#plus you can use the skills and knowledge now too I GUESS

[macaronkitty]

Pro tip! Learn at least basic knowledge of DIY stuff, gardening, automobiles, etc.. So when you inevitably get isekai'd you'll be able to make it big and survive in the new worlds society by inventing "new" or innovative things

[littlest-bugz]

The Collective You

[one system's brief advice about accepting the idea of the collective you]

One of the best pieces of system advice started from a tumblr post and was elaborated by my DID specialist. I can't find the original tumblr post that started it, so I'm making a little post of my own <3 Share the knowledge. and also hope that someone can link the original post lol.

When I was REALLY going through it™ with my first diagnosis w/ DID, and a lack of integration, all of my alters felt like separate individuals, some of us feeling as distanced as a coworker or a stranger altogether. We were just getting a grasp on internal communication between all of our subsystems, and it was rough. We felt so entirely differentiated that we were our own people trapped in one body. While I don't really care about what language you use, all alters in CDDs are a part of one person [there's only one body and brain]- the collective you.

So obvs, I'm scrolling tumblr like the chronically online doomscroller that I am, and I see this post that goes along the line of not knowing who you are, but knowing you are 'you', regardless of who you are [referring to alters]. And it said something like "we're all me enough to pick up our meds"- something like that. iirc it was a half light hearted, half advice post, but that was really good advice for me. I kind of internalized it after I processed it in therapy. It's actually why I have started to love parts language lately tbh.

After further processing this idea in therapy, Identity Confusion stopped mattering in the grand scheme of things. I focused less on worrying about who I was, and just focused on the fact that I'm me. Just like the post I saw- We are all me. The example of all being me enough to pick up my medications just applied, like, everywhere. Even when it came down to the smallest things- with coping with other symptoms too.

Oh? I don't like coffee right now? I guess I should switch to something else. [differentiated alters]

Oh? I have barely any drawing skills right now? Okay, really sucks but I can work on something else and come back to it later. [skill variance between alters]

Oh? I have to go to a doctor's appointment? I know I'll forget that- Gotta write a list, and put it up on the board so I remember. [day to day amnesia]

You know what happened? My dissociation got better! Not immediately or entirely, obviously, and my memory [re amnesia] still sucks, but that's part of the disorder- plus other disorders that I have. This idea of the collective you is something that I think is really beneficial to all CDD systems, especially during the mid to later stages of recovery.

I, admittedly, credit most of my healing to conversations I have had with my DID specialist. Especially since, without her, I wouldn't have been able to process this idea of the collective me further, but the conversation wouldn't have been started if I hadn't seen that post on tumblr. This was a budding concept with us due to the separation we had. It helped with integration. GRANTED... Not every alter got the memo, obviously, but It's something that I'm still working on. Of course, being me comes with the prerequisite that I am a person with DID, and that I am made up of multiple parts.

Now for the piece of advice I got from my therapist- Though it requires a certain level of knowledge of your own system, such as a list of alters and some identifying info [fav drinks, fav colors, those type of things]. Look at the list of your alters wherever it may be. Just whatever you use for logging your system members. Look for the commonalities between alters. There will be at least some commonalities.

For example; A good 45% of us like bunnies, 45% like cats, and 10% have a liking for other kinds of animals. Using this information, I can pretty much deduce that 1. the collective me loves animals and 2. the collective me likes cats and bunnies especially.

Another example; I looked through our simplyplural, which has a favorite color thing [in ours at least]. By looking through the list, I figured out 1. wow I like literally all colors- my fav color is rainbows and 2. I especially like pink and light blue.

More examples; the list.. THE LIST... I looked through it and saw that a good 90% of us like MONSTER ENERGY DRINKS- of varying flavors, but the common denominator was Ultra Strawberry Dreams, but all of us like [or tolerate] water as a preferred drink. From there I can come to the conclusion that I prefer water over anything else and that I have a problem with monster [being light hearted but I genuinely do].

I hope you get the idea I'm going for. I used this process for nearly every aspect of our collective identity, though some had to genuinely be voted on, such as our LGBTQIA+ labels [offline, we just call ourself queer, but that's.. aside the point LMAO].

Obviously, there are going to be outliers- Having DID comes with the fun [/s] aspect of alters being differentiated from each other in some capacity. Example for the monster energy one- We have a handful of alters that HATE energy drinks- even just fizzy drinks in general. There's one guy who will only drink Black Coffee and water- nothing else. He's the guy who is always hiding away our monsters in the way back of the fridge, but guess what!! He's me!! The part of me that doesn't want me to ruin my health over energy drinks. The part of me that knows I deserve better than my unhealthy habits.

Getting to know the collective you is just like learning about your system! It is not inherently different than figuring out what an alters dislikes or likes are. The idea of The Collective You shouldn't feel scary or anxiety inducing- if it is, you may want to confront those feelings with a therapist if you have access to one. Every CDD system is the collective [or, well, system] of one fragmented individual- That is a studied and objective fact. I wanted to give advice from one recovering system to another.

No, this will not work for everyone, every system is different, but I'm hoping this post finds the right audience in knowing that it's worth a shot to try this!

[b-o-e]

paint me like one of your french girls

Wally Darling x Reader

Warnings: you aren’t very good at painting lol

although it is not necessary, I highly suggest reading my fics in their recommended order for the best experience! here is the link to all my silly lil wally fics in order. this is #2 :)

You weren’t the best painter, nor were you the best at picking up hints…

“... this is atrocious.”

You were not a painter. You were finding that much out right now.

“Well, don’t say that. It has me in it, so it can't be that bad, ha ha.” Wally jested.

Ehhh…

“Are you almost finished with it, neighbour?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m finished, but I’m almost ready to give up, yes,” you grumbled, the bristles of your brush carefully swiping some more paint onto the canvas. Yikes! Not carefully enough, it seems.

Wally noticed your grimace, laughing lightly. “It’s going to look good, I know it,” he claimed.

“You’re easily pleased, though,” you huffed, eyes flickering to him in a half-hearted glare. He giggled, shaking his head.

“I am honest,” he grinned, raising his right hand to swear on it. “Cross my heart, always and forever,” he promised, drawing the ‘x’ over his chest with a happy smile.

“At least I think I did Home some justice,” you snickered with a shrug. “You, not so much, Wally. I think you can still tell it’s you, though?”

“I’m sure I look amazing. Handsome!”

“I wouldn’t use that word for it, but the real you is?” You offered.

“Why, you’ll make me blush.”

You laughed lightly as you continued to paint, Wally remaining as still as a statue in his chosen position in front of home. His eyes never left you.

He loved the expressions you made. He just adored the twitch of your brow when you don’t quite approve of a detail, the silly grimace you wear when you’ve made a ‘mistake’, the way your tongue poked out a little when you were extra focussed... You were so entrancing!

“... going to start being a bit less uptight now,”

Wally hadn’t caught the first part, but figured out what you were saying.

“I guess I should probably give myself a little more credit than I am.” A little smile tugged at the corner of your lips. Oh! He enjoyed that expression most!

“I’m happy you say that,” Wally said, “I do mean it when I say I believe I will like it. Everyone has their own unique style. It’s nothing less than that,” he added, “plus, it’s made by you. That gives it extra special points!”

“Special, alright,” you joked quietly to yourself. It was definitely a unique piece, your painting.

“I just need to remind myself I don’t have much experience with this,” you sighed, “I need to cut myself some slack. I know practice is necessary to be as good as someone like you at this, and I haven’t put much of that in,”

“And if you were ever interested in such, I would always be around to offer my help if you so desire,” Wally assured.

“Thanks, Wally,” you tore your eyes away from your work, looking over at him. “I appreciate you. Always so sweet to me,” you sighed out dramatically. Unfortunately, your gaze didn't stick on him long enough to notice the redness growing on his cheeks from your compliments.

“Alas, I think I’m all done now,” you giggled, stepping back from your work. Now that you look it over, it really wasn’t too shabby, especially with your limited skill!

Wally stood up from his spot, starting his way over, as you turned the easel around so that he and Home could both see it. When Wally was close enough, he leaned forward a little, examining the painted canvas. Despite the knowledge that Wally would never judge you, your nerves twisted a little in your stomach as you watched his eyes study it with such intensity.

It was silent. He’s observed it for at least a minute now, not a word said.

…

“I know it’s-”

“It’s wonderful,” Wally cut you off, straightening his posture, his smile growing. “The absolute most, as is its creator,” he added as he looked at you. “Can I have it?” he asked, head tipping to the side.

“You… Want it?” you giggled sheepishly, peering over at your goofy little creation. Was it really nice enough for him to want to keep it?

“I love it, so of course I would like to have it. If you allow me to, of course,”

Your painting wasn’t much. To you, at least. To Wally on the other hand, it truly was extravagant.

It was cute. He and Home were nicely depicted together, Home painted quite well, and in his opinion, he himself had not looked nearly as bad as you’d been letting on.

His face had a cute, simple little smiley on it, as did the sun in the sky, two silly little features among others that you had added when you decided not to care so much anymore. It made him giggle. Overall, it was just yours, and that’s what really sealed the deal on his love for it.

“Hmm… where should I hang it, though? Maybe by the couch?” He wondered aloud, tapping his chin. “What do you think, Home?” He turned to face it, receiving quick excited waves and squeaks from the door. “Ha ha. I think that, too.”

“You actually want it?” You questioned,

“Of course,” Wally nodded. “Oh no! How impolite of me. I should be offering some sort of payment,” he realized.

“For this?” You laughed, looking back at the artwork. “I dont think it’s worth a whole lo–”

“Mwah!”

…

Huh?

You gaped at Wally, hand on your flushed cheek, right where his lips had been moments prior.

“Will that do?” He smiled.

You could only stare in disbelief, mind working overtime to process what had just happened.

“Neighbour?”

You laughed. You laughed, and you shook your head, hands covering your face. Oh, those silly little thoughts of yours!

“Oh my goodness, Wally,” you snickered. “Be careful with that! Someone might take it the wrong way,” you warned, a little giggle following.

“What do you mean, neighbour?” Wally questioned, brows furrowed. “Is kissing not a good thing?”

“I mean, it is, but there's two ways it can be perceived: platonically, or romantically,” you explained, rubbing at your face in an attempt to get rid of your blush with a cheeky smile.

“Think of it like this. Eddie and Frank kiss as a way to show their romantic love for each other. That's because they’re a couple,” you continued. “Are they who you learned it from?”

Wally stared at you for a moment, trying to comprehend all that you’ve said. Finally, his shoulders slumped slightly as he answered.

“... Yes,” he admitted, a bashful smile on his features.

“I figured,” you sniggered. “I mean, I’m not saying I didn’t like it or anything, but just keep what I said in mind,” you joked lightly with a playful wink, “but, we should find a place for this painting, shouldn’t we?” You placed your hands on your hips, looking between him and the piece.

“That sounds like a good idea, neighbour,” he agreed, carefully picking up the dried painting, grabbing the easel in his other hand.

“Let’s do that, then,”

…

“So, how did it go?” Eddie asked, placing a toasty mug of hot cocoa in front of a sulking Wally. “Not that great, I presume..?” He smiled sympathetically.

“They said to ‘be careful’ because ‘someone might get the wrong idea’...” he gave a gloomy smile. “But they also said they ‘didn’t dislike’ it?” He offered.

“So they thought the right idea, but brushed it off as being wrong,” Frank snickered, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation while he sipped on a mug of his own.

Eddie sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck with a chuckle. This was harder than the couple originally anticipated…

You two would be the death of this neighbourhood if you didn’t perceive your feelings for each other soon.

yyyello!! I hope you enjoyed reading this!

here is a link to my silly lil wally fics in their recommended order if you would like :) these can also be found on my ao3 B) I also have a ko-fi if you'd like to support me! likes and reblogs are very much so appreciated B) (again, gimme dopamine boost, RAHHHHH) until next time <3

Posted Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 11:29 AM

[jeromevalecka]

୨୧ jerome valeska nsfw alphabet .

words : 889

warnings : nsfw , extreme ish kinks , jerome (😭) and overall sexual themes

notes : reader is gn but afab , smut. sorry for any grammar mistakes n I hope this is sorta in character ♡

⚠︎NSFW BELOW, PROCEED WITH CAUTION⚠︎

A = aftercare (what they’re like after the act)

Jerome at first doesn't know what to do and just goes to clean himself up. If you were to give him hints though he'd of course clean you up too. If he's tired after he'll request to cuddle and fall asleep together

B = body part (favorite body part of their own and their s/o's )

He likes his hands most for some reason, he loves seeing it on your body, around your throat and whenever you were to suck on his fingers. In terms of his s/o's favorite body part it's definitely your throat or hips. Loves pulling you close by the hips and choking you

C = cum (anything that has to do with it)

Jerome definitely has a breeding kink, he likes "marking" you as his, definitely also loves cumming into your mouth

D = dirty secret (pretty self explanatory)

He's into being choked as well. Would also love to have sex somewhere publicly. Though Jerome is mostly an open book with you about his kinks, fantasies etc so these would probably be discussed at some point.

E = Experience (do they know what they are doing)

Jerome probably hasn't had sex before you came along. But his confidence and his knowledge definitely makes up for it!

