#specifically one based off Letters by Mother Mother

[canadianlucifer]

Am I thinking about a character that appeared for like, two panels and is never mentioned afterwards again? Perhaps. Anyways, Seina Takizawa headcanons-

-She studied psychology in college and became a therapist

-She sits with Rocky while the pup waits for her parents to come home (rip Michie and unnamed father)

-She works with the TSC and United Front providing her services to the countless traumatized ghouls out there

-I assume she had bleached her hair when we saw her in the manga and she has since grown it out back to a light brown

-She likes to wear her hair in a ponytail with a clip her mom used in her bun

-Her dad had a bunch of golf stuff and she plays tabletop golf when she's bored

-She watches the cop shows Seidou used to watch and while she didn't like them at first, they grew on her

-She visits her family's graves every Tuesday and leaves letters she wrote for them

-She saw a cloaked figure at their graves once, though it fled as soon as she saw it. She can't help but think about who it was...

-She found out the truth about her brother when a former investigator noted her last name and told her about him

-She went home and stared at the ceiling for the rest of the day, thinking about what he might be doing and what he had been doing when she thought he was dead

-It wasn't until she visited the graves again she broke down crying

-She wants to see him again but doesn't know what she'd say

-Seidou reads the letters she leaves him and after she left one telling him she knows, he left her one back (what does it say? no one knows (aka, I'm not sure what he'd write yet))

-And her favourite colour is purple

[marzipanandminutiae]

would you have any reading suggestions to learn more about the earrings are evil era??? I've never heard of that aspect of fashion history and I am curious

Oh man, it was wild

you saw the first stirrings of it in the 1890s, when you started to get (mostly white and middle-to-upper-class) proto-feminists arguing that ear piercing was barbaric- keep an eye on the racist undertones there; they will come up again-and forcing women to suffer for fashion. I cannot emphasize enough that, until that point, ear piercing had been pretty much normal for this race/class/gender group. For centuries. You see criticism of the practice here and there, but nothing that really stuck.

The objections slowly increased until roughly the mid-1920s, when everything reached a tipping point and pierced ears became largely taboo for most white Americans and Brits of northern/western European descent. If that sounds HIGHLY specific, it is- communities from southern and sometimes eastern Europe retained cultural practices of ear piercing, to the point where it was often used as a point against them by mainstream society. It was also associated with Latino people, Black people, and the Romani, which. Yeah. I don't need to tell you how that went down.

It also developed associations with sexual immorality and/or backwards thinking. One newspaper letter I read came from a teen girl in the 1940s, wondering why she shouldn't pierce her ears if her very respectable grandmother had piercings. The response was something like "well, they did all sorts of things in the Bad Old Days that we shouldn't do now." True in many ways, or course, but...piercing your ears? That's the hill culture decided to die on as far as antiquated behavior that we should leave behind? Apparently yes.

Earrings themselves never went out of style, which led to the birth of clip-ons and screwbacks. Ironic that the "don't surfer for fashion" crowd was so eager to embrace screwing tiny vices onto your ears, but there we are. My own mother (born 1953) remembers her mother (born 1926) always taking off her screwback earrings immediately after getting home from a party, literally in the foyer of their house the second the door shut. There had been adaptations for unpierced ears before- Little Women, published in 1868, describes Meg March hanging earrings from a flesh-colored silk ribbon tied around the base of her ear -but they'd never caught on like this before.

However, the pendulum was soon to swing back. After just 40 years of Piercing Panic, in the 1960s, girls began piercing their ears again in droves. As piercing moved from the slumber party or summer camp back to the professional jewelers whose families had been early professional piercers in the 19th century- and to befuddled doctors who had no idea what they were doing yet still received piercing requests -cultural commentators had no idea what to make of it. Some decried the new trend while most took an air of bemused neutrality. My personal favorite article expressed surprise that "Space Age misses" were adopting these "Victorian traditions."

(In 1965, my grandmother took Mom to the anesthesiologist down the street who was offering to pierce his young daughter's friends gratis, and got it done. My grandfather had strongly disapproved of the idea, but in the end it took him a week to notice the new earrings.)

As to sources...honestly, I've just gone to Google Books, specified a time frame, and typed in "ear piercing," "pierced ears," "pierce ears," etc. Tons of primary sources at your fingertips, though I'm not always great about documenting or saving what I find. There's not much written about it formally, I've found- no books or scholarly studies. It may just be too close in history to attract much academic attention, though I find it fascinating.

This little blip where something that's been normal for most of western history suddenly became taboo for a hot second.

Also my ear piercings just turned 20 five days ago, commemorating the date that I was taken with much ceremony to Piercing Pagoda (and that horrible gun; it's a wonder I didn't get keloids) to get me out from underfoot while the Thanksgiving feast was being made. Grandma got hers pierced on the same day, at age 78. Happy Birthday, Marzi's ear piercings!

[falloutcaldera]

Open Letter To Nukapedia

I have been informed me posting to tumblr is being assumed to be me trying to incite shit & assuming bad faith. As this was not my intention, here's the little good faith I have left:

I wrote that last message with the intention of leaving due to finding the situation unconscionable, while on a call with my disabled coauthor and friends who were equally as distressed as I was that someone like that had been not only allowed back into the server, but had been allowed to claim they had not said anything eugenicist. I then went to leave the sever only to discover it was no longer in my list - meaning I'd been banned before I could even leave. And then I had to learn the reason for my ban from a third party.

So my assumption was Not GreatTM. I was a little emotionally compromised! Let me elaborate as to why:

That user had called disabled children an 'empty resource sink' and a detriment to society in response to an ongoing conversation (one that I freely admit I had gotten frustrated with - what appeared at the time & what I am now almost certain was - sealioning - and thus been rude, and apologized for that) where I was attempting, in good faith, to explain contemporary fight for disability rights in the United states. I had previously mentioned IN SPECIFIC growing up autistic and seeing the murder of fellow autistic children being called 'mercy killings'. This user had previously in the course of this conversation specifically mentioned 'high functioning conditions' such as Asperger's being different from ones they considered debilitating.

(Its notable that this diagnosis has since folded into ASD, and with the name being considered controversial due to being named after Hans Asperger.)

This user then said that the 'mercy' of 'allowing' some people who 'could not function' to die was morally correct TO THE FACE OF A SPECED AUTISTIC PERSON WHO HAD JUST MENTIONED PEOPLE LIKE THEM BEING KILLED SPECIFICALLY.

From my perspective this is not even a fucking dog whistle, it is a whistle at best, more like a bullhorn. It is full on mask off 'actually people (who you say are like you) SHOULD die, if they cant ~contribute~'. It is directly saying people like me & my coauthor are justifiable losses. It is rhetoric which has directly killed people like me in recent memory.

It is so viscerally horrifying and evil of a rhetoric that I immediately felt their restored presence was an allowance. Even this I might have taken in good faith - except they (and the user supporting them) had Literally Stated What They Said Was Not Eugenicist. A mod Saw This, said 'drop the topic' - it is not a topic to drop, from your own commented policy after the first incident and for the safety of others, it is a instant ban situation - and moved on silently. From my perspective this was a giant red flag saying 'this is now a eugenicist bar'.

I am not exactly inclined to extend good faith when the fact is, we are currently in a wave of ableism rhetoric from the transphobic alt right especially against autistic and mentally ill people.

A former US president is well known for having mocked Serge Kovaleski's disability, and when then-12-year-old JJ Holmes protested this, he encouraged his followers to harass them, resulting in people shoving the boys wheelchair & sexually harassing his mother. Autism Speaks spokespersons talked about wanting to murder their children while they were still in the room. Dr. Phil openly platformed the attempted killer & mother of Izzy Stapleton just 10 years ago. We still face organ transplant discrimination, immigration discrimination, and we STILL to this day are being tortured in ABA 'therapy' that is based on the same attitudes that Ivar Lovaas's applied in his 'Feminine Boys Project', a series of abusive conversion tactics which led to the suicide of Kirk Murphy - a 'doctor' who once said "[autistics] are not people in the psychological sense."

