#I also... DO think all of those things are commonly practiced.. like... there are 16 year olds on tik tok getting nose jobs bro............

[rpgbabe]

what that post is saying is not that people with bbls and botox today are hypocrites for decrying corsets.. it's saying the people who should be criticizing current-era barbarisms (whether or not they engage in them) choose to focus on barbarisms of the past instead? we don't have to neglect the fact that corsets and in general the dress and treatment of women in the past was a problem.. but maybe we start with what's literally happening all around us and being pushed in our face 24/7 TODAY in 20 fucking 24. like how can we nitpick about the beauty expectations of women a century or two ago when we're arguably even worse now.... it's about the irony.... it's not saying you can't criticize corsets and equally criticize excessive surgery + makeup practices of today.. it's saying.. why would you pick one? and, at that, the lesser one.

[sabertoothwalrus]

eep sorry if youve been asked this, but when u go abt drawing bgs for ur comics, do u look up references or use imagination, and how do u practice drawing bgs for storyboards rather than illustrations? im rlly not sure where to start, and i feel like a lot of advice focuses on rendering bgs rather than it feeling ~lived in~ or actively being used or augh not sure how to say!!

hhhh ok this is something I am also still in the process of trying to figure out, and I am not a professional storyboard artist so I will attempt to answer to the best of my ability.

when it comes to storyboards, the amount of detail bgs will have during the boards phase will depend largely on both the studio AND the specific production. some 3D shows will have a render of a commonly used room the board artists can angle around for their shots. Adventure Time boards tended to be pretty loose, while the Owl House boards are EXCEPTIONALLY clean. DTVA seems to have bgs created in a several step process, and I'm not exactly sure of the timeline, but I know they have vis dev artists that do more illustrative, conceptual drawings to get the vibe, then the board artists draw out what general angles will actually be used, then layout artists/bg designers who actually go in and DRAW those bgs and add in all the little details, and THEN the colorist comes in and...colors it. I don't think every studio distributes the work in this same way. Not every studio is going to want board artists to draw clean backgrounds, but MOST will get pissed if you refuse to draw them at all djfhgdjf

If you want some tips about adding small details, this has some really useful advice.

I don't add lighting or grayscale values to my comics unless it's important to the tone/clarity, and I think that's generally the case with boards too (at least for TV, I don't know as much about boarding for feature). Here's some advice about adding lighting.

^ here's a bg I put a little more effort into than usual. I referenced some images of thrift shops I pulled up on duck duck go, some of my own memories of thrift shops I've been to, and even went on the shiftythrifting tumblr. This was just a silly comic I knew I'd be posting on tumblr rather than a serious board, so it didn't matter to me if it was perfectly clean or not. some of the shapes are... vague. and loose. but who cares sdjhfjd I think (?) it conveys the concept that this is a thrift shop.

^ for THIS comic I wanted imply hunter crowded them in the bathroom to "talk in private" which felt like a very 16 year old thing to do + there were already some nifty references of the Noceda's bathroom. and listen I know it's not perfect. I didn't draw ANY perspective guides, did more trial and error than I probably needed to, the cabinet is WAY too high. (even in the original, why is this bathroom so spacious???? why is the toilet so far from the wall where the toilet paper is???) but even with all the mistakes, it doesn't matter! no one probably noticed while watching. you see it so briefly, and your attention is still focused on the characters.

I'd say the main thing when drawing bgs for storyboarding & comics is to focus on Perspective and Composition above all else. It's ok to be loose, but make sure you still have Clarity. Be mindful of proportion ("how big is this character in comparison to the objects around them?") and angles ("if this is a low angle, shouldn't I be seeing the ceiling/sky?") etc etc because even if you know you won't be drawing it perfectly, it helps to still have it in mind.

[kivaember]

Do you think Walter ever recieved augmentation surgery? Also, given how he sees it as part of the "carnival of horrors" his father created, do you think that he would've been against Michigan getting it?

(It's never directly stated, but I'd assume Michigan is augmented because he ranks directly behind Freud in the arena, so it would kind of make Freud less of an anomaly for being so good despite never recieving the surgery.)

okay i went on a long ramble by accident so cut it is!

In APV, Walter and Michigan are baseline humans! In fact, Michigan briefly considered getting augmentations when the "safer" Gen Seven augmentations came out after ironing out all the fatal flaws in the previous two generations, but Walter went on an anti-augmentation screed so intense that Michigan was just like "whoa fuck okay fine I won't get them."

(Later, Michigan was genuinely grateful Walter talked him out of it, because he realised that the augmentations didn't really give much benefits to a pilot's capability. Yeah, it gave them faster reflexes and better synergy with their AC, but that didn't trump good old experience and skill, which Michigan has in bucketloads. He found a lot of vindictive delight in trashing Arquebus pilots who had the most "modern" augmentations when he remained as a baseline human).

but as for a serious answer/ramble: AC6 is pretty upfront with who has augmentations in their arena profiles, so really it's just up to personal headcanons for those where it's not explicitly said (Michigan, Flatwell, etc). But usually I assume that if the arena profile doesn't say anything about augmentations, I consider them a baseline human... unless they're Flatwell and I augmented him for plot reasons in apv dhdshdf

like, it's my personal hc that late Gen augmentations are overhyped, likely due to aggressive corporate marketing to conceal how the late Gens are inferior to the Coral-augmentations. The hint to this was with Swinburne's arena profile, where it stated that the Gen Sevens didn't give the "usual" drawbacks to its user... but also gave negligible benefits ("This granted him enhanced aptitude as a pilot without the usual complications—but with no obvious indication of either efficacy or potential side effects, Swinburne's fears and doubts turned into an overpowering paranoia.") - and also V.VIII Pater's low ranking in the Arena.

Pater's a Gen Ten, the most modern augmentation that's commonly practiced by AC6 time, and Pater is... a painfully average pilot amongst the other named characters. He's sits at 16/C, where Chatty, Carla and Honest Brute rank higher than him, and they're not career mercenaries. In fact, quite a lot of augmented humans rank low in the arena comparatively to other pilots who don't have augmentations - Thumb Dolmayan doesn't have them, even, he's just a Doser who gained enlightenment by huffing so much Coral he accidentally made Contact, and he's 4/A.

tl;dr Freud is probably a notable figure for being a baseline human in the Vespers, because Walter introduced the Vespers as Arquebus's "in-house augmented human AC squad". The fact that V.I is a baseline human probably throws people for a loop, since the group is commonly known as a group of augmented humans - no doubt to showcase Arquebus's augmentations.

The corporations probably do a lot of barking about how augmentations make the AC pilot, because it's a marketing thing. But when you step outside of the neat lines of corporate warfare, it becomes more apparent that augmentations mean nothing if you don't have the experience or skill to back it up. A Gen Ten pilot used to conducting harassing operations against poorly armed union workers would find themselves floundering against n independent mercenary who's a baseline human that's cut their teeth against various opponents across the galaxy.

Oh hm this turned into a pretty big ramble but... this topic interests me, tbh! It's fun to think that the corporations make a big thing about their super special augmented humans, but it turns out that unless you put in the effort to properly train them or give them experience, they don't measure up against an ex-Doser running around in a souped up BASHO. The fact that people commonly think that augmented humans are superior pilots is because it's a shortcut to a boost in capability, and because the corporations are aggressive in their marketing and publishing successful results to ensure there's a demand for it.

anyway i hope all that rambling made sense sdhffh im very sleepy right now...

[lucastheoclarington]

OOC Development 001

[1] what’s the lie your character says most often? Lucas doesn't lie as much as he just doesn't disclose many personal things about himself in the first place. I guess if we're counting white lies then probably that, as he grew up in high society and knows how to charm people if he needs to. If not, then if someone were to ask about his childhood he's not going to talk about how bad it really was, so he might lie about that.

[2] how loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’? Again, he's very closed off to intimacy, so real friends are very rare, but he's also charming so he tends to have people around him often, he likes having company, and he likes chatting and going out, he just rarely thinks about the definitions, specially since a lot of those relationships bleed into sexual relationships.

[3] how often do they show their genuine emotions to others? Nearly never. Depends on the emotion. He's warm, just guarded.

[4] what’s a hobby they used to have that they miss? Photography. He likes things that give him a sense of control, and sees photography as a way to capture exactly what he wants from someone or a scene.

[5] can they cry on command? if so, what do they think about to make it happen? Not really, he's never tried it. And being as disconnected from his feelings as he is, he has trouble doing that even when genuinely upset.

[6] what is the best thing to yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? Pretty boy. I mean---

[7] how loose is their use of the phrase ‘i love you’? Not at all. Unless it's in the "love you, man" sense. He's never said it, otherwise.

[8] do they give tough love or gentle love most often? which do they prefer to receive? Depends. If it's towards a sub, he'll react to the sub themselves and the situation. Otherwise, I guess mostly tough, but again, depends on the person. He'd laugh/ joke off the latter and only tolerate the former from his older brother.

[9] what fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity? Don't know about excitedly, but he does love discussing Doming techniques.

[10] what’s something that makes them laugh every single time? be specific! Dorky and clumsy people, he finds it endearing, specially when they're excited. Same with dumb animal videos.

[11] what’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone? At home, relaxed. At work / school more serious and focused on success. With friends flirty and fun. When alone more quiet and studious than he seems.

[12] what subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot? Photography, swimming, nature facts, he's fluent in a couple different languages, and likes useless trivia.

[13] what do they tell people they want? what do they actually want? A nice time and success. Not sure if he knows what he truly wants yet, but one of those things is eventually going to be making things better for subs in practice, as he knows abuse and discrimination still exist in several places and has seen first hand how subs can be treated in certain circles, like in high society, and when no one is looking.

[14] what phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else? If he has some it's from his family and general high breeding. I do think he used to mimic Hunter a lot when he was little so he picked up some of his speech patterns, it lessened with time, but you can still tell they're siblings by the way he talks and stands.

[15] what do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? how do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding? Not sure yet. Probably if he does it'd be things related to his privilege and isolated upbringing, though he's tried to expand his worldview a lot since. He's pretty secure so he doesn't care about making mistakes, meaning he's willing and curious to learn differently and move on.

[16] what’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately? When someone seems to be being obtuse on purpose. Things that are almost neatly perfect but not quite.

[17] are they a listener or a talker? if they’re a listener, what makes them talk? if they’re a talker, what makes them listen? Both. He's adaptable to the person he's with. And if he's genuinely interested in someone he can listen to them talk about themselves for a long time. He likes learning about them.

[18] would they eat something they find gross to be polite? Probably not.

[19] what belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with? Can't think of any right now.

[20] what’s a phrase they say a lot? Not a phrase, but he tends to speak more formally specially when he's not with someone he's very comfortable with.

