#to this safe space I want to protect

[tutuandscoot]

x

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 266

Back on my Danny & Ras frienemies/rivals/maybe-lovers-nobody-can-tell-their-signals-are-very-mixed train. 

See, Danny has gone through time a lot. Often. It comes with being Clockwork’s charge-son-thing and honestly he finds it fun. And several times he’s used this time travelling to get some training in. Enter Ras, stage left, also a teen at the time and also learning swordsmanship from the same person. 

And they… utterly despise each other. They would kill the other for an apple slice, if the other one would die! But also, only they can kill the other, as it is obviously their right! 

And well, they keep running into each other. It has been a hundred years, surely the other would die by now? But of course their rival would live through utter spite. Probably to spite them specifically. 

The amount of times they have ended up sparring- trying to kill each other or not- the moment they see the other is actually ridiculous. But time is also passing. And… Danny understands, not having another to talk about things people are forgetting, or have already forgotten. 

How they ended up actually talking without a murder attempt was a long story that included a demon, a dragon, a pair of fae, some bandits, and a lot of alcohol, but it happened. And then it happens again. And again, and now it’s just kind of normal to share a drink after their spars, talking about things that no longer exist, and things they miss. 

Sure Danny can go back in time again, but he knows better than to do it willy nilly. He’s matured, he’s been an adult for a hundred years now, he knows there’s consequences for messing with time, even with Clockwork’s blessings. 

The first time they got married was technically for an undercover assassination. Well, Ras was there to assassinate someone, Danny was there to grab an artifact that should Not be in the realm of the living. And they got divorced after, it was fine. 

They just, also got married again when they met a few years later, for another job. And… okay, so maybe they have gotten married over a dozen times now and only divorced like half of those times. Half of those were for the bit or while drunk! 

And even if technically they’re married or shared a bed, it’s not like they're exclusive! As Ras’ daughters’ existences attest to (adopted in one case or not). They don’t exactly have a label for their relationship, despite others asking for one or trying to put a name to it themselves. 

Now Danny knows Ras isn’t exactly a good dude, or at least on the side of ‘good’ as he’s a literal assassin. But he also knows that good? Bad? Rather relative. He had gotten labeled as a villain when he was just trying to help all that time ago after all, and really who was he to tell someone else how to live their life? 

Which brings him to now, where he’s run into his old frienemy-rival and his youngest daughter. Who has a braindead teenager and a small toddler. Which is fine, really- but also, Talia dear, why are you using a brain dead teenager to guard your three year old son? 

…

Okay, Talia dear, Ras (Derogatory), why are you using your brain dead son and grandson to guard your younger son and grandson? Do you not have the Pits, which you were soo proud about Ras? Yes, he will spar with you, but for Realms’ sake, heal, what’s his name? Ah yes, go heal Jason and he’ll actually stick around for a few years, deal? Good. 

[bisexualcroissant]

Thinking about Jean and Elodie Moreau again. Thinking about doomed siblings, and the unspeakable tragedy of it all; Jean’s hopeless despair and his need to know why, why hadn’t they saved her, because Elodie hadn’t deserved it—not like he did, right? They weren’t the same, they couldn’t be.

Jean remembering France, remembering blackberries and the little ducks of Elodie’s dress and the salty breeze off the Mediterranean. She’d been ten when he left home, just ten when he’d stopped protecting her from their mother’s temper and father’s violent business. Did she know he hadn’t gone by choice? Did she blame him or forgive him?

Jean wondering, but not being sure if he wanted to know what had really happened, because as long as he didn’t he could remember Elodie as she had been in his memory, as safe: So long as she existed as fractured memories, she was safe and small and sheltered. The long, terrible silence after Jean asked about her, and Stuart’s awful, “Did you think you were special?”

Jean’s disbelief at the unfathomable, because it was, it couldn’t be true—a single question shattering his deep-rooted belief that he had deserved everything he got, so nothing bad could have happened to Elodie, because unlike him she didn’t deserve it, right? Right? “Elodie,” Jean said, and just hearing her name aloud almost snapped him in half. “She was only ten when I left home. Ten! Why didn’t they love her enough to keep her safe? Why didn’t they–” love me?

Neil quietly saying, “I didn’t know you had a sister.” Jean’s spiral, his despair, everything breaking in an instant: They sold us both to monsters and slammed the door on our screams. Why? Why? Why?

The photograph outside the Moreau childhood home. All that mattered were the two kids sitting in the backyard: Jean at nine or ten, with a tiny Elodie buried against his side. He remembered that dress of hers, with its little yellow ducks. He’d clumsily patched up the hem a half-dozen times when she tore it on the blackberry bushes taking over their backyard. How much Jean had loved her. But in the end it wasn’t enough, not to change his fate, nor hers.

Jean and Elodie as children, as they had been. Jean the older brother who had protected her, sent away at the age of fourteen to never come home again. Jean’s unspeakable loss knowing Elodie was gone. Realising that nothing either of them ever did would have been enough to make their parents protect them; to love them enough to keep them safe. Jean’s heart, knocking holes in his ribcage, his quickly fracturing control, the escalating, violent grief. Endure. Endure. Endure.

“I am just a Moreau,” Jean said, flat and fierce. “I am not—”

“So was Elodie,” Neil reminded him, and Jean stopped breathing. “Remember that the next time you think you aren’t worth saving.”

[rubiatinctorum]

the urge to declutter things i haven't used in three to seven years vs. the urge to hoard everything i've ever owned

[spotaus]

Coda and Ichor! (Catacombtale Style!)

