#so it doesn't threaten the life of the patient long-term

[the-blossica-fan]

Greetings!

I am curious, what happens to a character when they "die" in the battlefield? Like we know they don't actually die in a literal sense since we can still access them in the suitcase after the battle. But what do you think happens? Like what is the process?

My thoughts on how it works is like basketball. When a player gets injured heavily and cannot play anymore (like dying on the battlefield), then there is a timeout or foul and they are replaced by a player on the bench (or the 4th team member in their Udimo form). The injured player is immediately rushed for medical attention and the rest of team continues on without them.

For example, I remember a time when my sister was playing and Avgust passed away suddenly and Windsong came out of the suitcase from her Udimo form to replace him (he was quickly avenged). I also wonder what happens when a kid is injured like that. Will they rush them to Laplace like they did with Erick on her character anecdote (when she started losing conciousness and bleeding)? What would that scenario be like in Avgust's case?

Hello my friend!!

I feel like not only does it depend on the enemy but also the circumstances. Like, if you get defeated by a simple enemy that launches common arcane skills, it's not as dangerous and can be treated with simple healing spells.

I'll get into details after.

As for how, yeah it might be as simple as that, for us and the enemy. If we're going with the "arcanists randomly appear to kick ass" we can assume that when one gets injured or unable to fight anymore (due to whatever circumstances), another selected arcanist walks out to take their place while the other is escorted inside for treatment.

Same with our enemy because, as a common saying here goes: "Lo que es bueno pal pavo es bueno pa la pava" (it means if a thing applies to a certain group or person, it's valid to apply it to another group or person)

So you have to wait for your enemy to be carried away and replaced by another enemy, it's only fair.

I believe there's a small fear over sending young arcanists outside due to their arcanum and resistance. If someone like August were to get hurt by an ultimate, they'd have to carry him to the foundation for his safety and health. The foundation can provide a more thorough examination for the injured arcanists and the more gravely damaged, especially children who are under Tooth Fairy's jurisdiction.

The damage also depends on if it was an ultimate or if it was a normal attack, and also the type of enemy. A boss defeating your ally with an ultimate can and will get them to an emergency room unless they're known for applying shield or high resistance skills which may minimize, but not eliminate, all damage.

Kakania, Ezra and Eternity who damage themselves during attacks may receive a different treatment due to constant injuries. Semmelweis doesn't count as her body is different from a normal arcanist's, she might need to drink blood even if she's reluctant or doesn't want to.

Kids are less sent outside to fight unless the enemy doesn't cause as much damage.

And I haven't read Erick's anecdote 😓

In a more specific Avgust case, it's definitely a formal friend or Windsong (Vila doesn't cast any attack incantation so I'm not counting her) who takes his place and also helps the team carry him. If Vila is in the team, she has a harder time staying put so she applies health incantations almost immediately so Avgust can rush to Tooth Fairy (or in a more serious case, Laplace) with less pain. If she's not, you bet your life she's carrying that kid through the halls like a mad woman.

[qierxing]

Head empty just yandere Heartslabyul as your imperial harem members

yan!poly!Heartslabyul x Reader

tw/cw: dub//con, gender-neutral reader but referred with masculine terms, drugging, manipulation, implied somnophilia, political machinations

—

you were raised with the expectation that you would shoulder the crown and rule over your people, justly and fairly. because of that, by the time you were crowned, your mindset compared to others your age was mature beyond what was considered normal.

you would be lying if you weren't bitter. Although you've long accepted that no one else could be trusted to rule this land and its people, you often wondered what your life would be like if there were no etiquette lessons and sword practices consuming your childhood.

In the end, it's all foolish dreams. You sit on your glittering golden throne and watch apathetically as the imperial court cheers and raises a toast to the new royal blood.

You were prepared for the responsibilities of a monarch, but what you weren't prepared for was your vassals' obnoxious nagging.

Your kingdom's tradition and laws have long allowed for polygamy, and your previous ancestors were known for their large harems. That day, you finally learned why: to ensure that royal blood would still be carried on, no matter what.

it's distasteful to you. you try to ignore your vassals all talking your ears off about potential consorts and lovers. but it's only so long before you crack.

Riddle Rosehearts was the first one to be by your side.

Not by choice. Duchess Rosehearts was the one who brought up her darling son to your vassals first, who then presented him to you. You would've turned them away, if not for the boy's eyes. Something in those stormy gray eyes makes your heart ache. His mother clutches her son's shoulder in a vice like grip that goes far beyond parental worry. Perhaps he too knows what it feels like to have no control over his life. 

And so reluctantly, you let him join you as a consort. 

It's not bad. Rather, he's so intelligent and diligent that you often ask him for help and advice on the kingdom's affairs, knowing that his strictness with himself and others provides a valuable impartial view that you can hardly find anywhere else. Besides, even if he is too stiff and formal at times, you appreciate his aid in paperwork that threatens to drown you.

in fact, he's so dedicated to carrying out his duty, that you find him nearly unrobed on your bed. Seven above, that nearly gave you heart palpitations. As attractive as he is, you have no intention of forcing the boy to give up his virginity against his will, even if he is married to you. 

you explain this to him as patiently as you can, even when his face scrunches up in hurt and confusion, asking if he wasn't enough–but you shut that down immediately. He is more than enough, and he isn't obligated to do anything he doesn't want to, even if his mother taught him otherwise. the revelation shakes his mind, causing his walls and views to crumble before him in the following days. you would like to think he became less stiff as he realized his true worth.

That is when an unexpected addition to your harem happened.

Actually, it was completely by accident. Your servants had often brought you various snacks and sweets during your work, as you were infamous for being extremely cranky without the motivation of good food. When Riddle, of all people, brings you a strawberry tart while you’re in the middle of some particularly grueling financial budget papers, it gives you pause.

It's not that you didn't trust him. It’s just…this is the boy who refused to eat more than the healthy amount of sugar. Even if you offered him various pastries and cookies, he always shunned them, saying it wouldn’t be right for him to consume them. 

So you spear a fork into the tart and bring it up to your mouth. When the bite meets your tongue, you swear your soul ascends to heaven. The taste is absolutely indescribable: the crust was flaky and light and the filling was sweet and creamy. This has got to be the best dessert you’ve ever tasted in your short life.

When you inquire Riddle about where he had gotten his hands on the tart, he shyly looks away from you and mumbles something under his breath. Not wanting to pressure him, you decide to let it go with a request to send your highest compliments to the patisserie. 

Since then, he is the one bringing you various treats, all unbelievably delicious tasting, each time you’re stuck among paperwork and meetings. You’re grateful, even if it does make you wonder who this mysterious patisserie is. You’re not particularly familiar with every kitchen staff member, but you would think that you would be aware of such talent residing in your walls. 

The truth finally comes to light when Riddle bursts into your office one day, in tears and hyperventilating, as he collapses in your arms. Alarmed, you quickly try to make sense of his babbling words. 

It turns out that the very patisserie wasn’t in your kitchens, as you thought. No, they were humble commoner folk who ran a modest bakery in the shopping district. Riddle had been secretly visiting the bakery whenever he had the time to buy their desserts and to visit his friend, the owner’s son. Problem is, his mother had found out and was furious that her son would debase himself and his reputation like that.

Trey Clover stands behind his parents with wide, frightened eyes as Duchess Rosehearts shrieks on about how she’ll shut down the establishment herself for daring to corrupt her son and so forth. It’s rather annoying that she would go this far in the name of parental love–thankfully she stops screaming once she catches sight of you. 

For once, you’re thankful for the absolute authority of imperial power. Duchess Rosehearts begrudgingly draws back when you block her attempt to defame the bakery. With a disappointed glare searing over the rest of you, she storms out of the bakery, door slamming shut behind her with a deafening crack.

You watch with mild interest as Riddle rushes forward and envelopes Trey in a tight hug that nearly knocks the tall man over. Despite the fact that Trey should be the one more distraught, he comforts Riddle with an ease that is almost suspiciously, dare you say, reminiscent of fondness. You look away before your thoughts dwell on it for too long.

Of course, it’s not all over. Trey’s parents kowtow at your feet with desperate gratitude, even if you beg them to stand up and raise their heads. As you glance over at Riddle in Trey’s arms, thoughts begin to arrange themselves into a proposal.

You and Riddle both know that Duchess Rosehearts would not stop here. Your presence was only a mere temporary hurdle in her plans to bring down Clover Patisserie, and there was no telling what she would do next. So, you propose something nearly unheard of to them.

Your vassals will throw an absolute fit if you openly sponsor their bakery and provide protection without something in exchange. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, but this is the only way that Trey and his family would be safe. 

Surprisingly, he accepts the proposal with grace, becoming the second consort of your harem that very day. 

He inquires if there’s anything he should be aware of for his duties, making you laugh raucously and Riddle blush to the roots of his strawberry hair. You wave him off, telling him he only needs to do the things he loves and to bring you more of those tarts that cured your stress during your work times. The smile he gives is radiant and you wonder how it is that Riddle managed to find someone who makes the sun pale in comparison.

The next day, Riddle tells you between paperwork that he gifted Trey his own kitchen to bake and cook, and you nod in approval. It’s too easy to tease him over his obvious favoritism toward the baker, and it only makes you want to bully him more when his face becomes tomato red.

The annual royal banquet comes up and it dawns on both you and Riddle that Trey will have to present himself to the feral noble masses who are itching to know who this new addition is. The three of you are thrown into a hurricane of preparations, not just for the banquet, but to prepare poor Trey, who has never attended such an elite event, for the troubles ahead.

It’s certainly not for naught, you think, as you rake your eyes over your consorts. Their beauty outshines everything, in your personal opinion. When you make the introductory speech, you’re well aware that the audience in front of you is not just dazzled by you, but rather the two handsome men dutifully hovering behind you.

You hope that Riddle is enough of a buffer when the nobles inevitably swarm them with excited and curious eyes. As much as you would like to help, you were stuck with your own battles of greeting various guests and entertaining those who were trying to butter you up.

The Diamond family catches your eye first. 

It wasn't something positive, per say. But it is quite hilarious as the Marquis introduces you to his family: his wife, his two elder daughters and his only heir and son–only to find the aforementioned son missing. He’s left stuttering in shame even if you don’t particularly mind. It would’ve just been another boring greeting, but at that moment, his eyes dilates in fear, and when you follow his gaze, you see why. 

Cater Diamond is currently flirting with Trey. And very openly, at that.

The sight should make you furious, and yet you nearly burst out laughing. How could there be anyone this daring? Surely the young man would know better than to try hitting on an imperial escort–if he was aware that is, of the man being one. 

You decide to be the merciful mediator, because Riddle is nearly about to blow a gasket by Trey’s side and Trey looks like he’s too flustered to appropriately reject the advances of the eldest Diamond son. 

“Lord Diamond, I do believe your father is looking for you.” His face is full of surprise at the image of you grinning at him in amusement when you gently break the awkward atmosphere. 

After he leaves in a hurry, your two consorts apologize profusely for letting the flirtations happen. You reassure them that it was fine, that whatever they liked to do was not meant to be dictated under your actions. However, their faces still remain guilty and dismayed, as though you had reprimanded them instead.

The encounter remains in your mind as an entertaining memory. So much so, that when your vassals pester you again on adding another member to your harem, your mind immediately goes to sparkling jade green eyes and vivid orange hair.

