#to both classes because she has twins and they always separate them so she has to make shit for both classes every time 😂

[bilboyagathechickenfootedhobbit]

I may have gone overboard on the kids last day of school lunch note….

Maybe just a little overboard 😂

[pearlywritings]

In father's embrace

synopsis: Genshin men as dads and what your family dynamic is like.

pairings: Ayato, Thoma, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari x fem!reader (separately)

tw: fluff, established relationship, mentions of pregnancy

word count: 7.2k words

a/n: I really wanted to write Diluc and Kaeya, but realized that I can't create something new since I already have a family AU with them. Here's the materlist's link if you are interested! Also you can find the HSR version of this here!

Ayato 

This man is a dad of twins - a boy and a girl. Both babies took more in their mom’s appearance, but have his soft violet eyes and honestly? This man adores you, his wife, so when he sees your kids develop more and more of your features as they grow - his heart can’t be fuller.

He is a fun and patient dad - he will teach them anything they ask him to, and offer guidance, yet still leaving space for them to learn some on their own. He also enjoys when they sneak into his study during his working hours (because mom decided to take a nap, and Thoma went out grocery shopping, and they are so-so boooooored), letting them wander around the room for the nth time, touching all the trophies and scrolls he has there (all the things that could be of danger were long removed), and when they eventually feel sleepy, crawl closer to him to nap, resting their heads on his thighs while he stays in his kneeling position, writing.

Even if they look a lot like you, it’s so easy to tell that they are his kids - the mischief babbling in their little bodies is untamable for the longest time, and Ayato loves it. Sure, sometimes it is a headache, and mostly for you, but at least they didn’t develop strange tastes in food like their father. More than once they used their similar looks to play pranks on the staff members or their parents, dressing in each other’s clothes and going about their day like that. What does their father think of it? Two words - “promising” and “entertaining”.

They are also their aunt’s absolute delight. Ayaka adores them, showering the two with gifts and attention. And even though she and Ayato are not twins like her niece and nephew - she still feels warmly nostalgic whenever she witnesses their interactions.

Best aunt - thanks to her Vision the twins experienced the joy of ice skating, lessons of etiquette became more fun (though still effective), more days off were granted to her brother to spend time with his family (she practically started stealing his paperwork at some point to fulfill it on her own). She and Thoma are making your life so much easier and for the first time Ayato truly feels at peace and like he is living his life at its fullest. The quiet rooms of the Kamisato Estate are finally filled with joyous laughter and summer warm happiness - his kids are bringing back the light to the gloomily strict atmosphere of the family house.

But sometimes the two only add the workload to his plate in the most wild ways possible.

Ayato closely observes one of his kids - presumably the son - as both the parent and the child are sitting in the room dedicated to the twins’ studying. They have the best tutors Inazuma could provide and both showed exceptional results in all their classes. Even if one of them failed an examination on the first try - the second one was always a success. That was until you walked in on your daughter rewriting her history test, only to discover your son in her place, with his sister’s clothes and blue locks tied in her manner. And that’s when the truth came to light.

Honestly it was no surprise their teachers never suspected anything - only four people could tell the twins apart easily - you, Ayato, Ayaka and Thoma, though the latter had trouble with that occasionally, and your children made sure to speak as similar as possible once the idea of replacing each other appeared. Of which you also learned that day Ayato and you sat them down and urged to tell you everything. The scolding about cheating from you and a lecture from Ayato on the topic of how important it is to do as good as you can on your own were provided, but in the end you just hugged them and said that you do not expect them to be perfect in everything, which left the kids relieved.

But from then on Ayato has been in charge of supervising the twins during their exam retakes. Just like today.

“Public diplomacy, national security, diplomatic etiquette, hm…” the head of the Kamisato clan skips across the paper with questions the tutor gave him beforehand on the latest topic of international relationships. He notices how his child doesn’t fidget and doesn’t even let the eyes run across the room - the straight posture and neutral expression etched on a thirteen-year old’s face is admirable. But he does note the uncharacteristic stiffness. Along with another major thing.

“Princess, where is your brother?”

Eyes widen slightly, but that’s enough to prove that he is correct. He watches his daughter hesitate for a moment, though there is no doubt in his mind that neither of his children would ever lie to him or their mother. And the defeated sigh shows as much.

“Sorry, father,” the girl lowers her gaze in apology. Fishing a hairpin from behind her brother’s kimono lapel, she makes quick work of collecting her hair. Then she looks into his eyes again.

“He is in my room, pretending to be me and probably stressing. Before you ask why we decided to switch - he begged me to.” “Oh?” Ayato puts the papers to the side and rests his chin on an open palm. “Could you please elaborate?” “Remember how we went to the Kujo residence for a playdate?” Her father hums, already getting a vague understanding of what’s going on. “And when we accidentally overheard how the oldest son was being scolded by his father for not doing enough in his studies. And brother got it into his head that if he keeps failing not once but more times, you are going to be disappointed in him. I know he studied for this retake, I helped him with that, but at the last moment he got anxious, and, well, here I am. Like all those years ago.”

“I see,” the man in front of her nods, and she doesn’t see any negative emotion painted on his face. Quite the contrary, he smiles.

“Be a dear, go get your brother and come back together. Change the clothes though. Oh, and tell him I am not mad, okay?” “Okay, father,” she mirrors his smile and relief flashes in her eyes - the girl truly cares for her twin, and that warms Ayato’s heart.

When half an hour later both arrive there is already a table served with tea and sweets, and the head of the Kamisato family immediately invites them to take their seats. His daughter looks calm, which can’t be said about his son - the boy has the most miserable look on his face, holding onto his sister’s hand and staring at the surface of the tea in his cup. Ayato decides to speak first.

“Kujo family is the last people one should take as an example,” his firm, yet reassuring tone makes his son glance at him. “Sure, they are respected, but their methods are too old-fashioned, and the way they treat their children is no good. Do you understand, little blossoms?”

They nod and even if Ayato doesn’t see it, he knows they squeeze each other’s hand.

“You better do, because neither me nor your mother will ever push you to the point of devastation. In studies as well,” the boy bites his lip. “I am serious. I will not be disappointed in either of you if you have to retake one test again and again. Striking for perfection is a good goal, but not when you torture yourself physically and emotionally to achieve it.”

“But father…” his son lifts his eyes and stares right into Ayato’s and it shoots right through his chest how vulnerable the kid looks. “You are perfect. And I don’t want to let you down…” “Me? Perfect? Oh, dear,” the man can’t hold a light laugh back. “Ask your mother and she’ll prove you so wrong, trust me. And none of you is letting me down - you should be proud of yourselves. At such young age you both show bright talents and knowledge - and it’s okay if it’s not the case for every possible field of studies. This is general education, later you’ll get more practice to catch up, or concentrate on your strongest abilities. Listen,” he addresses his son specifically, and the boy cocks his head to the side a little, “be more confident and trust your sister if she insists you are doing well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and come to me if you feel unsure, alright?”

The boy glances down, letting the words sink in, and Ayato patiently waits. In his mind he admits that it's his oversight - he should've noticed earlier that one of his kids has been struggling. Now he will make sure to change that.

Eventually his son deeply sighs and looks at the adult in front of him with trust reflecting in those pretty eyes.

“Alright,” he nods with a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. Slowly standing up and letting go of his twin’s hand, he rounds the table and steps right into Ayato’s outstretched arms, wrapping his own around the man’s neck.

“Thank you, father,” he whispers right before burying his face into haori-clad shoulder. “I love you so much.”

And the man smiles, whispering those words back and soothingly patting his back, as the daughter shows him thumbs up with the tenderest look in her eyes.

Thoma

This man is such a sweet dad - nearly cried, when your first child, a girl, was delivered. Same was when a couple years later the son was born too.

Juggling his work and caring for his kids was never an issue for him. A big part of it was played by the Kamisato couple, who allowed him to bring first his daughter and then his son to work, when each of them was old enough. Which, most likely, was what prompted the Kamisatos to have their own kids - one day years ago you and Thoma wanted to have a date night - one you haven't had in a while - and Ayato's wife offered to watch your little baby girl. Does it need to be mentioned she wanted her own kids after that?

Thoma's kids are taught to be polite and respectful, but not overly reserved and quiet, no - in your own house the man would literally let them destroy the kitchen in attempts to bake something as an experiment and then turn cleaning it up into a fun game of three, or four, if you decide to join.

He is that kind of dad, who constantly falls asleep with both kids nestled on his chest and his arms wrapped around them, with a book of tales either lying on his stomach or abandoned on the floor. You literally mastered your technique of waking him up without stirring the kids, so you could bring the two to their rooms.

Your kids love walks, whether it’s in the city or admiring the scenery near the Kamisato Estate. When it’s in the city though, the four of you attract attention without a fail. Especially elders, who coo at the image of Thoma holding his daughter’s hand and you cradling your little boy to your chest. You are literally showered in little gifts and are offered many discounts, because everyone adores and respects your family. At some point for a short period of time a rumor was running around Inazuma City, that if you get to see all four members of the Kamisato retainer’s family, luck is going to follow you through the day. Thoma had to ensure it came to an end, wanting to keep you three safe and not being followed around in your leisure time.

To summarize it’s needless to say that this man is a natural when it comes to being a father. He already aced being a great husband, you never had any doubt that the same would be true about becoming a dad. And it brings you so much joy that your kids are aware of it.

Making your husband's lunch is an essential part of your morning routine. Sure, the Kamisato Estate provides its workers with meals and breaks, but knowing how much Thoma loves your home-cooked meals, you'll never refuse him this pleasure. 

On days like today you pack two more lunches, for your kids - yesterday they expressed their desire to go and help their dad. But you are more than aware of the plan they've had in their mind for the longest time. That's why you turn a blind eye and chop fruits particularly loudly, when you ten- and four-year olds sneak into the kitchen and hide something in the wrapper of an already packed lunch.

And when they were leaving and every member of your family gave you kisses, you couldn’t help but notice the decreased stack of small papers you have in the hall to make notes.

Maybe next time, you’ll ask your kids to join.

Thoma bringing his kids to work is always a pleasant surprise to the Estate’s staff. Even the guards by the gates can’t keep their composure, when the girl cheerfully greets them, wishing a good day, and the boy softly chirps a little “hi” and shyly waves his hand at them. Next person they always meet is Furuta - and the old lady adores their greeting ritual and is the one who looks after the fellow housekeeper’s kids when they help or play outside. But if usually the woman just makes small compliments to the children and chides Thoma for not bringing them over more, today his daughter breaks the routine - she suddenly lets go of his hand and quickly runs to her father’s colleague and asks her to speak in the corner. A bit stunned, the blonde watches the two move farther and start quietly talking. The boy in his arms curiously watches them and then, as if realizing something claps his hands.

“What is it, cookie?” But the only answer he receives is merry giggling.

The next strange thing happens, when the three of them arrive in his room - kids, looking as suspicious as possible, start making excuses to go and play first, though they usually insist on following him around unless they get bored, and as they disappear behind the door with his daughter’s bag - Master Ayato requests his visit. 

Getting out of his office only an hour later, Thoma has to rush to his duties, realizing that he’ll have to speed up if he wants to finish everything the blue-haired man has just told him to do. He even handed him a list with tasks, which never happened. What’s going on?

Not finding the children in his room, he decides to start without them, assuming they'll join him later. Okay, what’s the first thing on the list… Check all the chairs. Alright…

Luckily this piece of furniture isn’t numerous in the residence, giving the culture of Inazuma, and Thoma knows perfectly every single room where he can find them. What he wasn’t expecting to find is the folded papers on the seats of some of those. Upon unfolding each revealed a single letter. Strange… Well, at least the chairs themselves are in the required condition.

Tucking the papers in his pocket and fishing the list out of the other one, the man checks his next destination. Check all the bushes around the main building. Blinking, he looks again. No, the handwriting is definitely his master’s, but the contents? In his style, but why so sudden?

Following every single point, Thoma manages to find in total 13 papers with letters on it, before the list stops being weird and advises the housekeeper to dedicate the time before lunch to his common responsibilities. Which he, with an exhale of relief, proceeds to fulfill.

When the time for lunch rolls around, kids, as if magically, reappear at his side and innocently smile at him, asking how he spent his time. He promises to tell them over lunch.

Lunch, that brings him four more pieces of paper. And suddenly, both kids are not that interested in food.

“Make a phrase, make a phrase!” His daughter chants, holding her brother in her lap, and the little boy claps his hands, chanting ‘make! make!’. Already realizing that all of this was their meticulously crafted plan (to participate in which they managed to convince quite a few people), Thoma doesn’t oppose, putting all the papers on the table in front of him. 

S V E E T S I R H E Y B T

And A P A P which he got from his lunch.

“The” is guessed immediately. “Is” as well. When he reaches for the “A P A P” to add it to the pile, the girl suddenly lunges forward, putting her hand on top of it and shaking her head. Alright, not yet.

S V E E T R Y B is left. Okay, maybe “very” and… “best”!

Moving the pieces around in utter concentration, the man puts the words in the right order. And only then the ten-year old lifts her hand. With a baited breath he moves the four remaining pieces a little more and his heart skips a beat, and the summer-green eyes widen.

PAPA IS THE VERY BEST

“Surprise!” The girl beams with the widest smile, hugging her brother. “We wrote it together! See how some of the letters are clumsy? He did it!” She proudly looks at the boy, gently ruffling his hair. “Recently he was trying to learn how to write! You are the first one who sees it, even mom didn’t! And we chose this phrase, because- dad, are you crying?”

Warm silent tears are indeed running down his cheeks and the man nods, not trusting his voice. A whirlwind of emotions overtakes him, making it a little hard to formulate his thoughts, but he reacts immediately when his kids rush to him, opening his arms and catching them in a tight embrace. He'll tell them how touched he is, he'll praise them, he'll declare his love for them again and again. A tiny bit later. Now he just needs to hold them and hear that he, for real, "is the very best papa".

