#to literally be born into the world alongside another person

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

I think when The Road to Hell Turtles were human, they looked like they could have been 2012 Splinter's brothers. Like they've got a similar face shape and hair, though Mikey and Donnie both got curly hair from somewhere.

I'm currently debating if their eye colours are different than their 2012 counterparts, except for Raph who gets green eyes after mutating and Donnie whose eyes are the same reddish-brown. Kinda like the idea of Leo having grey eyes in this au, and Mikey bright hazel, but I'm not 100% sure.

TRTH Leo probably looks the most like 2012 Splinter, because I think both these men have the unfortunate luck of looking a lot like Yuuta. Donnie looks a lot like Atsuko, and Mikey took after their maternal grandfather, whilst Raph is a good mix of their mother and uncle Gyogi.

Donnie is still the tallest by quite a wide margin - he's somewhere around 2012 Splinter's height, might be an inch or so taller. Leo and Raph are roughly the same height before and after mutating, and are somewhere between 5'8-5'10. Mikey is the shortest, which means he's also the first of the brothers to experience rat nephew being taller than him - Mikey isn't mad about this as such, but wishes it took longer than 8 years to happen.

I do think they're still a bit younger than him. Mikey was around 18 when the fire happened and they took Yoshi in, which puts him being born around 1979, whereas I headcannon 2012 Splinter being born around 1960. Leo and Raph are the oldest of the brothers, being twins, but I think they were six years older than Mikey. Not sure how old Donnie is, only that he's closer to Mikey in age.

[astriel-nya]

"That's what you want, isn't it? To be mine? Forever?"

This is my favourite Ascended Astarion line, it was like he read my Tav's mind or something. No matter how their relationship could change within eternity, my Tav wanted to be bound to Astarion forever.

Personally my Durge Warlock Tav had already made a pact with a devil, and was born Bhaalspawn so what's another bloodpact with the person they love no less? Pretty much vampire marriage, and Astarion will extend Mepistopheles blessing onto you and let you consume his blood for this so you will get none of the downsides of being a spawn.

People keep saying Ascended Astarion is Cazador 2.0 however, I haven't seen any sort of behaviour that is like that? People bring up not being able to break up with him at the end of the game, but you only get to that point after agreeing to "Forever". If they didn't want that they should have rejected being turned into his spawn.

Astarion VS Cazador

Cazador made turning into a spawn incredibly painful for Astarion. However, you awake with full HP and it didn't seem to match Astarion's experience at all:

"I remember how it hurt when I turned to a vampire. My body writhed and warped while I was utterly helpless, the grip of death owned my heart as it beat its last."

Astarion listens to your Tav depending on what they ask for, Cazador wouldn't bother with this:

"Let it hurt"/"Be gentle"

Astarion will make being a spawn different from the relationship he had with Cazador as he will bless you so you have none of the downsides he was forced to ensure. Cazador literally tortured his spawn and whored them out, he would never extend the blessing as that would make their lives happier/more equal.

"Things will be a touch different for you than they were for me when I was a spawn." "I can extend Mepistopheles' blessing unto you"

Asks what you want at end of game, puts his plans of world domination on hold just wants to be with you. If he was like Cazador the tadpole has gone, he has full control of you why would he even bother asking you what you wanted let alone doing what you wanted:

Tav - “I want to see the world with you at my side” and he will say “Then you shall. We’ll travel the lands together, tasting everything Faerun has to offer. Perhaps we’ll find somewhere we’d like to stay for a century or two – perhaps not. We have a beautiful, bloody future to look forward to, my love. I can’t be sure what it holds for us, but I know one thing. This is going to be fun.” He genuinely looks so happy here, and excited for the future in front of him, he’s free of anything Cazador cursed upon him and can actually begin living.

In the datamined epilogues there is no indication that anything bad has happened in the relationship, like he suddenly became Cazador 2.0 or something they sound happy together:

“The Vampire Ascendent he chose to leave Baldur’s Gate with his consort and travel the world indulging in every delight it offered. Rumours of their debauchery abound, but all agree a night revelling with them will be the greatest or most horrifying night of your life.”

Astarion Ascends into a creature different from Cazador so just like with the Unascended route he has a chance to break the cycle of abuse. In both routes he's going to be traumatized, go back to old coping mechanisms and have loads to work through to get to a healthy place and both routes are great. He essentially gains more humanity by being able to enjoy the luxuries of the living, so I don't believe he just turns into some mindless, power hungry Cazador 2.0 incapable of love or feelings.

"If he completes the rite, he will become a new kind of being - the Vampire Ascendant. All the strengths of his vampiric form will be amplified, and alongside them he will enjoy the luxuries of the living."

One thing I wanted to add with people saying after Ascending he treats you like a "pet" because of him calling you that petname after. Is that he literally calls you "pet" when you go into Sharesses Carrass when he's still a spawn. So that argument makes no sense. I even call my boyfriend pet as a petname irl, like it's not a big deal.

Both routes are awesome and both have grey areas and both could turn out to be healthy relationships just as much as turning into abusive ones :)) just because we dealt with Cazador doesn't mean anything is fixed instantly, it's going to take a long time and probably a lot of therapy in both cases for Astarion to start recovering.

[forteafy]

Sarah Smiles | SV5

Summary: You and Sebastian are the same person; ultra-focused on your career and surrounded by a life built and designed especially for you. When your worlds collide, you can’t help but wanting to start letting one another in, maybe the ultimate power couple will be born out of a successful race. Part of the 'Vices and Virtues' collection.

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Mentions of divorce, SV5's long hair deserves a warning of it's own.

In Formula 1, there was never a good time to take a job role. Joining mid-season was bad; having to meet expectations and places that you hadn’t a clue about beforehand. Contrary to popular belief, joining at the beginning of the season was worse. You had all the positivity from the previous season to uphold as well as the constant comparison to the choices taken the previous year. 

Maybe that was why you felt so off, standing slightly off to the rest of the Aston Martin meeting room. Although you were clad in identical uniform; your polo shirt and shorts the exact same green of everybody around you, you knew in this moment, you stuck out like a sore thumb. Several pairs of eyes were trained on you, a new face for a start since their winter break. Moreover, you were a woman. Even if it was wrong, there was a distinctive lack of them in the mechanical team. 

In your mind, that didn’t matter. If anything, it proved that you were the most competent and suited for this job. But if you were, why did you feel this nervous? Why did you want to be anywhere but in that room? Your life was so perfectly built to accommodate you, why did this job seem to alter it so quickly?

You were soon pulled out of your inner monologue when the sound of a microphoned voice filters through the room. Everybody paid attention to the commands, sitting on the chairs set around the room. You opted for the one closest to you, nobody sitting directly next to or in front of you. You were not too sure about behind and you aren’t turn around to check at this point. Not when Mike Krack was stood in front of you, microphone in hand, welcoming the team back after a well-deserved break. 

He began with the introductions, welcoming the new mechanics and PR team to their camp. There was a round of applause for each member of the team, stepping up to the front and giving a little piece of information on themselves. Aston Martin, unlike some of the other teams, had evolved into more than a job; a family knit was quite literally on the face of it, after all. At least, that was what was coming to your mind from seeing the identical stances of Lance and Lawrence. 

“And now, I’d like to welcome our newest Race Engineer who will be working alongside our very own Sebastian Vettel!” There was a cheer as the four-time champions name was mentioned. What you were not expecting, was the louder cheer which circulated the room when Mike introduced you by name, motioning for you to come and join him. 

You took a breath, focused on the task at hand, stepping up and nodding towards the group behind you. What you didn’t realise, looking back at your chair where your Aston Martin jacket was draped, was the figure sat upright on the chair behind you; a mass of blonde curls and a grin that could light up the entire racetrack, let alone the room. 

Sebastian Vettel had been sat behind you the entire time. 

A hand on your shoulder from none other than the Team Principal drew you back to the room, handing you the microphone which you gladly accepted. Your mouth opened, offering a few words to the crowd, thanking them for being so welcoming whilst you were finding your feet. 

“I’d also like to say I hope I’m able to bring something to this team and lead us to some victories. I’m so thankful to be working with such an incredible team, and to be the four-time world champion’s engineer. Uh…let’s hope we can go for five!” You finish your sentence to a massive cheer around the room, applause coming through your ears. It had taken that few moments to obtain your confidence; now you were ready to face the entire paddock with nothing but a smile and your knowledge. 

