#warcats rambles | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

astralarias · 7 months

Note

please talk about your characters! i don't mind who i just wanna hear you ramble about your toons <3

Aaa thank you!! 🥺

Since I just posted a gifset of her, I'll talk a little about Aikarico, my beloved warcat, and her backstory <3

She came remarkably close to having a completely different life! Her parents were critical of the Legions as a whole and had plans to leave after the birth of their cub, as fleeing & traveling would be too strenuous on Electra (Aika's mother) during her pregnancy. Their goal was to reach Lion's Arch and settle down as a family.

However, mere weeks before Aikarico was born, her father, Theo, was killed on patrol by a Flame Legion ambush. Electra was heartbroken, and after Aikarico was born she didn't have the strength to flee the Legions alone - only to give Aikarico as much love as she could in the time they had. Being an only child, Aikarico was incredibly clingy and a very shy, sweet cub who rarely left her mother's side.

When it came time for her to join the Fahrah, she didn't cope well. Ripped from her mother's warm embrace into a world of survival of the fittest, she struggled - bullied endlessly by her peers for her softness. Until she wasn't. Until she forced herself to get tough, against her every instinct. She fought back with fang and claw, so no-one would ever hurt her again.

Her mother had promised she'd visit. She never did. Aikarico grew up believing she had been abandoned without reason by the only person who had loved her for her, not knowing the truth - Electra had died shortly after Aikarico left her side, falling ill and not having the strength to recover.

By the time she reached adulthood, Aikarico had become an arrogant, defiant problem for her warband and superiors, and had no intention of changing. It was a mask, but one she could no longer tell where it ended and she began any more. She had stopped trying to take it off long ago.

However, her higher-ups weren't about to let such subordination slide for much longer, especially after her stunts to prove herself as bigger, better, stronger, resulted in casualties in the field more than once. She always knew better, and nothing was ever her fault. It couldn't be - she was flawless, because if she wasn't, she was nothing.

After a string of complaints from her warbandmates, Aikarico was made a gladium. As the verdict was dealt, though, she stood tall and announced she was leaving, anyway, so there - you can't fire me, I quit! Denounced as a traitor and disappointment, she fled the Legions - just as her parents had meant to do all those years ago, albeit with a twist.

From there, she wandered Tyria, taking up jobs for bandits and thieves - anyone who would pay, at first - but eventually building up a reputation as a skilled assassin. She hung around human lands for a while - the least charr place she could think of, although she still held herself as charr in far-too-high regard. Among certain shady circles, she gained notoriety. If you wanted someone dead, she was the cat for the job. She was never happy, but she was feared and respected, and that was enough for a time.

Eventually she grew bored and set on the road again, winding up in the Desolation after a few years. Here, she worked with the Order of Shadows alongside her regular assassination jobs - she never became an official member, but she was known throughout the ranks as "that arrogant charr who thinks too much of herself".

During the events of Path of Fire, she was given a mark that would change her life once again; the Commander. She never did find out who put her on the job - it was all very secretive - but it payed well, and she knew to kill him would bolster her legend beyond all belief and hope. She took it without a second thought.

She followed Atlaki for days. Watched his every move, as he stopped amid the carnage to...help people? Didn't he have a god to catch? Why would he stop and show such...weakness?

She was horribly intrigued. And besides, maybe she was a little bored of the desert too, now. The Desolation was all moody skies and sulfur. Even killing here was getting dull.

So, finally, she engaged her target. But instead of shooting him from some perch, she appeared to his face and demanded he fight her. She was somewhat hurt when he appeared more tired than anything, but he agreed - and promptly kicked her ass. Okay, now she was impressed...although, of course, her losing was totally all part of her plan.

She introduced herself, told him she was meant to kill him but kind of didn't want to do that anymore, and she'd be helping him out from now on. A paw was offered to shake, and Atlaki - deciding this odd charr wasn't the worst or strangest thing to fall from the sky in recent times - took it.

Thus began Aikarico's looong, winding path to becoming a better, and certainly more tolerable person - someone her parents would be beyond proud to see flourish, with Atlaki's influence. She remains proud, arrogant, even but it's genuine now and not so much of a mask. She's charismatic, brash, and herself. She has the family she always needed, in Atlaki, and Cassien, and Aurene.

#sorry for the NOVEL but I love my girl so dearly #aikarico #oc talk tag #thank you again anon!!

16 notes · View notes

tss-storytime · 1 year

Text

Writer/artist parings

Writer/Artist Pairings Are Here!

Writers, give your artist access to everything you've got so far! Rough draft, outlines, rambling thoughts to yourself—whatever it takes so they can see what the story is and can start working on art!

Artists, it's up to you how much art you make, but make sure it's effort matching the accomplishment of the writers! You can do many small pieces, one or two big pieces, etc. but be certain it's something you would be happy to receive to accompany months-long work on a story!

If there are any questions or complications, please DM the blog or reach out on the Discord server!

We have more writers than artists, so some artists are creating for two people. Be sure to check through ALL the matches for your username, you might be on there twice! Format is as follows:

Summary number. Author | Artist (list below the cut!)

updated 5/15/23 9:00 AM PDT/UTC-7

#tss storytime #tss storytime 2023 #ts storytime #ts fanfiction #ts fanart #sanders sides #sanders sides creative events

33 notes · View notes

thecrowslullaby · 2 years

Text

Of friends, foe and fae

Chapter one-A dance with Deceit for @sandersidesbigbang

pairings: prinxiety, (platonic) logicality, platonic loceit warnings: slavery, abuse, kidnapping, blackmail, manipulation, mention of death, implied death (he got better)

Shoutout to @pompomqt and their wonderful drawing as well as @8beez who drew the cutest Logan I have ever seen. And of course to @rosepetalgold who screaming with me in the docs and helped me complete the story in record time, as well as @warcats-cat and @lickoutyourbrains who were witness to my late night rambles about the fic <3.

read on ao3 | next

Virgil sat in the corner, clutching the elegant glass almost hard enough to shatter. The liquid in it tasted of ash, making it yet another reminder his time was long overdue. He shouldn't be here. And from the looks the nobles gave him, they all shared his sentiment.