Alhaitham and Kaveh

Listen, just LISTEN - imagine these men’s pure shock when their wives surprise them over a double date at Kaveh’s house with their pregnancies. Like, AT THE SAME TIME. Kaveh is gaping at his woman, but Alhaitham is no better - a glass with wine frozen in air in the middle of his attempt to put it back on the table as his eyes are not blinking, glued to his spouse. The blonde would be the first one to break from his stupor and tightly hug his wife, kissing all over her face all laughter and little jumping in place, while his junior would finally put the glass down and beckon his woman onto his lap and bury his face in her neck with arms around her body, quietly thanking her for amazing news.

The kids are not even formed in the women’s stomachs, but they already have a story to share.

Alhaitham

Despite not giving the impression the man likes the idea of being a father to a child together with you, his beloved. Of course the pregnancy was planned, but even he couldn’t predict the possibility of you and his friend’s wife being pregnant at the same time. Though he does find it a little amusing and can’t lie to himself that watching you and your female friend discuss the nursery designs, the clothes, the gender, the two babies becoming akin to siblings warms his heart.

He always loved quiet evenings with you, but later, as your bump got more and more prominent, he finds himself craving your back pressed to his chest and his palms cradling your rounding stomach. He talks to his kid in there, reads them books and soothes, when they are restless and don’t let you sleep that well. And that’s how early on you understood who’s going to be the one putting your newborn to sleep, because your persuasions didn’t work that well.

And your husband doesn’t mind. He actually loves cradling his daughter - yes, it’s a little girl! - to his chest and lull her to sleep - it gives him an unimaginable sense of fulfillment.

As your little wonder grows older, Kaveh can’t help but comment how similar her scowl is to her father’s - combined with the annoyed sharp glare of the eyes she also got from him. But that’s only when she is being capricious. Most of the time she is calm and sporting your sweet smile, voice soft and eyes lacking the mentioned above sharpness. 

By the way, she is older than Kaveh’s kid, which makes the Scribe just a little bit smug.

Alhaitham is all too happy to be the one educating her. He makes sure to balance her time spending with him and her time spending with you, encouraging her to engage in your hobbies and have a mother-daughter time. But the most he loves the time the three of you spend together - be it as simple as grocery shopping, having a meal together or cuddling in the evening, or going on whole little expeditions, because his girl wants to explore something on the topic she is currently interested in.

Oh, and he is so biased when it comes to her. There is only one non-scholar kid in all of Sumeru who has her own personal access to the House of Daena, research laboratories, research data and the Scribe’s office at any working hour - and that’s your daughter.

“Look, that’s the Scribe’s wife!”

Taken aback, you stop in your way when at least a dozen students surround you. Raising an eyebrow you survey their faces thoughtfully, noting that they seem to be quite desperate. But even before you can open your mouth they interrupt.

“Tell him to let us in! We have applications to submit!”

“And I have questions why mine was declined!”

“I need his signature on my thesis papers!”

“He locked himself inside with your daughter and said not to disturb their nap! Unbelievable-”

“And how exactly can I help?” You cut through the cacophony of their voices. Students look at you as if you’ve just grown a second head.

“...you are his wife? You can influence him.” “First of all, demanding something from a person you barely know is simply rude,” you narrow your eyes and a chill runs down some of the spines - for a moment you looked just like your husband. “Secondly, I am not involved in his work and I don’t plan to. Now, please, step aside.”

“You can’t be so cruel!”

“Oh, and you can? Let me guess, at least half of you missed deadlines, a small portion made mistakes again and the rest are not in an urgent need to see my husband, but decided to stick with others in hopes that getting to him right now will work?”

Leaving them stunned by your easy guess, you finally push your way through, holding a box with food you brought for lunch close to your chest. Once in front of the door you don’t even have the time to raise a fist for knocking, because the door unlocks and opens, revealing the tall man behind it.

Silently and quickly you step inside and the door shuts again, the key turns in the lock and then is thrown on the nearest table. The office meets you with welcomed tranquility, and dimmed lights are a nice contrast to the blindingly white walls of the Akademiya.

“So, you heard everything? They said you were napping,” you question his guess of when to open the door to let you in. Alhaitham rolls his eyes, glaring at the hindrance you left behind the door, and then takes the box from you.

“I was, but since I lent my earpieces I could hear the commotion in the corridor,” with his free hand he takes yours and leads you further into the room. There, on the sofa, you spot your daughter - wearing her dad’s device and napping, curled under his cape.

“Oh Dendro Archon, she is so adorable,” you coo in awe. “Look how big your things are on her!”

“She demanded I take a break and sit with her,” the Scribe hums, putting the food on the table and then locking both of his arms around you in an embrace. “But the more she was reading to me while sitting at my side, the sleepier she was getting, so we decided to nap.”

You listen to him, while observing your precious girl. She seems serene and content, holding onto the gold-embroidered piece of fabric, surely containing her father’s soothing scent. The earpieces are adjusted to hold onto her head and in silence you can even catch the faintest sounds of a melody. Ah, if only you had a Kamera with you…

“Let’s get her her own earpieces and cape.”

“The cape is unnecessary, but I did consider the device. I could make her her own, especially since she’s been complaining about having hard times to concentrate while she is at the Akademiya.” “But with the cape she’d be just like you!”

“Am I alone not enough for you already?” Light turquoise eyes are hard to read, but you manage to catch a shadow of amusement.

“But matching outfits are charming! Like, remember the last time we’ve been to Kaveh’s? The whole family had matching robes!”

“Then you’ll have to dress like me too.”

“If I am to get an intricate cape and a device to block the sounds of you huffing - I don’t mind.”

Alhaitham huffs. Then stops, realizing he’s just done what you were accusing him of, and you can’t help but laugh.

“Kidding, kidding. Let’s discuss it over lunch. Can you wake her while I am setting the table?”

Your husband nods and, receiving a quick peck to his cheek, releases you from his hold, stepping closer to the sofa.

As you busy yourself with the food, you occasionally glance at the two from the corner of your eye, absolutely swooning over how gently Alhaitham takes the earpieces off, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, softly murmurs her name and coaxes her from sleep with the news that mommy came and brought delicious food with her. And when two sets of identical eyes look at you tenderly, a loving smile lights up your face.

Kaveh

Can you see this man sticking his finger in Alhaitham's direction and declaring that his kid is going to be senior to his friend's? Because I can. (Too bad he was wrong).

As well as I can see this man accidentally becoming supportive not only of you but the other man's family as well - and drawing the blueprints for both nurseries is probably only the beginning (but you were the only one whose every suggestion he took without arguing).

From day one his mind is set on being the best dad for your baby, just like he is the best husband to you. He reads books, seeks advice in Bimarstan, even writes letters to his mother in hopes she'll share her experience, that could help you. Though when it comes to shopping for your yet unborn baby, you have to physically restrain him from buying every single cute plushie or onesie he sees. 

When your daughter is born though, it's getting harder, because your own desire to spoil this golden-haired angel is unmeasurable. Maybe it's because she looks so much like your husband and you are projecting your need to shower him in love and affection and give everything you possibly can, but by the end of the day you just simply love her very much.

Kaveh adores doing anything creative with his daughter. She wants a mosaic in a frame on her wall? They'll put it from the little tiles together and Kaveh would hold her in his arms so she could hang it. She wants a dollhouse? They'll spend the time drawing the draft and picking colors and materials for EVERYTHING. And then he'll be building it, while she crafts little furniture. And it doesn't matter if she did it too small or too big - papa will help her adjust it.

But even so, Kaveh doesn't expect his daughter to be some genius or follow in his steps. No, he knows he'll love her even if she stops sharing the creative approach with him. He knows better than anyone how crushing it is to have everyone's expectations to loom over you and predatory gazes watch tirelessly, anticipating the moment you fail. He gives a vow to himself, to you, to your girl, that he will be there no matter what. 

Matching. Outfits. You own so many it's almost worrisome. But your daughter loves them. There were a couple occasions when she drew her own designs for the three of you and you had it tailored, which left her absolutely ecstatic.

On that note, you believe Kaveh's (tiny) fear that she'll lose interest in creativity is going to be short-lived - especially after your visit to Fontaine to let your daughter meet her granny, which the girl spent with wide open eyes and mouth, absorbing everything around her to use it later.

Also having your daughter earned you a heavy supporter in moments when Kaveh starts to overwork. He can't resist the charm of both of his girls and is easily swayed to the nearest sofa/bed to cuddle and share lots of kisses. All his life he has been the anchor for others - now he has two people to be that for him.

Kaveh is easily spooked by sudden noises, and your eleven-year old daughter knows that. That's why she makes sure to tap her feet loud enough to hear their approach through the door of his study. Balancing a small tray with a cup of tea and your special dessert in one hand, she lifts the other to gently knock on the door.

"Come in, baby!" Reaching higher she pulls the handle.

The floor littered with crumpled papers isn't a new sight to her, just as her father's hunched back over the properly lit table. But when the door closes, the architect immediately puts the pencil down and turns around, giving her a big smile.

"Hi, sweety," he is beaming, seeing her adorable face and a growing smile, complementing those precious twinkles in her eyes.

"Hi, papa!" She chirps like a little birdie - her actual nickname - and Kaveh nearly drops his head in his palms and cries. How can he be a father to someone so tender?

"Mama said you are working and made you something! I helped," she lifts the tray, showing him what she has. "We hope you will like it."

Oh, he definitely will, he doesn't doubt it. Carefully wrapping his fingers around the edges, the man takes his late afternoon snack and brings it closer to his face, inhaling the sweet smell of the desert and a soothing aroma of the tea.

"Thank you, little birdie," he puts the tray aside and bends lower to wrap his arms around her and smooch her cheek. "You and mama are the best."

"Hehe, we know," she giggles. "You are the best too."

"Awww," Kaveh can't help but nuzzle against her cheek, gaining another giggle and a cute scrunch of her nose.

"Daaaaaaaad!"

"Sorry, sorry, baby, you are just so adorable. Just like your mama."

"But mama says I am pretty like you."

"Both can work together," he assures her, but a soft blush covers his cheeks. No matter how many years have passed, he still gets shy whenever his wife uses "pretty" to describe him.

"Okay!" She simply agrees, giving him a big hug. "Sorry, but I should be going now. Mama wants to go grocery shopping and I want to help her."

Now that she says this, Kaveh pays closer attention to her outfit - the white sundress with pink roses is definitely not something she'll wear at home.

"Alright then, let me escort you downstairs."

Standing up, he easily hoists her in his arms and lets her perch on his left one, as her arms wrap around his neck.

When they reach the hall, the girl has managed to make two braids in his hair, now twisting them around each other. Kaveh finds both her and your obsession with touching his hair amusing, but sometimes it feels nice and relaxing. And you did put him to sleep by scratching his head on multiple occasions.

You, who are standing in front of the mirror, and even witnessing just your profile, the architect is in love all over again. 

He should take you on a date later this week.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't mind that," you chuckle, turning to face him and offering your most teasing smile. Ah, he said the date part out loud, didn't he? "But right now I need to go and take care of our dinner's ingredients."

Your husband nods in understanding and puts your daughter down, dusting the skirt of her dress and making sure everything is intact. Getting a quick peck on the nose, he gives her one on the forehead and straightens up to immediately welcome you into his embrace and share a soft kiss.

“Be sure to take a break and enjoy the snack we made for you. And I mean it when I say taking a break. We all remember how you spilled your morning coffee over the blueprint and had to redraw everything again. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

A wild shiver runs down Kaveh’s spine and he feverishly shakes his head. No, if there is one thing he is certain in it’s hating the repetition of this.

“You don’t have to remind me,” his heavy sigh ghosts over your skin. “And it won’t happen again.”

“I believe in you!” You cheer joyfully and it warms his heart.

“I believe in papa too!” Your daughter throws her fists in the air. “Papa can do anything!”

“Of course he can,” you gently nudge her back, ushering her to the front door. “See you soon, Kaveh. We love you.”

“I love you too.”

Waving at your leaving figures he waits until you shut the door and stick the key in the lock, before smiling to himself and returning to his study.

The tea got a little cold and the dessert’s top melted just a tiny bit, but both are still incredibly delicious. Leaning back in an armchair with a plate resting on his knee and a cup wrapped in his hands, the man feels happily at ease and two precious girls are the reason why.

Tighnari 

Frankly, I don't think Tighnari has ever given much thought to becoming a dad, let alone settling down with someone. But taking care of Collei, becoming her mentor, stepping so close to becoming a parental figure, probably played its role as well.

Biggest part, of course, was you - another pretty fennec hybrid, who, due to the same biological background, could share a lot of things with him that the man couldn't and honestly didn't want to bother explaining to others, he sure has other things to fulfill.

It took years of courting from both sides, but eventually, you two settled down together, content with each other as a partner. When the talk of kids happened, the forest ranger was hesitant - he knows he can handle a kid, he can handle ten if required thanks to his immense patience and love for teaching, but since you were different from humans, the man was aware that you could be carrying more than three babies at one time. Even if your body is built to handle it by evolution, he still didn't want to make you go through with so much. Initially. However when you looked so hopeful to have a family with your beloved, swore it's going to be just one time and then you'll keep using protection like before, he was convinced and actually quite excited.

So much nuzzling during your pregnancy. So much nuzzling when the babies are born - three beautiful boys and one girl, with the prettiest fluffy tails and ears of yours or his fur. He immediately jumped to being a father, without any complaint taking care of your kids, while you were recovering. He adores them so much, but at times hardly manages to keep an eye on all four - good thing you moved into a bigger house that is closer to the ground, because little explorers did try to escape outside on multiple occasions.

What gets Tighnari's heart burst like fireworks though? Spotting you napping with all of your babies huddled in your embrace, body practically curled around them and a tail resting on top. The first time it happened - maybe a couple of weeks after you gave birth to them - Tighnari left you alone with the kids to do an examination on the work of forest rangers in his absence, and when he returned back - he nearly collapsed from how adorable the five of you looked. Definitely joined.

