#and actively maintains and defends her position

[statisticalcats2]

The introductions have been completed with the Brookfield Zoo gorilla troop! I'm so happy they seem to be getting along well. Their habitat is open to the public again now so I'll need to visit soon!

#my health's been a disaster lately but i've an ongoing trend of pushing through it for gorillas gferiwuhdsa #i wonder who they plan for him to have children with #i'm pretty certain kamba and nora will have breeding recommendations with him #possibly ali as well though she's only 4 right now so it will be a while before she has kids #binti i think was already done having kids as her own choice #koola's the one i'm most curious about #especially because jontu is actually cousins with.... binti i believe #and i don't know what level of separation is required before breeding recommendations would be allowed #so koola might be too closely related but at the same time #she's been the highest ranking female of the troop for years #and actively maintains and defends her position #and it would be harder to keep that position if she doesn't have any kids with the current silverback #it's gonna be really interesting to see how things develop in this troop #bet you didn't know there was so much going on in the world of gorillas huh? #gfeyidhusa #Youtube

[pinkscaped]

#༘⋆✿ MYDOL Hits Another Tower: MYRAH Signs With The Label After 20+ Years At Flowerbank Entertainment.

Myrah Yamazaki is a household name and is the landscape of not only K-pop but pop culture in general. Debuting in the steadily declining girl group ALLUME in 2005, she's known as one of the most iconic acts to come from the group. After graduating from the group in 2010, she would skyrocket to success as a solo artist, actress, model, businesswoman, and fashion designer, maintaining relevance for nearly 20 years in the industry.

Despite the many offers from various companies throughout the years, Myrah has remained dedicated to Flowerbank Entertainment, being treated with top priority and respect throughout her time there. She was allowed to start her own brand, "ZAKIRAH," outside of the label despite it being against her initial contract. Flowerbank's kindness to the starlet seemed to have finally bit them in the ass as she finally decided to not resign with them and instead with their ever-growing competitor: Mydol Entertainment.

Despite being established late last year, Mydol already made a name for themselves long before even having a group under their name. CEO Son Jinhwa is a long-known and controversial figure in the Kpop landscape, leaving Angelico Entertainment after running its reputation into the ground with his unprofessionalism and poor business decisions. Despite this reputation, many idols who were once under the label seem to be desperate to work with him again and go to bat for Mydol. Big names such as DeepDive and losers such as Lunarix proudly left their companies, Flowerbank and Angelico, respectively, to sign with Mydol with nothing but smiling faces and positive words about the company.

This is not the first time Jinhwa has targeted Flowerbank's roster, helping DeepDive terminate their contract with the company just a month ago and buying Bones and All's contract from their dying sublabel, Dark Garden Company. Signing Myrah seems to be the biggest blow to the company, with their stocks noticeably dropping and Mydol's noticeably rising once the star signed with the label. Rumors have been floating around that all of this is prep for Mydol to move onto Venus' contract, which has had fans up in arms since the company opened.

Despite all this controversy, Myrah released a heartfelt letter to fans and Flowerbank on her blog, which she has kept active for 19 years.

Hello. Please don't be mad at me lol This contract signing has made a lot of people sad and worried for me, but you don't need to stress yourself with my decisions. I have been working with Flowerbank since I was 16, and I will be turning 37 this year. I trained with them for only two years before I debuted in Allume, and I will forever be grateful for how kind they were to me. I didn't speak Korean, and I didn't know how to dance; all I knew was how to sing and smile for the camera. Without their guidance, I wouldn't be the star I am today, and I will never be able to put into words how grateful I am for them. When you are with a company for 21 years (do the math yourself because I'm bad at it lol) things change. They change constantly. Typically, when a contract resignation would come around, I would resign without issue, but this year, I started thinking harder about why I was resigning so quickly. They are all I know, and while I don't think that's an awful thing, I began to feel like a bird in a cage. I saw things I didn't see before, I realized things I wasn't able to do even though I'm almost 40, I started hearing the way I was being spoken to by people I thought loved me, and it all started to feel like a scam like some big facade that just came crumbling down. I have known Jinhwa for quite some time now. He's not perfect, I won't pretend he is. I don't agree with the things he's done, and I will not defend him. He's not even the one who got me to sign with Mydol; it was literally Youngheun, so I would appreciate it if you laid him off with the accusations involving him and I. I love Iseul and I love Carmen very dearly. This decision was not made lightly and was not personal in the slightest. These women raised me and made me the idol I am today and though we are no longer together professionally, they will always have a place in my heart, body, and spirit. I love them so dearly, so please don't think otherwise. This feels very dramatic lol, but I felt the need to say something to hopefully calm the masses. Thank you for your endless support. I can't wait to take you all on this new journey with me 🩷 - MYRAH

Flowerbank was not so generous. Instead, she silently removed Myrah from their roster, deactivated her PetalTalk account, and removed her photos from their company's Instagram.

Do you think Flowerbank will bounce back from this? Or is this their nail in the coffin?

LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS HERE !

#༘⋆✿ MYRAH #fake kpop oc #idol oc #idol au #kpop addition #kpop oc #oc kpop group #fictional idol community #bts addition #kpop au #fictional idol group #kpop fanfic #idolverse #oc girl group #fake kpop girl group #fake kpop idol #stray kids addition

[blackhairedjjun]

flowers of every color | 7. striped carnations

overall summary: when your father is assigned as the new head gardener to the royal family, you are also tasked with helping him maintain the castle's many gardens and extensive floral arrangements. by chance you find yourself crossing paths with the "ice-cold" crown prince, choi yeonjun... who turns out to be not as ice-cold as everyone says he is.

chapter summary: as you are confronted with stigma from the court after your punishment as well as the reality of yeonjun's engagement, you send him one last message -- and make a decision that you regret.

word count: 2.5k

warnings: angst angst angst, confrontations, exactly one (1) swear word

notes: i am posting this earlier than planned bc i got a sudden burst of inspiration over the last few days and i've been writing more! same as last chapter, there are OCs here to fill out the other kingdom so that i don't depict others' faves as the "villain" of the story

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by the time you are released from your punishment, the ongoing efforts to secure a marriage for the crown prince are no longer a secret. the whole castle seems to be abuzz with preparations for the first of several meetings with the prospective bride, princess ajin, and her mother, queen hwayoung. everywhere you go, you see the castle spruced up for them, from new velvet curtains hanging from the windows to the rarely-used porcelain dinnerware placed in the dining hall.

to aid the preparations, you and your father have been assigned to make floral arrangements that are both welcoming and hardy. today you are planting some marigolds by the front entrance; you know that the bright orange blooms will both cheer the guests up and ward off pests. the skies are thankfully clear as you work.

while you are crouched down making sure that each plant is positioned well enough without overcrowding, you overhear two servants chatting as they each carry a stack of cream-colored linen. you’ve been part of the castle long enough to recognize that this particular linen is reserved only for the most important guests.

“...if it will be a good match,” one of them says to the other.

“princess ajin is going to have a hell of a time with his majesty,” the other replies with a snicker. “let’s see if her charms are enough to thaw an ice-cold prince’s heart!”

“oh no, i heard the princess is pretty ice-cold herself. she had to be dragged to come here and won’t look anyone in the eye, like she thinks she’s better than everyone else.”

“they’re perfect for each other, then! you couldn’t arrange a better match.”

they both burst into laughter. you ball your gloved hands into fists and grit your teeth, fighting the urge to stand up and tell them off that yeonjun is not the cold-hearted prince they think he is. but before your anger rises too much, one of them spots you from the corner of his eye. he gives his companion a light shove with his elbow and they both move away from you, their voices becoming more hushed. still, the other servant can’t help but stare at you with wide eyes before turning away.

you swallow hard and turn back to your marigolds, sighing to yourself as you secure the soil around each plant. you’re in no position to defend yeonjun from the servants’ rumors, not when you yourself are also the target of gossip; what more for preventing something as important as his marriage?

you pause in the middle of your gardening to wonder why yeonjun’s arranged marriage bothered you so much in the first place. you always assumed that he would stop being friends with you when he got married, but why? surely the royal household would benefit in keeping you and your father as long as you didn’t cause trouble; capable staff are hard to replace, after all. aside from that, yeonjun liked you well enough to actively seek out your company, and he would probably do so as long as he could squeeze out free time. 

so why are you so afraid of this marriage? 

you try to delve deeper into the question, but you hit a wall of emotions that you dare not climb over. perhaps you could climb it if you want to, but whenever you try to, you are overcome with a strange dread. a feeling settles over you that whatever is on the other side of the wall will make things much more complicated than they already are.

instead of climbing the wall then, you step away from it and resume planting the marigolds.

一

you spend the next few days avoiding yeonjun and, to some extent, soobin and beomgyu. while you are busy planting more marigolds in the western gardens, a servant passes by and asks if you can deliver some fresh flowers to the tearoom, and you politely decline. “i can prepare them if you like, but i’m too busy with other things to personally deliver them,” you say. the servant simply nods and leaves, but you still catch her shaking her head and muttering to herself.

you decline a few more of these errand-invitations, and you find yourself avoiding parts of the castle that you know yeonjun frequents: the tea house, the horseback riding grounds, even the portion of the castle grounds overlooking the library where he has his lessons. you stop delivering flower vases to his room altogether. the preparations for the princess’ arrival even provide you with convenient excuses: i’m busy replanting some flowers at the southern gardens, or i’m making the floral decor for the dining hall. even if you do want to see them, the work you’ve been assigned is just too much.

still, you catch glimpses of yeonjun or soobin or beomgyu from time to time as they carry on with their duties. you deliver flowers to the castle and pass by a study room where yeonjun is practicing etiquette (for the princess, maybe — you don’t dwell on it), or you’re on your way back to the greenhouse and hear excited screaming, only to see that soobin and beomgyu are playing a badminton game that has gotten a little too heated.

on arrival day you’re at the southern gardens on watering duty. with the days getting warmer, you need to make sure that the soil doesn’t get too dry, and you’re more than willing to distract yourself with the job. you’re so immersed in your work that you don’t even see the small party strolling by; you only notice them because of the sound of a familiar voice.

