#bathy time

[dimorphodon-x]

Done for my friend @idiotwithanopinion thank you for letting me help you design your character! This was quite fun ^v^

Information about this guy that he has provided to me below the cut (it’s mostly copy/pasted, but I hope you don’t mind that I edit a little bit only to try and smooth things out)

—

Fiddlecrunch grew in Epip before going to Meso to seek an education in Politics. However, during his time studying, he found a natural talent for memorizing and navigating the complex and often contradictory laws of the five Oardivian cities. With this talent, he'd finish his education in Law.

Fiddlecrunch finds himself going across the various cities, mainly Bathys and Abbyso, to defend a variety of clients. Many politicians believe him to be a mob lawyer due to his tendency to represent career criminals and drug runners, but in reality, Fiddlecrunch holds a strong belief that everyone deserves a fair chance in court, even the hardened killers. To clarify: he doesn’t usually argue for the innocence of hardened killers/career criminals, but to help them get out of criminal occupations through fair sentencing and rehabilitation programs.

He's relatively reserved in public but is known to become fierce and headstrong in Court. Rumors circulate on whether his altmode’s eyes are still capable of sight when in robot mode and if he uses them to keep a 360 degree view of the courtroom.

[memegetter]

Imagine you are standing with your feet in the deepest part of the ocean and with the top of your head at sea level. As the tide rises and falls, the difference in water level is roughly equivalent to the thickness of two, or perhaps three, strands of your hair. Now let’s travel down from the surface. We first enter the Epipelagic Zone, which takes its name from the Greek epi, meaning surface, and pelagos meaning sea. The Epipelagic Zone is also known as the Sunlit Zone because sunlight penetrates the water and brings life to photosynthetic plankton, which converts carbon dioxide into energy. The Earth’s rainforests are not, as some people have stated, the ‘lungs of the world’. The Epipelagic Zone is. It produces up to 80 percent of our oxygen. It is also home to 90 percent of ocean life, including the most recognizable forms such as whales, dolphins, fish, sharks and jellyfish. As we stand in our ocean and continue down, about halfway between the top of our skull and the top of our ears, we leave the Epipelagic Zone and enter the Mesopelagic Zone. This zone, like the others, takes its name from the Greek meso meaning middle. But we are a long way from the middle, or even the average depth of the ocean. The Mesopelagic Zone is sometimes called the Twilight Zone, because the last faint rays of light from a sun high in the sky, are fading by the time they reach the top of this zone. Vertebrates and invertebrates live here in darkness, with many of them swimming upwards at night to feed. Some plant life also survives here. On our submerged body, somewhere between the bottom of our nose and the top of our mouth, we leave the Mesopelagic Zone and enter the Bathypelagic Zone. Bathy means deep. This zone is in perpetual darkness. No plant life lives here. Some, water-borne organisms are luminescent to attract prey or a mate. Many species here are totally blind, and most live on the detritus that falls from the higher zones. Just below the bottom of our sternum, before we reach our navel, we enter the Abyssopelagic Zone. Abyss means seemingly bottomless. The water is high in oxygen, but low in nutrients. There is very little discernible life and the water is cold – about 37 °F or 3 °C. Chemosynthetic bacteria thrive near hydrothermal vents in the Abyssopelagic Zone. What fish and invertebrates do live here feed on these bacteria. This, in a sense, is ground zero in the food chain. To stand in the deepest part of the ocean we need to stand in one of the trenches between the tectonic plates. In our imaginary exercise, we are standing in the Mariana Trench, located off the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Trenches are extremely narrow. The one we are standing in, begins at our groin. In the 1950s, scientists began to notice distinct life in the trenches and started referring to them as the Hadal Zone. A Greek derivative again, but whereas the names of the zones above indicate where in the ocean they are located, the Hadal Zone was named to signify what. Welcome to hell. Let us begin our journey.

The introduction to The Frontier Below by Jeff Maynard is so hardcore!!

[darktapufifi]

5566 — Planet Ourea

Classification: Terrestrial Group - Tectonic Class - EuGaian - Paludial Gaian - Bathy pelagic

[See Resources for definitions/explanations, the post I got them from did some amazing work.]

This planet is located outside of the normal solar system, and its current location has been lost to time.

(Terra Quadrant - Māter Sector - 7° - 62° - 42°)

Terrain & Ecosystem: Boreal zone

The planet is almost entirely comprised of mountainous regions, the mountains made completely of rock, assumed at one point in history to have been the tectonic plates of the planet, but the truth has been lost to time. Between the walls of mountains there lies valleys, abundantly filled with life. Many of the valleys are filled with taiga forests and freshwater lakes, however there are some deciduous forests scattered amongst the coniferous taiga forests all over the planet amongst mountains. The mountains however only take up around half of the planet, the other half is an abundant and deep ocean, with some manmade sea stack island, as some of the more aquatic or recluse species and individuals refused to move on land or to live in the mountains.