That same former president was just alleged by his nephew to have said "Those people [...] The shape they’re in, all the expenses, maybe those kinds of people should just die."

How am I SUPPOSED to assume, in this political climate, good faith from 'empty resource sink' being allowed to be defended in any capacity, as a disabled person? Or hell, just as a person with disabled friends & loved ones. As a human being.

It is not that I am extending bad faith to your platform, I do not feel safe on your platform.

My coauthor did not feel safe enough to join your platform, my girlfriend would not feel safe on your platform, my friends do not feel safe on your platform. My THERAPIST read these messages and recommended I do not ever come back to your platform! I did not post on tumblr with the intention of causing problems but of protecting fellow disabled people from harm.

I have OCD & actively avoid posting issues outside of private chats because I have severe paranoia about being part of internet pile-ons in any capacity, to the point I STILL have avoided showing any user names or profile pictures. Yet this was still such an egregious situation that I felt I would be actively allowing people to come to harm if I didn't speak up.

I am not returning to the discord. I no longer feel comfortable talking about disability or queer representation in fallout in a space where people brushed off that rhetoric, and acted like it was an overreaction to be horrified - even momentarily. I am frankly unsure if I would feel safe even if everyone who did so was banned.

If you genuinely think I am overreacting, acting in bad faith - understand this comes from TWO DECADES of seeing people like me killed by caretakers every day and then hearing THAT & seeing people defend it.

Postcomment:

Hi. This is Ren, second author of Caldera and multiply disabled young adult. I proofread and editted this post as well as being present during a lot of this situation - either from being the person Cilantro stepped back to when they recognized they were getting emotionally intense about a situation or being on call with them during the incident in question, and I want to make some things clear.

I am absolutely Furious at the way my peers and loved ones have been treated during this time. Both directly in nukapedia itself and in the, haha, fallout that has followed.

You might ask why I have not been directly involved if I feel so strongly about it, the answer is simple. My absence Was an attempt at good faith. Through Cilantro's talks on what the atmosphere was like, I learned there would almost definitely be situations that lead me to feeling defensive, stressed and frustrated- emotions I admit to struggling to process. So I made the executive decision that I did not feel I could safely belong there and stayed to the sidelines.

Cilantro has never claimed perfection- and has multiple times apologized for allowing emotional reactions to lash into conversations and stepped away. And it is infurating to see their (and several other of our peers and friends) characters attacked like this. Own up to your own failures in protecting your members, or it will not be just our trust you have lost.

[danger-bird]

Touchstarved Astrology Headcanons🌠

Mostly based on my own irl observations over the years, as well as my bookworm era a few years ago . Also taking into account my own impressions & feelings for the LIs, so sufficiently biased and I'm not sorry. In the words of Danny DeVito: "I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it!" /lovingly❤️

Ais

Venus in Virgo. Period. I'm dying on this hill. Fight me. No but fr, first he's a diehard animal lover and will jump into a dog fight to save a puppy. Second, he's giving "mother hen" behavior - says "watch your step", then grabs you when you trip and scolds you "told you to watch your step"(Virgo 101); sends you off with an ESCORT, jumps in fists first when the roughneck tries fighting you then hides you from the purple gang later and escorts you back himself - need I say more? Not to mention he VERY likely helped Kuras save us (his scent lingers in the clinic when MC wakes up), and helps in the clinic regularly (so a part-time nurse, most likely helped save Mhin too). Also, he was definitely watching over us even before the Seaspring (the scarred woman knew our name from somewhere, also the Unnamed can feel Ocudeus' presence outside the clinic). He craves taking care of someone - people, animals, soulless, poor unfortunate souls - you name it. And it's not for show - that's just how he is. That's how he shows love - by being attentive. All my favorite people have this placement, they're all like him in this regard - best Venus placement imo (yes, I'm a biased Venus in Taurus, BUT I'm also right, lol)

Scorpio Ascendant I mean... come on. Come on. He's LITERALLY a gang leader! Not that anybody needs convincing, but aside from the sharp, intense eyes and the fact he oozes sex appeal, this would place his Sun in 10th House- he is known publicly as a leader, his presence demands respect and attracts attention. BDE for sure. Also he's very smart, intuitive and observant. Very aware of his surroundings, can pick up on people's moods & intentions like it's nothing. I'm convinced he can literally read our mind. A smart, sexy and caring bastard, lord help me...

Kuras

Virgo Signature sign Kuras is very service-oriented, focused on helping the community and always looking for ways to assist others. Very mindful of people’s problems and what they’re in need of - and ready to provide it, no matter what it may cost him. He’s also very polite, but comes off rigid, like he’s read “Social Etiquette for Humans 101” and is following it to the letter lol. Also kinda nerdy – has his special interests, and if you let him he’ll talk about reductions and concoctions all day, every day. I don't think it's a specific placement that influences this behavior, it's the whole picture, thus - a signature sign!

Saturn Dominant This man is a Capricorn already, sure, but there’s a difference. Capricorn placements have an inner spark, a fire about them – they’re ambitious and driven while being practical and disciplined. Saturn, however, is a dry and dark, malefic - almost apocalyptic planet. It’s the last visible planet – the gatekeeper of the divine knowledge (depicted by the outer planets). It represents time, boundaries, a sense of duty and responsibility, guilt and the consequences of one's actions. A symbol of Kronos and the Devil, it represents the falling of God, the grotesque expression of divinity. Kuras has a curious mind, fascinated by science and humanity, and in light of the Kuras character lore (and his not-too-subtle mischievousness) he def has strong Uranus & Jupiter influence as well. But the Saturnian themes in particular parallel the themes and main conflict in his story most strongly.

Mercury Retrograde I had to. The way he's so precise and eloquent, but roundabout when he talks? How he's so tight-lipped and takes his sweet time before answering a question? Mercury retrograde, 100 percent. I don't make the rules.

Mhin

Moon in 1st House. How do I know? I have it. The color of printer paper (the sun hates us), emotions written all over their entire existence and impossible to hide, as well as rather intense emotional outbursts? Yes, yes and yes. Big-time tsundere? Yes. Big softy, too? Yes. We could be twins, honestly. I stg they have a crush on Ais, but unlike with Kuras they're not happy about it. I dunno, call it twin telepathy. The Christmas photo doesn't help either.

Water moon, most likely in Cancer. Not Scorpio, because their emotions fluctuate rapidly, and are overtly moody. The difference between big waves and a rip current, for example. But more so, this makes for a Sun-Moon square - the dissonance and lack of harmony between their outer persona and their inner needs and desires is clear. They have difficulty expressing their emotions, not difficulty as in showing them, but in a way where they come off wrong and get interpreted the wrong way. Very protective, like a smol soft crabbie shielding themselves with their shell. Pushes people away consciously, but hoping for someone to have enough of a "spine" to handle them and protect them, giving them a safe space to finally relax. Most of all they need love, reassurance and acceptance (my poor little meow meow💙)

Mars square Mercury That Mercury is in Aries, you can't tell me otherwise. The extra 'angry' coming from Mars in Capricorn is helping, too. But not only that, it also makes a square to their Sun AND an opposition to their Moon - a T-square, a highly difficult & stressful configuration. The Mars is in Capricorn because they like a partner with authority and attitude (Cap in 7th), and it makes for good synastry with Kuras (my cutie patooties). Also for how small they are, they're very agile and skilled with knifes (ruled by Mars).

Leander

Venus conjunct Pluto. Sexy. Magnetic. He pulls you in with the gravitational force of his tits. These people are the definition of an intense lover. Obsessive and hungry for love - and pain, equally, very big on extreme and overwhelming sensations. You have a terrible curse? Oooh, danger - gimme! You can never give them too much attention - they want it all, and they're not sharing. Possessive, wants to draw you into their little world and keep you for themselves.

