#form being important to... almost nonexisting

[castlephantom]

Did PTJ really start to exclude women form plot?

I mean... when it was the last time the girls were part of the plot (in early Lookism they were there in the plot, important and now? You can count on fingers their appearences)

Is just me or PTJ use the girls as backround characters?

[melzula]

Okay I have an request

So like we are azula and zuko sister and we adored by both but like in the catacombs we choose gaang over azula and zuko of this and please can y/n x sokka and now zuko now wants to join gaang and yeah I am not good with words I hope u understand what I said😁

Y/n can be a firebender or non bender its ur choice anyway

a/n: okay so there’s a lot to tackle in this request which is why i chose to do it as headcanons so i hope you don’t mind !

summary: being the middle child isn’t easy, especially when your siblings are Zuko and Azula

As the only non-bender and middle child of the royal family, you never felt like you mattered

You were the Black Swan of the palace, a disgrace to your father and his image

You kept to yourself, staying in the shadows and out of his way while your siblings took the spotlight

However, just because your father looked down upon you didn’t mean your siblings shared his sentiment

In fact, they adored you

Zuko was an attentive older brother. He let you follow him everywhere, defended you against anyone who dared speak badly about you, and was your shoulder to cry on whenever your father was feeling particularly cruel

He saw you for who you were, and who you were was an intelligent, kind, talented young woman meant to do great things in her lifetime

Azula, while being particularly mean to Zuko at times, never once treated you the way she saw her brother

Despite you being a nonbender, she surprisingly never speaks down to you or makes you feel less than

It could be because she doesn’t see you as competition as she does Zuko, or maybe she truly does just feel genuine sisterly love for you

Maybe it’s because whenever she felt your mother was unfairly favoring your brother over her, you were always there to assure her that she was a wonderful bender and just as important

Maybe it’s because sometimes she wished you could be her mother instead

Whatever her reasoning, Azula sees you as a comforting presence in her life. She seeks your validation constantly almost as much as your father’s, and she’d do anything to protect you and your honor

Things became worse for you when Ursa left. She could no longer intervene when your father felt like tormenting you, and your siblings knew better than to say anything in your defense. Shortly after her banishment, Ozai deems it best to send you away to the academy since he has no other use for you

Your departure is hard for both siblings. Zuko is gutted that he can no longer be there to protect you or look after you. Though she acts as if she couldn’t care less, Azula is devastated at your leaving. Her source of comfort is being ripped away from her, and she has no one to look out for her

At the academy you learn various forms of physical combat and weaponry wielding. You’re especially fond of using tanto swords in battle and they’ve become your weapon of choice when in a fight

Zuko and Azula send you letters during your stay at school behind your father’s back updating you about your home, their lives, and their annoyance of each other. You keep every single one they send, and it eases the ache of your home sickness

It’s also at the school that you learn of the Agni Kai and Zuko’s banishment. Your heart breaks for your older brother, and you’re devastated at the fact that you never got the chance to say goodbye and you may never see him again. He still sends letter for a time, but as the years pass they become less frequent and almost nonexistent. Azula’s letters follow the same path

Years pass and your father deems it time for you to come home. Now that you’ve made a decent fighter out of yourself he finds your worthy of being his daughter again

However, your stay is short lived. Azula recruits you to be part of her little team to capture the Avatar and your brother, and you don’t really have any other choice but to agree

You downplay how skilled you are in fighting so that she doesn’t expect much from you and force you to do too much of the work. You don’t want to go against her, but you also don’t want to have to fight your brother and your uncle

You also don’t exactly feel good about destroying the world’s last hope for peace

And that’s why, when the time comes, you choose the Avatar over your siblings

You’re tired of being pulled back and forth, of always being stuck between your siblings with no real purpose, of not being able to do anything for yourself

Zuko is astonished by your choice and conflicted. Just when he finally had found his way back into the family you chose to leave it. Why were you doing this? Why were you ruining everything?

Azula is furious. Your betrayal hurts worse than mother’s. You’d always taken her side, always comforted her and supported her, you’d always been there, and now you were leaving. How dare you leave her?

“You fool!” She’d cried, angrily sending a blast of blue flames your way knowing you wouldn’t be able to stop it. If not for Iroh, surely her strike would have ended you. The fact that your own sister was willing to hurt you for the cause was enough proof to know you were making the right decision

You help the Avatar escape and join his group, vowing to help them in any way you can to win the war. Your fighting skills and knowledge of the Fire Nation makes you a big help and they appreciate your assistance

It doesn’t take long for you to win their trust and acclimate into their group. You become fast friends with everyone, growing especially close to Sokka who may or may not have a huge crush on you

He definitely becomes your shoulder to lean on when things get tough, because he knows it can’t be easy for you to just leave all you’ve ever known behind. you struggle constantly over having to choose the Avatar over your siblings, but he constantly assures you that you’ve made the right choice

Least to say your departure makes Zuko’s return home even more conflicting and turmoil filled. How can he enjoy being back home when you’re not there to enjoy it with him? How could he be happy knowing his sister was out there risking her life to help the Avatar?

Your decision definitely inspires his own to leave the Fire Nation and aid Aang and his friends

Your abandonment of your siblings also fuels Azula’s descent into madness, fueling her fire to continue her mission to capture the Avatar

It’s a rough position you’ve found yourself in, but it’s not like your whole life hasn’t been you stuck in a terrible spot

Being the middle child is hard, especially when your siblings are Zuko and Azula

[serpentface]

Four (relatively) distinct types of livestock guardian dogs in the Imperial Wardi region. (Left to right: hnorai dam, chin-tsimouna, dírgrahdain, and chin na Hittsanaedi)

Dog breeds in the modern sense of the word in which a dog is selected for highly specific physical traits and carefully bred to retain 'purity' is virtually nonexistent in this setting (and where similar practices occur, it's usually as an outlier situation surrounding a single dog rather than as a standard practice). Most working dogs first develop out of landraces via natural selection, and are bred according to their function above all else. Their forms are the results of natural pressures from their environments, the demands of their jobs, genetic isolation (or lack thereof), and often some degree of selectivity or preference for coloration or features.

These are the four types that occur within the region, all derived from a progenitor landrace guard dog (the last common ancestor of all four contemporary types probably existed about 950-1000 years before present). All share commonalities of a large size, rain-resistant hair, notably dense winter coats, a loud and deep bark, thick muzzles, and strongly sloping chests. They must be able to hold their own (usually through intimidation but occasionally in fights) against large predators that often physically outmatch them- lions, king hyena, hyenas, and wild dogs being most threatening to livestock. They also may have additional functions in dissuading theft and poaching of livestock by humans, and they may sometimes double as basic guard dogs of homes or villages.