Social Climate: Democracy

many of the areas inside the openings in the mountains lack any land to begin with, which is why they've probably adapted a way for sea life to get up to said cities, like a water elevator or smthin, or like a water proof teleportation pad

The planet adapted to the mountainous environments by building homes and cities along the mountainsides, where all walks of life lived from the sky to the land and sea. They built systems to get up and down the mountains, and even to get into the ocean from one point to another with ease, allowing ocean stacks to visit the mainland when needed. Due to the abundant resources and knowledge on the planet however, it became a supply point and rest stop, the economy boosted by the visitors coming and going from the planet. It was visited often enough that the space riders had an unofficial station located on the planet for any business they needed to conduct. Strict laws were set in place so the planet was not over harvested for its natural resources, and those laws were passed down and improved upon over thousands of years until they could have easily been considered sacred to the inhabitants of the planet, the punishment of violation often ending in exile or death, though everyone always had a vote in the matter, and all opinions were heard out. Many markets had currency exchange areas to allow those from other worlds to be able to purchase until there was a standardized currency declared and used widespread. Merchants and merchandise were subjected to laws to ensure regulation standards were followed when it came to the buying and selling of goods, but it was also to keep track on the resources heading out so they could abide by the harvesting regulations. They had a bustling economy and a diverse population up till the end.

Native race/species: Anthropoeidís

Also known as Beast Folk in layman's terms, the Anthropoeidís species is a group of highly intelligent organisms, akin to humans or critters, that originate from the planets oldest living species of animals, and evolved over thousands of years. The history of each different animal is passed down its species line to what was current day before the destruction of the planet.

Status: Destroyed - Necro Gaian

Annihilated by the Prototype. The cult laid siege to the planet, captured any inhabitants possible, then destroyed the planet. First flooded it with red smoke, then completely destroyed into rubble. Disrupted the ecosystem and killed all life.

TLDR: Planet core got pumped so full of smoke that it imploded.

Appearance & Map:

[See Resources for the site used to make the map.]

Space Riders AU by @onyxonline

~{ Resources }~

Planet classification —

Map making —

[angrymac]

Beyond all of the flaws that viewers and critics have already commented on, Velma just isn’t funny. The jokes don’t land, and probably 90% of the jokes are niche insults to very specific groups of people. I watched both episodes all of the way through, and I only laughed once (at the way Glenn Howerton says “Bathies!”).

I’d say that at its core, this show doesn’t work because the writers and creators very clearly resent Scooby Doo, and probably all animation. IP only works if the person making the IP has a respect and love for the original.

SBTB is a great example, because even though it was a parody and satire that heavily critiqued, teased, and called out the original show, there was an underlying love there. The show gave Slater and Jessie another shot at love while also having them grow individually in their respective arcs. Kelly decided to go to med school. Zack confronted his flaws and changed to support Mac. Screech got a beautiful tribute. And Lisa, although she deserved more screen time, was shown to be successful and living well.

Fans are smart. We pay attention to the little details and catch onto the nuances. We can tell if the people making the IP resent and disregard the original material, if they ever even watched it at all. And Velma is about as subtle as a chainsaw to the head.

[gumballavocadoharry]

Harry and River;

Bedtime routine:

It was striking 8:00 and River was dancing around to Spongebob episode, mimicking off Patrick doing a silly dance. "Alright, Rivie it's bedtime now." "But I'm not-" River was then cut off by a yawn. "Yes you are," I forgot yawns are contagious, "And so am I." I turned off the Tv and picked River up and took him upstairs. "First it's bath time, then we brush our teeth, then story then-"

"Milk and cookies!" River cheered. I gave way to a small giggle. "And maybe some milk and cookies."

I ran the bath, adding in extra bubbles and toys for River. He was in his room getting undressed before coming into the bathroom. River was wrapped in his teddy bear towel, holding it close to him. "Come on baby, let's get you into the bathie," I took the towel and tried taking it off him, only to be fought.

"No daddy! I'm a big boy," River turned away, "In fact, I can get in the tub myself." My heart broke a little more than it should've. "Are you sure?" He nodded, "But I used to change you!" I cooed, I gently pinched River's cheeks, "I changed your diapies!"

"Daaaad!" I was cut off by. And I thought River's threenager stage was over. I turned around while River helped himself into the tub. The splashes made me turn around. "Okay, how about Mr. Bubbles gets in on this?" I made the already overflowing bubbles in the tub, spill over as the mixture of watermelon scented shampoo and body wash only added to the chaos of the tub.

"I'm splash man!" River coupled that with a big splash in the tub that pretty much soaked me. He spotted my unamused look as I was drenched in 'Splash man's' splashes. "River, you're the one taking a bath," I upped my tone as not to sound testy. "Sorry daddy." He contrited. "Oh, I could never stay mad at my pooh bear." I cooed, while rubbing his head.

"No daddy, Imma big boy...." I pouted a little, "You don't wanna be daddy's pooh bear?" River pouted a little too. It was only then I could see just how much our reactions were alike; we shared a puppy dog pout. "I'm no baby!" He squealed. I sat my elbow on the edge of the tub and put my hand to my cheek.

"I know...." I drifted a little, "It's just.....this world can be so harsh..and keeping you a little baby is my way protecting you." Of course not really, but I did nudge my nose to River's own one. "I love you."

"Love you too dada." He flashed this toothy smile that gleamed innocence. "What harsh world daddy?" I gulped a little, eyes wondering towards the floor. "Mean people who'll hurt you for no reason....bad things....crooks, robbers....like the bad guys on tv except much worse."

River looked worried, "Will they eat all my cookies?" I couldn't help but gasp an awe. "No sweetie, daddy will make sure they don't....I'll protect you...forever,"

"Forever and ever?" "Forever. And that's a promise. With every living being and breath!" I smushed my puckered lips into River's chubby cheeks before getting him out of the bathtub and wrapping him in towel. "Go get into your pj's while I empty the tub."

My mind still flickered over the conversation with River I had. I cleaned the tub just....worrying, worrying about the dangers of the world; now and in the future. When River wants more freedom....I get scared. I want him to grow of course into this capable human being, but at the same time I worry about what might happen to him and how I don't want anything to hurt him.

