#which has the flower thing being a method of communication

[handweavers]

something that comes up for me over and over is a deep frustration with academics who write about and study craft but have little hands-on experience with working with that craft, because it leads to them making mistakes in their analysis and even labelling of objects and techniques incorrectly. i see this from something as simple as textiles on display in museums being labelled with techniques that are very obviously wrong (claiming something is knit when it's clearly crochet, woven when that technique could only be done as embroidery applied to cloth off-loom) to articles and books written about the history of various aspects of textiles making considerable errors when trying to describe basic aspects of textile craft-knowledge (ex. a book i read recently that tried to say that dyeing cotton is far easier than dyeing wool because cotton takes colour more easily than wool, and used that as part of an argument as to why cotton became so prominent in the industrial revolution, which is so blatantly incorrect to any dyer that it seriously harms the argument being made even if the overall point is ultimately correct)

the thing is that craft is a language, an embodied knowledge that crosses the boundaries of spoken communication into a physical understanding. craft has theory, but it is not theoretical: there is a necessary physicality to our work, to our knowledge, that cannot be substituted. two artisans who share a craft share a language, even if that language is not verbal. when you understand how a material functions and behaves without deliberate thought, when the material knowledge becomes instinct, when your hands know these things just as well if not better than your conscious mind does, new avenues of communication are opened. an embodied knowledge of a craft is its own language that is able to be communicated across time, and one easily misunderstood by those without that fluency. an academic whose knowledge is entirely theoretical may look at a piece of metalwork from the 3rd century and struggle to understand the function or intent of it, but if you were to show the same piece to a living blacksmith they would likely be able to tell you with startling accuracy what their ancient colleague was trying to do.

a more elaborate example: when i was in residence at a dye studio on bali, the dyer who mentored me showed me a bowl of shimmering grey mud, and explained in bahasa that they harvest the mud several feet under the roots of certain species of mangroves. once the mud is cleaned and strained, it's mixed with bran water and left to ferment for weeks to months.  he noted that the mud cannot be used until the fermentation process has left a glittering sheen to its surface. when layered over a fermented dye containing the flowers from a tree, the cloth turns grey, and repeated dippings in the flower-liquid and mud vats deepen this colour until it's a warm black. 

he didn't explain why this works, and he did not have to. his methods are different from mine, but the same chemical processes are occurring. tannins always turn grey when they interact with iron and they don't react to other additives the same way, so tannins (polyphenols) and iron must be fundamental parts of this process. many types of earthen clay contain a type of bacteria that creates biogenic iron as a byproduct, and mixing bran water with this mud would give the bacteria sugars to feast upon, multiplying, and producing more of this biogenic iron. when the iron content is high enough that the mud shimmers, applying this fermented mixture to cloth soaked in tannins would cause the iron to react with the tannin and finally, miraculously: a deep, living grey-black cloth.

in my dye studio i have dissolved iron sulphide ii in boiling water and submerged cloth soaked in tannin extract in this iron water, and watched it emerge, chemically altered, now deep and living grey-black just like the cloth my mentor on bali dyed. when i watched him dip cloth in this brown bath of fermented flower-water, and then into the shimmering mud and witness the cloth emerge this same shade of grey, i understand exactly what he was doing and why. embodied craft knowledge is its own language, and if you're going to dedicate your life to writing about a craft it would be of great benefit to actually "speak" that language, or you're likely to make serious errors.

the arrogance is not that different from a historian or anthropologist who tries to study a culture or people without understanding their written or spoken tongue, and then makes mistakes in their analysis because they are fundamentally disconnected from the way the people they are talking about communicate. the voyeuristic academic desire to observe and analyse the world at a distance, without participating in it. how often academics will write about social movements, political theory and philosophy and never actually get involved in any of these movements while they're happening. my issue with the way they interact with craft is less serious than the others i mentioned, but one that constantly bothers me when coming into contact with the divide between "those who make a living writing about a subject" and "those who make a living doing that subject"

[zshipperandartizt]

Hey Zshipper, can you tell me some facts about your version of the 6 fallen humans and possibly post colored pictures of them?

Of course I can!! Also I'll do you one better, I made ref sheets for them all! (minus Frisk and Chara, idk if I'll do them yet since their designs are pretty well established in the fandom.)

I don't know if this is considered an au but in my soul children lore they revived after Frisk broke the barrier with some of them staying in the underground and some going back to the surface.

Prepare for a yap session!

Starting with Charolette the Soul of Patience

Charolette is one of if not the quietest of the soul kids, often not involving herself in conversations. She usually looks pretty sad which prompts others to try and cheer her up and it works half of the time, the other half of the time she'll cry and be upset that she bothered them.

Charolette has selective mutism of which she struggles with it but she tries to find work arounds! One of the methods of communicating she has mastered is using the echo flowers! She will carry a small basket of them and hold the one that has the response she wants to give.

Next is Harry the soul of Bravery

Harry is definitely one of the most loud of the group, often shouting and being fed up with everything. He acts like he hates everyone and will try to distance himself as a way to protect himself which is a trauma response.

Harry is also the shortest of them all! He bickers with basically everyone about every little thing, often trying to make enemies of them. (mostly Clover and Willow because they mostly don't hesitate to bicker back)

Despite him being so angry all the time he does care about his friends, often showing tough love towards them since he can't show it normally.

Harry wants to become stronger to protect his friends and the ones he considers important, often training to the point of exhaustion. He'll pick fights with anyone he doesn't consider weak and sometimes he teases Willow because he thinks they're weak.

Apricot, Soul of Kindness

Apricot is very joyus and whimsy even when things get dire! They often make jokes in order to cope with whatever is happening which makes people see them as unserious. (they're just like me fr)

They have no enemies, often being friendly towards everyone! Despite being loud and enthusiastic almost all the time they're a really good listener which is why some confide in them.

They hate it when their illness is brought up and will often change the subject multiple times to deviate from the original topic. They don't like it when others worry about them, why would they have to worry when they're perfectly fine? (Also fun fact Apricot loves bunnies! They have strings on their bunny hoodie that if you pull on them the ears move up and down!)

Willow, Soul of Perseverance

Willow usually sees things from a realistic viewpoint, often questioning things to get information so they can write it down in their book. They're pretty smart and will solve a problem quickly to impress others.

Willow doesn't really understand basic empathy, often missing social cues and rarely ever showing any hint of emotion. All they want is to keep to themselves, that's it.

Willow likes hanging out with Charolette because she's quiet, they also like hanging out with Clover and April sometimes as well as Sylvine. They dislike Harry because he teases them and calls them a dork moat of the time.

Sylvine, Soul of Integrity

Sylvia loves to dance and puts on shows for the others! She will try to cheer them up with her dancing and will mess up on purpose to make them laugh, if that doesn't work then she'll ask them what she can do to help.

Sylvia doesn't like Harry because he thinks dancing is stupid, she often hangs around Charolette and Willow because they actually like to dance with her. Sylvia is a pretty boasting person, often calling her dances perfect and claiming she doesn't make any mistakes.

She also LOVES sleepovers and playing dress up! She often gets Charolette and Willow to dress in fancy clothes with her and often drags Clover and Apricot into it too as well as Harry sometimes!

Clover, Soul of Justice

Cloverrrrrr!! I hope I did their design justice (heh, get it?) because I had the most trouble with it (I cannot draw cowboy hats I'm so sorry)

Clover is friendly towards all the others, often helping them out or just hanging with them! They will often go along with the flow until something happens, then they will defend their friends at all costs.

They like playing with April, reading with Willow, arguing with Harry, and just sitting with Charolette. They think dressing up is a bit weird but sometimes it's fun so they don't mind. Clover didn't really have any friends on the surface so they depend on the soul kids to an extent, often they try to make sure they're happy and alright. (also another fun fact, they got their cowboy boots from Starlo!)

Aaaaaand that's it! If you want more facts about them then do ask! I'm happy to yap some more about them lol, also sorry for just jumping around my mind is focused on way too many things at once lol

[kahtiihma]

to my friends on the official malevolent discord server

I was recently kicked from the Invictus/Malevolent discord server and had no opportunity to reach out to anyone I was speaking with at the time before my access was removed. If we were talking and you wished to continue (or if you wanted to start a conversation with me and never had the chance), please DM me here on tumblr or contact me on discord (username: kahti). I miss you all, I’m absolutely heartbroken, and this was never how I wanted things to go. I’m hoping this tumblr message will reach at least a few of you so I don’t lose contact with everyone fully.

To everyone in the Invictus server who knew me well, I love you all. I hope you stay well. Please keep posting flowers and my heart goes out to all of you. You made this community fun and rewarding and I’m grateful for having known you. Goodbye 💕

Details will be provided below.

