#principal of the thing kin

[findinyourkin]

This is a stretch but I'm fictionkin with the Principal of the Thing from baldi's basics in education and learning (bbieal), and I'm looking for anyone but primarily Baldi, Gotta Sweep, and Playtime. I'm an adult, so preferably 18+. Please interact with this post if it sounds familiar and I'll send a message.

!!!!!!!!

[eldritch-spouse]

I slam the door with frustration, spooking the angel patiently waiting by the door. I haphazardly throw my coat on the floor before grabbing the celestial’s hand and stomping into the living room. Forcing him to sit on the couch, I turn on the tv for noise and hastily unbutton his suit. “I need you now. Had a bad day and you will help me relieve stress.”

In different years, Belo would find this way of life to be slightly insulting.

He's a warrior after all, a power. His kind belongs outside, patrolling, securing the well-being of lessers, fighting for the honor of their Highers and holding the safety of Eden on their shoulders.

Ah, but those days are gone. Long gone. His vision glazes sometimes, wet and torpid eyes lamenting the fate of many of his brethren. They, unlike him, didn't have the fortitude to handle their own abandonment, the newfound fruitlessness of their very existence.

It's one thing to never know what the meaning of your existence is. It's another thing to have that meaning embedded in your very core and never be able to fulfill it again. Sometimes Belo envies that freedom, that ambivalence of simply existing because you can, because you were made.

Also unlike him, his kin did not have the miraculous luck to find someone like his Lady. His Lady-Worship, his beam of light in a universe ready to swallow him in its poisonous darkness. The guiding hand in a world so new and so different, so degenerate. So horrid! As amazing and radiant as you are, Belo shudders when he thinks about how you made it this far intact without a celestial by your side.

With new meaning come new duties, understandably.

As Belo still needs to learn quite a lot to understand the symbolism of this new age, he worries himself with protecting your sanctum, making it the best version of itself, and keeping it painfully, effectively warded against all threats- Especially that fiendish "neighbor" you have, what disgusting absolutely abhorrent lifeform it is! Noxious creature!

But alas, your benevolence knows no bounds. Not only have you welcomed him into your life, you refuse to let that wretched pest meet its end. Truly, you are too good for this lost planet.

Now.

Back to his current task.

The sanctum is spotless, but alas, Belo was never taught how to prepare meals for lessers. It was not the type of discipline delivered to his cast. A guardian would know this, even a principality! But not him, not a power. Unfortunate and unacceptable- He must show adaptation and flexibility unlike ever before!

Which is why that uhm... Digital movie playing contraption you have comes in so very handy.

He never thought he'd be learning to cook from lessers, but here Belo is, hoping against all odds that he doesn't ruin the eggs this time. It's not that he can't handle objects in a gentle manner, it's that he's never had to taste things. Therefore, he doesn't know how to create the correct flavor.

And Lords forbid he ever present his Lady with something foul-tasting!

The power is sure he's got it down correctly this time however. Belo has just finished putting the eggs on the plate he intends to present you with, when he stills.

An acute sense of alertness and hearing means a lifeform like him is always aware of the movement around your apartment complex. He knows when your neighbors leave and arrive, which parts of their homes they're in... This also means that he knows when you're nearby, having memorized the noise of your vehicle -Such a shame that he can't accompany you to some locations- And the jingle of your mildly irritating keychain.

The angel scrambles to put everything together, wanting to be at the door with his offering in full display, so eager to see you-

The door rips open.

Only a nick of time allows Belo to secure his painfully crafted work of mediocre culinary, lest it be swatted to the ground. Sharpened eyes spare you great concern.

His Lady exudes frustration. Although his rank is not the most emotionally attuned, Belo senses a cloud of negativity choking you, your glorious features drained and tense. He's overcome with emotion.

" My- My Lady! Whatever happened today? Did you get hurt? Who d- "

The force with which you grip his hand is surprising for a human, dragging the angel only because he always allows you to. The food lies forgotten on the nearest surface. It's by his ever subservient attitude that you can toss Belo to the couch too, his silent confusion following when you activate the bigger display box.

" I need you now. " You begin, patience depleted. " Had a long day and you will help me relieve stress. "

He squawks the same way he does whenever his Worship starts these encounters without proper warning, wings fluttering and fur fluffing in a mixture of shock and anticipation. He fears that a part of him may enjoy getting pleasurably surprised more than any self-respecting angel should.

" But... " He knows it's not a good idea to challenge you, trembling as the last of his covering is undone. " You should eat b-before I service you, my Lady, many hours have passed- "

" I'll eat when I can't feel my legs. " The snarl you give Belo sends shudders down his spine, and he bashfully, albeit inwardly happily, readjusts to spread his legs for you.

" Excuse me but that hardly sounds healthy... "

His cock pokes out a furred slit, beading and twitching to interest. Although Belo becomes uncomfortably erect the moment you recklessly undress before him. It was not, as a filthy demon would put it, a slutty display. It was raw need, irritation and pure dominance. It was a side of his Worship he had yet to witness.

Belo refuses to ever admit it aloud, he cannot, he will not! But... But oh, the sins of the flesh. No, when provided by the superiors, they are not sins, they are gifts. They cannot be wrong. It's not wrong for Belo to enjoy your physical rewards for his work, but it is perhaps sinful of him to lust for more, to so eagerly hope that you'll allow him such pleasures when he performs certain tasks.

He does not touch his aching length because he's not allowed to. His pleasure is for you to decide upon, of course.

The angel prepares to slide down on his knees when you shove him back on the cushions by the shoulder.

Three eyes blink at you. " Am... Am I not to service you, my Goddess? "

You usually enjoy the touch of his fingers upon your most intimate zones, for training him is easy, and Belo adored the sounds of your approval. You did also curiously enjoy grinding over his face, a sensation that often left him pointlessly thrusting against nothing.

None of that today, it seems.

" Shut up. "

He was about to reply with a reflexive 'Yes, my Lady' before catching himself.

When you straddle him, the celestial only tilts his head, figure heated, but never expecting you to simply line him up with your entrance and slam yourself down.

Had he not been in the midst of breathlessly throwing his head back, Belo would have died from worry. As holy as you are, you share the stature of humanity, and Belo knows -F-From common sense, of course!- That his organ is not the same size of a human's at all.

He tries to articulate his concern, but the squeeze of your core around him is hypnotic and sickeningly euphoric. Belo can only hold onto full hips and cry his delight while you mercilessly hammer down on his cock, milking all the pleasure you can from him.

His melodious whines and resounding moans -Something he ought to control- rise in intensity as Belo loses himself and begins rutting senselessly, the tip of his dick nuzzling spots that make the two of you go stupid.

" Don't you dare cum yet! "

He wails, physically wails, body trembling so hard it almost spasms in his effort to reign his movements. " N- Never, never my Lady! I'm good, I'll relieve you- I'm good! "

And as if to confirm it, your serious complexion finally morphs into a self-satisfied grin, all lidded eyes and gentle, mocking affection.

He's the one that's not getting any relief soon.

[nutterzebutters]

Yk now that we got a taste of shadow milks true intensity due to the new CRK trailer today I think it's safe to say that behavior is exactly why pure vanilla had to go through 12 whole trials, or at least a good damn reason. Knowledge governs the principles of being able to do something, and therefore governs the nature of the virtues, similarly truth governs over the nature of the lights the ancients inherited, bc without it you really can't achieve the true form of these lights; to be in tune enough to actually carry the soul jams.

A jam so powerful that it can fold the mind of a cookie literally baked for it in half and then some, a principal so encompassing that it's only natural for it to be the worst offender when something goes wrong, and the brightest light when things go right. I believe you can also use the word "polarity" and slap "extreme" in front of it and it would fit the description of this seemingly clover shaped gem.