Five years.

Five years of breathing borrowed air wasn't enough for him to accept his fate. He should have been executed, strung up as an example for any fairy unfortunate enough to be caught attempting a murder. Yet here he was, thrust into the middle of nobility once again. But this time there was no kitchen wall to hide him from their glares.

And he had one fae to thank for his predicament.

Deceit

An odd name for a creature unable to lie, but certainly not an unfitting one. Deceit was a fae of few truths and even fewer virtues, serving no one but themselves. They were the reason Virgil's heart was still beating, despite his crimes. Pumping cold blood through dead veins.

What a pathetic excuse for a life it was.

There was no joy in an existence like this. No joy in this half life of fear and uncertainty. Not when this arrangement could end as easily as it started. Without a warning or an explanation. A servant in life and death.

And worst of all, Virgil still didn’t know the reason he had been spared from looking at the insides of a casket. It wasn't like Deceit to share secrets, after all. No matter how many times Virgil asked, the fae wouldn't tell him why they had decided to keep him at their side.

He knew there must have been a good reason to do so. Who would risk everything they'd built just to rescue a near stranger from the clutches of death if they didn't gain anything from it? Certainly not anyone from the nobility. And even less so someone who had nearly gotten murdered by the very person they’d tried to save.

Which meant Virgil must have some value to them. Some significant use. He just has to figure out what it is.

"Dance with me," Deceit’s voice demanded. The glass cracked as Virgil tightened his fist. Not enough to shatter, but certainly enough to not be presentable anymore. Just like him.

"Since when do you ask?"

"It wasn't a question." He glared up at the fae. They stared at him expectantly, gloved hand extended in an invitation. He could feel the crowd staring at him. Waiting for one more misstep that would finally send Virgil tumbling down. Deceit seemed to like keeping him dangling on the edge. As if keeping Virgil just a breath away from death wasn't enough. But then again, the nobles had ordered Virgil around as they’d pleased while he was still a fae. Why would his half-dead state change anything?

He grabbed the hand hard enough to bruise, yet Deceit's smile did not falter.

They led him forwards, gowns and tailored coats twisting around them in a storm of colourful fabric. Trapping Virgil in the swirl just as the music slowed down.

Deceit raised their arm forward, bent at the elbow. Slowly, Virgil connected their hands at the wrist. Cold veins rubbing against soft fabric just as the music began anew.

Bodies flowed around him in elegant twirls as he struggled to remember the steps he’d learned by watching the princes dance. 1,2,3, step towards Deceit, step away, 1,2,...

“You’re bad at this,” Deceit commented as they glided over the dance floor so effortlessly Virgil almost felt jealous.

“Have you brought me here just to mock me?” It wasn’t like ballroom dancing was a skill the working class cared for, and Virgil was certainly doing better than average.

“Please.” The fae rolled their eyes. “I have plenty of opportunities to do that back at the estate.” Ah yes, the estate. The very one Virgil was expected to treat like a home. "I've brought you here to dance with me. And so far you're doing a dreadful job."

Virgil scoffed. If Deceit was so insistent on having him as a dance partner they should have thought about teaching him steps before bringing him here. But he bit his tongue. Wouldn’t want to anger Deceit too much in one evening.

“You’re scheming something, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t that what you always accuse me of?” Deceit asked amusedly. Virgil felt his cheeks growing colder. “But yes, I am. And you’re part of it.”

“I have no choice in that matter, do I?” 1,2,3, change directions, 1,2,3.

“You’re always welcome to leave.” Virgil cast a quick glance around the room. As much as staying under Deceit's command was a mystery, leaving their side was a sure way to end his life. Or what was left of it. For as much as he complained about his half life, it was still better than the threat of the unknown. He still clung onto the hope of getting it back. No matter how unlikely it was.

“I never asked you to keep me.”

“Nor have you made any protests against my offer.” Virgil stumbled to catch up as Deceit changed directions again.

“You’re just keeping me to use me.” He shouldn’t start this argument, but it seemed his words flowed as easily as wine tonight.

“Aren’t you?” Janus asked, leaning in. Lingering far longer than music dictated. It took all of Virgil’s courage not to step away. To not lose the silent battle that had dragged on all these years. “Tell me, Virgil," he whispered low enough for his name to be lost to the sound of music coming to a crescendo. This was another thing Virgil hated about the arrangement. Deceit knew his name. They hadn't used it to give Virgil a command. Yet. He wasn't sure how long this ruse of goodwill would last, though. "Is there any fondness for me in your heart? Or is it simply convenience?” They stepped away smoothly just as the music faded again, bowing slightly. Virgil had half a mind to bow back.

“Don’t blame me for your mistakes.” There was… something in Deceit's eyes. Anger? Frustration? Regret? If he didn’t know the fae he could almost mistake it for worry.

“I-”

“May I cut in?” Both glanced at the newcomer and Virgil recognised them immediately. Cedar. If his blood were still warm Virgil was sure it would start to boil as soon as he saw them.