As many may know, I’ve been a part of the Malevolent podcast fan community for over two years and active in the official Invictus discord server run by Harlan since April 2021. I adore the community and the people there have been so lovely. Many friends have come out of that space and for years I have been vocal about how my priority has always been maintaining peace and nurturing relationships.

This is why I find it very difficult to talk about this situation.

On Friday, July 14th, I was private messaged on discord by Jo (Harlan’s wife) saying I would be kicked from the Invictus server and have my Patreon membership revoked. Immediately upon receiving that message the server vanished from my access while I was reeling in confusion. I think there was implication that I was meant to take the message as an opportunity to leave the server on my own accord but I had no access or ability to do so, nor were any of my responses for clarification given any reply.

The reason cited for kicking me was that Harlan and Jo were uncomfortable I showed interest in meeting them at this year’s FanExpo Toronto, an event we have all attended together in the past. As they did last year, they provided a google survey to track interest and attendees which contained an option “are you interested in meeting Jo & Harlan?”. Since this was the method used last year to headcount the number of people interested in a discord server meetup, I selected “yes” despite having no actual intention of interacting with them directly.

Without going into detail, there have been many incidents over this last year behind the scenes that have left me feeling very uncomfortable about the Guthries and I would rather have given them space and hoped they’d respect my space as well. If they had reached out to me and stated they weren’t comfortable with me attending any meetup they were hosting, I would have immediately respected those wishes and avoided being in the same general area at the time. However, this was the first time Jo had spoken to me in nine months and I hadn’t heard from Harlan in four months. At no point during that time was I given any indication that I was doing anything wrong or causing anyone any trouble so it came as a complete shock to be suddenly escalated to outright banned.

I knew they had me blocked since March this year but respected that as their decision even if the reasons were unclear and did my best to avoid interacting with them while still engaging in the space -- something Harlan himself stated he hoped I would continue to do when they removed my moderator status in March, which I took as his consent and blessing to remain in the server. To be told my presence was unwanted totally blindsided me and left me struggling to understand what happened.

I’m not too proud to say I immediately burst into tears in the doctor’s office I was waiting in at the time of being kicked.

I’m not concerned about retaliation. I’m not concerned with anyone taking my side. I wish they had been better at communicating their needs so this entire situation could have been avoided, but it happened and it is what it is. Currently I’m absolutely gutted bc there were so many people I enjoyed speaking with who I now have no access to nor do I have their discord names to dm them and let them know where I went. I hate that it looks like I vanished without saying goodbye.

[nerdgatehobbit]

Dinotopia Poll

There are descriptions for locations below, I couldn't figure out how to summarize them within the poll listings.

1- A Hatchery. There are baby dinosaurs to take care of! Farms are in the surrounding area. This one is probably cheating a bit as it's not a specific place, but a hatchery relatively close to the shoreline is the Denisons' introduction to Dinotopian society. Also, it bears repeating: baby dinosaurs.

2- Pooktook. Admittedly it's one of the lesser described cities, but it got a vibrant, bustling panorama. There is an implication there's a thriving craft industry, but that's the norm for Dinotopian locations.

3- Volcaneum. A town set in a caldera, there's a notable focus on metalworking. Like Pooktook, the specifics aren't dwelled on. It's probably a bit more industrial than the rest of Dinotopia, but that's a very low bar.

4- Waterfall City. This is likely the city first thought of when Dinotopia as a franchise gets mentioned, given its stunning visuals in multiple books and its focus in the TV series. The canals are a major method of getting around, but there are also plenty of bridges. Gliding and narrow paths are the ways in and out of the city. The city itself has a library, theaters, gardens (including a hedge maze), observatories, hot baths, a rare flower house, concert halls, and a Haven of the Muses (it seems to be more of a gathering place for various artist types than a school).

5- Hadro Swamp. No specific settlement is named in the main books that I caught, but the imagery used is memorable (to me, at least). It's probably a slow-paced way of living. There are regular concerts held by humans and, well, hadrosaurs (no surprise there). Reed boats are used for travel.

6- Treetown. Don't go here if you're afraid of heights, but if you loved the Ewok village in Return of the Jedi, this is the place for you. North of the Backbone Mountains and the Rainy Basin, Treetown is a relatively small community. There are plenty of sauropods. I'm not sure if it's specific to Arthur or not, but there is plenty of botany that can be researched here.

7- Cornucopia. It hosts the regular Dinosaur Olympics, where youths (saurian and human alike) prove that they've undergone physical training. It's implied that mental growth, especially in regards to teamwork, is also tested here. It's relatively close to Treetown, so both locations are near the Deep Lake.

8- Canyon City. Again, don't go here if heights are a concern. The primary Skybax Rider rookery is here as a result. However, there is a "network of trails and bridges" for the rest of the population that don't ride Skybaxes. Stone apartments are either carved out of the stone itself or constructed under ledges; windows are papered over rather than having glass. Nearby are farms growing primarily cotton, peppers, and squashes. Deeper in the canyon itself are the Sentinels that mark the entrance to the World Beneath.

9- Thermala (or another 'summit village'). A bad option if you dislike the cold and snow, as it's up in the Forbidden Mountains. Ice Age mammals are a common sight here- primarily the herbivores, but the sabertooths do have their own isolated caverns they dwell in. Sky Galleys bring supplies regularly. They tend to be one sprawling stone structure with rooms linked by passages. Mammoth-sized rooms are tunneled/carved into the mountains. Speaking of which, shed mammoth fur is spun into cloth. Music, cooking, and puppetry are common activities.

10- Sauropolis. The capital city of the island, so even on Dinotopia politics are a thing. Gardens and theaters are common. Street bands travel on dinosaurs. Due to being at a river delta, there are canals here as well (possibly part of why the TV show might have elevated the mayor of Waterfall City into a major political figure). Bicycle taxis are used to get around by many and sauropods act as school buses. There are cafes and fashion is a more important aspect of life here than in most other locations.

11- Bonabba. A small farming village with pod-shaped buildings, located near Moss Valley and Bogpeat Mash. It's used as a starting point for sauropod convoys crossing the Rainy Basin so there are large barns nearby. There are definitely spring festivals, and it's likely there are ones for the other seasons as well. Puppets and masks are used on a regular basis.

This isn't a complete list, especially as I deliberately left off the titular city of the third main book (Chandara) given its isolationist status. Being a homebody is going to be a personal choice here. Anyway, I'm curious to see what you all pick, especially those of you who are only hearing about these Dinotopian locales via this poll (which is why there are lengthy explanations).

[cowboyinternist]

hello and welcome to the post where i finally talk about some of my favorite wtnv episode art, because it’s a thing they do that i absolutely adore.

and i think it’s severely under appreciated/untalked about

starting with this one because i think it’s really lovely both in concept and execution. i have the print of it :)

i enjoy this work a lot for a same reason that i love room scenes: story told through subtlety. using the fridge as a canvas, including esteban’s drawings and letter magnets, gives us a window into the lives of these characters that we don’t really see in the typical format of this show. it’s also just really cute??

the subtle references to the past, the constant, and the current really tie the themes of the episode (and the show as a whole) together.

other things of note:

the star tarot card is representative of hope and new beginning.

the exes on the community calendar match up to the day of the month (the 15th).

i really really really like the references to the wtnv novel, because i think the novels are neglected a lot when it comes to the podcast and merchandising.

it knows with a certainty that the people seeing it will understand the niche references on it, and thus does not feel a need to explain itself.

it works really great as episode art, but also wonderfully as a 10th anniversary piece. unlike the poster. which i hate.

like the above, i love this one for several reasons. the composition, the colors, the lettering.

but above all i am a big enjoyer of flower imagery and symbolism.

lavender is pretty well known to symbolize calm, and tranquility. i think most people know that. and i think that reflects the kind of levelheaded and methodical way that carlos finally deals with his problems in this episode.

and i’m hoping the it’s representative of carlos’ mindset in the year to come? representative of him finding peace with his past.

him having his back turned to the viewer gives a sense of withdrawal or running away, but the lavender and calm atmosphere portray an aura is resignation. he’s done running.

other things:

old woman josie says in an early episode that carlos smells like lavender chewing gum

lavender is drought resilient and does very well in desert climates :)

i love this one for the same reason that i have issues with the most recent arc.

the magnifying glass both casts a shadow over and a beaming light into the community that you see in the illustration. it can be assumed that it’s only a matter of time before it bursts into flames and is destroyed under the prying eye. symbolism that is pretty easy to dissect. it tells us exactly what the danger is and exactly what is in danger in a very easy to interpret way.

welcome to night vale has always had a very heavy emphasis on community, but for me that isn’t really shown in this arc.

allegorical meaning aside, it ended up being framed in this way that ended up m very cecil & carlos vs. the night vale community + the uowii. rather than it being cecil, carlos, and the night vale community vs. the uowii. which was so

i think both of those concepts exist within the arc, but the latter is less believable because there’s so much less community detail. characters motives are not described. characters reactions to certain events are brushed past, often with little emotion to them. oh josh is missing? that sucks. anyways. dana is completely innocent? woohoo! anyways. they don’t allow room to for us, and the characters, to just FEEL? which is a stark contrast to the writing of previous years.

night vale as a community is what was at stake at this arc. but the lack of focus on characters and the relationships between them really took the stakes and emotion out of the situation. and, for me, took some impact and comedic value out of the ending.

i remember being really excited upon seeing this episode art because this piece did a really good job at setting an expectation for what the themes of this year would be. the themes were still there, but the writing didn’t do them justice and didn’t give them enough push to make them feel as impactful as they should have been.

this is all that i have the energy to talk about for now, but if there’s other episode art you’d like me to talk about, send me an ask! i’m also happy to talk about my opinions on other merch pieces that they have in their store! :)

[dailycharacteroption]

Conversion Corner: Starbound Aliens part 1

Florans

And now it’s time this week to do something I’ve meant to do for a while, but wasn’t sure how to implement: Conversions of the various playable species from Starbound!

