#corrective exercise

[osteopath12]

The Osteopathic Centre in Hong Kong offers a range of health and wellness services, including personal training, osteopathy, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation programs. Trainers here often work closely with osteopaths and physiotherapists to provide customized exercise plans that support recovery, injury prevention, and overall physical health.

For more details, you can visit their website at ochk.hk. Let me know if you'd like further assistance with specific services or trainers available there!

[inkskinned]

i love when words fit right. seize was always supposed to be that word, and so was jester. tuesday isn't quite right but thursday should be thursday, that's a good word for it. daisy has the perfect shape to it, almost like you're laughing when you say it; and tulip is correct most of the time. while keynote is fun to say, it's super wrong - i think they have to change the label for that one. but fox is spot-on.

most words are just, like, good enough, even if what they are describing is lovely. the night sky is a fine term for it but it isn't perfect the way november is the correct term for that month.

it's not just in english because in spanish the phrase eso si que es is correct, it should be that. sometimes other languages are also better than the english words, like how blue is sloped too far downwards but azul is perfect and hangs in the air like glitter. while butterfly is sweet, i think probably papillion is more correct, although for some butterflies féileacán is much better. year is fine but bliain is better. sometimes multiple languages got it right though, like how jueves and Πέμπτη are also the right names for thursday. maybe we as a species are just really good at naming thursdays.

and if we were really bored and had a moment and a picnic to split we could all sit down for a moment and sort out all the words that exist and find all the perfect words in every language. i would show you that while i like the word tree (it makes you smile to say it), i think arbor is correct. you could teach me from your language what words fit the right way, and that would be very exciting (exciting is not correct, it's just fine).

i think probably this is what was happening at the tower of babel, before the languages all got shifted across the world and smudged by the hand of god. by the way, hand isn't quite right, but i do like that the word god is only 3 letters, and that it is shaped like it is reflecting into itself, and that it kind of makes your mouth move into an echoing chapel when you cluck it. but the word god could also fit really well with a coathanger, and i can't explain that. i think donut has (weirdly) the same shape as a toothbrush, but we really got bagel right and i am really grateful for that.

grateful is close, but not like thunder. hopefully one day i am going to figure out how to shape the way i love my friends into a little ceramic (ceramic is very good, almost perfect) pot and when they hold it they can feel the weight of my care for them. they can put a plant in there. maybe a daisy.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

hope you feel better soon!

I am riddled with ailments, but I stay silly!

[scealaiscoite]

bodyguard/protectee prompts ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍊 ꒱

-ˏˋ. dialogue ˊˎ-

⋆ “um, look- i know i’m only meant to be here for you in a professional capacity, but if you ever need anything i’m here for you.”

⋆ “come on, just admit it- i’m starting to grow on you, aren’t i?”

⋆ “since when does your job extend to giving me relationship advice?” “it doesn’t, but i wouldn’t be able to live with myself if i didn’t at least try to tell you how much more you deserve than that idiot.”

⋆ “don’t tell your coworkers, but you’re my favourite.”

⋆ “i know it’s like your job or whatever, but i- i’ve never had anyone protect me like that before. so, uh- thanks, i guess.”

⋆ “don’t worry. i’m not going to tell anyone that my big bad bodyguard like to be the little spoon.”

⋆ “i think if you let people see this side of you more often, you wouldn’t have any need for me.”

⋆ “we’re gonna be in this car for eight hours! you’re not gonna combust if you speak to me more than one word at a time.”

-ˏˋ. actions / scenarios ˊˎ-

⋆ while the protectee is in the process of overworking themselves, the bodyguard reluctantly steps in to make them take a break

⋆ after an event that shakes the protectee, the bodyguard silently takes their hand and doesn’t let go until they’re safe again

⋆ the bodyguard gets injured in the process of coming between the protectee and a physical threat and, in a panic, the protectee fusses over them as they gingerly tend to their wounds

⋆ after overhearing a personal argument that leaves the protectee upset, a very out-of-their-depth bodyguard tries their best to comfort them

⋆ whilst trying to cheer up a downtrodden protectee, the otherwise stoneyfaced bodyguard divulges the first pieces of personal information they’ve ever given to anyone on the job

⋆ during an overnight protection detail, the bodyguard finds themselves keeping company to an insomniac protectee

⋆ one finally building up the courage to ask the other out on a date once their professional relationship is over

[autisticaradiamegido]

what if you were evil and drew tall thin rose and short chubby kanaya? just a glimpse into my twisted mind.

way ahead of you anon

day 289

but a concept worth revisiting i think!

