#per the stem folks

[justalittleficsideblog]

s'ébahir

Gojo x reader Modern, College AU!

s'ébahir - (French; to be amazed, to be astounded, dumbstruck)

2k smth words

He always strolled into lab characteristically late. You envied his nonchalance, his stance of ease in which he would stroll into the lab and set his stuff down when the professor just began their lecture on the hazards you'd be dealing with today.

annoying

You were always early. Anxiously waiting for your seat so you could prep early and leave before the rest of your classmates.

The bastard was also, unfortunately, handsome. Devilishly tall with a lean build and white hair, he was a stark contrast against some of his fellow students.

"--it is IMPERTINENT that you wear your goggles the entire time during this lab. We will be dealing with concentrated hydrochloric acid--"

you droned out your teachers voice. Unlike some of the other students, you had read the lab manual the night before and watched a video on how to do everything correctly.

This wasn't your first rodeo.

Somewhat bored, your eyes drifted back to the male that was sitting across from you. The fume hood that was connected to your countertop obscured the view a bit, but you caught a glimpse of him leaning against it, head in his hand.

He seemed as bored as you were.

"Alright, lets begin!" An enthusiastic clap sounded.

You had noticed his hesitancy with the lab goggles each time. He chronically wore sunglasses indoors during class and around campus. But when it came to lab, your prof made no exceptions.

Tugging the too tight safety goggles over your eyes, you managed a glance to find startling azure ones starting back at you.

You smiled politely and turned to grab your equipment.

"Hey."

You glanced up at Gojo, who was leaning against your bench.

"What did you need this time?"

Gojo had a knack of stealing your shit since his tended to be always (coincidentally) misplaced or lost. He blamed Geto for it.

"Do you have an extra ring clamp? Geto took mine," he shrugged nonchalantly. You nodded and handed over the item, focusing back on your work.

"Do you know how much your putting in?" he leaned in closer, tapping your graduated cylinder with his hand.

"I can read fine enough Gojo."

"Are you sure? The lab manual said 12 mls...you wrote down 21"

Shit. He was right, you must've copied it down wrong last night.

It was slightly infuriating how sharp he actually was. He had such a lazy demeanor it was easy to forget he tended to be top of the class.

"Ugh, I don't remember how much I've put in it already." you ran your hand through your hair, frustrated as you eye the clock.

The liquid in the flask turned a murky brown, fizzing slightly.

Ok yeah.. that is definitely not what happened in the video.

Gojo leaned over and swirled the flask in his hands, the murky liquid turning darker.

"Yeah, you put way too much into that," he blew out a low whistle.

Fuck. You're going to have to redo the entire thing. Biting your lip, you glance at the clock again.

I'm not going to get a chance to study before my lecture exam...

"Oh come on, just partner up with me," he smirks, nodding towards his bench. "I'll even let you do all the work."

You scowled. You hated partnering up, you ended up doing everything anyway. But you were quick about it on your own.

Looking back towards your failure and the clock, you realize you don't have much of a choice.

"Fine," you nod and walk to his bench. "But lets be as quick as we can."

He grinned.

-

"Alright, now we just have wait."

The worst part about science, you argued, is the "waiting" portion of it.

Some experiments take time. This unfortunately, was one of them.

"We work together pretty well," he leaned forward. "One could almost say we have....chemistry."

You cringed as he laughed at your response. "Hilarious, Gojo."

A shadow loomed over you. "Did he get you with some of his science lines?"

You smiled. Contrary to Gojo, Geto was more composed and studious as you were. You both talked often, considering you had a lot of the same classes as him.

"It was too good not to!" Gojo replied, spinning around in his chair.

You rolled your eyes, glancing back towards your glassware. Geto was easy to be around, he was calm and didn't try to get a rise out of you like his white-haired friend did. He made you a little more nervous, he was kind of unpredictable. Not to mention pretty.

"I think its done," you pointed to the bubbling flask.

Geto nodded to you, "good luck then."

You smiled back at him, pretending not to feel your blue-eyed partner staring at you.

-

Gojo

He doesn't know why he wants to fluster you. Or why it grates on his nerves that you can so easily smile at Geto when you seemed to struggle around him.

Technically, your experiment earlier would have been salvageable. Yeah, your yield would've been low, but he jumped at the chance to work with you without thinking.

He meant what he said earlier, you both worked surprisingly well together.

Taking the flask from you, he began to dry as you washed everything up. He didn't quite want to be done just yet, labs weren't his favorite part but he found himself looking forward to this one.

Not that it had anything to do with you.

Geto always argued that he was "just into you" but he didn't agree. He just thought your intellect was interesting, that's all.

It had nothing to do with the way you always showed up with enthusiasm, drawing him in as he watched you be engaged with your work. He couldn't wonder why--

"Gojo?" Bright eyes looked up at him as you waved the last Erlenmeyer in front of his face. "Hey, we're done."

Startled, he nearly dropped the thing he was drying. "Right, yeah. See you around, then."

He cursed himself slightly for his cowardice.

"Well, actually, did you want to finish up the lab report quick ? We have plenty of time," you looked at your phone as you said it.

Realistically, he would say no. He doesn't finish his reports until the last minute anyway.

But to get the chance to fluster you more.

Ah, hell. Why not?

"yeah, we can do that." He shrugged nonchalantly. Geto met his gaze across the lab and quirked an eyebrow at him.

He bared his teeth in response.

"Should we go to the library then?" Your voice cut through his thoughts, catching him unawares as you shoved the paper into his hands.

He nodded quickly, fishing around in his backpack for his glasses as he ripped off the goggles still glued to his face.

He motioned for you to go first, following behind and out of the lab as he let you pick where to sit down.

You picked a spot across the campus cafe, he inwardly wondered if you came to study here frequently. Th atmosphere was quiet and there was a lot of natural light that made it easy to relax and focus.

Setting down his bookbag, he tuned into your ramblings about the lab.

"What do you think about the yield? I think we could base our conclusions around it. Maybe even mention the slight color difference when we added the--"

Your drive to finish this was commendable. He was put off a bit by how you didn't seem affected by him at all. Most people saw his sunglasses as odd, and honestly the general consensus was that he was constantly nursing a hangover.

There was a lapse of silence and you both typed away on your laptops, broken up by only you saying:

"Why do you wear those sunglasses all the time?"

Eyebrows raised, "Secret." The corner of his lip turned up.

"Is it because of your eyes?"

His smirk fell. It wasn't so much that he cared about how his eyes seemed to freak people out. It was more about how sensitive they were to light and packed spaces. He used to get frequent headaches because of it, but the glasses thwart off the edge enough now.

He merely shrugged in response to your question. "The light bugs my eyes sometimes."

You nodded back in understanding, "Ugh, tell me about it. I used to get migraines from the fluorescent lights when I was younger."

He stiffened. Such a minute detail, but he couldn't help but consider the gesture as an act of empathy. Seeing past his usual charm.

You both fell back into silence, quickly finishing your report and hoping off of the chair you inhabited just moments ago.

He felt his heart pound as you smiled up at him, watching your every movement as you threw your bag over your shoulder and made to leave.

"We finished that quick! Good luck on this exam later, not that you'll need it."

His arm burned from where you patted his shoulder as you strode out of the cafe lounge and towards some other study zone. Glancing down at it, he almost expected it to catch fire.