I still remember when Starbound was first coming out as a sci-fi take on the 2D sidescrolling block-based survival game, similar to Terraria, and it has certainly evolved from there, with plenty of alien species to play as.

However, the trick comes from the fact that the alien species in Starbound only provide cosmetic effects, determining what your character and their items look like, as well as how they describe objects in the world. Not exactly a lot to work with for traits based on biology and not culture, but there is plenty of lore which helps us fill in the blanks, so that’s what we’ll be using to flesh them out.

And with that, I present the Florans.

As the name suggests, florans are a species of plant people, but I would suggest disavowing yourself of any notions of peaceful nature lovers, for the florans are predatory carnivores much earlier in their civilization’s development, tending to wear simple clothing made from local materials and wield simple weapons as a baseline. What’s more, they have trouble recognizing that other sapient species as anything other than particularly talkative meat, making them dangerous to deal with.

All of this would seem to paint them as a malicious, dangerous species that has not business being part of the galactic community, if not for the Greenfingers.

Greenfingers are a rare variant of floran that are calmer and more cerebral than their kin, more curious and eager to learn. What’s more, they also have an innate ability to manipulate plant matter, not just reshaping it, but actually coaxing plant matter to form symbiotic relationships with the technology of other species, filling in missing gaps and making it more intuitive for other florans to use.

As such, Greenfingers are the de facto leaders of floran-kind, and typically actively work to educate and enlighten their kin to better interact with other species in a peaceful context and improve their own technological innovation. The fact that there is only ever one Greenfingers in a tribe at a time might suggest perhaps some sort of hormonal trigger during development, perhaps a genetic manipulation by the Ancients to give the florans a way to uplift themselves? That’s my theory.

In any case, the very existence of the Greenfingers and individuals like the heroic hunter Nuru implies that this tribalism and speciesism is a product of their current culture, rather than anything inherent to them, and the Florans we see now in-game are likely on that transitionary period just before enlightenment where they will one day truly join their peers on the galactic stage.

Florans are humanoid in appearance, though made of green photosynthetic plant flesh, with wide, cheekless mouths like a snake and flower-like structures on their heads. Though they are a single-sex species, they do seem to possess a sense of gender identity, their bodies subtly altering to reflect that over time.

The typical floran is brash, impulsive, and quick to act, having little patience to think things through. On the other hand, they derive simple, childlike joy from their interests and methods of expression. Their Greenfinger kin are more patient by comparison, and demonstrate surprising compassion even as they use their wits to outmaneuver those bold enough to try and supplant them. In a way, the Greenfingers are almost like their tribes “parent”, trying to teach and nurture the best aspects of their people even as they fight against centuries of traditionalism.

With that in mind, floran society is basically nonexistent on a macro scale, with each individual tribe essentially governing themselves with their Greenfinger’s guidance. This does, however, mean that there is a lot of variety in how florans interact with other species. More isolated tribes may attack on sight, while those with a lot of contact with other species may have come to realize that the funny talking prey is actually fully sapient and worthy of their respect.

Floran

Ability Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Wis

HP: 4

Size and Type: Medium plants

Floran Tech Familiarity: Florans have an intuitive understanding of technology that incorporates biotech elements. They gain a +2 to Computers, Engineering, and Life Science rolls when used to interact with biotech. This includes biotech computers, biomechanical ships and other technology, technology augmented and repaired by a Greenfinger, and other options as GM discretion.

Limited Plant Benefits: Despite being plant creatures, florans don’t gain the standard immunities associated with creatures of the plant type. Instead, they gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stunning effects, unless the effect specifies that it is effective against plants.

Photosynthesis: Florans are capable of photosynthesis, though it is somewhat limited and doesn’t provide the nutrients they gain from their carnivorous lifestyle. They can survive three days on sunlight or UV light before having to roll Constitution checks for starvation.

Scavenger: Florans gain a +2 to Perception and Survival

Weapon Familiarity: Florans are always proficient with weapons with the analog special quality. Additionally, they can utilize the thought special quality of a weapon if it also has the living quality as if they had telepathy.

That will do for today, but I hope you’re excited for more of these conversion, and I hope to see you at GenCon!

[the-dye-stained-socialite]

A Brief Writeup on Marigold: (cw for red honey, imprisonment, death of a loved one, and moral corruption) Body Ref Here

The Love-Sick Captive was a revolutionary who led a lonely life on the surface. They were always passed from family to family, never keeping connections, friends, or anything really. Their life was always fraught, constantly moving, full of misery and pain. A troubled upbringing and unfair hand led them to become a revolutionary, wanting to right the wrongs through which they had lived in their woeful history. There was occasionally beauty as well though, when they worked on their lace. Lace which held codes, conveyed secrets, and funded many causes. Eventually, they found love, and became engaged

They stayed on the Surface until the murder of their fiance, the final straw after strings of deaths, illnesses, and severed connections. The murdered was both ex-lover, and hired assassin. Marigold came to the Neath, originally destined to be a Nemesis player. They continued their work as a model in the Neath, becoming an important line for communication and support.

Then they attended the wrong protest at the palace, and was captured by the Palace guards, and taken to the Cage-Gardens.

Now, thoroughly broken by the torture, they live in their cage, pining away after their Captivating Princess, willing to do anything to please her, include betraying other honey-hives who attempt escape.

Occasionally, the Princess will take them elsewhere under very close guard, for the purpose of making new, exciting memories to extract.

Sometimes she'll even let her flower go on playdates with her other pets.

Despute this though, Marigold is not above being punished and hurt. Hoever, the Princess is very careful to not kill them permanently, or risk their memories.

Marigold always has a wide-eyed look, seeming mildly, but pleasantly surprised by things. They rarely frown. They have a soft and long face shape. They deal with frequent brain fog, and honey pain. They are weak, and not kept in good health. Still, they're the best cared for Flower in the Gardens.

They wear a hat with a bug-veil that has holes eaten into it, prominently over one eye. Their clothes are tattered, and they sport a pristine red neck bow, given to them by the princess. Their eyes are sunken and dark ringed, but they always seem cheery. There is no difference between their iris and pupil, both are a hazy Red Honey color. The veil hides much of the worse effects of the honey on them, such as the honey itself, and the dark rings around their eyes, which are only visible through the holes.

Hair: Strawberry blonde

Color scheme: prominently yellow and red, plus orange.

Their eyes are the color of the red honey which they cry

Themes: love, pining, tragedy, obsession, Coping methods to deal with trauma. support systems and need for connections. cycles of abuse. Haunting, and being a ghost despite being alive

symbols: hearts, spoons, honey, flowers, bees, cages, chains

Tarot: Knight of Cups reversed

[meiliarotten]

Team Fortress 2 Kinktober Time

Day 20: Warm Embrace (Masks)

🔞MINORS DNI🔞

Pairings: Pyro x Fem!Reader

Summary: Pyro has always been more comfortable while wearing their mask.

Tags: Masks, nonverbal Pyro, sign language, they/them Pyro, non-binary amab Pyro (Pyro fucks, for the love of god stop infantilizing nonverbal/neurodivergent coded characters @ that side of the TF2 fandom)

Word Count: 2k

The Masterlist

Pyro was by far one of the most mysterious mercenaries on the team. During your first few days, you honestly considered them intimidating enough to rival Heavy, just from the aura of secrecy that they exuded. However, the more you fought together, the more trust began to build between you and your new team, Pyro included, and little by little, the fear you had started to ebb away.

While it was difficult at first, the two of you had learned to communicate with each other. Pyro’s form of “speech” consisted of unintelligible mumbles, pantomime, and the occasional use of genuine sign language. It was a method of communication that had no real pattern, and you still struggled at times, but you could say with confidence that you were probably one of the people that could interact with Pyro most effectively.