F = favorite position

Loves doggy-style , he can pull your hair and slam into you more rough this way. He also likes the riding position

G = goofy (how serious are they)

I think we all know Jerome , so he'd probably be a little silly goofy during sex but of course also takes it serious. Would love for you to crack up a laugh during it though when he makes a joke.

H = hair (grooming habits)

Never shaves, likes the way it looks unshaven, plus he couldn't care less.

I = intimacy (in the moment romantic or rough/dirty)

I think we all guessed but he looooves going rough and hard.

J = jack off (do they masturbate and how often)

Used to masturbate like everyday, now does it every once in a while if you aren't around.

K = kinks (certain kinks they like)

some of his kinks are : ax play, knife play, choking kink, bdsm, spit kink, public sex, biting kink, dacraphilia (gets aroused if you were to cry), hair pulling, daddy kink etc.

L = location (where they like to get it on)

Prefers the bedroom, but has definitely had fantasies of doing you in a dark alleyway somewhere in Gotham or in a ride at the carnival.

M = Motivation (things that turn them on)

If you were to let out groans or certain noises. Seeing your cleavage, ass or just you in underwear. Sucking on his fingers. Whenever you sit down on his lap etc.

N = no (turnoffs or absolutely won't-do's)

anything involving sex with multiple people, he wants you all to himself.

O = oral (receiving or giving and how skillful they are)

absolutely loves giving you head (like I stated in my previous nsfw hcs for him), he's actually pretty good at it. Blowjobs are also one of his favorite things, likes to throatfuck you.

P = pace (how fast they are and how long they last)

Jerome likes going fast, he can probably go for 3 rounds if he isn't tired.

Q = quickie (do they prefer fast and hard)

Jerome's hips always lose control, he loses himself in the moment so his page is fast and his thrusts are hard.

R = risk (do they like to try new things)

He's not opposed to new things and would be willing to try stuff out with you.

S = stamina (how many times they can go and how long each round lasts)

can definitely go 3 rounds or more whenever he's not tired, each round is less than 7 mins max

T = toys (are they game for using sex toys on themselves or their s/o)

He has definitely bought one of those remote control vibrators before to tease you with when you guys are out.

U = unfair (how do they tease and do they enjoy suspense themselves)

Of course he's such a tease during sex, he likes seeing you get desperate and needy for him. It goes the same way if you were to tease him, he'd definitely lose patience and start getting desperate.

V = volume (are they loud, what kind of sounds and do they talk)

Jerome is definitely not afraid to let you hear how much he's enjoying it. Definitely groans a lot during sex and loooves to praise you (if you wanna be degraded he's definitely up for that too)

W = wild card (random sincanon of any sort)

He loves leaving bites and hickies all over you from neck to thighs. Also likes it if you were to squeeze his ass while in missionary (it turns him on more).

X = x-ray (what's down below in their pants)

He's a solid 6.3 inches and his shaft curves upwards a little.

Y = yearning (sexdrive level)

He gets horny super easily and once he does you can't stop him 😭

Z = zzz (do they sleep afterwards and if so how quickly after)

He definitely gets sleepy after it, likes cuddling and falling asleep together with you. He usually falls asleep after a solid 7 minutes as he snores quietly and softly in your arms.

requests are open ! thank you for reading have a great day/night ♡

[flowerflamestars]

I don't know if my continued Rhys Efflorese babble gotten eaten so here it is again. (if I'm repeating myself I'm very very sorry)

Rhysand being so certain that Cassian and Azriel's Illyrian honor and loyalty will keep them on his side without having even a shred of awareness about what Illyrian honor even MEANS much less what it might mean if they feel that HE'S the one who betrayed them first. I'm not sure that Rhysand even has any concept of Illyrians beyond the asshole camp lords that Night put in charge. (Why were they freezing in the mud, huh, Rhys?! WHO PUT THEM THERE?! Why might they not be will to share their whole selves with the Prince of Night, huh Rhys?)

It says a lot about how much faith and respect they had for Shahar (I can't remember how to spell her name right now) that even though she didn't live among them as one of them, they still very much considered her theirs and believed she could (and would) make the future better for them. (This is a thought I had while reading Starlight: the House of the Wind is possessed by the ghost of Rhysand's sister and she's fucking Pissed at him)

Rhysand is very bad a cost-benefit analysis. Particularly because he doesn't seem to have any concept of what a 'cost' actually is, especially when it's someone else who'll be paying it. Or even what a benefit is really. (Dude, you have two business savvy, policially knowledgeable, intelligent humans who are personally invested in keeping Feyre safe. This would be a FANTASTIC opportunity to learn about the state of the human lands and kingdoms and formulate plans based on new information instead of, you know, deciding you already had a perfect plan despite the fact that you haven't talked to a single (not Feyre) human in at least 500 years.(*insert the "no it's the children who are wrong" Simpsons guy meme here*) Or that maybe there's this guy right here with friendly acquaintances all over the place that could be very useful if you weren't, you know, a shithead. But nope, slightly bruised pride too much cost)

Rhysand's desperation for Feyre to only see him in a very specific light is greatly aided by Feyre's equal determination to only see him in that exact light.

Rhysand thinking that, even after learning he fucked off to the continent and got arrested for gambling debts, bringing shit-head papa Archeron into the situation will keep ANYONE in line (kinda love that even though we're all, like, Everyone Gets a Name but then none of us will can shithead papa Archeron anything but shithead papa Archeron)

Rhysand hoping this situation that he doesn't want to deal with implodes while not comprehending that it will implode into A WHOLE NOTHER SITUATION

Do you think he's a bit baffled when Feyre comes to the conclusion that her sisters hate faeries? Like he's perfectly pleased with the situation and happy to roll with it because it'll drive a further wedge between her and her sisters do you think he looks at the perfectly polite chats with Cass and Az despite the glowing siphons and giant bat wings (plus the Shadows in Az's case) and the House Full of Blood Magic/ Lucien FUCKING Venserra situation and think "Whelp, I guess you've got an immortal lifetime to learn some observation skills" (not that she'll learn good observations skills from HIM anytime soon)

Rhysand thinking that Feyre loves and cares about these people and that therefore they are a THREAT to HIM instead of that meaning that he should maybe he should care about, or, a least, try to get along with them.

Elain just keeps smiling a playing the perfect hostess is nearly as infuriating as Nesta snarling in his face. Then she puts Cassian's knife to his throat. That's probably one of them most WTF moments of his life. (someone please tell the Illyrians that Elain held a knife to Rhysand's throat. They deserve knowledge that this tiny human girl was willing to pull a knife on a High Lord for her people (a people they are now part of))

Did he notice that Elain served him some funny tasting tea and just think nothing of it because human food is all shit to him? (Also Cassian had almost zero reaction to Nesta saying that Elain had tried to poison Rhysand, his High Lord/'brother')

(in your Nesta/Eris story, the Valkyrie priestess says something along the lines of "Rhian's sniveling brat son may think the world revolves around him but it doesn't" and "Shahar would be disappointed in him." These statements feel applicable this Rhysand (or all Rhysands really))

Rhysand is about to get a crash course in how loyalty is a two-way street. The Archerons' people (now including a bunch of awestruck Illyrians) are so ride-or-die for them because the Archerons are just as ride-or-die back.

All three of the Bat Boys are in the process of completely loosing their shit in different directions.

Side-note: When Elain offers Cassian tea and calls him sir and Cassian's like "WTF I'm not a sir" and Elain's like "It's a courtesy given to any man with a title" and Cassian's just "naw I don't have a title" and then in her head Elain's like "WTF in what world is General not a title?" It just makes me wonder about Cassian's (and by extension, Azriel's) actual place in the Night Court's (barely existent) court hierarchy.

Side-note the second: While mentioning the Night Court's barely existent government system the thought of Amren having secret peons in place helping keep the court running. It might have started as a bit of a game 'How much functioning government can I make before Rhysand actually notices" however I think it got boring pretty quick through a combination of, 'he barely ever notices anything not shoved directly under his nose' and mild concern that Rhysand might actually notice and stop her and the court will implode even faster than it already is (and she's gotten stupidly attached to some of these colorful insects and would like to keep them around a bit longer) (Side-side note: I'm SO hyped for Amren to meet the rest of the Archerons)

Side-note the third: if there's Archeron ships in Night then there's probably Archeron ships in Summer too right? That could spin the whole Summer-book theft debacle in... interesting ways. (I'm imagining Tarquin talking to Feyre about Archeron ships bringing in supplies to rebuild the city at greatly reduced transpiration fees or something and Feyre's just mentally like "wtf my sisters hate faeries why would they do that" (because she's still operating under that particular delusion) but (because Rhys thinks it's a good idea) she plays along like she knows about it or something and uses it to gain more of Tarquin's trust before, you know, Rhys's whole *brilliant* plan takes place. Imagine how abso-fucking-lutly pissed OFF, Nesta, Elain and Lucien would be. Like, the whole situation would already piss them all off but add in deliberately taking advantage their family's reputation and kindness to do it? Rhysand had better stay well out of stabbing distance. (Side-side-note: Tarquin's, like, less than one hundred right? The dude spent more than HALF is fucking life Under the Mountain. Give him a fucking BREAK.) (Side-side-side-note: Just popped into my head. What if there were babies BORN down there. Like, that's their whole life down there. I just realized that this isn't actually much of a what-if scenario because really we just have to look under Rhysand's OWN fucking mountain to see how that goes.)

I think that's all of the babble for the moment. <3

Oooo so much good stuff here! I'll try to go in order 💜

Rhys is canonically shitty about Illyria and the Illyrians! I almost feel like I'm hitting the bottom of the barrel to give it emotional nuance- Effloresce Rhys has wrapped together all his grief and ego into just. Complete bullshit. Nesta sees this immediately! ( Cassian and Az have. Had to live within this, which I'll get to)

But yeah, that's the center for him in so many ways: he has to The Most Right, Fully in Control, Always in Charge and also does not take responsibility for shit. Ever.

So he belittles it. A warrior culture? Savages. Mor blatantly using Cassian when they were young? Oh that drives Cassian crazy. Azriel is wildly fucked up? No, it's the fault of his childhood not his continued life! Cassian gets close to his literal soulmate? Are you fucking around with Feyre's sister, Cas?

One of my character things for Rhys is that he wants Everything just barely more than he wants nothing. He is SO voraciously is the center of his own world while being so utterly careless with that world. So there is no balance. There's just what Rhys wants.

And he wants Feyre so Feyre is also always right. And just. Canonically does not seem to value her sisters as people so much as auxiliary manifestations of her own self.

They're like her irksome pets Rhys has to deal with.

Cassian's actual rank is going to come back, but I would say that you could easily call Rhysands perspective on the Archeron alliance making 'huh, the dogs AREN'T smart enough to be afraid of bears, and I, a person, find this quaint'

(Elain is going to kill the fuck out of someone over this.)

Poison doesn't matter because Cassian chose a side basically the second he crossed the wall. Even without Nesta. (You could possibly say he has always had a side, and it has always been Nesta.) Further, Lucien absolutely clocked that blood! All these things add together, really.

As for Amren, she's less focused on a functioning government as she is invested in a broad outcome. She keeps her vows. She is, perhaps, playing an elaborate game of wondering what Rhys does and does not know.

Oooo Summer is a stop on the Elucien honeymoon diplomatic carpet bomb, actually. They're not actively trading there, but they're not unknown. Rhys is definitely still hunting the book to use Feyre's Super Specialness.

Tarquin is young and progressive! I know the books utilize this to be like 'oh, he'll give Rhys a chance', without ever clarifying if Tarquin or anyone knows the actual degree of Rhysands willing or unwilling cooperation with Amarantha. It doesn't make a ton of sense. I like to take it in another direction.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Writer Artist Interview Game

I am not really a writer. I write short drabbles on occasion but it's really not what I'd call my vocation. Hence, I dared to change the topic of this game. :-)

When did you start drawing?

The usual: very young. Always preferred images over letters. They reached me quicker and more reliably than words on paper. For the same reason I hate phone calls or even chats without emojis, as I cannot SEE what's going on. So, drawing a lot, always, for any fandom I liked and many other things, too.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy seeing than what you draw?

Since the images that wow me are not from one particular genre or style, I can't really gauge what I like and what not. I am easily affected by colours and I will always cherish anything drawn with intent and passion, no matter the skills of the artist.

Is there an artist you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Oh no, this would be such a good opportunity to shout out so many amazing artists out there! But... I don't have so much time to go research, as sadly I don't have it all in my head. T_T (I am so sorry!)

But I often find myself inspired by art I see, and then attempt to copy that style. Here is a collection of images that were done specifically inspired by other artists:

(If asked, I can probably name two of these four artists... it's been a long time...)

And a lot more images showing how I try to emulate a canon style:

Can you tell me a bit about your drawing space?

Office table, weirdly wedged into my room, height adjustable so I can stand, too. I'm currently using an iPad Pro and ProCreate as my tools to create.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I don't worry about it. When you do something for fun, then there is no point in forcing you when you feel like you haven't been productive lately. I can be sad about it, sure, but in the end, you only do what you do and that's good and enough!

Distraction works also, as much as being busy with work. The little bit of free time then is more urgently used to get that one particular idea onto paper.

Are there any recurring themes in your drawings? Do they surprise you?

Uhm... I don't think so.

What is your reason for drawing?

I like seeing things! I draw to be able to see on paper what I imagine. Somehow that gives me a good feeling.