[21] do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting? Facts, always.

[22] what’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate? He likes photography but prefers to have photos developed and physically kept. He doesn't like posting his work or sharing it freely. [23] if they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? does this answer change depending on the type of fear? I think he'd only take that kind of comfort, if it was offered, from his sibling.

[24] what’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often? Can't think of any that is recurrent. He sometimes forgets to eat and skips meals if it counts as a mess up.

[25] how many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? is there a common theme? A few. Most of them, as mentioned, have to do with control and focus / quiet.

[katelyn-marie323]

What to Look for in a Man:

I cannot tell a man how to be masculine as that is not my role or my journey to go on. However, I am Biblically compelled to help lead other women in things to look for in a man if they want to be in a traditional marriage. This is from a Christian perspective, but is also just good advice in general if you are traditionally minded but not Christian or religiously inclined. So here are some things to look for and some things to avoid

Things to Avoid:

Sex Obsessed

A traditionally minded man is not going to constantly focus on sex. I notice a lot of "traditional men" here on tumblr who say they want a traditionally minded woman, but then their whole blog is filled with porn, vulgar sex talk, and generally fetishizing traditional marriage. There are important sexual aspects to marriage, of course, but the structure of a wife submitting to her husband and husband being the leader of the home is not a kink or fetish. Avoid men who think like this like the plague.

Prone to Anger

Anger is not always a bad thing, in fact, in a lot of cases a man being angry is a good thing when he knows how to direct that anger. However, when a man doesn't know how to direct that anger and/or doesn't know how to manage his anger it can be very dangerous. If a man gets angry at the drop of a hat, he needs to do some self improvement before getting into a relationship in general, let alone one where he is the leader of his family. See Proverbs 14:29- "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Overstepping of Boundaries

A traditionally minded man is not going to want to pressure you into something that will harm your personal moral standing. In the dating/courting stage of your relationship, your goal together is to see if you have a future together as husband and wife. He will want to discuss your and his boundaries. He will want to know if he made you feel uncomfortable or overstepped a boundary, and will apologize for it. A man who thinks your boundaries are silly or says you're a "prude" or tries to guilt you, is not looking for a traditional relationship, he is looking for a quick hookup.

Porn Addiction

This relates to sex obsession, but due to modern society's standards can not be overstated. Porn destroys relationships. It is okay to have the opinion that porn is cheating, because it is. Porn also reduces testosterone which is the primary hormone that helps men be masculine. Don't believe the lie that all men watch porn. There are plenty of men who view it as wrong. Anyone who tells you that men have to watch porn is lying to you. See Matthew 5:28- "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Makes a Mockery of Masculinity/Masculine Men

Masculinity is a wonderful thing. It keeps women and children safe and leads entire civilization. Commonly men who demean or downplay masculinity's importance are limpwristed wolves in sheep's clothing. They use their degrading views of masculinity as a guise for their own personal weakness and predatory behaviors. They are cowardly and should not be touched with a six foot pole. See 1 Corinthians 16: 13- "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."

Things to Look For:

Protection Instincts

This doesn't just have to do with physically protecting you, but mental and emotional protection as well. If something is stressing you out or making you upset, a man may advise you to stay away from that thing or try to help you avoid that thing. If something is causing me distress, my husband will commonly try to keep that topic or task away from me to protect my mind and emotions. See Ephesians 5:25- "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

Care for His Body

A traditionally minded man is most likely going to care for his body, not in a narcissistic way, but rather to care for his body as God's temple. This will probably manifest in him working out which is a great thing. Men who exercise regularly increase their testosterone and of course makes them more capable of protecting themselves, women, and children. See Corinthians 6: 19-20- " 19.) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Care for His Mind

A good man doesn't want to just take care of his body, but his mind as well. He'll probably want to learn more things and keep improving himself to be more knowledgeable and have more practical skills.

Strong-Willed

A man shouldn't be a pushover. He should be capable of standing up for himself and you when you're weak or in need. As an addendum to this, you should not try to push him over. He is the leader and that strong arm will get you both through a lot of hard times. There is also a difference between being strong-willed and being stubborn, and this is a thing that a man needs to learn to balance. A strong-willed man will still listen and take your needs and feelings into consideration before making a decision. See Proverbs 31:9- "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

Hardworking

Now, there is a difference between laziness and a hardworking man down on his luck. You will be able to see the traits of a hardworking man no matter his job position or financial situation. See 1 Timothy 5:8- "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

Honesty

This should go without saying, but a good man is an honest man. A man who is lying to you constantly is not one you want leading you or your family.

Now, these all have to do with the character of a man. With differences in personalities, these traits can manifest themselves in different ways. My husband is a very talkative and social man, because that is what I am personally attracted to. But, you will be able to see these admirable traits in any man no matter his personality they will just show in a different way. I hope this post was encouraging and profitable to you. Have a blessed day ❤.

[the-mother-of-lions]

Elyan is a Slytherin

and I’ll tell you why. Buckle up, yall

Most of the fandom puts Elyan in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Both valid choices and Elyan absolutely displays qualities of those houses!

However, those qualities are also commonly found in Slytherins and if we take a closer look, you’ll see that Elyan displays far more Slytherin personality traits.

Let’s start with SELF-PRESERVATION

Thanks to Gwen in 3x07, we know that Elyan left home at a young age. Personally, I put him around 16 for that.

While we aren’t given a real reason for Elyan leaving home at this age, but I think it’s because he just didn’t want the life that was being pushed upon him. He didn’t want to be a blacksmith, he didn’t want to take over the “family business” and be stuck in one spot like his father. He wanted more, he wanted to see the world and experience things beyond Camelot, beyond living in the shadow of the citadel.

(I think his mother was like this too, but that’s neither here nor there)

So what does Elyan do, the first chance he really gets? He leaves. 

I imagine it was very dramatic; packing a bag in the middle of the night, accidentally waking Gwen who is trying to understand but doesn’t really. She gives him a disappointed smile but doesn’t try to stop him.

This is kind of a selfish thing for Elyan to do! Yes, he is a teenager at this point so his worldview is still kind of limited, but to 16-year-old Elyan, this feels like the best course of action. This is how he gets out of a life he doesn’t want. It’s incredibly self-preserving and this trait will serve him well while he’s away from home.

DETERMINATION

To make it on your own as a (black) peasant teenager, you would have to be incredibly determined. Life for him would not be easy and he would face numerous challenges on his travels. From earning money, finding water and food and shelter, this is going to be a hard life! 

It’s not romantic, this isn’t something that Elyan, or anyone, would really have an easy time with. He would have to rely on his determination to find something better, to achieve his personal goals, to keep going instead of returning home.

This leads into RESOURCEFULNESS (clever and cunning)

Can any of you remember what kind of skills you had at 16? Because it’s not much.

Growing up a peasant, it’s unlikely that Elyan had really ever learned to fight with a sword despite being around the ones his father makes (unless Tom knew, but it’s debatable that he knew more than the basics). So Elyan would have to learn to defend himself, learn to use the weapons that he knows how to make. 

In 3x12, we do see Elyan pick up and be very interested in an axe (as well as those promo photos of him with an axe). It stands to reason that Elyan knows how to use a wide range of weapons and use them very well (The Whole Package deleted scene anyone?).

Going back to determination, Elyan would need to eat and find safe places to sleep. You would have to be resourceful to figure it out, to be able to feed yourself without anywhere to really store food long term. He would always be looking for his next meal and figuring out where he would be sleeping that night.

In 3x07, Gwen asks Elyan what he’s done to land them in Cenred’s clutches. This alludes to the idea that Elyan is in trouble a lot, was in trouble a lot growing up. Learning to be clever and cunning takes time and practice and I think that Elyan was always getting into trouble because his plans and whatever he had been doing didn’t quite pan out. But as he gets older, he gets better at it. 

But trouble always finds Elyan

AMBITION

A hallmark of Slytherins is ambition. Wanting more, having goals, and working to attain them.

Elyan wants more than his provincial life > he leaves

When he does return, I think he stayed out of a desire, an ambition, to get closer to Gwen, to rebuild that bridge he burned when he was a teenager. He still wants more though, he still wants to have something else.

I personally think that he fully planned on leaving again once things with Gwen were better, once she had gotten married (whether it was to Arthur or someone else). But then 3x12 and 3x13 happen and suddenly Elyan is getting knighted! He achieves that goal of wanting more. Now he can travel and leave and do different things often without the monotony of a peasants life.

This leads into the last trait I’ll talk about today:

LOYALTY

Loyalty is a quality of most of the houses, and it’s an important quality to have. But what makes it unique to Slytherins and Elyan in particular is how they are loyal. Elyan is not an overtly or immediately loyal person. This is evidenced by him leaving at a young age, not sticking it out like Gwen did. 

Elyan’s loyalty needs to be earned, he needs to be shown that you are someone that he can be loyal to. He has the most shown relationships with the other knights and I think he’s incredibly loyal to the core knights because those are relationships that are forged in fire, he met these people while storming a castle and fighting a literal army with only a handful of people. That’s such a huge moment, it’s such a life altering moment. How many other people can say they’ve done that?

And then going on quests, doing knightly things would only strength his bond to them.

Gwen earned his loyalty again when she came back for him in 3x07. She could have left, could have said that Elyan had chosen to leave and he got what he deserved. But she didn’t (she wouldn’t, but Elyan doesn’t know that), and therefore earned adult Elyan’s loyalty. 

All this to say, Elyan is a Slytherin. 

I’m not really into Harry Potter, don’t really care about it if we’re being super honest, but I do love the dichotomy of the houses.

Slytherin is not a bad house and putting a character in that house does not automatically make them a villainous or problematic character.

Slytherin’s are survivors. They’re leaders. And Elyan is the epitome of a Slytherin.

@elyan-fest​ 

[potteresque-ire]

Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈  (June is Pride Month where I am 😊) For the occasion, may I recommend this animated musical short, 秘密港 Safe Haven, by the Beijing Queer Chorus (北京酷兒合唱團)? Published on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT; May 17th, 2021),  the animation, with its lovely (and at times, heartbreaking) song, is about a queer person and their friend who tries to offer their support. The lyrics is English-subbed.

(Below the cut: a wish for the c-queer community; conception of Safe Haven, as explained by the Beijing Queer Chorus; CW/TW for homophobia, violence and forced abortion)

Background for my wish: with the recent Chinese government’s aggressive turnaround in its population control policy to combat its declining birth rate—on 2021/05/31, China further lifted the cap of number of children allowed per couple from 2 to 3 (the number was 1 for almost four decades, 1978-2015; the population control measure has therefore been colloquially called the “One Child Policy”), younger generations of Chinese are already feeling the pressure and fearing the consequences of non-compliance (for example, if the state levies heavy fines on non-child-bearers).   