Leo Ascendant, for a few reasons. I was initially thinking Libra, but after looking at everything, I decided on Leo. He has a noble presence - not surprising considering his upbringing. He's a very charismatic talker, well-spoken, lovely voice, can charm anyone into trusting him (Libra in 3rd coming through). To his credit, he takes his work seriously and comes off as a reliable boss (Cap in 6th, also Taurus in 10th). He wants to take care of people... or rather, wants to be seen as a savior. I really see him as a Gemini-Cancer cusp, but technically he's a Cancer so his sun will be in 12th house. It’s a house of self-undoing, the afterlife, illusions - ego and reality go to disintegrate here. All that connects into the life-and-death theme surrounding him and his design. The sun here becomes a fantasy, a goal rather than reality – a dream of being a leader, a hero, someone who people look up to for help and answers. He’s really giving Jesus-wannabe, with the resurrection and savior complex he has going on, as well as the over-the-top generosity. A big red crab, with a big red flag... and the tits to match (Cancer rules the booba).

Vere

Venus conjunct Midheaven, Midheaven being in Scorpio. With Sun in Scorpio. Lots of Scorpio. He’s so pretty! Pretty in an elegant, sensual, effortless yet manicured to perfection way. Apparently, the BBC (Big Bulky Collar) on him does not signal “DANGER!��� to the rascals who take him for an easy target, because all they see is the approachable, delicate face and inviting voice. He knows the effect he has on people, and he’s using it to his advantage – to get a free drink, or to make people trust him juuust enough to get what he wants. He is attracted to power, powerful people, and wants power for himself – and he’s ruthless about achieving his goals, too (Scorpio in 10th); there’s a lot of gossip surrounding this man’s public image, his reputation. Venus conjunct Midheaven places a focus on art – he is an artist, appreciates art as well as creating it himself. He IS the art, or that’s the perception of him anyway.

Venus in Scorpio As Venusian as he appears, Venus is in detriment here – there’s conflicting emotions regarding his looks, and the perception of him – or rather, the expectations placed on him because of it. He'll break rules on purpose, act outrageous, play coy, use his beaty for all its worth – he’ll purposefully play the ‘bad guy’ as a form of rebellion, a defense mechanism. He can’t find comfort in a traditional relationship dynamic and has a hard time liking someone who likes them back - he’s afraid of commitment. I believe his confidence is a façade; there’s an underlying fear of betrayal and rejection, and a paranoia that any good thing that comes his way is a trick, a trap, or a lie. That he doesn’t deserve love or care, really. Buuut… if you’re like Ais and see him for all his ‘ugly’, and accept him anyway… then you’re really something💜.

1525 words. Yikes. I tried keeping the word count down.

Unsuccessful. Obviously.

If you’ve read this far, go have some water, a snack, a stretch – you deserve it! Doctor’s orders!!!

.

.

P.S. : Ais' side profile sprite is giving me "ex-punk mom wearing a cozy cardigan", is it just me? Anyone? Are you seeing it? Am I crazy? Do I need help?...

...I'll see myself out.

.

.

[anghraine]

Another Tolkien rant before I (finally!!) go back to BG3:

By and large, heredity and ethnicity in Tolkien cannot be understood through blood quantum logic. I don't think this is even seriously debatable, really—it does not work.

Yes, Imrahil of Dol Amroth is many generations removed from his nearest Elvish ancestor. Yes, he's still visibly part-Silvan to someone like Legolas, and is Silvan-style pretty to everyone else, and his sister was mystically susceptible to Mordor's miasma and died of sea-longing.

Yes, Théoden has as much Númenórean ancestry as Eldacar, a literal Númenórean King of Gondor, and has the same Elvish ancestor as Imrahil. No, Théoden is not a Dúnadan and does not inherit Silvan features. Tolkien specifically contrasted the visible Silvan Elvish heritage of Imrahil and his nephews Boromir and Faramir with Théoden and Éomer's lack of them, though in some versions, Éomer inherited remarkable height from his Númenórean ancestry (but not specifically Elvish qualities like beardlessness).

The only known member of the House of Eorl to markedly inherit the distinctive Elvish appearance of the House of Dol Amroth is Elfwinë, son of Imrahil's daughter Lothíriel as well as of Éomer, and Elfwinë's appearance is attributed firmly to Lothíriel-Imrahil rather than Théodwyn-Morwen.

Aragorn and Denethor are descendants of Elendil removed by dozens of generations, and Elendil himself was many generations removed from Elros. Aragorn and Denethor's common heritage and special status results in a strong resemblance and kinship between these incredibly distant cousins, including innate beardlessness and various powers inherited from Lúthien, and a connection to the Maiar presumably derived from Lúthien's mother Melian (great-great-grandmother of their very distant ancestor Elros).

Galadriel has one Noldo grandparent (half as much Noldorin heritage as Théoden has Númenórean). She has ties to her Telerin and Vanyarin kin and inherits some of their traits (most notably her silvery-gold hair), but she is very fundamentally a Noldo.

Túrin Turambar is a member—and indeed, heir—of the House of Hador via patrilineality. However, he's strongly coded as Bëorian in every other way because of his powerful resemblance to his very Bëorian mother, while his sister Niënor is the reverse, identified strongly with Hadorian women and linked to their father, whom she never met.

Elrond and Elros have more Elvish heritage than anything else, but are defined as half-Elves regardless of choosing mortality or immortality. In The Nature of Middle-earth, Tolkien casually drops the bombshell that Elros's children with his presumably mortal partner also received a choice of mortality vs immortality (and then in true Tolkien style, breezed onto other, less interesting points). Elrond and his sons with fully Elvish Celebrían are referred to as Númenóreans as well as Elves, with Elladan and Elrohir scrupulously excluded from being classed as Elves on multiple occasions. Their sister Arwen, meanwhile, is a half-Elf regardless of how much literal mortal heritage she has but also is identified with the Eldar in a way they never are.

There's a letter that Tolkien received in which a fan asks how Aragorn, a descendant of Fíriel of Gondor, could be considered of pure Númenórean ancestry when Fíriel was a descendant of Eldacar, the "impure" king whose maternal heritage kicked off the Kinstrife. Tolkien's response is essentially a polite eyeroll (and understandably for sure), but it's not like ancestry that remote (or far more so) doesn't regularly linger.

The point, I guess, is that there's no hard and fast rule here that determines "real" ethnicity in Middle-earth or who inherits what narrative identification. It's clearly not dependent on purebloodedness (gross rhetoric anyway, but also can't be reconciled with ... like, anything we see). It's not based on upbringing or culture alone. Túrin and Niënor, for instance, are powerfully identified with the Edain narratively despite their upbringings. Their double cousin Tuor, however, is a more ambiguous figure in terms of the Elves, whom he loves and lives among and possibly even joins in immortality—yet Tuor's half-Elf son Eärendil, whose cultural background is overwhelmingly Elvish, is naturally aligned with Men and only chooses immortality for his wife's sake.

Elladan and Elrohir, as mentioned above, are sons of an Elf, Celebrían, and of Elrond, a half-Elf who chose immortality and established a largely Elvish community at Rivendell. But the twins have a centuries-long affinity with their mortal Dúnadan kin and delay choosing a kindred to be counted among long after Arwen's choice.

Patrilineal heritages are more often than not given priority, which has nothing to do with how much of X blood someone has, only which side it comes from. Queen Morwen's children and descendants are emphatically Rohirrim who don't ping Legolas's Elvishness radar (though Elfwinë might, later on; we're not told). King Eldacar is firmly treated as a Dúnadan with no shortening of lifespan or signs of Northern heritage. Finwë's children and grandchildren are definitionally Noldor.

But this is by no means absolutely the case. The Elvishness of the line of Dol Amroth is not only inherited from Mithrellas, a woman, but passes to some extent to Boromir and Faramir through their mother Finduilas. Denethor and Aragorn's descent from Elros primarily comes through Silmariën, a woman (and also through Rían daughter of Barahir and Morwen daughter of Belecthor for Denethor, and Fíriel daughter of Ondoher for Aragorn). And of course, Elros's part-Maia heritage that lingers among his descendants for thousands of years derives from women, Lúthien and Melian.