These two don't have a *ton* of interaction in the Main story, but since Ichor and Balance are the only two characters I've fully designed, Coda gets stuck next to him, haha!

BONUS art jumpscare:

These two actually exist in another project I'm working on too called Codex, which is basically just removing the UT aspects of Catacombtale and doing a lot more worldbuilding and character design!

Coda is older in Codex and is marked by an old God (which should get him jailed or killed, as it means for everyone else) but he hides it for years and years before he finally flees the complex he's living in to go confront the gods and stop their destructive path. Meanwhile Ichor is much the same, only he's much more ready and willing to help Coda without much prompting. Here he's also sort of a Koi Fish! (His brother is a Betta Fish)

[introspectivememories]

shanks' need/desire to protect his friends and family from anything and everything vs buggy's gigantic inferiority complex that makes him take any act of protection/love as someone looking down on him, FIGHT

[whydoifeelthisquiet]

1️⃣3️⃣

[bitchesgate3]

I will always be in favor of playersexuality. Until the day game designers have more nuanced understandings of sexuality.

Game designers still only understand flamboyant gay, mean lesbian, slutty bisexual, and quirky queer. Any identities not those are not even recognized. And any complex characterizations are only afforded to "normal" straight characters.

While Larian gave us a step in the right direction, they are still coming from the above framework and trying to reiterate upon that. And you have to understand that framework in order to recognize why their implementation is still somewhat shallow while still being the best offered compared to other games in the genre.

In the past, every time I encountered a woman in a romanceable video game who correctly represents my own experience of bisexual/pansexual identity, she was only romanceable by male characters.

These are women who have tough exteriors on a spectrum of "bitchy femme", a midpoint of "aloof androgynous", to "tough masc". All points that are gnc in some way, but all are women who also have a soft interior that is interpreted as conventionally feminine.

Game designers interpret these two traits (outward gnc and inner softness) as a nullification to heterosexual woman. Time and time again. Falling into the stereotype of being a woman for a man to tame.

Will they ever understand? Or do people as a whole just don't understand the many ways bisexuality can take shape?

[gxlden-angels]

Do not stop talking about Palestine. Do not forget about Palestine. This is not a battle of religion and I do not think it should be treated as such. From the river to the sea, they will be free 🇵🇸

Disclaimer: I am not an expert. I am just some guy in the US. I am not a direct source of information. Please listen to Palestinians. Please help them directly. Please help with protests if your country is supplying Israel with weapons like the US.

[moonturtlephilosophy]

I'm gonna stop engaging with a bunch of stuff starting next year, including any form of 'discourse' and the last thing I wanna say on this is: these bigots, gatekeepers and transphobes are all fucking stupid. Just remember that whenever one opens their mouth.

And them being hurt doesnt excuse or justify them causing further hurt. Never.

They are not worth your energy. I'm gonna start practicing that now.

I am pretty new to being active on the internet but tumblr did what a lifetime of irl idiots could not: kill that neurodivergent part of me that belived that if I just showed someone the flaws in their thinking and gave them all info they needed, they'd ajust their belive system and grow as a human being.

But it's like most people like this are hydrophobic but instead of repelling water they repell everything they don't wanna hear and doesn't fit into their fixed worldview or simply makes them uncomfortable.

Meanwhile I feel like a tissue, obsorbing everything first and then attempting to sort things out after (nervous system dysregulation goes brr).

Now post so I commit to not engaging in 'discource'.

[drag0nalias0]

Oh suddenly this isnt a safe space *retreats further into the closet*

[thasdorah]

am i going to be sad when they ruin alleria? yes. do i dislike the new look? yes. am i vibrating with excitement ever since that video came out? also yes.

[hekateisconfused]

I find it so fucking funny how when I was in my undertale phases, like everyone, Sans was my favorite character, now I CAN'T FUCKING STAND HIM. LIKE. HOOOOOHHHOHOHOHOHH I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM SO FUCKING MUCH. I GET SO VISUALLY ANGRY WHEN HE'S ON THE SCREEN THAT IT MAKES ME LOWKEY HATE THE GAME BUT I GOTTA GO BACK BECAUSE I'M A COMPLETIONIST.

[mixmangosmangoverse]

(Vague post)

Popular analog horror has gone down the antisemetism rabbit hole so I no longer feel bad about using a vaguely similar idea. I think we need a Jewish analog horror ARG in fact

[bylertruther]

really crazy how they made so many parallels like almost a #cringe amount of parallels between will and sara and gave will and hop so many compelling scenes together and literally had them save each others lives and had other characters refer to hop as will's dad and hop was the one that heard/saw will trying to communicate in the shed etc etc.................. only to then pay them fucking dust..... not even that..... just air...... an absence..... negative fucking space...... matthew and rossthew, you bitches DISGUST me for real i am both mad AND disappointed... hop and will bonding in s5 or else. OR ELSE!!!!!!!!!

[hexhaywire-updates]

Hex's stream made me want to talk about this issue :)

While the Sickling community on Tumblr is small and quiet, and I personally have not witnessed any issues (and trust me, I am more active than you realize), I am very aware of the problematic nature of the Twitter and TikTok communities (the entire Nijisanji EN community as a whole is quite problematic on TikTok & Twitter, if we're honest). So I want to remind others, it is okay and normal to block other people on social media. If it wasn't "okay" it wouldn't be a feature, and if someone takes blocking as a personal offense, then they are someone who needs to be blocked. The internet is not the real world, and always be aware of the fact that people on the internet do not know you, and you do not know them. *Don't take that as a "parasocial = EVIL" and/or you shouldn't develop love/care for others online, take it as a reminder of safety and self protection!