“your majesty should not rely on me too much, because i won’t…”

you look up before you can stop yourself. yeonjun is walking some distance away, flanked by queen hwayoung on one side and princess ajin the other. you notice that the princess’ arm is linked with yeonjun’s, just as he used to do with you, and you feel a sting in your heart.

as soon as the princess walks close enough, your insides freeze. she looks absolutely beautiful, her dress studded with tiny rubies against wine-colored silk and her updo emphasizing her sharp features. but as beautiful as she looks, you can’t read her face at all. her lips show no trace of pleasure or displeasure, and her eyes seem to be empty of all feeling. the servants were right too; she faces straight ahead, not even bothering to look at either yeonjun or her mother during their conversation. you wonder if she really is as cold-hearted as they say.

the trio passes you by. neither princess ajin nor queen hwayoung seems to notice you, but yeonjun turns his head ever so slightly to face the princess 一 then he sees you.

to those who know him less, the change in his expression would be imperceptible. but you see the way his eyes soften, the way his lips part by a sliver, the way the stern tone of his voice mid-conversation loses a bit of its edge. his eyes meet yours for a moment, sending an unspoken message, until queen hwayoung turns toward him and his attention is taken elsewhere.

you feel… heavy. the old sudden warmth in your chest comes back, but this time it never settles comfortably in you, filling you with a sinking feeling instead. you turn away and look down at the flowers you’ve been watering and shake your head as if to shake off the unpleasant feelings.

you need to put a stop to things, you think. as much as you want to cling to him again like old times, it makes your heart ache too much — and you know it makes his heart ache too much as well.

the next day you prepare a flower vase for yeonjun’s room for the first time in who knows how long. your hands tremble the whole time as you fuss over the arrangement, and once you make the journey to his quarters, you feel the heaviness in you again. you head up the steps and down the hallways as quietly as possible, ducking into a room whenever you pass by a servant or a court official; it’s a miracle that no one sees you or the vase held snugly in your arms. your heartbeat quickens the closer you get to his room, and though part of it is from the adrenaline of trying to stay hidden, much of it is from something else entirely.

as you make your trip, all sorts of images flash in your mind. one moment you see princess ajin staring blankly ahead, arm firmly linked with yeonjun’s; the next you see yeonjun facing you inside the gazebo on ball night and gazing at you with fondness. you see the yellow roses you delivered to his bedroom when you declared that you’d be friends, then you see the ornate arrangements of zinnias you made for his prospective bride and her mother. with each step you the images feel sharper, and you feel yourself closing in on that dreaded wall of emotions again.

when you enter the prince’s quarters, each footstep feels heavier than the last; when you finally reach the ledge for his vase, you have to position yourself and screw your eyes shut before setting the vase down with trembling hands. once the vase is in position, you slip out the door and nearly run all the way down back the way you came. you don’t allow yourself to think, and instead pray to whatever gods are listening that you made the right choice.

you leave behind a vase of striped carnations: frilly white flowers with crimson staining the edges of each petal. a beautiful sight, but their stems hide a solemn message.

i can’t be around you anymore. i’m sorry and thank you for everything.

一

you fill the next few days with work, taking even the portions of work for your father or the other servants. you water and fertilize both the western and southern gardens, you replant and tend to dozens of plants in the greenhouse, you run to and from the castle to provide fresh flowers and herbs 一 as long as the assigned area is in the opposite side of the castle as yeonjun’s bedroom, at least. the work takes your mind off the thoughts that were plaguing you, and if you focus on them enough you could tune the worries out. it’s easy for you to ignore the stares of the court officials or the whispers of the servants when you are too busy pulling weeds out of the bed of daisies or trimming off rose cuttings in the greenhouse for planting.

yet no matter how much you trick yourself into believing that you can work your worries away, they eventually catch up to you one day as you head to the kitchen to deliver a fresh batch of herbs. as you round the corner, you spot a familiar figure walking towards you.

“y/n!” you hear yeonjun call out.

 you pretend not to notice him and try to walk past, but he steps in front of you.

“y/n, please!” yeonjun moves closer and looks at you with desperation in his eyes. “can we talk for once? you’ve been avoiding me for a week. what’s going on with you?”

“i’m busy,” you say, and you try not to look him in the eye. “i have to bring these to the kitchen.”

“don’t do this to me, please. you can spare a few minutes to talk.”

“no, i really can’t.” you try to step past him but he only moves in front of you again.

“you can at least explain what you meant by your message. what do you mean, you can’t be around me anymore? is something wrong? none of the staff have told me anything. i’ll do anything in my power to make things work for you. i can talk to the chamberlain, the servants, anything一”

you swallow and stare at the bag of herbs in your hands. “there’s nothing to explain,” you lie. “just... don’t be around me, okay? it’s not good for either of us, yeonjun. it’ll get us into more trouble. i’m sorry.”

“‘not good for either of us’?! don’t tell me you really believe that!” he’s half-shouting now, but there seems to be more fear than anger in his voice. “i don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn! why won’t you let me help you? there has to be a way to make things work!”

“there really isn’t, okay?! it wasn’t meant to end up like this in the first place! that’s what got us in trouble!”

 “end up like what? end up as friends? but we一” you try to ignore the crack in his voice一 “we said we’d be friends. can’t we act like friends just this one time then, at least? or do you seriously believe that it’s not good for either of us?”

“i said what i said, okay?! maybe we shouldn’t be friends!”

you regret the words as soon as they leave your mouth. now they hang in the air as silence fills the space between you and yeonjun.

he stares at you and opens his mouth to speak, but only lets out a pained whimper. you see his eyes start to water and you look away.

“that’s how you really feel, huh?” he barely manages to string the words together. “fine, then. if that’s what you think is good for us, then maybe we shouldn’t.”

he turns on his heel and leaves.

“yeonjun, wait一” you run after him, but as soon as you turn a corner he seems to have diseappeared.

you curse yourself and bite your lip to keep yourself from screaming in the middle of the hallway. you stare at the bag of herbs you’re still holding and feel the urge to throw them onto the ground, but instead you let out a long exhale and focus your gaze on a still life of fruits hanging on the wall. your attention falls on one of the painted oranges, and whenever your frustration starts to build up again, you stare at the orange as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world.

it’s a miracle that you manage to calm down long enough to deliver the herbs to the kitchen. when one of the chefs asks you what’s wrong, you ignore her and head straight back to your quarters.

in your room you lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling, realizing just how badly you fucked up. in your attempt to protect yourself from punishment and yeonjun from abandoning his duties, and especially in your attempt to get away from the wall of emotions that you can’t confront, you ended up breaking the one thing you cherished most in the whole castle: his friendship.

you curl the blankets around yourself and try to sleep, hoping that you’ve simply ended up in a bad dream.

end notes: hehe i love angst :) also princess ajin was originally not part of this chapter in the original outline, but after seeing the feedback from ch6 + thinking about the setup for her from there, i decided that i should probably introduce her here

taglist (open!) @seosalad @lilplilplilp @yeonboy @pyuae @hyuneyeon @strawbrinkofdeath @yushiu @mazeinthemoon @banggyu0308 @shytubatu @kyaneosprincess

#txt x reader #yeonjun x reader #txt x you #yeonjun x you #choi yeonjun x reader #kpop x reader #txt imagines #kpop imagines #yeonjun imagines #txt angst #txt fluff #yeonjun angst #yeonjun fluff #tomorrow x together imagines #txt fic #bhj originals #fic:flowers of every color

[goodqueenaly]

It's like poetry something whatever but also comparing and contrasting Ned and Illyrio in their approaches to Jon and Aegon, respectively.

(Obviously, this post is based on the ideas that both Jon is the biological son of Rhaegar and Lyanna and Aegon is the biological son of Illyrio and Serra, as well as the notion that Serra was herself a descendant of the Blackfyres.)

Ned’s outlook for Jon centered on embracing Jon as his son, to the absolute exclusion of his birth identity. Whatever Lyanna’s exact dying words had been to her brother, Ned certainly seems to have interpreted the promise as one to keep Jon safe, without the revelation of his biological parentage. From the first, Jon would know himself only as Jon Snow, with all the implications the name carried; with Jon’s surname designating his (ostensible) bastard status and his first name reflecting his (ostensible) father’s own personal history, Jon’s identity would be wholly defined by and linked to Eddard Stark. Yet Ned would not merely craft a surface-level identity for his sister’s son; he himself would actively, indeed fiercely embrace his own role as Jon’s “father” in more than just assumed genetic paternity. Far from fostering Jon with a pliable aristocratic family elsewhere, Ned installed Jon in Winterfell even before the arrival of Catelyn and their own son and sternly defended that position to his new wife. Jon would grow up as an undisputed (at least to Ned and the Stark children) member of the family, educated by the same maester, trained by the same master at arms, present for the same hunting trips and political responsibilities. Never would Ned hint that Jon belonged, at least by ancestry, to the royal dynasty which had ruled Westeros for three centuries (and dominated in Valyria for millennia prior); Ned would treat Jon only as his son, relying on the firmness of his decision and Jon’s own Stark appearance (inherited from Lyanna, but easily attributable to Ned himself) to maintain the assertion.

For Illyrio, however, his son Aegon has represented not the chance to accept a paternal role but the opportunity to invent a grandiose dynastic destiny for him. We cannot know, at least for now, if Serra sought a promise from Illyrio regarding Aegon’s future, or if Illyrio himself believes that he is acting as Serra would have wanted, but it seems highly improbable that Serra asked that her son be raised to believe that he was in fact the child of the last Targaryen crown prince, and take the Iron Throne as such. Illyrio’s decision to do exactly that may therefore represent a sort of betrayal, perhaps spiritual if not actual, to Serra’s (again, I think probable) Blackfyre origins, and a distinct contrast to Ned’s choice with Jon: aware that Aegon’s female-line Blackfyre credentials would earn him little if any political support in modern Westeros, Illyrio has instead appropriated a false identity for his son that Ned saw in truth for Jon but rejected - that is, the boy as the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, a would-be heir to this father’s legacy. If Illyrio raised (or, perhaps more accurately, oversaw the raising of) Aegon as a young child in his own Pentoshi manse (evidenced by those musty children’s clothes and Illyrio’s old knowledge of Aegon’s favorite candy), such (relatively) hands-on rearing I think ended rather early: Varys brags to the dying Kevan that “Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk”, and (politically charged boasting aside) Aegon’s extensive education certainly suggests Varys may not be exaggerating too greatly here. Illyrio, unlike Ned, not only found (alongside or thanks to Varys, of course) a willing, indeed eager Westerosi aristocrat to act as the hidden Aegon’s foster father (with that figure even giving Aegon a name derived from his own, likewise fabricated, alias), but clearly specified that the disguise was to remain a surface-level illusion: Aegon is well aware that he is (so he believes) a Targaryen prince, and that his life on the Rhoyne is no more than a secret training ground for his eventual Westerosi royal inheritance. Where Ned remains the central figure of Jon’s life - not only as his (again, assumed) father, but the only parent he knows - Illyrio functions little if at all in the thoughts of Aegon: he is the faraway benefactor whose chests contain the gold to fund his expedition, the unseen planner whose schemes are derided by Tristan Rivers. Each boy may have inherited his mother’s looks, but where Jon’s Stark features only underline the connection between himself and Ned, Aegon’s Valyrian appearance only serves to enhance Illyrio’s argument that he is, in fact, Rhaegar’s son.