Dogs here are bred almost entirely according to their function (you breed LGDs with LGDs, it doesn't usually matter if they look different or come from different stock), with the main exceptions being 'breeds' that are aspects of important cultural heritage or that have specific culturally/regionally preferred aesthetic traits. The chin-tsimouna is the most common of the three and is the result of minimally selective breeding (though some populations form unique strains or have a selective local status), while the other three are semi-isolated heritage types (the hnorai dam for some North Wardi groups, the dírgrahdain for most of the Hill Tribes, and the chin na Hittsanaedi among Ephenni Riverlanders).

---

Hnorai dam: Very rare in the contemporary, with undiluted animals of this stock surviving in some of the most isolated parts of the region's north. This type is distinct for typically having a somewhat stockier build than the others, solid coats, pointed ears, and a tail held upright and curved when relaxed. Most are solid white, gray, or black, and will often be assigned to horses of matching color. This is also the most 'basal' of the regional LGDs, a dog close to this in form (but probably not with solid coloration) was the common progenitor of all other livestock guardian breeds in the region. Variants on 'hnorai dam' are the common name, simply meaning 'guard dog' in the North Wardi language (as they are often used as village/household guards as well as livestock guardians).

Chin-tsimouna: This is the most ubiquitous type, occurring region-wide (and beyond) and used by a variety of peoples (throughout the core Imperial Wardi sphere and among the Cholemdinae, with some usage among the North Wardi, Hill Tribes, and Wogan). They have the most significant foreign ancestry (largely from Burri and Yuroma dogs) and most frequent 'crossbreedings' with feral populations. Due to these factors, the look of these dogs is highly variable (with the 'chin-tsimouna' name functionally being a catchall for any LGDs not of an otherwise specified type). There ARE some broad commonalities (beyond strictly the underlying features common to all these LGD types). The ears are rarely pointed, and usually are bent or lay flat. Fawn coloration with a melanistic mask is by far the most common, with white, gray, and black dogs coming in second (often semi-selectively bred or chosen to match the coats of their charges). Solid colored chin-tsimouna are very rare. There are numerous regional names for type-variants, but 'chin-tsimouna' is the most common descriptor for the overall type, meaning 'horse-dog' (in reference to their typical charges, who they uniquely live among).

Dírgrahdain: This is the native livestock guardian dog of the Highlands. They are the most physically distinctive from their counterparts, and their traits are among the most consistent (due to rarity of feral dog populations in their native range and their status in shared cultural heritage encouraging maintenance of their distinctive traits and discouraging crossbreeding). The most distinctive features are a dense mane, pointed ears, and tightly curled tail. An extended melanistic mask is highly common, and very pale 'evil eyes' are favored in this population, believed to be the most frightening to predators and evil spirits. The name dírgrahdain means 'liondog', mostly referring to their mane. [Extended dírgrahdain post here]

Chin na Hittsanaedi: This is the 'youngest' of the distinct types, and derives from a period of significant crossing between dírgrahdain and chin-tsimouna within the Ephenni riverlands (region south of the soutwestern Highlands, between and around the convergence of the Erubin and Nedachemi rivers) due to significant interaction and overlap of territory between the Ephenni and the West Rivers Hill Tribes under Imperial Burri occupation. The curled tail and pale eyes of the dírgrahdain is common in this population, though the pointed ears are rare and the 'mane' is less developed or absent. Most other traits are typical of the chin-tsimouna type. Dogs of this stock are mainly used in rural parts of the province of Ephennos, and their significance to aspects of modern era Ephenni cultural identity dissuades intentional breeding with both of their progenitor types. The name chin na Hittsanaedi means 'Riverlands dog' (more literally 'dog of the Riverlands').

[neutralvibe]

The hero of power

A small small short. Cw: blood

Your blood hit the ground, and the room still. The temperature drops impossibly low. It held some sort of unnatural feels to it like you were the one to dictate when and where the cold was to appear. Time can only compare it to the piercing cold of the cavern hidden deep into the Zora domain, where he feared the ice would consume him whole if he stayed for too long.

Cold chills run down his arms. He notices frost forming at the edge of the room. Slowly caging down on them all, trapping them here with you.

His eye snaps to his brothers as he unconsciously grips his great sword tighter. They all seem just as on edge as he was. Shoulders tense, eyes focused and swords ready. Everyone was quiet, not a single noise was heard. The tension in the air made it hard to even breathe without fearing of being crushed to death by it.

The usual sarcastic comments from Legend were nonexistent. His gaze never left your unmoving form as his hand twitched towards his fire rod.

The Captain and the Champion were both standing side by side, ready to bolt into action at any given moment, both with hard lines on their faces.

Wind's legs were slightly fidgeting in place as he stood restless, changing multiple times his grip on his sword as he stared ahead at you. Beside him, Twilight in his Wolf form quietly growled, barring his teeth at you.

Sky was firmly holding the Master Sword a frown on his face, clearly wanting this whole thing to stop as quick as possible.

Four and Hyrule both looked anxious but certain like they already calculated every outcome and how to overcome any obstacles that you'd throw their way while still keeping close to the others. Thought Hyrule looked more hesitant with a strange frown on his face. It was almost contemplating.

Suddenly, a sound breaks the choking silence. Breathless little laughs echo in the room as you pull yourself up, your hair hiding your face. Your movements are slow and dull. Time's eyes narrow slightly, alarmed at the unusual reaction. His lips pressed into a thin line as he analyzed you. You unhurriedly grabbed your swords, like you wanted to drag on as long as possible this moment, playing with their stress. He couldn't help but clench his jaw, nose scrunching up.

Stretching to you full height, you kept your head down.

A beat past...

And then, you tilted your head towards them...

Blood red eyes landed directly in his own blue one. His heart skipped a beat as his grips waivers for a split second. His eye widden as a dead tree surrounded by mirrors flash in his mind for a fraction of seconds. He shrugged it off, judging it of no importance for the moment. The thick blood still dripping from your face caught his attention. His eye followed the trail of blood cascading down from your nose all the way to the drops hitting the tiles beneath you. His gaze snapped back to your eyes. You smile, teeth tainted by blood as you tilted your head at him.

He frooze, washed by an overwhelming sense of cold. He felt his throat getting tighter, and chills ran down his back.

A feeling he hadn't felt for decades resurface. One he wished he'd never had to experience again. An ancient memory flash in his mind. One where he was just starting his adventure... in this cursed temple at the bottom of the lac.

He was in the illusion room again... His shadow mocking his courage to his face while holding the only person that stayed at his side by her wing.

"What's wrong?" It taunted with a twisted smile on its face while slightly swinging the blue fairy side to side as she stayed alarmingly unmoving.

A loud 'clank' sound brings him back to the moment as he grips his sword. His focus back on you.

