#Kestrel's theory of the world

[faerie-hideaway]

Let's collectively reflect on why Luigi's alleged manifesto has not been publicly released and why every other mass murderer and school shooter has their manifesto released within days.

Let's reflect on the manifestos that have been posted on reddit yet they are censoring there and across the news media.

This is a class war and they're censoring information to keep influence in their favor.

[spoiledblogif]

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This is the development blog for the interactive fiction called "The Second Sight", which you can find on itch.io at the link above!

This is my first IF project, although I've been writing original stories and fanfiction for years.

I've included the story description and character profiles from the itch page below the cut.

This blog will be a combination of development info, images and music that I associate with the story, and other musings.

Fair warning, there might be spoilers from the latest chapters here, so I recommend catching up before reading too far.

Asks and submissions are always open.

LAST UPDATED: 03/22/25 (Chapter 7)

(Content and trigger warnings at the bottom.)

You’re an urban legend in a county full of them.  When you were thirteen, you were found passed out in the road by one of the local cops. No missing persons report. No fingerprints on file. No memories. Just a name.

Oh, and some bizarre psychic powers.  You're content with simplicity. You like your isolated cabin and helping Carter track down missing persons.  You know that in theory there are more people like you out there, but you've never wanted to look behind the curtain to find out.

However, with the disappearance of a local teen named Casey Powell and a recent attempt on your foster father's life, your serene, isolated life comes abruptly to its end and a new chapter begins.

✤✤✤

The Second Sight is an urban fantasy story, where you step into the role of a psychic whose strange powers have always separated them from others. Those same powers will drag you down the rabbit hole and into a world that is both familiar and foreign to everything you know. A world filled with magic, witches, fae, demons, and the unknown.

You can immerse yourself in the story by customizing your protagonist's general appearance, choosing how they interact with others, and whether you lean on logic or intuition to problem solve. There are three love interests planned (more may be added depending on player reception and feedback), the genders of which will be selected by the player upon meeting them.

Characters

Jacob Carter

Age: Late forties

Race: Human. Definitely.

Gender: Male

Temperament: Carter radiates grizzled, old bastard energy and despite being the least paternal person in the world, he is your adoptive father. While harsh and aloof on the surface, he is also fiercely protective of you and has bent over backwards to give a decent life to a kid that isn't even his. He doesn't talk about his life before coming to Herman County and you haven't asked him, though that might change soon enough...

✤✤✤ Renard/Rowan

Age: Appears to be in their late twenties or early thirties

Race: Human. Maybe.

Appearance: Tall and slender, white-blonde hair, and gold eyes.

Temperament: Playful and witty, talking to R always feels like a game of cat and mouse and you can never be sure which role is yours. Part sad clown, part trickster, and always maddening to work with, the only things you can be certain of with R is that they probably know what they're doing. Everything else is up in the air.

✤✤✤

Zander/Zora

Age: Late twenties/Early thirties

Race: Human. Mostly.

Appearance: Umber brown skin, black locs, grey eyes 

Temperament: Gentle and resolute, Z isn't what you imagine when you think of an agent of the mysterious Magic and Anomalies Bureau. Kind, soft-spoken, and exceedingly polite, Z is Carter's former apprentice and something about them puts the old man on edge.

✤✤✤

Unknown aka "The Kestrel"

Age: ???

Race: Definitely not human.

Appearance: Tall, beautiful, elegant, with black hair and blue eyes.

Temperament: The Kestrel is a complete unknown. It's impossible to say whether they are a lethal ally or deadly enemy, but either way they are a powerful dreamwalker. You don't know how long they've been watching you, but you're willing to bet that it's been longer than you're comfortable with.

✤✤✤

This story contains sexually suggestive material, violence, talk of abductions and abuse, and mature language. Not recommended for those under 18.

(All visual elements were made using Canva's free assets.)

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Join the discord

[practically-an-x-man]

Random ask (because I feel like we haven’t talked in a while!)

Pick an OC (or multiple) and describe how they would feel getting pushed into a mentor role- how would they adapt/fail to adapt? What would they be best at?

Oooooh thank you!! For the sake of an intriguing answer, I'm going to go with the best and worst responses out of my OCs!

Best Mentor: Kestrel

Kestrel already acts as a bit of a mentor even in their main story! Kendra and Seth (the main characters of the Fablehaven series) are young adventurers who are new to the magical world, and in Taking Flight, Kestrel adds to the cast of adult adventurers who collectively train and guide the kids.

Kestrel's view, by and large, is somewhat casual, and perhaps more hands-on than the other adults will usually permit. They would never let the kids be placed in serious danger, but they're much more willing to answer any questions, test out theories, or actively engage with the magical creatures rather than keeping a strict distance. They understand that youthful desire to explore, and they feel like it's better to encourage that curiosity, albeit to temper it from recklessness into a respectful, academic interest. The magical world is dangerous, yes, but understanding the danger and being prepared for it is infinitely more valuable than avoiding it entirely.

All in all, the mentor role is very well-suited for Kestrel, because they have a good amount of knowledge and want to share that knowledge as much as they can. And especially when it comes to magical creatures, being a magical creature themself allows them to give a lot of deeper knowledge and insight that others might miss.

____

Worst Mentor: Quinn

Quinn just... doesn't do teaching. She doesn't have the patience for it, she's got too much of a mouth on her and struggles to turn that off, and she just doesn't enjoy the feeling of dragging a newbie around and jeopardizing a mission by their lack of expertise.

Now, that's not to say Quinn hasn't helped train up a few newbies to the Wolf Pack, back before her fall - parkour, pickpocketing, things like that. The difference there, though, is that the people she was training were adults, and often just as sharp and intense as Quinn themself. Traditional mentorship would not be Quinn's thing.

Final answer, then... if she had to, and if her mentee were a very specific type of person with a very specific in skills, Quinn could mentor someone. But she wouldn't enjoy it, and most likely her mentee wouldn't either.

