#then 'anyone' can be a parent n create a safe healthy environment for a child to grow up

[wolkewatcher]

being a queer with progressive ideas who rejects harmful traditional norms and having (lack of) daddy issues is like how to consolidate the fact that the 'perfect' familial environmental for a child is not forcement the nuclear family with a mother and a father. but also im fucked up bc i was raised without a dad and a child needs a dad ...

[bornformischief]

Imagine Loki comforts you when your parents get drunk and fight, and your abusive mother blames you (fluff)

Warnings: mention of mental abuse, alcoholism

Chapter no./oneshot: one shot

(y/n) was sitting in her room scrolling through youtube. She felt the muscles in her shoulder contract painfully. She has been sitting like this for a hours now. Since the pandemic started online school has pretty much destroyed her whole routine. She tries so hard to wake up early in the morning, eat healthy , exercises more but it feels as though she is in a constant state of exhaustion. 

The environment in her home doesn’t help either. Her dad is currently unemployed and her mom is facing problems in her office and to make it even better they are both alcoholic. Always have been. For as long as (y/n) can remember, her parents have had the habit of starting their evening with a glass of whiskey , talking about their day . All would be nice and peaceful but the night wouldn’t end like that. More often than not they would end up having a fight. Somedays it would be about something  trivial and on other days they would be on the verge on hitting each other.

Her mother was especially abusive towards her. Since she was a child she recalled her mother getting drunk and blaming (y/n) for her miserable life and telling her how much of a terrible husband her father is. (y/n) and her dad share a deep emotional connection, probably because they are both introverts. He was the only one who truly understood her but he had hurt her too on many occasions. To say the least her childhood was traumatic. Some nights she would cry herself to sleep because of how bad the situation would become. Tonight was one of those nights. The moment (y/n) heard her parent’s voice rise, her heart dropped. She slowly walked out of the room, her whole body filled with dread. What she saw was what she had seen a thousand times. Her parents yelling at each other, blaming each other for what they were going through today. She tried to calm them down and persuade them to go sleep, which is when her mother directed her anger towards her. She told her that she was a useless and stupid person just like her dad. (y/n) had promised herself that whatever happens she will not cry in front of her mother , she will not let her think she was weak so she clenched her jaw to stop it from quivering and walked back to her room. But as soon as she closed the door tears started falling down her cheeks. She turned the lights off and lied on the bed on her side. She covered her mouth with her hands so her mother wouldn’t be able to hear her cry. She could feel a deep pain in her chest as if her heart had literally been broken. Just then she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She freaked out at first but then she realised it was Loki ,her Loki. The person who understood her better than anyone else. She turned around and hid her face in his neck and started to cry uncontrollably. Loki didn’t say a word and just held her against his chest , slowly rubbing her back. After a while he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her head. He shushed her and said “ its okay love , I’m here”. Those words although simple, soothed her and she began breathing normally again. Loki’s gentle touch made her want to lie in his arms forever, away from her dysfunctional family. She had starved for a touch like his for many years. Her voice was barely a whisper , “ It hurts loki , it hurts so much. I don’t want to feel like this anymore.” 

“ I know darling , I know how much it hurts you to see your parents like this. Im so sorry you have to go through this but I know that in a few years you will find your passion and create a beautiful life of your own. You will be able to build a home for yourself that brings you peace and happiness.”

“ But what if I can’t Loki , what if I am just as worthless as my mother thinks I am. What if I am stuck here forever.”

“ Listen to me (y/n), don’t you dare call yourself worthless again , do you understand? You are the kindest and most determined person I’ve ever met. You will build a wonderful life for yourself, you will just have to work a little hard and take care of yourself and I will be with you every step of the way.”

“ I love you Loki”

“ I love you too sweetheart, now go to sleep ,its very late and you have stop spending so much time on that stupid metal box, it disturbs your sleep.”

“ It’s called a laptop” you chuckled

“ Right- the laptop” 

“ Goodnight Loki”

“ Goodnight my love”

(y/n) felt her eyelids get heavy and she slowly fell asleep in his arms , feeling safe and loved than she had ever felt in her entire  life. Loki held her close like she was the most precious thing in the universe, and for him she was.

[crisisdeltax]

Fear is but a moon revolves around Saturn 2

A\N: A mythical au where dbh characters are symbolic beings and RK900 “Fear” is on a mission assigned to him by his supervisor Amanda “Fate”, he has to guard a human. 

Chp1

Chapter 2

On Earth, Fear stood in front of the house where his mission will soon be born. Eyeing the neighborhood, he concluded that it’d be an easy task, to guard a human in such a quiet and hospitable environment, perfect for a mortal’s childhood stability; a good school close to the house, a local store at close range and a not so bad park nearby, what more could a mortal ask for in their short life?

