#there aren't many but at least there are any!

[supercimi]

Your friend has always been a bit carefree

Whenever he gave you those gifts, he basically just shoved them into your hands as If giving you some candy or something

He liked to joke around and get you in dumb situations all the time, sometimes those shenanigans got you in trouble, other times it ended in a rather underwhelming repercussions, like the flower bed incident when you were small.

Lucky for the both of you, the neighbourhood community had already wanted to get rid of that flowerbed, so you only got cleaning duty for three months because of what you two did

Maybe because of this, he would sometimes give you these gifts? He is a trickster and gets in trouble a lot yea but not a bad friend, u know?

Just yesterday, he told you that his next gift was gonna be awesome!

But why did he need you to wait in the square park for that?

...

It's been so long now...

How many hours have you been waiting?! And you were just praising him! He should just wait until you are back!! You shall not have his back!

Trudging away in anger and saddled with annoyance you finally reached your home

I mean homes, you two are neighbours after all,

"Hey! Where did that idio-"

Just as you snapped the gate doors open, the sight before you sucked any words you had left out of your mouth

"Oh, ops I got caught huh?" Your friend sheepishly confessed

"...." your gaping mouth couldn't catch up with your brain fast enough to close, but that was the least of your concerns right now

"You don't have any questions? " that same carefree tone and face yet, just what was going on?

There in front of you he stood, shimmer by shimmer he was fading away,

Words could not form, thoughts would not churn.

You could only stare

"Hey now, don't make that face," he laughed sheepishly like he did when he felt at loss

Why? What? How?

You could not say any of that

You couldn't even close your mouth

".....h..w..what?...how?" You finally managed to let out

Looking at his stupid face you wanted to claw the answers right out of his mind

But you couldn't, you wouldn't, even if you could.

"....because I made lots of mistakes?" He hummed as if thinking to himself

"So what! Why would this happen?!" Your confusion ignored, but that ignited your still mouth, and it finally spun its cries

"Because i made up for them all!"he boasted cheerily as if he wasn't fading more and more

"Wha?" Your confusion only multiplied but your words lost their strength

The passing time was only proved by his fading eyes

"...please just tell me your reasons" you tried a final time your earlier annoyanc and grievance at being stood up long forgotten

Looking at you for the uptenth time tonight, quite and kind, he wasn't someone who would have such a gentle look

"....because i care," smiling widely he answered vaguely yet again.

Streching your arms to grab that stupid figure, you barely had your words!

"That doesn't explain anything you doofus!"

You cried as your hands caught air

Your friend wasn't here anymore

.

...

....

.." ghr..dang..it...you.." blabbering your words, you could not speak anymore

You only cried in confusion

And that's okay

Despite every reality we had, you were always there for me.

You always went along with me

You had my back even when you didn’t recognize me

Be it in the past ir the future, or even in the present

You were my family

My friend

My teacher

My partner in crime

My only constant in the world

When you were gone, my world was gone

I searched for you, countless worlds and times, but they all aren't you

Well, they are you, but not you at the same time... Maybe that's why eventually i gave their original friends back to them

Because they were not my friend whom i lost

Maybe because i did that, i found you again

One final time

I had my family again for the last time

If the price for that was my life, it didn't really sound so bad

I hope you live on much more happily this time

We only had one life after all

Farewell, my friend.

Your friend keeps giving you very random gifts at completely random times. It seemed like an odd but nice gesture, until you realise each gift has saved your life from any sort of incident some time after accepting it.

[hooffuloftootsierolls]

In light of the reveal of Abel's complete design, have this dumb doodle i made on magma a week ago based on an interaction my bsf @plushtoothpanic acted out while we were joking about Vivziepop's lack of diversity(the dog character is his sona).

Also, rant below involving Abel, I don't want this to become a critical blog since Hazbin has held a special place in my heart since 2021, but oh my God I am so sick of the shit that Vivzie is pulling

Making Adam white was already quite a choice, I had a pretty specific vision of a dark-skinned curly-haired man before his face was revealed. Although I had been expecting a biblically-accurate Adam, I didn't mind having him white as long as Eve wasn't made white as well.

Abel's design throws this out the window.

First let's focus on Abel being the child of Adam and Eve. This means Eve is white, and likely also blonde. Historically, the first humans were East/South African, and not white. Ok, well what about biblically? The popular depictions of biblical figures are mainly European interpretations from when Europe adapted the Bible and made all the figures pale, like them. It's more likely that the dark-skinned writers that originally complied stories into the Bible meant for the figures to look more like them. It would make more sense if one or both of them was dark.

Saint Peter is a whole nother' piss drawer that I don't wanna open, but whitewashing an actual human being that existed is just so gross.

Now, the other thing I wanna talk about that talks less about race and more about theories surrounding Abel being blonde... People were already theorizing that maybe one of the kids was Lucifer's spawn because of the implied affair with Eve. It wasn't the most popular theory but now it's making a comeback with the reveal of Abel's complete design.

I dislike this theory(besides the fact that it's just stupid) because

1. Cain is Adam and Eve's firstborn son. Abel is their second. Even if Eve and Lucifer had an affair in Eden, that would result in Cain, not Abel. Also we aren't entirely aware of Lucifer's powers involving entering the living world but I doubt he can canonically go there, or at least not after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, since Hell was made as a punishment for him and any mortal that sins and I don't think he would be able to waltz back to Earth that easily. I suppose maybe they could be twins and Cain could just have been the first one born, but I don't think that's usually what "firstborn" implies, or how it's generally interpreted?

2. This is gonna look really bad on Lucifer's part?? Like, this implies that Lilith left Adam for Lucifer, then Lucifer got with Eve(possibly cheating on Lilith if she wasn't aware/didn't consent to the affair) and cucked Adam for a second time???? Lucifer would straight-up be getting the Stolas treatment where they keep making him more and more shitty then try to justify it anyways. Cmon guys.. I wanna be able to cheer for Lucifer too but he doesn't seem remorseful at all for anything he's done, more like he's been playing the victim for a decamillennium despite being a possible cheater and the one who destroyed Adam and Eve's life.

3. How would this be plot-relevant at all?? My closest guess is to make a disconnect from Adam like "oh he was never my ACTUAL father anyways" and also to try and make a bond with Abel and Charlie being blood-related so he would decide to side with her or something. Also on top of that I hate the whole trope of someone suddenly not giving a fuck about the parents who raised them in favor of their biological parents who didn't raise them. It's a dumb trope and if this theory is canon and they pull something like that.... ughh.

yeah. Overall, too many Aryans, pleasepleasepleaseplease pleaseeep please don't make Eve white even though I know they will anyways, and if that stupid theory is true then Lucifer is a snake-tongued, home-wrecking, unfaithful pile of shit that is disguised as a poor depressed dad that the fandom eats up and woobifies. Not that I don't want him to have flaws, but he doesn't seem very sorry for what he did(he has his whole snake and apple motif, that's like saying you feel guilty for a murder then using the hyper-specific murder weapon as your symbol) and also Abel being his son would be such an unnecessary plotline that would make him look soooo so so so so much worse because he wouldn't have much of a wholesome excuse for that.

The only good things I'm getting out of this are that I can post about Abel without having to tag it as leaks and also people are cracking jokes about Abel being the son of Lucifer and Adam

[psychemochanight]

Honestly, even if I love the new interpretation of Dick as the "angry Robin" that we have these days, sometimes it feels bad that you can't talk about a version of Dick as Robin that isn't like that without getting people saying things like "that's not Dick, he's the angry one, the bloodthirsty one" and... What?

It takes away a lot of depth from the character when people only think of that when talking about Robin!Dick, when, since always, Dick was, quite possibly, one of the best written characters, and one of those that has more nuances to make him a completely human character, not only in the sense of not having superpowers, but of being able to empathize with him.