If anything it was on a whim. Of course, you consulted both Trey and Riddle before sending the invitation, and they both agreed, even if Riddle looked much grumpier than usual. You hardly believed that the proposal would be answered favorably; after all, you’ve learned from recent gossip that Cater Diamond was a rather well known playboy. You doubt that kind of man would enjoy being tied to an imperial harem, even if it was under your lax control.

Perhaps that is why it’s so surprising that when he finally is in front of you, he acquiesces to your proposal with no hesitation at all. You ask in disbelief if he was sure of his decision, and he affirms it with no distaste in his voice. He notes your incredulous face, giving a cheeky grin in response.

Apparently he's been wanting to separate himself from his family for a while. The reason for his scandalous affairs were only attempts at getting his family to send him away, but he never succeeded. He says that your proposition finally gave him the freedom to be away from his family. While you don't want to pry further, it confuses you on how the Diamond family managed to raise such an eccentric young man.

Regardless, he becomes the third member of your harem. There were some small tensions between him and Riddle, but thankfully they resolved rather quicker than you expected–it seems that although Cater acted rather laid back, he has skills in organization and networking that even Riddle had to begrudgingly acknowledge. Ask him on the most recent gossip on the nobles and he's sure to provide you a list alphabetized on the latest trends around the capitol. Besides, it seems him and Trey get along quite well—too well, in a way. You don’t think you’ve seen a pair more prone to exchanging sensual, fleeting touches. Well, that’s not your problem.

You pray that nothing more eventful comes up in the meantime. Trey could only supply you with so much cake and cookies before you simply keeled over from sugar intake.

It seems the Seven were not on your side.

The Knights' jousting tournament was something that slipped your mind. When it gets brought up on the agenda in a meeting you silently curse. In the racket of you ascending to the throne and tending to your harem, you had neglected a big aspect to your royal life.

Personal guards. Normally, you should've had personally assigned soldiers that would accompany you for protection, but you've kept putting it off since you were able to protect yourself just fine with your abilities. And hiring new people, for any reason, was always going to be a long chore of vetting, paperwork, and tests.

The worst part is that Riddle and Trey joined in on the nagging. Going on about how they worried for your safety as if you weren't already trained in self defense and swordplay since your childhood days. Cater just shrugs when you look at him desperately for help and winks while running off to who knows where. Traitor.

Whatever. The sooner you pick, the sooner they'll get off your back.

Somehow this year's tournament is rather disappointing. Your three consorts give commentary throughout the matches, but it cannot stop the boredom starting to overtake you. Trey discreetly offers you a cup of wine and you take it gratefully.

The announcer signals the start of a match, with Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade taking a stand against each other. You hear Riddle faintly murmuring to your side about how they look rather young to be in a tournament like this. But you're rather absorbed in their intense fight, to the point where Cater teases you, asking if your taste included younger men. you roll your eyes and tell him to be quiet.

The fight ends in a spine tingling draw. Both men have their swords knocked out of their hands, but they’re still glaring at each other with such raw passion, that it’s fascinating. You know you will hardly meet any others that could catch your attention.

The end of the tournament ends with the roar of the crowd shaking the colosseum and the boisterous victory announcement. The two of them weren’t finalists, but that matters little to you. The victor was impressive. But they weren’t what you wanted.

“Ace Trappola, at your service, your majesty.”

“Deuce Spade, at your command, your majesty!”

The two greet you with enthusiastic fervor that has you chuckling in amusement. They are just the breath of fresh air you need. 

“Starting from today, you two will be my personal guards.”

They’re left with gaping mouths at your bold statement. Your consorts, too, are sputtering at your side. Riddle is already trying to convince you to reconsider. Trey is gently trying to ask if you’re really sure about this. Even Cater, for all his light-hearted banter, chokes an incredulous scoff, covering his mouth with a fist.

Yes, there’s always the threat of treason, and they might be slackers, but if you were going to have to employ someone, you’d rather it be someone entertaining. 

Regardless, the two are knighted and become your guards in record time. 

For several days, a persistent headache haunts you with how much Ace loved riling up Riddle for no reason, or Deuce somehow managing to blunder his way into destroying several pieces of priceless antique furniture. It takes only two days for Riddle to kneel at your side, begging you to please just switch guards, these two were ridiculously incompetent and not worthy to serve under you, but you only pat his head and send him off back to his chambers to rest. 

Trey and Cater were arguably more agreeable, but you don’t miss their tired looks whenever they had to clean up after Ace pissing off a passing noble or Deuce somehow causing a fire when tripping over an iron poker. It makes you feel guilty, of course, but you still cling on. Call it stubbornness but you didn’t want to let go of the two. It was selfish, you know, and monarchs could never afford to be selfish, but was it so wrong for you to indulge in the only pair who seemed to disregard your status?

The answer came one hot summer evening, when you’re on your balcony trying to unwind. Tonight was the usual designated night to share a bed with your consorts, but you deigned to postpone it since you weren’t in the mood nor did you want to force the other three to deal with your sour attitude. It’s halfway through your third glass of wine that you were a rustle, then after starting your fourth, you hear footsteps, to which you turn and just narrowly miss a dagger aiming for your heart. The blade instead rips a gash through your left shoulder, causing you to grunt in pain, alcohol thankfully dulling most of the throbbing sensations. Unfortunately, your mind is hardly clear enough to have a steady stance to fight back properly, let alone see the assassin’s face. 

You can’t believe you were going to die pathetically like this. If this was going to happen anyway, you should’ve at least finished your glass of wine—

Shouts, then sounds of clanging steel, and a blur rushed into your sight, tackling the hooded assassin and knocking him down. Deuce’s familiar blue hair registers in your blurry vision, holding down the assassin, while Ace’s flaming hair and eyes come closer in view, shouting something that keeps fizzling out to nothing. Your world tilts to its side suddenly, a loud buzzing in your ears, and everything goes black.

When you come to, you find Riddle with swollen, tear-crusted eyes hugging your bedsheets, while Trey exhaustedly sits behind him next to a wash basin and several empty vials. Cater was out cold on the chaise beside him, several papers littering his body. It seems that the assassin was quite thorough, as they made sure that if their sharp blade didn’t manage to end your life, then the quick acting poison laced upon the steel would. Ironically, according to the herbalist and doctor, because you drank a whole wine bottle, the alcohol managed to slow it down somehow just long enough for you to get treatment. A miracle, indeed.

For once, the room is no longer filled with tension with all five of the men together, but a genuine sense of relief. You give the two of your knights soft smiles and a sincere thank you which makes their faces flush like a ripe strawberry. Your escorts don’t protest, mirroring the same gratefulness in their faces. 

Something changes after that night. 

Of course, you’re extremely glad that Riddle is no longer blowing his top off after Ace goads him about being a stick in the mud, but since when did Ace get into pet names with Riddle? Rosebud? The nickname makes you gag internally at how corny it is. Not to mention that Riddle…doesn’t mind being called that?! You watch in disbelief as he preens at the compliment from your knight, trying not to give away your incredulousness. 

Okay…whatever, at least they’re getting along? 

Deuce shows up with your slice of cake with a beaming glow that has you taken aback as you accept the offering. Ace mutters about how Trey must’ve spoiled him again behind you and it takes everything inside you to not spit out your cake mid-bite. Again? Trey was kind, you’ll give him that, and he did tend to baby Riddle and you but—

On second thought, perhaps this wasn’t out of left field.

Cater titters knowingly when you slump in bonelessly into the lounge next to him trying on new earrings and bangles. 

“And what ails my dearly beloved king?” You choke on your spit before glaring at him. He giggles, dangly silver drops chiming in tune with the laughter. 

“Not you too…” It felt like the whole day you felt like you were background to some of the most insufferable flirting, and with your escorts and knights, no less. You raise an eyebrow at the shiny, glittering jewelry scattered on the vanity in front of the man. All imperial escorts did have an allowance, but you don’t remember Cater buying anything like this nor gifting him such things. When you inquire about it, Cater gives you a smirk and a wink.

”Rido and the younger ones have been quite sweet lately.” The sentence makes you nearly fall off the lounge. He chortles and blows you a mock kiss with no shame as you sear him with another heated glare. 

The way they started interacting starts making you feel self-conscious and…embarrassingly enough, left out. Which is such a foolish thought. Of course, who would in their right mind love the person who tied their lives to them, romantically and sexually? And even though they were in such a situation, the fact they all loved each other was a blessing, wasn’t it? How many history lessons did you have where the monarch’s harem wasn’t full of in-fighting? That meant more prosperity and stability political wise, and there wouldn’t be any trouble between you…

Yet, your heart clenches at the thought of Trey’s smile directed at Cater, of Riddle gently caressing Deuce’s head, and Ace slinging an arm around Deuce…none of that affection could ever be for you. 

And it’s best that way. Your father’s voice echoes distantly in your mind. You watched him solemnly on his deathbed as he implored you to not make the same mistakes he did, before his breathing stilled, and his hand lay limp in yours.

Yes, perhaps it was better this way. 

Still, your thoughts are still wandering that you barely jolt back to present to a cabinet meeting looking expectantly at you. 

“Pardon, could you repeat that?”

Riddle watches in worry as a dark shadow crosses your face as the demand for your harem to grow is conveyed. He coughs, causing the members to turn to him instead.

”If that’s the case,” he states with no hesitation, “then I might have some candidates in mind.”

You turn to him with the same expression as the other cabinet members. It drops to shock at Riddle’s suggestion.

As much as you wanted to oppose it, there wasn’t really a good reason to. You sat with your arms crossed as Riddle explained the proposal to your very two personal knights. Ace and Deuce exchange looks, and something between them is communicated before they turn to you and accept, despite your hope they wouldn’t.

And so, your harem became five.

You put your foot down after that. It was already enough to have your heart cracked into pieces with the knowledge you could never have their love. You don’t think it could handle another.

So you tuck your heart away as you smile with them over dinner, bantering over whether flamingos can play croquet or dancing with them at various balls, heart racing as the chandelier lit their face with a warmth you’ve never seen before. If it means you won’t get hurt or distracted, then that’s all you could ask for.

One fateful day, a letter out of numerous piles is hand delivered by Cater and changes your entire world.

It’s sealed with the crest of the fairest queen in the seven realms, meaning only one person could have sent this—Vil Schoenheit. Inside the elegant letter details a marriage proposal that listed all the benefits of taking him as a spouse. With all the pros listed out so cleanly, it was clear that the queen already knew that you couldn’t reject it so quickly.

But you must dissolve your harem. I do not take kindly to those who are not loyal to me and me only.

Something in your heart cracks at reading the condition. You should feel elated, somewhat, that you no longer had to drag around escorts for formality. And for the others, it meant being freed from a duty they were all forced into. But tears threaten to bubble over your eyelashes, and when Riddle asks you if you’re alright, one manages to overflow and trail down your cheek like a traitorous banner. 

You don’t want to let them go.

Trey asks for the nth time if you’re sure you don’t want him to be with you or if you want some tea before you shoo him away. Ace and Deuce were meant to guard your chambers, but you wave them off too, saying you’ll find stand-ins for their places. Riddle and Cater were harder to shake off, but even they, too, were finally shut out when you closed your bedroom doors in their worried faces.