Now I haven't checked the ep 9/10 story as of recent, I'm sure it's since changed, but at a very early point in the runtime of this game dark enchantress cared about that jam the most. The rest were like bonus powers, trophies next to the big one. The light of truth in particular was quoted to be the one that would help her mold the world in her image (which I'm sure is one of the reasons she's reviving the beasts, is if she can't get PVs she might as well try for shadow milks while the beasts help her create that perfect cookie business) and I hope they haven't forgotten about that.

Also would like to add voice acting is done with multiple takes, for the purpose of finding the correct tone, empathsis, what have you. It's one of the reasons games like CRK will go back and work on the story of earlier chapters, and in Odyssey clotted cream purposely empasized that against Holly and cacaos jams, pure vanillas didn't seem to share many common properties other than what made it a soul jam like it's kin, and likely still doesn't share properties with cheeses in any real regularity. Freedom can be arguably like truth and it's interesting to see how these lights tend to reflect their previous natures regardless of the purity process. Even going as far as to select cookies that share the same traits, or are prone to the same mistakes as the beasts, the only difference is that these cookies have the tools, the experience to push through while the beasts really didn't.

I don't actually have any predictions, usually I would. Ik that I would like to see some conflict with wind archer that does NOT prevail or save the day and it does seem likely he's either going to fall, no message sent

He's going to fall, but at least the message is on its way to the others

Or he does get out (which wouldn't make for a very fun plot point tbh)

The trailer for those who haven't gotten to it yet

[the-peak-legend-of-first-gen]

SCARRED LOTUS

The dust settled, the war came to an end, and Sukuna was finally defeated. Oh, God knows how long it took to bring down that four-armed bastard. But one question still lingered in the air—what happened to Gojo Satoru’s body?

“Uta-himeeee~”

Not again, Utahime thought.

The corridors of Jujutsu High were almost always vacant, except on Thursday afternoons when Principal Yaga had to take the second-year classes. The rest of the second years were manageable, but the real problem began with that white-haired menace.

“I called you, and you didn’t pick up even once, and now you’re ignoring me? Not nice.”

“Call me Senpai. Show some respect for your elders.”

That did the job. Pushing Utahime’s buttons and teasing her relentlessly was Gojo Satoru’s favorite hobby.

“If you’re going to avoid me, at least give a valid reason instead of this lame excuse.”

This idiot never learns. Utahime had a lot of work, and her promotion to first-grade sorcerer was near, only adding to her already insurmountable stress. She ignored him until she ran into Shoko. The two women hugged as if they hadn’t just met yesterday.Something was in Gojo’s eyes. Something unreadable. But exploring too much into the endless abyss of his ocean-blue gaze was never a good idea. Before she could dwell on it, Geto’s voice cut through the moment.“Satoru, be nice to Senpai. She has a very important mission coming up. Soon, she’ll be a first-grade sorcerer.”

Gojo frowned. “Are they just making anyone a first grade these days? I mean, sure, not everyone can be special grade like us, but even first grade should have some stand—”

A slap cut him off. But alas, damn him and his Infinity. Utahime’s hand never made contact.

“Suguru, don’t you think we have an important mission too? One given by Tengen-sama, no less! Not some average promotion assignment.”

That was the last straw. For some reason, that was too much for Utahime.

“Go die in your so-called special-grade mission.”

For just a second, Gojo’s smirk faltered. It was barely noticeable. But who would have thought that Utahime’s words would soon become reality?

The Gojo clan refused to arrange Gojo Satoru’s funeral.

That wasn’t surprising, considering his strained relationship with his own kin. Rather than giving the clan an heir, he nurtured relationships outside of it and built strong sorcerers who weren’t bound by blood. This outcome was inevitable.

But thanks to Yuta Okkotsu, now the clan leader, his body could be cremated respectfully.

The air was thick with grief and melancholy. But beneath the sorrow, there was also something else—a sense of relief. No one to fear. No one to abide by. No longer was power concentrated in just one hand.

Many people were mourning, especially his students. But the blame game was just as loud.

Shibuya’s chaos was still fresh in people’s minds. The Shinjuku showdown had done little to clear Gojo’s name. The murmurs and whispers spread like wildfire.

“He should have let Sukuna’s vessel die.”

“So much power made him careless… made him mad.”

“Sukuna was never the real threat. Gojo was.”

“If only he hadn’t been born…”

That was enough. That was the limit of Utahime’s patience.

She felt nauseated, sick to her core. How could people say such things at someone’s funeral? Holding a bunch of lotus flowers in her hands, she thought she would never see the day when she outlived him.

The life of a sorcerer was always uncertain. Death lurked at every corner. But that idiot had said he would defeat Sukuna and come back.

So why was he here?

Why was she at his funeral?

The mission had gone terribly wrong.

The report had mentioned a semi-grade 1 curse—not a full-fledged grade 1. And it was supposed to be in a secluded place, not a hospital.

But nobody cared.

Why would anyone give a damn about a semi-grade female sorcerer who now had a scar across her face?

She was just a broken doll now, no longer worthy of anyone’s time.

And when even the golden boy of sorcery had failed his mission, who would spare a thought for her? It was not just a failed mission but the whole Jujutsu society bore the brunt of Riko Amanai’s death.

Her promotion was stalled indefinitely. The ugly scar on her face was a permanent reminder.And just when she wanted some peace and quiet—Boom. The flag bearer of chaos had arrived.

“Hmmm. Not only did you lose, but now you’re sitting here all weak.”

She was exhausted. She was angry. And when that was the case, her words were never sweet.

“Gojo, do me a favor and get lost.”

He stood by her hospital bed, gazing at her.Under his gaze, she felt exposed. Ashamed.

Because those eyes weren’t just seeing her scar.

They saw what lay beyond.

How weak and fragile she actually was.

How, when death came knocking, she wouldn’t have Infinity to protect her.

How she would always be just a semi-grade 1.

“You look cool now, Utahime,” he smirked.

“You mocking me?” she glared.

“No, seriously. You were this prim and proper puppet of the higher-ups, but now… something about you feels different.”

Hate would be an understatement. Right now, she wanted to strangle him.

“Oh, damn you. You think this is some teen emo act or something?”

He looked puzzled.

“You’re the strongest,” she continued. “Easy for you to say that rebelling against the higher-ups looks cool. But for me? It’s not. Yeah, I’m weaker than you. So what? I never needed your power in the first place. And so what if some of us go the prim and proper way? There needs to be a balance, right?”

It was like a dam had burst. Everything she hated about him spilled into the open.

“Pfft. You’re still so easy to tease.”

Shoko had told him the cut was deep, that it could be very infectious.

“Come to think of it… did you get the curse infection?”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, and the Six Eyes noticed immediately.

“It’s just a scar,” he said. “It’s a sign that you survived. Cheer up, Utahimeee~. The bigger scar would have been if you’d died.”

Remembering this conversation all she can do is laugh, with tears still running down her face.

When Sukuna cut him in half, she wasn’t there.

Thank God.

But what followed was even more horrifying.

They used his body, swapping Yuta’s soul into it to fight Sukuna.

Even in death, he wasn’t given rest. Even in death, the burden of the strongest was not lifted.

She had screamed, cried, and begged them to leave him alone.

But all she got in return was, “We have to defeat Sukuna.”

Even when she looked at Shoko, she couldn’t meet her eyes.

Gojo Satoru and “the strongest” were synonymous.

In the Jujutsu world, strength and power would always be linked to him.

But to her?

He was that annoying kouhai who still hadn’t learned his manners.

The man-child who somehow became a teacher to these hormonal teenagers.

To her, Gojo Satoru wasn’t just the strongest.

He was the one who kept her strong.

He was hope.