Soon the mercenary that you had almost been fearful of during your first days soon became one of your closest friends on the team. And yet, every so often, you felt a longing for more. It was a small, flickering yearning, like a burning wick. Easy enough to ignore, but definitely there, and growing steadily stronger. You tried to smother it at first, certain that it was a hopeless endeavor, that is, until the gifts began to arrive outside your room.

They were small, and you often found them in the early morning or late at night. Sometimes they were simple trinkets or jewelry, but more often than not they were flowers. The sweet scent of the plants was often mixed with the aroma of kerosene. There was little doubt from whom these gifts were coming from.

However, you had to be sure. So, you spent even more time with Pyro, the two of you often staying up “talking” late into the night. It was during one of these talks that you fell asleep on their shoulder. When you awoke the next morning, you were vaguely aware of Pyro’s gloved hand on yours. They were in the same position as when you had fallen asleep, but showed no signs of discomfort or stiffness. They simply seemed happy to have you next to them. Apparently, that was all you needed to see to be sure, because that encounter was what finally solidified your relationship as romantic. No words exchanged, no verbal confirmation, just a silent understanding.

Of course with romance came cravings for physical intimacy, which for anyone else, would be a bit difficult to have with someone who was almost constantly clad in a gas mask and a thick, flame resistant suit. Luckily for you, you weren’t just anyone. You had always had a bit of a thing for masks but had never found anyone willing to take part in your interest. Pyro, however, was overjoyed to learn about your affinity. You would be able to indulge in your kink, and they would be able to keep their face hidden.

One late night, you were up doing some last minute work when Pyro came up behind you, startling you. You were so used to fending off enemy spies on the battlefield that you instinctively picked up a defensive stance, only to relax when you realized who it was.

“Oh! It’s just you.” You sighed in relief, your posture immediately becoming more relaxed. “What are you doing up so late, Pyro?”

Pyro began signing and gesturing at you, almost frantically. You managed to pick out some meanings, despite the intense speed at which they were being conveyed.

‘Everyone is asleep. You’re still awake. I’m still awake. I want you.’

That, coupled with the way Pyro was eagerly gesturing in the direction of their room, was enough for you to understand what they wanted. You grinned, suddenly eager to abandon your work.

“Alright, I understand,” you said, your voice dipping into a more suggestive tone. Pyro shuffled from foot to foot, clearly flustered by your response. Before you could get another word out though, you were taken by the hand and pulled along back to Pyro’s room with surprising speed.

Pyro’s room was rather barren. It was windowless, and the furniture consisted of only a bed and a small wardrobe. The whole room smelled vaguely like a campfire, smokey but not overwhelmingly so. The lights were off, as usual.

Behind you, you heard the door close and the soft zipper sound of Pyro’s suit being removed. Cautiously you reached out in the darkness until your hand met newly exposed skin. Your eyes began to adjust, and you saw that the suit was draped just off their shoulders, not completely off yet. You leaned forward, kissing at their collar and shoulders, listening to the soft sounds of appreciation they made as you do so.

In return, you felt gloved hands caressing your body. Those hands traveled over you delicately, as if afraid of hurting you. Or perhaps Pyro was simply trying to commit every little detail of your figure to memory through touch alone. Whatever the reason, you were eager to feel more.

Unfortunately, you had to pull away to undress. Pyro watched from behind the circular lenses of the gas mask, thoroughly enraptured. It could be considered unnerving, but you knew better. There was no menace behind that stare, only admiration. When your clothes were completely discarded, you approached Pyro, who had taken a seat on the bed. Carefully, you placed your hands on the zipper of their suit.

“Can I?” You asked, not daring to go further until you were given permission. After a moment, Pyro gave you a nod. Still, you proceeded with caution. Slowly, the zipper descended and the suit was pulled open slightly, now fully off the shoulders and down Pyro’s upper body. Even though your eyes had adjusted to the low light, you could only see the general outline of their figure. It was something they were secretive about, but you didn’t mind. Perhaps one day Pyro would be willing to share their appearance with you, but until then, you were more than content to have them like this.

The expanse of skin was smooth in some areas, but in others you could feel the distinct pattern and texture of scars. Burn scars, to be exact. It wasn’t too surprising, given their profession. The first time you had done this, Pyro hadn’t wanted to let you linger on the scars for too long, often pulling your hands away, but now they were much more comfortable with it.

You continued to stroke your hands over their chest, ravishing them with attention and pressing soft kisses to their neck every so often. The soft whimpers you got in response were delightful, and you felt your own arousal beginning to build between your legs.

Pyro was apparently ready to go further as well, wrapping their hands around your waist and pulling you forward onto their lap. You took that as your cue to lower the zipper a bit further, shifting the suit lower until you felt the hem of undergarments, and a telltale firmness.

They took your hand by the wrist and guided you between their legs. It was a clear request for you to touch them, and you gladly complied. Your fingers hooked in the elastic waistband, pulling it down just far enough to free their erection. They shuddered as you wrapped your hand around them, stroking gently to work them up until they were fully hard.

“Does that feel good?” You asked. A soft moan and a quick nod answered your question. You continued to ignore your own arousal for a while until Pyro finally pulled your hand away.

You tilted your head at them in confusion. “What’s wrong?” You asked.

Pyro simply reached out to wrap their arms around your waist, pulling you closer. You cooperated, allowing them to maneuver you like a doll. The ease with which they moved you was quite enticing, an indicator of the strength that hid behind their shy demeanor.

You ended up straddling their lap, positioned just above their cock. They gave you a small nod and squeezed your hips, and that was all the permission you needed. You sank down with a low moan, relishing the feeling of finally relieving some of your arousal. Pyro groaned beneath you. They were muffled by the gas mask, but you could tell they were sounds of pleasure.

Those hands once again began to explore your body eagerly as you bounced on top, making use of every erogenous zone they could reach. Pyro was quite attentive, letting their hands linger in places that made you shiver and moan, often letting out a pleased sigh when they found new areas that made you squirm in delight.

Suddenly, Pyro took hold of your waist, lifting you up and slamming you back down on their cock. That strength was one of the benefits that came with carrying around a weapon as sizable as a flamethrower on the daily. You gasped at the spontaneous change of pace, but it was certainly not unwelcome. You placed your hands on their shoulders in order to steady yourself as you were repeatedly lifted up and down.

Gasps and moans fell freely from your lips. You stared into those black, circular lenses at several points, as if you were unable to look away. That gaze was a source of fright for others, especially on the battlefield, but it was endlessly tantalizing to you.

You imagined that Pyro’s face was most likely contorted with pleasure beneath that mask, much like your own current expression. The thought of that aroused you even more. However, your inability to see their face also gave them an air of stoic power and control over the situation, and you couldn’t get enough of that either.

It was difficult to describe how or why masks were alluring to you. While it was always an interest you had, it seemed to have only strengthened since your relationship with Pyro began. Having such a deep trust and understanding with someone whose face you had never seen was an odd situation. It could be considered paradoxical, having such intimate knowledge of each other and having a sense of anonymity at the same time. And you found it all strangely erotic.

“Fuck, that feels so good,” you sighed, relishing the feeling of that cock pumping in and out of you at such a fast pace. “You’re doing so well.”

Pyro moaned louder, clearly spurred on by the praise, and with how well they fucked you, you were always eager to give it.

“Oh god, Pyro!” You cried out louder than you meant to upon feeling an especially well placed thrust right to a very sensitive spot. “Keep going, just like that.”

Pyro nodded, their own noises increasing in volume as well, sounding more and more desperate. Their movements seemed to grow more frantic. You reached down between the two of you, rubbing circles around your clit and feeling your own pleasure building.

You clutched onto Pyro’s shoulders more tightly, pulling your body flush to theirs as you felt your climax overtake you. Pyro thrust wildly into you and you heard their moans peak in volume as they finished. The two of you collapsed back onto the bed, breathing hard and fast.

“God damn. That was really good,” you whispered, barely loud enough to be heard. Pyro murmured something. You were far too tired to decipher the meaning, but they seemed pleased with your reaction.

The two of you laid beside each other, nowhere near as closely entwined as you were before. You both needed time to collect yourselves, cool down, and let the adrenaline fade from your systems.

Experimentally, you brushed your hand against Pyro’s, and when they didn’t pull away, you laced your fingers with theirs. They made a soft, contented sound.

You rested your eyes as the beating of your heart slowed back to its normal pace. A few moments of silence passed before you felt a hand brushing softly against your shoulder. You opened your eyes to see Pyro laying on their side, watching you.

“You alright?” You asked, smiling warmly. They responded with a quick nod and murmur before tilting their head at you and holding their arms out expectantly.

“Yeah, I’m good too,” you said, responding to the unspoken question and welcoming Pyro’s arms wrapping around you. They held you firmly, but gently, making you feel protected and safe. With a sigh, you eagerly nestled into your lover’s body, perfectly content to fall asleep in that warm embrace.