(Oh, and if you're wondering why I went with Quinn and not Eris for this - Eris is just as intense or more, but they're also a warrior who was classically trained and holds a strict code of honor, so passing that on actually wouldn't be as bad as you'd think. It would be intense as hell, a sort of "only the strong survive" attitude towards it, but they'd be an overall better teacher than Quinn)

[snowdice]

Little Kestrel (Part 55) [Birds of Different Feathers Series]

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Logan & Patton & Virgil (future Virgil/Patton but not in this story)

Characters:

Main: Logan, Patton, Virgil

Appear: Thomas

Mentioned: Janus

Summary:

It was supposed to be a quick job either way. Either Virgil would assassinate King Thomas of Prijaznia or he’d be caught and get executed. Yet, when Virgil gets the wrong bedroom and gets caught by Prince Logan and his future royal advisor, Patton, the job ends up getting way more complicated for the 14-year-old. He also ends up sleeping in a (actually pretty comfortable) closet for a few weeks…

Notes: Implied/referenced child abuse, assassination attempt, knives, torture mentioned, captivity, teenagers being really dumb, sexual coercion of minors implied, a minor offering sexual favors, fire

This is a prequel to Kill Dear. I wrote it 100 words at a time on my blog, but this is the edited version. If you want to see how it was crafted (and possibly some future content), look at the tag proofread stories.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54

Virgil was beginning to be able to read some of the common instructions in magic books, but Logan still made sure to read out the instructions to him at least twice before setting him loose. He’d started to jot down notes to himself about things, though these notes were not words, but various symbols that only made sense to the boy himself.

Logan had asked about their meaning at one point and received an answer that, while earnest, was unintelligible. The symbols were mostly just pictures of things to represent certain steps in spell casting, but they were filtered through Virgil’s rudimentary penmanship and often bizarre perception of the world.

Though, despite the fact that Logan could not often decipher his chicken scratch, it did seem to help him produce more and more quality charms even as Logan began to introduce more complicated processes to make them. He was a very good student even if he didn’t have the best foundation for learning.

“I add lavender for the next step, right?” Virgil asked, his finger on a word in Logan’s magic book.

“That is correct,” Logan confirmed.

Virgil looked back at the book and mouthed the word ‘lavender’ to himself before turning back to his potion. He grabbed a few sprigs of lavender and threw them into the cauldron.

The liquid popped and bubbled violently, but Virgil didn’t flinch as he once would have, prepared for it now.

After the lavender, Logan knew that it would have to simmer for 5 minutes. Virgil looked down at the boiling liquid, contemplating it for a long moment.

“Can I soak a knife in it?” he asked.

“What?” Logan asked.

“Can I soak a knife in the potion once it’s done?”

“In that potion?” Logan clarified. “In the emergency hand warmer potion?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I think a hot knife would be useful,” Virgil said.

“For what?”

Virgil shrugged. “Cooking food on the road,” he said, “burning wood, stabbing someone and immediately cauterizing the wound.”

“That is… not a standard use for this potion,” Logan said.

Virgil titled his head at him. “Would it work though?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Logan contemplated. “Perhaps. The potion can cause burns if one uses too much of it or if it is used without an appropriate layer between it and the skin. If one were to pick a knife with enough surface area and let it soak long enough, it could in theory get hot enough to do as desired. Hmm…” he thought about it. “There would perhaps be the problem of the potion not sticking to the knife very long as it is intended to soak into fabric. However, cardamom could solve that issue as long as it doesn’t interact with any other ingredients. Let me see that spell.”

Virgil stepped out of his way so he could study the page. “Yes,” Logan said after scanning through all of the ingredients. “I think cardamom would work for something like that. Let me go find some.”

He turned to walk towards where he kept his supplies of potion ingredients. Virgil followed on his heals.

“Can we use a serrated knife?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Virgil,” Logan said, nodding as he searched through the cupboard that should hold the coriander. “The knife being serrated would help keep the potion stuck to the blade after many uses and would increase the surface area.”

“That was certainly my intention,” Virgil said smoothly. There was something odd about the tone that had Logan turning and blinking at him. Virgil just smiled at him innocently and Logan turned back to the cabinet finally locating the cardamom.

“So how are we going to use that?” Virgil asked.

“We’ll put it in right before the last step and let it sit for about 3 minutes,” Logan said. “If it doesn’t quite work, we may need to make another batch. There are options other than cardamom, but that’s the first idea that comes to mind and it’s a lot simpler if it works.”

He continued to speak of the many other options they could try as they returned to the caldron as well as how they could test the hot knife. It was already about time for the next step and Virgil did it without interrupting Logan’s rant.

Virgil listened to his suggestions with interest all while still making sure the potion he was making was progressing well.

Logan did eventually take over to finish the potion with the revised steps he’d come up with and they ended up with a potion that looked perfect except it was a few shades darker than the one they’d originally been planning to make.

“Well, it looks good,” Logan declared. “We will need to acquire a knife to test its effectiveness, however.”

“There are a few good ones in the kitchen,” Virgil pointed out. “I especially like the one 10 inch one with the black and white handle.”

“You have been eyeing up the kitchen knives?” Logan asked.

Virgil rolled his eyes as though that was not a perfectly reasonable question to ask him. “We should steal that one,” Virgil said.

“Do you think we’ll be able to sneak past Ms. Heart to steal a knife from her kitchen?” Logan asked.

“We can’t,” Virgil said. The ‘but I can’ was implied.

Logan almost didn’t believe him… and then he remembered the water pouch incident. “It’s the dinner rush,” Logan said. “We should probably wait for a bit.”

Virgil was shaking his head. “The dinner rush is the best time,” he said. “Everyone will be distracted, and all of the knives will be out and in prime stealing position.”

“And if Patton’s mother catches us messing around in her kitchen during her busiest time of day, she will have Father ground us for a week.”

“Then we just won’t get caught,” Virgil said.

“I’m not sure if it’s that simple,” Logan said with a frown.

“You can stay here if you want,” Virgil offered. “I’ll just go by myself.”

“No, I’ll come too,” Logan relented, though he did still have some reservations about the idea.

He let Virgil lead him towards the main dining hall. By now, Virgil knew the kitchens and dining hall very well.

“Stay here,” he said. They were in a hallway a few feet down from the staff entrance to the main kitchen. “I’m going to do some reconnaissance.”