Silently, you took your place back in the chair your jacket laid upon, picking up the garment and slipping it over your arms. You thought you felt something on your shoulder. Convinced it was simply the feel of the item, you turned your attention back forward, pulling your focus towards the instructions for FP1 later that morning. But then…you feel that tap again. This time it completely draws your attention. Your head turns, what you don’t expect is the most beautiful pair of eyes, piercing into your own. Sebastian is leaning forward, a grin on his face, one hand outstretched to shake yours. It takes you a moment to register this, flustering a little before reaching down to take his hand in your own. But after that, you revert to your old self. Cool, calm, confident. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He whispers, not wanting to take the attention away from Mike, or more importantly, the Drive to Survive cameras nestled in the corner. “I have a feeling we’ll be becoming a lot more…acquainted?” 

“Oh really?” You whisper back, a grin finding a home upon your lips. “What makes you think that?” 

Before the driver can give you an answer, you’ve spun back around in your seat, hearing Mike’s instructions beginning to end. His final instructions are given, signalling for mechanics to take their positions, engineers to take their final words with the drivers. A final word of luck is given before the man steps down, signalling for his team to follow his lead. You take the opportunity to let go of a breath you didn’t realise you were holding, shoulders sagging and back no longer tense. Effortlessly, feet swing up from the chair, running a hand through your hair, feeling for the skinny elastic band resting on your wrist. Whilst your fingers are busy pulling back your hair, the figure of none other than your racer appears in front of you, his own hair now pulled back by his white headband. In between his fingers, nestle a water bottle. Your water bottle, to be exact.

“You left this under your chair.” He explains, handing over the bottle. You thank him with a smile, taking the bottle within your own grasp. The look down to the bottle causes some hair to escape from your ponytail. Instead of fixing the issue, you simply push the stands behind your ears, watching as Sebastian motions towards the door, the last few mechanics making their way to the Aston Martin pen. “Shall we walk and talk?” You can only nod, your palms becoming sweaty. You tell yourself it’s the grip on the bottle, you cannot be intimidated by the beautiful man with curly hair. 

“So, first practice…” You start, keeping pace with the man, your footsteps soon synchronising. “We need to make a statement, it’s the first race back. The driver throws you a questioning look, wondering what on earth you could mean, his eyes wanting a new explanation. “I’ve seen the way you acted at Red Bull- “

“That’s not me.” Sebastian cuts you off. “Not anymore.” 

“I’m not saying it is. What I’m saying is we need that Red Bull Sebastian behind the wheel. I want to see the fierce driver in the car- “You pauses, holding a hand up, letting his words catch in his throat. “But we want the Sebastian we know and love in front of the camera.” 

“Since when did you become my publicist too?” He jokes, pulling his sunglasses down to cover his eyes as the two of you stepped into the sunlit track of Bahrain for practice. Your mouth opens to talk before one of his hands come out, resting on your shoulder. “I’m joking. I understand you.” Visibly, your posture relaxes, pulling your own sunglasses across your eyes, the sun beating down a lot heavier than you had anticipated. 

“I’m glad somebody does.” You can’t help the grin that is ticking onto your face already. You hadn’t yet had more than a glance from the elder Aston Martin driver. He’d been absent from your final interview, having been sorting out some more…personal affairs. You’d met the remaining members of the team; the mechanics were already one big collaborative and Lance was such a sweetheart, (even despite the silver-spoon claims, he was an incredibly talented driver.) However, at this current point, you’d trade them all for another conversation with Sebastian. 

And that scared you. So used to doing everything your way, each step planned out to accommodate yourself. Why was he, (let’s face it, practically a stranger,) making you question everything? You had your own life, your own steps, you didn’t need somebody to come along and change it all with a flashy smile and a warm, attractive tone. 

“So-“ Sebastian continued the conversation, breaking back into the comfortable silence. “The team is doing a joint lunch together today, I’m pretty sure they’re ordering in pizza. You’re welcome to join, your part of the family now-” 

“No-“ Your mind mentally screamed for answering before you could even stop to think. What were you saying? Why would you turn down lunch with the entire team, it was a perfect opportunity to gain some credibility. “Fuck- no, I didn’t mean- I’m not a huge pizza person and I don’t usually-“

Sebastian doesn’t look upset. He looks almost…in awe. His grin finds its way back to his face, amused by your sudden realisation as well as his own. 

“I’m…also not a huge pizza person.” He responds, feeling like he was no longer the only human on earth who didn’t bow down to the Italian dish. “Maybe we can grab something together then? Something that the entire team isn’t going to devour before us.” He half-jokes, half smirks. “The restaurant in my hotel does the most amazing sushi rolls, we could go for them?” He’s offering up each suggestion, his own mind practically crawling to spend time with you at this point. 

You on the other hand, were aware of the infamous sushi rolls. After arriving late from the airport, the previous night, you’d stopped in the restaurant section before mustering the energy to take your suitcase to your own room. There, your eyes had scanned over each option, eventually settling on the sushi platter, eyes transfixed onto tomorrow’s schedule as you ate alone. 

What you were completely unaware of, was the figure sitting a few seats away from you, back turned, eyes fixed in a novel as a sushi roll was half eaten in his palm; his blonde hair unruly, the settlement papers long forgotten that should have been signed hours ago. 

“I could go for sushi.” You respond, as the two of you finally step into the garage. Sebastian nodded in agreement, mentioning that he would find you after practice. The driver lingers for a moment as you made your way towards the pit wall, initialled headphones waiting for you to lean into. 

“I look forward to hearing your voice on the other end of the radio!” He…jokes? Flirts? Your mind is too transfixed on the current event to tell. Besides, Sebastian has only just completed his messy, (albeit, very private,) divorce. The only reason you were aware was after a press photo released showed Vettel without his wedding band; that an off-handed comment from Lance earlier that day. 

You can barely register his words as you take your place, eyes transfixed on the data in front of you. In a matter of moments, Vettel’s voice fills the device, his tone soft as he adjusts around the car, his balaclava and helmet. He calls your name, making sure his radio is working correctly.

“Sebastian, remember what we said.” You note, switching to the readings and data you were used to, the information that was going to help Sebastian through this. “Red Bull energy, yes?”

“Red Bull energy.” He repeats, setting his helmet down, eyes fixed on the track. 

Practice was one thing, but qualification? That was another. 

The plan you had given your driver had gone perfectly, as you had predicted. After talking one another through the turns, making slight alterations that Sebastian had taken on board, he was currently one of the favourites to be taking pole position. Pats on the back by your team members were given, and after he’d gotten changed and taken a breath, Sebastian came and found you with the promise of sushi. 

The two of you had found, were almost identical. Since his divorce was finalised, Sebastian had retained being his own person. He was doing things for himself, no ties apart from his career. If he wanted something, there was no discussion. It happened. The racer however, had found that you lived by the exact same piece of fabric. 

Neither one of you were looking for anything. You both had lives to lead and always lived by if somebody could fit into that, maybe you could let them in. And with the blonde driver, it seemed as if that maybe was becoming more obvious by every single moment. 

With still around an hour to go until qualification began, you had slinked off to your seat on the pit wall, determined to carry on with your novel. Having your flight delayed by three hours and a phone that you were not able to charge until you reached the aeroplane had led you into a store, picking out a novel which looked interesting. What you didn’t expect was to be mesmerised by the story, having been completely focused for the entire flight and the previous evening in the hotel. 

Mike had told the team to reconvene in 30 minutes, giving each mechanic, assistant, engineer and driver time to prepare; after their performances, Aston Martin had a lot to lead up to; they needed their drivers focused. You’d remained comfortable, your noise-cancelling headphones playing classical music as you got lost in the world of a forbidden romance novel. You were so engrossed in your little bubble that you didn’t realise footsteps approaching you. Suddenly, your eyes remembered to dart up, seeing none other than the figure of your race driver in front of you. The man spoke, whatever he said unaudable until you placed the book down, wiggling the headphones until they were around your shoulder.

“Sorry, Sebastian. You all okay?” You asked, eyes catching his own, they practically glistened in the night lights, shining in the track ambience. 

“I said how are you feeling?” He asked. “Ready to give them another Red Bull attitude?” Although them days were behind him, he couldn’t help but find the amusement in what you had said yesterday. So much so, that when you had casually pressed your number into his phone over sushi and stories, he’d saved you as ‘Red Bull Energy.’ Maybe that was part of you, too. You had an incredible spark. An independent woman who had her life on track perfectly.  Not to mention, you were incredibly beautiful.