In the end, like a coward, you couldn’t bring yourself to tell them what that letter was, despite them asking nonstop about it. You’re not sure what to tell them either—that they were being discarded of their positions, no longer needed, but it wasn’t out of maliciousness—oh, who would even believe you?

When Vil graces your halls, the looks your escorts give you is enough to fill you with burning hot shame. 

Cater doesn’t have his usual mischievous smile when he greets the queen, his emerald eyes sharpening to pin pricks whenever Vil speaks. You should’ve scolded him, reigned him back, but the guilt eating away at you made you hesitate. It didn’t help that Riddle, for all his perfect etiquette, suddenly seemed to forget what formalities and niceties were around the queen. The regal queen gives you a strange look as Trey sets down a plate of pastries a little too hard in front of him. Your gaze darts away as you sip the tea in front of you nervously, flanked by Ace and Deuce, their scowling faces too apparent.

They’re not dumb. Royals don’t visit other realms willy-nilly often. And it’s clear what Vil is here for.

The next day leaves you lethargic and sluggish, but you try to pull through, if only for appearances. While you stroll through the gardens with Vil, you try to avoid the burning stares of your guards behind you, no doubt dissecting each and every bit of your conversation with the queen. They pull you away as soon as the clock hits the afternoon hour, stating you had duties to attend to and so on and so forth. You excuse yourself and hope you don’t look like a mess to Vil, whose appearance is still immaculate despite the heavy winds and hot sun.

You try to focus on the stack of papers in front of you, despite the edges of your vision blurring and your head spinning. Taking the last sip of what remained of your tea, you squint uselessly at the words as Riddle murmurs something to your right about dinner and farewell banquets. The last thing you remember is the smell of chamomile and poppy flowers and the last document regarding international treaties. 

By the time you wake up from your ill-timed nap, it was midnight and it had been decided that you were too unwell to properly receive the fairest queen, and thus Vil would be sent back, to come back another time. Cater explains with a tight smile while Riddle nods along. Behind them, Trey pours another cup of warm milk and offers it to you with a sympathetic smile. You take it, despite the guilt threatening to swallow you alive. 

The days following are a haze of routines that you thought you once knew but couldn’t process. Nothing had changed, right? It seemed like you couldn’t recall what Trey made for you for yesterday’s tea, nor whenever Cater asked you for an opinion on his outfit. Before, you remembered the guards’ shifts to the letter, and yet, you completely forgot when Ace took over to guard you. Riddle smiles at you like usual, helping you with paperwork as usual, and yet…why couldn’t you remember what you had signed yourself?

Some nights you wake up to Trey or Cater, running their hands over you, despite the fact that they weren’t there before when you went to bed. Sometimes, it would be Ace and Deuce, bickering in hushed whispers before they shut up seeing you awake. And every time morning came and soreness set in your body, Riddle would greet your groggy face warmly, wiping away sweat and a strange stickiness that clung to your skin. 

The thought of marriage is erased from your mind, and slowly, but surely, you can’t remember why you thought of breaking apart the men who treated you so fondly. 

Perhaps you should have heeded the tales of those who ended up being puppet kings.

[spacedace]

So I've seen a lot of "Jazz works as a therapist at Arkam" in the dp x dc fandom, and while I like the concept, I also feel like Jazz would take one look at the place and immediately be like "what the absolute fuck" at just the everything of the place.

Like, she either nopes out after the tour during the interview or quits not too long afterward starting there, not because she can't take it but because she's so appalled by what's going on there and can smell the corruption rolling off the place and knows no one sent to there is ever actually going to get the help they need.

So Jazz decides to open a private practice instead while still being absolutely determined to work with the various rogues in the city, she is here to help and nothing is going to stop her.

So she just starts showing up at known hangouts of rogues and during their heists/schemes/sprees, and even fights between them and the batfam, just like

"Hi! It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Dr. Jasmine Fenton/Nightingale/whatever last name she’s using and I was hoping we could talk!"

Casually kicks a baterang away without looking because she's being polite and professional!

"I understand that your experience with therapy through Arkam has been nothing but atrocious and that you are rightfully -"

Kicks Batman away without breaking eye contact or a sweat.

"Suspicious of attempting therapy again, and Idon't want to force anything on you, therapy should be on your terms after the experiences you've had but -"

Grabs Robin out of the air as he leaps at the rogue she's talking to and tucks him under her arm, ignoring his feral hissing and all attempts to break her hold.

"-I really think that you'd find it beneficial, even if I'm not the right therapist for you."

The rogue in question is having the time of their life and takes Jazz's business card - and a few extra to pass around - not really intending to actually ever book a therapy appointment with her but way too entertained and excited to share this madness with everyone else.

But then one of the rogues actually looks up Jazz's website and sees all the various safe guards she’s put in place to ensure that any villians that come to her will be protected while seeing her - soundproof therapy room, regular sweeps for listening and tracking devices, the most insane firewalls and protections anyone has ever seen on her network, and ooh she provides snacks and drinks!

So someone finally books an appointment with her, half convinced she's either going to turn them in or is a villain herself intent to experiment on them, but then it’s actually really nice??? And they feel a lot better afterwards?? She doesn't even say anything to indicate that she wants them to stop being villains, she just wants them to be okay??

So more and more rogues start going to her, and Batman was already losing his mind about this woman before - Oracle can't hack her system?!? And her background check shows a totally normal Psychiatrist?? - but now half of Gotham's heavy hitters and a dozen or so other minor league villains are seeing her regularly and every time he tries to get info on any plans the rogues might be scheme via her office it fails utterly. Nightwing got knocked out with something called a creep stick and when he tried to break in himself to get answers she just appeared out of no where and gave him the most scathing lecture about doctor-patient confidentiality before bullying him off her property and threatening to sick her brother on him if he tried again?

And because she's become such a figure in the Gotham underworld, she gets the attention of Joker.

And everyone, rogues and Bats alike, are terrified that she’s going to try and take him on as a patient like she has so many other villains in the city and that's just a recipe for tragedy.

But then the Joker is on his way to the hospital with two broken legs and the fear of god beat into him babbling about eldritch nightmares and whenever anyone asks Jazz what happened she just shrugs and just says things like "I refused him as a patient, he's not my problem." Or "My brother doesn't like clowns." And just, does not elaborate.

Batman is losing his mind over it all. Jazz is just happy to be able to actually help the rogues. Arkam is less happy about how she absolutely destroys their reputation.

[twig-tea]

Trauma Patterns in LFTCOT ep3&4

Still thinking about Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo episodes 3 and 4, and how abuse and trauma results in behaviour that goes counter to our own desires and best interests.

Dohoe is so afraid of the potential for violence in himself that he refuses to allow himself to ever be violent, and so instead he cuts contact whenever there is any risk that he will want to be. He cuts contact with Hyeonho (and tries to avoid his bullies as much as possible), he cuts contact with his father, and he cuts contact with Juyeong. He understands Juyeong because it's when others are threatened that he is driven to fight back too.

It was only when Dohoe's father announced his intention to go beat Dohoe that Juyeong fought back. He knew Dohoe would hate him using violence to protect him from his father, and after explaining that he'd first been expelled for hitting a teacher while protecting someone else he promised not to do it again, but he did it anyway, because he was triggered in that moment (we saw the flashback to him in high school reacting the same way).

Juyeong's been taking care of Dohoe's father (and with the hope of seeing Dohoe again) for years, and has been teaching Taekwondo with a gentler and patient approach (and teaching the other instructors to do the same) in some kind of penance. Meanwhile Dohoe is the one who thinks he needs to stay away (but he can't so he buys the building a block over).

I'm also thinking about Dohoe's father and whether his decision to drink and call to wake his son the night before his university-qualifying exams to buy cigarettes and beat him for being ungrateful and disrespectful was conscious or subconscious. It doesn't really matter--we know from his friends that Dohoe being stuck at home is what allows his father to live as he has been, and Dohoe has made no effort to hide that it's his goal to get the hell out. I'm sure he'd never call it this but Dohoe's father clearly lashes out from his own trauma. I wonder how much he hates the fact that Dohoe's life will be better once he leaves, like Dohoe's mother's apparently was. I wonder how much his own fear at his wife leaving and subsequent lashing out is what drove her away in the first place. Sabotage of his son's future is such an ugly thing and is similarly counter to his own interests long-term, even if he thinks Dohoe leaving will make his life harder in the short term (which of course he does anyway).

The thing about trauma-triggered behaviour is that it is not a conscious decision, and not something the person can stop doing at will. That is not an excuse and does not mean they're not still responsible for their actions; But they need to have worked through whatever was underlying the trigger and unlearn the behaviour in order to be able to act differently in the same circumstance.

[lostfracturess]

Hey Niciii!! 🌷

I know you didn't focus much on Nanami in s&c but I was wondering if you'll give us some headcanons about him? 🫶✨

professor!nanami headcanons (based on this fic)

professor!nanami who is an orthopedic surgeon and kinda hates his job, often finding himself daydreaming about alternative career paths during long surgeries. but the satisfying sound of bones cracking back into place always brings him back to reality.

professor!nanami who chose orthopedic surgery because he's always been a hands-on kind of guy. he'd rather solve problems physically than just theorize about them.

professor!nanami who, despite his love-hate relationship with his job, often stays late after shifts, practicing new surgical techniques to constantly improve his skill.

professor!nanami who briefly studied business before realizing this was even worse than medicine and switching back.

professor!nanami who, during his short time in the business world, found out that he is really good in investing. he secretly hopes he can retire early if he ever gets fed up with the whole surgery thing.

professor!nanami whose colleagues often complain about his lack of bedside manner, but his patients appreciate his honest and direct approach.

professor!nanami who has an ongoing rivalry with another orthopedic surgeon at a nearby hospital.

professor!nanami who finds geto and gojo incredibly annoying. to be fair, he thinks all neurosurgeons are annoying, believing they have a god complex.

professor!nanami who's known geto and gojo since their university days. they were all part of the same friend group, but nanami always felt like the responsible one who had to keep the other two in check.

professor!nanami who, back in their student days, was constantly bailing geto and gojo out of trouble.

professor!nanami who, at one point, got so fed up with geto and gojo's reckless behavior that he seriously considered transferring to another university. he even filled out the paperwork.

professor!nanami who is known for his blunt and sarcastic demeanor during lectures and has a reputation as a tough teacher but secretly enjoys mentoring dedicated and passionate students.

professor!nanami who often invites his most promising students to assist in surgeries, knowing that hands-on experience is the best way to learn.

professor!nanami who loves golf and plays every saturday morning with a group of fellow surgeons (the same orthopedic surgeons from the nearby hospital he claims to hate).

professor!nanami who once used his golfing skills to win a bet against a wealthy hospital donor who threatened to pull funding for a new orthopedic wing. he won, of course.

professor!nanami who is so good at golf that he could easily be a pro, but he would hate that even more than being a surgeon, so he doesn't pursue it.

professor!nanami who is known for his extensive tweed jacket collection, which he pairs with colorful ties. his students often try to guess the color of his daily tie, with some even placing bets on it.

professor!nanami whose students have noticed that he wears specific tie colors for certain occasions, like always wearing a dark green one during exams.

professor!nanami whose students have created a social media account called "nanami's neckwear" dedicated to his daily tie choices, gaining followers from all over the world. nanami doesn't know about the account.

professor!nanami who has a strict "no phone" policy during lectures.

professor!nanami who is a stickler for punctuality, always arriving at least 15 minutes early for lectures and surgeries. he's been known to lock the door at the exact start time of his classes, forcing latecomers to miss out.

professor!nanami who's been single for a while, focusing more on his career than his love life. he's had a few casual flings here and there but nothing serious.

professor!nanami who's always been more interested in long-term relationships than casual hookups. he's not really into the whole one-night-stand thing.

professor!nanami who, when he goes on a date, always insists on paying. he may be a bit of a grump, but he's still a gentleman at heart.

professor!nanami who, when he does start seeing someone, likes to take things slow and really get to know the person. he's not one to rush into anything too serious too quickly.

professor!nanami who, despite his busy schedule, always makes time for date nights when he's in a relationship. 

professor!nanami who's actually a pretty attentive and caring partner when he's in a relationship. he just shows his affection in subtle ways.

professor!nanami who, when he finally does find "the one," will be the most loyal and devoted partner anyone could ask for.

