#nation lore // ‘normal’ my ass!

[mangalho]

I made this dude to relax bc i read the info on drows on the dnd wiki (i dont know shit abt dnd and im not joking) and thought ‘whoever made these guys is a pervert’ i respect that, but i closed my eyes at the stupider bits of the lore…

i just dont think their society is like. Livable HAHAAH also its stupid asf to have ‘inherently evil species’… apparently they’re steering away from that shit which is great.

He was a man from a non-noble house chosen by a matron of a high house and they were surprisingly happy together for drow standards. Malaggar comes from like a mining/trading settlement, but his ventures took him to Menzoberranzan and thats how he met her. She was smitten by his general honesto demeanor and cute "provincial" accent (okay big City bitch..!)

please note that drows are kind of insane in general but apparently its worse in highly populated noble ridden cities with the strictest social rules so like. To you this was just some guy but to that woman he was so different so quirky ajahjahah

They had a good run, but eventually another matron from another high house came and said ‘i want him’ and since drow women compete like wild animals she killed his OG wife.. demolished her really

He became her bitch AND was miserable. She was happy bc he was like a pretty young thing but soon started getting violent with the guy because he was grieving his first wife whom he actually liked. He was in a rough spot bc he was getting his ass beat on the daily fr.. However his new wife was also a high drow so. He was basically elevating his family just bc he was there taking the domestic abuse (read: normal spider-worshipping drow behaviour)

The new matron was very unkind in every possible way you can imagine, but she didn’t do anything to him that would scar his body, greatest asset and all that. One day he snapped and killed his matron by way of knife and ran away to the surface world. Then he started his life of crime. Went from a little abused noble boy to some cartel mercenary dude who kills ppl and has tattoos. I think they look both really dumb but also sick as fuck, and he probably got them as a way to rebel against his upbringing in a way. But he’s edgy so i bet he thinks he looks sick like no nations no borders no self awareness being embarrassing unites all peoples

he is traumatized by women and is deeply afraid of them! I want his story to develop around becoming more normal and overcoming his grief.. hes from a long lived species so its taking him a while. Also its harder to make real friends if all your coworkers are insane criminals

[hamethyst]

Thoughts about FFXVI now that I’ve finally played it (was patiently waiting for that price to drop and my salt to dilute):

Pros:

- Pretty game. Big, pretty fights with attacks and cinema that made you feel like a god amongst men. Which you kind of were, at least by the end.

- The voice acting was top notch. Not a weak one to be found, imo, from major characters to minor. They all did a pretty phenomenal job.

- Music was also pretty darn good. Not my favorite soundtrack by any stretch, but it had some bangers, and the music contributed well to the overall mood of the world.

- There actually were brown people. Were any of them main characters? No, but they did exist, and some of them were even semi-important in side quests, which was a better state of the world than I thought. So a kudos there, I guess.

- The story on its own was decently satisfying, but the world-building was really where the game shined (along with the big, bombastic fights). You can tell they put a lot of time and care into developing the lore of Valisthea, from the monsters to the items to the politics of the involved nations. They had a couple characters that basically acted as encyclopedias for lore and in-depth details about characters, concepts, and events, and I genuinely enjoyed making use of them.

- I liked the older ages of the characters, pretty much everybody was in their 30s and older. Much as I love my FF teens and early twenty-something’s, it was very refreshing dealing with grown folks in a story about grown folks.

- From his hair to his face to his voice to his cleavage to his unnecessarily tight leather trousers to the cutscene of his bare naked ass literally chained to a jail cell wall, Clive was the eye candy of this game. He provided more smut material than the actual sex workers that existed in this world. Also his character was nice. He was a good FF protagonist. Also ridiculously gorgeous. God bless.

Cons:

- While there were brown characters, again none of them were main characters. At least give us our token darkie, Squeenix.

- The locations, while pretty cuz pretty graphics, were lackluster. There was one (1) notable exception, and that was (ironically) the place with all the brown folks lol. It was basically a desert oasis-turned-town, and it was legitimately beautiful to behold. But for the vast majority of traversable terrain, even for dark fantasy medieval Europe, it’s like there wasn’t even an attempt to try and create environs that were imaginative or particularly interesting to run/ride through (and it got worse when, about 75% into the story, literally everything became shrouded under dreary cloud cover). Like they could’ve given us a glowing forest or treetop town or something.

- Related to that point, exploration of said environs was equally uninspired. Not just because the locations quickly lost their hold on me, but because there were absolutely no worthwhile rewards for going out of my way to wander any given map area. Practically every chest or shiny bauble was a random assortment of a laughably low amount of gil or the same monster materials I absolutely did not need to go looking for as they were so abundant just throughout the course of the main story and a few side quests. And no secrets; there were no mysteries, no serendipitous little discoveries that would have added to the richness of the world. Halfway through the game, I’d already given up exploring any environment in full, and simply traversed from point A to B for the next cutscene (the only exceptions being populated towns and villages cuz at least there was ambient NPC dialogue), and that was so disappointing. I normally love exploration, even in non-open world games, but XVI simply didn’t incentivize me to pursue it, neither by way of rewards nor simple appreciation of the world.

- Not a big fan of the summon designs. Well, some of them. Phoenix was good, Garuda and Titan and Odin were good, and Ifrit was fine but also coulda been more than a burnt big-horned dog thing, but I was not a fan at all of Shiva and Bahamut. I talked about Shiva when the very first big trailer for XVI came out, and I stand by my statement then that she looks like a woman doing a pretty but boring cosplay. And Bahamut was just a big gray lizard with weird proportions. Not a fan.

- The main big bad was underwhelming and utterly unnecessary. We didn’t need to fight god (again). I’m tired of fighting god, I don’t care how classic a trope it is. All the political machinations the devs had going on (and clearly put so much time and effort into) were more than enough for a compelling, refreshingly grounded story. We didn’t need some random god creature to come in and pose a bigger, higher-than-the-sky threat. Also they were annoying.

- By god, why wasn’t there a fleshed-out party system. Not even necessarily for gameplay reasons, I was (mostly) fine with the action-based gameplay, I don’t necessarily need my FF’s to be strictly traditional turned-based RPGs. What had me wishing most for more RPG-“ness” was the lack of banter, the lack of character/relationship-building conversations out in the field. The only time you got those was at the homebase or during plot-heavy segments. Side quests and world exploration were the worst; even when another person was in your “party,” it was rare for Clive or even the game itself to acknowledge them or their presence (with the exception of Cid. And Torgal. You know, the dog). I missed banter, I missed commentary. I’m not saying I needed a 12-person ensemble cast, but wandering the pretty but repetitive wilderness would have been nicer if Clive had had someone to chat with. It would’ve made the journey a little less lonely, a little less monotonous, and a little less, frankly, immersion-breaking. And it also would’ve helped to flesh out the other, non-Clive main characters, given them the flavor text they needed to really come to life as believably human characters I could care about, rather than just vehicles for lore and story progression. For everyone except Clive and a couple others, that was sorely missing.

- Partially continuing from above: Jill was the greatest victim of this. She was criminally underutilized. She and Clive were cute (30+-year-old traumatized virgin battle couple locked in a decades-long slow burn, sign me up), but they - and, more importantly, she - could’ve been so much better. And one of the reasons they weren’t and she wasn’t was because they chose not to flesh Jill out despite all the ways they could’ve. The nuggets of gold were there; in the story, in the lore, and they did little to nothing with them, and essentially consigned her to the role of Clive’s favorite cheerleader (who gets left behind right before the climax and replaced with a character with less than half the screen time, sorry Dion). It’s especially frustrating seeing as she was the only female member of the main hero cast. Can you tell I’m mad about it. It might honestly be my biggest criticism of the game. She’s not the only victim, as I stated, but her treatment is the most egregious given that she should be, for all intents and purposes, the third most important character in the game. (Also, on a shallower note, her design could’ve been better, more striking. She seemed to literally kinda fade into the background, especially in direct comparison to other characters. I understand the ice theme they were going for, but she really could’ve benefited from some coloration outside of “pale” and “gray.” Lowkey bothered me to the point that I started redesigning (and just full-on reimagining) her as I played lol).