[viktorarcanedeservesbetter]

more modern au headcanons for @now-thats-an-oof

first one here

Jayce and Viktor's favorite guilty pleasure is all the crime/science shows like CSI, Bones, X-Files. Stuff that requires a healthy amount of disbelief because it's more entertaining that way, rather than the shows that pretend to know science or are obnoxious about science. They used to have a drinking game, but after one episode of CSI Vegas they were so decidedly intoxicated + the hangover was enough for them to never play it again.

Also, their TV set is a projector against their wall. They also pirate everything, use VPNs. Neither of them pay for any subscriptions, all mooch off of Caitlyn's accounts when they can't find something they want or the quality being pirated isn't good. (Mel and Elora locked them out of their account)

They live in a studio apartment on the first floor right outside their University. It's nice, low-priced and they don't spend a lot of time in it anyways with school and lab work. Jayce's favorite feature is the fireplace, Viktor's is the spacious shower.

They do not use candles: sets off Viktor’s asthma. Instead they have a modified (by them!) diffuser with scents like eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender that helps with breathing + won’t set off an attack. (He still does his treatments, though! Just wants a nice smelling home.)

Ximena lives about forty minutes away; they visit her every weekend. When Jayce and Viktor first got together, Viktor was afraid to meet her (he has no family for Jayce to meet, and never got far enough in other relationships to meet parents) but she took him in instantly.

Now, Ximena insists Viktor come home with Jayce every time. Sometimes she even calls Viktor even when Jayce isn't there. She sends meals (as all moms do!) with them to take, but with the recipe card so they can make it together.

Adding onto that, Jayce cooks, Viktor bakes. Both have used Ximena's recipe cards often, but hers are just better (Jayce thinks she's hiding a secret ingredient, Viktor thinks she's magic) (one of them is right!)

Neither of them are big readers for fun, but both enjoy scientific journals, reports, short stories, as long as they aren't science fiction. Unlike with the TV shows, the bad science just annoys them. For fiction, Jayce enjoys adventure/suspense, Viktor enjoys mystery/suspense. Neither like horror, or romance-only, but enjoy a good slow burn mixed with their preferred genres.

Their greatest achievement was the modern version of whatever the distinguished innovators competition was-they both got to ride in a plane (1st class, paid for by the school!) to present their prototype for a water & air solar powered purifier to the country's top mechanics board. Mel (political science major, business minor (in Masters programs) also helped them register the patents and trademarks for it.

Speaking of Mel, other majors/minors include: Caitlyn (Legal Studies Major, Criminal Justice minor, undergrad) Sky (Environmental Science, Masters) Vi (Exercise Science major, undergrad) Elora (Business Analytics, Masters). Ekko and Powder are taking a gap year.

Jayvik have major beef with the barista at the coffeeshop closest to their apartment. Don't ask them why. (He hit on Vik in front of Jayce while also being ableist. Both of them cursed him out in their respective first languages).

Jayce and Viktor paint and sketch to unwind. Jayce sketches (likes charcoal pencils) Viktor paints (likes watercolors). Favorite subjects? Each other. (yes, they have painted and sketched each other naked.)

Failed hobbies of theirs include: crocheting (Jayce was slightly more successful, though the scarf he made for Vik was a little too long) Photography (somehow Viktor's fingertips make it into his shots, Jayce can never get the focus right) Dance (Jayce stepped on everyone's feet, Viktor only likes to sway and stand on Jayce's feet) Plants (?) (They are only allowed plants that can survive nuclear explosions now. Sky banned anything harder than a spider plant to care for from their home.)

Favorite Bar: The Last Drop (you know I had to do it). They (as well as their small group of friends) are the only academy students yet to be kicked out. Mostly for good behavior, but also because favoritism.

Things they don't fight about: Health, safety, opinions (they share most of the same ones anyways) family, friends.

Things they "fight" about: the right amount of sugar in a coffee, if Viktor needs wool socks, if Jayce needs to replace his work boots, the best kind of cookie (the great double-chocolate chip vs m&m cookie war)

The thing they actually fought about (serious version): Viktor accepting help/Jayce learning the right way to help him that wasn't diminishing Viktor's abilities. They fought for a week-still sharing a bed and eating together, working, but all silent. Finally when they came to an agreement-Viktor would stop ignoring the need for help until it was too painful to ask, Jayce would help by knowing the real signs, or doing just what Viktor asks him to help with, rather than what he assumes Viktor needs.