“A hospital..”

A foreigner voice spoke and he heard it as though it was in his mind, subtle but sure. It sounded excited. Definitely not scared or cautious of him. Most unnerving of all it can penetrate his thoughts?

Fear was passive towards his unclear discovery. Whatever it was, it was unfamiliar and rather intrusive. He needed it to speak again so he kept his thoughts in motion as though nothing had happened for whatever that voice belonged to, his thoughts are no longer his own.

There is a charitable clinic in the town not far for a human’s vehicle which Fear knows the parents own, he just saw the father drive away in one.

“Ooh, you mean the cars? These are handy indeed.”

The voice intruded on his train of thought again and he frowned at its implication, not because it was undesired, but more because intrusion was not a thing he ever fancied.

“Don’t be so displeased with me,” it asked dejectedly, but the amusement in its voice was far from subtle.“I’m trying to help you.”

Enough games.

“Show yourself” Fear ordered, his grey eyes flashed in warning.

“What if I don’t want to?” Not afraid and still amused, it giggled.

“Then I shall make you.” He said nonchalantly while commanding his shadows to seek the intruder, yet whatever that creature is, it still wasn’t afraid of him.

Fear’s shadows are not beings, they are reflections of himself that take no form. They are able to smell fear in mortals. They seek it, feed it, and let it consume the poor mortal whole, if the mortal lets them. But if these shadows are not able to smell the fear, then their task will be harder but never impossible. For fear is as constant in every being as death is inevitable.

The intruder kept quiet, as if hiding. Does it think this is a game?

“Not at all, I have never seen your shadows in action, I’m quite flattered.”

Flattered?

“Ooh yes, for I have never been seen as a threat, let alone by the O' mighty Fear himself.”

“Then don’t flatter yourself.”

“Oh, am I not to enjoy being a fearsome creature of the dark?” It mocks.

“I hardly believe you are of the dark, let alone fearsome”

It gasped dramatically, before it giggled again “Well, you are not wrong…”  The creature paused as the shadows pointed behind Fear, his eyes followed meeting a pair of feline eyes.

Fear’s eyebrows arched a bit, questioning, as his shadows disappeared literally into thin air.

A cat?

“It was worth a shot,” it murmured, hurt, as it groomed it’s now obvious form: a black cat with eyes matching his own in color, its attitude however so very far.

“I like your shadows, they act like your personal guard dogs, it’s cute.”

The feline said in a dreamy tone while its tail kept swaying back and forth. It sat lazily over the ledge of a first floor window.

“As a lady though, I am hurt by you referring to me as it, have you no decency?!”

The feline, -lady- came down from her spot and stretched her body while yawning, “That’s not my real form, since Fate assigned me to your case, I have had this urge to remain a cat. I find myself very comfortable as one, I wonder if it has to do with compatibility, you apparently like cats, so you’re fond of me already—”  she spoke giddily and fast, like a child given a chance and has no one around to stop her.

He tuned her out, his mind making the connections needed to understand the situation fully, he should have expected no less from Fate, especially when she openly told him she had a little surprise, he didn’t expect it to be an intrusive feline though.

“Hey, I’m not just an intrusive feline. I’m way more than that.”

“A chatterbox intrusive feline?”

Fear didn’t need to read her mind to know his reply pissed her off, it’s clear in the way her tail tapped the ground impatiently, it made him feel … deeply satisfied.

“Offended, but I have a big heart, so I will forgive you. It’s obvious that I’m  the bigger person here—”

“I see no person here.”

“It was a metaphor, I’m not a person but I’m obviously the bigger one —”

“What are you?” He spat out impatiently.

“I’m a wish,” she stated it in a manner that made it look like it’s the most obvious fact in the universe.

“And not just any wish, I’m your wish. The moment you took the hourglass in your palm, we were bound,”  she spoke proudly, the last part a bit higher than the rest for the dramatic effect, Fear was buried in deep thought that he knew she has access to.

A dark being such as him should never carry emotions or follow their personal dreams and wishes. He fails to see the wisdom in Fate creating him a wish. Why would she send him such distraction on a very simple mission. If anything, this seems to be a hazard for his task. Perhaps it’s a test of sorts.

With these thoughts in mind, the intrusive feline jumped up onto his shoulder, sitting comfortably with her tail round her legs and head nuzzling his cheekbone “Till death do us part,”  she added smugly.

“Then I shall inform my brother immediately.”

“I feel attacked,” She gasped “I thought you are already fond of me. Seems like I have to make more effort, even though I’m so lovable.”