There are many versions of the story, but the most widely accepted version is that Dick lost his parents at the age of eight, watching them fall because they sabotaged their act, an act Dick probably saw many times, one he knew for sure his parents would never fail... Until it failed, and through no fault of their own.

Dick was a little boy who grew up in a loving family (as far as we know, I still think they were strict, but not necessarily bad parents... We'll talk about the Court of Owls later), and from one second to the next, all of that ended. Even if Bruce was there for him, things obviously weren't the same anymore, they never would be again.

Although many have the idea that Dick escaped from youth center to kill Zucco, in the original stories Dick didn't even know yet about him, at least not that much to know what he really did; but he wanted to escape from juvenile so as not to lose his values, so as not to stop being who he is, who his parents taught him to be.

Even in the lines where he DOES say he wants to kill Zucco, in most cases, when push comes to shove, he wants to prevent Zucco's death. There are some moments where he even confesses that he didn't want Zucco to die, he just wanted justice for his parents.

People now see Dick as the Robin who only saw misfortune and was an absolute menace to society, and while, yes, Dick was an absolute menace, it was only to the villains, who heard a little boy laughing at them before beating the shit out of them. Plus, even as a child he was a master manipulator, both for enemies and allies.

But what about the rest? Robin was supposed to be the light where Batman was the darkness. He was the one who comforted scared civilians when Batman couldn't. He was the sensitivity that Batman cannot afford to show.

Dick Grayson was the one who saved Batman from losing himself in the same darkness that he himself was making his only way of life, and this is something that Alfred has pointed out before. It is thanks to Dick that Batman stopped being the ruthless "hero" he was becoming. Damn, he was the one who softened Alfred's heart in the first place too.

This was the Robin that Superman saw as worthy of carrying the mantle of Nightwing, whom he saw as someone who could represent hope itself.

Bruce didn't start smiling just because of the other Robins like many people now believe, no. Dick was the first to make him smile again, the one who opened the doors for the others.

Dick was always kind and tender-hearted, always joy where there was only devastation.

Even if he was the living nightmare of villains, he was still that cheerful child who wanted to avoid the pain of others. The boy who inspired other heroes, not only because of his skills, but because of his heart.

Dick is a character who, while he is now more recognized as Nightwing than as Robin (which doesn't bother me at all, because that was always his goal when he became an independent hero), he still has a history that people seem to increasingly forget about and pigeonhole his development into something... Flat.

Were there times when Dick had more anger and pain than any other feeling in him? Yes, absolutely YES. But this stage is mostly in his Discowing years, not of Robin as such (I'm not saying there weren't such moments, but there aren't as many as people describe now), or as some animated series showed (I love these series, even if they turned Dick into a feral child who is unable to smile, lol)

Again. I LOVE Dick's portrayal as a feral child and absolute menace to society (which he was), but I also LOVE when artists, writers, and the entire fandom itself appreciates the different nuances of his personality, from his ability to laugh despite the misfortunes in his life, to his sadness that never ceased to be a part of him, until the moments where he could only feel rage and pain and felt that the world was only darkness, unable to see the colors that emerged from the light he projected by himself.

Look at him, he's so cute <3

Does anyone care about this yap? No, but I wanted to let out what I've been repeating in my head for days because people on tiktok have me fed up HAHA

[disarmonia]

Oh look, I'm finally posting something. Merry Crisis, everyone!🎉 I'm just exhausted, working on completing several charity projects and commissions before New Years. Also russia has recently heavily bombed my home city, Kyiv, damaging a lot of the city center including the St. Nicholas Cathedral, which holds a very special place in the hearts of many locals, but won't make the news like the Notre-Dame, so maybe you can at least learn about it from me. Ukraine got heavily bombed on Christmas too. So I'm just remind you that this horror was made possible because of literal millions of people doing everything in their power to destroy my country - from those who fly the planes and press buttons, to those who cook and clean their clothes, to those who pay taxes to fund the war machine, and to those who stay silent because they aren't the ones affected. Please don't invest any money into russian products, your governments gives them enough money to keep going and sanctions barely work, at least don't support it on a personal level, it's all we can ask for. I wish everyone happy holidays and hopefully I will still be here in a year, hopefully I will still be able to draw and hopefully we will know some peace at some point. Anyway, this is a World of Warcraft character commission I finished right before Christmas, a night elf named Kaernin Windweaver, hope you like it. I am really happy with how the colours ended up complimenting each other, also can't get enough of this brush I now use for hair. Happy 2025, guys. Stay safe. Keep Ukraine in mind. If you like my art, consider tipping! MY TIP JARS HERE ❤️‍🩹

[audliminal]

It's Just a Game, Right? Pt 10

Masterpost

The thing is, Tim has a few more resources than the average person. And maybe it's cheating, but the names in the first video aren't exactly the most unique, and when he and Bernard google them, they get a lot of results, and nothing very obvious. Which means that Tim spends most of the night laying next to Bernard, staring at the ceiling as his brain spins in some extremely fruitless circles. And by morning he is unquestionably exhausted and annoyed. Bernard is as kind and empathetic as he ever is, and the moment he realizes Tim's insomnia had gotten the better of him, he goes about making Tim an absolutely delicious breakfast. And then Tim has to go to work, and deal with idiot business people who think nothing of tactics that would harm thousands of their own employees.

Being an absolute pinnacle of restraint, Tim does not throw a chair at the department head who tries to subtly suggest cutting down his department's bonuses to increase his own, and he goes through dozens of emails, but by the time it's late enough to get away with leaving for the day, Tim is feeling exceptionally irritated. So, maybe it's cheating, but it's not like anyone has to know. After all, he can always work backwards once he has the connection, and present Bernard with a more appropriate methodology. So around mid-afternoon, he heads to the batcave and plugs some parameters in, so it can cross-reference the results for him.

What he gets is interesting, to say the least. The program flags a handful of different individuals and documents, but among them is an article from the Gotham Gazette about a motorcycle accident. Listed as victims are two teens, named Katherine Taylor and Jonathan Woods, both names that were among the details of the first video. It seems too odd to be a coincidence, though, and when Tim searches for the individuals in question, he manages to find their obituaries, and the photos reveal a near definite match.

It leaves something of a sour taste in Tim's mouth when he remembers this is supposed to be a fiction thing. Unless somebody involved in this knows how to hack shit real well, then they're using real people who cannot possibly have consented to becoming part of some game. There's also implications in the fact that the date listed for the photos is well after their deaths. He knows enough to know ghost stories aren't exactly uncommon in these sorts of things, but trying to imply that real people have become ghosts? Especially when ghosts are usually antagonists in scary stories — Tim stolidly reminds himself not to jump to conclusions, and simply notes the connections and moves on.

The bat computer, unfortunately, doesn't pull up info about the three other names, and it pulls up way too many results when it comes to the listed locations. It takes almost an hour of fiddling with search parameters, before he finally managed to land on something that might be a match. It's difficult to tell, because the photo they'd used is definitely old, but it looks like the Carle Park in question is in Illinois, which ostensibly gives them a location, corroborated by the fact that a highway 49 runs not too terribly far from it.

It takes a while of debate, but eventually he decides to go ahead and run the other photos of people through facial recognition, in case the photos match anything. He feels kind of slimy about it, but these things are public record, and even if this research isn't supposed to be for anything important, and even if the circumstances aren't exactly ideal, he and Bernard don't exactly have to post any of this info.

He's not sure whether to be surprised when he gets a match on a third individual. This time, the person in question is actually misidentified as Amber McCall, when the girl's actual name appears to be Ember McLain. What's more, the photo they'd been provided with is one of her as a child, despite the fact that she apparently didn't die until 21.

It seems an odd combination of details to get wrong, especially compounded by the fact that she was apparently on her way to fame, with a burgeoning music career. Her death is similarly tragic, reported as an accidental house fire, though Tim finds a contemporary article speculating otherwise. The writing reads as nothing but gossip, though, so he promptly closes it, and at the sound of footsteps, he closes out his search and takes his notebook upstairs, before any of his wayward siblings can start asking him questions.