[squeakadeeks]

Every time I look on your blog you do an amazing job at whatever hobby/craft you’re doing, and this time ITS DOLL CUSTOMIZING I’m genuinely so happy also EXTREMELY IMPRESSED!! They look so good I need to read your story and lore

THANK YOU ;-; it means a lot!! i really enjoy working on all kinds of things and getting fresh crafts on my table as often as possible haha.

alsoooo if you are interested in the story and lore of Alliacea, i do have a write up explaining the setting that I can go ahead and share below! its unfinished and a little messy but it explains the core ideas and plot.

main characters Bohai, Lamerei, Begonia, Mrysin, Pacific, and Mansoa.

Alliacea is about a magic island in an oceanic pocket realm inhabited by islanders that embody characteristic parts of the environment like the tides, the forest canopy, flowers, birds, etc. The main character, Mansoa, ends up on the island as an early teen after being physically lost at sea and emotionally unsure of her sense of self simultaneously while confronting the idea of an early death. This led to her being ""lost in more ways than one"", which is the critical requirement to arrive at Alliacea. Now in her 20’s, she remains a regular human, unclaimed by any part of the island. 

This provides a clash since if you end up on Alliacea and you cant fit in, the island finds a place for you by converting you into a part of it, such as morphing you slowly into a rock, fruit tree, flock of birds, etc, forcing you to find balance and peace. Most inhabitants are able to reach acceptance before this process is completed. However, Mansoa found a way to stay on the island by making her own role as the outsider. Her custom ecological niche as an odd man out worked for years, but over time it caused progressive problems. Namely as Mansoa shifts out of adolescence and into her full adulthood, she has to confront the long term sustainability of her sense of self being defined solely as “different”. 

The conflict between Alliacea wanting to make everyone a part of it, and Mansoa's place being distinctly not a part of it, causes the island to begin eroding. Rifts form in the main island, plants struggle to grow, the tide swells and becomes violent as the island slowly begins to sink until the paradox can be resolved.

Mansoa must understand why Alliacea is beginning to come undone, and subsequently how to solve it as the other avatar islanders work to quell their respective elements. This poses a uniquely difficult challenge for the co-lead, Pacific as his element is the tide, the primary threat to the island. Pacific had a similar role to Mansoa, as he struggled to fit in with the community and often preferred isolation. However this was less of a behavior he adapted because he didn't belong and more his method of managing his intense fear of other people, which he understood well and accepted long ago. Pacific had previously kept to himself in the tides, coming out occasionally to socialize with his few trusted close friends (namely Mansoa, Begonia, and Bohai.) However his overwhelming fear of people is part of why the ocean becomes so turbulent, and in order to thwart the primary threat to the island, he has to overcome that fear. 

Whereas Pacific’s challenge is to solve a problem he knows/is related to his fear of people, Mansoa has a much harder task of first understanding the root cause. The island begins to fall apart after a community dinner, where as the other islanders celebrate and socialize, a deep pit begins to form within Mansoa where she realizes her approach of “I’m not like the others” is making her progressively more and more unable to connect to people and unhappy. 

After the first devastating event on the island, a gate opens near the shore and an emissary of the island named Mrysin arrives. With their arrival, they provide the insight that the problems on the island must be solved by the representatives of that particular element, but the island will only get worse and worse until the main problem is solved. 

The story progresses as each of the main characters, Bohai, Lamerei, Begonia, Pacific, and Manosa have to apply their unique perspectives on self acceptance to stabilize their respective elements. Bohai is the open sea, which was causing turbulent storms (manifesting his manic, bombastic, and energetic personality), Lamerei being the forest floor becoming too dense and uninhabitable (a sometimes smothering big brother nature), Begonia managing fruit and flower blooms (committing yourself towards helping others but not so much that you struggle as well).

Pacific, Mansoa, and Mrysin explore issues that are less about self acceptance, and more about changing parts of your approach to the world and your idea of self. 

Pacific has to learn that his coping mechanism of avoidance and isolation is inherently unhealthy, but it doesn't mean that the alternative of forced socialization and extrovertedness is any better. He has to tackle an imposing and frightening challenge of calming the tides alone (my analogy for formidable parts of life that can only be done by you, such as living with chronic illness, work stress/responsibilities, processing past trauma, etc). However he does have to utilize his connections with others to motivate the fight, as he’s tried and failed in the past when his world was small and only included his own perspectives. He has to challenge his previously accepted way of life and adjust to a new strategy of not completely removing others from his life, but understanding how to balance letting others in without overexerting himself and accepting that bad things will happen/people will hurt you, but its still better than the alternative. 

Mansoa provides the main friction as she has to understand the big picture in an art gallery she told herself never to look at. At first she believes there's a problem with the island community itself. As she tries to investigate further, she realizes more and more how isolated she let herself become from others, which is what makes her see that it was her decisive othering that is causing the clash. After realizing the problem, she attempts to integrate more with the community around her, but struggles to make sense of who she is outside of her previous way of life. She tries repeatedly to find a way to bring forward the only idea of self she’s ever known into a more social lifestyle. She fails many times and becomes frustrated and hopeless. (ie You cant make friends if your whole identity is “i dont have friends”....never minding the fact that she's had friends this whole time lol). After wondering if her failure to connect is a sign that she was never meant to be there/have friends at all, the island begins to fall into complete chaos, and is only resolved by Mansoa and Pacific fighting to keep the island’s gate whole. Eventually she realizes that the only way to move forward is to truly abandon her previous, self-centered idea of the world and herself, and adapt and accept a more humble, flexible, “being like other people isnt a bad thing” vision.

[dovepaw3000]

CAT ART DUMP!!

- Firstly, this is Rippleglow. I adopted her from the lovely @/mapleferns on insta! The og adopt is near the bottom of the page but!!! Idk what she's gonna be used for but man she pretty! As for her character I'm making her a positive, spacey, and very ditsy warrior. No thoughts in her brain other than the weather is nice that day. Would rather watch birds sing than fight. A good moderator, and had a tendency to daydream. Some younger cats think that they are visions from Starclan but most older cats think that she has bees in her brain. No one really knows which one of those statements is real though. Rippleglow also gets along with the clan grumps lolol.

- A revenge for V1NN13W1NN13 on artfight. Look at this baby cattttt v good ajakksf.

- NOCO TDI WARRIOR CATS. I actually have a growing list for the td characters as warrior cats in my notes. Do the clan dynamics work when considering other clans? Not really, but I'm living my best life here aight. Noah is Longnettle here, I couldn't think of a better prefix that flowed okay that fit with Nettle so. Boy be Longnettle. He's the clan medicine cat. Kinda got tossed in with not enough training (Chef is the deputy now) so a lot of his methods, while work, are questionable. Great at the medicine part of his job though. Doesn't really communicate with Starclan unless they forcefully enter Longnettle's dreams or if there's an emergency. Surprisingly popular among his clanmates despite his very prickly personality and does have a big soft spot for Sweetfang.

As for Sweetfang (Cody), poor guy is constantly in the medicine den. Not sure if he's accident prone or really good at getting hurt. Was once mauled by a badger and survived, the majority of his scars are from that. Despite being one of the older cats in the clan, he's very small and fluffy so he often gets mistaken for being an apprentice. He also lives up to his name and loves sweet things. So some berries and flowers, but mainly honey. He doesn't care if he gets stung, he's probably going to try to get that hive. But sometimes it's easier to pester Longnettle. Sweetfang almost sees befriending the med cat a challenge, it's exciting. But to everyone else, they just need to figure out their feelings because it's obvious from the outside. With the exception of the weird she-cat that's been living on the edge of their territory. She has a warrior name though she doesn't have a clan and she's freaking Sweetfang out.

- Ref for my v basic girly Dovepelt. It me. Look at her go

- this is the og adopt and solid/transparent bgs for Rippleglow

But if y'all want me to make more refs/art for the td warrior cats brainworm au I have going, lemme know. I also have an idea for an Alenoco racing au. Like normal car racing. If I can revive my docs I'll write something for it but for now. Ideas go brrrr

[infinitysisters]

“The first thing to notice is that the student in the video pretends to be asking for the teacher's opinion but is in fact probing to find out if his teacher has the right opinion. That is, he's trying to find out if his teacher is part of "the people" or an "enemy of the people."

Bc of the power dynamic (the student is alone, particularly), he's unlikely to be able to initiate a struggle session, though he could deliver "criticism," in line with Mao Zedong Thought by accusing his teacher of being out of step with "the people's standpoint" on the issue.

His opener, though, where he pretends to be interested in the teacher's take or opinion is actually a test as to whether or not criticism needs to be delivered for having a wrong opinion. In other settings, it's the basis for shunning and even outright struggle sessions.

Struggle sessions were a form of psychosocial torture used by Maoist activists to humiliate and shame people who had the wrong opinions, trying to force them into conformity or into a process of thought reform ("ideological remolding"). Alternatively, it would just destroy them.