Eyes flicking up over his glasses, he looked down the hallway you had left.

Damn.

He might just have to make your lab fail next time.

[natsmagi]

on another note tho, thank you for all your natsumugi art and ramblings... you are one of the main reasons why i still like natsumugi and didn't grow uncomfortable with them thanks to the Purist Movement(TM) so thank you so much 🥺🙏😭

WAAAAAAA THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO HEAR THANK YOUUU 😭😭💕💕💕💕💕💕

we're all just here to have fun at the end of the day...... and not everyones fun is ur fun! and thats ok! but so long as theyre not hurting anyone ur better off just muting/blocking and moving on, theres no need to make things deeper than they really are

[tizeline]

I just finished binge reading everything under your separated AU tag and I have QUESTIONS!! (that mostly just stem from me being a mikey fan) Be prepared as I will ramble.

So. My #1 burning mikey question is as follows. Why does he decide to, you know, NOT eradicate all of humanity? Does he just do it because all of his family is? Ugh it’s hard to phrase this but I’m wondering if Draxum’s word means so much to him he changes his entire world view, since draxum was the person who made him believe humans are evil, if he changed his mind he must be right? If he is the very last one to change his worldview, how does he react to the person who essentially indoctrinated him into believing humans are evil just going back on his word? Would he just, idk, try to keep going by himself (proper villain arc style!) Or does he get his own little human/outside friend to convince him, like his two other brothers do? What would happen if instead of a human/outside friend to convince him humans are okay, he gets someone like say, leatherhead, who was experimented on by the earth protection force?(Since in 2012, he was experimented on by the Kraang, but I don’t see a way of that happening when they were locked away his entire life) Huzzah for conflict! or better yet, That same leatherhead convinces him humans are okay? Though that those seem out of character…. And of course maybe it would be mondo gecko, who he befriends and then finds out was human just a few months before and still views himself as such…. So many possibilities!!

speaking of other characters, do the Drax trio have any Yōkai friends? Like one Sunita, or maybe even one yoichi usagi, per chance? Though I’m pretty sure they’d be pro-human so… idk how that would work. The question still stands.

Also, seeing as you mentioned Raph starts to hang out with Leo,Donnie and April, how does mikey react to that? Would he feel abandoned or left out? (Who am I kidding of course he would but like. It does t hurt to ask!)

And seeing as he’s alone now and he’s not training all the time (I hope) this feels like a good Segway into asking: does he have as much of a love for art as in canon? What are his and Raphs interests (since we know Leo’s!)

thanks! I love ur work and ur art and ur Au and ur mother for creating you.

P.s. I had another question I wanted to ask but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was rn so you can expect more asks from me in the near future ;)

Hoo boy, long asks mean long answers, strap in folks!

So EXACTLY what causes Mikey to change his mind on everything is something I'm still working out the details of. Draxum definitely plays a part in it, considering how much faith Mikey has in his dad, Draxum of all people changing his mind would be one of the biggest reasons for Mikey to also second guess himself. It's not like he'd instantly change his entire worldview though, after Draxum gives up on the Evil Plan, Mikey, or rather Dr. Positive, tries to motivate him to come up with a new plan for a short while. He gives up after Draxum makes it clear that they're Done™ with that, and Mikey isn't very keen on trying to do the Evil Plan all on his own considering HIS ENTIRE FAMILY decided to just give up on it. That doesn't mean he'll suddenly start liking humans, he still thinks they suck ass, he just isn't actively trying to cause their downfall anymore.

For both Leo and Raph, a big reason why they changed their minds on humanity was because they interacted with humanity and learned how wrong many of their previously held assumptions about them were. It makes sense that that's the catalyst for both of their redemption-arcs, and in that sense it also makes sense for Mikey to unlearn his prejudices against humans by interacting with them. HOWEVER! You bring up an interesting point, for Mikey specifically it would probably be more effective for another yōkai/mutant to give him a new perspective considering he'd be a lot more willing to listen to them rather than a human. I haven't been planning on including Leatherhead or Mondo, but it would be fun idea so I might do so.?That being said, getting to actually know a human later on would still be a good learning-experience for Mikey, I'm kinda tempted to bring in Woody from the IDW comics into the story too, for example.

So then we get to the topic of friends! Despite The Drax Bros growing up in yōkai society, they're still a bit isolated. They can go and hang out in The Hidden City basically whenever they want (as soon as they're old enough to do so), but when it comes to actually getting close to other yōkai and forming proper friendships...? So first of all, Draxum has a Reputation™ amongst yōkai, he's a well known figure and a lot of people are honestly a bit intimidated by him. Most yōkai thinks it's best to just stay out of his way, which includes staying out of the way of his weird kids. Basically, the bros' association with Draxum has a tendency to get in the way of them actually befriending anyone :/ Not just that, but while there are certainly yōkai who don't have the most positive feelings about humans, the Draxum family's stance on humanity is very extreme, which even most "human-critical" yōkai will find off-putting.

All of this is to say that no, they don't have a lot of friends haha. Leo hangs out at Run Of The Mill all the time, and Hueso definitely has a soft spot for him, but at most he's only acquainted with the other employees and regulars there. I'd imagine that includes Sunita, considering her dad works there and as such they've interacted on occasion. But again, Leo's extreme view on humanity makes most people uncomfortable and as such they'll mostly indulge him in civil small-talk to avoid getting on Draxum's bad side. Raph and Mikey...? They might have some casual friendly connections with some yōkai in The Hidden City, especially Mikey can be quite sociable if he can keep himself from ranting about humans for two seconds lmao. But for the most part, honestly, I think The Drax Bros are content staying a bit closed off from others outside their family. The three of them are very close and they know they can trust each other, that last part's important considering their Big Plans aren't exactly.... legal.... and as such they need to remain secretive about everything to others. I feel like they'd mostly start bothering finding new friends after they decide to abandon their Destroy All Humans Plan.

(Sidenote, I really like when Usagi shows up in TMNT stories, but I've never consumed any Usagi media myself. Almost all I know about both Miyamoto and Yuichi I know through TMNT and as such I don't feel confident enough in my knowledge about the Usagis to include either of them in the story. I HAVE been planning on reading the comics, so maybe I'll include him at a later date??)

But OH BOY Mikey's reaction to Leo and Raph starting to hang out with Donnie and April?? :D Both of Mikey's older brothers ditching him to hang out with their new little brother and his annoying human friend??? :D OH BOY YOU HAVE NO IDEA! :D

Listen, look at this from Mikey's perspective: You finally find your Long Lost Brother™ after thirteen years of him being presumed dead, great! Small problem, he's been brainwashed by the evil humans who kidnapped him and now thinks YOU'RE evil for some reason? No matter! He just needs some time to adjust! So you're patient with him, you show him kindness and understanding while gently trying to guide him back to the good side, to his REAL family. You do EVERYTHING right, and how does that bastard repay you?? HE instead turn your brothers against YOU! He ruins your plans of saving the world! Everything was PERFECT before HE showed up and started complicating things, and now your family is BROKEN and everything sucks! And it can all be blamed on Donnie.