#asoiaf meta #jon snow #aegon vi targaryen #eddard stark #illyrio mopatis

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 10

Maximum Loser

Welcome back to Fantasy High where the Abernant sisters are having sandwiches in front of the burnt ruins of their old mansion. You know, normal sibling activities! As we learned last week, Aelwyn is working for Kipperlilly (Adaine calls her Cottoncandy Bitchfuck which is one of my faves just for the levels of obvious disdain and degrees of separation from the original name) and Adaine wants all the info ASAP. Here is a rundown of what Aelwyn tells her (along with speculation on my part):

KP seems to be loaded in a way that isn’t connected to her parents' jobs (Dad is a realtor and mom is a clerk for the treasurer’s office). [Could she possibly be getting the money from her party member with a rich dragon ancestor? And could she be using her mom’s government job to get inside info somehow?]

KP has been employing Aelwyn as her “arcane errand girl”. She’s basically been getting her magical contraband which Aelwyn figures are spell components. Adaine asks why their party wizard Oisin can’t just do it and Aelwyn says that KP was very adamant about him being “protected”. [Does that mean protected as in not in trouble so he doesn’t get expelled and mess up their party comp or protected as in “I don’t want him to know what I’m doing because he wouldn’t approve”?]

KP never had Aelwyn steal a cloud rider engine for her but she did have Aelwyn download schematics for one which she thinks was so that it would be on her browser history not KP’s. [Aelwyn, do NOT get framed for this girl’s crimes I’m BEGGING you.]

Similarly, KP never texts Aelwyn any info. They always talk in person so she keeps clean at least on paper. 

There are two specific things that Aelwyn had to procure that were kind of hard to find because they’re more divine than arcane: Devil’s Nectar and Ambrosia. [We don’t learn what the properties of those are exactly but they seem pretty clearly to be the divine and infernal versions of the same thing. Maybe they can make a god or a devil? Sounds like it’s part of the resurrection plan–or maybe they want to raise a new god?]

Anyway, Aelwyn promises to shoot Adaine a text the next time KP reaches out to her so she can spy via scrying (I'm reminded of Spy, Tongue, Curse again). She also shows Adaine her tiny apartment full of senior cats and microwave dinner trays that’s sorely in need of a deep clean. Adaine invites her to swing by Mordred to get her laundry done and maybe hang out and Aelwyn seems tentatively receptive, even though the aggressive positivity of the house and its residents (who she does ultimately care about) majorly grates on her. 

[Also! Not plot relevant but their relationship progress is in full swing with open “I love yous”, only slightly undercut “I believe in yous”, and kisses blown as they say goodbye. I’m trying to be super streamlined with this recap so I can get it finished on time but I had to at least quickly mention how delighted I was by this scene which I have watched so many times. They’re doing it! Sisters!]

We next cut over to Riz who is in the car with his mom and he’s so so so over this whole semester. He keeps talking about everything that’s going on with the bored, anxious, almost whiny, but mostly resigned tone that makes her pull over and force him into a nap. Here are the mystery relevant bits of their conversation pre and post nap:

Sklonda’s case was defending a married firbolg couple–Alonso and Hespia Loam. Frosty Faire was supposed to be held at their farm but then they were accused of embezzling and the event pulled. [Firblog are giant-kin if that matters.]

They maintained their innocence and Sklonda believed them. The case was actually going to be a slam dunk because they found forgeries and docs submitted on their behalf. But then they got murdered so the case was over. [Forgeries and docs submitted on their behalf reminds me of Lucy’s god change form.]

Sklonda thought this case was strange because there’s no financial incentive to frame the loams. [Sounds like the motive could have been just moving the festival to a different location to me.]

The reason they were under suspicion was that amounts of money matching what was embezzled from Frosty Faire were deposited into the Loams' account but Sklonda was able to show that that was all bogus and that the Loams didn’t even use online banking and that a Bastion City VPN was involved. But again, before they could track that down beyond “somewhere in Solace” it got shut down due to the murders (which the cops are now investigating btw but this is a Brennan story so how useful will they really be? [This is also giving me KP vibes but in fairness, that girl is just suspicious.]

Lola Embers is the one who recommended the move from Loam Farms to the Thistlespring Tree. [A possible Ruben request since he’s her client?]

Riz also tells Sklonda all about what’s going on with the demon stuff and the Lucy stuff and the campaign stuff. Sklonda is concerned about the demon stuff but she’s honestly more concerned about Riz breaking his back and losing sleep over Kristen’s campaign. She’s very fired up and a bit incredulous that he’d work so hard for his friends who, from her POV, are always slightly bullying him (“Your name isn’t The Ball. It’s Riz!”). And, while she’s on it, he would be a great candidate himself! Riz assures her that their dynamic is fine and then worries her again right away by saying he’s absolutely gonna check out the crime scene. She sighs deeply and says they can check it out together because she knows she’s not talking her son out of it. (She also says she’ll try and get some info from her old co-workers but again, cops in a Brennan world so we’ll see how useful they are.)

Post Grix exploding, Jace hosts an impromptu assembly: Things are bad y’all! With Aguefort gone and Grix blown up (not to mention Yolanda dead), they’re getting to the point where it’s not clear that the school will be able to continue functioning. 

The whole cleric track is going pass/fail which none of the Rat Grinders seem to have strong reactions to (Ruben smirks and Buddy looks confused, but the rest look bored or unfazed). This news especially sucks for Freshmen and Sophomores who won’t be able to take the Last Stand exam Porter mentioned in an earlier episode. Some upperclassmen who maybe weren’t doing so hot (like Max and his party) look kinda stoked. Fig does insight on Jace and her roll is low (5) but he seems like he’s sincerely stressed about this unforeseen situation. 

Post assembly, Hilariel calls Fig (after 18 missed calls to Fabin’s phone which is on Do Not Disturb) to invite everyone over to spend The Lunar Yulenear (fantasy Christmas) with them (and also inform her that Gilear’s string of good luck is still going strong. He cracked his back while limboing and grained 2 inches in height!). Fig turns that into invites for everyone at Mordred (including Aelwyn who is a wanted criminal in Falinel and Sandra-Lynn who is Gilear’s unfaithful ex–wild crew). Fabian wants the chance to talk to his mom but by the time Fig hands over the phone, she’s already hung up. 

Riz fills everyone in on the Loam Farms situation and Gorgug worries that the soil at his house is corrupted now. Adaine reminds everyone that Fig is still super cursed and they should probably start looking into that soon. Kristen and Fig get naked for no reason so we’re gonna move on from that to Fabian getting a text from Mazey. Apparently she's just gotten some big news and she doesn’t know exactly who to talk to. He rushes away from his naked friends as quickly as he can (so valid) and goes to meet up with her. (While he’s en route, Riz wonders if the RG’s killed rats were being killed sacrificially and Fig wonders if Lucky FROSTblade had anything to do with the FROSTyfolk festival). 

Fabian meets up with Mazey who congratulates him for killing Grix since he mega-sucked and was shooting nets at kids. Then, she says that she knows that Fabian and his party have kinda always had the school’s back over the past few years and she trusts him which is why she’s telling him what she’s about to say. Remember how anything Aguefort says, even as a bit, is canon? Well, apparently he said once in an email that if there’s no principal then the school becomes a democracy and the student body president becomes principal. Fabian is baffled: surely the vice principal would become principal, right? But no. The system is set up so that there’s always one all powerful principal and one VP who is supposed to be Kalvaxus (remember, he was supposed to be imprisoned there forever). So she’d have to take classes (has to be a student enrolled in good faith) AND be principal and she doesn’t feel like she can do it. Fabian is awkward but encouraging and says he’ll do his best to help her and ask his friends for advice. When he does, Riz right away is like, "They’re gonna kill her, dude,” so Fabian rushes back and invites (practically begs) Mazey over after school so he can keep an eye on her. 

Once school is out, Fig does her bodyguard thing and secretly trails Mazey so she gets to Seacaster Manor safely. Once she’s there, she and Fabian have a bit of an awkward beat and then Mazey, who has clearly misread the situation, tries to make out with him. Fabian pulls back which makes Mazey confused and embarrassed. Fabian really quickly tries to reassure her that it’s not that he didn’t wanna kiss her. He’s just not in that mode right now and she’s in danger and they’re trying to kill her. She has NO idea what he’s talking about so he Facetimes Riz and the Mordred crew to explain. Mazey says that killing her wouldn’t make the killer the new Principal–it’s not Pokemon Champion rules. But Riz says that every person who’s had the top spot has been sidelined or killed so it’s safer to be careful. Maybe killing her would prompt an early election and whoever wins will be promoted early. She asks if this suspicion is just because they hate the Rat Grinders and Riz says that they have good reasons to be suspicious. They are all outraged though when Mazey says that the Ratgrinders famously hate them and have since Freshman year. [Hilarious that they were apparently publicly seething and haven’t been on the BK’s radar at all.]

Anyway, Mazey says she appreciates the concern but rushes to leave, embarrassed. Fabian tries to salvage the awkward encounter and tell Mazey that his reaction was about how stressed and worried he is, not about how he feels about her and Mazey seems genuinely concerned about him. Like, as a person. Is he eating? Is he sleeping? Is he being cared for in this big empty house? Fabian musters some bravado about how he’s a legend and the legend continues but it’s mixed in with some super obvious red flags about making his house a place people want to come to so he won’t be alone. Mazey says she’d still want to hang with him even if he wasn’t a Maximum Legend and then leaves to his cavernous, home, solo. 

Back to Adaine! Her next big roll is Mystery and she wants to learn about the giants and their gods. She uses a portent to get a 27 (which she needs because clues cost more right now) and here’s what she learns:

So first off, Ruvina is a Seasonal god (Winter) vs Sol, Helio, Cass, and Galicaea who are Celestial gods (Sun, Moon).

A bridal gift would only be given to the spouse of a sibling so that means that the missing dead god is Ruvina’s sibling. Brennan specifically mentions how hard/weird/complicated it would be to be prevented by Oblivati Mori from speaking of a spouse or sibling. 

There’s no mention of the missing god but there are mentions of the OTHER seasonal gods so Adaine can determine by process of elimination that the missing god is the summer one. 

