#so needless to say i am estatic

[mahi-does-some-art]

inhales

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA–

[rustygem]

UNCERTAINTY | ft. veritas ratio

彡 prompt: how veritas ratio would accept (and reject) your confession.

彡 warning(s): angst no comfort for the rejection part. maybe ooc ratio.

彡 notes: gn! reader. word vomit. that’s it.

✎ accepted;

You had scheduled a dinner reservation for you and the scholar. You were in your best attire, legs crossed as you patiently waited for the man to step in the restaurant. All of the conversations people were having sounded unintelligible. Your mind was focused on needing a purple haired man with beautiful orange eyes to walk into the restaurant.

“Apologies for the late arrival.”

Finally, there he was. Perfection. That’s what you’d use to describe Veritas Ratio. He was in a casual suit, but still maintained his usual flamboyant and elegant demeanor. His eyes bore into yours, and there was a smile that never reached his eyes.

“Thank you for showing up. Means a lot.” You exhaled, plastering a smile on your face. “I felt as though this would be a more…proper setting for what I’d like to talk to you about.”

But as soon as you opened your mouth to start, he cleared his throat. “Are we not going to order anything first? I believe a satisfactory meal would be beneficial before discussions.”

You scratched your neck, laughing. Even though you wanted to end your own existence in that very moment, you persevered.

Once the food finally arrived, you occupied yourself with sipping on your drink. The man who mirrored you was cutting his meat.

So, before it touched his lips, you confessed. “I am in love with you.”

He paused for a second before chewing the meat casually, examining your expression. He was looking for some sort of mockery.

When there was none, (much to his relief), he simply said. “Why?”

Why? God, this was going to be embarrassing.

“The way you carry yourself lets everyone know that you are self-assured. That’s already a very attractive trait.”

He continued eating, looking almost disinterested. (He is not. He wants needs you to continue. Keep telling him what you love about him. He loves the sound of your voice.)

“You’re a man who’s unafraid to speak the truth, but it’s not in a ‘you suck.’ kinda way…moreso a ‘you suck, but we can fix that.’ kinda way. You understand that while people can be horrible, they can also just be misguided, and need help.”

Your eyes were stuck on his face, praying that his facial expression would…soften. That he would take in that you were talking just to talk, that this was all straight from the heart.

And then, you felt calloused fingers caress your skin, and intertwine with yours.

Your lips were sealed as you looked at Veritas’s face, his indifferent expression remaining. However, his thumb rubbing over your index finger left you confused.

��Don’t let me stop you. Continue.” He spoke as if it was a command.

So you took in a deep breath. “I love you, Veritas Ratio. You’ve given me the strength and the want to be better…to thrive. I love you for that.”

And that’s when you finally see him smile. He was enamored. One of the best things he could ever hear from you is that, he of all people, helped you gain the strength to do your best.

“I would kiss you. But, I’d rather do that after I’ve cleaned my teeth.”

“I did not need to know that.”

✎ rejection;

You had decided to invite him over to your estate. Your heart was thumping and you had to continuously change shirts with how much you were sweating.

When you finally got yourself together, you heard the doorbell ring. And you swore you could hear ringing in your own ears.

The purple haired genius stepped in as you welcomed him. He gave you a hum of acknowledgement before he requested a spot to sit at.

You decided to sit down on the couch, watching him as he had both his legs and arms crossed. God, why was he so hot. What the fuck.

Needless to say, as soon as you said the words “I love you,” Veritas groaned, but it wasn’t in annoyance–not towards you–but in disappointment.

Why did you love him? Why did you love someone who has never and might never love you back? Why was it him? He could never love you the way you want him to. There are people out there that are much more deserving of your affections.

With that, a frown tugged on his lips as he spoke. “I must condemn you for having such an…unfortunate taste in men.”

A frown of your own found its way into your face as he said that. You wanted to protest, but out of politeness, you let him continue.

“Any qualities you appreciate about me, you can appreciate in anybody. Albeit, those will be rare occasions, but still possible. And when you find that somebody, they will appreciate you to the highest degree.”

He was being…kind. He was rejecting you, but he was being kind? Somehow, that was worse than him laughing in your face.

“…If that was all you needed to tell me, then I shall take my leave.” The man was at the door before you could blink.

“After this, please do reconsider who you choose to involve in your romantic pursuits. And do refrain from any…unprofessional behavior during work tomorrow.”

You were probably hearing things, but you could hear his voice waver.

Truthfully, Veritas would not have had enough time for you if you two ended up dating. He was a busybody. Busy to the point where he’s fearful that…he would forget that he was even dating you. You didn’t deserve that.

If he had to separate himself from you, so you would be able to find someone else who could love you well, then so be it.

woah, check this out before you interact!

[subbytcklslut]

First Tickle Session (11/08/2024)

My first tickle session with @dca101

I'm going to do my best to recount everything, but frankly there was so much going on and I know I can't accurately run through every single second.

So, I'd been anticipating this session all week, it was my first REAL tickle session. It had me completely nervous in the best and excited way possible. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have butterflies as the hours ticked down closer and closer.

So of course when he got here we had a moment of just chilling, talking a bit. I got a hug which definitely helped put me at ease. We started slow, him just getting a quick tickle in here and there. I wore shorts, a bralette and a thin spaghetti strap tank. I wanted to be tame but also leave as much ticklish real estate exposed as possible, so yeah at one point the tank came off. I actually had shoes and socks on starting out, so he focused on my thighs and my hips. Working his way up and teasing my sides and finding out how ticklish my underarms are. It was all gentle tickling, some rough tickles mixed in and I can't believe how giggly I was already becoming.

Fun fact, he teased my neck a fair bit( which is a turn on for me) but ummmm he glided his hands along the backs of my shoulders which we both then discovered is weirdly ticklish. Needless to say he had to test every inch between my neck and shoulder blades. Meanwhile I'm scrunched up and trying to squirm away from it. He oh so RUDELY honed in on my knees with some nibbles. Lucky I didn't jerk from how mean and ticklish it was.

He eased me in to some of the tickle toys. The vibrating feather particularly tickly to my stomach and ummm breasts 🫣. I have found my ultimate weakness though in that pure torture device that is the double pronged flosser thing. Doesn't matter where it touched, I was a giggling and squirming mess. He gave me a break from that evil little tool, but it was time to experience my first taste of foot worship.... I can't believe how much I liked it. Feeling my toes in his mouth was actually kinda hot and it tickled the tiniest bit. Then the oil came out! He tested the ticklishness of my feet without oil on one and oil on the other, with the addition of the hairbrush(the only tickle tool I experienced until this point). He discovered an absolute death spot that was my toes and proceeded to call ME a liar for having thought the spot under my toes was the worst. Totally not my fault, so I was subjected to some torture on my poor toes with multiple tools.

Turns out, I'm certain areas I'm also very lickilsh. Um the underarms 😨 and my poor soles.

Of course my sassy and bratty self couldn't help it at times to bite back and it resulted in me getting pinned down(holy fuck was that hot and got more than it's fair share of moans) while he tickled my upper body. His teasing tickle talk only driving me more crazy and to more laughter. He got me to admit what a ticklish toy I am and um excuse me but how dare 😤💀

It wasn't until 3 hours in that the restraints came out. We kept it easy, rope and some good cushioned restraints. My heart was absolutely pounding with anticipation as I lay there while he secured me. Testing my mobility by tickling my foot, my thighs, my underarms. The real ticklish panic set in when I realized I couldn't stop or squirm or hide any tickle spots.

For all my bratiness he had to dole out some punishment to my oiled and secured feet,using each tool he had and really going to town with them. Again, that double pronged flosser is my weakness, followed very closely by grooming gloves 😵‍💫🫣 I was warned these toys were going to be intense but nothing can prepare you for them. Even writing this my toes are scrunching as I remember what happened. He had me so much in lee headspace that I couldn't help but beg and laugh. All the while just adding enough teasing torture to bring a whimper from me.

I'll admit, we had some NSFW tickles... Again that evil fucking flosser right along my pussy. The moans and laughter from me were embarrassing to say the least 🫣 but I fucking enjoyed every minute of that agony. We ended our session with one last vigorous torture to my feet, that evil fiend).

But honestly, the sweetest fucking thing was how caring and gentle he was. He made sure to give me breaks to breathe, letting me adjust to each new ticket sensation. Making sure I was okay with what happened and not pushing boundaries that I had set. He really helped ease me into my first session and I couldn't have asked for a better first time. He's an absolute teddy bear of a guy and snuggling him as both of our aftercare had me grinning ear to ear.

More sessions will definitely be happening and I'm damn lucky y'all 🫠

[deadlinesmb]

Shop Fusion Collab - Splatoon 3

Hooooh boy, I have a lot to say about this one.

Let me preface this part by saying that this section would straight up not exist without the talented work of my teammate Nico. Not only did he model/rig Cordelia and the background, but it's thanks to him that I was able to learn the Blender animation pipeline. He was extremely patient with me and answered every question I had, and for that I'm extremely grateful.

For this section, I animated the shopkeeper Cordelia, from the game Dead Estate! While developing this part, I pitched the idea for a Splatoon 3 section and agreed to do the art for it regardless of what game it was paired with! That game ended up being Dead Estate, a game I had never heard of up to that point.

So, what followed was a period of deep research into the game as well as Cordelia, so I could get the best understanding of how to portray her in the Splatoon universe. First thing was first, I had to redesign her. Even for SiIvaGunner projects, humans existing within the Splatoon universe is a bit jarring, so I decided that for Cordelia's model sheet, I would try to jazz her design up to make her a better fit for this artstyle!

I explored some potential species design before deciding to make her an urchin, as I felt like it'd be the coolest way to adapt her hairstyle. I made some minor changes to her outfit and passed it along to Nico for modeling!

(image from Nico's Twitter post on his contributions, def check it out)

Needless to say I was blown away with how well he adapted the design. It came out better than I could have imagined. What soon followed was me forcing myself to learn the Blender animation pipeline from scratch!

It was a very interesting but invaluable process. I am a 2D animator by trade, with very little interest in expanding to 3D, but the more I was exposed to Blender, the more natural the process came to me. I was very surprised. I think the animation took me about a month in total to create, as I was balancing it with schoolwork at the time, but I'm very happy with how it came out considering my 3D experience level.

Beyond the 3D animation side of things, there was also the 2D assets needed for the UI, which I recreated from scratch through editing software with the help of some gracious Splatoon modders who were willing to help me rip UI and SFX from the game. All of the unique 2D weapon icons were drawn by me, each being direct callbacks to actual weapons from Dead Estate! Eagle-eyed viewers also may have caught that I snuck in a teaser for Prince Fleaswallow's upcoming section in the top right of the UI, which required me to make a Splatoon-styled head icon for him!

Overall, this one was a blast to work on. Everyone was surprised to see it being one of the earliest sections finished for the collab. We made sure to get it locked down because we knew we were in for a labor-intensive time if we wanted it to look just right.

[lunarthecorvus]

Alternate Universe - Regency Six Of Crows fanfiction recommendations

part of Lunar's soc fanficiton rec series

-------------------------------✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧----------------------------------

p.s. a few fics haven't been updated in a while but I'm recommending them because they are all still beautiful stories and worth the read

when existence or when hope is gone by @19burstraat

Wordcount: 27,573 Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Jan Van Eck, Alys Van Eck, Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's Father

Tags: Alternate Universe - Regency, Alternate Universe - Historical, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Napoleonic Wars, Jordie's dead again sorry poppet. Matthias isn't though!, Minor Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik, Minor Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Love Letters, maybe kaz should be a regency gent full time. they all wear gloves and are all repressed, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Written In the style of Jane Austen, (sort of), (I tried), kanej-typical intense pining

Author's summary/notes: “And have you made this entire call without once vexing or offending poor Miss Ghafa?” Captain Rietveld looked coolly at him. Inej bent her head over her sewing to hide her smiling, since she was not sure she would not laugh outright. She had not thought that Wylan would deliberately provoke the Captain, but perhaps his deference to his father did not reach anyone else. “I am sure that is not for me to decide,” said the Captain, “But I own I have been perfectly well behaved.” “Does he lie, Miss Ghafa?” “No— he has been quite tolerable company,” said Inej. “If not quite a perfect gentleman.” “You wound me, Miss Ghafa.” “I suspect I do not, Captain.” (A SOC Jane Austen/Regency AU) My summary/notes: This fic is so cute, I loved seeing the Inej and Nina's friendship in regency au, it was so sweet. Reading kanej interact with Austen coded manners was just so fun and fit them so well. If you love Jane Austen and Inej you will love this fic. The other crows relationships are in this fic and its so adorable.