[magical-regical]

I saw someone on twitter make art of how MC slowly gets tired of having Mr Crawling in their house after that one ending since taking care of him would be a whole ordeal.

And it made me very sad because in the art, he really does want to help but he's just not built for it. It also got me thinking, exactly how much of an ordeal would it be to get Mr Crawling to a point where he would pass as a house husband?

In this report I will

TLDR; at the very least, he needs mobility aid, a good washing up, basic language lessons, and a partner with good story telling skills to pass off all his other quirks as disease or accident related deformities.

Full analysis under the moss. Also spoilers.

The things most likely to cause problems are his height, his looks, the language barrier, and the fact that he doesn't walk. (And ig his diet but considering MC's 'hobbies' that's trivial).

So let's go one thing at a time here. His height is probably the easiest thing to sweep under the rug, gigantism is a real condition that can happen to people and as luck would have it, the tallest man in the world needs crutches to walk.

From the incident w/ Mr Stitch we know he can stand up and walk to some extent. He probably just can't stay standing for long. This might be because he's not used to walking and being upright since it probably makes it harder to move around in the Ghost Apartments when your head touches the ceiling or maybe it hurts to walk that's why we only see him do it the one time.

If it's the former case then you'll have to help him get more used to using his legs (kinda like physical therapy) and maybe overtime he'll be able to stand and walk around long enough for a quick café date or a short stroll through the park. He'll probably still need crutches but that won't be strange for someone his height. If it's the latter case where it's a biology thing then pookie will have to sit in a wheelchair, might need a custom wheel chair commissioned to accommodate his build but I'm sure teaching him how to wheel himself around won't be too hard since he's been shown to have good comprehension.

The next glaring thing is his looks. You might have to make him wear a mask whenever he goes outside because of the void inside his mouth. He'll definitely need a good washing up, especially his hair. I've seen many fics of MC washing and taking care of his hair as well as art of his hair being tied in different ways and I subscribe to all of that. He will need a haircut. At least to get rid of any split ends, at most to make sure his hair doesn't trail behind him when he walks. I want to believe he'll trust you enough to give him at least a trim (he'll still have long hair but just not as long ya know?). Couple that with a wardrobe change and he'll fit right in if it wasn't for his eyes.

Speaking of his eyes, does he even have eyes? We know he can see but like ??? Everyone has a different interpretation of what's under those bangs of his. I'm gonna go with the interpretation that the skin around his eyes looks badly burnt because I like the headcanon that he was some lone ronin that was brutally murdered and his eyes were burnt in the process. So it's now up to you to make up a convincing and heart wrenching story of how he was born with a deformity/disorder and then got into a horrible accident that caused his ghastly appearance. Making him wear sunglasses might also be a good way to hide his eyes (or lack of eyes).

The last thing to address would be the language barrier. I believe he's smart enough to pick up human language especially if he's immersed in it. Make him watch a lot of tv lol. It also once again falls to you to teach him how to speak and possibly read and write. His pronunciation doesn't have to be perfect, whatever tragic backstory you cook up for him will be able to cover for that but he has to understand words and hold some form of conversation even if particles aren't in his vocabulary. On the bright side, he'll most likely pick up your accent so that's kind of cute.

Only after all of this then you'll finally be able to start teaching him how to properly clean, cook, and do other household chores. In conclusion, it'll take a great amount of effort and probably money on your part to get him up to snuff.

But you'll do your best right? He surely will. After all, he loves you. He loves you so much he's willing to come to this unfamiliar world with you. You and him, together. Always.

Please don't leave. Please?

[sly-s-n0nfusion]

The ot2 travelers don't feel like a found family as much as the ot1 travelers - an analysis

This is probably the boldest opinion I've ever shared on socials for this fandom and I am aware this take will probably get me some hate but I feel like I want to say this and compare the two games under this aspect also to know other people's opinions about this (I feel so brave right now) but I have to make a premise: I loved octopath traveler 2 to death as well as the ot2 travelers, this is not a hate post by any means. Also, the fact that the first game is still more dear to me doesn't make me blind to the fact that ot2 did improve its formula under almost every aspect and is overall of better quality than ot1.

So as I was playing ot2, I felt like it was somehow “missing” the same warmth of the first game. Naturally, my first thought was that it was just nostalgia for the first cast, until my boyfriend said the exact same thing to me some time after he started playing ot2. When I asked about it in a small octopath server, almost every response I got was similar to what we were feeling, and many of us pinpointed that the main reason is that the cast doesn't feel as a found family as much as the ot1 cast did, and I'll explain why.

/!\ Spoilers for both games! /!\

The group of travelers in ot2 doesn't feel as cohesive: on the contrary, it often feels like the travelers aren't involved in their friend's adventures as much. They often come off as a bit more individualistic and just casually sharing the same road together while pursuing their own goals. In their banters together, they rarely offer/actively seek each other's help and they generally feel more lonely in their paths

This is kinda ironic given how much more content together the ot2 travelers have, like the crossed paths or the journey for the dawn chapter. The one exception, at least regarding the crossed paths stories, are probably Throné and Temenos

The found family trope is more often than not shoved down your throat in a way that's just less effective and more annoying ex. Ochette calling Osvald and Castti mama and papa (or the general imagery of every traveler seeing Castti as their mom when she is just doing her job as a caregiver) or Osvald getting drunk and mistaking Castti and Agnea for his wife and daughter, when Osvald often shows fatherly instincts only towards his actual daughter Elena

The major issue we all agreed on: the travel banters. The main difference is that in ot1 every travelers had a chance to talk to all 7 travelers during each chapter of their story, which actually gave the impression of them traveling together and also the opportunity for a good balance between more lighthearted banters about disparate matters, and deeper banters that explicitly address what's going on in that moment. In ot2 we had the amazing opportunity to reread every banter without missing even one of them, but the amount of banters drastically reduced! Which left me kinda confused!! Because for every chapter, only a few travelers get to talk with the one progressing through a chapter. And that leaves place for an awkward silence on the other travelers' behalf, because it does almost deliver the vibe that they're just observing quietly, or that they don't care enough about what's happening to intervene. That silence takes a big toll on how believably the concept of found family is delivered, in my opinion. We don't really need 70% of the banters to be about card games, fashion, hobbies and food (why are there so many banters about food lol) when the actually deep/important matters barely get addressed by the other travelers.

An example: the apothecaries' chapters 3. They both are very emotionally heavy chapters, where both Alfyn and Castti are having a really rough time. Having the chance to talk to all 7 of his friends, Alfyn not only gets to talk about his job as an apothecary and joke with Therion about getting drunk at the tavern, but he also receives important advice and active help from his teammates. Like Olberic, for example, you can almost picture him holding Alfyn's shoulder in the attempt of getting him to calm down

Whereas in Castti's chapter 3, she goes through one of the most painful and heartbreaking moments of her life (remembering what happened to Malaya and the Apothecaries) and barely anyone comforts her. You only get Temenos saying "you can count of me" and Hikari, saying more or less the same thing. No Osvald talking to her about dealing with the grief of losing everything?? No Agnea and Partitio reassuring her, telling her she did what she could and that it was not her fault?? No Throné sharing with her the relief of freedom, of finally being free from her amnesia?? ... That does feel like a huge missed opportuniy and really makes it look like the other 5 travelers are just observing in silence, and that really ruins the immersion to me. They do feel more lonely and less of a family, no matter how many times Ochette calls her "mom" , she wasn't there for Castti when she needed it. She didn't say anything. The effort made by their crossed paths story isn’t enough to make up for it to me

Not only that, but ot1 is full of other examples of the travelers actively seeking each other's help: Olberic is constantly asking for his teammates' opinions because he trusts them (Olberic ch4, Cyrus banter) and offering his protection in return, Tressa and Therion often value each other's advice, and many other cases.