“What type of reconnaissance?” Logan asked, but Virgil had already vanished before his very eyes. With a blink, Logan looked up and saw a dark figure disappear onto a balcony overhead.

Well, Logan really had no choice but to wait there for him. It wasn’t like he could follow him. He could hear the clatter of silverware on plates from the dining hall down the corridor as he impatiently waited. It only took Virgil a bit over five minutes to return. He dropped suddenly from above and landed in front of Logan in a crouch.

“Well?” Logan asked, letting a bit of irritation into his tone so Virgil knew he was displeased. Virgil did not seem to care.

“Got it,” Virgil said with a wide grin, brandishing a large kitchen knife.

Logan flinched back at the unexpected sight of a weapon.

“You said you were doing reconnaissance!” he sputtered. “Not…” he trailed off remembering that while they weren’t in eyesight of anyone right now, they could be in earshot of someone. He lowered his tone, “stealing the knife already.”

“I was doing reconnaissance,” Virgil said with a shrug, “and then I used the information gathered by that reconnaissance to steal a knife.”

Logan narrowed his eyes at him.

Virgil just smiled. “You would have gotten in my way.”

“I would not have,” Logan insisted.

“How many times has Patton’s mom caught you stealing food from the kitchens in the past?” he asked.

Logan pursed his lips. “That is Patton’s doing,” he said.

“Sure,” Virgil said with an eyeroll. “I’ll have you prove it some other day, but for now,” he twirled the knife around in a way that made Logan cringe even though he did seem to have an expert handle over it. “We have a knife.”

“Right,” Logan agreed with a nod. “We should continue the experiment.”

Virgil stored the knife away… somewhere on his person, and they snuck back to Logan’s rooms.

When Virgil handed over the knife, Logan did have to admit it was a perfect specimen for their project: long and saw-like with a heatproof handle.

Logan carefully set it in a shallow dish and proceeded to pour the potion they’d made onto it. They let it sit for a little under half an hour before carefully pulling it out of the concoction with tongs and letting it airdry. Meanwhile, Virgil suggested they set up a testing area with various old sheets and clothing. They’d even found and decorated an armor stand with an old suit that Logan particularly disliked.

“Well,” Logan said once he’d tapped the handle and had not gotten burned by the potion. “I think we can test it now.” For safety, he made Virgil put on thick heatproof gloves before handing him the knife.

“So how do I make it work?” Virgil asked.

“The original potion works through light friction,” Logan said.

“So just start stabbing things?”

Logan went to respond, but before he could, Virgil had already twisted around and sliced through one of the sheets hanging in Logan’s potion room. There was a sizzling noise as the knife cut through the sheet like it was tissue paper leaving two aflame halves flapping about.

Logan leapt forward to tear the pieces of sheet down and the two of them stomped on the flames to put out the fire.

“It’s perfect,” Virgil said with a grin once the charred remains of the sheet were extinguished.

“It does seem to work as intended,” Logan agreed.

“Let’s do it again,” Virgil said.

“Er, well, perhaps we shouldn’t…,” Logan started, but Virgil had already set his eyes on the armor stand they’d set up. That suddenly seemed like not such a good idea to Logan.

He stabbed the armor stand viciously. It went up in violent flames. Logan’s eyes widened as the blaze only seemed to get bigger as Virgil drew back the knife.

Virgil did not seem to share Logan’s worry as he turned and stabbed another piece of hanging clothing, setting it ablaze as well.

“Virgil, no! You’re going to burn the room down!” Logan yelped.

The armor stand, at that very moment, decided to fall to the ground. They had, perhaps, not set the testing area up as well as they should have because it fell directly onto one of Logan’s rugs and set that on fire as well.

“Oops,” Virgil said, eyes wide.

Above the sound of crackling fire, Logan heard a tapping on the door between his bedroom and work room. It opened slightly after a moment and Logan’s father’s voice called out as he was sticking his head into the room, “Um, what do you mean Virgil… is burning the room down!”

The moment Logan’s father fully processed the presence of the flames, he was bursting into the room. He at least remembered that there was a fire extinguishing powder stocked in Logan’s work room even though that fact had slipped Logan’s mind in the chaos. (Perhaps Logan should have thought to set it out when they were testing a fire knife, but Logan would just add that to his growing list of regrets.)

The king managed to put all of the fires out within 30 seconds of poking his head through the door, but the fire left in his eyes when he turned to look at them afterwards was perhaps more dangerous.

Virgil slowly hid the knife behind his back. It was probably a bit late for that.

“What were the two of you doing in here?” the king asked.

“Nothing,” Logan said. Virgil shot him a look that told Logan what the boy thought about his lying abilities.

Logan’s father put his hands on his hips. “‘Nothing’ set the rug on fire?”

“We may have been doing a small experiment,” Logan said.

“What experiment?” the king asked.

“…I do not wish to say.”

“Logan.”

“Virgil wanted a fire knife.”

“A what?”

Virgil frowned over at Logan. “Your resistance to interrogation techniques is deplorable.”

Father turned to look at Virgil and obviously spotted the fact that Virgil was holding something behind his back.

“Give it here,” Father said, though his tone was a bit gentler with Virgil than it had been with Logan.

Virgil debated it for a moment, but then offered over the knife with a pout on his face. Father gingerly took it and the fire-resistant gloves from him. “Where did the two of you even get this knife?”

“You can’t tell her,” Logan said.

“You stole a knife from the kitchens?!” the king asked.

“We borrowed it,” Logan said.

“Can it be used for cooking anymore?”

“…Well.”

“In the intended manner.”

“No.”

“Then you stole it.”

Logan just frowned and looked away.

“I’m going to go put this in a secure location,” Father said, grimacing at the fire knife in his hands. “No more experiments for you two for a month. I’ll sic Patton on you.”

With that, he picked up what was left of the fire extinguishing powder (just in case) and turned to exit the room.

“Well,” Logan said once he was gone. “That was irresponsible.”

“I could steal it back from him.”

“N-no don’t do that.”

“I definitely could though,” Virgil said.

“I did not hear you say that,” Logan said, putting his hands over his ears. “I am not responsible for any more of your actions in this matter. I am going to the library.”