A Hair's Breadth by QHQ

Wordcount: 60,833 Chapters: 46/? (hasn't been updated in a year and half)

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Wylan Van Eck, Anika, Rotty, Alby Rollins, Pekka Rollins

Tags: Alternate Universe - Regency, regency au, Slow Burn, Marriage of Convenience, blend of the grishaverse and regency england, Basically, Touch Aversion, Past Sexual Abuse, Everyone Has Issues, Haphephobia, Minor Sexual Content, Canon-Typical Violence, Lack of Communication, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, everyone is a badass

Author's summary/notes: Kaz Brekker has torn Pekka Rollins down. Brick by brick - just like he'd promised. Having wiggled himself into a position to inherit all of Rollins' estate, he finds himself at court, playing the same old tricks on fatter pigeons. Inej Ghafa is desperate. Lady Nina is to be married soon, and when that happens she will be returned to Tante Heleen and the Menagerie. Her only hope is to convince the newest noble at court - the dangerous Lord Brekker - to buy out her indenture. Needless to say: nothing goes as planned for either of them. My summary/notes: I have to warn you that this fic incomplete but its definitely still worth the read. QHQ is such a good Kanej writer I recommend their other fics. This fic has a good chunk of angst as its a marriage of convience.. but there are so sweet moments. They wrotes Inej's worries and experience of what its like to be a woman in regency era fit, and stayed honest to her character.

in another life by drisana

Wordcount: 55,009 Chapters: 9/20 (hasn't been updated in a year)

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey, Tante Heleen, Inej Ghafa's Mother, Inej Ghafa's Father, Kaz Brekker's Father, Kaz Brekker's Mother, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nikolai Lanstov, Genya Safin

Tags: Alternate Universe - Regency, Arranged Marriage, Marriage of Convenience, Married kanej learning to love each other, kaz arranges a marriage, so inej can work for the dregs, Marriage, Wedding, Scandal, Grishaverse racism, Abandonment, Major Character Injury, Separation, Reunions, Threats, Ravka being broke as usual, Complicated Relationships, Unreliable Narrator, so many creative liberties taken sorry i havent read soc in ages

Author's summary/notes: "What did you think of the Suli girl, then, oh Saint of great virtue?” Inej hears a match strike, then a drag of a cigarette before Brekker answers, “As lovely as she is smart. And smart enough to be utterly terrified of me.” Jesper wiggles his eyebrows, “Lovely enough to tempt you?” Brekker hesitates, and Inej sees Nina grin, a hand over her mouth and the other one gripping Inej like a lifeline. He leans back against the tree, dark hair disrupting his handsome features, and lets out a long exhale, “Yes.” My summary/notes: Stays true to Inej's canon background so be prepared for flashbacks, we do get to see her heal and grow. I'm not sure how much to say without spoiling but we have Kanej taking down *horrible* people together. A lot of Nina and Jesper appearances, especially Nina's friendship with Inej and Jesper's friendship with Kaz, we love them <3.

A Gentleman in Possession of a Good Fortune...Has No Need for a Wife by aplaceforallmyshipstoanchor @a-true-janian-reply

Wordcount: 29,892 Chapters: 8/12 (hasn't been updated in a few months)

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Nina Zenik, Zoya Nazyalensky, Matthias Helvar, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Original Characters, Per Haskell, Pekka Rollins (mentioned), The Ghafas

Tags: Uneasy Allies, Marriage of Convenience, Heists, friends - Freeform, romantic content, But first a lot of buildup because we know these two, Alternate Universe - Regency, Regency-lite, Shenangians, Societal rules, Violence, Multi Chapter, What if the Crows were in Regency England and yet still got up to crime, More tags to follow, Panic Attacks

Author's summary/notes: The Ghafas travel to London to strengthen Mr. Ghafa's ties with English trade. Per Haskell's business is known as a well-established , if old fashioned, institution and enters into business with Mr. Ghafa. His apprentice Mr. Brekker, an austere young man, is secretly running the business and encounters the Ghafas at a ball. When Inej overhears vital information about an attack on Haskell's warehouse from a local gang she goes to Mr. Brekker for help. When Mr. Brekker needs her help again, the two orchestrate a courtship as a cover for their increasingly dangerous adventures. How far will the charade go? And how many times will Mr. Brekker try to convince himself their partnership is merely an investment for the future? My summary/notes: I adored reading Kanej develop in this fic, we get to see them grow from strangers to friends to...... and Mama + Papa Ghafa are in this fic, I love them so much. It was so interesting reading the way they adapted canon to fit and it works really well. One thing I loved was Inej being vigilante and being the Wraith in regency era. The writing is incredible

[wizardnaturalist]

I am not about to sit here and claim that any work is above reproach, but so many criticisms of RENT are either directly addressed within the show or are just. not true. and this perennial discourse about how Problematic it is annoys me, so here we go

Why don't they just pay the rent?

are you kidding me

did you watch the show??

they don't have any money

the situation established at the beginning is that Benny has allowed them to stay in their apartment rent free for the past year because Roger was unable to work and he and Mark wouldnt be able to afford living expenses as well as Roger's medication otherwise.

Benny then tells them that unless they break up Maureen's protest, they will not only have to immediately start paying rent, they will also have to pay back the entire previous year's rent or else be evicted

needless to say if you ware barely scraping by, you do not have a year's worth of rent and then some just sitting on hand

Mark was cosplaying poverty, he could've gone back to his parents' house at any time.

perhaps

all we know about Mark's parents from canon is that theyre pushy and he doesnt want to live with them. We don't know any details of their living situation or home life

but even if he would have been fine moving back home, it would have meant abandoning both the community he had grown into, and Roger.

Roger literally had not left the apartment since April died, and was not well enough to work to support himself at the time. Mark leaving would mean leaving Roger without support.

Mark's view of the homeless is often voyeuristic and expoitative.

yah

the conflict between Mark's comparatively privileged upbringing and the poverty amongst which he now lives is a major part of his character

remember when that homeless lady told him to fuck off

that didnt just slip in by accident

The whole show is about not being able to afford things, and then Mark quits his job for his Ideals.

Mark was not entirely jobless before being employed at the magazine. He wasn't going from having a job to unemployment. He always had money for food, clothes, medication, etc., even if it was tight

he just wasn't employed in his field. it wasnt a question of Having A Job or Not; it was about whether Mark was willing to accept the chance to get closer to making a living off of his art, even if it went against his morals, or whether he could be content carving out filmmaking for himself in a way that felt right

I thought Jonathan Larson was gay and died of AIDS.

not his fault??

neither Larson nor his estate ever claimed either of those things, you just jumped to a conclusion and made it everyone elses' problem

I can't believe this is a common "criticism"

A straight man has no right to write about the AIDS epidemic.

I dont know how to tell you this, but AIDS is not a gays-only disease. what are you, a politician from 1986?

RENT was not about being gay, it was about the disease. Roger, Mimi, Mark, and Benny- half the main cast- are all straight as far as the audience is aware. other than gay people, the most at-risk groups at the time were IV drug users, sex workers, people of colour, and impoverished people, all of whom are represented in the show

Larson may not have had AIDS, but many of his friends and loved ones did, and died of it. how incredibly callous to say that someone cannot write about the tragedy they personally lived through, just because they are not of the demographic you most associate with it

Larson plagiarized the whole cast and all the major story beats from Sarah Shulman's People in Trouble.

this is one that cropped up on tiktok a couple years ago

have you read the book?

I have

the only similarities are that they are both about poverty and AIDS in New York, and there are characters who cheat on their partners. that's it.

it's like saying Veep plagiarized The West Wing because theyre both about white house staffers. or like those guys who claim any fantasy story featuring swords and the hero's journey is a Star Wars ripoff. it' absurd.

RENT is directly and openly based off the opera La Bohème by Puccini, as well as incorporating autobiographical elements from Larson's life

stop just repeating things you hear

in conclusion: there are real criticisms and analyses to be had with RENT, but these are not them

[skekdris]

Sketch of my OC/Species graciously brought to life by @aryeonos , The Arhulian. Needless to say, a huge, six-eyed, badger-centipede is both intimidating and hard to depict visually. Thanks to Ary again for assisting me with editing and proof reading. I don't think my story could have reached this level of polish if I did not have my love to bounce it off of. <3 Down below is a short story of them meeting the Amaranthine characters by @kwillow and @chocodile . They are in for a surprising house guest, that's for sure! Seems like a good way to get a feel for a character is to put them up against some "knowns" to see how the character would react in those circumstances. Acts as a good backdrop to flesh them out from there. As for right now, I'm still 'sculpting' out a lot of the Arhulian lore and worldbuilding. Initially the story was supposed to be with Hyden, Alex, and Theo, interacting with my Arhulian character 'Niadris' - but the way things were written out and flowed - it turned out to be Alex, Theo, and Ridge instead. I really wanted Hyden to meet them in this story, but then again, Hyden being deadass asleep while all the interesting stuff happens sounds like a pretty Hyden-y thing to do. Anyways, onto the story. It's somewhat of a long read, at ~7k Words. There's a lot of character interaction, so I hope stayed close to how the three would react in such a situation!

The Visitor

It was an afternoon in middle spring - which for this area of the continent meant that if the weather was good, temperatures would rise above freezing. The cool air with the humidity of melting snow seemed pleasantly mild compared to the long, bitter winters. In the study of a large manor on the outskirts of a town called Northcrest; an older, corpulent, Rabbit with a cracked gem embedded in his forehead was gripping the sides of his hair in frustration. "A person of my mind, MY intellect should have solved this weeks - no - months ago!" Hyden snarled to himself. 

"You sure you aren't just stalling for time to enjoy your little 'vacation' here?" A Bat leaning in the doorway chided. 

Hyden put on a despondent look. "I am trying, Ms. Solokov. Really, in earnest. The faster I can put an end to this disaster, the faster I can rebuild my oh-so woefully maligned reputation!" He said, crumpling up another paper of scribbled equations of arcane theory, tossing it into a waste basket. 

Alex wanted to retort, but it would just be another fight, another exchange of barbs like all the other times before. She rolled her eyes, then stood up to wander out of the office. "Hopefully Ridge gets back soon. I want someone I can actually talk to." She thought, returning to her room to take stock of her things.

Hours later, as the sun was setting - casting the hillsides in an amber glow, a brawny teal Shark bundled in a heavy coat returned. In both of his arms were large crates, as well as canvas bags hooked around his arms. The door was opened by a short, roundish fancy Rat. "Oh, do make sure you remove your filthy boots at the entryway, I don't want any melting slush being tracked all over my estate." They sneered in their shrill voice. 

"Yes, of course Theo. I wouldn't want to sully your pristine hardwood floors." Ridge responded dryly. Before the Rat could retort, the large Shark added. "Anyways, here's everything you had on your shopping list, these supplies should keep us stocked for a few weeks before another trip." Preemptively cutting off Theo again, Ridge blurted out: "Oh, and I trust 'ya have the perfect spot to put everything. I wouldn't want to scramble 'yer pantry, after all." 

Theo scowled at the bulky outsider, their constant pokes and attempts at wit got under his skin. He knows Ridge was trying to get out of putting away the groceries after a long walk - but he was also right. "Yes, of course. As the sole keeper of this venerable estate, it is my duty to tend to all it's functions, right down to it's inventory." Theo stated. There would have been more words to shoot back, but Theo's duty as a host kept him from slipping any further into banter with his guest.

After dropping off the groceries for Theo to tend to, Ridge went off to search for alex. The manor contained more rooms and floors than any “house” he had ever set foot in. It irritated Ridge to no end that the little rich Rat insisted that the doors remain closed at all times, so he had to peek into half a dozen rooms and three closets before finding the reading room his friend was residing in. The weary Shark entered, flopping down on a chair; glad to be able to finally sit down on something soft and cushy after his trek. Alex smiled, welcoming him. "Your shopping trip took a long time Ridge, I know he asked you to grab a lot. Is everything alright?" The Bat queried.

Ridge sighed. "Yea... well maybe. Just some things 'goin on." He added before continuing. "I know you don't get out much since you 'gotta keep an eye on them two, so I figured I'd go around town and pick up a little news for ya. See what's happening. There's been talk of some strange things going on. Livestock vanishing, hunting season has been looking a little sparse, and strange tracks out in the snow. People said they look like ski pole marks, I dunno what to make of it, I figured you uh - you have gotten out more than I have, so you'd have an idea."

Alex frowned. "Well, unless we are dealing with a roaming pack of wolves with skis, it's probably another one of those magic, twisted monsters that appeared ever since this whole catastrophe began." Alex sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yet another thing I ought to give that fat Rabbit a piece of my mind about." She said, her voice lowering, oozing with contempt. 

Ridge gave Alex a concerned look. "Yeah, well, if it was just that, that wouda have been one thing. But I saw those funny tracks near the path to the mansion... I don't have a good feeling about this."

Alex nodded. "I see. As much as I want to see that guiltless loaf ripped apart and eaten like cheap, stale bread by the very monsters he's created; we need him. I'll keep my eyes and ears out for anything strange." The following nights were uneasy for Alex. Each night, she'd take station and perch herself on one of the roofs accessible via a second story window, scanning the horizon for activity. Her large ears would catch whispers of something roaming in the distance, but she never could locate the source of the sound or what direction it was coming from. It always vanished just as she felt like she was homing in on her target.