- Also related to the above points: despite XVI being categorized as an action RPG, the RPG elements were extremely barebones, so much they might as well not have bothered including them. And it’s even more glaring an issue because, in my humble opinion, the parts by which the game suffered most (lack of worthwhile exploration, lack of a stimulating party system, lack of quest variety, lack of significant supporting character development) wouldn’t have been issues if those RPG elements had been given more attention and care.

Idk it’s…frustrating, like Squeenix was so dead-set on making XVI so far removed from the traditional FF formula, that they forgot (or ignored) the roots that made their previous games so iconic. I’m all for innovation and experimentation, but it’s gotta be guided, and it’s gotta make sense. And XVI just felt aimless in that respect, like it didn’t know entirely what it wanted to be or what it wanted to do. Couldn’t fully commit to the bit of being a gameplay-focused action extravaganza, but lacked the development and depth to be a truly satisfying, story- and character-focused RPG. And, to me, it showed.

Overall, I’d rate the whole experience a 7/10. Passable, entertaining enough, but sorely lacking in too many other areas, and all areas that I’ve always personally loved in a Final Fantasy game or general RPG. It’s like using a ton of admittedly very pretty glitter to cover up a concrete slab. Fun and exciting at a glance (and again, very pretty), but ultimately little more than camouflage for a solid but shamefully underutilized foundation.

[electro-strike-zukka-time]

A little snippet of my beloved Prince Creek AU. This work has so much random lore here and there.

Sokka ran his fingers through the soft neck feathers of Foo Foo and tried his best to fight off the dark thoughts rampaging through his brain. The Nanuqsaurus rumbled softly and lowered his head down closer to his rider. Sokka smiled softy and moved his other hand to pet along his snout.

“Hey Sokka!”

Sokka internally cringed but still turned toward the person who called out his name. Foo Foo didn’t move from where he was shielding Sokka with his head only narrowing his eyes and letting out a low growl.

“What do you want Hahn?” Sokka asked not even attempting to hide the sourness in his voice.

“Is that any way to talk to a fellow prince?”

Sokka let out a sharp laugh, “You are no prince Hahn, especially after Yue quite publicly rejected your marriage proposal.”

Hahn only reaction was slight narrow of his eyes but his tone remained unchanged. “If I recall correctly she rejected you as well.”

Sokka stepped out from behind Foo Foo’s head who rose to his full height and moved to meet Hahn’s eyes. He allowed himself a smug smile “Actually that was a mutual decision, we both knew we would never be happy with that arrangement and I didn’t need to have my ass literally thrown out of the palace.”

Hahn clearly didn’t like the turn of this conversation eyes going dark as he said “So know you’re slutting it up with the nothing Fire Nation Prince?”

Sokka’s anger immediately spiked and he glanced behind him to see Foo Foo become more aggravated, feathers raising across his body accompanied by a guttural hiss. Normally, he wouldn’t let Foo Foo get to this level of agitation around someone but at the moment he had no fucks to give. “It would be in your best interest to mind your own business Hahn Egoak” Sokka said coldly.

Undeterred by the large theropod staring at him intently Hahn continued on. “You two were putting on such a show at the reception I’m shocked the Southern Water Tribe would allow such a whore behavior from their Crown Prince.” Hahn said sleazily.

Sokka couldn’t know why he simply didn’t punch Hahn in his stupid face only replying with “If you value being able to speak in the future I suggest shutting up before I remove your tongue.”

Hahn simply laughed apparently unconcerned, the idiot. “What’s wrong Sock’s we just having a fun chat,” giving Sokka a slight shove as he said it.

Upon contact Foo Foo immediately moved forward, teeth barred while continuing to hiss. This finally seemed to capture Hahns attention and quickly stood back eyes wide.

“Are you going to control your pet?”

“If you think I’m opposed to letting him bite you in half then the answer is no.”

Before the other man could respond officials from his diplomatic aunterage arrived to escort him away.

[puckpocketed]

Naruto ice hockey AU!! a good friend suggested there should be more art of hockey equipment and then I went out and started looking at hockey equipment for references and then this wedged itself into the back of my mind until i gave up and painted it. click for better quality. Yes i have mock ups. They will not see the light of day until I finish all 3 jersey variants ! AU and design notes under the cut if you fancy <3

Lore… i used to run a Naruto blog when I was much much much younger. you are currently witnessing my old special interest cross over with my current special interest.

Bits and pieces from this AU that I’ve been rotating in my mind:

Welcome to the Elemental Nations Hockey League? :D

Every season they play for the Kaguya Cup, named after the mother of ice hockey who invented it eons ago with two sons on her hip ! Yeah sure we’ll go with that….

I present to you the Original FIVE: the Kumo Cloud, the Iwa Quake, the Kiri Mist Wraiths, the Suna Dust Devils, and the Konoha Leafs !! Sorry to actual Leafs fans but I thought about this for much longer than I want to admit and there is no other name that makes sense here. I just think they’re fun <3 (SO many translatable motifs and ideas and I can’t include them all here)

3-man units EASILY become lines. I thought about this and yeah . Yeah. Team 7 is still comprised of Naruto-Sakura-Sasuke OBVIOUSLY . there is no gender segregation in this AU because i chose joy and fun when dreaming it up. also they all wore 7 in juniors. 777. 7-UP line LMAO. jackpot line? Team 7. haven’t decided.

Naruto quick facts: winger, wears the C (eventually) undrafted in his first eligible year, taken 111th overall in his second (he was a late bloomer + canon-compliant asshole child era meant nobody wanted his ass!! Konoha took a chance on him!). Wore #7 he wears #1 because of his draft position and because he’s gonna be the best player EVER. <3 He thinks he’s normal about Sasuke (he is not)

Sasuke notes: winger, wears an A. went 1st overall. No weaknesses … the Perfect player ! except he is Not his brother Itachi who ALSO went 1st overall about 10 years ago. the world wont let him forget it . Itachi is now retired for medical reasons but works in hockey as a scout, but the comparisons haunt our little man… </3 Sasuke’s D+1 year he wasn’t ready for the ENHL and everyone started calling him a bust because he got sent down!! SAD!!!! Wears #77 as a Leaf because they all agreed it would be fair no one should have #7. Trade rumours to the Oto Thunder every season like clockwork because Orochimaru, Oto’s GM, originally tanked to get Sasuke in the draft and FAILED…!

Sidebar i believe in my heart that Naruto and Sasuke played for rival juniors teams; the Uzushio Tempest and the Uchiwa Flames…… let me cook here alright,.. i just think they developed an intense fixation on each other and got thrown out of games for fighting ! Ironically this rivalry unlocked their potential and they were in a heated scoring race thru the entire season…..

Sakura: undisputed center and the bus driver of this line!!! wears the other A! Drafted 7OA and everyone was mad about it because they wanted someone else. Wore #7 through juniors to spite them !! Currently wears #16 just like her hero Tsunade <3 Tactical mind, not naturally talented but worked hard for everything she has, an extremely effective playmaker��� I think she is built like a tank… terrifying power forward Sakura…………….

They play for the Konoha Leafs obviously...! Theyre the cringefail girlies for about 2 years once they make it to the ENHL, godbless . Lots of individual flashes of brilliance but no long-term success and zero team cohesion as they are shuffled around. Naruto and Sasuke both have a go at being center but they both Suck at anchoring a line like that.. they aint made that way (to ME!!!) Konoha Leafs on the verge of collapse and wasting another 5-7 yrs of being mediocre. Then one day coach Kakashi decides ‘Hm. Maybe. i will make Sakura play with these two assholes.’ And the rest is history!!!!!!

Listen I just think she would corral their worst impulses and keep them in line…. I feel like she’s a very responsible and smart 2-way player and balances Naruto and Sasuke’s heavy offence out. They get really dangerous the moment they settle into their roles. 777. JACKPOT!!!!!!

Various team mascots are the tailed beasts? <3 I just think it would be neat….!