"What's wrong?" You taunted, rotating your swords to hit each other in a loud empty clank. You stalked forward, taking your time in each step.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Another clank bounces off the walls.

[lucabyte]

obligatory ramble about postcanon loop ask

also your art is amazing

Hiiiiiiiii :D thank you :)!!

and thank you for the excuse to post the. just absolute wall of text that i truncated down to form the tags of that post. (i did,,, hit the tag limit. i forgot tumblr had one of those...) so let me just paste that and tidy it up a bit...

I am putting this under a readmore because it's a bit long. but:

This is like. The General Context for all* of my postcanon doodles? (Except AUs obviously) Like this is the base idea I've been drawing them all in. So, feel free to backread with this in mind. I've basically had this 'postcanon' timeline set in my brain since finishing the game...

My general thoughts are that I like the idea of Loop (even if through dubiously ethical means) being able to slowly reintegrate with the party as a whole new person, because they are, in fact, their own person.

It's a muddle of thematic threads im pulling on and "wouldn't it be fucked up if", but. (at its core, it's powered by the fact that like, while narratively isat's theme of 'the only person who can truly take the first step to help you is yourself'. (wrt: loop helping the party help siffrin in act 5) which i LOVE AND IS GREAT NARRATIVELY…. would be super fucked up irl to learn that your friend 'learned as a lesson' while you stood by kinda uselessly. I know i'd be upset about it. but thats mostly background here. doesn't really come up. at least not until loop has to explain who they are and the party realises they had to fall back on literally themselves again for help, but i digress,)

The real core concept is: Occam's razor. It is like, inherently, a buckwild thing to accuse a person of being somehow a clone or copy of your friend. Even if they start vaguely alluding to a backstory it's far more likely they were some other person before all that. (I still think Odile has that theory in the back pocket but she's rational enough to know it's a really long shot without a solid explanation. and i think Loop deep down knows this, and would, if cornered into confessing, turn the situation around to go J'ACCUSE and make HER explain it instead. Ever longer dodging being direct with their emotions...)

And the party are nice! And if someone has changed and wants to keep stuff secret it's kind of not their business? (Though it's hard not to speculate… see: the main joke of the doodles) And they seem important to Siffrin so they just try to accept them abrasive quirks and all. And eventually the question of their prior identity just fades away since, well, they're Loop. Their friend Loop.

but yeah. personal headcanon is that a few months/weeks after picking up and getting aquainted with Nille** (since that was presumably the IMMEDIATE TASK postgame), Loop reappears (either after a literal period of nonexistance, or just spending a few months wandering the french countryside alone being attacked by wild dogs). Since Siffrin has had a while to be therapised by the party they're doing mostly okay, but Loop showing up and still being agitated/aggressive pulls them both into a bit of a backslide behaviourally and puts the party on the back foot again.

Hooowever, I do think that due to no longer being literally stewing in the worst pressure cooker of all time together, the two do mostly actually sort themselves out with productive conversation. (Via a cycle of: genuinely distressing argument -> weeeird lovebombing -> ok we're good -> repeat, that gets less intense over time)

Thus, allowing the party to just. Integrate loop as a new person. They and Siffrin shuffle into different ecological niches (Loop taking over stuff Siffrin is now too squeamish for, etc (see: hunting, mostly)), and while it's not exactly what Loop wanted they generally get that beggars can't be choosers and it's a pretty good deal. And the rest of the party does straight up just like them as a friend, especially when Loop quits trying to actively antagonise them after a few weeks of being around them, since they just can't keep up being mean to people they like forever.

As for how I think the truth eventually drags itself out. This is where I invoke The Isabeau Torment Nexus™. So its gonna get shippy here for a bit hold on.

Which is, I think giving them time before Loop reappears long enough that Siffrin and Iseabeau actually manage to become established, Isabeau has to be the one to nudge the pair of them and go. "Hey. You know we're in Vaugarde right. I'm okay with polyamory if we all communicate." Before Loop and Siffrin actually even acknowledge that whatever the fuck they have going on kinda looks a lot like a relationship of some kind. (or have already been agonising about that via fighting and arguing, depending) (Obviously this comes after Isa "Emotionally intelligent enough to keep a lid on the jealousy" Beau has managed to use that big brain of his to Not just go Scream somewhere on the daily because oh godddd they keep talking like theyre suicide-baiting each other jesus chriiist. is it overstepping his boundaries to bring that up?? god)

This, taking a bunch of the tension out of Loop and Isabeau's relationship (Since I imagine Loop is a. being weird for the obvious reasons and b. feeling kinda guilty about 'getting in the way of' Siffrin and Iseabeau), allows them to actually get close in a normal friend way. (I think an interesting turning point could be Isabeau actually taking Loop's side in an argument vs Siffrin, which would absolutely break Loop's brain. Especially if it's an argument that matters. Like what do you mean he isn't just going to play favourites. What?)

Then Isabeau, just actually open minded and charmed by Loop (and maybe even somewhat at Siffrin's suggestion?) tries to close the final open side on the polyamory triangle here and that's the final straw for Loop on "This lie by omission is too unethical to keep up, this is just actually sick and wrong. I can't do this while he doesn't know who I am." Though. Obviously it probably goes. Very poorly with emotions high like that. And the added element of several months of deceit. Getting dark here for a second but that dagger is going MISSING and so are THEY for a hot minute.

Then yaaay everything works out in the end 👍 yippieee!! all it took was maybe a lot of harrowed recontextualisation of all the weird shit your new friend said and did when it turns out they're your old friend. It's fine.

But yeah. this is basically the context all of my postcanon doodles have existed within? And those exist to give other people something to chew on. So this does too.

I suppose TL;DR: Imagine if sloopis almost fucking happens before isabeau knows who loop is. can you fucking imagine. can you imagine having to navigate that. nightmare.

*Yes this includes the implied cannibalism comic. Uhh. Comes part and parcel with headcanoning that Loop went way off the deep end similar to A5 Sif But Maybe Worse before giving in. Add weepy half-asleep confessions to murder wherever you see fit in your mind palace. 👍👍👍

**Re: Nille footnote. I don't have anywhere to put this besides here! I have some thoughts on Loop and Nille having an odd dynamic. I don't imagine Nille to be super gung-ho on trusting a bunch of adults (even if they are majority around her age) given their implied backstory. It's probably a big shock to the system, especially since Bambouche is a good couple hundred Kilometers up north from Dormont and these guys don't seem to have trains. She would've been unfrozen and without Bonnie for some time....

Which is to say: I think she's suspicious of them. I think she may be looking for excuses to distance herself, keep Bonnie safe. SO.... A new guy showing up? And antagonising the party? What do they know that I don't...? I should find out.