So there's not some straightforward system or rule that will tell you when a near or remote ancestor "matters" when it comes to determining a character's identity, either to the character or to how they're handled by the narrative. Sometimes a single grandparent, or great-grandparent, or more distant ancestor, is fundamental to how a character is treated by the story and understands themself. Sometimes a character is so completely identified with one parent that the entire other half of their heritage is negligible to how they're framed by the story and see themself. It depends!

[worriedvision]

You lie to him - Wriothesley

Angst, gender neutral reader. A bit of a strange plot here - basically parents of reader are fatui agents and they try to get away from that. Wriothesley knows this, but unbenownst to him you hold back something serious.

There is a brief mention of children being snatched for experimentation. This is not graphic, however it is important for the story.

--

Receiving letters from your parents was a concern for you - your parents were both Fatui agents, devoted to the organisation and insisting you should turn to them. You never really liked it, how some innocent lives would be taken because of the Fatui - your earliest memory happened when you were out exploring by yourself.

--

People knew not to target you due to the insignia attached to your clothing, but unfortunately the same couldn't be said for another child. You had witnessed some of Dottores underlings snatching children that were clearly not attached to the Fatui, and based on the screams of the child they weren't going anywhere great. Before you could run along to protest, however, you felt a hand on your shoulder - your mother reassuring you the child was going to have a 'use'.

You didn't need to be a genius to know that was not true. Despite your concerns, however, you couldn't get any proper reassurance the child was fine whenever you asked your mother. From that point, you weren't permitted to leave the house alone. When you tried the first few times, you would be promptly dragged back to your home roughly, your parents punishing you once they get word of it happening.

Over time, you got smarter - you were taught by people who were good at their job, allowing you to read and write. When you caught wind of you being forcefully signed up by your parents when they left a letter out in the open - the two of them assuming you were too stupid to read and understand a letter - you made an elaborate plan to escape. You decide to play up the idea of not understanding anything your tutors were teaching you, attempting to buy you more time as you plan your escape, only to get impatient when you hear your parents talk gleefully about what you would be doing for the 'family' (you realise this was the company, not your own family).

One midnight, you run out under the blanket of night to sneak onto a boat. Bundled up with one bag to keep you going for at least a few weeks, you hope this boat takes you to a place where you can find where you belong.

That's how you met Wriothesley. More specifically, you were caught on the boat. Nobody on the boats team knew you, so you were handed over to Fontaine - thank goodness you had removed any evidence of being part of the Fatui. All insignias were off your person. You get sentenced to prison, which shocks you at the time. When you arrived, most of the folk around you were much older - as a child, that wasn't surprising for a prison. Nonetheless, you were scared.

However, one child was the same age as you. He seemed to be fidgety, but upon realising the new prisoner was around his age he was curious. With more conversations, you both grow closer. When you trust him enough to not tattle on you to the Fortress for a reduced sentence, he tells you his reason for being in prison. He was scared you would be disgusted, but you understand why he did what he did.

Upon becoming the new Administrator for the Fortress, you tell Wriothesley the real reason you were there. You had fled your parents house, knowing you'd be forced to help with the Fatuis plans, and Wriothesley smirks as he adds in a comment on how it explained how you didn't hate him when finding out his crime.

Everything was going so well between the two of you - everyone knew you were a couple, and everyone was supportive.

Unfortunately, the Fatui caught on to who you were. They send you letters, threatening to claim you the moment you slip up. Knowing you had nothing linking you to them, you weren't worried. Wriothesley didn't know about this, assuming everything was going well as you continued to try and evade capture by your parents.

Ironically, it's Wriothesley who slips up. He doesn't understand that your parents had a dedicated work ethic. He lets slip that you were a 'child' of the Fatui, and the Harbinger he was negotiating with feigns being insulted by the idea of someone turning on them.

After realising your time was limited, and you were going to either forcibly or willingly be sent back by the Fatui, you opt to burn the bridge you have with Wriothesley before handing yourself over. You know he can't do anything to stop this, even Neuvillette couldn't, and if you were to not 'turn' on him, he would be implicated on housing someone with a contractual attachment to the Fatui.

So, you do something stupid.

You tell Wriothesley you never loved him, that he was stupid for falling for your tricks. Wriothesley argues back, asking why you would do such an elaborate plan and remove all attachment from the Fatui all those years ago, only for you to laugh in his face. Showing a look of disgust, he turns to hide his face.

"Get out. I don't like who you are."

A correct statement for him to make, given the horrible lies you've been telling him to cut ties and protect him.

But this wouldn't be enough, you know. You get escorted out of the building, people turning heads as you make comments on how you were a 'proud Fatui agent' and Wriothesley had been 'played like a fiddle for information'. Of course, you were doing this to protect him, but nobody else around you knew this as people share looks of concern as they see you ruining your relationship.

Upon boarding the boat back to your homeland, you see a Harbinger.

"I see you know your rightful place." Pantalone hums out. "Consider yourself lucky your parents loved you enough to write up a good contract for your safety - even in the turn of betrayal." He smiles, leaning down to whisper into your ear. "If it weren't for the concrete contract your mother had written, you would be handed over as a test subject for Dottore."

Signing up their child to the Fatui? What a funny way of protecting your child, you think to yourself.

As the ship sails off, you turn as you see Wriothesley there, teary eyed but still wanting to see the person he loved for the last time. Unable to see how hurt he was without breaking your facade of being an undercover agent all this time, you sneer before turning away, crying as Pantalone chuckles at your actions.

[intheshadowsbehindyou]

Specifically the support team with a tall fem! Reader! (To be detailed like 6'0ft and over 6'0 if in heels)

Just admit you people have mommy issues. I cannot take this ask seriously lord please help me.

Tall Fem!reader with the TF2 Support mercs

Warning: mildly NSFW. why are you doing this to me. I’m a gay cis dude irl

Sniper:

- Fucking short circuits. Think brock levels of simping from pokemon. Maybe not outwardly but on the inside he’s promising you the world. Wishes to be your little step tool. Every time you play rough with him he becomes a submissive little shit. Goes “oowwww :(((“ when he’d otherwise not. Other Mercs are outstanded on how fast you humbled him. Regardless of your relationship with him he’ll ask you if you could be his mother figure because his current mother is.. Well I mean she’s dead. This is entirely non-sexual.

- 50 points if goth girl and 100 points if trans girl. He’s into men and nonbinary folk too but whenever it’s a girl, it’s always mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry.

- Gets oddly soft with you and nobody else. Becomes clingy and desperate for your attention to the extent of protecting you on the battlefield and overall showing off with his shots. Becomes more awkward than he usually would. Stumbles over his words and panics when speaking to you. You find it cute.

————————————————————————-

Medic:

- “Ah! Yes! the new person. Hello little fräulein!” He immediately turned around and waved to greet you the first time… Before slowly realizing your head was higher than his shoulders and trailed his eyes upward. Meeting your gaze with awkward silence. He had bent down suspecting an innocent, small and adorable woman and so had to immediately stand up and straighten his posture. A majority of girls from his village were abhorrently short.

- “Ah… I see…” He turns away and fixes his glasses. Going back to whatever the hell math he was jotting on his chalkboard. You could vaguely make out it was some sort of failsafe for in case the medigun failed to deploy charge. You were more intrigued over the fact you were taller than this man. You leaned over his head to check your height— Which made him nervous of course.

- “Must you be so nosey? Hah! Relax. It’s not a shrink ray or anything!” He joked. You didn’t know if you should be offended by that or that or not. “Of course, mind you, I do know how to make that. But I don’t have the time nor resources sadly. Then again, everybody must be shrunken to you.” Medic then proceeds to suppress his mild attraction to you; instead opting to tear you to shreds with his sick roasts about your height. Wow, somebody’s insecure.

——————————————————————-

Spy:

- BARK BARK BARK WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!! Heterosexual beams primed. Neurons activated. Eyes bulge out of head awooga awooooga

- ONE single glance of you is all it takes and his seduction skills become second nature. The next day you find roses on the end table next to your bed. With a letter, written in flawless english incursive about meeting you on the roof of the base after sunset. The letter even had hints of his sweet smelling cologne on it. Talk about overkill.