From their early age he taught his kids everything about the forest so they would be prepared, and, even he won't ever admit it, it stirred something in his chest when they looked up at him with wonder and fascination in their gleaming eyes. They were also taught to be independent, but at the same time to work as a team, and they are so good at that.

The circle of four is absolutely perfect. Little hands are swift and precise, and the absolute concentration is written on the seven-year olds adorable faces. You and Tighnari even stopped your own grooming of each other’s tails to observe your kids’ routine of doing the same thing, but among themselves.

With four pillows on the floor they once again made themselves comfortable, just like every evening, equipped with different kinds of brushes and safe oils. 

You put your chin onto Tighnari's shoulder, still holding his tail in your lap, with yours resting under his palm, and make a soft sound, loud enough for him to recognize and not alert the kids. Your husband nods, purring in response and rubbing his cheek against your temple.

"They are so adorable, 'nari," you sigh, watching the four being so absorbed with their task that they don't even talk. The male couldn't agree more, lifting the corners of his mouth in a smile and then picking another brush to get busy with the tip of your tail.

"They absolutely got it from you, my dear. And did you notice how much progress they've made in the fur-caring routine?"

Tighnari doesn't see that, but you, still staring forward at your kids, clearly see how four pairs of ears prick up. How cute, someone wants the praise.

"That they did. And I don't know about you, but at the age of 7 I didn't even know that the fur has to be clean and taken care of anyhow. I guess, I never gave it much thought when my mom did it for me. Our little ones are so independent."

Four tails move a little, kids clearly delighted.

"You are right, they are," Tighnari hums, running his fingers through your now well-groomed fur, and your children hold their chins up proudly. "If only this independence didn't extend to trying to escape to the forest on their own against all of my warnings."

Inhumane eyes glare at the frozen bodies of the "explorers" in question, making them lower their gaze and pick up from where they stopped their routine. Oh, they know what they've done.

You can only sigh, fully understanding your husband's concerns, and finish tending to his tail.

Next is the balm you generously scoop onto your palm to rub into the rough texture of your fox-like pads. When you do the same for Tighnari, receiving a tender kiss to your nose, and then to each of your babies, as they walk to you one by one, still with guilty, pouty, but adorable faces, while your husband is putting away all the tools and products.

Soon your bed is occupied with all of your kids, snuggling to your sitting body and drowsily asking to sleep with you two tonight. Even the thought of making a dozen more steps to their own rooms is killing the last energy in them - the routine has an incredible side effect: they immediately become sleepy when they are done and you don't have much trouble with putting them to bed.

Especially when the bed is right here. The bed that became a large one not even a couple of months along their lives, because this has been a common occurrence.

"Mommy, daddy, can we sleep with you tonight, please?" Your daughter lifts her pleading eyes at you, being the one who managed to directly slide into your lap and into your embrace. Three boys, attached to your sides silently lift their eyes too, pouting in attempts to break your resolve. Which wasn't here in the first place.

"What'd you say, 'nari?" Chuckling, you look at your husband climbing onto the bed to join the five of you.

"Weren't we just discussing their independence? They can surely walk to their rooms. Come on, babies, back to your beds."

"Noooooooooo," their hold on you immediately becomes a death grip. "We want to stay with you!"

"Kids, I can't breathe-" you gasp from the crushing hug of at least two pairs of arms squeezing your middle.

"We want to stay, we want to stay, we want to stay!"

"That's what you should've told yourselves earlier this morning when you decided to get to the river with spinocrocodiles. That you want to stay. Home. Until I or your mother could go on a walk with you outside the village."

At his strict tone and at the reminder of them nearly losing their tails this morning to the sharp jaws of wild animals, four little foxes lower their eyes, ashamed. But they do relax their hold around you.

Tighnari sighs, rubbing his temples and contemplating when he's going to get his first gray hairs.

"Okay, I'll let you sleep with us tonight, BUT," he slightly raises his voice to emphasize, especially since the four immediately got in high spirits, "if something like this happens again - you are losing this privilege for a week. Are we clear?"

"Yes, daddy…"

"Yeah.."

"Mhm…"

"Sure, dad…"

And that's the only confirmation Tighnari needs before lifting the covers, because no matter how restless and disastrous your children can be - he has almost as hard a time as you do telling them "no".

[sambhavami]

yk one woman I will always feel bad for is Kripi.

Unserious reason: I'd feel sorrry for any person who has ashwatthama as a son because im an Ashwatthama hater.

Serious reason: She was probably raised very comfortably and lovingly with Shantanu, doted upon by Kripa, idk if she saw Shantanus other kids as her siblings but maybe them too, very cute, right? And then got married to drona. This makes me wonder what the circumstances of their marriage were, what did the royal family think about it? I like to think Drona liked her at least at first. And. And the first few days are fine, right? Like hey maybe shes not living in a palace but its a quaint little house and shes happy. But slowly Drona begins changing. Or rather showing his true colours. Becomes a stingy but power hungry guy and Kripi had to manage the household with those few resources... he disappears to go learn from Parshuram, when they they have ashwatthama, he's crying for milk and Drona will sit there dreaming about power and money and not even try to do anything... (taking this next part from BR Chopra idk if its in the official editions) When the Drupad thing happens he sacrifices all practicality for pride and even after he gets a job in Hastinapur he's still staying in a small hut because he wants DRUPADS money/cows... like be fr dude. And its all so messed up. And she sees her son grow up. He carries the same ambition as his father did. The cycle is repeating and all she can do is watch. It's so sad... and what did she get at the end of the war. A dead husband and a son who would be known for all eternity as the most cowardly man ever. Her son is alive but at what cost. He will outlive her like he is supposed to but at what cost. It's so sad. I'm sure I can come up with more but this is my Ted talk for now thank you for listening.

Hey, thank you so much for putting all this into words! I agree with you about 90% 😂, so, I am going to put some bullet points 😂

Shantanu all but adopts the twins yes, but he still keeps them in separate lodging (because, caste). We see Bheeshma too later speaking to Kripa with the respect of an elder, even though Bheeshma is the oldest person in the room (again, caste). Seeing that like his father, Kripa is also interested in archery, Shantanu arranges for training in that field alongside your normal theory stuff, and Kripi gets home science lessons (and some of the theory part too).

Now, when they grow up, Dr. Bhaduri's baseline assessment of Kripa is- lazy. He has grown up with the respect of a brahmin and the luxury of a kshatriya, and has never really experienced the 'hardships' of either side, which has made him extremely complacent. I mean, it takes Drona all but one month to take over his sarkari naukri! Throughout the epic [at least till Drona's death] Kripa's maximum contribution is: "Uh, what he said." He follows his muh-bola brother and brother-in-law in whatever decision the latters take. He loves his sister, but I doubt he had anything to do with her marriage this way or that way.

Kripi's marriage to Drona is fixed via a three-way agreement between Shantanu, Sharadvana and Bharadvaja. The reason for this alliance, is speculatively twofold: (1) Both Kripi and Drona's mothers come from a 'lower' caste, and they would find it difficult to marry within full-brahmin families, so this arrangement was b/w equals that way, (2) the Maudgalya brahmins, the Bharadvajas and the Kurus are all cousin lineages, and they did like to keep it within the not-immediate family.

Now, Drona does NOT want to marry her. He only agrees when Bharadvaja sort of blackmails him with a 'this is my dying wish' argument. The marriage happens, I think, shortly before/after Bharadvaja's death, at a time when Drona is too much in shock to protest. We see the ripple effects of this throughout Kripi's life [most of it behind the scenes though].

Bharadvaja was solidly upper-middle-class however. He was after all the dean of a very, very successful gurukul. He might've kept Drona in a pseudo-austere situation, but they weren't by any means hurting for cash. Drona might not have clocked it, and Bharadvaja probably did not think it very appropriate to flash money before his very impressionable kid but Drupada did that job, and the damage was done.

Throughout his childhood and youth Drona loudly complains, to anyone who would listen, that he hates his father's job, and does NOT want to become the next Bharadvaja and keep the gurukul running. He does teach at the school under his father when he's a bit older, but kicking and screaming all the way.

Hence, it's no surprise that once the old Bharadvaja dies, the parents start to withdraw their kids from his school, because why would they allow their children to toil in vain under a guy who very vocally hates the job? Bharadvaja's usp was political science, which isn't Drona's strong suit anyway, so that was the official reason for the students to leave. It is around this time that Kripi marries into the mess. She is comfortable at first yes, but she can see the future too, just is unable to stop it because Drona never listens.

Drona, however does nothing to stop the leak because baap ka maal dariya mein daal, right? He only wises up once all the savings and the students are gone, and he is well and truly penniless. It's now that he sets aside his ego, and asks his neighbours for tuition contracts, and they just say heck no! They rather suggest, "You wanted to be a kshatriya so bad, then go be a soldier under some king instead." And Drona even tries that, and all the local kings go, "I won't sin by employing a brahmin to do a kshatriya's work! Have you considered teaching?"

Now, Drona is well and truly out of options, since no one would even donate a single cow, and he was running out of ways to feed his family. Ashwatthama, he loves dearly, and it pains him immensely to see him suffer and be bullied by kids and adults alike on top of that, but he would still not accept his wife's family's help.

The milk-incident is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and Drona packs up and drags his little family all the way to Kampilya, gets insulted and then finally, to avoid being homeless with a wife and kid, he finally, reluctantly goes to stay with Kripa.

There, once he has enticed the princes, Bheeshma is finally informed that his sister and brother-in-law are here [that much of a low profile he was keeping out of shame]. Bheeshma obviously treats him with respect regardless taking him to his own quarters to have a chat mano-a-mano, and then we get this golden(?) exchange:

Bheeshma: "So Drona, how is my little sister then?"

Drona: "She's got less hair on her head, but she's kinda smart so I tolerate it."

I mean I would still like to know, what was going on in his brain for him to first think of, and then say aloud these words, to her BROTHER no less! YOU starved her for the better part of a decade, your son's voice never changed and he's got a bump on his head as a direct consequence of that, and you were expecting your wife to be what, Hema Malini?!

Bheeshma kinda glosses over that comment, because I guess ladkiwale and all that nonsense, plus I think he realized giving Drona the teaching job was the only way to ensure his sister and nephew would have something to eat the next day, because Drona would still not accept any charity, much less from him.

Bheeshma actually gives Drona an entire apartment complex's worth of four-to-five-storey buildings under the guise of arranging student hostels, and Drona, with his family actually live in a penthouse type flat in one of those buildings itself, with an army of servants and a hefty allowance that he doesn't have to touch since food and lodging are paid for already [gurudakshinas on top of that]. They are comfortable, but Drona would never admit that this turn of fate happened thanks to Kripi and her family [and also he hates teaching unless it is Ashwatthama or later, Arjuna].

Ashwatthama actually grows up relatively well-adjusted considering how most of his childhood went. He is also a better friend of the Pandavas [Arjuna in particular, and there's a bit of jealousy too, and some healthy competition] that the Kauravas. He fights on the Kauravas' side only because Drona doesn't want to be on the same side as Drupada, and Kripa will follow Drona to the earth's end [mostly because he can't bothered to make his own choice]. Ashwatthama mostly sticks around to keep his father and uncle safe, despite the fact that he HATES and is nearly coming to blows every night with Karna.

Karna too, a tactless, filterless idiot, decides that the best time to air all his grievances with Drona [all fair points which I agree with wholeheartedly], to Ashwathhama no less, is one freaking hour after his father's been brutally murdered. Time and a place, man! [Ashwathhama cuts off his janeu, declared himself not-a-brahmin and challenges Karna to a death match, but Duryodhana gets in them iddle and stops it].

Also, this is where something in Ashwatthama cracks. Due to the previous circumstances, he has a kind of an unhealthy attachment to Drona, to the point that he never even goes to rule the part of Panchala that his father crowned him for. His death unleashes something feral in the man, that we see get compounded when he sees Duryodhana dying [this, imo, meshes in his mind with the manner of his father's death, and in a way he goes to avenge Drona when he massacres the remaining Pandavas and Panchalas].

And yes, Kripi is left all alone [except for her twin], to deal with the emotional as well as physical fallout from the war. The only solace was probably that she was great-grandma to Parikshit, and we can only hope that she found some solace there.

[keepingeahalive]

Holly and Poppy O'Hair Headcanons

Holly’s full name is Holly Ivy O’Hair. Poppy’s full name is Poppy Hazel O’Hair. 

Poppy uses she/they pronouns.

The twins were tower-schooled before attending Ever After High. 

Holly is cursed to have all doors that close behind her magically lock her in. She has to keep her dorm room door wedged open. Poppy isn’t completely comfortable with this and prefers the door to be closed, but she lets Holly keep it open a crack. 

Poppy was definitely one of those girls who cut up their dolls’ hair.

Holly has ADHD, which makes damsel-in-distress class really difficult for her even though it’s her entire story. She also has a one-track mind. Once she starts on a subject, she will not stop talking. She uses reading and writing as an outlet for all the things buzzing through her head.

Poppy is the shier of the two. She’s more of a listener than a speaker, which comes in handy when Holly goes on a passionate rant. The only time she has no difficulty socializing is when someone is in the barber’s chair.

Holly’s a researcher of old folktales and ancient civilizations. The Wicked Step-Librarians have had to lock her out of the library for sneaking in after curfew and not being able to get out. 

While they are close, Poppy wants to carve her own identity separate from Holly. She doesn’t only want to be known as Rapunzel’s sister. She wants to make a name for herself and have an impact on other people as her own person.

Holly is a morning person. Poppy is not. 

Holly is sometimes insecure over having so much hair. She can’t avoid stepping on it, getting it snagged on something, and sometimes dragging on the floor. She envies Poppy for being free to cut her hair.

Multiples run in their family. Their mother is also a twin. She has an older twin brother named Tarragon, but she got the Rapunzel destiny because she was female.

Holly has had a crush on all three Charming siblings at one point or another. 