The night air was crisp, nothing unusual about it—except for the storm brewing inside Gojo’s head. It wasn’t just Sukuna he had to fight, but Sukuna in Megumi’s body. And after that, he still had to take down Kenjaku and give Geto a proper burial. That was the plan—if everything went right. But what if it didn’t?

Before he could dwell on the thought, a gentle voice called out to him.

"You’re supposed to be resting. Tomorrow is a big day."

With her, there was a sense of lightness—something akin to how carefree he had been with Geto, yet never quite the same. With Geto, there had been an unspoken understanding, a bond that said: If things go wrong, I’ll handle it for you. They had been equals—undisputed. But with Utahime, there was a different kind of pull. An urge to tease her, to momentarily forget all responsibility, just so he could watch her flustered expressions.

"Big day? Didn’t know we were getting married tomorrow."

Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she swatted at his arm. By some divine intervention—or perhaps his own carelessness—his Infinity wasn’t on.

"This is no time to joke. You’re facing Sukuna, and he has the Ten Shadows Technique."

His smile faltered slightly."I’m not your student."

"And you’re not invincible."

That struck something deep. The lighthearted moment he had tried to create slipped away, just like the night breeze that carried her words. Utahime was the first to break the silence.

"I didn’t mean to sound like I think you’ll lose, but… I can’t help but worry."

He laughed, but there was little humor in it.

"I know. But I also know that deep down, you’re thinking I won’t make it back."

The very thing she had dreaded to voice now lay bare between them.

"That’s not true. I know you’ll win," she insisted, though her voice wavered. "It’s just… you’re cocky. You underestimate your opponents. I just want you to be a little careful."

She reached for his hand, hoping—praying—that what she couldn’t say in words could be conveyed through touch. But his Infinity was up again.

And that was the final blow.

He said nothing, but this—this meant more than a thousand words ever could.

She lifted her gaze, staring straight at him.

"Promise me you’ll come back."

That got his attention.

"Oh? Look at little Utahime, pleading with me. Guess I can die happy now." She hated this. Hated how he handled everything like a joke.

"Is it too much to ask?"

He knew it was. Too much, because he couldn’t bear to break her heart with false hope. Too much, because it was already too late to make promises he might not keep.

December 24, 2019.

It had been one year since his death.

The world had moved on. The balance had shifted.

But Utahime hadn’t.

She placed a lotus at his grave.

Of course, it had to be a lotus.

A flower that blooms despite the mud and dirt—just like him.

A flower that remains unreachable—just like him.

A flower that represents what they could have had, but never did.

After all—

You can make a flower bloom.

You can admire it.

But you can’t tell the flower, “I want you to understand me.”

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1142 - Initial Thoughts

And we're back again

Loki is free, and now: we're gonna find out

I don't think we need to explain it any farther than that so let's get to it

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release Too

Yamato finally gets involved in his cover story again, it's been like 6 non-spread covers since we saw him

A Thunder Bagua rocks Who's Who

The chapter begins with uproar, as a serpent attacks the Walrus School

The kids call it Jormungandr, the serpent at the end of days

The pun is 'end of the weak' to which someone misinterprets as 'end the week? you mean like Saturday?' XD

The teaching staff are called to action; Ange along with the newly introduced Principal Mr. Kiba (who ironically looks like a Walrus) and Mr. Breid - who has ancient giant blood due to the horns

Kiba rushes to action and hammers the snake when it stares down a kid

And Saul launches down to hammer him with a Haki punch attack

Kiba is revealed to be a former Giant Warrior Pirate too, but he has back pains and thanks Saul for the help

Robin and Chopper were in Saul's beard as the kids admire the strength of Kiba and Saul

Unfortunately, there's no time for calm, the PE teacher Mr. Wolf is beaten and bloodied

The kids just...walked off? Ominous

A kid asks if Robin's a friend of Luffy's, and immediately backs off when she confirms it

Don't touch the children!? Double Ominous

Oh! They're sleepwalking, a sleep power huh?

This is very Pied Piper of Hamlin...

Kiba sounds the alarm, noting that the monsters attacking Elbaf and the kids wandering off is cause for such an alarm

The kids are passing out one by one, and Chopper asks to check on them

Back with Loki, he seems unfazed about the one shackle on him

Well Ragnir is indeed a hammer it seems

He demands the last shackle be released if they care about Elbaf's safety

He notes about Elbaf's weakness, and despite Hajrudin's protests, he attacks Yggdrasil

The hammer strikes and it summons a lightning bolt - interesting how it summons one rather than emits from it

That village was probably the one burned down by Loki...

But now Elbaf has caught fire

The village having a party are alerted to what's happening

Back at the Walrus school Ange notes she recognizes the monsters

We flash back to kids discussing Loki's ability to destroy the world

Kids argue alternatives though; Nika, Fenrir, Jormungandr, Nidhoggr, Draugr, Ghosts, a storm

Props to the kid who said 'my mommy' XD

One of the kids though asks to change the subject because it...oh

It'll give her Nightmares

It's nightmares, the monsters are things the kids are afraid of

And now we see the nightmare world; a demon Nika, a demon Loki, a dragon, a wolf, a creepy Zeus, a dapper ghost, a skeleton, even Smokey the Bear!

And this is Killingham's power, no wonder he's half dozy - must be a side effect to his fruit

But if he has a Sleep-Sleep Fruit (not confirmed, just spitballing), that'll mean his Qilin appearance is natural, but he has the Awakened Zoan-like clouds? Maybe he's an awakened Qilin and the dream-making is a non fruit power?

Hmmm...maybe it's a mix? Maybe his fruit isn't a Qilin but a Baku, and his normal appearance is lizard-like or long-necked

Regardless, Sommers - still in his chair - revels in the mission's profit right now

Killingham says he'll remove the trance once the kids are led on the ships, but wonders if the giants would get them back

Sommers has a weird philosophy 'to love is to inevitably hurt one another'

He asks what Gunko is afraid of, but she only replies with Nika

Boy if she sees Luffy that's gonna be fun

Now this, this is chaos - and I love it

It's a surprisingly nonlethal assault by the God's Knights, since they left Mr. Wolf alive to tell the tale. Plus they're not hands on with it...yet, this can still be part of Shamrock's proposed game. But man Oda, he finally put Nightmares in a story about Dreams.

Killingham's fruit is definitely up there, I wonder if waking the kids destroys the nightmares? I kinda hope not - because this also resolves the numbers issue and can pit powerful characters against their nightmares. This can be especially dangerous if Robin's targeted, given now that Elbaf is on fire as well, and Bonney! Bonney's a child too does she get targeted already? But it may be curious if we see fears from characters usually depicted as quite fearless.

Fighting nightmares is also not just the stage but the entire theatre for Usopp to shine, because nothing's braver than fighting fear. Though this could pit him against Killingham I do still kinda hope he fights Gunko, especially with her 'my one fear is Nika' thing, let her fear two gods XD Sommers is still someone to be wary of, a man that comfortable in the chaos is dangerous.

Loki is already causing a problem now too, definitely no ally. But it's an interesting division right now since we have the Monster Trio vs Loki and the rest of the Crew vs God's Knights and Nightmares. It feels wrong that the crew will abide to Loki's demand, but it also feels like Loki's gonna be freed either way - but with a 2bn bounty the three of them should handily manage him in a weakened state. So things remain curious there, his eyes are still covered too.

A break for next week but Oda has earned it for this one, we've been blessed with a good run of frequent chapters.

Let the shit hit the fan.