Final point: this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but I couldn't help but feel my opinion reinforced by the promoting team's choices; in every piece of art for the first Octopath Traveler game anniversary, all 8 travelers were featured. As they should be! OCTO is in the name, after all. None of them is more important than the others, and it's crucial to me that in their anniversary art they ALL get featured. Well, for the first anniversary of the Octopath Traveler 2 release the official promotional art only featured Temenos and Crick. One (1) traveler and a npc. Well done, that's how you don't want to celebrate your game's 1 year anniversary when the main feature of the game in question is that it's a collective story that features 8 characters. Yes I am not blind I am aware of Temenos and Crick's popularity as both individual characters and as a ship (which by the way I am very neutral about so again, no hate), but my god that official art did leave a bitter taste in my mouth as soon as I saw it. Like really? What about the other 7 travelers? Aren't they supposed to be a found family?

So in the end I think the missing travel banters are what makes the ot2 crew feel a bit more distant and less of a family to me, and the crossed paths and Journey for the dawn really, really struggle to make up for this because the basics of the relationship between the travelers just aren’t quite there.

Now I know this game is dear to many, me included, and that many others may have the complete opposite opinion, and that's okay. We can talk about it! I love hearing different opinions.

Peace! ✌️

[feliville]

I've been trying to learn the world flags so I can identify them (for funsies) and I'm going by continent, starting with America because I am here 🇸🇻 💙

(Putting this under a readmore because longish post about thing that's probably not v interesting so I dont wanna be too annoying BUT. I wanna talk abt it a little anywayz sooo)

It's been SOOO fun, it's really exciting to see a random flag somewhere and to know whose flag it is : -D I passed by a travel agency poster thing with a bunch of South American and Caribbean flags and ahcdbjncd it feels so nice to know things

(only thing is that I've been pronouncing every country name in spanish, which would be correct for most of South America but like. not All of it, I'm sorry Suriname I didnt know the E is silent.. also 4 the Caribbean islands srry 4 pronouncing it Hamáica and Ay-tee(Haití) sobS)

I've been ignoring the USA and Canada flags completely, so a funny side effect of tht is I've been grouping up flags in categories where those 2 would fit, but I only notice a while after hbjnHBN

I was thinking "Out of the America flags, I can only think of 2 that are a vertical tricolor flag with white on the middle and red in one (or 2) of the sides.. Mexico 🇲🇽 and Perú 🇵🇪 😁" .. I forgor canada exists

And I was thinking "Oh there's SO many flags with the france colors here, there's Costa Rica ����🇷, Panamá 🇵🇦, República Dominicana 🇩🇴, Chile 🇨🇱, Cuba 🇨🇺, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷, Paraguay 🇵🇾, and Belice 🇧🇿 technically 😁, so many stars too" .. I forgor abt USA

Thinking also of the few flags that are a tricolor flag with white on the middle and blue on the sides,, El Salvador 🇸🇻 mi amor mi cielo mi vida she's in there with Guatemala 🇬🇹, Honduras 🇭🇳, Nicaragua 🇳🇮 and Argentina 🇦🇷

I'm excited to learn the rest of the flags of the other continents and see which ones I like the most, atm my favorites are El Salvador 🇸🇻(which will never change because I'm VERY biased) Bahamas 🇧🇸 and Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹, they look SO nice.. I'm excited to get to Africa, Botswana's flag 🇧🇼 looks super nice too.

(Hope the emojis aren't annoying, I included them so you don't have to google them)

Anytime I start even Thinking about flags, I inevitably spend at least an hour looking at them and I open a Million wikipedia and googleimages tabs about it.. I think it's been like 2 hours since I started typing this because I kept getting distracted with that.

I love any chance I get to talk about flags : -]

[elbiotipo]

Watched Strange Aeon's video essay on A/B/O dynamics and it touched on some really interesting tidbits on world building. Idk how much you know about it or if you have any thoughts on Omegaverse?

If not, basically how life/society would be with essentially extra sexes: cis men who could give birth, cis women who can knock up other uterus havers, how the world would cater for this stuff. V interesting 🤔

I know little about omegaverse, but I don't really find it that creative or engaging. Then again, I'm not the target audience.

However, without getting into specifics, I do appreciate when a erotic scenario gets into the worldbuilding and implications that such an scenario would mean, or when certain elements of worldbuilding have erotic undertones.

It's all in personal taste though, what one finds subtle eroticism others will call shoehorned fetishes and so forth. But what I really appreciate, even in a neutral sense, is when you design cultures, especially non-human cultures, and they have different approaches to everything. Making your non-human characters just be humans with tails is boring. They should have different ways of eating, of clothing, of living their life, of organizing society of perceiving the world, and yes, of doing it too.

In biology, we of course had to learn a lot about this. The very basics of sexual reproduction and sex (in the act and the definition) aren't that variable after all in animals if you look at the big picture. Creatures as diverse as arthropods, mollusks and chordates all present concepts such as mating, courtship, sexual selection, parental care and more. It's not unreasonable to expect many different cultures or beings to share some things in common (That's how you make some kind of romances work) There are lots of differences in the specific though, this is where the good bits of speculative evolution/biology lie, and I sometimes think that using human terms (for example, monogamy/polygamy or sexual/gender identities) is often a poor attempt to understand them (an attempt is made at least). It's interesting to study this kind of stuff and try to remove our anthropocentrism, but also, we find parallels and things we share.

In fact, when talking about humans, we have created so many ways to organize our sexual and romantic relationships, and our sexual and gender identities. I can imagine other beings capable of abstract thought and social organization would do the same, and what to me is more ironic, some ways will result familiar to us! I believe that when we're talking about sexes, the act of sex, and families at its broadest strokes, we would find things in common to talk about. The ability to concieve about such things lead to kinds of sexual and gender expression and family organization, at least in our own case that we know about.

But that's talking about animals in our own Earth. Then we get to the stranger things. The haplo-diplont life cycle in plants, with two entire different kind of beings involved in reproduction. Asexual reproduction is common in animals but it often takes the channels of sexual reproduction, the idea of reproduction by budding or separation and the concept of "genets" is something stranger. I don't even know what goes on with fungi.

There have been lots of science fiction and fantasy authors that explore this (I can't remember anyone specific right now) but I believe many take it as singular strange cases, when in a fantasy or science fiction world with many kinds of non-human cultures, we should expect this to be the norm. When you study biology, you learn everything is different and there are always exceptions, except we also share everything and there are always similarities.

[melisshivering]

HEARTSTEEL Dating Headcanons

A/N: I miss them your honor.

Kayn: Kayn’s idea of a date would DEFINITELY be something out of the house. I don’t think he can ever find sitting in one place for too long entertaining. Unless it’s pranking or teasing one of his bandmates which he would get scolded for by Yone soon after. The rush of adrenaline he gets while doing something spontaneous was unmatched to anything else. Besides being with you. He’d probably be laying on the couch with you proposing ideas of what you two could be doing which you’d quickly reject. You can’t let him tempt you. He sighs out of frustration. “Come on! Don't act like you don’t love messing around with me.” He’s right, and you give in. 

You two end up getting out of the house and walking around the city together. Not to do any window shopping or normal. Instead he’s taking you to some spots he’s been meaning to check out, most of them being places where you shouldn’t be. He understands it might not be your idea of fun. He reassures you that he would never abandon you if things got bad. He’s keeping an eye out in case you get seen by someone who knows you two shouldn’t be there. Before you two could even start trying to explore the off limits area you feel a tug on your arm.

Kayn pulling you into one of the dark alleyways, Your bodies closely pressed together as he hushes any protest. He explains to you that he heard the footsteps of someone. You stay there for a moment hiding from what he thought was a security guard coming around the corner. Or at least that's what you still believe. He should be looking more worried, shouldn't he. He’s not worried though. He just has a dumb smug look on his face like always. Even if this was just a ploy to get you close, could you really complain.

