#despite some misunderstandings they still respect and help each other

[vilochkaaa]

the sillies :p

[mikuni14]

Cherry Magic Thailand - Ep 6

When in the previous episode Karan decided to publicly declare his love and put Achi in an awkward situation, I was, I admit, very dissatisfied. Plus it was very out of character with the Karan we knew.

I SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED THIS SERIES MORE. I hereby express my remorse for not believing that CM could maintain character fidelity and continuity, and for believing so easily that the series could hurt me and its characters

In my defense, I will only say that all the series I watch now have disappointed me and betrayed their characters at some point, so there was no indication that CM would be any different in this respect.

Karan, my beloved, what a guy! He can even make his own declaration of love, not about a himself, his own feelings, but about his beloved and his comfort 🥺 He doesn't say that he loves Achi and expect a response from him. Karan treated his confession as informing Achi that his feelings could hurt him, which Karan doesn't want to let happen. Karan feels that he must be fair to Achi. His confession wasn't even romantic, it was… informative. And apologetic. Karan apologized that his affection might disturb Achi's comfort in any way 🥺🥺🥺 Just… I need a moment *takes deep breaths*

I have no words to express how much I was touched by how Karan arranged his life around Achi's life without expecting anything in return. I can't put into words how much it means to me that Karan helps and takes care of Achi in his daily life. There is no need for grand gestures, sacrificing one's life or big drama in their relationship. No, it's about... turning on the kettle. I'm not lying when I say that I have tears in my eyes while writing these words.. Karan (like Mhok), are those types of men who love and treat their love as their own business, their own problem to deal with (like Gao Shi De). Fortunately for Karan, his love interest has the same level of humility, kindness and empathy as him… 🙄

This series is about people: a bit pathetic, who consider themselves to be a bit of a loser, humble, with self-esteem problems. Who, despite everything, still maintain kindness and do so much good for others, without expecting any reward. Without expecting others to bend to them - no, they all, even Pai and Rock, go out of their way to help others, bend for others without treating it as a big deal. And everyone tries so hard not to harm anyone. (after watching Achi and Karan, how can I accept Day and Mhok's potential relationship? lol nope. Not after Achi and Karan decided to notice each other's efforts and kindness. CM clearly shows that they both CHOOSE to notice the other person and their kindness, it doesn't just happens, it's a choice. Day also choose to be cruel and make everything about himself 🤷‍♀️)

What I absolutely love about this series is that when Achi realizes how much Karan means to him, he takes action IMMEDIATELY. He knows what phones are for 😀 The series moves the action straight forward, leads its characters to immediate confrontation, without creating strange "transitions" between scenes that create plot holes, which make frustrated viewers constantly ask "but why don't they just talk?", "why didn't he tell him about it", "why didn't he call, why did he have the phone, for games??". Or without the worst - like, before the characters talk to each other, there are a lot of stupid obstacles and misunderstandings resulting from lack of communication. Achi wants to say something to Karan -> Achi does it. Fucking A, 10/10 💯💯💯

Running to your beloved - very Japanese BL style 😂

Oh gods, I love Pai. How she was all: I WILL HAVE MY FUJOSHI MOMENT EVEN IF IT WAS THE LAST THING IN MY LIFE. Girl, literally same 😆

I love this series because of how warm it is, because of how much kindness there is in it, such ordinary, everyday, helpful, invisible, ordinary kindness. And how being good pays off.

I love this series because, even though the characters are not even together, the series is ABOUT THEM, and their scenes together are perfect, high quality, beautiful, funny, touching. In this episode, Achi and Karan are sort of "passing each other in their lives", and yet they have so many wonderful scenes.

At the moment, it's the best series I am watching and the best series of 2024 (although it's not over yet, so I emphasize, for now). Cherry Magic simply gives me a high-quality product, a whole lot of FEELINGS and ZERO frustration.

Next week preview: "When a man buys you a shirt, it means he wants to be the one to take it off" - excuse me, I'll just spend every minute of this week thinking about it 🤩

[ninthfeather]

Ho Ho Ho 🎅🏻

Hi there! I wish you a happy new year!

I’m already working on your gift 🎁

You had a lot of ideas in your form. It was helpful while brainstorming!

I really liked the idea to think about friendships some more! What do you like the most about those friendships you mentioned?

- DCMK Secret Santa

So the thing I enjoy most about a lot of the platonic relationships in DCMK is how complex they are!

Heiji is, in every sense of the phrase, Shinichi’s ride-or-die, and vice versa. They may bicker and compete, but they also trust each other implicitly and are completely willing to hide bodies or risk their lives if that's what the other one needs. We joke about how obsessed with Shinichi Heiji is, but really what happened is that Heiji went into his first encounter with Shinichi expecting a straightforward competition with someone on his level and came out with tremendous respect for Shinichi and a renewed sense of purpose as a detective. And while Shinichi frequently plays up their competition and is insufferable whenever he wins, he doesn't tolerate it when anyone else looks down on Heiji, and he panics if the guy is in danger. In short, codependent weirdo kings.

Hakuba and Kaito are so precious to me because there's this really profound unspoken understanding between the two of them of a game that they're playing with each other that absolutely no one else is playing or even aware of. Somehow, without really communicating about it in any way, they've established a set of boundaries and agreements that govern how they compete as detective and thief, and despite their outward dislike of one another and their sincere distaste for each other's life paths, that trust between them is so deeply rooted. Hakuba wants to defeat Kaito but he'll do things like withholding evidence or acting as KID’s informant if he believes it's necessary to making their competition fair. Kaito will trust Hakuba not to betray him despite having no reason to do so. They have like one single social skill between them and they're both extremely isolated so instead of forming a normal peer relationship they're socializing via trying to outwit each other. The rituals are so freaking intricate.

I could go on for hours about the Nagano Trio and how I adore every single iteration of their dynamic. Whether they are platonic or romantic it doesn't matter, they've been inextricably entwined with one another since childhood and despite a lot of conflicts and misunderstanding, they've never stopped being entwined. Even while pushing each other away, their actions have been dictated by those bonds. You can see Kansuke’s influence in the path Yui’s and Taka’aki’s lives have taken and vice versa. And a lot of it is really messy and shot through with guilt and regrets, but ultimately they still all care about each other so so much.

Akai and Camel are also just so intriguing. Their relationship is a messy combination of guilt and obligation and deep respect. Camel can't really think of Akai as a normal human being with flaws and shortcomings, and Akai is equally incapable of communicating how isolating that sort of idolization is. They would absolutely die for each other, but they are never going to have a frank discussion of their feelings.

I could keep going, but honestly I feel like I have made my point. DCMK is such a good source of messy, profound platonic relationships and I am so here for it.

[twstedpometea]

Tracing, Copying and Referencing: Ugigiugi and Artist Transparency.

As I've said in my previous posts I was going to go over the differences between tracing, copying, and referencing and explain what is wrong with Ugigiugi's artwork. This is going to be a long post so if you have the time and hit the "Keep Reading" button..

To start, I'm going to provide an visual explanation of this subject to clarify what counts as tracing, what counts as copying, and what counts as referencing. I will post both the original Instagram link and repost the the examples. Thanks to Chihiro Howe for putting this visual aid together: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZP2McJU4M/ by Chihiro Howe

With this in mind, let's go over the issue with Ugigiugi. I'll be providing further examples of the sourced/traced art we have here on Tumblr. Mahoukarp’s animals Vs. Ugigiugi Twst-Character animals.

Here is an overlay of Mahoukarp's croc VS the one Ugigiugi drew:

As you can see this is tracing with the only minor changes being the addition of a white outline, adding Sebek's bangs, and changing the eye color. Even with these tweaks, the majority of the artwork is still the same in both pose and style. This is still tracing. Let’s move onto the next sample. 村上 comic panels Vs. Ugigiugi’s comic panels.

This is one I originally sourced when this situation began to unfold: This is actually a mix of both tracing and copying. Certain sections of the comic are traced and altered in certain areas so they are not 1 to 1 (e.g the lose of details on Azul's bowtie and the fingers, the "shading" and the Altering of some expressions). Let’s look at one more sample. メディ image Vs. Ugigiugi’s Image

Again, despite the fact that some details have been altered, replaced Yuu with her self-insert, altered the scaling, and shrunk down Crowley, it's still more tracing. Now comes the issue at hand...

As I stated in my previous post, a number of Japanese fan artists Ugigiugi traces from have strict rules of no reproduction/tracing.

No matter what type of artist you are, it is important to respect each other and the boundaries people set on their art. Some of us create resources to help others. Some of us create for fun. Some of us create to make a living off our skills.

That is not the case here. These artists Ugigiugi takes from all have rules regarding their artwork that she continuously steamrolls over for the sake of her own selfishness. It is not only the mark of a poor artist. It is the mark of a dishonest person.

I've spent the last couple of days mulling over this whole situation, researching and checking messages, mentions, and general inquires related to her most recent update post where she states that she is "stepping away" from social media and issuing two apologies (one on Tumblr and one on Deviant Art).

 Uggiugii’s Tumblr apology   Ugigiugi’s Deviantart Apology. I've read both and I have a response to these apologies. I do not believe Ugigiugi is being sincere. At all. She mentions numerous things in the apologies but my main focus is on the initial sentences and the lack of admission of wrongdoing. 