Cedar stood with his hand extended towards Deceit. That ever-present smirk still on his face, despite the fact that Deceit's expression looked sour enough to curdle milk once they laid eyes on him. They quickly composed themself, putting on a much more neutral expression.

“I assume the half-dead-thing is not good company.” Virgil grimaced. If there was one thing he and Deceit had in common, it was their distaste towards the fae before them.

“I wouldn't want to leave my ward unguarded after his return to society.” Deceit’s voice sounded sour. Just barely. But after five years of living with them, Virgil managed to find the small hints of emotion in the other’s behaviour. And he could tell Janus was fighting a losing battle not to let their anger slip. "He might be rather scared, and I take good care of all things and fae under my care."

Cedar, as always, took little interest in others' opinions.

“Why don’t you fetch us something to drink, helot?” He spoke in a voice that made it clear she wasn’t used to having his wishes dismissed.

Virgil took a step back and Deceit turned their head towards him immediately. Daring him with narrowed eyes to leave their side.

Virgil gulped, not wishing to be caught in a spar between the two. Again. Fleeing while he still had the chance seemed like the safer option. Even at the prospect of having to deal with Deceit's moodiness afterwards. And as much as he despised Deceit, he had to admit that the fae was certainly better suited at dealing with politics-or whatever this was-than him.

"Of course, your Lordship." Virgil didn’t miss the way Deceit’s eyes narrowed. Their glare burned a hole into his skin, but Virgil chose not to address it. He might be under their command but that didn’t mean he was going to be caught in any more trouble unless given a direct order. Dancing certainly wasn't a skill Virgil enjoyed nor possessed and he had no desire to stay in Cedar's presence either. "I wouldn't want to step on your feet even more, Deceit." He finished with a bow towards both fae before quickly making his retreat. Leaving Deceit with Cedar as the music began to play.

***

Janus glared at Virgil’s retreating form as the next song started slow. It gave Cedar the exact opportunity Janus was desperately trying to avoid-a chance to talk. They braced themselves for the no doubt unpleasant conversation to come. Though calling it that would be an understatement for how much the fae in front of him loved to talk. Three ranks below Janus and she acted as if they were the Queen herself.

Deceit cursed under their breath as Cedar laid her hand just above their waist, successfully trapping them even more.

Janus could feel the court's eyes on them both. Watching with unhidden interest how the situation would unfold. Cedar had been particularly friendly with them lately and Janus knew very well that friendliness from most court members didn't come without a reason. She wanted something and Janus feared they knew what it was.

It was just their suspicions, of course, but it was best not to make conclusions about just what Cedar had found out about them. The last thing Janus needed was for Cedar to gain more knowledge than they already possessed.

“You’re awfully fond of that little half-dead thing, aren't you?" Cedar mused as she twirled Janus around the dance floor with ease. "I was sure you'd be bored of it within a few months. Certainly keeping it around for show must not be worth all the trouble you're no doubt going through to make sure it still breathes. So there is another reason to keep it, isn’t there?"

Janus chose not to answer. Cedar in turn gripped them tighter than necessary as he sent them into another twirl. Janus was starting to feel like a puppet mindlessly being flung about by a child making sure the grip on them was hard enough not to lose its toy.

Cedar most likely thought they would run as soon as he let go of their wrists. Which would have been a fair assessment if it weren't for all the eyes on both of them. Janus had a reputation to uphold. Stoic and cunning. Unmoved by other fae’s pettiness. Stomping on a court member's foot before storming off would not do it well. No matter how tempting it was right now.

“You think keeping quiet will convince me you don’t care about it?”

“I care about most things considered mine.” Janus was trying their best to keep their voice levelled. There was no reason to drag Virgil further into any of this. Whatever it was Cedar had planned, Janus would settle this alone. “I would even go as far as to say, between the two of us, you’re the one who seems rather obsessed with him. Asking questions about him every time we meet. Wouldn’t you agree, Cedar?”

“It must be awfully dreadful living in that secluded estate of yours,” Cedar mused, not surprisingly changing the topic as soon as the conversation started to flow in a direction he didn’t care for. “You don’t seem to mingle with the court at all, going so far as deliberately avoiding most of its members. The twins don't visit you all that often anymore and I certainly can’t imagine that thing you keep around is very lively.” Janus bit his tongue in order not to say just where Cedar could stick his tasteless puns.

“He’s decent company.” Janus glared at the fae. Unlike you.

"Surely you could do better," Cedar laughed. The sound grinding against Janus’ ears like nails on stone. "Mingle with someone closer to your status."

"You're successfully keeping me from it." Janus kept their expression blank as nails dug into their hand.

"Are you suggesting you value your little servant more than me?"

"What if I do?" Janus smirked.

“Careful there, Deceit, someone might get insulted.” Cedar leaned in closer, clearly trying to intimidate them. As if Janus wasn't used to it all by now.

“That’s rather the point, Cedar.” They were both past the point of pretending to tolerate each other's presence by now, which seemed to annoy Cedar to no end. There was only so much persuasion one could do when the other fae clearly hated you.

Fortunately, violence had stopped taking its toll on Janus long ago. Their expression stayed calm despite the other fae’s nails digging into their hand even further. They would have drawn blood if it weren’t for the gloves.

When the song ended Janus almost breathed out a loud sigh of relief. They tried stepping away, but Cedar was holding them in place. Nails digging into their wrist and waist. Daring them to cause a scene.

"Let go of me," Janus hissed. If they didn’t make their leave before the next song started they’d be trapped. Stupid. Of course Cedar would pull a stunt like this. No foul play was below that pesky fae.