Lots of expansion team ideas (smaller villages) and a junior league (clan associations !) many ideas…

DESIGN NOTES

In-universe, the above design is a 3rd jersey nodding towards Konoha's heritage. Prior to becoming the Leafs in the ENHL, they were the Demon Foxes!

WHY did i choose a third jersey…? This idea popped into my head when i heard rumours the ducks were leaning into their orange county ties in the rebrand and i thought ouuuhh you know what would fuck severely… naruto x ducks brand collaboration…… oramnge…. I love orange <3

Anyway Naruto had his heart set on being a goalie before tragically being moved to forward (the skaters …they YEARN for the pipes!!!!) so he wraps his stick in that insane goalie knob style <3 Where did you get that red and blue tape from Naruto…. C’mon now don’t be shy …

Blade is orange taped bc Naruto loves orange so bad. There are various ideas about white sticks/white tape being harder to see against the ice and i think he’d like the idea of taping his blade orange bc the doesn’t need that competitive advantage lol

Konoha home jerseys are green/brown/white/red/blue (think something closer to the Jounin flak jackets) More on them later mayhaps…

Out of universe, I based the colours and design elements largely off Naruto’s outfits over the series. The black and orange is a nod to his first outfit in Shippuden — note the black on his shoulders cutting across his chest and the shape language of the piping on the abdomen.

The red piping is because reaaaalllly wanted to add his Hokage robe flames but i tried it and thought it looked lame as HELL . So i suppose we will save that for a specialty jersey somewhere down the line (many thoughts… many many thoughts….)

The blue/white/red on his skates, sleeves, and gloves is an homage to the Uchiha, who had a hand in founding the team + have people within the org. I imagine the Uchiha clan as this, idk, juggernaut of hockey dynasties…!! A finger in every possible pie. Maybe they have partial ownership of the team. They do equipment manufacturing (gloves, skates, tape!), PR, scouting… everything!!!

Shoulder patches are Uzushio’s whirlpool insignia.

The ribbed neck guard is a reference to Naruto’s first jumpsuit design. He definitely thinks he doesn’t need a neck guard until Sasuke mentions that they’re kind of cool — a blatant manipulation to get Naruto to wear one. <- they are unwell about each other you see

Naruto tapes his hockey socks different every time for good luck. someone said variety is the spice of life and then he heard somewhere else that spicy foods promote longevity and his wires got crossed and now he thinks of variance = spice = a long playing career.

[l0cked0uttt]

How They Would React To You Asking Personal Questions (Angst)

Characters: Dream, Technoblade (Not featured), Wilbur (Not featured), Quackity (Not featured)

All can be seen as either platonic or romantic

Angst no comfort

A/N: Honestly, I think my new favorite way of getting inspiration is to spin a wheel with numbers on it and have the number correlate with something different (Ex. 1 is male reader, 2 is gender neutral etc.) and whatever it gives me I have to work with it, it keeps it random but also keeps it original for me. That's how I've been doing a lot of these stories so far, or I just take inspiration from another story that I enjoy.

CW/TW: Swearing, lots of arguments, touchy lore subjects

Y/N will be used (meaning Your Name)

Dream:

Your relationship with Dream has always been pretty normal, despite living with one of the most hated people on the SMP, you were untouched.

Not because you were super strong, it was just that no one had any reason to hurt you.

In all of the past wars and battles you had always stayed impartial, never picking a side, however that doesn't mean you didn't have friends.

You were the closest with George and Dream, having come with them when they first decided that this land is now dubbed the Dream SMP (and L'manberg later on). But you also got along with Tubbo and Tommy, helping the boys get out of trouble when Wilbur wasn't there to bail them out.

That doesn't mean you didn't voice your opinion to your roommate, You had often told Dream that he needed to stop acting childish and just give Tommy his discs back so all of this can stop. However he always refused, giving some half assed excuse on why he couldn't do that often times saying "They're not Tommy's discs, their mine, he needs to learn that and to learn to not steal from me."

As more and more conflicts began to pop up the more and more sheltered you became, you had always stuck to your philosophy and a few wars wasn't gonna change that. But with being sheltered, mean news didn't travel as fast especially if you weren't from the nation in which the news came from.

Y/N almost choked on their drink when they read the letter. It was times like this when they thanked the few people on the SMP who told everyone what was happening, whether that be a new war or battle or if someone knew was joining but this time, the news was far from anything Y/N believed anyone on the SMP was expecting.

They had heard about Tommy's probation and assumed nothing of it. Sure the boy was crazy and loud and had even pulled some not so funny pranks on Y/N but they ultimately forgave Tommy, he was just a kid, with all the more adult responsibilities Y/N didn't mind Tommy being a bit of a dick every once and a while.

Well it turns out that Tommy couldn't keep it together for 3 weeks and ended up burning Georges house down resulting in what Y/N was assuming was Tommy's probation to be even longer, lasting until he was 18. At least that's what they thought.

Well they were dead wrong, Tommy had been exiled from L'manberg and because he wasn't necessarily welcome in the Dream SMP, meaning he would be totally exiled from everything and everyone. Y/N understood that there comes a point where you have to put your foot down and you can't just brush over everything he does but exile? That definitely seemed like it was taking it too far.

The news of Tommy's exile was a shock to a lot of people, some people celebrated it, knowing that most conflicts would probably stop because Tommy was the cause of a lot of them but exiling a teenager just didn't sit right with you even with his actions.

When Dream got home later that day, you had tried to press him for answers asking questions like, "What happened to the probation until he was 18?" and "Come on Dream even you should see that this is a bit too cruel."

Dream brushed off all of these questions either flat out ignoring them or just dodging the question.

"Tommy had it coming to him." Dream said as he sharpened his sword.

"Had it coming-? Dream! Has it not crossed your mind that Tommy is still a kid?"

"He made adult decisions so he's gonna get adult consequences, no one's gonna baby him, we all know that'll just cause more problems than solutions."

"I know that, but exile? Not even-"

Y/N was cut off by the loud crash of the stool hitting the ground when Dream started at them, he had a scowl on his face as he stared at them.

"Stop talking about it, Tommy got his punishment and he'll have to see it through, whether your pacifist mindset agrees with it or not."

After that, the two of you kept your distance, and despite you never acting on it there was a constant voice in your head telling you that you had to go looking for him, no matter how many times you ran the scenario through your mind, exile was never the next step that should've been taken.

And with that, you decided to keep a close eye on Dream and more specifically his behaviors, you noticed that he began to leave sporadically throughout the week and at random hours at the day, sometimes he would leave for an hour and sometimes he wouldn't be back for more than 3 and his armor and weapons would be suspiciously clean.

You had debated on following him multiple times but always decided against it, Dream was still your friend after all and he was a grown man, if something was going on, he would tell you, or you could just ask him.

After about a month of this behavior, you finally gathered the courage to ask him. And this time, you were getting a straight answer. So you asked him one day after he got back.

"Dream, we need to talk."

Lets just say....that talk did not go as planned.

********

Apologies to anyone either waiting for this or was looking forward to the other characters I think I started writing this in late 2023 but I have a terrible concept of time- ANYWHO hoped I finished it off with an interesting enough ending and maybe one day I'll come back to this who knows!

I do plan on getting out at least 2 maybe 3 other drafts tonight and then sometime tomorrow doing the rest and or fixing my guild lines because they're a little rough and I am in the works of setting up a masterlist

Word Count: 918

[kogetaikid]

'Tis W.I.P. Wednesday My Dudes...

Here's a W.I.P. of my redraw of JEALOUS BOY'S CURSE

This isn't his normal outfit (it's mostly his school uniform), but here's a little character description cuz I promised you guys one:

Name: Otoño Desrosiers

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age: 13

D.O.B.: 45/5990¹

Nationality: Ketakaxnii Du-Ogeni², Planet Epicland (Gotta explain this part a bit; quick desc under "keep reading")

Race: White (Half Spanish half French because yes; 3rd Generation Epiclandesse Settler³)

Species: Earth Human

Pumpkin Spice Latte looking ass in his normal outfit. (Yes, I know what Otoño translates to in Spanish (it means Autumn) and I know it's not a real name but it sounds pretty imo and his design inspired me to give him that name.)