She wonders if Sol or Helio stole the summer domain since they’re sun gods but Brennan said if they did, it wasn’t in one violent act. There’s no obvious crusade or anything like that. 

There is a certain point where “Sun” starts being capitalized like a name (like how in the Bible God is He not he). 

The bridal gift is only mentioned in early texts, not recent ones. Recent texts have a lot of mentions of fire. 

She doesn’t find any text concerning the gods followers. She does however find text that says “Beware the blades of the red fire”. These seem to be connected to the shatter star rage crystals but there's no clear timeline of them showing up once the god died. It seems like they existed at the same time. 

So, a lot of info but no big Aha! moment yet. 

She rolls Work for her third track and fails so she takes a stress token (up to three now). She only rolls well enough to not get fired (which, girl, just get fired! Make money another way! Ask your newly caring sister for some funds and don’t ask where she got them!). 

Lastly she rolls to relax but fails (been there girl) and has a deeply unsatisfying massage given to her by Lydia. 

Kristen is up next and her first roll is Popularity (makes sense) on the middle schoolers (you lost me). In fairness to Ally, there is method to their madness. They said in the Adventuring Party that the idea was that the school is across the street from where the bodies were found so maybe they could do some recon. Still, on the face of it, bonkers plan and Riz is low key wondering if his mom was right about them picking the wrong candidate. Anyway, she passes and now has advantage on charming any new middle schooler she meets lol. Brennan also makes her roll Perception and on a 14 gives her nothing. Ominous! 

The second thing she’s interested in is Relationships and she wants to talk to Lydia and also Buddy. With Lydia, she wants to know if there’s a way for them to talk to Bakur. Lydia says that Bakur is conscious and aware but she can’t talk to him because it would compromise the security of his gem prison. However, if they come up with a safe way to talk to him she’s game to participate, especially since she’ll def be a target if stuff with Bakur’s god is going down. Lydia also mentions that it seems like Cass might have been especially vulnerable in the Astral Food Court which makes Kristen even more suspicious of Kalina than she already was since she was the one who suggested that plan in the first place. 

Riz does Detect Evil on Lydia with his necktie so he can recognize Bakur’s magical aura on anyone else in the future and Brennan says that will also give him the ability to recognize anyone connected to Bakur’s god in the future. (Riz also says he wants to do the same on a Helioic cleric and the moon, presumably for the same reason but he doesn’t explicitly get to it this session). 

They then check on Fig to try to figure out what the heck her deal is and they find a lot lol. There are four main things happening with her aura. The strongest is the anarchy sigil on her forehead that marks her as the Archdevil of Rebellion. The second is her burgeoning paladin rage aura which matches Lydia's but seems more fiery and is also unaligned. The third is her warlock mojo which is unaligned as well. And the fourth is the lemony yellow aura of her curse. Her being a tiefling doesn’t even crack the top five of what’s going on with her apparently! 

Anyway, on to her second relationship thing–Buddy. Kristen finds him putting a Rat Grinders sticker on her locker which she peels off, clearly annoyed. There are three main important parts of that conversation which are as follows:

Kristen asks if there’s any rage talk happening at the Helioic church right now and Buddy says that Sol is angry–lots of people left the church during the months of night situation which makes sense. Worshiping the sun god during eternal night feels like a losing proposition. 

Buddy thinks it would be a great idea for his grandpa–Helioic evangelist Bobby Dawn–to become the new Cleric teacher to save everyone from going Pass/Fail. Kristen thinks that sounds like a nightmare and I have to agree. Buddy says that it’s fine because the cleric teacher has to worship *some* god, right? Might as well be Helio. But we know that’s untrue because Yolanda gave up her active connection with a specific divinity in order to minister effectively to her whole class. And I can’t imagine whoever raised Buddy would make a fair teacher who’s welcoming to all faiths. 

Buddy wants to “take Kristen into counsel” about her brother who he thinks is going down a dangerous path as he’s being exposed to various worldly elements at Aguefort. I have no idea what Buddy considers a dangerous path–for all we know Bucky is actually fully fine and coming into his own. Buddy offers to take Bucky under his wing and Kristen casually but very firmly says, “I’ll never let you do that.” [She really should check on him though, just in general.]

They close the conversation off with some faux cheerful/polite sniping about how Kristen’s god died again (point Buddy) that ends with Kristen saying that Cass will come back again as opposed to Helio who only came back once (point Kristen!). [She also tells Buddy, as she’s wont to do, that she met Helio and thought he was a total frat boy loser–just mentioning it in case it comes up again. He seems pretty sure that Kristen will come around though. Tres prodigal son.] 

Fig’s turn! She aces her Paladin, Bard, and Warlock classes–A+ across the board. [She gets to roll her Bard class at a DC 5 even though it’s her second track for reasons Brennan doesn’t tell us. We also learn that Lucilla Lullaby is now on sabbatical after her conversation with Fig. Girl, go to therapy.]

Anyway, Fig is working with Porter and Zara and they want to talk to her. She’ll have to pick her pact soon and though she’s doing really well, they’re not quite buying that her powers are coming from her deviation to Cass or doubt. Porter recognizes that protective, German Shepherd energy in her and when Fig floats rage (protective rage) as what’s motivating her, he has a positive reaction. Him jumping on the rage thing would already be a little suspicious but the next thing he says is, "If there was some other power like that that you knew could support Cassandra, [and] was connected to your friend Kristen, maybe that's a worthwhile thing to explore.” And I very much want to know if that’s a Porter nudge or a Brennan nudge because that really sounds like he’s hinting towards Cass’s sibling. Incidentally, Porter is an Oath of Ancestors paladin and an earth gensai since we’re keeping track of affiliations. 

For her next track, Fig wants to roll Mustery and ooh boy, Nat 20!

Here’s her bonkers/genius plan: She disguises herself as Wanda and boards a bus she knows Ruben will be on from all her recon. Adaine casts Nystul's Magic Aura on her to make sure that any detection spells will ping as whatever they want them to and not Fig. When Ruben boards the bus, she says that when she made a hasty exit after the festival she was breaking up with her boyfriend and when he asks what music she’s listening to, she shows him a fake episode of the Complicated Women Podcast about Lucy Frostblade. Ruben is instantly rattled and starts looking for the podcast but “Wanda” says it was an early release episode she got because she knows the producers. She lies and says they’re talking bout how they found Lucy’s body and Ruben says he used to be in a party with her. When Fig asks what she was like, Ruben speaks positively of her. She says she was noble and stuck to her guns. He’s really itching to get more info about the podcast and Fig says that she’ll send him the MP3 if he gives her an email. Ruben gives her Lola’s email (They have SOL instead of AOL in Solace) and his cell and then Fig Dimension Doors away, mysterious as ever. 

For her final action, she tries to roll Relationships for Riz but she doesn’t roll high enough to catch him with how busy he is. She still leaves him a nice note and signs it from Gorgug. In response to that, Riz sends back a very long, gushy text that’s so grateful for the check in. Gorgug has no idea what he’s talking about but returns the gesture by making him an Artificer Infusion: A Medal of Wit which gives advantage on Int checks and throws for an hour (one time use). Cute all around!

Let’s close out the episode with Fabian. Popularity: 29. He’s maxed out the track. Any stranger he meets at Aguefort is charmed by him for a minute. He gets a neck tattoo that says Maximum Legend. For Mystery, he wants to check in with his dad to ask about Hell/Curse stuff (but he clearly mostly just wants to hear from his dad). He fails and takes a stress to succeed with the help of the AV Club. Skrank and Shellford help him set up a little broadcasting booth that can reach the Nine Hells assuming Bill has the correct equipment. He tries to broadcast and the equipment is working correctly but Brennan rolls a 3 in front of the board so he gets no response. He speaks into the void about how he’s a Maximum Legend while in his house, utterly alone. 

He rolls for Fighter: B. He rolls for Owlbears. Fail. He rolls for Bard–the DC is 25 and he gets a 24. He’s at four stress so the next token will be a rage token. The table persuades him to take Fig’s cursed Bardic instead. He gets a single point which gets him to the 25 which is a D. Then Brennan gives him a Con save. He fails. Brennan says that, with that fail, he loses control of an important bodily function. He gets to choose which one it is and in front of who like a nasty game of Clue and…look. I’m gonna try and say this as delicately as possible but Lou is not making this easy for me. Lou’s decision is that he will lose control of his bowels in the middle of bard class. That’s as far into it as I’m gonna go–if you want the gritty details you’ll have to get them from the man himself. 

Terpsicore, his teacher, is very supportive and kind about it, but one of his classmates, Quincy, takes his lute and breaks it, calls Fabian a Maximum Loser, and quits Aguefort on the spot. He headbutts the door, making his head bleed, and says, “I fucking hate this school!” 

Which, on the one hand, valid sentiment to the latest bout of (almost literal in this instance) Aguefort bullshit. But headbutting the door to the point that he’s bleeding? Sounds a little bit like rage star effects to me. Is it connected? Or was this just the last shitty straw for Quincy? We’ll have to tune in next time to find out!

Honor Roll

Fig for Her Clutch Investigation Skills

Fig has honestly been killing it just in general lately. A pluses across the board? What a GPA jump! But I have to particularly commend her for skillfully keeping Ruben on the hook the way she has. This is maybe her most perfect ratio of bit to plan so far. It’s so funny but also going so well. And that Nat 20? Chef’s Kiss. 

Detention 

Lou (the player) for Describing [REDACTED]in Graphic Detail

I don’t care if Quincy was affected by the rage star or not. He was right. That *was* nasty. 

#Dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #d20 #d20 spoilers #fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #spoilers #the report card #no extra thoughts today because I am exhausted and we are getting this one in later than I'd hoped #halfway through folks!

[f1minist]

Feminist Youtube Videos for Every Topic

A collection of feminist content, organized topically for ease.

Separatism:

on separatism and heterosexuality

why separatism is good

we're gonna die sometime. might as well be separatists.

stop choosing patriarchy

separatism is a choice

biggest impact, but most won't do it

on vetting men

the benefits of separatism are endless

men cannot be rehabbed

of course the slave is full of rage for her slave master

Lesbian Stuff:

who can use the word 'lesbian'?

on defending gay rights and spaces

what are lesbians supposed to do about het women?

gender critical lesbophobia

the constant rage for gold star lesbians

Political Lesbian Critique:

a simple breakdown of political lesbians

political lesbians... are you ok?

political 'lesbians' are not actually lesbians

i didn't 'come to lesbianism'. i was always here.

homosexuality is not a choice

for those who confuse polilez vs febfem

Comp Het Critique:

comp het isn't a thing

lesbihonest-art (RIP) on comp het

on lesbian experience, by @sunlight-beauty

on comp het, by @rakastiikeri

sespursongles (RIP) on comp het

Preferred Pronouns:

on 'cis' and other language

pronouns are rohypnol

preferred pronouns? no.

what are your pronouns?