She felt an uneasy tingle in her veins as her frustration mounted. If it was just wildlife, or even a monster, she surely should have spotted something by now. "Is anything really out there?" She thought to herself. After another uneventful evening watch, Alex swallowed her worries long enough to get some rest. She already has Hyden to keep watch over, she doesn't need whatever this is stealing her attention.

During the late evening; an hour past midnight, the manor was quiet, save for the crackle of the evening fireplace, as well as the stirring of but a single person; Theo. Between his duties as host, the sole caretaker for an entire servant-less manor, as well as his intense suspicion of everybody - save for his living historical idol Hyden - Theo was often the last person to go to bed, and the first to rise. This truncated sleep schedule, the bags under his eyes; they were merely the cost of business to keep everything in order. During the final rounds of his estate, a knock came from the door just as theo entered the foyer. The ears of the diminutive Rat twitched, his shoulders jerking at the sound of the knocking, which in the dead of night was as clear as his crystal wine glasses.

Tap tap tap. Another knock came. Theos' ears were not deceiving him. "Who in their right mind would visit at this godsforsaken hour?" Theo thought to themselves. This was abnormal. Tap tap tap. He rarely had visitors, ever. Let alone at a time like this. As he neared the door, he hesitated. The magical crystal embedded in his left hand felt strangely warm, and his hand was flush with blood flow. This was never a sensation he had experienced before - something was off. Tap tap tap. Before Theo could ponder any further, the fancy Rat scrunched his nose and bared a snarl as they heard more knocking pickaxing through his inner monologue. Whatever was going on, it was a terribly rude hour to be disturbing anybody, let alone him. Arming himself with some choice verbal barbs for his unwanted visitor, Theo opened the door.

As the door swung open, he was greeted by a silhouette of something massive - even taller than Hyden - though much of it's form was obscured by the evening darkness and their ebony fur, but what could be seen was not the body of a person. It was of some kind of beast. The fuzzy forelimbs of this creature ended in large, gently curved, off-white spikes, similar to that of a praying insect that Theo had only seen depicted in a historical encyclopedia. He looked up; his eyes met with the pairs it had on their badger-like head. The creature's triangular ears flicked, then it looked down at the Rat; the creature's three pairs of eyes were arranged above one right after the other - like the pips of the six side of a die. The eyes were pure black, save for the iris that shone like a purple ring in the light of the lantern. The words Theo had prepared found themselves lodged in his throat.

Aghast, the fancy Rat stumbled backwards, but his heel snagged on the edge of a floor rug, causing the Rat to land on his posterior, painfully pinching his tail. "Eek! M-monster... Gnnnk! Demon! Hng Aberration!" Theo exclaimed in a shrill voice as his rapid breathing caused him to fumble over his own words. He wanted to call out for help, to Hyden; even to the outsider, Alex. But he could not utter anything beyond sharp gasps as his breathing went to disarray.

The imposing creature looked at the panicked Rat and spoke to them. "Oh? Is that so? Would a monster choose knocking over divorcing your door from its frame?" The creature's voice was deep, coarse, and multitudinous as if three separate beings were speaking in unison. The creature remained in the doorway, peering at the quaking Rat, examining them and their actions closely. All six eyes were locked onto Theo, and the gaze made his fur stand on end. Theo already hated being stared at by just one pair of eyes. 

Theo sat on the floor, his whole body feeling flushed and trembling from his pounding heart. That thing had just spoken to him. In fluent dialect no less! Theo had heard of monsters before, but never an intelligent one - let alone one capable of speech. Something about this creature disturbed him to his core. His mind raced at kilometers a minute trying to process just what he was witnessing.

The creature's lips tensed as if it were about to speak; but then it stopped, before looking to its left. "It seems your sentry has been roused." The creature spoke aloud.

"Ess... Sentry?" Theo questioned. Then it clicked; it was referring to Alex. She always kept watch. How did they know about her? "Was this thing spying on us?" Theo exclaimed in his mind. The Rat felt dread bubbling up within him.

In one of the manor's guest rooms, Alex was sleeping. The tension of the last few nights had made deep sleep an impossibility. Thus, when the sound of Theo's raised voice came from downstairs, it was enough to wake her. She rubbed her eyes as she rose from the bed. "Was that Theo shout-" Her large ears flicked as they heard the sound of something unearthly and her fur stood on end. Without any further thought, her body reacted and she grabbed her hunting rifle, sprinting to the location of the sound. Fortunately, her eyes were fully adjusted for the night, and she made it to the foyer without a stumble despite her scramble. 

She sprang into the foyer, stopping herself with the guard rail of the grand staircase. Alex laid eyes on the huge beast in the doorway, it's six met with hers. Alex was prepared to shoot, but the violet irises of the beast were staring right at her the instant she rounded the corner into the foyer; as if it already knew she was going to be there. The sight made her freeze. "Theo! What in the hells is that!?" Alex exclaimed.

"A monster!" Theo shouted.

"A visitor." The creature stated, it's baritone, stentorian voice matching Theos' shouting in volume.

No longer half asleep with no obstructing walls to deaden the sound, Alex heard the creature's course, multitoned voice clearly. "Did that thing... just speak?" She said aloud.

Before either Theo or Alex could interject, the creature filling the doorway spoke to the two startled people in the foyer of the manor. "Yes. I did. Your language is relatively simple compared to my native tongue." The beast stated flatly. 

"Meh Ms. Solokov! It's egk dangerous! It's bee been spying on us!" Theo said, his chest still struggling to steady itself. 

Alex kept her rifle leveled at the beast in the doorway. She wasn't sure if Theo was speaking the truth, or was just in shock. "Okay, who and what the hell are you?" The Bat said, keeping her focus on the creature.

They replied. "I am Niadris. I am what your tongue would call... an Arhulian." 

Alex looked at Theo in bewilderment. Theo glanced back at the Bat. "Are-rule-lee-an?" Theo said aloud, sounding out the word by each syllable. "In all my eghk studies. I've never heard of such a species!" Theo said. The Rat's eyes glanced back to the creature in the door with fear and revulsion. "More like 'arhulian'." Theo muttered under his breath. One of the Arhulian's pairs of eyes shifted it's gaze back to the Rat.

"After knocking on your door and introducing myself, you suggest that I am a feral beast?" Niadris queried, in their deep, hellish voice causing the Rat's fur to stand on end as they swallowed nervously. The 'Arhulian' did not just speak their language, but had an advanced understanding of their grammatical structure. The implications of this rattled Theo as he shuffled back to get further away from this creature.

Alex took a deep breath as she maintained composure, interjecting before the situation escalated any further. "Alright, 'Niadris', why are you here? Theo said you were spying on us." She questioned, her rifle planted firmly in the direction of the unplanned visitor. The Arhulian was unfettered by her brandishing a gun right at them. Did it really not know what a gun was, or worse - did it not care?

"Spying? Given that your kind have responded to me with either fear or hostility on sight, I must carefully select when I reveal myself and to whom. It is no act of subterfuge. It is a necessity. Even now; you have your armament at-the-ready just from me knocking on your door and speaking to you. I wanted to speak to an individual, then have them inform the rest of my presence. Do you really imagine this going any better if I had been more bold in my approach? Depicting myself as non-threatening would be an order of magnitude harder with gunshot wounds." Niadris snorted, all three pairs flicking their gaze to Alex before one of them returned to Theo. The multiple pairs of eyes looking in different directions at the same time perturbed them both. 

"I eghk do agree that your appearance ehm elicits revuls-" A second pair of eyes locked onto him again. " -ghn a response." Theo said, catching himself. The Arhulian did not speak a word, yet the message was clear; it tore Theo up on the inside to even dare admit, but so far this 'visitor' has shown themselves to be quite capable of not letting verbal barbs go unnoticed.

Alex lowered her rifle, still keeping both hands on it. "I suppose that's... a pretty good point actually." She sighed. "But still, why are you here?"

Niadris spoke calmly. "We share a common enemy. Despite my imposing stature and prowess, physical might is all but meaningless against a foe that subsumes and absorbs all flesh that it touches." Alex's eyes widened as the creature continued explaining. "All my strength and ability are merely tools to avoid becoming a hearty meal in the wake of such a lurid foe." Both Theo and Alex became less defensive as Niadris continued. "...It is a terrible entity that digests without need or moderation. It is a blight upon this world."

Alex and Theo knowingly looked at each other. 

"Yeah. We call it the Shadow." Alex said. Her mind feeling a slight amount of guilt over her hostility, her rifle lowered completely. 

"Hrm Yes. In that regard we do have a commonality..." Theo relented, stopping before adding too much.

The fancy Rat composed himself enough to stand back up, and brush himself off. "So, that brings us to the matter at hand. How did you find out about our mission? I don't think anyone would have snrk told you about Rising Dawn."

The Arhulian stared with no reaction. "Rising Dawn? Is that a title?" They paused before adding: "No, I sensed that this place had an anomalous aura, so I studied you from afar before approaching." 

Theo raised an eyebrow. "What is this urgh 'aura' you speak of? What do you mean by sense?" He asked, his voice dripping in incredulity.

"My kind - Arhulians - have a 7th sense if you will. We can see the 'aura' of living things." Niadris explained. "This place caught my attention because I observed a strange aura much further than I would normally be able to; I was at the crooked sign above the red roofed well when the aura became detectable to me. My normal range is about three-fifths of that."

Theo and Alex raised both their eyebrows. "That's half a kilometer!" They both exclaimed in their minds.

"As I approached and could resolve things in detail, I noticed five distinct auras." Niadris raised their scythe-like forelimb and pointed in various directions. "Two crimson auras; one that luminesces brightly." Niadris pointed to Theo before continuing. "Crimson auras? Is it referring to our catalyst stones?" Theo thought to himself as the creature explained. The Rat was still skeptical, as him being a witch was public knowledge after all. As the Arhulian continued narrating, they mentioned: "The second crimson aura seems faint - as if it were hibernating or asleep." Theo's face twitched in shock as the creature pointed to the direction of the room Hyden was currently residing in - an interior room with no visibility from the outside, nevermind the fact Hyden's presence was supposed to be hidden. Niadris, still speaking: "Then there are two mundane auras - one of them with a notable a tendency to perch from a defensive vantage point." The Arhulian stated, pointing their bone-tipped forelimb to Alex.

"Is that how he snuck past me? He knew I was on watch and avoided me?" Alex pondered. 

"Then lastly, the fifth aura. A writhing, squirming mass of discordant signals, that seethe and roil like water itself harboring anger, yet cannot move freely. As if it were sealed away." Niadris pointed in the direction of where the shadow sample was.

Alex and Theo were at a loss for words. There was no way this thing could have such intricate knowledge of Theo's manor without ever having set "foot" inside. 

Before either could speak up, the Arhulian spoke again. "Another one of your kind has roused. It is the other mundane aura, and a voluminous one at that. They are to the northeast, and heading in this direction. Could you inform them of my presence before another outburst happens?" Niadris asked with a dry tone.

Alex was stunned in disbelief. They must be talking about Ridge!

Theo butted into the conversation: "I'm not sure what kind of feh fool you take me for, but I highly doubt you really have such a fantastical ability. Really, you can 'see' us through solid walls?" Theo's mind was a whirlpool of doubt and skepticism. The creature's claims seemed too extraordinary to be true. Theo was not sure how, but it has to be some sort of ruse! In the depths of the Rat's mind, the idea of this creature being able to observe him constantly, undetected was a soul-chilling prospect that fundamentally violated his privacy. It has to be a ruse.

"Yes." Niadris bluntly responded.

"Hmph Well, it was a cunning deception, but I'll have you know, our guest is residing in the southwest portion of my manor. And even if they were where you claimed to be, you aren't even looking in that direction..." Theo scoffed. As he was monologuing, the Bat's large ears flicked as she picked up the sounds of footsteps... coming from the northeast. 

Niadris did not care to let the Rat finish before speaking, their baritone, multitudinous voice overpowering the Rats' in the conversation. "You have previously admitted to having no information about my species, yet you are presuming knowledge of my capabilities?" 

Theo was incensed at being interrupted. "How dar-"

Ridge entered the foyer, scratching his back with a pillow in the other hand. "Hey, uh, is there a barbershop trio here, who are you talki-" The large Shark froze in place as his eyes met with the strange, badger-like creature filling the doorway. "Ah! uh! What in the goddamn...?!" Ridge dropped his pillow and adopted a boxing pose as best they could as their limbs still felt heavy from their evening nap. The Arhulian's eyes devoted a pair to focus on each individual in the foyer.

"Calm down, Ridge! This thing isn't... being dangerous. It wanted to talk to us." Alex blurted out with as much composure as she could muster. 

Theo's face was flush as he exclaimed. "What are you doing there? Your room is on the other side of the manor!" The Rat's entire body tingled as any shred of doubt he could summon was scalded away by the unfolding situation. 

The muscular teal Shark stammered, as so much was happening all at once for him. "Uh, well, I wandered around and dozed off in one of the book rooms. I got up because it was cold, then I heard this guy... thing?" Ridge said, glancing at Niadris, reluctantly dropping their boxing pose and grabbing their pillow.