[theautisticcentre]

My gamer Percy headcanons

Her being a gamer is 50% a transfem thing,50% an autism thing(special interest)

Knows to make mods and focuses on sea based ones

Has pastel blue and white cat ear headphones

Exclusively plays indie,free and secondhand games on anti-capitalist principal

Picked to play a girl in Pokemon

NOT a doritos and montain dew gamer.She's an energy drinks and burgers gamer

^Has reinacted Jerma burger meme multiple times

And has tons of thirst followers because she's so effing pretty and dresses so fine

All time fave games are Animal Crossing,Undertale/Deltarune saga,Earthbound,Amanda The Adventurer,Butterfly Soup,Sonic Adventure 2,Fortnite and the Barbie Princess Charm School playersona game

Unironically loves the 'Player 2' romance gimmick

Has tons of gamer facts memorized and WILL infodump /threat

Always spells it as 'Gaymer'

When she games she tends to wear her hair up in special styles like goddess braids,huge afropuffs and hairclip ponytails

Kins Nessa from Pokemon

First ever console was a blue nintendo ds Sally bought her at 12 she made due with and hunted down cartridges herself,primarily based off already existing media she loves as they felt extra special to her

Mains Pharah in Overwatch

YES SHE'S SO AMAZING SHE'S SO GAMER

[revvnant]

not saying anything new but what gets me about twin peaks (and, to an extent, scream, and dare i fucking say it life is strange) is the focus on the grief. yes it's a murder mystery but it so firmly distinguishes itself from its kin by giving equal if not more time to the reactions to the murder. yes it's about the methodology and hunting the killer but it opens with an hour and a half of the most profound grief. grace zabrinskie's near-catatonia, going in and out of the present and expecting laura to be home before remembering that she's not and fixating on the last thing she said to her; the principal unable to hold back tears while announcing to the school what's happened; the very first scene with andy unable to take laura's picture without breaking down — in the same way i'm like 'i don't think scott likes women', i'm not the first to say that lynch loves women. reveres but humanizes women. i know laura corpse funko pop is a meme but andy literally gagging and sobbing over it is so markedly different from other crime procedurals where bodies ( often the battered bodies of women ) are props and a means to an end. twin peaks never lets you forget that that's laura and that for all her flaws she was loved and she can't be replaced.

i think part of why i fell off fnaf is that it sort of ate its own tail. the common critique is that it's a parody of itself and i agree. of course it's not at all the same, it's a horror game with the explicit goal of 1) being fun/engaging to play and 2) scaring the player. but the early mini games always, like, softened it for me. you never see what, exactly, william does to those kids, but you see their ghosts and their graves and the good ending is their happiest day. and then there's the other bits: william is hiding a grave in the woods, evan died in front of a bunch of other children, charlie was beaten to death in the rain and her father found her body, elizabeth's death was covered up as a gas leak but she's definitely dead. what i wish we got in the games (and very much so in the expanded material), and what i'm trying to capture on this blog, is the fallout. every death is a complete change of status quo, but it varies in degrees the further out you get from the point of impact. to the parents, they are waking up every morning in a nightmare. to those that knew the victims, there is a perpetual hole that will never be filled. for unrelated townsfolk, you feel less safe, you stop letting your child walk alone to school. on a state level, these are statistics lending themselves to a general panic. in derry people die or disappear at six times the national average. i know i'll miss them forever. (nobody is doing it like stephen king i'm afraid.)

imagine being michael and coming home one day and your sister has died in a 'gas leak' and there's no body. you're so nervous about watching your little sister, so careful, so aware of your capacity to harm, and then the one time you leave her with your dad she vanishes. empty casket burial. how can you not have a body in a gas leak. but you're not just miserable — you're vindicated, and guilty over that vindication. you've had fratricide held over your head for years and now you're not the only one who's gotten a child killed when they were your responsibility. but you're also now stuck on a sinking lifeboat with the man who did it, and heckled you for years over your mistake, and used you as a shield against criticism because you were the fuckup, the villain, and he's all you have left. what the fuck do you do. what do you do. your town is a nightmare, you're the local pariah, you can't live alone and your caretaker is both your abuser and only advocate and he just got your sister killed. how the fuck do you cope.

theory — this is why people vibe with henry's final speech so hard. not only does he roast william both literally and figuratively, but he acknowledges his own spiral, and he puts the focus on the victims. i have more to say about how charlie is treated both in and out of universe, the short version being that in universe it's really really good, but yeah. like. fuck you, you are going to hell. and i hope every victim finds peace. and i hope this restaurant burns to the fucking ground.

[ussjellyfish]

It was a day.

It always is, but today especially...day-y.

(students were difficult and I got robbed)

a student threw a chair on Tuesday (this isn't super abnormal, 12-13 year olds have issues). This particular kid, GS, has a really hard time managing his emotions and making good choices. He was making nazi jokes, other kids were mad, I tried to get him to leave class and he threw a chair.

The chair broke (part of it is plastic).

Students were upset. This particular student has known issues with his emotions. He picks at the worst things looking for attention, and he'll just keep digging.

He has huge emotional regulation problems. (he could use therapy, and support, he can't get these things unless he gets more support than he's getting at home).

So this happens, and it's not out of the ordinary really. It's a big emotional response, but this kid has big emotional responses. He's not a bad kid.

Parent emails the principal. Principal comes to watch my class.

And, she's good about it. She comes into 7th hour, she doesn't tell me what it's about. She watches for a bit, leaves, comes back at the end of the day.

And she's kin, she asks questions, she doesn't assume anything. She's actually REALLY good. I really like her, and she's really supportive and we talked about it

I feel awful afterwards. (i don't know why, I just..do).

I feel awful about my job sometimes. I feel like an imposter. I have a huge imposter complex. (I'm actually a decent teacher, I really am).

I don't feel like it.

So, I'm wrung out and I get home and a man stops me in the parking lot. It's getting late, it's dark, Felix is with me.

He wants my phone to text a friend. His car got towed, he needs moeny, etc...he wants me to give him money, and...I hand him my phone. He venmo's himself 80$, pretends it doesn't work, and gives the phone back. He deleted venmo, which is weird.

So, he sent himself 80$, it's not going to come out of my account for a few days. I disputed it, I filed a police report. (not that I really need the police involved, but filing a report opens up so many things, and it's an online form).

and sure, it's 80$, I'll live. I have 80$, but it feels lousy. I would have given him $20. 80 is more than I'd give a stranger.

It's also he's between me and my apartment, Felix is with me. What do I do? get back in the car? pick up Felix and run? he's heavy. I'm tired.

I'm so tired. In the long and short of things...does it really matter? It's 80$, I'll be fine. I don't think he was going to hurt me (I shouldn't have handed him my phone).

but like...if it was just 20$, I would have given it to him. That's fine. It's the violation, taking the 60 I didn't want to give.

I also really hate being approached by people who want money. I just loathe it.

and it's the parking lot of my building. I live here.

(also venmo is REALLY unsafe, because he was able to send himself money without me doing ANYTHING) while we made small talk about our kids.

And he made small talk about his kid, while stealing from me. Dude. just...I hate it.

[shmowder]

I know ya do tierlists from time to time so I want to ask if you’d do a tier list for the main casts thoughts on piercings/body modifications in general, not sure if body modifications were that accessible during the time period the games seem to take place.

Clara strikes me as someone who’d do their own piercings in the school bathroom (I am not talking from experience I swear) and Daniil seems like if someone mentioned wanting to do their own piercing he’d give them a dirty look and ask if they are looking for an infection? I also think maybe one or both of the Stamatin brothers possibly would have a piercing or two they seem like the type in my mind…?

Not only did Clara try to DIY a nose piercing, but she offered to give the other kids piercings and stick & poke tattoos in the school bathroom. She got busted by the principal, and Alexander Saburov had to go door to door and apologise to the parents of each kid she experimented on.

I think that in the Kin it's normalised for men to have ear piercings. That piercings in general aren't a feminine nor sexual thing, they respect their bodies and view piercings as an art form in a way.