It's crucial to understand that this video opens with the student probing to find grounds to initiate criticism and struggle against the teacher. Had this gone differently, it's possible the teacher would face MANY students going after him later bringing vicious criticism.

You will find that with Maoist activism, the style is often to seem to probe what you think as a justification to rain opprobrium (struggle) down on you if you don't think what they want. It's very Hundred Flowers: let people speak so you can crush ideological enemies.

The Hundred Flowers Campaign (baihua qifang) was a time in the late 1950s when Mao encouraged free speech against his regime for a while then rounded up everyone who outed themselves as an "enemy" and sent them to be reeducated or die in the countryside (gulag).

The next thing to notice from the video is that the student hasn't formed his opinion about JK Rowling on the basis of any facts. It's what other people are saying. He's in the "outer circle" of the cult, like most people. He's locked in socially and emotionally ONLY.

You can tell this is the case for three reasons:

1) He presents it as such, lacking any substantive evidence;

2) He doesn't actually agree with the people's standpoint perfectly himself but defers to it;

3) He cannot articulate (intellectualize) WHY she's "transphobic."

If he were intellectually committed in addition to socially and emotionally locked ("inner school" of the cult), he would have been able to spout off any number of BS rationalizations for how Rowling is "transphobic" by stating the reality of sex. He can't, though.

This is important to recognize when it happens because people in the "outer school" of a cult are the most rescuable, as we see by the end of the video. They believe it because their social and emotional identities depend on it (so, hijacked psychosocial valuation schema).

A psychosocial valuation schema, by the way, is a method by which people evaluate themselves as good people (psycho-) or good members of a community (social). It's a fascinating subject, but Maoist "unity" through criticism and struggle (peer pressure) hijacks it, as seen here.

In short, the student is perceiving that if he has the wrong opinion about Rowling, he'll be a bad "community member" (ally), which means he's probably a bad person, worthy of shame, guilt, and exclusion, demanding he "do better." This dynamic is crucial to the cult brainwashing.

The teacher skillfully picks apart that this "outer school" cult member student doesn't know why he believes what he believes and forces him to think for himself, breaking him free from the Maoist psychosocial valuation schema for the duration of the exercise.

The next thing to observe is that the student later confesses to the fact that he personally sees nothing wrong with the statement but can see how others would find it problematic. That is, the psycho- part is breaking away from the -social part of the evaluation schema.

What he's expressing there is actually that he has adopted "the people's standpoint," as Mao called it. Wokes would call it "positionality" or "the standpoint of the oppressed" (yes, for those who know, "standpoint epistemology"). He knows he's supposed to see the world that way.

Psychologically for the student, this is the most dangerous and most important moment, and kudos to the teacher for effecting the deprogramming well. The reason is because the Maoist brainwashing program of "self-criticism" depends on the psycho- and -social being out of step.

The guilt and shame cycles in Maoist brainwashing, together with "leniency" or "love bombing" when people uphold the "people's standpoint" and criticism and struggle when they don't, are most powerful when the psycho- and -social parts disagree, not when they align.

The dynamic is to make the target feel like they're the only person who doubts "the people's standpoint." The student, in the wrong setting, would immediately feel alienated, alone, and ashamed that he knows "the people's standpoint" but secretly disagrees with it. This is key.

Maoism as a psychosocial brainwashing phenomenon requires "milieu control," such that the social group around you all publicly seems to perfectly hold to "the people's standpoint" so that each person believes they're the only one who thinks it's probably bogus.

In that state, you will "self-criticize" because you think something must be wrong with you. Indoctrination is external criticism. Conversion is self-criticism. Now note Robin DiAngelo saying "antiracism" is a lifelong commitment to self-reflection, self-critique, and activism.

In the end, the teacher breaks through, and the students sees not just that he was relying on "the people's standpoint" (psychosocial valuation) instead of his own critical thinking, and the teacher gives him space to feel accepting of "feeling like an idiot." That's very good.

In the Maoist environment, so with Woke teachers, the "people's standpoint" is pushed from the top, the interrogated "student" is urged to confess his sinful private doubts with increasing sincerity, and the social environment reinforces it all (to avoid their own struggle).

After breaking people down psychosocially this way and getting them to half-adopt and fully profess "the people's standpoint," the process enters another phase, xuexi, which means "study." That is, "outer school" cultists are pushed to become "inner school" cultists.

The point of "study" is to lead psychosocially locked people into intellectual rationalization, where the student would have been able to rattle off a litany of robotic-sounding theory (thought-terminating cliches and rationalizations) for how Rowling IS "transphobic."

That not only keeps them hermetically sealed (iykyk) in the cult, making deprogramming FAR harder and rarer, it also creates a demonstration for "outer school" members who can be convinced that their beliefs have intellectual foundations they just don't understand yet.”

- James Lindsay

[ashabsynthe]

Common Terms and Meanings in Witchcraft

Here is a little dictionary of various witchy and magickal terms to help you guys out! I’ll try to keep it updated when I find new info

Altar: a place to do and practise Magickal things like spells and rituals or meditation. Also used for inspiration and honouring the deceased

Athame: a ceremonial blade used in ritual practices, not necessarily used to cut things or to draw blood.

Astral projection: projecting your spirit out of your body in order to be somewhere else. Often done by dreaming, can be very dangerous *only to be practiced by experienced witches

Balefire: a fire that has been lit/made for Magickal purposes like spells, rituals etc.

Banish: To magickally end somthing, or to rid the presence of

Besom: a witch’s broom used to bring in protection, also used to sweep away negativity and to banish negativity.

Book of Shadows: (coined by Gerald Gardner) a book that is used like a witches diary. This is often used to describe methods of spellwork, how a spell turned out, observations, and scribblings of notes regarding spellwork, herbs, and such. (This is mostly a wiccan term, by the way)

(Grimoire and BoS are often used interchangeably and it doesn’t matter where you put information or what you call it)

Call: a term used that means the same as invoking

Cauldron: represents the goddess when doing spells and rituals and is often filled with water or flowers

Center: Usually done after grounding. To calm your emotions, mind, and body to be physically and magically aware

Chalice: Used often to represent the element of water, it is a receptacle used to hold wine, water, whiskey, or other liquids in ceremony or for offerings.

Charge: To infuse an object with personal or external power

Cleansing/Cleanse: removing negative energy from yourself, objects, others or spaces you are in

Consecrate: the blessing of an object or place by instilling it with positive energy

Coven: a group of at least 3 witches who get together and practice spells and rituals and celebrate sabbats or Esbats together

Covenstead: the meeting place of which a coven will meet

Divination: to be able to see into the future using psychic powers or tools and other methods such as scrying, tarot cards etc.

Elements: the 5 elements of the world. Air, fire, water, earth and spirit

Esbat: a gathering/celebration of witches that is not on a sabbat

Familiar: normally an animal spirit bound to a practitioner that assists the practitioner in their craft or life. This is normally a spirit, but on rare occasions it can be a physical animal the spirit incarnated into.

Grimoire: a book of spells, rituals, tools, and other magical correspondences or magical writings.

Ground: Clearing and releasing excess energy.

Handfasting: a pagan wedding! Time for celebration!!!!

HPS and HP: short for high priestess of a coven (hps) and high priest of a coven (hp)

Intent: a goal/purpose of a spell/ritual/Magickal working

Patron deity: a specific deity you feel a connection with and prefer to use in your magick

Pentacle: a five pointed star representing the elements and is enclosed in a circle and is a symbol for protection on witches and Wiccans that is used a lot

Pentagram: a 5 pointed star much like a pentacle except not enclose in a circle, despite popular belief the pentagram is not a symbol of satanism

Petition - a request or wish written on a piece of paper.

Runes: ancient symbols from an ancient Nordic alphabet often used in witchcraft

Sabbat: 8 festivals in the wicca/pagan/witchcraft community that happen every year and are a time for celebration and honoring

Scry: look deeply/gaze into an object in order to see a Magickal effect, when being used it is called “scrying”

Shadow Work: A practice of witchcraft mostly focused on exploring the “shadow self”. Mostly based on Carl Jung’s idea and theory of the shadow self

Sigil: a magick symbol placed on an object as a seal and needs to be charged in order for the power to manifest

Samhain: probably the bigger sabbat celebration in the calendar marking the pagan/witchcraft and wicca community’s new year. The best time for divination work and contacting the deceased as the vein is very thin that night between the spirit world and the human world, so it is also appreciated to celebrate the dead on this night, also know as “Halloween” and is celebrated on the 31st of October - 2nd of November

Taglock - a personal item or symbol of someone that links a spell/item to a target

Visualize: forming mental images. It is done to direct energy during spell work.