“Absolutely.” You confirm to the driver. “We’re going to give them a show, make them wonder why they would ever doubt Aston Martin.” Sebastian can’t help but be in awe of your energy. Somehow, that glint you gave off made him want to blush like a schoolboy again. His eyes couldn’t meet you for fear of that, so instead darted around your section of the desk, seeing the title of your discarded book. 

“Before the Sunset?” he motioned towards the book, in shock that anybody else had ever heard of that title. 

“Wha- Oh!” You suddenly registered what he was speaking about, picking up the novel and holding it against your chest. “Yes- I bought it at the airport, I’m already in love with it.” Your eyes lighten as you explain your sudden passion for the novel. Sebastian swore he could feel his heart melt a little more with the smile on your face; he was certain he’d be the one to cause that smile one day. 

“Where have you gotten to?” His curiosity overtakes him.

“Clara has just arrived in Italy; she’s still waiting for James to call her back.” You explain, replaying the moment in your head, your brain doing nothing but picturing how it would look in person. Excitedly, the book goes back to the table, arm movements getting wilder as you become more passionate. “It’s such an amazing story. Do you ever wonder how it would be, finding somebody who would go across the world for an unrequited love?”

“It’s a beautiful thing.” He agrees, taking a step closer towards you. And then…there it is. Red Bull Sebastian Vettel. “Do you…do you think going through a qualification is enough for unrequited love?” He can’t help the corny line and grin that spreads across his face. And then…the most beautiful moment.

“It depends.” You answer, without missing a beat, looking around to the crowd of workers currently working across Aston Martin and Ferrari. “Who are you trying to impress?”

Sebastian doesn’t say anything. Instead, he reaches forward, his finger and thumb resting under your chin as he turns you back to face him. He’s such a gentleman. He doesn’t say anything, but simply raises his eyebrows, waiting for you to take the very heavy hint. His eyes are sparkling, you’re almost mesmerised. Almost, but not quite. You’re still the strong woman you came into Aston Martin as; you could challenge Red Bull Sebastian any day.

“I’ll tell you what.” You grin, keeping the proximity to your driver. “Get through this qualification in one piece, make everybody wonder where this team has come from today.” You respond, eyes gleaming as Sebastian opens his mouth to respond.

“And then, we can make them talk more when I take you for a celebration drink.” He finishes. You can’t help but grin at the response, knowing that this was the Sebastian you wanted to see on the track. Without a word, you stretch your arm out, offering to shake his hand. The driver obliges, but plays it his way, pulling your arm closer to him, his body trajectory so his mouth rested close to your ear. 

“Have I ever told you there is nothing hotter than a woman who can handle her shit?” He murmurs, keeping his tone low so not to disturb or draw attention to the two. 

“Red Bull Sebastian is my shit to deal with now, huh?” You tease, referencing the ongoing reference between the two of you. The driver can’t help but chuckle at your comment, the reminder to his younger self, all those years ago, sitting in the seat of his first car.

“I’m Aston Martin Sebastian now. He’s better.” Silently, he pulls away from the top of your ear, his head drawing back to walk away, but not before his eyes catch yours one more time, a wink fluttering across his eyes, a signal to you that it was on.

“I don’t doubt it.” You respond, watching as the driver walks away, the silent promise that you will get him to pole position, and you will get that drink. 

astonmartinf1:

Liked by sebastianvettel, christianhorner and 345,204 others

astonmartinf1: Comment from our pole position WINNER, Sebastian Vettel!

SV5: 'I couldn't have asked for a better qualification, if I'm going to thank anyone, it's the team, especially my race engineer. Big things are coming!

view all comments:

astonmartinis: IS THAT JESUS? SEBASTIAN'S SECOND COMING, THE HAIR OMG-

floforzaferrari: congratulations Seb! well done to your new engineer :)

lancestroll: couldn't have asked for a better qualification, see you for celebrations tonight seb!

sebastianvettel: lancestroll: it won't be tonight my friend, I shall see you in the morning!

smoothsainzsebastian: SEB HAS PLANS?

chairleclerc: HES OUT WITH THE ENGINEER TELL ME CAP, LOVE IS COMING-

[modkatisbacc]

Saw some folks point out that Lilly was most likely like the youngest in the Alliance, since her dad fought alongside Libby, Ray, and Maya in the War.

Consider, Even if this is more of me throwing a little bit of AU out there: Her father dies when she's twelve, and wanting to keep all the elemental masters together, Wu and Garmadon bring her into the Elemental Alliance, knowing that she already had the powers of Earth.

The other elemental masters freak out because,,, *points* that is a CHILD.

But they also understand that if she was left to her own devices (her mother passed when she was really little) then she could put herself or others in grave danger with her powers.

They absolutely deck little Lilly out in impressive weapons and battle armor.

Now here we go into heavy headcanons/au territory.

With Libby being the second youngest EM in the group, her and Lilly form a close bond.

Like her parents, Ed and Edna, Libby is great at creating things. She LOVES building- mechs, especially. With Libbys help, Lilly's first mech (the one donated to TOS I've decided) was created.

Yes they may have gone all out on safety features on the mech, but would you completely trust a twelve year old with a very large elemental mech?

One day she brings over a boy. Wu and Garmadon are WORRIED because the boy is NOT an elemental master, he doesn't even know anything about fighting. She is sixteen and could punch the head clean off someone's shoulders with her powers...

These two are worried the most because they personally made it their mission to make sure the EMs were ot being hunted or used for their powers. So, bringing in a non EM into the fold was deemed risky.

They of course warm up to Lou, who thinks Lilly is the coolest person in the world and he learns basic self defense from her.

The EM Alliance falls apart when she is only 20 . *I say that bc everyone looks like they may be in their 50's, mid-late 50's after the Merge With Lilly being a decade younger well .. she would've been a decade younger at least :/*

She gets sick after she defeats Grief-Bringer. It wasn't bad at first, she honestly just thought she may have caught a cold. Also yes, in my headcanons and AUs Cole has been born when she goes to Shintaro. I have another post going into an au-headcanon mashup (I say headcanons because it isn't necessarily disproved by canon) that I kinda want to write about some day.

Knowing she was going to get worse, she started working on making sure Cole was prepared to become the next Master of Earth. When she was feeling well enough she would leave the house (unfortunately she also didn't tell Lou where she was going most of the time fidjxjsjshd)

Refused to pass on afterwards and instead keeps an eye on her family. Is the reason SOMEONE survives stuff that he shouldn't have.

Fun Facts about Lilly!!! That are canon in my stories!!!

- She is a realm hopper. Yes this is based on the fact that she apparently spied on Garmadon while he was in the Underworld in that one comic. I haven't read it but you know. I want to do something with that knowledge.

- she isn't in the Departed Realm especially after the Merge. She's trying to keep an eye on Cole while trying to find her husband and her friends. She found Wu first, of course. And with Wu, she found Garmadon. Before the Merge she would switch between watching over Lou and Cole.

- She is the only Previous EM of Ninjago to participate in the TOS, which may or may not be canon. I say this bc of that outfit and you know... The mech....

-Cole is 9, she is 29 when she dies. Also it's freaking sad because ain't no way Ray and Maya knew this until almost a decade later. Wu keeps a close eye on him and Lou afterwards. You know since he was canonically there for his birth hello??? *According to the comic*

- fun fact about me it literally took me 6 hours to write all this in one setting bc I was at work. Lilly did this to me.

Also, if there are any timeline problems that aren't just me pushing it for the AU tell me about it so I can fix it please I don't want it to be too off the course!!!

I think that's it for now,,,

[screamsofanoutlawbrain]

Hehehe, the brain juices are working..

Anyways, another AU has been marinating in my mind, I like to call this one "Reborn Ancients", it gets the point across.

Basically, before the ancient cookies could get corrupted, their souljams self destructed. Causing the ancients to die with their souljams,

They quickly grew as tall as the beasts and started to fall and fade into nothing, leaving behind silhouettes of their giant forms in the land they fell on (like Golden Cheese leaving behind an oasis in the shape of her in the dessert, for example), the souljams dying with them.

Anyways, death doesn't stay permanent for beings like them, lol. So, for various reasons, they get thrown back into new lives. Here's a summary of the reborn ancients + their new names.

Whipped Vanilla Cookie: A very many winged shepherd who knows everything that has been and will be. He doesn't let that stop him from venturing the world with his bestie (Witch's Lily) and being a rambunctious happy little guy. (He believes that every sight looks better in person, and that applies to what he sees in his mind too)

Holly Bush Cookie: One tough plant lady, literally. She's just visiting between the dragons valley and the Hollyberry Kingdom, happy with the environment and enjoying the people within. She's also hunting down Pitaya Dragon Cookie because she wants to fight them. So she's thriving over all.