Everytime I think of teenage River, all I can see is those big green eyes who look up to me, asking for a "cookie." I just can't help but kiss him all over his face and just wrap myself around like a thick shield that would defend him to the death of necessary.

After draining the tub, I met River in his bedroom where he was in his pajamas. I lotioned his body and then dried his hair off before plopping River into his snuggly bed and moving rexie in with him. "Who's ready for a bedtime story?" River raised his and rexie's hand/claw. "We are!" River climbed out of bed and snuggled next to me, making me wrap my arm around him.

"What do you think this story's gonna be about?" River scanned over the cover; a duckling, a cat and a goldfish all had umbrellas in their hands. "Playing in the rain?" I smiled, "Well, let's see."

River sucked his thumb through the whole story, eyes glued to what would happen next. "The end," I closed the book and turned towards River. "Wasn't that a great story?" He nodded looking sleepy. "I know what would help....how about some warm milky?" I cooed a little in my baby voice. I brought River up some warm milk in his favorite green and blue sippy cup with triceratops on it. "Are we all set?" I softly said.

"Yeah," River smacked, taking a break from drinking his milk. "And rexie has his milky too?" Rexie nodded. "Okay, well then that means it's time for my big ferocious dinosaurs to get their goodnight kissies." I pressed my lips to River's cheeks before pressing another one to rexie's. "Goodnight my little dino...." I softly trailed off, watching as River gently closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

I went back to my bedroom and silently sketched before my eyes became heavy and found myself drifting to sleep as well.

[nichenarratives]

Hurricane Heller 18

A Niche Narratives Fanficiton.

last | first | next

18 Lingering Complications

Commuters scurry to their destinations as rain hammers the pavements, the thin sheen of water on the pavement adding to a cacophonic drum devouring ambient city sounds, while umbrellas fight with gusty winds that would make Chicago envious. Cars move slowly through deep pools gathering at the edges of flooded streets, the voices and motors of those unfortunate enough to be outside lost to Mother Nature, her wrath reducing feline society to shadowy figures in the rain.

A dreary sky mirrored in soaking cobblestones intensifies an inherent darkness, casting the city in muted hues of gray or deep blues even lanterns cannot penetrate, fires struggling to swell in the damp air despite the protective glass casings. Only the brave - or those required to - traverse the streets that November evening in 1918, begrudging acceptance of their inability to master the weather unspoken in resigned eyes.

Mordecai Heller is neither of these, nor does he skitter to or fro seeking shelter. His approach on that Sabbath had been slow, his pace even and purposeful. His trench coat collar popped against the elements and head hung low to protect his glasses from the incessant rain, the tom had steadily set foot across city, stepped onto the porch of his childhood home and taken hold of the rusting door knob only to freeze there indefinitely, wide eyes staring at the old timber.

Rain continues to fall in sheets, pouring from the brim of his hat onto his loafers. Mordecai is saturated from head to toe; his socks squelch in his shoes, his suit is plastered to his slender frame beneath his compromised coat, and his hat is stuck to his temples around the rim. Water runs down his lenses, smeared by numerous attempts to wipe them on soaked clothes and vision subsequently blurred, but he can't turn that handle to let himself in, he simply can't walk in like nothing happened.

It's been two years, twenty-four months without speaking to his mother, with a single hug from Esther. Whatever rapport he had with them should rightfully be in tatters. He takes his hand from the handle and flexes his leather-clad fingers in the air, exhaling a shakingly heavy breath into the dark.

Mordecai has no more right to be here than a stranger now, a harsh realisation to have on the threshold of his childhood home, but a truth he must accept if reparations are to be achievable. Nausea swims in Mordecai's gut, possibility of rejection crawling from the depths of his psyche, strangling his confidence. He pulls his hand back entirely, hesitating on the precipice of decision until he almost flees the situation in a bid to be free of its anxious grasp.

"I miss you," Ester had whispered into the dark, her breaths warm in his shoulders, her arms tight around his waist. "We all do. Come home. Please."

Mordecai knows if he walks away tonight, he won't return for another attempt at reconciliation. Surrendering to impulse is always a slippery slope, something the tom saw hundreds of time at the tracks; a single bet becomes two, then four, then a dozen, until the debts rack up and they either pay up, or Mr Savage requests their pinkie finger on ice before they're dumped in the bay to rot.

It's a one way ticket to failure, relying on being stronger next week. If he's passed the buck once, it'll be easier to bet on that same crook horse over and over, until he returns to only delivering a weekly allowance, pretending an attempt to reconnect never happened. For better or for worse, it has to be tonight, and it's the thought that finally brings his fist against the cracked wood in three firm, swift knocks.

There's a slight within ruckus and the hall light flicks on. He holds his breath, soft footfalls drowned out by the beating rain so Mordecai doesn't hear them approach. Large ears drooped with excess water, pupils constrict and shoulders hunch against the driving rain as the door creaks open, bathing the porch in a warm orange that cuts through the grayscale night.

Warmth exudes from the open door, enveloping the soaked feline and suddenly very aware of how cold he is, Mordecai shudders and clutches his biceps, rubbing the muscles in a futile attempt to warm up when still being pummeled by icy rain. The figure pauses in the dry doorway; she's grown tall, and with hair pulled back into a thick braid, wearing an identical dress - likely the exact one he remembers - Esther is the splitting image of their mother, if not for their father's fully white muzzle and softer green eyes.