A "Lone" poet and painter - "QUIT BEING EDGY! YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND YOU'VE HUNGOUT WITH ALMOST DAILY SINCE YOU WERE FIVE!!!"

Based on the title of the current art piece he's in, yep, he has jealousy issues.

Motif is orange roses. (Desrosiers means "Of the Rose bushes". Bro's full name is motherfucking "Autumn of the Rose Bushes" adjeiwfhweifhewi. On a more serious note though, I felt a surname based on a flower would fit him.)

Only child with divorced parents cuz he must suffer the same fate as me.

You'll see his character more when I actually reveal to the public what I'm making. I may even add it to the MASTERPOST this weekend!

Okay, Kogetai Universe Lore Time...

Months don't exist in Epicland

Ketakaxnii Du-Ogeni is an island in Epicland. It's (sort of) the planet's equvalent of the U.S. mostly in how it's made up of immigrants/settlers from other lands and heck in Epicland's case, different parts of the universe

There are two ways you could be human in Epicland. Either Your earliest ancestors bred with the native dominating species (the Ketakomians; leading to Epicland Humans) or you we're part of a top-secret mission in the 1900's (this story arc is still a work in progress, but this was the case for Otoño's grandparents)

[wesleycrushers]

Hey, I need the lore on the Wil Wheaton national TV fiasco. I'm intrigued.

I apologize for letting this sit in my inbox for a hot minute, being an adult with responsibilities and stuff is stupid 😒 (especially when you have an uncontrolled chronic illness on top of it, but anywho)

my time has finally come

okay I lied just a little because it wasn't technically Wil Wheaton that made fun of me, but you'll get what I mean in a moment

So about ten(ish) years ago, Wil had a short lived series on Syfy called the Wil Wheaton Project and for those unfamiliar, he would basically discuss the geek news of the week (like, I know Gotham was airing at the same time, so he would often talk about the latest episode) and there were sketches and guest stars and things of that nature.

But, let me give you some context on me ten years ago, so I can really paint the picture of how batshit this was for me. So, I would've been around 19, maybe 20, at that time, and I had just watched Next Gen for the first time and instantly fell in love (it was actually the first star trek series I had seen, and it's what got me into it). But, not only did I love the show and characters as a whole, I was OBSESSED with Wesley in particular (and Data, but that's not relevant to this story), and at that point in my life I was so much worse than I am now in the sense that, when I was fixated on a certain character, I was FIXATED. Which made me want to look up what Wil was doing in the present day. (it certainly didn't help that i developed a brief little crush on adult Wil). Like, I bought and read his book, I watched and rewatched every movie of his I could get my hands on (Toy Soldiers and Stand By Me in particular were practically playing on a loop), I would rewatch the Wesley episodes like. It was bad lol

So, when I found out he was going to have a new show on Syfy, ofc I was super thrilled and my ass was SEATED from day one when it first premiered. I would faithfully watch it every single week while live tweeting. But, obviously the only episode I ever missed live ended up being the one where I was mentioned lmao I can't remember exactly why I couldn't watch it right away, it's been ten years lol But, I think I was just out or something so I had my DVR set. Normally I would've just watched it the second I got home, but my Mom really enjoyed it as well so I promised I would save it until the next night so we could watch together. As soon as I said good night to her, I logged onto twitter and. all these random people were tweeting me and retweeting a couple of my tweets and I was like "????" I used twitter a lot back then, but I still like. my following was very modest, and I was only involved in one (1) fandom on there, so things like that did not happen to me. And what's worse, the first few people that tweeted at me didn't really explain why?

BUT THEN. I got to one that I still remember it to this day both because it's when I was sort of clued in to what had happened and also because the tweet itself was kinda funny to me. It said something like "just watched the wil wheaton project and immediately had to run to twitter to see if you're real, I'm so glad you are. Have a good evening!" and that's when the adrenaline kicked in. I saw a few more tweets mention the Wil Wheaton Project so at this point I'm literally shaking lmao and I ran into my Mom's room to show her and to freak out a little so she's like "alright, let's go watch it"

And we're watching it, and everything's normal, Wil's just talking about the nerdy stuff that happened that week and I'm just getting more confused as to what I had to do with this BUT THEN

(as a sidenote, they obviously showed my twitter username, but I'd rather not repeat it here because I started it when I was a very young teenager and I no longer have access to it and I'm sure there's stuff on there from past me that would get me doxxed and killed on the "we piss on the poor" no nuance website)

Anyway, he had this segment with Skeletor where Skeletor would read mean tweets, and since this was the season 1 finale (which, unfortunately, also turned out to be the series finale), Skeletor was reading tweets disparaging the Wil Wheaton Project. AND THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN, MY TWEET POPS UP ON THE SCREEN BEHIND WIL AS HE SAYS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, "I happen to know a lot of people like watching the show. For example, [REDACTED] said, 'My Tuesday isn't complete without a new episode of the #WilWProject :)'"

and that's about where I burst into (very excited!) tears lmao my mom had to lovingly shush me because she was trying to hear what was being said but I was too busy crying

So, then Skeletor made comment about how I must be a woman of sophistication before he pulled up another one of my tweets that read, "I love sitting on countertops and I don't know why" and then he said one or two more things making fun of me and my love of sitting on countertops and that was about it lol

But the thing is, those two tweets were not back to back. I was a young millennial on social media, I was posting every damn thought that popped into my head lmao and idk when they started planning out the next week's show and writing the jokes, but there's about a 50% chance that either Wil himself or someone on his team saw some of tweets where I talked about how adorable I thought Wesley was in his uniform 🤦🏻‍♀️ (I like to imagine my absolute nightmare scenario where Wil and maybe a few writers are all sitting around some table and my tweets are just projected onto a screen in the front of the room or something. I don't want to be corrected if that's not what happened, I'd rather just live with that image forever 😂)

Anyway, I can't remember exactly how long it was after that happened, but I believe it was at least a few days, Wil posted on his website that unfortunately, the show had been canceled. Except he titled that particular post with "if you like sitting on countertops..." which was so bittersweet for me. Like, I was obviously super bummed his show hadn't made it but it was so exciting that I wasn't just a blip on his radar, like I was still a part of the running gag! And, as I said, it's been a decade since this happened but I still think of it at least once a year on the anniversary, if not more often, because it was legit one of the top 5 moments of my life lol

I've always hoped that I would get to go to a convention or something and meet him so I could be like "I'm the countertop girl!" but sadly, especially with COVID, that hasn't happened yet. Perhaps someday :)

[foxes-that-run]

That lady (taylorswiftstyled) has shown her ass time and time again these last couple of days, and there are people still defending her. So what if she apologized? She shouldn't have said it in the first place! She's only apologizing cause she's getting called out.

When everyone was criticizing her new book in which she is basically snarking on Taylor all throughout, she was deleting comments and blocking people left and right. But then you have swifties on Twitter, having to beg her to delete mean comments about Taylor, and she still doesn't because she's all for a discussion and seeing different opinions. That's very hypocritical. How is she a fan of someone and allowing this type of negativity to fester in her comments section? She's profiting off of Taylor's hard work ffs. She doesn't have the fashion knowledge to do a book, so she decided to insert her own uninteresting opinion, drawing conclusions that come from a mean-spirited, g*ylorist place, and speculate why Taylor wears what she wears using Taylor lore. That's unprofessional. I know we talk about Taylor's clothing in comparison to Harry. But at the end of the day, we know that not everything she wears is meant to send a message or be an Easter egg of sorts. That woman has singlehandedly helped reinforce the narrative that Taylor still dresses childish in her 30s and is a calculated bitch who only wears cheap clothing from time to time just to "relate" to normal people and that her style changes based on the men she dates (when that's not true).

Anyone can use Google lens and quickly find out what Taylor is wearing. It's that easy. There's a reason why Taylor's team has never acknowledged her.

On the last point she’s been to a secret session so that’s not accurate. That means Taylor and her team have followed her blog and cultivated the relationship. Taylor’s team use fans social media engagement as a key marketing strategy. She’s also been part of the fandom since the beginning.