Which is why I think both Artemy and Isidor have their ears pierced.

Realistically, by that time period, most women did. But Aspity was born from the earth merely 5 years ago, so I don't think she ever got the chance. Neither did Grace, who was severally neglected by her parents who didn't even bother to name her before they passed away, the townfolks gave her that name instead.

Aglaya was taken by the inquisiton from a very young age, I don't think they ever peirced her ears then. They probably treated those kids as tools or weapons rather than humans.

Murky was simply too young before and now she has no one to take her to get her ears peirced. I think with time, Artemy might suggest it to both her and Sticky, giving them the choice. Only Menkhu's are allowed to peirce bodies, Isidor did Artemy's ear piercing and now Artemy does it for the children of the kin.

Oyun, as a forearm, might have had more piercings that symbolised his authority and as a form of art. Maybe a septum piercing to go along with the whole minotaur theme? He took them out when he felt like didn't deserve them or the role of forearm, when he lost faith in his ability to help his people.

Anna used to be a circus preformer, she probably has several ear piercings and such to be able to wear eyecatching accessories and steal people's attention during her shows. She took took them out after the circus got disbanded and arrested, in fear that people might associate her with a performer because of them.

Likewise, that's the same reason Mark Immortell has his ears periced. I know he doesn't ingame, but I'd like to think he'd be the type to wear one pair of earrings as symbolism.

Eva might have gotten carried away and got several piercings when she moved into the town and experienced true freedom for the first time. Courtesy to Andrey being a huge influence while the two of them dated. A belly button piercing, dangling jewellery and several others.

She grew bored of them with time and took them out. She might decide to wear them out of the blue or for special occasions if the mood strikes.

Both Andrey and Peter have several piercings, Andrey, much more so. But the difference is that Andrey's were done professionally while half of Peter's were him getting creative with a needle while high, drunk, or both.

He would offer to give you a piercing if you drink with him, it will 100% get infected the next day.

Bad Grief definitely got some when he was just starting his climb onto the ladder of crime, he was edgy let him be. He still has them, genuinely likes them too even when he outgrow the edgy phase. They do help make him look the role, don't they?

Rubin wanted an ear piercing too, yk like Isidor and Artemy and tried to replicate it one night. A different time he was spending time with Grief when they were younger and still friends, Grief offered to show him something cool and Stakh just went along. That cool thing was being his first piercing because Grief needed a volunteer to experiment on before he sticks anything sharp in his own body.

Clara is self-explanatory. She claims that it's okay if she messes up giving someone a nose piercing, she can just magically heal the person.

She cannot.

Anyway, she succeeded in convincing Notkin to let her do it on him, and it surprisingly went well, better than his half failed piercing attempts to give himself.

Her next victim will be Grace.

I almost wanted to put Victor in the "took them out:" or ear piercing category because that man 100% had some wild unhinged young adult life at the Capital. All the coke under the sun you could imagine at his disposal, he slutted it out during those years more than Andrey could ever dream of, he explored and experimented so much, tried every drug invented at least once, really put his liver and white blood cells to work. Actually those wild parties were probably how he met Nina.

Then he was like "huh." and decided it was enough. just completely turned over a new leaf, now he's the pragmatic thoughtful leader, a pillar of the town, the most sensible and humble of the Kains. A most respectable noble man, a loyal husband and a proud father of two.

And you're right about Daniil, he's the type to immediately get on your case and nag you if even one of your piercings looks slightly swollen or done amateurly. As if he didn't almost agree to a DIY piercing back in med school shared dorms.

Daniil is the type of prude to see your tattoos and scoff before saying "you know those are permanent, right?" He'd condescendingly explain the risks and dangers of bodily modifications to you if you ever mention wanting something as simple as a nose ring around him. You didn't even say it to him, you were talking to someone else but he had the audacity to butt in the conversation and lecture you about it.

-

I had a conversation about pathologic characters piercings with a friend before and we came to the conclusion that 90% of the town would go to Artemy for their piercings, especially Andrey who bothers him every week for a new piercing before the last one could properly heal.

Andrey would even shamelessly ask him to do the more risqué piercings like he's talking about the weather. Que sleep deprived Artemy holding a needle and a scalpel in front of a pantless Andrey, attempting not to butcher the other man's ability to have kids in the future.

[abooklover]

Rewatching the first two episodes of the Percy Jackson series for like the fifth time like any sane person and just wanted to make a comprehensive (and I mean comprehensive so bear with me here) list of all my thoughts, however unhinged they may be so here goes.

EPISODE 1

Walker’s monologue at the beginning gives such great background and I’m not gonna lie it destroyed me hearing ‘look I didn’t want to be a half-blood’ as the first words. Not to mention the fact that half of that monologue is pretty much word for word from the book which is something I die over whenever it happens

Blackjack looking out for Percy - we love a bit of foreshadowing

The light that comes into the picture when he says things changed when he met Grover. This is literally everything to me, I am so glad even just in the first two episodes they’re showing how strong of a bond they have. Also let’s not forget that they have Mythomagic cards

Sally Jackson (my goddess) imparting words of fucking wisdom - ‘not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero and not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster’

Also her explaining to Percy the story of Perseus (his name sake) - like I am sorry but the centring of the mother/son relationship which only amplifies once Percy loses her is something I don’t know how to explain how much I love (like her even prays to her over his father who is a literal god but we’ll get to that later). ‘hold fast Perseus, brave the storm that was made to break us for we are unbreakable as long as we have each other’ 😭

‘hang on to that, it is a mighty instrument’ - oh yeah it is

Grover spouting scientific facts about bullying - ‘childhood trauma, feelings of inadequacy’ - like he’s written a research paper on it 🤣

Percy and Grover swapping things on their sandwich like they’re siblings

‘I was thinking more like shoving Nancy in the nearest dumpster’ and there mischievous smile afterwards - oh I love you Percy

Grover saying ‘If there’s one thing I know about bullies, you should never stand up to them’ and Percy saying ‘that doesn’t sound right’

I was a little underwhelmed with the whole Mrs Dodds encounter. I don’t know I think I just expected something longer and with the whole drama of Mr Brunner throwing Percy the pen but I think maybe in hindsight it makes more sense cause it’s easier to convince Percy that it didn’t happen

Gotta say that the first time I watched the scene in the principals office I did not even realise Rick was in it but now I can’t not see him

Grover ‘betraying’ Percy was heartbreaking cause you know Grover doesn’t want to do it but knows that he has to and you know that Percy feels like he has lost the only friend he had

Actually really glad that Eddie is a nice sympathetic guy not one of Gabe’s poker buddies

Still disappointed by Gabe - I still think he needed to be a bit more grimy and disgusting (and the way he talks in the scene was just not right for me, don’t know whether it was the acting or the script but it was a no from me). Though Percy’s ‘Losing at imaginary poker’ line was funny

Logical and Sally Jackson. That is all. Just know that I actively sob every time I watch this. Also her sitting in the rain so contentedly will never not hit me, on a personal level knowing how certain things can just provide peace and an escape from life otherwise but also more contextually with her and Poseidon (bottom line: water is the ultimate comfort)

Of course Sally believes Percy and brings him blue candy. Keeping the most important themes of the book. The mother-son bond (which I will to more later) and the blue

I always thought Brunner was pronounced runner but with a b in front of it

D’Angelo’s - yes I will take any peace of nico that I am given (fingers crossed for the lotus casino scenes)

My kin sally Jackson crying in a car while watching her son sleep knowing what lies ahead, nope sorry but I’m not okay and neither is she

‘You fell in love with god, like-like Jesus?’ - oh Percy my love. If nothing else this is who Percy Jackson is.