Fear gave her a side nonchalant look, which she returned with a stare of her own before she rested her paw over his cheek,

“You are quite likable.”

She winked before she jumped down and he could swear he heard a click with her wink that doesn’t sound natural for the entire feline species.

“I believe now is as good time as any for me to introduce myself,” she cleared her throat, “among my kin I’m called Wonder, and I wonder why,”  she giggled yet again as if it was funny before she composed herself and resumed. “Don’t worry, I know why I’m named Wonder, it’s because I wonder a lot which is healthy for my existence as a wish, to wonder always and—”

As she talked, Fear has made up his mind that he would take the matter of this talkative feline to the higher-ups. Whatever Fate’s wisdom is, whatever the bond between them is, this should be broken.

“ It can’t be broken, I just entrusted you with my real name, the higher ups won’t allow you—”

“Watch me.”

“Listen, you have to accept it. I’m a part of your mission now, that’s all you care for, right? I have seen your memories, your life is boring, I tell you, But not anymore since I shall accompany you always, my humble existence will help you reach for your inner self and seek to let go to your own wish, aka me—”

Isn’t she tired of her own voice?

“Of my own wisdom you mean?! How can anyone?”

“Have you lost your ability to be serious? Or is everything a game to you?”

“I can be serious if you wish me to be, as your wish I’m only compelled to act however you like me to act, and apparently you seem to wish for a talkative intrusive feline companion.”

Fear has never heard anything more ridiculous or confusing in his existence. If this thing is actually his wish and she is compelled to be what he wants her to be then he wished for her to disappear.

“Do you have a name with which you would have me address you?” She asked and Fear wasn’t sure if she was mocking his earlier thoughts or sincerely asking. Didn’t she know who he is? Wasn’t she the one who can access his memories and read his thoughts?

“I know you are Fear but this is your title not your name, same as I’m a wish,” she waited for his reply but it was quiet and his thoughts were blank so there was nothing for her to read.

“Then I shall call you Nines.”

Nines?

“Yes, you are the ninth of your title, all eight before you have perished. Also I felt attracted to call you that which means you probably wish to be called that and—”

“It’s not even a name.”

“And you call me intrusive, you have been interrupting me for the past ten minutes I can barely speak. And no, Nines is a beautiful name and it fits you, since now we have shared our names, our bond will last to the moon and back, to hell and beyond, to heaven and above—”

Fear was becoming used to tuning her out by now as if she is some background noise he can’t seem to turn off. He really has to take this matter to the higher-ups.

“Come on Nines, let’s investigate the house where our little baby human is gonna be born. We have to make sure it’s safe for our baby to grow healthy. Your mission is my mission, if you die, I die and I quite like life unlike you—” she kept on chattering as she made her way to the house.

Maybe the higher-ups will have to wait a little for the intrusive feline was right for once, he needs to see the house. Silently with a subtle frown, Fear followed his little wish.

A\N: I didn’t want to add an OFC but I couldn’t find anyone in the dbh fandom who share the same personality as Wonder, I mean I thought about Chloe or Daniel or even Ralph but I couldn’t feel it, you can also consider Wonder as you/reader if you would like, either-way I hope you guys like this one and hope it made u smile. Thanks for reading thus far.Special thanks for @the-darklings your reply alone motivated me, hope u like.

[yaidenpart-blog]

Writing Dark Themes

Some stigma circulates around writers who tackle dark subjects regularly. Those writers tend to be treated a bit, well, like they're gonna pull out the fangs anytime and suck your blood. Today I'll talk about this stigma, approaching dark subjects in fiction in general, and my thoughts on Writing Dark Themes (And Why You Shouldn't Be Ashamed to Do so).

In preparation for this post, I read a dozen analyses, studies, and an absurd amount of psychology articles so I wouldn't show up empty handed and stupid. Though to be honest, the only thing that deep dive resulted in for me is dry eyes and a giant headache. Therefore, while I may build some arguments on top of the things I've researched, I'll use my own experiences to wing a big part of it.

So let's get started.

1. What Draws Us to Dark Subjects

What draws us towards dark themes? To reach a satisfying conclusion I first have to determine what exactly is included in 'dark themes' in this case. I'll mainly talk about the content matter of fiction, not equated to but also not divorced from the literary term 'theme’ describing the underlying meaning of a work. Basically, I'll fudge both together because to me they have always been inseparable in writing.

Since violence and disturbing motifs (such as abuse, gore, disturbing sexual content etc.) traditionally play a prominent role in the horror and thriller genres I'll center my attention on those. Though I'll also take care to explore dark themes in a broad sense applicable to other genres as well.