His breath mists before being swiftly swallowed by rainfall. A deep inhale sends fingers of ice through his chest so potent, he feels his bronchi contract in shock as he tries to greet his sister, his voice awfully strained and shaken by the cold. "I'd s-say good evening, but we both k-know its d-dreadful-"

She throws her arms around him, and Mordecai grunts in surprise, rocking back on his heels before her tight embrace pulls him back to the soles of his loafers. Rain continues to fall but Esther doesn't seem to care; burying her face in his sodden coat and clutching him tightly, she swiftly becomes just as soaked by the open heavens as he stands with arms hanging uselessly at his sides, aware of an uncomfortably heavy feeling building in his chest he can't identify.

The warmth of her body and loving gesture cuts through the resilient, bone-numbing chill. Despite knowing it's idiotic to stay in the rain, Mordecai tentatively hugs her back on the steps, a slender arm slipping around her waist while a hand cradles the back of her head, holding her to his chest. It's a natural affection, so rarely permitted to his younger siblings in times of distress but now, feels pertinent to offer after time spent apart, a reconnection of lives, of eternal souls.

"You came back," she eventually says, her voice muffled by his soaking coat and the continued downpour thrumming on the steps around them. Dark ears flicking forwards, the tom pulls back just enough to look down as Esther casts damp, olive eyes up. Wayward baby hairs stick to her face and her fur mats into soggy clumps, whiskers weighed down as they drip to bare feet. "Mother worried you'd left for good, but I… I prayed you'd come back every night…"

Mordecai frowns, causing rain to gather in his brow before it drips down the side of his face. She looks more vulnerable than usual with hot tears gathering in her eyes. Esther may be the more expressive of the siblings, but she'd stopped openly showing intense emotions following the tween anger phase. The tears take him off guard and bringing a thumb to her face, he tries to wipe them away, only to find her sodden fur swallows it as soon as it slides free.

"You're soaked," he observes, not realising how ridiculous of a statement it is until Esther's sorrow morphs into joy as she laughs, a sound so pure, warmth pools in his chest. He can't help but smile slightly; it feels good to hear her laugh again. "I suppose that's redundant, isn't it?" She buries her face in his sodden coat, the damp fabric muffling her giggles as she holds him tight. "It's pouring with rain. We should go inside."

"You're always meshuggeneh," she returns affectionately and apparently in no rush to go inside, squeezes his damp frame so tight he grunts with discomfort. "I missed you so much, Mordy."

Someone gruffly clears their throat and Esther practically leaps from him, emerald and olive eyes both snapping up to their mother's piercing gaze in the doorway. She looks older than Mordecai remembers; single silver hairs intertwine with her thick black braid now, the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth more pronounced, eyes hooded with exhaustion. It's as if the last two years counted for ten, which only intensifies the heavy feeling in his torso.

"Come inside, or you'll catch your death." 

Esther doesn't hesitate to obey, pausing once she's in the hall to cast him a last look before swiftly climbing the stairs, leaving drops of water and damp footprints on bare boards in her wake. Mordecai remains on the step, rain drilling into his shoulders and echoing off his hat, the air thick with a silence that's somehow more deafening than the relentless rain until she turns away, heading back for the kitchen.

His shoulders sag, his mother's rejection stinging his eyes. Mordecai takes a deep, steadying breath and immediately regrets it as the chill and damp invades his lungs. He raises a fist and coughs, his other hand clutching the stair railing for stability until the constriction of his airways recedes. All the warmth he'd regained from seeing Esther abandons him and he shudders, so viscerally alone in the rain, so cold left on the steps by-

"I said come inside," his mother repeats, drawing his gaze back to her tired face. She's half turned away, the stern lines of disappointment replaced with gentleness he recalls from his kitten years; affection without prerequisites, a mother's love for her son. "Come sit by the fire, Mordecai," she adds, her smile tinged with sadness. "And I'll make us some tea."

Sitting by the fire becomes borrowing a pair of his father's pajamas as his clothes are hung close to the hearth to dry, the faded flannel soft against roughly dried fur. Rose is ecstatic to see her brother and hugs him so violently, he almost falls to his side on the rug. Scolded by their mother for impropriety, Rose apologises, then excitedly runs off to retrieve her sketchbook and share the progress she's made in his absence.

Rose sits beside him on the rug until dinner, flipping through the hundreds of small sketches of flowers, butterflies, birds and even people from Temple. To begin with, he's idiotically critical of the small flaws to make her giggle, enjoying how it makes his chest feel light. By the end of the sketchbook he's honestly impressed by sketches though; they aren't simply recognisable, but have a spark in their eyes, as if they could hop off the page and fly around the room any moment.

"These are exquisite," he praises, flipping from a wren in flight to a butterfly resting upon a pansy, its petals drooping beneath its meager weight. He glances at Rose, who's flush is highlighted by the fire before she turns away bashfully. In an attempt to engage her without further embarrassment, he adds: "Did you draw these with your Bat Mitzvah pencils?"

The youngster rejoins the conversation animatedly then, explaining in detail how different grades of pencil create the differing depths and gradients of lines in each sketch. Soon enough, they have to put the sketchbook aside for dinner. Yet despite Mordecai being hastily added to the table and their portions subsequently smaller, conversation flows light and free around the kitchen. Awkwardness forgotten, former disputes left out in the cold, it's as if he never left.

Yet every so often, his mother coughs a heavy, wet cough, one that echoes around the kitchen and drags the air from their lungs in anxious anticipation, bringing an awful silence to the table. They fall silent and wait, sharing worried looks as their mother weathers each coughing attack with a tissue to her lips and a hand on her glass, preparing to take a sip of wine when it's over.

