#not sure what the implications of that being a normal fish would be

[defaultbyproxy]

DAY TWENTY-THREE Emmet appreciation month (June 2024)

[fishing]

[clockwayswrites]

This is why Moku and I are dangerous to each other:

clockways — Today at 2:01 AM

OKAY Danny/Tim where Danny is either ghost king or working for Clockwork or playing Reaper or something showing up to talk to Tim like "MY DUDE, you have got to stop killing so many people, even if it's in the name of good, esp when they're surrounded by rancid ectoplasm"

And this is now the Bats learn about Tim's LOA kill count

Mokulule — Today at 2:12 AM

Heheheh oh yesss

Does Danny show up in the middle of like a supposedly secure location in the middle of a mission?

Like “dude please, I do not need the assassin influx, you have any idea of the trouble you caused killing so many at once?”

Mokulule — Today at 2:19 AM

I’m kinda imagining these new ghosts still following Ra’s Al Ghul fanatically unless Danny can somehow get them rehabilitated and imagine if they found their way to the living world?! Do you want that madman to have a ghost army?

clockways — Today at 2:19 AM

I think a mission or right in the middle of the cave, yeah

and totally, like the pit waters have a Not Good effect on the ghosts so they're even more off than normal I think

Mokulule — Today at 2:22 AM

Okay but I am liking the implication here that Tim has been having this ongoing crusade against Ra’s in the background of everything where he keeps blowing up LOA bases and somehow managing to keep it secret

Here B thought Ra’s was his nemesis, turns out attention had shifted to Tim years ago

clockways — Today at 2:25 AM

Yes, Tim is 100% the Detective now and Ra's keeps being a creepy obsessed mo-fo and Tim just keeps finding ways to blow shit up. if it started at 17 could say Tim is 20, 21 now so they've been at it three years or so

Mokulule — Today at 2:26 AM

And like Danny has had enough, there’s so many of them they have their own realm in the realms and are stirring up trouble trying to find ways back into the living world

clockways — Today at 2:27 AM

Yeeeees They're basically segregated into a specific area of the realms and are still causing shit

Mokulule — Today at 2:28 AM

Maybe they even have their own pseudo pit from gathering rancid ectoplasm and it’s messing up the ecosystem and they’re hurting the blobs that would otherwise be cleaning that shit up

And the pseudo pit is definitely not helping their mental stability

Just trash assassin baby ghosts

clockways — Today at 2:29 AM

LOL Blob ghost sucker fish! yes xD

Mokulule — Today at 2:29 AM

They need rehabilitation and a bath and like it’s really not helping that Tim keeps sending more

clockways — Today at 2:30 AM

Every time Danny starts to get a handle on it BAM more assassins and more bad juice

And then Danny has to ramp up the blob ghost breeding again

Mokulule — Today at 2:31 AM

Yeah and he can only handle a couple at a time and he also has to make sure they don’t go back once he’s gotten them out and it’s just a mess

clockways — Today at 2:31 AM

OKAY OKAY WAIT. Danny makes an appointment with Tim as Wayne CEO

Shows up in his human guise with Tim as just Tim which sets up all sorts of alarms

Mokulule — Today at 2:32 AM

Ahahahaha yesss this is like a corporate problem 😂

clockways — Today at 2:32 AM

How is this normal seeming dude associated with the LOA?? What does he know about Tim??? Who is he???

Dany is just :) Look at me, using the proper channels!

Mokulule — Today at 2:32 AM

Danny is trying to go about this the right way official like

🤝

clockways — Today at 2:32 AM

🤝

Mokulule — Today at 2:33 AM

😂 everyone is very suspicious of Danny Fenton

clockways — Today at 2:34 AM

It doesn't help that he has officially been missing in the living realm since he graduated high sch9ool

(someone ((lancer)) finally noticed and reported him)

Mokulule — Today at 2:34 AM

Oh yeah even more suspicious for potential LOA connection

The fact that it was an old teacher and not his parents reporting him missing despite having graduated high school is also concerning

clockways — Today at 2:37 AM

mmmmy hum just all these red flags and it's very frustrating for the whole batfam.

Mokulule — Today at 2:38 AM

And like the guy looks like Danny Fenton, but is he really? He’s somehow very careful about not leaving prints and DNA where he goes, they’ve not been able to get any surefire confirmation this is indeed Danny Fenton

clockways — Today at 2:38 AM

AND THEN there is a gala that Ra's also shows up to... as does Danny. Just... to keep an eye on things. (He's worried about ghost assassins.)

But Tim sees Danny out of the corner of his eye and !!!

(Danny just went intangible through the wall, he's totally not on the guest list)

Mokulule — Today at 2:40 AM

Oh yes, he’s dressed up well enough, he’s had to learn that as a king and fits in just fine

clockways — Today at 2:42 AM

Tim can't help but recognize that Danny is handsome.

Mokulule — Today at 2:43 AM

Tim thinking he’s got two enemies at the gala now - has Tim told the other bats about Danny or is he hiding that? Cause then Tim might think the others have Ra’s handled so he has to handle Danny- and yeah okay he is very handsome, now that he’s not busy internally freaking out over what he knows (which he was at the first meeting)

clockways — Today at 2:45 AM

Depends how much the Bats know about Ra's interest in Tim. If they're aware at all, he's told them I think since Danny know is a threat to them all. 🤔

But I do still see him handling Danny either way since Danny hasn't met the family- keep things separate until there is no doubt.

Mokulule — Today at 2:46 AM

Okay but Clock, has Danny in his attempt at going through proper channels and requesting a meeting completely forgotten to mention the word ghost since he thought that was implied when he said the dead assassins were a problem for him?

clockways — Today at 2:47 AM

100%

He is still a disaster at explaining things

And look Tim is damn cute, Danny was a little flustered.

Mokulule — Today at 2:48 AM

So when Tim asks him what he’s doing there at the gala and he tells him that he’s keeping an eye out for assassins - Tim maybe takes that as a threat - like Tim thinks they’re playing 5D mental chess here, but Danny is a disaster and is not even playing chess

clockways — Today at 2:49 AM

!! OH Added bonus, Danny's etiquette training is all be like Dorathea and Pandora and etc, so he has a rather unusual speach pattern in King Mode which makes him seem that maybe common english isn't his first language but if he is Danny Fenton that doesn't track....

Mokulule — Today at 2:50 AM

Oh yesss good

clockways — Today at 2:50 AM

They have to end up on the dance floor, of course.

Mokulule — Today at 2:50 AM

Of course

Obligatory

clockways — Today at 2:51 AM

Danny is just all :) I'm putting my training to use! This is going so well!

Tim >:| What is this man playing at...

Mokulule — Today at 2:51 AM

Yes XD

clockways — Today at 2:52 AM

Ra's takes an instant hatred to Danny because he is Taking Tim's Attention!

Mokulule — Today at 2:52 AM

Eventual reveal is going to be hilarious

clockways — Today at 2:52 AM

Which makes Tim think that Ra's and Danny are old enemies

Mokulule — Today at 2:52 AM

Oh yess hahaha Ra’s now trying to have Danny killed

Now Danny is having to deal with both living and dead assassins he is not amused, but if he gets them away from Ra’s in the living world that will help some problems down the line. Just every assassin Ra’s sends disappears and no bodies turn up

clockways — Today at 2:55 AM

It's driving both Tim and Ra's mad

Things maybe come to a head when some of the ghost assassins try to go after Tim and Phantom shows up?

Mokulule — Today at 2:57 AM

XD Does Tim realize this is Danny or does he now think there’s another player?

Are they aware of Phantom as a ghost hero?

clockways — Today at 2:59 AM

HUM so I kinda want to say Tim does put 2 + 2 together- at least at some point. Maybe just because Phantom's new outfit mirrors what his formal clothing had. Not like perfectly but there's a lot of parallels in color and things

Maybe not till he's safe and- if they know of Phantom- they're back somewhere secure

Tim just holding an ice pack to his head jolting up and pointing a finger at Phantom "You're Danny!!!"

Phantom: Uh, yeah??? Of course I am?

-

And then @mokulule got distracted by fic and I went to sleep cause it was 3am. But my can we go from 'random statement' to 60% of a fic outline in no time. (Not it.)

[cryptidcorners]

Hi! Could I request literally any kind of story with protective Mike (from the FNAF movie). It really doesn't matter in what sort of context it is, I just want some protectiveness. Thank you so much in advance!

~ Mike Schmidt x Reader ~

= Title: Sheild

= Character: Mike Schmidt

= Media: Movie!Five Nights At Freddie's

= Prompt: N/A

= Description: During a coffee break, Mike notices you look more worried than normal. In reality, a former friend of yours is on the same floor as you, and the troubles you faced with them drive you away from Mike. It isn't until they finally approach and you see a different side of him.

= Request: "Hi! Could I request literally any kind of story with protective Mike (from the FNAF movie). It really doesn't matter in what sort of context it is, I just want some protectiveness. Thank you so much in advance!"

= Tags: Fluff ! Small Angst? Mall Setting, Protective Mike, Sweet Talk, Platonic (with Slight Romantic Implications? It's up for you to decide !), Affection, Cute Ending + Reader is !GN

= Warnings: Slight Stalking? (Reader has a Former Friend who approaches them (!GN)), Some Tension + Anxiety/Worry + No Spoilers, Really!

"Is something wrong?" Mike's curious tone had fished you out of your softened paralysis. In a flash, your eyes flicked upwards. You had forgotten where you were due to your gaze being on someone else. "What? Oh, sorry." Your palms sunk around the design of your coffee cup, and with its heat bleeding around your fingertips, you promptly pulled away.

"Sorry," you echoed. "I dozed off."

Even the busy foreground of the mall couldn't hook your mind. You weren't trying to be rude, or ignore Mike on purpose, but you couldn't stop thinking about them. Your lips twisted into a frown.

"Everything okay?" His face softened with concern. Even with that, you still looked around as if you were dazed. That's when he connected the dogs and reluctantly spilled a: "Is somebody bothering you?" Mike's throat strengthened. He didn't even have a set response but his shoulders were already peaking.