Various factors play a part in making the dark appealing to us, one being the human desire to peek behind the curtain and rob our fears of their power. By facing them in a safe, controlled environment we can stare right into their yellow eyes and desensitize ourselves. And through that, perhaps, gain the confidence to face these fears in reality as well.

Another one is catharsis. Some folks enjoy disturbing media as a healthy, secure outlet for their forestations. It lets their lizard brains bare their teeth without actually biting anyone, like a puppy play fighting.The public hanging of old, we as a western society used to love so, is now replaced with violent TV and fiction. Just. You know. With the difference of fiction not actually hurting anyone. And hanging making people dead. Yep.

Some people watch horror movies for the adrenaline rush, and write fiction which lets their readers experience the same, as a meta-analysis of the studies about mediated fight (1) confirmed,“Evidence also emerged that sensation seeking is associated with a greater enjoyment of fright and violence, which was consistent with other research [...]”

And of course, there's nothing wrong with any of that. But for me, personally, it has always been for the sake of exploration, of seeking to connect with humanity, to bridge the good things we are and the outright gruesome into a cohesive whole. While still keeping a layer of distance between reality to keep it safe.

So a fear of becoming homeless turns into monster stalking you and blocking the entry of your workplace every morning. Kind of a cheesy example, but you get the gist.

Writing provides us with a channel to explore those fears, to cut them down into pieces and hold against the light.

To understand them.

But that's just me.

Now we've cleared up why we're drawn to it, the question remains: Why should you integrate dark themes into your writing?

2. Benefits to Your Writing

Not to tap into a cliche, but, light doesn't exist without dark. You can't define the one without the glaring contrast of the other as a counterpart.

When you try to write a story that is completely pure, you'll end up with a flat mimicry of reality. Not to say you can't write a positive feel-good story, but it's like with GCI buildings in movies. Without a bit of scratch, they're not convincing. They don't feel real.

Imagine you add a hint of darkness to your story. May that be in the characterization, a breath held too long as your MC has to calm themselves down, a glance too harsh to be gentle from an old person across the street, moments of awkwardness when someone accidentally breaks a topic all present silently agreed to never talk about. Or in basic world building, monotone news voices droning on about crimes, tagged houses, and playgrounds where no child sets a foot on anymore.

Details like these may seem inconsequential, but they can roughen a story up just enough to make it into something raw.

To bring it to life.

Human experience doesn't only consist of roses and love triangles. A writer who keeps that in mind and works it in their stories in a respectful, emphatic way, possess a certain edge. In my opinion.

The key to writing dark themes, especially when you want them to be the focus of your story, is to approach them like peeling onions. Shhh, hear me out, I'll explain.  

Let's tell a story about hmm … a vampire. This is just an example, okay?

So we got a superficial plot of a teenager waking up with bloodlust gnawing at his gumps. Fairly simple. This is the surface layer.

To go deeper we have to peel off another one, we need to look at how he deals with the conflict we created (the vampirism).This is the reaction layer. At first, he freaks out and then resigns himself to starving because he'd rather scratch up his own arms than hurt someone else. His quick acceptance tells us he's both a nice kid and used to being screwed over by life.

When we go to the next layer, we realize why he's used to it. This one I like to call the core, it's what ties the dark theme together with characterization.

The relationship with his parents is strained, they demand nothing but outstanding performances outside inside and out of school while simultaneously neglecting him emotionally and physically. He has to deal with them sucking the life out of him on top of his newly acquired vampirism doing the same. Of course, depending on how you're inclined, you could spin this thread into a dramatic end scene of him cracking under the pressure and sucking their blood out in return, or he spares them after he learned he has a right to companionship and food and munches on squirrels or something. Whichever scenario you prefer.

So you see, the emotional core we've unveiled is is him feeling undeserving of basic human needs. And it affects how he deals with both the vampirism and abuse, one being a simple metaphor for the other.

Every theme has several layers, and once at the core, it's time to rebuild your story and make every element match accordingly. If you want. What matters is you can dig to a real, raw humanity through your dark subject and that's to me, the truly impactful aspect of dark fiction.

But unfortunately, not everyone gets it. You probably made the experience of relatives and friends judging your writing at some point, maybe even when you were just writing 'normal’ stuff. Golly, you think, when they're like this now, how badly would they react once you put all that saucy vampirism in? The thought doesn't bear contemplating.

Why exactly though, are dark themes such a taboo for some people that they get 'concerned' about your mental wellbeing when you preoccupy yourself with them?

3. Why Others Judge but You (still) Shouldn't be Ashamed

People, in general, love simple concepts. Like father, like son. You are what you wear.

The media you consume defines you.