I’m not dismissing your concerns but I’ve never seen her be mean to Taylor. If she is bothering you I recommend maybe blocking her. I personally don’t like the vibe that Taylor is above any criticism. I’m not referring to anything TSS said (maybe it’s awful) but I do know Taylor is a person and people are not perfect.

[rosethreeart]

Hidden Del and Abby Lore beneath 👀

TW for “implied” SA and abuse

I’m copying and pasting from a DM which is why it’s sorta formatted a little weird but it’s been rotating in my brain and I need to SHARE!!!

Okay I've sorta alluded to it in the past with Delaware not really "having a father" and being really close with Prussia. But during the year(s) leading up to the revolutionary war it was legal for redcoats to take house in any colonialist's home. Abby would have been a bit of a young teen (~16?) during this time I think. She would be stuck in her home unaware of whats really occurring in the world-- she's autistic(a fae child if you will) and takes things very literally so when Arthur told her "not to stray from home" she literally took it as "don't leave the property" but I digress. So she's stuck in her home and the revolution is already kinda started at this point? Anyways like a few redcoats take over her home despite her protests and warnings of who her father is. They stay there for a while and eventually take advantage of her cause they're drunk young man with a thirst for power left alone with a pretty young thing and they're assholes </3. She snaps and kills them eventually tho :). They're bodies were thrown into the woods left for the wolves and other creaters that lurk there (sometimes she'll just stare off in that general direction and nobody knows why...) and thats when Prussia find her. A lot of germans were mercenaries during the revolutionary war (for both sides I believe) if memory serves me. So to me it would make sense if England secretly hired Prussia to take care of Abby during the war. So she actually ends up having Del /during/ the war an she and prussia just sorta agree to lie about it cause Abby can't even /speak/ about it. So thats really how Del is born/conceived. I think that nations especially in the past were very much treated like property, and her being a woc didn't really help with that. A few of her bosses would have also very much taken advantage of her over the years. SO she's got some trauma from that type of shit. Anyways that paired with the constant stream of "you're my nation you have to do as your told" and abandonment issues she develops a very unhealthy understanding of what sex is and how it should be used. She might not necessarily /want/ to have sex or even be repulsed by the idea of it in the moment, but she's too afraid of her partner (usually another nation) walking away and leaving her because she wouldn't be a good little girl and do as she's told, so she becomes almost overly sexual. She gets told sex is a casual thing amongst nations and that it can be used to her advantage with actual people so despite the severe disservice shes doing to herself she thinks what she's doing is normal. She also loves her children very much and finds an extreme source of comfort and knowledge that they wont abandon her which kinda selfishly leads her into having/wanting more states which kinda rinses and repeats the cycle of SA she keeps putting herself through. It takes a LONG ass time for her to come to the realization as to what she's been putting herself (and her partner(s)) through over the years and almost completely goes celibate from it. It takes even longer for her to get comfortable with the idea of having sex let alone even having it even if she's with someone she trusts (like Ned). But every once in a while she sorta relapses into it because she /needs/ to know that she's desired by at least one person, that she can be loved, that she's not all the horrid things that the other nations tend to make fun of her for; they wouldn't fuck her if they actually thought of her that way, right? She's got issues </3.

[hihopodcast]

Wow, that actually happened.

So...Oklahoma is out.

Nationals Day One is over and the Four on the Floor is LSU, Cal, Florida, and Utah - just as we all definitely expected!

Blake from Half In Half Out reporting for duty while the Head Gay in Charge of the Sass Department, Spencer of the Balance Beam Situation, tends to his health.

Semifinal One featuring LSU, Cal, Arkansas and Stanford. LSU and Cal should advance is everyone does their normal, but Arkansas or Stanford could slip in with a serious mistake or two from either favorite. This semifinal occurred at a reasonable hour, and featured teams I actually really like and several athletes we've followed for a long time. It's all good vibes, and I want Sav and Sirena to have the best night ever.

Sav kills it. Sirena gets attacked by the beam monster but lives to tell the tale. It'll still be a fun story. These two are absolute gems and I am so proud of their careers and the people they've become.

We get a final(?) Chae floor party. It's sensational. 9.95 I think - I hope she takes a fifth year if she wants to.

Anyways.

It's LSU and Cal, as we all figured. Stanford put up a fight for a bit, but it wasn't enough in the end. Stanford and Arkansas are, and damn well should be, proud of how far they came this season.

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

I wait until my bed time for Semifinal Two to start, fully expecting to be able to half watch it as Oklahoma coasts into the lead and Florida battles Utah and Alabama for #2.

Oklahoma started on vault and the first athlete immediately fell on her ass and her pride *cur Stick It montage*. Then two others nearly fell on their own respective behinds and Oklahoma ends the first rotation in last place, down over a point from the rest of the field.

I suspect this will be hung in OU's locker room sometime today:

Before the second rotation starts we get an Oklahoma vault error compilation, followed by an Oklahoma fluff piece. Yikes. I mean I guess there probably won't be any good time in this meet to show it. They just said their team is good under pressure situations in the fluff.....well...yeah, usually.

The beam monster eats Alabama's feet and they count 3 falls in rotation two. Jaedyn Rucker of Utah has a weird floor fluke but they don't count her score. Raena Worley does her final routine and we all cry when she cries.

Everything is normal, Oklahoma is in third, despite whatever the hell that first rotation was, and Florida and Utah can either do their normal and qualify to Saturday - or have a medium flop-fest on any event and fall behind Oklahoma. Sure. Okay.

This is when the broadcasting Gods smiled upon us all and gave us an even more poorly timed fluff. Oh yes. It's happy Alabama montage time!

Around this point Kino texted me “Is this the best day of my life?” Yes, bestie. I think so.

Throughout the rest of the meet, Utah and Florida have a couple small mistakes, but they end up finishing squarely on top.

Oklahoma counts a fall on beam and we get this gem from John:

*and thus begins the John hates Oklahoma and Alabama lore*

In the end, we land here:

Bryant wins the All Around - justice is served.

So on Saturday we'll crown a National Champion that isn't Oklahoma, which is of course devastating to the Sooners and their fans, but is also just objectively exciting and interesting. LSU, Cal, Utah and Florida all stand a real chance of winning this thing, in my opinion. All 198-capable, including with post-season neutral-site scoring.

Utah and Florida need to lock in and get rid of the mistakes that cost them those last few tenths on Thursday. The winners almost certainly won't count a fall, but I'd bet the winners won't HAVE a fall. Each of these teams has flinched under pressure at some point this season, and each has shown their depth and adaptability throughout the year.

My best guess? I mean. LSU had the most complete semifinals performance. I want Sav to get a Natty. Konnor has been such a star, Bryant is amazing, Kiya is doing great - it may be their year. Florida gives me anxiety, but a win for Morgan Hurd's team is always a win for my team. Cal would be such a fun win. Can they prove themselves under pressure this time around? And Utah can always smash it. I'm always surprised when they don't land in the Finals. They're just solid. Now, I will never root for Utah, but I admire how their coaching staff has handled this year's sudden transition - based on the gymnastics and things we see on camera - and will be fine with them winning if they are the best on the day. They can be the best of this group, and certainly might be on Saturday, and that athletic achievement can exist separate from all of the valid criticisms of individuals on their team/staff and their behavior towards their former teammate.

In the words of RuPaul, "I can't wait to see how this turns out."

[yourfavanxioussunshine]

HELLO YES I WAS TRYING TO STUDY BUT THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES JUST WENT FULL BEAST MODE ON NAXALS AND MY BRAIN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

Operation Sankalp. More like Operation: “You thought you were safe? HOLD MY RIFLE.”

ON MAY 7, 2025 — TWENTY. TWO. NAXALS. YEETED INTO OBLIVION. I repeat: 22 Naxals were neutralized so hard the Karegutta hills are probably still echoing from the tactical whoop-ass. This wasn’t an encounter. This was a forest-based group project of violence and redemption.

On May 7, the Indian Armed Forces carried out a decisive, sprawling anti-Naxal operation and neutralized 22 insurgents. Twenty-two people who had chosen violence, who were part of the same Maoist units responsible for attacks that have scarred India’s tribal belts for decades. Twenty-two fewer threats to the villages caught in the crossfire. To the officers ambushed on patrol. To the families who never made it to the morning news cycle but have lived with silence and fear for years.