I also love to draw for others, because it's just as awesome for them to see their imagination on paper! Plus, I get to see these people happy. xD

What do you feel is your greatest strength as an artist?

Well, the above, I guess. I can visualise things and bring across an idea pretty much exactly as it is to someone else. I think I consider that my purpose as artist.

How do you feel about your own art?

I am finally at a point where I enjoy my own art a lot. That doesn't mean I am free of doubts, for I regularly still run into problems, like a face that refuses to look like I want, or a pose that's just too complex without reference etc. But by now, I shrug and move on to the next, with knowledge and more experience to make it better then the previous one. So, the learning curve has definitely not ended yet!

Thanks a lot for being tagged, @noisette-tornade.

I'll tag these guys: @feli026, @afktales ( you can change it back to writing!), @mochiandturtles, and... anyone who would like to do it. Please tag me, so I can read it! My mind is empty, I can't think of so many people right now. ...

[serafiel-jacobs]

Soul (Fanfic)

New chapter from my main series 🩷

Pinocchio was reading the notebook, trying to find a way to show Sophia the contents. The parts Pinocchio could understand at least and try for Sophia to make sense of it.

“I guess you are going to have to read it out loud for me to try and make sense of it” Sophia can't look at the words since well, she is at least 4 countries away from him.

“Mmm okay” Pinocchio had a smile on his face.

Sophia was happy to be able to hear him read out loud, Pinocchio loves reading so surely he is great at narrating.

“The… um, anime no, anima? Is the power- power-source of, of the link be-bewt-between, um…”

“Pinocchio…” Sophia sounded concerned, “Are you able to read the words properly?” She thought that maybe Pinocchio was in need of glasses.

No, he is just bad at reading out loud.

Sophia found it a little amusing “Well, time to tell your father to prioritize this” Sophia then asked Pinocchio to tell Gemini to read out loud the words for him, she can at least hear what others say.

—--𖦹—--

Anima

Ergo is one's essence and by concentrating that essence, cleansing it into its purest form the result is the anima. Anime is the power source of the

(The words have been crossed out, even at the back of the page, making them completely ineligible) The link between the potential of humanity and its ability to thrive. Anima has more than just healing properties, it can increase physical strength, and create resistance to certain afflictions including immunity to poisons, truly the key to a longer life for humanity, a wonder in terms of medicine, consuming it has shown to cure even the deathliest of illnesses, rumor has said it has the possibility to cure bone fractions although this theory hasn't been confirmed, needing further study.

Unfortunately, Anima is extremely rare to acquire, Ergo already is hard to get, and the process of converting Ergo into Anima can take up to months only for a small amount to be possible to obtain, as of now, Anima does not seem to be worth the effort.

Concentrating the research on Ergo itself is the top priority, sadly harnessing the power of Anima is…

—--𖦹—--

The end of the sentence was blurred, the rest of the page was in a language neither Pinocchio nor Gemini could understand.

“Seriously Pinocchio you couldn’t read that?” Gemini was acting too sassy today.

“Well can’t be good at everything!” Pinocchio already feels as if he has a lot of good skills and this isn’t a big deal and he can read in his mind perfectly well.

“Listen-”

But Pinocchio didn’t listen to Gemini, instead, he grabbed him, put him inside his cage, and began to shake him. Sophia laughed it’s always amusing when he does that.

Gemini came out of his cage spinning, “Okay, maybe I went too far, but you are still a brat”

“I believe I have heard of this” Sometimes her father would teach her things related to alchemy so she has a good amount of knowledge, maybe as much as an alchemist. But her father taught her all that behind her mother’s back and once she found out she forbade her from learning more.

Her mother was serious about it, her father even slept on the couch for a few days.

When she was a child, sometimes she felt as if her mother disliked her but she was always so loving and caring. Yet everything that had to do with her power as a listener made her mother angry, now she knows that she just wanted to protect her. Plus if her mother was truly against the learning of alchemy she would have never married her father, Sophia can understand now that her mother was afraid that others could learn of her power and unfortunately, that fear became true.

“Your father holds a good amount of knowledge about Ergo as well, I find it would be best to speak with him about this, he can help us even more”

“Father is at work right now” And he actually looked really happy about going to work unlike recently as they were going to test something new, his father tried explaining it to him but he had no clue what his father was talking about, when he gets too passionate about his work, he forgets other can’t understand the special terminology.

“In the meantime, we could look for a way for others to hear my voice” Sophia wonders if an invention like a pocket phone could exist in the future, oh well, maybe that is something for Venigni to think of.

“Why not use a stargazer?” As long as he is touching it, Sophia could use the Ergo wavelengths to communicate with others.

Sophia smiled, “That’s a great idea clever one”

“Hello? What is she saying Pinocchio?” Gemini couldn’t hear her after all.

After explaining, Gemini was in deep thought, “But where can we get one?”

They can’t use the one at Hotel Krat now that is back in business, they could buy one but they are rather expensive and Pinocchio doesn’t have any more allowance money left.

“Thank you for that Gemini” Pinocchio frowned, looking annoyed.

“Come on, you love spending money on me” Gemini chirped, teasing his best pal.

“Since they are mainly used by stalkers, I am sure one of them could have one to spare” Sophia knows that stalkers are trained on how to build stargazers since it is their main method of transportation.

Pinocchio smiled, he knew just who to see about this.

—-

“A stargazer? Sure we have the parts for a spare one lying around” Black Cat was glad to see Pinocchio again so soon and didn’t mind fulfilling his request.

“Although I do warn you, stargazers are regulated, you can’t suddenly use one to transport somewhere, they will ask you to identify yourself as a stalker” Red Fox explains to him how there are new regulations when it comes to using stargazers.

“Why do you need one in the first place?” Black Cat was looking around in a closet for all the parts.

“Um…secret?” Pinocchio knows that he can’t tell anyone about Sophia, not even them and he respects her privacy.

“Ooh how fun, if you get in trouble don’t blame us though, your family is already mad enough at us as it is” Black Cat had found all the pieces and set them inside a box.

“For once, I agree with my brother” Red Fox looked at how her brother rolled his eyes behind his mask, “But before you leave, how about we treat you to lunch? You are always helping us out, so why not return it with this small favor?

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any money left” Pinocchio glared at Gemini again and the cricket just started chirping a tune and pretending to act innocent.

“Please, it's our treat this time, we owe it to you” Red Fox smiled, knowing they would spend a great time together.

—-

“Well his father is going to kill us” Black Cat is panicking.

They went to eat at a spicy food restaurant, they insisted he should try new flavors and as it turns out, Pinocchio can’t handle spicy food at all. He feels as if he is overheating and he can feel his springs moving faster to try and stop it, not to mention how he feels dizzy.

“It’s okay, this will pass” Red Fox knows that this is just eating spicy food, things like this aren’t a big deal.

As usual, things are not normal when it comes to Pinocchio and his unique body, the overheating sensation simply isn’t stopping and he already tried using an ampoule but since his body isn’t actually overheating it’s not working. Sometimes Pinocchio feels as if his body confuses his human parts with his mechanical parts, causing conflicting issues like this.

“This is all your fault! You are the one who made him taste that habanero!” Black Cat was mad at his sister.

“I thought that you know…” She thought that because he is partly a puppet, he would be able to handle it.

“It’s okay I think I’m-“ Pinocchio could feel a burning sensation in his throat, but at least he wasn’t dizzy anymore, “bEtTer noW”

Pinocchio grabbed his throat and tried to speak again, his voice sounding too mechanical because his voice box had been damaged.

“Oh dear” Gemini knew this would end badly.

“FUCK he really is going to kill us now” Black Cat is already planning his will in his head.

“Brother shut up, we can think of something” Red Fox was acting calm but deep down she was also in full panic mode, “Is there anyone else that might help with this? One that won’t get angry at us?”

Lady Antonia is out of the question, Eugéne is a good choice but even if she did work at the union her skill mastery will always be weapons so that only leaves one other person.

“Master Venigni, you have guests” A maid had let them inside, all the staff already knew Pinocchio and they were aware to let him in, even if coming unannounced. They were in luck that it was one of those days Venigni doesn’t work at the union and deals with other private affairs at his home.

Venigni was happy to see Pinocchio, not so happy about seeing the two of them, specially because he needed to talk to Pinocchio in private about the situation, but there was still a little more he must do, it could wait.

“I want to help you Pinocchio but I am not sure your father would be happy about me snooping around your body” Venigni still remembers back then, after he returned safely to Hotel Krat and made his way to see Geppetto upstairs, he opened his mouth but couldn’t speak a word.

“No” That was all Geppetto had said, because he knew what he wanted to ask, no you can’t know how I built him even if we are close friends. No to any following questions you might have and no, I will not change my mind.

“pREtTy PleAsE” Even when his voice is broken Pinocchio sounds cute.

“Yeah, pretty please!” Black Cat was begging him, “And we are really sorry for leaving you all alone back then, we swear!”

“You have our truly and deepest sincerest apologies our past behavior was inexcusable” Red Fox was begging as well, “And the faster he heals the better, isn’t that right?”

That is true, the faster you fix things, the easier it is to avoid further problems. Not to mention there is no need to stress Geppetto over this simple situation.

“Alright, I guess I have no choice, however,” Venigni stared at the two of them, he still couldn’t trust them and he was already doing them a huge favor by not saying anything to Geppetto, “I will ask the two of you to leave”

“That’s perfectly fine” Red Fox was just so relieved and turned to look at Pinocchio, “We will deliver the stargazer to your home today”

Black Cat had almost forgotten about that “We will leave it a the door, waiting for you”

They both were making their way out, and an argument started.

“You are the one who suggested spicy food so you are going to carry it” For once it was Black Cat the one scolding his sister.

“Ugh fine” Red Fox knew that it would be a pain, why does Geppetto have to leave so far away?

The argument turned into friendly sibling bickering, it was good to try and relax. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t know someone had caught a glimpse of them walking away from the mansion.

“Mmm interesting” Sabertooth was looking from not too far away, maybe this information could be of use to her new client.

—-

“Now about that voice”

Venigni had taken Pinocchio aside to his personal workshop, Pulcinella was outside guarding as it was best no one suddenly entered. Pinocchio had taken off his shirt as he usually does with this situation, and indicated to Venigni where to look.

It’s not just in his chest, Pinocchio has a few buttons in his body that look like moles but they can be opened to reveal secret compartments.

“Why that’s such a genius design! I can’t believe Geppetto made them look so natural, and how evenly proportional each compartment is to its respective part, oh and the-”

“Ahem,” Gemini had to stop Venigni from fanboying about Pinocchio’s design.

“Right, sorry” Venigni took a good look before seeing the problem, “It looks like a few of your cables accidentally got mixed up”

Venigni has plenty of experience with this, from his work and from when Pulcinella was damaged by Fueco as it happened to him as well. The most logical explanation is that Pinocchio’s body tried to counterattack what it believed to be overheating in his throat, the mechanism trying to find a solution by rearranging itself. Thankfully for Venigni, Pinocchio’s throat is one of his fully mechanical parts, there is no need to worry about him doing damage to the boy’s human side.

Pinocchio said a few words, he was back to normal but Venigni suggested he try not to speak so as not to restrain his voice. Venigni is aware of what Geppetto has been dealing with and making him worry even more about Pinocchio over a simple issue like this is not ideal.

“I’m glad I could help” Venigni played with Pinocchio’s hair, “Not a word about this to your father, and promise me you won’t reveal the truth this time”

“I promise” Pinocchio knows that this is far more serious than him getting accidentally drunk, his uncle and his two siblings could be in serious trouble for this.

—-

When Geppetto got home, Pinocchio had finished assembling the stargazer, after a quick explanation, Pinocchio touched the stargazer signaling to Sophia that everything was ready.

“Can you all hear me?” It was working as intended, Pinocchio was excited that it was all according to plan.

“Geppetto do you remember years ago when my father showed you around our home?” Sophia was only 10 years old yet she remembers most of what transpired, rarely did anyone visit them.

“Yes, Carlo came with me that day, Romeo came as well” Geppetto had told both to spend time with Sophia, Valentinus looked happy about that, they needed to talk in private.

“What you do not know is that I hid away in the room” Sophia was always intrigued about her father's work, “I recall the conversation, later I asked my father for more information and he was happy to clarify”

Her father was very kind, intelligent, and caring, but also very oblivious, Sophia overheard his conversations with others all the time and never got caught, her mother did catch her, and she was furious, Sophia simply got better at hiding.

“I thought you were supposed to be spending time with the two of them” Geppetto was confused.

“Uhhh about that…” Sophia has no choice but to confess, “They kind of went outside to play a prank on someone” Apparently one of Carlo's school bullies lived near her home.

“What?” Geppetto facepalmed he should have figured Carlo was capable of doing something like that, he couldn't help himself and smiled, remembering his mischievousness.

“It's my fault, I wanted to spy on my father from the start” Not a hobby most kids that age like so the two of them ditched her; now that she thinks about it she was a weird kid, Sophia remembers how her parents scolded her for keeping a bug sanctuary on her closet as it ruined most of her clothes, then years later she got in big trouble because she did a little experiment, her father was amused, her mother wasn't, apparently it is not acceptable to use your hair to harvest caterpillars going through the metamorphosis stage. To give credit to her mother, she built her a bug sanctuary for herself in their home, to this day Sophia is surprised at how her mother surprised her with that, one day she woke up and her mother had a surprise, a beautiful place in their garden for her to do all of her endeavors.