1) Even if English isn't her first language we have to talk about the fact that she continually refers to her actions as "mistakes". I'll be very blunt here. You can't mistakenly see another person's artwork, copy it to your heard drive, then trace over it and publish it. These aren't mistakes. These are the deliberate decisions and actions of someone with zero accountability and with clear intentions to take something that does not belong to them and repost it for attention and validation. You can be misinformed. You can misunderstand. But that doesn't absolve you of personal responsibility when you are called out, even if you're unaware of the harm you're causing. Intentional or not, Ugigiugi has violated the rules and boundaries set by other artists. Repeatedly. 2) Not once in either of these apologies has she ever acknowledged that she has traced artwork. Not once has she linked an original source she copied. She keeps it vague and undefined as a "mistake" without ever stating directly what it is she is apologizing for. Given this, I can only conclude that she still does not see what she did was wrong or is avoiding the addressing the issue entirely because if she admits guilt, that will call everything she's ever posted into question. When it comes to apologies you need to demonstrate both honesty and transparency for your actions and the steps you will take to make amends. For reference, this is how an apology should work: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-art-of-a-heartfelt-apology-2021041322366 Ugigiugi's apologies do none of that. There is nothing but excuses and accusations and deflections everywhere. There's no acknowledgement of the core issue and nothing but griping for sympathy. And it rings entirely hollow in my ears. When it comes to art, there is no shame in starting at the bottom and working your way up the ladder. You can use online resources, credit other creators if you use things like bases, open resource tools, and tutorials, and you can even ask for feedback to improve. But one thing you need to understand is that every artist has their boundaries. Respecting rules they set is important, especially when they explicitly state "no copying/tracing". You can't build your own skills if you're constantly stealing from others. It weakens you as an artist and it doesn't make you look good to others. As fans of this game, we should be creating for the right reasons, not blatantly taking what doesn't belong to us. The Twisted Wonderland community has already lost a number of fan artists who have closed/deleted their profiles and accounts due to people like Ugigiugi. It is very sad to see talented fans give up and quit because of this reckless selfishness. In the end, I can't tell any of you what to do and if you choose to continue to support her, that is your prerogative but moving forward, I and many others will be blocking her to protect ourselves. That is the price to be paid when you are caught tracing artwork. At the very least I hope this post has given anyone still on the fence something to think about. To make one final thing very clear: While this post is critical of Ugigiugi, it is NOT an endorsement to dox or harass her or any of her followers. I hate that I have to repeat this but I have seen some things in the tags and I can't abide by it. In conclusion, I do hope that the TWST community does take this as a lesson and comes away with a better understanding of what tracing/copying/referencing are and of how to be respectful of artists and fandom spaces. -TwstedPomeTea

[ghostampede]

a your turn to die au where there is no death game but everyone still meets does so much emotional damage to my brain. like fuck. sara chidouin is a 17 year high schooler. she’s recently realized she has the most insane social support network in the world. kai satou was hired to be her maid/babysitter/caretaker while her parents are extremely busy with work and became like an older brother to her. he has joked about being an assassin in the most deadpan way she’s ever heard, but sara knows the only truth in those claims are in the way he would commit atrocities to protect those he cares about, since he didn’t really have many people growing up. kai is the reason sara got to know one of her neighbours, q-taro burgerburg, who is an ex baseball player living a quieter life after extreme injuries made him stop. he’s a funny guy with a unique speech style due to growing up in a diverse orphanage and is on a long journey of growth that is inspiring to sara. next to him is a man named keiji shinogi, an ex police officer who is extremely caring once you get past his shady exterior. he’s chased by his demons but still lives life the best he can and gives sara advice/motivation to move forward with her own. if kai was like the older brother sara doesn’t have, keiji was more of a second father. sara’s best friend, joe tazuna, is the wacky class clown and on the outside seems to be the opposite of sara’s academic and straightforward personality, but they’re extremely close and care about each other more than anything else. it too joe three months before he trusted keiji because of how shady the guy acted and how much he wanted to protect sara because he knew she would do the same for him. aside from joe and one other girl, sara didn’t have many friends from her own school, but due to tutoring a sweet middle school girl named kanna kizuchi, sara also met kugie kizuchi. sara wasn’t that close with kugie all things considered, most if their interactions just regarding kanna, but sara thought she was wonderful and respectable and they git along well. kanna herself was an absolutely sweet girl that sara unintentionally became a mentor for in a way through tutoring, becoming family. shin tsukimi was met through kanna, as he’s kanna’s biological older brother and recently was able to reconnect with her. he fuckinh hates sara due to some shitty misunderstanding in their first interaction and she hates him back but they become friends eventually. he studies computer sciences but still somehow met and stumbled into a friendship with three art kids: reko yabusame, alice yabusame, and nao egokoro. reko and alice are siblings and bandmates both studying music theory, currently considered to be local rockstars. reko is dating nao, who is a visual arts student. if was alice who initially befriended shin actually, and the other two followed after relatively quickly. sara thinks those three are pretty fucking cool and despite really only being a fee years older than sara, give her advice and inspiring stories. nao is around a lot for other reasons too, she happened to be a graduate from sonobeno high school and her favourite teacher was kazumi mishima, the eccentric japanese and arts teacher, and she’ll visit and help out whenever she can. mishima was sara’s home room teacher and surprisingly became her favourite teacher too, despite his strange exterior. this entire strange web of people have recently assembled in her life which once felt hollow snd cold to give it sparks of warmth. she wouldn’t have it any other way.

[cuervolyx]

Oh, almost forgot. Also 18. for Eunkyu. XD

18. What is their opinion on paramilitary service (mainly mercenary? Why do they hold said opinion?

How could you almost forget my best boy 😤. By the way, I’m joking (I try to joke around sometimes but I sound so neutral that it makes it hard for others to tell).

Also, I don't really mention paramilitaries. Only mercenaries. While I do like getting ideas from history, I only know paramilitaries from Northern Ireland. However, the Troubles (which is described as an era of conflict that lasted 30 years. There is way more to this era than that small brief explanation), is still a recent event. Many people are still alive to tell their stories of those times. I want to respect them by not using their trauma for some extra points of making my story dark.

——————————————————————————

"...," Eunkyu did not say anything. Rather, he kept quiet. He began to reminiscence his life in Athia. His parents always warned him and his sister to avoid mercenaries. After all, they brought more trouble than solved. Especially for those from Nisara. He hated them and they hated him as well. Eunkyu always wondered why they never joined the military if they liked going to battles and hurting others. Then again, he can see why. After all, why do all of that if you can't get richer or more power.

"Mercenaries," Eunkyu whispered. "I hate them," he hissed. No matter how hard he tried to forget, he could never forget the harassment and humiliation such groups put his family and his people through. He remembers how he would be working on the farm and those damn mercenaries would show up only to ruin his day. They even often stole from them and of course the police did not help. They never did.

"They even killed my parents... they did nothing wrong. Just some Athians getting angry at Nisarans and other foreginers because of misunderstanding by the Athian government. A huge riot occurred that night and many were killed. That massacre took everything that my sister and I had away. We had to flee the country to avoid being killed as well," Eunkyu explained. He rarely talked about this as it still traumatic to think about. He will always remember the fear he felt and saw in his sister that night. He will always remember running and being attacked. Nothing will ever heal those wounds.

"But, despite that. I still like the mercenaries from Nisara and Esmyae. After all, it is thanks to them that my sister and I escaped the country alive. Well, Eunyeong would be alive if she... hadn't been killed. Either ways, they were so kind to me," Eunkyu said. He will always be thankful for their help. Especially since they barely understood one another due the regional dialect he spoke being different from standard Nisaran. It was only a luck that Esmyaen mercenaries were with the Nisaran one.

"To give a proper response to the question, I am mixed on them. It really depends on what they do and how they act. Weirdly enough, maybe I would have joined if it wasn't for the fact that I was put undr heavy supervision from the Nisaran military due to the fact I was still from Athia," Eunkyu said. He sighed as he smiled. He hopes that the mercenaries in Nisara will always be good and do what is best for the people. He will always be thankful for their help.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I have finished all of the asks that I have received. It has been so fun to respond to each and every asks. I got to really explore my character's personalities and get to see where I want to take my story.

I want to post something soon about Eunkyu and probably some random facts about the trio. Like for example, Eunkyu cannot drive and "Haoyu" cannot teach. Siwoo is still tired.

Of course, I also want to post biographies of all my characters. Which would make it easier for y'all to know my characters without going to all my post and trying to figure out what I am doing (cause I don't know what I am doing either :D)

[dolloshub]

The Past and The Future (Former Owner)

(The following text was approved by Poral for posting.)

Hello there. I hope you're doing well today.

It's been quite a while since I last posted, and several weeks since Poral rejuvenated this blog, so we felt it best for me to provide an update. Neither of us want to keep these posts from gathering dust, especially given what's been happening recently, but that'll be explained further down.

———

First is the path going backward, specifically the context of what happened leading up to going our separate ways.