Cacao Dust Cookie: A very surprisingly sweet guy who just so happens to have four arms and kinda a spirit despite not being dead. He lives as a guide to people lost in the storms in the Dark Cacao Kingdom and as a swordfighting teacher. A group of spirits saw him guiding someone through a snow storm, thought he was some spirit king, and were attached to the guy by the time he told them that he was infact, just some guy with an odd appearance (unknowing liar).

Solar Cheese Cookie: Phoenix girlie was born from a lake in an oasis next to the Golden Cheese Kingdom's pyramids, eventually meeting the cheese birds and the cookies of the Golden Cheese Kingdom, and quickly swearing to protect their Kingdom and mines from the outside with a very sudden undying loyalty. Solar Cheese thrives in the oasis outside, flying about and fighting any force that dares to attack what she protects, and staring up at the blazing sun with determination. (She's gonna fight it.)

Witch's Lily Cookie: The Faerie Kingdom decided to handle the world's latest new being of darkness and chaos with a little more nurturing kindness and care, resulting in Witch's Lily not wanting to destroy the entire world, infact, she just wants to explore with her many, many dogs! And so she does, meeting Whipped Vanilla along the way and sticking with the guy (her dogs help heard his sheep, and he heals her when in danger, alongside being each other's friends). In all truth, she's a chaotic girlie who hates DE with a burning passion, loves her friend, and wants to have fun and see the wonders of life instead of being told them.

I have SO much more to say about these guys, so if anyone wants to ask about them, please do, I beg of you.

[calliopeslyrics]

watching the Percy Jackson show makes me so emotional and nostalgic on a whole other level. It’s almost as if I’m recounting my own childhood memories but the way everything is handled with love and care for the material, the way the trio is so young and small and yet the gods see them as nothing but their own personal problem solvers whenever it’s convenient (looking at you, Poseidon) makes me tear up unironically because I never would’ve imagined seeing the books come to life with such precision that the pjo brainrot returned.

Like I cannot imagine being 12 and having to go across the country within a week to stop some family drama that could result in another war among gods and mortals. Where monsters and gods alike are trying to kill you because of your parentage when you don’t even know what your father looked like.

I remember reading Percy Jackson in middle school and loving the fact that he was my age and with every book, I grew up with him. I remember talking to my friends about the latest chapter we had read during recess and we would write about our own little demigod adventures. We would read those imagines about percabeth on instagram and conspire about how our music teacher was probably a monster like Mrs. Dodds because of how mean he was. My friend was a daughter of Poseidon and I was a daughter of apollo and we absolutely freaked out when trials of apollo first came out because of the little cameo Percy made in one of the chapters.

And now that I’m older than walker, leah and aryan and I’m seeing their characters go through all these challenges against gods and monsters and even their own extended family at CHB, I’m like omg they’re literal children. They did not have to go through all of this trauma year after year, fighting for their parent’s attention and approval.

At the end of the day, all the demigods are just kids with major mommy and/or daddy issues trying to be claimed by the very godly parent that left without a trace before they were even born. They can’t live in the mortal world without having to fight for their lives and they’re practically stuck at camp if they’re not claimed by a particularly strong or important god to even go on quests. Middle school me did not understand the layers of lore and significance of Percy’s unwavering loyalty to his mother and his friends that have fought alongside him countless times in a world where it’s eat or be eaten.

anyway I’m feeling completely normal about the series :)

[etymology-of-the-emblem]

Giant Katar / 巨刃 and Vajra-Mushti / ヴァジュラ

The Giant Katar is an Agarthan weapon designed for the Titanus automatons. A Katar is a type of push dagger—a dagger with a "T handle" that, when gripped, has the blade face out from the holder's knuckles. For context, the design of the Killer Knuckles is similar to a katar or push dagger. The katar is the most famous dagger originating from the Indian subcontinent not for its combat, but its symbolic use. Originally designed as an armor-piercing weapon, come the seventeenth century the katar was regularly carried by the nobility as both a status symbol and as means of self defense.

In Japanese, the Giant Katar is called 巨刃ジャマダハル (rōmaji: kyojin jamadaharu), literally meaning "Giant Blade Jamadhar." To start, the kanji 巨刃 when put together are phonetically similar to 巨人 (rōmaji: kyojin), meaning "giant person; titan," referencing the size of its wielder. A jamadhar is another name for a katar; it is believed to mean "death edge" combining the Sanskrit words जम jam (death) and धार dhára (edge of a blade). A less common theory mentioned on the Japanese Wikipedia article is that it ultimately derived from यम yamá and either daushtra, a supposed word for 'tooth' (only listed in articles pushing the same theory) or dhára. In Hindu mythology, Yama is the god of death and justice; it is said that he was the fist mortal born and the first mortal to die. Similarly to the Greek Hades, Yama is not portrayed as an evil entity, but the judge to determine where one goes when they die. It's possible that the mere association with death is what caused this weapon to be associated with the Agarthans, again like Hades.

The Vajra-Mushti, or simply the Vajra in Japanese (ヴァジュラ; rōmaji: vajura) are the replica Hero's Relics tied to the Crest of Chevalier. In Hinduism and Buddhism, a vajra is a sacred symbol said to be the weapon (typically a mace) of Indra. It is supposed to share the indestructible nature of diamonds and the destructive force of a thunderbolt, making it regarded as the most powerful weapon in Hinduism. Indra used the vajra to slay the serpent-like Vritra, his mortal enemy. According to the puranas, the original vajra was crafted from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, who received unbreakable bones from the god Shiva. This is rather appropriate given the method of the Heroes' Relics' creation.

A vajra-mushti, also called an Indra-musti, is a fist-type weapon or "mushtikai" like a katar. Rather than the blade protruding from the front, the vajra-mushti blended the knuckleduster's offensive ridge on the knuckles and sharp blades extending from the sides when used in general warfare. Vajra-mushti also referred to the sport of wrestling while using the weapon of the same name, which arose in the twelth-century. This was a very popular sport for the nobles of India to watch and support, alongside the bare-handed malla-yuddha. Jyeṣṭīmalla was the name given to the practitioners of both Indian wrestling sports, and in time they would be the go-to choice of bodyguard amongst the men who watched them.

Eviscerate is the combat art tied to the Vajra-Mushti, which is simply another word for disemboweling a creature, but also has been used as a general term for destruction in modern times. The latter use may relate to the Vajra's great destructive powers, while the former may refer to how the Vajra was crafted from the spine of Dadhichi; thus his body needed to be eviscerated to reach what would become the most powerful weapon in the world. In Japanese, the combat art is called 魔拳 (rōmaji: maken) meaning either "Magic Fist" or "Demon Fist". This doesn't stand out as any particular reference to anything beyond the combat art being able to target resistance; neither kanji really relates to Indra, the Devas, or the asura. It may be that the name is meant to evoke the similar-sounding phrase 負けん気 (rōmaji: makenki), referring to the "competitive spirit", rivalry, and the general sentiment of not wanting to lose. This can relate to both to the disposition of the King of Grappling that uses the (replica) Hero's Relic and the competitive nature of the actual sport of vajra-mushti. One could also relate to the "competition" between the asura and the Devas.

This was a segment from a larger document reviewing the name of most every weapon and item in Three Houses and Three Hopes. Click Here to read it in full.

[radio-ghost-cooks]

liveblogging my one piece binge: ep 3

spoilers for one piece episode 3 below

not related to the anime but i nearly got virus'd this time thank fuck i'm good at closing windows amirite

hey wait i just noticed why does Usopp's egg make a lazer beam noise

oh right. for those of you rejoining us: imminent death.

*casually* you're a fucking hellspawn. yeah sure i'll fight alongside you. gimme my swords.

oh finally the Devil Fruits lore. i already knew this bit so i'm pretty proud of myself

man the enemies give these guys a long time to monologue. i like the touch of the clouds passing overhead

YEAAAAAAAH WE GOT ZORO!!!

Luffy was like personally offended by the no-name comment

why does Zoro stand so cuntily (not like i'm complaining)

HE'S ALREADY CALLING LUFFY HIS CAPTAIN I FUCKING LOVE THESE TWO

i'd make the "i don't cook for no man" joke but i'm literally a foodservice worker. anyway can you tell i'm attached to Zoro already

OH OKAY SO GIRLIE IS SEARCHING FOR SMTH

okay i gotta ask. who is cutting her hair bc those sides are two totally different lengths (still pretty tho)

WAIT ITS THAT CLOWN DUDE ALREADY????