And since... Loop didn't ever know Nille, they have no ammunition or real reason to be cruel. Plus, if they're trying to stay on Bonnie's good side (SINCE... if Bonnie thought Loop was cringe they may as well kill themselves. In their mind.) they SUPER have no reason to antagonise Nille.

Mostly, they might be able to open up to each other easier than they can the rest of the party?

I feel like this resolves with Loop feeling compelled to apologise for what they and Siffrin let happen to Bonnie, though... Hmm... Depends on how you interpret Nille that they'd be glad nobody else had been told about that yet, or furious it had been secret this long. I lean toward the former.

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Being friends with Martha and Veronica would include~

(My very low effort gif/ I legitimately don't think there are any gifs of Martha on tumblr)(Requested by anonymous)

- The most beautiful and heartbreaking thing about becoming Martha's friend is that, no matter how many times she's been burned before, she still accepts your offer of friendship as though those terrible moments never happened. She welcomes you with open arms, immediately trying her absolute hardest to make you happy and comfortable; to ensure that you stick around and don't up and leave her like everyone else.

- The worst part is that she wouldn't even hold it against you if you did: she'd give you a smile and insist that she understood, that she knew people ended up ostracized for being in her company and that she'd hate for it to happen to you.

- But because people tend to avoid her; in fear of the aforementioned ostracization, you'll probably have to be the one to approach her yourself. Although, if you're on the shyer side; and want to befriend the two of them after the whole JD debacle, you'll be relieved to find that Veronica is willing to do the job for you.

- You'll all probably meet in some random corner of the school corridors or the cafeteria, asking to sit with each other and not caring about what any of the other cliques in your school have to say about it. Your first meeting might only last a couple of minutes, but it really doesn't matter. By the end of the day, the three of you are already beginning to form the most genuine friendship in the entire school, one that will only get better the more time you spend with each other.

- Martha really blossoms when she's given the opportunity to: like when you put a dying plant in new soil. She's dorky and sweet, and she never fails to make you laugh or feel better whenever you're feeling down. She's not afraid to be silly with you and it makes hanging out with her incredibly fun.

- She's also incredibly considerate. She'll give you the shirt off her back if you need it, and she'll never forget to carry an extra pencil or book or snack. She'll remember important dates for you: things like your birthday, or the day of your recital, and she'll never fail to show up and show her support.

- Doing almost everything together. After years of having nonexistent or fake friends, the three of you really like to make memories and do all of the stereotypical teenage girl things that you feel like you missed out on. You go to different places together, have sleepovers, spend holidays with each other, drive home after school together, etc. All of your houses slowly start to become each others homes away from home.

- Having designated seats at the lunch table or on the bleachers, or really just wherever the three of you go. You sort of just fall into place the same way every time.

- Hiding out in different parts of school whenever you really don't feel like entertaining high school stupidity. Both Martha and Veronica know all of the perfect places to avoid social interaction, and in a school as crazy as yours, that's very important information.

- You all usually walk to class together: walking to Martha's class first, then to yours, then Veronica to hers. You both look out for Martha, and Veronica looks out for you and herself: she's a lot more confident and uncaring about everything around you so most of the time she really just looks out for anything that might phase you.

- Comforting and being there for each other. High schools hard, and the three of you know that more than anyone else. So whether it's cutting class, or sitting in the school bathroom for all of lunch, or waking up to a phone call at three am, one of you is always there for the other. Screw the rest of the world, you have each other, and nothing else matters.

- Veronica's house is usually your main hangout spot. Her parents are probably a little confused by the very abrupt change of friends, but they're fairly clueless and still very happy to welcome you in.

Movie nights, complete with popcorn and junk food. You all go to the rental store after school on Fridays or during holidays, and the each of you pick one out, teasing each other over your selections and laughing over their descriptions.

- Having picnics. You usually have them in Veronicas backyard: fetching snacks from inside, doing your homework, and occasionally playing croquet; though she might hate the game after her time with the Heathers.

- Lounging around your bedrooms, doing each others makeup, watching television or listening to albums, snacking, chatting, and just plain laughing with each other.

- Going shopping. Martha and Veronica both have very distinct fashion styles, and both of them are very vastly different, so you always go to a bunch of different stores and help each other decide on things.

- Going to the record store. You guys have a collection of new albums that you go to each others houses to listen to. You take turns buying the newest releases and letting whoever likes it best take it home; it helps you not completely drain all of your savings.

- Martha loves taking polaroid's of the three of you. She's very sentimental and she likes having keepsakes of all of your fondest memories.

- Helping set Martha up with a genuinely nice guy who will actually care for her. I think it's kind of obvious that she wants a boyfriend, but she's not always willing to go out and look for it; especially after years of ruthless bullying, so you and Veronica put in the work for her.

- Showing Martha that people will like her, genuinely like her, and that everything that was said or done to her was complete and utter bullshit. Once you get to know her, you'll find that she's a genuinely lovely person, and you'll spend the rest of your friendship convincing her of that fact.

- Even when Veronica was "friends" with the Heathers, she desperately wanted to have a real friendship; sort of like the one she had with Betty when she was younger. So she's really happy that she was able to find it with you and Martha, and she tries her hardest to repent for her past social hierarchy sins: doing her best to make sure that you and Martha never fall for any of the mean pranks or petty tricks that popular people like to pull.

- Overall, it's simply the greatest friend group you'll ever have.

[cecilysass]

Why I Think The X-Files Isn’t Really As Much About Watergate and Governmental Conspiracy As Everyone Claims, Maybe Including CC

This one’s really nerdy, get ready.

Media covering the X-Files has always emphasized how much the show capitalizes on a post-Watergate worldview, a paranoia about government and belief in high-level conspiracy. I think CC signed on to this interpretation entirely. So much so that he sure kept on feeding those conspiracy plot lines in the mytharc—even when every other plot line was going hungry. 

So much so that in the revival, he really created a problem for himself, which the media picked up on. Government conspiracy nuts in 2016 no longer were hot sensitive 90s guy outcasts like Mulder or quirky cuddly little nerds like the Gunmen. Government conspiracy nuts in 2016 were media savvy right wing commentators manipulating the masses, getting presidents elected through willful misinformation.  The revival series tried to address this head on with Tad O’Malley, a character who represented this new development. But it was definitely a sticky issue: the sociopolitical context of the original show was gone. Was the show relevant any more?

I would argue yes, or at least it could have been. I would argue that the interpretation of the XF as a show primarily about conspiracy at high levels of power and governmental manipulation is a flawed one to begin with. I think this take makes the show way too thematically narrow, limits it, and obscures the show’s more important appeals.