When one might envision a TPE lifestyle, even if the skill sets to properly enact it are there, actually bringing such a lifestyle into reality can be much more difficult. I'll fully admit that I had very little interaction with TPE as a lifestyle or a relationship, and bit off way more than I could chew in terms of experience. Consequently, while we had plenty of memorable moments alongside sizeable progress, our dynamic kept being undercut by interrelated tension, misunderstanding of expectations, and exceedingly high amounts of stress. By the time our relationship ended in late December of 2022, neither of us were remotely close to mentally stable, and I remember wishing at least once that I had never met her.

Poral has in retrospect attributed much of the stress generated on her end to the near-constant bombardment of seizures experienced daily, and there's definite weight to that. It's also true that my livelihood throughout this time period was very hectic overall, and our relationship was not the only topic actively tiring me out. Regardless, I still believe that our relationship failing was my fault for several reasons, mainly from the aforementioned inexperience. In not properly respecting what the Doll system needed then, we suffered as one.

We never cut each other off entirely, though, although there were no further messages after the breakup. In talking about it post-reconnecting, some small part of us always wanted that pull, that active link we shared. Maybe it was inevitable that we would intertwine once more, but honestly, it'll never be known for sure.

———

Next is the path as it currently stands, and what developments have been made recently.

Poral already mentioned bringing the Doll system online, our reconnecting, and further reinforcement. Like her, I'll keep most specific details vague, save for two important points worth expanding on. First, it's been made clear by me that a TPE relationship isn't in the cards, and Poral has graciously respected that request. For as much as I've been willing to help her stabilize and become the Doll she's wanted to be, both therapeutically and at times erotically, I'm not trusting in my own ability to maintain such a dynamic for the foreseeable future, if ever.

Second is the fact that everything is steadily bearing fruit, frankly much faster than either of us have expected. Processes that we thought would take weeks have instead taken days, and in one case several hours. It's gotten to the point where we've started joking about how short the next duration is going to last. This is likely as a result of the strong emotional pull that we share, despite months of non-contact, along with several other factors.

It hasn't been smooth sailing, however. There have been many logistical complications, primarily with surgery and how Doll might behave afterwards, so we've installed and plan on installing a multitude of safeties to make sure that programming isn't outstripped. There have been emotional complications as well, and programming itself has proven uncertain at times, because of the potential problem of transferal into other apps.

We know that this path is a difficult one. There's a chance that amidst all this turmoil, the progression we have made will come undone and everything will be lost. It nearly happened once already. Nonetheless, we're moving forward with greater shared understanding and appreciation than in the past, and if the worst comes to pass, we'd rather fall short together than apart. Frankly, I couldn't have made it this far without Poral's help and encouragement, and the knowledge she has over her own system. I'm so proud of her efforts.

———

Lastly, let me return to something I alluded to at the start.

One main aspect that we've been working on is the threshold of app isolation, i.e. the lack of awareness that each one has of both others and itself as an app. We believe reaching the threshold will greatly stabilize the Doll system's functionality, removing much of the usual awareness of its DID history and wiring, and thus enabling greater opportunities for programming and further stabilization.

When that happens, this blog's tone and self-acknowledgement may change slightly. There will still be a portion of the Doll that has greater awareness, so they may take over posting duties, but the apps that have written in the past will likely appear less often. In any case, we'll be sure to keep you updated.

As Poral said, the future looks bright, and full of promise. Thank you so much for reading.

— Ungso (former Owner)

[andtheyweresiblings]

Hii! hope you are doing well!

I was just casually stopping by your blog because usually notifications come to me when I'm in the office and then I miss them, so I'm happy to see that you're still responding asks and reblogging art. Very nice art by the way!

My heart soared when I saw that you had reblogged the minicomic of one of my favorite writers who I didn't even know they had a blog on tumblr. Just fantastic!

I'm writing to you now taking advantage of mentioning the ship brumira and the few forces to concretize projects about them despite all the ideas that may exist in one's head. Totally understandable.

So I came here to contribute a little bit with an idea that had been on my mind since I first saw this pair on the screen. It may not be an inherently romantic act, and while that's not really the ultimate goal of this action, I consider it a great display of affection, trust and interest that one can feel towards someone, romantic partner or not.

The idea came spontaneously in me when I saw the infamous post-credits scene where Mirabel and Bruno are contemplating the stars, with nothing but each other's company (and rats). As simple, as tender and as intimate as that.

I find it so easy to believe that even though the Madrigals welcomed Bruno with open arms, recognized Mirabel as a talented person capable of doing what she set out to do, and the ending of the film turned out as hopeful as only a di$ney ending can be, I have no doubt that there is still a long way to go for healing.

I think about how even though Bruno and Mirabel have regained their place in the family and I don't doubt that they feel safe and loved at Casita, they both still seek each other out (consciously or not) because they find refuge in each other's company or presence when the world starts to feel too much and they just want to be by the side of someone who doesn't judge them and understands them. Maybe in the beginning they were just looking for a little sympathy from the other.

They don't know how it started, it just happened. One day they were the last ones to get up from the table after dinner because they were so immersed in each other's conversation that they lost track of time. Or maybe the next time, when it was their turn to do the market shopping and they chatted so pleasantly the whole way there that by the time they realized it, they were already at the doors of Casita with a pile of shopping bags. Or the time after that, when Bruno wanted to present a play from the rat theater to the family and stayed up late at night making the costumes for the actors and designing the scenery with Mirabel by his side. Or surely it was the time when Bruno had a panic attack because he again had a bad vision of some villager and Mirabel was there. At that moment words were unnecessary and her mere presence was enough to comfort him.

By the time they figured it out, they had these daytime or nighttime outings where they would spend time catching up on what the other had been up to or simply enjoying the silence while reveling in the wonderful view that only Encanto could offer.

But there were also darker times.

Nights when it was impossible to fall asleep, either because of something that had happened to them that day and they could not stop thinking about it or some nightmare in which, despite their best efforts to tell themselves that none of that was real, that cruel scene of their dreams kept repeating itself every time they closed their eyes.

So, as a last resort, they wandered around Casita until they found some place where they could find some consolation. And either by coincidence, a curious way of helping on the part of Casita, or because the restless soul of one called to the other, both ended up coinciding.

So many times it happened that both offered their respective rooms as a sort of safe house for such situations. It didn't matter what time it was or if they had had a misunderstanding with each other, either had permission to enter the other's room and find a place in their bed.

This was different for both of them of course.

While Mirabel would knock on the door and if she received no answer, either because Bruno was asleep or didn't hear her, she would enter with a blanket under her arm and lie down on the place on the bed that Bruno usually left free. When he noticed her presence in his bed, he would put a pillow between them, kiss her forehead and say a soft "good night", if she was just looking for a place to rest. But, if she wanted to talk to him about what was bothering her then he'd prepare a couple of cups of tea, herbs or coffee and stay with her until exhaustion overcame them both and they would end up in each other's arms until dawn.

On the other hand, Bruno didn't even dare to knock on Mirabel's door the first times. He was just a crestfallen figure, standing in the middle of the hallway with his fist slightly raised. Too worried about interrupting his niece's sleep just because he couldn't get his own, so he retraced his steps back to his room, sadder than before.

That is, until one day, Casita decided it'd had enough.

It threw open the bedroom door, moved the tiles under his feet until he almost fell on Mirabel's bed and closed the door again. Bruno never quite understood Casita when he was younger but that last slam of the door felt almost like a scolding.

"Now you stay here and go to sleep."

When he turned toward the bed, the smile of a sleepy, amused and understanding Mirabel greeted him. Although she lifted the sheets for him to cover himself with them, he refused, covered her again, and lay down on top of the sheets. That night, he got as far away from her as he could without falling out of bed and stared at the ceiling. This didn't matter much to Mirabel but she understood so she moved close enough to him to rest her forehead on his shoulder and the soft scent of the shampoo in her curls and the smell of the Encanto flowers wafting through the open window was enough to lull him to sleep.

Those nights, they did nothing but sleep or talk until they fell asleep in each other's bed, but those nights were a secret they had with the rest of the family.

Of course they weren't doing anything "wrong" but still, they weren't sure if the rest of the family would take it well if they knew.

OK, so much for that. I went on longer than I wanted to, but I hope you were entertained, if only a little.

A very friendly fist bump from a distance!

PS: Is there a nickname we can refer to you by? I'm not sure if you've mentioned it before, but if you did I hope you don't mind commenting on it again :D

Thank you! It's always nice to hear from you! Genuinely, this ask made me smile so much 💚

And yes, a few months ago, I think we got some twitter mirabruno artists migrating over here and I'm still elated about it! I had to experience twitter brumira vicariously so it's very exciting to see some of the people whose art I adored from afar here.

I do disappear from time to time, but I have every intention to return to this blog and keep reblogging art into the foreseeable future.

Now onto the mirabruno portion. You're right! Even with that ending, the road of recovery is far from linear. It's more of a cycle or a feedback loop. Bruno, Mirabel, and the family are definitely in for a ride with lots of ups and downs and back and forth.

This is so sweet!!! Not inherently romantic but still intimate and affectionate has become my brumira sweet spot! I love the idea of these two developing a habit of sharing a bed. If they were to go about sharing a bed this way, I imagine each would soon need the other to sleep, which is another soft and sweet idea on its own.