...Hate is a very strong feeling, I don't feel like Mikey is really capable of feeling something like that, at the very least not against someone he does still technically considers family. Rather, I think the best way to describe the feeling Mikey is about to start feeling about Donnie would be bitterness. Mikey takes all the negative feelings, all the hurt and confusion about the situation he's ended up in and directs it all at Donnie. Because it all comes back to him, doesn't it? It was only after Donnie got reunited with them that things started going wrong. And from Mikey's point of view, Donnie has basically stolen Mikey's brothers from him. Needless to say, Mikey is dealing with a lot of negative emotions that he doesn't really know how to cope with them aside from taking it out on Donnie.

Donnie, who is so used to being love-bombed by Mikey is VERY flabbergasted over him basically just completely flipping a switch overnight. Mikey will just be glaring at Donnie like he's trying to explode him with his mind and Donnie's just "???who are you and what have you done with Mikey???". He starts acting really hostile towards Leo and Raph as well, it's all very weird!

Back to me not having figured out the details of the entirety of Mikey's character arc, one thing I'm contemplating is how long I wanna drag it out for. For example, I know I want to change up the events of the movie at least a bit in the AU for the sake of novelty. One way of doing that could potentially be for it to focus not on Leo's and Raph's ever growing tension in their relationship, but rather focus on Donnie's and Mikey's relationship? It'd be extra interesting if Mikey hadn't at least completely gotten over his hang-ups about humans when we bring Casey Jr into the situation. CJ looks at Mikey and sees a younger version of the man that was basically an uncle to him, like family, and Mikey looks at CJ and is just like "ew. human." and that'd be a whole dilemma to deal with. But as interesting as that could be, I'm scared that it'd just get tedious if Mikey is stuck in angst-mode for too long. We still have the entirety of season two to get through before we get to the movie, it's gonna be a while is what I'm saying. Then again, character growth takes time, maybe Mikey reconciles with his own family and starts the path to befriending Donnie by the end of season two, but they run into some roadblocks along the way. They ARE very different people, even in canon, I'd imagine it might take some time for them to properly befriend each other.

But next question - Mikey and Raph's interests! Mikey already likes to draw, but he'd definitely start doing it way more after the season 1 finale (oh wow, a healthy coping mechanism, imagine that!) Raph... Raph likes training. Even after it becomes clear that they're not doing their Big World Domination Plan anymore and as such don't really need to train as much, he still does it just because he genuinely enjoys it. He becomes proper friends with Casey the season one finale and she also really likes training, so it becomes a bonding experience for them. Leo and Donnie later on also introduces him to human media like Jupiter Jim and the Lou Jitsu movies and he gets really into it too XD Nerds!!

... Oh man, I think that's everything! Anyway, thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the AU so much :D

[peachie-kittie]

I'm not intersex but I've been looking through discourse again, as per my brains pleas.

I think the most normal take you can have about being intersex is that, yeah, it isn't a third sex - but it often doesn't fall under strictly male or female and a lot of intersex folk only seem to find the intersex experience to be disordered if there is significant distress and dysfunction.

Literally smth I learned in 10th grade psychology is the three D's of a disorder - deviance (abnormality from the norm), distress (felt by the individual), and dysfunction (caused by the issue). And the thing is, not all forms of intersex qualities are the mast two. I know this is from psychology and doesn't full transfer, but I still think it's important to take into account.

A lot of people who spout the idea of intersex being inherently disordered also don't seem to stem what people who are trying to demedicalize being intersex as a whole are saying - they're not trying to say it's some secret third sex, or that no intersex condition can be troublesome. Moreso that we should demedicalize the state of being intersex itself and be more accepting of those sex variations in humans.

A lot of those same people also want intersex to be strictly in relation to genitals - but human sex is literally defined by like, 4 or 5 things. It's okay if intersex spans multiple types and humans are more "intersex" then we think.

There is no sex trinary, but there is definitely an area between the sex binary so many people like too ignore.

[dykeulous]

Per your response to the radblr hot takes post, how is it possible that dysphoria can be biological but saying that so can men's violence is bioessentialist? I agree with the latter, saying that men are biologically enclined to violence absolves them of responsibility for actively choosing to be misogynistic, however the former just perplexes me. If all our ideas of femininity/masculinity are a product of socialisation (which they are), exactly what type of behaviour would "biological dysphoria" in a post-gender sociaty make you replicate and how would any of that be a sign of a disorder instead of natural variation within human personalities?

i believe you are fundamentally misunderstanding dysphoria, especially given your last point about “natural variation within human personalities”. dysphoria has nothing to do with personality, and the current social pressure directed at dysphoric people, which stems from the patriarchy, usually connects dysphoric people to forming identities around femininity, masculinity, and androgyny [note that not all dysphoric/trans people do]. in a post-gender world, those societal factors would be eliminated, which would mean that people likely wouldn’t form identities around gender, because gender would no longer exist. this doesn’t somehow prove that dysphoria is inherently societally produced. i don’t think calling it “biological” would be the right word, either; it essentially is neurological. there would be no behaviors for people to replicate around gender in a post-gender society, and the majority of trans people only replicate stereotypical gender roles to integrate better within the gendered society, since it is safer to do so, and because society creates social dysphoria which pressures dysphoric people to overperform in order to “prove” themselves.

that being said, i do believe that there are many different forms of dysphoria, and that much of it would be gone under a non-gendered world. rapid onset, as an example, would be completely done away with, as would presumably social dysphoria [which is the fault of cisheteropatriarchal expectations being forced & utilized against dysphoric folk, btw; not something trans people “weaponize” to harm women or whatever has been circulating around radblr these days– social dysphoria is important to critique, and it is important to emphasize that it strictly stems from the gender system, but it is also important to note that trans people essentially aren’t the ones at fault for this. after all, it is dysphoria– not a self-controlled, conscious misogynistic movement]. physical & sex dysphoria aren’t always neurological either, and radfems are right on the money when they point out that society can in fact create dysphoria & in turn then create desires to fix one’s body, inducing self-hatred & self-consciousness, coming to conclusions that one’s body is somehow wrong & in need to be fixed– and this is a conversation that the trans community desperately needs to be having, no matter how uncomfortable it is. but it is also wrong to diminish & undermine the existence of not only the painful mental health condition dysphoria is; but also the fully neurological type, which sometimes doesn’t even manifest in an mentally ill way, rather a neurodivergent way. sometimes, dysphoria just is. for some people, it doesn’t form the need to modify the body, it doesn’t form the need to revolve one’s identity around gender roles– it is simply ever-present, and would persist despite any societal changes, revolutions, ideas and culture.

[synthwavecryptid]

I hope folks aren’t tired of canon divergence hurt/comfort stemming from Dutch’s head trauma, because I’m about to bonk him so bad that Hosea gets to make executive decisions

(I also just like putting on my medical hat now and then)

But in the meantime, may I interest you in a dialogue snippet of a different work that’s called ‘pining! at the reunion party’ in my notes

“Here- come dance with me, Hosea,” he says, mischievous, beckoning Hosea in closer while striding in to meet him halfway. Hosea’s brows shoot up in surprise.

“What, right now?” Not that Hosea’s against it, per se- anyone still awake who’d see is either too drunk to care let alone remember, or, in Arthur’s case, have likely seen worse.

“Why not now?” Dutch’s smile has grown enough to make his crow’s feet pop, a giddy gleam to him that calls back to their younger years. Hosea tries to smother his own smile, fails miserably, and doesn’t even try to pull his hand away when Dutch reaches for it.