Ezreal: Ezreal would love to take you somewhere that he can use some of his skills from being an idol. He loves being able to do something almost flawlessly and receiving praise. Your praise means significantly more to him than that of a stranger. He excitedly pulls you along to the entrance of an arcade. So many different machines all with different colors on the screens and catchy songs playing from them, trying to tempt people to spend money. 

Ezreal begins directing your attention to the huge line of people waiting to play the DDR machine. If you don't exactly love rhythm games he’s pleading, practically begging you for one game with him. He picks the song (probably kpop) and reassures you that you can choose the easy setting if you aren't confident in playing. He would even play on easy if you asked. You can see that Ezreal gets super happy once the song starts, humming along and occasionally sings the lyrics of the song while his eyes are fixed on the screen pressing the correct arrows. If he notices that you aren’t having the best time he would use his flash to change his position. Backwards. Handstand. Hitting all kinds of silly poses just to make you laugh and distract you from the pressure. 

Ezreal also desperately tries to win you something from the crane machines. Watching all the other couples walk around with huge plushies in their arms just fuels him more. He spends too much. Like way too much money. But it’s you so it's worth it. At home later when you are both in bed he shows you the picture again this time with stickers that put cat ears on your head and emoticons surrounding you that he edited in.

Sett It really is a coin flip with Sett. He cares more on how you are feeling. If you want to go out you two go out. If you want to stay home you stay home. If you leave the house for the date it’s probably for a really cute picnic that he planned. A basket full of different food and drinks you both like. Sett lays down all the food he brought out in front of the both of you and you two dig in. Having a conversation in between bites. He would point towards certain dishes or snacks and say “When I saw it I had to get/make it for you.” 

When it started to get dark he made sure to take care of putting everything away. Throwing away empty containers and rerolling the blankets as you two made your way out of the park. He really appreciates you and just wants to take care of you that day. Not that he doesn’t think you can help clean up or carry things but he does work out a lot. What is it all for if it's not to treat you like royalty. 

If it's a date at home then it would be you too on the couch crocheting things for each other. Which he is surprisingly good at. Most would think a guy like things was purely a gym bro. Sett was in fact capable of many things. Drinks and snacks on the table as you both focus on trying to make your pieces come out as good as possible. Occasional grunts of frustration if things go awry. He'll give you pointers or guide your hands if you ask for assistance. His hands are warm against yours as your quiet evening continues. Eventually you finish your creation and he praises you for a job well done.

Yone

It’s often hard for Yone to have any free time. Even his days off are interrupted by calls or texts from the boys. His day of relaxation is now interrupted as he tries to clean up the mess they got themselves into. Normally he’s cooped up in his office or the recording studio. Any dates previously would be a quick trip to the local coffee shop since the man can’t live without caffeine. Occasionally there were work dates but he felt bad thinking it made you feel like less important than his job. 

But after pulling a few strings he made sure they wouldn’t bother him, allowing him to take a well deserved day with you.  You were a bit surprised when he formally asked you on a date. Taking you to one of the places he found relaxing. A tranquil botanical garden near the outskirts of the city. 

The trail of the garden was pretty uneven. He doesn’t want you to have difficulty walking with him so he lets you hold onto his arm and holds his hand out to you. Making sure every uneven step wouldn’t result in an accident. The stress washes away. “I’m grateful we can spend time like this..” Gentle words and praises were all you heard as you both took in the sighs of the foliage and trees. He’s almost sad as he notices the sky starting to darken. He promises to you that he’ll work hard to earn another day off to spend more time with you. You reassure him that you know he loves what he does. He needn’t feel shame for that. He may not be a big fan of PDA but being with you makes him feel like he has to do everything in his power to express his love. He gives you a deep kiss. He takes his time but doesn't let himself get carried away before you two make your way back home.

Aphelios

After getting with Aphelios you know better than anyone how he feels being out in public. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to you when he wants to spend time with you it’ll be at home 110% of the time. He finds it more intimate and enjoys the simple times with you. Where you two are just sitting, enjoying each other's company. Most if not all your dates involve both of you rummaging the kitchen for any snacks that haven’t been eaten by the other members. A soft blanket on the couch for both of you to be enveloped in later in the night. 

Remote in your hand since he wants your dates to be enjoyable. He lets you decide what to watch. Aphelios never disagrees with your choices since you seem to magically always choose something good. Or something he had been planning to watch. Even without him telling you. If you are the kind of person who rambles on about a subject related to the movie/video he will divert his attention to you. Yeah the film may be covering the things you're saying in a more professional way but the passionate tone you use is hypnotic to him. There's no way he would prefer some person reading from a script than you speaking from the heart. 

He is happy when you wait at him expectantly for his reaction to some vital pieces of the story and he usually is caught off guard. He will hand you snacks or a drink in intervals throughout the date, wanting to make sure your needs are met. You also do the same which he appreciates because it's common for Aphelios to ignore his own needs. Take care of him please 

K’Sante

K’Sante would also take you out on the down. Your date starts with the two of you sitting in a cute cafe together having a coffee together. Deciding together what you would be interested in seeing in the shopping district that day. Walking around the blocks of what felt like never ending stores. Everytime you two stop K’Sante asks if you’d to go inside. Declining the first few times since they seemed too fancy to even step foot into.

You two stop outside of a boutique with mannequins wearing elaborate clothing in the windows. A clothing store a bit more on the fancier end. K’Sante ends up explaining how he frequents the place and that he definitely recommends it. You give in because a date wouldn’t be a date if it was only window shopping. Going into some stores at least felt necessary to make sure the time was spent effectively. Being familiar with the place means that he knows exactly where to go. Already knowing your style and measurements, already having made and bought custom clothing for you. You pick out a bunch of different clothes still a bit hesitant about his offer. You didn't want to be rude and decline but also didn't want to spend too much. What even was the budget? Who knows. With K’Sante he saw no limit on what it took to get you happy. Even if there is a part inside him wanted to say that you’d never need to go out and spend money. That first statement couldn't be more true once he watched you step out of the changing rooms. Dressed in clothes that complemented not only your body but you entirely. Even if some items were overpriced he didn’t hesitate to buy you some pieces you felt like you couldn’t leave the store without.

Alune Alune would love a calm day to wind down with you. She will take you on a little date in the city with a lot of places she wants to visit. Even if she doesn’t end up buying anything she just loves having you by her side. Getting snacks from a convenient store. Grabbing all kinds of cute promotional items for whatever show is out and anything you two have already tried and loved. Alune happily places the basket of goodies on the checkout counter as she then pays for both of you. Next stop is the park.  Specifically, the one that has a big lake with a path around it. It's a nice break from her busy work days, managing the boys leaves little to no free time. You two end up taking small breaks on your walk. Sitting down on a bench under the shade of a tree simply just enjoying each other’s presence. A staple of going out with Alune is a trip to a local thrift shop. Walking down the aisles of clothes, calling each other over when you find a certain piece of clothing that would look cute on the other. If you two have similar styles it would be a playful game of “Who Can Find Cute Clothes First.”  Even then you two would give each other some of your finds just to make the other happy. Walking past other shops Alune would make comments on how she thinks one of the members would “totally be into something.” But more importantly you noted the things she says she's been eyeing. 

You come home with a bag of snacks, clothes, and self care products. You two have a mini fashion show before you both indulge in the pile of snacks you both picked out together. Ending the day with facemasks as you two decide what to watch that night.