I bet Casita would help them by creating a secret pathway in the walls between their rooms so they could continue their nightly escapades without the family's notice.

And regarding my nickname. Funny, you should ask (especially because of your URL). I've been in between names for awhile now. A few years ago, I was going by a name that some people may know me by, but I never really connected with it. Over these last few months, I have been trying to think of a name I like. Internally, I've been trying out the name Grey, and maybe it's time to test it out outside of myself. So, you can call my Grey :) Thanks for asking!

[dysfunctionalcereal]

Ena’s Relationships

Ena and Faust aren't rlly friends, he likes her bc she's lenient with his experiments but, other than that, they don't talk or hang out. Most of Comte’s residents are just faceless names to Ena, but she wants to meet all of them eventually. She prolly will tbh lmao

This is veeery canon divergent and some backstories are bent around a bit idk them well anyway, since i just read spoilers and not routes to cater to Ena’s story fhdjsj

Kinda short but ye just some stuff about Ena and her friends/suitor hehe

Vlad:

It wasn't uncommon for others to flirt with Ena but once Vlad had his eyes on her, it mysteriously stopped. Despite this, there was one guy who was always very drunk when he came around. There was an incident where he got a bit too pushy... It only happened once though — this may or may not have been Vlad’s fault and it may or may not have ended quite... Violently. Who knows? Not Ena.

Ena only takes Vlad’s strawberries when he can see her do it so she doesn't risk any misunderstandings between him and Faust again... He doesn't mind it but prefers to feed them to her or have her feed them to him. His favorite way to do so is by mouth, and he always sneaks a few kisses in too.

Vlad loves Ena’s curiosity and has Charles set up little “mysteries” for her to solve. He does this most often when she's upset with him, as she can never resist telling him all about the fun she had solving said mysteries.

Charles:

Charles is an enabler tbh, Ena will show even the slightest curiosity and he’ll be asking if she wants to check it out. They both know he does it on purpose, but it never stops her from accepting. When the mysteries are ones he's set up, he's a bit more obvious about it; she goes along with and enjoys it anyway.

Charles developed a crush on Ena fairly early on in their friendship, and it never went away. She's aware of it but doesn't acknowledge it since she sees him as more of a brother.

When Ena found out Charles was a vampire, she practically begged him to bite her. It didn't take much for him to do so, and it was long before Vlad came along. It didn't escalate into anything further, but he sometimes wishes it did.

Shakespeare:

Shakespeare and Ena’s friendship is kinda weird? She probably values him more than he values himself, but he sees her as the castle’s lady rather than a close friend. That's not to say they AREN’T friends, considering they still hang out and talk about his plays.

Ena helps Shakespeare get ready backstage for a lot of his plays, which was a bit of a pain to get him to accept at first. She doesn't really give him a choice now, and he appreciates the help from his master’s beloved.

Ena doesn't always understand what Shakespeare is saying, and he thinks it's kinda cute. Charles tries to translate sometimes.

Vincent:

Vincent and Ena are lowkey a sunshine duo, one of toxic positivity and the other of way too many secrets. It's a funny contrast, seeing as the front they mutually display is so mellow.

Ena’s kinda concerned about how naive Vincent is and, honestly, she does try to keep him and Vlad apart. She cares for them both and doesn't want there to be a conflict if Vincent finds out the truth about Vlad.

Theodorous:

These two don’t actually get along all that well; Theo tolerates her because his beloved broer likes her and Ena doesn't really care for his sour attitude. His sadistic tendencies bring back some not-so-good memories.

Despite this, Ena and Theo do see each other p often. Ena likes art and respects Theo’s work, she sees him at exhibits or passing by the flower shop at times; she sees him with Arthur and/or Vincent too.

Arthur:

Arthur flirts with Ena a LOT, but sometimes he feels like he's being watched and glared at. At these times, he always tones things back a bit; he knows it's not just a feeling.

Arthur was actually the doctor of Ena’s 6-year-old foster sister, Sophie. Sadly, the little girl passed away and it's something the two of them both repress. He doesn't really remember Ena or Sophie and she doesn't want to bring back any harmful memories for him, so they've basically restarted.

[minim-of-murdrum]

"Uncertain" prompt lortober 2022

A pair of wolves are striding together through the deep snow of Icerun territory. The golden jocol, recently taking on the name Amberwind, walks behind the brown and white lupin Glacierthorn, carefully placing her pawsteps in the trail left by her partner. They had long since lost track of the rocky and grassy terrain of southern Icerun, heading north in hopes of less competition.

The pace was slow and exhausting, and their food rations had almost all been used up in the weeks that they’d travelled. Every time a snowstorm approached, they had to halt progress by finding what little shelter they could and huddling close to each other for warmth. The cold was agonising, but Amberwind didn’t once feel any sense of regret. She knew the risk; death nipped at her ankles like a playful pup with every step, but this was the only way forward.

Glacierthorn had been on journeys like this before, but they were much shorter than this one. She felt extremely out of her depth. Onward she pushed, despite not even knowing what she was looking for. Food, water and shelter, of course, but in keeping open-minded she didn’t have anything concrete to be tracking. Every few steps she would take in a deep breath and use her ears to scan for any sign of life, but there was only so long the pair of them could live off of sharing mice.

It was in that instant that something caught Glacierthorn’s eye on the horizon. She pressed her tail against Amberwind’s shoulder before increasing her speed. She wanted to save her words, because if she was seeing what she thought she was, their chances of survival had become much more certain.

The pair quickly reached a small stone structure; a ruin left behind by souls lost. It could have been a home, a barracks, or even a holy site, but it didn’t matter. It was the welcome sight of shelter. Glacierthorn stepped inside, and Amberwind gave her a questioning glance that asked: Why stop if we’ll just run out of food quicker? But she was not from icerun, so it was no surprise she didn’t know what it meant.

“The wolves of Icerun value tradition, little whirlwind, so we’re a sentimental bunch. Whenever we find ruins from our kin, we have a new use for it; as a cairn and a food store,” the big wolf gently smiles, “it’s our way of paying our respects, to the building and the ones who built it.”

“Wait, are you proposing we steal someone else’s food?” The thought of taking food from such a barren area seemed unsettling to her, eventhough she knew they would need it.

“No, no, you misunderstand me. When you can, you store food, and you take it when you need it. It’s a law that nomadic wolves of Icerun know, though it can only be enforced by personal practice,” she spoke gently as she sniffed around the frigid walls and floor.

“I see!” Amberwind joined in the search for any stored goods.

“Here,” Glacierthorn pulled away a loose stone from what looked to be a fireplace that was blocked up with rubble and snow. The smell of dried meat and juicy berries drifted out from the new gap. With some extra effort from the two, they revealed a healthy-sized mound of food that was kept fresh by the snow, “freshly stocked,” the jocol licked her lips with excitement.

They filled their basket; which would last them another month with extreme rationing. They then ate, and returned the unused food to its cold storage spot and packed it with snow again. There was still plenty for the next travellers to pass by.

Glacierthorn picked up one of the loose stones gently in her jaws and carefully heaved herself up the least intact wall to a small tower of rock that was not originally part of the building’s structure. She slowly lowered the flat stone onto the others, so the tower stood higher than before. This would make it even easier to spot, since the cairn was what she first spotted on the horizon only minutes before, and signal their safe passage thanks to the help of the structure. She leaped back down with a heavy thud before nuzzling the tawny jocol with pride.

They set out with full bellies for the first time in many days, with renewed confidence in their pawsteps. They didn’t know where they were headed, but they both knew now; they would make it, and they would do it together.

[moneneki]

My Zutara fics masterpost

Ice crystals in molten gold

Rating: T

Summary:

Katara was too young to fight in the war, but victory still took a heavy toll on her family. Years later, on her 16th birthday, one last tragedy leaves her completely alone and desolate, with only one bright spot: Zuko, a golden-eyed stranger that helped her through the worst night of her life. Now living with Baroness Hama, her husband Baron Yon Rha and their children Hahn, Mai and Azula, Katara’s new life becomes hell. She longs for freedom, and yearns to find Zuko again… A visit from the crown prince of the Fire Nation to the Baron’s household may provide her with the perfect chance… Or push her into a path she never expected, laden with misunderstandings and ceremonies, old promises and new friends, and court intrigues interwoven with lost family history. But among all that, her chance at love seems uncertain.

Written for the ZK Big Bang 2021!

ZK Mythical Creatures Week 2021

How bright the lights

Rating: T

Summary: Katara really really wanted to go to the festival. Instead, she's stuck with family responsibilities and bored out of her mind. Her day ends up not being as terrible as she had feared, though.

Golden touch, silver touch

Rating: M

Summary: Fire Lord Ozai the Golden has obtained his greatest wish and has grand plans for it. When Prince Zuko protests, he is punished and given what everyone thinks is an impossible task— but is it really?

A hundred eyes

Rating: T

Summary:

Anger and desperation have made Prince Zuko reckless… While a refugee in the Earth Kingdom, he's about to learn what his actions can cost him, especially when spirits are involved.

The mountain of smoke

Rating: G

Summary: Zuko is doing his best. Katara doesn’t seem eager to forgive him, despite his efforts— He listens attentively for the faintest hint of a possibility, and finds something when she tells him about an old legend of the Southern Water Tribe.