He walked out of the room then and Virgil followed him to the upstairs library. He said nothing more about the fire knife, but Logan would be a fool to suppose he forgot about it.

[faerie-hideaway]

Guys, this is misinformation. The brain doesn't stop developing, obviously. What does happen is your prefrontal cortex peaks in the sense that most people by age 25 will have SOUND JUDGEMENT, because the prefrontal cortex will have developed past puberty and have been developed enough to have you make better, wiser, and safer decisions rather than quick, impulsive ones. Stop believing half truths from the internet. I learned this at university. Don't believe me? LITERALLY LOOK IT UP 🤣

Literally all of these points in the above posts are actual concepts that are not being correctly understood. This is why we need to listen to the professionals and not make shit up we don't understand. Left and right hemispheres of the brain are really complicated and it's hard to exactly boil down the connection between the two, so the watered down socially digestible version in the above post is just that: a half truth of a complicated concept that has been telephone game'd into a concept to be easily understood by the public who are not professional neurologists. Take this with a grain of salt and do your own research (meaning look at studies, understand those studies, don't just Google or rely on AI to provide the answer, and don't immediately believe randos on the internet spewing their uneducated thoughts).

As far as misconstruing knowledge to be a form of oppression, yes we have a history of doing that. However, I disagree that we should be full on rejecting these concepts. These are still concepts that have some truth to them. Of course, we should be challenging these concepts and looking for the sources and knowing how to understand and interpret a study in order to actually understand the material and conclusions the studies are coming to. Knowledge is how we can stop the oppression. Continuing to update existing studies and education. Knowing the truth and what the studies actually say is what I believe will help all of this miscommunication and misinformation. Old science needs to be updated, don't get me wrong, and many people teaching these concepts now are showing students how to check for biases, know their own biases, and how these other independent variables can have impacts on these studies. They're showing us how old studies have had biases because all of the scientists were male. About how the testing pool was not randomly selected AT ALL. How these studies don't take into account different demographics, ages, body types, sexes, etc. Science is advancing and we are learning as a species. Keep yourself informed, keep learning, and keep being curious.

Take care ✊

y'all know that whole left-brained/right-brained thing is fake right? and the "brain fully develops at age 25" thing? and the "we only use 10% of our brains" thing? yeah they're all complete horseshit please yell at anyone who says them

[rubbership]

how you would you describe each sugarverse chara in a sentence? (srs or silly, no preference)

Sugar Chambers - Cinderella if she was also involved with governmental warfare, completely unknowingly.

Dylan Wakeman - Rich failson reads marxist theory for the first time and uses his sexuality for good.

Vigil Wakeman - People can change, you just have to prepare for them to start wearing sweater vests and larping vampires as they get better.

John Doe - Is wise like one of those 100+ year old people who say the secret to old age is a cigarette and a diet coke a day.

Spice - Deviantart cat roleplay is life or death when you have nothing to lose but the roleplay.

Kestrel Brinley - Couldn't handle the period where every weird girl was called an egirl because she's been collecting roadkill for years.

Kim Brinley - Less so a "crunchy" mom and moreso a "practical apocalypse prepper" mom.

Noemie Chambers - Blackswan boymom.

Seol Clementine - The worlds first ethical prank-and-parkour youtuber.

Mihu Chambers - Who gave the clown executive decision making, and why did they think it wouldn't bite them in the ass?

Darcy Crawford - Like if a computer learned how to love you back.

Lyor Crawford - It doesnt mean LIAR it means LIGHT its a HEBREW NAME!!!!!

[faerie-hideaway]

🚨Reblog for Awareness!

Hello everyone,

Recently RFK Jr has publicly said that he wants to collect medical data from private insurances (and other agencies and sources) in order to enter the data into a database to track people with Autism. He also mentioned they are creating an Autism Registry where people with Autism's data will be tracked and linked back to the patient they are studying.

With that, this is a HIPPA violation, among other things. I implore you to please reach out to your representatives regarding this. This is a slippery slope. RFK Jr is aiming to find a cure to Autism and identify toxins that cause Autism. In case you didn't already know, Autism is a neurotype and not a disease. It cannot be cured. Many have pointed out that because Autism tends to be genetic that this could turn into a Eugenics problem, as the government is trying to prevent Autistic people from being encouraged to reproduce, and stop Autism altogether. As a result of that, normal people are calling for sterilization of Autistic people, and being fed misinformation regarding Autism and vaccines. RFK Jr is refusing to listen to Autism organizations and advocates, but you can speak up!

Please follow the link below to this Google doc that has email templates to send to your representatives. With your help, we can end this targeted attack on those with Autism and this will ultimately protect your medical data rights and honestly probably avoid things like what happened in the Holocaust as well.

[localcryptidsteg]

"-then just do it yourself-"

"I CANT!"

A pause

"You know I cant. Not anymore, not ever again!" Hes pleading now.

He sounds scared.

Kestrel sighs and shifts in her bed. Its been like this for hours; Ari and the other immortal bickering back and forth. They think shes asleep. They grew a bit too loud for that quite a while ago.

Here's what she knows so far, that they dont seem to want her to know:

One, theres a way to reinstate godhood.

Two, they both, at least in theory, could do so, and it would potentially solve this whole thing.

Three, neither is willing. Especially not Ari.

She's seen her mentor go through a wide range of emotions on the way here. But... never scared. Not the way he is now.

Their voices fade into an indistinct hum as she mulls it over.

In the other room, Arithanos scrubs at his face with his hands, dragging them down and trying to just ground himself, just for a moment.

"What you're asking, it's too much. That faith isn't dead yet. I can't-"

The older man stops him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. He's startlingly alike Ari in his facial features, but lacks color almost entirely, and his accent is a bit thicker.

"If it happens again, we stop it. Again."

"Who's 'we'? You couldn't do anything but hold him in place and stall the last time, why would it be any different now?"

He's quieted down a bit; the wind seeming to leave his sails abruptly with the motion as he leans into the touch, and one last, halfhearted snap of his words.

"... I know. Im sorry. I did wrong by you then, and I'm so, so sorry, my little one," The elder rumbles placatingly.