And I can't stop thinking about it.

WHO did this? Only the most cracked lineup in Indian counter-insurgency lore:

Bastar Fighters (built different)

DRG (District Righteous Gurus, probably)

STF (S-tier Trouble Finishers)

CRPF (Certified Righteous Punishment Force)

CoBRA commandos (you already KNOW)

Picture this: Dense Chhattisgarh jungle. 100+ IEDs hidden like cursed horcruxes. Me thinking our troops would play it safe. Them: "Nah, we’re going in. With tactical snacks. And God on speed dial."

And then they didn’t just fight—they claimed Karegutta Hills like it was Mount Olympus. Hoisted the tricolour like, "FYI, we're the final boss now."

And don't even get me started on how these Naxals were part of the same PLGA battalion involved in the 2010 Dantewada massacre. The Army didn’t forget. The jungle didn’t forget. And now the map doesn’t forget either, because it has new red pins where justice rained down from the trees.

And yet, amidst all the pride and awe, I can’t help but think about the human cost. Not just of those who were lost in this encounter, but of every young jawan deployed into dense wilderness with little sleep and no certainty. Of the mothers and fathers who wait for a call. Of the lives on the margins—those caught between insurgency and the idea of India they still believe in.

This isn’t about glory. It’s about resolve. Quiet, painful, necessary resolve. The kind that doesn’t make headlines every day. But today, it did.

Me: trying to revise for exams like a normal person. Operation Sankalp: “What if we gave you a real-time case study in applied constitutional authority and legitimate state violence?”

This was revenge, but in HD. This was strategy, but with cinematic lighting. This was Sankalp—meaning “vow”—and the vow was “You’re done.”

Me? Crying in my room. Textbook open. Coffee cold. Heart ablaze. Will I fail environmental law tomorrow? Yes. Will I perish knowing that Operation Sankalp snapped so hard it cracked the Earth's crust? Also yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Honestly? Educational. Spiritual. Nationally awakening. I was a girl. Now I am vengeance.

So yes, I’ll return to my books. I’ll re-read that judgment. I’ll try to care again about exam weightage and internal assessments. But today, I needed to pause and write this. Because sometimes, the world shifts in ways the classroom can’t contain—and all you can do is witness it.

[riiarichu]

Real quick genshin impact hot take

They didn’t explain the lore very well.

MAYBE ITS MY SLOW ASS NOT GETTING IT BUT THEY DIDN’T EXPLAIN IN WELL AT ALL

Like I get key plot points

Two siblings get separated by this evil deity known as the heavenly principals and one of them gets sent to a different world and saves a flying fairy girl from downing (who looks suspiciously close to the unknown god but I digress) said flying fairy tells him “yeah bro no problem G I’ll help you find your sibling” ////and if paimon is a part of this world why can’t she immediately tell the traveler who took the other sibling? Also are teleport waypoints a part of the lore? If so why can only the traveler activate them if they’re not from his world????////

GUYS. WHO ARR THE HEAVENLY PRINCIPALS

ARE THEY GODS? ARE THEY NOT EVEN PEOPLE BUT JUST AN IDEA

LIKE AN IDEA THAT KEEPS THE WORLD TOGETHER?

And the events of the archon war aren’t explained well either

And also what separates a normal god from an archon? Is it just a gnosis or is it something else? Could an archon just give their gnosis to any other god and say “ur the archon now” I think that happened with Ei and Makoto because makoto died and ei took her gnosis before… something happened

Also why did the archons winning the war take Neuvillettes powers? I think he died and focalor/egeria revived him as a human but when they tried to explain I didn’t understand

What… are gnosis anyway? Like yeah there little chess pieces but like what do they do? Like there also “an archons heart” I think? Or maybe… man idk. Like I don’t think they give the archons their powers but I don’t think they strengthen them either?? Are they kinda like crowns?

Um this isn’t lore related but why are there so many characters? They don’t get enough main story time, so like why even add them? I guess to make more m o n e y But I can’t bring myself to get attached to some of them because they’re so FUCKING IRRELEVANT

I also hope they stop making characters for nations that the story already concluded

Unless the traveler goes back to said nation for whatever reason, but I don’t see a reason for the traveler to go back to the other nations tbh uhh sorrry my device is about to die I’m just gonna post this and edit it later

[generallemarc]

Alternatives to TNO

Was browsing the subreddit various wikis(dear Lord there's too many) to see what had become of my old hyperfixation, and it was more of the same-lore rewrites, scope and feature creep, and a clear bias in favor of the radical left, where communists and socialists get a "neutral" treatment, where the writers think they need to give credit to inherently anti-democratic ideologies, while only fascism, despotism and national socialism are universally derided for those same oppressive traits(to be clear, the problem is that the pointing out of how these ideologies aren't what they claim and are just oppressing the people they say they're helping isn't properly applied to the far left in the way it is to the far right), and where normal-ass conservatism(one of the explicitly democratic ideologies alongside liberalism, progressivism, and arguably some types of paternalism which used to be authoritarian democracy) is constantly getting negged in the descriptions(as is any form of market-oriented liberalism) while progressivism is only ever praised and painted in the most positive terms possible. Oh, and also they destroyed the main villain of the game because it was necessary to only portray Nazis as completely incompetent in this game about the Nazis winning WW2 to the point where they're occupying Moscow.

So, with all my bitching out of the way, I have a question: does anyone know of an hoi4 story-focused althist mod that's actually good? The thing that drew me to TNO was that it was explicitly not about map-painting(outside of the Goring conquer-the-world meme path, wars only happened as scripted events with only a few possible outcomes), that it was about the stories of the various playable nations and the factions that could rule them, and I'm not really sure where else to find that. I'll take anything with good writing and...well, I can't realistically expect no bias, but maybe only the lower levels of bias of early TNO, where you could easily ignore it and the writers didn't make all the paths of the democratic ideologies they didn't like intentionally worse.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

FOUL PLAY omg it must be the govt again….trying to get more trainers SMH

The calculus jumpscare I can’t LMAOO bro not Barou watching out for us from heaven I’m imagining your Barou doodle plus that one so sorry I died audio SHSHSHSS

Ok I changed my mind I’m merging them all back together oops

Omg bro the itoshi sae effect is crazy I need to know what ppl see in him (or don’t see LMAOO) whatever suits their fancy ig im very shocked there was no Nagi though considering he’s also pretty big

LMAOOO I remember searching up the lore for it once and being like wtf wait the fact that there’s fire grass but no rock normal is kinda baffling like huh there’s none????

SHSHSSH NOEL NOA BEFORE NAGI they got the wrong light haired striker imagine the Noel one hits 50k LMAOO

SHEHSH Rin nation really cut it close it’s funny how they actually did manage to get one in though

Ok wait yk that theory of like Prof oak getting with Delia (ash’s mom) while ash is away (this is a WILD theory but) imagine aiku tries to rizz up nikos mom while he’s journeying LAMAOOOOOO anyways

HAHA notion coming in clutch fr I used to just scroll through your blog occasionally or rely on my memory (bad move) but now I’ve just given up and saved if separately LMAO

Mmmm yes pokemon and their trainers developing hand in hand we love to see it

LMAO YES joltik alpha wolf moment that’s also why the next time Karasu has to go against it he throws out his garchomp LMAOO the Gordon Ramsay meme has me gone consider this too Karasu channels his inner step bro Barou moment x Gordon Ramsay chemical reaction and goes “otoya you fucking donkey”

Charles Shidou and hoopa is a recipe for disaster they’re about the change the tilt of the planets axis there goes the peaceful wedding reception

The word count inflation is actually insane I’m not sure I’ll ever look at a wc under 1k the same way (jk some are still fire but ykwim)

KARASU TIME ok serious more angsty right make him drown this time.

/hj LMAOOO I mean if you’re so inclined itd be interesting Karasu truly very versatile though so many avenues for suffering!