Percy fully believing that something is wrong with him because that’s what he’s always been told

‘What is he doing here, I don’t want to see him’. Grover and his impeccable timing and panic. Don’t get me started on why I think the ‘You didn’t tell him about me?’, ‘You’re early’ exchange between Grover and Sally is the funniest thing to me.

‘Why is there half a goat in your pants?’ and ‘Why is it wearing underpants?’ - Percy asking the important questions here

I honestly don’t know how they didn’t figure out Percy was Poseidon’s son after the whole Nancy no of it and then Clarissa like it was quite obvious

‘I’m actually 24’ oh Grover we know you bleat when you’re anxious

Sally’s goodbye to Percy - I am a sucker for sadness

I do agree that riptide should be bigger but the only thing I can think is that maybe it’ll grow with him

EPISODE 2

‘You drool when you sleep’ the iconic line. It kinda disappointed me not going to lie.

PETER JOHNSON-pretending to be Percy’s father-PETER-using Percy to break the rules Dionysus introduction and pipeline (oh he is horribly perfect)

‘Yeah but did you’ persassy is in the house and I hope he never leaves (one of my favourite lines and the way walker delivers it is perfection)

Camp looks incredible. I know people have issues with the grandeur of it all but that’s the way things work in the film industry and I personal adore it

And can we talk about Chiron’s injured back leg. Like am I forgetting something (probably) but I don’t remembered him being injured

For those who don’t know, finding out that like is the bad guy is probably gonna destroy them. Charlie bushnell really was like I’m gonna make everyone love me only for them to be crushed (and even though I know I am still gonna hurt - yes I have a soft spot for Luke)

I was so confused when Grover went into the woods and saw the council (it was the only part that I was like what in the world is this, this wasn’t in the books)

Luke being the one the comfort Percy and show him around - oh a genius choice narrative wise but I do miss my girl Annabeth

Introduction to Clarisse was everything - Dior is my goddess

‘Should I try again’ and the resounding ‘NO!’

‘Is there a Greek God of disappointment. Maybe someone should ask him if he’s missing a kid’ - Percy Percy Percy stop making me love you more than I already do like I don’t think my heart can take it

Then Chris’s lovely little tangent and Luke going man why the fuck are you saying this and reassuring Percy - you go storyline building up the loveable Luke (I’m already hurting)

‘They like the smell of begging’ - top teir line

‘You burn what you’re gonging to miss the most’ flash forward to Percy taking this and burning his blue candy praying, not to his father who is an actual god, but to his mother (I cannot handle this, like this kid knows that his mum is the real goddess)

Walker’s voice breaking on ‘well’ - I am sobbing

And the fact that he says he made actual friends - the narrative damning us to inevitable torture

The resentment in his voice when talking about his father - I am so glad they leaned into this

I kinda loved the bathroom scene. And how we are first introduced to Annabeth in this and how she is her blunt self (still don’t know how they could not have known)

Like calling Annabeth his little sister and saying he will always be on her side (I am hurting even more - we never get to see Luke’s perspective in the books and this, this absolutely ruined me)

Pronunciation of Thalia is still going to take some getting used to

Chiron forever in that suit jacket and fence is just not sitting right with me - doesn’t fit the whole trainer of warrior vibe he should be giving

‘Not you sunshine’ - honestly better than seaweed brain

Percy tripping over the branch and Annabeth just standing there and her facial expression (on Leah you are everything)

‘When it’s time he’s going to be ready. I know it.’ Cut to a montage of Percy doing the most 12 year old things possible, including but not limited to flossing (which I thought was kind of out of place and cringe) and petting a random gecko (which I thought was out of place but one of the most hilarious things ever so I’ll give it a pass) while his helmet and weapons lay discarded

Percy I thought you were meant to be proving yourself to your dad to get his attention or something, telling people where the flag is to avoid a fight is not exactly how to do that

Honestly any time Dior is on my screen is a good time - her manic laugh and anguished scream Dior is the moment

Annabeth’s bluntness will always be everything to me - ‘listen, Percy, I’m sorry’ and Percy’s ‘what is wrong with you’ (top five moments of the show)

The reveal - Percy Jackson son of Poseidon

‘I am Sally Jackson’s son’ yeah you tell them Percy (you will always be first and foremost Sally Jackson’s son)

[midnightsun-if]

I could’ve sworn this has been asked before, but does Aurelian have a uniform? Is there like a strict dress code or is everybody free to wear what they want?

Also fun story, I went to a private high school where we had to wear uniforms and I once got sent to the principals office cuz I put my hoodie on even though there was like 5 minutes left of class lmao.

There isn’t a dress code, no, but each class has a jacket that’ll be able to showcase what you’re learning (sort of like Hogwarts House colors). Like Charmers are typically seen in silk jackets, Shadow-Kin in dark leather, and Warriors in leather too (in lighter shades, like steel gray).

The only thing that’s truly expected of you, barring wearing said jackets to select classes, is that you look presentable. Nothing more, nothing less. Hell, you could wear pajamas to class if they weren’t thread bare and looked like something you’d actually wear outside.

[leportraitducadavre]

Naruto re-read XXVIV

Chapters covered: 236 - 244 Twentyseventh Volume of the manga

Site used: https://manga4life.com/manga/Naruto (VIZ translation of the manga)

Disclaimer: This is intended as a list and simple observations of the topics that particularly interested me in the aforementioned chapters, in that sense, do not expect a linear -or totally deep- analysis.

Tumblr’s update doesn’t allow me to attach more than 10 pictures, therefore, all of them will be LINKED. Apologies.

349) Medic-nins: “They demand a different skill-set from a warrior. To utilize the chakra, it takes light and precise hand… an enormous amount of expertise… an adaptness at practical application… patience.. besides, there’s a special something required  of anyone intending to become a first-rate medic…” (here). That special something seems to be someone to care for (x)

350) Anti-Sakura fandom (often Hinata stans), tend to shit immensely on Sakura for “burdening” Naruto with the promise of bringing Sasuke back, despite her not forcing Naruto to promise a single thing (he’s the one who promises, x), yet she -despite learning Sasuke left (x), smiles at him and refuses to allow him to apologize (x). She’s being a good friend here. She’s heartbroken (x) yet she vows to help Naruto and not be a burden to him (here); she even seeks Tsunade’s teachings for this very same reason (x). Like, you do have plenty of reasons to dislike her, but this isn’t one.

351) Once that was said… the fact that Naruto just straight out says he has no time to wait for her (x), lmao.

352) Akatsuki won’t try to take Naruto again for three to four years (x), it’s not clear where Jiraiya is taking the intel from (Itachi?), or why they are willing to wait four years (giving Naruto a chance to grow in power) to kidnap him. Likewise, Jiraiya tells Naruto Orochimaru won’t be able to take over Sasuke’s body for another three or four years (x) given how the jutsu works and how Orochimaru was practically forced to take another vessel. 

Akatsuki is shown together and they comment on the three years time-span (x), apparently, they will be hunting down every tailed beast, leaving the nine tails for last.

353) “...and Sasuke is of the same cloth as Orochimaru. Forget bringing him back. It is the tragic path of self-righteous fools.” Says the man that taught three orphans him and his kind created in the first place to make himself feel better, only to abandon them and never look back to check up on them.

354) It took three months for Sakura to revive a fish (x), Tsunade even says she might be of a talent similar to Shizune.

355) Hinata canonically faints at the sight of Naruto (x).

356) Did the Suna brothers stay in Konoha for three entire months? (x).

357) “More than ten years ago… the rule of the five principal shinobi territories was destabilized. Skirmishes arose near the borders, drawing small countries and shinobi villages into the fray. The prolonged warfare reduced the influence of the Land of Fire, even its base of military power, Konohagakure was struck by a heavy loss of life. Later on, this conflict would be known as the Third great ninja war.” (x).