Cedar simply smiled in turn. Swaying away as soon as the music started, far sooner than anticipated, and taking Janus with him. It was a slow waltz again and Janus started to suspect Cedar might have bribed the band.

"I still have a few things to discuss with you." He smiled. "And you're awfully hard to catch, Dee." Not hard enough, unfortunately.

"What do you want?" Janus hissed.

"Marriage."

Janus almost laughed. Now that they didn’t expect.

"If you want my blessings, all I can offer you are prayers for the poor soul that's going to bind themselves to you."

"Our marriage, Deceit."

The golden fae scoffed. The audacity.

"My, my. That's one hell of a love declaration."

It was Cedar’s turn to scoff.

"Don't flatter yourself, Deceit. It's not you but the Queen's favour I'm after and we both know it."

"That's rather bold," Janus taunted, "stating your plans like that.”

“I’m a fae of ambition.”

“Sadly, not of honour.”

“Is that any way to talk to your future spouse?” Cedar scoffed as he continued to twirl Janus around, the grip on their wrists growing stronger. If this continued any longer, Janus might end up losing their hands.

“You talk about it like I don’t have a say in it. Are you really so confident in your own stubbornness?” Janus mocked. “I don't deny the advantage you would gain, but pray tell, why on earth would I agree to such an arrangement? I'm not a selfless fae, after all."

"I think the question 'what do you have to lose if you say no'? is far more interesting."

"I'll indulge you. What is it?"

"Your little pet."

Janus scoffed at the half-formed threat.

"You overestimate how fond I am of him."

"Why do you keep him around, then?"

Janus bit their tongue, not trusting their words not be turned against them for such a direct question. There were reasons Virgil was to be left under their care. None of which should be discovered. And certainly not by Cedar.

Staying silent on the matter proved to be a mistake as Cedar’s smile grew. The fae clearly gained confidence as it spoke further. "It's rather a mystery how you came into the possession of a criminal, isn't it?"

"If reading the official courtroom summary is far too lengthy of a novel for you, then I suppose you could describe it as a mystery." They watched in mild amusement as Cedar’s expression soured. ”But I can assure you most fae are well aware of the circumstances and there is nothing mysterious about it."

"You're not afraid of gossip?"

"We can't lie, remember?" Janus smirked. "Gossip is nothing more than an inconvenience a few well-aimed questions can’t solve."

The music slowed down again but this time Janus was ready, twisting their hands in time to dig their own nails into Cedar.

The fae hissed as they jumped back, knocking into a pair just behind him. This caused enough of a commotion to allow Janus a swift exit. Leaving Cedar's voice frantically spewing apologies behind them.

They hadn’t made it far from the dance floor when a pair of arms grabbed them. Dragging Janus into a secluded alcove. Their shoulder cried out in pain as they felt themselves getting slammed against the brick wall.

"What is he doing here?" a voice far too familiar hissed just above their ear. Was everyone here a barbarian?

"I was under the impression you were fond of Anxiety." Janus crossed their arms as they finally glanced up. They could see Roman dressed in green once again. His posture growing nervous under Janus' gaze until the prince took a deep breath and straightened her back. This gave her a few inches of height advantage over the golden fae.

"He shouldn't be here, Dee. You should have kept him at your estate." It sounded almost like a plea but Janus would have none of this.

"Oh, so you kept him alive just so he could be a prisoner, then. His life hangs on nothing but a thread of goodwill, your highness?"

"Dee."

"Oh, don't 'Dee' me, Rose." Janus crossed their arms, staring their former ward down. "It isn't fair. To either of us and you know it."

Roman bit her lip. A habit from childhood Janus hadn’t quite been able to drive out of him. Fortunately, the young prince's teeth weren't too crooked from it.

"I'm… scared." They’d noticed. Rose barely visited them anymore.

"You think he isn't?" Roman shifted his gaze to the floor. "He's terrified. Has been for the past five years and you won't let me explain to him why he's still alive.” Or as alive as he could be after the Queen’s 'mercy.'

"You're good at keeping secrets."

Janus chuckled as they shook their head.

"Doesn't mean I want to, Rose. He thinks of me as a villain and I can't find it in myself to blame him for it." Roman continued to chew on his lip and Janus had to resist nudging her ribs so she would stop. Roman was an adult now, no babysitting him. Even if he clearly needed guidance. "Can you talk to him, please? For me?"

Roman hesitated.

"Alright, but not tonight." Janus took a deep breath. It wasn’t worth it to ask for a promise. It wouldn’t account for much coming from Roman, anyway. "Why did you even bring him here?"

Janus' expression soured.

"I needed a dance partner and Blackwood has been missing from the last few parties."

Roman burst out laughing and Janus did their best to shush her quickly. Drawing eyes never did any good.

"I was under the impression you were quite popular."

"Unfortunately."

"Are you regretting your position in court?"

"Aren't you?" The sudden shift in Roman's pose told Janus all he needed to know. Their mother wasn't… an easy fae to be around, so when she had announced she was to have children the court in its entirety had held their breath until the time to view her offspring came.

Twins.

It was clear from the moment both children were introduced that one of them was a human. Yet no one dared to utter a word. Not in front of the Queen, at least. That would have been a risk none of the court was foolish enough to take.

The princes, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of holding the other fae’s lives in their hands.

Roman had taken the worst of it in the first years, suffering all the watchful eyes yet none of the respect that should have come with being a Queen's child. After all, it wasn't a place he belonged to. Plump red cheeks, warm like a fire, loud and cheerful. He looked so unlike his sibling. So unlike any fae child.

All the glory was pushed on Remus. The court trying desperately to have the fae outshine its human sibling. Playing a dangerous game in order to prevent Roman from ruling them in the future.