- Karasu anon

LMAOO okay lowkey if we want to throw some team x drama in there maybe his house was victim of a larger scale team x raid?? hehehe we will see…either way it’s rough for the poor guy

I’M SORRY I LOVE CALC 😭 i always get funny looks for it but i must speak my truth i think it’s so fun (specifically integration i LOVE integration) but HAHAHAHA that’s exactly what i was picturing like that one fuck ass sketch of him like 😢 with that audio LMAO

honestly i feel like sae is the kind of character i would usually like?? i tend to like prodigy/genius characters that are super good at what they do (so like yuta and megumi in jjk for example) which fits sae super well but for some reason i just never got into him like that (also his early manga appearances are so cursed omg i better never see a sae fan slandering 8bit they saved his entire career) anyways ig that description also fits my actual top 3 (nagi obviously, karasu as no3, and barou again is kinda clear) plus those three are much more my typical type…karasu and barou with the spiky black hair and nagi with the soft white hair 🤩 NAH FR I KNEW NAGI WAS ON TJE OUTS W THE FANDOM LATELY BUT ZERO REQS FOR HIM?? truly insane work…tbh i actually don’t mind because i’m so particular with how i write nagi that adhering to someone else’s vision might stress me out so it’s not a huge deal that he didn’t get requested i just think the composition is hilarious there’s so much much sae and karasu (karasu fr pulling through if nothing else ik i’ll always get a req or two of him…the kuni love triangle with him is abt to go crazy)

YEAH I WAS LOWKEY SURPRISED ASF TOO but apparently rock is also the only type that’s never been paired with ghost?? i think that’s really interesting kinda random but huh the more you know

THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYINGGG WDYM WE GOT NOEL NOA BEFORE NAGI 🧐⁉️ but they requested a crime au and said they’re not super married to how it goes but they just want a happy ending you know i’m abt to go full murder mystery in this bitch 🔥 jkjk ofc but i think it’ll be really fun considering i’ve never written noa OR anything crime related before!! tbh i wasn’t expecting anyone to pick it but it should be fun ���� ngl i’m surprised forbidden love, supernatural au (as in vampires and werewolves and shit not the actual show which i haven’t watched), historical au, and arranged marriage didn’t have ANY takers but oh well all of the tropes i do have lined up look like they’ll be super cool so i am excited 🤩

i was sitting there like “hm i wonder who the last req will be for…lowkey can’t believe we haven’t gotten any rin” and then BAM there the notif was i was like holy shit i just closed the app 😭 rip nagi yukimiya otoya you’ll get em next time (at least i get to try writing reo for the first time hehehe i loveeee reo 🥹) wait if you think abt it we got the entire opp squad on the masterlist…kaiser sae isagi AND rin those four truly are inescapable 😩 WAIT YKW WOULD’VE SLAYED AN AIKU REQ pls i didn’t even care abt aiku pre oaeu but now he’s like a silly fav LMAOAOA like i don’t even find him that attractive as you know i just think he’s hilarious and so fun to write (ig the aikulations will have to be reserved for the oaeu fr)

ok wait now that i’m thinking abt it once bllk s2 comes out and the fandom hopefully grows i lowkey might hit another milestone kinda quickly so everyone who didn’t get a req this time around can hopefully be redeemed then 🤩 especially since more people will remember/know/care about tabieitaken and nagi right after third selection and u20 (although sae will def be big too atp i should just change to a sae theme /j)

HELPP AIKU TRYING TO RIZZ UP NIKO’S MOM the craziest part is technically they’d be in the same age group considering aiku’s older than reader and co (he’s in the barou age bracket so it’s only a few years but still) and niko’s the same age as nagiy/n’s daughter here so he actually could become niko’s step father…or dare i say the father who stepped up 🤔

karasu bringing out garchomp against joltik is so funny bro is NOT playing…joltik (or ig galvantula because it def evolves before karasu’s gible gets all of the way to garchomp status) puts up a good fight but in the end it’s overwhelmed 😩 so then reader busts out the big guns and tosses in hydreigon or gyarados and karasu’s cooked 😭

PLS karasu and gordon ramsay is such an iconic chemical reaction it’s too good and omg i almost used the gordon ramsay you fucking donkey quote but then i was like “nah this is too barou” he def would say that though and reader would like start crying because it reminds her of barou meanwhile karasu’s like damn i didn’t know you took the anti bullying campaign that seriously 😟

HAHA charles and shidou are bad enough on their own adding hoopa into the mix is CRAZY hoopa’s a psychic/ghost type so it’s 4x weak to ghost and dark types i bet houndoom and aegislash get put on legendary babysitting duty (hydreigon would also be involved but it’s too busy networking w yveltal…bro is fr in his mira era trying to get those linkedin connections and whatnot)

proud to be a word count inflator nah fr though whenever i see someone post a 3k word one shot and be like “i got carried away this is so long” it instantly recalibrates me because to me 3k is mega short and tiny…like carried away with a one shot means 10k+ (depending on the idea…like i wouldn’t say i got carried away w barou’s oaeu even though it’s abt 10k words meanwhile freaky friday at 8-9k ish definitely got carried away…not to mention both bfbs which are drastically different in length but both long given the time frames of the plots and what they’re trying to achieve???)

LMAOOO I DON’T MEAN CHARACTER DEATH ANGST more so smth along the lines of the instrument (specifically the first part) and wicked game (kiyora fic) idk if you know what i’m saying…not angsty depressed vibes or anything but like i want there to be a tinge of melancholy and maturity to it instead of the typical karasu goofiness (bfb isn’t quite crack but because they’re kids for so much of it there’s not that same punch yk) idk if i’ll actually get around to doing it for a sec though…much to be written not enough time to be writing it all i fear

[katyspersonal]

Thank you so much for putting this together, it was thought-provoking and insightful as I myself keep getting lost in how scattered things in ER are! And I agree with your suggested timeline completely! Guys you should open 'Keep reading' please, it is helpful

I really want to add my two cents though! As for motivations, it doesn't get out of my head that the whole conflict between Melina and Hyetta before the door of FF resembles Law of Causality vs Law of Regression, which are Fundamentalist. I'd think that if Shabriri had enough credibility to accuse a whole nation(al minority) of herecy and be trusted, he had a high position in Golden Older. (In Japanese version a notion of him legit being a noble is no longer here, but at least it was an intention).

Law of Regression straight up refers to how aspiring to exactly what FF's purpose is (to become all one) is just as natural as being divided from one another. So how about this:

Nomads were pretty open-minded about that whole sentiment of 'desperation and giving up upon how divided and discriminated and hurt we all are is natural, life is meaningless if you don't have to wrestle with the sense of existencial despair living in this clown world and choose to live every time'. THIS was the form in which they accepted and even worshipped the Three Fingers, as another (necessary) side of life. But they just had the worst luck of being ahead of their time, back when Golden Order was obnoxious about "purity and prosperity", still young and absolute and yet to know the nuances! So that's how Shabriri had the opportunity to drag Nomads down for "herecy"... Because it WAS herecy back then!

And maybe in the timeline, it was after the decision to bury the "heretics" bit everyone in the ass by unleashing the sickness of Frenzy when Radagon and Miquella put the two laws of Fundamentalism. They had it too easy before when people could still doubt, despair, give up and otherwise turn on absolute ideas of 'prosperity' without getting sick with FF for it. In Elden Ring lore, you DO get FF if you succumb into any despair, like lost crestfallen soldiers at Gelmir, or Edgar having lost his daughter for example. Placing Law of Regression maybe was an attempt to remedy the mistake of Golden Order at least a bit. To tell people "Yeah you know what, dreading being divided and discriminated by our cool order is NORMAL actually, it is an evidence that you ALSO belong! :) pls don't get sick with FF we don't want the world to get destroyed because of you one day'. So, to ensure people that their suffering and inner temptation to rebel the GO rules (and who MADE the rules hmmm?) is normal... because the last time they decided it was not, the consequences were catastrophic and will never truly go away.