“You are just like your father you know that?” Sophia remembers her mother's voice, “So oblivious, you could have just asked me for one, no need to hide those creatures in your room”

Sophia smiled, she was so delighted.

“And keep your experiments here and not in your hair,” Her mother laughed, “You better not steal your father's equipment young miss”

Her mother knew her too well, Sophia remembers those moments with fondness.

“So is this about his canceled project from years ago?” Geppetto has a good memory despite his age.

“Correct” Sophia stated, “He asked you for permission to use the factory to run a test and you said no”

Pinocchio wanted to ask why but remembered he should not speak much, besides he would find out soon enough.

“I couldn't close the entire factory because of that, even if it was for a day, considering how he told me he wasn't even sure if it would work, I, unfortunately, had to decline” Not to mention that by that time his relationship with Valentinus had become a bit strained considering what happened with Camille, “Is this about Anima then?”

“Also correct” Sophia was glad that Geppetto was following along nicely, “Now your help would be appreciated, my father said he wanted to use one of the furnaces from the factory to make Anima, why is that?”

Sophia's memory then becomes a little fuzzy after that since she was just a child, the next thing she remembers is getting into a dumb argument with Carlo because he thought crickets and grasshoppers were the same bug and Carlo was too stubborn to listen to her, although in his defense she shouldn't have basically shoved in his face the two bugs so that he could see the difference properly, that backfired because they ended up jumping in Carlo's hair and he panicked trying to take them out, Romeo was just watching finding it all so amusing.

“Anima can only be made in extremely high temperatures with concentrated amounts of Ergo” Geppetto knew that Valentinus was excited about the project, “I had to say no since it could accidentally cause an explosion”

“An explosion?” Gemini didn't like where this was going.

“We could make the anima in small amounts, concentrate the Ergo, purify it, and mold it, only at best a dozen at a time, I did consider building a puppet similar to Fueco for the job, as it needed some sort of core to absorb the power” Geppetto let out a sigh, “Valentinus said that small amounts wouldn't work for what he planned so he gave up on it, he did try to convince me more than once, actually last time he tried to convince me was when…”

Geppetto stayed quiet, the last time the day before Valentinus and Isabelle passed away, the day before Simon killed them.

“Geppetto I know this time you will finally agree!” Valentinus looked delighted, “I found a way for the Anima to absorb the heat without much hassle”

Geppetto wondered how he got into his office unannounced, past security when the reputation of the alchemist was going downhill due to the petrification disease, many hated Valentinus since he was their leader, the public enemy they could blame.

“Really what did you find?” Despite everything, Valentinus was his friend.

Someone he trusted and cared for, over time, Geppetto became less fond of the alchemists' activities but he knew Valentinus was a good man, he wasn't the only good alchemist, and there were many like him who wanted to help others, alchemists who Simon got rid of after killing Valentinus. Simon also was his friend once, yet unlike Valentinus, Simon never made the effort to try and fix things, obviously because Geppetto now knows the man was a psychopath with a lust for power.

“What exactly did you find?” Geppetto is a man of invention so couldn't deny how interesting it is to learn something new.

“When combined with disruption crystals, there is no longer instability, we will be able to fully control the outcome, I know, ironic considering name the name of the crystals and their original use” Valentinus sat down, his happy demeanor changing suddenly, he looked tired, “I was hoping this could work, it is the only cure I can think off for the petrification disease”

Valentinus looked defeated, back then he said something strange before leaving, it is clear now what happened and what he meant.

“I think I might die”

“I can understand perfectly well how stressful work is, even more with this health crisis” Geppetto was trying to reassure him.

“I'm worried about Isabelle, I am even more worried about Sophia” Valentinus looked frantic, like a tiger in a cage, “I made a mistake Geppetto, I was so stupid, I shouldn't have-”

“Valentinus calm down” Geppetto was getting more worried, “Whatever that illness is, you are a smart man, you can figure this out, I will make preparations you only need to tell me what I have to do”

“It's my fault the disease spread, I was so blind to everything” Valentinus kept speaking frantically, “I was so obvious as usual, no I was so stupid”

Geppetto opened his mouth again but Valentinus didn't let him speak.

“Geppetto you don't understand, Sophia…” Valentinus clenched his fists, “I can't let anyone hurt her, you are a father too, what would you do if you lost Carlo?”

“Please Valentinus don't say that!” He didn't even want to think about the possibility, “Look I get that this hard, a lot of people hate you, some would even go as far as to hurt your family”

Geppetto stood up and got closer to Valentinus, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I know this situation won't get better magically, what matters is to stay focused, if you are too concerned perhaps it would be a good idea to find shelter for Isabelle and Sophia”

Valentinus still looked uneasy, “That… could work”

“I believe in you, you are a good man Valentinus”

“Tomorrow there is an event in the charity house” Valentinus stood up preparing to leave, “My wife and Sophia have to be there, as soon as that's done, I'm taking them out of Krat”

“Father?” Pinocchio asked, his father had remained silent for too long.

Geppetto was snapped out of his trance, “I'm sorry I was remembering something” He then explained what he was told by Valentinus.

“Wait…” Geppetto was making the connection, “Disruption Crystals are on the decline for the past few months”

Geppetto had found that odd, there are supposed to be plenty in the many of mines and caves that Krat has, in the past it was even a nuisance because you could accidentally find some while constructing buildings, he doubts they suddenly went on the decline so fast.

“If I remember correctly” Sophia spoke up, “When the petrification disease was being spread, when Simon took over my father's position, he started lying about Ergo and where it was coming from”

Sophia heard a lot of things while trapped in that tower, her memories are mixed, specially because there are a lot of things she would rather not remember how… how her uncle Simon come to “talk” with her, the things he said to her, he was obsessed with her… she better stop thinking about that now, she is starting to shake by remembering it.

It's true, the alchemist gave them less Ergo to work with, with worse quality, “It seems like it's all happening again but what do they want this time?” Geppetto was at a loss.

“Um,” Pinocchio thinks he knows the answer, “Maybe the same thing? Or something similar?”

When Pinocchio was at Arche Abbey he found a lot of weird things relating to seeking immortal life, or bettering humanity, or crazy talk about human evolution.

“If anima makes your health better then maybe that's why they want it,” Pinocchio said.

“It makes perfect sense, although obviously they want it for nefarious reasons” Sophia smiled from where she was, “Thank you, clever one”

Pinocchio smiled, he felt so smart. He then realized that his father had not said a thing about his voice, which meant that he didn't have to worry anymore.

“Well, we have to worry not only about that but also about the King of Riddles” Gemini has this bad feeling that Arlecchino will be the one to strike first.

“Whatever threat might come first, I will always be by your side Pinocchio, no matter the distance” Sophia reassured him but then took a serious tone, “Although do be careful, I am not close, therefore I cannot bring you back if you were to…”

Pinocchio understood perfectly well, and Sophia can't go back to Krat, not after the fact they were already looking for her or any listener. She is safe far away and with this new method of communication, things can work so much better.

“Sophia if you ever need our help as well, we can figure something out” Geppetto wanted to let her know she can also count on them.

“Actually I need to take you up on the offer” Sophia began to ask questions about her body and how to repair herself if something bad were to happen, not to mention she felt she needed some maintenance.

“Do you have anything near you so you can write it down?” Geppetto was glad to help.

Pinocchio paid close attention, this was also important for him, he knows the basics but things like these are useful to know, even more with the previous situation. —

Venigni had arrived at the factory, a lot of things were on his mind yesterday, mainly about Pinocchio’s systems, who wouldn’t be curious about that? He only caught a surface glimpse of what Pinocchio is made of. And if could only make a similar body to Pulcinella at the very least add some great updates… no Venigni calm down, Pinocchio is special and one of a kind, he respects his autonomy and he respects Geppetto. Just let your work distract you from those ideas. Ugh, he hates his inventor mind sometimes, when you see advanced technology many times your first instinct is how can I do it and how can I make it better, Pinocchio is more than just a puppet, and even if he was a regular puppet he doesnt need the stress of people thinking about him that way; now he felt guilty of his thoughts.

Venigni opened the door to his office and sitting on his chair was Geppetto waiting for him, arms and legs crossed, glaring at him.

“You know don’t you?” Venigni was wondering how his funeral was going to be, “How?” He did everything perfectly, there is no way he should have found out.

“I’m his father I know these things” Geppetto was playing dumb since Sophia was saying important information, “And I made him, I know everything about him, even things he doesn’t realize”

“That’s quite impressive” That’s what Venigni wanted to say but it was best to keep quiet until Geppetto spoke to him.

“I had to interrogate Gemini since I knew Pinocchio would just lie to me” Geppetto found out all the details and Pinocchio just looked away in shame.

“Needless to say I am not allowing him to see those stalkers again” His son was upset but Pinocchio had been lying to him about where he was going each time he saw them and even if it was an accident, Geppetto just had too much of a grudge against them. They kidnapped him and even if it wasn’t them but rather the Black Rabbit Brotherhood who vandalized Hotel Krat, they still did nothing to stop them and aided the alchemists.

Venigni does understand because he doesn’t like them either, first, they left him to fend for himself at the factory while he cowered in fear in that room he could have died at any moment; second, when Hotel Krat was attacked he felt so powerless, the stalkers came so suddenly. Although it was impressive to see Polendina carry Antonia upstairs, he wasn’t aware of how strong he was but maybe Polendina was too worried about her safety and got a boost of strength at the moment. All of them had no choice but to barricade themselves, even when Geppetto right away told them to just take him and leave the rest alone, The Black Rabbit Brotherhood still wanted to terrorize them, because Pinocchio had killed their brother so they were out for blood as well, Venigni is sure that if they weren’t there to kidnap Geppetto they would have killed him as revenge.

Geppetto had a calm look on his face “Look, after thinking about this more, I’m not mad”

“…You aren’t?” Venigni didn’t believe him at all.

“I’m not” Geppetto got closer to him, “I can understand that you only wanted what was best for him at the moment, I also appreciate not wanting to worry me about his health”

Venigni let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you for understanding”

“Not to mention I asked you to take care of him when I’m gone, it’s only fair you know more about him in case something like this happens when I’m no longer around”

Geppetto has already been re-writing the notes he took while building his son so that they can be passed down to Venigni when he dies, also it’s good to have the actual notes in good writing and not in his emotional mess state.

Venigni was touched, he couldn’t believe that Geppetto trusted him with his son that much.

Geppetto was smiling as he grabbed Venigni’s shoulders, it was all great until Geppetto’s voice changed to a somber one, the murderous intent loud and clear, despite how quiet Geppetto’s voice was.

“But until then, never, ever do that again, you are going to forget what you saw, that never happened, don’t mention it, don’t even dare to think about it” Geppetto had a tighter grip, “Don't you ever do that again as long as I live”

“Okay,” Venigni’s voice sounded like a whisper, Geppetto's paranoia about anything happening to Pinocchio is strong today, probably his mind making a million scenarios of why everything could have gone wrong. Also, his inventor instinct to protect his secrets, Pinocchio truly is the greatest puppet to ever be created, even before he started becoming partially human the boy was beyond impressive, beyond what everyone had done before.

“Great!” Geppetto was back to normal, “Now, Conrad didn’t come to work today so it’s going to be a good day”

Geppetto was in high spirits and Venigni felt as if he had gotten out of a roller coaster, It was not the first time Venigni had seen Geppetto switch emotions so quickly and he had never gotten used to it, now he was talking about work, and what they got to test yesterday, how it was a shame that he wasn’t there to see the success and the results.

Venigni took a deep breath, “Geppetto”

“Huh, yes?” Geppetto was too consumed talking about the project.

“You have issues you know that?”

“I know” Geppetto made his way towards the door, “Don’t worry I’m working on that”

[the2purpleidiots]

jasonnie lives in my head rent free now 😔 /pos. i was also wondering abt your thoughts on autistic donnie? as an autistic person i love me some good rep so im constantly brain thoughts on how jase would handle donnies meltdowns or overstimulation. the idea of them having parallel play time with each other owns my whole heart ❤ but yeah just curious on what you guys think of it. love the fics btw! I've read all of it so far and i really like them 🤠

Hello, Fox here! Sorry it took so long to answer this ask! I've been busy as hell, LMAO. But, hey! I'm glad you could join the bandwagon of Jasonnie enjoyers and enablers! There are a lot more of us than I realized, haha! Also, thank you for enjoying our fics! Even though we're not on the Jasonnie fixation as of late, it's always really fun to hear everyone else enjoying these dorks!

As for your question: Personally, I adore the Autistic!Donnie Headcanon and write him autistic in all my stories, intentional or not! Parallel play is definitely something they both just clicked on without having to say a word throughout the entirety of their relationship.

In our fics, Jason grew up in a household that disregarded his existence in nearly every sense of the word. So, after they get along and spend most of their time together? Jason enjoys it when they're doing their own things, sharing space since it's so similar to what he's used to while also being everything he's never given freely. Jason's used to blending into the background and not disturbing those around him. But with Donnie, he actually gets to share the space, to co-exist with him without fear that he's being too much or doing too little. There's no need to overanalyze and second-guess things.