Pushing people into tiny neat boxes is tempting because it's so damned easy. It doesn't require much thought, and as we all know, thinking hurts. So it's no surprise most writers of dark content, especially horror writers, face a certain... judgment. When you consume dark content you're branded as a bit weird, when you create it you might as well be the devil.

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my drift.

Though what to do when someone cocks an eyebrow at your work, besides walking away or telling them to screw off? Well- that's what you got me for. I dived deep into research so you can refute anything people will throw at you with solid facts (should for whatever reason basic common sense not be enough) and maybe quieten some of your own worries.

Most studies and articles I found were more about violent video games (since that seems to be a Hotly Debated Topic™), but I figure it serves a similar service as violent books and movies.

Already 2011 studies which supported the outcome of aggression being a causation of violent media have been rejected by the US Supreme Court in the Brown v EMA (2), stating, “These studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason: They do not prove that violent video games cause minors to act aggressively (which would at least be a beginning). Instead, “[n]early all of the research is based on correlation, not evidence of causation, and most of the studies suffer from significant, admitted flaws in methodology.”  

And studies 2016 and more recently have only further affirmed that decision, finding no relation between violent video games and increasing aggression (3) and not supporting any prior studies.

These prior studies had been, well, manipulated is such an ugly word. Let’s go with: primed to fit the desired outcome.

Some actually legit studies analyzed media history from 2005 to 2012 and showed an obvious decline of general social violence in connection to the introduction of more violent media︀ (4), implying violent media serves as a sort of catharsis for the modern western world, stating,”We find no evidence of an increase in crime associated with video games and perhaps a decrease.”

Puh, now we got these dry as desert facts out of the way -

Honesty, writing about dark or disturbing things is not a thing to be ashamed of, watching violent media doesn't turn you violent (assuming you're a person capable of differentiating between fiction and reality) and writing about it certainly doesn't mean you're sick.

We as humans aren’t perfect and pure, so common sense dictates the things we create are neither. Writing about the whole scope of human experiences can only benefit you.

So go on and fly my little bird, further your horizons and write some dark fiction.

That's all I have for you today, I'd love to hear your thoughts and maybe get a discussion going!

See ya in two weeks,

Yaiden Part.

**

Sources:

1.Hoffner C, Levine K. Enjoyment of Mediated Fright and Violence: A Meta-Analysis, MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY, 7, 207–237 Copyright © 2005, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

2.McCarthy R, Coley S, Wagner M, et al. Does playing video games with violent content temporarily increase aggressive inclinations? A pre-registered experimental study. J Exp Soc Psychol.

3.Brown v EMA, 564 US 08-1448 (2011).

4.Cunningham S, Engelstatter B, Ward M. Violent video games and violent crime. Southern Economic Journal

[lumanlife-blog]

Humanity Reset

Despite huge potential, humanity appears to be headed in one direction. Down.

For a long time, humanity looked to be improving. Sprinting speeds that once seemed impossible became commonplace. And the record for oldest person in the world was broken over and over.

When we take a partial view of history, many think human development has been one long process of improvement. One that will continue forever. But this idea of exponential progress and growth is fantasy.

All humanity’s greatest civilizations that rose to prominence, eventually crashed and burned. All natural ecosystems follow the same adaptive path — so why would human civilizations be any different?

Latest research shows the humans species is experiencing declines in many of the capacities that ranked it atop the tree of life. More troubling is the fact declines are on a global scale.

This evidence flies in the face of many widely held beliefs across science and business that humans have an endless capacity for growth.

Clearly growth has limits…

In stark contrast to the 20th Century which saw rising gains in many areas, recent stats paint an entirely different picture. In today’s world:

Children are more abused

Teenagers are more suicidal

People are more miserable

Men + women are less fertile

People are more addicted to drugs

Domestic partners are more violent

People experience lower life expectancy

People are fatter + dumber + shorter; and

Businesses are less innovative, particularly in the US

Declines in human potential will accelerate because our kids are being continually exposed to two dysfunctional ecofactors:

toxic ‘junk products’ created by corporations (e.g., fast food, nutrient-poor school meals, cheap drugs, screen media)

toxic nurturing from inept parents (e.g., people that give birth to kids who are mentally and financially unstable)

Possible solution

It’s time we demanded our politicians and key decision makers put policies in place to limit junk products and toxic nurturing. Only then can humanity expect reversal of fortunes and ultimately a brighter future.

Policy A: Introduce Externality Reports — this policy would ensure corporations are fully accountable for negative externalities. In other words any interactions that negatively impact living systems during the production, distribution, consumption and disposal of their products. This could be done by applying regulatory guidelines to increase transparency, with legal action taken when regulatory norms are breached.