ZORO'S SPLASHSCREEN LET'S FUCKIN GO

sorry i'm yelling a lot but i just love all of these goobers sm already

"so how many shipmates do you have aside from me?" hehe. about that.

"i think Luffy-san was born without the ability to think things through!"

real talk snorting liquids out of ur nose hurts like fire and i'm impressed by Coby's ability to scream immediately after snarfing orange juice out of his nose (really hoping snarfing is a made up word)

"it's the most dangerous place in the world!" Luffy: "that sign won't stop me because i can't read!"

Luffy: solving problems with fistfights since 2012

YOU GO COBY!!!! GET YOUR DREAMS BOY!!!!!!!!

welp time to add another excitable anime protag to the "i'm doing it for my father" list /pos

[vitalconviction]

genesis for the ask meme :3

Sexuality Headcanon:

gay queer generally unlabelled, to the shock of no one who actually knows him personally but more shocking to people who only hear him out of context speaking in what's essentially gayer riddles than the riddler himself has put out

Gender Headcanon:

honestly, i like him being either ftm or just generally male adjacent with more masculine inclinations, he finds power in the manipulation of the imagery of what a 'man' is and so he runs with it. im personally flexible with this so im applying that back onto genesis as someone flexible with something like gender. this dude spends his time dissecting a centuries old unfinished text writing dissertations on it, he could without a doubt dissect the notions of gender along the way because of how gender is something potent in literature and poetry--linking it back to what it means to be a hero in a story about a female goddess where the modern depiction of heros is abundantly male

A ship I have with said character:

sephesis, strifesodos, valenstrifesodos, gentseng, genvin, GSC + Vincent too, if I feel like he's too lonely and start MISSING MY BOY!

I think he's almost versatile in how he could theorhetically romance anyone, but it's himself who stands in the way of that. If anyone could actually make him get out his own way, even if just a slight moment, I think these are the people who could.

A BROTP I have with said character:

gengeal, angenesis -- They're literally like. they fufill a brother dynamic to me. That's what I mean by broship. Of course people have made the (increasingly likely) argument that they actually are brothers on a semi-real-world-impossible scale, but I don't even care about the biology. Truly and fully they have such a strange dysfunctional relationship that is founded on both love and a resentment on some level. It's really strange and provoking. I think their bond is something like siblings raised to go against each other but despite everything still try to love one another. Of course an added romantic element would further complicate this and I fucking love interpersonal strife and drama so I'm not completely turning away from the idea of it, but it isn't my favourite ship inclination. I also love the idea of them horrifyingly finding out they're somewhere like 0.7% related to each other in some way but that's just my personal LOL session fuel (holdover from being in the dc fandom half my life and adoring all the batships HAHAHA)

A NOTP I have with said character:

eeh sometimes gengeal? Otherwise, mostly cis women characters because I just. I can't see him going for a non gender queer or GNC person, he is baked in queerness and so are his tastes! cant take the gay out of the gaylord LOL

A random headcanon:

His birthday has to be on a new years celebration day or start of a season change for me! For example, he could be born January 1st, literally a genesis i.e. start of the new year! That or he's born March 21 as the start of spring and the start of a new season.

I also like to use Tibetan influences in his crafting, reasoning being Banora is partially inspired by Tibet with the fruit and all, alongside Ryukyuan (Gackt W for once) + Minnan :D

Also, as for the aforementioned ships, he's very inclined towards neurodivergent people as well clearly LOL all his love interests are so off the walls non-neurotypicals it makes my heart sing and swell with pride

General Opinion over said character:

This guy are sick!!!!!! His designs gorgeous and I love his motifs, I don't get why people don't like him other than just not liking such obviously autistic people in media LOL like he's always been so endearing to me! I won't ever stop defending this dude

[tsukuyomii45]

Obito brainrot?? Now we're talking

One thing that I dislike about his character arc is that he died

Not only because I like him, really, but because dying means he refused reality in some way AND got no real consequences over his actions

He went to heaven(?) with Rin, the person he loved the most in all his life, and she doesn't hate him (I still think Rin is more merciful than God) after all he had done

Isn't his character supposed to accept reality and face the fact his actions do have consequences?

*runs hand over hair* *fixes tie* *places briefcase on the counsel table*

"Obito's criminal defense attorney, presiding."

~~

*clears throat*

Hello, anon.

Before I begin talking about Obito, I want you to look at this post here because it addresses WHY Rin forgave him and never hated him in the afterlife after all he's done.

Just give it a quick read and it should provide some proper understanding in regards to Obito's character and the way she feels about him.

~~

Now then, let's talk about Obito:

Anon, we shouldn't forget that Obito was going to die either way, regardless of whether he gets to suffer consequences or not. As soon as the husk of Juubi was extracted, he was bound to die one way or another. He was going to remain paralyzed and in a permanent coma if it weren't for Naruto healing him with his newfound powers from the Sage of the Six Paths. But even with that, he was still going to die. His time was very short and he had to make the most out of it.

*picks up paper* Tackling your allegation that Obito has "refused reality in some way and got no consequences" by dying - I would like to say that this is untrue because Obito in fact, REMARKABLY LOST to the reality of the world he very much tried to destroy.

He would've escaped reality and suffered 0 consequences if his plans actually worked. But no, he ended up getting defeated.

Also, here are the following consequences that he suffered for being a criminal: -He's hated by the rest of the world, and the only people that respect and appreciate his efforts, and know of his efforts, are Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura. They're the only witnesses to his attempt in redeeming himself. Everyone else was stuck inside their eternal dreams and they failed to see Obito awaken and choose to fight alongside Naruto and save the world. They failed to see that he's the one that betrayed Madara again and saved Naruto's life.

-He lived the life of a war criminal with a costly ambition, and achieved nothing. I mean, come on, anon. Seriously, who would want to spend 20 years of their life plotting, controlling, killing, sacrificing - all for the sake of what they think is "the greater good", only to end up being played like a puppet? He was 31 years old, and he achieved nothing because he was manipulated from the start. Even if he did survive, he doesn't even get to be the Hokage. He's simply a lost cause. Isn't that a fitting end for a criminal like him?

-No legacy. Obito left nothing behind but a trail of corpses and traumatizing memories. The only ones who did get to see his good side towards the end are Team 7. But he didn't leave anything behind for the future generation to live by; all he did was play a role in saving the world by sacrificing himself to save his old friend and ensure that Naruto would be the one to carry on his lost dream.

I'd also like to note that the way he died was pretty fucked up. He didn't get to be buried. Like, he didn't even fucking die in the land he was born in the entire time - he only has his name engraved on a big stone (after Kannabi), and he died in a whole other dimension; the same dimension that Kaguya was sealed in. Seriously, even his death was just depressing - he crumbled into fucking ash. And just as he was disintegrating, Black Zetsu was literally slandering the shit out of him (I found it hard to watch because damn), and even after he crumbled, he was still getting slandered.

Sure, he wasn't getting called out by the alliance (they actually wanted him executed after he got the Juubi extracted from him), but still - imagine just getting called names right before you're about to turn into ash... like it's just so fucked up. His entire character is just so tragic and depressing.

Lastly, to address your question - he did accept reality. He told Naruto that there will be more suffering on the way. He literally lost to the real world - and his death is an acceptance of that. He too, admitted that his fucked up death is fitting for the criminal that he is.

So no anon, he did not refuse reality - he embraced it.

Thank you.

Next case!

[dnangelic]

dai being immediately forced to turn into dark whenever he enters a dream isn't necessarily canon, and by that i mean in canon rather than any immediate, guaranteed switch it's more like his bodily state turns extremely vague and flimsy and he usually ends up getting suddenly forced to turn into dark one way or another anyways generally for psychological horror jumpscare effect, ie satoshi saying dark's appearance was proof he sold his soul or risa embracing him and asking why he couldn't be just dark, or the snow queen in the 2nd LN forcing him to transform in front of riku and describing dark's appearance too as his 'true' form. canon uses dark, again, first and foremost as a scare-tactic in plenty of situations; daisuke's worst fears have always initially involved dark as his own individual presence (rather than just a part of his own self despite dark's insistence of the fact!) stealing away everything important and desirable to him (his love, his life, his future, what little was left of his confidence,) without anyone ever knowing that 'daisuke' himself had disappeared, but that's not how it works between them, at least anymore, and definitely not always in my hc/writing.