“I’m too old to punch your dance card anymore.” Hosea deadpans, half teasing half serious, and is rewarded with Dutch’s warm laugh.

“Nonsense, you’ll never be too old to me. Indulge me, my friend.” Dutch says, low and fond, too earnest by half and looking at Hosea like he’s hung the stars, and Hosea can’t even be annoyed that it still works a treat on him.

“Don’t you dare dip me, I’ll take us both down.” He grouches halfheartedly, settling his free hand on Dutch’s chest and allowing himself to be pulled in close. Some of the anxious clamoring in him fades, soothed by the weight of Dutch’s arm around his back.

Dutch laughs again, quieter, and the world shrinks to just the two of them.

“I would expect nothing less, dear. Nothing less.”

[jinxthejubilee]

Hi, how are you? It's been a while since I've asked a question. I wanted to ask how do you think each of the recruiters would be if they were in love (with whom doesn't matter, it's a hypothetical situation). What kind of person in love would they be? What romantic gestures do you think they would have towards their partners?

Oh hey! Welcome back! Don't worry, it's also been a while since I've even talked about the Recruiters, so thanks for giving me a reason to!

In love, you say.....

Apple Poison 🍎

He probably wouldn't be able to identify his feelings for a while.

Whether you go by either idea of his state of being as a homunculus created by the Evil Queen or as an indoctrinated orphan taken in by his mistress, both could explain his cold-hearted exterior.

He's never had to consider self-reflection, so it doesn't come naturally. But for him to become so attached to this person in such a way... Apple is a man of action. He'd confront his emotions and the person of his affections to figure out a solution.

Once they solve that issue, I believe they'd fall into a classic, professional couple romance. Or, at least, Apple likes to think so.

Nothing too over the top, but bouquets of flowers, long talks over dinners, reading over the fireplace, and cozy dark academia-esque activities are staples.

Apple puts his all into being the perfect partner, so long as said partner does the same.

Jack Heart ❤️

Unlike most of the folks on this list, Jack is pretty forward in his desire to be with his s/o. In Wonderland, everyone is a blunt as can be. Practically no secret is kept, especially pertaining to love.

He'd flirt with them often, tell or do anything to make them laugh, bond over their favorite activities; just anything to help him get on their good side.

He will get flustered every now and then, should his s/o say or do something truly sincere or catch them off-guard some other way. But overall, it's a pretty sweet romance.

Gift giving and words of affection are his love languages, so both are big priorities for him. He just adores them so much, and they should know it!

Malfi/Malfie 🪞

Malfi is a man of ego whose main priorities in life are beauty, power, and his mistress. At least, that's how he appears.

The raven will sing his own praises 'til the cows come home, but should anyone, especially his love interest, give a sincere compliment or show genuine care of his well-being, he will spiral.

And that's part of the problem: Malfi's insecurities stem from his kill-or-be-killed worldview he grew up on as a young fledgling cast from the nest for being weak, as well as his belief that he's ugly and unworthy of true love. The man thinks he's legitimately irredeemable.

It may take time for him to acknowledge that his partner likes him for him, but once they get past that phase, he's a wonderful partner.

He's a little tricky, prickly, and showboatish at times still, but he adores his s/o to death. He's very physically affectionate; he just loves being in their presence. Cuddles are a must.

Picnics, walks or flights around the forest, skincare routines, and dress up parties together are what he looks forward to.

He simply couldn't live without you....

Eight Foot Joe 🐙

Joe understands love enough. He might have loved before, but this is different.

He feels...less tired when they're around. Lighter; less burdened.

He wouldn't go into a state of denial per se, but he wouldn't be too happy about it. Love is distracting and complicated. How can he perform as a recruiter for the Sea Witch if he can't stop thinking about them?

So he puts all of his feelings on the back burner to ignore it. It goes about as well as you expect.

The s/o would have to confront him first about the issue, which he would readily deny and cause a fight, but should they fall into a romance, it's very sweet.

Late nights doing paperwork, exploring the city, trying new foods, and other stuff of the sort. Maybe he'll take them to see his home under the sea someday.

When the relationship is at a point of absolute trust, he'll reveal his octopus form to them. He'd be embarrassed by their curiosity at first, but the fact that they accept him in any form brings tears to his eyes.

Mr. Dalmatia 🐾

Although Dalma, should you ship him with Pretty Scar, is a massive tsundere when it comes to love, depending on the circumstance he may not be.

If Dalma is in love, he will chase after it like a dog to a bone. He will do everything in his power to prove how good of a boyfriend he'd make.

Acting overly gentleman-like, such as opening doors, pulling your chair, protecting them from the mailman. Things like that.

It's a bit superficial at first, but that's probably due to the puppy-love nature of it all. But should the relationship continue, Dalma mellows out, and his tsundere tendencies may come in.

Even so, his favorite thing to do together is eat dinner, watch their favorite movie or show, cuddle up on the couch, and fall asleep. It's simple, but such a relaxing thing to do that's not overly physically affectionate.

Pretty Scar (Mzuri) ✨️

In love with Dalma or not, it's really all the same with this girl.

Overly lovey-dovey, overly affectionate in all aspects. Just very overwhelming at first.

Should the person like her too, boundaries are set right away. This may cause some friction as she may cross the lines a few times, but if she loves the person as much as she claims she does, she must respect their personal space.

Her over the top nature comes from her deeply rooted fear that if she isn't, she'll end up alone from being too boring and not standing out. It's difficult for her to not be such a try-hard when her family back home despises her for not being strong or capable enough to be a defender or leader of the pack.

But should she and her s/o cross that hurdle, Mzuri will be much more relaxed and understanding. She's still the most physically affectionate out of everyone on the list, but she'll mature and be better at reading the room.

Ms. Hades 🔥

Ms. Hades' understanding of love was taught in the movie Hercules' version of Ancient Greece. Even Disney-fied, that's not a great place to start...

MH is the embodiment of fire: all-consuming and dangerous, yet vibrant and comforting. While she may be indifferent and professional, she's curious about the concept of love and it being described often as a "spark," a "kindling flame," and other adjectives relating to her element.

She'd admire them from afar at first. She's studies human behavior regularly, so it wouldn't be so strange to anyone else, and no one would know this is different unless they paid more attention. Little would she know they'd study her right back.

Progress would be slow but passionate. Compliments, dances, and candle lit dinners.

Once they've settled and MH has realized her feelings are legit, they settle more comfortably. Late work nights, stories of long forgotten Greek myths, bashing and sh** talking the gods.

Oh yes. The tired mother of the group has found her peace.

Veil 🔔

Veil would probably be excited at the prospect of dating, but she'd immediately turn down any opportunity due to her unwavering duty and loyalty to Frollo.

Of similar reasoning to Joe, Veil views true love as a distraction, though Joe is significantly less loyal to Ursula. He fears her more than anything. Whilst Veil is almost obsessed with pleasing Frollo.

She'll strongly deny her feelings and insist she could never care for them like that. Not in the way they deserve anyway...

It takes a while for her to figure herself out, but once she does, words of affirmation become her love language.

She'll sing them romantic songs from France, or any song she knows is their favorite, acknowledge their hard work and dedication to whatever they set their mind to, or simply tell them how much she adores them.