While I have not yet read articles that directly connect the major policy shift with the c-queer community, I imagine it may bring both relief and additional challenges. The relief will likely take time to come; the challenges, meanwhile,  will likely be immediate. 

This has to do with the root of antagonism against homosexuality in Chinese societies. Unlike in their Western counterparts, Chinese queers have consistently reported that family, instead of societal, pressure as the greatest challenge they face (societal pressure includes that from religion, from government etc). C-queers are expected to abide to the heteronormative traditions of opposite-sex marriage and child-bearing, in a collectivistic, conformist environment still strongly influenced by the Confucian notion that continuing the bloodline is the primary responsibility of a filial child. Men, especially, are under heavy pressure to carry on their family surname. Those who fail to do so are seen as irresponsible at best, moral failures at worst. They suffer anything and everything from constant nagging from their relatives, to ostracisation, to disownment. 

A better known consequence of this cultural antagonism against homosexuality in the tragic Tongqi (同妻 “homo-wives”) phenomenon that is, perhaps, unique to China. 

Tongqi are straight women who unknowingly entered marriage with closeted gay man, who often learn about their spouse’s sexuality only after the filial obligation of having children has been fulfilled. It’s a form of marriage fraud; women who file for divorce, however, are likely to lose custody of their child(ren) under Chinese laws, and so many of them keep mum. The gay men involved are also victims in many cases; the lack of public, open education and discussion of queer topics in the country mean even the queers themselves may not have a full understanding of their own queerness, believe that “straightening” themselves is something they can do with sufficient willpower and love for their family. 

As one may expect, these marriages are mostly unsatisfying; psychiatric issues and intimate partner violence (IPV), which include verbal, emotional and physical abuse, have also been frequently reported. Just how prevalent are Tongqi’s in China that, in turn, reflect how many gay men in China are pressured to remain in the closet and get married? The following numbers may serve as comparison. In 2010, the percentage of gay men married to heterosexual women in the US was 15-25%. In China and in 2018, meanwhile, the reowned Chinese sexologist, sociologist and LGBT rights activist, Li Yinhe (李銀河), quoted an estimate of 80% of China’s ~ 20 million gay men were married to heterosexual wives; i.e. the Tongqi population amounted to ~16 million. Literature has reported a similar estimated size of the Tongqi population—at 13+ million, in 2016. 

(Reason for the numbers being estimates: the exact size of the c-queer community isn’t known. China’s decennial census questionnaire from late last year (2020) once again excluded questions about its own LGBT+ community. "Room mate” is how many c-queers have to refer to their partners).

While the Chinese government decriminalised homosexuality in 1997 and its current laws carry no clauses that target the queer community—the official stance of Chinese government on homosexuality is currently 不支持，不反對，不提倡 “not supporting, not opposing, not advocating”—what may seem to be its non-queer-related policies have indirectly but majorly impacted the lives of c-queers. In particular, the “One Child Policy” has been hypothesised to exacerbate the challenge faced by c-queers, as the only child becomes the sole “next generation” available for producing grandchildren and extending the family bloodline. 

Hence, my expectation / hope that the relaxation of "One Child Policy”, by lifting the cap on the number of children a couple can have, will bring relief to the LGBT+ population—even if the relief will only come years down the road, as the newer generations of c-queers will then have siblings to share their filial responsibilities. 

However, this also explains my worry for now, for the immediate months and years to come, for not only c-queers but the younger generations of Chinese in general. My worry is about how, exactly, the state intends to drive its birth rate upward, and the hardship the new policies may bring. 

The practices of China’s population control policies have historically been brutal. Forced, late-term abortions were common, for example. This is reflected in the country’s birth control propaganda banners, commonly seen in Chinese villages until late 2000s, which were infamous for their verbal violence:

“Beat it out! Abort it! Miscarry it! Just cannot give birth to it!”

Fines, which were levied on offenders of the One Child Policy, may seem like a better option but can place an unbearable burden on poorer families, of which there remain many in China. Premier Li Keqiang reported, in May 2020, that >40% of China’s population—600 million—are living with a monthly income of ~$140 USD or below, despite the glitz often seen in the country’s entertainment productions. Using One Child Policy era fines for reference, the famous Chinese director 張藝謀 Zhang Yimou was fined 7.48 million RMB (~$1.17 million USD) for his three children, in 2013. Defying the new population control policies may therefore be a privilege reserved for the very powerful and very rich. And the government is likely to be aggressive in enforcing its new policies—the social media accounts of > 20 feminist activists, who advocate for reproductive freedom among other women’s rights, have already been shut down in the recent weeks. 

Will the Chinese government find ways to penalise members of the queer community who do not contribute to the new baby count? Will it turn a blind(er) eye to the Tongqi 同妻 (and to a lesser extent, Tongfu 同夫 ~ heterosexual men married to lesbian women) tragedies happening every day? It’s impossible to say yet.

For this year, therefore, I wish the c-queer community this—I wish it to be safe from the reach of China’s population control policies, whatever they will be. 

Back to the animated short, Safe Haven, which is about coming out. In 2016, a 18,000 people survey by the United Nations Development Programme reported only 5% of Chinese queers had come out to people outside their families. Only 15% have come out to their families. A more recent survey reports a significant improvement in these percentages, with ~50% of gays, bisexuals and transgenders and 70% of lesbians having come out to their families (Table 2). Fully out queers remain rare (<10%).

There’s still, therefore, a long way to go. With queers often being out (if they’re out at all) only to their most immediate/intimate social circles, with the state’s censorship of LGBT+ presentation in visual media, many (especially older generations of) non-queers in China haven’t seen a living, breathing, outwardly queer person before. The process of coming out, by extension—what it means, what it takes for both the giver and receiver of the message—may have never entered the thoughts of these non-queers before.

What should they say? What should they do? What words and actions will convey support? What won’t?

Safe Haven is about these questions. I’ll end this post with a translation of the Weibo post in which the animated short was first published, in which Beijing Queer Chorus explained the project’s conception:

#517 IDAHOBIT# Do you remember how it was like, the first time you came out of the closet, or someone came out of the closet to you? Who was that person? What did you say at the time, and how did that person react?

The person who voluntarily exposes their heart requires courage. The person who receives the message may have their own heart filled with unease. 

Maybe, both are thinking: “What should I do?”

Coming out is such an important occasion. It can, perhaps, change a relationship forever.

Some will welcome warmth and hugs. Some others will get their first taste of homophobia. Yet some others will find neither.

After a queer person came out to their friend, they got, in return, “Don’t worry. I’ll still treat you as a friend.” It made them uncomfortable for a long time. But their straight family and friends didn’t understand. How could this be not a kind thing to say?

What is gay-friendly? What is homophobic? It appears that everyone has their own standards. The same words and behaviours transmit warmth to some, deep offence to others.

So, when we’re talking about “homophobia”, what are we talking about?

To commemorate this years #517 IDAHOBIT#, the Beijing Queer Chorus interviewed its tens of members and their relatives and friends, in hopes of investigating the difference in perspectives between homosexuals and straight people. How can this barrier be crossed, how can they work together to take care of the valuable relationships.

In the stories of all interviewees, a warmth like this can be felt: even with the risks, there remain those who are brave enough to display their true self; even with the misunderstandings, there remain those willing to keep the secrets of others, willing to learn to understand a whole new world.

We condensed these stories into an original, animated musical short, Safe Haven.

We hope every boat riding the winds and waves can find a harbour to unload their secrets. We also hope every person has enough gentle strength to be the safe haven for others. 

We offer our best wishes to every queer who lets their heart be seen ~ may your courage reap its rewards.

We thank every friend and family who have treated these hidden matters of the heart seriously. You make the world a better place.

[fluffynexu]

Astralignment

and the Korribani Calendar System

Before the arrival of the Exiles the native Sith on Korriban had their own system of keeping track of time. Over the years, this became standardized and refined and is still in use by a large portion of the modern Pureblood community. Since the ancient Sith were observant beings of their world, many of the names and symbols reflected their natural environment. All of these aspects go into what is known as a Sith’s astralignment (astro-alignment).

Since the Empire runs on Imperial Standard Time (IST), anything relating to Korriban or any other Imperial world is referred by the local time of that planet.

Compare a year on  Dromund Kaas to Korriban:

Dromund Kaas (everything in standard)

24 hours/day

312 days/year

7,488 hours/year

60 minutes = 1 hour

24 hours = 1 day

5 days = 1 week

7 weeks = 1 month

35 days = 1 month

8 months (+4 weeks and 4 holidays) = 1 year

312 (standard)days = 1 year

Korriban

28 (standard) hours/day

780 (local) days/year

21,840 (standard) hours/year

70 (standard and local) minutes = 1 hour

24 (local) hours = 1 day

10 (local) days = 1 week

6.5 (local) weeks = 1 month

65 (local) days = 1 month

12 (local) months = 1 year

780 (local) days = 1 year

This roughly makes 1 Korribani year approximately 2.9 [Dromund] Kaasi years.

Calendars

The days on Korriban are annotated on some versions of the Imperial calendar alongside the standard days.

In this example, names of the days on the calendar reflect the IST. The black numbers indicate the date in IST, the red numbers represent the date of the Korribani calendar. Placement of the Korribani date indicate when that day begins in relation to the Kaasi one.

A. 00:00 is the same for both. B. 00:00 K starts at 04:00 DK. C. 00:00 K starts at 08:00 DK. D. 00:00 K starts at 12:00 DK. E. 00:00 K starts at 16:00 DK. F. 00:00 K starts at 20:00 DK. G. Loops back around and 00:00 K lines up 00:00 DK .

While seemingly complicated to some, most Sith have grown with this system of overlapping calendars and can easily tell the date by the positioning of the numbers in this format. 

There are of course, electronic versions where the date is shown simply:

Since the Korribani month is longer than the Kaasi one, the dates will continue through the Kaasi months. These next two pictures show how long 1 Korribani month is in relation to a Kaasi one.

There is also a version of the Korribani calendar that does not overlap with IST. These are used locally on the planet.

The days of the Korribani week were named after major gods from the most widespread pantheon on the planet:

Ahmuriq, from Ahmurn: the creator god.

Marseriq, from Marserha: mother goddess of the Sith.

Bashariq, from Bashara: goddess of passion.

Teraiq, from Teral: god of protection and justice.

Iskarliq, from Iskarln: god(dess) of conflict and war.

Marduriq, from Mardur: patron god of the Massassi and strength.

Rusaniq, from Rusanel: goddess of knowledge.

Zefiriq, from Zefir: goddess of the hunt.

Shumariq, from Shumari: god of the harvest.

Goruiq, from Gorul: the trickster god(dess).