- Well you see him there and he’s there, leaning against the railing with his suit unbuttoned. His tie hanging loose on his neck and treating himself to a glass of wine. “Ah, pardon me mademoiselle, I’m afraid the deserts of this country are a bit.. Harsh on me sometimes.” You have never seen such a cheesy display in your entire life. There’s even a picnic table there with candles and dinner. You almost wanted to dropkick him because of how disgustingly sweet this was. Yuck.

[ssparksflyy]

BELLS' 500 FOLLOWER + BIRTHDAY EVENT ! ✷༉‧₊˚.

HEYYY POOKIE SHMOOKS THANK YOU SOSO MUCH FOR 500 FOLLOWERSSS ♡ i seriously appreciate every single one of you, you keep me motivated and i thank you for allowing me to post my silly little posts and for supporting me sm :) i meant to do this event when i reached 400 followers.. but when i reached it, a lot of people were announcing events so i decided to wait a bit so they could get the attention they deserved :) now with 500 (nd my birthday coming up) i decided to finally do this event as a way to get me up a running again after the break i took :D i hope you enjoy this event and once again , thank you so much !! ily !!!

CERAMIC UNICORNS —

ill make you a moodboard based off your blog, a character, a ship, anything you'd like !!

CMON BLONDIE ! —

(moots only !) where we would go on a friendly date ♡

FLOATING LANTERNS —

ill write you a short blurb (romantic or platonic) for whoever u wish

FLYNN RIDER EUGENE FITZHERBERT —

(moots only !) what duo do i think we are most like ?

FRYING PAN —

ill assign you a random poster from the many i want to hang in my room >ᴗ<

HERE COMES THE SMOLDER —

ill give you an outfit based on you blog's aesthetic ! (include clothing preferences if u want something a little more specific ♡)

MAGIC HAIR —

ill give u a random animal crossing villager i think ur most like (cause i recently started playing again hehe)

MAXIMUS' APPLES —

ill tell you what taylor swift era u remind me of most !

MOTHER KNOWS BEST —

ill give you a 10 song playlist (on spotify) based on your acc, a character, a ship, whatever you'd like :)

PASCAL'S PALS —

ill assign you a plushie i think best fits you ♡

THE LOST PRINCESS —

ill give you a ts song + lyrics that best fits ur vibe !!

THE SNUGGLY DUCKLING —

i'll tell u what pjo cabin i think ur in !! ( warning: im stupid :) )

JULY 26 —

(moots only!) ill give u a small love letter to send overseas to you while you fight bravely in the war and i stay home with our two children hoping and praying you'll return safely (its just a love letter lmao)

i literally copied my 200 follower event layout which was inspired by @flowers-for-em so credits to my lovely lovely emma !!

i ask that you keep it to 2 requests per ask please :)

this event will be ending august 15 !

i try to complete requests as quickly as possible but i do ask that you remain patient ( this has never been an issue on my blog but i thought id still mention it ♡♡ )

i hope you enjoy !!

ah yes. the tagging of the mutuals. ( in no particular order but lmk if u wanna be added or taken off !! )

@mqshido @riordanness @hope92100 @jgracie @hopelesslyromanticshark

@flowers-for-em @pinkdiorluvr @lastolympus @s1utlvr @brodieland

@over-the-oceancall @sunnitheapollokid @cinemaconrad @chxcolatefrogs @pumpkinbxtch

@kozumesphone @satelitis @stvrlighttgabss @juneberrie @waitingonher

@maybxlle @alexwritingspot @missedyour21st @leovaldezluvr @jvpiterzs

@aezuria @puffoz @mqstermindswift @aryxchse @colettesonpluto @starrynightmovietheatre

[randomsufff]

ALRIGHT since at least 6 of yall wanted it here it is- my Adachi Channel concept 🎉 (ft. a quick comic of how their intro dialogue would go)

Boy where to start- there’s quite a lot under here so beware

Ok so- my first thought was “ if Adachi had a channel, what would his dark secret be” and I thought it would be that he secretly loves the Dojima family and wants so bad to be officially part of that (the adajima shipper in me saying he would love to get with Dojima and sort of become an official dad figure to Nanako) and so scared of them leaving him

I think in game, it’s shown Adachi actually cared for Nanako a lot, as he was always looking out for her and felt remorseful that she got hurt because of his actions and he even says in his letter at the end that he valued his times with the Dojimas

But it’s also largely based off of the Persona 4 Golden anime, where there’s a little section that expands upon Adachis background and his relationships with the Dojima’s. Specifically, that one part where Dojima, Nanako and Adachi are all holding hands before Nanako runs off to greet Yu and then it cuts to those three walking while Adachi stands dejected behind.

Anyways- within this background it’s shown that Adachi has pushed away every opportunity to connect with his peers in any way, no matter how much he wanted to, because he wanted to focus on his studies. And it ended up being all for not anyways because he never won any awards or got any serious recognition for his efforts and was instead relocated to Inaba (middle of nowhere town as someone says).

So here Adachi is- no serious friendships or relationships, who just moved to a town where there isn’t much to do anyways, who meets Dojima and his daughter who end up being his first genuine friends/companionship in YEARS.

Despite Adachis whole thing about thinking relationships are stupid and restricting, I think he finds himself caring about these two, and having them care for him, in a way he’s never experienced before. OF COURSE he going to latch onto that, and is going to be terrified to lose it when Yu- someone who’s ACTUALLY blood related to the family and not some sad coworker who tags along cause he got no friends- swoops in out of nowhere and starts taking their attention and affections.

So how does that relate to 1950s American housewives- well, again, if Adachi whole thing is wanting to stay together and wanting to keep their affections- and Yu who’s a part of the family is taking priority over him- best course of action would be to place himself into the family. Becoming a wife type to Dojima and a mother to Nanako.

Now not sure if Japan had a similar era, but I know the 50’s were alllllll about appearances and LOOKING like a perfect family; the woman stayed at home and were perfect wives and mothers who did all the cooking and cleaning while the men did all the work. I think that’s also why the “killer housewife” trope came around, cause they snap under being so much pressure. This not only fits into Adachi mask of being a dumb detective when he’s actually a villain but also how he views his relationship with each of them.

Adachi is an assistant for Dojima, and we see in game how mistreated he is: getting coffee and beaten around. Unfortunately, I feel like that’s very similar to how woman in the 50s were often treated by their spouses- as assistants rather then wives. Obviously, as I’ve said, he’s taken on a motherly role towards Nanako- being concerned over Dojimas lack of parenting towards her and trying to look after her himself.

And since Palaces often take these sentiments to the extreme- I thought Shadow!Adachi would think himself as a replacement of the dead mother, (I forgot her name 💀) saying he can take her place and give them everything they need.

OK SO HOW WOULD THIS FIT STORY WISE IN THE GAME? So people show up on tv if they’ve caught the eyes of the public right? And Nanako got on cause of an interview so I would think Adachis rise of interest in the public would be the similar. At the very least, when the tv covers the two murders, Adachi would do some stupid thing that would accidentally be caught on camera and everyone would wonder who that bumbling idiot was. In my eyes, I think this happens after everyone had joined (so after Naoto) but before any of the endgame stuff with the red herring and Nanako and stuff. So perhaps the news does a follow-up on the lead detectives on the Telephone Pole murders since there’s not been anything new happening and they want to know if it’s passed or if they still have to keep working, and eventually Adachi comes along and like- idk spills coffee on the reporter or something, and since it’s live- the everyone figures out Adachis name after Dojima barks it at him to get his act together.

Boom he’s on the tv, boom the guy chloroforms him and throws him in the tv, boom Adachis like aw fuck.