'a dream without dark isn't a dream of mine.' dark has legitimately developed into this: daisuke's ambition, the sort of goal he, deep down inside, actually keeps in mind for himself and his future alongside becoming an artist and surrounding himself with art. daisuke legitimately wants to be dark, being compared positively to dark and likened to the 'great phantom thief' makes him incredibly happy. dark too is never a legitimate person before he's a concept, a live mask and secondary identity the niwa inherit, wear, and have passed down, and for as much as daisuke tried to reject being dark at first, the matter of the fact was he just wasn't confident in donning the literal and metaphorical mantle; he was afraid of it, and likewise dark, more often than not. dark also understands the inhumanity over his own self and the sort of burdens he imposes on his tamers, which is why he also gives them more or less free reign over what to do with his appearance--- 'when you turn into me, i'll just do as i like, because i'm you.' nothing matters to dark because he's both helpless and beholden, because he is, ultimately, a 'thing', an inanimate object, a sentient performance act, a curse and frankenstein product that was inherently, intimately born of and belongs to strictly his hosts, who he's typically desperate to be accepted by / unified with and to likewise 'become.'

in the daytime, in what daisuke and ordinary human beings recognize as 'reality,' dai does in fact serve as dark's daytime dream and mundane disguise; dark's consciousness often sleeps and daisuke lives his (shared) life as an ordinary human being, 'himself,' haunted or otherwise by his hidden truths over being dark. when realities change or when anyone visits daisuke in his sleep, whether it's daisuke willingly or suddenly dragged into any sort of dream world (ordinary worlds too, needing to be crossed and bridged by the dream-passages of works of art for the two in particular,) then daisuke's body transforms and dark's gets dragged out. dream settings are the only places where they can separate from each other, but they rarely do: dark can't leave any of these places without reuniting with daisuke's body, daisuke himself is protective and possessive about dark being with him, and daisuke, if separated and isolated from dark somehow, can't last long in a dream as an ordinary human being all by himself.

tldr??? if daisuke is still primarily the shared 'heart' of the two then dark is primarily the shared 'dream.' this is where my musing tags come from. therefore no duh during any dream shenanigans i'm going to have dai stuck looking like dark, in sleep he sang to me in dreams he came!!!!! daisuke doesn't ever dream about being himself; he isn't himself in his dreams, he's dark!

[carbondated]

KNOWN ALIASES, PART ONE:

Over the years, River has taken up many new aliases out of necessity, Sister Cantica, Miss Spritz, River Allegro. The list is as endless as it is frankly, obvious, which serves the dual purpose of being easy to remember and, a private joke she can enjoy. Of the many, many names, there are four that she finds herself coming back to over the years. Though these particular aliases were active for a long period of time, it does not mean that she lived linearly. Rather she would keep careful note of when it was safe to jump back and forwards between her own time-stream.

The following are two such names:

MELODY MALONE: verse; Manhattan's Angel ( arc: Heaven, help me now, Heaven, show the way )

Name meaning: Melody, Modern English derived from the Greek Melodia. Malone  is an Irish surname. From the Irish "Mael Eóin", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John. Occupation: Private Investigator /occasional author. Qualifications: P.I License Time zone: New York 1936-50. Nationality: British. cosmopolitan Fictional Biography: Melody Malone was born at an undisclosed time in an undisclosed place in the year [redacted.] Of what little is known about Melody, it is rumoured she has a famous archaeologist for a twin sister. (PROSE: The Ruby's Curse ) As a PI Melody chooses to focus on more obscure cases, the stranger, the better. ( PROSE: The Angel's Kiss ) She vanished quite as suddenly as she had appeared in on new years eve 1950 in the middle of a party, simply walking out into the street and never reappearing. Her personal things were retrieved from her flat in Manhattan and forwarded to a couple named Williams, believed to be distant relatives of hers.

MELODIE WILLIAMS verse; la belle dame sans merci ( arc: I would lie awake and pray you don't lie awake for me )

Name Meaning: The name Melodie is primarily of French origin that means Song, Melody. Williams, she named herself after her father's surname. Occupation: Professor Of Archaeology, specialising in pre-history. Qualifications: Doctorate in Archaeology, from the Sorbonne. Time Zone: Everywhere on Earth 1950-1980. Nationality: French. Fictional Biography: Melodie was born to a normal family with a dog and a large backyard just outside Bordeaux. She loved to dig up old coins in the yard alongside her pet dog, which lead to her passion to become an archaeologist, or so she tells people whenever they ask. For reasons unknown to most, she sometimes assists certain organisations requiring information on prehistoric finds of an alien nature. This agreement has meant travelling pretty much all of the world at someone else's expense, which suits her just fine. Despite being French, she sounds oddly British, which she attributes to being sent away to a London boarding school when she was younger. Melodie owns a house in Marseille and another small flat in Paris, though she is reluctant to explain just how she affords them. Just Like Ms Malone, Professor Melodie Williams disappeared quite suddenly as well in 1980 on an unnamed digsite. Witnesses claim she literally vanished in a puff of smoke.

[iron-bullogna]

I'm going to vent a bit about it here then. I'm a bit flustered so hopefully it isn't all over the place. Over my life I've experienced a lot of cruelty, primarily at the hands of white cis women and men. I grew up in a town of 1,000 people and my graduating class was 32. I went to the same school my entire life. The area was predominantly white and I mean that in a "I can count on my fingers and toes the amount of POC I encountered in my life before 18" way. I was also born AFAB. It was very clear from a young age I wasn't "normal". I have preschool paperwork highlighting my very obvious autistic traits (playing alone, organization, and at one point I could see from one quarterly report to the other how I taught myself to mask a behavior the aids noted as an issue, etc). My first "best friend" was a boy from the Ukraine who no one wanted to befriend because everyone assumed his English wasn't good. I can't even tell you how his English was because I don't remember that. I just remember he didn't care that I was a little weird and liked "boy" stuff and wore boys clothes when I could cause he liked "girl" stuff.

The boy and girl stuff mentioned here are literally as simple as Pokemon and Britney Spears. We were bullied by our peers, family, and parents for just being children. The only female friend I had growing up that I chose myself was bullied for being indigenous, looking masculine, (I believe Shoshone/Cherokee but I was 9 and I can't recall now apologies) and liking "boy" stuff. She moved only a few years later. I did not have another female friend until my senior year in high school and big shocker that a few years ago she was diagnosed with autism alongside her son. I knew from age 12-14 roughly that I was trans. I thought I was a transman back then. This was pre-internet btw folks. I had NO IDEA wtf a trans person was or that it was even a real thing. I just felt like I wasn't a girl and I couldn't possibly be a girl, all because of how those around me treated me. I'm not saying every transman is just a traumatized cis woman, but I know for a fact for me and my personal situation, being told I looked like a boy, all the stuff I liked was for boys, just literally everything about me = well that is what boys do, not girls. I genuinely think in my case, that it impacted me psychologically in a way so deep it gave me a lot of mental health issues surrounding gender. I would go through phases of hyper performing femininity and hypersexuality to try and fit in. I developed a huge complex around my self worth and being desirable that still persists to this day. This is the part Twitter was angry about and wouldn't let anyone interact with. I'm now 34 and it's manifested in a new way since quarantine since I didn't have interaction with people outside of close friends for that entire time. I find myself with an intense fear of pretty cis women, particularly white women. It's a genuine uncontrollable fear response where my entire body starts trembling because I can't stand the thought of being perceived by them. I feel so lacking. I don't even fucking identify as a woman anymore either but I can't even describe the dread I feel about being near them. It isn't even their fault either. They can be the nicest in the world to me but societal pressure and the treatment of women, cis and trans alike, has caused me so much harm I'm actually actively searching for a new therapist to help with this issue. TERFS out here literally causing the issues they say are "plaguing women from being women". Like HUH? You're literally reinforcing stereotypes babes!!! The same stereotypes you say are misogynistic! You're the problem!!! I actually have surgery on Monday and I told my husband I'm more afraid at being perceived by the beautiful women in the clinic (it has an attached MedSpa, trust me, they're all flawless goddesses in there) than I am being awake for the actual surgery. I don't doubt I would still come out as trans (rn I identify vaguely as non-binary/transmasc) because I just don't really vibe with the concept of gender as a whole. I would have just probably figured out that those feelings weren't necessarily me wanting to be or actually being a man a lot sooner. My heart just hurts for Imane Khelif because I can't imagine if she legit is just a normal ass cis woman with higher testosterone how it must feel right now to be attacked like that. And if she is intersex, how much she probably faced a lot of similar treatment that I did growing up. At this point I'm just rambling, but it has all made me very very sad and just brought up a lot of trauma from my own life.