Months

There are numerous constellations in the Korribani sky. Twelves of these mark the months of the year as well as going into the astalignment. The 12 major, monthly constellations all depict local fauna from ancient fables and have certain characteristics that are commonly associated with them.

1. Yuninchâtsutuyok, the jiminat and agzonûboj engaged in eternal conflict. Dedicated, ambitious, and insightful.

2. Qyalatuyok, the qyalak. Calm, sentimental, and inquisitive.

3. Badzuriqatuyok, the badzuriqash. Tenacious, practical, and direct.

4. Kaarjontuyok, the kaarjontû. Spontaneous, contemplative, and observant.

5. Tukatatuyok, the tukata. Loyal, respectful, and staunch.

6. Hatyatuyok, the hatya. Articulate, perceptive, and adaptable.

7. Lomaituyok, the lomait. Disciplined, fearless, and competitive.

8. Dzushatuyok, the dzushaj. Private, calculating, and flexible.

9. Mowhetuyok, the mowhef. Stern, traditional, and ruthless.

10. Dyaltituyok, the dyaltir. Mischievous, studious, and charismatic.

11. Jhan’dikanatuyok, the lost dikana. Creative, sociable, and resourceful.

12. Niqoituyok, the niqoit. Erudite, cunning, and free-spirited.

Years

The years are also represented by local animals. No one, not even Sith scholars or historians, are sure of the origin of how these animals came to represent the years on Korriban’s calendar. It is one of the many parts of Sith culture that have been lost since it is believed this particular record has been passed down through oral tellings.

The years are kept track of in a 6-year cycle with each year emphasizing a likely success for the ones born in that year.

Chiroik - Wealth

Wokinai - Knowledge

Natûsh - Fame

Dzenal - Influence

Litskoj - Power

Sulemish - Longevity

(ie. Those born in the year of the Sulemish will have a long life.) This again factors into a Sith’s astralignment.

In addition to the years, these 6 animals are also used for the hours on Korriban. But time is not conveyed in the same manner as Basic. While in Basic one would simply say “14:25” (or two twenty-five in the afternoon) the Sith have a much more involved way to convey time.

For example: Shyracks screech and return to their caves as the priestess prepares the altar in the hour of the wokinai.

Translates to: 07:15 local time (or seven fifteen in the morning).

As a side note, a few centuries ago Darth Feras domesticated and bred wrats within the Empire. At first they weren’t seen with much interest by her peers. But popular rumor has it that she pointed out her creations embody the physical traits of the yearly beasts.

Eyes - Chiroik

Ears - Wokinai

Body - Natûsh

Hands - Dzenal

Feet - Litskoj

Tail - Sulemish

Afterwards they quickly became a favored pet and companion among the Sith, being seen as an auspicious animal.

While not related to their calendar there is a tradition of being assigned a birth flower. For this, the Sith do not look to their skies but rather, when a child is born the placenta is buried in a pot with 12 seeds. The first of these seeds to sprout becomes that Sith’s birth flower. These 12 flowers are also used in medicine, therapeutic or preventive, for some common ailments.

Serla for headaches.

Roshal for good eyesight.

Nashkir for sore throats.

Atsudqâ for heart health.

Hyaranjat for good digestion.

Mûyoin for muscle pain.

Shasâyar for fertility.

Jûzon for blood circulation.

Ashanin for bone mending.

Qoyo for fevers.

Chisiqsanu for irritated ridge skin.

Kûsk’inti for fatigue and replenishing energy.

The last two parts that go into a Sith’s astalignment are their energies. The weekly energies correspond with 4 classic “elements” of earth, fire, air, and water. While the daily energy simply refers to day or night (d/n) in regards to when the person was born.

Combined with all aspects mentioned in this document, year, month, weekly energy, day (+energy), and flower, one can study a Sith’s astalignment.  ex. Darth Vowrawn’s astalignment factors:

The study of these astralignments is a complicated field on to its own while the findings can be very important to some among the Sith. There are specialized scholars who offer their services to the old families so that the “perfect matches” (marriage, business, or otherwise) can be set up.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

aaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S DONE. i feel like frodo at mt. doom after the ring is destroyed omg... ;-;

SOOOO. i wanted, and i mean REALLY wanted, to finish this for lunar new year (for pretty obvious reasons lol)...... :,) welp. then i was like “i can do may 4″ lol NOPE. but here we are! still technically sith day? whatever. imma say I Did It. :D

also pls don’t laugh at my stupid drawings. i already know i can’t art. ok??? >,<

special thanks to @snootysith​ for giving me a bunch of sithy names and words for me to use. c: like y’all... coming up with fake words, that look and sound ok is really HARD (for my dumbass anyway)

other worldbuilding posts that are... sorta mentioned/used in this:

@inquisitorhotpants​‘s dk calendar

BOOS! x3

and some other stuff ....

but uh, yea. if you’re wondering “hang on there fluffy... did you really make a big, dumbass zodiac/astrology post??” the answer is...

yes.

yes i did... xU

but also i imagine the ancient sith had a lot of special and important dates for you know... religious things? *shrug* and over the many, many years all of this was passed down and prob altered in some way to fit into modern sith society? idk...

now imma say some things here bc i know For A Fact!!! that ppl don’t go onto original posts to read op tags on this hellsite lol.

and this isn’t me trying to sound like an arrogant asshole... but these are for some common questions that’ll undoubtedly come up:

yes, you can use this in any extent or manner.

no, you obvs don’t have to. ignore it if you want. i’ll be ok lol.

no, i’m not gonna write a long ass book with all the little details on every aspect of all the traits and then assign these things for your character(s). just make something up. that’s what i did here xD (plus my brain is d e a d from this)

yes, this is seen as a mostly(!) tomato pureblood sith thing but obvs attitudes are different between individuals. some are super into it, some could careless and think it’s all fake news, some have parents that care too much about it which is annoying and interfering with their life so they lowkey hate it lol.

no, i couldn’t do a read more bc it wouldn’t look as nice and i worked hard ok? ;-; i apologize for clogged dashes in advance.

i think that’s it? ofc feel free to hmu if you’re ok with a reply that can take anywhere from a few min to 3 business days ^-^;

[disastrousxdebby]

P-=

1 - What was the last thing you watched on TV? I was trying to watch the new season of American Horror Story but, this season seems like it's a bit iffy and rough with itself. It surely didn't keep my attention like other seasons have.

2 - Do you have the heating or air conditioning on at the moment? I have a fan on at the moment.

3 - When was the last time you did something to help someone else? I tried to talk to my coworker and help her out some... however, I feel like I may have not been able to help as much as I would have liked. x.x

4 - If you have a job, have you been busier or quieter since the whole COVID thing hit? In the beginning of it... it was really crazy and busy but, then it died down when there was a limit and curfew?! Then after things started opening again... it got crazy busy again but, usually in the winter it's quiet.

5 - Do you spend more time on your own or with others? Are you happy with that? I spend more time on my own with family. I would like to go out and hang out with others eventually. More or less... find a decent significant other. I have been single for five years and it's nice but, I still would like to think as well that there is someone out there for me. x'D I am a weirdo.

6 - Do you know anyone who has been diagnosed with autism? Yeah.

7 - Have you had your wisdom teeth removed? What about your tonsils or your appendix? I have my tonsils and appendix. I am trying to get my wisdom teeth removed because they cause issues for me. So... I have an appointment in September to get a cleaning done but, I really hope they can pull the teeth out as well asap.

8 - Are you scared of needles? Yeah huh.

9 - Do you dress more for comfort, fashion or practicality? I dress more for comfort now a days.

10 - When was the last time you smoked a cigarette? I don't smoke.

11 - Would you rather drink tea, coffee, hot chocolate or water? I should be drinking more water but, I can't go without coffee sadly.

12 - Do you have a lot of ornaments around your house? If I owned my own place... x'D I would definitely have a lot of decor around it. I have as much ornaments and decor I can around my mother's place. I even stick random stuff around her home and car. This morning I made another Parasyte sticker and stuck it on the back of my mother's van. My fave characters... Migi and Shinichi ...my other fave characters from the show are Murano and Ryoko Tamiya (more so because she was a mother... even though she was a parasyte and gave birth to a human child, she protected that human child with her all. You could tell how she changed with time... is what I feel.) Also, Kana I liked her as well.

13 - Do you own more books or DVD’s? I own more books.

14 - How often would you say you took surveys? I really like taking surverys and sharing with others if they are ever curious about me.

15 - Have you ever worn a uniform to school or work? They spoke about having students wear uniforms to school but, it never happened when I was going to school. I do have to wear a uniform at work ... it kind of sucks because I am an ASM and I feel like we should be able to have a bit more freedom in our clothing choice but, good news is that ... they allow us to wear blue jeans now! [[-=

16 - Who was the first person you had a sleepover with? Are you still in touch with that person today? I think the first person that I ever had a sleep over with was my best friend Lariah and we are grown now... so we have a lot that we do in our lives. We very rarely ever get to see one another or speak anymore sadly.

17 - When you were growing up, did you have any friends who were almost like family to you? Most definitely.

18 - Could you cook an entire Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner entirely on your own with no help from other people or recipe books? For the most part, I think I would be able to do something of the sorts but, I still would need a tad bit of help.

19 - Do you cook from scratch or do you rely more on ready meals or frozen food? I really enjoy cooking from scratch but, because my schedule is so crazy and busy most times... I have to deal with the ready made stuff or frozen. x.x On my days off though... I tend to cook dinner sometimes and make that from scratch.

20 - What’s your favourite type of fast food? Is it something you eat often? I try to stay away from fast food however if I am out and about it's mostly burger king that I am grabbing and eating. x.x

21 - If you’ve been under a lockdown or stay-at-home order, what did you find the most difficult about it? I wish I could be under something of sorts sometimes.. I would have more time to craft. Aha... as long as I am getting paid for it and eventually I could go back to work. I never had a "pause" from work. I even got a letter stating that I was allowed to be out past the state's curfew because of work and being "essential".

22 - Do you still buy or read any magazines? Sometimes. The last two magazines that I brought were a health one and another one about sleep studies. I'm a geek or nerd. x.x

23 - As a teenager, what did you spend most of your pocket money or allowance on? Definitely food.

24 - Do you have much of a sweet tooth? Sometimes. I don't eat a lot of sugar often... but, I do have moments where I eat a lot of gummies and recently I tried chocolate covered roasted coffee beans and they are really yummy too.

25 - Are there any common “popular” foods that you don’t particularly like yourself? Have people ever told you you’re odd/strange for disliking that particular food? Mayo on sand. Peanut Butter and Jelly (ever two blue moons I may eat one of those sand.) I really don't favor any kind of mayo on my sand. unless it's a gas station made sand. it has to have extra oil and vinegar on it with the mayo and not just plain mayo but, for a sand it's just usually meat, cheese and the bread for me. I have been told I am pretty odd for such a thing.