Poppy was closer with Nanny Nona than Holly. Holly was wild and fidgety, frustrating Nona to no end. Poppy was the calmer of the two and thus got along better with Nona. Holly and Nona still get frustrated with each other from time to time.

Poppy loves spicy foods. She’s almost obsessed with them.

Their music choices differ drastically. Holly likes country pop music. Poppy is more into punk rock. However, they both share the same favorite artist: Dolly Charmton. Poppy plays the song “Midnight to Noon” to get her pumped up in the morning.

Poppy’s a great climber. She sometimes goes beanstalk climbing with Jillian. 

Holly is slightly taller than Poppy. 

Rapunzel and her husband work as the fairytale equivalents of district attorneys. As such, Holly and Poppy don’t get to see their parents very often - especially their mom - and it’s why they were left in the care of Nanny Nona. 

Holly does tutoring in Creative Writing.

Despite working in a literal barbershop, Poppy does not like barbershop music. 

Holly does not do things halfway and always takes the long road. She struggles in areas that don’t interest her, but she’s reluctant to take shortcuts. Her mother drilled into her head that “you can’t climb a tower if your hair is too short.” But Poppy tries encouraging her to “work smarter, not harder”.

Poppy has a thing for “baddies”. She used to have a crush on Sparrow, but got over him quickly when she found out he preferred Holly over her. She also has feelings for Duchess despite knowing she was voted “Most Likely to Steal Your Destiny.” Deep down, she knows it’s a problem.  

Holly theorized Daring wasn’t Apple’s Prince Charming but kept it to herself. The only person she told was Poppy. She was pretty happy when she found out she was right. 

Both sisters are devoted dragon moms.

They’re both very nervous for when their destiny comes to pass. Holly is a bit wary of living a lie; that she’s technically stealing her sister’s destiny. She’s also having some pre-guilt about blinding her future prince. Poppy is doing everything in her power to keep anyone from finding out the truth, because she wants to keep the life she’s been building for herself. 

[pegs-and-dinos]

been a while

Hi, tumblr. Been a hot minute since I posted an update.

My twins just turned 8 last month. They're... A lot. Very smart, very strong-willed, defiant, take no shit ever, impulsive, and easily overwhelmed. N lashes out if she thinks a child or adult is treating someone unfairly (sometimes she's right about the unfairness, other times she isn't, because she's 8); laudable impulse, but challenging to deal with when e.g. she starts yelling in a teacher's face that she needs to have more patience with a misbehaving student. (Her delivery needs work, too.) M meanwhile gets physically aggressive when she feels cornered or is frustrated at being unable to achieve her desired object. M also has chronic fatigue subsequent to a bout of Lyme disease almost 2 years ago, which both SUCKS in its own right and also makes the behavior stuff more challenging because emotional regulation and executive function drop even more when she's tired, natch.

School has absolutely no idea what to do with them and I can't entirely blame them. They run rings around their classmates academically but also have meltdowns that would raise eyebrows in kids half their age. They are alternatively each other's best friend and mortal enemy and it changes on a dime, sometimes multiple times per day, and parenting/teaching them is equally challenging in both modes. They're in separate classes at school except N will roam the halls when she feels like it or pop into her sister's classroom to chat when she feels so inspired. You'd think a 2nd grader would stay in her classroom when told, but N has figured out that it's very hard for anyone to actually _make_ her do anything she doesn't want to. So school mostly lets her do what she wants so long as she's not unsafe or disrupting other children (besides her sister), and so long as she's completing enough work to be making As in all her classes.

They're lucky they're cute little white girls but they're still running out of time to get their shit together.

Baby Pastiche is still with us, he's going to be turning 1 soon. His parents are still very invested and really want him back, but they also still don't have their shit together. And the court system is still incompetent. His 4 older siblings all have permanent homes elsewhere. I have no idea where his case is going to go but I don't imagine it will be closed any time soon. People have started to ask us if we would want to adopt him if it comes to that and my answer is always that that has never been our goal. Everything is on the table right now and I just have to hope that whatever the courts decide will match what is best for Pastiche, and that what is best for Pastiche is compatible with the rest of our household's needs.

For now he's just a very cute, extremely chill, healthy, happy little baby with no idea about any of this. The twins adore him and it's truly delightful to watch their bond with him. At least there's no shortage of people who love him in this world.

We got a new puppy in January and she's snuggly and soft and fantastically uncomplicated.

[the-blossica-fan]

your actor au is a joy to read through whenever you post in the tag. may i ask which characters would surprisingly be related to each other? (ie cousins, siblings, married, hell even in-laws, etc.)

I accidentally lost all three hours of progress I had for this and had to rewrite it.

Also, I'm so happy you're enjoying the AU!

These are all I can remember at the moment and from current global patches.

It's really long though 😓

Isolde, Theophil and Trista are some of the weirdest siblings in the set. They're all so quiet (except for Theophil) but they're actual sweethearts (except Trista).

They mess around with each other, usual siblings banter and annoying each other by taking things without permission. It's always nice to see them bantering around in the set, especially when they act like annoying siblings to each other.

Isolde: Theopiiiilll, you're painting it wrong!

Theophil: Those are just guide lines, Isolde. I can paint out of them because they're not going to be seen after.

Isolde: ...It looks messy

Theophil: Isolde!

Trista taking a sip of her apple juice: So this must be art...

They're all so close to each other so they're not toxic or malevolent to one another. Mess with one and you get the Dittarsdorf on your door.

Trista is actually the most evil of the three because she's the youngest. She has threatened to tell Klara about Isolde's crush on her if Isolde doesn't give her what she wants.

Isolde and Trista were cast for their respective characters. Isolde's experience as a performer and Opera Singer guaranteed her the role, while Trista was left to play herself and young Isolde. Theophil wasn't supposed to be a character until they realized they needed someone to appear in later scenes, he was actually hired to paint and help with the scenery.

Greta and Adler Hoffman are not close siblings, but you know that they're sister and brother by a glance. They both lived their own lives separately, nearly 40 years old so they're not so close to one another, but you can tell they still care for each other. When young they took acting classes, who would have thought it would get them here.

Though this is the only time they have worked together. Greta has always been into field work and connections while Adler has never been that into interactions so he works inside his house.

Schneider and Miriam are actually funny siblings. Schneider was cast for chapter 1 and 2, and since their mother is sick, Miriam had to drive her to the audition (Schneider doesn't have a license).

Turns out looking like you sleep 3 hours a day and having such an anxious personality got her a role. Quite funny actually. Miriam took acting classes but then dropped, too anxious. Schneider persisted through the years.

Miriam is actually glad to act with her sister, she's the introverted one while Schneider is the extroverted one.

Though, Schneider likes to mess around with Miriam a lot, she's slightly evil but truly cares about her anxiety driven sister.

They have another older sister but she's into medicine, they don't have that many sisters, they found it funny when they were told they had 11 sisters in the story. Thankfully only the two of them were ever mentioned.

Horropedia and Twins Sleep, can you see my vision?

They mess around a lot with Horropedia, sometimes they spook him by acting creepy, other times they take his stuff. They're in that age where they follow him around and copy him, he's so annoyed.

Horropedia: I'm currently busy with homework, could you get out of my room?

Louis and Louisa: *giggling* nuh-uh!

Horropedia: I'm going to call mom.

He truly cares for them but oh Lord they truly have to leave him alone, he's so tired of dealing with their mischief.

They were cast separately, weeks apart thankfully. He wouldn't have been able to take it if they were cast the same day.

Bessmert and Vertin, mother and daughter. I'm not sure if this is canon or is about to become canon, I just see them together.

Vertin has always been into acting, and Bessmert is a writer, they compliment each other a lot. Bessmert was hired to help with the script and since she has a daughter studying acting, they wanted to see what she could do.

Amazing actress, they knew she had to be their main character.

Bessmert's acting experience is quite nothing so she had to learn in order to participate in 1.6, she did amazing, her acting style is similar to her daughter.

No one should tell Vertin about Yenisei's fleeting crush on her mother.

Regulus: So you have a mother!

Vertin: ...

Bessmert: ?

Mr. Karson is Sotheby's father. In the story, he plays as her butler, but in real life, he's her father. Sotheby has no siblings, she's a little spoiled as well but she was taught well by Karson.

Filming the scene where Karson died was actually pretty sad for Sotheby. It made her realize she would one day lose him and she was afraid, they had to give her some free time in between scenes so she could recover.

It's never easy for a child to realize they would one day lose their parents, but Sotheby took it pretty well. She manages to recover and Karson stays by her side the whole time.

They have such a good relationship. Though Mr. Karson doesn't approve of Regulus' influence.

Tooth Fairy and Z are MARRIED. It's a long story, it deserves its own ask but I'll try to make it short.

Tooth Fairy and Z have known each other since highschool, not a great relationship there, but it started to flourish around College. They've been married for a year and a half now.

Though they were never meant to be acting, Constantine offered them a role. Turns out they're natural in the acting department, though they would never act outside of Reverse 1999. Tooth Fairy (yes she adores that nickname now) is a graduate in medicine while Madam Z (She prefers to be called Z even before R1999) is a graduate in accounting and economics.

Pavia and Mondlicht are cousins! They haven't seen each other in a while though, Pavia was raised in Italy while Mondlicht was born in Germany years after. They see each other on birthdays or something of the sort.

Imagine their surprise when they saw each other in the same set for the same movie with similar characters.

Was it planned? Probably.

Blonney and Jessica have known each other since highschool and have been dating for 3 years. Jessica is two years older than Blonney (22) but she was held two years, it was thanks to Blonney that she graduated.

They're currently in College, though taking different careers. One is taking Filmmaking (Blonney) and the other is taking acting (Jessica)

Blonney plans to become a filmmaker with a side career in acting while Jessica plans to only be an actress. It works though, they can play as each other's couple in all movies they're in.

Kakania (Goes by her name, Klara) doesn't have siblings, she's actually an only child. Her parents are family all took medicine, accounting, economics and such, she's the only one who chose to be an actress.

The people who play as her family were cast to play that part, though she gets along with them really well since she still has to spend some time to get used to each other and act like family.

She took acting as a side study while taking medicine, she had to drop medicine eventually since she couldn't find enjoyment in it.

[lenorashifts]

bonjour.

disclaimer you still can run away and no one is forcing you to get a glimpse of my broken mind.

let’s start with the boring stuff. my name is june lenora. nickname is sapphire. just lenora is okay also. i am nineteen, french-guinean and my pronouns are she/he. bisexual and maybe polyam? im quite a greedy bisexual. i am a capricorn sun, pisces moon, aquarius rising….aka the ultimate package to turn into a perfectionist, a dreamer or both.

my personality change as much as i change clothes, like in a ariana grande type of way……im in constant identity crisis mode. i like to think of me as a vampire in a weird way, maybe because i want to be immortal and growing up death was always my biggest fear because i hate not knowing what happens after. my point is that i truly have a deep rooted connection with vampires, so you can imagine me as a dramatic eccentric vampire who has a weird addiction to coke zero and hazelnut cappuccino & who dresses according to her mood. to add i think one day i will probably permashift in a vampire dr set in the past so i can know more things about our history also.

i have a severe obsession with everything related to medieval stuff especially fantasy medieval type of stuff (blaming this on house of the dragon).

it’s me and and my gay ships against the world…..steve rogers and bucky barnes changed the trajectory of my life and was the first ever ship i liked. also i am completely devoted to rhaenicent and can’t wait for them to kiss in s3.

and also i have adhd and bipolar disorder (yes im traumatised)

hmm… i’ve been a dreamer since i was a child and very creative like i am a theater kid but in way i did dance, acting & singing classes not in the same timeframe. dance is still a core part of me and i wish i never stopped but anxiety took over me (my biggest opp to be honest). i am scared of everything (blame my parents for this) and also i am (trying to not be like my parents but is a bit failing currently).

i am an empath- or just overly sensitive….or just both and like im sensitive in every way like if you touch a strand of my hair i will feel it. also my senses are quite strong. too sarcastic like too much and….worse if you annoy me. being an empath is quite hard on me sometimes because no one return the energy back and to be honest no one tries to understand me.

made my peace with it and realised no one was ever going to get me so.

i love to daydream because honestly life is better in it- i mean sometimes i imagine bad scenarios for fun. yes i am imagine myself haunting the narrative, forbid a girl has a hobby.

i am a freak in every way possible. that’s what reading wattpad at 13 does to you.

random fact about me : i strut when i walk sometimes (shoutout to james potter).

dni if you’re racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, support pedos, maga, neonazis, mormons, isreal.

i absolutely loves movies and tv shows. like I think i saw almost every good tv shows.

so here’s a list of fictional characters that might be my twin separated from birth. (some from books also)

pearl - x trilogy

blair waldorf - gossip girl

lestat de lioncourt - iwtv

lizzie young and aoife molloy - bot book series (problematic author)

sirius and regulus black - harry potter universe (problematic author)

jackie taylor and natalie scatorccio - yellowjackets

alicent hightower - house of the dragon

marissa cooper - the oc

cecilia and lux lisbon - the virgin suicides

yelena belova - mcu

annabeth chase - pjo

neil perry - dead poets society

eleanor shellstrop - the good place

tashi duncan - challengers

effy stonem - skins

maren yearly - bones and all

nancy wheeler - stranger things

known about shifting since i was 11 but i didn’t understand english much back and i was putting all of my attention so on school so kinda didn’t really get into it. then when i was 12-13 and deep in my mcu phase, i started to get more into shifting and was making scripts (i re-read them not long ago and the scripts are so embarrassing) but didn’t shift and then started focusing on school again. now recently because im unemployed and don’t have anything to do, plus oscar piastri (and lando norris) started to consume every thought of my being and i kinda want to devour them in a romantic way, i decided to get back into it and shift.

[msweebyness]

Can we see the future kids for class of villainy or class of heroes?