The rationale — governments already require education and healthcare to conduct impact reports on outcomes, so why shouldn’t businesses be made more accountable for the damage they cause on ecosystems?

The benefits — dramatic reductions in lifestyle-related diseases, more investment and innovation in sustainable products and environments, and healthier cities for individuals and living systems.

Policy B: Introduce Parental Care Permits — this move would ensure anyone choosing to reproduce are mentally, physically and financially stable. Reproductive fitness and responsible parenting would be state controlled by experts in the field, introducing puberty blocking agents into young children before they become fertile. Parental Care Permits (PCPs) would be offered to young adults who are biologically, psycho-socially and economically fit to reproduce and nurture offspring.

The rationale — government routinely legislates and issues licenses to people wishing to adopt children and care for animals in healthy (and safe) conditions, so why should birth parents be treated any differently?

The process — establish a Ministry for Parental Fitness responsible for innovating (and eventually administering) mandatory puberty suspension in children. Psychologists, obstetricians and gynecologists would be authorized to issue PCPs to those best placed to breed and become parents.

The benefits — reductions in domestic violence against women (and men), increased learning and development opportunities for children, and a more empathic population with increased life expectancy.

It would be delusional to expect such systemic policy changes will be relatively easy to develop and implement. Of course they won’t…

Corporate lobbyists will do everything in their power to keep business opaque (i.e., corrupt).

Pro-life groups will do everything in their power to push back on controlling healthy parenting.

But with decades of failed public health policies behind us, it’s time policy makers took drastic measures to reverse declines.

It’s time to replace human-centered with life-centered policy

Maybe even a paradigm shift to a Life Potential Movement.

We live in hope…

___

References

Degli Esposti, M., Humphreys, D. K., Jenkins, B. M., Gasparrini, A., Pooley, S., Eisner, M., & Bowes, L. (2019). Long-term trends in child maltreatment in England and Wales, 1858–2016: an observational, time-series analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 4(3), e148-e158.

Helliwell, J., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2019). World Happiness Report 2019, New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Joshi, H and Fitzsimons, E. (2016) The Millennium Cohort Study: the making of a multi-purpose resource for social science and policy. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 7(4), 409–430.

Levine, H., Jørgensen, N., Martino-Andrade, A., Mendiola, J., Weksler-Derri, D., Mindlis, I., … & Swan, S. H. (2017). Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Human reproduction update, 23(6), 646–659.

Murray, C. J., Callender, C. S., Kulikoff, X. R., Srinivasan, V., Abate, D., Abate, K. H., … & Abdelalim, A. (2018). Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1995–2051.

Bewley-Taylor, D. R., & Nougier, M. (2018). Measuring the ‘World Drug Problem’: 2019 and Beyond. In Collapse of the Global Order on Drugs: From UNGASS 2016 to Review 2019 (pp. 65–83). Emerald Publishing Limited.

World Health Organization. (2013). Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. World Health Organization.

Ho, J. Y., & Hendi, A. S. (2018). Recent trends in life expectancy across high income countries: retrospective observational study. bmj, 362, k2562.

Reilly, J. J., El-Hamdouchi, A., Diouf, A., Monyeki, A., & Somda, S. A. (2018). Determining the worldwide prevalence of obesity. The Lancet, 391(10132), 1773–1774.

Bratsberg, B., & Rogeberg, O. (2018). Flynn effect and its reversal are both environmentally caused. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(26), 6674–6678.

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. (2016). A century of trends in adult human height. Elife, 5, e13410.

Konczal, M., & Steinbaum, M. (2016). Declining Entrepreneurship, Labor Mobility, and Business Dynamism: A Demand-Side Approach. New York: Roosevelt Institute. http://rooseveltinstitute. org/declining-entrepreneurship-labor-mobility-and-business-dynamism.

Unerman, J., Bebbington, J., & O’dwyer, B. (2018). Corporate reporting and accounting for externalities. Accounting and Business Research, 48(5), 497–522.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2009). Child adoption: trends and policies. New York: United Nations.

[dahlthir-blog]

     ➜ Blaise Creque has been accepted!

Welcome to Dahlthir, Hiyori! Your application for Blaise Creque has been approved. Since we are in our soft opening we will not be posting roleplay blogs yet but you can send one in for us to keep safe and sound in our inbox!