[spiritus-sonne]

This is unwarranted gatekeeping to say that those 14 and under can't be therians because they aren't old enough to understand such a concept deeply enough. Back in my early days of being in the therian community we called them fluffies (and we shouldn't have done that). It's kind of ironic that so many therians say they've known since a rather young age that they are therian, but then there are people acting like that isn't legit and can't happen because someone has to be at least 15 before they are blessed with the knowledge of being a therian or can even be one at all. The OP makes it sound like not only can someone 14 or less not understand they are actually therian but that they can't actually BE A THERIAN at that age and that is blatant bullshit.

I honestly don't think I became a therian until 11-12 years old, but didn't really understand it until I was 18-19 years old. That doesn't mean I wasn't a therian until I was 18-19, I was one, regardless of my ability to understand what I was. Added to that, there's always the capacity for someone to lose their therianthropy at any time, and that's also valid. If someone can understand their different sexuality or gender identity at 14 or less then they can understand if they have a different species identity. They may or may not understand it to a particularly 'deep' level, but that's okay, they don't need to. They don't need to "prove" themselves and their identity to us for them to be valid therians. We don't get to decide for other people whether or not someone is a therian, regardless of their age.

Don't bash me in for saying this..but I don't consider anyone 14 or under who especially has tiktok to really be a therian.

They're more than likley gonna grow out of it. I'm not hating them for saying they are a therian but most people that young don't even know the meaning and seriousness of the identity.

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Chapter 5

Chapter 4 Normal Story

Thank you @shatcey for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

"The God is infatuated with a foreign girl" –– the rumor spread among the people faster than a fire along a fuse.

Emma: Living God… I can't go on anymore…

Azel: ..........

I wipe away the dripping sweat and step into the shade of a building to avoid the scorching sun.

Even so, my body is hot, and my limbs are already complaining of fatigue.

Azel looks down at me with a cold expression as I collapse on the spot.

Azel: What do you want me to do about it?

His mystical eyes are harsh, with no trace of the compassion he had when we first met.

I may have incurred the God's displeasure, but I no longer had the luxury of fearing divine punishment.

Emma: It's just as you suspect.

Azel: …Ah, so you're saying…

Azel kneels before me and lifts my chin with a forceful grip devoid of any tenderness.

Azel: You want me to be kind to you?

Emma: Please… I beg you…

(If this continues, I'll…)

–– Time rewinds a little.

Nadia: By order of the King, I, Nadia, have been assigned to attend to your needs, Lady Emma, starting today.

Aisha: I'm Aisha. We, the head maids of the harem, will serve you to the best of our abilities. Pleased to meet you.

Emma: Oh… Thank you for your concern. But I'm just a humble book merchant, so I don't need—

Nadia: Now, let's start with a bath. The Living God might visit you in your dreams.

Aisha: We must groom your hair beautifully, polish your skin thoroughly, and as for perfume… I wonder what the Living God prefers.

Nadia: We don't know, so let's use roses for now. Lady Emma seems to be from Rhodolite.

Aisha: That's a good idea! Let's do that.

Emma: You really don't have to go that far!

Emma: At least let me bathe alone— Please, have mercy…!

-

Izzet: I am Izzet, and I will be in charge of your protection from today forward, Lady Emma.

Izzet: I usually serve as a messenger, but this time I have officially received a royal order to eliminate any danger approaching you.

Emma: Oh… Thank you very much. However, I am just a humble book merchant, so I don't need a guard—

Izzet: Please reconsider. The Living God's favor is an honor for women all over the country.

Izzet: Even with the divine protection of the God, it's not possible to say for sure that there won't be any envy, resentment, jealousy, or anger…

Emma: … I understand. Thank you for your service. I look forward to working with you.

-

Enis: I apologize for summoning you so suddenly.

Enis: Are you having any trouble at the castle? If you tell me, I can help with most things.

Emma: Thank you for your kindness.

Emma: If you would be so kind as to listen to my wish…

Emma: Could you please treat me as just a humble book merchant, as before?

Enis: I cannot do that. You are the one and only woman who has received the Living God's favor.

Enis: For many years, Tanzanite has struggled with the lack of a woman who could capture the Living God's heart.

Enis: But finally, our long-held wish has come true, and the royal court is overflowing with joy.

Enis: It is the king's duty to increase the national power and entertain you… Please accept it.

The seriousness of being misunderstood as having the Living God's favor is something that sinks in with the passage of time.

-

Emma: Clavis, please stop.

Clavis: I haven't even said anything yet?

Emma: You have a mischievous grin on your face… You're enjoying this, aren't you?

Clavis: Haha, yes, I'm quite amused right now! Now, I'm sure you have a lot to talk about, right?

Clavis: This gentleman will listen to all your troubles.

Today, once again, we hold a secret feast with Clavis and Luke in a guest room of Tanzanite Castle.

From the moment I was summoned, I knew what the "main dish" of the feast would be.

Clavis: Luke, give Emma some alcohol.

Luke: No way I'm letting her drink. It's Tanzanite tea today.

Unlike Clavis, who can't stop grinning, Luke seems concerned for me, skillfully brewing the tea with practiced hands and offering it to me.

Emma: Thank you. This tea… I don't think I've ever seen it before.

Luke: I heard it's made by crushing several kinds of fruits. It's called "Zel Tea," and it seems to be very popular right now.

Emma: "Zel Tea"?

Luke: I heard it's taken from the Living God's first name.

(It's even become a name for tea!?)

Luke: They say it has all sorts of benefits, like curing illnesses, erasing worries, and making love come true.

Emma: …The people in this town really are devout.

Clavis: And you've been favored by that amazing God, haven't you?

I avert my gaze from Clavis, who can't stop smirking, and take a sip of the tea to calm myself down.

(Hmm, it's sweet and delicious.)

(It's a far cry from the image of the Living God… but I like this flavor.)

I take a breath, savoring the sweetness, and clear my mind of all distractions.

Emma: I have absolutely no recollection of such a thing, but it seems that's the case.

Clavis: Oh, you have no recollection…! So it was love at first sight for Prince Azel?

Luke: He has good taste.

Clavis: As expected of a God. But it is a bit surprising.

Clavis also takes a sip of the tea that Luke brewed for him and relaxes his expression as if satisfied with the taste.

Clavis: I thought he wasn't the least bit interested in romance that has no monetary value…

Emma: …Perhaps he just found a foreign woman to be a novelty.

Luke: No way. Look around Tanzanite. There are tourists from all over, men and women alike, right?

Clavis: Yes, a "foreign girl" isn't a rare existence for a God.

Clavis: Therefore, regardless of your origin, he must have found some value in you.

Clavis: Now, the question is, what exactly is that value… What do you think, Luke?

Luke: Me? Well…

Luke: Maybe it's a way to keep us in check?

Emma: Keep you in check?

(...The conversation suddenly took a disturbing turn.)

Luke pulls out honey from somewhere and puts it in his own cup, stirring it with a spoon.

Luke: You've probably noticed it too, haven't you? About the reason we came to Tanzanite.

Emma: Vaguely… It has something to do with the three-country alliance, right?

Luke: That's right. We're investigating the reason why Tanzanite formed the alliance, due to various circumstances.

Luke: So, I've been looking into it for the past few days, and it seems like the God holds the sovereignty when it comes to politics.

Luke: In other words, if there's some reason why they formed the alliance, the God is at the core of it.

Luke: And that God has set his sights on a woman who's close to us, right?

Luke: Tanzanite is outwardly welcoming us. But if they're wary of us behind the scenes—

Luke: There's a good chance they could take you hostage if something inconvenient happens.

(Hostage… I hadn't thought of that, but it's possible.)

(Even if the "infatuation" thing is just a coincidence…)

(There's no doubt that the Living God had some purpose in binding me with debt.)

(But, it doesn't make sense if that's "all" there is to it.)

Emma: Even if that's the case, Rhodolite and Tanzanite aren't on bad terms, are they?

Emma: Is there any reason to be wary of Prince Luke and Prince Clavis to the point of taking a hostage?

(If there's something they don't want the three-country alliance to know about, they might be wary.)