Here are the akuma/theater kids for class of villainy! I’ve got a separate post for heroes! Keep an eye out for Artzy with the recess/science! NOTE: Kimdine is not included because LeOnDine eventually breaks things off with Kimton, a la Live Action LeFou.

Polycule:

Emma:

She/Her

Age 16

Bio parents Adrien/Marinette

A bit unstable, edgy and always eager to make someone’s life hell

Social media influencer, who uses her status to gain lackeys and power

Spoiled as all hell, and a fashionista like her bio mom

Everything HAS to go her way, or else

Louie:

He/Him

Age 14

Bio Parents Luka/Kagami

Very chill in an ominous way, you never know what he’s thinking

Can see people’s auras, and uses this to get under their skin

Master manipulator, it’s hard to say no to him

Likes to play guitar with his bio dad

Has the serious hots for Darius

Hugo:

He/Him

Age 10

Bio Parents Luka/Marinette

Very superficially sweet and charming, able to get people on his side

Learning sorcery from Adrien and his aunt Juleka

Enjoys sports, especially ones where he can leave people in pain

Has a lot of energy, but can focus in on a scheme

Best friends with Hector, they both like pushing people around

Alison:

She/Her

Age 6

Bio Parents Adrien/Kagami

Stoic and terrifying, just like her bio mother

Rarely speaks, but you better listen when she does

Already alarmingly proficient with a sword

Only smiles when she sees someone get hurt

Calculating and intelligent, knows how to play things in her favor

Alyno:

(Twins)

Cecily “CeCe”:

She/Her

Age 16

Quarter Fox Hybrid

As skilled at potions as her mother, Alya couldn't be prouder

Loves to find out people's secrets and humiliate them by broadcasting them to the world on her website

VERY good at playing on your insecurities to weaken you

Can fly into a rage at a moment's notice if things don't go her way

Always arguing with her brother

Cody:

He/Him

Age 16

Quarter Fox Hybrid

Easygoing and charming, knows how to get on people's good sides

A better conman than even his father, and Nino is so proud

Can pick ten people's pockets in five minutes

He likes to make comic books in his free time, naturally with villainous central characters

Totally crazy about June, but too scared of her dad to make a move

Julerose:

Marek:

He/They

Age 17

Both are his bio moms, through magic

Can switch from psychotically cheerful to deathly serious in a heartbeat

Prefers not to speak unless necessary, they let their actions talk for him

A master shapeshifter, like his uncle

REALLY hates to lose, and not afraid to use magic to cheat

Myvan:

Juniper “June”:

She/Her

Age 16

Boogie/Sea Witch Hybrid

Papa's little helper when it comes to scaring, she plans to take over once he retires

Terrifying without even trying, girl's intimidating as hell

Has one hell of a temper, watch what you say around her

Injures people because it amuses her

Protective of those close to her

Returns Cody's feelings, but would prefer if her dad didn't kill him

Hector:

He/Him

Age 10

Boogie/Sea Witch Hybrid

Gifted with dark ocean magic, just like his mother

HUGE for his age, and incredibly strong

Serves as the muscle for his mom's deals, makes sure people stay in line

Stoic and intimidating, people naturally fear him

Has a soft spot for animals, especially sea creatures

NathMarc:

Elicia:

She/Her

Age 17

Bio Dad Marc, an old ‘associate/friend’ in the dark magic ring was their surrogate

As psychotic as her daddy, as vindictive as her papa, and as evil as both combined

Incredibly proud and vain about her looks, Marc made sure of that. (He'll poison anyone who dares insinuate his daughter isn't the fairest)

Cruel in both words and actions, will utterly destroy you and love it

Always gets what she wants, because it's illegal to tell her no (Wonderland Law #342, instated by King Nathaniel)

Fiercely possessive and protective of her girlfriend, Destiny

Sabrinelmar:

(Delmar is Mr. Snoops, but they get along FAR better, to the point they eventually fall in love!)

Darius:

He/They

Age 14

Adopted at 7

Possibly the best schemer of the entire lot, he plans for everything

Loves diamonds and all things shiny, just like their mother

Really good at stirring the masses, getting people on his side on a large scale

Hates animals, especially ones that shed fur

Has a serious crush on Louie

Alix:

River:

They/Them

Age 13

Tiger Hybrid, Found and adopted by Alix at 1

Fears nothing and will never back down from a challenge

Lets everyone know they will rule the jungle one day, and tolerates no disrespect

Has no qualms with attacking other hybrids to assert dominance, just like their mom taught them

Words are always vicious and cut like a knife, they know how to get to someone

Very cunning and can work a situation to their advantage

Breckvie:

Destiny:

Age 17

She/Her

Quarter-Hyena Hybrid

Kind of the mom of the second gen villains, will maim you if you hurt her friends

Very prim and proper, always carries an air of superiority

Inherited her mother's magical abilities, and loves to see the life draining away from things around her

Thinks of Elicia as the most beautiful girl in the world, and will scratch your eyes out if you disagree

Reagan:

Age 12

She/Her

Quarter-Hyena Hybrid

Like her father, not the brightest bulb in the box, but always up to help with a scheme

Incredibly fast and strong, serves as muscle for the group when needed

Limited magic abilities, but can throw a decently strong hex

Big daddy's girl, loves helping him with henchman work

Milo:

Age 9

He/Him

Quarter-Hyena Hybrid

Creepily cheerful, can smile through the most gruesome events

Has an uncanny ability to bond with animals, uses this for their schemes

Also has some magical abilities, mostly used for pranks

Incredibly perceptive and good at reading people

Jessthony:

Warren:

Age 15

He/They

Monster, Adopted at 3

More on the neutral side, but still enjoys scaring people out of their wits every now and then

Will hit you with the claws if you sufficiently annoy him, or if you say anything bad about his dads

Has a biting sense of snark, and can cut a person deeply if they give him a reason to

Like Anthony, he has camouflage abilities, and uses them so people will leave them alone, not the most social

Has a bit of a rivalry with June, and does NOT like her parents

Cand-Yeon:

Kirk:

Age 16

He/Him

Septarian, Adopted at 2

Intelligent and cunning, can bend any situation to his benefit

Will confront any situation head on, because he knows he can regenerate

Like his mother, he's a natural leader. People listen when he gives commands

Incredibly condescending and belittling towards those he views as beneath him, with little patience for foolishness

Has a huge crush on Mellie, and is very carefully planning how to make his move

Ayesha:

Mellie:

Age 15

They/Them

Created by Ayesha with dark magic, and imbued with all her powers

Enjoys using their shapeshifting abilities to scare the crap out of people

Psychotically cheerful, always has a smile on their face when doing harm to others

Loves anything and everything morbid and gothic, always dressed in black

Always teasingly flirting with Kirk, making him flustered

@artzychic27 @imsparky2002

[maxdibert]

which Harry Potter characters do you think you’d get along with in real life? Not necessarily your favorites or the ones you like the most but the ones you think could actually be friends with

I've been thinking about this question for days because it's really hard for me to separate my opinion of the characters from a more personal perspective, but I think I’ve got a few answers.

I would’ve gotten along really well with Lavender and the Patil twins, especially because they have that energy of girls who love horoscopes and girly stuff. I absolutely love having people like that in my life because you can hang out, have some wine, and talk about silly things like in Sex and the City. Maybe they wouldn’t have been my best friends or part of my usual group, but they seem like fun girls you can relax with and have light-hearted conversations. We would’ve read those silly Witch Weekly quizzes together and gone to Divination class, having a blast because I’m a horoscope girl who loves talking about Mercury retrograde, and they totally give off that vibe. So, 100% match for me.

I think I would’ve gotten along well with Fleur too, because she has that vibe of a snooty French girl who seems stuck-up but is actually super sweet and caring. I love girls like that—sassy and a bit unpleasant on the surface, but with good hearts. Most of my friends are very Fleur-coded, so maybe that’s why I’m always defending her when people say Ginny had a right to be mean to her (Ginny both as a character and as a type of girl really gets on my nerves). It might’ve been tough at first because French people can be... special, but since I’ve lived in France, I know how to handle them. I’d totally be that friend telling Fleur that her future mother-in-law is a nightmare and not to care about her because she’s a queen and a goddess, and Molly Weasley can take a hike. Basically, the same advice I always give my friends: "You're too pretty to care about what others think" (I’m the best psychologist, lol).

I probably wouldn’t have been friends with Luna, but I think I’d have liked her from a distance. She’s so unapologetically herself, and I respect that a lot. I don’t think we’d have formed a deep bond, but there would’ve been mutual respect. The same goes for Cho—friendly but not close. We’d have chatted occasionally, supported each other after Cedric’s death, and shared a good rapport without becoming actual friends.

I think I would’ve liked McGonagall as a teacher. I love elegant older women who are very strict—they command my respect. I have trouble recognizing male authority figures, but women like her would’ve earned my respect easily. I would’ve admired how badass and cool she is, especially as a teenager.

If it weren’t for her being a classist and supremacist, I probably would’ve thought Narcissa Malfoy was a MILF icon. Like, “If I ever become a mom, I want to be that elegant and stunning at 40.” Honestly, even with her awful personality, I’d probably still think that. Something about elegant middle-aged women really resonates with me—I hope I have that kind of presence and poise when I hit my 40s.

I’m realizing I’m only talking about women, but I’m a girl’s girl, and men generally give me mental gangrene—especially straight men. Canonically, 99% of the men in the series are straight and unpleasant in very masculine, off-putting ways. I’d like to say I’d have been friends with Severus, but let’s be real—he would’ve been more of a sexual attraction than anything else. It’s basic and cliché, but he’s 100% my type. Even as a teacher, I would’ve found his grumpiness entertaining. So he doesn’t count here because I’m talking about potential friendships, not crushes. If we're talking crushes, though, my therapist knows that unstable men with severe emotional issues are exactly my type.

As for other guys... maybe Harry, but not as a close friend—more like a friendly acquaintance. He wouldn’t have annoyed me, but we wouldn’t have had much in common. His life revolved around Quidditch, and I would’ve found that painfully boring. I would’ve hated Quidditch culture and thought people obsessed with it were basic and mentally stunted. But personality-wise, he would’ve been fine—a decent guy, just a bit dense at times but generally good-hearted.

And Sirius... if he hadn’t been a bully and a spoiled rich kid playing progressive, he probably would’ve been a fun party friend. Not someone for a deep friendship (those can exist in platonic relationships too), but definitely the guy you call when you want to go out and have a wild night but no one else is available. He seems like the type you’d hang out with and say, “Let’s go home early tonight,” only to wake up 200 kilometers away at a rave with no idea how you got there. But that’s assuming he wasn’t a bully, because if I’d seen him being awful, I wouldn’t have wanted to be within 10 kilometers of him.

[intogenshin]

Decoding Inazuma: What is Eternity?

(originally posted May 2023 on hoyolab)

Yoimiya mentions in her second story quest that her ancestor came up with the idea for fireworks as a means to represent the past and the future, but this isn’t a new development in the story: it is precisely the theme that her first quest revolved around and one of the most important concepts in the narrative of the Inazuma chapter.

The eternity around transience is the core of Makoto’s ideals, and what Ei comes to terms with at the end of her arc. Thus, Naganohara Fireworks and Yoimiya as a character serve as the first element of insight into the narrative of Inazuma.

The Eternal Connection of Fireworks

In Carassius Auratus act I, we learn that people use fireworks to commemorate special events in their lives, such as the old couple who set them off on the anniversary of their wedding; or to remember old times like the childhood friends who reunited every once in a whil​​e to catch up; or to keep promises to each other, like the couple who had been separated when one escaped Inazuma illegally on a boat.

These fireworks were always the same kind, because Naganohara Fireworks gives their customers a special paper slip with their recipe. So no matter how long has passed, as long as they have the paper slip, a member of the Naganohara family of any generation will be able to replicate the exact same firework, and the intentions they were made for from the past can be remembered.

Yoimiya’s character as a whole is used to appreciate the worth and celebrating the transience of human life. She likes to talk to her neighbors more than anything else about their mundane lives, and even works late into the night to provide the fireworks they request. It isn’t precisely people whose lives change the world or belong to the upper class, just regular citizens and their regular joys and sorrows.

Fireworks are used to represent not just the beauty of transience, but also as a symbol of the eternal connection that gives meaning and worth to human life across time. A single person’s life might be a small fragment of history, but ideas —values, culture, purpose, dreams— are passed through each one of them, and they can only endure the passage of time when carried collectively through the generations. This is symbolized through the paper slips provided by Naganohara Fireworks.

Transience is Part of Eternity

Makoto’s ideal of transience wasn’t a superficial preference for temporary existence. She believed transience was part of eternity, of making insignificant human life part of something bigger, long-lasting, something that could outlive mortality. 

This is further emphasized in the climax of the Inazuma archon quest, when Kazuha faces the Raiden Shogun’s Musou no Hitotachi. His friend’s wish was to witness and survive its strike, what the motivations for this ambition are we’re not told, but Kazuha realizes it himself beyond his friend’s death. It is at this moment precisely that the deactivated vision rekindles once more, proving that wishes can survive human mortality as long as they’re carried by the living.

(We can still call it the power of friendship for sentimental reasons, it’s okay)

Makoto didn’t place transience above eternity, one is just a means to the other. The twin gods always shared the same goal of eternity for their nation, the difference is Ei was blinded by fear and couldn’t understand her sister’s approach, but they never held opposing views. They both wanted the same for their people: to survive and remain.

But why is eternity so important in Inazuma?

Because Inazuma is based on Japan, and eternity is a fundamental belief in Shinto, the native religion of Japanese people:

Japanese mythology speaks of an eternity of history in the divine edict of Amaterasu. In its view of history, Shintō adheres to the cyclical approach, according to which there is a constant recurrence of historical patterns. Shintō does not have the concept of the “last day”: there is no end of the world or of history. One of the divine edicts of Amaterasu says:

"This Reed-plain-1,500-autumns-fair-rice-ear Land is the region which my descendants shall be lords of. Do thou, my August Grandchild, proceed thither and govern it. Go! and may prosperity attend thy dynasty, and may it, like Heaven and Earth, endure forever."