In the 1990s, media coverage of the show almost always mentioned Watergate the historical event. Sometimes coverage discussed how Watergate was directly referenced on the show (Deep Throat, meetings in parking deck, CSM and Diana both living in the actual Watergate), but also Watergate’s specific effect on creator Chris Carter, who specifically cited it as a formative event. Often it was claimed that the show’s popularity with audiences was rooted in post-Watergate suspicion of government.

I think this could have been true generally speaking, although I always thought it somewhat overestimated the impact of Watergate on the XF’s target audience. Consider that in 1997 many in the key 18-49 demographic would not even remember Watergate especially well, or at all. If you were 30 in 1997, you were 6 when the story broke in 1973. I’m sure that could have left a mark on you, but I also think it might have been something that simply left a much bigger impression on Boomers the age of Chris Carter himself.

Me? I was in college in 1997, and I was nonexistent / unborn during Watergate. So I didn’t remember it, and it held no personal significance in my worldview regarding the United States. I don’t think it ever would have occurred to me to trust that the government was telling me the truth all the time, and I wouldn’t ever be shocked to learn I was being intentionally misled. As a late Gen Xer growing up in the Reagan administration with post-Watergate ideas floating in the air, I just assumed the worst from the get-go.

So I admit: sometimes the earnest speeches from Mulder and Scully about the Truth and being lied to from men in power and a government we purport to trust seemed a little repetitive and obvious to me. It’s taken me a while to realize that these speeches are voicing something very specific and historically real, the furious indignation of Boomers that we can’t trust our institutions. I think I felt like, yeah, okay, okay, I get it. I never had the same kind of trust in institutions to lose in this respect, but this was a major betrayal for people my parents’ age.

All of this to say, I don’t think that the conspiracy worldview and the appeal of the paranoia about government was a big part of the draw for me. I’m not saying it wasn’t for many or even most others. But my instinct about storytelling is that that is a little too abstract or bloodless of an appeal to really hook most viewers anyway. Like, you might be interested in conspiracy to get you to watch initially, sure, but that’s probably not going to keep you watching for years. And it’s really not going to be enough to motivate you to tune in to a revival series in the 2010s.

So what was the big hook for viewers? You’re probably expecting me to say MSR, and if so, I’m going to surprise you a little. I do think that was part of it for some percentage of viewers, but I think it is more complex than that.

I think the show tapped into a late 20th century urge for individuals to become part of something greater than ourselves. Something we might think of as numinous or transcendent. Maybe something meaningful and good (like a quest for truth) — or maybe something that will look down and judge us, for good or ill. Something that means that we are not lonely in the universe. This puts X-Files squarely in an overall 1990s angels and aliens otherworldly trend. 

(Personally, and this could be an only me thing, but I can never quite separate out Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and The X-Files in my mind; Angels debuted on Broadway the same year X-Files first aired, and I was exposed to both at about the same time. They’re both about apocalypse and personal crisis and the end of the millennium and the transformative power of authentic relationships with others. I could do a whole thing on this.)

The desire for transcendence is the part of the show that is summed up by Mulder and Scully watching lights together in the sky, by Mulder’s wonder at seeing ships or aliens, by the entire notion of “I Want To Believe,” by the idea expressed in the last episode of the original series that both Mulder and Scully share—that the dead aren’t lost to us, that “they speak to us as part of something greater than us - greater than any alien force.” Mulder says to Scully that if “you and I are powerless now, I want to believe that if we listen to what’s speaking, it can give us the power to save ourselves.” There’s definitely a part of the show that is about little lonely human beings finding how they fit in a big, unfeeling universe.

The show's interest in conspiracy figures into this. Because after all, what are conspiracy theories but reassurance that there is some meaning behind everything after all? That there is some powerful system running the show, even if that system might be kind of evil. A grand organized secret an individual can actually uncover, rather than a bunch of random haphazard incompetence and chaos. I think this is part of the show's interest in transcendence, but only one part.

And there’s also part of the show that’s about a hero who is wracked with loneliness and alienation — and then two heroes who are wracked with loneliness and alienation—finding a kind of salvation in Truth, in Justice, in Trust, in Partnership, and, ambiguously, Love. (Sometimes Mulder sounds more like a 19th century Romantic hero than anything else.) This makes it a little allegory about late 20th century individualism and alienation and desire for meaning and authenticity and connection with others. 

I think what appeals to people emotionally in the show is that part of us that wonders: is there a universe that pays attention to me? Is there anyone who listens to me and who really, really knows me? Does anyone besides me care what is true and what is a lie? Will I find those who are lost to me and repair the parts of me that are broken? Is there anyone who would give up their life for mine?

I think that the desire to connect with others is a really basic human drive, and it’s most obviously foregrounded in the show the Mulder-Scully partnership. Even romance aside, we see from the first episode that these are two people with distinct worldviews who want to communicate, who see something in one another, who are hungry to be understood by one another. They ultimately see the other person as someone who reflects and affirms who they are. The partnership is definitely the emotional hook of the show, whether you see that as a romantic ship or not, and it thematically echoes the show’s overall themes of wanting there to be more in the universe. 

When the show was at its most emotionally devastating, it was one or both of its protagonists losing a relationship or connection that was important to them, or it was their frustration that their efforts were not meaningful on a larger scale: grief over a loss, a coverup that meant Justice wasn’t served or Truth was concealed.

When the show’s moments were most emotionally triumphant, they were always moments of overt connection, usually between Mulder and Scully, both more dramatic (“you’re my touchstone”) and subtle (reaching out to take a partner’s hand in Pusher or Field Trip). When there were moments of triumph concerning the government conspiracy, it felt more allegorical, like information (Truth) getting free, not progress made in specific governmental reform or anything. 

(And honestly, the moments of triumph against the conspiracy were pretty few and far between. We left the original run of show with the protagonists on the run, pretty sure there was going to be an alien invasion in coming years that had been facilitated by complicit human conspirators, so this conspiracy thread of the plot apparently didn’t even seem like the most important and emotionally satisfying story to resolve.)     

CC wrote a NY Times piece addressing the changing landscape on conspiracies in 2021, discussing why he was skeptical of a new UFO report. He was perceived as having the authority to write this because he created a show that quintessentially addressed government conspiracies about visitors from space.

But for me, the question of whether the government was hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life was really not the main takeaway from TXF. At least no more than the question of whether there needed to be an investigation into the undue influence of witchcraft in Scotland was my main takeaway of Macbeth.

I do acknowledge that I may have been in the minority. Maybe this is not how most people felt. But I also wonder if sometimes the urge to make the show primarily about political paranoia became a distraction from what it did best—these larger, more universal themes. I wonder if that is partly what was so frustrating about the storytelling of the revival.

[dreambones]

(Reposting over here)

I fully forgot to share this here when I finished it oups.

Happy 10 year anniversary of being made Sulker (a month or so late), which means a much needed updated reference.