"Maybe," you sighed. Your warm hand fell to your cheek. His face fell and you quickly brushed it off. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Mike was getting antsy in his seat. "You can tell me who they are. I'll tell them to go, I mean, I am a guard. It's what I do, you know?" As if to showcase his title, he sat up, expressing his "security" symbol running across his light uniform. That brought you some ease. Sort of.

Then you felt his hand on yours, grasping it protectively. "Please? Tell me who it is." Mike asked, "I don't want you to feel this way." Would it be wrong to tell him? The character orbiting in your mind had not hurt you per say, but you had history. It hurt too much to see them.

You sighed and gave him a reassuring grin. Your eyes were still on Mike, "It's okay, I know I'll be fine with you here."

Mike pulled away shyly. He could defend you easily, but he still had to make sure he knew. Before you could speak after a sorry sip of your coffee, a dreadful buzz crawled out of Mike's radio. Rapid, low-quality chatter. Mike looked like a lost animal, and hesitated to leave. But, he had a duty. "Damnit, I gotta go. I'll see you later?"

"Right, right. Bye," you awkwardly waved. You felt ridiculous. You were so focused on somebody you used to know while having a brief coffee date with your friend. It was hard to ever grab a seat with Michael, and you managed to mess it up.

Your disappointed expression rested on your face with a soft groan. Stupid.

"Hey there." A familiar voice made you feel like a fish out of water. Your attention flew upwards. You shuttered, "Hey?"

Internally, you were panicking. The same person you were shivering over was now looming over your shoulder. They must have waited until Mike had left. Damnit.

You were trying to pull away from their conversation. You both had left on bad terms, and it felt uncomfortable how sweet they were. There was nothing kind about them at all. And you knew it.

"I should really go," you finally declared. You attempted to pull out of your seat, but a sudden force stopped you. They grabbed your arm.

"But it's only been a few minutes, come on."

"I really want to stay, but I need to go." You said nervously. They didn't budge.

Anxiety began to grow, and your mouth was sewed shut. You completely drowned away everything they were saying until you heard a vicious: "Get off!" from Mike.

He gripped their shoulder and pulled them aside. Mike sucked his teeth and swore under his breath, "They want you to leave. So, fuck off."

"I don't think you understand, sir. We know each other." They protested.

Mike's gaze grew into something stormy, "Leave. Or I'm calling the rest of security." As soon as your follower squirmed out of his grip, Mike walked over and shielded you away. They apologized, making up a silly excuse as to why they were holding on to you. Mike didn't buy it and snapped again. You were left alone, drowning in relief.

"Are you okay? Look at me." Mike quickly discarded his hard expression, his eyes were already calm with longing. "They didn't hurt you right? I'll find them, I have good memory, I-" he was holding you. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"it's okay. It's okay. Mike, I'm fine." You answered. "You protected me, and that's all I can ask for."

He was still worried, so he felt the need to pull you aside, talking to another floor just in case. Mike released a heavy exhale, forbidding himself to let go of your hand. "I can give you a ride home,"

"You don't have to."

"I can pay for a ride,"

"Mike."

"You can stay near me too, I don't-"

"Michael." Your tone hardened. Mike's attention veered towards you once again. "You don't need to worry." Your were hands softly wrapped around his, "I'll be okay as long as you're here."

"Okay." Mike's demeanor relaxed at the sight of you. "Just . . . tell me when someone is wrong. I don't want you to get hurt."

"You got it." It felt strangely intimate. You had never been so close with him. You did have a habit of shielding away your hardships, but now, it felt wrong to hold it away. Especially from Mike. "It won't happen ever again."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

[sighed-the-snake]

I am listening to I'm Afraid of Americans by David Bowie, and one of the lyrics gave me an idea:

God is an American.

And so is Warlock.

In Good Omens, there are the three boys: Adam, Warlock, And Greasy Johnson.

Crowley and Aziraphale think they are raising the antichrist, but there has been a switcheroo: The antichrist is with a normal family, Warlock is raised under occult influences, and Greasy is the spare who grows up having a normal life alongside Adam.

There is some evidence that Greasy Johnson is the Messiah. (thanks to @thesherrinfordfacility for the great meta!)

But, I started thinking about the ways Neil and Terry subvert our expectations, and God's sense of humor in Good Omens, and a thought struck me:

What if Warlock is the Messiah?

Think about it. Greasy Johnson is connected to fish, like Jesus, sure. But also like a red herring. His purpose in the story is to be a bit of a mystery, a distraction from what's staring us in the face.

What if Aziraphale and Crowley were raising exactly the correct child who needed their influence? It just wasn't the antichrist. It was the Messiah.

Kindle page 62:

Warlock now found himself being educated by two tutors. Mr. Harrison taught him about Attila the Hun, Vlad Drakul, and the Darkness Intrinsicate in the Human Spirit. He tried to teach Warlock how to make rabble-rousing political speeches to sway the hearts and minds of multitudes.

Mr. Cortese taught him about Florence Nightingale,* Abraham Lincoln, and the appreciation of art. He tried to teach him about free will, self-denial, and Doing unto Others as You Would Wish Them to Do to You.

Warlock was exposed at a young age to the pain and darkness in human hearts. He was taught by a demon who's very good at temptation (according to Aziraphale) how to sway the hearts and minds of humanity with his words.

He's taught by an angel about compassion, thinking for himself, and doing the right thing.

These are vital lessons if you're going to be the savior of mankind who needs to convince billions of humans to listen to you.

Names have power in this story. Adam Young is named after the very first human and ends up on the side of humanity.

Harriet Dowling looked at her baby and said, yep, this kid looks like a traitor.

Warlock has not yet lived up to his name. What institution is branding him a traitor? Who is he betraying? What oath is he breaking? What responsibility is he refusing?

Could it be that Heaven shows up to tell him he's Jesus reborn and he has a destiny and Warlock firmly gives them a double-dose of middle fingers?

If Adam the Antichrist is a sweet kid so influenced by humanity that he goes against his nature to save them, is Warlock the Messiah going to be such an insufferable rich kid bratty politician's child that he'll refuse to pass judgement on a single soul because no one tells him what to do? Is he going to use his influence to harness humanity against Heaven and Hell? He's already had a demon for a nanny and grew up with an angel in his garden; he's not afraid of occult forces. Occult forces wiped his bum and told him to love slugs.

Some fun implications here. Jesus being American feels very Terry.

[neonmetro]

KALYPTOOOOGSGDHEHSJDHRJSJFJYRHDJD

Wow.....kalypto......what a woma- *Gets hit by ongoing traffic*

Hey guys, so I know a lot of these characters make me look insane but I promise I am very normal ( totally ). It's just that......kalypto is just kalypto okay.....

THEY MAKE ME WANT TO DO BACKFLIPS WHAT. they are so awesome......I would say I would like to know so much more about them, but I'm not sure if you gave additional info, LMAO

I would, however, like to give Uly appreciation 💕💕💕💕 I know I don't talk about this guy often, but it's just so awesome, man. I'm gonna give it headpats, trust 🥰🥰🥰

ANYWAYS, now that I got that tiny rant out the way.....HAVE A GOOD DAY *winks and throws a rose at you

- paris anon

HEH... yeah... kalypto does that to people... smiles and winks

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I DID GIVE ADDITIONAL INFO EITHER. but here's a basic run down

the founding is more like a mafia family than a biological family, but even then the direct children between members of the founding are considered highly. unless you fuck up your proof of value. i'm thinking both circe and kalypto failed these tests because they were just considered not special enough (mind you, still talented on normal people standards, but below average for the founding.) and so were exiled to aeaea and ogygia respectively. they're still apart of the founding so they deserve nothing less than luxury, but just distant members as not to draw too much embarrassment to the main family.

circe was able to brute force her way through learning magic through desperation and becoming a magical girl on her own, but kalypto remained powerless. the only power that they Do Have, is specifically tied to ogygia (at least that's what they think).

they have no idea whether or not their power is limited to just ogygia, they did try leaving the island at one point and traveled around the nearby islands and met circe at one point outside of the founding's gaze and had a good time for awhile. they got to socialize, they got to drink and feast, but they started seeing signs of aging, scars, wearing and tearing at their skin. all their life they didn't have to worry about the implications of being mortal, they were a lesser deity and was a failure in that regard, but at least they weren't mortal. all the worst, people were after their head for their careless nature apparently breaking a few local laws. so! they decided to retire from fishing and go running back home to ogygia.

in ogygia, they're able to stay young forever. all their scars and wrinkles disappear, and they look barely a year older than ulysses despite being much older than him. and all life on ogygia remains as it were, growing what it needs to, cycling through some brief change, but ultimately remaining the same.

they haven't had human contact in quite some time, so frankly it was a miracle for them that someone washed up their shores just for them! just for them only, it's only proof of their status, and they can be happy together in a state of constant.

and honestly? ulysses shared that sentiment, and that's why it worked for awhile. it literally took a deus ex machina for him to regain the willpower to move on and not be entirely halted in his own self growth (ofc he did this for the most self sabotaging reasons but the point is he does have the willpower to move on he just needs to break his bad habits.)

i do think after ulysses left kalypto just is. in a constant state of wallowing. they really miss it. to the point of becoming suicidal. but also it isn't worth stopping the cycle and hurting themselves. it isn't a good time for them :/

they do genuinely wish for the best for ulysses, hell even penelope, but what they believe is that they're the best ulysses can do now. they're as good as they get without being a straight up god, and ulysses shouldn't be chasing after a woman who couldn't even compare to kalypto. (kalypto is. incredibly insecure, even if they don't think they are. they constantly compare how much better they are against penelope and even circe and they don't realize how alone they are)

some notes for them...

i really like their flowers in their hair though... originally they had such a diff design all bc i was afraid to make them blonde?????? (brother ulysses is blonde idk what the problem here was) but also the color palette was giving me difficulty... but making them a orange was a good choice. imo

originally they were supposed to be a doctor-like character, but if anything they're more of a nurse than a doctor... the glasses were to give them more interest bc originally they didn't have the flowers? but now i just think they're charming so they get to keep them...

i do want to redesign their outfit again so ... back in the designing trenches i go

for some reason i really associate them with the sun even though they're a child of atlas not helios….????? but whatever close enough go my titan children.

obv i'm taking my own liberties w/ kalypto, i really do think they're interesting and i wish there was more done with them (i have to specify kalypto did not sa uly in novaturi)

[katyspersonal]

I am doing something awful

OKAY SO yeah, Dark Souls 1 doesn't use typical color sliders for character creation, so these colors are brought from just zooming screenshots in very much! Black names are canon, grey are "easy to conclude" ones, blue ones are those I had to use my imagination for! This is just a self-reference that I will probably keep editting anyways. I tried to focus on DS1 characters specifically but some characters only introduced in DS2 and DS3 were too hard to exclude for lore reasons!