Modern Shintōists interpret this edict as revealing the eternal development of history as well as the eternity of the dynasty. From the viewpoint of finite individuals, Shintōists also stress naka-ima (“middle present”), which repeatedly appears in the Imperial edicts of the 8th century. According to this point of view, the present moment is the very center in the middle of all conceivable times. In order to participate directly in the eternal development of the world, it is required of Shintōists to live fully each moment of life, making it as worthy as possible.

Similarly, another core aspect of Shinto beliefs is the concept of “Makoto” (yes, like Ei’s sister):

At the core of Shintō are beliefs in the mysterious creating and harmonizing power of kami and in the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words, because kami transcends the cognitive faculty of humans.

The kami also reveals makoto to people and guides them to live in accordance with it. In traditional Japanese thought, truth manifests itself in empirical existence and undergoes transformation in infinite varieties in time and space. Makoto is not an abstract ideology. It can be recognized every moment in every individual thing in the encounter between humans and kami.

Kami (Shinto gods) don’t need to be worshiped the way traditional gods do, as performing tasks of regular life is a form of worship in itself, and the truth of kami manifests in it. It seems like a very chill religion.

Shinto doesn’t have a list of ethical rules like conventional religions either, but the concept of Makoto (“truth” or “sincerity”) can be found at the heart of its ethical values. A person who behaves truthfully therefore acts ethically.

This is partly what is meant by the phrase kannagara-no-michi which, in the ethical context, refers to the idea that virtue is inseparable from the rest of life, especially life lived in harmony with the natural world (enlivened by kami). Beauty, truth, goodness, morality - these are all connected, inseparable from each other. Those who live life with the perspective outlined above - with an aesthetic sensitivity, an emotional sensibility toward the world, and with a sincere heart will behave morally almost naturally. List and rules are more important for training animals than for cultivating morality in humans, according to this view.

Having said this, purity rituals are common across Shinto practice, which points to the need for purity in one's heart. This purity of heart is a natural companion to makoto. Often, these activities are done at a shrine, and they symbolize the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.

The Grand Narukami Shrine is inspired by these, where Yae Miko performs her duties as the Guuji (chief priestess) that Kitsune Saiguu entrusted to her before passing away.

As a re-interpretation of Shinto within the world building of the game, the beliefs of the kitsune Guuji and Raiden Makoto are not meant to parallel exactly those of the real life religion, but the elements are used to shape up a cohesive narrative in the story. 

Yae acknowledges she has more in common with Makoto, as the characters who embody the beliefs and practices of Shinto, and it is her who schemes her way into Ei’s Plane of Euthymia to talk her into finding another path towards this eternity that Makoto wanted.

So why does Ei, the archon of the nation, struggle to follow the eternity her sister and Yae Miko understood so well?

From the names in her kit, to her visual motifs, to her lore, Ei’s character is filled with Buddhist references, portraying her with bodhisattva imagery —an entity who has attained enlightenment but has delayed their entry into paradise to help those still suffering in the mortal world. And the original name for the Plane of Euthymia ("Pure Land of One Mind") is a reference to an alternative branch of Mahayana Buddhism that spread to Japan.

Buddhism stands on a completely different set of philosophies to the traditions of Shinto. For instance, one of its main beliefs is that people are trapped in a cycle (samsara) of suffering (dukkha) through multiple reincarnations, and the only way to be released from this illusory world is by following Buddhist doctrines. Life in the mortal world should be ideally finite, it must have an end to cease all suffering, yet Shinto believes in an eternal history that strives to focus on the present moment.

Despite how incompatible they look from the outside, both religions have coexisted in Japan for centuries, and they’re practiced simultaneously by regular people.

From this perspective, it is not odd that Ei would struggle to achieve a goal that is impossible to grasp through the Buddhist lens her character is inspired on.

What we know as “ambition” in the world building of the game (the trigger for obtaining a vision) is originally called “wish” in Chinese text. In Buddhism, there are two types of desire: Tanha and Chanda.

Tanha can be translated as “craving” and it’s a type of desire that on principle causes suffering. If you crave something, this in itself is painful when it cannot be fulfilled; but if it is satisfied, then it is only a matter of time for the good feeling it produces to eventually fade and leave pain behind.

Taṇhā is the key origin of Dukkha. It reflects a mental state of craving. Greater the craving, more is the frustration because the world is always changing and innately unsatisfactory; craving also brings about pain through conflict and quarrels between individuals, which are all a state of Dukkha. It is such taṇhā that leads to rebirth and endless Samsara.

This seems to be the origin of Ei’s need to quell desires (including her own) in order to hinder her people’s progress.

Ei realized early on, in her role of kagemusha and military general, that seeking victory against enemies also brought devastation upon herself and those she and Inazuma cared about. Her sister is who led the nation before she passed away, and Ei’s only contributions as the other half of the archon title were in the battlefield.

Craving for progress, after all, only brings suffering: the fleeting memory of a victory is overshadowed by the losses that follow.

When lightning flashes, it casts a shadow; and her name means shadow. Her existence was defined by this shadow of loss under the victories of progress.

As she herself puts it:

With my blade I purged all obstacles to progress

And yet... Something was lost with each step forward

In the end, I even lost her

I've seen a nation strive forward, and lose everything to the Heavenly Principles

Khaenri’ah was a godless nation, and their demise is understood to be a consequence of their own actions, their own ambition to progress beyond the boundaries of the Heavenly Principles (whatever those are), so of course she grew afraid of what her people might become should they venture in the same direction. And the only way to keep them from meeting the same fate was to ensure her own permanence as a god, hence why she got rid of her physical form to preserve her consciousness in a perpetual meditative state in order to avoid the effects of erosion, and why she made an indestructible puppet that would never leave her nation defenseless.

In the archon quest we see Kujou Takayuki fall prey of his own desires for divine power —that of the Raiden Shogun’s martial prowess that folk tales praise but whose consequences Ei herself feels burdened by— and this is a narrative that repeats over and over again through Teyvat’s history. Watatsumi people, for instance, come from a nation that abused their political positions and manipulated their people through false faith to the artificial sun and the helpless ruling of the Sun Children.

Humans are prone to cause their own demise by indulging in this form of "tanha”, and Ei wanted to protect Inazuma from its dangers.

She never had trouble accepting her sister's death, it is because she understood the cycle of life and death so well that she grew fearful of losing what remained: Inazuma. People don't know Makoto existed, so her only legacy and proof of existence is the nation they both raised. As such, Ei vowed to protect it indefinitely by condemning herself to an eternity of stasis inside the Plane of Euthymia.

The Better Path Towards Eternity

Ei’s commitment to this eternity, this indefinite protection of her nation, never wavered until she met the traveler during the archon quest.

She called him a threat to eternity, therefore, what she saw in our protagonist was a symbol of hope, a faint wish for her nation to progress without succumbing to the Heavenly Principles like Khaenri’ah.

But desires, even in the form of hope, are something she was depriving herself (and her nation) from.

Both times the traveler entered the Plane of Euthymia were right before the Shogun puppet (who is in charge of enforcing this vow to eternity and perpetual sacrifice) struck him with the Musou no Hitotachi, so what saved them was was rather Ei clinging to this hope. Both times she fights this metaphorical hope as well, the first one she wins, and this hope is rejected; and the second (where traveler is aided by Yae Miko) she admits defeat after witnessing the meteor shower of her people's wishes, because she’s accepted the possibility of a future where Inazuma can pursuit their ambitions freely and she doesn’t have to condemn herself to eternal sacrifice.

According to Buddhist beliefs, Tanha (the craving) is the type of desire that causes suffering, but the other form of desire, Chanda, is a path towards salvation:

Sometimes taṇhā is translated as “desire,” but that gives rise to some crucial misinterpretations with reference to the way of Liberation. Some form of desire is essential in order to aspire to, and persist in, cultivating the path out of Dukkha. 

Desire as an eagerness to offer, to commit, to apply oneself to meditation, is called Chanda. It’s a psychological “yes,” a choice, not a pathology. In fact, you could summarize Dhamma training as the transformation of taṇhā into Chanda. It’s a process whereby we guide volition, grab and hold on to the steering wheel, and travel with clarity toward our deeper well-being.

So we’re not trying to get rid of desire (which would take another kind of desire, wouldn’t it). Instead, we are trying to transmute it, take it out of the shadow of gratification and need, and use its aspiration and vigor to bring us into light and clarity.

Makoto believed that eternity could be achieved by guiding the collective dreams of her nation into the right path, what matters is not physical survival or individual desires, but the collective force pushing for progress. And, in this sense, dreams could be understood as its own type of Chanda (within the narrative of the chapter, not the world building) that Ei came to terms with in her second story quest.

The losses Inazuma suffered —the shadow— are not meant to be grieved, but honored. They were all sacrifices intended for the survival and protection of the nation and its ideals and dreams, such as that of the soldiers who fought during the cataclysm, that of Kitsune Saiguu or the Tengu General, and that of Makoto as well.

Kazuha and his friend can be interpreted as an alternative exploration of this theme: Kazuha grieved his death and failed to understand the motivations behind his actions, but when he faces the Musou No Hitotachi himself he's able to comprehend and carry his friend's wishes as his own. After this, he is at peace and able to move on.

After all, life is akin to a firework that only lasts a couple of seconds, but what they symbolize and the ideas they preserve are what matters. This is the eternity of the nation of thunder.

Whenever I think about the Inazuma chapter, I'm always reminded of this anecdote about the Gold Pavilion Temple that, in a way, summarizes what Makoto believed:

[redpiperfox]

red my dear may i please request a little jisung-ryujin sibling drabble? fluff, humor, as long as you don’t shoot me through the heart with left-field angst ^^”””

Absolutely, anytime, and always! (And I will honor angst-less requests, ofc~) have two siblings who'll always have each others backs--

Most people who know Jisung and Ryujin feel an immense amount of pity for their parents.

Jisung and Ryujin are complete opposites, and together they make their parents' perfect child. Jisung is really good at schoolwork, but an absolute menace to society-- not a single teacher has liked him, and they've only begrudgingly passed him. Ryujin is a complete angel child who lives for praise, but absolutely does not have the mind for schoolwork-- she has passed her classes out of pity mainly. Because they're so different, most teachers don't easily connect that they're related until their parents come for conference meetings, embarressed usually, mom with her sunglasses and dad with his cap pulled over his eyes.

Their opposite personalities made their bickering awful. Sibling behavior, easily excused as such, turned up to the max.

But there is one thing about their kids that they'll always be able to hold their heads up proudly about. A private detail, that no one else can really know.

When the two enter high school, they're separated into private girls and boys schools, the buildings several blocks away from each other. Ironically, the girls school is further, and closer to the university, and the students there are discouraged from staying late or coming too early for their safety. Jisung, being older, hears about this first through the twins, when Hyunjin declines staying late to scrimmage in the field with a football because he has to walk his sister home. At first, he finds it so stupid. Until it's his own sister entering high school.

Their parents ask Jisung to walk her, and since she lives to please, she doesn't make a fuss, but Jisung can see in the way she walks just a little faster than him that she doesnt love it. Jisung voices his complaints first-- he has to wake up earlier, he has to walk more and risk being late, he has to miss tutoring after school (not that he ever needs it). Almost out of indignation, Ryujin quietly retaliates-- she gets up early enough to be fully dressed by the door by the time Jisung wakes up. She finds a shortcut through the park to school so Jisung doesn't have to walk as far. And worst of all, she comes to the boys school after her classes finish, and sits in the field with her homework until Jisung admits he doesnt actually need tutoring.

Ryujin doesn't care.

The next week, she's sitting and blocking the goalposts with three other friends, all of them studying for their msth exams.

Somehow, it appears as an act of defiance in the girls. The adults praise them for their work ethic.

They all gather in the boys field after theyre kicked from their own school grounds, their textbooks open, the older girls tutoring the younger, and the boys shamefully trying to appear like theyre not having fun the moment the last bell of the day rings.

Some of the boys even join the girls.

Jisung doesnt.

He knows what sort of grades his sister pulls despite her books being open for hours. He cant speak for all of them, but she was the first one taking up space on their field, so he blames it all on her. He starts voicing his complaints to anyone who will listen-- Hyunjin just rolls his eyes.

For good measure to make his intentions known, Jisung makes sure to kick the ball into the fence as close to her as possible without taking her head out-- but it isnt his fault that her head is so big it lobs itself in her path sometimes.

And well, Ryujin takes that as an invitation to sit on top of the fence while she studies. The lights better that way Anyways.

It isnt until the last weeks of school, where final exam tensions are high, that they both stop pretending to fight.

Ryujin doesnt have the energy to make Jisungs life hard, she falls asleep on her books trying to photographically memorize them. Jisung doesnt have the bandwidth to be annoyed by her, hes trying to make up with all his teachers and prove he isnt a half miserable kid who deserves to pass.

So their act falls apart in front of everybody that last week-- Jisung is the first to leave his friends to sit by the girls and study with his sister. Ryujin ends up being the first to finish her study packets because of him, and the one to play some football with the guys before it gets dark.

Before Ryujin even passes her classes, she makes sure to loudly and frequently boast about her brother, who takes care of her so well. Never in Jisungs presence, but loudly enough that it ripples through his school and among the girls, so they regard him just a little more positively. If Jisung notices he doesnt say, but he knows where to sneak chocolates when he feels the effects of it.