[lover-of-mine]

Probie Buck 🫶

[sebek-zigbolt]

Also also the 2 sleeping beauty true loves kiss moments we got: "I LOVE YOU LILIA" By malleus and using his magic with silver to bring him back from the dead "WAKE UP YOU SLEEPYHEAD" and silver getting ZAPPED by sebek to escape the deeper sleep of the darkness

[woennix]

When qBagi told qEtoiles "What are you even fighting? There's nothing to fight!" was an insane moment, bc qEtoiles has been protecting EVERYONE and fighting so hard, and it's always so disregarded by almost everyone like: "oh yeah, the code is trying to kill qEtoiles again? Yeah idk thats what they do". Like this man has been living to fight for almost all this time in the island (not just bc of the code but bc of dungeons, mobs, etc).

qEtoiles has been trying to also warn everyone of the code and at points been so worried ab it but quickly disregarded also... and he barely gets a thanks like DAMN give my boy some credit. So what qBagi said felt like almost the last straw to me in a way lmao, like how dare you? (/rp! just for a sec to the character)

I wanna make absolutely clear though, that I LOVE it, that scene was a real moment of "damn she really doesn't know" AND THATS THE POINT.

She's a really good roleplayer bc that created a really interesting and clear contrast of experience and morals. Also tbh, as a character qBagi is like, almost the only one that makes sense and is completely valid for her to disregard the code bc... well she literally doesn't know, but it was so direct it got my reaction before I could process lmao.

I'm so interested and it'll be fun to see how her morals develop and her views on qEtoiles and others in response too, bc I feel like their morals might seem the opposite, but qEtoiles is much more of a pacifist than he usually shows, as he said, he fights a LOT but only for defense. Really excited for the new dynamics that are forming with her character.

[wikagirl]

*shaking the dutch language by the neck* when het instead of de??? tell me!!!

edit: hey uuuhh this was just supposed to be a little haha funny vent post bc I got frustrated in the moment but everyone in the comments and reblog has been so nice about it and tried to help me?? 😭 thank you guys so much I honestly didn‘t expect this you are too kind

[manicpixiedreamguy]

The trans man's guide to singing (on T and other things)

Introduction:

First things first: I am a trans man on HRT who's studying to become a professional singer (not opera lmao, I'm studying modern singing) and all the information I'm providing comes from my personal experience and what my current teacher, who's been teaching me since I started T, taught and told me during my voice change. This is directed towards people who want to go professional because, again, that's my personal experience, but if you're reading this because you like singing as just a hobby, most of what I'll be talking about applies to you too. I might overexplain things because I want this whole thing to be understandable to everyone, including people who barely know what vocal cords and the diaphragm are; on the same note, I hope I don't end up sounding condescending and if I do, just know that's not my intention at all. I won't be saying anything about pre-T voice training because I never did that and giving the wrong advice when it comes to these things can lead to serious damage to people's vocal cords and throats, so this is strictly a singing through and after a voice change post.

The Basics:

The first thing you have to do is talk to your teacher and explicitly tell them everything about your situation (this applies to anyone, cis or trans: you've worn a back brace during your whole childhood? Tell them. You've had any kind of surgery on your nose? Tell them, and so on; they'll probably ask anyway). I know it can be hard and even scary when you're trans, but if you don't do it you won't achieve your goals; I remember going to another teacher when I was a semi-closeted teenager without disclosing I wanted to work more on my lower register and it made my dysphoria so much worse that I just quit after a few months and didn't try taking singing lessons again for years. And being straightforward helps with both finding a good teacher and finding a safe and positive environment by avoiding bigots (sad, but true). Being honest with your teacher is also crucial because when it comes to singing, it's very important to find positions that feel comfortable and don't physically hurt your throat and vocal cords (or any other body part that's involved in singing) in order to not train your muscle memory on movements that are detrimental for your body, and while no one can find them for you, you need to tell your teacher when something your muscles are doing hurts or feels uncomfortable. Singing is almost like doing sports as the vocal cords are muscles that can and do get hurt, and adopting the wrong positions can result in a less than ideal performance at best and in injury at worst. I can't really help with this though, because I can't tell someone else how to move their own body and how to flex their own muscles and I am not a teacher, I can just tell you to take it slow and that when something's right you'll feel it and when something's wrong you'll also feel it. And remember that something not working for you doesn't make you a failed singer or anything like that, it just means you haven't found what works for you yet.