I don’t understand how Adachi got his persona in the first place? I looked it up and it said it was cause he was so fucking lonely and because he had no relationships he developed a persona. Ok???? Didn’t know that was an option??? But in this universe- Adachi doesn’t have his persona and instead awakens it after confronting his truth like every other person, because thems the rules, instead of just developing one because you’re chronically lonely. (If we REALLLY wanted to it could be like a Akechi situation where he has two- but eh )

(Oh also- I’d imaging his channel introduction scene thing would be like, sitcom esc? Like a- ha ha come see how quirky my family is or something? Like I Love Lucy or any of those old American sitcoms)

So anyways he’d be like “fuck, welp this can’t be too hard to survive, I just have to keep being in heavy denial like I always have-“ and tries to keep up the stupid act, especially when the Team rolls in, but then the Shadow gets to him by implying he has a meaningful relationship with the Dojimas (aka he NEEDS them cause he prolly would have offed himself months ago from boredom and/or lack of friends ) which pisses him off and triggers the fight.

(This could be some slight foreshadowing the Adachi is not what he seems as his masks slips and as his Shadow occasionally spits out some of his ideology and stuff)

Boom, fight ends when Adachi confronts that yes, maybe he does have a meaningfully relationship with the Dojimas. He’ll then be like, well obviously I can’t join your team, I’m part of the actual detective team, but maybe I can share insider info with you guys- while he secretly gets the first hand scoop of the Teams plans.

Obviously this does not undo what has been done, and with everything rolling to its natural conclusion there’s nothing Adachi can do to stop what has been started. He’ll keep doing what he’s doing tho, It’ll be even more tragic when he realizes he’s put both Nanako and Dojima in serious danger and make him spiral more into denial towards the end. Saying how those relationships don’t actually help him with anything, that they cause him more pain more suffering then when he had no one to care for but himself, that’s he’s still in a shitty place in the world etc etc.

Bam- after he’s defeated and the God is defeated it’ll smooth his transition into slowly accepting that friendships do help, and his connection with Dojima and Nanako stay strong after everything is proof of that

Ok I’m kind of just writing shit now- it is very late and I wrote a lot so if it doesn’t make sense, oof, but I how you get what I mean cause this concept fits like perfectly in all aspects into Adachis character 👍

[dailydegurechaff]

Sometimes half way through making something I find myself self-conscious about it like "Oh, this is so far diverged from canon. People are gonna hate this. It's cringe, don't post it." And then I remember this is my blog that I can do whatever with and I don't have to be a people-pleaser.

Anyway, Very Very Post-War Degurechaff family tree:

Warning for yapping under the read more.

I think perhaps its more accurate to call this AU instead of headcanon, purely because of how much I'm diverging from a realistic sequence of events. Honestly, it's not meant to be canon compliant, it's meant to be me playing with the characters like dolls lol

So, to start. Ursula is a canon character introduced in the manga chapter 50 and we do see an image of her, but I don't care for it so... fan design it is. Her name is revealed later in manga chapter 81.5 (The second part of the story about Grantz's letters to home). That chapter also introduces Doris and her unnamed mother & father (Ursula's daughter & her son-in-law).

Interestingly, it's mentioned that Doris' father married into the family which means that in order for Doris to have the last name Grantz, both her father and grandfather would've had to have taken their wives' last names. Based of them really.

Grantz also takes his wife's last name because I want him to. Something about it makes sense to me. He's a wifeguy.

I considered passing the Lergen name down too. So it'd be Tanya von Lergen, her husband Warren von Lergen, and their son Theodore von Lergen, but somehow it didn't seem right. So they keep Degurechaff. That doesn't change that Tanya is technically a member of the Lergen family still.

Speaking of the Lergen family, if I allowed myself the indulgence, I would've gone into the extended Lergen family tree but I held off this time. I might update this one day to include them, but for now the main thing to know is Lergen has a married older brother and a niece (younger than Tanya). Also his two parents of course.

I want to also update this with names and designs for Grantz's parents someday too. For now we'll live with the only fan character on this tree being Theodore.

I don't have much to say on Theo because I'm undecided on what I want to do with him (Or even if I want him to exist...). What I will say is that he's definitely at least a year or two younger than Leonie. Yes, their names were specifically chosen to match each other.

He too can make scary faces and say disconcerting things like Tanya, but he gets away with it because he's cute. Yes, Lergen is completely blind to these same traits that he found worrying in Tanya.

[stars-obsession-pit]

What if Chloe Bourgeois was Stephanie Brown's long lost sister?

I don’t feel entirely confident in my knowledge of either of their characterizations/histories, but here’s an attempt at something!

So, before they even meet, Chloe has some differences due to being adopted.

In some ways she’s worse with her actions in trying to hold her mother’s attention and jealousy of Zoe who is her mother’s actual biological kid. But in other ways she’s better, due to feeling less like she fated to hold her high status and more like she has to earn it through being “Good”

Steph finds out about the connection first, so is the one to reach out to Chloe. Not exactly when this’d best fall in the timelines, but it’s probably either pre-canon or early-canon for Miraculous Ladybug

Chloe… doesn’t know how to feel about this. On one hand, Steph represents an actual blood-familial connection she could lean into (something she’s lacking) that might not have the same “I need to be good enough to earn their care” stress, but on the other she’s still caught up in her own issues about being “good enough” for her mother and is hesitant to act away from her adopted family

But Steph is perceptive enough to notice Chloe’s insecurities and whatnot just from reading their letters. She relates to parts of them (after all, she’d been overconfident and gotten in over her head before, and she recognizes Chloe’s at times arrogant attitude as a sort of defense mechanism), so she pushes for them to keep in contact since she believes that they could become genuinely very close with time.

Thus, they continue sending some messages back and forth, and over time this helps contribute to Chloe further improving as a person.

These changes are actually enough that Ladybug agrees to let Chloe keep using the Bee Miraculous sometimes, though not without some definite stumbles in their interactions along the way

Also would probably have to remove the “Chloe publicly declares her hero identity in one of her plans” thing to work with this

Neither tells the other about their hero work though. Steph can tell that something is up that Chloe isn’t telling (i’m including the crossover trope of an “information block to prevent foreign heroes from rushing in unprepared and getting akumatized” thing), but doesn’t know what and is hesitant to try to pry

A bit further into their communication, they decide they’d like to meet in person at some point.

However, Chloe is nervous about bringing her to Paris because of the Hawkmoth situation, and she’d be unlikely to get permission to go the other way (I could see her mother in particular forbidding it as “a ridiculous diversion” unless she knew Steph knows Bruce Wayne and thus their interactions could have “business potential”), so it gets kinda put off.

But then, after [some notable akuma event, IDK which would be ideal], the idea of her leaving Paris for a bit for safety gets brought up, and she jumps at the chance to push for going to Gotham to meet her sibling.

Well maybe it’s more like she pushes her parents to go to l New York, but then convinces the people she’s staying with there to bring her to Gotham

Alongside talking to Steph, she has another goal with this: to talk to the Bats.

Yeah, she’s still worried about heroes coming into Paris and getting akumatized, but she hopes that as detectives the Bats could give assistance remotely. Specifically, searching for Hawkmoth’s identity and/or base of operations.

And maybe, if she’s lucky, they’ll help her train to be an even more capable hero when she returns to Paris…

[aikoiya]

LoZ: Wild - The 7 Heroines Symbol Analysis

Ya'll, with @alasse-earfalas' help, I realized that dang near every one of the Heroines' symbols all relate to mathematical symbols or phonetic symbols in some way!

To start off, one of them is most definitely a Lambda, which relates back to another theory, but that's for another time.

Anyway, here are the symbols in question!

The one in the upper left is the Lambdah (Λ/ʎ), which is the letter correlating to L in the Greek alphabet.

The Lambda is the 11th character in the Greek alphabet & according to Herodotus, Labda was the daughter of Amphion (demi-god son of Zeus & twin to Zethus, associated with the lyre) & the mother of Cypselus by Eetion. Cypselus eventually established the earliest known tyrant dynasty.

Evidently, it symbolized unity under oppression & is referred to as the Greek letter for “sameness.” It also corresponded with the number 30 in the Greek numerical system. Which, 30 was often associated with maturity, as well as the attainment of a certain level of experience or wisdom, especially considering the lifespan expectations in ancient times.