Ward: A means of protection. Energetic protections of your own devising; energetic protections around your home, your person, pets, personal items, etc. Usually wards are more powerful and complex than regular protection spells

[talkin-tdc]

Late TDC modern easter AU

Ordon and Mayrin both competed to have the ‘best egg hunt’ at their respective houses since they have the biggest in the neighborhood for around five trine when their kids were young. Shoni and Kam’Lu get so annoyed with them trying to one up each other in the neighborhood, they go behind their backs and create a big egg hunt that spans both properties. They ended up sleeping on the couch the next day but both agreed it was worth it to end the rivalry.

Eventually, through the hunt the families became friends, particularly Ordon, Kam’Lu and Bellanji and Mayrin, Shoni, Fara, Laesid and Mera.

Dads would grill, moms would make decorations and sometimes plant flowers.

After that, the annual egg hunt happened at two locations, one at their homes and the other at the castle

The Skeksis feel weird at the idea of hunting/eating eggs, so the egg hunt at the castle is purely chocolate. Also things like arathim or makrak are painted on them. The castle is usually for older kids and the younger ones go to Ordon/Mayrin’s because of it (except their bio kids they stay when they’re older or are expected to).

SkekAyuk gets tired of finding places to hide the eggs so Tek makes a machine to do it for him at the castle.

SkekEkt likes to paint all the eggs at the castle

The winner of either egg hunt gets a special basket which is filled with expensive stuff (year free to the movies, skip out on tithes, etc).

Eventually as the trine go on Rian, Brea, and Seladon want to see what the egg hunt is like at the castle after doing the Ordon/Mayrin thing for so long. Tavra disagrees till she sees that Onica is going so goes along (even if she doesn’t agree as both sets of parents said no as Brea can’t go till 15 and she’s 14 so it’ll be ‘too much for her’ and ‘unfair to let anyone go without her’).

They go with Gurjin, Tolyn, Kylan, and Juni. The maudras and others from the local high school are there as well.

Deet doesn’t want to go as she likes spending time with her family. Naia also doesn’t participate as she knows she’ll get too competitive

She knows that because when she was younger her parents took her to Ordon/Mayrin’s and she came to blows with Tavra when it had been a tie and the adults were told they should share the prized basket.

Anyway, for the annual egg hunt, after the kids set up they sneak out.

No one notices as it’s usually a lot to set up so the parents think they’re just ‘around’.

Eventually, Laesid and Bellanji arrive with Pemma and Bell says goes over to the dads and say it’s great they’re being less strict with their kids.

Ordon’s like “what do you mean?” And he’s like “Well, aren’t they going with Gurjin and his friends this trine?”

The moms are informed.

They are PISSED

Fara flies to the castle, makes a scene, and they all get ground for unum. Not before Rian won the basket though.

Gives basket to Brea. They’re all still grounded though and end up doing community service.

Seladon and Rian take most of the blame.

They also ended up getting banned from the castle festivities because Brea ended up in the restricted section of the library, Rian used some less than ideal methods to win the hunt, and Seladon yelled at everyone to follow the rules, making some of the more sensitive kids cry (mainly Kylan).

They all agree next trine maybe after the egg hunt at home they can go watch a movie or something.

Ordon also gets temporarily demoted because of the whole thing. Mayrin has to ask the lords to give him his position back (which he does thankfully).

[go0m13]

This is an Empires Ace Attorney AU ask

Could we have a lil summary of some of the cases??? For brainrot?

OOH SURE!! GRINS I'm less into empires but i still really enjoy the AU ehehe gonna put this under a read more because I'm gonna summarize a good amount of stuff

Case 1 - The Sunken Turnabout This is Jimmy's first case! The defendant is his sister Lizzie, (their designs and plot is more based on their season 1 selves and some season 1 exclusive characters also appear... also i never finished season 2) and Jimmy's co counsel is his mentor, Pixl Riffs. Pix is a fairly famous lawyer, but there are a lot of rumors surrounding him and his methods so some people are hesitant to trust him. This one is the one most based in season 2, as the victim is False Symmetry! She hit her head on the bottom of Lizzie's swim team's training pool and drowned, and it is believed that Lizzie had pushed her in during an argument about False falling behind in their practices. Also, Jimmy gets some suitably dark and spooky flashbacks because ✨ courtroom related traumaaaa ✨ it's eventually proven that the victim was not False but her twin sister! They were both swimmers, who competed for a spot on the olympic team. While False got on the team, her sister grew resentful of this and made her move when her sister broke her leg, cutting off her communication with the team and bribing her doctors to be able to replace her. After her leg healed, False confronted her sister about this and ended up pushing her into the pool where she became concussed and drowned. (I don't know their lore completely but I thought this would be fun ehehehe) Despite being proven innocent, the swim team ends up dissolving and Lizzie calls Joel, who is away on a business trip, telling him that she just lost her job. He decides to come home for emotional support and books a flight in a few days. Case 2 - Turnabout Beacon This is the "main case" I have the least thought out, so sorry about that! If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear em. Pix goes to pick Joel up at the airport and brings him to their apartment, calling Jimmy and Lizzie so they could meet them there. When they arrive, they find that Pix has been killed and Joel is laying unconscious next to him. As Pix was killed by multiple gunshots, a neighbor overheard and called the police, accusing Joel of committing the crime as he was the only other person in the apartment at the time. This case is also the introduction to Scott and Shrub, two main characters! I feel like it'd be fairly similar to turnabout sisters, but I got no idea who the killer would be. Maybe one of the hermits? The downside of empires here is that the cast is small enough that a lot of characters end up not being from the series itself.

Case 3 - A Certified Turnabout

After getting to know Shrub better through the previous case, they decide to help Jimmy cheer up by introducing him to their friends and having everyone go out for lunch together. Because these characters can't have nice things, this obviously goes wrong. When going to pick up Katherine at her workplace, a flower shop, one of Katherine's coworkers is stabbed in the neck with Katherine's flower cutters and Katherine is accused of the crime. In the storage room for the shop, the true killer hid out and attacked the victim when she entered. After stabbing her in the neck, she heard Oli gasp and grabbed the body, holding the scissors and her hand and chasing him away to make it look like she was going to attack him too. I have an idea on who I want them to be, but I'm not too familiar on either of their content as I want this case to be more based on Afterlife SMP which included a few ccs who I'm unfamiliar with, including both of them. This case also has a moment like in turnabout samurai where Scott gets to help take down the killer! In the end, Katherine is acquitted and all is well. Shrub is also officially on Jimmy's side from now on and tries to help him whenever they can!

Case 4 - Turnabout Twins

This case is where stuff gets real. fWhip is murdered in the middle of the night in a closed library and the only one inside when it opens is Scott who is immediately arrested. Jimmy offers to defend him and initially is declined, but soon Scott decides to accept his offer as there's pretty much no one else that will help him. Lizzie and Joel both act as assistants here, same as in the last case. Lizzie is co counsel during the trial and I want Joel to be able to help with investigations in some other way. There's a lot more to the case and it gets into people's backstories a lot more from here on in!

While I'm not gonna divulge everything from here on out, I like to be vague ehehehe and I don't want this post to get too long, I will say I plan on 2 more cases and then the big finale one that delves deep into the backstories of Jimmy, Lizzie, Pix, Pearl, and characters introduced in that case (a lot of them are from the life series). The last 3 cases will also have a different prosecutor and Gem will get to help out as a sort of assistant for them as well! If you have any more questions I'd be happy to answer! :DD

[brightblueflare]

The idea of an exiled Clan, that, no matter what its members do, slowly falls apart fascinates me.

The sheer potential for storytelling. The exploration of the characters' grief for the lost home, their fury at the other Clans' betrayal, the fear and desperation as the rats, floods, predators, hunger and sickness bring down their numbers one by one... Sky, the last member, completely alone, trying to keep the traditions and customs of the doomed SkyClan alive, but knowing his time's running out and that, when he dies, so will his Clan...

Then, all of a sudden, there's hope. Cats want to join the new SkyClan, his neighbors begin to be curious about his beliefs and traditions, there's now someone keeping him company. Skywatcher lived alone for most of his life, but now he has cats who love him or, at least, appreciate him. And, more symbolically, his name. For most of his life, his name was Sky, a reminder of what he never had, the last member of a forgotten Clan. But now, it's Skywatcher, rare as the -watcher suffix is, it's a Clan name, he has a Clan, SkyClan is alive.

Plus, the little detail that "Skywatcher" can mean looking at the sky, literally, or it can mean... watching over SkyClan, like a newly named warrior does on their vigil.

But, no matter how much I love SkyClan, I don't like Firestar's Quest.

The Firestar of this book is great. He's back to his shenanigans of defying StarClan to do the right thing and he even admits he misses his humans. I think the way he teaches Sparrowpelt and Cherrytail is a nice contrast to the way he teaches Cloudtail in Rising Storm. He's much more patient, and tries to give them good reasons for why they shouldn't do something (like bullying Sky, he gives them good examples of why Sky doesn't deserve their mockery).