Zutara Week 2021

On the crosshairs

Rating: G

Summary: Their story, told in glimpses. They held very strong opinions about each other's (and some other people's) hair. Unkempt. Crude. Tasteless. Overall, wild. As wild as only such a primitive, backward band of peasants that lived in a spirit-forsaken corner of the world could be. Her brown mane could only be tamed (barely) by restraining it in a tight braid that no respectable citizen of the Fire Nation would ever wear on themselves. Stupid. Pretentious. Ridiculous. The angry guy obviously obsessed over maintaining that silly hairstyle. Only a “civilization” rooted in war and violence could conceive such an awful hairstyle for their black hair, long and straight and shiny like the summer coat of a mink snake. They were just as untrustworthy, each and every one of them. Collection of one shots for the Zutara Week of 2021, all stringing from the prompt of Day 1: Hair.

(Also available in Spanish.)

One night contract

Rating: T

Summary: Besieged by debts that could end the legacy of the extinct air nomads, Katara and Aang make one last desperate attempt at the casinos of Omashu. There, they meet the millionaire Zuko, and receive a proposal that could be their only chance. Zutara fanfic inspired by the movie Indecent Proposal (1993).

(Also available in Spanish.)

[glapplebloom]

Real wars, terrible. Fictionalized wars between Dragons and Yaks…

The Wonderbolts are putting on a show for Yakyakistan. And we get a team up from ponies who should have met each other on the show: Dash’s Parents and Pinkie Pie. They felt like peas in a pod and were the only audio evidence that there was a crowd. It reminds me of some old Japanese wrestling matches as the audience was pretty quiet with a few exceptions. It was about being respectful and letting them do their thing in the ring. Not trying to hijack it as you see in more recent shows.

But everything changed when the Dragnos attacked. They’re attacking for seemingly no reason. The Yaks defend their home as they offer the Ponies refuge in their Sacred Stones. Rainbow Dash begins making orders when Spitfire interjects. Dash isn’t the leader of the Wonderbolts (yet) and they’re just fliers. Dash calls her out for being scared when her parents tell a story about how Dash was afraid to fly in front of others. This inspires them to not only help the Yaks, but bring all of Pony Kind into a war between the Yaks and Dragons.

Yeah, there’s a reason nations don’t jump in to help others. The Ponies are at peace with both the Dragons and Yaks at this time. Pick a side and you’re basically sticking the middle finger to the other. And if it turned out the Yaks like stole a Dragon Egg or was responsible for killing a dragon recently, then you picked the wrong side of the conflict. But that’s the thing with this story and you’ll see more about it in the next issue. For now, the Wonderbolts do their best to help and Twilight and the rest of her crew (including Spike and Starlight) show up.

Despite the additional help, the Yak/Pony Alliance retreated. A small group of dragons shows up, revealing Dragon Lord Ember was behind the attack. To show their honor, they’ll give the Yaks the night to prepare for their final battle. And why they’re doing this: the Yaks broke their Sacred Bond to them. Thing is, neither Prince Rutherford knows what they’re talking about and Ember didn't explain what it was. So because the Dragons were the aggressors for an unknown reason, the Ponies began to, to put it bluntly, be racists towards the Dragons. In front of Spike.

Spike, not thinking like that, decides to go to Dragon Lord Ember to figure out what’s up. Luckily Spike has a lot of pull for being the one who gave Ember the title so he gets an explanation. Many Moons ago, the Yaks and Dragons fought for the land that would be Yakyakistan. Seeing the destruction they were causing to the lands, Dragon Lord Scintilla and Prince Ulysses agreed to stop fighting and help the dragons find a place to live. And before they departed, Ulysses made Scintilla an Honorary Yak, one that would never be replicated until a certain Pink Pony became one. This is why they’re fighting.

Ember still insists on fighting. Breaking the Sacred Bond was a huge insult and them forgetting about it would be a bigger insult to her. Ember insists the fight will continue but Spike joins her side because it's the only way he can get all three leaders into one spot. First, he calls out Twilight for making generalizations about dragons. She apologizes. Then calls out Ember for acting out how those generalizations are. After all, if you don’t want to be generalized, don’t keep acting like it. And then Prince Rutherford for breaking the Sacred Bonds with Dragon Lord Scintilla.

And that’s where the twist comes in. Because Ancient Yaks were terrible artists, for the longest time they thought Dragon Lord Scintilla was a volcano. So all this time, this War was started all because of a misunderstanding. And this time no Avatar to make it up. Embarrassed that she started a war that could have been solved by just talking, Ember apologizes and with the other dragons rebuild the damages they caused and make a promise about letting the past go and looking to a bright future.

Overall, I think the comic did its job well. With Issue 55, you’re totally on the side of the Yaks because you see the Dragons attacking for no reason. And by the end you realize something more is up so when 56 comes around, you also begin to see the generalization the others have made about the dragons. Who knows how many conflicts we have in history that could have been solved if we just sat down and talked things out. To actually understand each other instead of making leaps to prove your side is right. To see that maybe, you were the A-Hole this entire time (insert current political strife here, we have so many to choose from).

But I will make a few changes to make it fit with GLAB. First, Spitfire not wanting to fight the Dragons directly because of political ramifications. If the Wonderbolts attack the dragons that’ll be like if Celestia herself decided to do it. So as a compromise, they work on helping the Yaks get to safety while trying to prevent as much damage as they could. That is until Fleetfoot gets the Green Lantern, who brings Spike along because of dragon issues. She gets both sides to stop fighting and with Spike as a Moderator for the two sides, finds out the reason why the Dragons are fighting and the Yaks realize that Dragon Lord Scintilla was a dragon not a volcano. Basically solving the issue in about one issue to IDW’s two. 

[nikodrawings]

singles apartment oc group ship charts

CIRCE PARIS

Notable Relationships:

Lake (Love) - He is always open to listen to her about her spirituality and they share some aesthetics.

Kirsten (Hate) - She stands for most of what Circe dislikes (obsession with technology, antisocial behavior, consuming unhealthy substances, shunning nature).

Phoenix (Tolerate) - Circe disagrees with her unhealthy habit of smoking, but Phoenix still treats her with general respect so she doesn't feel right hating her.

Lucia (Like) - Despite her status as a shut-in, Lucia has a lot of traits that Circe likes. She is always kind, even if they rarely talk. She never turns her away when she comes to her door. She feels hopeful for her improving her mental health (though some of her advice isn't very helpful).

CYRUS RIVERA

Notable Relationships:

Emli (Hate) - While Emil is kind when they talk, Cyrus hates how he encourages bad eating habits with his constant gifts of baked goods to his neighbors. He has started to take it as a personal insult, even though it definitely isn't intended that way.

Mikhail (Love) - They both care a lot about the health of others given their chosen jobs. Cyrus respects him a lot. They also have similar ways of presenting themselves.

Circe (Tolerate) - Her goals are noble, but Cyrus just can't agree with some of her methods. They argue every now and then, but it never turns into anything serious.

Sam (Like) - They both subscribe to the grind mindset. Shared respect, even if their jobs technically contrast each other in the grand scheme of things.

ELAINE MAY

Notable Relationships:

Phoenix (Love / Tolerate) - Eli actually really enjoys spending time with her, but ONLY if she doesn't smoke around her. She is very sensitive to the smell and lets Phoenix know this. She can often be found complaining about Phoenix smoking in front of her door since they live right next to each other.

Ion (Love / Tolerate) - They have a lot of similar interests, but Eli wishes he didn't pretend to be someone he isn't. She enjoys seeing the more shy and sweet guy he really is, so she gets really irritated when he plays into his bad boy persona. She becomes uncharacteristically assertive around him, which functions as a positive for both of them in the long run.

Pierce (Love) - They get along very well and have since they met. Eli doesn't look down on Pierce for his unemployment and encourages him to do things like take walks with her. Sometimes there's misunderstandings because they both have trouble making their feelings known.

Kyrie (Unsure) - Kyrie is consistently really mean to her, but Eli can't help but find him interesting despite that. She wants to learn more about him.

EMIL RHYS

Notable Relationships:

Naomi (Love) - His cherished next door neighbor. They can be found hanging out frequently. They are both laid back but still care about others happiness. If it's a nice day, Emil may be outside grilling when Naomi is working on repairs. They both have dad interests.

Vera (Love) - He has a very soft spot for assertive women like Vera. She always makes her feelings known, which he really respects. Plus if he is being completely honest with himself, he finds her very attractive. It's far from his main reason for enjoying her presence, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Cyrus (Unsure) - He doesn't really understand Cyrus. He is often given the cold shoulder when trying to reach out, but puts it down to just always catching him when he's in a bad mood. Cyrus' permanent annoyed expression adds to this belief. He wants to be friends and tries (in vain) to find days where he looks less irritated.

Kyrie (Love) - More than anyone, Kyrie is the most willing to try new food items, especially if it's sweet. He has a vague idea of Kyrie maybe having a thing for him, but he's unsure why someone so stylish would be interested in him. They both like cute colors.