26 - Likewise, are there are any commonly hated foods that you love? I guess frozen tater tots if that counts...haha...

27 - Would you rather eat pizza or pasta? Pizza.

28 - Do you own a lot of store loyalty cards? Nope.

29 - When was the last time you read a newspaper? A while ago.

30 - What kind of noises can you hear around you right now? My family. <3

[thanatophobia-thoughts]

Obon Season in Japan this year begins on August 13th and goes to August 16th, so it’s a little early to talk about it, but I thought it was good to consider it now, and in the larger scope of beliefs of the dead hanging around after passing on. As a note, the date is different in some areas of Japan, so this isn’t the date it always is, and will always be. Some follow the lunar calendar, and some follow the solar calendar – and those following the solar calendar will often celebrate in July, so maybe this isn’t too soon.

First, what is Obon Season?

Obon, also just known as Bon, is a Japanese Buddhist custom of honoring the family. It tends to involve family reunions, and traveling back to one’s home, or ancestral homes.  

The festival involves hanging lanterns to guide the dead, dancing in particular ways (bon odori), visiting graves, and offering food at house altars and/or temples. This is also where we see the eggplant cows and cucumber horses come into play. The idea is that they should return quickly on a horse – and leave slowly, on a cow.

We rarely want our loved ones to go quickly. That’s likely doubly true with deceased loved ones.

There’s plenty more to Obon – fires and likely plenty of local and family practices, that I have not touched on. Obon reminds me of several other practices of welcoming ancestors back, at least in theme, not necessarily in action. The most obvious one is perhaps the Day of the Dead, but also All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Around the world, there are practices, and hopes, for the dead to return.

It is a commonly held belief that even if the dead are in some afterlife, they are still able to look down on the affairs of humans, and perhaps interact in some fashion. That’s why people look for signs, even something as simple as a coin with a certain date on it – like the date of birth of a loved one – to feel comforted by their continued presence.

As you know, I don’t believe in these things, so why do I bring up these practices here?

First, for a thought game – I know, I’ve been doing a lot of those here. Currently, my family line ends with myself and my brother. Neither of us have kids (though my brother might). Let’s assume he doesn’t have kids. If it all ends with me, who do I look after? Well, I have some loved ones, of course, who will take a while longer to pass on. There are also the children of my loved ones (I mean, their children are also my loved ones, but I don’t quite have a bond with them yet – they’re young). I would be interested in their well-being.

But what about 200 years later? 500? 1000?

What do we imagine ghosts in that situation, are doing? Are they just meddling in random people’s lives? Are they living in the afterlife, ignorant of what’s going on because they have no more vested interest in Earth? What happens when there are no more loved ones or family lines to watch over?

I’d probably bother random humans, but it is a curious thought, isn’t it? We always think of our immediate loved ones, not those who have been long, long dead. And when we think of the long dead, it’s usually famous people, like Julius Caesar.

Secondly, to remind you, dear reader, that it is absolutely okay to take time to remember your dead. You don’t have to be stoic about it, just because it’s natural. You don’t have to wave it off and move on after a grieving period. You can come back to them. You can bring them forward into your life with stories, with food, with memories. You can consciously bring them forward.

It’s not a weakness.

It’s not even believing in life after death to do this.

I would hope, when I die, my loved ones will still think of me, will still wonder what I would do in certain situations, will still bring me forward into their own lives, even if I’m not there to confirm or deny their assumptions about me.

I know it doesn’t matter to dead-me. I’m not there to care.

But it matters to living me. And it probably matters to some of our living loved ones, too – to remain a memory. One thing you can do now, is find out how they might like to be “honored” or “remembered”. It would be a way not only to make a memory now, in discussing it, but a way to also have something prepared for when they pass.

You won’t have to reach for threads, or try to come up with something, if you don’t have a built in cultural system.

You will have something personally made.

[coinofstone]

5x12 The Diamond of the Day pt 1

Final two episodes! Big finale! Why am I making myself cry in the middle of the afternoon! Both eps in this post.

I do love that they made Arthur a sore loser

Enter treacherous white woman #2. Srsly it was lazy writing when they did it for Mordred, it's worse now with Gwaine.

I do love the actual Round Table war room discussion but a) why isn't Merlin seated at the round table and b) why does Leon have so much goddamn faith in Camelot's walls? Like??? You literally said the same thing last year and yet Camelot *did* fall when Agravaine brought an army through the tunnels!

Poor Aithusa. Kid's had a rough life.

I do love Arthur responding to Merlin presenting him with all his supplies ready - which he prepared without his magic mind you - with suspicion 😂

But then he calls Merlin a coward and it's sad

Katie has such a great voice. That entire thing in the cave from her taunting to her laughter to the spell, it just just beautifully played.

Whole ass battle to prepare for and Arthur is just walking around moping cuz Merlin isn't there

So, Merlin's father-vision telling him he's magic itself and he just needs to believe in himself to get his magic going again, does this mean he *didn't* need to go to the cave to get it back? Cuz it seems like he needed to recharge in the cave itself, his injuries were healed when he woke up. That seems like magic cave stuff to me.

Also that "always have been and always will be" - I'm taking to mean 'always have been' in the sense that since he's 'magic itself' even before he was born, his magic existed in other, intangible forms, like we are all stardust etc. But now that he is, he will always be, aka he will not die.

Arthur waking up with his wife in his arms and Merlin's name on his lips, jumping out of bed to act on dream-info.

Balinor telling Merlin to trust in what will be.... like bitch that is literally not how this ends.

5x13 The Diamond of the day pt 2

You know that gif of the cat knocking everything off the table? That's literally Merlin shooting lightning at everyone from his perch on the ridge.

I have a lot of snarky things to say about Merlin coming out of the cave in full Dragoon gear and riding a horse instead of teleporting like the other witches but I'ma keep that to myself.

Mordred is a bitch and Aithusa has terrible aim. At least Aithusa's loyalty to Morgana makes sense.

Arthur said oh shit I'm magic - oh wait no it's that old man again

He also straight up "No! Bad dragon!"-ed Aithusa

Y'know, for all I've watched this episode and screamed about Arthur's death, I don't think I've ever focused on the exact moment he gets stabbed before.

Mordred catches him from behind and he meets it, no fault there. But as soon as he realizes his assailant is the knight who turned on him and joined Morgana, what does he do? HE LOWERS HIS FUCKING SWORD

He leaves himself wide fucking open and vulnerable and Mordred seizes the opportunity. I understand wanting the moment of recognition for Arthur, but on what planet is a trained warrior going to drop his sword mid-attack because he recognizes his attacker as a dude who only just recently decided to forsake him? It's soooooo dumb

There was a whole sequence a few episodes back where Mordred and Arthur are sparring, the point of it was to show that Mordred has become a skilled swordsman. So what exactly was the point in having Mordred run Arthur through as soon as Arthur idiotically lets his guard down? This should've been a meticulously choreographed sword fight, with Mordred getting the upper hand and sticking Arthur properly. Not this nonsense. Look at Arthur's FACE! Oh, Mordred... 👉👈 do you maybe wanna be friends again- STAB ... guess not

Uther's been rolling in his grave but he's taking an extra tumble watching Arthur forget all his skills and training in that moment.

I do appreciate Arthur getting Mordred back though. Like that moment of merciless anger followed by the hurt and regret playing on Arthur's face, warring with surety and responsibility. It was good.

I've rewatched the big confession scene about 16 times just now.

I don't quite understand why Merlin took Arthur to the woods to begin with. Instead of bringing him to the med tent in the battlefield or back to Camelot. What was the reason?

Merlin saying it feels strange (to use magic freely in front of Arthur) and him just going 'yeah' completely deadpan makes me laugh every time.

I really feel like Arthur's head should be elevated at a further incline if he's going to be fed.

Gaius refusing to outright expose Merlin as the sorcerer but nonetheless letting Gwen figure it out on her own warms my heart.

My God Arthur is sitting there dying, feeling betrayed about his best friend 'lying' to him, and still he can't stop himself from looking at Merlin's mouth.

Percival summoned MUSCLE POWER

Hey um random but why does Gwaine even know where Merlin and Arthur are headed? Why would Gaius tell him?

Arthur looks at Merlin so lovingly after he's killed Morgana 😭😭

And now he's literally grabbing at the man's hand 😭 "just hold me, please"

That's gotta be the gayest death scene in television history. If you can watch that without thinking Arthur puts his hand on the back of Merlin's head because some part of him wants to bring him down for a kiss, or that "just hold me, please" is in any way shape or form a 'bros' thing, and certainly not at all an intentional mirror/callback to Isolde dying in Tristan's arms, then I'm afraid you are what we professionals refer to as a dumb-as-nails fucknugget, more commonly phrased as 'willfully ignorant'.

"All that you have dreamt of building has come to pass" yeah except for the whole, y'know, magic still being illegal thing.

I've said this before, but, while I'm sure there was a determined intention to have Arthur die in his armor, probably in some kind of attempt to make sure the audience knows he's died a warrior's death, I *really* think it was kinda stupid that Merlin never removed it, despite Arthur being weak, despite the fact that there was something like five days between him getting stabbed and him actually dying, despite that for the duration of that time they were traveling or hiding out. Merlin managed to produce a cloak to put on Arthur, why did he need the full armor on that whole time? Like even if they left the chainmail on, those plates on his shoulder were just getting in the way, and it looked quite uncomfortable.

Also not for nothing but Lancelot got like, every flower in the forest surrounding lush verdant greens in his death boat, Arthur gets a bunch of sticks.

It suddenly occurs to me, watching this now, that the reason Leon/Percival is such a common side pairing in Merthur fics, is because these two motherfuckers are the only original Knights of the Round Table to survive the series. 🤦‍♀️ I dunno how I failed to notice that before now. My stupidity amazes me.

I'm *really* glad they decided to do this scene with Gwen wearing the Pendragon red dress instead of the black mourning dress. Yes she looks fabulous in it but it's more the symbolism than the 'reality' - with Gwen wearing her house's colors it represents a continuation rather than a finality. Camelot will go on, Gwen will undoubtedly end the war on magic and with Morgana dead (and frankly, I think by now she already brought about the death of all the angry incel type rulers in Albion) there stands to reason her reign will begin with a period of peace, possibly longer than Arthur's. We kind of have to assume that the 'time the poets speak of' is, inevitably, Gwen's reign - which only came about through Arthur's death. It's a little bit toooo subtle in my opinion, but at the same time, I understand the need for the focus on Merlin and Arthur - after all, this show was their journey - not leaving much time to focus on Gwen and Camelot in the aftermath of Arthur's death.