It should have broken the children, set them against one another, but to Janus’ delight it only strengthened their bond. The two were inseparable now.

And indistinguishable. Over the years the two had grown to look so much like each other that they could switch places as easily as Janus switched pairs of gloves.

And they used that advantage to its fullest.

Roman found it far easier to mingle with the court. After all, she had an advantage over all of them. He could lie. She replaced Remus for more than half the parties now. Enjoying a world she didn't get to be a part of growing up.

Remus, in turn, had taken delight in being ignored. Spending its days in the garden, chasing scorpions and butterflies. Janus' flowers had suffered from almost all of its adventures but they couldn’t bring themselves to chastise Remus for the few breaths of fresh air it was allowed to take.

“I can be your dance partner as long as you don’t bring Anxiety.” Roman extended his pinky, breaking Janus out of their thoughts. The smaller fae grinned at that. Oh how childish the little prince could be. “Do we have a deal, Dee?”

“And how many dances would I be entilted to?” Roman grimaced, as if he wasn’t expecting the question.

“Two.”

“Hmmmm. That doesn’t seem too tempting. I want three.”

“Two and I’ll try to keep an eye out if you need a swift rescue.”

“Alright, two. And one extra tonight. I only got one dance from Anxiety.” Roman rolled his eyes, throwing her head back with the motion, and Janus couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re impossible.”

“Hmmmm. I’d say I’m impressive, irresistible, and incredible.”

“Incredibly annoying, maybe.”

“Rose.”

It was Roman’s time to grin as she extended her hand towards them.

“Deal?”

“Deal, you nasty little sprout.”

#roman sanders #sanders sides #virgil sanders #ts sides #ts roman #ts virgil #ts janus #janus sanders #familial roceit

28 notes · View notes

starshard17 · 1 year

Text

I posted 21,716 times in 2022

That's 17,716 more posts than 2021!

443 posts created (2%)

21,273 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@warcats-cat

@alex-demon-wolf

@reddstardust

@thecrowssideblog

@remy-the-lemon-berry

I tagged 1,554 of my posts in 2022

#miraculous ladybug - 185 posts

#sanders sides - 146 posts

#asks - 114 posts

#moonbladeart - 113 posts

#moonblade ramblings - 99 posts

#moonblade writing - 72 posts

#my art - 71 posts

#ts roman - 60 posts

#ts virgil - 48 posts

#ts remus - 45 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#my dad tells me all the time that im a great dialouge writer because im so good at guessing how a person will react when something is said

My Top Posts in 2022:

For @its-the-cat-queen

As per request, Roman and some kitties <3

YOUR kitties might I add 💖

145 notes - Posted March 30, 2022

SandersTober Day 20

Tim Burton Style Remus for the soul 💚

@thatsthat24

148 notes - Posted October 20, 2022

OUUU LOOK HOW PRETTY HE IS!!!!

Reverse Remus ! 💚

Another coloring page from @purplecrayonismine !!

164 notes - Posted February 28, 2022

👉👈

Reverse Janus anyone?

Another coloring page from @purplecrayonismine 💛

206 notes - Posted February 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

SandersTober Day 4

Why not Remus as a half Octopus? 😌💚

@thatsthat24

357 notes - Posted October 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #Crazy...

3 notes · View notes

uselessidiotsquad · 2 years

Text

Ruby Rambles: Sleep Edition.

After waking up for the 4th day in a row to solid rain, it makes me start pondering about some of the beebs and their sleep schedules, lacks thereof, and what makes them snoozy.

Ruby:

She has to be near one of her pets, ideally holding onto it. This means she'll often forsake her normal bed and sleep in weird and uncomfortable places just to be closer to her pet. She doesn't really have a preferred sleeping position, it's just whatever let's her be near her animals.

The exception is Eldri, her smokescale, who does not like her being near him and so on those days she will sleep in a bed and he will be on the far side of the room. Ruby falls asleep quickly, sleeps solidly, and tends not to have any dreams.

(her favorite pet to sleep with is either Aeren, who will snuggle with her happily - or Mingo because he will wrap his long neck around her and do a big bird hug, plus Mingo is very warm).

Dion:

The Bog Boys sleep pattern is very flexible, he tends to not have a routine and goes by more when it feels right to wake up. Any time it rains he gets very snoozy, as long as there is no thunder. Being so big and in a small house, he sleeps sort of curled up into a loose ball, just because then he manages to fit better. He wakes easily but is a fairly heavy sleeper anyway.

Dion doesn't have any dreams at all, due in part to his rather unique connection with the Dream and because his mind just doesn't use it as a filter for the days events. He snores, no one has told him because no one has heard it, but he does snore.

Sigilis:

My bawdy, ballsy Warcat has had insomnia since she was a cub and it's not gone away yet. It was at first the reason why she started drinking but then it just became a habit. Most of the time she spends it trying to fix and work on her creations. But given that her mind also isn't all that nice to her after hours, she usually ends up drinking until she passes out just to get something close to sleep.

While it's not essential she sleeps way better next to Galla than she does on her own, part of the Warband training for safety is that being on your own = higher risk for attack. Plus, she'll deny it to the grave and fuss the whole time, but she *loves* being the little spoon and it promptly shuts her brain down and she sleeps.

Galla:

Battle Bull of a Charr sleeps well almost at any given time. She can just decide to sleep in situations. Though Kalla can gossip and keep her awake, mostly she has no problems sleeping and nothing makes her super sleepy. She just decides it's time for sleep and then they presto she's asleep.