Some notes:

- Nito is (was) a Grey Giant, we know he is a Giant from his size, his coffin's size and place in the Tomb of the Giants, but proportions match Grey Giants in my opinion! Would also make sense if he was one of the "latest" ones since he evolved enough to be the first to die! Ariamis is a Grey Giant too!

- Like I said, I need to know for sure whether the screenshot I found for Ciaran is legit or fanmade, so just put a pin on that. Same for Darkmoon Soldiers who waded Sen's Fortress only to join Gwyndolin's forces; they seem to have appearances but I never saw screenshot of their mug and hair, nor I know whether they just use placeholder data! Just need to wait for a good look!

- Where coloration is halved I used the 'before'(above) and 'after'(below) colorations as some characters changed significantly from their "real" look! With some characters I forgot tho

- Chester is from Yharnam, he has profound beasthood mutation and strangely yellow and red eye same as what his mask reflects (normally BB beasts have either yellow or red eyes)

- Andre's heterochromia is based off this closeup:

- Nito's (EX) wife, Fina and Flann are same 'type' of Gods who have much weirder features compared to very average 'just large human' Gods! So Nito's Wife, Goddess of Water, has fish scales and horns rather than hair, Fina's skin is literally golden with estus flask liquid-like "blood" showing through transparent spots in some places and literal flowers for eyes and Flann has feathers (you know, like phoenix)!

- I feel like despite there being two Knight Lady NPCs in Forest Guardians, it is safer to assume this is just one character! They are absolutely identical in all except for their idle pose, they both do not respawn, but Japanese book only refers to one character Americus! No other Guardian repeats, but everyone is referred to except for this "second" Knight, but if they were twins or so, would not the second one be mention too....? So I decided it is one character, that is """doubled""" only to make your playing more painful and not out of lore implication!

- I decided that Velka's white hands were not glowed hands but just her skin! Although Gods are creatures of Light, she is associated with the Dark, and I think that is not a natural feature but something she assumed! What was natural though, is being 'night' light (moon and stars) rather than 'day' light (sun and fire)! Ironically, just like Gwyndolin, considering he later does the function in Anore Londo that she used to do!

- I assumed that Pinwheel and other acolytes of Nito have blue skin, like Fenito and Leydia Witches (and Navlaan I guess, that fits since real one was a Necromancer)! Caitha is also literally his daughter, so there is that too.

[thehill-rpg]

Episode 2: Whispers on The Hill Part: 1/??

The quiet shuffle of bare feet on the gravel courtyard fills the air, accompanied by the faint squeak of a rusty pool gate reluctantly opening. With a pair of composed steps, a slender figure, tall yet delicate, makes her way towards an ageing pool chair. As she reclines on its worn surface, the chair emits a soft groan of protest, bearing witness to both its own well-worn years and the age of its current resting place: Palm’s Motor Hotel. Donning a pair of Ray Bans, she settles in, clad in a casual ensemble of a Washington Nationals' tank top and a worn pair of denim short shorts. In her hand, she opens a well-read copy of Cosmo, its pages gently fluttering in the breeze. Tucked between them is a torn clipping from yesterday’s issue of The Hill, resting over an article titled ‘The Secret to Finding Your Soulmate: Date Your Alter Ego.’ A good article, offering the kind of advice you could only get out of a drunk best friend, yet not the one currently capturing her attention.

Chelsea Dalton reclines beside a pool that seems questionably operational (was that the smell of an impending bacteria infection?), her gaze fixed on the familiar words. She reads it again, for what feels like the hundredth time, each word etched into her memory. She knows every line by heart. It’s beautiful.

It’s also months of dedication, collaboration, and hopefully, justice. Sure, it’s a departure from her usual flair, and while, yes, she’d normally sell her soul for this kind of traffic on her blog, she knew there was no way her posting this story would get it the attention it deserved. Hence, her email to Violet Shard, almost three months ago. She’d been hesitant at first. Sure, she was a fan, but this was something that needed to be handled with care. She was too close to her own source. She couldn’t risk being named. However, Violet had assured her of anonymity and a series of follow-ups that wouldn’t brush any pertinent details under the proverbial rug of Washington D.C. political justice. That's why she had agreed, and why she now found herself just outside the District, technically in Maryland, waiting for said blonde journalist. 

Where was she?

As she waited for Violet’s late arrival (had her trusty Saab finally coughed its last puff of exhaust?), she let her thoughts drift over to Gray, and the party she would have been at if the news she’d just leaked to The Hill, hadn’t implicated his father. She’d probably have been in some uncomfortable sundress right now, watching as Gray loosened a tie, only for his mother to promptly tighten it again, while she discreetly passed another crab puff to Mac. Of course, she hated every second of it, but even without her mom’s urging, she hadn’t missed one since she’d moved in next door to his family at six. What could she say? She had a thing for fish paste covered Hors d'Oeuvres. And tortured artists… She’d let the last one remain unsaid, stubbornly resisting even her subconscious attempts to divert her down that worn-out, oh so familiar road. Not today, Bucko! 

Just as she was attempting to shift her focus, fate intervened with the unceremonious thud of a bottle of sunscreen hitting her thigh, yanking her back to the realm of the living—or, more accurately, a realm that didn't revolve around pining over her best-friend of twenty-seven years. “Slip, slop, slap…” She glared over her glasses at a man holding a faded beach towel and a copy of The Hill. 

While quick judgments were usually her forte, she decided to withhold hers until he extended his hands to offer assistance. She leaned towards labelling him as the "concerned dad" type rather than a creepy motel lifer. "Uh, thanks, but— Is that the latest copy of The Hill?" She hadn’t been able to pick up a copy before she’d left her house in order to get here in time and she was keen to see how Violet had followed up. “Sure, kiddo. It’s yours.” She dropped her guard, leaning over to take the paper from his outstretched hand, “Are you moving in?” She’d have answered if the headline story hadn’t caught her attention. Violet Shard, facing charges of defamation and harassment, for her latest story on Congressman Whitman and Harris. “Uh, sorry, do you mind if I–” She was already up, picking up her copy of cosmo and hurrying out of the pool area and back towards her day room and her burner. FUCK. Voicemail. “Violet, call me. I— What can I do?” 

Well, she knew one thing she could do…  

She hastily opened her laptop, disregarding the unread emails clamouring for her attention with their requests for her usual freelance work. Instead, she navigated to her blog and swiftly crafted a new post.

Ms. Whisper here, emerging from the shadows with a scoop hotter than the Capitol's political inferno. It appears our esteemed journalist, Violet Shard, finds herself in the clutches of controversy. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill scandal, my darlings—oh no, it's a tale of truth-telling and the ruthless consequences that follow. Violet dared to shine a light on the dark dealings of Congressman Whitlock and Harris, revealing their insidious involvement in the war-torn realm of Matamba. Yet, instead of accolades, she's met with handcuffs and accusations of defamation and harassment. But fear not, dear readers, for Ms. Whisper is always on the case, ready to peel back the layers of deception and hold the powerful to account. In this cutthroat world of political intrigue, even the bravest truth-seekers like Violet Shard aren't safe from the claws of injustice. So, keep your ears to the ground and your eyes peeled, because when it comes to unravelling the truth, there's no hiding from the relentless pursuit of Ms. Whisper. #StandWithViolet

Her phone buzzed—an SOS. She shot a text back that she’d be there soon. Though even with her foot planted to the floor of her beemer she knew she’d never break an hour. Hastily rummaging through her overnight bag, she retrieved a somewhat acceptable dress (she didn’t own many); though the party might've been cancelled, she was certain Gray's mom wouldn't want the reminder. Hastily, she made her way over to the shower, and tried her best to find the password to get the hot water working longer than two seconds.

She did her best to keep her hair from getting wet, as she washed her nervous sweat from under her armpits. Chelsea hadn't seen this coming without a fight, but nabbing a journalist? This wasn't just a hiccup; it was the kind of move that had First Amendment lawyers rubbing their hands with glee.

She gave up trying to tune the shower into submission and let the cold water run down her back, as she wracked her brain for a way to assist Violet beyond mere page views. Nothing. Nothing.

When it came down to taking action, what good was being Ms. Whisper if all she had in her arsenal were a sharp tongue and a quick wit? That certainly didn't grant innocent journalists a Get Out of Jail Free card, did it?

After a quick drying session (as evidenced by her dress clinging to her back and making it a challenge to slide down over her thighs), Chelsea grappled with her wayward curls, victims of the fierce heat akin to the Battle of Waterloo. With her belongings in tow, she checked out of the motel, conceding that, for the time being, there was little she could do for Violet. As for Gray, a sense of obligation stirred within her to mitigate the unintended turmoil she had caused him. Nonetheless, she refrained from assuming full culpability, acknowledging that the root of this mess lay primarily with his father. All she’d done was overhear a phone call, sneak into his office at night, and make a few dozen or so copies of a report that she only wished now had more than just Congressman Harris’ name to it.

Pulling up to Gray’s house, adjacent to her own, Chelsea switched off the ignition and discreetly covered her overnight bag with one of Mac’s car seat covers in the backseat before stepping out and making her way inside. The atmosphere was sullen, with white chairs being shuffled in and out from the patio to a van parked out front. From a distance, Chelsea observed Nora overseeing the operation with an overflowing wine glass in hand. She couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility for the sombre mood, knowing she had played a part in it, at least partially.

Following the faint strumming of a bass, Chelsea ascended the stairs, purposefully bypassing Mr. Whitlock’s study. She had been instructed to call him Brody, but it just didn't sit right with her. Instead, she made her way down to Gray’s room at the end of the second floor. Her fingers brushed against the wooden door as she announced herself before slipping inside.