The origins of the letter is thought to depict a shepherd's staff, meaning that it has themes of guidance & authority. It's shape also resembles an arrow pointing upwards, which conveys an impression of accent or elevation. And this leads to metaphorical themes revolving around progress or advancement.

Not to mention, in physics, it refers to wavelength. But in calculus, it's a "formal system in mathematical logic for expressing computation based on function abstraction & application using variable binding and substitution."

Here are the symbols, as I know them. Λ (lambda, phonetic symbo, Ll; ʎ used in math), ʃ ("esh" & integral; phonetic symbol, formerly used to represent ‘sh’) or ⎎ (technical symbol, hysteresis symbol, correlates to f), ǁ (math, parallel to; phonetic symbol, aveolar lateral consonant), : (ratios or scales), ❜ (phonetic symbol), o (phonetic symbol) or O (math, Landau's symbol, describes the asymptotic behavior of functions or represents the null matrix where all elements are zero), last is the drop-looking symbol that I'm struggling with.

It may be that the colors of them are also important.

Just for reference, asymptote is defined as "a line that continually approaches a given curve but does not meet it at any finite distance."

Now, for the Heroines, here's what we know.

Rotana said that the powers were: "skill, spirit, endurance, knowledge, flight, motion, & gentleness."

However, the Stelae say that they are: "heart, skill, fortitude, wisdom, flight, mobility, & compassion."

Luckily, these are easily condensed: heart/spirit, skill, fortitude/endurance, wisdom/knowledge, flight, motion/mobility, & gentleness/compassion.

Heart & spirit are interchangeable as "heart" is likely referring specifically to one's spiritual heart based on Kokoro (心), which can translate to both.

For now, I believe that the Λ may be the symbol for the Heroine of either wisdom/knowledge or motion/mobility or possibly flight. Though, for the moment, I'm leaning more towards wisdom/knowledge.

And, because of the nature of spirit within Japanese culture, I'm inclined to believe that the symbol of the Heroine of heart/spirit may have been ❜.

Heart = ❜

Skill = "The ability to do something well."

Fortitude = "Courage in pain or adversity."

Wisdom = Λ?

Flight =

Mobility = Λ/O? "The ability to move or be moved freely & easily."

Compassion = "Sympathetic pity or concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others."

Also, the gifts left for the 8th were a gold rupee, a ruby, a sapphire, a topaz, a spear, a shield, a claymore, & scimitar.

These gifts were all positioned at the foot of a statue with, most likely the 8th being the one in the center.

Starting from front-left (Gerudo Shield), middle-left (Golden Claymore), back-left (Ruby), middle-back (Sapphire?), then going back-right (Topaz), middle-right (Gerudo Scimitar), front-right (Gerudo Spear), & ending in center (Gold Rupee?).

I haven't figured it all out yet, but if anyone has any suggestions or knows what the drop symbol is, I encourage assistance.

---

Edit: I'm sorry.

I just realized that it's very possible that the game already shows you which is which.

Look at the way they are always arranged.

It appears to be the same each time.

And, the Stelae, which may or may not have been carved by the Heroines themselves, write it out as "heart, skill, fortitude, wisdom, flight, mobility, & compassion."

Also, something interesting of note is the characters used for them in Japanese.

Shin or Kokoro (心) = Heart, spirit, mind.

Gi or Waza (技) = Skill, technique.

Tai or Taeru (耐) = Enduring, to resist or withstand (e.g. 耐火 is “fire-proof”).

Chi or Shiru (知) = Knowledge, wisdom.

Hi or Tobasu (飛) = Flight, used in a lot of verbs related to jumping or letting something fly.

Dō or Ugoku (動) = Motion.

Jū or Yawaraka (柔) = Gentleness, softness (it’s the “ju” in judo).

---

Heart = Shin (心; heart, spirit) = ❜ = Shield

Skill = Gi (技; skill, technique) = Λ = Claymore

Fortitude = Tai (耐; endure, resist) = O = Ruby

Wisdom = Chi (知; knowledge, wisdom) = : = Sapphire

Flight = Hi (飛; flight) = ⎎ = Topaz

Mobility = Dō (動; motion) = Drop Sign = Scimitar

Compassion = Jū (柔, gentleness, softness) = ǁ = Spear

...

Did I just figure it out?

... Regardless, even if I am right, I'm still ridiculously curious as to what the drop symbol is, though. Like, is it just the odd one out that they chose just to mess with us?

Are the gifts they left for the 8th in any way related to their Special Powers™ or the way they fight? Are the symbols?

And, if so, how?

Like, I'm pretty positive that, if I am right, then the Heroine of Heart's symbol is, in fact, a reference to the Mitama of Japanese myth & the Heroine of Fortitude's gift may have been a hint to the term taika (耐火) meaning "fireproof.

Though, I noticed that the weapon missing from this line-up is the Golden Bow. But, then again, it's possible that one of the Heroines that gave a gem might've used one. Possibly the Heroine of Flight. I mean, Hi (飛) is evidently used in verbs referring to “letting something fly,” so that might well be it.

I'm not entirely positive of the rest, though...

... That drop sign is gonna erk me until I get confirmation, won't it? 😮‍💨

LoZ Wild Masterlist

[vigilskeep]

How do you think the Thedas holidays are celebrated in the circles?

because they’re andrastian holidays and circles are an andrastian institution, i would be very surprised if they weren’t celebrated! but a little differently, due to the circumstances. more sermons than getting out and celebrating, i fear. nevertheless, good plentiful food and a break from work are the typical markers of a medieval-ish holiday. i would certainly expect a day off from studies and a feast in the great hall for circle mages! perhaps performances and displays of their work... here’s a great canon letter from a retired knight-commander to his knight-templar grandson that gives us some insight:

“My Dear Boy,

Your pious outrage might earn you some approval with your knight-lieutenant, but I beg you to join the rest of us in the real world, lad. Do you have any idea just how wealthy the Circle of Magi can be? The amount of gold the nobility pays for enchanted goods would overflow a well. Many mages—particularly Lucrosians—are from good families, used to entertainments and the finer things in life... and Maker knows they can afford them. So why shouldn’t they indulge a little?

Besides, a few musicians and dancers and an elaborate dinner is nothing. There are a dozen acting troupes in Val Royeaux and Halamshiral who specialise in bringing plays and stories into Circle Towers. A little collapsible scenery, the right costumes, a sprinkle of artfully chosen scent, and they can transform a workshop into an enchanted forest, a cold courtyard into a war tent on the eve of battle, or a dining hall into a darkspawn lair.

It does the mages good, too. When you see the same dreary walls day after day, a change to the familiar is a taste of freedom.

When mages entertain themselves, now, that’s a sight. No mere “tricks” there. I’ve seen ones who could juggle fire into ice or breathe a word into one hand and release a song from the other. I once saw a mage build a cathedral out of playing cards, upside down, yet it was impossible to knock it over! Even a game of battledore and shuttlecock takes on a new dimension when the players can move objects with their minds.

It isn’t all idle entertainment, either; most mages I know are eager to put their hands to useful work. Those gorgeous wooden panels in the teyrn’s castle at Ostwick? The ones that show the Qunari Wars on the Waking Sea? All carved by an enchanter at the city’s Circle, over the ten years he spent there. More than a few palaces have benefited from the artistry of mages: tapestries, stained glass, anything that takes time and patience.