Not much has changed, I feel I just polished some details and made it clearer to read, plus half the images are more of a drawing guide to myself so I can stop jumping between past drawings whenever I draw him and have some sort of consistency.

Biggest changes must be his clothes being a more blue gray color instead of brown, the black goo having a teal/green shine instead of white, the multiple pupils when mad/hungry, and glowing teeth of the same color as pupils.

I am currently writing a big document with everything explained, hoping the Slenderverse and Creepypasta fandoms still love reading long, detailed explanations. Meanwhile have a summarized version with the most important parts.

Sulker is a very old slender creature, it is unknown how he came to be and when, only that he has been around the earth for a very long time but not as long as the better known Slenderman. 

A monster that prays on humans mental vulnerability, exploiting their weaknesses in his favor, lures them into surrendering themselves to him. 

An insatiable hunger, enjoyment for others suffering, a voice you will only realize it’s not your own too late. 

This is The Sulker.

Name: Sulker

Also known as: The Sulker, The Sulkerman.

Age: Unknown. First known written documents that mention his existence date back to 1346 during the beginning of the Black Plague.

Personality: Short tempered, volatile, irritable, sarcastic, smug, witty, cynical, has a dark sense of humor and enjoys the failures of others. A sadist, aggressive, with a short patience unless it involves “playing with his food”. 

Easily frustrated and has an almost nonexistent fuse, but he can still tell when someone is just trying to get a reaction out of him.

He is in an almost constant state of hunger that drives him to be often looking to feed himself. Strong hunger puts him on edge, making it harder to deal with him. 

Slender species related abilities: Sulker shares most of Slender's basic abilities, assuming these are common to the “species” with personal variations between individuals.

Slender walking

A form of teletransportation, he can move long distances in the blink of an eye.

Space distortion

Much like Slenderman, he can modify the space around a limited number of humans for a limited amount of time.

Video and picture distortion

Electronic devices can’t capture him correctly, his image will come out blurry, smudged, or similar to burnt film. This occurs with digital cameras and video, however, for unknown reasons film photos and film videos seem to capture his image better.  

Change height and body shape

He can modify his height a couple of feet to make himself taller or shorter (while still out of the ordinary tall for human standards). 

Proxys:

Like many other slenders, he can bestow supernatural traits to normal humans, which in return, ties them to him and his command. This can be voluntarily or against the person's will. 

Abilities specific to Sulker:

Intrusive thoughts:

Sulker has the power to tune into a person's negative thoughts and emotions, and amplify these to unbearable levels. He however can not create negative thoughts, he can only get into their frequency, like a radio signal. 

Just as Slenderman has his dreaded static, upon approaching Sulkerman, voices or whispers can be heard, the intensity fluctuating with Sulker's mood. 

The Black Poison (Black goo):

He produces a thick, black substance that resembles a mix of oil and tar, with teal reflections. It is extremely sticky and frigid to the touch, and when it makes contact with the skin it will leave black stains that take days to remove fully, while it is almost impossible to successfully remove from clothes. 

Sulker is immune to the stickiness, allowing him to manipulate the substance with no issues, and his clothes, although stained, seemed to not stick as one would expect.

The main source of the black poison is Sulker’s tentacles, but it can also be produced from his mouth and eye cavities. 

Stickiness / Sticky webs

Directly tied to the Black Poison, Sulker can manipulate the substance to make traps and occasionally, resting points for himself. 

The black goo is extremely sticky, able to hold an adult human stuck to a wall for an extended period of time. 

Relationships: Sulker is not sociable at all, his meetings with other slenders are purely for “professional” and territory reasons, other than that, he is not one to seek the company of others. 

Despite his temper, he has managed to keep a “polite” relationship with Slenderman, not because he likes him, but because he acknowledges his power and influence, plus the absurd amount of proxies and allies he has. 

However, if the opportunity to overthrow the slender ever presents itself, he won’t hesitate to get rid of him. 

It’s very easy to get on his bad side however, it’s possible, extremely hard but possible, to get on his good side.

Sulker sees humans as cattle and at best, pets, inferior creatures that now and then can be useful or at the very least, amusing. 

Radio: 

Sulker’s proxy and in charge of keeping other proxies updated on tasks and the slenderbeing whereabouts when instructed by Sulker. You can say he is Sulker's spokesperson since the slender being has no interest in communicating with his proxies unless really necessary.

[the-derpy-duck]

The TFA universe is a fucking nightmare and I wish people would actually talk about it. Long rant incoming.

Don’t expect good spelling or grammar I’m sorry

Like the show didn’t even care enough to address how fucked everything was. Like all the little baby robots just don’t have names until they go through the military/boot camp, which doesn’t make a lot of sense as the whole point of basic training/boot camp is taking away one’s identity and individualization aka what a lot of cults and extremist groups will do to get people to go along with whatever they want them to, as it’s a lot easier for group think to occur when there is a group. The whole “small cog in a bigger machine” bullshit speech is literally just that but dressed up to look and sound pretty (propaganda). But half of the names given at the boot camp are insults and that’s really fucked up. And it’s almost implied that the other transformers recognize Bulkhead and Bumblebee’s names as being insulting in nature because when Sari introduces herself to Bumblebee it sort of goes like this:

“My name is Bumblebee” “I’m Sari” “Oh don’t be, I like my name.”

But that would also imply that the show was thinking about acknowledging how messed up its own world is and I don’t really think it is. I think that’s a joke, was meant to be taken as a joke, but could be read into as world building or something.

It’s been a hot second sense I’ve rewatched season three of tfa but from what I remember, Ultra Magnus was sort of a dictator? Like I know that there is some form of election, but the main way anything gets done is through the council of primes and in TFA it is established that “prime” is a military rank, and those who advanced to “prime” have to be approved by the council, which Ultra Magnus is the head of. He doesn’t have full dictation over it (he wanted OP to not be horribly punished) but he does have a sizable amount of control (op was still given a job and got to keep his rank). The election cycles are nonexistent as the only time anyone thinks of trying to replace Ultra Magnus is when he is on his death bed. So is it like the Supreme Court? The people technically elect a leader but the council that would decide on important laws and if they are constitutional is chosen by the leader, not the people, can serve until they die, and can do fuck all and no one will challenge them because they have the final say on the law? For a thing like economics or the Supreme Court it would make sense to have these be not elected officials for the sole purpose of “they wouldn’t be pressured by potentially not being re-elected and so they would be able to do their jobs without worrying if it would please the people.” A lot of things done to fix and adjust the economy will look really bad at first but it ultimately serves to balance everything. But the people in charge of the FED and other economic shit also don’t serve until they die. Long tangent to say, not a lot of democracy in this word.