I will just say, the first time I watched this that fucking truck scared the ever living shit out of me. I also just immediately, viscerally hated that scene and declared it invalid - but I think it was because the truck made me jump out of my skin. It has since grown on me, particularly once I started reading 'Arthur Returns' fic.

Everything beyond this point is post-series spec and headcanon, so if that's not your jam you can exit safe in the knowledge that as usual, if there's anything worth commenting on in the S5 extras, I will create a separate post!

For those interested, my go-to post-series fic is We Begin Again by katherynefromphilly I fully headcanon this series as the continuation of the series.

I have a lot of thoughts about Gwen and Merlin post-Camlann.

For one, poor fucking Gwen. She's lost her father, her brother, and her husband, all by what, age 30? That's rough. And who knows what happened to her mom, that was pre-series and I don't think it was ever mentioned.

Merlin, dear god poor Merlin. First of all, I just wanna say straight off that my instinctive headcanon about Merlin was that he never returned to Camelot. I couldn't really say why exactly. I just don't think he could stand being there after Arthur's death. But practically speaking, Merlin's still got Aithusa to deal with, that dragon needs some godsdamned house training asap. He's still the last Dragonlord, it's reasonable to assume he'd immediately take that on considering Aithusa is partially responsible for Arthur's death (the sword Mordred killed Arthur with, only succeeded in killing Arthur because it had been forged in Aithusa's fire-breath) so he's either going to attempt to train the bad behaviors out of Aithusa, or...well...

The only thing is, I do not believe Merlin would abandon Gwen, or Gaius. So my hc is inherently flawed. I do think Merlin probably spend a couple months with his mum, and I do think he ultimately settled near lake Avalon waiting for Arthur's return.

But I do wonder, what must their relationship have been like? Gwen, surely, would've sought his guidance in establishing laws governing the use of magic. And surely, peace cannot last indefinitely, so Merlin absolutely would've defended Camelot and protected Gwen. There's just no way he could've completely turned his back on them, but I doubt he could bear living in Camelot. And Gwen is both strong and practical enough to get on without him there 24/7, even though I'm sure she'd miss him.

I also think she would've found love again. Whether with Leon, as many people hc, or someone else not in the series.

ANYWAY.

Thanks to everyone who came on this journey with me. I will post comments on the extras if I have anything worth saying - and I think I'll do a master post linking all these episode posts after I clean them up once I get time to sit at a computer and do so. Until then! 💙💚

(Gif source) (h/t @shut-up-merlin)

[monstersdownthepath]

Spiritual Spotlight: Chucaro, Maiden of Haze and Whimsy

Chaotic Good Azata Empyreal Lord of Dreams, Hallucinations, and Mists

Domains: Chaos, Good, Madness, Magic Subdomains: Azata, Insanity, Revelry, Whimsy

Chronicles of the Righteous, pg. 10

Obedience: Drape yourself in gauze and eat hallucinogenic mushrooms or fungi while meditating on the teachings of Chucaro. Benefit: Gain a +4 sacred bonus on saving throws against poison.

I can’t recall having ever seen a Good-aligned god of drugs (though Pathfinder does contain two or three Good deities of madness!), so this is a refreshing change of pace. Rather than demonize the whole practice, Chucaro here advocates for responsible and safe use, like what you have to do when performing your Obedience! Somewhat restrictive in that you can only munch hallucinogenic mushrooms, of which very few are actually statted out (rather than the more commonly available Flayleaf), leading to the necessity of DM fiat. You can always get around the complication by growing your own fungi in a dank terrarium in your Bag of Holding, or you could plop a bunch of ranks in Survival to always be able to scavenge up a nice loopyshroom no matter your environment.

In times of troubles when you can’t find some good fungi, I think Chucaro would allow you any old hallucinogen, such as the commonly available Pesh (and, again, Flayleaf). This is definitely one of the Obediences you can’t do if denied your inventory, though, as it also requires a bit of gauze--not enough to wrap yourself up, but just enough to ‘drape yourself’ in it, making you look kind of like you walked into a spiderweb. The gauze and ingesting of hallucinogens also makes it one of the better Obediences to do just before you go to bed rather than when you first wake up; as a goddess whose portfolio includes drug-induced dreams, I’m sure she’d appreciate your before-bed trip as well.

The benefit is one we’ve seen before. It’s a little on the weaker side, but preventing stat damage from poison will save you and your party some gold in the long run, and it means the casters will have one or two extra spell slots available that would have otherwise been used on Neutralize Poison. Ironically, it doesn’t prevent you from becoming addicted to your nightly fungus crunching, because addiction is, mechanically, a disease! Be careful! 

Boons are gained slowly, typically achieved once you reach 12, 16, and 20 Hit Dice. Followers of the Empyreal Lords, however, can enter the Mystery Cultist Prestige Class at level 8, which grants them their Boons much quicker! Entered as early as possible, you gain the Boons at levels 10, 13, and 16 instead. Mystery Cultists MUST take the Celestial Obedience feat, NOT Deific Obedience.

Empyreal Lords do not grant the typical Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel spread, instead having only one set of Boons granted to their followers regardless of their class.

Boon 1: Kaleidoscopic Images. Gain Color spray 3/day, Hypnotic Pattern 2/day, or Gaseous Form 1/day.

I’ve stated multiple times in past articles that Gaseous Form’s biggest weakness is the absolutely crippling movespeed reduction it slaps you with, capping your cloudy shape at 10ft/round, limiting its use as an effective scouting tool or a method of escaping some nasty situation, except perhaps in the rare cases where you have access to vents or a window out of a preposterously tall tower. The actions you can perform while gaseous are painfully limited, and it can’t even really be used to stealth around since you still look like you, just cloudy.

Plus, it’s up against Color Spray and Hypnotic Pattern. Both of them excel in knocking minions out of the fight, with Pattern’s 10+2d4 HD limit potentially lets it affect boss-level monsters, or at least their larger minions, freezing them in place for as long as you can keep concentrating on the effect. Not only is it useful in battle, but throwing it out as a distraction before a fight even begins can work as well, keeping a guard’s eyes off you or redirecting the attention of civilians elsewhere.

And Color Spray? A classic, always useful... Provided you don’t mind getting within 15ft of your enemy, or multiple enemies. It’s at its most powerful at low levels, but you’re going to be at 10 when you finally get this power, so its saving throw (11+Cha) is struggling to keep up with the enemy’s rapidly growing saves. At its best, it’s a 1-round stun against foes kind enough to line up in a 15ft cone. At its worst, you’ve essentially gotten into melee range of your foe. I’d stick with Hypnotic Pattern. 

Boon 2: Wispy Form. Your body becomes misty when you are under attack, diluting the damage of edged weapons. Though outwardly you appear the same, you gain DR 5/bludgeoning.

This is one of those Boons that’s great, but difficult to talk about since it’s a simple mechanical bonus with little room for creativity. It’s a one-size-fits-all Boon that benefits literally any class it’s slapped on, subtracting 5 damage from pretty much every melee attack (characters with bludgeoning weapons are remarkably uncommon--swords are cool!) you see coming your way. You want it as a frontliner because it’s extra protection, you want it as a midliner because it makes getting caught out easier to handle, and you definitely want it as a backlner because suddenly taking physical damage likely means your life is about to meet an abrupt end. Having 5 whole free DR against the most common physical damage types can be a world of difference!

That’s all I can really say here, unfortunately, because at the end of the day it is just a simple buff.

Boon 3: Terrible Reverie. 1/day, you can cast Weird.

And this, this is much more fun to talk about. We haven’t seen Weird as a Boon before, and one look at what it actually does may give you a hint as to why: It’s a mass Phantasmal Killer with no limit to the number of creatures it can target. Far from the pathetically crunched version some people may get disappointed by in 5e, Pathfinder’s Weird is the widest Save-Or-Die effect available to players, able to affect entire crowds so long as none of them are more than 30ft apart and plucking their lives from them in a single instant. To say you can clear a room is an understatement; you can clear an entire city if it’s densely packed enough.

Good thing you’re a good guy!

It’s not all sunshine, roses, and horrifying death, though. Phantasmal Killer has some pretty hefty downsides: namely, it’s a mind-affecting, emotion, AND fear effect, meaning it’s unlikely to affect higher-end Outsiders and is utterly useless against Constructs, Undead, Plants, and most Oozes and Vermin. However, it’s notably NOT a death effect, so creatures relying on immunity to instant death effects without making themselves immune to mental attacks is still vulnerable to Weird.

The other biggest weakness is that Phantasmal Killer and, thus, Weird require the subject to fail two saves, first a Will save to fail to realize the illusion is an illusion, and second a Fortitude save to keep from having a fatal heart attack as fear overwhelms them. The good news is that succeeding the Fortitude save still causes the target to take 3d6 damage, 1d4 Str damage, and become stunned for 1 round, so it’s still potentially a Save-Or-Suck if your party can capitalize on the enemy losing their next turn.

The third but perhaps most dangerous weakness, however, is that if the victim of Weird succeeds the Will save to disbelieve the illusion and they possess telepathy, they can send the attack back to you and force you to make a save against it. Now, I can’t find any particulars on how Weird’s mass-terror interacts with this particular rule from Phantasmal Killer, but for the sake of safety, I would avoid hurling into a crowd of minions with telepathy, lest they force you to make dozens of saves to avoid being terrified to death.

Still a good spell, but just be careful with who you send it against!

You can read more about Chucaro here.

[brightmalcolm]

please deepdive into malcolm's mental health? (and also maybe him being socially bizarre please {i like and value your opinions and thoughts about things very much}) thank you so much!!

ksdkjdkj thank you that’s very kind! I really have no idea what I’m talking about half the time but I’m glad it makes some sense?

I mean, we know Malcolm has been canonically diagnosed with Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Complex PTSD. In my opinion (both from personal experience, people I know, and Googling (tm)), he also shows some symptoms of BPD, Bipolar Disorder, and Autism, but again those are just my headcanons. 

He’s on four different medications and we’ve seen the labels of two of them; Zoloft and Trazadone. Both of those are anti-depressants, but Zoloft also treats panic disorder and PTSD and Trazadone is often prescribed as a sleeping aid. Idk if these labels were deliberately chosen or if the prop designer just picked out commonly prescribed meds, but I mean they both make sense as things he’d be prescribed. I’m guessing the other two are some kind of benzodiazepine for anxiety and maybe an anti-psychotic or something else for PTSD symptoms like tremors, flashbacks and nightmares. We know he’s been in therapy since he was 10 and he has seen the same therapist the entire time which makes sense given his trust issues. Martin mentions Malcolm was “isolated” before meeting Vijay in 9th grade which was probably due to both his father being arrested and his worsening mental health (speaking from experience, middle school is not kind to kids who are “different” lmao). At some point when he was older, it seems like Malcolm kind of tried to “take control” of his mental health, which we see in how proactive he’s being with the daily affirmations, yoga, the restraints, and that upbeat playlist he wakes up to. He’s doing his best!