Anti Make-Up / Beauty / Femininity:

3 years without makeup: 5 benefits i've experienced

sephora girls: why are ten year olds wearing make-up?

marked women

makeup isn't empowerment

why i stopped wearing makeup

bimbofication: a dangerously idiotic trend

empowerment? no.

give the middle finger to patiarchy

radfems in eyeliner

makeup infinity

on makeup and radical feminism

maintaining the status quo hurts all women

the audacity of the bare-faced woman

critiquing is not shaming

why do women do beauty?

choice feminism is a lie

actually gender critical

Anti Surogacy / Natalism / Procretion:

about mothers

forced pregnancy is involuntary servitude

egg "donation" is exploitation

on sperm giveaways

motherhood is not untouchable

homosexuality does not include reproduction

why i don't want kids

why i'm childfree

on procreation and patriarchy

Porn / Sex Work Commentary:

instagram vs porn

'sex-positive feminism' benefits men (and hurts women)

the influence of porn on the trans trend

on 'sex work'

speaking out on prostitution

'sex work is work'? no, not really.

let's stop acting like 'sex work' is empowering

is porn 'for women' okay?

porn is apocalyptical

'ethical porn' cannot exist

stop glamourizing 'sex work'

porn is the pinnacle of evil

is r/antiwork pro exploitation?

Trans Critical:

mainstream, revisionist, queer nonsense

why transwomen don't have 'female brains', from @ilistened2transwomen

why the hate?

why i decided to stop using the term 'transwoman'

on trans rights activists

TRAs loooove white men

the untouchable male creep - AGPs on parade, from @ilistened2transwomen

'intersectional' does not mean 'trans inclusive'

non-binary is deeply rooted in misogyny

25 questions for trans activists

women's sports are not a dumping ground for mediocre men

on "identifying as" women

stacia samaya on 'non-binary'

why sex is binary

trans rights, or trans privileges?

always chasing the dragon

27 ways in which trans activism is harmful

the actual human rights law

on 'trans women are women'

is transitioning ever 'the best' option?

autogynephilia - a brief overview

the rise of the heterosexual queer

phobia indoctrination

transing away the gay

5 tips for talking gender critical, by @runawaysiren940

the transing of language

autogynephilia, not dysphoria

rainbow-washed progressivism

transwomen are not women

how i became gender critical

autogynephilia explained

#feminism #youtube #transgender #lesbian tag

[uranium-city]

as an aspiring storyteller & writer i find analyzing what works & what doesn’t work in media to be incredibly important. not only does it help us realize where we may have made mistakes in our writing & how to improve going forward, but it also helps understand why certain stories work so well. it helps us realize why critically acclaimed media is so critically acclaimed & appreciate the thought, care, & intelligence that went into making it so special. without criticism- all that thought loses its meaning. bland stories become indistinct from the incredible ones & all the deeply well thought out plot points & messages wash away into a sea of poor &/or lazy writing. we need criticism to appreciate strong writing. being critical of your interests- whether it be a highly acclaimed film or a weaker piece of media that you hold deadly despite its flaws- shows maturity, media literacy, & overall the beauty of how different stories resonate so deeply with people regardless of its issues. that’s why the way Vivziepop responds to criticism irks me on such a strong level. Helluva Boss is a very poorly written show (in my humble opinion, at least). Season 2 has retconned a ridiculous amount of things established season 1 (most notably Stolas’ entire character), has a massive problem with maintaining tone, jumps around from plot to plot by introducing new threat after new threat only to abandoned that threat by introducing a new one the next episode, struggles with developing its own main & supporting characters, & perhaps most offensively of all often comes off as downright fetish-y of gay men. These are all valid criticisms, all of which Vivziepop tries to dismiss as “baseless & unfair”. She claims she respects fair criticism yet never makes a distinction between what is fair & unfair, treating everything as the latter, going on twitter rampages where she attempts to defend her writing decisions & ridicules anyone who dare challenge them. If Vivziepop believes she’s writing the show in the optimal way, fine. If she doesn’t want to listen to criticism & continues to take Helluva Boss in the direction it’s currently going, fine. so be it. She’s in such a unique position where she’s so close to her audience & actively listening to their criticisms, I personally don’t understand why one wouldn’t try to take advantage of that to better their show, but at the same time I can understand having a set story in mind & wanting to take it your way despite what anyone else says. It can be frustrating to have everyone telling you you’re doing your passion project wrong- i get that. but in that case- just continue writing the show how you want, ignore the criticism, & stop having hissy fits on twitter calling people homophobic for not liking your writing (seriously what the fuck? that’s laughable of her to saying given how she writes her gay characters, just saying). Your writing should speak for itself, you shouldn’t have to defend it by crying on twitter. Dismissing all criticism & trying to paint the narrative that you’re nothing more than a victim with a hatedom out to get you is BAFFLINGLY immature ESPECIALLY as someone in their 30s. It only bothers me so much because she’s actively fostering an environment that dismisses criticism which i think is genuinely harmful. & as much as Helluva tries to be an adult show, let’s be real here, a majority of its audience are teenagers who look up to Viv & if THIS is the mindset they end up developing surrounding criticism I think it could genuinely be a problem in regards to their media literacy in the future. People can like Helluva Boss, people can ignore its flaws, but that kind of relationship with criticism is not healthy. at all.

#let me be clear I don’t think Vivziepop is gonna cause the death of media literacy or anything. that’d be ridiculous #but as an aspiring writing myself & someone who dreams of creating an indie internet show like her it really is disheartening to see #also if you disagree with what i said or enjoy Helluva then cool. enjoy yourself /gen #I’m not trying to start fights or drama with this post. it’s just my personal opinions & i wanted to put my thoughts somewhere #helluva critical #vivziepop critical

[weepinwriter]

“In the realm of betrayal, you played your part, but remember this: Karma is a patient hunter, and its aim is true.”

Name : Gael (m.) | Gwendolyn (f.)

Age : They're in their late twenties

Height : 5’9

Appearance : G. stands at 5’9”. Despite the fact that their clothes are often in muted shades of black and red, it can’t hide the fact that they are undoubtedly muscled and thus very very hot thank you very much. However, their clothes – often sturdy and made out of materials such as black leather – hide a myriad of scars and burns from an innocent onlooker’s prying eyes, while their hood does well to conceal their scarred face. Male G. possess long silver grey hair that falls into their eyes and trails down past their nape, while Female G.’s hair reaches her lower chest with sharp, calculating features and glassy gray eyes. They are often dressed for a upending of the social hierarchy for combat or simply just practically, in form-fitting combat wear. Combat boots are of course a must, along with gloves. They have one particularly nasty scar on their chest, beginning from sternum to their lower abdomen, along with one on their neck. (ahem, credits for the thirst comments goes to my partner in crime @headdaze once again cough cough)

Personality : G., initially appearing as a quiet observer, is often misunderstood and stigmatized by others. People perceive them as shifty, cunning, and cruel, categorizing him as a villain. However, whether these assumptions are mere rumors or the cold truth, G. pays no heed to any. On the positive side, G. possesses exceptional intelligence, ranking high on the IQ scale, and demonstrates keen observation skills. They adapt easily to their surroundings and crafts effective strategies for various situations. Additionally, their loyalty to family and the Legion is unwavering, and they stand up for and support those they care about, even risking their own well-being. While they can be intimidating, G. exercises their "scary wolf" persona to protect their loved ones, berating and throwing shades at those who threaten them. Their friends understand his true nature and appreciate their loyalty, allowing them to be themselves. However, G. also exhibits negative traits. Their preference for staying silent and wearing a blank expression can make them appear detached or unapproachable. Some may find their intimidating presence and tendency to violence unsettling and downright frightening, further fueling the rumors surrounding them. G’s decision to give up on changing others' perceptions may lead to a sense of apathy or indifference, as they choose to do whatever they want without concern for how others perceive them. Despite their loyalty, they may come across as harsh, cold and confrontational when defending their beliefs, using berating and shading as tactics to assert their presence.

Background : [CLASSIFIED] The Subject's background is shrouded in mystery, with no available data within official government systems. Extensive efforts have been made to uncover information regarding their origins, but all attempts have proven futile. It is believed that the subject intentionally erased or manipulated their past records to maintain anonymity and evade detection. The subject is the enigmatic leader of the Legion, an underground anti-government terrorist organization notorious for its activities against the established authorities. The subject is regarded as an extremely dangerous individual due to their position as the leader of the Legion. Despite their failed revolt against the Hightable three years ago, the subject is believed to have survived the subsequent purge. The details surrounding their survival and escape remain unknown, further adding to their enigmatic persona. Given the subject's status as a high-value target and the imminent threat they pose to national security, all authorized authorities, including military personnel, are granted permission to execute the subject on sight. It is imperative to neutralize their influence and disrupt Legion activities to safeguard national stability.

This file is considered highly sensitive and is exclusively intended for authorized government personnel with appropriate clearance levels. Unauthorized access, duplication, or dissemination of this information is strictly prohibited. [END OF FILE]

Likes : hoarding (anything really), tortoises, apples, eating metals (without rust of course), fighting, being understood, daydreaming, meat (especially smoked meat with no seasoning), lilies (especially the white ones), smoking whenever stressed or in a bad mood in general

Dislikes : liars, rats, their lactose intolerance, winter, overly salty food, rust (it ruins the taste), social injustice, getting wet, rainy days (those bring back terrible memories), excessive questions

Pet peeves : dusty surfaces, one uppers, sidewalk hoggers, being questioned for their decisions

Trivia :

has anginophobia i.e. the fear of being choked

Is allergic to the sun, staying under it for longer than a couple of minutes will leave them with angry red rashes, which itch a lot, like a LOT. it's not fatal, but inconvenient? Yes.

Smoking is their ideal sin, and they gladly embrace it.

During the Battle of Stellaris when the rebel forces were gaining ground in the [REDACTED) District, but the tides turned when the Master appeared. Consequently the rebel forces were completely crushed and the remaining forces, including G. had to retreat. The scar on their neck and chest is from that encounter, but to give them credit, they did return the favor.