The only way to gain power in cybertron seems to be to either join the military or do a hyper specific job. Also how long has ultra Magnus been the leader? Was no one ever unhappy with how he lead? Sentinel Prime was but that was seen as a bit of a taboo. Also Sentinel’s Cybertron immediately turning into an Orwellian styled red scare nightmare was a choice. Establishing curfews during a time of potential war where the planet/country/city could easily be targeted for an attack isn’t in itself unreasonable. It’s immediately taken to 11 but the general idea of curfews makes sense. As well as reporting potential spys for the main reason that spy’s had been proven to have infiltrated the prime counsel thing. It goes to fear mongering almost instantly but the general idea isn’t bad.

Im interested to know how Ultra Magnus would have handled the situation because the show just sort of is neutral about him. He’s just there most of the time and tells OP not to try and be a hero. I want to know if he would have done something similar to Sentinel and I want to know if the show would address it. Because the general difference between UM and SP is that UM is better at hiding how much he manipulates power. He’s still a dictator even if he isn’t an antagonist force. He’s not a benevolent dictator because dictators, by definition, cannot be benevolent. If they were truly benevolent then the people would get a choice in the world that they live in.

All this to say, “dictator bad”

ALSO is there no trial system? Wasp just was sent to prison and they didn’t think to look into any of the evidence? Did no one think to maybe investigate the people who would have had the codes or spare keys for the locker things? Do they just send people into solitary confinement without any sort of hearing or evidence or was Wasp just waiting for his court date? Why does Optimus want Bumblebee to apologize to the guy who clearly doesn’t want to speak to him? He literally watched Bumblebee give an apology and a reasonable explanation for his actions. He wasn’t making excuses he was manipulated by a person who he thought was his friend and the main reason why he was able to be so easily manipulated was because the person in power was actively antagonist towards him. He did the right thing. He asked a person, who would have known how to make a report, how to make a report. If shockwave wasn’t the person who was in that roll then Wasp probably wouldn’t have been framed. And even if Bumblebees wasn’t the one who found the things in his locker, Sentinel still would have found them because Shockwave planted them. I’m sorry but asking a person how to make a report so you can go around the person who is acting aggressive towards you and holds a significant position of power over you isn’t the same as purposefully ruining someone’s life. Bumblebee was going off of evidence that was 100% circumstantial, biased, and highly questionable, that doesn’t automatically mean that he was trying to frame Wasp. If he had reported that he overheard a spy communicating with the decepticons and had reasons to believe that it might be Wasp, then I would assume that whoever the fuck would do an investigation and either clear Wasp or just arrest him because due process and fair trials is for babies. In which case, it still wouldn’t be the fault of a person who isn’t in control of anything. Blaming Bumblebee for what happened to Wasp is like blaming doctors for how expensive medical treatment is. He trusted the wrong person and that person used his trust against him. The people in power did not think to do an investigation into any of this. And even if the whole Wasp thing was open and shut why wouldn’t they look further into this? Maybe there was other spy’s? Did anyone think about that? No? It also isn’t Bumblebee’s fault that Shockwave got to the position of Prime. The security system and the people in charge of screenings didn’t pick up on the fact that there was a spy. That is not the fault of a random cadet who trusted someone. Shockwave’s actions and the people who died because of them are the fault of Shockwave. Bumblebee’s fuck up did help him not get caught, but it was also the closet we see to him being caught before he becomes a prime. If the people in the TFA world weren’t so fucking stupid then this wouldn’t of happened because maybe this hyper advanced world would have fucking security cameras. If they can figure out how to bend time and space then I think they can figure out how to install things that would record a conversation.

WAIT- doesn’t Bumblebee use something similar to that to figure out the decepticons plans and relay it back to earth? And they have computers that have screens so why don’t they have cameras installed?

Anyway, Wasp blaming Bumblebee makes sense. It makes sense that he is angry at him and it makes sense that he wouldn’t forgive him. That’s not the issue I have with this the issue is that OP also blames Bumblebee. Which I guess would also make sense as animated Optimus seems to be deeply rooted in the military and is a string supported of Ultra Magnus. It is stated in the first episode that he watches propaganda and repeats the military speech about being one big machine. He lies to save his friend and he sucks for that because his friend abuses his power whenever he gets the chance to and he knows this. Optimus lying for Sentinel is much more  egregious to me than what Bumblebee does because Bumblebee didn’t know that Longarm was a spy. I understand why Optimus would lie for Sentinel, he is a loyal friend and he definitely did blame himself for what happened. That doesn’t change the fact that he KNOWINGLY let a person who he knew to be irresponsible and who got others into dangerous situations into a position of power. I think Ultra Magnus knew that Optimus was lying and like- why are you people like this?

Bumblebee could have been called out for so many different things that he actually did. Like is he a bad friend? Yes. He treats Bulkhead badly, most of there interactions are just him insulting Bulkhead and Bulkhead never insults him back. If they both were insulting each other then I wouldn’t really have an issue but most of the time they are seen together it’s just Bumblebee being an asshole. He’s willing to abandon his team and objective to chase down Blurr, he doesn’t listen when people tell him not to do something and it often leads to problems. There are reasonable things to call Bumblebee out on but the Wasp thing doesn’t make sense. If Optimus wanted to address Bumblebee never taking responsibility for his own actions, then why not do that when a consequence is the result of Bumblebee’s actions in a meaningful way. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn’t know how to make a report so he asked. This is one of the only times that Bumblebee stops to think and consider his options, he could have immediately began spying on Wasp and the other cadets but he didn’t. He wanted to pass it off to the right people who would be able to handle it.

Animated OP frustrates me because I come so close to liking him and then he does something that personally annoys the hell out of me. I get why he would lie for his friend who was manipulative and generally awful towards him but its still just like— you have seen the consequences of his actions. This is no longer just hurting you or him, it has maybe killed a person and he has not changed. Optimus thinks he can change but he has an obligation to not let him hurt anymore people and he just needs to tell the truth. It’s really hard to leave friends behind, I know that. Even when they hurt you and actively make your life worse it is still extremely difficult to let that relationship go. I appreciate how Optimus has issues in that regard. But it’s gotten to a point where Sentinel’s poor judgment and refusal to listen to others puts himself and others in danger. Optimus gave him the opportunity to continue to cause harm to others, and he really wants to sit here and say that Bumblebee was making excuses when he just wasn’t? And he never and would never be called out on this.

One last thing, Ultra Magnus and the rest of the high command clearly don’t give a shit about the cybertronians who were fighting (they were so willing to just kill Arcee for the activation code) in the war and also don’t ever try to investigate any issue further. Potential spy? Eh sure throw him into solitary confinement. One of our top cadets went missing and might have died but no body has been recovered? Well fuck, gotta just say she died and not look into it to make sure there wasn’t any malpractice.