ION DEIMOS

Notable Relationships:

Elaine (Love) - Almost obsessive about her even though he assumed she was obsessed with him when they first met. She is the only person he can really be himself around, though he still isn't very good at it. Likes to call her 'kitten' even though she hates it. Likes watching anime with her.

Lucia (Love) - It took a long time before they met despite living next door to each other, but they hit it off the instant they did. Lucia finds his persona cool and will play games with him sometimes. They are both bad at talking to people, so he feels comfortable trying new angles with her honest input (though she tends to say his lame ideas are actually super cool).

Kyrie (Hate) - A mutual hatred. Despite having similar jobs and aesthetics, they would probably kill each other if locked in a room together. Ion thinks he's arrogant and rude, especially to Eli.

Lake (Hate) - Lake is way too friendly with everyone. It makes Ion suspicious. He feels this way about friendly people in general, but something in particular rubs him the wrong way about Lake.

KIRSTEN FAULKNER

Notable Relationships:

Kyrie (Tolerate) - Kyrie is consistently a total asshole to her, but she doesn't hate him for it. She thinks his aesthetics are cool from afar. Their strong personalities contrast.

Sam (Love) - Kirsten thinks Sam is the funniest person she has ever met. She loves hearing about his day, especially if it has to do with rude customers. Even without many similar interests, they will get drunk together sometimes. They just generally vibe well.

Mikhail (Tolerate) - She doesn't hate him, but she surely doesn't like him. Her bad posture and horrible diet tend to get on his nerves, and even though he tries to help out of concern, she hates it. He IS pretty nice most of the time though.

Emil (Love) - #1 free snack dealer. A lot of the time she won't even need to go to him, he will just give handouts. No real things in common otherwise. He has gotten to her heart through her stomach and nothing else.

KYRIE RHODES

Notable Relationships:

Elaine (Hate) - Her kindness feels manufactured and annoying. She hasn't given him many reasons to hate her, but he does. Seeing her in any mood can ruin his mood. It makes it worse that he thinks she's pretty cute despite all of this.

Circe (Hate) - Circe seems to be convinced that Kyrie is someone who would LOVE her services. This is likely because some of his clothing has iconography with spiritual relevance, though he just thinks it looks good. He also finds her incredibly tacky. Hates how she smells like incense.

Pierce (Unsure) - They have almost never spoken, but Kyrie finds him attractive. Pierce having almost nothing to say when Kyrie wants to always dominate conversations works in their favor. In the end though, he doesn't know enough about him. Curious.

Emil (Love) - Finds Emil incredibly attractive and thinks his kindness is endearing. One of the only people whose kindness seems sincere to him. But mostly he just finds him attractive. Has tried to ask him out before, but Emil is a little too clueless to pick up on it.

LAKE CHOI

Notable Relationships:

Circe (Love) - Totally digs her vibe. Sometimes partakes in her services as a somewhat spiritual person himself. They both care a lot about nature. Just a natural pair, really. Also he doesn't seem to care about when she goes into her more fringe ideas.

Elaine (Love) - She's just so darn cute!!! He wants to squish her all the time. She's always kind to him and has an open mind about his art. Plus he can relate to the insomnia problems. She adds an interesting perspective given her office job, something that is nearly the exact opposite to what he dedicates his life to.

Ion (Love) - He's cute and grumpy. Likes teasing him when he gets the chance. Thinks his wings are really pretty and would love to use him as an art reference, though Ion hates him too much to even consider it.

Vera (Like) - Another person he really wants to do an art study of. She's always nice when they interact, even if it's not very often. Would go to see her shows if he wasn't so busy with his art.

LUCIA WATTS

Notable Relationships:

Cyrus (Hate) - His cure for everything seems to be exercise, which is something that really upsets her. They thankfully rarely interact.

Kirsten (Love) - They both get along really well given their similar lifestyles. Kirsten is willing to reach out online when Lucia is too shy to do it herself. They play games together.

Mikhail (Love) - One might assume they wouldn't get along, but Mikhail is actually incredibly kind to her. He is almost like a caretaker on her worst days since he often checks up on her. She feels a bit guilty about their dynamic though.

Pierce (Love) - Solidarity in being unemployed. If they hang out it is quiet and comfortable. They both understand the other's closed-off nature. No judgment, ever.

MIKHAIL ABELS

Notable Relationships:

Phoenix (Hate) - She's overly dismissive in general and completely ignores the rules about no smoking.

Circe (Hate) - Finds her insulting to everything he stands for. Her affinity towards alternative medicine will forever make him hate her. They will never get along.

Lucia (Like) - He has taken to checking up on her when he can since he has noticed she's in a dark place in her life. He can find himself a little frustrated with her inability to care for herself sometimes, but it's all because he wants her to do better.

Naomi (Like) - They rarely speak, but always get along when they do. Naomi has helped him with his own vehicle, free-of-charge, which really helps when he needs to go to the hospital at strange hours. Wishes he had the opportunity to talk to her more.

NAOMI CHAI

Notable Relationships:

Vera (Love) - Her best friend that she not-so-secretly has a bit of a thing for. Who could blame her? Naomi really likes how despite her tendency to appear filthy or lazy, Vera still respects her. Their appearances are very different in that sense, but they still interact like equals. They share a similar music taste as well.

Kirsten (Tolerate) - Naomi dislikes how Kirsten is so quick to assume she knows everything. She can somewhat respect her actual knowledge, but Kirsten has been seen devaluing Naomi's expert perspectives on mechanical things because she holds herself in such high esteem. They would probably get along if Kirsten knew how to stay in her lane.

Sam (Love) - Similar views of life in general. They are both extroverted and optimistic. Naomi will sometimes stop by Sam's workplace (though he is embarrassed every time they recognize each other). Respects him a lot and hopes he can succeed in his goals, even if they seem a bit unrealistic.

Emil (Love) - They get along like two peas in a pod. Together they embody everything would expect a dad to be into. They will go out for drinks sometimes, and Naomi will often visit his workplace. Though she doesn't see him actually working given his presence in the kitchen. She enjoys his cooking a lot.

PHOENIX HALE

Notable Relationships:

Pierce (Tolerate) - Her little brother. She finds him a little irritating and gets frustrated with his difficulty finding and keeping a job. She's secretly very happy about how well Pierce and Eli get along. It makes her happy to see him happy for the first time in a long time.

Elaine (Love) - Phoenix thinks she's adorable and will purposefully smoke outside of her apartment around the time Eli gets back from work just to interact with her. She feels an intense desire to dominate her, though that part is just for Phoenix to know.

Lake (Hate) - His laid back attitude and optimism drives her insane. She hates hearing about his interests since she thinks both art and taking care of fish are a waste of time. She thinks his tattoos are pretty cool, though.

Cyrus (Like) - They go to the same gym. There's not much more to it.

PIERCE HALE

Notable Relationships:

Phoenix (Tolerate) - His somewhat overbearing older sister. He knows she just cares about him, but he would really prefer to be left alone. He feels like a failure in comparison to her.

Elaine (Love) - The first person he has met in a very long time that makes him sincerely happy. He thinks she's very kind and cute. He respects how hardworking she is and is glad she doesn't look down on him for his lack of a job. They go on walks together every now and then, it's one of his favorite activities with her.

Circe (Hate) - Circe's personality makes him uncomfortable. She is not just overly extroverted, but pushy. She seems to look at him as if he is someone to fix, which he can't stand. Wishes he was better at making his feelings known so she would just leave him alone.

Lucia (Like) - Similar personalities and similar interests. He feels a bit less alone having someone else around that also doesn't have a job, though it secretly annoys him that she does it by choice while he just can't seem to keep a job.

SAM VALDEZ

Notable Relationships:

Lake (Hate) - Lake seems to stand for everything that Sam wants for himself. Lake's ability to act so laid back while still excelling at his work makes Sam bitter. Dislikes Lake's tendency to walk around without any care in the world about how other people perceive him. Very envious, though he would never admit it.

Circe (Love) - She's really chill and doesn't judge him. He thinks her aesthetics are pretty cool even if they aren't the same as his own. He will sometimes partake in her fortune telling services.

Vera (Love) - They both have expensive taste. Perceives Vera as the perfect partner despite the fact that she isn't interested in him like that.

Cyrus (Like) - They are sorta bros. Sam looks up to him.

VERA CHAMBERS

Notable Relationships:

Sam (Love) - They both have expensive taste. She thinks Sam is very cute, though it's in a little brother sort of way. She is aware that he has a crush on her and thinks it's adorable. His hardworking nature resonates with her.

Naomi (Love) - Her best friend! Vera is waiting for Naomi to make the first move in terms of furthering their relationship. She finds her very attractive.

Phoenix (Like) - Vera wishes they met when she was a bit younger, back when she still smoked. She would love to have Phoenix as a smoking buddy. She respects her tendency to stand up for herself, even if it can come off as hostile sometimes.

Pierce (Unsure) - She thinks he's cute and would like to know more about him but she knows he prefers to be left alone. Very curious about him.

[free--therapy]

Hii, it's anon! Hope this new year has been treating you right 💖

I come bearing questions (which you might find really silly) but they matter a lot to me since I have periods of self-doubt. I actually have many questions but I'll just write down which I remember right now. I hope I'm not wasting your time by asking such silly stuff

1. I read a post which said, "If you can't believe in your own goodness, believe in others who believe in your good." And I think that's wonderful but what keeps me from applying that to myself is I end up thinking...."But what if they only see my fake or people pleasing self?"