(But, if that's the case, they could have refused entry to Rhodolite.)

Luke, who had been serious until then, suddenly laughed and took a sip of his tea.

Luke: Well, that's true. I might be overthinking it.

Clavis: Luke, you…

On the contrary, Clavis becomes serious this time.

Luke: Wh-what…?

Clavis puts down his cup, approaches Luke, and places a hand on his shoulder.

Clavis: Big brother Clavis is touched right now. To think that Luke is seriously working…!

(I was kind of thinking that…!)

Luke: G-get off me, it's annoying!

Luke brushes Clavis's hand away and quickly retreats to the corner of the room.

He was surprisingly agile for someone who usually slacks off.

Clavis: I'm more surprised by your growth than the Living God situation.

Luke: …I should have slacked off if I knew I'd be praised this much.

Emma: Why? Serious Luke is cool too.

Luke: I'm not really working seriously. It's just…

Emma: …Just?

Luke: No… Anyway, I'm fine as long as that God doesn't harm you in any way.

(I wonder what he was about to say?)

Luke's attitude bothers me, but I miss the timing to press further.

Clavis: The hostage theory might have some merit, but I'd still like to believe in the theory that he's fallen for your personality, Emma.

Clavis: Because that's much more interesting, haha.

(That's the one thing that's not true.)

Clavis: Emma, there are various theories, but what matters is your will.

Clavis: Is Prince Azel's favor unwelcome, or are you not entirely opposed to it? Could you tell us for reference?

(Ah… So this was the main topic.)

I take another sip of tea, as if to hide my trembling hands from nervousness.

Emma: I don't think it's unwelcome.

Luke: Really?

Emma: Really, it's an honor to be liked by a God, isn't it? I'm happy… ahaha… haha…

(...I wonder if that was a bit too unconvincing.)

Emma: Anyway… there's nothing to worry about.

Emma: Thanks to the Living God, my treatment might improve, but it won't get worse—

Luke: It will, won't it?

My shoulders jump in surprise.

Luke: You're tired, aren't you?

(...I guess I can't hide that much.)

Clavis: Some people enjoy being pampered, while others are not used to it. You're clearly the latter.

Luke: If you don't like it, refuse it.

Emma: …I have been refusing, though.

Emma: It's a national celebration to be favored by the Living God.

Luke: That's not our problem.

Clavis: Haha, if push comes to shove, let's all three of us, you, Luke, and I, run away!

Clavis: Even though you're favored by the God, you're still just an ordinary person. There's no need for you to stay in the castle.

(...Oh, right. There's the option of escaping from the castle.)

(The owner won't be back for a while, and it might be a good idea to take refuge somewhere other than here.)

Luke: But, even if we run away, wouldn't they assign maids and guards to any inn we stay at?

Luke: I don't think the treatment would change much.

Clavis: Then let's find a love escape destination where we can live peacefully.

Clavis: It seems like it'll be a three-way, muddled love-hate drama between me, Luke, and Prince Azel.

Luke: Don't do anything unnecessary, okay?

(If that's the case, I know just the place.)

(The one and only place where maids, guards, and even the king can't easily enter.)

*back to present time*

Emma: Please… I beg you…

(If this continues, I don't think I can remain safe, both physically and mentally—...)

Emma: Please let me live here too!

Azel: Rejected. Goodbye.

(There was no room for negotiation…!)

Azel, still holding my chin as I kneel, pokes my cheek.

Azel: More importantly, I'm counting on you for the next errand.

Emma: Again!? I just went shopping!

(And thanks to that, my whole body is hot and I feel sluggish…)

Azel: Poor you. But you owe me money.

Azel: If you could pay it all off at once, you wouldn't have to run errands…

Azel: But you can't, can you?

(That smile… It's infuriating.)

Azel lets go of my hand and offers me a folded piece of paper.

I reluctantly accept it and check the contents. My head swims as I see a long list of items written in illegible handwriting.

Emma: Living God, are you aware? I'm not in a position to walk around town freely right now.

Emma: Whether I'm working as a book merchant or running errands in town…

Emma: I have about ten people following me, including guards and attendants.

Emma: Everyone stares at me, and tourists who mistake me for a celebrity call out to me…

Azel: That's not my concern.

Azel: Those attendants and guards cannot enter the temple without my permission.

(That's right… That's why this is the only place I can take refuge.)

Even though I pleaded with him after making a difficult decision, Azel doesn't seem to care.

Azel: I don't care if you're exhausted, so just go quickly.

Emma: …Then I guess there's no dinner for today.

Emma: I can't cook if I'm tired, so it's a shame.

Azel: Then how about cooking before you go to town? That solves everything, doesn't it?

Emma: …You evil God…

Azel: You're incorrigible, increasing your debt again with slander?

(He always has a retort…)

As I clench my fists tightly, Azel suddenly looks away.

It's not that he's averting his eyes from me, but rather that he seems to have noticed some presence.

(...Is someone coming?)

I can see a figure in the distance amidst the swirling sand.

As soon as the figure sees Azel, they kneel and bow their head.

Azel: It's rare for you to enter here, Izzet.

Izzet: The High Priest requests your presence, Lady Emma.

Emma: …The High Priest?

(If I remember correctly… He's an authority figure on par with the King and the Living God…)

There's only one reason why someone of such high standing in Tanzanite would summon me.

I gasp, and at almost the same time, Azel places his hand on my head.

Azel: If he has business with her, he should come here himself.

Azel: I'd like him to know his place.

.

.

.

Chapter 6

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[whereserpentswalk]

People treat you differently now that you're a cyborg. You've always wanted to be one, even when you were a kid and it was less socially acceptable. But now you fully are one, having gotten surgery to replace the majority of your body.

You look less human then most cyborgs. You didn't want to leave any of your skin intact. A lot of people see you and think you're entirely robotic. You have a face but it's more of a stylized metal mask to cover your eyes and brain then anything realistically human. You don't think of yourself as human, you know some cyborgs really push hard that they're still human, but it's not how you think of yourself. You think of yourself as something that has some human organs, but not something that's fully human.

You're really euphoric about how your new body looks and feels, it's so nice to be what you are, you love just looking at yourself in the mirror, or feeling sensations on your new metal carapace, or the way your body looks in different outfits. You love how it feels just to go outside in a body you love, to interact with people and know they're looking at you with the form you have now. You love how it feels to move your new limbs, and how it feels when someone cuddles your hard steel body, or how kisses feel on your metalic chest, or when someone pets your synthetic plastic hair.

Some of the worst bigotry you've gotten is other cyborgs reacting to that your happy with your body. Cyborgs who were forced to give up their humanity, either due to injury or due to more oppressive circumstances who call your a mockery of their struggle. People who believe their existence is defined by pain are so very upset that yourse is defined by joy. You've been called a fetish, and insult to what they are, an example of mental illness, by people who don't understand why you'd want to be like them. There's also a large amount of cyborgs, voluntary or involuntary, with more flesh on their bodies then you who take comfort in the fact that they're not like you, that they're not one of the really horrifying ones, that at least they're normal in ways you'll never be again.

The way non cyborgs think of you is far more subtle in its bigotry, but it's still there nonetheless. Most people aren't going to openly call you a slur, but you know when someone is horrified by what you did to yourself, even if they try to hide it. You've had people who knew you talk about how pretty you were, had people tell you that you could have at least kept your face, or had people who met you ask what you "really" look like (meaning how you looked before your surgeries). People also are just less likely to see you as a person, even if they tolerate your presence. They don't see your feelings as something to consider the same way they did when you looked human, and they're way more likely to see you as dangerous or potentially violent. Worst of all people don't see your body as having the same boundaries as you used to have, they don't understand why you wouldn't want to be touched, or why you wouldn't want to be seen without your pants on, when you're made of metal. It's a good thing you live in a large city, with a large population of cyborgs and robots, because you don't feel fully safe around humans now.