Dei:

They are a super light sleeper, but it's not falling asleep that so much the problem as it is staying asleep. Waking up multiple times for no apparent reason in the middle of the night is much more common than they would like it to be. Dei's a back sleeper, having tried other positions and ending up on their back by morning anyway.

The unfortunate purple is also a chronic overthinker which means waking up at 3am for no reason becomes doubly unpleasant when thoughts start racing again. Given their imagination, they do tend to have lots of dreams (and occasionally nightmares) but Dei doesn't usually remember them. Just that they had them, not exactly what it contained.

Sleeping with other people nearby tends to make it harder for them to actually let their guard down to rest. They've gotten so accustomed to keeping their illusions up that they stay up while asleep/unconscious unless they make a conscious decision to not keep them up before going to bed. Dei has a tendency to talk or at least mumble in their sleep.

Riag:

I've talked about grump's hot mess of a sleep schedule before but I'll go over some points again.

Sleep Schedule ABYSMAL.

Riag has chronic nightmares as well as sort of trained insomnia, given that night in the Verdant Brink is when things get even more dangerous, he's trained himself to not sleep at night. However, even though he's retired, that training hasn't left. Which results in him not sleep at all at night and screwing up his schedule even more. When he does sleep it's usually for brief naps during the day, of like a few hours here and there.

Basically stuck in Night Shift mode. His nightmares are less common now (meaning not almost every time he sleeps) but he still does get them at least a few times a week, which further makes him not inclined to try and rest more. He's not a graceful sleeper either, he tends to thrash and flail in his sleep. Riag has also found out that he can't really sleep with a blanket or sheet or anything of that nature, because since he flails a lot - it tends to get tangled. When tangled and unable to move, brain kicks into 'Oh Shit' mode and it usually sets off another nightmare (about being trapped in vines).

Riag's a side sleeper just because it's easier to have to get up and grab weapons at the drop of a hat if you're sleeping on your non-dominant side. He also has his hands balled into fists while he sleeps, which isn't good for them, but he can't seem to get it to stop. He also clenches his jaw and grinds his teeth - also not being pleasant upon waking when he starts the day feeling like he lost a fight.

#ruby rambles #gw2 #sylvari #charr #ocs #riaghael #ruby aenn #deiliús #sigilis forgemuzzle #galla strangleforge #oc rambles #the beebs

6 notes · View notes

talonpaw · 2 years

Text

ali (who has never read a warcat, 100% of her knowledge of it comes from my unhinged ramblings) just assigned me the name willowcreek

6 notes · View notes

lowerdomain · 8 months

Text

He Shoots, He Gores - a WK WC AU ramble post

AKA "Oh StarClan I Made The Rise Of Scourge Again By Accident"

Alright but Ken warcat slicing Kase-kittypet open the same way Scourge did Tigerstar. The parallel was completely unintentional but like. It's literally canon.

Ken canonically wields bagh nakhs- "fist-load, claw-like" daggers. In the WC AU, this translates to him putting dog teeth over his claws. Like Scourge.

Don't they just look so charming?

In Kapitel Episode 4, VERRAT -EXECUTION OF HELL-, Ken is reunited with his old soccer player buddy, Kouichirou Kase.

Prior to Ken's life in Weiß (see: the Clan); Kase, out of jealousy, drugged Ken and ruined his soccer career, then tried to burn him alive. This translates, in the AU, to Ken's warcat self, a kittypet at the time, being given poisonous berries by Kase, and after he returns from the vet, Kase lures him to a building that reeks of monster fuel, and manages to light a fire. In both canons, Ken escapes, though scarred- physically and mentally.

Now, when they reunite, Kase acts all friendly and sweet, pretending he didn't try to murder Ken (twice in a row, in WC AU!). Eventually, however, Weiß has to do what they do: Assassinate Kase. Ken freaks out, tries to protect Kase...

And Kase attempts to frame him for murder. And attempts to murder him (a THIRD time in WC AU!).

Ken fakes his death, then returns with a vengeance.

"I thought you died."

"I don't like Hell / the Dark Forest."

Canonically and in the AU, Ken then takes his bagh nakhs/dog teeth and claws Kase open- though this is not shown with any gore in canon, much like how Rise of Scourge is very tame on how it portrays Tigerstar's death.

...Fuck, man. The PARALLELS.

#hyacinth.dat #wc ocs #wk wc au tag #wc au

1 note · View note

connan-l · 5 years

Text

We don’t have official heights for the Ciconia kids, so I like to think that Gunhild is actually not only taller than Miyao (I mean, duh) but also than Jayden.

I just love the idea of Gunhild being a Tall Girl.

#Ciconia: When They Cry #Ciconia no Naku Koro ni #Ciconia #07th Expansion #Gunhild Gustafsson #Miyao Mitake #Jayden #Warcat #Warcat (Ciconia: When They Cry)#Jayden (Ciconia: When They Cry)#Connan's posts #Connan's ramblings #My posts #Text

10 notes · View notes

cloverponyz · 2 years

Text

Ok new post because that one was getting long

Now we get to Will Halstead, who we get a whole backstory for in PD that is literally never mentioned again afaik

Actual facts I currently know:

Will was a med student in New York in 2004 (s2ep20 of PD)

He spent 3 years in New York working in plastics (s2ep18 of PD)

He spent time doing medical work in Sudan before working in New York (PD s2ep18)

He was not in Chicago and/or was "out partying" when his mother got sick, which is implied to be around the time he was in Sudan or New York, and was after at least one of Jay's tours (PD s2ep18)

He was a surgeon (PD s2ep17) and Connor remarks that Will did a surgical residency in the past, presumably plastic surgery (Med s1ep13)