The character portion of the application can be found under the cut. Her powers sound nothing short of rad and I’m so glad for the additions of a witch and a potions&crafting shop to Dahlthir. I love your writing style and Blaise’s backstory! I was carried easily through her history and pretty much immediately felt for the twins. That turn from love to vengeance though aaa. Anyway, welcome!!

other chars: n/a

face claim: mine from amnesia (the otome game)

character name: blaise creque housing: merry market, in a potion & crafting shop called blackcap. age: twenty-two (& a half)

appearance: tall, though not as tall as her sister, but nonetheless slender. however, blaise would appear more sturdy that her face claim suggests. she has a lot more muscle than most would think a magic user possesses. her hair remains purple in hue, though it’s a far darker shade than the liliac that colors blair; she would simply call it light purple.  it remains wavy, ending near her rib cage with straight bangs slightly parted.

though her sister often holds an ethereal glow to her, blaise doesn’t have such. rather, her face and features look plain and simple; she looks distinctly human, and she prefers it that way. often times, there may be spots of dirt or coal that grace her skin — there are permanent markings of ash on her face, freckles to flicker across her cheeks. if she glows, it is from her bright and vivid expressions on her face. but her appearance is always robust. ironically, her appearance is more earthly than her sister’s divinity.

to emphasize this, her flesh is not clear nor smooth. her fingers have a variety of callouses, and her skins feels very rough from years of manual labor. along her upper body are a variety of burn marks as well, though because of time and her sister’s medication, it looks more like discolored skin. she isn’t ashamed of her own burns — though pointing any of blair’s will cause immediate guilt to blaise.

blaise’s attire generally tends to vary in color and styles, always wearing whatever seems nice. as a result, it’s hard to particular pin down a certain color scheme that she’ll wear – but generally, she has a preference towards skirts & leggings (especially if the skirts have ruffles).

are they a part of the adventurer’s guild? yes, as a full member due to her prowess and abilities. however, blaise tends to take on quests that is most beneficial to her. for example, she will always prioritize gathering quests if materials are needed by her sister; on occasion, she will do hunts if she is needed or if it’ll bring money if the shop sales are slow. blaise does not take on duties that she has no use for, nor does she listen to the authority figure of her guilds if they request something of her. as a result, many try not to rely on her for quests, despite her achievements in accomplishing even difficult tasks.

warnings: mentions of discrimination / witch trials, death (especially of family), fire / burning / immolation

background: born to a farmer family in a village no longer in existence, the creque family has two daughters: a set of twins by the name of blaise and blair. as soon as they are able, they do whatever job that their parents require of them. despite their family’s blandness, their daughters have nothing but uniqueness: blair’s ability allows her to blossom, to revitalize land and environment anew; blaise’s, on the other hand, allows her to burn, to cover in warmth or destroy.

yet as a young child who knows of hardness of soil and nothing else, she learns of her power’s destructiveness. her power is not suited for the farm but for the hearth — her home, where fire keeps them warm and their food freshly cooked. it is there that she learns about restriction and discipline; at least, she tries to. she’s always been a fiery girl with passion unbounded. there have been many close calls.

however, blair’s earthly prowess is perfect for their farmland. she increases their food supply, revive their dying lands, and eventually allow the village to flourish. their village honors the creque family — though that honor quickly turns to shame when blair mistakenly ruins the fertility of the soil. she is but a child without the knowledge that many have; but that does little to stop their village from throwing blame and hatred upon her. (after knowing the taste of gold, one hates the taste of dirt.)

they suffocate the blame onto a child, the very one that grants them their riches in the first place. they denounce her as a witch who soils their land intentionally, attempting to place her on trial in an indignant fervor; yet the trial is only a pathetic excuse for justice, for their true purpose is to exert their anger on killing a blameless child. even their parents turn to fury instead of love – as a result, blaise’s love for them turns into her own vengeance.

anger fuels her: that searing heat burning within her with no place to go but outward; so her destruction occurs, reducing their entire city to cinders whilst she holds her dearest twin sister in her arms. they remain burnt, scarred with the knowledge of their deeds and from blaise’s actions. everything else is nothing but dust and charcoal, drifting in the wind as if to erase the calamity that occurs. (but it is never forgotten; it remains in her nightmares.)

yet they continue on, for fire symbolizes rebirth and the earth will always grow once more / like phoenixes from ashes, perhaps their new home could be here, in dahlthir.

personality: upon first glance, blaise is nothing short of fiery. she wears her heart clearly on her sleeve, allowing her passion to ignite her personality and fuel her actions. because of this, many would see her as overly energetic and eager; perhaps some may even see her as self-indulgent for pursuing her wants constantly. but from an overly oppressive childhood forced to work rather than enjoy her life, she chooses her new life to make something better of her life. as a result, she does not hesitate to pursue enjoyments in life; thus, her patience lies on a very thin line. she does what she wants it, when she wants it. (though she tries very hard to not to resort to violence as a reaction.)