Singing while wearing a binder:

I wanted to start with this first because I think it's very important. Back in the day I've read posts on the Internet saying you should not sing while wearing a binder and while I do get where those posts are coming from, not everyone can afford to not wear one, myself included (before getting my top surgery last year). At first I tried going to my singing lessons with a sports bra under a loose flannel shirt (that kind of pattern, along with checkered patterns, helps hiding curves) but honestly it sucked as I felt too dysphoric, so I had to come up with a solution. At the time I happened to have an older, more stretched out looser binder that I decided to relegate to the role of singing binder because it didn't do its job properly anymore as an every day binder, but if worn with looser shirts in warm weather and layers in cold weather, it was perfect for singing. It still hid my chest fairly well and wasn't as constrictive as a newer and tighter binder would have been. One important thing to keep in mind is that while wearing a binder your ribcage doesn't have as much freedom as it would have without one and while that does suck, don't beat yourself up if you notice that it's difficult to do some things. I've sung while wearing a binder for most of my life and you can make it work, it just takes time and patience. If you can/want to, you can just not wear anything underneath your shirt to sing, but personally I tried doing that like once and felt awful. And if you wear tape, I guess that would be the best option; I never figured out how to wear it so I have no experience with it, I watched video tutorials and stuff but for me it never worked and I still don't know what I did wrong, but if you do wear it, try going with that.

Singing after top surgery:

I'm sorry for what I'm about to say, but after top surgery you'll have to forget how you sang while wearing a binder and start learning (almost) all over again because it's a whole 'nother story: your posture will be better and your ribcage will be more free, making you able to hold notes for longer and breathe in more air, which means you'll have to do some adjustments. First things first, you'll have to wait at least a month after your surgery to sing again (that's what my surgeon told me but you should still talk to yours, even though I'd say that as long as you'll have to wear the post surgery tight thing I forgot the name of you should avoid singing) and you'll have to take things slow. I got my surgery in August 2023 and I'm still (re)learning stuff, so be patient because it's worth it, my ribcage feels so much better now and my posture has improved, making singing overall better and easier. The most important rule when it comes to singing is listen to your body. If something feels weird or wrong, stop, figure out (with your teacher if you're taking lessons) why it feels like that and try to fix it (again, with your teacher); don't push yourself too far/too hard, otherwise you could get hurt. This applies to singing with a binder, singing after surgery, and just singing in general. Trans, cis, doesn't matter: listen to your body. I can't say anything more about this because everyone's different so I don't think I should be giving tips as what works for me might not work for you, you have to figure it out yourself. Having a teacher helps and there are some things that are pretty much universal, but their body is not your body and there are multiple ways to do the same thing based on each individual's preferences, needs, and bodies.

Can I/should I take singing lessons while my voice is still changing?

Yes, it's actually recommended! I've already said it here, but a couple months before going on HRT I found out through another trans man singer's website that taking singing lesson during your voice change helps a lot, both with your technique and with your voice is general. For your technique, it's beneficial because otherwise you'd end up with a completely different and untrained voice all of a sudden, making it harder to get back into singing and harder to find new positions that work for you, and for your voice in general, it just make the change easier. I have recordings of me singing and talking that I made each month as my voice change progressed and while my singing voice was a mess, some months literally changing every week (not necessarily going lower and lower each time, one week I'd be a baritone and the week later I'd be a tenor for some reason, then back to baritone and so on), my speaking voice rarely cracked. No idea if it's related to me taking singing lessons since the beginning but I'm saying this regardless just in case. For reference, I started T on August 4, 2021 (on this exact same day three years ago!) and started taking singing lessons the following month, so I've basically trained my voice during its entire journey.

Oh no, my voice change is a mess!

Worry not! It's totally normal and there will be lots of adjusting to do and what works for one week or one month or any other period of time probably won't work anymore as your voice keeps changing (especially when trying to switch from your regular voice to your falsetto, as your muscle memory was trained to switch at/on a different range), that's frustrating but, again, normal so don't panic if a position you adopted for a few weeks suddenly doesn't work anymore and you'll end up sounding like a hairdryer with no sound coming out of your mouth. Actually, sometimes what my teacher and I call the hairdryer effect isn't even a matter of positions, sometimes during your voice change you just won't have some specific notes and your voice will break instead but again don't panic, the notes will come eventually. While my voice did drop pretty fast, it took me around two years to finally get a full range (in my case the missing notes were exactly in between my regular register and my falsetto register, making switching between the two a pain; I think it's actually how it is for everyone in general but I'm not sure as I am just me y'know). Also my teacher told me most guys' voices will drop very low for a while and then stabilize themselves on a higher speaking range and while it kinda didn't happen to me according to her due to me being a bass-baritone and my voice stabilizing itself on a much lower speaking range, that's the average experience. Anyway don't worry, your lower notes aren't gone, you still have them but you'll have to work a little more than you used to to hit them.