It confuses everyone. No one ever figures the two of them out. But thats alright-- because they take care of each other and thats enough for them :)

[miiashiifts]

HIIII, would you be cool with talking about your twin peaks dr perrhappsss..? i’ve been planning 2 shift there as well!

hi yes absolutely !!! ☺️ (slight tp spoilers ahead for anyone else reading that hasn’t watched it)

so i think i should start off by saying that i’m mainly shifting to fwwm because there’s a few things about the show (like castings & specific characters) that i wanted to change, and plus i just really have a connection with laura palmer & i could never imagine shifting to twin peaks and not seeing her there 💔💔

in this dr it’s 1989 and i’m a highschool student, i don’t exactly know what grade because i’m from england over here and i have no idea how the american school system works - but i guess whatever grade laura & donna were in during fwwm would be the one i’m in!! i did script out laura’s drug abuse but scripted that cigarettes are harmless because why not… and obviously i scripted out everything to do with the trauma she faced throughout her childhood and scripted out her death, infact i actually just scripted that she has different parents overall because i honestly don’t think i could stomach seeing leland after all that. i of course scripted one eyed jacks out and ronette’s trauma out, aswell as all the other deaths related to bob and really all supernatural elements about both the show and movie (i know, i’m boring but this is my comfort dr, i don’t wanna be stuck in the black lodge for 25 years just because it fits the plot 😔). i did also script a couple of characters out like leo, and any of the other characters that just had nothing going for them (though i did keep james because as much as i hate him he is essential for laura 😒). as for the sheriffs / fbi, i scripted that we don’t really see them as much & dale never had to come to twin peaks (because that would interfere with some other things about this dr as much as i’d love him to be there </3 kyle is in like every single dr of mine besides this one so i feel like him not being in this one makes sense lol??) and just one extra thing, since im shifting mainly to fwwm, donna is going to look like her fwwm actress rather than how she looked in the show 🤍

some things about me: me, laura & donna are inseparable and always have been since childhood but we do have other friends (such as audrey & other kids in our class), and i work as a waitress at the double r diner when i have free time. i scripted that this dr is very stereotypical 80s, it saves me from having to make a separate 80s dr even though the vibe of the dr does NOT fit with the vibe of twin peaks at all, when i first made this dr about a year ago i scripted it very similar to the show, but over time i’ve just fallen into the 80s rabbit hole and now i just can’t resist it 🙂‍↔️

i hope that’s enough but if you want more info i can make a part 2 or make a detailed version on tiktok!

[th3houseofleaves]

thinking about kieran james bennett and the devastation that comes with being alive when you should not be and not understanding the circumstances behind your continued existence.

how every time he looks in the mirror he sees his sister's murderer; it doesn't matter that it isn't true, it's what he thinks—what he knows, what he believes. he doesn't know how they're alive, he only knows that it was him behind the wheel that day, it was him running away and yelling at her for coming with him. he knew what the roads were like, he knew what he was like when things got to be too much. he knew and he got in the car anyways—it was more about hurting their father and hurting himself and everyone else who had ever left him than it ever was about running away, so he didn't care about what might happen. he went out hoping for the worst to happen and it did and now they both have to live with the consequences.

how he doesn't drive much anymore, it makes him nervous getting behind the wheel of a car so he tries not to. he has his bike and that's good enough for him, it does what he needs it to. he can't drive when he's with jackie. can barely even get into a car with her without feeling sick. he tried once, he thought he could handle it but they didn't even make it down the street before he was pulling over and practically jumping out of the car; she had to calm him down, holding him close to her until he could finally breathe easy, he'd tried to make a joke about it after, as he was handing her the keys and telling her to drive this time. but it didn't land the way it should've, she could see him—really see him. because she knows him, better than anyone else ever could.

how him and jackie are the epitome of "never saw one without the other, did you?" how they're so intertwined as siblings, as twins, that even death couldn't separate them. how they're so dependent on each other other that not even death could keep them apart. kieran was cold on the ground and jackie couldn't imagine a world without him so she made a deal and brought him back because there can't be a world with only one of them in it. even now they don't go long without seeing each other—the nine months that kieran was gone was probably the longest they'd gone without being together ever.

how in school they were probably in the same class until they couldn't be because they're such a package deal. i think one of the few times their school tried to place them in separate classes they didn't make it long before they had to move one of them into the same class as the other. in my heart it was kieran they had to move into jackie's class; he's always felt his emotions in a big way and for the entirety of his life she's been his only constant, so keeping them apart was hard on both of them but kieran was definitely louder about it. he used to cry so easily when they were younger and he's always been one to make a scene so there's no doubt that he spent every day they weren't in the same class damn near inconsolable because he'd never learned how to be a person without her.

how through it all jackie has always been her brother's protector (she shouldn't have had to, she shouldn't have had to be so responsible for him but she was and he wishes it wasn't like that) and he tries to do the same for her but he's not as good at it. especially when they were younger.

how kieran feels guilty for all the things jackie hasn't gotten to do because him, for all the people she could've had in her life but didn't because she had him for a little brother. yes it comes back to their death -- his death -- but it's more than that, it's all the attention from their parents that was focused on him because he wasn't like her, he "needed" more from them because he wasn't well. he demanded more of their time, their attention, their love because he was a difficult child. he didn't mean to be, if he could've been any way else he would've but. he couldn't control his outbursts and his behavior problems, he couldn't control the mood swings and the sleepless nights, he couldn't control them even if he wanted to; it's not his fault he's bipolar and there's nothing he could've done to make that better, especially as a child but he still feels guilty about it. he still holds onto so much guilt about how his problems have defined their family.

how he blames himself for their mom leaving and their dad checking out emotionally because he knows he was hard to be around. he knows he was too much to raise. he's angry with his parents but part of him doesn't blame them for doing what they did, the only reason he's really angry is because it hurt jackie too.

just.. kieran bennett being a damn tragedy that makes himself out to be worse than he is.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Shiro Harem: Holy Grail War... of Love 1/7

As you guys know, the poll ended up being a 3-way tie... Technically. Although, based off the accidental "first" poll where Artoria had more votes tying her with Sakura... I'm gonna be generous and throw the King of Knights in here as an "unofficial" winner. It's the only poll that changed drastically enough, and I feel bad for flubbing up the first time. XD

... So, uh. Yeah. I'll be writing up 4 posts before posting anything. Be sure to cycle through my posts to find your favorite girl(s)... The official winners are Rin, Sakura, and Luvia. I'll be getting to Mitsuzuri, Illya, and Reines later. XD

Let's get to it, then. The first girl~... (人◕ω◕)

The Beginning

I'm gonna be weird here. I'll focus on Luvia first. (人◕ω◕) Why? Because Sakura, Rin, and Artoria are pretty predictable pairings for Shiro (all of them I support, but they're still pretty well-known ships), and they'll still be posted alongside Luvia here anyway. Let's give Luvia her day in the sun~...

Well. Her full name's Luviagelita Edelfelt. Heiress to the Edelfelt family. As far as members of the harem go, she's pretty late to the festivities... She's not even a participant of the Holy Grail War, which is a defining moment in Shiro's young life. Before we tread too much farther, I'm going to make a clarification...

Fate: Stay Night is all about branching timelines. As such, to cater to all seven members of this harem in a single worldline, we'll be looking at an AU separate from the canon ones, regardless of how similarly events may play out. Just a forewarning.

With that friendly public service announcement out in the open, let's jump right into it. (人◕ω◕) We'll be digging into the particulars of this AU's Holy Grail War in the other posts. For this one, I'm focusing on the postwar situation, since that's when Luvia came into play.

Luvia... is a young magus studying at the Clocktower in London. Pretty much the center of the magical world, the place where most magi want to end up, at least if they want to be distinguished or want to grow stronger. ... Sometimes both. (人◕ω◕) Luvia comes from an affluent, aristocratic family that practices Jewel Magecraft. As is the standard with their family lineage, she has a younger twin sister who remained behind in Finland, and is the complete opposite of her as a quiet introvert. ... Which is to say, Luvia is quite extroverted, and usually has a pleasant, graceful demeanor.

... Unless you happen to be Rin Tohsaka, in which case Luvia is always ready for a brawl. (人◕ω◕)

Did we mention she's rich? Because she is. She bought a European-style mansion not far from the Clocktower, but usually stays in the dorms, alongside Shiro and Rin... She attempted to purchase 28 rooms in the dorm to have a full floor to herself, but Rin got in the way of that, possessing a letter from Lord El-Melloi that allowed her and Shiro to have rooms on that floor... (人◕ω◕) You can imagine what transpired. That poor, poor receptionist's desk...

Still, in spite of Luvia's catty relationship with Rin, the young aristocrat is quite taken with Shiro... Or Shero, as she adoringly refers to him~... This is in part because...

1: Shiro is not a Tohsaka.

2. Shiro is the ideal gentleman type.

So even if Luvia and Rin brawl, Shiro doesn't intervene unless the sparring goes too far. Especially not in scheduled Clocktower classes. (人◕ω◕) Sure, Shiro tries politely getting them to tone it down, to get along... But Luvia can tell Shero understands that sometimes, ladies need to vent. And she does appreciate that kindhearted, empathetic part of him. Really. It's one of his defining traits. (人◕ω◕)

Luvia first met Shiro on the day he and Rin arrived in London, looking for lodgings. They were both lost, and ended up helping each other out. Luvia even brings him on as a part-time servant at her mansion. Helps pay the rent. (人◕ω◕)

But even after that initial phase of getting to know one another... Luvia became quite enamored and interested in Shiro~... He's a very interesting man: The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya, a veritable boogeyman of the magi world, and by proxy adopted grandson of Norikata Emiya, a sealing designate. He really is nothing like his family, at least not in the ways that matter. Shiro isn't hunting magi, he's not performing illegal experiments... As far as Luvia knows, he's following all the rules of the Clocktower as Rin's apprentice, and he genuinely cares for Luvia as a friend despite how roughly she treats Rin. (人◕ω◕)

The Middle Act

It does make Luvia curious, however... With how wonderful Shero is, there must be some darkness in him. Some blemish or skeletons in the closet... Luvia probes into Shiro's background, using what contacts and resources she has. Not because she's paranoid or thinks he'll stab her in the back... But you can never be too careful with fellow magi. They certainly like keeping their secrets.

The answers that Luvia stumble upon are... shocking, to say the least. There's apparently a ritual in the East called Heaven's Feel, which can be used to gain access to the Root. Something that all true magi seek to one day get to... But that information isn't what fascinated Luvia. The ritual itself became... contaminated, corrupted. And it's a ritual that repeats itself after several decades of storing up magical power, the Grail picking out seven people to summon Heroic Spirits to fight to the last man...

Again, not even that part interested Luvia. Not really. She already got the gist of the Grail Wars because her ancestors participated in it... The corruption tidbit was something she hadn't heard about, but apparently the problem was dealt with in this last Fifth Holy Grail War... By Shiro, Rin, and a few others. There was even indications that King Arthur himself had retained a physical form after the war, and resided in Japan... at Shero's home.

Yeah. Those were the shocking tidbits. Or that began to cover them, anyway. Not only did Shiro help stop a cataclysmic event, but he also held a deep bond with the King of Knights. ... Shiro also had a habit of being selfless to a fault, nearly sacrificing himself several times throughout that war... Even tried going toe-to-toe with Heroic Spirits... There wasn't many details of Shiro's past, though. Let alone the tales of his exploits... They were apparently getting the Top Secret treatment from the Clocktower, Luvia was lucky enough to find out what she did.

... So she attempted going straight to Shero about it. Find out what kind of man he was, because Luvia was too invested to stop digging now. Still... Luvia's questions were uncomfortable for Shiro; he couldn't bring himself to open up to an "outsider" the kind of trauma he's endured... Ultimately, what stopped him from talking about it is how everyone he's opened up to has reacted.

Anger.

Deep sadness.

Pity.

Rin made no attempt to hide the fact she disagreed with his dream of putting everyone else before himself... It's kinda why he ended up coming to the Clocktower with her. Shiro wanted to appease Rin, even if he had every intention of carrying on as he was. The Holy Grail War was a huge moment in his life, and it solidified his path forward, at least in his mind.

Sakura was just as distressed and displeased about Shiro's selflessness as Rin was. The same went for Illya, Medusa, Saber, and Mitsuzuri. They were letting Rin "handle it" for the few years they'd be at the Clocktower, attempting to "fix" him, but Shiro knew he'd be in for it when they eventually returned home... This is why he had no doubt Luvia would react in a similar way as them.

And... Shiro just didn't want to hear it from an outsider. Someone who hadn't been there in the Grail War. It was hard enough bearing his heart to his precious people who had been there at one of the most harsh and unforgiving battles in his young life... If he put others before himself, that was his business. He didn't need Luvia or anyone else telling him, "That's not right!" ... Cuz he got plenty of that from Rin. ... And Sakura.

... Of course they would be sisters...

So Shiro ran away from that conversation, leaving a very vexed and troubled Luvia Edelfelt in his wake. Sure, Shiro didn't have to share anything he didn't want to... But to completely clam up like that? Shut her out...? Luvia would be lying if she said that didn't hurt...

She wouldn't have much time to plan out her next steps, however. Rin would hear about Shiro's sudden dour mood, and bicker with Luvia about her nosy behavior.

It, uh... (人◕ω◕);;; It wouldn't take long for Lord El-Melloi II to break them up. Massive collateral damage, even going by their standards, and they got a massive chewing out for "inappropriate conduct in the halls of the Clocktower."

It also wouldn't take Rin and Waver long to figure out what Luvia was prying into. And though they believed the questions more pertinent to Shiro's state of mind were his to answer, they did reluctantly satisfy what they could of Luvia's curiosity. Hopefully to keep a repeat of this debacle from ever happening again. Rin didn't think it was Luvia's place at all to ask about Shiro or the Grail War, but Waver allowed it... (人◕ω◕);;;

And even with Waver's charity... Even with the understanding Shiro was an orphan from the ending of the Fourth Grail War, and that being how Kiritsugu adopted him... Luvia just had to know why Shiro didn't want to talk about any of this. From what she was told, it didn't sound like Shiro had PTSD... not per se. She honestly just wanted to know how being saved by Kiritsugu made him the man that he is today. The brave, yet admittedly brash, hero.