"So, on a scale from six-pack therapy to a spa retreat in the German highlands, how concerned should I be about you?" She offered a tentative smile. However, the instant she caught the strains of "Darn The Dream" by Ron Carter, being plucked, she realised she was entering yodelling territory.

[burning-sol]

u know whats. way ive treated gillion gender and sex in past not too hot. vibe checked self, not a good look.

current status: referring to tritons as explicitly intersex (i hope that term is okay, please correct me if not) as i should have from the beginning because that's what i meant. triton sex is a pretty mixed bag but based on multiple factors, you have "males" and "females" but a majority of tritons whose sex will shift in minor or major ways over the course of their life. ive never drawn too wide a variety of tritons (because there aren't that many as of now) but i do plan to make different family trees of triton be quite unique from each other, so that'd probably imply there's definitely inconsistencies across the board even considering what is normal for tritons. so gillion being an oddball could still exist but all in a very relative to stuff around him kind of way.

anyhow, gillion falls under the category of "this fish keeps changing sex everytime you look away from him for 2 seconds" btw. id probably make it function like ranma 1/2 for no other reason than i think its hilarious. put the fish in cold water for girl mode, put him in hot water for boy mode. i still agree that gillion WOULD refer to himself as genderfluid, but only IF the subject matter got brought up, because the standards of sex and gender are evidently very different between the undersea and oversea. i struggle to imagine that the triton language would have clear terms for girls and boys when that's not something that is important to the culture, so even binary pronouns are beyond the typical scope. gillion sort of just got assigned he/him and it stuck for him, and im sure there's some darker implications there relating to how he was raised and what he has internalised from being exposed to the oversea (gender is very complex for gillion tidestrider).

anyways, another important note is that edyn is a girl who likes being girl and is referred to by girl. she went to the oversea and was like "wow!! this girl mode thing is great!!!" so now she's a girl. always. and i have yet to decide on the gender for the old man but i just know he probably changed pronouns every other day. just looks at em. does that look like someone who won't walk up to you and say "my pronouns are now bubbles" like no fucking way, don't be ridiculous.

so yeah sorry for being ignorant and stuff, i hope these adjustments are clear and appropriate. if not, you can just kill me instantly. i was going to just quietly change stuff but i knew that was just me trying to avoid the shame(tm), and that its probably better im open about when im wrong to be some sort of good example.

[rainbowolfe]

Discovery: Laplace

"Below these waves lurk some of the hardest to catch beasts that ever lived, and I've been trying for years."

I highlight beast because that is their word for "human" or "person". If the Fisherman was talking about non-sentient animals, he'd use the term "critter".

I suspect he's talking about the beast as much as he's talking about the talisman. The Octopus is someone intended for non-mortals. The Crab is a gambler the Fisherman cheated (hooked). He thought they were wealthier/more valuable than they actually were (a whale). The Lobster is good. Very good. As promised. And the ever-elusive squid is wonderful, but of no use to him.

The Octopus sounds like it's describing Mystic Seller, ngl. But I digress. What I know for sure though, is that the crab is Laplace. The great gambler. Aka, the greatest of gamblers.

"Sharp claw, strong shell" "A wee nipper".

Is Laplace a literal crab? Maybe. If he didn't start life as a crab, he certainly ended his life as one. A penny-pincher, grumpy, and kinda mean. Also a bottomfeeder.

The first line feels like it's referencing Kudaai's Fingernail (Vicious claw, wickedly sharp), which happens to be inside a giant fish (a great beastie). That oozes ichor from it's mouth. There would be the implication that Laplace is who took this from Kudaai, but also that Laplace lost his "shell", which made him wicked.

Shell here could be referring to mental state. Someone who hasn't 'come out of their shell' yet, for one reason or another. Someone who hides or his a homebody. Or it's referring to his home/place of origin. A place known for it's strength, being (seemingly) impenetrable, etc.

However, if he is a beast with a literal shell, it would make him a candidate for what the Godly Gauntlets are made out of. (The last remnant of divine armor, long lost). Or he was known for wearing it lol

The second line is suggesting that Laplace is a small (in stature) child who serves as a helper (usually for a merchant). Perhaps not a minor, but an Infant God. If he's meant to connect to a merchant of note, it means he was a helper of either Clauneck, Kudaai, Chemach, or Mystic Seller. His associated colors is light blue, his eye (or Crown) color is orange and red.

Orange and red is a very notable color combo. More theories and notes on that here, here, and here.

While there is a crab enemy, it's actually, weirdly, shaped like the squid. They both have arrow/mushroom/penis shaped heads. So. That means something for the squid, we'll leave whatever it is for another time.

The crab is shaped like the scorpion enemy. Which is less a "scorpion", and more an ear wig or something else deeper into the Arthopoda Class. These things are made in the image of Hauras, which actually is a fucked up scorpion. And Hauras himself is (re)made in a former God's image. Which seems to be Laplace, associating the deity with Silk Cradle and Shamura.

oh no I haven't actually written about this before. Basically, its a worse version of the Demon Summoner. Some sort of ritual is being performed that makes them all big and icky and full of ichor. Instead of turning back to normal once they're no longer possessed, their physical form is permanently changed. The OniPress comic shows this in more detail. It's sort of like being sacrificed, but you come back as something else.

The mythological demon Hauras (also spelled Flauros) is a liar and trickster by nature, but when contained within a magic triangle, he will give true answers about everything. The past, future, himself, creation itself, even other fallen angels like himself. He has 20 squads of demons under him. Coincidentally, his Blessed Relic is a 20-sided die. 👀

You may have heard of something called "Laplace's Demon". A theoretical entity pondered by French philosopher Pierre-Simon Laplace. I'm simplifying it greatly, so check out the link for the full text.

The present is the result of the past and the cause of the future. There is an intellect that knows of all forces that set nature in motion and knows of where all things that created Nature. If this intellect is also capable of analyzing that information, it can know the designs of all—from the biggest planets to the tiniest atoms. This intellect would therefore know everything. The future and the past would be no different from the present it lives in.

Laplace never calls it a demon, that's a name the intellect was given by others later on. Probably because the ability to know the future is something associated with the demons and spirits summoned by necromancers.

So Laplace's Dice (and his coin) are that demon. Which means the 'demon' is embodied in Clauneck—who credits this knowledge to the Fates. And funnily, the above theory is something that Clauneck explicitly believes.

"Does fate grow as the flowers do, or is it built by mortal hand?" "In the shaping of all things did the First distill all there was, will be known into mortal symbol for mortal understanding. Everlasting is my duty, Keeper of these gifts, to stand at the juncture of Fate and Chance; for in the final breath of the final First it was decreed that we shall endure 'til the sun's final setting, when the cards show only darkness for eternity and beyond."

While shaping the world (all things), the First Gods extracted the information of the past (all there was) and the present (all there will be) into symbols that mortals could understand. The cards. Clauneck's also telling us his domain. He's the God of Luck, the intersection of what's possible and what's been willed by an outside power. Usually the Fates, but other Gods are apart of it too.

Didn't think I'd take a detour into a theory about Clauneck, but here we are. Onto what we know for sure about Laplace:

He has two relics, a die and a coin. The former has Blessed and Damned variants.

Laplace's Dice - Worn on each side, roll with care. 50% chance to heal a heart or to gain a Spirit Heart.

Damned Laplace's Dice - Let the river of chance flow smooth. 50% chance to gain a Diseased Heart or deal damage to all enemies.

Blessed Laplace's Dice - What did the great gambler lose? 50% chance to become invincible for 10 sec. or to gain a Blue Heart.

Laplace's Coin - Payment to ferry the dead. [Corrupted Relic] 50% chance to spawn an undead Follower or to summon an enemy.

His iconography includes dice, the six die faces, Follower and Cultist skulls, chance, and polychrome effects. Despite his association with the six-sided die, the odds on his relics are always 50-50. Though, if you combine all the possibilities (of just the dice) you get six options total—one for each face. And four other Gods with shared abilities.

Shamura, Ala, Clauneck, the Anchorite, and the user of the Vampiric Weapons (or Hathor, if they're different). If you include the Coin (which I suspect is the reason why the odds are always 50-50), that adds Kallamar and maybe Warracka's Slave depending on some semantics.

Which totals either 8 or 9 when you include Laplace. Which is the amount of tentacles on Laplace's coin (8) or the amount of "rays" on certain variations of the Sun symbol (9).

But the coin and the dice are different. Like they're related, but they're different points in history. The Coin represents the corruption of Laplace. The dice is the normal remnants of his powers. The Coin might not even belong to Laplace Relic-wise. As in, his Coin; not his Relic. Many of these things are lost items, after all. (Just cause you lost something doesn't mean its not yours anymore)

The imagery on his dice suggest he was a God of Death, or otherwise a God of the Underworld. The golden "body" paired with three eyes is something seen on skulls that resemble Narinder's. So if not signifying he's a Death God, it signifies ancestry. It also suggests he has a cracked skull and is missing an eye. Maybe two eyes, the "scar" on three is different from the "scar" on one. Oh, and his eyes are pink (salmon, rlly) and orange. (Though when Damned and Blessed, his eye color is red).

Since each die face seems to correlate to an ability (and God), Blessed Laplace had 20 abilities/Gods at his disposal. That is pretty blessed. I also suspect this and other yellow relics are, well, yellow, is because the former deity they're attached to was burned to death. Or presently is burning in some way.

Phew. So, that's Laplace. A likely candidate for the Fleece of the Hobbled Heels. (Roll with care.) As for the other three...

The Lobster "For the wealthy or well-behaved." "A big nipper."

Like Laplace, they would've served as a helper for a merchant. Instead this time, they're a big 'child'. So a notably large Infant God who associates themselves with those that are either wealthy or obedient. They're known for being "very good", whatever that means. Their eye/Crown color is magenta, but they're associated with blue.

The Squid "A kraken in miniature." "It has eight wiggling tendrils."

Wonderful, but useless. And elusive to boot. They're a small copy (or offspring) of someone else. Either Turua, the Fungus God and sinker of ships, or the Octopus below. I don't think this is Kallamar, but certainly has something to do with the tentacle he has in Purgatory. I... don't know what the eight tendrils are referencing. Their eye/Crown color is cyan and their associated color is dark blue.