Figuring out your range and type:

I'll have to tell you about voice types, ranges and classifications first. There are many different voice type classification systems, none of which universally applied (music is messy), so I'll go with the basic operatic six types one that I grew up with and that most people use. From highest to lowest: soprano, mezzosoprano (also known as just mezzo), contralto, tenor, baritone, bass. Those are the main groups, but there are subcategories as well, such as countertenor (sometimes considered a main group for some reason, no shade though) and bass-baritone (my voice type! 👋). If your voice's done changing or if you are pre-T, figuring out your range and type will be quite easy but if your voice is still changing, don't worry about it, you'll just have to check what it's up to from time to time until it'll be done and it'll settle on its final range and type (me and my deep ass voice had to go through almost the entire male range spectrum in like a year and a half so I'm speaking from experience here). An important thing to know is that pitch isn't everything as there are many other characteristics that together define and categorize a person's voice, and that voice range and voice type are two separate things as well; your vocal range doesn't define your voice type on its own because voice types are more about where you feel more comfortable singing rather than what notes you can hit (which is what defines the range of one's voice). To have an idea of what you'll probably sound like after your voice's done changing, you have to see what you sound like pre-T. The length of the vocal cords plays a huge role in this: the longer the vocal cords are, deeper the voice is; testosterone puberty results in elongated vocal cords, so if you've always had longer vocal cords like in my case, your voice will be on the lower end of the spectrum. As I just said, I had a pretty low voice pre-T, as I was a contralto as a preteen (I sang in a choir from age nine to twelve, started as a mezzo but then my voice started dropping around eleven years old), and therefore have a pretty low voice now, as I am a bass-baritone (a subtype of both the baritone and the bass types; the term refers to a lower baritone or a higher bass that can sing both and I am a lower baritone but usually sing bass because it's more physically comfortable for me), because I have long vocal cords and that's it; and while there aren't many studies about the exact role of genetics in the developing of the human voice, I sound eerily similar to my father so here's that.

Don't think that starting T sooner would have given you a deeper voice because I started it at twenty and while I acknowledge that's still fairly young, my first puberty was (sadly) already done and yet my voice is deeper than most cis men's (both statistically and anecdotally speaking). You can start whenever and it won't impact how your voice turns out. And if you're thinking about starting to smoke to make your voice lower: don't. I'm a former smoker myself and while I don't make a fuss about people smoking because I'm European, it's just counterproductive from a logical standpoint. Though one thing about singers is that, just like doctors, we smoke; when you meet a singer there's a high chance they're a smoker and if they aren't there's a high chance they used to be, no idea why. Anyway, don't smoke because it's not worth ruining your voice and lung capacity over and it's also not recommended at all while on testosterone (I smoked very little, like a few cigarettes every two weeks or sometimes even once a month, and my endocrinologist still told me to quit because my blood tests were a little messed up because of that). While it's best to go to a professional, there are YouTube videos that illustrate how to find your vocal range if you want to do that on your own or only plan to sing as a hobby, so I won't say anything about that. What I will say though, is that you should warm up first (always warm up first at least a little no matter what you do, especially if you plan to sing in the morning; even just talking out loud for a while can count as warming your voice up) and if you want to find out your range on your own please use the aforementioned YouTube videos, I've watched and even used a few back in the day and they'll tell you exactly how to do things right, don't just start belting out note after note until your voice is straining and uncomfortable because you'll get hurt (I want to make clear, as I've mentioned the possibility of getting hurt in the previous paragraphs, that getting hurt when it comes to singing ranges from having a bit of a sore throat for a while because you didn't drink water before performing to permanently ruining your voice and losing parts of your range because you tried metal screaming with no training so yeah, be careful).