Will is chief resident at Med (s1ep16 Med) putting him in his final year of residency

Will returns to Chicago in 2015, before April 12 2015 (the day Nadia died)

He might be younger than Jay (PD s2ep17) but Jay's actor says otherwise and it really does not make sense for him to be younger so we're ignoring that

Plastics residencies apparently take 6 years, while emergency medicine takes 3 or 4 depending

Now, on to timelines in the next reblog

#clover watches one chicago #I ramble #if yall think this timeline struggle is bad you haven't seen my warcats stuff

0 notes

lyendith · 5 years

Text

Ciconia no Naku Koro ni Phase 1 : To You, The Replaceable Ones

I had planned to write this… review? analysis? of Ciconia Phase 1 right after finishing the game about two weeks after its release, but since then I've had trouble organizing my thoughts. The reason is that this first installment alone tackles a lot of themes: war, nationalism, technoscientism, media consumption and manipulation, the blurring limits between physical and virtual reality, education systems, generational gaps induced by technology, artificial procreation, old people robbing the youth of their dreams, the meaning of family and interpersonal bonds, and even transidentity (albeit briefly). And it is quite remarkable that almost all of those themes are represented by one object: the Gauntlet and the idea of “parallel processing” associated with it.

It's gonna be a long and messy review, I'll probably forget to mention some aspects of the story or overlook others, and I won't talk about every single character, but I'll try to cover the essential parts. Not easy considering how densely-packed the story is, but let's go!

So to start, I should probably focus on this VN's protagonist, Mitake Miyao. On a surface level, he's a bit of what you'd call a “tsundere”: harsh, a little irritable and sarcastic with his pals, but always well-meaning and easy to befriend in the end. One of the running threads of the story so far is that he's too well-meaning in fact, idealistic to a fault, which contributes to his odd charisma but also makes the increasing realization of his powerlessness all the more depressing. You don't want to see this guy fail, but because of the way the story is framed, you know he inevitably will.

For a while, the narration and dialogue like to repeat that “youngsters are each generation's main characters”, but that's a sentiment I couldn't quite share − in our real world, youngsters may be the ones will all the dreams, but they sure as hell aren't the ones making the decisions. The climate change crisis, for example, wouldn't be left unaddressed if that was the case. And sure enough, Ciconia isn't so naïve as to ignore that reality. Every single step of the way, Miyao thinks he can use his power to overturn the situation. Every single step of the way, he's reminded that in the end he's just a pawn moving however his higher-ups or other nebulous forces wish him to. That's a really powerful and relatable theme in this day and age, which raises the question of how far you can oppose a system you're an essential part of.

One thing that makes Miyao special, at least compared to his pals from the AOU, is that he's “ciconia-born” − born from natural procreation. Which means that unlike Jayden or Gunhild, he has bilogical family bonds but also hasn't been subjected to a genetic selection that would predetermine his path in life. At least supposedly, but we gradually learn that that may not quite be the case. In fact, that biological link to Toujirou ends up acting as a tether that robs Miyao of even more control on his own life than he thought, leading to the final tragedy of this first Phase.

There also lies this story's commentary on technology and man's increasing dependence on it − technology makes the kids' life easier, but it's also their undoing. One technology prevented an apocalypse that another caused, and the loss of the former brings about a new apocalypse. Humans created the 8MS but only a handful of scientists have a full understanding of how it works, just like today's technology are only fully understood by a small elite of technicians. We are increasingly dependent on tools whose principles are increasingly out of our grasp. Again, the Gauntlet is another reflection of that.

But back to Miyao and the Gauntlet Knights. In retrospect, it is clear that the way both the characters and readers learn about most dramatic developments through disincarnated news reports (with a goofy “news flash” alert by the frog AI Keropoyo to make it worse) is meant to build up that feeling of powerlessness, and also of disconnect. We should be alarmed that war is approaching, that terrible things are happening… but it all feels distant. After all, do you cry or tremble in fear when you learn that an eathquake killed a thousand people on the other side of the globe? No, you'll think “it's terrible” for a minute and then move on, because what can you do about it? Reading the second half of Ciconia felt a lot like that. And while that's part of the message, it is also to the detriment of the reading experience a lot of the time.

For a while (around the 60-to-80% portion of the game, roughly) we get a lot of redundant dialogue about commenting the news and Miyao rambling on about how they're all COMRADES MAINTAINING THE WALLS OF PEACE, again and again and again, to the point it becomes annoying. That's my only real gripe with the game − the feeling that, at times, Ryukishi forgot he was writing a story and went into political or philosophical essays about its themes instead. Maybe a manga or anime adaptation could help make these parts more… show-don't-telly. But as it is, it could have used some serious trimming down. That's hardly something entirely new − who can forget Krauss' tangent about 1986 Japan's economic situation or Beatrice's explanation of Hempel's crow? But in Ciconia the narration doesn't seem to come from any specific point of view except that of the author (and even on that front, the opening disclaimer warns us that the views expressed don't necessarily reflect the author's opinions), so those parts become all the more conspicuous. Unless this all turns out to be part of a Witch's game, which wouldn't be surprising.

Where Ciconia shines however, is at weaving a web of connections between the characters, one by one, to make you care about some and suspicious of others, sometimes both, and deliberately confuse you about who really controls whom. First we have the kids, with Warcat and Grave Mole which instantly grew on me (the slice-of-life TIPS focused on them had some of my favorite scenes actually), then the other kette with their own quirky charms… then the “villains”, with Toujirou and Seshat, then the Three Kings and Jestress who has a delightful dynamic with Toujirou, and then Toujirou is revealed to be Miyao's father, etc... It's a testament to how well all of those characters are established that I could remember almost all of them very quickly despite their massive number. Save for the Cairo Squad maybe. They're just kinda there. The (mostly) gorgeous character designs certainly help, even if Ryukishi still has a somewhat loose grasp of body proportions and of the… number of fingers on human hands. There's some improvement even in that department though.