#interactive fiction #if game #current wip #road to heaven if #interactive game #ro's #ro gael/gwendolyn #original character

[alexriesart]

“Within the humid understory of Chriiah’s richest rainforests, sudden flashes of color can occasionally be seen as darting creatures strike shafts of canopy light. Not more than two inches in length (excluding adornments) these flying beings, known locally as skydrops, exhibit an intriguing social structure and a viciousness that belies their whimsical name and colorful bodies. Intelligent, and with the ability maintain very rapid controlled flight whilst manoeuvring through a complex tangle of undergrowth, skydrops feed frequently to power their high metabolism. Plants that provide energy rich liquids grow in patches of forest frequented by skydrops, and the two groups of organisms have evolved mutualistic relationships.  Flower clusters of several of these plants produce a succession of blooms in sequence, allowing skydrops to establish set territories in the forest where blooms are active, and to pass reproductive cells from flower to flower as they do so. As sequential hermaphrodites, large mature skydrops are almost exclusively females and use their impressive head crests and greater size to control access to feeding areas. Smaller males, if they suitably impress a female, are allowed to mate with her, raise their young and feed within her territory. The cost of that access is to join other aligned males in defending their collective territory from other swarms, coordinating and maintaining their allegiance through a set of learned swarm-specific vocalizations. During times of limited food, many individuals are killed in the constant battle to secure active flowers. After helping raise several broods, hormonal changes begin to transform these males into young females. This is potentially the most dangerous time in a skydrops’ life, as it must strike out to form its own swarm, or challenge the dominant female for leadership. If the matriarch’s position is secure, these adolescents will leave the swarm, accompanied by several allied males, and attempt to secure new feeding grounds. Many do not survive and are killed during this dispersal stage, but those that make it will begin to acquire their own entourage of males and increase their territory. There is some variation among subspecies and geographic populations of skydrops, and not all are so aggressive. In areas of great abundance, several mature females may co-exist without significant conflict, even forming larger multi-swarm alliances in forests filled with their constant high-toned social calls."“

#birrin #alien #creaturedesign #scifi #sciencefiction #my art

[taanoir]

Life in San Sequoia was different but in many ways the same. Rita started a garden and started making her own nectars. She thought she could sell them at the craft market by the wharf as a way to contribute something financially.

Jimmy was still head over heels for Rita. She was the first person he looked for when he got home. They spent most of their evenings out of the house. They would go to the clubs to dance or see a new band play. Some nights they would spend visiting with friends, really anything to be out of the house.

Julian's age was starting to show. He had always been active and in top physical shape for his job. However, once the silver took over his hair and wrinkles crept in around his eyes the office thought it was time for him to retire. They offered him a generous retirement package with severance and a monthly draw. Julian had worked for so much of his life, he struggled to find hobbies outside of his work. He still loved playing music but the arthritis in his hands limited how long he could play.

Gene had always tended towards longer hair but after they moved to San Sequoia he let it go. Gene was attending the local High School. His mom suggested he pick up an after school job but there really weren't any open positions. He spent his evenings tinkering with his computer or reading tech magazines.

Things also weren't any better between Evie and Jimmy. Jimmy and his mom fought regularly, usually about Rita. Evie found her to be lazy. She slept too much, she didn't offer to help around the house and didn't have a job. Jimmy defended Rita, who still wasn't comfortable around Evie. She had started a nectar business and maintained a beautiful garden that supported both her business and the house. For Evie that wasn't enough, she needed to pull her weight, not add to everyone else's load.

Gene stayed behind to try talking to Jimmy about his girlfriend. She was nice but their mom wasn't wrong on this one. Rita left her dishes for their mom to clean up, she left her laundry in the bathroom and really just didn't do the bare minimum to pick up behind herself. When Jimmy wasn't home she'd work on her garden or nectar making sometimes but really she just stayed in their room until it was time for Jimmy to get home.

Jimmy really wasn't receptive, and dismissed everything Gene said. He loved her and couldn't understand why everyone was attacking her.

#ts4 gameplay #historychallenge #childrenofcalisto #gen 8

[lelanida]

SINCE REQUESTS ARE OPEN!! I absolutely love your megabird and darkness god duo! Their human designs are very creative and fun to look at... So- can we get some more lore about these two? Maybe some ideas, interactions, whatever you want!

Ah, I see that you are a person of culture, since you ask such a question. But before we sit down and the trip starts, I want to shake your hand for giving me an excuse to write three pages in Microsoft Word, chatting about these two. Thank you.

Let's start with something simple and already known. Megabird the light.

The fandom has two opinions about this character (?). Some people consider her evil in the flesh, they say she enslaved the elders and never loved Alef, she wanted to brainwash all people and other sins that you hung on her. Others consider her a very wise and kind ancient goddess who wishes everyone only good, and Alef is an asshole. I somehow found myself between two cults and gradually came to my own image of the mother of the Skykids. To the image of some kind of child-like deity.

No, I don't think Megabird is evil. I think she really loved her people and wished them nothing but good. She's just very irresponsible and does things first and then thinks. Bird does not calculate the consequences of her actions, even good actions, so when she wants the best, it turns out well... as always. The trait is inherent in beings of light.

Now let's move on to something more specific. Namely Angst the darkness.

TGC: The darkness is evil.

Sky Fandom: The darkness is evil.

The whole planet Earth: The darkness is evil.

Me: The darkness is not evil, just misunderstood.

In my first post about Angst, I wrote why I unconditionally believe in his existence. First: Darkness has a memory. If darkness is the absence of light, then darkness is nothing, and nothing can not have memory. Second: If the darkness appeared due to the activities of Alef and elders, then people had never seen crabs and krill before the fall of the kingdom. However, in the Cave of Prophecies we can see a photorealistic image of krill, which is impossible, since the prophecy spoke only about the golden era, and not about the subsequent shattering.

People have ALWAYS lived side by side with darkness, and managed to maintain harmony. That's why I had the idea to create a second god in the world of Sky. And so Angst appeared. It remained for a small matter, to write it into the lore, explain why we don't see him in the game, design, and so on. Angst came for the sake of lore, and stayed for the sake of memes and dynamics with the Bird.

And that's where the fun begins.

The dynamics of Megabird and Angst can be shown in one picture.

Light embodies happiness, a bright positive emotion. The light is always in motion, and that is why, having moved from the Valley to the Wasteland, it seems to us that the darkness is almost dead. Everyone thinks darkness is emo, but in fact it's just very, very calm. But is calmness a bad emotion? Darkness is harmonious in its pacification, it does not need to rush somewhere all the time, and it just goes with the flow. Does that make her evil? It's just different.

These are the main features I put into the characters of the Bird and the Angst. Bird is a hyperactive goddess who wants to take part in the lives of people in her kingdom (for this she made Alef). Angst is a balanced god, he just wants everyone to calm down and stop climbing into his rightful possessions. He never wanted to become a part of the Bird's activity and get involved in people's lives. People attacked first. Humans were the first to produce artificial stars on an industrial scale and plunder the underworld. The darkness has risen to defend its home. And he is still fighting for it, regarding the skykids in the Wasteland as potential aggressors. That's the whole Angst. He is constantly looking for a way to calm the Storm and, unlike the Bird, which prefers a remote way to resolve the situation, he often personally visits Eden and is influenced by the infected energy much more. This explains the presence of infected creatures of darkness and the strange, unexplained immunity of light to it. Darkness strives for harmony and it always has a reason to attack. Most likely, it was also when the darkness threw the elders out of the orbit, although it is not a fact that stupid mortals like us will ever understand it. And Megabird does not rush to tell us anything.

Now it's time for random facts that I can't weave into the text, because it's 2:47 and my brain is already poorly forming sentences.

- The darkness attacked all locations where people used the darkstone, except for the Valley of Triumph. I explain this by the fact that darkness does not really tolerate cold. Fire literally flows through the veins of beings of light and therefore they always have an internal heating. Skykids may love fluffy capes, but in fact they, and other beings of light, are never cold. What can not be said about the darkness. By the way, even in human forms, the Bird and Aurora do not freeze, but the Angst does.

- Coffee is a creation of Angst. Arabica was originally found by researchers of the underworld and brought to the surface. In its pure form, the drink was too strong (though quite invigorating) for people and they learned to dilute it with sugar and milk. Angst denies such a method of use. According to him, "only cowardly beings of light drink coffee in this way." But in fact, he loves cappuccino with cinnamon, he just doesn't want to admit defeat in front of a Bird.

- If you noticed, then on different art, the Megabird has different hair lengths. I had a reason to change it. The Bird used to really have long hair, which she treasured very much, and loved to braid. But she cut it off with a darkstone blade and made out of it wings for Aurora. The Bird will not be able to simply grow it back.

- Cats are a joint project of Megabird and Angst (black wool from Angst, yellow accent from a Bird). Angst originally planned to create perfect predators out of cats, but then a Bird came and turned them into pets. By the way, it was she who invented the cat purring.

- Angst also tried to create a son for himself, and send him to people, as the Bird did with the Alef. But after looking at how much shit Alef went through, he decided to abandon this idea and protect his child's mental health. Umbra, still lives in the underworld, and Angst does not release him to the surface, because he is afraid that he will suffer from the energy of Eden. The mask with Umbra's face is worn by the Passage guide.

- Souls under the protection of Angst are called shadows. Relatives of the spirits of the season of Remebrance are shadows and while being in the underworld, they also worry about their loved ones.

- Bird and Angst's designs are based on cosmetics from the season of Shattering, but with minor changes. For example, Angst also used to wear a hair braid, like Bird. But after the war of people with darkness and the subsequent explosion of Eden, he had... no one to braid it. Angst himself does not know how to handle his hair and does not consider it necessary to study (he is too busy to do such nonsense), and he stopped communicating with the Bird. He didn't have any bruises under his eyes before either.

- Black people with red hair are real! But this is a very rare combination due to the peculiarities of genetics, and it seemed to me that a Bird could choose such avatar for observing people. Also, in many world cultures, red-haired people are considered supernatural beings, which also works on the image of a Bird.

- Both the Megabird and the Angst feel every eruption of Eden, but because of the corruption, it's painful for Angst, but not for Bird.

- There used to be much more passages to the underworld, but after people started taking resources from there to produce artificial stars, Angst staged a series of earthquakes and closed almost all the caves, with rare exceptions. The Golden Wasteland is not a realm of darkness, it's just a branch of the realm of darkness. A piece of the surface that Angst edited for creatures of darkness when all the local creatures of light left or were killed during the hunt for energy. Most likely, we will never see the darkness in its true greatness.