Useful exercises:

In my experience the most useful exercises to do during a voice change are interval slides with the classic, iconic brrr (that I had to look up the name of because I swear no one, not even one singer, in human history has ever called it by its proper name: lip roll; I'm leaving the brrr thing instead of editing it out because it's funny) and some basic hear it and sing it. Also my teacher and I found out, during a phoniatrician check-up I did while my voice was still changing, that singing big jumps between notes helps a lot, even though I have no idea why. Basically, get a piano or keyboard (here's a link for a virtual piano if you need it), play random notes, and sing; it's important for you to switch between your modal (what I've been referring to as "regular" in this post) register and your falsetto register. I suck at explaining things, but this is what you have to do: play one note, sing it, then play the next, and so on. Additionally, I went through my text conversations with my teacher back when my voice was at the beginning of its journey and found the links to three videos we used a lot at the time, so here they are: this 10 minute vocal warm up, some beginner bass vocal warm ups, and some other bass-baritone vocal warm ups. If you go through these channels you'll find other exercises for other voice types and ranges as well. I recommend using jazz singer Judy Niemack's recordings (playlist linked in the above paragraph) because those are the one I used and still use. Your range and voice type don't really matter, you can either harmonize with her or sing in your comfortable range (in tune!) (or not in tune if you're doing this as a hobby I guess, I'm a singer not a cop) (but ear training is fundamental if you want to go professional, so: in tune!).

Alright I think I explained pretty much everything, but if you have questions don't hesitate to ask! I'll be more than happy to answer.

[mistfallengw2]

Full GW2 Commander Asks for Vesska

1. Which dragon scared your commander the most?

Mordremoth. They were already shattered by the fact that all sylvari were born as his minions, and finding out that he could turn so many friends and allies into enemies on the flip of a switch was beyond terrifying, especially as that included the one person Vesska ever felt seriously in love with. They religiously held onto the belief that Trahearne would resist the call until they found and saved him, because they had to keep up appearances for the Pact's morale and they couldn't afford any hesitation in how they handled things. In a way they were right, but having to hurt him in order to free him left an emotional scar on them as big as the damage the dragon did on the Firstborn. That fear of the Jungle dragon never left Vesska until IBS, when Aurene was able to figure out what was happening to Trahearne as he slipped in and out of longer and deeper slumbers. After that, the fear turned into anger because of what their lover could end up turning into because of the dragon... and themselves.

And then, technically, there was the Dragonvoid.

-

2. Who is your commander closest to now?

Vesska was the champion of both Aurene and Vlast, and that kind of bond went beyond closeness, as getting branded by Aurene to save their life meant they could be as one with either of them whenever they wanted to (the connection to Vlast was weaker but of the same kind). In terms of regular relationships, as of EoD it was Braham (romantic) along with Kasmeer and Marjory (platonic), though certain things they kept only for Caithe's ears (whatever they had going on + minions).

As for the Tyria they're in now, no one. It's not safe to reveal themselves as what they are, let alone bond with anyone, so they never stay in one place for long.

-

3. Who was your commander closest to prior?

Trahearne was the first person they really let in, and other than the whirlwind of emotions during courtship and actual dating, he was their closest friend and confidant for years. Even after HoT, whenever they were able to catch him awake, Vesska would spend the day telling him everything that happened since the previous time, and he was always able to reignite their confidence. Or at least that was it, until his slumbers became too long for them to do more than sit or rest by his side for hours, hoping to catch him awake for even just a minute.

-

4. How does your commander remember the fallen?

Back in their Tyria, they lost few they truly cared about, so it was enough to visit the memorials for the Pact troops and civilians they weren't able to save. Almorra was the one they struggled with the most, but avenging her and keeping her memory alive helped.

Now, in a foreign Tyria with nothing to remember their original one by, they can only try to keep the memories alive. Visiting memorials was usually a grim surprise at first, especially Trahearne's, but they regularly go and pay respects to all their friends, mourning them there and in the whole Tyria they couldn't save.

-

5. Which death caused your commander the most grief?

Definitely Vlast, as Vesska and Aurene were forced to kill him after he was corrupted by the Dragonvoid. Sensing his pain and thoughts as if they were their own as the decline happened was excruciating, and there are no words to describe what the two siblings felt as they fought and mercy-killed their brother, knowing they couldn't do otherwise and were also likely ruining their chances of survival later on.

-

6. If your commander could revive one person, who would it be and why?

They don't know. There are too many and some of them are even alive in the foreign Tyria they are in now, but they're not the same person they knew. Heck, even Vesska is no longer the same person, and dooming someone else to a whole different existence along with them would be far too selfish to even consider.