358) I’m genuinely, genuinely, trying to understand what’s so great about Minato’s leadership skills that Hiruzen chose him as Hokage before Fugaku, (who listened to his kin’s wishes and followed suit). He states that the four of them will be separating as Kakashi became a Jönin and is fit to lead (x) despite the fact that he is aware that Kakashi diminishes Obito constantly and the later isn’t even willing to respect him (x, x). Everything he does about of this animosity in between them it’s ignore it and allow Rin out of all people to try to calm them both down (x). Kakashi even takes a very bad decision during their mission (x), risking his (x) and his team’s lives (x), and jeopardizing the mission they were sent to do (which was incredibly important, as Minato states) and the only thing he does is: telling Kakashi not to “follow always the rules” (x) and scolding Obito for keeping his guard down. He tells the three of them that “the most important thing is teamwork” (x) yet do you mean to tell me he had this group for such a short period of time he couldn’t even create a pleasant atmosphere between them? Even Kakashi, who only had Team 7 for a little less than a year and who practically did nothing to fix their dynamic was able to get a more functional team…

Furthermore, it was Obito who sought Minato’s advice about Kakashi (x), and not only did Minato tell him about a very personal issue of the young leader (x, x, x), but also tried to fix the whole situation by speaking with just half of the problematic duo, despite Obito never denying any request from Kakashi (as Kakashi never told him to do anything in relation to the mission).

359) Kakashi's Chidori: It was named after Minato's surname (x) and it involves chakra nature transformation, the user channels chakra to their hands and transforms it into lighting; the whole attack implies the use of the user's speed as they need to charge against the opponent. Such momentum is dangerous as makes the user move too fast to assert the opponent's counterattack. In short, it blinds the user to a specific point, creating tunnel vision (here). This specific setback is later fixed when Obito gives Kakashi his Sharingan, making him capable of predicting his opponent's movements, which is why Kakashi uses it when his Sharingan is uncovered (here).

360) According to Minato, Iwagakure invaded Kusagakure, which is next to Konohagakure, by deploying a thousand shinobi to the battlefront (Team Kakashi focuses on infiltration and sabotage, while he is the front-line combater). His feat, killing “thousands of enemies”, is false, as he arrives at the battlefield when there still are Konoha’s shinobi (x), as his comrade says, there’re FIFTY Iwa ninjas still alive, not a thousand, so most of the soldiers were already taken care of by other Konoha shinobi. Furthermore, Minato didn’t even throw the fuinjutsu kunai he needed in order to perform, making the remaining four survivors do so, so he had help even performing the task he became famous for.

361) Team Minato isn’t even surprised or nervous at being deployed in the middle of a war, by their (lack of) reaction, they’ve experienced this type of mission before (x). 

362) Obito is capable of using fire nature release at a high level when he’s twelve years old how is he considered a failure? (here) Yes, I know he is a “loser” by Uchiha standards as people of the clan are considered top tear, but you do realize no one else in K11 (but Sasuke) is able to use this type of jutsu at his age? Not even Kakashi can correctly perform Chidori yet (and he wouldn’t be able without Obito’s Sharingan either, see point 359), Kakashi even states the difficulty of such a task when he fights Sasuke the first time! (x).

363) Rin was able to perform surgery at twelve years old and transplant Obito’s eye into Kakashi’s eye socket (x).

364) Do you realize it was Obito the one crying?? Not Kakashi? Jesus fuck Kishi you genius you… (x)

(previous post) - (next post)

[foundfamilygetmeverytime]

On the morning of battle, Tom had clumsily applied paint to his cheeks. He felt like he was six years old playing with his mother's lipstick. He felt like a child. Not a warrior. Up until then he'd been all bluster and confidence, rallying the troops, undaunted in the face of uncertainty. But now....

Maxxor looked down at the boy, shocked and a little indignant. Did the boy even realise what those markings signified? How important they were? He scribbled on hasty clan signs like they were war paint.

At least he had the sense to look ashamed.

"I'm sorry." Tom's voice sounded small. Maxxor had never seen him so small before. The boy shifted his weight and looked out at the hill that they would soon be defending. "I just-" He ducked his head and confessed, "I guess I'm just trying to convince myself I'm not scared."

Because Maxxor made him brave. Maxxor always made him more than he was, better than he was. He thought that if he could carry some part of the king with him, maybe he'd feel more like a warrior.

A large forest green hand held a cloth out for him. Tom took it quickly and scrubbed his face. It was an excuse to hide from his hero. To keep the humiliation and fear from being seen.

"Sit." Tom sat on the only chair in the tent, covered in stretched hide. He kept his head down. He'd only been called to the principal's office once in his entire life and he never wanted to repeat the experience. Somehow, this felt the same.

Something cool touched his right cheek and Tom flinched in surprise. Maxxor wasn't looking at his eyes, rather he was following his finger as he applied the paint with careful precision.

"The left ridge symbolizes strength, the right, surety. Beneath them both is the hearth, a home to return too, kin. Above them all is the brow, unbending but just. Equal in all things." He spoke as he added the markings, trying to engrave their meaning and importance with every word and motion. "They don't mean anything if you do them yourself."

Maxxor straightened and offered his hand to Tom.

Tom looked up at him with wide, Mugic blue eyes and clasped his forearm, jumping to his feet.

"Thank you."

For telling me. For helping me. For being someone I can believe in.

"For this battle, you have a clan behind you. No one with those markings need ever feel afraid. Or ashamed." He turned and exited the tent.

Later, Tom would have a million questions. What about the patterns on his arms? Did they mean something too? How old was Maxxor when he stopped painting it all on and got it tatooed?

Where was his clan?

But at that moment, Tom scrambled to follow Maxxor out onto the field. Relieved and overjoyed and steady in the face of uncertainty. He was a warrior.

Intress gave Tom a surprised and aprasing look when he joined the back line, but then looked back at several humans that had her stripes painting their cheeks.

She shrugged and ruffled his hair. Maybe it was just an Overwolrd thing.

[rake-rake]

On Oberon's role as the Fae King.

Oberon's persona is equally made of two aspects: the original English folklore about him, and his representation in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Superficially he's the easygoing and airheaded troublemaker of the play, but when the situation merits so he will straighten his back and fully take on his roots, his role as the King of the Fae.

This involves many things, but the principal one is love, love for all the Fae. Oberon considers them all his children and loves them dearly, and wishes for nothing but to see them thrive and be happy, although that's not to say he is a permissive parent, on the contrary he's quite strict: if a child does wrong then they ought to be punished (see Lostbelt 6).

He is a gallant and proper King when the situation merits so. He conducts himself with the presence and power of one. He will give his subjects orders and expect for them to be followed without complain, as you do not speak back to your king. This is of course if you are a fairy, as you ought to listen to your father; he would not order humans. On the contrary, he will treat them with utmost respect and maybe even fondness, because even though they're not his, they're still children. This ties with the easygoing personality he takes to approach them, as he does his best to put them at ease, innocent little things that they are. He will smile pleased and play with the children, bow and take the adults hands to press a kiss to their knuckles, and pull them towards music to dance with him. But again, that is only with humans, the innocent children of man, as he's a strict parent and has more of a hard-love approach with his own kin.

It is also important to never forget, that no matter his good intentions and his truthful smile, he is still a fae. There are reasons fairies are synonym with demons in many cultures. Fairies are innocent, and that is why they are so terribly cruel. Things such as moral, values, and empathy are out of their reach. Tell them your arm hurts and in their worry they will tear it off you as to take a better look at it. Oberon is not different, if anything, his role as the King only makes it worse. He has sympathy, but not empathy. It is just what he is, the way the inner sea created him.