Lady Hock (Hook) 🪝

Lady Hock would probably be the most unbothered by it all. She seems like the type to have a few flings here and there. But I'd like to think that she'd be a bit unsure should things get serious.

Stability is something Hock's never had, so she's not sure what to do with it. Though, she'd be a lot less indecisive than the others. Once she sets her heart out on something, she'll go after it.

Adventures await for the two of them! Whether that be finding sunken treasure to enduring cookout get togethers with family members. Nothing is boring when they're by each other's sides.

Faja (Farja) 🌹

Tsundere all the way, baby!

This spitfire magician can not handle ANY emotion, much less love of all things.

The denial doesn't last as long as Apple or Malfi's, but it does take some time. She's terrified of rejection and doesn't want to risk getting heartbroken.

She knows she's not as elegant as Ms. Hades, or as charming as Apple and Malfi, or as fun Jack, PS, Dalma, and Hock. So what's the point in trying when all she'll be is a disappointment?

Once the s/o makes it clear that they like her for who she is, she'll fall even harder.

Food and flowers are her love language, so you bet she'll make their favorite dishes and arrange beautiful center pieces.

Faja is passionate, and should her love interest reciprocate that passion, she'll be loving til the end.

Thank you for the ask! Sorry this was so long, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

[autistichalsin]

Hello 🙏Big fan of your work! thank you for sharing with us your wholesome analysis content, can't get enough of it .I feel this to some extent to be another layer in his character :,) maybe i can't fully extend on why it would make sense but is this something? Sorry

I perceive Halsin as someone who, deep down, might feel unworthy but chooses not to express it. It seems that throughout his relationships he has carefully crafted his expressions, possibly out of a desire to avoid burdening someone he cares for with his inner struggles. The carefully chosen words and planned sentences might be a way for him to shield his own insecurities. While he outwardly promotes freedom in relationships, there's a suspicion that this stance might stem from a reluctance to express his true feelings of unworthiness, creating a facade of responsibility instead of authenticity.

In his pursuit of love, Halsin paradoxically insists on the potential for greater happiness with someone else, repeatedly emphasizing freedom in the relationship. It's as if he wants the love of his present relationship but hesitates to fully embrace it, perhaps until it becomes unmistakably clear that he is genuinely and deeply loved. Until then, his expressions may be veiled attempts to maintain a sense of control over his vulnerabilities, revealing his true desires only when he feels secure in the reciprocation of love.

Guyyyyyyys you're gonna make me blush!!! How am I at the point where I'm getting fanmail in my inbox now!!! *Kicking my feet and blushing*

I agree for sure that he tries to shield others from his own stuff. Maybe not out of a sense of unworthiness per se, or maybe it is. But he definitely doesn't feel like he should ask for the same emotional real estate that he gives to others.

However, I will politely say I don't agree with the rest of this. I don't think him being poly is a cover for any of his insecurities (nor does it stem from his traumas, I.E. in the Underdark). It is who he is, especially as a wood elf; polyamory is the default in wood elf culture. (In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the consent given by other characters, who otherwise want monogamy but make an exception for Halsin, is given on the basis that Halsin is a wood elf). The devnotes for the scene where Halsin explains his nature says "sincere. This is a core belief of his." Halsin is poly and traumatized, not poly because he's traumatized; Halsin is poly and struggling with asking for what he wants, not poly because he can't say what he wants.

The "you're all I want" line that usually gets picked as proof of him not being poly is, IMO, a poorly-written one- what he is trying to say there is that the player is all he wants at that moment, not forever. It isn't uncommon for poly folks to be in relationships with a single other person, not because they aren't poly anymore, but because there aren't any other poly partners around. That's what Halsin is getting at.

I hope this response doesn't put you off or anything! I appreciate your message very much. I just fundamentally can't get on board with any attempts to link Halsin's identity as a polyamorous person with trauma and/or emotional insecurity.

[that-aspiring-academic]

Alice’s Academic Weekend -

(This is a long one, folks)

So, I have been made aware that while I was so focused on my STEM classes (specifically math) I managed to miss several assignments in my other classes (English, French, PE10, PE9). I also have a unit test on Microbiology tomorrow that I still need to write my notes for, a short horror story due on Friday, and undoubtedly several more assignments that all need to be done before next Monday (the first reporting period deadline).

Given all this I’ve decided to put everything together into order of priority to get my shit together this weekend (and the days leading up to it) -

Wednesday (today) -

Finish writing the bulk of my biology notes ( 7 pages )

Start my note review (bio)

Do PE10 assignments 1A-1B

Finish my Desmos assignment

Start my horror story

Thursday -

Write my cues and summaries for biology (before school)

Get the bulk of my horror story done/rough draft (English, A-block)

Write the rest of my notes review (lunch)

Finish my French idioms assignment

Do sub-chapters 1-3 of my graphing work (after school)

Figure out my plan for RCM L4-5 and finalize my song list

Friday -

Submit any further PE10 work

Finish graphing chapter 3, start chapter 4

Start Biology notes for unit 3 (3 pages w/ cues)

Begin review of Math10 workbook, chapter 1 & midterm review

Finish Horror story, have it peer-reviewed if possible

Saturday -

Household chores

Piano practice, get down The Summersault King w/ LH.

Review RCM L4 theory requirements

Continue independent Desmos project

Contact school support for further details about drug testing volunteer week

Any overdue work (aside from Harrison Bergeron)

Sunday -

Rest day

Maybe math if I have not completed all assigned work in the prior days

I’ve decided to decentralize math, only doing required coursework when it’s due and a bit of review each night outside of test weeks/midterms month.

It is not feasible for me to do as much math work as I’ve been doing at the rate which I’m doing it (entire workbook units in 2-3 days rather than the 3-4 weeks they’re assigned for) as I don’t want to risk burnout and it clearly hasn’t been working, as well as the fact it has been negatively impacting my other classes.

I’m hoping to get close to my last score on my Microbiology test tomorrow (93-95%), though I doubt I’ll score quite as high given that I studied less for this one and rushed myself more. Realistically I’m thinking I’ll get in between 72%-85%, not ideal but not terrible. We are also afforded 2 retests per semester and I have yet to use either of them, so I always have that option.

It’s a lot of volume work-wise for this weekend, but I’m hoping it won’t be too difficult content-wise.

That’s all, wish me luck, folks!!

[decepti-thots]

(I’ll preface by saying: huge JP fan who has no problem with people not liking it)

Anyways I’m actually super curious…

How are most JP fics “boring”? 🤔 I’ve always found their dynamic to be more entertaining than most, given the dichotomy of their characters.

So I’m curious as to how you’ve wound up at “boring” of all the possible reasons to dislike it. 🤣

I'm going to be a bit blunter here than I usually would be on the topic, as I was directly asked. So I'll cut the uh… negativity? I guess? For those who prefer not to see folks talk shit about a ship they like, lol.

First and foremost Jazz/Prowl is basically just… essentially made up and purely based on fanon inventions/additions, and made up fanon stuff is usually not of real interest to me without a very strong hook somewhere in the actual canon material. It is 99% fanon by volume that draws on little to no canon material of any kind but just... years of fanon, reproducing itself and mutating almost like a fanfic game of telephone, all developed in fandom echo chambers. Which renders the characters in the vast majority of fic a) largely unrelated to any canon material I like in a meaningful sense and b) tbqh, the kind of generic stuff found in a lot of typical, large dudeslash fandoms where the characters are… they're Dudeslash Fandom Archetypes with a gloss of paint on top, you know? People come in, look for which character in a fandom fits their favourite m/m trope the most, and then squish the character down to fit into that pre-existing archetype.