"It's since she got the Spanish Flu," Esther whispers as they clear the table, their mother already retiring to bed. "She got better, but the cough never went, and now sounds just like-"

She goes quiet as Rose returns with an empty glass, drying the dishes Mordecai offers in silence, but Mordecai doesn't need her to elaborate. His ear turns to coughing from the second floor, the same dreadful wet hacking Hannah hadn't the strength to endure, and the awful feeling in his stomach solidifies into guilt for being gone so long.

Yet he leaves that night reaffirmed of in his place within his family, and a plan forming for their wellbeing. He walks with calculations behind reflective spectacles and an index finger running along the sheath of the letter opener in his pocket. Memory of that wet cough echoing within his consciousness for days, but with it comes a renewed determination to provide by any means necessary, sharpening his focus on the final objective.

After all, he's just got his family back, and Hashem's plans be damned, Mordecai Heller will move both hell and Earth to ensure they don't have to endure another tragedy. 

[bear-momma]

I'm been wanting some little time all this week, and I finally got time today for it ^^

I took a bathy with bubbles and had some breakfasts. I cut my toasts into star shaped!! 😁 I think toasts taste better when in fun shapes 😋

Hope your day is going well ❤️

That sounds very tasty!! And nothing is better than a bubble bath. I'm so happy you got some time to yourself! ^-^

[azrielgreen]

I had a lovely hot bath last night and got to thinking how they are literally one of my favourite things in the world. Like a cup of tea, they fix everything. I was thinking about his heavily they feature in your fics and wondered if you were also a bath devotee?

Yes I absolutely am!! Baths are my special safe happy place and i make a HUGE deal of them. After I had kids, I really stopped doing nice things for myself without even realising it and as I slowly regained more time, rediscovered myself and started writing again, I had a bath again and it was so beautiful I cried. I hadn't felt that in almost a year. A little piece of myself that brought me such joy. So yes, I really am 100% a bathie for life. 💜💜💜

[iviarellereads]

Harrow the Ninth, Bonus Content, Pronunciation Guide

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

Similar to the one in GtN, titled "Naming Systems", but for this book's new characters.

John Gaius GUY-us NOTE: He's just some guy, you know? NOTE II: Gaius was not the name John was born with. He picked it for himself circa Y100 of his reign.(1)

Augustine - AWG-us-tin, not awg-us-TEEN.

Alfred Quinque - KWIN-kway.

Augustine and Alfred share an arithmonym. The implications of this were present at the time, but not as developed as they were later on.

Cassiopeia - Cass-ee-oh-PAY-ah. Nothing like her namesake in Greek mythology, "as she was honestly just a universally beloved and clever human being who made beautiful meals with the occasional finger error."(2)

Cristabel - CRIS-ta-bell, not "crees".

Pyrrha Dve - PIRRA DVAY (one syllable). Pyrrha has many connotations, but Muir's favourite is the disguise Achilles took in that name.(3)

Nigella Shodash - NYE-jella SHOW-dash.

Valancy Trinit - VAL-an-see TRIN-it. Derived from "valens", the same root as "valiant", an incredible cavalier name. Valancy and Cyrus both supported each other's belief that they were the most attractive people ever born.

Titania Tetra - Ti-TAHN-iya TET-ra.(4)

Loveday Heptane - LOVE-day HEP-tane.

Anastasia - An-ass-TAYS-iya, rather than an-ass-TAHS-iya.

Samael Novenary - SAM-ay-el No-VEEN-ary

Mithraeum - Mith-RAY-em. From temples of Mithras,(5) of course.

Noniad - NO-nee-add.

Enneameter - enny-AM-eter.

NOTE: The metre of Ortus's epic, The Noniad (Matthias hight Nonius his Deeds and Accomplishments), is dactylic enneameter.(6) This is the traditional metre for serious Ninth House poetry (as opposed to light lyric Ninth House poetry, which is written in enneasyllables(7) and doesn't exist). As befits a Ninth House metre, enneameter is long, ponderous, clunky, and sucks. Ortus sticks grimly to some of its most archaic rules.

Apopneumatism - apo-NEW--mat-ism

Admiral Sarpedon - Admiral (as in the rank) Sar-PEE-don.(8)

Abella Trine - A-BELL-uh TRYNE (like "mine")

Epirhoic - EPPY-ro-ic (the end of which rhymes with "heroic"). Here Muir notes "Rhoic, from the Greek "rhoe," stream or flow; epi-, "on top of," so it's on top of the stream."(9)

Mesorhoic - MEE-so-ro-ic. "Meso" meaning middle.

Bathyrhoic - BATH-ee-ro-ic, with a short "a" which Muir says is in "psychopath". "Bathy" means "deep".

Barathron - ba-RA-thron. Greek for "a pit". "Criminals were classically thrown into one in ancient Athens."