The truth was, neither one of them would be safe to return to the way they were. Like father like son, or perhaps the other way around, the god of blood carried the risk of Maro, but the god of control carried something far more unpredictable. Maro was raw power and destruction.

Vilke, father of Arithanos, was... not that.

Vilke hadn't been all that corrupted when he elected to give up divinity a good few decades after it had been ripped from his son out of necessity.

He hadn't needed to fall far to see where it would end: a world on puppet strings, running mechanically and methodically like clockwork on the surface, and controlled by paranoia beneath.

By his own name, not a buffer like Maro had been. It wasn't good for anyone.

While he could, potentially, be the fastest solution to all this, he could also make things much, much worse.

But Vilke had felt himself slipping away and shut it down, in line with his own nature.

Ari had all but drowned, slipping under fast and eerily silent. He had every reason to be afraid. He had been the first to demonstrate the sheer magnitude at which a god could become a problem.

Yes, he had good reason to be afraid.

It was partially why Vilke had never sought him out; as much as it burned him to know his child was out there, alive somewhere, he didnt dare force those memories back on him with his presence.

The other part was guilt. His own shortcomings had forced his oldest to tear his youngest to shreds just to properly contain him. He didn't deserve to look either of them in the eye after that.

And yet here Ari was, intact though not unscathed, at his door. After all those years. And his only request was for help.

It was enough to break the old immortal's heart a bit. Even after everything, he was trusted. Safe enough to argue with and take a few (deserved) shots at. This time, he would do better. He had to.

As the raised voices drop back to a lull again, Kestrel is shaken from her thoughts by the quiet. They won't tell her what she wants to know on their own; getting information from an immortal is like pulling teeth. She's learned that much travelling with Ari this far.

The other thing she's learned is how to be dead silent when she wants to be, and she creeps to the door of the room she was given and opens it just a crack to see whats going on.

Instead of figuring out what they're trying so hard to hide, though, all she finds is an old man trying awkwardly but earnestly to comfort his estranged son.

Watching the two is... difficult.

She'll never see either of her parents again, as far as she knows. Ari isn't cut out to be a parent, as much as he tries to make up for it.

He couldn't replace them even if he wanted to (he doesn't, and she appreciates it).

But right now, she'd give about anything to be held close and safe like that again, just one more time.

She wipes her eyes, catching a tear before it can hit the floor, and creeps back to bed. She has a lot to think about, and a lot to ask, but that's for tomorrow.

For now, she finds herself dreaming of home, and working in the garden with her pa, and helping her mom with the laundry.

[every-heart-a-story]

About me:

I am an alter in a system of six. Our system is a mix of genders, sexualities, and ages (see list under the cut). We were professionally identified as OSDD about ten years ago in therapy, but have requested it remain an unofficial diagnosis for family reasons; do with that information what you will. How our multiplicity occurred is not actually anyone's business, but suffice to say we have been through plenty of trauma in our life/lives. I don't feel the need to justify who and what we are any further than this, nor am I interested in engaging with any discourse about this. We know who we are and how we experience the world, and that is enough. Believe us or don't. That is all I will say about this topic. I don't feel it's our place to comment on others' experiences either.

As for our system internally: We are mostly cooperative with each other, but lately our lives have kinda fallen apart because of differences we really can't fully reconcile. Namely, prior to this year, we were (mostly) happily married to another system, and each part was intertwined with a part or multiple parts of the other's system. Unfortunately the "mostly" is that I was not happy and was not getting what I needed; it had been actual years since I really felt seen.

And then I met an amazing woman who is also a system, and we talked about our multiplicity and our mutual feelings for each other, and it ultimately led to me leaving the rest of the system's spouse for her. We are now in a really convoluted not-monogamous, not-poly, but secret third option setup that has been fraught from the start. I have... nowhere and no one to talk to about this; not really. I can't casually mention my girlfriend. I can't talk about being a lesbian. I can't use my name anywhere. I have strict limits on when and where I can even be with her.

It's been so hard on so many levels, and unless/until either myself or the rest of my system can agree on a person, I am going to be stuck in this purgatory of silence and hiding indefinitely.

So I've come here: the anonymity of the internet, to talk about my life. To be open about the woman I love. To be free.

For that reason, I simply ask that you either be kind or be gone. My soul is heavy enough as it is.

System members:

(I have given everyone here an a nickname for privacy)

Falcon - 30s, ze/zir, non-binary queer. Primary fronter and married to our system's spouse (Kestrel).

Redtail - 30s, he/him, bi trans man. Doesn't front a ton, but when he does, he's the most studious and also the most binary male (and dysphoric) of all of us. Was partnered (ish??) to both adult members of Spouse's system, but isn't romantically partnered at the moment (despite there being interest from a member of GF's system, Griffin, and both adult members of Spouse's system - Coyote would like to hook up/date, and Kestrel would like to be partnered to him. Redtail in theory would be open to any/all of this, but in practice is mostly ace/aro and is unwilling to add to the current relationship chaos.)

Jackalope - 19-20ish, he/him, likes to describe his gender as "faggot" and his sexuality as queer. Rarer to front, but always quick with witty/snarky comments, which often are usually innuendos. Has a habit of hooking up with a member of Spouse's system (Coyote); they are effectively dating.

Sphinx - ??? Adult, idk. She/her, sexuality is irrelevant but queer is closest; best way to describe her gender is somewhere between femme-domme and sphinx. Only sort of human. Is partnered to the other adult in Spouse's system (Coyote).

Phoenix - 11ish, ze/zir, non-binary queer (we assume). Ze is like a little droplet of happiness, a tiny bit of bright, pure blue sky. Obsessed with horse figurines, bugs, cool animals, and color palette creation. Kestrel is a parent figure to zir.

And finally me; you can call me Moth - 30s, she/her, cis?? woman, femme lesbian. I'm the closest we have to an original, and I hold a lot of our system's trauma. I..... also seem to often want different things to everyone else, which makes decision-making super fun and helpful for everyone! /s I am not with our system's spouse anymore, but rather partnered to GF.