because of this, blaise tends to favor a more blunt personality. it isn’t accurate to say that she’s purposefully mean (unless she is teasing or joking around); but rather, she speaks truthfully without hesitation. this has both pros and cons: on one hand, it means that she doesn’t take prejudice or discrimination standing down. she stands up to any oppressor or anything attempting to cause trouble. she lets no one walk over her or takes advantage of her; this gesture is also particularly extended to her sister, who is more forgiving than blaise. however, this often means that if she does not agree with someone, she must say something about the situation. she’s extremely loud for that very reason — but she is damn proud of it, favoring more towards prideful than confident though.

it is also important to note how her personality  shifts in regards to her twin sister, blair. though she respects blair as an independent woman, she also has a fiercely protective nature over her. this comes from the natural affection of being sisters; but it also stems from an internalized sense of guilt in regards to events of their childhood. having hurt her sister, and ruining their entirely livelihood due to her excessive anger, she naturally feels obligated to ensure of her sister’s happiness first and foremost. this loyalty also extends to those that prove their worth to blaise and gain her genuine friendship, instead of her general acquaintanceship that she has with many of the villagers in dahlthir.

but despite her assertive – bordering aggressive – nature, blaise overall is a good person. she always tries her best when she sets her mind to a task, and she isn’t willing to give up on something. that stubbornness allows her to persevere through any situation and garner the respect of many of her fellow adventurers. sometimes her intentions are a bit skewed; but she’s trying her best to make something meaningful of her life aside from just survival. she wants to thrive, and hopefully she can continue to do so in dahlthir.

level: four

general abilities:

blaise is, ultimately, a witch. this means that she has the ability to create hexes or cures, if she truly wishes to. she has the means to do so and the tomes to learn from. however, she doesn’t have any interest in the sort; that’s left up to blair. she only is able to create items that enhance fire abilities and reduce cold / water abilities for enemies because that’s suited for her. however, it does make her spell-favored items… lackluster.

instead, blaise focuses on her magic prowess, specifically to the element of fire. because she discovers her powers from a young age and spends many years perfecting her abilities, she is able to control it precisely: from a flickering flame to a tornado of flame. of course, summoning more would take away more of her stamina – however, she can summon quite a large amount if she chooses to do so. for the most part, it isn’t necessarily since flames spread quickly though.

her stamina also lasts quite a while, perhaps a full day’s worth of activities as long as she gets short rests in-between. constant battles would wear her out, as they would do to anyone else – but her stamina is longer-lasting than most mage users as a result of her healthy habits from childhood and physical exercising.

because her powers are heat-based, she tends to feel more energetic when in direct sunlight. there is no direct correlation as to whether the sun actually gives her enhanced abilities; she just likes the feeling of the sun on her skin.

however, on a normal day, she doesn’t use a large extent of her abilities. her abilities are mainly for turning on candles or anything else requiring to be lit, increasing the heat of her crafting oven, or burning disposables where she is able. sometimes, she will expend her abilities more in order to keep up her training to maintain her healthy physique.

specific abilities:

passively, her ability to control fire means she has a higher temperature than most. this is often felt when in her presence is a slight warmth, though it would be more noticeable if someone directly touches her. she can also create a soft glow to her skin to dimly light a room, which takes significantly less effort than focusing to create a flame. she’s like a convenient night light!

for the most general part of offensive abilities, blaise has direct control of fire and can create it from the energy within her. she can also manipulate any other sources of flame, though it proves more difficult if not directly from her own energy. with this direct control, she can use a variety of spells: think of typical fire abilities in various RPGs. i can limit them to specific subsets if necessary, but if not, then her abilities are limited to what her fire is able to do.

however, because of this, if she is doused in water or frozen by cold, she will have difficulty summoning her abilities. she still goes to locations with this if necessary, but she absolutely refuses to swim in any large pool of water as a result. one might consider it a fear, though she vehemently denies calling it such.

extra:

she enjoys crafting, especially things that require an oven to bake or to harden. as a result, she often has various jewelry or pottery available for sale. but as stated earlier, her effects are extremely limited to a small niche that it’s more for her own benefit than anyone else’s. she does make nice trinkets that she’ll sell without the effects, though.

she is currently attempting to learn blacksmithing, though that effort is not as fruitful as her other endeavors. but she’s still trying.

she has charms that enhance fire abilities for herself; she also holds some that decrease water or cold abilities of others, though those have a percentage of failing if the cursed’s mentality surpasses a certain mental strength threshold.

her weapon is a small metal wand, crafted by both herself and a local blacksmith. she paid extra to be included in the process, in which she enhances her wand with her own energy to work better with her abilities. it doesn’t strengthen it in any way, though. it simply allows the energy to flow without as much concentration instead of saying a spell or using a tome. think of her wand as a conduit and nothing more.