In some day, some knight-captains frowned on mages spending their time and magical power for “frivolous ends.” Frivolous? Any mage with enough fine control to keep an audience enthralled, or to build a mosaic of Andraste, has better mastery of their magic than one who only uses it to destroy. Leave the moralising to the revered mothers, my boy. It’s not for us to say how a person should stay occupied in their own home.”

as for the more specific festival traditions, i wouldn’t be surprised if city-based circle mages were asked to send talent to perform magic for some festivals. the fires on funalis, perhaps. and i wonder if the most lenient circles ever have some kind of templar mage role swap for the day on satinalia lmao. or at the very least have a little apprentice be first enchanter for the day. i wouldn’t imagine they have much of a coming of age for summerday because maturity is much more marked by your harrowing

[freddiestheproblemchild]

Name: Lucinda Mirfield

Nicknames: Luci, Lulu

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 15 (HL) 16 (TOA) 18 (AU)

Gender: Female

Birthday: November 12th

Birthplace: Galway, Ireland

House: Slytherin

Patronus: Cougar

Wand: Alder wood, 9 inches, Unyielding, Phoenix Feather, soft spiral, brown, botanical handle

Blood status: Pure-blood

Languages: English, Gaeilge

Appearance

Eye Color: Green

Hair color: Black

Hair Type: Long and Straight

Height: 5'7 (172 cm)

Scar: Small scar on left eyebrow

Personality

Positive Traits: Ambitious, Loyal, Resilient, Kind, Charismatic, Intelligent

Negative Traits: Self Sacrificing, Stubborn

Boggart: Ranrok as a dragon (TOA)

Hobbies: Reading, Tending to her Vivarium, Writing

Likes: Dark Green, Pumpkin Pastries, Bombarda, Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Hecate, Going for walks around the grounds, Duelling at Crossed Wands, Defense Against the Dark Arts

Dislikes: Cockroach Clusters, Arithmancy, the color yellow, Chomping Cabbages

Family

Father's name: Evard Mirfield

Father's Status: Alive but absent

Father's Blood status: Pure Blood

Father's House: Gryffindor

Mother's name: Magledenia Mirfield

Mother's Status: Alive

Mother's blood status: Pure blood

Mother's House: Slytherin

Fun Facts About Luci

- Luci was my first Hogwarts Legacy OC and was actually based off of my Harry Potter OC (we've all been there 😭) Luciana Mirfield

- I'm working on a fic with her called Trial's of Ambiton (ToA) It will take place during her sixth year.

- After the events of Hogwarts Legacy Lucinda developed a massive fear of dragons. Specifically because of Ranrok.

- When Luci was eleven her father left her and her mother with no explanation other then a note that said "Don't follow me." They later found out he was having an affair with another witch and had left when Luci didn't get her hogwarts letter

- After Luci's father left her mother fell into a deep depression and Luci took care of her and herself for 2 and a half years. Then abruptly her mother started to function again to Luci's delight. But it was short lived because her mother started traveling for extended periods of time. And as time passed the trips grew longer and longer so Luci was often completely alone.

- During one of her mothers trips Luci got her Hogwarts Letter. When Professor Fig arrived she asked if there was a way to copy her Hogwarts Letter so she could leave it with her pile of letters she had been writing her mom in case she came back. Fig told her there wasnt a way but feeling for the girl, wrote her mom a letter saying who he was and if she had any questions to contact him or the headmaster.

- Luci's best friends consist of Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Imelda Reyes, Natsai Onai, Poppy Sweeting, Lilith Grimm (Moonlithamsters MC), Elsie Byrne (Rypnami's MC)

Once again please feel free to message me if you have any questions about Luci! All of my MCS/OCS are open to any type of MC relationships ❤️ Canonically she is with Sebastian but thats why AU's exist ❤️

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Would it have been inappropriate for a unattached male and female of the gentry to exchange letters? Specifically in MDZS.

Mmmm, well, it's not exactly easy to say since the general society isn't based on any heavy historical context. (As when it comes to betrothal it was verbally decided for Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan by their mothers to show they were socially close as friends and was predetermined as s match). And Wei Changze married Cangse Sanren with little issue, as did Lan Wangji with Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng just sucks and matchmakers have abandoned him. It simply seems more lax on "traditional" marriage conduct and more grounded in modern day practice of dating and marriage expectations.

For those that were "eligible" in polite society and not necessarily tied by political promises, that's where matchmakers came in. Parents or the family elders would go through several candidates for daughters and sons based on zodiac compatibility, class standing, family financial situation, public reputation family compatibility etc and based on this would essentially have a pool of choices to try to match respective partners.

If the man took interest in a woman of course and with the blessing of his family to go forward he was to consult a matchmaker and expected to follow 三书六礼 (sān shū liù lǐ, three letters, six etiquettes) the courtship steps essentially.

I imagine they could send letters between each other as acquaintances of course before this, interest has to start somewhere and continue, but very light breezy conversational, I imagine, is what would be exchanged. If I'm trying to keep this to believable by what we have seen in novel. Just a matter of how traditionally set in ways you would want a family considered urbanized and well off to be. Gift giving though is a big thing for someone you are romantically attached to (to women especially, it's essentially saying I will take care of you and love to). MDZS seems to take a firm stance of what's expected out of the modern day romance practice scene with the veneer of period aesthetics MXTX particularly enjoyed.

Here at least for social exploration, anachronistic fun is open to do as one is want it seems to me!

[burningvelvet]

More thoughts about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall after finishing it…

1 good movie adaptation WHEN?

2 the themes of universalism and the idea that everyone can change if they want it bad enough and nothing is permanent and we have the ability to make choices and self-destruction has social repercussions bc it affects the ppl around you… yeah, my heart is full!

3 helen successfully microdosing her own child with poison to give him a pavlovian response to alcohol so he wouldn’t end up as an alcoholic like his father and grandfather because she intuitively knew he had a genetic predisposition to addiction despite having no modern knowledge of science or psychology. excellent.

4 the shit helen goes through in this novel is unreal. our girl is basically trapped in a frat-house — complete with the booze, drugs, laughter, fraternizing, sportsmanship, anti-intellectualism, infidelity, and rape culture.

5 as a sad aficionado of the romantic era & byronic studies i can 100% without a doubt say that not only is arthur based on some popular victorian conceptions of lord and lady byron and their marriage, but the brontës must have been familiar with biographical writing on byron’s life! i’ve found several academic texts to support this and it’s 100% true.

6 also, as a person who grew up with relatives who suffered from severe substance abuse and mental illness, i’m pretty confident in saying that the brontë sisters must have had some inside knowledge to spark their sustained interest in writing about these subjects. there are specific details and feelings pertaining to these topics which are documented with so much acuity it must have been personal to them. it seems a lot of academics theorize this as well — however, i still don’t know enough about the brontë family biography to form my own opinions on this topic yet!

7 helen is such a progressive mother (considering her circumstances and level of education, and the non-harmful drugging aside which is questionable today but within the narrative understandable) and her theories on education and parenthood are so advanced.

8 i think arthur’s friends (especially mr. hargrave and annabella) are as bad as he is, considering the fact that they enable him and they could easily use their influence to try and sway him considering but they choose not to — only partly because he’s the “leader of the pack,” but partly because they also have zero respect for helen and enjoy openly bullying and abusing her in her own household

9 big shoutout to the servants in this novel who are the real heroes. all throughout the novel (especially starting from Gilbert’s POV considering he and his family are a little poorer off than those of the Huntingdon circle) we see the lower-classes and smaller owners gradually triumphing against the upper-classes, gentry, and larger land owners. i love the line about rachel having to sell helen’s fine gowns for cheaper ones, and how helen notices that rachel still looks decent while dressed like a more common woman.

10 the very ending with everyone’s resolutions was a bit choppy and rushed but i don’t mind because everything went how i wanted it to go lol. but the ending for arthur/helen — the fact that he never repented, but helen still believes in universal salvation nonetheless, and still took care of him even though she didn’t have to, after everyone else abandoned him — the person he treated the worst still cared for him when no one else did — she fulfilled all her marital vows and he fulfilled none of his — his fear of death — her letter of december 5th, her holding his hand until the very end — his last words, “pray for me!” don’t leave me!” — all the unspoken words on her part, her feelings of helplessness, her telling him that she cannot save him, his crying and cursing the world — her fainting from exhaustion — him continuing to act like a brat on his death bed — her taking control, her cleverness with the contract — her lack of closure — aahhhh! just so heart wrenching and frustrating and angsty yet also cathartic and realistic.