The Octopus "This creature almost seems intelligent..." "It has eight wiggling legs."

These eight legs, however, are definitely referencing the many-legged creature wrapped in web. If not that one, then the pirate with many legs spoken about in Midas' Cave. Useful/desirable to immortal beings, and no one else. They're uncharacteristically smart. More accurately, they're something that seems to be sentient when others of their species are not. The funky eyes would suggest they're maybe a demon or a cat or some other sort of predator. Their eye/Crown color is green and they're associated with yellow.

And that's it! I have no strong leads on who these three could be, so no long essay for them. I'll just keep a tab on them, I guess.

[apocalypsewriters]

Not My Magical Destiny part 4

Intro <<previous (part 3) next (part 5)>>

Eager as always, Gabe gets a brilliant idea: bring Kodi along for a typical adventure. Nothing will go wrong, right? How will Kodi cope? Surely they'll be fine. Won't they?

Closing the register on a customer’s order, I heard my phone ring. Fishing it out of my pocket, a chill ran down my spine when I saw it was Gabe. His contact photo smiled at me from the summer after our senior year, wearing an unfortunate tan in the shape of aviator sunglasses. I looked around the bakery. The corners of the walls were still black with smoke since I couldn’t reach them to clean and the owner couldn’t afford to replace them. The tables were refurbished and largely empty of patrons. Once I determined there was no one needing my attention, I picked up. 

“I need your help.” Gabe’s voice was tinny over the line, something I wasn’t used to hearing. We never called each other – it started as a point of nervousness when we first got phones and continued out of principle. I was good at answering the phone now, at least, after helping my dad at his therapy office and taking orders at the bakery.

My heart raced at the implications. I hoped the distortion over the phone would disguise my voice shaking. “What with?”

“The thing” – Gabe hesitated – “I am not allowed to talk about where people can listen in on.”

If my heart was cantering before, it was galloping now. I could barely deal with the attack on the bakery last month, so the thought of being directly involved, of being asked to be part of the living nightmare that was Gabe’s life nearly paralyzed me. I stammered out, “Are you sure I’m the right person for this job?”

“You can hang back!” said Gabe, rushing to reassure me. “I’ll tell you more about the… situation when you get out here.”

“I’m working!”

“Please? For me?”

Gabriel never gave up when he made a plan. And I never bailed on him.

“Fine. I’ll be out in ten.”

“Great! Thank you, Kodi.” It was worth agreeing just to hear the relief in his voice. “Meet us at the edge of town.” He hung up.

“Well that wasn’t ominous or creepy at all,” I muttered to myself.

It didn’t take long to take stock of the shop. I took the generous ten minutes I had given myself to straighten the display of cookie cats, ferret eclairs, and paw-shaped tarts. A sickly sweet stickiness always lingered on my hands whenever I did this, so I normally saved it for the end of the day. Still, no one was as meticulous as I was at Purebread Pastries, so if I was calling my shift in early I had to do it now.

Satisfied with my work, I called out, “Hey, boss? I have a family emergency. Can I go?”

Years of reliable work and covering shifts made the answer easy. With the boss’s approval, I hung up my apron. I ran my thumb over Gabe’s embroidery. It was naive and pointless to wish for that time when it was simpler, safer. It didn’t stop me from wanting a magic-free world.

As I walked to the meeting place, I pondered Gabriel’s words. He wouldn’t put me in danger he couldn’t protect me from. Staying in that world couldn’t have changed him too much from the boy I had grown up with, could it? We had chosen names together, had discovered ourselves together, laughed, cried, screamed together. The boy I knew wasn’t lost, right?

Doubt grew in my mind when I passed the last row of houses. The bags under Gabe’s eyes were dark and prominent, worse than I had ever seen before, and I had helped him through a week without sleep. Despite this, there was a fire in his eyes, vengeful and fierce. It scared me. He had recovered the bulk he had when he reappeared in the bakery what felt like a lifetime ago. Standing tall, his stance was stiff and fragile, filling out a plain grey shirt I had never seen before. A chill ran down my spine, though no wind stirred the sparse trees.

It didn’t help that Envy hovered by his shoulder, resentful and brooding. She had cleaned up since the last time I’d seen her, which made sense. Her faded green sweater vest had holes worn through it, but at least there were no scorch marks this time. She was gripping her biceps, arms crossed, and tapping her fingers impatiently. 

As soon as Gabe caught sight of me, his shoulders released from where they had tensed around his ears. 

“Kodi!” he called. The flannel he wore around his waist, my flannel, flapped as he skipped towards me. He gathered me in a two-second hug. “Thank you, thank you, for coming. I knew you would.”

“Pri- Gabriel. The plan?” prompted Envy. She already looked sick of our affection. 

“Right!” Gabe said, steamrolling ahead as usual. He shoved a handful of throwing stars into my hands. Their reflectiveness blinded me. “Take these.”

“What am I supposed to do with them?” I asked, looking at them closer while holding them like they’d bite me. If they had been used before, they had been cleaned well. 

“You play ultimate frisbee.”

“Played. It’s been a year. I can’t afford to anymore, remember?”

“Still,” Gabe insisted. “You’re equipped, so let’s move!”

As always, I followed Gabriel. “You still haven’t explained anything,” I said, stumbling on a crack in the ground. 

Envy tried to shepherd me through an arch formed by two trees off of the path, but I stood firm. Oblivious and headstrong, Gabe was striding ahead.

“Gabriel,” I said. I still knew the tone to make him stop in his tracks – in that he hadn’t changed. “Tell me what is going on or I’m leaving. I love you, but this is getting to be too much.”

The eagerness in Gabe’s expression crumbled a little. He fiddled with the zippers littering his jacket as he answered, “There’s information we need from one of Diligence’s stashes. The others are too busy with their duties to help, and we need someone to watch our flank as Envy and I break in. We’re supposed to be diplomatic but we already know what Diligence’s answer will be and we don’t have time to waste.”

I could already feel my resolve weakening. “Okay. This won’t be as… intense as the battle you took to the bakery, will it? Because I won’t be able to handle it.”

Gabe shook his head vigorously, safety pin earrings jingling. He was quick to affirm, saying, “Nope! Envy and I are professionals at this, so you shouldn’t have to step in. It’ll be over before you know it. We just need a little bit of backup for Envy’s peace of mind.”

Going off of Envy’s expression, he should not have said that in front of me. Envy’s glare could have melted steel. Her hands twitched irritably where they rested on daggers at her belt.

“So I won’t have to use these?” I asked, barely wiggling the throwing stars.

“I promise you won’t have to do anything but hold them,” said Gabe, tugging me forward. “They’re for my peace of mind.”

Finally satisfied, at least for the time being, I stepped through the trees. Gabe’s hand holding mine was the only thing that stayed consistent, warm and solid. I almost fell as the world shifted under my feet. The air was nauseatingly fresh, cool in the shade of evergreens. My stomach lurched as I tried to find my bearings again.

I watched Gabe’s shoulders drop and set firm; he seemed more comfortable out here, more driven. His steps made no noise as he led me towards the gate he sought to get through. It was situated in a clearing with two figures at the entrance. They were dressed from head to toe in silver plate mail and each held an erect spear. There was no movement as the world seemed to hold its breath.

Realizing we were missing one of our party, I scanned the area for Envy and nearly jumped out of my skin. She had made it around to the other side of the glade and was raising her hands. Light danced between them in a web, growing and strengthening in brightness. Spiderlike, she struck. Her net flew through the air and wrapped around one of the guards. They let out a wheeze and flew backward with the momentum of Envy’s pull. The other guard snapped forward into a defensive stance. Gabe took this as his signal to move. 

He pushed me behind a tree, which I was grateful for. Flitting forward, a purple orb of light gathered in his open hand. He lobbed it towards the second guard. It landed on their face and their hands immediately went to where their eyes were. Or at least, where I hoped they were. 

The battle was almost beautiful in its choreography. Envy incapacitated their opponents, encasing them in woven light and pulling them out of commission. Not a single cast came close to hitting Gabe. He struck with the purple blades I had seen in the bakery. He aimed for gaps in the armor; while not every strike was successful, each one knocked the fighters off balance. I called out as a desperate foot snaked out to try and trip Gabe. The guards barely stood a chance. Even as a routine patrol of two others joined the fray, at my shout Envy and Gabe took them out systematically, easily. One of them landed a lucky hit on Gabe, nicking his forearm with one of the shattered spears. They only had time to let out a single cry. 

The battle was over in two minutes. Gabe looked alive, catching his breath and looking over at me, puppy-like. I smiled my approval, weakly. Practically bouncing from my reaction, Gabe joined Envy in dragging the bodies aside. My insides writhed a little at the carnage, no matter how brief it was. They had just returned to pick up a second guard when the knot in my stomach dropped.

The guard’s shout had alerted someone beyond the gates. They were approaching, armor blinding, from around the corner. Raising their spear to strike, aiming for Gabriel, I knew he wouldn’t have time to react to my warning. Instinctively, I drew a throwing star. Though I was rusty having not handled a frisbee in high stakes for a year, the star felt familiar in my hand. I had never thrown at a person without the intent for them to catch it. I aimed high just in case my muscle memory had faded.

The throwing star soared across the clearing. It was lightning fast, faster than any frisbee I had thrown. It flashed in the sun, glinting directly into my eyes. I swore I could see the air fracturing in its path. It hit before the guard’s arm reached its apex. 

It landed in their neck.

The clearing, the world, went silent. Blackness encroached on my vision. It crept in from the edges and pulsed in the center. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear anything but my thundering heart. My breathing quickened.

Vaguely, I was aware of Gabriel springing to his feet at the sound of the guard collapsing. My head swam from a lack of oxygen, a lack of explanation for what had just happened, for what I had just done. I felt the ground beneath me vibrate a little with Gabe’s approach.

I lost my tentative grip on the world before he reached me.