And the thing is, J/P has historically made a certain kind of sense for this, because the appeal was basically that… they didn't HAVE that much canon material? In the Marvel G1 comics, they have a little more specific characterisation and canon, but the G1 cartoon is not exactly a character exploration piece ANYWAY, and for Prowl especially he is a blank slate you can functionally project an OC onto. Which like, that's fine! That makes a lot of sense even if it's not what usually draws me into something.

My issue has become that if I read one more G1-fanon-soup fest mistagged "IDW" I'm gonna scream. I like IDW Prowl (and IDW Jazz too!) for the fact that these characters have specific, strongly delineated canon personalities, arcs and dynamics, and both of these characters- Prowl especially, but both of them!- have like. Things about them which are true, and which J/P fic not only tends to ignore but actively treats in a loooot of cases as somehow Inferior To Our Fanon and something to be "fixed" with idk, the power of Extremely Generic Dudeslash Tropes. I've been in many a fandom with Migratory Dudeslash Fandoms writing fic. J/P is extremely rote to me as a result, if nothing else.

It warrants mentioning that J/P fandom is where one does find a lot of examples of just undeniably racist treatment of Jazz in fic, both the truly inexcusable phonetic accent bullshit and also a lot of bad decisions around tropes. I don't think this is a function of the ship, per se, but that its specific persistence in J/P fandom (bc trust me: this has been a point of criticism for A Long Fucking Time) is in part due to it having this long entrenched fanon-to-fanon game of telephone going on? It would be better to talk about the fandom's issues there outside ship talk so I'll leave it at that, but I can't deny it has not… helped my feelings. TBH. And I know that's where a lot of the resentment you will find in the fandom obviously stems from.

IDK. It's just. It's usually fanfic of itself, you know? J/P largely feels to me, in most cases, like fanfic of fanfic of fanfic, and I come to TF fandom for fanfic of a canon. So. Yeah. Not a fan. At all.

[indignantlemur]

Let's talk about Andorian foods!

Without at doubt, one of the most enjoyable things about creating Émigré has been creating Andorian foods. We know so much about Vulcan and Klingon food, but Andorians are horribly overlooked beyond a few basic descriptions of beetles, blue meat, and a kind of flatbread. That's like, a meal. Tops. Even if you include drinks, which are ice-tea, hot coffee, and booze, you're not really moving beyond a single meal's worth of food types. And here's the thing - food is a central point in almost every culture there is. How we prepare food, what we consider food, how we present and share it, when and where and with what utensils - all of that is a huge part of most cultures. We have foods that are only eaten on special days, or only for certain meals. We have foods that have special meanings when given as gifts, and things that are traditional to give as part of social customs around weddings and funerals. We have comfort food, junk food, traditional food, fusion food, I'm-too-tired-to-cook food, and so many more kinds. We have entire branches of culinary expertise dedicated to JUST sweet foods. We have specialists who brew, pickle, and blend. We have random folks who make their own mead, or brew their own beer or wine. We have dozens of different kinds of salt for different kinds of finishing touches, for goodness' sake!

So yeah. I have a problem with the whole Andorians-only-eat-like-four-things-maybe approach. It's lazy. I hate lazy writing. So let's talk about some of my ideas, maybe? If anyone's still reading? (hello?)

Andorians are group-oriented people who put their society and their clans before themselves. Group meals therefore feels like a natural continuation of this trend, things like hotpots and fondues, and those fun little sushi bars where the tasty things go 'round and round on a little belt and you just pick up what you like and try not to fuck it up and fumble some painstakingly assembled sushi in front of the guy who made it.

One of the first ideas I came up with following this logic was the idea of a multi-layer lazy-Susan kind of dining table, with concentric rings that allowed for people to rotate each ring independently to pass around different bowls and plates of food, which a central spot for a pot of hot oil to cook your selections with. The utensils by necessity would have to be long-necked and pronged to spear food effectively and not lose their tasty bounty to the boiling oil. The seating around this table would be low, with cushions on the ground in an inset kind of pit in the floor because my Andorians are big on cuddles and sharing warmth. They're a social species, after all, and their home planet is far from a picnic - sharing is surviving.

Let's move onto other kinds of meals! Some of the canon lore indicates that Andorians eat a kind of flatbread and shredded meat, but very little in the way of dairy. So, from that we can conclude that they have at least some kind of flour. From there we can suppose that if they have a basic type of flour they might also have baking beyond flatbreads, even if they don't go in for fluffy yeast-based breads. That leaves quite a few options, really, but I liked the idea of their flour stemming from a starchy tuber like taro-root, or even potato-like spuds. Fried potato flat-bread sounds pretty great, right?

Now for the meats! Andorians are omnivores with a heavy carnivorous leaning, to my mind, because protein gives us the most bang per buck out of the basic food groups. Meat by itself is a solid food choice, but it gets boring after a while so we, and presumably Andorians as well, come of with different ways to dress it up and make it taste different. Salt would be abundant given the expansive oceans on Andoria and in the lore salty things register as spicy to Andorians, so that's practically a new lease on life food-wise! From there, sauces and marinades are a natural evolution, and I really like the idea that each keth has their own unique recipes that they hoard like gourmet dragons. No one knows what all goes into Clan Tha'an's mustard sauce, but by the Spirits is it good! Still, they can't afford to be too reliant on meat as a food source. Andoria is, as we've discussed, a harsh planet. Hunting for meat is a viable survival strategy, especially in large groups, but hunts fall through or go badly. When that happens, it's imperative that a population has something else to live off of: in this case, tubers! Savoury tubers, sweet tubers, starchy tubers, stringy tubers, every kind of tuber! Tubers are quite a resilient kind of plant and they can grow most places as long as the conditions are mostly right. Deep underground, away from the freezing surface temperatures, tubers would grow quite well - especially near a hotspring!

So, we've got tubers, we've got flour, we've got meat - and you know what, if we've got tubers that means we've got space sweet potatoes. Space sweet potatoes could be refined into a kind of sugar substitute! And that means we have BAKING.

After realizing that, I remembered finding a word in an Andorian-English dictionary which references an endearment and also a sweet treat: shev'tak. Quite a troublesome word, if you've read Émigré!

Humans call each other food-related endearments all the time; honey-bun, sweetie-pie, sugar-boo, dumpling, etc. Why not Andorians too, right? But Andoria is a very harsh planet, and things like sugary treats would be quite unusual, and probably very expensive to grow the base materials for and then refine. Given that their diet is probably heavily meat- and tuber-based, given their biology and the conditions of their homeworld, sugary treats would be a very rare, special-occasion-only thing for the majority of their history. They'd probably end up being made in very small portions, too. When I initially thought about shev'tak, I was tempted to make it some kind of sweet bun, but that seemed a little too boring when I sat down to actually describe them. Eventually, I hit upon the idea of these impossibly delicate little pastries, folded in on themselves and shaped like sixteen-pointed stars (or other multiples of four, which is deeply symbolic in Andorian culture) and filled with a creamy custard. Something plausible and demonstrating the artistry for which Andorians are known, but nothing excessively complicated in terms of ingredients. All the work goes into the presentation, and as a gift shev'tak would be a sign of regard at the least and certainly of affection. It would be the equivalent of a fancy box of chocolates, if each chocolate was hand-made specially for you. In the modern era, much of the craftmanship would be subsidized by advanced machinery and more efficient techniques, much like today on our world, but there would still be a strong association of luxury, of hand-made sweets on a frozen ice planet where very little grows and none of it above ground.