Spouse's system:

Primary fronter we will call Kestrel (queer non-binary transmasc); the other adult we will call Coyote (queer/bi trans man). There are two young alters that are less likely to be discussed, but we will call them Tadpole (5) and Specter (8??). All use he/him. Falcon has a parental relationship with Tadpole (ze is Daddy), and Sphinx takes care of Specter whenever she can (she is a Mommy figure.) Additionally, Coyote has recently gotten into a relationship (seems like a mostly FWB setup, but I don't know how exactly they're labeling it) with a singlet outside our system.

GF's system:

Primary fronter is GF; we'll call her Bee (femme lesbian trans woman). There are two other adults: Griffin (they/them, queer non-binary transfem), and Raven (she/her, bi trans woman) who is a little younger than the other two. There is one protector who is not human, Storm (they/them, not for gender reasons but because they are Legion), and then a young alter, Kitty (8, she/her, girl).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are lots of other factors that impact this whole situation: we all have various disabilities, trauma, and mental health stuff going on. My system and GF's system are Jewish and Spouse's system is converting. My system and Spouse's system are very kinky and there are a number of dynamics happening; Bee and I are very casually exploring playing with some of those elements.

[lizseyi]

Gifts For Budding Sailors And Sea-Lovers -Navathome

For the budding sailor or seafarer in your life, choosing a gift that reflects their passion and combines practicality and fun can be a delightful challenge. Choosing a nautical-themed gift is a fun idea but can be overwhelming, especially considering the varying experience levels among sailors.

Whether your recipient dreams of their first nautical adventure or is already charting a course toward the open seas, we have compiled an extensive list of fun, thoughtful, and functional presents for budding captains. Choosing a gift for a Christmas present, birthday gift, or “just because” should be a little easier with this inspiration.

1. RYA Courses and Gift Vouchers

For the “nautically curious,” an entry-level course such as the RYA Day Skipper Theory course is an ideal way to test the waters and explore their interest in sailing. These courses cover essential navigation and seamanship skills, making them a perfect starting point for anyone eager to learn about life on the water.

The RYA Coastal Yachtmaster Theory offers advanced training in navigation, meteorology, and passage planning for the more adventurous Skipper ready to take the next step. For those dreaming of crossing the world’s oceans, the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Theory unravels the mysteries of celestial navigation using the Sun, Moon, and Stars.

If you’re unsure which course to choose, gift vouchersprovide flexibility, allowing recipients to select a program that aligns with their interests and skill levels. Whether they’re just starting out or looking to expand their expertise, there’s an option for every aspiring sailor.

And if they’re already experienced, don’t worry—we’ve got more ideas for them further on in the list!

2. Sailing-Inspired Clothing

Outfit them for the elements with high-quality sailing apparel. Henri Lloyd and Musto are known for their durable and stylish gear, which is perfect for seafarers. The MPX GTX Pro Offshore Jacket for men and the BR1 Solent Jacket for women provide exceptional weather protection and comfort. Finisterre’s eco-friendly clothing line combines practicality with environmental consciousness for a more sustainable option.

For those in the UK, a trip to the Musto outlet at Gunwharf could yield great deals and a picturesque shopping experience. Bonus: it’s also an excellent chance to check out some of the boats and yachts docked in the marina.

3. Nautical Timepieces

Time and tide wait for no sailor, but a reliable watch ensures they’ll always stay on schedule.

If they are a techy gadget fan, then the Garmin Qantix 7 is a cutting-edge smartwatch equipped with tidal data, GPS, and sailing-specific features.

For those seeking a more straightforward option, the Optimum Time Series 14 Sailing Watch offers durability, precision, and rechargeability at a more affordable price. Both options are ideal for timekeeping on the water.

4. Tech Toys for the Adventurous

If the person you are buying for is a bit of a tech lover, how about enhancing any future sailing adventures with fun but innovative gadgets?

First, we have the Kestrel 5000 Weather Meter. This is an invaluable tool for monitoring weather conditions with precision, which is essential for planning safe trips.

For something a bit simpler but equally practical, a waterproof phone case allows users to use their iPhone or smartphone screen while still keeping it safe from water damage and accidental drops into the sea. These practical tools are perfect for tech-savvy sailors looking to enhance their on-water experience.

5. Super Sailing Books

Books are a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration for sailors. For technical learning, The Complete Yachtmaster by Tom Cunliffe is an essential guide for mastering sailing skills.

For a dose of adventure, Eric Newby's The Last Grain Race captures the spirit of maritime exploration.

For lighthearted fun, The Nautical Puzzle Book from the National Maritime Museum offers engaging challenges for all ages.

6. Sailing Swag For Boaties

These thoughtful (if slightly fancy) items will add a touch of style and practicality to their sailing experience. A couple of options include a leather-bound logbook, which is perfect for recording voyages and adds a sophisticated touch to their gear.

Meanwhile, a dry bag from Cornish brand C-Skins ensures spare clothes and essentials stay dry, even during the wettest adventures.

7. Sea Faring Decor

Bring the nautical spirit home with decor inspired by life at sea. A traditional ship’s bell adds charm and authenticity, while a rope doorstop combines functionality with maritime flair. A tide clock is both a practical and stylish addition to any sailor’s home, keeping them connected to the rhythms of the sea.

8. Skin Saving For Post-Sailing Recovery

Help them recover from the harsh effects of sun, wind, and saltwater with a selection of premium skincare products. Starting with the always decadent L’Occitane Hand Cream. This soothes dry hands but looks stylish and easy to pop in any sailing jacket pocket.

Meanwhile, no matter the weather, sun protection should be high on any skipper’s agenda. This La Roche-Posay Sunscreen provides essential sun protection, is great for sensitive skin, and is revered worldwide for its efficacy.

Finally, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream is a reliable choice for a face that needs hydration and repair from sea air and spray. It is unscented, perfect for dry skin, and looks great on any bathroom shelf.

9. Ahoy there, Captain!

No gift list is complete without a bit of light-hearted fun. The classic captain’s hat is a playful nod to nautical life and makes an ideal stocking filler or an imaginative way to wrap up a more significant gift, such as a course voucher or gadget.