You had to give a guest lecture to some undergrads recently as part of your grad school program and it was weird the way they looked at you. The way they just didn't respect your authority at all, how they saw you as some strange creature and not someone who was essentially their professor for the day. How when you casually described yourself as an adult person, all the humans, professors and students alike seemed suprised, because they didn't think of you that way. People are suprised at so many things, later that week while you were taking the subway with a human freind she was suprised to learn that you had sex, she wasnt insensitive enough to ask how, but the point still stands that so many people forget that you're just a normal person.

You're happy to have a body you enjoy, but it cost more then money.

[acourtofthought]

Sarah is a master at telling us what's going to happen without us realizing what she's telling us. She hides her real meaning inside statements that seem to be referring to something else.

Elain was exactly as I’d remembered her, the way I’d made myself remember her in those dungeons, when I told myself that if I failed, if Amarantha crossed the wall, she’d be next. The way she’d be next if the King of Hybern shattered the wall, if I didn’t get the Book of Breathings.

Elain was next, the next Archeron to turn fae but that's not what we got out of that statement when first reading it. We assumed it meant she'd be killed but I don't think any (at least not many) realized she'd be kidnapped and thrown into the Cauldron to become fae. Feyre was the first to be turned and Elain the second - the next.

Sarah did not come right out and have Feyre say, "I worried about Elain being turned fae like me" but she did place a tiny clue for the reader of Elain's future story inside Feyre's fears of what might happen to Elain.

Even wasted away by grief and despair, Elain’s beauty was remarkable. Hers was a face that could bring kings to their knees.

Elain did bring a king to his knees, when she stabbed the King of Hybern. But again, that's not at all what we thought of when first reading that statement.

That's why I don't put much stock in the obvious statements like Feyre thinking how handsome Elain and Az would be together or Feyre wondering why Elain and Az aren't mates or Nesta thinking Elain must be taking spy lessons. It's all a little too spelled out. But something like "the Spring Court had been made for someone like her" is one of those less direct statements. We read it and assume it means because Elain likes flowers and the Spring Court has constant flowers in bloom since the statement was made while Nesta was taking in the scenery but to me, it's Sarah telling us that the Court itself was literally MADE for Elain to one day rule / restore it. That her destiny was always going to lead her there, that the Spring Court which is now falling apart and in disrepair is in this state because it's waiting for her.

[xmollyweasleyx]

Molly had been speaking so much it hardly gave Mira any chance to hop into the conversation. If she had any faults, one would be that when she got too passionate about something all she could do was talk, hoping the other person would truly hear her and what she had to say. Molly believed in everything she said and wouldn't trade her words for anything but maybe she should space them out a bit more -- give more time for actual conversation instead of a monologue. But that's how she had always been, from childhood on. As a child if she didn't speak with confidence and a loud voice her brothers would drown her out. She learned at a young age that having a voice was important, no matter the cost. Just with that thought she laughed at Mira's statement. "Yes, we women do learn the hard way. But it makes us all the stronger for it, yeah?"

The redhead smiled softly and shook her curls, "Mira, Molly Weasley is always right." She wasn't vain. Far from it. She simply believed in everything she believed in. In that vein she would always be right. "It's wonderful that you love being a healer. It's not a job many can do. Lots of schooling and the stress -- I imagine you see things that aren't the greatest. I commend you for your work. Truly. Seems a shame you can't find time for a holiday though. Everyone deserves at least a couple days to themselves. Hopefully soon." Molly gave a soft smile.

"Yes, i suppose the little one does deserve a little attention since it's our day out," she looked at Bill with joy in her eyes as he munched away. "Please try to have a good day, love. And find time for that break?"

[ END ]

It was hard not to smile when Molly spoke so passionately, she was always full of so much energy and warmth, she wasn’t sure how the woman did it. What it must be like to have such strong convictions that she must share them with everyone. The opposite of her, she was always quiet and reserved. She preferred to be on the edge of things always, she had never felt strongly enough about anything to speak out in such a way. She wanted to blend in, spending much of her time alone with her own treacherous thoughts. She laughed softly at the conviction in Molly’s voice when she spoke about Arthur, to see the love in her features as she spoke about him. “No, I think we as women learn the hard way rather quickly, yes?” It would only be a matter of time before her parents expected an engagement again.

“I hope you’re right.” She smiled softly. “I do love being a healer.” But even that had been ruined for her with time. When she always expected to help, to be at the death eaters beck and call, it grew tiring. She laughed as she pointed to her head and she nodded. “You wouldn’t be wrong. A holiday would be nice but it just seems impossible to find the time anymore.” She shook her head as Molly finished. “No it’s alright, most of it I’m pretty sure I needed to hear.” She assured her with a small laugh. “Thank you Molly, I appreciate it. But please, don’t let me keep you from Bill any longer. I really should be going anyway.”

[importantdestinydefendor]

Chapter 133 reaction

SO. It is here. The start of the final. And the chapter did not disappoint!

I love that we start with Kishward. The way that he is ready to just... start fighting his goddamn father-in-law. The fucking horror he must feel right now.

WHY DOES MANUCHER LOOK SO CREEPY AAAAAA

GIEVE AND TUS! Ready to fight as well!

Saam, love of my life, I know that you are having the worst day of YOUR life but

WHY AND HOW IS YOUR CHIN GETTING SQUARER??

Back to being serious though.

I liked that we saw the different weapons from the imposters.

ThE REACTIONS! Zandeh, poor baby!

Love how Hilmes is stepping up! Go, Hilmes, go! Protect the pup!

Aaaaaa, Isfan! Also, Kubad reaction! All the ngo with the flow characters (Gieve, Kubad) are getting serious!

Aaaand immediat change to the Daryun vs. Vahriz fight!

This is not a panel I ever tgought I see... My feelings are all over the place! (Great compasition by the way!)

Daryun fighting for his life while being so confused 😭

Baaabbyyyyyyy 😭

Narsus mind doing backflips with the way he is trying to keep up with all the new info

Look, I am with you Arslan but what is this shade to the elderly?? WHAT HAPPENED TO RESPECT YOUR ELDERS, YOUNG MAN???!!!

Ho god ho god! The fight is making my heart race!.

Arslan shaking in terror and grief 😭

ARAKAWA HOW DARE! HOW DARE YOU NEARLY GIVING ME A HEART ATTACK!

I THOUGH HE LOST AN EYE FOR A SECOND! HOLY SHIT!

When I saw that panel I was just sitting there like, "Sir, why are you T-posing????"

Aaaand back to being creepy we go!

Get this man away from my babies!

SIR, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THESE ARE THE FINEST WARRIOR PARS HAS TO OFFER. *takes off slipper* Get *slaps* your *slaps* facts *slaps* straight!

That is an ominous chapter titel cover!

Kishward and his horse are fighting for their lifes!

NOOO! NOT THE CITIZENS! (Also they fixed an error from a few chapters ago! See the man in the back telling "Manucher" that Arslan said there to be no fighting amonst Parsers anymore"

NOOOO! NOT THE HORSE! You will be missed!

I'm gonna quote my friend here: "But first of all: it was clear that Ma boy gieve would land the first hit"

Ööhm, Kishward? Please put your cape back on! It had extra shoulder protection!

Oof! Such a cold scene with Tus asking Kishward for permision to kill! He means buisness!

Ugh so cool! I still aodre his design to pieces! Especially his head gear!

There are the clouds - present for two or three chapters now...

Oh Zarawant, you have no idea what chaos is about to unleash...

And there they are - the flying apes! Fucking disgusting! (Shows good creature design)

JESUS! ARAKAWA, HOW DARE YOU MAKE THIS THE LAST PANEL OF THE CHAPTER!

Overall: A very good chapter.

Bonus! My favourit panel of the chapter!

Who could have predicted THIS?! (everyone...)