Intro <<previous (part 3) next (part 5)>>

[uncontrollablesphere]

Here’s a post I forgot about in my drafts for two years on Blame! coelacanth semantics. Keep in mind I haven’t read blame since then so I’m not sure how accurate some of the details are

vvvvvvvv

Follow up to my coelacanth metaphor post: some literal implications of Dhomochevsky having a pet coelacanth

I’m not super sure about the reliability of using it as a time marker, just because the coelacanth is so mysterious, but so are Dhomo and Iko. When those two are first created as provisional safeguards, the fish is already there, flopping on the floor. At the time Blame! was written, coelacanths were thought to live for around 50 years, which is kind of a lot for fish, but not so much for humans (and especially not for safeguards). But coelacanths aren’t born five feet long. That coelacanth is already adult size.

Unless the coelacanth is some kind of silicone coelacanth (silicanth?), this would limit Dhomo and Iko’s careers as provisional safeguards to less than 50 years (or 100, if we take into account modern coelacanth research that Nihei didn’t have access to). The reason I’m kind of iffy about this is just that the coelacanth’s existence this high above “ground level” (when we don’t even know the state of the oceans, and coelacanths usually live far below surface level) is super suspect, and I can’t rule out that it’s not a normal fish.

Who put it there? Did it belong to a former resident of the unofficial stratum and the silicone life attack(s) destroyed its tank, where Dhomo and Iko just happened to get deployed? Was it created along with them for some reason? Coelacanth safeguard?

I had some other thoughts about what it might represent but they flew out of my head as I was typing this. Like other than the individual lifespan of coelacanths, we know that they have existed for about 400 million years. It’s really interesting that this is one of the few nonhuman animals we see in blame. Iirc, we only see bugs, a dog, and a coelacanth. Bugs are known for being resilient and thriving in urban environments*, while dogs have evolved alongside humans and will continue to as long as we value them as companions and/or working partners.

But coelacanths don’t really make sense in this environment at all. They’re naturally found in deep underwater caves, and are poorly suited to living in tanks (growing up to 6 and a half feet). In a megastructure that reaches so high up as to consume neighboring planets, it seems like maintaining a tank for just one coelacanth would be a huge challenge, just in terms of filling it with water, let alone a tank with multiple coelacanths in order to have them breed and keep the species going. (I assume people in upper strata collect rainwater, as pumping water from ground level or below doesn’t seem feasible. And even if they do pump water from below…all for some fish?)

It would be one thing if coelacanths were farmed as a food source, but that’s not really feasible either, as coelacanths take a really long time to reach sexual maturity, have 5 year long gestation periods, and are difficult for people to digest.

Humans have been around a long time in the Blame! universe…Noise adds at least 3000 years to our current 300,000. But in evolutionary time, that’s still infinitesimally small. That’s nothing to the coelacanth’s 400 million. When you juxtapose a living fossil with a relatively young species such as humans, there’s a couple different directions that could take

*I now know this is literally not true, applies to SOME bugs only, many bugs are in fact declining due to habitat loss from urban sprawl + monoculture farmland. Anyways

[juicywritinghoard]

Setting Prompts

A. Something about this place screams “probably not haunted but don’t stick around to find out”. 

B. Thank you for taking me to the aquarium for my birthday. I am gonna be a freak in the gift shop about it.

C. Nothing at this carnival is going to cheer me up so don’t even try. Except…

D. You cannot keep making secret agent music with your mouth if you don’t want to get us arrested. I can fill golf course holes with cement without you.

E. Admittedly this was a bad place for a picnic, but on the other hand, I’m having a great time and no regrets. 

F. Oh god, oh Jesus, what is that?? Oh, just a bunny. OH NO OH HELP WHAT IS THAT-

G. This real estate is giving mad Hansel and Gretel vibes rn and I will lick the walls if no one stops me?

H. Okay, while they do actual serious errands, our goal is to find a collection of objects under fifty dollars that will definitely, absolutely implicate us in a premeditated murder. And…break!

I. Nothing says “let’s get ice cream” like baseball sized hail. 

J. If you don’t want to get in trouble for playing hide and seek in the fancy department store, you gotta hide better, duh.

K. I’m sorry I spilled nacho cheese in the jewelry store. It might happen again.

L. I’m having a crisis in the craft store. Again.

M. No, I’m not going to sell you this fish. Please leave the store.

N. So it was just supposed to be a little funny ha-ha joke but we put [counts on fingers] like quadruple the appropriate amount of bubble bath in the fountain…

O. I refuse to have some kind of epiphany about this divine experience. I did not ask to be awake at dawn and I would not be awake at dawn if I had a choice about it.

P. So you know how you were like, no way is it possible to fill a pool with Jello? Well,

Q. No, sorry, I’ve been banned from the candy store. Yep. And the bookstore. Uhuh. I’m really sorry, I have also been banned from-

R. Call back later, I’m spending my life savings in the arcade. No, I promise I’m being so normal about it. This has nothing to do with my child enemy. No, no, I promise!

S. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little dumpster diving. Just be less stupid about it maybe?

T. I’m afraid of heights, is the problem? Which I was not aware of until I got up here. 

U. Oh man, I want to join their backyard barbeque so bad. Do you think I can pass for a cousin? Surely they don’t know all their cousins. Look at all the fun they’re having, oh man… 

V. I didn’t expect the world to end in the coffee shop, but here I am…

W. You keep asking why I’m wet and not how was the sea? Was the sea fun? Did you meet a mermaid and join a mermaid party and almost drown? No, I don’t want to talk about it now.

X. Admittedly my coworkers don’t suck, it’s just the job that’s cuckoo banana-nut-muffins bonkers insane. 

Y. Why do I feel like this place is so fancy, they’re gonna hand me a receipt for the air I breathed while I was here? 

Z. Hurry up and figure things out, before I get fired from a second morgue. Please?

[orchestrated-haunting]

Some College AU Headcannons

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

A cultural anthropology major with a focus on what the knight archetype implies, and how its changes depending on the cultural implications.

Wore a face mask pre COVID-19 to cover his mole, and thanks to the pandemic it became more normalized for him to so.

He goes to parties if he knows one of his friends will be present, often playing drinking games with Fionn and Cu.

Flirts with his friends quite to the point outside observers can’t tell if it was platonic or romantic.

Cu Chuclainn

As irritating as it can be at times he enjoys being in veterinary school.

He fosters dogs and has had several foster fails. One of them being a small white fluffy dog that is a little bit crusty, (causing his friends to make jokes of him being a rich white mom who owns a yacht).

Tried taking his pals on fishing trips but the only one who would come after a few trips is Fionn.

Iskander

The big man enjoys his maps, so naturally he became a geography major who minored in classics.

He’s a part of the wresting team and his friends joke about burying their faces into his tiddies saying things such as “normalize friend group homoerotism”.

Iskander got very into strategy games, and his not so guilty pleasure game is the Fire Emblem series.

Waver

A freshmen history major who is very out of his element.

Ended up getting adopted by Iskander because he ended up accidently bumping into him checking his phone.

He’s honestly terrified of Iskander’s friends but he keeps getting dragged into their hangouts. He eventually develops a soft spot for all of them, and cried when some of them graduated.

Identifies as a part of the LGBTQ+ community but isn’t sure how to label it, whether in regards to gender or sexuality.

[monstrousproductions]

OK so bear with me for adding onto an already giant post but! This ask made me really curious about what is said about Jonah in rabbinic literature. This is all from the wikipedia page 'Jonah in Rabbinic Literature' (thanks, wikipedia!) and the citations are mostly from the Yalkut Shimoni and the Zohar, two collections of Torah commentary. I'm not Jewish and I was never very good at exegesis so I'm mostly just relaying what the wikipedia page told me with some light interpretation, so set your expectations accordingly!

My first favourite thing is that when Jonah ran to Jaffa to get the boat to Tarshish (possibly Tarsus, as vaguely alluded to above), he missed the boat by two days. But God had sent a wind to drive it back into port - a wind which only affected that one particular boat, and no others. Rather than seeing this and thinking, "hm, maybe I shouldn't play games with a god who can do that, maybe actually God is still God even when you're on a boat," Jonah - being what we in theological circles term, "a dumbass" - takes this as vindication of his genius plan!

In his glee, excitement and certainty that everything's coming up Jonah, he goes against normal custom which I assume was a half now, half later kind of deal, and pays for the full journey up front - some even say he paid the whole value of the ship, which, why, Jonah? Why would you do that? Love that he paid that much just to be chucked into the ocean, RIP my best beloved.

My next favourite bit is on the boat. The sailors have woken Jonah from his panic nap and established that yes, this horrendous storm is all his fault, but they're not about to just outright murder a guy without a little sure evidence it's the right thing to do! So they take Jonah and they dangle him over the side of the boat, dunking him up to his knees. And the storm quiets down! and they pull him out and the storm picks up again. And they dunk him again, a bit deeper, and the storm quiets down even more! And they DUNK the prophet of God, they DUNK him like a COOKIE in the name of SCIENCE.

Even then, they're still not wild for the murder thing and as they chuck him overboard they're like, making direct eye contact with the sky like, "You know this isn't on us, right? This is not on us!"

And then we get to my absolute favourite part, which is what the Yalkut Shimoni tells us happened while Jonah was in the fish (or rather, what wikipedia tells me the Yalkut Shimoni tells us happened...)

So first, there's a nice bit in the Zohar that mentions that the fish has eyes like windows, or perhaps has a kind of light-emitting pearl hanging from its ribs so it's not completey dark inside. I think it works better as a Sheol metaphor if it's dark, but also, fish-eye windows is a banging aesthetic.

But then the fish tells Jonah that, originally, he was supposed to be eaten by the Leviathan - the OG sea monster - and not this nice handsome fish. Which I suppose must have the implication that the Leviathan is now still out of Jonah but is going to eat the fish too?? Because Jonah asks to be taken to the Leviathan to try and save both his life, and that of his new friend/house/transport.

Upon meeting the Leviathan, Jonah.... "exhibited the seal of Abraham". Which. Um. OK so this is where my caveat above about not being Jewish and also not having been a very good theologian in my day, it all comes up here. Because I'm like hmm OK so is that uhh.... Is that his dick? Like, the sign of Abraham's covenant with God? Circumcision? It kills me. It kills me. I laughed til I cried. He's just down there flashing his junk at this scary sea monster and it works because the Leviathan sees it and runs two days away.