Donnie's family has definitely existed in spaces together, especially when Donnie is working. But there's a significant difference between your siblings trying to help out, asking what you're doing, and getting you to build something for them, and when a kid simply blends into the space like nothing has changed. It's not like his family is constantly obnoxious, but brothers can sometimes be like that. Plus, Jason's smart, he shares the same level of knowledge with Donnie even if it isn't in the same subjects or skills, but he still blends in with Donnie's world instead of sticking out against it like his family does, if that makes sense?

It's like a mix of comforts and mutual unsaid understandings between them. They know how this shared space goes, and they both enjoy how the other exists naturally, so it's like a safe little bubble that they can get wrapped up in sometimes.

I would probably have more Jason and Autistic!Donnie Headcanons to share, but honestly, most of my Autistic!Donnie Headcanons are for my other fic series, and I have yet to think about these boys through that lens in a hot minute! (Any Autistic!Donnie-related Jasonnie ideas that are floating in my head are from the amazing people on the Jasonnie Discord Server and not my own.)

But a scene I think about a lot is Donnie and Jason cooking together. The two of them bond over their Asian Cultures, sharing their foods with each other, especially modified ones, to ensure the taste and texture doesn't disturb or overstimulate Donnie.

Also! Jason knowing his meltdown routine after a year of them being together is definitely something that delights me to no end. Knowing that when you're in that place and know you have someone you can trust to know exactly what you need and always try and follow that for you no matter how worried or hurt they may be in that moment? Because your health comes first, and they understand that? That everything that may have happened before can always be dealt with later? Fucking masterful; it means everything to me.

I do have to apologize, dear anon, for the more vague Headcanons, though? As I said before, it's been a moment since I truly obsessed over these two, but I hope I answered your question? If you have more, I'm more than happy to ramble about them and talk about them! <3

[egg-emperor]

Personally, I thought it was canon (or at least common knowledge) that Sonic got tortured one way or another during his captivity in Sonic Forces... I guess some people just conveniently choose to forget that 🙄

Regardless, if one day you'll spill on how you think Eggman tortured Sonic, I'll be there to eat that up! I just love to think about how much of a bastard Eggman would be to Sonic, rubbing it that he's won and that sonic was weak (or dumb, even) enough to get caught so easily. Plus, who knows how badly Eggman could mess with Sonic psychologically! Manipulative as that man is, he'd know exactly what to say to get to him. Obviously, Sonic wouldn't just break down immediately but seeds of doubt and regret have a way of growing into someone's mind...

Well it's something only mentioned in the English version and I can understand if people don't feel it's necessary as part of the plot as Sonic being stuck in a cell unable to run and escape for that long would've been bad enough already - but I thank Pontaff for the idea because as you know I'm evil and it makes for a lot of potential fun scenarios up my alley fhdjwbgkshg

I do want to make a whole post about some of my concepts in depth at some point, maybe on my side blog that I'll introduce here any day now but maybe I will go ahead and do it on here Idk. But I'll talk about all of Eggman's methods and Sonic's experience in more depth then so I don't want to spoil too much.

I imagine it was primarily psychological as he's very skilled in it in ways I brought up the other day. I like to imagine him coming in for sessions of rubbing the progress of things in Sonic's face, taunt him for how he's still trapped and nobody has come for him because they think he's dead and to think about how devastated they are. He describes how he's going to destroy his friends and everything he knows out there while he's stuck in here, boasts his future empire and its conditions, and tells him he's helpless to stop it all.

Sonic would be as deflective and determined as usual at first towards Eggman's boasting and rubbing of victory in his face because he's certain he'll be out in no time and he won't get to do anything that bad for long. But he remains trapped and Eggman's threats and reports of progress get worse with the things he actually does go through with. He finds ways to dig in deeper and affect Sonic's mind over time in ways he'd try to deny and hide so Eggman doesn't get the satisfaction of knowing it's really working.

I like to think he found a way to bring the phantom ruby into it, which would also tie into the psychological methods when he uses it to cause illusions to torment him and show him awful glimpses of what he's been threatening for the world and his friends, to make it even more painfully immersive and disturbing. This makes it harder for Sonic to fight it eventually too as he has to witness it even if it isn't real and it's clear that Eggman is serious, if he doesn't get out and stop him then it will really happen for real.

Sonic keeps trying to fight and remain determined and not lose hope and he's defiant but Eggman will eventually manage to start to get to him and cause genuine concern for the safety of the world and his friends while he's trapped unable to do anything to stop it. Eggman will keep telling him his friends have given up on him and aren't coming to find him because they think he's really gone. He tells him the entire world is losing hope and submitting to the empire if they want to live because he owns everything now.

As much as Sonic would try his hardest to hide it and not let Eggman think he's managing to get to him one bit, Eggman wouldn't lose patience or get mad, not only because he doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of him still managing to get to him either, but also because he's still the one with the the world in his hands while Sonic is trapped helpless and alone and the Resistance are struggling to fight against him without him, so everything is finally going his way. It only makes his ego bigger and makes him crueller to Sonic.

It would be just as pleasing to Eggman as the day he finally shows him his completed empire to rub it in one last time and it would add extra impact to how defeated Sonic finally feels. He's delighted to have had the chance to toy with him and get catharsis for all those years of him being a nuisance and how much more powerful he is and truly prove himself to be superior in the end like he always said and believed, and rub it in and break him down before finally "banishing him". He doesn't end up getting there of course, but he had his fun and dreamed of it.

While I can accept what we got in the end and anything could've happened, I still like to imagine fucked up sadistic bastard Eggman where he's prideful and amused and proud of his victory and won't let his captive hear the end of it and as he torments him and tries to break him down slowly over time. I'm going to talk about this in more depth at some point and maybe get into some of the other methods I have in mind too but this is the primary psychological stuff summed up. ^^

[rigelmejo]

glossika japanese app course: 2000 sentences so far, still A1 level category

Okay well. I'm 2000 sentences into glossika japanese app course, it's still A1 level. My guess is... 2500 sentences in A1, 2500 in A2, 1000 sentences in B1, 600 sentences in B2, 100 sentences in C1. Since glossika has 6700+ sentences supposedly. This is me totally guessing with no actual idea, so keep in mind they might actually distribute the sentences in a more 'even' way. But I heard some glossika app courses had barely any sentences in the upper levels, and that makes me guess glossika's japanese course may be similar. Based on the vocabulary taught... I very much am predicting I'll mostly only be learning the basics.

I'll be happily surprised if it ends up covering MORE than the (free) Japanese core 2k anki deck. I'll be incredibly surprised if it covers most of what's in the free Japanese core 6k anki deck. In fact I'll congratulate glossika for making a japanese course that Actually teaches some intermediate level stuff, because if I can bridge from this into reading I would be THRILLED.

However, from what I've seen so far, all 2000 sentences so far, they are indeed 'A1' sentences and vocabulary. From what I've learned so far, I could not pass a N5 test. And I'd say I'm aiming for like an N3 level ish area of knowledge if I'd like to read/listen more comfortably than I currently do (although still with difficulty).

The two praises I'll give glossika: I like the listening mode structure and deeply wish more resources had this option, and I think despite being BRUTAL on true beginners - the random grammar in every sentence is making me (an upper beginner/mixed bag self learner) much better at interpreting the meaning of sentences more quickly and intuitively. The flip side of this is: free japanese core 2/6k anki deck would also have this benefit eventually (once you see ENOUGH varied grammar), clozemaster app has this benefit immediately just like glossika (and their sentences are around the same quality as glossika), reading a lot would give you enough grammar exposure to help with this (if you prefer reading), just listening a LOT would give you enough grammar exposure to help with this, and of course OLD glossika cd lessons you can get from a library for free or find mp3s of online has this same benefit. So the listening mode structure of lessons is glossika's... only unique plus.... and even then, many audio-only options are available, I am just so fucking lazy I don't want to figure out my review times and stuff, so glossika is just that Bit more convenient with it's app figuring out scheduling for me... versus japaneseaudiolessons.com (free) or old glossika cd course (easy to find free) which have the same audio benefit you just have to schedule when to study new/review yourself.

So yeah. In short, do I recommend glossika? Not for japanese. Unless the listening lesson structure is 1. really really worth using to you, and helps get you to study more since you don't have to plan as much. 2. you're not a true beginner, so you can figure out the sentence grammar yourself. 3. you're still enough of a beginner that learning the first few thousand frequent words is useful. 4. the price point doesn't deter you. (because there are free alternatives).

Now, the longer thoughts?

I'm a stubborn fucking person. And now that I'm 2000 sentences in I want to force my way through all 6,700 so I can give a full review. But if things go how I am guessing they will, glossika probably will not be of use to intermediate learners... but hey, maybe I'll be happily surprised. I'll try to be moderately optimistic.

Mostly, I like that I am making myself do it. I can see how many hours I've done it on glossika, and seeing my hours of study time is motivating. It has gotten me into studying chinese listening skills too (on my own with audiobooks and audio dramas) so that's been a nice side perk of motivation. I'm also bitter that there's no glossika FULL app japanese course reviews... so no one can warn people like me if it's too slow, or too mistake ridden, or too little material taught etc.

It's also kind of a fun 'experiment.' In that I can see: if I brute force expose myself to 5000 new words, 6700 sentences of varied grammar, will those 5000 words push my comprehension UP enough to feel it's easier to read/listen to japanese? My bet is on yes. Even if I half ass it, even if glossika might only truly teach 3000 unique words. (since that's what their old cd course taught so I know for sure they at least should have 3000 unique words in this new app course if they took the old sentences and added them to the new course, and if they inflated the 'new' app course word count with stuff like 'Mike' 'London' 'New York' and each verb conjugation as a separate word). Even if I'm only half paying attention. Because to be real... I've studied 2000 words before, so even if doing all of the glossika course only improves my listening skills, quicker comprehension of words I know and kanji pronunciations, that's still enough benefit to noticeably make listening to japanese easier to a significant degree. Not super easy lol, but noticeably easier than where I currently am.

I mean, I can already see how it's improved my listening comprehension speed. When I practiced by listening to a few audios in japanese earlier this week. (that said - you can get the same benefits with tools other than glossika).

So yeah... I'll keep trying to brute force get through the glossika sentences for another month. We'll see if at a certain point I give up, or if I get through all 6,700 sentences.

Also, regarding glossika chinese: I'm not going to try it out. I can confirm, from the japanese course, that glossika's course is a Little too slow for me. Too few words introduced at a time. I can handle a faster pace. Free chinese options go through words at a faster pace, while still providing repetition of words in multiple sentences: like Chinese Spoonfed anki audio (which I KNOW has more words than glossika), and just regular audiobooks. I'm at the point where I can follow the main idea of at least SOME scenes in any audiobook I press play on, on bilibili, and can follow the main idea of MOST scenes in the audio dramas I click in, so I'd rather keep listening to the much more entertaining audiobooks and dramas. Also, audiobooks introduce much more new words for me on a regular basis, which helps me learn.

Some suggestions for total beginners: Comprehensible Japanese youtube channel is a good intro to japanese if you want to listen to a lot of japanese (much more beginner friendly and correct japanese compared to glossika), Comprehensible Chinese is a good youtube channel for beginner chinese learners if you'd like a listening heavy approach. Nihongo Con Teppei (on youtube and spotify etc) is a good listening option for upper beginner japanese learners, if you know enough vocabulary or kanji (with the japanese captions turned on) to follow what the guy is saying.

[seeminglyseph]

I’m like. Half still edible high . And watching “an appropriately unhinged recap of LOST (Season 1)” by Mike’s Mic, and definitely realizing my duelling sexual attraction to both Hurley and Sayid that I was not… equipped with the knowledge of myself to deal with at the time of watching LOST when I was a teenager and figuring out my sexuality.

Also I do want to say, if I say “I want to be like Sawyer” it is obviously not including the clearly reprehensible aspects of Sawyer from the beginning of his character arc. That is a very stupid conclusion to jump to, please don’t jump to that conclusion. I’m a fuck up and a loser and an idiot, but I aspire to be charming and likeable and eventually use my skills for good. And I like that Kate has survivalist skills, so while John gets most of the credit for being the guy who trained for a Walkabout, I do believe she is someone with wilderness experience even though I do not remember what her actual fucking backstory was. It is so obtuse.

But like also I have been rejected from a bunch of programs because my disability makes me a liability so I remember at one point not being able to process literally anything about John’s character beyond “don’t tell me what I can’t do” and like. I know there is so much more, but as a young cripple, grappling with “uh sorry you actually have like very limited options now and have to start looking to see if you’ll be allowed to do activities with the group even more than before” I was like… “character analysis’ override activated, indignity and audacity online”

Oh I just figured out why always being the only one too short to ride the rides was so upsetting even though no one else understood why I was crying. Childhood core memory unblocked.

I probably have other thoughts but I am not organized enough to have them. All I can think about is like. Wanting to be Hurley’s boyfriend. I think I modelled myself as a person after Hurley honestly. I can see myself in him and not just because I am plus size and probably say Dude more than is reasonable… but he did kinda show me a lot of things I want in a man and as such I have done my best to be those things. Since it like. Stands to reason if I would find it comforting, someone else might also be comforted? But I guess like Sawyer I am a fake.

God I’m more stoned maybe than I think. Good lord.