© lostfracturess. all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate, or modify my work without permission. thanks for reading and supporting my work !! ♡

[unforth]

Alright I'm gonna try to keep this brief but things have progressed enough that they're definitely going to impact my ability to do even my basic online shit so here's wtf has been going on.

A week and a half ago, I found out my dad was very sick. He'd been keeping it a secret. A week ago, my brother came and bullied dad to go to the hospital. He had a systemic infection that would have been fatal left untreated and he also has prostate cancer (which he knew but hadn't told us). He's been hospitalized since; he was discharged yesterday to in-patient rehab because he can't even sit up without help. He is 83 and expected to recover, though if he'll reach 100% is iffy.

His wife, my step-mother, has Alzheimers that has gotten quite advanced. Dad is her sole caretaker (surely why he risked death to stay home with her). She cannot be left alone. With him unable to care for her, my brother, step-brother, and I are juggling her care, but she threatened my brother with a knife so he won't stay with her (she didn’t know who he was, thought he'd broken in to attack her), and I live 2.5 hrs away and step-brother can't do it entirely solo (like. He doesn't drive. He can't get her to appointments or anything) . She needs a long-term not-at-home solution and while dad has been saving money to make that happen, no actual steps had been taken yet.

And I discovered yesterday that I have her power of attorney while dad is incapacitated, which means the legal decisions and responsibility for getting her help are all on me.

Needless to say, that's a lot of pressure and is time consuming, especially factoring in the distances involved - the area where we're looking to place her is 3+ hr drive for me.

And I've still got my own family, two kids, our house and life, and @duckprintspress

I. Might be just a little stressed the fuck out right now.

So. Apologies in advance if I fall behind on anything or fuck anything up. I'm stretched about as far as I can be, and then stretched a bit more just for funsies and The Bit.

[eyeris-moni]

are jeff and raz.. kissboys..???!?!

This ask's wording had me DYING HELP

Forever adding that to my mental dictionary HAHAHA

I have to be completely honest with you, I myself have no hecking clue what their relationship is.

And I HAVE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT OK OTL

The TLDR is that I don't know!! and that you're welcome to HC and see them how you want as of now.

My own reins are loose and I just draw what feels in character (:

Thought-vomit below in case you want to hear my thoughts on it. It's long because i cannot for the life of me remember how much I've talked about before--

__________________

Most of the time I'm more focused on exploring the intricate, intimate feelings of their dynamic (something I just can't do justice with a couple of doodles here and there aughh).

Like--

Let's talk about the almost infantilized elements of Raz's repressed nature.

(Btw, this is not an issue to me - don't feel bad if you genuinely, or even on a meme level, refer to him as a baby. From Raz's perspective, that's how you're meant to, and in turn, that's the narrative I often draw. I draw him cute - he is cute!)

Every character, viewer included, is invited to see Raz as 'babi OwO', because that's a part of Raz's wants. When he feels threatening, he will literally make himself smaller, visually plead for you to see him that way.

Not because he is a tiny baby, but because he has learnt that doing so makes people nicer to him. He doesn't actually ever become a child. Instead he will look the part to spark care in others, and adapt a very simplistic worldview when needed. Not because he cannot grasp anything more complicated, but because it's too distressing to do so!

Like imagine how you might start thinking politics in term of simple 'bad' vs. 'good'. Not because there isn't nuance, but because it's stressful and exhausting and takes away your ability to be happy.

Sometimes Raz does that, but instead of it being politics, it's everything!

And I think it's genuinely interesting how Jeff kind of knows this and once he gets an idea of how it works, he doesn't coddle or treat Raz like a child.

In part because he's a stubborn asshole and kind of refuses to infantilize Raz beyond what is 'healthy'.

He learns to treat Raz as an adult, but obviously simplifies and helps out when Raz is overwhelmed. Example:

The rest of the times he and EJ do their best to help Raz learn how to be responsible and build healthier relationship. How to be self-sufficient.

And it's important because it's Jeff that's pushing for Slender to let him into the mansion, arguing that Raz isn't just a kid, but an adult that can take responsibility for his actions. He's pushing and arguing for Raz to be viewed the same way Jeff knows he can be, capable and responsible.

THAT IS ALL TO SAY I find it genuinely interesting and endearing how Jeff is able to connect with Raz (by being a stubborn asshole) and in turn helps Raz by holding him accountable. To see the glimpses of Ezca before they ever truly met, and how he shuts down Raz's unhealthy habits of making himself smaller, while idolizing everyone around him.

It's cool and I do think it makes their specific relationship special.

I mostly talked about Jeff's influence on Raz, but I could also talk for hours about how my version of Jeff slowly learns to be more patient and more emotional from Raz being around. (I imagine he lost a lot of his ability to be emotional ever since he entered a pact with Slenderman.)

I think their friendship is really cool and complicated and full of little intricate parts and having to label that is HARD GKDNDN

I wouldn't know if there's anything romantic in there - I've never drawn anything with that explicitly in mind?

But I draw them very close! Raz enjoys physical touch and closeness, and as they learn to work together, (especially post roadtrip together,) Jeff is kinda chill having Raz just laying/hanging/sitting around and on him.

Really the one concerned should be Raz because lord knows when Jeff last has showered and washed his clothes but i guess that's a benefit of being non-human NFKDNSJS

_________

I'm so sorry for the insanely long rambly answers!

I've been walking around with these characters in my head for years and it's HARD EXPLAINING STUFF

Also yall keep asking genuinely interesting question about them and the fan/nerd in me desires to make sure I cover my bases-

[cupid-tune]

hey uhm could you tell us more about your fantrolls? they all look really cool but i dont know much more about them besides that. :P (also i like jhudas shes very pretty :])

OH ABSOLUTELY!! You have no idea how happy I am to get messages like this! This is gonna be a long post just because I want to get all of my guys in here, apologies in advance!

Not all of my trolls have fully fleshed out backstories yet, but the ones with dancestors are part of a fansession I'm in, they've had the most development by far.

Armane

Armane is probably my most neglected character, but I do really love his design and concept! He's a Burgundy with a lot of fight in him, despite his weak stature. He partakes in a lot of underground fighting rings in lowblood districts, usually to take out his anger or earn a little extra money. He's obviously gotten very hurt from it many times in the past, but that hasn't scared him away from a fight just yet. One of the reasons he gets violent so often is just the fact that he wants to prove himself to be tough and independent, since his lusus is very protective of him and has been ever since he was a wriggler. He's just a little problem child.

Armane is very afraid of death, but he hates mentioning or bringing up any of his fears. In general, he just isn't a very social or talkative troll, preferring actions over words and keeping his distance in any kind of gatherings. You could probably get him to warm up to you easy if you don't pose as a threat, but Armane follows the hemospectrum pretty strictly, and usually won't talk to mid bloods or higher on his own.

Nonemu

Nonemu is the leader of a cult called the Anon Trolls. I haven't done very much with their character in terms of backstory yet, since I really like them as a blank slate for whatever I could use them in. Her cult is meant to serve as an escape from society, living in a commune much more isolated from other trolls. To be apart of the family is to denounce your place in the hemospectrum and completely hide your color, as a way of being treated equally amongst everyone else in the commune. It's unknown what caste Nonemu is, but some say all the possible traits are hidden away, like their eye color for example.

Nonemu is a very kind and patient troll, serving as a sort of parental figure over his commune. He takes great responsibility and pride in his work, and can be quite a mystery to talk to. Nonemu is the type of person to speak in very vague terms, never really being fully truthful or transparent. It's up to interpretation whether or not they can be considered truly kind or malicious with their intentions.

Fennek

Ok Fennek is like. Think of troll Jesse Pinkman and that's what you got. My concepts for Fennek are in general pretty scattered, but his main gig is that he participates in a lot of illegal business as a supplier and seller. Having grown up on internet culture and self study, Fennek has taught himself all kinds of useful skills in advancing his unfortunate position to make the most of life. Chemicals and weapons are his specialty, but his skills and personality are nearly opposite.

Fennek is a very chill and easy-going kind of guy, never really taking any situations seriously. It's a wonder he hasn't died yet with the amount of life threatening risks he puts himself in. The mask really is the only precaution he takes when it comes to working with chemicals or other substances, his hair is probably full of toxic shit. It kind of gives off the idea that Fennek knows he won't live very long anyway, so he doesn't care either way. Live life to the fullest while you can.

Trinet

Admittedly, the dancestor designs are some of my favorites. The first concept for Trinet was that I just wanted a troll who was really into explosives, and oh boy is he into them. Similar to his dancestor, Trinet is an inventor who specializes in bombs. Explosives of any kind! He's very loud, probably due to the fact that his hearing isn't all there. It's probably a Snuzek tradition to just not be properly equipped for the shit you're trying to do, precautions aren't a concern whatsoever.

Trinet is VERY outgoing and active! He talks a lot and fast, you might not catch everything he says. Although his personality kind of gives off the idea that he's dumb or aloof, he's much more impressive when talking about the stuff he actually knows, like how to make this specific bomb or what that compound of elements can make! With how bright and joyful he seems, sometimes the things he talks about can be pretty dark or upsetting. There are lots of themes of death surrounding both Snuzeks, which I'll probably elaborate more on another post.

Zuzu

Zuzu is a whole fucking bundle of fun!! Ok the original concept was supposed to be a DJ troll, but somewhere through the designing process, they ended up turning into a Vocaloid. Centered around a lot of 2010 scene-type themes, Zuzu is an underground music artist and singer trying to make a name for herself. She'll take up any gigs available, hoping to be the party of the life and meet all kinds of trolls. Unfortunately, the music business is tough, and trying to get famous off of it is a lot more work than he initially thought.

Zuzu is the type of troll you'd go to for help or advice, a people pleaser with the full intention of trying to look good in the eyes of everyone. They can be pretty pushy at times, and they're not very good at reading the room. Although Zuzu means well, they fuck up social situations frequently, instead making him seem desperate or clingy. It seems like their emotions are amplified on all sides of the spectrum, one bad day can be a harsh blow for them.

Farrow

Although scary looking at first glance, Farrow is probably one of the most harmless trolls you'll meet. A simple farmer with a goal to live a just as simple life, Farrow is a recluse who lives on the outskirts of the city. They hardly ever interact with other trolls, not after an incident that caused them to lose their vision. A long time ago, Farrow worked as a bounty hunter, usually taking culling jobs as a means of getting trades for other goods. Now Farrow has taken up a more harmless line of work, disposing of the bodies from other troll's dirty work. They'll get rid of anything you might need to hide, using it for their own benefit such as fertilizer or food for their lusus.