In my opinion, the show does a great job of portraying how Malcolm’s mental illness effects him in a very nuanced way. Despite his trust issues, he’s also pretty desperate for companionship (hello “hasn’t had a stable relationship in years”) and gets attached to the team, especially Dani, pretty quickly. He’s often manic, but has been dealing with these mood swings for long enough that he knows how to channel the energy into more productive things like solving murders (hey we all got hobbies!). The show does a good job showing his “triggers” when he starts having flashbacks (like the car trunk/blanket in episode 5) and how debilitating his night terrors can be. The way Malcolm interacts with his father also resonated with me a lot; you can see how uncomfortable he is while at the same time he’s desperate to be close to his father and regain the relationship they had before he was arrested. I don’t think I’d characterized Malcolm as suicidal, but he definitely shows a disregard for his own life/safety on several occasions. I think that is both his impulsivity and a manifestation of his guilt for not stopping his father sooner (it’ll be interesting to see if Sophie remind Malcolm that he was just a kid will have any long term effect on how he perceives himself and his past). We also see him hallucinating fairly often, but it seems he was able to control them after he got rid of the one he was having in episode 12. 

The “socially bizarre” comment is honestly a great way to describe Malcolm lmao. Malcolm is definitely...I guess I would characterize it as “odd” or “interesting” or “eccentric?” Like he’s so good at reading social cues when it comes to profiling people but he’s also kind of clueless when it comes to his own relationships. I think this kind of behavior is a result of a lot of things; for one thing, he grew up incredibly wealthy so of course some of his mannerisms are going to seem strange to others. I also think he hasn’t had a lot of experiences dating people or even being friends with people (both from being bullied as a kid and his own insecurities), which is why he struggles with boundaries (like “profiling” Eve when they were dating and not being sensitive to Dani’s feelings about death in episode 15) and interacting with people without “profiling” them (Gil has to tell him to stop profiling Dani in episode 5). He just doesn’t know a lot of these social rules because he never got to practice them or learn them outside of an academic/psychological context. And finally, it also probably has a lot to do with how his trauma effects his relationships. We see this most clearly with his trust issues and how he becomes paranoid of Vijay going behind his back in episode 16 and Eve having a secret in episode 17 (and in both of those cases he ended up being right so...Yikes). Malcolm was betrayed and hurt by the man he loved and looked up to more than anyone else in the world at just ten years old; it makes sense why he would be so reluctant to get close to anyone again. And then there are things like his night terrors/restraints, which are results of his trauma but to “normal” people just come off as strange and unsettling. 

Idk how to end this but I guess overall it’s nice to see a character struggle with mental illness while still being such a good and kind person who genuinely wants to help others. We have no choice but to stan!

[itsuki-minamy]

“K - THE FIRST STORY” (Novel)

CHAPTER 1: THE BOY NAMED ISANA YASHIRO (Part 3)

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

* Prologue / Chapter 1 (Part 01 / 02)

The boy spread his arms and legs and stretched.

"Japan is a peaceful country."

He feels sleepy and tired.

The boy who swims between reality and dreams saw a golden light in the dark.

Who is…?

A very tall man was in the golden light. An old man with a strict gaze. He has a hard body and his back is straight. An old man with terrifying intimidation and terrifying atmosphere, but the boy felt the nostalgic light of his light.

The old man opened his mouth.

"This country is over, Weissmann."

It was a heavy voice. It was like scolding and begging for something.

Suddenly, he hears someone laugh.

When he noticed, there was a man in his twenties and a white man who had long silver hair on his back and was smiling mysteriously.

Looking at the silver-haired man, the boy felt as if his head was shaking.

This is different from nostalgia. However, the intense sensation of seeing and discomfort builds up, making the lower stomach feel uncomfortable.

Quickly, the boy opened his eyes.

On the rooftop of the school, it seems that the boy had a strange dream at this time.

He was suddenly surprised by what happened, but the kitten who had curled up due to the boy's weakness, withdrew.

"Now... what did you say?"

The boy asked the kitten that way, but the kitten tilts its neck.

It is not surprising. There is no way for a cat to speak. First of all, this is just a dream.

The boy was able to fight for a fortune in a strange dream that was different from the sad dream it did not remember this morning.

He returned to the classroom at the last minute of class, but everyone in the classroom was humming with their thoughts, and it wasn't as if the class was starting soon. The boy bows his head.

"How about class?"

Mishina, who was working in the front seat, has an astonished face.

“Preparation for the school festival in the afternoon. Work hard!"

That was. It was less than a week before the school festival. The Ashinaka School festival, commonly known as Gakuen Island, which is a gigantic school, is a festival that literally lists the entire island, and the budget and enthusiasm are enormous.

To ensure that no one other than relevant persons can enter and exit the school island, you cannot enter inside the island gate without a student pass or a staff pass installed on the PDA. It is a mechanism that remains. However, on the day of the festival, the door will open and visitors from outside freely.

The Ashinaka School Festival is not just a school festival; it is also a great event that the general public outside the school is looking forward to.

All of the students took the school festival seriously with the goal of not only creating their own memories but also entertaining the people, and in December, when the school festival is held, there were often days when internal students were given allowed preparation work until midnight.

The fact that the school festival is held in December is a little different, but this is because the school festival on Gakuen Island is held at the same time as the annual shrine festival on the island.

The boy looked around the classroom. Everyone seems to be busy practicing theater, making costumes, combining costumes, and various gatherings. When he was watching the scene without help, Kukuri quickly entered.

"Hey, someone asked me to use student council! We are recruiting people who are free!”

Kukuri raises her hand and recruit’s volunteers. Although there is a small natural place, Kukuri, who is a solid, cheerful and kind person, is a member of the student council and everyone can trust her.

In the eyes of the classmates who worked, she walked over to the boy holding a kitten. If you are a leisure person, stay here, everyone's eyes said.

Go to a downtown store to collect fireworks for the event. Even if he rushes from Gakuen Island, it takes over an hour to get to the center of Shizume-cho. Certainly, he was the right one to go as he currently has no job.

Kukuri operates the mission, makes the purchase note, and hands it to the boy.

"Then Shiro, I will send you a note."

The boy thought he would say that and smiled. By the way, what happened to his PDA? He feels like he hasn’t seen it recently.

He looked in his pocket, but couldn't find it. Does he leave it in the bedroom or did he lose it? The boy is not in the habit of playing with his PDA, so he is not in the habit of carrying it.

"Don't you have a PDA?"

Kukuri rolled her eyes. The boy somehow makes a fake smile. Kukuri feels it is a bit strange, but says, "Well, I'll write it down on paper." However, on the way, he realized that...

"Oh, I can't leave school without first looking for it to use."

The pass to enter and exit the Gakuen Island gate is on the PDA designated by the school and that each student has. At school, the PDA serves as an identification card.

However, the boy did not remember wearing it these days. The boy is familiar with the secret passageways at school.

Security seems to be disabled, but the boy knew that even if he didn't have a PDA, he could do anything.

Taking the memo from Kukuri, who had a worried face, the boy laughed and said, "Ok."

The boy has many friends on Gakuen Island, although the relationship is wide and shallow.

There were many "friends" among teachers and staff, as well as among students.

Teachers who are taking lessons directly can be the best people if they really care about a particular student, (Still, old school teachers tend to listen to the boy's requests.) Staff, other than teachers, like security guards thought the boy was like a stray cat.

That is why the boy walked out of the school, not through the gate, but through the guard station. He laughed and said, "I don't use it for long, but I lost my things." The man said, "Please order another one again soon."

Even with good security, there are places where a person tends to be able to pass.

The boy was walking on the bridge connecting Gakuen Island and the mainland, reviewing the shopping notes with the kitten on his shoulder.

All travelers and those on the main island use monorails that pass under the connecting bridge, which is primarily for vehicles and few people walk on foot. However, you need a PDA to travel on the monorail. The connecting bridge is long to walk on foot, but the boy liked to walk on the bridge looking at the sea.

Illuminated by the falling sunlight, the sea is blue and glowing.

The boy leaned on his side and watched the landscape from the bridge. A gentle breeze blows with the scent of the tide, making the boy's hair flutter.

It was a beautiful and calm sight.

Suddenly he feels like staying there forever.

Good weather. Soft breeze. A kitten that clings to his shoulders, and has many bright and fun friends on the way home.

What is here and now seemed calm and terribly difficult to find.

He wondered if something smelled bad about it.

He smiles at his thoughts and is yelled at that he is in the process of being used. He must collect the fireworks she ordered and get a receipt at Shizume-cho, and he must return at six o'clock.

++++++++++

A young man was sitting on top of the building.

He is called "black dog". It is a popular name that sounds like a derogatory name, but he is proud to be the servant of a "King", so he is proud of himself.

Her long black hair in a ponytail flutters in the wind.

Shizume-cho's bustle extends below him.

He saw a boy trying to cross a crowded intersection.

A 16 or 17-year-old boy with a little pink kitten on his shoulder. He's small and has a soft girlish look, with an atmosphere that won't warn anyone.

But…

He saw a guy with a red shirt and a cap who was walking away from the boy with the umbrella a little and made his way through the crowd. The conscience of the guy in the hat is completely directed towards the boy with the umbrella, and his expression is disgusting. Probably a "Homura" member. It's a bad job as a follower, but the umbrella boy doesn't seem to notice.

Looking up at the boys from a height, he took his precious recorder out of his pocket and pressed the play button. The recorder is an important treasure that preserves the voice of his late master and guides his actions.

"The king's shadow lights up."

A deep, slightly bright voice is heard from the recorder. He closed his eyes and listened to the voice.

The boy with the umbrella walks with an unprotected face. Well, he was quiet walking around Shizume-cho city. He doesn't know if the boy has something to think about or if he's dumb.

He put his hand on the sword at his waist. The famous sword "Kotowari" entrusted by his master. He draws that sword only when he fulfills the orders of his master.

"Please look, Ichigen-sama."

He murmured to pray and stood up.

++++++++++

The boy received the fireworks that the student council had ordered at a fireworks store called "Kadamaya" in Shizume-cho. Mainly fireworks, but there are some weird types too, and it was quite interesting that the store owner lectured him on how to use them.

He leaves the store with the receipt received from Kukuri.

There is still time until dusk. Even if he deviated a bit, it looks like he'll be back at six o'clock, and when the boy started walking, something loud was heard slipping on the ground behind him.

When he looked back, he saw a young man on a skateboard hitting a metal bat and approaching.

"Eh?"