[nonotnolan]

Cuerpo Inc: The Internship

It had taken him a few weeks, but Mark was finally getting used to the office culture at Cuerpo Inc, one of the leading manufacturers of body swapping technology. He hadn't really expected to make a career out of a product that seemed to be used only by the young and the perverted, but the pay was more than worth any sort of stigma that people still had about the relatively new field. Besides, the position had required a Master's in Accounting and a CPA license, and the work was as difficult as it was satisfying. The office culture was… weird, to say the least, but he took it in stride. He was still finishing up with a bitter divorce with his wife of three years, so it was nice to have something to distract him.

"Hey, James," he said, waving at the man standing in front of the bathroom sink. At least, he assumed it was James. It was James's body, at any rate, and it was polite to use the body's name regardless of who was in it. It was hard to tell who was who around the office, but since all of their work was tied to a username and password, it didn't really matter either.

"Hey Mark," came the reply. "How's it going? You excited for intern season? Sign-ups just dropped a half-hour ago. I'm so excited for this year's group."

Mark rolled his eyes. "I can't say I'm excited," he said. "It'll be two months of baby-sitting a bunch of wet-nosed college students who just want to pad their resume. I don't know how we'll be able to train them to do anything useful, since they won't even have a license, let alone a full degree."

James looked confused. "I mean, sure, they're just padding their resumes, but why would we… wait, this is your first intern season, isn't it?"

Now it was Mark's turn to be confused. "Well, sure, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Hah! No wonder," James said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Look, Cuerpo Inc is considered a really forward-thinking and prestigious company, and our internship slots are in high demand. We can set some pretty crazy demands, and we'll still have a bunch of kids clamoring for the spots. They have to give up their body for two whole months in order to work here."

Mark couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in disbelief. "I… two months? What do they even get out of a trade like that?"

"First hand experience," James said, with a wide smile. "It's a modified swap where they get to keep a temporary copy of your work and school knowledge, in addition to all of their own memories. The company doesn't lose any productivity because it's almost like you never left. The intern gets first hand experience having and using relevant industry skills. And you get a two month paid vacation in a body that's in peak physical condition."

"Really, even me? But I haven't even been here for three months yet." Mark couldn't help but bone up at the thought of having a hot, young body for the summer-- it seemed too good to be true.

James just shrugged. "I mean, why not? There isn't a shortage of applicants, and it's not like they're losing any money. During intern season, half your salary goes to the intern, and half your salary goes to you. I guess technically you could keep you paycheck if you opt out of having an intern's body, but… almost no one ever does. Having a hot, young body is totally with the temporary pay cut. My wife loves this time of year, it really helps spice things up in the bedroom. Plus it's nice go out on a weekend bender without having to worry about the Sunday hangover. Anyway, you should sign up before all the best ones get taken."

He finished washing his hands and left, leaving Mark alone to his thoughts. The timing was perfect. His marriage ended when he finally admitted to himself that he was gay, but coming out of the closet and entering the dating pool in his late 30s seemed beyond embarrassing. Getting some dating experience with a body in its early 20s, however…

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

It had only been two weeks, but Mark-- or rather, Tyrel-- was having a great time.

He was grateful for James's tip about checking the sign-ups early. The pool of body builders had gone quickly, and while it would be interesting to have a cute twink's body… he wanted something a bit more traditionally masculine for his first time. The thought of a hairless body just felt like too much of a change. It was weird enough choosing a body with a different heritage, but… well, what was the point in having a new body if you weren't going to rock the boat at least a little bit? Mark had thought looking down at his arms and seeing a new skin color would be the weirdest part of the body swap, but that had stopped surprising him after two days. Honestly, being a few inches taller inside of his home was the part that was throwing him off the most. All of the drawers and cabinets were now slightly lower than where he expected them to be, and it was screwing with his muscle memory.

Mark was surprised at how quickly he was getting used to seeing Tyrel's face in the mirror. It was serving him well on Grindr, too-- it was rare for him to have a night alone unless he wanted one for himself. Mark wasn't sure if Tyrel was gay before the internship, but with eight inches of uncut cock in his pants, it certainly made him popular amongst the local gays.

He normally avoided blank profiles even if they did message him a photo-- he could afford to be picky, after all-- but when he received a message from a blank profile named Mark, he couldn't help but be curious. Sure enough, the first message was a photo of his old body, wearing nothing but a jock strap, ass out toward the camera. "Your body has turned me into an insatiable bottom ;)" he typed. "I've been having bathroom sex after the workplace happy hours, but no one at the office can come close to satisfying this hungry hole. Can you help me, Tyrel? Fill me up with my own cock!"

Mark immediately felt himself getting hard at the thought of ravaging his own body with Tyrel's massive cock. "You got it, Mark. You're clearly begging for this dick. Who am I to deny Daddy what he wants?"

"That's my boy," Tyrel replied. "Bring lube, unless you want to go in raw ;) I've got rope. Room 734, see you soon."

Mark started to take deep breaths, lest he blow his load early. "Damn, and here I was worried Tyrel might not be gay-- dude clearly has way more experience than I do." The thought of having to find more hookups for the next six weeks suddenly looked a lot less appealing. "Hopefully tonight goes well. With any luck, I can just fuck myself for the rest of the internship."

[padfootastic]

Can I please rant for a bit? One thing that really irks me when it comes to how the fandom sees Sirius is that he was somehow mediocre at magic. He became an Animagus, McGonagall says he's 'exceptionally bright' and Slughorn calls him 'talented', plus Dumbledore says he is 'clever' and what he did was 'extraordinary' (as in, he became an Animagus at fifteen). Oh yeah, he also helps make the Marauder's Map and retains his magic in Azkaban (Dementors are supposed to drain away power). He summons six objects at once, he displays healing skills, duels Dolohov and Bellatrix (and only lost bc he got cocky + Bellatrix was a decade or so older so she fought the entirety of the war, talk about pure talent), two of the most dangerous DE after being rusty for twelve years, almost cracks the GOF plot on scraps of newspapers. He even shows knowledge of very abstract and rare magic ('the reverse spell effect?'). His idea of fun with his mates was basically cartography and the height of complex self-transfiguration, they were all nerds. I'm sure if he'd had the chance he'd have been so dangerous and a bloody extraordinary wizard, like there's the Dumbledore/Grindelwald/Voldemort and Sirius and James are directly behind them. I have no doubt Remus wasn't lying when he said 'they were the cleverest students in the entire school'. I wouldn't be surprised if him and James (and Lupin I guess) also invented spells like Snape. It sounds like their idea of fun. Oh yeah, they were also well-versed in hexes and jinxes that they knew obscure illegal ones like the Bertram Aubrey head enlargement hex. But they think he's an idiot bc he acts recklessly when he's very emotionally compromised and mad with grief/depressed. That's not idiocy, that's a man who needs therapy. Sorry for making this so long feel free to ignore it was just therapeutic to write. But like the amount of times I've seen Sirius and James ask Lily for help on the Marauder's Map is mind boggling, they literally didn't need it.

anon, you have my whole heart rn. feel free to rant in my ask/inbox anytime u want. in fact, i’m actually requesting u to do it more bc this was so articulate i actually don’t have a lot to say for once lol

(a while ago, i did a character bingo where i ticked off sumn like ‘terrified of them in real life’ or something for sirius. there’s a very good reason for that lol)

i honest to god cannot deal with the whole ‘stupid sirius’ thing. thankfully i don’t see it as often now as i used to it man, even one fic w is one too many for me. it’s just so,,,,jarring ykno? because his intelligence wasn’t just tell but very, very show and to still bypass all that and genuinely believe he was stupid is just rly weird to me. and it’s often hand in hand with all the drama queen characterisation and everything i’ve ranted about before which just makes it so much worse.

and god. the marauders were honestly nerds. it’s a wonder they were cool (i mean, we don’t know if they were but i definitely hc it so. ykno) bc look at these fucking idiots. everyone is spending time fucking around while they’re playing around with advanced, extremely dangerous & illegal magic. i love that sm for them. honestly, i find it perfectly plausible they could have invented spells (maybe their own for the map?) but i also love them picking up obscure or tricky magics. like, i have this hc that j&s could duel w both hands bc they trained for a scenario where that could happen. or sirius started etching runes before he was taught formally. just,,,small things like that ykno?

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #14P: Atalante

Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re makin kitty. I mean Atalante. Obviously. She’s a Flurry Ranger to rain down a silly number of arrows on her enemies, but we also hop into Monk to make her all speedylike and Cleric for flavor. I was going to use Cleric to get a big AoE effect for her NP, but it turns out ranger is actually kind of good in PF2E so it’s just kind of here now.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Euryale- it’s like Oxyale, but for… um, nevermind.

Ancestry and Background

Atalante was a human, but then she got turned into a lion, so now that she’s a servant she’s a Beastkin Human. This gives you a boost in Dexterity and Wisdom, and you can Change Shape as an action to swap between your hybrid and human shape. This also gives you a bite attack that can do a little piercing damage, plus an expanded ancestry feat list.

This gives you feats like Animal Senses, so now you smell good. I mean, now you can smell things good. Shut up.

At level 5 we’re popping back into Animal Senses for some Low-Light Vision. Not quite catty yet, but it’s getting there.

Finally, at level 9 we pick up our last edition of Animal Senses for some Darkvision. ..Yeah, the ancestral feats for this build aren’t super out there.

At level 13 you can enter your hybrid form as soon as you roll initiative thanks to your Quick Shape. By this point you do just about everything quick!

Finally finally, at level 17 we can get Animal Swiftness, adding 5 feet to your movement speed and giving you a climbing speed too. If you weren’t able to climb you’d get an extra 10 feet instead, but I guess that’s for your alter.

Atalante is technically a noble but she got kicked out, so instead she’s a Hunter now. That gives you another boost in Dexterity and Wisdom, you get trained in Survival, and you learn how to Survey Wildlife, so you can spend 10 minutes checking out an area, using a survival check to recall knowledge about animals nearby.

Class Levels

1. Atalante is a hunter, which is probably why she’s a Ranger. Her key ability is Dexterity, which gives her another +2 to that stat and bases any class abilities that require saves off of that stat. The archer is going to be very dexterous, no surprise there. She’s also trained in Nature, Religion instead of survival since you have that already, Will saves, your Class DC most Attacks, and Unarmored, Light, and Medium armor. You also get trained in Acrobatics, Athletics, Stealth, Intimidation, and Medicine. You also get expertise in a few things, namely Perception and Fortitude and Reflex saves. You see good, you fast. Like a cat or something.

You get yet another Ability Boost right off the bat, giving you a boost in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom. This is your only intelligence boost, which is why I didn’t bring up the whole “learning skills as you get brainier” thing, since you get all your training level one.

Speaking of training, you’re trained on how to Hunt Prey pretty good, spending one action to single in on a target you can see, hear, or are tracking, giving you a +2 bonus to seek and track them. You can also make ranged attacks in your second range increment without a penalty, so you can effectively hit up to 200 feet away for free.

To make killing that prey easier, you can unleash a Flurry upon them, reducing your multiple attack penalty against them.

Speaking of multiple attacks, you can make a Hunted Shot once per round against your hunted prey, combining damage to pierce through resistances. Or launch them into the sky for style points, either or.

2. At second level you’re fast enough to perform a Quick Draw, drawing your weapon and attacking with it with the same action.

You’re also fast enough to perform a Cat Fall, reducing your falling height based on your acrobatics training. Right now, you treat falls as 25’ shorter-that increases as you train, up to complete negation of damage at Legendary.

Finally, since we aren’t buff enough to monk, we’ll grab the Cleric Dedication instead. This lets you cast and prepare two divine cantrips, and trains you in divine spells which use wisdom. Finally, you have to pick a deity to worship, and you become bound by their anathema. While there isn’t a perfect representation of Artemis in PF2E (yet), we get pretty damn close by worshipping Fandarra, the Mammoth Lord Goddess of the life cycle. She allows neutral evil worshippers like Atalante, and her domains include death, family, knowledge, and nature, most of which fit Atalante to a T! Her anathema forbids you from breaking the cycle of life by making undead or the like, spoiling the earth, and killing juveniles. I’m sure none of those will come back to bite you in the ass later.

You would get trained in Nature and Religion as a part of this multiclassing, but we’re already trained in both so we’ll grab Arcana and Diplomacy instead.

3. I don’t think we’re fast enough yet, let’s make you Fleet. That’s another 5’ of movement! You also have an Iron Will, making you an expert in will saves, and we’ll bump up your Survival too for more rangering.

4. Now I wouldn’t call Atalante a sniper, but I still think picking up Far Shot to double your bow’s range increments is a good move- tabletop games tend to undersell archers’ range just to keep everyone on the table. Now you can hit most creatures up to 200’ away, or your prey up to 400’, with no penalty.

You also become a Wilderness Spotter, improving your alertness in the woods for better hunting. Now you can always use Survival rather than perception to roll initiative. You can also use survival now to detect and disarm traps. To be fair your Perception’s already great, but we’re never getting into thievery this build, so there’s still a reason for it.

We also get some Basic Dogma from your cleric class, making you a Family Domain Initiate. I’d’ve loved to go nature, but I think the focus spell Soothing Words is more in character, letting you spend an action to add bonuses to an ally on will saves and emotional effects, and it also can counteract an existing emotion effect. You like keeping the kiddos calm, and now you can. Once per long rest, or after 10 minutes of focusing.

5. At fifth level we get buff enough to multiclass again thanks to your Ability Boost bumping up your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. You gain Ranger Weapon Expertise, increasing your weapon proficiency to expert and giving you critical weapon specializations while hunting prey.