In general, Farrow is very close to their lusus, using him as a guide around the farm and other places. Laying low is the next best option, but Farrow really doesn't mind. They are a welcoming troll with a habit of appearing much scarier than they mean to. Whether it be a creepy smile or misjudging you for an intruder, Farrow walks the line of good and bad. They don't really see their actions as immoral, simply understanding that their planet is a cruel place, and they really aren't the worst there is out there.

Fichte

Fichte was my first fan troll ever, originally used as a persona and turned into a dumbass philosopher. He is an absolute stuck up prick and will not apologize for any of his behavior. As cold cut as you can get with someone, Fichte is the type that will upright tell you his intentions and then get upset when you don't follow through with them like he wants. He'll study you, use you for research, and completely discard you after if you aren't of any use to him.

While seemingly emotionally distant, if you spend even a little time with him had he not pissed you off already, you might start to see signs of insecurity or loneliness. Fichte always favors logic over emotions, finding comfort in knowledge rather than the untameable pool of socialization. The subjects he studies varies, but his main interest is philosophy and studying the behavior of other trolls. One thing he especially loves doing is keeping notes of just about everyone he meets, and he has plenty of notebooks filled with just that.

Xarlow

Xarlow is just the guy you'd expect him to be, a silly clown guy with a horrible personality. He likes to consider himself popular and well known, running his own circus with his found siblings and performing to his heart's content. Xarlow specializes in the art of extreme performance, commiting acts of violence against others and himself. His tight corset is in fact one of the self proclaimed "art pieces" of his, using his body as a canvas and thereby destroying it. Speaking of, Xarlow had managed to lose one of his horns by accident during a public show, which ended in him tearing out the other to match. That was not a pretty show.

Xarlow doesn't seek sympathy. He isn't a good person outside of performing and he knows it. The general consensus of his personality is that he's bad, but there are so many personalities to choose from that it becomes confusing at times to pinpoint just one. He's manipulative and cruel, hypocritical at its worse. His history with Fichte is a great example of this cruelty, moirails turned kismesis to what eventually became too toxic to keep. They both hurt each other in their own ways, it's difficult to take sides. One thing is for certain is that their experience has had lasting effects, Xarlow isn't someone you should consider for a quadrant.

Onette

Onette is the definition of a gentle giant. What you see on the outside is entirely what's on the inside, a harmless troll who wants nothing more than to just create and enjoy life. A very soft spoken girl, Onette tries her best to appear harmless and approachable despite her size and caste, dressing in delicate clothing and using a gentle, warm voice to reassure others. Onette has a fascination with creation and art, one of her biggest hobbies being that of making dolls and paintings.

Onette has a certain distain for those in her own caste, often chastising them for their treatment of lowbloods, but doing nothing herself to stop them. She's soft, but perhaps too soft. Onette can be frightened easily, and is extremely nonconfrontational, something that she has a difficult time trying to come to terms with. Ironically, Onette has an interest in purplebloods especially, due to their popularity in being known as clowns. Many of her dolls are inspired by them, which can almost be seen as creepy or obsessive if you stepped into her hive.

Jhudas

Jhudas is very different from her dancestor, nearly opposite in nature. My biggest inspiration for her was the song Brutus, which can be seen in both her design and personality. She is a backstabber, often engaging in violence of all kind just to pave her way to the top. Unlike Onette, Jhudas has a clear hatred for the castes above her, purplebloods especially because she believes they rub their position in her face as being the caste right above. Jhudas deals with anger issues, and will likely explode on you with any minor inconvenience. She works as an assassin, usually taking up jobs from fellow highbloods even if she despises that fact.

Jhudas will be subservient to those she works for, but you can tell there are ulterior motives behind it. Waiting for the right moment to strike, to prove she is above everyone else in order to get what she wants. Despite all this, Jhudas may be one of your best allies, especially in quadrants. She's protective of those she deems worthy, and exerts a lot of tough love if she believes you can do better in handling yourself. It's just advised you should watch your back with her no matter what.

Veictr

Just from looks alone, you can tell what his deal is. Crazy scientist troll with the absolute worst intentions, gleefully using others in his nonsensical experiments all for the name of research. Veictr is just that! Everything about him should tell you that he's dangerous, and he very much is. Having stole the headlight of his dear lusus after a particularly nasty fight, Veictr began his work diving into the world of body modifications and mutation. He managed to find a way to hook the light to his own system, forming a symbiotic relationship with his body and the bacteria just as a symbol of award from his lusus.

Veictr is quite a confusing character in terms of personality, showing absolutely no sympathy for anyone while also being a sweetheart to those who manage to stay alive in his presence. He doesn't mean to intentionally hurt anyone, it just so happens that death and injury occurs when experiments fail. He's quite giggly too, with a hyperactive attitude and a great interest in others, Veictr can make for great conversation. His curiosity knows no bounds, and it really is a wonder how he manages to prove some of his theories correct.

Lucius

Lucius is probably the most unfortunate of my trolls. Having suffered the consequences of their own actions, Lucius managed to find herself trapped at the bottom of the ocean by a certain Fuchsia due to an obsession gone too far. Before this incident, she was considered a dangerous troll, perhaps just as much as her dancestor, but unfortunately, she was shut down far before she could get too bad. Although her entrapment was meant to be her execution, Lucius managed to survive with the help of her lusus, escaping after a sweep of just barely making it out.

Now, Lucius is an entirely different person. After so long of being in isolation, they've become paranoid and weak, suffering the many effects the ocean put them through. What was the most interesting part, however, was the fact that they returned with a strange mutation. It is unknown how exactly it happened, but Lucius now suffers with a bioluminescent stomach, her skin seeming thinner or perhaps even transparent.

Her story breaks off into many directions depending on the context, but one involves the scientific interest her own dancestor took of her after being discovered in this state. I'm currently in the progress of making an animatic based on this particular outcome which I'm very excited about! More lore stuff to be expanded on later.

This is the general information for each of my characters so far! There's a lot more detail I'd like to expand on in separate posts, especially considering I'm trying to cram a bunch into one. I really really appreciate the interest in my characters, and I hope to post more content about them soon! It makes me super happy that people enjoy them as much as I do.

This took a while to make LMAO

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Who does a (codependent) Camilla Tominey think she is to repeatedly demand that William sacrifice his own family for the (non-heir) traitor brother?

The good news is they actually located the malignancy. This isn't the first time a monarch or senior member of a monarchy has been diagnosed with something life threatening, however they tend to keep it a secret. I think it's a good sign that they've shared details because it suggests the BRF medical team feels confident about the prognosis. If they found a mass, it's possible that the malignant tumor was removed and any adjuvant or holistic treatment is more of a precaution.

I'm so sorry to see the Suck-It duo repeatedly capitalize off of the BRF's suffering:

Sadistic MEgain, licking her chops at the very thought of seeing another Windsor in the ground, while Sparry pays to publish his travel plan with every American celebrity media outlet. What happened to his "security" concerns? It's obvious that Sparry's PR is desperate to bury the African Parks scandal. Will he be forced to rush back to California to rescue the family from the storm?

Sparry is a Crazy Maker and Crazy Makers should not be near cancer patients. If Sparry wants his father to get well, then he should drop all the lawsuits and maintain a quiet, dignified distance.

I have to agree with this comment:

From Technical_Ant_7466 via Reddit

"I am really concerned about Duke of Hazard returning to the UK and visiting Charles. My fear is that Harry will fanagle himself back into the RF, and that he will expect to take on responsibilities or worse that he will but further pressure on the King and Princess Catherine. Just as their vile antics accelerated the death of the late Queen and Prince Philip, I firmly believe that the Harkles have caused a lot of damage, including the health of family members. ***For years I worked in the medical field as a scientist. The research I've read has not proven a definite cause-and-effect relationship between stress and cancer. The connection between emotional (psychological) health and physical health is very complex. Psychological stress can affect your body. Some studies suggest a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer.*** **1.Stress can weaken the immune system. The immune system defends the body against infections and diseases, such as cancer. A weakened immune system plays a role in the development of some types of cancer.** **2. Stress can alter the levels of certain hormones in your body. This may also put you at greater risk of developing cancer.** Stress has a profound impact on how the body’s systems function. Health experts are still sorting out whether stress actually causes cancer. ***There’s little doubt that it promotes the growth and spread of some forms of the disease. Put simply, stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer.*** Long-term/chronic stress is more damaging, and the damages comes from situations that last many weeks/ months/years with no definite end point. ( Ithink we can confidently say that 5+ years of mega mouth and her poodle have been extremely stressful for the RF. This no-end-in-sight stress weakens the immune system, leaving a person prone to diseases, like cancer. It also ups the risk for digestive problems and depression. Chronic stress also can help cancer grow and spread in a number of ways. At this point in time, the last thing the RF needs is Harry in their midst. I can't think of a single advantage their is for him to returning to " his father's side", when he's done nothing but say vile, evil lies about them, divulge members of the RF personal stories and has generally been a human version of POISON. I hope Harry drops in and leaves quickly. THERE'S NO POSITION FOR HIME TO FILL. WILLIAM PROBABLY DOESN'T WANT HIM THERE, AND I APOLOGIZE IF THESE SEEMS CALLOUS, BUT I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC DOESN'T WANT HIM THERE. Harry has proven to be poisinous and toxic. No amount of grovelling will change the perswon he is. His real personality may go into hiding, but make no mistake, he's as eveil as the ILBW. Removing the cause is the clear answer but instead that TREACHEROUS VILLIAN IS BEING ALLOWED BACK, WHICH IS A VERY BAD IDEA. This is a photo op for Harry and a chance to attempt to fleece his father for money/security and whatever else the ILBW has told him to get his grimmy paws on. HARRY CANNOT BE ALLOWED BACK, OR THAT WILL BE END OF THE MONARCHY."

author: Technical_Ant_7466 submitted: 04/02/2024 via r/SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466429/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466429/)

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/1ajqp3v/the_gruesomes_have_been_stressors_since_before/

Then there's Fergie:

Why would Fergie release her private medical information as the world grappled with the sad news about Charles and Catherine? Fergie was not undergoing adjuvant treatment. There was no risk of anyone spotting her at a daily RTX treatment. I'm certainly thankful she's OK but I wish she would have waited until the working royals were out of the health scare news cycle before shouting "me too."

Fergie is not "battling alongside King Charles" 🤦🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️ Aren't her grandkids just babies---except for a 3 yo?

[freyatarotreadings8]

Chris Evans & Alba Baptista Love Reading 💕 Lovey-Dovey relationship?🤔 June 2nd, 2023

Note: I made this reading only for entertainment purposes. This reading shows just a current energy. My interpretation of cards may vary from other readers. Feel free to share your vision. Please pay attention to images of cards, some of them are quite intriguing👀

Chris’ side

His thoughts about Alba: 6 of Pentacles represents generosity, fairness and giving/receiving help. What you give - you receive. He may see her as someone who is generous, kind and willing to lend a helping hand. He may appreciate her willingness for sharing resources, time or support with others.

5 of Wands signifies conflict, competition and challenges. He perceives some level of competition or conflict in this relationship. She may have a tendency to overreact and make things out to be a lot worse than what it is. Such a conflicting drama queen. She may be a lost soul without any meaning in life. Moreover, Alba may have low self-esteem and that's why she can seek validity from others.