But the mystics of the earth care not for such trifle things. He is Ancient Fae King Oberon, and the very foundation of Britain recognizes him a such. Wherever he advances the earth welcomes him. The grass grows greener under his feet, the trees bear fruit above his head, the flowers flourish between his fingers, and any body of water becomes crystallin and pure when he submerges in it. He's loved by the mystics of the earth such as much as he loves them.

This is also why his absence resonates so loudly after he dies. The grass and flowers wither, the trees brown and refuse to bear fruit, the sky seems paler. The whole of the earth mourns him dearly, and then screams for him once Vortigern arises. The earth rots, unsightly insects sprout from under the bark of trees, all water festers and all the sweet smell of fruits is replaced by the stench of rot. Oberon's death leaves a wound that festers into Vortigern's freedom, marking the beginning of the end of Fae Britain.

[kindkin]

hi there welcome to my blog

you can call me angel, doll, deer, bunny, thing, monster, or anything else you think suits me. i am alterhuman and nonhuman, and use any pronouns

if you think im a person im doing a really good job pretending. not your object or angel or doll

taken by two lovely human beings

kin: transmission towers, doll, angel (principalities I believe), god/deity, fairy, plush, sweets/candy, object, tech/computer/robot, ghost, corpse, princess/royalty, mushroom, snow, rain/water/ocean, clouds

therian: deer, bunny, dragon (wyvern), hyena, isopod, millipede, centipede

character kins: Starlight Glimmer (MLP), Spinel (Steven Universe), The Firbolg (TAZ: Graduation), Kyo Sohma (Fruits Basket), Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket), Haruhi Fujioka (OHSHC), Umaru-chan (Himouto! Umaru-chan), Howl (Howl's Moving Castle), Isaac (Binding Of Isaac), Taako Taaco (TAZ: Balance), Yuno Gasai (Mirai Nikki), The Judge (OFF), Caine & Pomni (The Amazing Digital Circus)

Anti-zionist, anti-terf, pro-xenogender

please be soft and sweet and gentle with me

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #62: Hauteville!Nicolò di Genova

My major problem - the one that keeps me from actually writing any of the terrible fic ideas I have - is that I hyperfixate on details. Case in point, I was reading Crusaders by Dan Jones as background for eventual TOG headcanons - and was hit by how much the physical description of Bohemond I of Antioch resembled Nicky. So, naturally, I thought, why not?

Or: What if Nicolò di Genova was the bastard son of that famous crusader, Prince Bohemond I of Antioch?

aka the Love Is All That's Left fic

Bear with me:

Eldest son of the Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard (aka "The Terror of the World"), Bohemond was declared a bastard when his parents' marriage was invalidated and, "discovered that the most reliable way to get ahead in the world was with a sword in one's hand, and he had been blessed with the physicality and family connections to do just that" (55). Alternately described, "a fine figure even among the greatest," "a hero of great stature," and "spiteful, malevolent, deceitful, treacherous, inconstant, greedy, bitter, [and] a congenial liar," even his detractors were forced to admit, "he was magnetically beautiful: tall, broad-chested and handsome, with large hands and a solid stance, captivating light blue eyes and a fair complexion, his hair cut short around his ears and his chin shaved quite smooth, both provocatively out of keeping with a world in which tresses and beards were the usual symbols of machismo" (54).

Naturally, having just finished watching The Old Guard for approximately the eighth time, I thought, who does that sound like? Luckily the timeline seems to work, and thus this headcanon was born.

Just imagine it:

Bohemond was born between 1050 and 1058. If the date was on the earlier side of things (or he was a bit precocious), it's not impossible for him to have fathered a bastard child born c. 1069. The mother is quickly married off to a minor noble in Genoa, earning her child the appellation di Genova.

As a child Nicolò saw little of his father, but was encouraged to follow in his footsteps. He received perhaps the best military education available at the time given his Hauteville relations and proved to be a prodigal swordsman. Unlike his extended male kin, however, Nicky had little desire to carve a principality out for himself.

Given the choice, Nicky would rather join a monastery than a military campaign. There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from not wanting to be assassinated as a potential rival to a legitimate brother or cousin's throne to monasteries being great centers of learning to genuine religious feeling, but no religious house would dare cross his father or grandfather by allowing him to take holy orders without their permission. Which neither would ever give. Nicky was more useful to them as a knight than an abbot or bishop.

This stalemate goes on for a while, until the First Crusade. Although left behind in Italy to finish the siege of Amalfi in 1097, Nicky was summoned to the Holy Lands by his father after the siege of Antioch to help solidify his new position as prince of the same. Nicky delayed as long as possible, finally sailing to Jaffa in June 1099 with Guglielmo Embriaco to relieve the siege of Jerusalem.

Joe and Nicky kill each other for the first time on night of 14 July 1099, after the outer walls are breached (93). They repeat the process several times through the night, moving further and further away from the city each time. On the morning of 15 July they realize they're soulmates lay down arms, make their way back to the city, and arrive just in time to see the walls of Jerusalem fall.

They each die multiple times trying to protect the innocents caught up in the fighting and it's at that moment they each realize how easily they could fall in love with the other - though neither acts on their feelings until they arrive at Cairo some weeks later, having decided to leave the fighting behind and search the world together for answers to their immortality.

They go from Cairo to Alexandria to Tripoli to Mahdia, moving slowly and staying in each place for months to do research and earn coin for the next leg of the journey.

They are preparing to leave for Algiers when news arrives that Bohemond I has died, leaving the principality of Antioch to his infant son, Bohemond II, under the administration of his nephew Tancred. This should be the one and only moment Nicky has doubts about traveling with Joe, as Nicky considers returning to the Holy Land to protect the half-brother he's never met from those who might take advantage of a young ruler and leverage this guardianship to bring peace to the war-torn region. It is an agonizing night until Nicky realizes he made his decision long ago, and that he'd rather travel with someone who loves him and doing good where they can than fight for a land he's never seen for people who only ever saw him a weapon.

Nicky and Joe continue like this for several more years, going from Algiers to Tangier to Marrakesh to Al-Andalus to Sicily (where Joe finally learns Nicky is a descendant of those Hautevilles), finally making it to Constantinople shortly before the Second Crusade.

Honestly this is where this particular headcanon starts burning out, because I love the idea of Joe and Nicky's lives being shaped by (and shaping) the Crusades and as such is a part of all my headcanons for these two. (That, and Ibn Battuta-like journeys in between, visiting Aden, Mogadishu, and Mombasa before the Third and settling in Constantinople just in time for the Fourth.)

Specific to this headcanon is Nicky's journey being less one of religious deradicalization - though that is part of it - than confrontation of the consequences of his family's actions throughout the Mediterranean. Some part of him will always think that his immortality is necessary atonement for his and his family's sins, though that part grows less as the centuries pass.

Bonuses include: 1) Nicky confronting his cousin Tancred for failing to contain the violence in favor of ransacking the Dome of the Rock (95). Despite feeling betrayed - honestly having thought better of Tancred, - Nicky choses to walk away rather than kill his cousin. Years later, history will somehow mutate this into the basis for Jerusalem Delivered, getting all the important details wrong in the process; 2) Although not his mother tongue, Old Norman is the language Nicky always reverts to when needing particularly strong curse words. He blames his father for this; and 3) His highly annotated original copy of the Alexiad found its way into historians' hands in the 1800s and is considered an important contemporary Italo-Norman reading of the text. There is considerable academic debate as to the annotator's identity, with no one ever having gotten close to the truth.

That's all I really have that's specific to this character background - as I said, a lot of what happens after their first deaths is consistent across TOG headcanons for me. It's just getting them to Jerusalem that fluctuates. As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.

More Terrible Fic Ideas