We’ll also bump up your Athletics for better races, and your Trackless Step lets you automatically cover tracks without losing speed.

6. At sixth level you get just a tiny bit faster by firing a Skirmish Strike instead of a regular attack, letting you step and strike with the same action. This is also a flourish though, so that means you can’t do this and your Hunted Shot in the same turn. Choose carefully!

For more explosive movement, your Powerful Leap increases your jump distances by 5’ when jumping horizontally, and they increase to 5’ when jumping straight up.

Finally, for our last feature from Cleric for a while you can Emblazon Armament over the course of 10 minutes, sanctifying a shield or weapon for a year, turning it into a divine focus, and also adding +1 damage to all attacks. This works best with firing off as many attacks as possible, and that’s kind of your whole deal, so it’s a good pick.

7. Seventh level monks get Evasion in D&D, but you do too. Here, it increases your reflex training, and your successes are always critical.

You also become an Experienced Tracker, so you can track while moving at full speed, though you take a small penalty to your check to do so. Once you become a master, you can ignore the penalty, and when you become legendary, you don’t have to re-roll every hour.

You also become an expert in Acrobatics and a master in Perception, plus your Weapon Specialization means you deal even more damage with weapons you’re skilled with. Like, say, a bow? Or really any sort of non-advanced weapon, though we like bows the best.

8. At level eight you become a Monk! Now you have a d6 for your fists, and you can make lethal unarmed attacks with no penalty. you’re also trained in occultism since w’ere running out of skills to give you.

Speaking of unarmed attacks, you also pick up the Animal Feature warden spell, which uses (and expands) the same focus pool as your clerical focus spell. You spend an action to gain an animal body part. You can get low-light vision (which you have), claws for stronger unarmed attacks (the reason we’re here), powerful jaws which are okay I guess, owl eyes for darkvision (for the one level we don’t have darkvision naturally), or wings/ a fish tail for a flying or swimming speed, respectively. We’re just here for the claws, but if you want to grab something else I won’t tell on you.

If you’d rather climb trees the hard way, Rapid Mantel might help you out, letting you pull yourself up for free whenever you grab an edge. You can also use your athletics to grab one instead of your reflex save, though you’re pretty good with those.

9. at level nine you gain nature’s edge over your enemies, making them flat-footed when they’re in difficult terrain or a snare. team up with robin hood; it’ll be fun, we haven’t built any lancers yet. you also get good at stuff, thanks to your ranger expertise and another boost in acrobatics skill, giving you mastery.

10. tenth level rangers get another ability boost in four skills like dexterity, constitution, wisdom, and charisma. we have the multiclassing minimum, we’ll never need strength again.

you also become a hazard finder, giving you a +1 bonus to find traps and hazards, plus a +1 bonus to your ac and saves against their effects. you can even find traps you’re not searching for! you can’t win a race if you keep slipping on bananas. learned that one the hard way from the mean streets of mario kart.

you can kip up as a free action to stand up from prone without triggering reactions. regular catfolk get to land on their feet anyways, but this is the next best thing. plus they don’t get to star in monk movies, so really- sorry, i meant to say they don’t get monk moves, so they don’t get a +10 bonus to their movement speed. ya go fast, it’s kind of your thing.

11. an eleventh level ranger can speed up their hunting with an expeditious search, letting you search an area in half as much time, or four times if you’ve got legendary perception. (you will)

you also become the juggernaut, queen, giving you mastery of fortitude saves and they’re always crits if they succeed.

your medium armor expertise does exactly what that sounds like, though to all armors you had training in before. you’re also a master of survival, and your wild stride lets you ignore difficult terrain, even reducing the effects of greater difficult terrain.

12. at twelfth level you can enter a Monastic Archer Stance as an action. while in this stance, you can only make attacks with bows, but your arrows will be able to use any monk attack features if they’re within half your bow’s first range increment, so 100’. This is one of your slow burn features, it’ll get better later.

for even more speed, you can use terrain transposition to literally teleport yourself 90 feet with two actions and a point of focus (and your focus pool is at its maximum of 3 points now btw). why roll a check when you can just hop around for free?

your assurance in survival makes you an even more formidable tracker, letting you ignore all penalties and bonuses and instead take a roll of 10+ your training modifier, so you never have to fear a natural one again!

13. at thirteenth level you become a master of Athletics, and your Weapon Mastery makes your bow and punches a bit more accurate.

14. more interestingly, at level 14 you can use the focus spells Hunter’s Vision and Ki Rush from your ranger and monk levels respectively. the former makes it so your hunted prey is always visible to you as long as they aren’t straight-up behind a wall somewhere. the latter lets you spend one action to move two strides and/or steps, while also making you concealed until the start of your next turn. now not only are you stupid fast, you can stride six times in a single turn if you really, really want to.

also, you have some Environmental Grace, a protective barrier from your gods against extreme environments. if you end up spending an hour in severe cold or heat, you become protected from that environment until you leave it. I know Alter’s the one that ends up in the lostbelt, but that’s just you in a different outfit so I’m counting it.

15. level 15 is more of a self-care level, but it’s a good one. you get an Ability Boost in Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, and you become an Incredible Scout, giving your allies a +2 bonus to initiative while you’re scouting. You also get Greater Weapon Specialization and Improved Evasion, boosting stuff we already have. That’s double the extra damage, and you ignore critical failure on reflex saves, instead taking half damage on regular failures. You’re also legendary in reflex saves, as well as perception. and Acrobatics too, why not.

16. at level 16 you can use Ephemeral Tracking, giving you yet another focus spell to track down creatures even through the air or water. you’re sensing their… mana… signature? I guess? it’s FGO, if you want to do it, you can probably make up a reason for it. the DC is always 30, and it’s possible to cover your air tracks, but you’d have to know it’s possible first.

You can also Water Sprint to move across water without getting wet. Ironically, this is actually a feature your giant move speed makes worse, since you have to move half your speed on dry ground first, so you need more runup space. once you’re legendary at athletics you can use your full movement over the water.

finally, you can use a Monk’s Flurry to attack twice in the same action with a flurry of blows, and this does work with your bow in its stance. you might have noticed already, but that’s awfully similar to your Hunted Shot attack from level 1, but it takes more time to set up and also prevents you from making unarmed attacks. and you’re right! it’s still bad. but it gets better a little later, you just have to trust me on this one.

17. now it’s time for some fun. at seventeenth level you become a Masterful Hunter, further increasing your flurry bonus for multiple attacks, increasing your no-penalty shooting to 600’ against your hunted prey, and giving you a +4 bonus to seek and track them. also your ranger class dc is set to master now, just in case you didn’t have enough cool toys.

while we’re here, might as well make you legendary at Survival, right?

18. at level 18 you finally get your NP, the Impossible Volley. Now you can launch an attack at every enemy in a 10’ radius area in one go by spending three actions, really maximizing the bonus damage from your bow and weapon specialization.

you also become a Legendary Survivalist, letting you survival indefinitely without food or water, and survive extreme temperatures without taking damage. technically all servants should be able to do this, but not everyone’s going to be a great hunter first.

finally, we can make flurry of blows actually a good thing with Pinning Fire. if you use both flurry of blows attacks to hit a single target, you can pin them to a nearby surface, forcing a reflex save against you or they become immobilized until they pass an athletics check to break loose. It won’t hold most servants long, but that should be just long enough for Lancer to show up and skewer that idiot berserker.

19. at nineteenth level you can use a cloud jump to triple your long jump distance, and you can now use the long jump calculation for your high jumps as well! So with your monk training and powerful leaps, you can make a 30’ long jump with a DC 0 athletics check. If your jump would move further than your speed, you can spend additional actions to complete your jump.

your armor becomes a second skin, making you a master in ranger armors, and if you’re wearing those armors you can sleep in your armor now.

you become fast enough to find swift prey, letting you hunt prey as a free action at the start of your turn. you’re also legendary in Athletics now.

20. last level, let’s end it on a high note! you get one more ability boost in strength, dexterity, constitution, and charisma, and you can now track your pretty To the Ends of the Earth. when you hunt a prey within 100’ of you, you can follow that creature’s exact movements to know its location no matter where it goes. sadly this doesn’t work through teleportation or planar travel, but I doubt a giant pig will be able to do any of that.

you can Wall Jump as well, letting you jump again mid-jump if your previous jump ends next to a wall. since you’re legendary in athletics, you can even do this several times in one turn!

Finally, we’re going to pick up one last feature from cleric, Premonition of Avoidance, which uses your reaction to give you a +2 bonus on any saving throw. even more evasion baby!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You are the ultimate tracker. You don’t need food, or water, you can’t be stopped by walls or distance, and even without your funky magic tracking you’ve got legendary proficiency in survival and assurance. if you hunt something, you will find it.

On a semi-related note, you’re incredibly mobile, with 45’ of movement, a climb speed, frankly silly jumping power, the ability to run on water, and straight up teleportation, it’s really hard to escape you, or for melee fighters to get within range. that’s not even touching the ki rush shenanigans!

you have extra attacks pretty much since level 1. more attacks means more consistent damage, as well as having extra effects thanks to your Hunting Shot piercing through thick hide and your flurry of blows forcing an enemy to waste an action snapping arrows. That also makes you really good at taking down crowds of smaller enemies, too!

Cons:

You still have issues dealing with melee fighting, and while you’d think being a monk would help there, it actually makes you worse since you can’t use monk arrow stuff and punch at the same time. If someone can keep up with you, it’ll be a hassle.

You also don’t have burst damage, so trying to take down a big target might take a while. Sure, if you’re hitting something that can’t hit back you’ll win eventually, but it’s not gonna be a fun time.

You have way too many focus spells. You’ve got cleric stuff, ranger stuff, and monk stuff, all working off the same three focus points. This means you can’t run too fast without weakening your tracking ability, and vice-versa. Just make sure you don’t go all-out, that’s your berserker’s job.

[kayarai]

Rhysand being so certain that Cassian and Azriel's Illyrian honor and loyalty will keep them on his side without having even a shred of awareness about what Illyrian honor even MEANS much less what it might mean if they feel that HE'S the one who betrayed them first. I'm not sure that Rhysand even has any concept of Illyrians beyond the asshole camp lords that Night put in charge. (Why were they freezing in the mud, huh, Rhys?! WHO PUT THEM THERE?! Why might they not be will to share their whole selves with the Prince of Night, huh Rhys?)

It says a lot about how much faith and respect they had for Shahar (I can't remember how to spell her name right now) that even though she didn't live among them as one of them, they still very much considered her theirs and believed she could (and would) make the future better for them. (This is a thought I had while reading Starlight: the House of the Wind is possessed by the ghost of Rhysand's sister and she's fucking Pissed at him)

Rhysand is very bad a cost-benefit analysis. Particularly because he doesn't seem to have any concept of what a 'cost' actually is, especially when it's someone else who'll be paying it. Or even what a benefit is really. (Dude, you have two business savvy, policially knowledgeable, intelligent humans who are personally invested in keeping Feyre safe. This would be a FANTASTIC opportunity to learn about the state of the human lands and kingdoms and formulate plans based on new information instead of, you know, deciding you already had a perfect plan despite the fact that you haven't talked to a single (not Feyre) human in at least 500 years.(*insert the "no it's the children who are wrong" Simpsons guy meme here*) Or that maybe there's this guy right here with friendly acquaintances all over the place that could be very useful if you weren't, you know, a shithead. But nope, slightly bruised pride too much cost)

Rhysand's desperation for Feyre to only see him in a very specific light is greatly aided by Feyre's equal determination to only see him in that exact light.

Rhysand thinking that, even after learning he fucked off to the continent and got arrested for gambling debts, bringing shit-head papa Archeron into the situation will keep ANYONE in line (kinda love that even though we're all, like, Everyone Gets a Name but then none of us will can shithead papa Archeron anything but shithead papa Archeron)

Rhysand hoping this situation that he doesn't want to deal with implodes while not comprehending that it will implode into A WHOLE NOTHER SITUATION

Do you think he's a bit baffled when Feyre comes to the conclusion that her sisters hate faeries? Like he's perfectly pleased with the situation and happy to roll with it because it'll drive a further wedge between her and her sisters do you think he looks at the perfectly polite chats with Cass and Az despite the glowing siphons and giant bat wings (plus the Shadows in Az's case) and the House Full of Blood Magic/ Lucien FUCKING Venserra situation and think "Whelp, I guess you've got an immortal lifetime to learn some observation skills" (not that she'll learn good observations skills from HIM anytime soon)

Rhysand thinking that Feyre loves and cares about these people and that therefore they are a THREAT to HIM instead of that meaning that he should maybe he should care about, or, a least, try to get along with them.

Elain just keeps smiling a playing the perfect hostess is nearly as infuriating as Nesta snarling in his face. Then she puts Cassian's knife to his throat. That's probably one of them most WTF moments of his life. (someone please tell the Illyrians that Elain held a knife to Rhysand's throat. They deserve knowledge that this tiny human girl was willing to pull a knife on a High Lord for her people (a people they are now part of))

Did he notice that Elain served him some funny tasting tea and just think nothing of it because human food is all shit to him? (Also Cassian had almost zero reaction to Nesta saying that Elain had tried to poison Rhysand, his High Lord/'brother')

(in your Nesta/Eris story, the Valkyrie priestess says something along the lines of "Rhian's sniveling brat son may think the world revolves around him but it doesn't" and "Shahar would be disappointed in him." These statements feel applicable this Rhysand (or all Rhysands really))

Rhysand is about to get a crash course in how loyalty is a two-way street. The Archerons' people (now including a bunch of awestruck Illyrians) are so ride-or-die for them because the Archerons are just as ride-or-die back.