"Well, at the very least, Niadris isn't lying to us." Alex said exasperated. Though she too, had her doubts about this 'visitor', she did not appreciate Theo antagonizing them openly. Theo glared at her. So far the Rat has shown hospitality to the outsider, but this jab from her really rubbed him the wrong way. In the uncomfortable silence of the foyer that was now getting cold due to the door still being open, Alex's mind sparked with an idea. "Wait a minute. Your special 'sense' is omnidirectional? And it works through stuff?" The Bat thought aloud, raising her voice as her ideas congealed before her. "You mentioned exactly where our sample of the Shadow was earlier too... Theo! They can detect the Shadow long before any of us can see it coming! Don't you realize how insanely useful that could be?"

The fancy Rat stammered as they choked on the shreds of their ego. "Hhhhnngh I'll... take that into consideration... Eugh if we are going to board this creature. I just hope it's civilized enough to behave as a guest." Theo sneered.

The Arhulian made a grin, showing off their sharp, carnivorous fangs to the Rat, as well as the deep plum hue of their interior flesh. "Considering your kind have reacted negatively to my being - often with violence - my exposure to 'civilization' has been quite limited. If my lack of knowledge bothers you so greatly, perhaps you could take some time to elucidate on the matter of guest-hood~" Niadris smirked. 

"Grrrr... Perhaps I will." Theo scoffed. “But I hope you know, we do not have the culinary erk inventory for something of your dietary needs.” Niadris nodded. “I am more than capable of procuring my own food, so you will not have to worry about my nutrition. In fact, I had eaten a deer a few days prior. I should be satiated for several days at least.” The fancy Rat raised an eyebrow. “You have, egh ‘eaten’ ’a’ deer? I think your grammar is a touch underdeveloped. Don’t you mean you caught a deer? hmph What did you do? Swallow it whole?” Theo sarcastically remarked. “I had to break off those meddlesome antlers, but yes, I devoured it whole.” The Arhulian responded nonchalantly. The foyer was stunned. “A-an entire deer?” Alex said incredulously. Theo’s face contorted with disgust. The thought of a creature this size ingesting prey whole - and possibly alive - summoned dreadful imagery in his mind. “So… that would uh... ‘splain the missing animals without a trace. Heh, we thought that was the Shadow ‘fer a moment there.” Ridge chuckled nervously. Theo did not relish being in the room with this lurid creature any longer than he had to. He turned up his scrunched nose before walking off. He was ready for this evening to end. “As I was stating; ehm your first lesson on etiquette will be on closing the door. You're letting all the warm air escape!" Theo spoke as he slinked to the other room, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter from his suit pocket, needing something to take the edge off. As he puffed on his cigarette, the tingling in his hand faded.

Niadris scuttled forward into the foyer, bowing their head to ensure they cleared the door. As the Arhulian entered, their full figure and size was apparent to Alex, Ridge, and a distant Theo peeking from a doorway. Though superficially resembling a badger from the neck up, from the neck down; the Arhulian had a long, Myriapodic form with six pairs of pointed, centipede-like legs. The limbs started off fleshy, covered in fur, then transitioned to softly curved limb spikes that were off-white in color, like bone or horn after the third joint. The Arhulian's body was long and arranged like that of a large, furry millipede or caterpillar, albeit with no segments. Despite their body arrangement, the Arhulian was mammalian - bone clad in flesh - yet clearly centipede-like in their silhouette and locomotion. Niadris closed the door with a light slap of their long, tapered, heavy tail.

"Holy shit. That's... not somethin' you see everyday." A tired Ridge said, not entirely sure if they were still dreaming or not. 

Alex looked at Niadris and saw that they had the strap of what appeared to be some kind of homemade rucksack across their chest as their only article of clothing. "Yeah, I was about to ask about the lack of clothes... but I guess there's nothing in your size." She remarked lightheartedly, trying to break the tension in the air.

"No. There is not. My metabolism can vary to maintain body heat relative to the environment, so clothes would be unnecessary. In addition, they would both limit my range of movement, and be unlikely to hold up to the kind of abuses my hide experiences." Niadris responded earnestly.

The teal Shark spoke up once there was a gap in the conversation. "So, uh... How do I say this? I don't see nothin' down there, and yet your voice is deeper than an Ironfrost coal mine. What are ya? A guy or girl?" The Shark asked. 

Alex's face went wide with shock before scrunching back down into a glare at the Shark. "Ridge! That's terribly rude to just go and ask someone a thing like that!"

Niadris interjected. "There is no need to chide him. It is a perfectly legitimate question. After all, that den keeper did state there appears to be no documentation whatsoever of my kind in their knowledge base - and given the encounters I have had - neither do the rest of your kind for that matter. To answer the first question, my reproductive organs are housed internally to protect them from the rigors of life. Likewise, the answer to the latter question is that your binary terms are insufficient to describe me. Arhulians possess both the ability to fertilize a mate, and sire children. We are hermaphroditic." Niadris explained. "Your language is... limited in expressing my form, so gender neutral terms will be adequate."

Ridge's face was flush with embarrassment as he realized how personal and blunt his question was. "So yeah, on that... if 'yer talkin' about mates; doesn't that mean there are more of 'you' out there?" The shark said sheepishly, trying to adjust the course of the conversation away from his prying faux pas. He clutched his borrowed pillow tightly. Talking to this thing still seemed like a surreal dream to him.

The Arhulian was silent for several seconds. Up until now, they had been immediate to respond to questions. Alex and Ridge glanced at each other. "My kind are not native to this land. In addition, I have traveled a substantial distance. It is highly unlikely you will encounter another Arhulian." Niadris stated, with a briskness to their voice. 

Alex looked down at Ridge from the second floor and gave Ridge a gesture to "Cut it out." Ridge gave a small nod. Alex sighed. "Well, it's safe to say your arrival has been quite a surprise. I think we all should get some rest and continue your introduction properly tomorrow." The Bat said, waving her arm for Ridge to come over to her.

Ridge added: "Oh, uh, I don't think we have any beds that'd fit you. 'Fer now you'll have to stay in the reading room I was in. Theo's got a big cushy rug in there. The fire is dyin' down, but I'm sure it's better than out there, heh.``

Niadris gave an acknowledging nod while their triangular ears perked up. They then pointed in the direction of the room Ridge came from with their uppermost arms, that had regular - albeit large, clawed - hands instead of a fang-shaped spike like the rest of their limbs. The shark raised an eyebrow. 

"Hey, uh, how do ya know what room I came from?" Ridge asked, confused. 

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah... I'll explain that in a minute, Ridge. I think Niadris here wants some space, they need a moment to relax after the 'welcome' we gave them." She said, physically pushing on the Shark to usher them out of the foyer.

It was true that they wanted to be left alone. Niadris had little experience dealing with people. They felt exhausted having to keep their composure on total lockdown to appear as non-threatening as possible. Niadris was eager to find this "reading room" Ridge had mentioned. Spatially, they knew exactly where it was based on the Shark's location in their mindsphere. On the other hand, their mindsphere did not consider walls, thus the Arhulian had to take a few moments to figure out how to navigate the interior of the manor to the reading room. 

Despite their size and bulk, the sound of the Arhulian's centipede-like legs scuttling across the floor were much quieter than one would anticipate. Niadris made it a point to take light steps, and maneuver on rugs and carpets to minimize sound. Not out of etiquette, but as a means to hone their stealth. Never before Niadris had such an opportunity to interact and maneuver around people in close proximity in a safe environment.

The Arhulian noted a single aura tailing him; it was the bright, crimson one of Theo. Not desiring further drama, Niadris elected to ignore the Rat's presence as they made their way to the "reading room" Ridge had spoken of. The comforts of fire and shelter were secondary to the Arhulian; what had piqued their interest was the very title of the room itself. Alex and Ridge were returning to their rooms, trying to process the evening's events. "They were... quite the visitor." Ridge said, his tone unsure. Alex looked down at the floor as she walked. "Yeah. Something about them makes my fur stand on end. It's like a creeping feeling going up my back." The tall Shark looked down at his troubled friend. "Are... are ya afraid? They give me the creeps somethin' fierce too." The Bat exhaled. " I... I don't know Ridge. I had my gun pointed right at their head, but they were unfazed. Niadris seemed to know what guns are, yet they treated me like an afterthought. They don't seem dumb either; they gave Theo a good run for their money in a debate. So either they got a damn good poker face, or... this 'Arhulian' might be even tougher than it looks." Alex trailed on, the confidence in her voice gone now that she was in private with the one person here she could truly consider her friend. "...I'm a soldier. A hunter. I've had scraps with big game, I've fought people bigger than me. Even gave ol' lard chops a bloody face." Alex said, referencing her brawl with Hyden. "But that creature, it isn't like anything my training could have prepared me for. I don't fancy getting into a fight with them." Ridge scratched his fin. "So, was letting 'em in really a good idea?" "Personally, I think their alibi passed the sniff test. They could have attacked any time and hit us when we couldn't see it coming. If they wanted to make a move, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be playing mind games like a certain someone I know. We have that going for us at least." Alex paused. "Even so, I feel like they aren't telling us everything." Ridge nodded. As they reached their bedrooms, the two parted ways, then closed the doors to their rooms.

In the other portion of the manor, the Arhulian arrived at the reading room; their three pairs of eyes widened in delight. Wall to wall shelves lined with books! Niadris had very limited experience with books from their fleeting encounters - or spoils - from outsiders. Most of those books contained relatively uninteresting data like logs or journals, or completely fictitious tales. Here however, had an assortment of books on a large variety of subjects and organized quite neatly. The Arhulian removed their handcrafted backpack and pulled something out. It was a thick leather-bound book. It was plainly covered, with the sole word "Dictionary" for the title. 

Niadris' chest seemed to squirm and writhe all on its own, followed by the faintest of popping and cracking of stiff joints. With a sound of flesh being pulled taught, numerous pairs of spindly arms came slinking out from in between the creature's ribs on the sides of their chest! These arms were very thin; near-skeletal in appearance. The hands on them were clawless, and consisted of three vaguely conical digits - two fingers, one thumb. These limbs were much slower and deliberate in their movements, and the leathery skin they had was a very deep plum color, almost black. In their travels, Niadris had quickly learned that the pages of books often were too delicate for their stronger, clawed, "normal" arms.

After tenderly putting away their dictionary, the creature's three pairs of eyes darted all across the room, scanning the spines of each book for topics of interest. The low-light conditions of the dying fire was more than enough for the Arhulian to discern the titles. Then, the Arhulian scuttled across the perimeter of the room, picking out a dozen books before returning to the center of the reading room by the smoldering fireplace. The huge, badger-centipede-like being then rested their long form on the floor, their body and abdomen landing on the carpet with a plompf. Niadris laid out three books with the covers open, while each pair of eyes scanned it's own book.

Theo had been quietly observing the beast from a hidden spot in another room through a peephole; and totally-not-a-hole that he had not gotten around to patching yet. The Rat monitored them carefully, shuddering at the sight of the numerous lanky arms protruding from the Arhulian's chest, and those arms touching his books. Yet, his attention was stolen when he witnessed this creature reading three books at a time! Was this creature really that capable of absorbing knowledge? Then, another thought crept into his mind. "Wait, who taught them to read in the first place?" As his mind contemplated, Theo's eyes widened when the creature looked up, and peered straight at him. Eye to eye contact, as if the wall parting them was not even there. Niadris gestured "come over here" with one of their their large, scythe-like forelimbs that were mounted below their exterior arms. Theo ducked down from the footstool he was standing on - nearly falling off in the process - then he covered his face in embarrassment. It seemed like there really was no hiding from this damned creature.

Letting out a sigh, Theo came to the reading room. The warm tingling sensation in his left hand returned. Was his catalyst stone reacting to this creature? The fancy Rat took slow, cautious steps forward. "It is remarkable. A wealth of knowledge at my fingertips." Niadris spoke aloud. They continued. "For so many years, I had to learn matters in direct fashion. I knew your kind stored information on physical documents, but I never could have imagined this place being lined to the ceiling with this treasure." When Theo was up close to Niadris, and composed enough to listen clearly, the Arhulians stentorian voice seemed to be composed of multiple octaves speaking in perfect unison. The scholarly Rat recalled the Arhulians' comment on their native language... “If the multiple octaves can be modulated separately, the grammar of this species could be phenomenally intricate!” However, Theo had more pressing things on his mind than appealing to his inner linguist, and set aside that tangent in his mind for later. The voice had strong projection, and the beast seemed to be making a concerted effort to whisper - which was speaking volume to Theo’s delicate ears.