Whether they wear it as a joke during Christmas dinner or to channel their inner skipper during birthday celebrations, this hat adds a humorous and relaxed touch to the celebrations.

It’s a simple, cheeky gift bound to raise a smile from aspiring captains and seasoned sailors alike.

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, a birthday, or simply want to surprise the sea-lover in your life, these ideas offer the perfect mix of practicality, charm, and fun. With gifts ranging from essential training courses to whimsical keepsakes, there’s something here for every kind of sailor. So, set sail on your gift-giving journey and make waves with a present they’ll truly treasure!

For more information on getting onto the high seas, then get in touch with us to find out more about our online courses to get you to sea.

[faerie-hideaway]

Based answer: we're too obsessed with being "correct" in our own experiences. You are just one drop in a sea of definitions, just as you are unique in your experience. Your perspective is true to you, so how can you put a generalized definition on it? We can attempt, but humans are complex. What's true for you, may not be true to another. The nature of a generalized sexuality being defined is sometimes fleeting, and is constantly changing just as society changes. So many people experience their gender, their sexuality, and their expression of both of those in different ways. It's hard to label, so we just choose whatever label makes sense to us. None are inherently wrong. Look at the bigger picture. Infighting and gatekeeping sexuality serves no one. Fighting over semantics serves no one. Love who you want. Be happy for others. Let people love who they want. It's just that simple.

My coworker asked me a question about Queer culture the other day and it was a really good question but I couldn’t think of a polite way to tell them that they didn’t have the foundational knowledge required to support full comprehension of the answer

[gay-salt-amber]

Jayfeather infodumps to Kestrelflight and flametail cuz he knows they'll listen and infodump back, nobody else knows that they do this cuz it's in the dream world thing but it's super cute to just hear jay infodumpimg abt a history thing, flame infodumping with questions and kestrel infodumping with theories. It's quite cute and they even consider them the best parts of their dates.. even tho it confuses any bystanders

Bonus (this could be spoilers to the fic so read at your own risk ig): when berrynose joins the relationship, he infodumps to others abt how cute his bfs are and just listens to their conversations with a smile thinking abt how he got so lucky then the conv between them switches to how berrynose is so cute and he gets flustered cuz he's the one calling the other three thar, not being called it. It's super wholesome and I love it

[shootertron-stuff]

Farhad's wives, part two

Continuation of this post, more of Farhad's wives created through Picrew.

Warnings that this universe contains a lot of forced pregnancy, enslavement, forced feminization, ableism, noncon etc etc

Krispus Kestrel: An Iron Snake who Farhad bought off an unscrupulous warband claiming he was an Ultramarine ("What's the difference? Sons of Guilliman are Sons of Guilliman!"). Due to being racist against Beastmen and attacking a nurse who was taking his baby's vitals, Krispus' children have been taken away to be raised by goat people.

Despite not being born there, he is anal about Protected Designation of Origin and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed foods from Ultramar. It's not Ultramarine Barley Soup unless the ingredients were grown on the 500 worlds and prepared in a specific way!

Ta-wr: In this universe, Perturabo is secretly a girl and her geneseed has a high chance of turning you into a girl. To test this theory, one could forcefem an Iron Warrior and see if she likes it. But bringing home an Iron Warrior wife would make his Imperial Space Marine wives unhappy, wouldn't it?

So instead, Farhad bought a Silver Skull, a Space Marine chapter rumored to have Perturabo's geneseed. Ta-wr was having a bad time, being used as forced labor for the Red Corsairs. Being bailed out came with a cost.

Ta-wr turned out to be an Ultramarine in spirit, despite the truth of her chapter's founding. Like Krispus, she is anal about PDOs and TSGs. But as they say in the Black Legion, you're more than your geneseed!

Not all women want babies, and Ta-wr had no "maternal instinct" when her kids were born.

Like other Silver Skulls, she is covered in tattoos.

Maximus: A Death Strike Marine. Was a Dreadnought pilot before his exosuit was irreparably damaged. Was "saved" and made a breeder. Has no arms or legs and must rely on the other Marines for many tasks. Due to how long he was sealed inside the Dreadnought sarcophagus, is sensitive to stimuli including light.

Adores all his children and is one of the most well-behaved wives, and Farhad dotes on him, providing him with sensory-friendly clothes and lots of stuffed animals. Also he gets flogged, an "essential care need" for all Sons of Dorn that he was "cruelly denied" while inside the Dreadnought.

Must be watched closely to prevent less compliant wives from hurting him, as they think he needs to be put out of his misery due to his care needs.

Jamshed: A Hawk Lord who miraculously survived being shot out of the air, though he suffered extensive injuries. Paired with Krispus.

Hot Pink Rhododendrons Blooming on a Summer's Night: "Roddy Summer", a Celebrant, came from humble origins. His mother, holding high hopes, gave him a grandiose name and spent every last bit of money they had to send him to the Space Marine trials shortly before her death. After failing to protect his home hive city from attack, Roddy became depressed, easy pickings for a Chaos warband.

Dresses like an 80s roller skater.

Gunvaldr Faramundson: A Space Wolf. Liable to mount the other Space Marine wives. Responds well to positive reinforcement with chopped and dried pieces of bull penis.

Umer: A Hammer of Dorn, extremely unhappy about the whole baby making business. Has long passages of the Codex Astartes memorized and will start reciting them unsolicited. Begrudgingly shares a bed with the other Sons of Dorn.

"Ifrit" Tanager: A Thousand Sons Sorceror skilled in biomancy. Farhad took the fact that he shapeshifted a pussy for their first meeting as permission to use him as a breeder, but also, he has something against the Thousand Sons and likes tormenting him.

Farhad tries to be accommodating to the other wives but is as mean to Ifrit as possible without the Hereteks monitoring the breeding project complaining that it will have a negative impact on maternal health.

Gunvaldr is overly friendly with Ifrit.

[spoiledblogif]

Say it's Halloween and our Mc decided to wear a showy/sexy costume and had to go to a party how would the Ro's react? (Crushing and Dating stage)

wow these asks are just mind-reading me these days...