=====

(1) So, what name WAS he born with, and where did "Gaius" come from? (2) How much do we believe this? How much of this should we question? Is Muir revealing truths, or red herrings? (3) Given that she's now a woman in a man's body, in a sort of way, that's a rather interesting choice to refer to in this, imo! (4) I suppose I'd have written out a "not tye-TAY-nya" to supplement this, but it's entirely possible Muir's never encountered that one in the wild. (5) Mithras is a complicated but popular god to reference in fiction. And it's true, real-life mithraea survive to modern day and can be visited. We don't actually know much about the Mithraists because they didn't write their religion down, but there's a lot of guesses of varying skeptical-eyebrow-raising quality available to research if you want to see how deep the parallels might go! Or someone's probably made a post about it somewhere on Tumblr, if you dare risk spoilers. (6) Recall that I explained enneameter before! I completely forgot that this was here! So, "enneameter" meant "poetry with nine feet/groupings". Dactylic means poetry in which each foot consists of one long/stressed syllable followed by two short ones, named for the resemblance to human finger bones. No, that's not just a Ninth House conceit, it's our-world. (7) Literally just nine syllables per line. (8) This certainly gives new light to the John/Sarpedon shippers and Muir's restraint in not saying "PEED-on" is admirable itself. (9) Once again I forgot this was in the guide back here, as it wasn't in the glossary part when I checked that. Still, I found it pretty difficult to track down the etymology, though part of that comes down to search engines getting actively worse over the last couple of years. (I have receipts. It's not just your imagination, if you noticed it too, but this isn't the place to rant about that.)

[dimorphodon-x]

Heya! I have a couple questions about Oardivia.

1. Do Oardivians face functionism in some shape or form? Such as a mech with an Orca based alt-mode being denied to work in “higher classed fields”?

2. Are we allowed to make mentor ocs with charges? I know you mentioned a while back that there were less creations of charges but I’m not sure if we’re allowed to make ocs that are still being mentored.

3. How long are charges mentored? Are they mentored for two kilocycles like in IDW2, or is it a longer/shorter period of time?

4. Are Oardivians with bird based alt-mode able to travel down to lower levels? Mainly Epip and Meso? (I wouldn’t expect Bathys or Abysso.)

Sorry for all the questions but Oardivia is so interesting to me!! I’d really like to make an oc without doing anything disrespectful to your work.

1.

Oardivian functionalism is something I’ve thought about here and there, but not in depth yet. It would definitely be very different from traditional Cybertronian functionalism, there isn’t really a high/low caste alt mode like a microscope vs. tank. Appearance and origin is what often differentiate high class citizens from low class, high class being more fancy and delicate looking and low class being more plain and solid. Consider Royal Blue’s design (politician and Oardivia’s Leader raised in the rich city Meso) compared to Razorfin(ex-bodyguard from a not very impressive/rich background, raised in Abbyso). Both have whale altmodes, but are seen very differently due to their backgrounds and looks. Even if Razorfin was a well trusted guard with a friendly/selfless disposition, he was seen as lesser than other guards of more noble backgrounds, especially given that he was Royal Blue’s guard, which really didn’t help him. “A stain beside a pearl.”

Functionalism in Oardivia is still of course based on what each kind of altmode is capable of. For example, most race teams refused anyone that didn’t have a dolphin altmode. No sharks, no birds, no seals and certainly no whales.

It’s only relatively recently (within the last few centuries) that the first race team of whales was assembled, but even then, the only kind of whale that can join are fin whales.

This is only one of potentially many examples, but I may talk more about it if asked or if anyone wishes to share ideas and concepts on this topic. It’s not exactly a pleasant bit of lore, but still interesting to tackle and explore.

2.

Yes! Mentoring an Oardivian may take many many centuries. By this point charges that are still heavily dependent upon their mentors are very few. If you are still unsure, please feel free to contact me so that we can work things out for your ocs! :>

3.

Firstly, I wasn’t aware that it took 2 kilocycles (that’s 2000 years, yes?) for a cybertronian to be mentored! Nice to know!

The length of time one is under mentorship can vary a bit, but it can take a bit longer than than 2 kilocycles. Perhaps 3 or 4. Oardivians spend a lot of time learning and then perfecting various skills and abilities, and they can have many. Nearly half of most of your average Oardivian’s talents involve music, from various instruments to styles of singing. These things take a lot of time and effort to perfect.

4.

Those with flying bird altmodes don’t often travel below Meso, as they’re not as efficient swimmers as diving birds like penguins, who can travel down as deep as Abbyso if they so desire. Not many do desire to, so birds of any sort are pretty much never seen in Abbyso, while they’re a very rare sight in Bathys. Meso actually has a few residents with bird altmodes, such as Senator Crest Silver, though these individuals are rich high class mechs.

[roxannepolice]

Aaaw, what a perfectly well groomed little kitten with remote control yarn balls, ready to jump into bathy time in his favourite scented shampoo 🥰🥰🥰🥰

*tenth doctor's voice, rubbing his tummy: who's a good kitty? whooo's a gooood kittyyyyy?????*

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

they’re in love? They’re in love and smoke HYLICS WEED? Bathy says he knows a place and then leads you on a galliform ride into a desert and pull back a comically large bush to reveal his weed garden.

(It doesn’t say it anywhere, but these two are poly and sorta just date each other because they’re both wanderers relationships-wise. Neither plan to settle down with one person forever, they just date and spread love. Bathy and Daelimu are on the asexual spectrum and show love by sharing time with each other. They’re like polyamorus asexual buddies)

[aurora-light-blog]

The Private Life of Emperor Lo Doq and Empress Bathi Ma Lo

by Shella Longclaw

“They fell in love at first sight,” according to the scribes. The scholars believe that Lady Bathi Ma saw him as puppet to rule the empire with. The priests asserted the other princes rejected her as consort, while Prince Lo Doq kindly accepted her. Regardless of how it started out, the emperor and empress had a loving relationship as shown by the records.

Lo Doq was one of eight princes and not highly esteemed by his father the emperor. He wasn’t intelligent, gifted in music or art, nor could he wield a weapon. The Master of the Household mentioned that prince couldn’t bear to see anyone cry or in pain. It upset him greatly. The rumor at the time was that the emperor looked down upon his son, openly called him a lackwit, and ill-treated him with the intent of killing him. At age fourteen, Prince Lo Doq was confined to a pavilion with no servants attending to him and barely any food.