5 of Cups represents loss, disappointment and emotional healing. He thinks that Alba is emotional, sometimes even pessimistic. In some cases it's hard to please her. It seems that she doesn't truly love herself. She may have a tendency to play a victim and blame others. Chris may see her as someone who has experienced significant setbacks or losses in the past. Ace of Wands indicates new beginnings, passion and inspiration. This card from Nicoletta Ceccoli deck, these cards are more like oracle ones. So, Alba is young, passionate and half naked in Chris' eyes.🔥

His feelings towards Alba: 9 of Swords represents anxiety, worry and inner turmoil. This relationships took away Chris' peace of mind. He worries a lot about it. Also it can indicate that his trust has been shaken and now he questions all her actions. Lots of overthinking. It feels like a trap for him.

7 of Wands represents defensiveness, standing your ground and asserting oneself. This relationship is threatened by public eye, outside circumstances or even a new person. He needs to be guarded all the time. He basically can't relax. Sometimes he feels being misunderstood (duh, a huge age gap and different cultural background). Additionally, it seems that he is afraid to get hurt and is putting up walls around himself. He needs healthy boundaries.

6 of Swords signifies transition, moving on and finding peace. Chris may have a desire for a sense of peace or resolution in a relationship. He may be seeking a shift from any conflicts or challenges towards a calmer and more harmonious state. The question is Chris wants new beginning with or without Alba? The Hanged Man represents surrender, suspension and a shift in perspective. This card from Nicoletta Ceccoli deck, these cards are more like oracle ones. So, he may literally feel that Alba is a two faced lady. There is no dynamic in such relationships. But, they are tied together by some common issues and responsibilities that feel like a burden.

Alba's side

Her thoughts about Chris: The Star is a card of hope, inspiration and optimism. Duh, Chris is a shinny star in her eyes. I don't know if she was a huge fan of Captain America or not, but it looks like that. There is a significant sign of admiration. She thinks that he is so intellectual, artistic, philosophical and idealistic by nature. He radiates inspiration. Maybe, she has a huge hopes about him. 7 of Pentacles represents patience, perseverance and reaping the rewards of hard work. She sees him as someone who is diligent and hardworking. She likes his efforts and the dedication you put into his pursuits. He is patient and has the ability to wait for the fruits of his labor to manifest. He is focused on long-term goals.

King of Pentacles embodies stability, abundance and practicality. Alba sees him as someone who is reliable, powerful and wealthy (duh🤑). Such a perfect husband material. He is down to Earth, calm and has practical approach to life. He has great observational skills and leadership abilities. Also he loves nature and animal. Moreover, she sees him as a person who possesses a strong sense of authority. 3 of Pentacles represents collaboration, teamwork and craftsmanship. This card from Nicoletta Ceccoli deck, these cards are more like oracle ones. Alba may think that Chris is a part of questionable company/group of people (she even may be a part of it too). Seduction, secrets and sweet lies. 🤫

Her feeling towards him: 8 of Wands represents swift action, progress and movement. She may feel a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. A girl has massive crush on him. Strong attraction and passion towards Chis, viewing him as someone who ignites a sense of forward momentum and energy in her life. Lots of texting.

9 of Pentacles symbolizes independence, self-sufficiency and enjoying the fruits of one's labor. This relationship that is privileged. She may feel a sense of admiration and appreciation. Alba enjoys his company, but I don't think that they live together. She loves that he is accomplished, successful and self-assured.

2 of Swords represents a state of indecision, inner conflict and needing to make a choice. There may be some uncertainty or conflicting emotions present. Now it's getting jucier. Look at the image of this card below. We can witness a throwing knife target scene 🎯 A blindfolded woman doesn't do it all alone. There are her familiars aka minions/friends, who observe the situation well. It gives a vibe that Chris was somehow targeted by Alba (maybe, even her team/friends) or there are people who helped her to meet him. She might use different sources or get some advises from others on how to build relationships with Chris.👀

The Fool is a card of new beginnings, spontaneity, and stepping into the unknown. This card from Nicoletta Ceccoli deck, these cards are more like oracle ones. There is a major miscommunication, Chris and Alba listen to each other, but don't hear. Complete immaturity. 🥁

Their relationships in general

In short - meh. 4 of Cups represents contemplation, introspection and a sense of dissatisfaction. There may be moments of emotional disconnect or a sense of longing for something more or someone new. Bored as hell. A feeling of being unfulfilled or uninterested with each other. Someone of them may not fully appreciate a partner.

The High Priestess represents intuition, mystery and deep inner wisdom. There are so many secrets in this relationship. Lots of information is hidden from public eye. They may have spiritual or intuitive connection between them tho. Look. Someone of them (especially Alba) may use services of witches, tarot readers to improve this relationships, give what another partner needs. Also she or he may read all these readings about them online. So, hey, Chris. Hi, Alba. How are you doing?

8 of Cups represents the act of walking away, moving on and seeking emotional fulfillment elsewhere. There may be periods where Chris or Alba feels a need to step back and reassess the relationship's direction or its own emotional well-being. A period of emotional distance or a desire for personal growth and exploration. The obvious differences between the two of them are becoming increasing difficult to overcome. In the best case scenario, they will go on a spiritual journey together

King of Swords embodies intellect, clarity and rationality. A suite of swords isn't about romance, it's all about cold calculations and dry logic. I assume that Chris is very independent guy and that's why he chose a girlfriend from another country, he needs to have a personal space and no control. I doubt that Alba matches Chris intellectually. They may talk a lot, but what about emotional fulfillment? It's important to balance the intellect with emotional understanding.

5 of Pentacles represents hardship, financial struggle and a sense of exclusion. Again there is a feeling of being abandoned, unloved, unappreciated or ignored by a partner. A complete coldness. Moreover, there may be challenges or difficulties they face together, potentially related to material aspects of their lives.

Final thoughts from a tarot reader: Honestly, I don't know what they are doing with each other. I can get Alba, Chris is like a golden trophy. But, basically, it's just a waste of time. They may have this feeling (even without realization) that all world is against them, that's why they need to get even closer to fight vicious enemies. Simple Romeo and Juliet effect. They need to work on their personal grows, self esteem etc for sure. If you have some insights and wanna share your thoughts all about it, feel free to do it.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

4.25/5. Releases 11/28/2023.

Vibes: a complex love triangle, handmaiden/princess, arranged marriage, dragon heroes that fuck, and enemies to lovers with actual stakes.

Princess Sachielle is betrothed to the Dragon, a god feared for killing his previous consort a century prior. What the Dragon doesn't know is that she's been charged with killing him--and her own life is forfeit if she fails. He also doesn't know that Sachi's handmaiden and lover, Zanya, is much more than she seems. And neither Sachi nor Zanya expected their very different connections with the Dragon--or his determination to win both of them.

It's not easy to find FFM menage romances, and of course, it's therefore even harder to find good ones that don't treat the women as side dishes next to a hero entree. But this? This is really fucking good. And it's really good fantasy romance, at that. If the other dragon romance book (which I personally liked as well) was too light or tame for you--this uh... will not be that. This one is wild, and it is the beginning of a series--while this isn't exactly a cliffhanger, it doesn't end in a fully resolved manner, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Quick Takes:

--Menage romances often favor one bond over the other; while I love them in general, I find many that do not... work. Here, it's pitched perfectly--and I suspect some of that has to do with the fact that we still have some story to tell, and development to watch unfold. Zanya and Sachi have a very established, loving, and passionate long-term relationship, and that is never in question in this book (despite the necessity of them keeping it a secret, initially). Sachi and Ash (of course the Dragon goes by Ash) have an immediate chemistry and physical attraction, which puts a real wrench in the "I'm here to kill him" thing. It only deepens into something more as they spend time together, with Zanya looking on--not quite un-jealous, but not really threatened either.

Zanya and Ash's interplay might have been my favorite, though. She is determined to keep Sachi safe no matter what, and she is vicious. Ash? Loves and relates to both of those things. The very literal sparring scenes between these two? So hot. And while I feel very sure about the dynamic between Sachi and Zanya and Sachi and Ash, these two still have a ways to go. Zanya is a hard character, with many emotional walls (and her reasons are super valid). Ash, on the other hand, is all heat--and while he's initially determined to make nice with Zanya because of his feelings for Sachi, over the course of the book you feel him become more interested in her, and excited to get to know her better and be with her for the long term. Zanya? Still needs some convincing. I am pumped to see how he wins her over.

--The way sexuality is handled in this book is so casual, and I fucking love that. Really, the main obstacle to Sachi and Zanya being together in public is related to class and Sachi's duty to marry Ash. The gods they meet are pretty much universally bisexual, and Ash's previous consort was a prince, not a princess, which doesn't seem unusual or remarked upon.

--I think it would be very easy for Ash to come off as a "just happy to be there" guy, because Zanya and Sachi have such a strong love, and such an established relationship. But he's really so lovable, so patient with both of them (well, Sachi has to be more patient in their case--he's very worried about hurting her) and so charmingly teasing. Like, he's a protective dangerous dragon guy (and to be clear: for most of the book, Ash is totally this big hot man dude, he shifts separately into a dragon form) but he's also just? A good guy?

--I loved the world of the gods and their mythology. It's fun, it's hedonistic, I identified several cool characters I'd love to see find love in their own books, and it feels like they're both... above humanity and sweetly emotional. It's a hard balance to strike, but I think they got it in this one. (Fun fact: Kit Rocha is a pen name for two friends.)

--In terms of "how fantasy is this and how romance is this" it's a romance novel, despite the fact that it doesn't end on a totally resolved note (I trust that will come in the future). But the fantasy is strong without being too hard to follow. I feel like fantasy purists who are Very Vocal On Twitter may complain about the level of fantasy in this but like. The world was very much solid enough for me. I got it. It was the right balance for me, as a romance reader, and I refuse to accept romantasy as a thing unless it defines itself better, because it feels like fantasy romance is all I really need to know about.

The Sex:

Um, one of the hottest books I've read in a while. It takes a bit before you get to the first sex scene, but once it gets going it's going. Most of the sex scenes involve all three parties in one way or the other. Sachi is absolutely a brat with both of her partners, and frankly, we love to see it.

One thing I really loved was the evolution of Zanya's role in the sexual aspect of the relationship. We see that she and Sachi have very defined roles in bed, they know each others' bodies so well. Ash is respectful of that, as he is respectful in general--and he's willing to learn from both Sachi and Zanya (and I get the impression that while both of them are clearly bi, neither has much or any experience with men due to their longstanding, presumably monogamous involvement with each other). He's such a great example of writing a romance hero who's like... an animal where it counts, but so respectful of consent and so willing to be taught. So, as time passes, you see Zanya's more dominant side come out with Ash as well, and the way in which she begins to shift her focus from just Sachi to Sachi and Ash. Which of course, very much aligns with the fact that she's catching feelings. Oops!

I can't give away too much, but--there is one sex scene towards the end of the book that is just. Beyond.

Like I said, it's kind of hard to find FFM, and I jumped on this book because I was so excited to see that--and of course, I want to read more fantasy romance. I'm really happy with where it's going, and I look forward to the next book.