Phew, that's it. @whitebookposts let me shake your hand again for this question and for supporting posts with Angst and Bird. And now, with your permission, I'm gonna... *faints*

#sky children of the light #thatskygame #sky cotl #megabird #Angst the darkness #that sky game

[hatgame]

I do love going through your tags to read the backlog of thoughts you have on snatcher so if hes not asked?

he has not been! i am grateful for your interest.

any pronouns & unlabeled everything lol

a very uncommon opinion i have is that he finds great but self harming and maladaptive comfort in the cellar and blizzard stages of his life.

to base this:

something ive seen a lot but disagree with is the claim that after their death they gained control, going as far as to become lowkey power hungry and enjoy and crave being treated as an authoriy. living its truth as a spooky spirit and generally being content with this life.

hat(and bow?) kid kind of pokes fun at that by calling him a tsundere and a big softy, but i never thought of it as her seeing him as a literal tsundere. she saw something he doesnt want to be viewed as and went with it to gain the strongest reaction, even if only in theory, while really meaning she doesnt think his behavior is sincere. this might look like im putting words in her mouth but i just genuinely always assumed this was the intention. its pretty in character, too - shes mischevious and childishly malicious at times. i think its fits. i also only bring this up because itll be important later

with the blizzard still present around vanessas manor, ice covering the subcon well from the inside and chunks of ice randomly forming around the forest i believe its fair to say it did not vanish on its own and is instead actively suppressed by something. considering snatcher provides an array of services to the subconites (granting them bodies, likely supervising the new vilages construction, maintaining community important structures via contractually obligated mortals - none of her contracts benefit her directly. they resemble community service far more, which is remarked on by hat/bow kid in her diary) it wouldnt be too far of a stretch to come to the conclusion its by his efforts the blizzard is contained - not to mention when first encountered he tells hat/bow she needs her to take care of "some other things, that i cannot do myself..." implying there ARE things it can and does get done! and its for the blizzards suppression specifically i believe it steals and absorbs souls.

(newer content typically has them claim they hate chores and use minions for everything which i choose not to take into account due to most of said content severely contradicting his main game appearance writing wise. i also think there was something that justified treating it as an unreliable narrator but i cant recall what exactly so i wont be using that argument to defend myself here. so, source: trust me)

this places snatcher in the place of a damage suppressor for the blizzard. this, if on its own, while an interesting dynamic, isnt much more than that. its effect on snatcher as a person is unknown. that is, unless you take his backstory into account.

the blizzard is typically interpreted to exist a result of vanessas actions and unlikely but possibly continued efforts, but i personally would claim its an extension of her, similarly to how the snatcher is an extension of the prince: its her soul and personal apocalypse externalized. its her.

in this way, snatcher, even after his death, is forced into a relationship with her ghostly presence infusing and dilluting subcon where it must expose itself to and suppress her. its a dehumanizing and horrible position to be in. something to note is that in the subcon layer of the tour rift snatchers tree is shown beneath the village, coveted in frost. it always was a deeply haunting thing to me, and now i realize it can be used as further proof that the village can only really exist at the price of snatcher enduring constant violence behind the scenes. i used to say this very likely acts as a parallel to princes and princess vanessas relationship before realizing its not a parallel, its an extension of it. its almost like he never left.

the only opportunity he ever got from the constant pressure and obligation to keep up a notably insincere appearance, being used as a tool to keep something that feels larger than anything it could ever be in check, was when he was abandoned to fall apart in vanessas cellar. he even calls it home once. ("this captain guy is great! his nasty smell and dead eyes remind me of home..")

i will be honest, im mixed on to what degree he is aware of any of this, in the timeframe of the ingame events at least, but if he does come to the conclusion hes been going in circles i dont doubt hed start craving the only place defined by the lack of vanessas presence.

i have a lot more to say such as why he initially chose to leave the cellar, what he thinks vanessas opinion on him is, or how exactly the subconites factor into their recovery, which is fully possible btw, but thats it for now. thanks for reading, now you have a bit more context to my art

if hes feeling affectionate towards her it might also wish to wander in the blizzard again.. since its an extension of her, its kind of the closest they can possibly get, literally residing inside her soul while still remaining isolated and staying out of her reach and sight. its also invasive creepy and miserable and completely erases all boundaries between the two of them

#text #dove dont look #also i do not interpret them as ''equally toxic'' and dont trust those who do

[nickstarking]

(Introducing one of Tom Riddle's gang members created by me)

Name: Alexi Aigner Avery

Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: German

Physique: He is a blond boy with blue eyes with a thin and somewhat athletic build, his height is on average 1.76/ 5′ 9, he is not as tall as the other boys but it matches his apparently adorable appearance.

Alexi Avery - Personality

(Note: He is a pure-blood wizard boy from the 1930s/40s, obviously he not would have a cell phone or headphones, I put it as an illustration image because I thought he looked a little shy in these photos. Warning you not to hate)

He's a little shy and melts down with compliments from people he likes, but he can make stupid jokes all the time.

He likes to play the piano and does it very well because he received lessons from a young age.

Avery loves her childhood teddy bear, but she won't admit it to anyone and tries to hide this fact from everyone, especially he housemates.

He is not a boy who defends his own opinions very much and will follow whatever Tom Riddle or his friends want, even if it goes against what he wants to do at the moment or his principles. He wants to feel accepted in some way and is afraid of losing his position

Despite his reserved nature, Avery harbors a fascination with dark magic, often spending his free time studying forbidden spells and obscure rituals in secret.

He possesses a keen intellect and excels academically, particularly in subjects related to the Dark Arts, earning admiration from his professors and peers alike.

Avery struggles with feelings of inadequacy due to the high expectations placed upon him by his pure-blood lineage, constantly seeking validation and recognition from his family and the wizarding community.

Despite his loyalty to traditionalist beliefs, Avery harbors a secret curiosity about Muggle culture and technology, indulging in forbidden Muggle literature and music in the privacy of his dormitory.

Deep down, Avery wrestles with inner turmoil, torn between his allegiance to his family's legacy and his own moral compass, leading to moments of self-doubt and existential questioning.

He smokes a lot (although in his time, cigarettes were unfortunately fashionable and considered status)

Avery sometimes secretly cries when she is sad while hugging her teddy bear in bed. It was a habit he acquired because of his abusive family.

He is bisexual and one of the reasons she follows Tom Riddle is her secret crush on him.

His least favorite friend in his group is Abraxas Malfoy.

your favorite color is brown.

He has a pet cat.

He likes to intimidate those he considers inferior. Especially bullying if it's with his friends.

He likes the peace of the farm he lives on and horses

Alexis Avery and love interest

Despite his endearing qualities, Avery's clingy and possessive tendencies can sometimes border on toxic behavior, leading to conflicts in his relationships.

He craves constant validation and affection from his partner, often seeking reassurance of their love and commitment.

Avery finds comfort in traditional displays of affection, such as cuddling and receiving physical touch, which helps him feel secure in his relationship.

While he may appear submissive in his eagerness to please his partner, Avery struggles with assertiveness and may have difficulty expressing his own needs and desires.

Despite his clinginess, Avery respects his partner's autonomy and independence, allowing them space to pursue their own interests and activities. However, jealousy may arise if he perceives a threat to his relationship, leading to possessive behavior.

It's important for his partner to set clear boundaries and communicate openly about their needs to maintain a healthy balance in the relationship.

Avery doesn't like to make the first move and prefers his interest to go first, no matter the gender, but if he really wants to, he'll reluctantly approach.

He craves constant reassurance and validation from his romantic partner, often seeking verbal affirmations of love and affection to soothe his insecurities.

Avery's clinginess can sometimes border on manipulative behavior, as he may use guilt or emotional manipulation to keep his partner close and dependent on him.

Despite his flaws, Avery is fiercely loyal and devoted to his romantic relationships, willing to go to great lengths to make his partner happy and secure in their bond.

He struggles with expressing his emotions openly and may resort to passive-aggressive tactics or sulking when feeling neglected or unappreciated by his partner.

In moments of vulnerability, Avery yearns for emotional intimacy and connection with his romantic partner, craving deep conversations and shared experiences to strengthen their bond.

Avery Friend

As a friend, Avery is incredibly loyal and dependable, always willing to lend a listening ear and offer support. He values deep connections and tends to form close-knit bonds with a select few individuals whom he trusts implicitly.

Despite his reserved nature, Avery possesses a wicked sense of humor and enjoys sharing inside jokes and laughter with his closest friends. He treasures moments of camaraderie and feels most at ease in the company of those who accept him for who he truly is.

Avery is a great confidant, capable of keeping secrets and offering sage advice when called upon. He values honesty and authenticity in his friendships and expects the same level of trust and transparency from his companions.

While he may not be the most assertive or outspoken member of the group, Avery has a knack for mediating conflicts and diffusing tense situations with his calming presence and diplomatic approach. He strives to maintain harmony within his social circle and dislikes confrontation or drama.

Despite his insecurities and occasional bouts of self-doubt, Avery is fiercely protective of his friends and will go to great lengths to defend them against any perceived threats or injustices. He values loyalty above all else and expects unwavering loyalty in return from those he considers his closest allies.

Avery can be overly possessive and jealous of his friends, especially if he feels like he is being excluded or replaced by others within the group. He may act manipulatively to ensure that his position as closest friend is preserved.

Your constant need for validation and attention can become exhausting for your friends, who may feel suffocated by the constant demand for your presence and approval.

Avery can be prone to holding grudges and resentment if he feels like his friends aren't living up to his expectations or aren't giving him the same level of attention and care that he does. This can lead to conflicts and ruptures in friendships.

He can be quite critical and demanding of his friends, expecting them to always be there for him, but not always being willing to reciprocate the same level of support and understanding when needed.

Avery may have difficulty expressing her own emotions in a healthy way, which can lead to moments of emotional outburst or withdrawal, negatively affecting her friendships and causing tension within the group.

Alexi Avery in an intimate moment

In moments of intimacy, Avery reveals a vulnerable and emotionally complex side of her personality, seeking deep and authentic connection with her partner. He craves genuine emotional connection, seeking comfort and security in his lover's arms.

Despite her usual reserve, Avery gives herself completely to the heat of the moment, exploring her sensuality in a passionate and intense way. He is dedicated to providing pleasure to his partner, prioritizing their pleasure and satisfaction above all else.

Avery values open and honest communication during intimate moments, sharing her most intimate desires and deepest fantasies with her partner without restriction. He believes in the importance of establishing a solid emotional connection as the foundation for a fulfilling love life.

In terms of physical intimacy, Avery is affectionate and attentive, dedicating himself to exploring every inch of his partner's body with delicacy and passion. He indulges in the pleasure of touch and physical proximity, seeking a sense of unity and completeness with his lover.