R: As if R is not also wearing something excessively showy and/or slutty for Halloween. Pft. Which would be cute whether they were just crushing on each other or already dating, the difference being how overt R was about trying to make sure they 'matched' well. I also don't see them necessarily getting jealous over the MC wearing something a bit more sexy or revealing, but R would definitely notice and like it if the MC was getting a lot of attention and MC's attention was still focused on them.

Z: Definitely not the type to dress up themselves and would definitely feel torn about the MC wearing something sexy. On one hand, they can't control MC and wouldn't want to, etc, etc, but on the other hand they wouldn't like the way other people are looking at MC. So costume or no costume they'd definitely be tagging along if only to keep the creeps at bay (definitely just that).

Kestrel: Probably doesn't participate in human Halloween celebrations, but if in theory the supernatural world has their own equivalent celebrations on Halloween, Kestrel would break some of the rules to bring MC along. So MC dressing a bit showier or sexier would just make them fit right in. (I've got to write this as a short one of these days.)

[faerie-hideaway]

This ties well with the above post. In order to receive the full benefits of anything, you have to start at it's most simplest form. You have to create a foundational understanding. This requires work. As we continue to remove the humanity from tasks as a society, we lose our worth and our path. Saving time is robbing us from what little time we have to find meaning. However, it is also the most time we've ever had.

Hard work nourishes the soul. The ability to learn is the ability to see into a thousand lives and learn how to be, how to grow, how to know, and how to see the world. There is no shortcut to that. No machine can replicate the nuance of each individual experience and perspective.

"Love is for the ones who work": Studying diligently, with intention. Our humanity lies in the ability to do the work and absorb the ebb and flow of the processes that got us here. If we remove that process, we cannot remember how we got here. If we remove the process, we aren't making the necessary connections and our critical thinking is limited. Life is too fast paced as it is, please remember to slow down and know that there is so much value in doing the work yourself. Doing the hard thing is always worth it.

Why do we often feel so detached and like nothing is ever happening, like we're wasting our own time? Because we cannot remember short term content or instantaneous answers. We haven't had anything memorable happen with the information. We haven't had time to make the connections. The less and less we spend working, and making, and learning, the less our brain can register the passage of time, and what we did with said time.

Saving time does not serve us. Our attention spans require context and an end to what we started. An answer is not the end, it's how it applies to the rest of your life. The application is what we think about. The why, the how. Not just the what. This also begs the question:

What would we rather be doing, if not taking the time to gain a new perspective and insight into what could possibly make our lives easier later?

The answer is simple, we just have to do the work ourselves. Push through. Not everything in life is meant to be easy. Challenges are what push us further. Dig deep. Be present. Be mindful. Enjoy life as it was meant to be. Suffering is to be human, but overcoming the suffering is what it means to be alive.

it's so fucking frustrating to be in college and know everyone uses chatgpt and to be tempted by it constantly while also knowing intellectually that it doesn't work and it's a bad idea. like, i hang out in the library a lot, and i see people using chatgpt on assignments almost every day. and i know it isn't a good way to learn, because it's not really "artificial intelligence" so much as it is an auto text generator. and it gives you wrong information or badly worded sentences all the time. but every week i stare down assignments i don't want to do and i think man. if only i could type this prompt into a text generator and have it done in 10 minutes flat. and i know it wouldn't work. it wouldn't synthesize information from the text the way professors want, it wouldn't know how to answer questions, it just spits out vaguely related words for a couple paragraphs. but knowing my classmates get their work done in 10 minutes flat with it while i fight every ounce of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in my body is infuriating.

[practically-an-x-man]

All of your OCs are competing on a cooking show. Who falls first and who makes it all the way?

Oooh good question!!

Rae: On the one hand, she's lived in a lot of different places and has enjoyed a lot of different cuisine, and has even tried to recreate some of her favorite dishes. On the other hand, she's usually too busy to do a lot of cooking herself, and having eaten a lot of international food is different from being trained in making it. She'll probably make it to the last round, but won't win.

Robin: She's a semidecent cook, and she'll probably make it past the first round since she can make some killer boxty (her favorite comfort food, it's amazing), but she doesn't have enough kitchen experience to think on the fly and come up with so many successful dishes in a row. The second round falls flat for her, and she gets eliminated.

Madison: She loves baking and is quite good at it, but baking and cooking aren't quite the same. She does understand flavor and know her way around the kitchen, but cooking-wise she probably defaults to very simple dishes since she's used to a lot of base-subsistence meals from her time in the woods. The judges would enjoy her dishes, but would feel they aren't sophisticated enough for the competition.

Ophelia: Yeah.... she doesn't cook much - and whatever dishes she could cook in theory would take too long to make, and wouldn't be possible within the time limit. She's not making it very far.

Jasper: Out of everyone, I think they have the best chance of any of my OCs. They can make some really mean Cajun food, and they cook dinner with Kyle just about every night (at least, provided they aren't dead-on-their-feet tired from a nursing shift), so they've got a lot of experience in the kitchen. Honestly, a strong contender to win.

Katherine: Also a strong contender - she doesn't cook particularly fancy meals up in NYC, being a broke college kid and all, but back home in Memphis she loved cooking with her family.

Kestrel: Hm... could go either way. This is a similar story to Rae, really - they've been all around the world and have had a lot of exposure to various cuisines and flavor combos, but they don't have a lot of time to actually experiment with cooking these refined meals themself.

Quinn: Eh... no. She can cook well enough to get by, but she's nowhere near cooking-show level and she knows it. She'll do her best, but she's out in the first round

Eris: Look, it's not that Eris can't cook - you don't survive a thousand years without at least being able to put together your own meals - but in the convenience of the modern world... they really don't have the patience for it. They'll play sous chef for Rick, chopping vegetables and things like that, but they're not the type to actually think up what they want for a meal. They'd give it a strong effort, since they'll never turn down a competition, but their dishes don't really make a lot of sense to the judges.

Nikoletta: In all honesty, I think subsisting off of prison food for 15 years has made her rebound hard once she's out of Belle Reve - she'd be a very exploratory cook and would love trying new recipes, since neither she nor Abner would be able to stand being reminded of prison food once they're free. All this to say... she's probably a top competitor, at least among my other OCs. She knows her way around the kitchen.