Theo initially had some words for the Arhulian prepared, but the "treasure" comment gave him pause. The Rat stood there in silence for several minutes as the Arhulian continued reading what appeared to be volumes from an encyclopedia series, watching their thin ribcage arms turn the pages of each book. The hands were slow, deliberate, and delicate. Near by was a cloth that seemed to have been borrowed to wipe the oils from the creature's hands before interacting with his books. The rat let out a swift, small exhale. This monster treated his things better than some people he's hosted. Theo then spoke up. "At least someone else besides His Grace sees my library for what it is, and not eguh ornamentation. Though, I am surprised you would have any academic interest at all." Theo's words trailed on. Niadris shot a glance at him. "However, I presume it is not a completely irrational observation; a thing like you just can't sceh scuttle into a library. Which begs the question at hand, just who would teach you to read?"

The Arhulian paused, before giving Theo their full attention. "I... am not sure." They responded.

"What." Theo said, the word seemingly having spilled out of his mouth in disbelief. "What do you mean you don't know? How ek! How is that even a facsimile of an answer!? Didn't your moth-er well, parents teach you?" Theo said, his voice raised in frustration.  

Niadris explained. "I do not know how I came to this knowledge. My earliest memories were of me being carried in my brood lord's abdomen. In my cradle of flesh, I would see and hear the world as they would. They would make demonstrations for me to observe as I nursed inside them. Their past memories would come to me in my dreams." As the Arhulian narrated, Theo shuddered at the prospect of being entombed alive and conscious in writhing, moist, undulating flesh from all sides. The fancy Rat took a deep breath and persisted in wading through the graphic descriptions from the beast - he wanted answers for the trouble he had gone through this evening. 

Theo waited for an opening in the creature's explanation to jump in. "Your kind- urk Arhulians, have hereditary memory? If so, how is it you do not know where your knowledge came from? Perhaps a past ancestor?" Theo questioned, only half seriously.

The Arhulian shook its head in disappointment. "If only the answer was that simple. It is far more complex, and I am uncertain of the details. I will tell you what I know." Theo rubbed his brow, adjusted his glasses, and nodded. "When I dream, I see fragments of memories; but these memories are abnormal. I see... a settlement, a school, memories of a life not only not that of my ancestors, but not of my kind entirely... and our biology cannot interbreed. That I do know." 

Theo gestured for the creature to get on with it. It was unconscionably late.

"I do have one possible hypothesis. There is another way our kind can exchange memories and experience. A ritual called Arhel-vāl." The strange word was accentuated by the Arhulian's multitudinous voice. "In your tongue, the closest word to it and what it means is amalgamation. Two mature specimens of our kind, typically one larger than their partner, subsumes the other into their flesh..." Theo's stomach churned at the vexing, visceral, possibly even vulgar imagery the Arhulian had verbally illustrated to him. "...but unlike ordinary cannibalism, the subsumed being is absorbed alive, mind intact, and two, become one." Niadris described, sparing no detail, much to Theo's revulsion.

The fancy Rat's tail quaked as his analytical mind began to put together a picture his sensibilities did not want to see. "You're hnnngh suggesting you have Esss assimilated a person?" He said, his mind racing as fast as his heart. "Oh heavens! Is that why it is here? To consume our minds and seize our knowledge?!" Theo's mind screamed.

The Arhulian peered down at the Rat. "Your luminant aura is flaring and seething. Do you find this knowledge troubling?" Niadris asked. Theo looked at the beast glaring down at him, his eyes wide with terror. "I see. You imagine me as your would-be predator." The beast let out a hushed, hellish chuckle with their deep, multitudinous voice. "Worry not, Theo. The ritual of Arhel-vāl is strictly between my kind; the 'donor' in question must be of the utmost certainty in their union - lest their knowledge be torn apart in a maelstrom of panic and fear. Your kind were never even considered a possibility due to the mental fortitude required to uphold the ritual. The being that amalgamated with me - whomever they were - must have been exceptional in their conviction."

The trembling Theo swallowed. "Well, erf I suppose that is good to know. Hrf Well, if you'll excuse me, egk I need to be getting some rest.” He stammered. “It is dreadfully late. And do take care to return my books exactly as you have found them. hgn It was painstaking to order them all as I have." With an abnormal spring in their step, the fancy Rat wheeled around and left the reading room with haste. 

"By the gods, what is that thing? How does it exist? And why did it show up to MY manor, of all places?" Theo cogitated. Their attempt to seek out answers seemed to have only made the question mark hovering over this mysterious creature even fatter. Theo paced around the manor, and passed by the room Hyden was sleeping in; him blissfully unaware of all that had transpired this evening. Theo raised his gloved hand, as if to knock on the door, but he stopped himself. "I can't disturb His Grace during his rest... but I must inform him of this aberrant thing as soon as I can." 

Theo, anxious and jittering, sat down on a cushioned chair outside of Hyden's room, fumbling with a pack of cigarettes. Alone with his thoughts his mind began to wander; all trains of thought leading back to that enigmatic creature. A particular moment from the Arhulian’s behavior stood out to Theo. The way they retreated to the library, and found refuge in books where they were not judged for their appearance or the mannerisms that others found odd... Theo shivered as he felt what was quite possibly a degree of familiarity with this creature. He did not want to fancy such feelings. The Rat shook their head and calmed their mind enough for exhaustion to take its toll; his head bobbed down, and the unlit cigarette in his hand fell onto the floor beside him as he lapsed into sleep right in his chair. The heavyset Rabbit snoozing under their blanket on the other side of the door was the only person in the manor to have had quality sleep that evening.

[xaviers-home-for-wayward-pokemon]

Hi there :) Is there a reason this blog died? is it harder to get shinies in scarvio? or just busy irl? no worries ofc! im truly just curious! i miss you guys! i miss the gen 7 era lol :'3

Hi there, Nonny. There is not an easy answer to this question, and unfortunately it involves breaking my biggest rule with this blog and steering away from pure positivity. I'm happy to share the story if you want to read on, though.

TW for family member death, therapy trauma, and friendship ending.

I always had a tradition of doing a big giveaway around the December holidays and then taking some time off for the new years. Generally I'd try to get back into giveaways no later than February since that's Mewtwos "birthday" and it would be a yearly tradition to give away versions of this blogs mascot.

In December 2019, my mom passed away.

There is no good time to lose your mom, but there is most definitely a worst time. Five days before Christmas, one year after the death of your father, two weeks after the birth of her one and only grandchild (following years of fertility issues between myself and both of my siblings), one month after her retirement, and one month before a massive family vacation that was meant as a Christmas gift she never opened ... Well that's pretty much the worst time. She was in near perfect health but her death was the result of a car accident, and she did not leave any form of will. I don't know if it's possible to explain how much work it is to deal with probate, burial, and associated lawsuits on top of mourning the death of one's own mother. Needless to say, it's a lot.

My sister lived in another state at the time and was busy with her newborn, and my brothers disabilities prevented him from contributing much to the situation, meaning the only one who was able to handle things was me.

Which unfortunately meant pokemon giveaways had to be put off for longer, and as expected, it's pretty hard to write pep talks in that state of mind.

For obvious reasons, I started going to therapy. While there I expressed interest in wanting to do giveaways again, and my therapist encouraged it. I even purchased a hackable switch with the intention of finding a way to hack the newer gen mons, but figured I could use the old action replay for the old gens until I got that figured out. A small handful of you may recall this is when I started streaming; in part, it was too reach a wider audience, and in part to encourage more engagement. Unfortunately, engagement in the giveaways only decreased, and that's on top of the hacking taking twice as long with the need to mass transfer between the 3DS and Switch.

During this time I actually quit my job, because being executor of my mother's estate became a full time focus and I was fortunate enough to have a supportive partner to encourage me. Not to mention, well, we all know what happened in 2020 to make working more difficult for everyone.

Before long, I realized that doing giveaways had become a chore. No longer was it work that brought joy to myself and others, it felt like an obligatory burden. It was no longer fair to put so much pressure on myself over something that was meant to be fun, and with everything else I was dealing with, it was time to be fair to myself.

However, I did not originally intend to abandon this blog indefinitely, and thought at least I would keep up the daily pep talks.

Now I want to be clear: I am not anti therapy. In fact I encourage anyone who can to seek professional help whenever the situation calls for it. I will not go into any further details besides this: I actually have some trauma regarding therapy. It makes seeking out and opening up to therapists very difficult, and it's something I've struggled with since childhood. So when the therapist I had (who I felt was working well) left the practice and I was assigned a new one, it was not a good mix. Especially when the new therapist wanted to focus on things I felt were irrelevant and/or non-issues.

One of the unforseen "advantages" to having barriers between yourself and professional help is that you get pretty good at helping yourself. The reason why I enjoyed writing this blogs pep talks is because they were often words I used to encourage myself, and it brought me joy seeing them encourage others. At this point in my journey, I had to focus exclusively on helping myself, and that carried the consequence of no longer being able to help others. After all, if I do not care for myself, then eventually, there will be nobody to care for anybody.

Another factor came into play at this time. Many of you noticed this blog changed names from Vales Home to Xaviers Home. At first I said this was because the new mod team shifted focus away from the original "lore" of the blog and that a focus on our mascot as opposed to one member of the mod team made more sense (keep in mind, when it started, the blog was equal parts giveaways and fanfiction/RP). While this is true, it is only part of the truth. The fact of the matter is, Vale and I had a falling out. Vale was legitimately one of my dearest, closest friends who I felt I could turn to for anything, and the decision to end the friendship was one of the hardest choices I've ever had to make. While I do not regret the decision, it does make looking back on this blog a little bittersweet.

At the end of the day, there is not one reason why this blog died. My own personal turmoil, trauma, Nintendo's decisions, and a general shift in the community combined to make running this blog a burden too great for me to bear. While I have no intention to start it up again, I also cannot bring myself to delete the blog. The happy memories and positivity it generated during its time is worthy of preseveing, in my opinion.

I also do not want you to think my life has been pure turmoil over the past five years. On the contrary, I think I am in a better place now than I was in 2019. I went back to school and started a new career. I now work in a hospital helping people in real life instead of online. I overcame a lifelong phobia of driving and bought a car. I rediscovered a love for crafting, and have taken up new hobbies in driving to craft fairs, camping, and nature photography. I ended 2019 miserable working a dead-end sales job and mourning the death of my mother. I am ending 2024 with a thriving career, a joyous hobby, and a big group of supportive friends both old and new.

While I am not active on this blog, my main is still very much alive and you're welcome to follow me if you don't mind largely video game shit posting interspersed with occasional writing or photography. Also, even though the discord server associated with this blog is inactive, I am still on and using discord should you ever wish to chat.

I am beyond glad if this blog ever sparked joy for you. If you read all of this, thank you for staying by my side. If you didn't, that's okay too.

And remember: Xavier loves you. ♥️

-Typhon ( @typhonserpent )

[autumnleopard]

Unusual Judgement

So, I finished this somewhat silly "little" fic a while ago but was nervous about posting it anywhere (still am tbh). The title is not set, actually, it's just the most decent one I could think of instead of the placeholder I had previously. Well, anyway, hope you enjoy it.

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Tommy x Alfie

Word count: 2195

Summary: In which Alfie comes to Tommy's mansion but has to face judgement by someone very important to Tommy first before getting to the fun activities. Needless to say he thinks it's ridiculous but still he will humour Tommy.

Warnings: None, I think... It's just silly and soft.

AO3

“This is utterly ridiculous,” Alfie complained as Tommy practically dragged him towards the stables of his country estate.

Alfie had only arrived at Arrow House perhaps ten minutes ago, with a clear plan in mind of what to do with his time here, but apparently Tommy had an entirely different idea of how they should spend their already limited time together. At least for the time being, which was still an unfortunate development. Alright, perhaps Alfie was exaggerating a little bit but still, he could think of lots of things they could be doing instead.

They didn’t get to see each other as much as they wanted, and especially not in Tommy’s own home. It was—usually anyway—clandestine meetings in not too fancy hotels; hotels where they knew nobody would rat on them, or even bat an eye at two men (that very well may be walking a tad too close to each other) going up to the same room to spend the night. There was the rare occasion of them meeting at Alfie’s own house in Camden Town but he had fairly nosy neighbours, and another man staying with him overnight would probably cause rumours to spread like a fucking wildfire. Which in and of itself Alfie didn’t give much of a fuck about but if those rumours would reach the ears of his or Tommy’s enemies, they would be in a whole lot of trouble, as a thing like this was perfect leverage against either of them. And it would be far easier for those fuckers to have them arrested by the coppers for fucking sodomy than to try and take Alfie and Tommy out themselves. They would need proof of course, and Tommy and him were fairly good liars (or bullshitters, whatever), but it would still be a bad situation for them and it was doubtful they’d be able to ever shake the rumours after it, so they didn’t want to take any risks; at least not more than already anyway.

Either way, the invitation to stay at Tommy’s mansion over the weekend had come as quite the surprise for Alfie but also he liked the slight change in their routine and the chance to spend more than a mere few hours or a night with Tommy. He still was a bit worried about it though, about the possibility of Tommy’s family catching them mostly. But his housekeeper Frances was nice and also apparently knew what was going on here actually, judging by the knowing smile she had given Alfie upon his arrival. She hadn’t commented on anything and Tommy seemed to trust her a lot, so Alfie was quite sure she would keep their little secret safe.