And being called shev'tak, in light of that, may be a little more than just an endearment, I think. It's being called something special, something worth burning time and resources for. Precious, even.

But, of course, Andorians are very stoic. They leave a lot of their social norms unsaid, and trust that these things are simply understood. Even when they aren't.

... Are we having Dagmar/Shral feels yet?

[peddlestox-shinyrocks]

What if Kwas was caught by her parents again and she couldn’t get away? Would she go through with the arranged marriage? (For the “What if”’s)

Beware, long post is long.

Also minor, extremely minor, DT spoilers.

Kwas would indeed go through the marriage, because she'd have no choice.

What her life would look like I think depends on when exactly she gets caught. For context - she ran away from home and ended up with a traveling merchant band of goblins for a year and some moons, coming back to Ul'dah at about 19ish before her parents forced her home. And then she ran away again, this time staying as far away from Ul'dah as possible.

If Kwas was caught not long afterwards, she'd probably be locked away and under heavy guard under the assumption she would leave again (and they'd be right).

Before I go into the next two situations I want to address the time she was almost caught. This time was a couple years after her second escape and after she met Vigmundur (Viggybun). He's the one who stopped her from being taken. So... if he couldn't...

I think Kwas would feel the loss of her freedom the most here. By now she's met and friended quite a bit of people, beastfolk, Viggybun, Inxli and Thorne. She's been rather successful as a craftswoman and merchant and would have to throw that all away. Her husband would try to keep her happy, but in all likelihood, he'd never see her (she wouldn't want to see him). She'd have her own room to herself, take her meals there, and wouldn't speak to him or anyone else. The most interesting part about this I think is that she'd wear a veil (since they'd take her goblin mask) and keep her face hidden still. I don't think she'd be able to bring herself to craft and any and all jewelry given to her would be either thrown away or hidden where she couldn't see it.

And finally, if she was caught after Dawntrail events.

...Well she'd try to get away. And maybe attempt to anull the marriage. She may not exactly have her sights fixed on another man, but she does have a crush she wants to explore and even if they do not end up married or just committed to one another she firmly believes she should be allowed to pursue whomsoever she desires and not be forced to marry someone her parents think is good for her and their pockets.

She would have several places to go to to hide and plenty of people to go to for aid (she has been unofficially adopted by Inxli's family, and the Badaeux household by consequence).

I don't think Koana would come all the way to Eorzea to rescue her if anyone's hopes were high on that. Their relationship is not at that point. He would, however, stand between her and the hired thugs if she was on Turali soil, I think (we all know Wuk Lamat would in a heartbeat).

As for why she would not be as depressed, well, she has an extra 2 years under her belt: 2 more years of friending beast folk, 2 more years of making friends, 2 more years of hiding, 2 more years of crafting and mercantile experience and all the traveling and danger that comes with it and having to build herself from the ground up again.

She knows she can make it out there, and while she may never be anywhere near as rich as her parents, she can make a pretty modest living and that's a boost to her confidence. She's also seen happiness in various forms and she wants to be happy. And being married as a stay at home wife, forced to conform to per parent's standards, would never make her happy.

Ah, before I end this, I do want to address her pictomancy since it would come up or at least be asked "well why didn't she use it?" Kwas' ability stems from the brush itself and not any actual skill or talent. So while she could wave it and a wad of paint will splat her enemies, she's not capable of preventing herself from being disarmed and detained.

THAT SAID

In the final scenario she would begin to learn it more than she currently has to help facilitate her breakout. In the second one, maybe pictomancy would break her out of her funk and get her crafting again and a desire to leave.

Sorry for the long post and wait but I hope I have fully answered your question! Ty for the ask Hali!

[helmort]

Arboreal Odyssey

In a time long forgotten, in a realm untouched by the ordinary laws of time and space, there existed a community of extraordinary creatures. These beings, akin to peculiar monkeys yet adorned with six arms reminiscent of insects, possessed a remarkable gift for telepathic communication. Their lives were woven around a magnificent tree, a source of sustenance and sanctuary.

Dubbed simply as "the folk," they flourished in harmonious coexistence upon the boughs of this enchanted tree for centuries. Initially, the tree bestowed its bounty generously, yielding three fruits for each inhabitant every lunar cycle. But as their numbers multiplied, the fruits became scarce, rationed to a mere one per creature.

Determined to restore abundance, a notable member of their midst embarked upon a daring endeavor. Through the artful grafting and nurturing of other flora, they succeeded in coaxing the tree into yielding its plentiful fruits once more. This newfound abundance brought a fleeting sense of tranquility and security to the community.

Yet, the specter of overpopulation loomed ominously. Once spacious branches now groaned under the weight of their crowded inhabitants, perilously close to collapse. Enter another figure of significance, a culinary virtuoso, who intervened with boundless creativity. With ingenious solutions, they expanded living quarters, fortified branches, and bolstered fruit production.

Despite their valiant efforts, the relentless tide of population growth could not be stemmed. With each solution devised, the community swelled, stretching the limits of their arboreal abode beyond its breaking point. Tragically, on a somber day etched in memory, the inevitable came to pass. The burden of the overcrowded branches proved too great, and with a thunderous roar, the mighty tree succumbed, claiming the lives of all who dwelled within its embrace.

And thus concludes the poignant tale of these fantastical beings, their existence transcending the ordinary bounds of time and space, forever etched in the annals of a forgotten realm.

𝑨𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚…💀

DISCOVER MORE ON WWW.HELMORT.COM

[butleroftoast]

Full Name: Pol Morris

Race: Human

Age: Thirties

Class: Druid

Alignment: True Neutral

STR 11 DEX 13 CON 15 INT 14 WIS 16 CHAR 0 8

Appearance: Dirty, worn down, and tired. Dark-haired and dark-eyed. Mostly wears neutral greys. Often looks somewhat pallid and sickly as a result of his work with poisons.

Background: Life used to be much simpler for Morris. As a young man, he earned his keep as a ratcatcher in the city, an unremarkable and unassuming existence which made him a decent amount of coin, just the way he liked it. Slowly, however, it began to occur to him that rats were preferable to the company of many of the people he worked for, particularly the noble families. Eventually his appreciation for the rodents made his work intolerable and he was forced to give it up.

After this revelation he ventured outside the city for a while and tried to dedicate himself to a druid circle, which seemed a natural enough path to further his understanding of his four-legged friends. The druids quickly made it clear that their lifestyle was not compatible with his insatiable avarice, his apathy towards the spiritual, and his habit of asking annoying questions at inopportune moments. He persevered for a while -- long enough to learn the art of wildshaping -- but eventually this road, too, petered out into a dead end. He and the druids mutually agreed that while he was still a druid per se, he was perfectly capable of being one anywhere other than inside their circle, or indeed anywhere else they would ever have to interact with him again.

