide hasn’t touched them yet. The sun is still warm. And for a little while longer, everything holds—just long enough to feel infinite.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes

One more req! and then I'm out and we probably going back to slower rate because it's not weekend anymore.... but hopefully you enjoy this! 🫶🏻 I'll be back!

I was editing to add the rest of the series part but it was too long ahahaha so here's just the whole list: Parenthood AU list ✨

Although if you missed the Newlyweds series! Here How it all happen And also the Pregnancy series, starting with Try For Baby

[not-poignant]

did I hear it right? Is Ao3 currently under "attack"..??

You don't even need to put it in inverted quotation marks anon, it's straight up under attack by very likely Russian terrorists. It's both trending on Twitter, or if you don't use Twitter (don't blame you at all there), the Wikipedia page on Archive of Our Own has a whole section on it already.

There's also quite a few news articles out about it already!

[evenmorefatallyobsessed]

So not gonna lie this totally feels like a Bleiss move with the only difference being she would outright attack Blake for that instead of throwing a pillow 🤣

*Jaune was sitting on his bed, a contemplative look on his face has his fingers were laced together in thought.*

Blake: *passes the room, looking into the open door and seeing Jaune.* uh... Jaune? You okay?

Jaune: Weiss said something that makes so much sense.

Blake: And... that's bad?

Jaune: No. It's just what she said.

Blake: Okay... and what's that?

Weiss (via flashback):

Blake: *pauses for a moment before she sits down on one of the beds, contemplative.* But what if you could touch the E cups?

Weiss: *Slams the door open, throwing a pillow at Blake.* Don't give him ideas! *she immediately slams the door behind her.*

Jaune: *let's out a sigh.* Okay! She was coming onto me. It's hard to tell with her sometimes.

[exoflash]

a concerning amount of witchblr will be like "um actually new years was stolen by europeans from the ancient god scroobus mcdoobus" and then you actually try to research scroobus mcdoobus and it turns out he was invented in the 1940s by a conspiracy theorist who powdered every meal with ketamine and thinks that queer people are reincarnated fish

[ship-garbage-pile]

I feel my favorite moment in VTMB is that of the sudden-chance reunion with Samantha. Their is just so much to chew on from a narrative standpoint, we as the player have been so embroiled in the politics of the clans, doing dirty work and trying to survive. We are so stuck in our own heads about how it is we should proceed, "who should i place my trust in? Will i be able to survive?" Ultimately we become a survivor, and as we rush to do a new job we get greeted by..

Someone we never seen before, someone so distinct! no one else looks like her. Yet the moment she speaks and expresses her worry over you, we instantly understand that they are a friend of ours. Not just anyone, but a close friend with how worried she is; she seems so desperate to search for the PC even searching around the dangerous streets of Hollywood for us. How long has she been looking? how long will she 'keep' looking?

it's just a sombering encounter, and a real test of how the player treats their connection to their former life. Personally for my Ventrue, he erased the encounter from her mind. He could never hurt her, he would hope that she stops looking. But then again, a selfish part of him is happy they care so much.

[smtmsthnk]

the more I think about, the more i realize that maybe the problem all along was not that some reader don't understand the conflicts in mdzs (sometimes, that too) but that they don't understand the sheer scope of conflict

it is easier for readers to comprehend internal conflicts and while there are internal conflicts in the story they are ultimately not the reason behind the tragedy of wei wuxian's first life and the wen remnants' fate and consequent slaughter. to put it in other words: the first siege was not the result of wei wuxian's direct action or inaction, it was a part of systematic issue of the jianghu and their ostracization of wei wuxian and the wen remnants

and i also know that many ppl want wei wuxian to have a happier ending in his first life. wouldn't it be better if he and everyone who he loved were alive and safe and unharmed? and it is far easier to imagine a fix-it plot when the problem is on the actions of the individual. wouldn't the situation change if only character A did this? won't there be a happy ending if only the villain died earlier?