And seriously, Alfie was looking forward to this weekend, but the start of it was certainly quite odd. He should be used to Tommy’s sometimes unpredictable behaviour by now, though usually that meant rage and anger and not… this. He’d even go so far to call it eccentric, at least in this very circumstance.

“They’re a good judge of character,” Tommy said, like it made any sense to anyone but himself. He didn’t look back at Alfie as he said that but, thanks to the privacy of his own property, still held Alfie’s hand. Which Alfie did not mind at all, to be honest, he just wished Tommy wouldn’t drag so much.

Alfie rolled his eyes, trying to keep up with Tommy’s rather crisp pace. He was undoubtedly excited, which was an interesting thing to witness. “You already know my fucking character.”

Tommy shrugged and just kept on dragging Alfie towards the horses that were grazing out on the pasture.

“Tommy, treacle,” Alfie tried, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Are you actually telling me that you put more weight on a bloody horse’s opinion of someone than on your own?”

“They’re good judges of character,” Tommy repeated matter-of-factly, not making any more sense this time around.

“Alright,” Alfie sighed. “I’ll humour you. So, hypothetically, if the horse doesn’t approve of me, what will happen? Will you just break this off? Send me on my merry fucking way and return to business as usual?”

“No, of course not,” Tommy answered, finally stopping his infuriating dragging. He looked at Alfie with those bright blue eyes that he knew very well drove Alfie crazy. “You’ll just have to… spend more time with them, charm them.” He grinned. “You know, how you’d do with the parents of someone you love.”

Alfie pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “You are fucking ridiculous, mate.”

“And yet you love me, Alfie.”

“Do I?” Alfie couldn’t believe this man. Mad, just mad. Which, coming from him, said a fucking lot. “I might have to rethink that.”

Tommy let go of his hand, crossing his arms over his chest. He quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side, and just looked at Alfie. Just looked at him with those bright blue eyes. A piercing look, quite intense. It was the kind of look Tommy used when negotiating with someone, be it a potential business partner or an enemy. Alfie liked that look, and the way others caved under it, which unfortunately included him in this instance.

He sighed. “Alright, I do. But you are still fucking ridiculous, Tommy.”

Tommy just smirked triumphant. Alfie shook his head; and people called him a madman.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Alfie decided. “I have better things to do, like getting those clothes off you and fuck you senseless.”

Tommy chuckled and shook his head. “Patience is a virtue, darling,” he said softly as he took Alfie’s hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze just because he could.

Alfie rolled his eyes and let Tommy lead him onto the pasture. He liked the feel of Tommy’s hand in his, to be completely honest. Mostly because they didn’t get to do that very often.

Ever since this thing between them started (they had only very recently started to call it an actual relationship), Alfie had made the surprising discovery that Tommy liked touching, a lot. He always needed to touch Alfie in some way. It wasn’t possible at all in public, and also not when they were alone but there was the possibility of someone walking in on them, like when they were in either of their offices. Alfie got the impression that it bothered Tommy to not be able to touch him, even in the simplest, smallest way imaginable. They usually opted for being just a little too close to each other but it obviously wasn’t the same. So when they finally got some time alone, Tommy could absolutely not keep his hands off Alfie.

Actually, Alfie would even go so far to say that Tommy could get quite needy, in private anyways. Always needing to touch and be close, somehow having forgotten the concept of personal space; not that Alfie minded, alright. He actually quite liked it because it was such a drastically different side of the usually so cold and ruthless Tommy Shelby—a side that perhaps not even his own family got to see often, if at all. He could be so sweet and soft and was actually very much able to relax. He just hardly got the chance to, Alfie supposed, which made it all the more surprising that he found it so easy to relax when he was alone with Alfie.

He also liked to cuddle, liked it a lot, but would never fucking admit it, not even at gunpoint. You could probably torture him and he’d sooner admit to being queer than to being a cuddler.

“I still think you’re being ridiculous, just so we’re clear,” Alfie pointed out, watching the horses warily.

He wasn’t scared of horses, mind you. He just wasn’t particularly a fan of them, perhaps it was their size or those fucking hooves that could potentially crack a man’s skull. He also just simply could not fathom what Tommy saw in them. He did like to see that certain glow in Tommy’s eyes when he was talking about them though. That look of pure childlike delight. Or the look of unrestrained excitement Tommy had right now due to the prospect of introducing Alfie to his horses. It was sweet, he supposed, and it softened Tommy’s ragged edges, almost making him look a bit younger, less weary of life and its endless troubles.

Tommy just nodded in response to Alfie’s comment and stopped walking. He whistled and while all of the horses lifted their heads (their heads were too big as well, Alfie thought, everything about horses was kind of weird), only one of them walked towards where Tommy and Alfie were standing near the fence. It was, in all fairness and Alfie’s uneducated opinion, a quite beautiful looking horse with a sleek black coat and mane that blew softly in the fresh spring breeze.

It still looked quite a bit intimidating though.

The horse approached Tommy first, nudging him softly and earning a pat on the neck and a soft smile. Tommy petted its head tenderly and whispered something to it, while throwing a sideways glance at Alfie, who really tried not to grow uncomfortable or even anxious in this very unusual situation.

Being judged by a horse was certainly something else and only Thomas fucking Shelby would come up with it. Honestly, why he loved this cunt was beyond Alfie sometimes.

The horse slowly strode towards Alfie, fixing him with its dark eyes. Alfie stayed still, just waiting for whatever was about to happen. The horse came to a halt right in front of him.

“Hello… horse,” Alfie said, unsure of how to act exactly.

The horse circled around Alfie, seemingly taking all of him in with a certain degree of scrutiny. Alfie had no idea horses could even look so scrutinising. He’d bet, if it could, it would raise an eyebrow at him. It made him feel somewhat uneasy. When it finally stopped its assessment, it stood in front of Alfie and sniffed him curiously, eventually huffing right into Alfie’s face and nickering. It nudged him and nipped at his coat’s pockets. Alfie looked towards Tommy with an eyebrow raised in question and cluelessness. Since this had been his idea, Tommy should give him some pointers on how to proceed at least. But the other man simply grinned and looked very pleased.

“He likes you,” he explained. “He is demanding treats.”

“Well, I don’t have any, obviously.”

Tommy took Alfie’s hand and put some treats in it. “Go on. Flat palm.”

Alfie sighed and held his hand out to the horse just like Tommy said. The horse sniffed at it, accepting the peace offering, as Alfie would describe it, and happily munched away.

Tommy looked indeed very pleased and happy next to Alfie, smiling softly at him—oh, there was the reason why he loved him, now he remembered. It was a very good look on him though, so the ridiculousness with the horse had at least been worth it in the end.

“Are we done with this then?” Alfie asked, dropping his hand once the horse had eaten all the treats.

Tommy nodded smiling, wrapping his arms around Alfie's neck. “Still think I’m ridiculous?”

“Yes,” Alfie answered but smiled. “But I also love you, you fucking bastard.”

Tommy chuckled, shaking his head. Alfie grinned at him, then closed the small distance between them, capturing Tommy's soft lips in a tender but almost hungry kiss, which caused a low, pleased hum to escape Tommy.

This was exceptionally nice and special, Alfie thought as Tommy leaned further into the kiss, deepening it. He let his hands wander down Tommy's back, feeling the tiny shudder of anticipation that went through the other man's body at that simple gesture. He settled a hand on the small of Tommy's back, pulling him closer against him. He probably wasn't much different than Tommy, if he genuinely thought about it. Couldn't keep his hands off him, right, always needed to touch and feel the man's body against his.

In his defence, it was a very, very nice feeling.

The thing that made Alfie smile even more though, was that there was no tension in Tommy's body anywhere right now. He was just happy and relaxed, leaning into Alfie's embrace and savouring their kiss, almost getting lost in it even.

It was such a rare thing that they could be so open with their affection for each other, so they cherished any moment when they got to do it. Doing it so out in the open would be impossible under any other circumstance but this being Tommy's private property, they were thankfully sheltered and could for once just be themselves without fear of consequences and judgement.

Eventually it was Tommy who broke the kiss first, giving Alfie a soft, pleased smile. Without a word, he intertwined their fingers and took Alfie back to the house and up to his bedroom. Now this was more what Alfie had in mind when he had come here and so he was looking forward to it immensely.

[decafdoodlez]

hiiii i hope you are doing well ✨ you never failed to serve us good content ✨🌸 since marina has many siblings, it makes me wonder what's her relationship to them and her parents (did they try to find her once she ended up missing?did someone give them money to give/shut up?) i also wanna know what kind of friend marina is (ugh i cant help to imagine that if she has a best friend and is trying their best to find her but end up getting more lost track because of fox influence ahhh the angst)

Hi there!

Thank you! 🤍 I am doing good, sorry I took a second to answer this, been trying to finish up stuff for work, haha. Hope you are doing well as well. :3c 🤍

This is such an interesting question, and a perfect Rina lore drop opportunity, hehe~

CW: (slight mention of child abuse/neglect)

Marina’s family life is dysfunctional to say the least. Her father is a gambling addict and notorious womanizer/unfaithful partner, and her mother is very much an emotionally absent force in her life, always barred out on pills, lounging about their abode like a brainless zombie. Her siblings aren’t the most present people in her life as well. Marina’s entire immediate family works under her father in real estate, all except for Marina.

Some context, Marina is from a previously affluent and well-off family. Her father is a land baron, and builds homes and business buildings across North America. Her father is married to her mother, but in a loveless way, frequently cheating on her and leaving her by herself for extended periods. Marina’s father had lost all of their family fortune some months before Marina was kidnapped, and was “sold” to work under Mr. Goffard (woundfucker) in exchange for a loan to reinvigorate his business, saving him from total financial collapse. Marina did not know fully that she was sold, but she had a good suspicion that may had been the case, knowing how shady her father is.

As you mentioned above, yes Marina is one of 6 siblings! She is the baby of the family, and has quite the age gap between her and her oldest sister, who is 38. The rest of her siblings (brothers) are in their 30s, so due to the age gap, she wasn’t really close to them as a child. Most of them thought of her as a nuisance child and didn’t pay much attention to her, except for her oldest brother, who is now deceased and has been for 17 years. Marina’s father killed her oldest brother after he found out he was physically beating little Marina, and covered up the death as a freak accident. Marina’s mother also knew about her beatings, but didn’t do anything to help, since she wanted to keep her marriage with Marina’s father intact. So needless to say, Marina’s relationship with her parents is not a positive one.

Marina’s new job was across the country, so her going missing was not really noticed until she couldn’t be reached by her mother, who would call her on occasion. When Marina went missing, there was a short effort to find her led by her family in the weeks she endured the torture streams and after she was kept, but the search ended shortly thereafter when Marina’s father was anonymously tipped off that she was “dead.” The tipster (an entity hired by Fox) threatened to divulge all secrets to the media and authorities at large regarding his misdoings such as selling his daughter, engaging in affairs during the course of his marriage, tax evasion, beating his youngest daughter, and killing his oldest son if he continued the search for her. To sweeten the deal, the tipster arranged a handsome sum of money to buy his silence, to which he graciously accepted.

Marina is now presumed dead legally.

—

Now for the friend portion of this ask, Marina is a girl who doesn’t have many meaningful friendships. Despite having a large family, she was a very lonely child. Her group of friends she has are snarky rich types who are obsessed with ego and image. This group of friends has been with her since college, and have always made Marina the butt of their jokes, poking fun at her nerdy hobbies, her lack of relationships/sexual escapades, and her dysfunctional family. One friend out of this group is a bit more mean than the others, and honestly just enjoys breaking Marina down to establish her dominance over her. This friend is also one who watches Fox’s gore streams, and has inside knowledge of his auctions. When there was a profile of a new product that was desired by three top bidders (Derek, Mason, Celia), this friend threw Marina’s name into the pool of potential kidnapping victims. This friend hoped for Marina to disappear, and she got her wish.

Out of her group of friends, she does have one that she is mildly acquainted with, who does show more consideration for her than the others, even offering to go on a double date with her to ease the tensions of Marina going on one of her first dates ever. This friend is a lot sweeter to her in the privacy of just the two of them, but is quietly complicit in the actions of the meaner friend when together with them in a group.

Marina went missing after a night out with these friends in which she left early since the meaner friend kept harassing her, and she just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. She left by herself, and was kidnapped on her walk home. When Marina went missing, the nicer friend noticed immediately since her texts apologizing for the fight on behalf of the meaner friend went unanswered, odd of Marina since she’s frequently on her phone playing games.

After a few days, the meaner friend invited the nicer friend over to her place to watch “something crazy.” This “something crazy” was the torture stream that starred Marina. The meaner friend got off on watching Marina be tortured, while the nicer friend wanted to alert the authorities, to which the meaner friend had threatened that she would “ruin her” if she had done so. They would continue to watch the streams and ultimately assumed Marina to be dead after the 3rd one. They kept this secret forever, and did not engage in the search efforts.