He returned to the city, into the sewers this time, and won the trust of a local rat pack, offering them guardianship and protection (and food). Whenever local landowners caused a fuss about the rat infestation, Morris would encourage them onto a ship in the harbour while he signed on with the crew, and in that way they could skip town until the heat died off. This ruse came to an end after his latest experience, which caused him to vow never to board a ship again after the betrayal and violations of nature he witnessed (a long story, and one Morris would rarely discuss even if he had anybody to discuss it with).

Recently he and the rats found a settled enough existence moving through the sewers, abandoned houses, and occasionally, with reluctance, the Undercity and the Underdark. They had very little contact with other humans or humanoids. Other than a passing awareness of the Guild and similarly unsavoury folk, with whom he had a shared understanding that as long as they all left each other alone nobody would get hurt, Morris rarely saw anyone.

[The appearance of the Mind Flayer ship was a stroke of misfortune - on a rare but necessary trip into town to acquire supplies, Morris was caught up in the chaos, and his next memory is of a rather unwelcome guest being inserted into his skull through the eye socket.]

Personality: Avaricious, withdrawn, unfriendly. Otherwise, emotionally constipated. A tendency to hoard food, gold, and other valuable shiny things -- he won't exactly steal them, in the sense that he doesn't go out planning to rob people, but if an escape through someone's cellar leads him to a crate of fresh food, well, they aren't going to miss it that much, are they?

Never introduces himself with his full name, only as Morris, and even that takes some coercing. He doesn't always say much, but he isn't exactly shy, either - after spending so much time with rats as his primary companions, his grasp on social cues has simply become so shaky he'd just as soon not bother. When he does talk he's often blunt, lacking a framework for what is considered appropriate, and if he has a question to ask then he will ask it, politeness, etiquette or general decency be damned.

A lot of suppressed anger issues, which in turn stem from guilt. So far only rats have been known to draw out his tender side, although he will show compassion and understanding towards most animals and often seems friendlier and more comfortable when in wildshape, even with humanoids. Severe trust issues. Not entirely at home in his own body.

Favourite Cantrip: Shillelagh. When cast, his staff -- a magicless old stick, the one he used to carry dead rats on to advertise his trade -- writhes with the illusion of rats squirming around inside the wood.

Favoured Spells: Speak with Animals, Create Water, Moonbeam.

Focus: A small totem worn on a string around his neck. It's the skeleton of the last rat he killed, built up with fur, teeth, and bones from rats in the pack he now lives with.

[mellowthefairy]

Shroomfolk (DnD Homebrew Race)

A group of soldiers trample through the forest, unwary of the troop of mushroom they passed actively following them, until night falls, when the last thing the soldiers remember is the earth swallowing them whole. A lone deer stops at a local watering hole, leaning to take a drink before feeling the piercing of spears entering its legs, turning back only to see a mushroom slowly approaching it.

Shroomfolk come in many different colors, shapes, and...well, not so much sizes, but you get the point. They're most often seen as larger-than average mushrooms, with facial features hidden under their caps. Some have eyes, others only have a mouth, some have both and some even have neither. You'll often see them in troops, anywhere between 5 to 20 units in one group.

They are very close to nature, moreso than even elves. They feed on the nutrients the soil and sunlight brings, but a small amount have grown accustom to the limited light a cave can bring, instead surviving off of small amounts of meat from cave dwelling rats and insects. They traditionally aren't very bulky, rather using their great stealth to hid in plain sight and use their knowledge of nature to aid them with magic.

______________________________________________________________

Shroomfolk Traits:

-Ability Score: +2 to Wisdom and +1 to Constitution

-Age: Shroomfolk are long-lived folk, with their lives ranging anywhere from 500 years up to 2500 years, if they are skilled enough in hiding. You mature at around 25 years old.

-Size: Shroomfolk are on the smaller side of races, never being taller than 2 feet, with most clocking in between 1 foot to a foot and a half. Your size is small.

-Speed: Your speed is 10 feet.

-One with the Earth: You gain proficiency in Nature and Stealth.

-Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

-Trance: Shroomfolk don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

-Unearth: Using the innate magic that flows within you, you're able to sprout legs from the roots that you normally have in the ground. While having legs, you gain a walking speed of 30 feet, which lasts for an hour, afterwards molding back into your stem. You can use this feature once per short rest.

-Poison Powder: As an action, you can spread small spores from the top of your head in a 20 foot radius around you. All creatures within that radius must make a Constitution saving throw (DC: 8 + Wisdom + Constitution), taking 2d8+ your Wisdom modifier poison damage and being poisoned for a minute on a fail, or taking half as much damage and not being poisoned on a success. A poisoned creature has their speed halved, and takes 1d4 poison damage at the start and end of their turns, able to repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn.

(a Shroomfolk Pyromancer sorcerer, using its Unearth ability)

______________________________________________________________

[redux-iterum]

when you say “second arc”, do you mean like how the canon books have arcs (the prophecies begin, power of three, etc)? if so, does that mean you’re actually going to be writing 3-4 major warriors arcs so like… 20+ books?

The plan for now is to write three arcs for Iterum, their equivalents being The Prophecies Begin, The New Prophecy, and Power of Three. Lynx may end up continuing this series into the rest of the arcs, but that's a "may", not a "will". For now, her main task is organizing families and characters in the background and writing the lore posts for the history of the Clans. I will be the actual author of the Iterum books up to the PO3-equivalent.

We don't know how many books will exist for the next two arcs. Sparks in the Sky, the first arc, has four books planned, so we're halfway through this part of the story (insomuch as how much has been written and completed). I would like to have four books per arc, but I don't guarantee that will be the set number. There could be three, there could be six. It all depends on how we hammer out the overarching story per arc and how much room it needs to be told. If I can help it, the pauses between each book, even from the end of an arc to the start of the next, will only be six months, but that too is not a promise. It's just my hope and intention. Lynx won't let me go any faster. Something about "pacing myself" and "not burning out" or whatever.

While I'm here talking about the future, I want to say one more thing - a little notice, or warning, or however you want to put it, so that all the information I feel I should give in advance is in one post. The notice is that the second and third arcs have some very significant differences from canon that stem from creative decisions and the lore of this universe.

The main cast of the second arc has several very big changes in its roster, with some characters that weren't relevant at all in canon getting the spotlight and former protagonists being placed in lesser roles. I expect there to be a bit of an outcry for some of the changes, but we're doing our best to give the replaced cats respectable places in the story and their Clans. I won't go into further detail just yet; we'll get more into this when the fourth book of SitS rolls around and comes closer to its conclusion. The plot is largely the same, it's just the characters that have been altered the most.

The third arc's story takes much more liberties due to the significance of the lore of Iterum within the setting. The main cast is expanded a good deal, with the original main characters retaining their places and new characters popping up to share the spotlight here and there. The differences of this arc, I'm much more confident about, because it's a culmination of culture and belief coming to a head and becoming the focal point of the story. Further details, I'm keeping under my hat until we're well into the second arc. Don't need to spoil things so far in the future! Regardless, I think folks will enjoy it, and I'm very excited to eventually get to that part of the story of the Clans.

That's about all I have to say for now. Any further questions are welcome, but if they lean into spoilers, you know the game we play with those at this point.