After the climax of the intimate moment, Avery values the moments of tenderness and closeness, seeking comfort and security in the arms of her partner. He revels in the post-love coziness, cherishing every moment shared in a warm, comforting embrace.

#fanfic #fanfiction #slytherin boys #slytherin #avery riddle era #harry potter fanfiction #alexi avery

[argentnoelle]

Light’s Bookshelf [3/?]

On the right, a group of books in English:

Munch David Michelangelo Michelangelo Mondrian Klek

They seem to be art books. "Munch” would be Edvard Munch, otherwise known as the guy who painted The Scream:

Munch was an expressionist painter. According to Wikipedia, “With this painting, Munch met his stated goal of ‘the study of the soul, that is to say the study of my own self’. Munch wrote of how the painting came to be: ‘I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.’”

Here are some interesting things about Munch:

[His father] also instructed his son in history and literature, and entertained the children with vivid ghost-stories and the tales of the American writer Edgar Allan Poe.

As Edvard remembered it, Christian's positive behaviour towards his children was overshadowed by his morbid pietism. Munch wrote, "My father was temperamentally nervous and obsessively religious—to the point of psychoneurosis. From him I inherited the seeds of madness. The angels of fear, sorrow, and death stood by my side since the day I was born."

“David” is probably Jacques-Louis David, who created The Death of Socrates and The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons.

Brutus's sons had attempted to overthrow the government and restore the monarchy, so the father ordered their death to maintain the republic. Brutus was the heroic defender of the republic, sacrificing his own family for the good of the republic. On the right, the mother holds her two daughters, and the nurse is seen on the far right, in anguish. Brutus sits on the left, alone, brooding, seemingly dismissing the dead bodies of his sons. Knowing what he did was best for his country, but the tense posture of his feet and toes reveals his inner turmoil. The whole painting was a Republican symbol, and obviously had immense meaning during these times in France. It exemplified civic virtue, a value highly regarded during the Revolution. (Wikipedia)

Near the beginning of the French Revolution, he also attempted a massive painting titled The Tennis Court Oath.

“Political circumstances in France proved too volatile to allow the completion of the painting. The unity that was to be symbolized in The Tennis Court Oath no longer existed in radicalized 1792. The National Assembly had split between conservatives and radical Jacobins, both vying for political power. By 1792 there was no longer consensus that all the revolutionaries at the tennis court were ‘heroes’. A sizeable number of the heroes of 1789 had become the villains of 1792. In this unstable political climate David's work remained unfinished.” But a more famous work of his was The Death of Marat.

On 13 July 1793, David's friend Marat was assassinated by Charlotte Corday with a knife she had hidden in her clothing. She gained entrance to Marat's house on the pretense of presenting him a list of people who should be executed as enemies of France. Marat thanked her and said that they would be guillotined next week upon which Corday immediately fatally stabbed him. She was guillotined shortly thereafter. [...] ‘Atheists though they were, David and Marat, like so many other fervent social reformers of the modern world, seem to have created a new kind of religion.’ At the very center of these beliefs, there stood the republic. [...]

[In his later life, David wrote] “In all human activity the violent and transitory develops first; repose and profundity appear last. The recognition of these latter qualities requires time; only great masters have them, while their pupils have access only to violent passions.” [...]

It is likely that much of the criticism of David following his death came from David's opponents; during his lifetime David made a great many enemies with his competitive and arrogant personality as well as his role in the Terror. David sent many people to the guillotine and personally signed the death warrants for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. One significant episode in David's political career that earned him a great deal of contempt was the execution of Emilie Chalgrin. A fellow painter Carle Vernet had approached David, who was on the Committee of Public Safety, requesting him to intervene on behalf of his sister, Chalgrin. She had been accused of crimes against the Republic, most notably possessing stolen items. David refused to intervene in her favor, and she was executed. Vernet blamed David for her death, and the episode followed him for the rest of his life and after. (Wikipedia)

Pretty much everyone would recognize Michelangelo, Renaissance painter, sculptor, poet & architect. As far as his connection to Death Note, a segment from the Sistine Chapel, The Creation of Adam, is actually replicated in the first intro.

In the Death Note image, instead of God reaching out to/creating Man (the image behind God has been interpreted as either a rendering of a human brain or a uterus) it’s Ryuk handing Light an apple. Giving him death instead of life, obviously, but also serving as a tempter (apples being the pop culture interpretation of the forbidden fruit). The figures around God have been argued about by scholars for ages, but the figures around Ryuk seem to pretty clearly be other shinigami. (Gelus and Midora and some others?) The gold sunburst is reminiscent of Roman baroque art (this effect appears in a lot of Death Note art, so I would guess it isn’t particularly significant to this piece).

The Ecstacy of Saint Teresa, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

In addition to the sunburst, there’s bones and what specifically look like the skeletons of wings behind Ryuk’s shoulders. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that Light has wings in this picture too! But his are white and feathery. The other notable image is the chain attached to Light’s left hand. I’ve previously read a meta, unfortunately I don’t remember where, that pointed out how the chain symbolically attaches Light to earth (and how in his flying picture at the end of the intro he doesn’t have it, that is, he’s ascended to godhood) so you might even say the chains are his humanity... but it also makes me think of Icarus, wanting to fly closer to the sun... ANYWAY what’s cool is that Light & Ryuk’s picture actually tells the inverse story of the Creation of Adam; Light’s shows the fall.

“Mondrian” would be Piet Mondrian, a dutch painter and art theoretician. In his earlier works he explored different styles, but Tableau I epitomizes the style he would eventually be known for:

"Klek” is probably Jo Klek, or Josip Seissel, an avant-garde artist, surrealist, and architect.

Here are some of his works:

And this:

Maybe Light had these books because he took a class on it in school, but I doubt it. Judging by the size of the books, I’m pretty sure they’re art books, not textbooks. Just lots of pictures for him to flip through! And he keeps them literally at the head of his bed. My conclusion: Light appreciates art.

Further evidence to that effect:

The only time he ever seems appreciative of Misa is when he learns she can draw.

#Death Note #my stuff #lb

[datnewloud]

There has been recent drama surrounding Kiki Palmer and her boyfriend that has left many fans upset. The controversy revolves around differences in their morals and values. Kiki Palmer, known for her roles as an actress and singer, has been dating a prominent musician and producer, let’s call him Usher for the sake of this example.

The trouble began when Kiki publicly expressed her disappointment with Usher’s behavior, citing his alleged involvement in certain questionable activities that clashed with her own principles. This revelation has left many fans and followers disheartened, as they admired Kiki for her outspokenness and commitment to maintaining a positive image. The clash of morals between the couple has sparked heated debates and discussions among their respective fan bases, with some expressing their support for Kiki’s decision to voice her concerns, while others defend Usher’s actions.

The drama surrounding Kiki Palmer and her boyfriend highlights the challenges that can arise when individuals with differing morals and values enter into a relationship. It serves as a reminder that even celebrities face personal conflicts and that these disagreements can have a profound impact on their public image. As the situation unfolds, fans and observers eagerly await further developments and hope that Kiki and Usher can find a resolution that aligns with their individual principles.

#keke palmer #usher #boyfirend #dnl

[incotheghost]

The knight and the would-be witch

An honorable and determined knight was exploring to get the lay of the land. Catches the whim of these bewitched woods, which the townsfolk claim have people disappearing frequently. The story goes that a witch lives in the woods and takes the people for sadistic rituals.

Curiosity gets the better of him, and he decides to explore these cursed woods. Immediately running into a thick fog, unable to see more than a few meters ahead. Noticing a faintly glowing light in the distance, he treks on. Pushing through magical whispers and sightless roads. Reaching the light, he sees a simple totem. Rudimentary magic, but enough to maintain the spell. He goes to break it, and as the wood clatters on the forest floor, the fog lifts in the area.

Throughout the woods he finds several more totems, breaking each one and lifting the fog. A path to a small hut is revealed though some overgrown bushes, and he decides to go near. Spotting a solemn girl wandering the yard, watering a myriad of colourful, magical flowers. Attempting to introduce himself, he gets little to no response from the girl. Not because she does not care, but because she is not made for interaction. He judges from her movements that she must be one of the magical pawns that people speak of every now and then. He has seen them before, aiding other adventurers, but they are otherwise incapable of independence.

Wondering why she is in these woods all alone, and how she is a pawn without a master, he decides to watch over her. Even if she is not a pawn admitted to him, he will keep an eye out until trace of the original master is found. After some weeks of visiting and helping her out, he would grow attached to her, and she of him despite her inability to show it. Pawns are not supposed to have feelings, after all.

Returning to the nearby town one day, he happens upon a frightening sight. A witch hunt is under way. A guard noticed that the fogs had disappeared, and began to round up townsfolk to hunt down the witch. Worried for his friend the night hurried back to the hut in the woods, only to find that the group in town, was the second group. The first group had already arrived, ready to burn down everything. Calling her name, the pawn felt a sense of threat, and in a moment activated several golems that lied dormant in the yard.

Golems and knight, fighting with all of their beings to protect the pawn that is not meant to be. Focusing on the townsfolk in the yard, they miss the captain sneaking his way to the hut, about to break down the door. A scream pierces the forest and everything grinds to a halt. The knight, realizing what is going on, sprints to the hut hoping that he is no too late. There he sees the captain with his sword to her throat, cursing her with every breath he takes. In a fit of rage, the knight draws his own blood soaked sword and charges the captain. Plunging the sword deep in the captain's side, exiting his left shoulder, scolding him for attacking a girl who cannot even defend herself.

The captains falls, and the woods grow quiet. The golems return to their dormant positions, but one who had its magic broken and is no more than rubble. Retrieving his sword from the body, the knight just now realizes what he almost lost. He stumbles to embrace the girl, tears streaming, and sees for the first time a smile on her face.

Taking his hand, and speaking as simple as ever, the pawn leads the knight to a cave, previously blocked by the now fallen golem. Magic plants and lights create a flurry of energies as they travel through. At the end she shows him the truth. She has no master, as her master died, and bestowed their soul to her. Like an infant, she knows not how to live, but she is now learning, thanks to the knight.

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I wrote this quite a bit ago, inspired by a questline from Dragon’s Dogma, which I absolutely adore. Hope you all enjoy too! And I swear there’s no ill intent with her being a “pawn” in lack of a “master” that’s just the circumstances of her in the game. Pawns are *usually* human-like creatures that lack free will, whose only goal is to serve adventurers, calling them “masters.” They come in all shapes, sizes, races, and genders.

#OC #dragon's dogma #knight #witch #adaptation #fantasy #protective #high fantasy #guardian #vengeance #magic