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[the-pjo-analyst]

The Lightning Thief Summary

Here I was thinking I'd finish editing this today and still have plenty of time before the show airs and then they release the episodes early sjkdfhsdkfh

Anyway over a year later and it's done! Thank you for everyone who's been patient with my posts despite taking so long to finish. I'll put a pause on my book analyses so I can focus on reading the Trials of Apollo (I never finished the series,,,,,) so I can finally read all the new content we got this year! Maybe I'll make live posts as I read 👀 I kinda want to make posts about the tv show when it airs too.... we'll see :D

Until then, here's a summary of the first book:

Themes

The concept of home In terms of a physical place, Camp Half-Blood is the biggest example of this, as a sanctuary for demigods who struggle to survive and fit in in the regular world. I find it interesting how in every book something threatens the existence of CHB as a safe place. In this case it's something small, the hellhound that Luke brought in. Luke even says he did it so Chiron would believe camp wasn't safe and send Percy off on a quest. Each threat progressively gets worse, which forces the demigods to go on quests to either directly or indirectly save/help their home. There's also people as a place to call home, like how Sally is to Percy. Funny enough the motif of demigods going on quests to protect their home also applies to here because Percy doesn't accept his quest to save CHB, he does it to save his mom, the only person at that point he felt at home with. Because brain is hardwired to think about percabeth all the time I'll put this out in the open: Percy and Annabeth stand on opposite ends of the "what is home" spectrum at the beginning, Percy's being a person and Annabeth's being a place, and then they kinda switch with Percy finding a home at CHB and Annabeth learning to call her mortal family home. But haha psyche it's actually them growing to call each other home. Like when Percy is on the fence whether to stay at camp for the year or not, a major reason he decides against it is bc Annabeth won't be there. And then Annabeth would never have considered living with her dad again is Percy didn't encourage her.

Supporting others and having support from loved ones This pops up a lot in the book and it's an important driving force for a lot of the characters: Percy having a loving mother, the trio having each other's backs throughout their quest, the trio supporting each other's goals, even Poseidon watching over Percy. When they're at their lowest, when they think about giving up, they all had someone who picked them back up, someone who eased the pain a little, and that helped them keep going and lift them up. On the topic of Percy vs Luke, this is a major point that distinguishes the two as heroes. Percy has a support system that he can fall back to when he makes mistakes or bad things happen to him while Luke doesn't, not really. Although it's hard to tell from Percy's pov whether Luke had any close friends or not, it doesn't seem like he had anyone to confide in (at least after Thalia). He's left to stew in his negative emotions, another reason why he was so easy to be manipulated.

Identity Maybe too early to really talk about this, but the first book introduces this idea of how characters identify themselves, and especially who they identify with. Demigods being categorized demigods by their godly parent and also them choosing whether to identify by that or not. On the flip side, demigods feeling lost or not seen when they either aren't claimed or don't have a cabin to truly call theirs. There's also Annabeth who practically grew up in this system and internalized it, and came to find there's more to the world than just who your godly parent is. And Percy on the opposite side again lmao, who considers himself Sally Jackson's son first and foremost, and then learns to accept Poseidon in his life in whatever form it entails.

Worship of the gods and broken systems Probably the most important theme to the plot line of the series. I talked a lot about this in terms of Percy vs Luke for my ch 21 and 22 posts, essentially how demigods' over-reliance on the gods breeds a flawed and defective system. A subtheme for this is the gods and responsibility: who gets blamed for the actions of the gods? are the gods obligated to claim and acknowledge their children? I think what makes Percy the perfect Child of the Prophecy is that he has never relied on the gods as omniscient and almighty beings to give him what he needs, he instead relies on his own power, and that allows him to work with the gods to create change in future books. He never had a moment where he worshiped the gods and also never had a moment of disillusionment bc he was immediately thrust into a situation that revealed out broken the system was as soon as he was brought into the world of immortals. He sees the gods and their world as they are, both the good and the bad.

Characters

Percy: I'll just summarize his core qualities since I talk too much about this kid 😂: Percy is strong-minded and doesn’t back down easily, he has high integrity, he’s incredibly loyal to his friends and stands up for them, he heavily relies on his instincts and is impulsive, he's also very street-smart! he's impertinent lol and doesn't take well to authority if he feels it isn’t deserving or fair, he loves loves loves his mom, he always fights to protect, he has an incredibly low self-esteem and desires others to see beyond the trouble that follows him, he doesn't like "bothering" people with his problems. His sass and spite probably formed as a defense mechanism against his low self-esteem and the abusive environment he grew up in. It's interesting reading the book while fully looking at Percy's characteristics in terms of how growing up with Gabe affected him. For example, if he had a stable home, would his self esteem be as low as it is?

This pops up at the end and becomes hugely important in the later books, but Percy tends to take on responsibilities way too personally and they tend to become fixations. After Luke's betrayal, Percy is like I have to go find him and I can't just sit around while Luke is planning to destroy the world. He's like,,,, proactive to a fault.

Traits he probably gets as a child of Poseidon bc I love discussions that try to pinpoint this: the inability regulate strong emotions, like his temper; his brooding expression that gives him the air of a troublemaker and loose canon; his difficultly in following the rules; obv his love of beaches too.

Annabeth: As I've said before, Annabeth makes a good foil for Percy as the logical and book-smart person to Percy's heavy emotions and instincts. She's introduced as someone who's opposing to Percy in almost every way: someone who's entire world is her godly parent and the immortal world, who relies on her brain first before anything else, who's a bit manipulative, who's very confident in her abilities. But they also have some similarities: where Annabeth has faced lots of abandonment and Percy has faced a lot of rejection, and from these experiences they both have come to desire acknowledgement of their worth and the good in them. And they come to find these things in each other. It's also important to note how they learn from one another on their quest, like Percy starting to form strategies in his battles and Annabeth finding that the immortal world isn't everything.

Annabeth's aspirations and fatal flaw are very much tied together, since she's learned growing up that she can only rely on herself to do things right, plus having incredible pride as a child of Athena, led to her developing hubris. And it goes hand-in-hand with her desire for something permanent since she's never had something stable prior to arriving at camp. Her dream to be an architect allows her to both create something that will last eternity and make her stamp on the world.

Grover: The growth for Grover is a little less prominent compared to Percy and Annabeth. He's introduced as being meek with low-confidence but he has Big Dreams for that Tiny Body. It's really because he has Percy and Annabeth that he's able to grow and gain more confidence in himself, without them his aspirations would just be a pipe dream (I'm sorry I made an accidental pun lol). Grover rises to the occasion because he has people who believe in him and frequently tell him so and he also wants to meet those expectations. And that support takes physical form at the end of the book, both with Grover gaining his searcher license and him getting a growth spurt. You can see with your eyes how much he's matured, filling into the shoes of the person he wants to be in a literal sense.

Luke: Whereas Annabeth is different from Percy in every way but the ones that really matter, Luke is similar to Percy in every aspect except ones that really matter. He's a very caring and supportive person, so much so that he takes Percy under his wing when no one else does when Percy arrives at camp. He sees a broken system in the immortal world and wants something better for demigods. And yet he's also incredibly selfish, he leans more into putting himself and his desires first before anything else. He had relied too much on the gods to fix and provide everything and becomes bitter when that doesn't happen. Despite being a source of support for others, he doesn't have that for himself. And because of these differences, Luke is way more susceptible to Kronos' influence than Percy is. Kronos can offer glory and power and self gratification, and where Percy would refuse because it goes against his morals and who he is (someone who thinks about others before himself), Luke is more likely to be swayed.

Honestly Luke seems like a "what if" in comparison to Percy. What if Percy lost his mom? What if he was left at camp when he was younger? What if Percy never found a support system? All the examples I'm thinking of boil down to Percy having a parental figure that guides him and teaches him important lessons, while Luke doesn't lmao.

There's two sides in Luke, love vs anger, kindness vs selfishness, gods vs titans, celestial bronze vs steel, and this conflict appears frequently throughout the series. I want to see what moments this conflict shows itself in the later books!

Other things to keep in mind for the series when I continue reading and other notes:

Does Percy have claustrophobia? Or does it only show up at St Louis lol

The parallels between Percy and Luke

Ways Percy and Annabeth get closer and learn from one another

[B2 Summary]

[zilabee]

and when I'm down, real sanpaku, and I don't know what to do, aisumasen, aisumasen Yoko san

- Aisumasen (I'm Sorry), by John Lennon

"You," Yoko told him one day after gazing into his eyes, "are sanpaku." And thus began his life-long involvement with the philosophy of macrobiotics. Sanpaku, she explained patiently, was a Japanese term meaning literally 'three whites'. If a person was sanpaku it meant that the irises of their eyes were turned upwards so that white could be seen on three sides. The condition had been recognised for centuries in oriental countries where it was considered to signify poor physical and psychological health - caused primarily by an unwholesome diet. Worse, people who were sanpaku were prone to meet with violent accidents or death. "Look," she had said, showing him photographs. "President Kennedy was not sanpaku in his younger, dynamic years. But shortly before his assassination he became sanpaku. Hitler too was sanpaku before his death." History showed that Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln and dozens more had become sanpaku towards the end of their lives. The two of them had together pored over photographs of the Beatles and realise that, though none of them had been sanpaku in their early days, now they all were. John was not surprised.

- All They Needed Was Love, John Blake, 1981

For thousands of years, people of the Far East have been looking into each other's eyes for signs of this dreaded condition. Any sign of sanpaku meant that a man's entire system — physical, physiological and spiritual — was out of balance. He had committed sins against the order of the universe and he was therefore sick, unhappy, insane, what the West has come to call "accident prone". The condition of sanpaku is a warning, a sign from nature, that one's life is threatened by an early and tragic end.

- You Are All Sanpaku, by George Ohsawa, 1963.

Whatever dent the sanpaku concept has made in the Western consciousness is largely the doing of [Japanese author] George Ohsawa. He poached the concept from old Asian diagnostic traditions of facial reading, in which different features were thought to reflect aspects of your physical or spiritual health. In his writings Ohsawa claimed that three-whites was a particularly nasty characteristic, indicative of someone “suspicious, fearful, insecure, quick to misunderstand, and passive.” Furthermore, “his heart, sexual organs, liver, kidney, and lungs are very sick,” and so forth, and the condition can only be treated with a macrobiotic diet.

- Washington City Paper [x]

Oshawa pointed to individuals with sanpaku eyes that ranged from Martin Luther King Jr. to Abraham Lincoln—which, of course, implies that their untimely deaths had nothing to do with radicals upset about, oh, the Civil War or the Civil Rights Movement. [...] while a Japanese writer helped popularize the notion of sanpaku eyes in the West, it doesn't seem to be much of a superstition in Japan—especially compared to other Japanese superstitions, such as people's blood types. [...] If you do have sanpaku eyes, don't take much stock in these superstitions. As with most superstitions, this isn't hard science. It's not even soft science!

- Kotaku East [x]

[return0fpluto]

Please for the love of the stars, if a doctor mistreats you and you're able to,

report it.

Story under the cut, CW for urgent cares, potential medication interactions, and medical malpractice

TL;DR: Doctor gave us dangerous meds, called our mother diabetic, pretty sure he got in massive trouble or is about to and good

There will be a green separation where the problems end and the consequences for medical malpractice start so if you can't do the whole thing, scrolling until you see green is also an option

Two days ago, this past Saturday, our mother took us to the Memorial Health Urgent Care Center next door to us. We were both fatigued, sore/scratchy throat, and overall felt awful and knew we needed medical attention. When checked, both of us had low fevers and were ushered into the back where we waited for a doctor.