[gamebunny-advance]

Today's NSR Trivia: Birth Months

Most of the main cast have semi-canon birth months.

(source)

I say "semi-canon" because the post doesn't clarify if these are actually the birth months of each character or if they were chosen based on other factors. For example, Eve being the representative of June would imply that she's likely a Gemini, aka the Twins, which could be a reference to her duality theme.

However, Mayday's canonical birthday is May 1st, which is reflected in this upload, so it's plausible that the rest are canon too.

Just for fun, under the cut is what their zodiac signs are most likely to be + some speculation about why each character was chosen to represent their respective months.

Neon J. - Capricorn (The Goat)

Often considered dependable and hardworking. They're usually considered the most responsible of the signs, so I tend to see them stereotyped as managers and CEOs, which would fit into his role of being 1010's literal manager. Interestingly, despite being an earth sign, Capricorn is actually a sea-goat, so it could also reference him being in the navy.

Edit: It completely flew over my head that Capricorn is the 10th zodiac sign. So he's probably a Capricorn just to go with his general '10' theming.

Zuke - Aquarius (The Water Bearer)

Usually characterized as free thinking and innovative. They also tend to be very independent and aloof, which would fit into Zuke's "chill dude" image. Alongside that, Aquariuses are also very quirky, so Zuke having an appreciation for art and the avant-garde may be why he was chosen for this sign. And I dunno, the urn represents a toilet or something.

DK West - Pisces (The Fish)

This one is a lot less clear to me. Pisces are usually sensitive and empathetic, which runs counter to how DK West bottles up his emotions and puts up a wall between his loved ones. I feel like if Mayday wasn't already the representative of May, then DK West would have taken May, so he'd represent Taurus, the Bull. That aside, despite him hiding it, he does reveal that he's actually pretty vulnerable and emotional beneath all his bravado, so maybe it fits more than I'm giving them credit for.

Tatiana - Aries (The Ram)

Aries is the first fire sign, so they're characterized as having a fiery personality, making that association pretty obvious. They're said to be hard-headed but head strong, which would fit into her character as being very stubborn and willing to fight her own battles. Aries is also the first sign of the zodiac cycle, so they tend to be stereotyped as being natural-born leaders, which suits Tatiana as the boss of NSR. Additionally being the first, Aries rules over the head and face, and Tatiana is literally described as the head of NSR. It could also be that this sign just so happens to be before Mayday's sign, Taurus. So she literally precedes Mayday both in life and the zodiac.

Mayday - Taurus (The Bull)

Unlike other characters, it's pretty clear that Mayday was chosen for May because her name is literally Mayday, and it's her actual birthday rather than her personality. But I'll try to make it fit anyway~ Tauruses are another stubborn sign (as fixed signs tend to be). The other stereotypes of Taurus being materialistic and pleasure seeking just don't represent Mayday well in my opinion. Though, I suppose Taurus's simple and straightforward nature could represent how Mayday is generally a straightforward kind of person. IMO, I think she would have suited Sagittarius more.

Eve - Gemini (The Twins)

As already discussed, Gemini are the twins, which fit into Eve's themes nicely. While Gemini's are considered the social butterflies of the zodiac, they're not known for being particularly committed to other people. They're often considered the most intelligent of the signs, which can lead to isolation as they find very few people that can keep up with them. In a sense, I suppose that suits Eve having a unique view of the world and feeling isolated because of it. Perhaps coincidentally, Gemini also rules over the hands and arms, an obvious symbol of Eve's. Gemini is also associated with the tarot card of "The Lovers", which has obvious implications about her past.

1010 - Cancer (The Crab)

I'm kinda stretching with 1010. Cancers are usually considered sensitive and emotional. They're the crybabies of the zodiac, which doesn't really seem to fit 1010 that well (unless you want to consider how they literally cry, "Baby.") More than anything, Cancers value "security" and tend to be homebodies, so maybe it references how as navy sailors, their job is to protect and serve their city/country. But it may be as simple as Cancer being a water sign and them being sailors, or the hard shell of the crab represents their hard metal exteriors. Cancer also rules over the breasts, so maybe it's a reference to their tig ol bitties. Its symbol is also literally a 69, so I'm not completely joking about sex appeal as a reason for making them Cancer. But it could be that they were chosen for July less for the zodiac, and more for the fact that it's a summer month, and summer is usually associated with the ocean/beaches to fit with their nautical theme.

Yinu - Leo (The Lion) The most proud and self-centered of the zodiac signs. Yinu being a literal child and stated to have been a little spoiled by Mama, this sign would fit her very well. Also, being a child prodigy has inflated her ego, and Leo is all about the ego. But Leo also rules over the heart. While it's Mama that has the heart motif, I think that just serves to link the two together. Leo is also ruled over by the sun, so it tends to be associated with the colors yellow and orange, which are both very prominent in Yinu's design. You also need the sun to grow plants, so it works out that way too.

DJSS - Virgo (The Virgin)

Virgos are kind of known for being very critical of others, but are also just as critical of themselves, if not more so. They're usually tied with Gemini as being the most intelligent of the signs, which would fit DJSS fairly well. Perhaps ironically, the ruling planet of Virgo is Mercury, the smallest of the planets in our solar system (and not counting the moon or Pluto, which are considered "planets" in astrology), but it's also the planet of communication which would fit DJSS's need to spread his "gospel" across the universe. They might also be trying to say something since his sign is the virgin, but it's unwise to assume...

Sayu - Libra (The Scales)

Libra is one of the most romantic of the signs, which would fit Sayu perfectly. Libra (and Taurus) are ruled by the planet Venus, which is associated with beauty, and Sayu's main gimmick is that she's irresistibly cute. Libra is also the scales, so it may reference how Sayu is actually a balance of ideas between multiple people (or her literal fish scales). I will give them a little credit for not making her a Pisces (even though that one would fit too). It implies that whoever made this graphic was probably thinking about the characteristics of the signs beyond just the symbol they're associated with, which is nice~

Kliff - Scorpio (The Scorpion)

Scorpio is often (unfairly) stereotyped as the most "evil" sign, which of course references his role as antagonist. They never let go of their grudges, but they're known to be incredibly passionate and seductive, which would reflect his passion for rock and how he manipulated B2J to continue the revolution. Scorpio is also a water sign, which are associated with being in tune with their emotions. This could reflect on Kliff's antagonism being fueled by his emotions, as opposed to any real logic.

Mama - Sagittarius (The Archer)

This is another one where I think the connection is very weak, or was possibly another "left-over" sign. I generally associate Sagittariuses as being thrill seeking and highly extroverted. Though they can be wise, they also tend to be fairly reckless. It's almost the opposite of how Mama is characterized as being overly protective of Yinu and being defined by both her love for her family and the anger she experiences when it's threatened. I suppose it could be argued that she starts becoming reckless as she loses her composure, but that seems to be the result of anger rather than real spontaneity. Or maybe she was chosen for December less for the zodiac and more for what the actual month entails. December is the first month of winter, when all the trees should have already shed their leaves and/or died. Since Mama's big form resembles a dying tree, maybe that's why she was chosen for December. I dunno. I really tried to make it work, but I really think hers was an afterthought.

[sharksa-shivers]

Real talk tho, why does Sharky self neglect himself so much? Tw: Self hate, depression, suicide talk, ect

I feel like i will get asked this atttt some point...So i will pre-empt it and answer it now so i can give this to peeps whenever i am asked. So...Each of The Trio derps have their own struggles and arcs throughout the series...Them dealing with different aspects of these issues they have. Max's is depression/suicidal feelings and whatnot. Dealing with aspects of his past, his anger issues, finding things to live for and ways to cope with all of the things he has in his mind. He has to fight demons for a job but he has to figure out how to deal with the ones in his own head... Kristy's is her anxiety and dealing with everything she's been shoved into and that she now has to deal with, some bits of trying to cope but also assert her own autonomy and whatnot with this whole...Demon fighting shitshow she's in now...