Which also like, I'm sorry Leviathan but are you worried you'll get smote? Because this guy is already in a fish in the bottom of the sea, I know he's one of God's chosen people and all but let's be honest, that's not a circumstance under which I would assume he was one of God's very favourites.

The fish, meanwhile, is delighted! He's so thrilled at not getting eaten that he takes Jonah on a little tour of all the interesting sights at the bottom of the ocean, like "here's where Moses crossed the Red Sea, here's the big treasure chest that opens every few seconds and squirts out bubbles, here's some crabs that eat wood". And Jonah has three days of... a pretty good time, actually!

But God is like, hey! I did not send you down there for a jolly holiday, young man! And sends another, different fish "where he would be less comfortable". This fish is a lady fish and is pregnant, so Jonah's all squashed and cramped inside her - I imagine him with his knees around his ears as these very annoying little baby fish keep asking him if he has any games on his phone. And that finally pushes him to pray to God and admit that OK yeah maybe he can't "outrun the Almighty" or whatever.

Finally, another thing that really cracked me up while talking to a friend about this all was when we were talking about the people of Ninevah. Like, they repented immediately. They just were like, oh shit, we were doing a sin? My bad, dude. Sackcloth and ashes, posthaste!

(A funny aside - there's a decent argument to be made for Jonah originally being written as a parody or satire, and someone is quoted on the wikipedia page as saying the idea of even the animals of Ninevah fasting in repentance is... "silly".)

Which makes Jonah's fury even funnier, and also his reticence to go in the first place, which these commentaries explain as being about his unwillingness to make God? look bad? I don't really follow it fully, I think it's saying that if he went to Ninevah and everyone repented and then didn't get smote, then nobody would believe God could smite people. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I'm a 21st century Quaker so who knows.

Anyway, that's all from today's issue of You Said Ramble, So I Rambled. Now I'm off to write my mid-budget, hyper stylised Jonah film adaptation starring Dev Patel as Jonah and Adjoa Andoh as the Voice of God.

I would listen to a audio drama about "your boy jonah" but also, tell me about your boy! Here is a free space to ramble. Please info-dump.

Free space to ramble?! Don't mind if I do!

So, in case anyone is unfamiliar with the story of Jonah, it begins with Jonah minding his business and suddenly being called upon by God to go to Ninevah [the capital city of the Assyrian empire] to call them out for their sins. Instead, Jonah seals his place in my heart by running away from God.

I just find it so immediately endearing that his reaction to being given a divinely ordained job to do is to absolutely nope the fuck out and run for the hills. It's not just hilarious, but it also feels so honest? Like yeah sometimes we know rightly what we're supposed to do, either because of the leading of the spirit or because of our own morals, and sometimes it's fucking terrifying!!

So he runs away, he gets on a boat to sail off to Far Off Lands (poss. southern Turkey) and obviously... God knows. Because it's God. You can't just duck behind a tree and suddenly God forgets you're there lol And God is big mad and sends a storm that threatens to break the ship into matchsticks. The sailors are terrified - I imagine them as these hardened sea-faring men who are used to all sorts of things, and this storm is so fierce they're absolutely terrified.

And Jonah... is fast asleep. Conked the fuck out on one of the lower decks, like he isn't moments from being smithereened. Running away from God is a tiring business, I guess! Also, as a chronic procastinapper, I can't help feeling like he just felt like he had too much on his plate and decided napping is way less scary that That Whole Mess.

So the captain drags him up and demands that he pray to his god because clearly the gods of the sailors are not paying attention lol But they also want to know where the storm came from and why, so they draw lots to see who's to blame? And of course Jonah draws the short straw.

And then this bit I imagine Jonah being super sheepish about OK. Because in this era and place, it was quite normal to accept that other people's gods were real and powerful, but they just weren't your gods. But different gods have different areas of power, so the sailors ask Jonah who his god is. And very grudgingly, Jonah admits that ummm yeah ok so actually his god is... the one who created the sea and the land.

And I imagine there's this moment of absolute silence as these sailors take in the fact that this guy has pissed his god off and who's his god again? Oh yeah, only the one who MADE THE OCEAN which is currently trying to KILL THEM.

"So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea."

But Jonah doesn't drown! God sends a fish to swallow him up, and he sits in the fish for three days and prays while he's in there, because actually all things considered it was pretty neat of God to send a fish to swallow him instead of letting him drown and he's like "I think maybe I have got close enough to death and I would like to stop having an adventure now and go back to being all the way alive."

Which is very cool having his time in the fish being this sort of pseudo-death? Like he was getting a little taste of it. And he even talks about it as being in Sheol, and being out of sight of God and longing to be alive and back where God can see him.

So God tells the fish to vomit him up and tells Jonah again to go to Ninevah, which this time he does! It's a huge city, it takes three days to walk across it, but Jonah made a promise and he sticks to it. He walks and talks and the city repents and God relents from whatever punishment he was going to send.

Which, in a turn that never fails to touch my heart, makes Jonah... absolutely fucking livid. He is so mad about this decision. He's like, "I fucking knew it!! I knew you weren't going to smite these fuckers!" and God is like ??? excuuuuse me ???

And Jonah - I love him so much - he storms off, he stomps out of Ninevah and builds himself a little hu and he sits in his hut and he stares at the city, wishing hellfire and damnation on everyone in it, and sulking like nobody on earth. He is raging and I love it.

But it's the fucking Assyrian desert, it's hot as balls and even in his wee hut, Jonah's got the sun beating down on him. And God makes this plant grow next to him for shade, which Jonah is pretty pleased about - until the next morning, God sends a worm that attacks the plant and kills it. And also throws in some scorching winds and fiery sun for good measure.

And Jonah's lying there about to pass out and he's like, "I would literally rather be fucking dead" and then we get my favourite exchange in the whole Bible:

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

I just love it!! He's having none of it! He is furious and he is feeling more righteous and miserable than any angsty teenager ever could and he's telling God straight out, "You have pissed me off like nobody has ever pissed anyone off before" and I love him so much!!

And God points out that he's that angry about the plant dying, which he didn't even grow or tend to, but somehow it's not fair for God to not be particularly keen on destroying an entire megatropolis full of people and animals who by the way God is responsible for and cares for? Double standards much? And the book ends! It's made its point and off it fucks.

Also there's a bit at the end there where it describes the thousands and thousands of people in Ninevah as "not knowing which is their left hand and which is their right" which I assume is a metaphor for not knowing right from wrong but which I also just love as such a read. Like, "Really? You expect me not to look after these people? Look at them. They're morons, Jonah. They're the kind of morons who would think, oh, I don't know, that they could hide from God in a boat."

I just love how angry Jonah is, and how afraid, and how human! And I love that he has this sassy back and forth with God and that he gets angry at God and argues and has to get put in a fish for a time out. It feels like such a close, bickering sort of relationship and I think the world would be a better place if more people felt like they could look God in the eye and say, "YES! I AM ANGRY!! I AM SO ANGRY I COULD DIE!!!"

[system-of-a-feather]

I’m still thinking about Moon Knight Episode 5 cause it really hit home and like... really got me thinking on a few things that have just been circling in my head trying to be digested but really struggling since I don’t have much access to a lot of our actual childhood shit, but I think one of the things that really got my brain stuck is that I think I really really resonate with Steven (and by think, I obviously do, innocent fictive host and shit) and I think a large part of Episode 5 really had me hearing Marc and like... having that be shit I really never heard properly from my system and probably needed to hear but never got to because admitting a lot of that would put the whole “point” of me in jeopardy if I wasn’t so much ready to deal with the implications and meta knowledge.

With recent trauma processing and system work, we’ve - or rather I guess I since I’m sure a large number of other parts already knew this- realized we are not a system of functional parts with a few hurting, disordered, and messed up parts, but that we are a very disordered, very hurt, very fucked up and messed up parts, with like.... two functioning parts. And I don’t mean functioning as in “are actually worth anything” but as in “is relatively good at integrating into society, looking only moderately mentally ill, having a life, having goals, and being decent at living and having enough positive affect and vision to keep a healthy positive ending in mind.”

Save for me and Lucille - and maybe Eva and Ray but they’re on the fence - no one else in this system really has much room for positive affect and interactions with the real world. Everyone else is considerably jaded about the world, stuck in trauma-mindset, jaded about themselves, and/or has abandoned “reality / the world” to live internally because they have given up on existence. 

And you know “that’s the whole point of you” is really rough to think about until you really do kind of think about how literally, it is a very large and important purpose to have. Sure you aren’t killing monsters and dealing with the “hard reality” of the abuse, but you are sitting out there protecting a sense of hope, future, happiness and humanity so that when survival is over, you can actually have a chance of living again. Being able to remain “innocent” and unmarred by the trauma and reality of what has happened, has allowed us to maintain a drive to still be alive and to value ourselves and others in the world despite all that we have gone through.

I’m a dumb idiot that doesn’t know half of the reality of what we’ve been through, but I’m also one of the only ones here who can see the world without the blood-tainted lenses that trauma has given everyone else and actually give the system something to work for and an idealistic image of what could be. I am not rooted in “our reality” and “our truth” but I am rooted closer to what the world actually is and believing a lot more that things can and should be better for us because what happened to us was an unfortunate unlucky situation that we didn’t deserve, and that there is a chance that our luck could turn around and we could be like others.

Since Moon Knight started, I’ve been of the theory and idea that Steven exists and acts as the life Marc wishes he could have and could lead - having a normal job (even if its a shitty minimum wage) and to build relationships and to have the joy be coming home to a handicapped fish - and I still stand by it. That’s a life Marc can’t make for himself because of his PTSD symptoms and his self hate and his overall fear and hypervigilance, but Steven - Steven who managed to remain primarily unaware of the trauma that has happened is still capable to lead that life for them.

Steven could start and build a happier life that they always wanted because he isn’t aware of their bleeding and damage. He can get help, create something they need to get them somewhere better, by just not knowing how badly hurt they are.

There’s a massive strength, and a massive importance in being an “innocent fluff ball” and still having goodness and hope despite horrible things having happened. Steven’s not an uwu baby, he’s just a guy living as “a guy” when his life and history has dictated that he should be “broken”.