—

Marina unfortunately does not have a best friend. :( Her best friend was her oldest brother, who was killed when she was young. From that event onwards, Marina has kept others at arm’s length to protect herself. This is why she tends play Otome games and favor the companionship of those who are fictional. She does crave companionship though, she’s just cautious, seeing how conniving even those who are supposed to be your flesh and blood can be.

Though, Marina is the type of friend to be the listening type, the one who offers advice if asked. The one who will share snacks and geek out over 2D anime men. The type of friend who would want to stay up all night talking about secrets at a sleepover. She never got this growing up, but she’s trying to make the best of her situation with Fox now.

It’s bittersweet, but she cannot see herself going back to her old life. With Fox, though fucked up and twisted, she does feel valued by him, and to be valued by at least one person is all she has ever wanted.

—

Sorry this one was long and a little bit rambly, but thank you so much for your question! 🤍

[fivekrystalpetals]

Glen, Children of Misfortune, Juries and the Baskervilles

[When I say Glen, I am referring all Glens- past and present: Levi, Oswald, Gil and Leo. Hella lot of lore is here that I wanna write about ;-; so I might divide this into different posts let's see. Also fair warning: I might criticize Oswald's actions-past and present- a bit, since I love looking at characters from an unbiased pov. Also, maybe some characters' past actions in order to point to their character development so that too.]

[ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

4] Oswald and Lacie

Truth be told, Oswald has always been “passive”. He doesn’t know what he really wants. He had already been training to become the next Glen (ref: Part 1) and it was drilled into his mind that he was to cast Lacie into the Abyss right from the beginning. He doesn’t question this rule.

Not even when Lacie hints that the purpose of the existence of a Child of Ill-Omen might not be what it is said to be (Retrace 101):

And his answer to this theory of hers is:

You are not crazy. If that’s the answer you came to, it is doubtlessly the truth for you.

That’s… that’s not the right response to it!!!

“The truth for you,” he says, basically responding: “Oh if what you say makes you happy, then so be it. But the truth is different.” (No! It is not!)

Why won’t he grasp at straws to save her if he loved her and cared about her? Why won’t he even try to research the possible truth of her words? Why won’t he at least make an attempt to stop the needless execution of his dear sister? Lacie has grown up beside him; what great ‘threat’ did she cause to the condition of the Abyss in all those years she was alive? But he doesn’t dare question any of it; he simply, quietly, “passively” goes ahead with what was asked of him.

[Whereas, in Retrace 91/92, it’s proven Lacie had been right all along. Nothing like Child of “Ill-Omen” exists and all of those lies had been set down as “rules” for the Juries’ selfish purposes.]

Again, I’d also, well not exactly excuse him, but, as Oz and Break say, there is always the chance that he couldn’t have known the truth about the Child of Ill-Omen. Not until after Lacie had died and perhaps, during his short stint as Glen, he must have come to realize that the Jury had more to do with this affair than met the eye, the reason why he brought along Vincent to the final Gate in the last Arc.

.

Okay, but this aside, his response to her every word is always so... resigned?

See, Retrace 72:

Why does Lacie have to be the one to do this? She is the sinner here, your prisoner due to be executed in five days; why would you ask something like this of her? If Oswald truly wanted Lacie to survive, he should have been the one to tell Jack everything and ask him to take her away with him if he can't protect her anymore. But he keeps quiet.

(He does regret this, in Retrace 101.)

I chose being the head of Baskervilles over being Lacie's older brother. And yet I did not drive Jack away, even after I realized how twisted he had become.

He is ruthless in some places, soft in some. Like if he was ruthless to Lacie, he'd have been the same to Jack as well. The reason he was not, because that was the only way he could be soft on himself and lessen his own guilt.

Continuing from there, (Retrace 73), Lacie is the one to apologize for being "too harsh on him" and then goes on to tell how she has never regretted being born with red eyes or living in this world. "I love this world," she says.

Okay, this is a panel of so many contradictions, you know. Oswald says Lacie is strong, but she disagrees and says she is "ten times more cynical than other people."

Both of them are wrong.

Lacie was neither strong nor cynical. She was scared. Yes, scared. Terrified. Lacie was terrified of dying, of being cast into the Abyss, so terrified that she woke herself up from nightmares of their first day at the Baskerville estate, of learning her fate from the Jury and Glen...

....just mere days before her execution: (Retrace 67/68)

I am going off a tangent to do a quick character analysis of Lacie (I will do a longer one later, but just this one aspect of her characterization) that both Oswald and Jack had the wrong impression of Lacie. Oswald assumed her to be so strong that she could shoulder the burden of loneliness and death all by herself. He assumed she didn't want to live any longer, that she had already seen so much and experienced all that the world has to offer that she no longer had any more worldly desires. In short, he saw her as some sort of motherly saint.

As for Jack, she is his Dream Girl to put it simply. At the most depressing and most vulnerable point of his life, when he chanced to meet such a vibrant girl like Lacie, he latched onto her for his life, absorbed every word she uttered, learnt the song she sang once on a whim and sang nothing but that for the next eight years. The casual advice she gave him as a turbulent, rebellious and frivolous teenager... okay, but, let's be real here. Lacie was simply spouting whatever came to her mouth atm in the name of 'advice'. She was passing time till her brother apologized to her and she'd be brought back home. She most probably didn't think Jack, being one of a kind, would accept her words so literally that he obeys them verbatim, even if he was disgusted by what he was forcing himself to do. He put her on a sky high pedestal that he was scared to even touch her lest she loses her "magic" in his mind. That's also the reason why he never questions her lie (her lie about the Succession Ceremony) because he was scared whatever image he had of her might shatter if he pressed on. (Yeah, I gotta write a longer post about Jack's and Lacie's relationship, bc it's one of the most fucked-up yet tragic, most hollow yet sincere relationships if ever there was one)

I guess, of all people, as sad as it is, only Levi got to see her at her most vulnerable? (Retrace 68):

Neither Oswald nor Jack have seen her like this—a scared girl, full of loneliness and regrets of not being able to live longer. And yet, when Levi casually mentions about her death in another five days, she grins as if she's looking forward to it. Which, in reality, is just a mask to cover her terror.

Why I am saying this is—as context for Oswald's line "I shall be lonely if you disappear" and her midnight walk later to the tree where the three of them used to hang out. Lacie says big things like I love this world, I love the Abyss, even when Levi asked her to assist his 'experiment', her only query was if the Abyss won't be lonely anymore,,, but she doesn't let her own loneliness or regrets to surface. She bottles up all of it. Why? Because she has to be strong for Oswald and pretend like she is taking all of this in stride to lessen his guilt.

Whereas Oswald does not ask her if she is alright. If she is lonely. If she is scared of being cast into the Abyss. If she wants to run away.

(In fact, if you see the hug, it's Lacie who is hugging Oswald in a comforting, motherly hug as if he's in greater need of comfort than her, because, of course, she must be completely, totally at terms with her Fate, right?)

In that regard, I am sure Jack would definitely have inquired after her if only he didn't place her on an otherworldly pedestal and realized things might go wrong with his Dream Girl too. Moreover and most importantly, Jack was kept in dark about most things connected to the Baskervilles and he had also promised not to dig too much if he was only allowed to meet Lacie. So I won't blame him for not pressing when she lied. He must have assumed it's Something Baskerville Ritual, not that it'd be something that'd directly affect his Lacie.

But Oswald is her big brother. Oswald knows everything about the Baskervilles. He is going to become the next Glen. Yet... he does nothing, asks nothing. Almost like Oswald had long given her up for dead. Like he can't do anything for her anymore whereas she is still alive and chatting right there with him.

He is always thinking of the days after she'd be gone, and never ever gives any thought to their present.

Remember Rufus Barma's words from Retrace 86 and I must agree:

You speak as if you've already given up.

Exactly. As I said in Part 1 of this long essay, Oswald was the full-fledged Glen when he cast Lacie into the Abyss. With the title of Glen, even if he simply brushes aside the rules and sets new ones for his reign, who could possibly question him? He had five black-winged chains of the Abyss in his possession. The Juries might protest,, but if Lacie is there, they can't do anything. They are scared of the Child of Misfortune.

Even Leo points this out correctly:

He is always waiting for someone with a stronger will to come help him out of problems he needs to solve on his own.

In his penultimate appearance, he finally, finally, takes a decision and drops his sword. He decides to not kill his sister a second time. And, immediately, people who have always cared for him (if only he ever gave them a chance) gather around him to assure him that he had done well, done enough.

Well, tl;dr, what I am trying to say is that Oswald should have stuck firmly to his decision whatever it was. If he had cast Lacie into the Abyss, then he should have dealt with the consequences appropriately. If he had stopped her execution, then he should have been strong enough to face off the Juries. Whatever his decision, he should have been thorough with it instead of being half-hearted, passive and resigned about everything.

Ending this loooong essay (;_;) on a funny yet interesting note (this omake from Vol. 19) which presents the kind of Oswald I actually wanted to see. The premise might be absurd but he, for once, drops his air of resignation and faces off the Glen himself for his sister, going to the extent of dropping formality and addressing him by his name lol

[ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Pokémon Reborn Screenshot Let's Play: Chapter 38

Well…this is a little awkward. I had such a good idea of what this chapter was going to end up being, of what to do, and- and I did do the things I planned! But…my gosh, it ended up being so much more than I was expecting…

Hey, everyone! So this is kinda…weird. As you can see by the image up there, I am not actually fighting Serra in this chapter, despite my previous belief that I absolutely would. As for why that is well…see, it’s another situation where my play session went on a bit longer than I thought it would. That hasn’t happened since the Chapters 5 and 6 split, so it’s…a weird feeling, to be sure. But hey, at least this time I have a better idea of how to handle it.

Needless to say, I not only finished up my preparations for Serra, but I also went through the Gym and challenged Serra proper- but trying to fit all of that into one chapter proved to be…not that good. Hence why I decided to split things- and that actually works out even better, because I just got a job and will be adjusting to that schedule over the next week, so having a backlog of screenshots and notes for said week should help make sure the next chapter doesn’t get too delayed.

Speaking of- you can consider this whole intro something of a “Future edit” thing that I sometimes do, so since it’s written with a whole lotta hindsight. But just like Chapters 5 and 6, the actual chapter proper will have the commentary written as normal, as my notes are written as things happen, so- yeah.

But before getting to the chapter proper, let’s go over what happened in the last chapter. Because- yeah, we met the next Gym Leader, that was pretty significant. How did we get to that point, you may ask? Let’s see…

Xera explores Spinel Town, which is still afflicted with earthquakes and teleportation. One woman’s furniture is scattered all across the town due to the teleporting, and she asks Xera to help get everything back.

While searching the town, Xera visits the Spinel Town Museum, which is full of exhibits, artifacts, and information about an ancient civilization that once existed in the area that is present-day Reborn City. This civilization revered a meteor of some kind with a connection to Arceus, building structures that became ruins to protect this artifact.

Xera finds the PokéMart, but just before she can go inside to buy the Herbal Extract, it is teleported away. Xera is forced to search around even more, eventually spotting the Mart on top of a nearby mansion. This building is the Voclain Estate, the local Gym.

A boy rushes out of the mansion, initially mistaking Xera for someone named “Luna” before explaining he was sent outside to investigate the noise created by the Mart’s sudden appearance. After confirming the anomaly, he calls his mother outside to see for herself- Serra Voclain, a former model, and the Ice-type Gym Leader.

Serra allows Xera inside to speak more about the Mart situation; along the way, Serra’s son, Bennett, properly introduces himself as well as his status as a lepidopterist.

Serra explains there’s nothing she can do about the PokéMart- all they can do is wait for it to teleport elsewhere. She and Bennett also ask Xera about Luna- a girl that Serra took in after she suddenly appeared one day and claimed Serra was her mother. Luna has since recently disappeared, much to Serra and Bennett’s worry (especially Bennett’s).

Suddenly, the doorbell rings; Bennett gets the door, and a robed worshiper of Arceus named El enters. El explains he is traveling around in search of his runaway daughter- Luna, as Bennett surmises. Serra explains she knows as little as El does to her whereabouts, while Bennett is more…hesitant to answer the same.

El asks to stay for a bit to rest after his travel, and Serra allows him not only that, but also to spectate the upcoming Gym battle between her and Xera. Bennett shows El to the seats, and Serra departs to prepare for the battle.

Xera spends some time traveling as well- returning all the furniture to the woman she met earlier and testing out Strength in several locations. Along the way, she comes across a hidden opening in the Wasteland Wall, which appears to lead to the grave of Sensei Kiki. 

Suddenly, Kiki’s ghost appears, blaming Xera for letting Solaris kill her and describing the agonizing feeling of death- an agony she intends to inflict on Xera too. However, after defeating her spectral Medicham, “Kiki” is revealed to be nothing more than a Misdreavus, who is impressed by Xera’s capabilities and agrees to travel with her; Xera names the Misdreavus Rue.