And Sharky's, his is his insecurities, his self hate, dealing with all of the fucking horseshit society chunks onto him literally for being a shark and daring to exist at all. Trying to figure out if he wants to please all of those people, change their minds or just...Not care...This all is spiked more whenever Sharky starts gaining more weight and whatnot and...It makes everything even fucking worse in his mind... We can talk about Max and Kristy's issues at another point since we're focusing on Sharky here. Sharky has had to deal with this shit from day 1. Day one of literally being born. He was born into a world that hated him for being a shark and perpetually looks at him like a ravonous monster/a ticking timebomb/just some beast...And Sharky has memories going back all the way to him being 4, 5, 6, of getting that sort of hate...Despite being a literal child... As a kid, he was always wondering why people hated him so muc but now as a teenager, he's wondering moreso...How can he stop it all? How does he deal with this? He knows why they hate him, people always assume he's out to eat or hurt them, assume he's 'gonna go shark' on them or however you'd want to put it... He just wants it to stop. He wants to live his own life, enjoy it and be treated like...Well, just a normalass person...Like everyone else...But alot of people do not give him that basic curtesy or kindness... Sharky takes all of these...Pent up feelings and puts them on himself alot... He'll think "if i was a human or...Something people liked, it would be different." "If i wasn't so fat, people wouldn't be so scared..." "If i could make myself smaller, less noticable, less scary..." "Show my teeth less, smile less, or...At least not with teeth, be as gentle as i possibly fucking can be, be as kind as possible..." "I wonder if i could...Find ways to hide my dorsal fin..." And it just goes...On and on... Sharky cannot change society singlehandley, he just...Cannot...He's one person and...It's a task many other sharks before him and living alongside him have to deal with also... So alot of that..........He blames on himself, he thinks if he can...Change himself, it will fix things... So...If he doesn't eat food at all, people won't be so scared, he'll lose weight, it'll get better!!! That's...What he'll tell himself but...These aren't the problems...He never was the problem...And no matter how much his friends try to help him, get through to him, he always just...Reverts back to those mindsets...He just wants to be treated like...A person...That's it...But he can't get his wish... It's a serious long journey for him, having to deal with things like Angel's romantic rejection of him, him traveling more outside of Shellside City and having those sorts of things thrown at him more, his whole weight gain thing, how he'll try so hard and just...End up nowhere again... I've said it but eventually he does reach the whole...Self acceptance part...He'll still stumble obviously but he begins to realize...He cannot change society's mind on something like...Their opinion of sharks that easily...Hell, he knows he'll probably die before that happens... So he'll slowly begin to not care as much about these things, focus more on what his friends and family think, focus on actually taking care of himself vs taking all his hate out on himself... It's not a clean road there by any means...And...It's a long road too, again, series long arc that i'm like...Describing to you... But he does get a happy ending in that regard, i can tell you that...He learns that hating himself like that gets him...Well...Fucking nowhere... But since we're in the beginning bits and middle bits, you're going to see these aspects of his character alot... P2 cuz outta room lol: https://www.tumblr.com/sharksa-shivers/729947252323418112/real-talk-tho-why-does-sharky-self-neglect?source=share

[xx-akubara-xx]

RP Horror Story: That time I purposely baited a Pedo

Years ago, back when I was in high school, I was part of an Invader Zim role-play. This took place on Gaiaonline before the inflation fiasco.

Everything took place on one continuous thread- OOC and IC interactions. And I played the part of Zim and the head 'mod' of the thread.

Some 14-13 year old girl played Dib and had some major confidence issues.

And everyone else played some variation of an OC. It was fun and honestly educational RP as everyone learned how to create a good character and a good story. We asked each other questions and made sure everything made sense. I was never able to recapture this magic in another thread- it was truly special.

Then came Tabasa Baggins. A woman in her late twenties with her very special OC named.... Tabasa Baggins. Her username and character name were the same. Her first real name apparently was also Tabasa. (Last name is fake - she was a LOTR fan)

Her OC? I recreated to the best of my ability below. Absoutely no relation to Dib.

Literally, all of this would be fine.

We had an Irken OC that was born with a full head of hair because 'it looked pretty'. We had another Irken OC that was your classic "Life is suffering" and was the best, most awesome warrior. We had a literal TALLEST OC that was super smart and attractive. I myself was an edge lord with an OC I played alongside Zim; that was basically just a mini-me.

We were all dumb kids just playing a game. But the fact that she came at us with such intensity, demanding that we give in to her romantic needs or else she'll hurt herself... I don't feel bad about picking on her 'creative choices.'

Certainly didn't help that she "TPED LICK DIS AN DOUNT SEA ENYHING OUR I WELL GIT MAD" I wish I was exaggerating. I can understand the spelling - there's a reason for everything. But did she really need to highlight everything in firetruck red, all caps? And no one was allowed to clarify her posts - or else we were picking on her. And if we didn't understand right away? God help us.

Anyways.

She introduced her character as being 'extremely attracted' to Zim. I wasn't interested in shipping Zim with anyone, so I kept rebuffing her with lines like 'no way you smell like beans,' and 'no one is worthy of zim'.

So, her character threatened to kill herself if Zim didn't love her back.

Because this threat was IC, Zim responded that he couldn't care less for a human he knew less than two days. Because that's how long this escalation took - two days.

She exploded OOC, and we all had a conversation. I explained that it really wasn't personal - I just seriously wasn't shipping Zim with anyone. 17-year-old me couldn't care less about this 27-year-old having a tantrum.

So she changed targets. Now Tabasa was super obsessed with Dib. Dib, who was played by someone even younger than I was and had a much harder time saying no.

And because they 'agreed' to the relationship, and no one wanted to hurt this adult's feelings, there didn't seem to be much I could do at that point.

The player for Dib logged on less and less, trying to avoid the times Tabasa would be on. We all did, silently. It didn't do much. She was chronically online.

When Tabasa RP'd 'french kissing' with Dib, I had enough.

(I do want to state- I did suggest kicking out Tabasa, but I was vastly outvoted. "She has autism/depression, so she doesn't know better" and other BS like that. I'm more mad about it now than I was then. So... what- we HAVE to RP with this grown adult woman, forcing her romantic fantasy on minors playing minors? Were we not allowed boundaries?)

So I did what I had to.

I created the most amazing, super deluxe OC ever. Tommy the 12-year-old. Tommy, who was super rich and spoke a dozen different languages and totally believed in aliens and in saving the world. Super awesome Tommy, who upon first sight fell MADLY in love with Tabasa and did everything in his power to woo her.

And while it took time- it did work. While the appeal of having DIB as your boyfriend, why struggle and beg a player who was barely online and was clearly uncomfortable towards your advances when you have DREAM BOAT TOMMY inviting you special dinners in Paris and buying you everything you ever wanted? I googled poems and abused google translate like there was no tomorrow.

Things were good. We had our good roleplay on one side, and I kept Tabasa busy on the other. The Dib player built up their self-esteem and roleplayed more often since they didn't have to worry about this LITERAL ADULT WOMAN constantly chasing them. I'M STILL SO PROUD OF THEIR GROWTH TO THIS DAY. THEY BUILT SUCH A SPINE OVER THE FOLLOWING MONTHS.

Things continued to be crazy. Tabasa tried to cheat on Tommy because she was still so in love with Dib. Tommy forgiving her. Dib rejecting her. Tabasa turning herself into a catgirl for attention.

Eventually, everything climaxed to Summer Vacation. Super Awesome Tommy invited everyone onto a cruise ship. Keep that in mind- a CRUSE SHIP.

And I had enough faith that I could successfully have Tommy break up with Tabasa, and the Dib player would not only be confident enough to reject them but that everyone else was finally sick of Tabasa's nonsense that they wouldn't want to coddle her anymore.

Tommy took her into a room and- honestly gave very valid reasons for the breakup. Tabasa was very clearly not interested in staying faithful in their relationship and took him for granted. And while firm, he wasn't cruel. "I hope you find someone that makes you happy, but it's time I make myself happy now." Something like that.

Tabasa- IC and OOC was losing her mind. She sent me DM after DM, begging me to not do this thing. That she will hurt herself. That I was her only reason for living. That it will be all my fault. That she will send me pictures. That she's already hurting herself, am I happy now?

Maybe this would affect me more if I didn't have an Ex-Boyfriend in real life that was pulling this exact same card, so I was kinda over it.

Tommy leaves the room, leaving Tabasa alone.

Tabasa then describes the room. Apparently, we were in a Dojo the whole time. And there were Katanas in the room - the whole time. Tabasa screamed about how she would always love Tommy and how life wasn't worth living. Tabasa described how this 12-year-old committed seppuku in a dojo while we were supposed to be on a cruise ship heading to the Bahamas.

She then made a large massive post on how she was going to go do the thing in real life, and it was all my fault. She signed off and we never saw her again.

.

.

.

Just kidding, we saw her literally a week later. Except not really her, it was her twin sister who blamed us for her death but totally wanted to RP with us with her super special OC. And how she just so happened to read over 2000 pages of disorganized RP over a one-week period, so she was totally caught up.