The boy opened his eyes and made his thoughts and body stiff for a moment. He visually saw the metal bat swinging toward his head, the stiffness of his body dissolving before he thinks, and he jumps with a reflex.

The downed metal bat destroys the storefront, and the desks and products placed in the store were crushed and scattered.

The boy like a fluffy rice cake on the way was surprised, looking at the young man who swung the metal bat.

A young man who looks like a high school student, wearing a knit hat and a red hoodie around his waist.

He put his foot on the skateboard, put the metal bat on his shoulder, looked back slowly and observed the boy who was confused.

What? What is happening? He wanted to ask, but suddenly the words don't come out of the boy's throat.

The young man on the skateboard manipulates a clock-shaped device on his arm and projects a screen in the air. Carefully compare the boy's face to something projected there and he laughed violently.

"Eh?"

The boy smiled with a cheat, but felt the aggressive will that was near the murder surging from the skateboard guy's body, and he stood up.

Not good. Perhaps this person does not speak. He means, he's so angry he won't have ears.

However, he is not a demon. He doesn't know why, but this young man with a skateboard is angry at "Isana Yashiro".

Why?

The boy tried to engage in boring dialogue while slowly backing away.

"Oh, what is that so sudden? I don't think you have any reason to hit me.”

The skateboarder's brow furrows. That's not good. The boy wanted to cover his face when he responded by pouring oil on the fire. On his shoulders, a kitten clings to the boy with its claws, escaping from the young man on a skateboard.

"Don't you remember being hit? You are brave, shit. So is. I will not stop.”

The body of the young man on the skateboard seemed to sway in red.

The boy scratches his eyes. It is not an error. A bright red light bursts from the young man's body.

When the boy stepped back, the red light appeared, enveloping the young man on the skateboard. Hot. The boy's bangs are slightly burned. The overflowing red light turned into a flame and filled he.

“It's not enough just to catch you. I'll kill you!"

The young man on the skateboard screamed and kicked the ground. He jumps high with his skateboard and shakes the red flame at the boy.

The boy screamed miserably and started running at full speed.

The young man on the skateboard lightly brushes the boy's hair. The sound of the street being destroyed, the explosion and the heat entering from behind, but there is no room to look back.

The boy ran to death.

Run between pedestrians and obstacles, cross the railings and choose a stepped street, he can run on routes that are difficult to ride a skateboard.

He couldn't even pretend and jump onto the street, and he fell onto the back of a truck that stopped at the signal.

With the truck that started to work, he managed to catch his breath.

The kitten looked up at his knees with its front paws. The boy strokes his head.

To be continued soon... Be patient, I will translate the chapter little by little.

[whatsortofschoolisthis]

Name: Hecate Maran Ames

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Birth Date: October 31, 1972

Species: (Human, Lycanthrope, Metamorphmagus, Vampire, ect): Human

Blood Status: (Pureblood, Half-Blood, Muggleborn): Pureblood

Sexuality: Straight

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Ethnicity: English/Irish

Nationality: English

Residence: North Devon, England. Was born in County Kerry, Ireland and lived there until she was ten years old.

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ISFJ- The Defender

THE MAGE

1st Wand: Acacia Wood

A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as ‘bangs-and-smells’ magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament.

2nd Wand: Silver Lime

The reasons for these wands’ desirability lay not only in their unusually handsome appearance, but also because they had a reputation for performing best for Seers and those skilled in Legilimency, mysterious arts both, which consequently gave the possessor of a silver lime wand considerable status. When demand was at its height, wandmaker Arturo Cephalopos claimed that the association between silver lime and clairvoyance was ‘a falsehood circulated by merchants like Gerbold Ollivander (my own grandfather), who have overstocked their workshops with silver lime and hope to shift their surplus’. But Cephalopos was a slipshod wandmaker and an ignoramus, and nobody, Seer or not, was surprised when he went out of business.

Animagus: Black and White cat.

Misc Magical Abilities: (Legilimen, Seer, Parselmouth, Obscurial, ect): Seer. Somehow linked with inherited Legilimens abilities but its not certain how or why.

Boggart Form:  

Pre-Hogwarts- 1st year: The Hidebehind.

2nd-4th year:The Dullahan. She saw him once before her grandad died.

5th year- onward: The Dullahan as Rakepick standing over her friends dead bodies

Riddikulus Form: The Hidebend turns into a monkey symbol toy. The Dullahan flees as her friends bodies turn into bars of gold.

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Pumpkins, Hot Chocolate, and the seaside.

Amortentia: (What do they smell?): Old books, Tea, and broom wood (Andre).

Patronus:  Dapple Grey Stallion.

Patronus Memory: Her older sisters taking her, Sean, Bryn, and Jacob to feed the ducks.

Mirror of Erised: Depends. As a child and 1-5th year its her family together again. Later its herself, secure in her relationships with those that love her and not needing the ones that don't.

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Incendio: Hecate likes fire more than she should.

Bombarda: See above explanation.

Alhmohora: Hecate is like a cat. If a door is closed, she wants in.

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim:

Adult/Teen- Molly Quinn

Voiceclaim: Christen Mooney

Game Appearance:

Height: 4 ft 10

Weight: 94 pounds

Physique: Wiry build.

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Copper Red

Skin Tone: Light

Body Modifications: Gets her ears pierced and that's it.

Scarring:

Long Thin Scar on her hand from devil's snare in her first year.

Claw scar on her shoulder from her duel with Chiara.

Scars on her arms from where the Giant  Spider grabbed her.

Deep ugly scars on the back of both her legs from the Horntail.

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?): Wiggenweld Potion, Epilambanein Potion (a potion meant to treat Seizures),  an Adder stone she got from her sister Fiadah, creature treats, and a photograph of her and her friends.

Fashion: Really loves robes. When she has to wear Muggle clothing its usually either boring and practical or overly girly.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff

Affiliations/Organizations: Circle of Khanna, Hogwarts, and her family

Professions:

-  Becomes a Quidditch Commentator alongside Murphy McNulty after graduation.

- Teaches Herbology after Retirement.

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:  Flying, Charms, and Transfiguration.

Astronomy: T

Charms: E

DADA: AA

Flying: O

Herbology: E

History of Magic: P

Potions: A

Transfiguration: E

Electives:

Divination: T.

COMC: AA

Quidditch: Chaser alongside Skye Parkin. Later becomes a commentator alongside Murphy McNulty.

Extra Curricular: Quidditch, Sphinx Club, and Frog Choir

Favourite Professors:

Professor Flitwick: Hecate really looks up to and respects him. Cares a lot about his opinion, maybe even more than McGonagall's, and is afraid to let him down. One of three adults she trusts at Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall: Respects and fears the woman, has never lied when asked a direct question. The second of three adults she trusts at Hogwarts.

Professor Kettleburn: The man is, without a doubt, barking mad but he is sincere in his love for animals and for teaching. Hecate respects that.

Professor Trelawney: Doesn’t like her much at first. However she does help Hecate learn to manage her seizures and understands how hard Seeing can be. She reminds Hecate of her Great-Grandma.

Least Favourite Professors:

Professor Binns: He's so boring. Hecate learned more from Rowan, The House Ghosts, and the entirety of Ravenclaw House than from Binns.

Professor Rakepick: Distrusts her instantly. Hecate only does what she says so she can keep an eye on the woman.

Relationships:

Brother: Jacob ‘Danny’ Ames.

Misc Siblings: Sean Ames (Twin), Rubin Orn, Wren Ames, and Fiadah O’Faud.

Father: Henry Ames

Mother: Saoirse Ames (Maiden Name: O’Malley)

Love Interest:

Murphy McNully: Dates briefly for a month before breaking it off- Mutual loss of interest. They stay friends.

Andre Egwu: They both admire each other mutually and become good friends. They go on TWO DATES but don’t really realize they’re in love until Duncan Ashe is forced to explain it them, much to his chagrin.

Best Friends:

Rowan Khanna

-Ben Copper

-Liz Tuttle: They knew each other before Hogwarts. Liz was Rubin’s neighbor and they used to play gobstones together through a gap in the fence and they would explore both of their gardens together. Became much closer over their mutual love of animals. 

-Skye Parkin: 

-Murphy McNully: 

-Bill Weasley and Orion Amari

-Charlie Weasley: 

-Tulip and Tonks

Rival:

Merula Snyde: Mostly at the Slytherin’s insistence. Hecate is over competing with her and just wants Merula to be better.

Diego Caplan: He will Not Leave Hecate Alone Ever. 

Enemy: Rakepick and R.

Dormmates: (Who’s in your MC’s dorm with them?):

Rowan Khanna/ Skye Parkin after Rowan's death.

Chiara Lobosca.

Tonks.

Pets: A tabby named Freddie, a Europeon Horned Owl name Persephone, and a crup named Pagur Ban.

Closest Canon Friends: Yes.

Closest MC Friends: Robbie Donavan @amerrymystery

PERSONALITY:

- Loves Animals. 

- Good at thinking on her feet but is generally bad at planning. Better in the moment.

- Stubborn and overly blunt.

- Good at putting herself in others shoes, even if she doesn’t like them.

- Gets frustrated with her physical inability very easily. 

- Is a bit of a smart aleck and is very sarcastic.

- Blames herself for everything that happens after the first vault is opened.

- Teaches herself new things all the time and learns by doing.

- A hard worker and tends to be a workaholic. Like so:

- Well aware of her limits. Can and will ignore them.

- Brave. Isn’t afraid of anyone or anything even when she should be.

MISC

- Is closest to her older sisters and Bryn

- Originally wanted to be a Herbologist (Since Magizoologist and Keeper for the Holyhead Harpies were both out of reach due to her epilepsy) but fell in love with Commentating. Decided to do Herbology after she either retired from commentating or got sick of it, whichever came first.

- Jacob calls her Pip or Mouth depending on his mood. Fiadah calls her half pint. Rubin and Wren call her Redbird. 

- Wasn’t allowed to have her own pet growing up. Her Grandma (who lived with them up until her death in Hecate’s Seventh Year) had a pet spider named Shelob that HATED children and would often terrorize Danny, Sean, and Hecate.

- Adopted as many pets as she could when she got to Hogwarts, because her mother made the mistake of telling her she could have as many animals as she wanted once she got to school.

- Hecate’s great-grandmother invented the Epilambanein Potion specifically for the Ames family, as seizures after waking visions had been quite common for centuries.

- Hecate’s waking visions are terrifying and usually end in an epileptic  fit. Additionally, she often has nightmares. Fortunately, those do not end in a seizure.

- Pangur Ban can sense when Hecate is about to seize/have a vision and alerts her so she can take the potion.

- Joined Frog Choir because she thought there would be frogs. Merula teases her about it mercilessly.

Credit for the profile goes to @hogwartsmysterystory​