So yeah- Serra, Bennett, Luna, El, and a surprise cameo from Not-Actually-Kiki, there were loads of introductions to be had last time. Unfortunately, we’re a bit delayed in getting life-saving medicine for a child, so it’s high time to get the sixth Gym Badge! As always, I prepare for such events by gathering as many remaining static/event Pokémon as I can at this point in the game, and that’s what this chapter is going to entail. My adventures around the Reborn and Chrysolia Regions in search of new team members begin…now!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

[runjumpkauf]

THE AMAZING, CUBICAL, MYSTERIOUS GAME-WORLD! (Part 1)

(Refer tumblr.com/runjumpkauf/760050868958707712 To Understand This Post's First & Second & Third Sentences.)

Hello, I'm runjumpkauf. In August 28, 2024, I Said,

"I'm A Professional Post-Writer For The Amazing Digital Circus. But I Don't Want To Mannerisming By Only Filling The Void With The Amazing Digital Circus. So, I Changed My Policy To Review In "The Amazing Digital Scoops" + "Official Trailer Scoops" Together!"

And This Is THE AMAZING, MAGICAL, MYSTERIOUS GAME-WORLD! 2nd Of The Saga.

I Was Just Looking For Something Hilarious To Watch On YouTube. But Oh-Me-Oh-My, I Saw Something Literally Hilarious.

And One Minute Thirty Seven Seconds Later.....Of Coursely, I Realized A Minecraft Movie Is Multiverse Of Minecraft. Or Multiverse Of Madness?

And With This Mania Ideas, I Decided To Write Down The Synopsis From The Trailer In This Post.

So, Let's Began This Wacky Terrarium!

Story

Once Upon A Time, There Lived A Naive Big City, Named "Idaho". Garrett, Henry, Natalie, And Dawn. (Not A "Dawn" Who Met With Nasty Insulting Spoiled-Brat.) These Four Know At Least A Bit Or Bit More About Minecraft.

And One Day, The Four Addventurers Ended Up In The Wacky Minecraft World, Due To An Unexpected Accident.

And The Four Addventurers Arrive At The World Of "End", And Suddenly Fight The Dragon That Lives In The End. But Of Course, They Defeated And Runned. And Somehow They Ended Up In The Place Called, "Overworld".

Then, They Discover A Village Of Overworld, And Use It As A Base To Prepare To Everything To Fight The Dragon For Escape This Wacky, Looney, Travelsome Worlds.

.....I Think, But I Believe This Is Real Story.

Characters

Henry The Boy & Natalie The Girl: Henry And Natalie Are Siblings, And They Had Recently Moved To Idaho And Were Livin' A Ordinary Life. And They Find Minecraft Worlds, And Go Through.

Dawn The Real Estate Agent: She Helped Henry And Natalie, Double Of Who Moved To Idaho, But She Ended Up Entering And Go Through To The World Of Minecraft.

Garrett The Champion: He Was Once A Greatest Super-Player Of Video Games. However, Other Super-Players Have Enjoyed And Destroyed His Record One By One, So He Is Obsessed With Fame, Unless He Go Through To Minecraft Worlds!

.....Well, That Dosen't Happen, These Are Just Occupations For Guessing The Story, So It Doesn't Matter You Skip.

But Steve Is Exactly.

Steve The Jack Black: He Is A Human Of Minecraft World, And His Role Is To Help Four Addventurers. And If You Watch The Trailer Closely, You Can See That He Is The Owner Of "Steve's Lava Chicken!". It Looks Delicious But I Don't Want Lava-Spice.

Alex The Watchamajigger: I Hope She Appears.

Or.....Maybe Not Appear?

Creatures

Pink-Furred Sheep: It Is So Ugly That All Of People Said About: Accursed, Ill-Conditioned, Infernal, Unprincipled, Spineless(I Don't Know If Sheep Have Spines.) Monsterous, Distasteful(Wait, What?), Felonious, Gross, Naughty, Foul, Grave, Miss-Created, Spoiled, And Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah!

Llama: This Alpaca-Shaped Llama Makes A Growl Reminiscent Of A Pig. And When It Saw The Flocks Of Piglins, It Wasn't Scared. Am It Brave Or Just Ignoring It?

Wolf: I Don't Know What This Creature's Role.

Piglins: The Villains Of A Minecraft Movie, It Is A Creatures That Lives In The World Of "Nether". And In The Trailer It Was Shown Invading The Overworld Riding A "Hot-Ghast-Balloons"!

Ghasts: The Villains Of A Minecraft Movie, It Is A Creatures That Lives In The World Of "Nether". I Was Curious About The Relationship Between Piglins And Ghasts, And Now I Know!

Creepers: Needless To Say, This Is Exploding-Kind Monster!

And.....I Tried To Find Out More About This, But This Is All I Could Find, So, I Will Post Part 2 Once The Main Trailer For This Movie Is Released.

So, STEP RIGHT THIS WAIT!

P.S. As Everyone Knows, The Teased-Teaser For This Movie Was Met With Reviews Are Very Harshness Disappointment, But I Found It To Be Quite Great. Becuase I Am Truly Proud Of Their Nobleness!

P.S.2. Could You Imagine, Pigs, Cows, Chickens, Mooshrooms, And Above All, Squid, Turning As Ugly Like A Pink-Furred Sheep? Wowie-Zowie!

(Not A Playstation 2)

P.S.3. They Choose "The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour" As The Teaser Music. Which Is So Great Because It Fits The Topic Of The Minecraft Game Quite A Bit!

(Not A Playstation 3)

P.S.4. Okay, So, If You Ask Me If I Like Minecraft. I Like It, But Since I Had To Spend A Lot Of Cashes To Buy It. So I Had To Watch On YouTube. (I Mean, I'm Worker, But Salary Is Low, So I'm Not Go Through To Yet.)

(Not A Playstation 4)

P.S.5. This Post Took Me Over An Day To Be. For Real.

(Not A Playstation 5)

[lady-lissette]

Barbarous

To Whom It May Concern, I pray to the Fury that this letter finds you well. For the sake of brevity, I am but a lowly lady’s maid in the employ of House Isedaire estate writing to express concern for the lord of the house, Baron Grantioux de Isedaire.

(CW: mentions of death & abuse below cut)

Before I begin, please let it be known that his lordship and the rest of his family have been nothing but a joy to serve. I, myself, have stood dutifully by the side of Lady Francinne for over ten years. Other servants residing in the estate have always sung praises of the Isedaires for many, many years. However, following recent events, Lord Grantioux had changed – for the worse. It started shortly after we welcomed our eternal winter to Coerthas. News had quickly spread amongst the servants that many of his lordship’s relatives had perished in the chaos. One of the fallen was Ser Martisoix de Isedaire, his eldest son. After his funeral, his lordship locked himself away in his bedchambers for many days. Of course, we were well aware at this point that he was grieving the loss of his family, so we carried out our duties as normal. Lady Francinne, bless her very heart, allowed us some time to leave and visit our loved ones. Upon our return to the estate a week later, we finally saw Lord Grantioux leave his room. The tension in the air was uncomfortable – thicker than gelatin. We prepared breakfast that morning, and then came the first incident. A footman who was serving his lordship tea had accidentally spilt it onto the tablecloth. I have never heard Lord Grantioux raise his voice once in all of my days of working for the Isedaires. Needless to say, it was frightening. The poor man was fired on the spot. As the days passed by, more and more staff had been sacked for reasons that even I would consider rather minor. Overseasoned stew from our cook, the butler’s shoelaces coming untied, a maid with a loose string dangling from her blouse… Before she quit, a different maid claimed that the man had struck her after accidentally breaking a dish. We were once a group of fifteen workers, dwindling down to only five of us – myself included. I fear that the rest of Lord Grantioux’s family has also been affected by his sudden change of demeanour. Lady Francinne stopped attending mealtimes altogether and confined herself to her study. Their children, Marienne, Gerivaux, and Annette have been rather gloomy as of late. And worst of all, after an intense argument with his lordship, Lady Lissette had gathered her belongings and left the estate. As of writing, she has yet to return. I beg of you to please make Lord Grantioux come to his senses. I fear for this family and the rest of the staff that still remain. Any misstep that I make may cost me my job. Or with how things are currently going on in the city itself these days, perhaps my life. Halone's Blessings, J.L

[aita-blorbos]

Am I still the asshole after doing all I could to atone?

Alright, so for some context. I (M, over 50) used to be a notorious, but also idolized member of the local nobility, and an informal spokesman for my clan. Small-time gentry didn't like me much, because I was quick to fight and my grudges were legendary, but I was the favorite blade of the local lord H, always welcome in his court, and a lot of the blood I spilled and heads I cracked were for his benefit.

The lord had a daughter. We fell in love and I thought that, as his friend and loyal blade, I could convince him to let us marry. Instead, I was ritually dismissed as a suitor, and the old man instead gave his daughter to a political ally!

Needless to say, I was furious, and I broke off all other arrangements with H. My beloved became a political asset in a loveless marriage. I resigned myself to despair and also married a woman I didn't love. We were miserable together - I started drinking heavily, she died soon after giving me a son (let's call him T). Being a drunk and a fighter, I decided it would be better for T to be raised by my estranged younger brother J (~50).

Like I said, my grudges were the stuff of folk song, so I swore revenge - and my chance came at the worst possible moment. There was a war, and when the enemy besieged H's castle, I went there just to watch him burn. Only he didn't. He and his servants actually managed to fend off the assault! Drunk and furious, I went over to the battlefield, picked up a rifle from a dead soldier, and shot the old bastard on my first try.

I regretted it as soon as I pulled the trigger. He saw me standing down there with the gun. I dropped it and ran. After H's death, the enemy forces rallied and took the castle - and for my treason, when I was nowhere to be found, the invaders awarded H's estate to J. (He wasn't happy about it - he's not a fighter, but still very much a patriot.)

My beloved and her husband were imprisoned soon after for their ties to H. They were sent to a prison colony to die. From my own exile, I made sure their baby daughter remained in the country, under joint custody of her aunt and J.

Ever since, I've been trying to atone. I joined our nation's army in exile, in an empire sympathetic to our cause. I found religion, and became a priest. I've spent the last few years incognito in my homeland, right under my family's nose, as a spy and propagandist for the empire as they're preparing to march on our occupants. I've watched both our children grow and, lately, fall in love.

It all came to a head when H's old servant G (m, around 70, I think?) misunderstood my propaganda and sicced the local gentry on my brother for "collaborating" with the occupants, destroying my carefully laid plans and forcing me to reach out to the local garrison to save my loved ones - which then escalated into a three-way fight where nobody really won. T, now almost an adult, will have to run away with the rest of young men involved to join the army in exile, while we old-timers try to smooth things over at home. I won't live to see it, though - I'm gravely wounded and I fear I will not live to see tomorrow. In fact, I plan on telling G, the last living witness of my treachery, the whole story before I die. I don't expect his forgiveness, I just want to know if I managed to atone for some of my sins.

So, am I dying an asshole?

[m00niec4kes]

An old face makes a reappearance.

"The old Judith estate. Wonder what townie decided to move in."

grumbles. "Not like I can rob the vault, damn thing's empty. But maybe..."

"Heyyyy! You're a werewolf? Craaazy, my little sister's also a werewolf! We also used to live in the manor across the way!"

"???? Why'd I let you in again?"

"Interesting. Piano or violin. The piano would do wonderfully in the black market..."

"Ah, forget it. I'm too old to be hauling around a big ass piano."

He ended up taking both anyway?????

Onto Copperdale!

"Ah, my sweetheart! Look how big you've gotten! Already on your late-childhood makeover!"

"Aren't you just the sweetest little thing?"

"Am I sweet enough for candy?"

"Now you're pushing it, kid."

"Daddy! What're you doing here?"

"Got a little surprise for one of your gremlins."

"Hello, child."

"Greetings, grandfather."

"Stole somethin' for ya, so don't say I never got you anythin'."

"What, really?? For me?"

"Oh my word! A violin?"

"You're the first kid in the legacy to pursue violin, so I thought 'why not?' Plus, it was stolen from the Ward family. Do what you will with that information."

And with that, Nixon was off to his home in Tartosa!

The day would've gone along peacefully if the Watcher didn't ask Taku to repair the toilet with his magic.

"Uh oh."

Yeah, 'uh oh' YOU IDIOT!!

NOW IT'S ON FIRE!!! And everyone thought the smartest move would be to crowd the bathroom.

"Fire!"

"Oh my word!!"

"Ah!!"

"*fire extinguisher noises*"

Malakai, the only one with smart autonomy (and a flammable bearsuit), was outside.

"Phew, it's out."

AND MY DAMN TOILET IS STILL BROKEN AND NOW BURNT!

The watcher wouldn't have been so upset if it weren't for the fact that this was the SECOND TIME he's set something on fire.

"Oh, a bugged book? Easy, I'll set it on fire with magic!"

"Goddamn it, Taku!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

Needless to say, Watcher had to take a break after that.

EPISODE TO BE CONTINUED!

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