What do you think Shabriri's motivation was for doing The Thing? Was he depressed Allant ass motherfucker that decided for everyone else that annihilation of life was a better outcome? Was he a fundamentalist that gone mad and decided to actually turn Law of Regression to results? Did he just find Fingerprint Shield and said 'yes king' like instant +99 Insight? Was he just too curious to NOT touch the thing he knew was dangerous? Did he believe he could somehow control this power and took the risk (that of course went wrong, since it "destroys all thought")? And all this under assumption that he knew that being accursed would unleash Frenzied Flame- that I think is reasonable, but still there are various ideas

First off, sorry for the delay. I got hit with a deadly combination of too many other projects and no motivation for any of them. But I've had this in the back of my mind, rotating.

I'll start with what we know for sure about Shabriri.

Shabriri's Woe

Disturbing likeness of a man whose eyes have been gouged out. The corners of his mouth are upturned in an almost flirtatious manner.

Constantly attracts enemies' aggression.

It is said that the man, named Shabriri, had his eyes gouged out as punishment for the crime of slander, and, with time, the blight of the flame of frenzy came to dwell in the empty sockets.

Howl of Shabriri

Incantation originating from the maddening Three Fingers.

Releases a maddening shriek that causes madness buildup in foes nearby. This incantation also causes madness buildup in the caster and makes enemies more likely to target them.

It is said that the sickness of the flame of frenzy began with Shabriri, the most reviled man in all history.

What we know for sure: The FF indwelt Shabriri after his slander and subsequent blinding, and the sickness that is the manifestation of the FF began with him. The wording isn't 100% clear here -- he could be literally patient zero, or he could be the originator/creator of the sickness.

Now, on to what we know for sure about the Flame of Frenzy.

Via Hyetta's questline, we can hear the FF's description of itself. Surely quite biased, but a look at the FF's beliefs and goals should be illuminating.

[Hyetta relaying FF's words] "All that there is came from the One Great. Then came fractures, and births, and souls. But the Greater Will made a mistake. Torment, despair, affliction... Every sin, every curse. Every one, born of the mistake."

"And so, what was borrowed must be returned. Melt it all away, with the yellow chaos flame. Until all is One again."

[Hyetta speaking] "Those who gave me grapes howled without words. Saying they wished they were never born. Become their lord. Take their torment, despair. Their affliction. Every sin, every curse. And melt it all away. As the Lord of Chaos."

"No more fractures...no more birth..."

Frenzied Burst

Releases concentrated blasts of the yellow flame of frenzy from the caster's eyes. Charging enhances potency, enabling the blasts to penetrate the enemy's guard.

In times past, every single person who attempted to control the flame of frenzy succumbed to madness after a desperate internal struggle. This incantation is testament to a meager victory.

Nomad Ashes

A member of a tribe that was entombed in the earth so as to bury the maddening disease that followed them. Able to emit the terrible flame of frenzy from his eyes, but has low HP and is frail, unable to take much in the way of punishment.

Nomadic Merchant's Set

These merchants once thrived as the Great Caravan, but after being accused of heretical beliefs, their entire clan was rounded up and buried alive far underground.

Then, they chanted a curse of despair, and summoned the flame of frenzy.

Fingerprint Stone Shield

A great stone shield with an intricately carved fingerprint design. One of the heaviest of all greatshields. Part of the tomb of an ancient god, the Readerless Fingers relayed their message through these imprints, said to be the very seeds from which frenzy first sprouted.

Note: The Lord of Frenzied Flame

"Beneath Leyndell, at the very bottom lies our lord, lord of the frenzied. The Three Fingers who holds us in thrall."

This is where I start to get my wires crossed. The Fingerprint Stone Shield is found in the catacombs leading up to the Three Finger, and it is specifically said to be a part of the FF's tomb. It seems reasonable to assume that after being walled up alive, the nomads found the tomb and, in their desperation, came to worship the FF. However, the Nomad Ashes description states that the caravan was entombed because of the sickness (presumably the effects of Frenzy) that they were afflicted with.

My best guess is that the nomads were not originally afflicted by the FF. They were instead falsely accused of such by Shabriri (his infamous crime of slander).

There's also the distinct possibility that the nomads worshipped or were at least aware of the Three Finger before their entombment and subsequent fall to Frenzy -- one of their notes describes the Three Finger as "our lord," while in the same breath saying that it holds them "in thrall." There's also the fact that the nomads chanted a specific curse to summon the FF. It was a deliberate act, not simply a byproduct of their despair.

So, my proposed sequence of events:

Shabriri finds the tomb of the Three Finger, reads the shield, and for whatever reason decides that this is a good avenue to pursue. He accuses the nomad caravan, who might have already been associated with the FF or might have just been an easy scapegoat. The caravan is buried alive, and in their despair they summon the FF. When Shabriri's slander is discovered, he is blinded, after which he is indwelt by the FF.

That leaves us with the question of Shabriri's motive. If my timeline is correct, he did not fall to despair and frenzy until after his blinding, and therefore after his slander of the nomads. So why was he originally trying to manufacture a situation that would lead to the summoning of the FF?

I think we can rule out his stated motivation right away -- he doesn't care about saving Melina or any other maiden. If you follow his instructions, Hyetta burns. Even if you use Miquella's needle to purge the FF, you still have to sacrifice at least one innocent life to follow Shabriri's path.

It's possible that Shabriri shares the same motives as the FF itself -- namely, freshman-philosophy-student nihilism. According to the FF, speaking through Hyetta, life itself is an abomination. Existence will always entail a degree of suffering, and therefore it would be better if nothing existed at all. Never mind all the people who believe that their lives are worth living, regardless of the suffering involved.

This is probably the most straightforward answer. Shabriri strikes me as the r/im14andthisisdeep type who would be taken in by such a philosophy.

There's one other option, one that I don't quite feel I have all the pieces to. The line about eye-contact being the highest form of intimacy sticks out to me. And despite my reasoning above, something about Shabriri's temptation feels more personal than the corrupted nihilism of the FF.

I wonder if Shabriri is driven by a need for connection, long since perverted and twisted into something wholly malicious. If all that divides and distinguishes is burned away, if individualism is abolished, what is left aside from togetherness, absolute forced intimacy, the complete destruction of the idea of separation? While this hits a very disturbing chord for me, it doesn't quite feel like a complete thought. Just a suggestion, I suppose.

Once again, I apologize for how long this took. Have a merry Christmas!

[grem-archive]

I love the skin tones you give the brothers. It very matches my own headcanon for their skin color. For me, it's because I like to think they're part indigenous.

I have no idea if that's your intention or if you even like that idea or not, but I really love the darker skin tones is all.

If there’s a fight to be had as a result of my following words, I want all potential ops to know that my apartment is rigged like a Rust shotgun trap and that I am indeed insane.

Yes! It actually is my intention. Indigenous/mixed race. I’m always afraid to say it because of flak I’ve seen other creators receive for sharing that same headcanon in the past, but I will stick to my guns. It is absolutely my intention, because I cannot see the North American brothers in any other way. I’ve had a lot of inspirations for drawing them this way, too, and it feels right - if that makes sense.

Also even in this world occupied by supernatural, fucky, immortal eldritch abominations, I do not fuck with violet eyes. So I’m sorry if y’all see me give other colors to characters with violet eyes, such as me giving Mathieu (darker) blue eyes than Alfred. I expect y’all’s declarations of war in the morning.

I think Nations occupy a very strange place within their own societies. Do they represent the normal citizenry? The government? All of it? None of it? Only their landmass? What makes them them? What determines their appearance?

Personally I don’t think any of them have parents in the traditional, true sense. So genetics becomes almost a moot point. Everything with them is going to be an instinct or learned behavior from someone, somewhere. But are they dirt babies, popping out of the soil like daisies? What makes one appear? We’ve obviously seen that they at least understand the concept of siblings, since there are many sibling pairs or groups within canon. They understand the concept of a family in general, even if for the most part they form highly dysfunctional ones in regard to one another. I have a lot of thoughts on this but very few answers.

And I understand my depictions of the boys may not be perfect, but I am always open to suggestions. I’ve been playing with my color palette for them both for a while now, which you might be able to notice if you scroll through some of my older art. So I’m glad at least one person can enjoy them!