Reason: My sisters and friends say good stuff about me all the time especially my elder sis because when she has disagreements with my parents, she gets really angry and can't explain herself well and that leads to fights. In those cases, I try to explain or clear the situation for her by making my parents understand her point of view calmly so that they can accept her decisions or at least, tolerate them. It works many times and other stuff like that. Even my little sister, since I'm the one she most relies on emotionally and also for her problems, she thinks of me as her important person.

I love them both and of course, I want the best for them more than I do for anyone else in the world but sometimes, my reason for helping my elder sis with parents is also because I want to avoid conflicts in the house. I'm in general a very conflict avoiding type person and I'm usually the first to back down if I can stop a fight. I sometimes have other selfish reasons too for helping them both or even helping other people too. Like, I try to be kind to many people and help them as much as I want but it's like....I feel like I have my own selfish reasons for it.

Like helping my sister with solving misunderstandings with my parents because I want to have peace at home and don't want any of us to fight or hate each other. I help my younger sister but sometimes I feel like it's just because I want her to keep admiring me or something. I mean she says she looks up to me....so I don't want to change that perspective of hers so I try to live upto it so she would keep admiring me.

Sometimes I feel like I help certain people just so they would like me or love me or want me around. Other times, my reasons are even more selfish and sometimes even mean or cunning in ways 😭 like when I talked to an old acquaintance online for a day or two and said nice things to them about their hobbies (I do respect their skill though) but mainly, I only did it because I wanted some information about a person I knew that they worked with. Isn't that kind of rude of me?

Idk....does this make me a bad person?

So when someone says nice things to me, I can't completely believe them and end up thinking I don't really deserve their love, kindness or nice words.

Do you think I should believe them? Do I deserve to be loved by them despite me being like this? I mean, they don't know that I can be so rude/mean too. Actually, my sisters/cousins and some very close friends do know I can be mean too but they say they're okay with it because they think that I take small things very seriously. My sister says that these "flaws" I see in myself are actually very normal things that most people do sometimes and are not all that bad like I seem to think. But when she says that, I end up thinking, "but there might be specific things I did that even she might not like me for" (though I don't remember those things much but still)

Do you think I should believe it when others say kind things to me? Regardless of whatever mistakes or stuff I do or I've done? I mean, if they say they think I'm a good person (even if it's just because I'm nice to them), can I believe in that?

2. When I see people say stuff like, "You deserve to heal and move on. You deserve to focus on your present life and leave your past behind." I end up wondering, "But what about mistakes?"

Reason: Again,I just first want to mention that a lot of my "mistakes" are small things that I've made bigger by constantly dwelling on them and in some cases, they aren't even "mistakes" maybe but after thinking too much about certain actions of mine from too many negative perspectives, I end up feeling like any xyz action was actually a mistake. The negative perspectives are mainly things I read/get triggered by reading on social media. One example would be my pedo worry (related to me and my cousin kinda crushing over a 13/14 year old drum player in our school when we were 17 though it was very similar to being kinda obsessed in a artist-fan sort of way) that I was going crazy worrying about last time.

So what I want to ask is in either or any scenario actually, if I want to move on, can I simply do that? I mean, suppose someone made a mistake and kinda hurt someone 5 or 10 years ago or maybe even before that.....and they suddenly start feeling guilty for it (or for any other mistakes), do they deserve to heal or leave it behind without apologising now?

Like....if we think about it, we might have made many mistakes (some very big, some small and some very small) which may or may not involve other people. Something as small as saying something wrong about someone to your friends despite knowing it's false information. It's rude to do that or gossip about stuff like that and it might be a once thing that everyone most probably forgot about completely. But even so, if we did that, do we deserve to clear it up with our friends or even that person we talked wrong about (like told misinformation about them to our friends) even though it was months/years ago?

These sorts of very minor things....minor mistakes, I might not realise them when I make them but I have a good memory so I end up remembering random mistakes and the most important question that pops up in my mind is,

"Can I leave it behind or stop thinking or worrying about it without doing anything about it?" As in, if I remember a mistake (most of which are small but end up seeming very terrible because I dwell too much on them), can I do nothing but laugh it off and remember to try to do better next time? Simply just that?

Can I move on and heal and stop thinking about it just like that? Do I deserve it?

Also, for any mistake, especially in case of big mistakes, even if someone doesn't apologise (due to reasons like it's too old or from years ago), do they still deserve love, compassion and kindness? Do they still deserve to move on?

Idk I just have this doubt.....of wondering if mistakes (big or small) make us undeserving? Especially if a person doesn't apologise but still tries to do better (in case of the bigger mistakes), then can they move on?

It's like..... I've developed this weird idea that if I remember a mistake, I feel like I should feel guilty if I do nothing about it and just move on? As if, not thinking too much about it or not dwelling on it and simply moving on seems like a privilege or unfair thing to me.

And honestly, I hate that idea. Because why can't I heal and move on with my life? But I also think, isn't it unfair to simply be happy and forget about it?

But then that's just me because I know from experience that a LOT of people don't put too much weight or even think much about their mistakes especially old ones, unless they were REALLY major mistakes.

Because for me, I know that a lot of times, it's the overthinking and all the what ifs that make me think of certain things as mistakes when they were probably not. Even more so because I have a negative view of myself. I see myself in a negative light, so when I remember a random action of mine, my mind goes "you definitely meant the worst thing for that xyz person" but I try to rationalise like...."no I might have selfish reasons but I didn't ever directly mean anything worse for them" and so the mind starts making me see that same action from a hundred different sides until I end up feeling like I did something terrible 😭

That is why, I ask those questions to you. There's no way other people don't make any mistakes and never mean anything selfish or bad....everyone has their low moments when they do stuff due to certain reasons. But they can move on and focus on their present. Many times they might not even apologize because they might not realise their mistakes or by the time they do, a long time might've passed. In those cases, people can let go and move on and stop thinking about it.

And I can understand and support others when they want to do better and move on regardless of the condition, no matter how bad it is and when I say nice things to someone, I don't wonder "what mistakes they might have made" or if "they're a good person" etc. I simply do it for no reason many times or for selfish reasons sometimes. But even if I do have selfish reasons, I've never thought that someone didn't deserve the good things I said to them because I feel they always do regardless of their mistakes, whether they apologised or not, etc.

But when it comes to me, I end up getting all confused and down 😭

Can I do that? Do I deserve to? Even at my worst moments, do I deserve the love and care from myself and others? Can I accept other's love and kindness without doubting or judging myself for my mistakes? Without wondering "what they would think if they knew" about it?

Can I let go of the past and simply treat those mistakes as old silly memories and leave them be? Do nothing and move on? Just like that? Just try to heal myself and focus on the present without any need to feel guilty?

Because it's almost like I feel guilty about the idea that "I can move on, let go of the guilt and move on."

I see people talk about things like, "Self-love also means letting go of thoughts, actions, feelings and behaviours that no longer serve you." But what if my thoughts are about my mistakes? Or random actions from the past that "might" be mistakes or might not? Does it still apply? Can I still let go?

In other words, does the "kind" of thought/feeling/action it is, change the situation? Or can I still let go and be compassionate towards myself and heal and move regardless? Idk when I see someone say things like "you're worthy no matter what" it just sends me into a overthinking spiral of wondering what the limits of that "no matter what" are. Can I believe it REALLY no matter what?

Something like that......idk I just think too much I guess

But I'd like to get your stance on this and what I should be doing about thoughts like those

I'm really sorry for this vent and all the silly questions.....you can just answer them together if you want....or just ignore too if it's too much!

Also, thank you so much as always! 🫶

Hey Anon,

Happy New Year! Nothing you ever ask me is a waste of time, so please don't say such things!

I don't think there's anything wrong with you wanting to keep the peace between your parents and your sister. I think that's a very noble thing of you to do, and I don't think your reasons for doing so come off as self-serving. Your intentions are in the right place and you seem to have the gift of being able to be the mediator between both sides, and for someone who says they want to avoid conflict, that's a brave position to put yourself in! I totally understand that you hate conflict and most people do. The fact that you take action to try and calm both sides is a really good trait because most avoidant people would probably just shut down and hide from the argument in the first place.

Do you think I should believe them? Do I deserve to be loved by them despite me being like this?

Yes. Want to know why? Because most people have the understanding and compassion that people are human and make mistakes. They are choosing to look at your positive traits as opposed to the negative, even if you feel like "if they knew this about me, they wouldn't", it doesn't matter! Also you should never ever have to DESERVE love. That would make love a conditional thing and love is something that was meant to be UNCONITIONAL. You don't have to earn it or be good enough for it, but unfortunately because of the way a lot of people treat others (conditional love) we feel as if we do have to do something to gain it. It's a really hard concept to grasp, but once you grasp it, you'll start to show love to yourself more and more. If you can give unconditional love to others, despite knowing their flaws, their mistakes, their pasts, etc., then you can do the same to yourself and others can show the same kind of love to you as well 🥰

Anon, you gotta let yourself be okay with the fact that you are human and you will never be perfect. That means that mistakes are a part of the process of being human. The most successful people in life have embraced this and actually use it to their advantage to get to where they are because each mistake and each failure is a learning OPPORTUNITY to do better and try something different to get them to the top. It's this idea of perfectionism that has kept so many people from achieving their goals because they think the stars have to align in just the right way before starting anything or that they can't pursue or enjoy the things they want because of something they might still be holding guilt/shame over from their past. Everyone has something to be ashamed of, but some people are better at letting it go than others. You have to reach a place where you're okay that you messed up many times in the past. You have so much life still ahead of you to get things right and to create a life you enjoy and where you're not burdened with "what ifs" or things that could be.