and don't get me wrong: i love myself a fix-it fic and i like a lot of them for mdzs. but this post isn't about fics

so, returning to the previous point: it is far easier to blame the individual. but the main conflict in mdzs is not an internal one, it's an external conflict: a man vs the world, a man vs society. and mxtx shows us that in this kind of conflict, the man and his ambitions will always perish: whether it be wei wuxian or xiao xingchen or even mianmian and lan wangji who tried to defend wei wuxian (lan wangji spoke in wei wuxian's defence several times, but did anyone listen? no). she is very realistic in this, actually, and i love her messages and ideas specifically in mdzs as they are the closest to my own

mdzs is a very realistic novel in general: even though headcanons and fanons about "modao" and how it was corrupting wei wuxian and the yin hufu being a cursed artifact with its own mind are very prevalent in the fandom, it's not like that at all in the novel. there are no voices coming from the yin hufu which want wei wuxian to kill anyone and everyone and drive him mad. wei wuxian doesn't even use modao and guidao isn't the reason for his unstable mental state but rather all the truly horrific and terrible situations that he was faced with in such a short term i'm left wondering if there is anyone else who could have lived through all of this like he did

but i digress. my main point: i don't deny that there are internal conflicts in mdzs, but the reason behind the tragedy of the first siege, the slaughter of the wen remnants, wei wuxian's death — the reason for all of this is a systematic issue born from the privilege and hypocrisy of the jianghu and its ruling class, not a consequence of an individual's action or inaction. the system put in place will always be much more sturdier than one person's claims

wei wuxian in front of all the clans accuses the jin clan and specifically jin zixun of kidnapping and using violence against the wen clan remnants, and no one bats an eye. mianmian speaks for wei wuxian, saying that killing four guards who were abusing the prisoners is not senseless slaughter, and she is put down and her words are dismissed as she is just "a maiden madly in love". lan wangji also speaks for wei wuxian, and without anyone's support, not even his clan's or brother's, his words are silenced and spoken over and dismissed without further notice

hell, even wen ning: jin guangshan organised a public execution and no one questioned jin guangyao why wen ning was alive and well and summoned on dafan mountain!

the main external conflict is the jianghu's hypocrisy and blindness and prejudice and "at least it doesn't happen to me so it doesn't matter" mentality and how the characters choose to conduct themselves and what choices they make in this kind of society and how it reacts back on these choices

[suddenlyauntiemaya]

*MAD. KangasMom does not outright attack; one of the mushroom shaped seats dies a heroic death as a show of strength however.

*Maya is getting to work instantly in the playhouse, trying to be fast but thorough*

Hitting things is a perfectly acceptable way to investigate them

[starlit-soothsayer]

So what's your issue with Sai? /genq

I have issues with plenty of people. The internet is full of obnoxious individuals, and for the purposes of my main accounts online I quickly block them (it's what those tools are for, after all). That doesn't mean I don't enjoy watching from a distance, however.

Sai is just one on a long list of internet people that wreak havoc wherever they go. Most just don't seem to notice that because she often targets (or tries to target) people that the internet masses are likely to frown upon. Lily Orchard is ideal for this. A vast majority of the internet dislikes her or doesn't care about her. To me, though, it's about the same as watching any United States election since 2016. It's not about getting something good anymore, it's about taking the side of the guy who sucks a little less.

To put it simply, Sai and Lily are two sides of the same coin.

Lily just so happens to have done much worse things by comparison and Sai just so happens to have opinions on media most agree with and internet history that hasn't been picked clean. At the end of the day though, their personalities and way of interacting with the web at large are incredibly similar.

Both of them, despite repeatedly claiming the opposite, are hopelessly obsessed with each other. Both of them use what little amount of minority status they have as a shield against critics. Both of them love to argue, to the point where it seems it's the only form of communication they can navigate. Both are quick to cry cowardice when someone decides an argument isn't worth having and walks away. Both of them must get in the last word, always. Both of them feel that they are in the right all the time, and that anyone else is either stupid, immature, or both. Both of them often label others as sensitive until it's their own feelings that are on the chopping block.

The best thing that Lily could do, if she really wanted to hurt her critics and make them leave her be, is to simply disappear from the internet entirely and let the people leeching off of her starve. The communities based entirely on making fun of her would dissolve overnight. Lily would never do that of course, because she has the same problem as Sai (one also pinpointed by CrimsonEnder): she simply can't let things go.

Neither of them will ever have the ability to walk away from something unless they have the final say, no matter how small it is. I've seen them both revive petty squabbles that have already long since simmered down for the sake of just wanting to argue.

It's not exactly difficult to put together why Sai has so many "haters" when almost every public interaction she has is a argument. It's not always about some form of homophobia or sexism or difference of opinion. Pardon my French, but sometimes your personality just fucking sucks.