-

7. How does your commander feel toward their position of power? / 16. If given the chance, would your commander give up their fame and power? If so, why?

It was something they enjoyed both selfishly (they liked the attention) and selflessly (they knew they could handle the responsibilities and help others better than most). Definitely had its big downsides, but they knew their way around it due to their upbringing and they could do more that way, so they played the part as if it was all perfectly fine. Back in their Tyria, it would have been highly unlikely for them to give it all up, especially without a good reason, as that was working out pretty okay for everyone. Now they'd give it up to go back to their Tyria even just for a moment, no hesitation.

-

8. Does your commander fear death?

Not really. If it had to happen, it'd happen, but they sure would have tried to make it happen on their terms instead of someone else's. As it were, the two times they were on death's doorstep they held on enough for help to arrive and survive to retry another day.

Now, not anymore. They wholeheartedly wish Aurene had allowed them to die with their universe, instead of saving them and leaving them all alone in the Mists. What good was it for, if they were bound to be useless to the Tyria they ended up in, unable to save others as they had saved themselves already?

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9. Does your commander believe they’re on the right path?

They used to believe it, as everything they personally did ended up being "right". Now they believe that their legendary luck doomed their entire Tyria, as if it was some fucked up joke of the Eternal Alchemy's balance.

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10. When alone, how does your commander handle grief?

Thanks to their luck, Vesska didn't really face much grief until HoT. Usually it was enough to just go and have fun, live a little, and they were fine by the next day, but sometimes it lasted no matter what, so they pretended it didn't bother them anyway.

Their safe place ended up becoming Trahearne's side in the Grove. If he was awake, he'd be able to help them work through it and comfort them, otherwise laying down next to him in his "chamber" was enough to at least soothe their hurt. Pretty ironic, given that their biggest source of grief up until almost the end of their Tyria was his fate shrouded in questions and doubts, the one they selfishly had a hand in making by refusing his request to die before Mordremoth made him his vessel.

Now, Vesska doesn't really "handle" their grief, because it's almost all they feel. It gets messy sometimes, and the most well-adjusted thing they can do about it is to take it out on the first ruffians or aggressive creatures they come across.

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11. What is the proudest moment your commander has experienced?

Seeing their siblings ascend. It was bittersweet to be left behind for a while, but that was Aurene's and Vlast's moment and Vesska had done their part by helping them get there.

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12. How does your commander feel about Braham?

[note: Braham's story in the AU is very different, as Eir doesn't die because Vesska saves her against all odds, yet she is still left disabled and healing/adjusting to her new life is a rough process. Due to various different circumstances, his temper tantrum directed at the Commander doesn't last that much, he is more present in the story and he doesn't become Champion of Primordus in IBS]

Initially Vesska thought he was just a brash kid who wanted to prove himself and idolized a successful figure like the Commander, and it was a pretty normal friendship until one-sided feelings bubbled up on Braham's side and they had to draw a line in the sand about it. Things seemed normal until HoT, but then it was rough to deal with someone who had a lot of growing up left to do yet was too busy grieving for the sorry health state of his mother, all while Vesska themselves was dealing with the terrible condition in which Trahearne was. Lots of back and forth in their friendship as stuff happened and they both reacted to it, but once Braham managed to catch up on his own healing and Vesska had less on just their shoulders, feelings that were a lot healthier started to bloom for both of them. In IBS they managed to start a pretty good and balanced relationship, just in time to lean on each other as shit hit the proverbial fan in many ways. Overall, they love their big dumb norn, and him being fascinated by their transformation helped a great deal in adjusting to it.

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13. How does your commander feel about Caithe?

[note: Caithe's story in the AU is different during s2/HoT. While she does steal the egg initially, she spares a few words that change the situation slightly, and at the end of s2 Vesska does manage to convince her to let them go with her in the jungle for safety. Trust is still in short supply for a while, but Vesska allows her to keep the egg as a token of their trust, and while she has to run off at one point, she gets to redeem her initial theft at multiple points]

It's complicated (positive). They care deeply for her ("love" would require a more precise definition that can't be found in their messiness), she was the one who most comforted them about Trahearne (while also crossing the line a bunch, though it was not intentional and the line was never clear), and they don't know what they and Aurene would have done without her (Vesska was more suited for being an older sibling to the hatchling, while being a mother came natural to Caithe). Becoming both minions of Aurene made things even more complicated, but honestly? That was okay in its multifaceted way.

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14. How does your commander feel about the dragons?