So Luvia cornered Shiro again, despite Rin's warnings to leave him alone. And upon seeing that she had learned the long and short of his life's story... he grudgingly opened up to Luvia, knowing full well she was gonna react just like everyone else.

The thing is... Luvia didn't. She didn't react the way Shiro was expecting. After hearing his dream, hearing what made Shiro Emiya tick... Luvia grew thoughtful. Sure, she could see why Rin was so frustrated with his selflessness... It wasn't a "proper" way to live, not by any stretch of the imagination.

... But as an Edelfelt, Luvia knew the mindset of dedicated servants. You could flat out order someone to retire, to settle down, be happy... And the most loyal, the most obstinate, the most stubborn of servants wouldn't be able to honor that request. Because they placed the happiness of their masters first. Shiro was absolutely thinking along those same lines, putting the rest of the world above himself because he didn't want anyone to cry...

It was a fool's dream, and Luvia couldn't fathom even a fraction of that selflessness as an heiress to her noble family.

But... Luvia had found ways to make her family's servants feel like people, to have moments of happiness even if they didn't prioritize their happiness... She could understand Rin's outrage perfectly well. Of course Luvia was concerned for Shero as well. But it's not possible to change the mindset of a servant on a dime, to let them have autonomy and a sense of self.

You have to take it one step at a time. Reflect back the loyalty you're given. As he is, Shero couldn't possibly imagine what it's like to be "happy". To have fun. To be even a tiny bit selfish.

And that's perfectly alright. Shero had signed himself on as her servant, even if just part-time, and that made Shero her responsibility. (人◕ω◕) Yes. Her Shero. Rin will just have to deal, the bratty Tohsaka heiress didn't know a thing about "true" royalty. if she did, Rin wouldn't be trying to brute force Shero into being a "normal" person. Because that's just not happening anytime soon. (人◕ω◕)

Despite his "servant" mindset, Luvia doesn't see him as truly below her. She quite sympathizes with the "commoners", and prefers a simple man to one of her station and caliber. Shero shall be her "pet project". ... Whether Rin likes it or not. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)

The Future

Shiro doesn't stay at the Clocktower for long, just a few years as he's allowed. And Rin goes back to Japan with him, despite resolving to return to properly study there someday.

... And to both of their chagrin, Luvia also comes to Japan with them. (人◕ω◕) It took some time, but Luvia arranged for the ruins of the old Edelfelt castles to be scrapped, and for a new one to be erected. ... Well, calling it a castle might be a little overexaggerating. (人◕ω◕) More like... Luvia paid an exorbitant amount of money to have a European-style mansion to be built within five minutes of where Shiro lives. Basically a stone's throw away. (人◕ω◕)

Luvia explains to Shiro that she's taking a break from studying at the Clocktower, too. And despite appearances, she won't necessarily be staying in Japan... Not permanently. Only when Shero's there. And she will be funding any trips around the world that he may be drawing up in his head, in his efforts to help people...

Of course, Shiro doesn't like being a burden to Luvia. Dictating her life in any way. And, well. Luvia says that's too bad, cuz she's going to help him even if he refuses it. The Edelfelt fortune is quite vast. And no matter where he tries to run, Luvia will find him. (人◕ω◕) He's a bit unnerved at her tenacity, and knows not to underestimate her resources...

But moreover, he's terrified of Rin, Illya, Saber, and Sakura's violent reactions to Luvia showing up out of the blue and pampering Shiro left and right. He was not expecting Sakura to get worked up, that's for sure. And he knows Medusa is still fiercely loyal to Sakura-chan, so Luvia's in trouble if she's set off too much... (人◕ω◕)

Luvia in general is... terrifying. (人◕ω◕) No matter how hard he tries, she just keeps showering him in generosity and charity. And in spite of his dream, Shiro finds himself... softening up to all the kind gestures. Mostly because Rin revels in the lavish stuff, like heavenly soft beds, state-of-the-art baths, imported chocolates... All except for the technology stuff. ... Don't talk to Rin about Blu-Ray players. ...... Don't. (人◕ω◕);;; In all seriousness, Shiro doesn't care about wealth or exceedingly rich and elegant stuff... But seeing Rin mooch off of him, enjoying Luvia's gifts... Luvia knows full well he wants his precious people happy, and so to make them satisfied through gifts given to him... She knows damn well how to play the game. Shiro can't object too much if Rin - or now others - are enjoying Luvia's very gracious gifts... Deep down he wants to, but knows he can't. (人◕ω◕) It especially gets vexing when Luvia gives him the world on a silver platter when it comes to renovating his kitchen. His one sanctuary in his home. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕) People know to let him handle the cooking... So for Luvia to give him the nicest kitchen one can buy...

... Well. It's probably the first time Shiro is perfectly fine being selfish.... Because he can take care of his precious people better with a state-of-the-art kitchen. (人◕ω◕) Yeah, that's the excuse he's running with. Don't you judge him. (人◕ω◕)

Luvia will keep softening Shiro up as the years go by. Loyalty gets repaid in spades, as far as she's concerned. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕) Now... if she "hypothetically" arranges for a marriage between Shiro and herself, obtaining his signature while he's distracted making dinner one night... If such a little thing were to happen.... (人◕ω◕)

Of course this begins World War 3 in the Emiya household. ... Or perhaps a new Grail War? Who can say? (人◕ω◕) The ladies are certainly plotting marriages and baby Shiro's, anything to keep him from being a suicidal idiot that later became a bitter idiot in the guise of a Heroic Spirit...

But that's a story for another time. (人◕ω◕)

[danjaley]

Jo's school, the war, those Germans and how to write a good character purely by accident.

A literary essay that came to my mind yesterday, through the conversation with @nocturnalazure

Originally I wanted to include this in the favourite characters tag, but it required so much background information: It's easy to find good characters in well-written books. One of my favourite characters in a badly written book is Frieda Mensch from the Chalet school series (the blonde girl, in the back on both images)

I discovered the Chalet School series at a jumble sale a few years ago, and I enjoy reading it because I like to imagine what could have been done with some good plotting skills. Also it's full of motifs that only made sense in the mid 20th century (the chain-smoking lung specialist) and the German spoken by the characters is simply hilarious. (Onkel Reise - a very tall man.)

Interestingly, the series is heavily inspired by Little Women and its sequels, especially Jo's school. It's about the English sisters Josephine (Joey) and Madge (not Meg!) Bettany who set up an international school in Austria around 1930. There's also an unrelated little Amy around.

Frieda Mensch is an Austrian girl who goes to that school and becomes a friend of Joey's. So far that's nothing special, the series is literally about Joey being everyone's supportive friend. In volume two the sisters spend Christmas with Frieda's family in Innsbruck, which makes her stand out a little. Then, because her first name means "peace" and her surname means "human", the author assigned her the role of the peacemaker in her class. She's portrayed as a serious, law-abiding girl, but of course schoolgirls must also be good sports and know when to break the rules. Even if it's possibly an accidental contradiction, this gives her an implicit conflict. Gradually she becomes the main loyal friend who supports Joey if needs be (like on nightly ice-skating-rescue-missions ^).

When the girls in the books are around 19 and just left school, in real life the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany hit. By the time the school could be fictionally evacuated, war had begun too. Suddenly this Austrian girl whose name means "peace" and "human" becomes hugely symbolic. Frieda has to flee to England, one of her friends' father is tortured to death, her fiancée is also shortly imprisoned and suddenly she's a girl with a fate. She also helps Joey, who is married by then and has recently given birth, to cross the Channel. At the end of that volume Frieda gives a speech to what's left of the school, about peace and acting humanely despite political conflicts. Wars change many lives and reveal unknown strength in some people - sometimes this is even true for fictional characters.

(If I were set the task to write a novel in which an international school defies the Nazis, my first thought would be that they might have some Jewish students they must protect. Interestingly, this thought never crossed the author's mind. The Nazis turn their full force on this English school because the girls privately vowed to always keep up their girl guide ideals, even the Germans and Austrians from whom they're about to be separated. While violence against Jews is mentioned in the story, it shows how little the threat to them was taken seriously abroad. It also shows the hope that the decent-minded Germans might get the upper hand again after a while. It's strongly biased in its own way, but it's a perspective one doesn't find in books that were written with the whole history in mind. That's why I enjoy historic fiction so much.)

If I ever get so far with the McCarrics, I'm going to steal a lot from Highland Twins go to Chalet School. In fact I've already named Shiena after a character from that book.

[your-old-sins-tournament]

OC NAVAL WARFARE

/ -- Romantic

*-- Unlabelled/Other

+ -- QPR

& -- Familial

HG^2 (Charlie "Chuck" Beaumont/Octavian "Tavi Osborne)

Tavi is a cringe-fail loser spoiled rich kid protegy who never properly developed any social skills aside from making people swoon over them. They fell off their god-complex high-horse so hard it landed them in prison for their parents' murder. (They got better, though!) (Tavi, not the parents. The parents are still very much dead.) Chuck has extreme middle child syndrome and enough guilt to strangle the horse Tavi just fell off of (figuratively) .They were so desperate for outside validation that their old girlfriend straight-up poisoned them and they thought nothing of it. Grades and success always meant the world to them until they met Tavi and discovered that reputation wasn't everything. Sometimes being "evil" can be fun, too. Between these two they could fill a lake with their self-loathing, and then fill another with their love for eachother. They are in it together to the end, along with the children they somehow manage to pick up along the way. (These two are technically Marvel/Spiderverse OCs, though they are very separated from the Canon. My partner and I have gone kinda nuts with them over the years, and their story now includes elements/characters from: Ouran High School Host Club, The Magnus Archives, Danny Phantom, Ace Attorney, Supernatural, Harry Potter (as a parody), and many more that I cannot recall.)

Tavi (or Octavian [They/Them]) is the child of two multi millionaire parents. Though they had quite the god complex as a child it was slightly dampened by their roommate/rival/friend Chuck when they got to college at the age of 16. Though they had many wacky adventures during their four years together, that soon came crashing down when their parents were murdered during graduation. So like any sane person they cut off all contact to anyone that they cared about and started getting a Doctorate (after they were miraculously proven innocent). From their they spiraled until they turned 28 and started working at their parents' old company were they run back into Chuck. Chuck (or Charlie [They/Them]) is the middle child of 8, being sandwiched in-between two sets of twins and one set of triplets, wants to noticed within the family. This is achieved when they manage to graduate highschool early and get a huge full-ride scholarship to MIT. They are lead to be roomed with the other 16 year old, Tavi. Through their four years of people assuming that they are dating (they would like to date the but they definitely don't feel the same [they do]) their time together was cut off when their mother had to got to the hospital where she would die a year later. Gets into a toxic relationship, or should I call it poisonous?, relationship with a girl named Gray. That relationship ends and they get a job at a big science place where they eventually reunite with Tavi. Though their relationship starts off very rocky they find bonding time after becoming villains against a common foe and starting a twitch together. Eventually they find a bigger bad and adopt the first villain together <3 (Technically they are Spiderverse/Spiderman ocs but do NOT follow canon very well. Their lore goes further down the rabbit whole but I feel like this gives a good impression of them both haha [I kinda got carried away is what I am saying])

Geheneres (Teneres/"Gehenna")

Ahem hem hem. These two hate the hell out of each other at first. Teneres starts attending this school in senior year because he’s a certified loser freak and in one of his classes he meets Gehenna. While Teneres acts like your typical cringefail cool dude tm who cannot tie his own shoe laces, Gehenna is this cold, quiet being who does not take Teneres well at all. These two fight over the smallest and pettiest things and even before they’re friends they give ex energy.

It’s also worth mentioning Teneres has the ability to control time (rewinding it, altering it, pausing it) and before this he *literally rewrote time itself* in his favor. Basically, before THIS timeline he was shunned by practically all society. He knew the date of his own death, as did the people around him, who never wanted to connect with him in fear of being heartbroken when he eventually died.

Excluding some certain things, he barely managed to escape his own predestined death, which angered the forces which put his fate in place at all. “Nuh uh”, to which Teneres went “FYM NUH UH” and rewrote time. In this timeline, everyone adored him… except for Gehenna.

Because Gehenna was the only one who knew of what he’d done.

But… there was a catch. Over time the two fought less and slowly became friends, hanging out after school was over and learning more of each other’s lives. Teneres learned Gehenna didn’t really come from a very… safe place, and often offered him to come stay at his place after school. Such acts were what warmed a previously cold, outwardly-emotionless Gehenna to him.

But it was also through these interactions that Gehenna grew concern for Teneres. He’d slowly begin acting… stranger, looking as though he hadn’t eaten in days, slept in weeks, acting more agitated and rude. This was because Teneres could feel his control slipping, his ability to keep the secret of all he’d done leaving him. Even still, Gehenna kept it. It was Teneres who confessed he’d messed with time itself, to the people like him he lived with.

And it was here Teneres practically threw himself into this manifested labyrinth of his own making, his body malforming into differing shapes and sizes and matters as the time he’d manipulated and warped essentially dragged across him like sharp nails. Thoughts of self-loathing and yet deep selfishness seeped into his mind and brought Teneres to the limit, where he took out his rage, sadness and fear on the world around him. He only wanted a world that would let him live, and he’d become the villain of his own story just to do that. But to him, it was worth it.

But not to Gehenna. You see, there was a reason he kept the secret, the secret of Teneres’s doings to time itself.

Gehenna valued Teneres’ happiness, just as Teneres valued his. He’d found a friend, a true friend, a person he’d even begun developing… stronger feelings for.

And it was him that was able to truly get to Teneres, in such a state of collapse. Gehenna told him what he did was horrible. It was cruel, unjust and selfish, so selfish. The most selfish thing one could ever do… and yet, he understood. He understood the extent to which Teneres went just to have a chance at being loved.

Gehenna didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want either of them to be hurt anymore… he just wanted them *both* to come home, and they could go back to when they were just arguing during class with each other.

(Lots of stuff I might’ve left out in regards to things (outside) their relationship but man do I have ADHD about these long haired men. Hope you enjoy my cringe…!)