While Miyao is for the most part the center of the cast, at least on the kids' side, that doesn't mean the others aren't interesting in their own right. Jayden is your classic “best buddy dudebro” whose easygoingness lets him bounce off Miyao's more strait-laced personality in a fun way, but his relationship with Meow, Miyao's “little sister” who shares the same body, allows him to show more sensitivity and shyness he would otherwise have. Speaking of Meow, she brings about another interesting element of worldbuilding − the existence of “Congenital Parallel Processors”, or CPPs, i.e. people born with multiple personalities, who are not considered mentally ill but a full-fledged minority with its own issues and “coming outs”. Although that aspect isn't developped much (Meow herself kind of disappears from the radar in the second half), we do get other examples of how it can manifest, notably with the character of Naima, whose unnamed alter-ego is violently protective of her, or Rukshana who's prone to abrupt personality changes when she laughs. The way Jayden kinda walks on eggs but genuinely tris to to treat Meow as her as her own person while respecting her and Miyao's privacy is frankly adorable, and I almost wish we got more of that at least in the TIPs!

The kette I found the most interesting, though, was Grave Mole, composed of Chloe, Lilja and Koshka. While a lot of characters have issues, all three of these girls are complete mental wrecks to some degree. Koshka spends her time between grumpily taking part in Kizuna chat rooms and horrific body experiments (usually simultaneously) when she's not training, Lilja has to take drugs to pretend like she's a happy, cute and mischievous cat-girl for the sake of making Koshka a more-or-less functional human being, and Chloe has to constantly deal with unfair punishments and a constantly battered self-esteem. As comedic as Okonogi's angry rants and karate-chops are played (and as much as I like this version of Okonogi, strangely enough), that scene where she gleefully lets Lilja be killed in battle makes it clear that her mental state is just as unstable as the other two's.

On the antagonists' side, things are a lot more blurry: a lot of them utter the arc phrase “All is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path.” However, what the right path is seems to vary depending on who says it. That's where a lot of the mystery lies − be it with Jestress, Seshat or Toushirou, their goals seem contradictory, and Tak… I mean Vier Dreissig doesn't even seem to have a goal beyond SCIENCE. But a big part of Phase 1's hook is that constant uncertainty as to who is playing whom and for what purpose. Even the Three Kings, who seem like your bog standard Illuminati knock-offs, might not be as much in control as they seem − hell, one of the big catastrophes (the fatal damage to the atmospheric 8MS) happens completely outside of their control, in an almost comically sudden way.

Speaking of comical… let's get to what I found personally fascinating but what other readers might have gripes with: the brutal tonal shifts and dissonances throughout the story. A cheery scene to announce the big success of a plan for the Order of the Public Bath? Keropoyo pops up to gleefully announce… an avalanche of terrible news that make the success from a minute ago meaningless. A big conference for peace where World War IV will most certainly be stopped? All of its participant die in an “accidental” explosion. Not to mention characters that are walking balls of tone dissonance like Chloe (who has many comical scenes but is clearly broken beyond repair) or the Yeladot Shavit girls (who by the end are forced to spew out fanatical bullshit with the same sparkly smile they sport when gushing about yuri ships).

This is of course embodied by the incredible climax where all the Gauntlet Knights celebrate their comraderie together in a virtual room… while their real selves are busy killing each other lest they're court-martialed for treason. The moment where all of Miyao's ideals are brutally trashed and scattered in a battle we don't even know the purpose of. The moment where the kids' taent for “parallel processing” becomes their sole mean of escaping the horror of their situation. The moment where all the absurdity, all the unfairness explodes in a depressing flourish. The moment also where the thematic resonance with Umineko becomes fully apparent − how can we not be reminded of Sayo and Maria escaping their shitty lives through their magic? Though of course Rose Guns Days also constantly came to mind, with the focus on war and nationalism, Japan being divided between a union led by the US and one led by China, and two of Miyao's closest friends being the American Jayden and the Chinese Lingji; as well as Miyao being an idealistic and charismatic leader-by-circumstance whose dreams crash into a wall much like Rose's in RGD.

So…

All in all, Ciconia might not entirely be what I expected from a When They Cry game, but it is certainly what I expect from a 07th Expansion game: a thought-provoking experience. Again, I finished my reading shocked and confused. Although it might seem like it shows its cards more explicitly than the openers of Higurashi and Umineko, deception still plays a big part in the story, even if the interaction with the reader is less direct.

Now there might be no murder mystery for the reader to solve, but that won't stop me from speculating! The invisible turning point to me is the “Proof of a Program” chapter, where Blue Miyao tells Miyao that he'll show him someone's face, and that that will activate Miyao's murder program instantly. Miyao first laughs it off, but then the scene brutally cuts to something that might be a flashback, a flash-forward or a nightmare, maybe all of that at once… The most graphically horrifying scene of the entire game, to the point it's almost at odds with the rest. And then… it's never mentioned again. Not even when Miyao meets again with Blue Miyao. Like it never happened. My theory is that everything Miyao experiences from that point onward is some kind of simulation, and that's where the obligatory When They Cry time loop will come from this time. See you in May for the answer?

That is all for today, folks!

#Ciconia no naku koro ni #Review #Back to Trianthology soon!

12 notes · View notes