Anyways, I’m just rambling and arguably (probably) projecting, but this episode has lived rent free in my head on repeat for like 50-60 hours and I have thoughts.

[luimagines]

Do time or the other links smoke? Or drink? Or do some kind of drugs? I mean when your out heroing you're going to get alot of traum

Something they all at least somewhat have to try and take the edg off or do they have other ways of coping? I am sorry if this sounds like an ask,i was more along the lines trying to get your speculation on the matter

Masterlist

I see what you're saying and I do think that some of them would have had bad habits in the past but yeah-

They do need some time to take the edge off and refocus themselves in the present, but how do they do that in a healthy and safe way?

Let's talk about that.

I don't think I have all the necessary tags so go forth at your own discretion.

Time

Time would have definitely had a drinking problem that would have started in his Termina days.

He's never really felt the need to drink though- he only found that it would have kept him from going crazy.

But as he got out of there and talked more to Malon (and have his supply cut off- (just because he knew where to get it in Termina doesn't mean he knows where to get it in Hyrule, (nor would they give it to him, even if he did))), I like to think that he would have had to find other ways to calm himself down and think rationally through his thoughts and desires.

It happens by accident.

He was working at Lon Lon Ranch when he needed to go chop some wood and he found the repetitive and strenuous work, soothing.

He felt good. Accomplished even.

And a little disappointed when he was finished.

But he started doing that whenever he could and it became his main way to not only blow off some steam but to also calm himself down.

It helps with his anxiety and his need to help feel useful even when nothing is really happening that would require his assistance.

Twilight

Twilight finds that manual labor actually makes his anxiety worse.

He can't really find it within himself to get lost in it because he's already programmed for that to be a part of his day to day life anyway. So his brain can still go on and on even as he gets his chores done.

Twilight finds that a secluded spot with little distraction works best.

He's never really dabbled in other ways to deal with it nor has it come to his mind.

All he knew one say was that everything was too much and that he needed to be in a different area entirely.

No people, no noise.

He likes to hang out by small creeks or by the lake and fish if he really needs an excuse to do something.

Bonus points if he can rest with one of his favorite goats nearby, but that's few and far in between.

It's less meditation and more taking in the moment and letting time slip by for a change.

No to do lists, no action, no survival, no need to be on the run.

Just breath.

Warrior

Warrior would have smoked during the war but I don’t think he’d actually tolerate it all that well. I feel like he’d be more inclined to drink away his problems but with shortages left and right, and all efforts going into the war, there just wouldn’t be enough to go around.

So he’d smoke and hate it.

But it worked in a pinch.

Afterwards, whether through Mask’s and Wind’s influence or the end of the war, he’d want to find a way to quit.

It wasn’t easy but I feel like Warrior would attempt to quit cold turkey. Just drop the habit completely and what does he do when he feels the need arise again?

It’s actually little said than done, but he paints.

It’s less with ink and paint and more so, just moving his hands and a brush around.

If he happens to have a canvas it’s better but again, not easy to come around.

So what Warrior ends up doing most of the time, is taking a brush and some homemade ink from berries and brushing it over his scars. His favorite spot is the massive burn covering his left arm left behind as a gift from the Dragon Knight.

It feels tingly and electric, static follows the brush and the muscles clench with energy from the contact but while it’s uncomfortable for a while, it’s also not entirely unpleasant and it’s soothing to watch and feel. And it grounds Warrior in the moment until he no longer feels the urge.

When the urge is gone, he still does it when he feel anxious and concerned. Late at night is typical time for him to do this, where no one would see him or his scars and judge him for it.

Sky

Sky in the beginning would have slept more than he did before.

He was already inclined to fall asleep easily before all of his trauma, but afterwards he seemed to lose motivation to continue with the idea that things would go back to normal. There was still a lot of expectation placed on his shoulders and it was frankly not something he wanted to deal with.

So he sleeps.

Now this turns into more of a problem with being able to stay awake and to stay concentrated. It’s hard for him to pay attention to anything beyond him and that won’t do, considering me still has to finish his schooling.

What Sky does more often than not to keep him tethered to the present moment is work with his hands. He’s already had the tools for wood whittling but he was never allowed to use them in class and it ends being a bigger mess sometimes than he’s willing to deal with in general.

Sky also has some small pockets of clay that he fidgets with to keep his hands moving and he can keep it under his desk so that it’s not that distracting in class.

It helps him focus and when he thinks about what he’s been through and what he plans to do next, it keeps him from getting overwhelmed.

Wild

I think Wild would have just gone silent and unmoving when he’s having a bad day.

Kind of similar to how he gets when’s trapped in a memory but for longer and he doesn’t eat or sleep. It could last days at a time. He doesn’t even move unless he’s prompted or dragged to the spot.

The lights are on but no one’s home you know.

There’s not a lot he can do when it happens. Everyone just has to wait for it to pass and hope that it passes quickly.

But Wild gets better with time to know the signs when of one of those days is coming.

It’s not much, but Wild like to hop on the back of his horse and just take off.

Feel the rushing wind on his face and through his hair. He’s a full gallop for a while until the poor horse gets tired. At that point he just goes to the nearest stable and exchanges horses to do the whole thing over again.

Sometimes, when that’s not enough, he’ll go base jumping from as high as he can get even using Revali’s Gale to get higher and free fall. Wild is pretty good at catching himself with his paraglider at the last moment and he likes to see all of Hyrule when as he reaches the ground again.

It reminds him that he’s done a lot of good, that he’s capable of doing more good and that life isn’t over just one ended.

Four

Unsurprisingly, sometimes Four gets too lost in his own for his own good.

He’s got a lot to think about and very little way to get it out.

Four would actually throw himself into his work to try and distract himself from the memories, the anxiety, and the guilt of not being enough time and time again even if he saved the day in the end.

This doesn’t help.

He gets so lost into it, in his attempt to stop thinking all together that he completely goes into autopilot and over works himself. Not in the sense that he pulls a muscle and has to take it easy  or end up sore and tired and regrets it. No, no. What I mean is that he’ll keep working for days on end.

No sleep.

No food.

Little water.

No fresh air.

It ends up being a hard habit for him to break. Especially since he finds himself continuously trying to fall into a blank mindset even while he actually works to get commissions done.

So what Four has to do is find something else to do. Four more or less always has to have his hands moving, so it’s hard for him to put something down and not working on it.

He likes jigsaw puzzles, he likes to read, but he also likes to make stuff.

So in the end, when Four feel a little overwhelmed and feels himself slip into a self deprivational state, he’ll stop and goes inside his house to do a smaller project.

So he bakes, he knits, he does his puzzels. It’s enough for him to feel productive still but quick enough for him to stay present and make sure he’s still taking care of himself until the restlessness passes.

Wind

Wind doesn’t really have bad habits. He’s still young and processing his adventures. 

I’m sure there’s alcohol on the pirate ship because pirates. But I don’t think he’d like it as much as some people want to write him.

Like, sure, a cup or two ain’t bad but I just can’t see Wind having a drinking problem. At least not now as everything stands.

In a few years it’s might be something he would need to be on the look out for if he’s aware enough but he was quite grasped the full implications of his position and trauma yet.

Because he’s just a kid.

He won’t know how twisted what happened to him was until he gets older and can he the age outside of his own mindset.

Wind has nightmares though and they’re ties when he gets memories that he doesn’t want to deal with at the moment- or ever again.

In the moment he thinks of his home, his grandma and his sister instead.

He thinks of his friends, both old and new.

The chain help with distracting him and he’s not above using them for the distraction when he feels that he needs one.

Wind also stretches a lot. 

When he was with Warrior, he got into some of the drills they were teaching the soldiers and for some of the nimble ones, they had to start with stretches and he likes it.

So when it gets particularly bad, he throws himself through the motions and holds the poses for a bit longer than necessary.

So yoga. He does yoga.

And it centers him, it clears his head and he feels better after.

Legend

Legend screams.

Legend cries.

Legend will go on a rampage and destroy a whole forest if he’s having a particularly hard day.

Sometimes he’ll go find something big and scary just to fight it. 

Blacksmithing is more a hobby for him at this point because it’s not something he can actually see himself doing in the future. It’s just to pass the time and help the day’s go by a little faster.

Legend likes to draw and when he’s tired after throwing whatever tantrum has taken over him, he’d go to a quiet spot and draw whatever he sees.

Sometimes, when he’s paying more attention to himself and he can feel himself getting frustrated and anxious, he takes a few days off.

He leaves his house and his items and goes up a mountain to think with some food, a notebook and some pencils.

He takes up map making.

Legend doesn’t think he’s any good at it, but with al the places he’s been, he tries to make a map for them by memory incase anyone he knows or will meet decides to visit.

His most carefully crafted map is of Koholint for... reasons.

It’s takes him an age and a half and he’s still not done with it, trying to get as much of it onto the paper as he can remember before he grows old and loses them entirely within his memory.

It’s a calming project he finds. He doesn’t feel sad when he does this for Marin for the people and their memory. It keeps them alive in his heart and sometimes he draws something on the map that doesn’t quite fit into his memory about the island but something tells him to keep it because it was there. Because he was only a visitor to their home.

The locals would know.

He feels good keeping them alive in some way.

It’s what she they would have wanted. 

It’s what she they deserve.

She They always wanted to travel and it’s better to have a map to do so.

He takes up map making.

Hyrule

I don’t think Hyrule’s... Hyrule has a lot of these methods to go around. He wouldn’t have been exposed to drugs or alcohol simply because there’s too little people for him to interact with.

And if he was, I don’t think he’s use them as a coping mechanism simply because they would be too difficult obtain and gather to be sufficient.

I think that Hyrule would actually hang out with a Great Fairies by her pool when times got particularly rough.

There’s something about the place that resonates with him and feels calming, safe and relaxing to him.

As a bonus he’s always welcomed so he can pop in and stay for days at a time if he ever needed to.

He does not stay there for days.

But he appreciates the offer.

Hyrule doesn’t stay for more than few hours at a time because he doesn’t want to attract any monsters to his safe spots but even if the fairies don’t use any magic on him, he’s always rejuvenated afterwards and he feel like he can take on anything.

And given the world he comes from- it’s needed.