All three of the Bat Boys are in the process of completely loosing their shit in different directions.

Side-note: When Elain offers Cassian tea and calls him sir and Cassian's like "WTF I'm not a sir" and Elain's like "It's a courtesy given to any man with a title" and Cassian's just "naw I don't have a title" and then in her head Elain's like "WTF in what world is General not a title?" It just makes me wonder about Cassian's (and by extension, Azriel's) actual place in the Night Court's (barely existent) court hierarchy.

Side-note the second: While mentioning the Night Court's barely existent government system the thought of Amren having secret peons in place helping keep the court running. It might have started as a bit of a game 'How much functioning government can I make before Rhysand actually notices" however I think it got boring pretty quick through a combination of, 'he barely ever notices anything not shoved directly under his nose' and mild concern that Rhysand might actually notice and stop her and the court will implode even faster than it already is (and she's gotten stupidly attached to some of these colorful insects and would like to keep them around a bit longer) (Side-side note: I'm SO hyped for Amren to meet the rest of the Archerons)

Side-note the third: if there's Archeron ships in Night then there's probably Archeron ships in Summer too right? That could spin the whole Summer-book theft debacle in... interesting ways. (I'm imagining Tarquin talking to Feyre about Archeron ships bringing in supplies to rebuild the city at greatly reduced transpiration fees or something and Feyre's just mentally like "wtf my sisters hate faeries why would they do that" (because she's still operating under that particular delusion) but (because Rhys thinks it's a good idea) she plays along like she knows about it or something and uses it to gain more of Tarquin's trust before, you know, Rhys's whole *brilliant* plan takes place. Imagine how abso-fucking-lutly pissed OFF, Nesta, Elain and Lucien would be. Like, the whole situation would already piss them all off but add in deliberately taking advantage their family's reputation and kindness to do it? Rhysand had better stay well out of stabbing distance. (Side-side-note: Tarquin's, like, less than one hundred right? The dude spent more than HALF is fucking life Under the Mountain. Give him a fucking BREAK.) (Side-side-side-note: Just popped into my head. What if there were babies BORN down there. Like, that's their whole life down there. I just realized that this isn't actually much of a what-if scenario because really we just have to look under Rhysand's OWN fucking mountain to see how that goes.)

I think that's all of the babble for the moment. <3

Today on I Reread Effloresce And Had What If Pov Thoughts: RHYSAND. Like what is going on in this dude's head? Seriously. In the little snipit we get of his pov it sounds like Hyburn is his biggest concern but that derails into a desperate need to one-up the Archerons SO damn fast. His oh so ~well~ thought out plan gets blown to smithereens instantly and his control freak self is PANICKING while also trying to maintain his whole calm cool casual facade. Will he ever admit how badly he misjudged the whole situation in the human lands? No. Does he even care? Probably also no. All that really matters by this point is that Feyre's sisters keep upsetting her and THAT can't stand.

Added to all this other plan breaking bullshit, Cassian starts following around after the angry loud one like a lovesick puppy and he's not 100% sure what's going on with Az but Something is.

And of course Lucien FUCKING Vanserra.

I'm willing to bet that Rhys's suggestion of going to get shithead papa Archeron is based on just how much Nesta and Elain seem to hate him.(And then Az shuts that down with "I will fucking KILL HIM")

Then the wardrobe of dead birds happens and he thinks for like half a second that he should feel bad about that but then Nesta is shouting at Feyre and he can't have THAT. (Then the sweet polite sister grabs the knife from Cass's boot. Oh yeah, she did STAB Az didn't she)

He looks forward to seeing Nesta put in her place by a bunch of misogynistic Illirian assholes but instead the entire legion is ride-or-die for team Archeron practically from the moment their feet hit the ground. How the HELL did they mange THAT? (it's called respect and basic decency. Try it sometime)

(and then Mor gets there just in time for Az to start noticeably losing his shit.)

(I also noticed that there was a line where Rhys bit back a snarl because even after all this time it would make Feyre uncomfortable. Meanwhile Lucien just has no qualms about being absolutely undeniably Faery in from of Nesta and Elain and they give exactly zero shits about it.)

Oh man, Rhys. Rhysie Rhysie Rhys slowly but surely showing more and more psycho.

So, the thing is, Hybern IS the top priority. However- and I think this is just like, so pivotal to Rhysands character as a whole- it has to be fighting Hybern his way. He has a year to tell the other lords shit, and he doesn't. He steals, he lies, he puts civilians in danger.

And why? Well, because that's the story he's telling.

Textually, observably we have Rhys, arrogant misogynistic selfish fuck face that he is, and then we have Rhys, the battered but unbroken noble underdog fighting against odds for the Good of All tragic hero man- this is the story he tells himself. It's the one he makes sure Feyre believes. It falls apart against all his actions, but that doesn't matter to him.

The humans don't want to talk to him? Of course he's going to find a back way in. Feyre's human sisters might die? Well, one less thing to take her away. Humans might die? Sure, Rhys feels bad, but not enough not to weigh the cost favorably.

Then he actually gets there.

And they're so... Unbiddable. Hostile. They've upset Feyre, they've written blood magic all across their land, and Rhys might appreciate cleverness but this is just more than he wants to deal with.

And Lucien. Sidebar: what I think is hilariously never talked about is. Well. Lucien actually is all the things Rhysand romantically imagines himself to be. He is ACTUALLY the lost heir, the disinherited son, the noble prince. He actually did stand against Amarantha for his friends. He's drinking respect women juice by the gallon while actually being charming and powerful. I cannot imagine this doesn't lie cardinal to the reason why Rhys is so disdainful towards him.

Lucien is easy to write off by himself. (Because Rhys fucking hates him). Nesta Archeron sets everybody's teeth on edge. Elain keeps smiling. They're all the worst and every one of them is important to Feyre and thus, a threat to Rhys. Anything that could hurt her is, he won't allow her to be hurt.

Cassian is acting like an idiot but Cassian is an idiot about women. Azriel is all Azriel but what else is new? Rhys will deal with it.

(Rhys will not deal with it. Rhys does not believe for a second how serious this all is. Rhys is, frankly, already bored. Maybe he'll find Feyre's father. It'll make her happy, and someone else can wrangle the others.)

They're merchants- of course they're merchants, grasping little mortals- they have a contract? Well, if they want to play with magic so badly, Rhys will help them.

(Rhys does not understand what Azriel finds so compelling, much less Cassian. Illyrians do not brook with disloyalty- even the mention is enough for shame. They won't betray him. They won't, but it's still enough to annoy)

Cassian's bleeding heart has always been a problem. Azriels moods. Honor. What honor did they ever learn, starving in the freezing mud, Rhys thinks. These humans want to wade into waters that will only drown them- Feyre will be so much safer, no ties left to mortality- of course Illyrians, backwards, difficult Illyrians, side with these misbegotten nightmare women. Let them be crushed by it, let one rebellious legion die, Rhys doesn't care either way.

He's pissed, but he's also letting things play out hoping it just implodes an entire situation he doesn't want to deal with.

He's also not actually totally in the loop. Cassian's POV makes Azriel really distinct because they are so, so close, but Rhys, for a lot of reasons, doesn't have the same understanding. He knows Azriel went off the rails when his mother and sister died, but so did, you know, half the mountains. He refuses to even entertain how personal it was beyond maternal feelings.

Things get worse and Rhys gets worse because this is not how it was supposed to go. What the hell is it about these Archerons?

[yakumtsaki]

GUESS WHO’S HERE AGAIN. Seriously wtf is the wolf’s problem, why does he constantly show up in every lot except the one I want him to, GOD. 

Anyway, let’s get this update rolling cause I wanna get back to the main house at some point, it’s unreal how much time I spent on the spares, I really didn’t expect them to be such a shitshow. We begin with Melody and Gunther, who remain shockingly, disgustingly happy:

I’m not kidding when I tell you guys that Gunther hasn’t rolled a single cheating want his entire time with Melody. Loyal king! 

So Melody is in like her 100th LTW, she became a Mad Scientist while married to Daniel, then she became Hand of Poseidon-

-then she became a World Class Ballet Dancer (wtf lol)-

and finally she became an Ecological Guru! We stan a Renaissance Woman.

She also earned 100k without having it as an LTW, but whatever, it counts!

Melody also got to live her dog dreams as we adopted Lulu and she had 4 puppies with Benny..

..whom I named after painters since Gunther is an art ho:

This is Dali, Pollock, Frida, and Vincent! Unfortunately, as evidenced by Lucy Hanby’s presence, Gunther’s weeaboo house is not meant for this many pets, so we kept Frida and sent the other 3 to live with Angel and Wulf so we’ll be seeing them later (these dogs are the. WORST).

Finally, Gunther grows up in this iconic ‘leather blazer + boxers outfit’, when I tell you guys I lold for 5 min-

-and then Melody comes home from work, finishes her 5th LTW (I can’t remember what it was) and grows up in the same outfit! CUTE

And they lived happily ever after, ignoring their kids♡

We switch to Daniel, who’s.. uh.. not doing great. He had to get a job because it was Melody who was bringing in the big bux, and between that, taking care of JuJu and taking care of his 50 cats, he’s perma exhausted. 

He’s also rolling depressing fears such as above, thankfully between his kid interactions and his cat interactions he’s always plat. I did change his LTW from Golden Anniversary to the Journalism one because honestly I don’t think he would remarry anytime soon, he’d be focused on JuJu plus he’s bound to have some trust issues :(

The blows just won’t stop coming, as Roux, the last of the original Komei cats, passes away💔 End of an era.

-So you see, June, sometimes a family is a Daddy and the kids in one house, and the Mommy in a different house with Uncle Gunther! -But why is Mommy with Uncle Gunther? -Beats me, honey.

Despite the traumatic divorce, JuJu remain absolute units, I can’t believe their skill points-

-and Daniel remains the best sim parent I’ve ever had, I can’t believe Victoria and Komei produced him. 

Then at other times, I can believe the Komei part.

I just want him to be happy instead of talking to his trees :(

-Ok, Jul, so we agree that Dad needs a serious relationship yesterday? -Absolutely, Jun, before we know it he’ll go from talking to the tree to marrying it. 

-Nana, we have a cunning plan to get Dad a girlfriend, I need you guys to help us make Lucy attractive to him!

-Aww how cute you are when you’re not SHITTING EVERYWHERE

-Lucy, I couldn’t help see you hugging Sisi! I didn’t know you were a cat person! -Beats those goddamn dogs at your brother and your wife’s place! I still can’t believe he dumped a star like Brittany, I mean she was in the Monty Farms Orange Soda commercial!  -It’s been not great talking to you.

After Daniel flops with Lucy, who passes by BUT TARA KAT. OMGGGGGG. PLEASE GET ALONG PLEASE GET ALONG IT’S TOO PERF

Dan greets her and the first thing she does is admire him, AWWW

-Let me just tell you, Daniel, it’s a true honor to meet you, you’re a legend in the Crazy Cat Lady community! 

Ya, that figures lol.

-NOW THAT’S SOME HOT AF CAT INTERACTION, TARA HAS IT GOING ON

We invited Tara over for a date the next day (after a much needed makeover) and things escalate..

..QUICKLY. I didn’t remember Tara is a family sim too, I thought she was knowledge, this is perf ♡

It’s JuJu’s birthday, which Melody shockingly attended, I legit thought she might not come-

-also in attendance, Sugar, with his face blurred out so we can do the big reveal of his teen face in the main house.

June is FUCKING ADORABLE. She looks so much like Melody from the front, but from the side..

..KOMEI NOSE. MY HEART

June celebrates her birthday by immediately kissing Sugar, who is.. her uncle Jojo’s grandson, so her cousin, once removed? If only we lived in the time period Sugar gets his clothes from, this would be fine, sorry Jun! 

Julian grows up right after and is also INSANELY ADORABLE. The first thing he does is hug June, I cannot, just like when they were bebes♡

-Huggle? -Huggle huggle!

With the kids about to leave for college, Daniel married Tara-

-and promptly knocked her up! I didn’t want more kids but I felt bad for Tara because having a married family aspiration sim with no kids is borderline cruel. And how did Tara repay me for my kindness??

BY HAVING..

..FUCKING TWINS. DANIEL WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR SPERM. Anyway, welcome to the world, Cleo and Cecilia aka CC!

Daniel finished his Journalism LTW and got this insane bonus:

63K. GOOD LORD, DANIEL

When he’s not raking in the cash, Daniel as always enjoys living in the nursery.

Big surprise, the spawn of Daniel and Tara Kat won’t leave the cats alone.

We legit have so many cats now with Tara’s added three that the lot was flashing pink and JuJu had to fuck off to college early, but they’ll be living with Sophito and Sugar in the UUU Greek house so we’ll see them again soon!

And Daniel grows up! 

-I think I did pretty well :)

You did great, baby! We just need to get you some grey eyebrows pronto.

And he lived happily..

..and lagilly ever after! :’)