So what I want to ask is in either or any scenario actually, if I want to move on, can I simply do that? I mean, suppose someone made a mistake and kinda hurt someone 5 or 10 years ago or maybe even before that…..and they suddenly start feeling guilty for it (or for any other mistakes), do they deserve to heal or leave it behind without apologising now? Yes, you can move on…and no one will judge you for that! At some point that is really all that's left to do. No amount of dwelling on what happened will change what did happen. All that's left to do is to acknowledge what you learned from the mistake and move forward with that tool in your belt. You can now approach life with newfound wisdom. If you find something you did that comes up for you to be guilty about, you can simply acknowledge the thought, challenge it, then let it go. "This thing that I did to so-and-so has me feeling guilt still, but I know there's nothing I can do about it. Yes, I regret what I did and wish I could have changed things, but I can't. Now that I know better, I know that I won't hurt someone/that person like that in the same way again." I'm sure there are times where you wish you could apologize to that person, but we're not always granted those opportunities. If it still weighs heavy on that heart and you see that person again, you can always bring it up, but a majority of the time we don't get those opportunities, so you just have to learn to be okay with letting it go and making sure the situation doesn't happen again with someone else.

Idk I just have this doubt…..of wondering if mistakes (big or small) make us undeserving? Especially if a person doesn't apologise but still tries to do better (in case of the bigger mistakes), then can they move on?

Nothing makes you undeserving. Again, humans make mistakes and if someone rejects you for that, that's on them. They're the one who lacks compassion because they're just as guilty. If people can't learn to forgive others, then they can't even forgive themselves. In those cases I usually just feel bad for people like that. I've become really good at forgiving others, especially when they don't apologize to me for hurting me. It's a skill that takes time, but it really just makes you the one most capable of understanding and practicing unconditional love towards others.

Even at your worst moments, Anon, you still are deserving of kindness, love, and compassion from yourself and others. You can absolutely accept that from others too without guilt because love was designed to be something given freely and without conditions, even if humans have us thinking we have to deserve it. It was never designed to be that way.

I see people talk about things like, "Self-love also means letting go of thoughts, actions, feelings and behaviours that no longer serve you." But what if my thoughts are about my mistakes? Or random actions from the past that "might" be mistakes or might not? Does it still apply? Can I still let go?

But do those thoughts serve you? Do they really? Or are you tearing yourself down because you still can't accept the fact that you'll never be perfect or that you have to be worthy? Dwelling on the past only just keeps you there and not moving forward. Everyone has to realize this at some point or you'll just stay stuck obsessing over the things you can't control when the things you CAN control lie ahead of you. You can let go, Anon. It's okay ❤

[idyllic-page]

Perspective.

Uni life.

As a freshman, uni life is something very new to me. Unlike JHS or SHS, the community itself is very new. I met ppl from various types of backgrounds, even the lecturers were not like the teachers I met in high school. Well, those are things to be expected as uni life is not like high school. Things are getting more serious as we picked our own major to work on and most importantly to chase each of our own dreams.

Despite that, there's one more thing I am quite shocked about in uni life. Perspective.

I am at the end of my first semester. My society is giving me the impression that trust issues here are far worse than in the high school era. Not saying that ppl just lie bluntly to make them look good, but ppl are hiding their true self to look okay when they are obviously not.

If we look into a small perspective, where we put ourselves in the first-person POV, we can feel how ppl just easily lie because they need to protect themselves first. Well, they aren't entirely wrong. I felt that my society changed drastically from SHS to uni and they probably did too. As I'm still in the first semester, I also don't know to whom I should put my trust. As all of these are happening, ppl are giving bad impressions left and right. It's like a race for who's got the worst gossip the fastest. I mean, even our seniors know that gossips.

On the other hand, we also could see how ppl are struggling on their own problems. How all of us are doing the same thing. Hide our struggles, and help others instead. Listen to others but neglecting ourselves at the end, not wanting others to help you back. If we put ourselves in the third-person POV, we can see how the misunderstanding happens. Understandably, they might or might not lie but either way because they hid their own problems from the other person, misunderstandings are bound to happen.

Ofc, a lot of things happened not the way they should have. A lot of sayings go around badly and hurt some ppl along the process. Sometimes, these are just the side effects of ppl wanting to be loved. A classmate of mine is currently rumored to have had a lot of guy friends when she was in high school and is currently jealous of someone who is very outgoing, and even manages to have three guys confessed to her. Well, whatever impression I get to hearing this news, I only got to hear this from one perspective and not both. Personally, I don't know if I want to trust it or not but either way, this didn't effect me at all. Neither other ppl who obviously know that they aren't involved in any of this jealous rumor. We shouldn't indulge ourselves in those kinds of gossips but sometimes we can't help it.

All in all, we are all in the introduction phase of uni life. I don't think trusting someone so fast is a good idea but lying isn't really an option either. If we are mature enough as our age has implied, I feel like we should have learned how to appreciate ppl, to respect their individual decision, also to own up to anything we have said and done. Having a support system in uni is very crucial but at the same time, we also need to create that safe zone for everyone else.

Maybe, ppl need to incorporate understanding toward each other in their system. Maybe then, we can solve each of our problems without losing anyone.

　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶ ✦　　

ㅡ vey

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

[caxycreations]

Character Intro - Luka Mikaelson

Luka is seven feet and five inches tall, much taller than most sergals on Relan due to mixed lineage (he is 1/4 Greatwolf).

He is light, pastel green with dark green secondary fur, as well as yellow and grey markings. The tips of his ear tufts are yellow, and each shoulder bears a circular splash of yellow. He has curved vambrace-like markings on his arms. His eyes are a pale yellow.

He has a very thick Russian accent, though on Relan it's recognized as the accent typical of those from southern regions in Dornum. He works as a janitor at Tylvin Tots Elementary, an elementary school for kindergarten all the way to sixth grade.

He is somewhat slow, with expressions and turns of phrase being somewhat difficult for him to pick up on. He is not stupid by any means, but takes a little longer to process and understand than others might. Despite this slow processing, he is very quick in regards of emotional and interpersonal matters, with an innate wisdom from his Blessing.

His Blessing is Empathy, a supernaturally strong sense of others emotions, as well as the impact ones actions will have on them. This has made him very wise in matters pertaining to interpersonal connections, emotions, and emotional problems.

He is very well liked among the children of the school he works at, and is deeply respected by his coworker Olivia Bo, as well as the school nurse and the principal of the elementary.

The other faculty has a somewhat lower opinion of him, finding him to be ignorant and slow-minded, which frustrates some of them. This misconception has led to them treating him as less of a coworker and more of a frustrating student, looking down on him.

He doesn't let this get him down, believing their misguided view of him is simply misunderstanding him, and so he continues to treat his fellow faculty with respect and kindness.

He takes his job very seriously, and if he isn't spending time with the kids during lunch or recess, he can be found diligently cleaning the school to ensure a spotless environment for everyone there.

When he isn't at work, he can be found sleeping at home or sitting at the Coffee and Cream cafe, people-watching and talking with his favorite barista/waiter, David Seltz, a caxy (half-cat-half-fox).

He has a genuine and deep respect and adoration of children, feeling that adulthood robs many of an innate sense of good and bad. While many adults, in his opinion, need reason to treat others well, children simply do so out of an inherent desire to do so.

He believes this very strongly, and so views children as the purest form of good, and does what he can to preserve that purity by encouraging them when they do good for one another, and by explaining the problem in ways they can understand when they do wrong.

This hands-on approach to teaching and encouraging kindness and respect has led to the children of his school being greatly attached to him, as he treats them like equals and offers them greater respect than most give.

He has feelings for Olivia Bo, one of the teachers working at his school, who he admires and respects greatly thanks to her own adoration of the youths of the school, and her pure heart.

Originally from Southern Dornum, he moved to Ferus to escape the problems of his homeland, bringing with him nothing but what money he had and the clothes on his back. He settled in Tylvin after several moves across the country, and began working as a janitor in one of the local schools.

He has been there ever since, finding the city to be the greatest home he has ever had. He still has family in Dornum which he writes to regularly, keeping them in the loop of how his life is going and asking about theirs in kind. His family often writes back, proud of his progress and working towards their own freedom from the country.

Overall, Luka is a kind, genuine, and caring individual who wants nothing more than to treat others with the utmost respect and kindness, as well as helping others learn to do the same. He is pure and innocent, with little interest in things beyond simply enjoying the small comforts of a calm life.

Base by DarkArlett Colors by me Sergal species by Mick39