Despite this, Lady Bathi Ma chose to marry him and remained by his side during harsh conditions. His life wouldn’t improve until five royal princes died. At this time, he would marry his second wife, Lady Guri Le, the general of Jinqi’s daughter. He would marry a concubine from Tiqui. This was a highly controversial marriage. It would be like a Targaryen prince marrying landed knight’s daughter or a very rich merchant’s daughter. Like Westeros, heirs didn’t marry anyone without noble blood. His last bride from Carcosa would come after his ascension to the throne. He had four wives and nine children. It would be Empress Bathi Ma Lo who he would favor the most. They had five children together.

I should explain that he had nine official children. He and his empress adopted a daughter, Adopted Princess Shani, and Royal Consort Guri Le adopted a daughter too after giving birth to two sons. Though the adopted daughter of Consort Guri Le wasn’t legally the emperor, it’s said that he showed her love too. Emperor Lo Doq was considered a good father to all his children and adored them.

He especially loved his eldest daughter Kendi and wanted her to remain in the palace. Empress Bathi often argued with her husband about arranging his daughter’s marriage. Her younger brother had already married, yet at age nineteen Princess Kendi hadn’t been betrothal. The emperor refused all noble matches for her hand. Her marriage would be unique. She married a peasant soldier with the emperor’s blessing. The young man would be given a position of captain of the north palace guards. They would live in the palace.

Empress Bathi fretted that this would cause dissent among the nobility. However, the whole affair was viewed as a great romance and a wonderful story. The tale of Princess Kendi and her peasant lover became the story for well loved crane dances. The empress wished for her children to have politic supportive marriages, though the emperor only desired happy marriages. She endeavored hard to work within this restriction imposed by the emperor.

The empress often sought to serve in harmony and in support of her husband. Understanding her husband’s kind heart, she protected him from crafty men who would use this to their advantage. The emperor would give a mild reprimand as she would issue harsh sentences. The most ruthless sentence was given to her youngest son. He had insulted his father, so she ordered him to be beat a hundred times. Once the emperor heard of this, he promptly put a stop to it. This incident made the royal court fearful of the empress. If she could do this to her own son, they didn’t wish to imagine what she would do a stranger who vexed her.

They may have argued and disagreed. Still, according to the captain of the royal guards at the time, Emperor Lo Doq’s bed was the empress’ bed. He may have had relations with a wife or consort one night, yet he would go to his empress’ bed an hour or two later. The emperor and empress had pet junglefowls hen and rooster.

I disagree that the empress viewed the emperor as a tool for power. Records stated that she recommended not her own son, but Royal Consort Guri Le’s son as heir to the throne. After the emperor’s death, she never remarried and departed from the palace to a quiet life near the Five Forts. Emperor Lo Yas praised both the emperor and the empress.

[jimothystu]

this has been in my draft for uhhh too long lmao here are my thoughts on the sens season end medias. I was going to finish it by adding my thoughts on the goalies and then coaching media sessions but that did not happen so. incomplete and it's mostly me yelling about the vibes of this team

dmen

chabby, timmy, and brady all saying this year was the most fun they've ever had??

sandy getting to be besties with hammer and holden???

i am yet again shocked at how chych sounds. he just. does not look like he sounds like that. but more importantly. the first roadie with the sens, they had dinner and then all ended up back in his room?????? three guys on the bed, two on the couch, g and brass on the floor all of them just hanging out watching a show????? this team is just. so close. "I just love the group so much." OKAY YEAH CRYING NOW.

extend branny for fucking ever he's a gem.

hammer is so well-spoken. every time he has an interview i'm just. in awe at how in-depth and how like, genuine his answers are and not just generic ones. "My thoughts on Jake, how much time we got?" SO PROUD LIKE A BIG BROTHER. "All-star level player" "Should win the Calder" "Norris-level". holden also helping out a lot of the young dmen in the room and having a huge impact on jake's game :') SO eager and willing to come back and play more years with the sens. having the funnest time to the point where his mom and wife commented how happy he looked this year on the ice!!!

holden also so proud of jake!! but not coming back :/

forwards

captain brady!!!!!! being brutally honest about everything. the way he talks about g 🥹 the hopeful one two punch of timmy and josh!! proud of piner!!!! the PRIDE brady has in his entire team!!!!!!! mentioning the wedding 😭😭😭 praising dj and how amazing he’s been for the young players and (i think) wants him to keep being their coach! MORE PRIDEFUL COMMENTS ABOUT THE TEAM!!! HIS LOVE FOR AND BELIEF IN THE TEAM!!!!!! saying how much they felt the support of the fans this year 🥹

g and timmy playing pickle-ball 😭 g mentioning again how fun it is playing with the sens!! saying timmy’s great with gavin “they love playing with each other” “makes you feel like a family” SOBBING.

“special group in there” timmy also reiterating how amazing the vibes of the team are! his maturity about how it isn’t always about points, it isn’t always about how many shots you had - it’s about the team win. timmy and g being so competitive with games! timmy hating losing!!! SORE LOSER TIMMY! but also saying how important g is! how much of an influence he is and how much he helps brady leadership wise!! also talking about the importance of taking things game by game - again, his maturity and understanding of it all! praising piner! also commenting on how good dj is for the players. GIGGLING ABOUT BRADY CALLING HIM OUTRAGEOUS!!!! “he always took care of me” WE KNOW HE SPOILS YOU ROTTEN. “he wasn’t that funny before” TIMMY.