It's important to note that 2 days before that, Thursday, our father went to that exact urgent care with pretty much the same symptoms, and was given a Medrol Dosepak, an steroid anti-inflammatory that works wonders for functioning until whatever you have has run it's course

The doctor walks in, after the swab for strep throat came back negative, and looks over us and the body's mother. "Seems like an upper respatory infection," he says, "I'll send you home with some cough syrup." The body's mother asks if either of us, particularly us (singular), could have a Medrol Dosepak, as they help and she knows they help

It would've been well within his rights to say no, and explain why he did. Instead, he said that he "doesn't prescribed Medrol Dosepaks" and that was that, he'd send us home with non-steroid treatment

He then came back into the room a couple minutes later and told our mother that he definitely wouldn't give her any steroid treatments, as she's diabetic and they could raise her blood sugar

Our mother is not diabetic. She's on metformin for former pre-diabetes that she doesn't even meet the threshold for anymore. This doctor saw a fat, mid-60s lady and decided she must be diabetic

He prescribed us each the following:

• 200 mg of Tessalon Perles (our mother had some from her regular doctor at half the dose, and this doctor was also going to give us, at least 100 lbs lighter, the same dose of 200 mg)

• A psudophedrine cough syrup after both of us expressed that we were taking Sudafed pills already (psudophedrine is basically the Cold & Sinus bit of Advil Cold & Sinus)

• 60 mg of Ibuprofen (WE (singular) ARE ON AN NSAID ALREADY. TAKING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A HIGHLY DANGEROUS DOSE)

If our mother hadn't looked through those, or had been less informed, we would've ended up in the hospital at the very least. We would've most likely sustained serious and potentially life threatening injuries from those medications.

No other tests were done.

Less than an hour after we got home, we were both running high fevers and felt even worse. Our mother was able to safely drive us (thankfully) to the Holy Cross Urgent Care in the town over, where she had been able to make an appointment (side note, we remember none of this. We were texting a friend at the time and our memories come from re-reading those and recounts from other people, because we had an 100+° fever after Tylenol when we run cold).

It was COVID

We had COVID, both of us

This new doctor explained that an anti-inflammatory would stop our immune response and potentially make us sicker/more susceptible to long-term damage. He suggested things that could help, as well as listening to what our mother planned on taking and giving us, and said he could prescribe something but didn't need to, as that's about all he could've given us anyways.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Our mother sent messages to the Memorial support line from both of us explaining how the first doctor dismissed us out of hand and then prescribed us both that were flat-out dangerous, and I don't care if it was actual concern for patient wellbeing or fear of being sued, but today or tomorrow someone came/is coming out to talk to that doctor at minimum, and possibly get him in legal/medical board trouble.

Even if it's fear of a lawsuit, higher ups need to hear when a doctor is being negligent or dangerous

Please, please don't worry about being a "Karen", this is your LIFE on the line, you are allowed to be pissed if a doctor is toying with it even unintentionally!!

[fluffydavey]

This sounds so cute: "that moment where your character just… looks. just looks at their love interest for more than five seconds and doesn’t understand why or how this earth can exist and the sun and moon exist and the sky can be an eternal source of happiness and yet this person right here can bring so much more warmth and comfort to them with just a single glance"

falling in love || prompts

After a slow selling day, Jack decides to rally the rest of the newsies to Jacobi's, to make sure they stay out of the rain that's threatening to fall. As per usual when they manage to get everyone under one roof, it turns into a chaotic scene of who can talk the loudest, some of them getting into a friendly competition of who's made the most sales by this point. He's in the middle of trying to settle an argument between Albert and Crutchie, when he hears the distinct sound of the younger newsies laughing, and he looks up to see them all crowded around Davey.

After that, he can't seem to concentrate on anything anyone's trying to tell him, his eyes constantly glancing up to watch the other boy, who seems to have the undying attention of the younger boys in their group. He tries to listen in to what Davey's saying, but Albert's being a little too loud for him to take in anything except for an odd word here or there.

He watches Splasher raise a hand - something that Splasher has never once in his life done with Jack, which, wow okay, he'll cross that bridge another time - and curiosity gets the better of him. (Not without Crutchie and Albert catching on to what's got Jack's attention. He does his best to pretend he doesn't hear Crutchie's wolf whistle as he leaves the two.) He settles on a table near Race who's taking the opportunity to relax and have a smoke and some quiet time to himself, and doesn't say much as Jack sits on his table.

To his utter amusement, Davey's going through the paper with the younger newsies, explaining the headlines and the stories written inside, for the chance that they can sell the papers in a fairer way. While he's loosened up and has even lied once or twice to sell a boring headline (much to Jack's amusement), Davey scours through each story to see if he can use anything to his advantage to sell a truthful story.

He's even answering all of the questions they're firing at him, explaining political terms that are bound to go over most of their heads, and trying to make the more gruesome stories easier for a child to wrap their heads around, leaving out details they don't need to take in. He's always seen how patient Davey is with Les, even if he needs to switch into big brother mode and reel Les in, but watching the others instinctually gravitate towards Davey, who looks more than pleased to be helping them out, Jack's hit with a very sudden, probably life-altering realisation. It's at that moment, when Davey decides to look up and make direct eye contact with Jack. Davey offers him a quick smile, before Jo Jo asks another question, and Davey's sole attention is on Jo Jo.

"You've got it bad," Race quips, tapping ash from his cigar into an ashtray.

"What?" he asks, looking over at a smirking Race. He's not - it's not like that. Is it?

His eyes turn back to Davey who's laughing at something Mush has said. His head is thrown back and his shoulders are shaking and he looks so happy, like he's always been destined to be a mentor for these boys. It's then, when Davey again makes eye contact with Jack that Jack thinks to himself, oh shit.

"So bad," Race repeats, and Jack knocks his cap off his head. His friend's commentary isn't exactly needed at a time like this.

Jack thinks he should be worried - Davey is his friend, his selling partner, the person he runs the union with, someone who hasn't even been in his life for that long. But there's no point in denying it, is there? Why delay the inevitable? It feels like they were building up to this moment from the first time he watched Davey skip Albert in the queue to collect his papers that very first time Davey and Les sold with him.

It's a simple matter of fact - the sky is blue, the sun is yellow, and Jack Kelly is hopelessly in love with Davey Jacobs. And deep down, there's a voice in his head that's telling him it isn't one-sided, that he might actually have a chance with Davey, if any of the looks the other boy has sent his way mean anything. But that can wait, they have time. For now, he lets himself soak in the moment, watching the rain finally begin to fall outside. The world keeps moving on around them, and Jack is sure they're going to be okay, whatever the road ahead brings them.

[parlerenfleurs]

Well, I watched Good Omens season 2, and not gonna lie, I think it kinda sucks.

Perhaps season 3 will be more interesting, but this season is... meh. It's cheesy, ill-directed, people's (side-characters) reactions don't make much sense or at least aren't presented well, and thus they're not believable. I felt like watching children play together, deciding as they go "And you're this and you'll do this and then..." without much care for consistency or well-rounded characters or narrative.

And furthermore (SPOILER AHEAD I'M SPOILING A LOT BEWARE YOU CAN STOP READING NOW OKAY? COOL TAKE CARE BYE), furthermore, then, that kiss made no sense to me. I'm happy to follow their feelings/character arc unfold, but come on. How heavily must they hammer it on?

Yeah we get it, Beelzebub and Gabriel are a parallel, they fall in love then fade to their happily ever-after in the most contrived way ever (why aren't they threatened with being removed from the Book of life? Does the dominion of Heaven and Hell, having created the whole damn universe at the behest of their so-called omnipotent god, not extend to one solar system over? Come on now. I thought the whole plan was to go somewhere Heaven and Hell wouldn't look for eloped deserters, but here they announce it! If anyone just needed to leave Earth to desert their respective armies with no consequences, everyone would do it).

Yeah, we get it, Aziraphale is still not ready to accept that Heaven is not what he thinks it is, and to be with Crowley's side, their side, unconditionally while Crowley is fully ready and wants nothing more, and has for a long time now. (And actually this is to me the only worthwhile theme that makes sense, because of course Crowley, having been cast away, doesn't have anything to lose anymore. Aziraphale, who can still be taken back as a good prodigal son, can't see how that's something Crowley doesn't want anymore, because the scales have fallen from his eyes already, because he has lost everything for real and can now see that both sides are just as bad.)

But?? Why kiss??? I liked that they are indeed not human and love in a different, non-physical way. And I suppose it's a luxury to feel that way, because now if I do want human love and queer kissing, well, I've got it portrayed beautifully elsewhere. But for Neil Gaiman to insist they're not humans, don't love like humans, and then do this? Doesn't feel very consistent to me. I ship them, of course I do, but words and gestures would have sufficed. Would have been not just enough but more in-character to me.

But well. I don't have the full author vision, perhaps the next page of the story makes this make more sense. I'm not convinced but I can be patient and give it a chance.

But this season's flaws are here to stay. Nina and Maggie's "romance" was... weird. First, Nina was kinda mean to Maggie. She didn't owe it to her to be all smiles and all that, but as a spectator I can't understand why Maggie is so hung up on someone who treats her that way, who is so utterly uninterested and dismissive. Second... Maggie was being creepy. I presume that was not the intention, but that's what the acting/directing, and the way the scenes/dialogues were set up that made me feel that way. She was transparently interested, and continued to bring it up even when it was clear Nina didn't care for it. She had to tell her in no uncertain terms and then Maggie still wanted to talk about it and know if it was her fault Lindsay was being an abusive jerk... WHY was everyone so invested in everyone else's love life? And why did everyone talk about it so readily? Doesn't anyone value their privacy? Why would Nina tell Crowley that Lindsay just broke up with her and why would she give her opinion on his love life so freely? When I have a broken heart and want to go home and cry I don't really feel the urge to refuse social engagements with acquaintances by telling them the naked truth about it, but maybe that's just me. I also don't feel like telling said acquaintances that they should really get their shit together because they look so much like a couple from a few meters away and a handful of moments witnessed. But maybe that's just me.

The only sane moment in this whole mess was when Nina and Maggie come to tell Crowley that they shouldn't have stuck their noses in their business and that it's nuts to expect someone who just broke up to get into another relationship, but then right on the heel of that they once again confidently declare this and that about Crowley's feelings and what he should do about it. Like, excuse me??? You have barely seen them both together or hell, apart, and suddenly you're a stage 5 close friend and are an expert on how things stand between them??

Also just generally the comedy was often heavy-handed, the in-jokes unsubtle, the romances formulaic, the pace torpid... I was frankly bored from the introduction of the first episode (I did hope it would get better, and it was at times, but not much), displeased with the retcon of their first meeting, and wondering where Gaiman's excellent writing had gone.

Also I do wonder what Crowley was even doing lugging piles of books around only to throw them carelessly in corners. Aziraphale should have been very upset about that. He took good care of the Bentley, there was no reason to trash his beloved bookshop.

I feel like I've mostly lost my time, and that's too bad. I imagine a lot of people are ecstatic about the "representation", but I would have loved more substance and less... I don't know... I don't even know what they were trying to do here.