At first Vesska didn't feel like the threat warranted the terror everyone felt, not because it wasn't real, but because it felt like it would have been possible to fix things long ago if everyone did more than just reacting to the dragons' actions. In all honesty, a perspective they later admitted to be warped by their formative years spent in Lion's Arch and their guardian's attitude. They grew up particularly admiring Cobiah Marriner for his brave feats against Zhaitan and building that amazing city, and they were also proud of their people, who had survived losing everything and still made the most of the dangerous jungles no one else dared to call home.

When the chance to fight back against the dragons presented itself, it felt like destiny to Vesska, but they would soon learn that reality was worse than any tale could ever communicate. While their initial confidence and acts of bravery (that forged the myth of their luck) boosted the fledgling Pact's morale a great deal, they learned to be more calculating and ready for anything even as they took risks, and it paid off in the long run.

Becoming the sibling of two dragons opened them up to even more understanding of the elder dragons, and what was a just war against nature itself started feeling like having to put down rabid beasts who were too far gone. Necessary, but bitter.

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15. How has your commander changed overtime?

Physical changes aside (being champion of two dragons at once and then getting turned into a minion comes with those) and ignoring what happened to them after the end of their universe, they remained mostly the same from an outside view, as most of the changes were things they ignored as long as they could get away with it.

Starting out as a very talented and charismatic "nepo baby" progeny with an enviable track record that they topped off with the Snaff's Savant title, their first successes as Commander made them extremely confident in their abilities and full of themselves. What started off as just favorable innate talents and a positive attitude ended up becoming a myth of luck tied to them, and it became so much bigger than them that they ended up believing in it as well. Their ego built and solidified itself on that concept, and they were happy to be a ray of hope for others, but it was a bit of a facade for themselves as well, one they hid behind in search of comfort. After all, if they were actually doing the wrong thing, things would have gone badly, but everything was always going okay or even great, so they must be doing the right thing for sure... right?

HoT also marked a shift in their behavior, leading to their self-imposed fixation of having to be everywhere they could to keep bad things from happening. Granted, it seemed to work and they were proud of what they achieved, but deep down it increasingly wore them out.

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17. How many people truly know your commander?

Dragon siblings excluded, they never showed themselves fully to anyone. The closest are Trahearne, Caithe, Braham, Kasmeer, but all of them lack understanding of one or more facets of them.

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18. How does your commander handle stress? / 19. How does your commander unwind?

Parties and casual intimate encounters were their bread and butter for most of their career, and they felt no shame in it as it sure boosted morale for everyone involved. Goldclaw had a series dedicated to the Commander, not just one book, with their direct approval and occasional feedback session.

Now they just... don't unwind and barely handle it all.

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20. Can anyone calm your commander down, no matter what? If yes, who and why?

Trahearne for years, as mentioned above. Vesska doesn't even know why they fell so bad for him in the first place, they just did because he was as he was, and that translated to how easily they could calm them down. To them, he was just... peace and happy thoughts. Ironic, considering they're the heads of a military organization formed to vanquish the elder dragon of death, but one doesn't look a gift kirin in the mouth.

Aurene became another one who could calm them down very easily, but surprisingly, Vlast did it better than her once they got to know each other better. They often joked about how at first they could barely stand or trust each other (Vlast didn't really trust anyone, and from Vesska's PoV he was still a big unruly dragon they didn't know at all), but over time they were the only ones who could calm each other down (Vlast ended up becoming very good at making people reflect on their issues and come to a resolution, and Vesska used the fact he would not harm them no matter what to calm him down multiple times).

[sidetongue]

in love with my little crew

[badgersnouts]

do not believe the post-birth vaginal looseness male psyop. theyre just jealous we can at will strengthen our vaginal muscles with kegels and exercise where they can never hope to grow their penises

[battleclawed]

with kludd and gwen it's like. despite kludd's kludd-ness, they were actually close and did hold genuine familial affection for each other. i think Kludd As A Father would be like "well my dad sucked and i'm way cooler than him so naturally i'll be the Best Dad Ever." and since gwen looks so much like him and grows up strong, he sees a lot of himself in her, so he tends to spoil her (in his own detached, emotionally stunted way) because he sees it as righting the “wrongs” of his own childhood. he’ll praise her, but since it's kludd he subconsciously does it in ways that feed his own ego by attributing her successes to himself—"of course you did well, you're my kid", along those lines.

[bredforloyalty]

can somebody who has too much hope and joy transfuse some of it directly into me