“they’re my good buds” shane 🥺 HE USED TO DRAFT G ON HIS FANTASY TEAM WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER XIWNDUANDIANK

the amount of “uuuumm”s brinksy uses— open to a long term contract! mentions how everyone spitballs ideas and how the coaches are open to what the players feel and think - good vibes!!

bathy gave pretty generic answers, but still seems as driven and eager as the other guys to do better and play well next year. G was his favourite player growing up!!!!! so many of the younger guys just adore him

“good, everything’s good. weather’s good” josh djwnduandjansk. being able to get back on the ice in a monthish!!!!!!!! god i hope he stays healthy next season. says how supportive everyone was and how it’s a “good group here”! THE VIBES OF THIS TEAM. “he’s (timmy) a special kid” 🥹 he bought a fucking keyboard “it’s not going too good” jdnshxnsjxn. he’s just. jdnwjdnajsn “other than that (almost losing forsy’s dog) not much” “i wouldn’t recommend you giving me your dog” “it was like a movie” JOSH. I LOVE YOU.

watty makes me happy. he gives fun uncle vibes. but had a broken foot for a MONTH but kept playing????? maybe not coming back, but would be open to it! i hope he stays. i appreciate how open and transparent about that and how jarring it was to move to ottawa in 2020. thinks g is one of the best players he’s ever played with 😭

[got-peaches]

Time for a lil bathy bath

[writerfae]

Babysitting

Talon looked down at the baby in the cradle, who began to stir in his sleep.

The baby’s face held a rather displeased expression, his nose scrunched up and eyes squinting.

Talon had watched over Aiden’s niece and nephew often enough to know exactly what that meant.

“Aiden,” he called over his shoulder. “I think we have to feed Tamlen. He’s making that face again.”

Aiden’s voice appeared from the bathroom.

“Could you do that? We’re still not done with bathi- Celi please, hands off of the shower head.”

A small shout that sounded a lot like Aiden was heard from the bathroom, followed by a laugh from Aiden’s niece Celene.

Talon chuckled to himself.

“I will,” he said, making his way to the kitchen. “You try not to water the whole bathroom while I do.”

Aiden pointedly ignored the last part of the sentence. “Great! Tamlen’s baby bottle should be next to the sink.”

“I know, it’s not my first time babysitting at this house.”

He couldn’t see Aiden, but he could almost sense the other boy rolling his eyes at that, even from two rooms away.

With a quiet hum Talon grabbed the little blue bottle and prepared the milk.

If someone would’ve asked him how he’d spent his Saturday evening, this was not exactly what he imagined.

But Aiden’s brother and his husband were invited to dinner somewhere and as always, Celene had insisted to be watched over by no one else but her uncles.

Not that Talon would mind. He liked Celene and he liked baby Tamlen too.

Also, it didn’t matter to him how he spend his Saturday, as long as Aiden was there.

True to his suspicion Tamlen soon started crying for food and Talon tested the milk’s temperature like his sister once taught him, before making his way back to the living room, baby bottle in hand.

He lifted the crying bundle out of the small bed and laughed as he watched Tamlen greedily latch on to the bottle, eyes wide.

“You were really hungry, huh little guy?”

The concentrated expression on the baby’s face as he emptied the bottle reminded him of whenever Aiden got his hands on a piece of apple pie and Talon couldn’t help the fondness he felt, both for his boyfriend and the baby in his arms.

With a smile, he carefully rocked Tamlen back and forth, watching him drink.

Then he looked up and there was Aiden, leaning against the door frame with a freshly bathed Celene in his arms.

In his face Talon saw reflected the same fondness he felt earlier and he colored a little.

“Uncle Talon is red,” Celene pointed out (not so) helpfully.

Aiden laughed and Talon did too, if only to cover his embarrassment.

“And you are all clean now, I see,” he tried to change the topic. “Did you enjoy your bath?”

Celene nodded excitedly. “It was funny!”

“At least for one of us,” Aiden mumbled.

Only now did Talon notice that his boyfriend’s clothes were drenched with water.

Talon grinned. “You were supposed to bathe her, you know. Not the other way around.”

Aiden pouted at that. “Tell that to Celi, she splashed all the water on me. And now I’m cold.”

The little girl in his arms giggled. Then Celene leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Celi’s sorry, uncle Ad,” she said innocently, even though Talon wasn’t so sure if she truly meant it.

But the little girl knew exactly how to get to her uncle.

She had him wrapped around her little finger. All of them, if Talon was honest with himself.

“You’re forgiven.” Aiden peppered her cheek with kisses, making the girl squeal delightedly.

Talon almost felt jealous watching them, though of course it would be stupid to be jealous of a toddler.

“Uncle Talon want kisses too,” Celene noted and Talon wondered how this little girl was able to read him so easily.

Maybe it was because she was related to Aiden.

Aiden grinned smugly. “You think so?” he asked Celene, who nodded.

“Well then we won’t deny him that, huh?”

He set down his niece and made his way over to Talon, who was still holding Tamlen in his arms, who had fallen asleep again.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping baby, Aiden leaned forward to kiss Talon’s cheek and Talon’s face heat up all over again.

Celene next to them giggled, a hand in front of her mouth to not wake her baby brother and Aiden, too, smiled, looking satisfied with himself.

“Alright, I’m gonna go change. And then, who wants dinosaur nuggets?”

Talon exchanged a look with Celene, then they both grinned. “Me!”

*

modern au masterpost

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