But aside from that, this book is awful.

Firestar doesn't get over Spottedleaf, and Sandstorm has to resign herself to her husband still not being over his childhood crush on her fucking aunt (Redtail, Sandstorm's father, is littermates with Spottedleaf). The towncats don't have culture, the threat SkyClan faces is nothing anyone couldn't have solved (which actually can fall under the White Savior trope), Firestar learns nothing (I was partial to him realizing he can have a paw in both worlds, because there's no explanation to why he can't, so why can't that law be a method of control?), and the whole book stinks of colonialism.

There's nothing being replaced, like what the colonizers told themselves. They're bringing culture, instead of destroying the culture that already exists to replace it with their own.

Maybe I'm looking too much into things, but point is I don't like it.

(Details for the AU under the cut)

So, for the Blazing Sky AU, I'm gonna make a list of the things I want to change.

SkyClan isn't forgotten. The Forest Four remember and justify their exile, and the cats that live close to the gorge remember the "cats with cool names" that used to be their neighbors. This is important.

Rainfur, now Rainbloom to avoid conflict with the TC Rainfur from Goosefeather's Curse (and because we need more boys with flower/plant names), is named in honor of SkyClan and the cats from the gorge. His mother gave him a Clan name knowingly and on purpose. It's unknown wether she did it because she liked the names, or because someone important to her was a cat from the gorge. Either way, it's likely Rainbloom doesn't have SkyClan blood.

Echosong has SkyClan blood, but here she has training as a medic before she joins SkyClan. She's asked to join by someone, maybe Princess/Creekshine or Petalnose, instead of being guided there by dreams.

In general, many members of Modern SkyClan have Ancient SkyClan ancestry. Most, however, do not, or at least one that isn't known. This is something I want to make sure is clear. A Clan is a community, and the message is more powerful if not everyone has SkyClan blood, and instead came together to take care of each other, regardless of background, because that's what a community is for.

SkyClan diverges a lot from the Forest Four. Their ancestors followed a different, older version of the warrior code, and Modern SkyClan will add, remove and edit laws as they see fit.

Everything the members of the new Clan learn about Ancient SkyClan will be through Skywatcher, or a relative of theirs.

The cats have holidays and parties. There must be more to life than hunting and patrolling, or else there's no point in becoming part of a Clan.

The cats from town have different accents and some words differ a lot, but generally understand each other. However, the Clans have a different language due to their isolation.

Terms are changed. Seasons, cars, roads and the like are referred to by their human names, medicine cats are seers (and medics after the role splits in two in SkyClan). The Clans still use greenleaf, leafbare and the like, to point out the use of different languages.

The kitty xenophobia is called out, Daylight warriors are back, and Ancient SkyClan blood isn't necessary to join Modern SkyClan.

More varied familial relationships without neglecting friendships.

The cats outside the Clans have civilization and culture.

Queer cats, queer relationships and disabled characters my beloved.

The rats stay, I can't remove something so silly and funny and forgive myself for it, but they are getting significantly overhauled.

More or less, this is everything I'm changing about Firestar's Quest (aside from the obvious of Rusty/Firestar being younger and joining SkyClan instead of ThunderClan and Princess, Oliver and Smudge being there). I'll get into the details in another post.

I should probably explain the rats, instead of acting like everyone knows what's gonna happen...

[piraticoctopus]

Froslass headcanons

Alrighty, here’s a condensed version plus some folklore stuff. (The WIP long version goes into way more detail on certain things because I can't control myself. Hopefully I'll get around to posting it eventually.)

(Sorry about the formatting, but I couldn't get multi-level bullet points to work.)

Solitary-living, mostly nocturnal omnivore with meat as an important part of its diet; Diet shifts to almost fully meat-based during the coldest months; (I like to imagine that “souls”/“life energy” are separate from physical calories; since they can and do also eat actual food)

Tend to inhabit more forested areas, whereas Glalie prefer open habitats; This reduces resource competition between the two

Hunting method: manipulate prey by various means to lure them in, then incapacitate them by draining "life force", body heat, or directly freezing (or some combination)

Employ different tactics based on target, and thus have to be intelligent enough to learn from experience and observation; Some tactics might fall under aggressive mimicry

May alter the terrain to passively direct prey (for example, by making the route of easiest travel lead toward their dens; easiest route is where Froslass wants you to go)

Notable moves learned by level-up: Confuse Ray (since Gen IV), Captivate (from Gen V until its removal from the games in Gen VIII) (note: only works on opposite gender), Draining Kiss (since Gen VI), Will-o-Wisp (since Gen IV) (I just think this one's interesting for an Ice type)

Prey availability varies by proximity to human-inhabited areas; those living closer to humans have more room to be picky (better variety)

Humans (usually) know better than to fall for their tricks, but aren't off the table; Actual documented cases of humans killed by wild Froslass are few, but missing people are often attributed to them anyways

Teeth built for crunching frozen stuff (see wolverines as a real life example); Base Attack and Special Attack are equal, and it has access to Bite, Crunch, and Ice Fang through Snorunt; However, usually rely on Special moves

The way their mouths work means they'd either have to use the middle part of the "mask" like a weird beak, or would have to always bite off to one side or the other

Extra/unfinished food is frozen and kept for later, but will be arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way; They keep durable, non-edible remains to use as decorations

Collect non-food-related items of interest, too, such as rocks or man-made objects

Have an eye for finding beauty in the morbid and grotesque; Understanding of visual balance might make them good at things like flower arranging

Possibly possess some method for detecting thermal energy (heat) (This one is purely speculative and has no basis in canon); Seen in certain snakes and in vampire bats (only mammals to do this!); Physical mechanisms of how it works in animals might align nicely with Ice-type traits (requires heat-sensing organ and surrounding areas to maintain a cooler temperature); The diamond shape on its forehead could function as a heat pit??

Red possibly serves as an attractant of sorts?; Presence of a visually-obvious color is irrelevant if being seen by prey isn’t a bad thing (in fact, if you’re trying to bring prey to you, perhaps it's best if they DO notice you); This possibly conflicts with Snow Cloak? (unless they make themselves completely invisible to hide); Conclusion: 🤷‍♀️

I imagine that they sort of have a “torso”, but that at least the lower half of their body is hollow

Temperament generally calm, level-headed; Introverted but not inherently “shy”

Limited emotional displays and minimal outward expression; Hard to read

Face mostly obscured; Hand over mouth is a common pose, which hides it further

Capable of feeling emotion, just don’t tend to show it (there’s no need to do so if solitary, and doing so may even be detrimental)

Solitary traits impact their social behaviors: Generally bad at communicating, prefer to avoid conflict when possible, likely to stay quiet when upset

Cohabiting with others can be hit-or-miss; Will often simply maintain acquaintance-level relationships with others, apart from select individuals they decide they like; Do best when given time and space for themselves

Value self-sufficiency and tend not to seek help; Relationship with trainer may take some work because of this, especially if not caught as a Snorunt (requires patience)

Froslass would likely consider chilling in the same area as someone else while doing separate activities or just zoning out to be “bonding” (no judgment from me, because same)

Pain in the ass to do field research on, because they’re aware of observers and (like many Ghost-type Pokémon) find amusement in messing with equipment like trail cameras

Wild Froslass do not occur naturally in Hoenn

The not-headcanons-but-other-stuff:

Pokémon as a series is full of chances to explore the dangers of anthropomorphism and I could talk about it for ten years; Pokémon don't have human morals, yet some of them operate at a nearly-human level of intelligence, which is kind of terrifying to think about

Froslass is based on the yuki onna of Japanese folklore (see here for a good overview); It seems to largely be inspired by two varieties that make for an interesting combination: 1) The forest-dwelling, soul-sucking ones from Aomori/Niigata/Miyagi Prefectures, and 2) the version first written by Lafcadio Hearn [x], (this is the yuki onna story, and is the one where the yuki onna marries a human man)

Specific Pokédex entries seem to draw from other varieties, as well

If the Pokédex is taken at face value, Froslass is out here selectively hunting down physically attractive human men to take them home and eat their souls; This is exactly the image the devs have been going for this entire time, and no one can convince me otherwise

If the “Traces of a Lost Village” quest in Legends: Arceus is taken as true (and there’s no reason to believe otherwise), it implies that Froslass (or at least the one in question) is not only capable of physically disguising itself as human, but also imitating human speech and behaviors convincingly enough to pull off said disguise for years; I have seen no one talk about this particular detail despite all of the things it could do with such abilities, and it’s driving me crazy

To make that clear: the game devs of Legends: Arceus looked at Froslass, which has been stated more than once to prey on/victimize human men in some way (including in said game), and gave it the ability to convincingly disguise itself as a human woman; Combine this with the previous point about the Pokédex and Froslass is now an even more dangerous catfisher than it arguably already had the potential to be