So in conclusion:

The name thing both doesn’t make sense and makes too much sense

Ultra Magnus is kind of a dictator kind of not a dictator

Optimus prime spew’s military bullshit and propaganda and no one cares

Wasp is a dick, didn’t deserve what happened to him

Bumblebee is an asshole, he still didn’t try to ruin a persons life.

No one cares about investigating serious crimes and accusations

[obae-me]

Two things!

Firstly: I will be accepting 10 requests!

I need to practice and just work on some things that aren't just my long form pieces right now. So, the first 10 requests I get, I will work on! My general rules are the same, no demoncest, no romantic Luke, etc, etc. I reserve the right not to do a request. You all get the deal by now. They won't be perfect, and they won't be extremely long (unless you tempt me with monsters or fluff), but I'll do 'em, and that's the important part.

Secondly: a general apology.

I know 'sorry's are not needed, it's not like I've taken money and ghosted or anything, but I hate just going MIA for so long. Also, I know it's not needed, but I thought I'd give a little life update for those that, I dunno, find it interesting I suppose.

TW for menstruation, blood, and general medical stuff

I posted here a while back- in the summer I believe- talking about how fainting is not as elegant as media makes it out to be. I talked about how I fainted and then just did my ha-ha's and got it out of the way. At the time, since the doctors at the hospital didn't find anything with their initial testing, we all chalked it up to a bit of dehydration, lack of sleep, and stress. I was inclined to believe them. I *was* bouncing between graveyard shifts and morning shifts and not sleeping well because of it.

Then the week after, I had one of the most painful periods of my life. I've not had great ones ever (who does?), but never enough to fully debilitate me. It was bad. Stabbing cramping pains strong enough to almost make me faint again. I was worried, but gaslit myself into thinking it's just because of the fainting the week prior; I had had extreme faintness and weakness all week.

My work at this time was coming up with stricter rules that would make things harder, and they told me that I'd have to apply for certain disability accommodations (like keeping certain medications I need close to me and not on a different floor behind a lock, so cool of them). So, I tried to find another job, one where I could hopefully sit down. So I spent two months working that all out. I have a temp remote one right now, yay!

The next month or two was fairly normal period wise. So I thought everything was 'okay'.

And then I stopped bleeding completely. No warning or anything, just...nothing. And it's particularly worrying because I've been on birth control since I was like 14 to balance out my hormones. So I waited till the month after make sure it wasn't a weird one-off. Still nothing. Went to the doctor and got a new kind of medication, and I waited a month. Nothing. And the pain is only ramping up every cycle (or the attempt of one). I spend two weeks of the month in extreme depression and pain, and then spend the two weeks after that picking up the slack. I haven't been able to write, haven't been able to do much of anything. My typical day is getting out of bed to work, order something to eat, and watch mindless YouTube till I sleep, I'm just THAT exhausted. Spoons? Nonexistant. Then, just a few weeks ago, I suffered some of the worst exhaustion of my life. I'm talking only being able to stay awake for 20 minutes and then having to take a nap, and doing that four or five times a day. I went through that for five days, and then on that last day, I practically collapsed and almost fainted again.

So I have my first Gyno appointment next month, and I am utterly terrified. So much of my life has been filled with doctors' appointments and testing, just for them to tell me they couldn't find anything, and it's either because I have anxiety or because I'm fat. *Love* the medical system. But then, on the other hand, I'm scared of them finding something severely wrong.

So, until December, I'm just...waiting. And, of course, I'm not trying to fish for sympathies. Just...sometimes, it's good to have something to treat as an echo chamber, and this blog sometimes is my cave to shout distorted worries to. I really *should* journal, I guess.

So! That's been my life since I last posted, really. And that's not even mentioning my grandpa who ended up in the hospital (he got hit by a RAM truck, absolutely insane, and he's mostly fine, what a trooper).

I'm really hoping that I'll have the energy to pour into my passions if we get everything worked out. And I'm really grateful to have this small community here for whoever is still sticking around, you all have been wonderful.

That's the end of the update! Maybe I'll drop the news if/when we make some discoveries on why my already defunct body is breaking down even more than usual.

Love you all!

-Mara

[thiollier-consort]

Varré x war surgeon reader

Warnings: non canon compliant, cults, possibly OOC, spoilers for DLC and Mohg lore, short, GN! Reader, light stalking, implied neurodivergent Varré, not proof read

A/N: the description on the war surgeon gown states “Of the surgeons that were abducted by the Lord of Blood none were able to tame the accursed blood. None but Varré, that is; though he was an exception." So umm… just pretend this doesn’t exist. I didn’t really think this concept out that well before writing this, and I remembered this information in the middle of writing. So sorry!

🩸Varré is a very difficult person to get close to. If he were to ever get close to someone, or god forbid actually trust them, they would need to be a colleague.

🩸Since you are a war surgeon, you most likely knew Varré before and during the Shattering war and then joined Mohgwyn dynasty while Mohg was under Miquella’s charm.

🩸You know the feeling of always being watched? That’s what it’s like being with Varré. He watches you any moment of the day where he isn’t busy, which isn’t often.

🩸The schedule he follows is almost nonexistent, so there isn’t any pattern to when he is watching your versus when he’s not. You’re always expecting to find him at any turn, but you never do.

🩸He finds no purpose in hiding that he watches you. Watching you, according to him, is just a means to make sure you are doing your job and not lazing around doing nothing.

🩸Being colleagues with Varré does affect your relationship slightly. Professionalism is important to Varré, so he refrains from giving any type of affection while on the job and he expects the same from you.

🩸When the work day is over, he is more than happy to be with you, as long as it’s behind closed doors. He himself is not physically affectionate, but he usually allows you to be if you wish.

🩸Parallel play (I wish there was a better term) is the only form of interaction he engages in while he’s in professional mode. He enjoys your presence, but he doesn’t want to outwardly interact with you.

🩸that makes him sound like such an ass, but he believes that being willing to spend his “precious time” around you is an honor that you should be grateful for.

I didn’t know how to end this sorry :P

[dwellordream]

“Medieval scholars inherited the idea from ancient times that there were seven primary colours: white, yellow, red, green, blue, purple, and black. Green occupied a central position, symbolically balanced between the extremes of white and black. It was also regarded as a soothing colour. Scribes often kept emeralds and other green objects nearby to rest their eyes. The poet Baudri de Bourgueil even suggested writing on green tablets instead of white or black ones for this reason.

Michel Pastoureau writes that “the true medieval opposite for white was not so much black as red.” This can be seen in the way Europeans adapted chess. When the game was adopted in Europe, the pieces and chessboard were painted in white and red, contrasting with the black and red sets common in India and the Middle East.

It was only towards the end of the Middle Ages that the white versus black dichotomy became more favoured. A key factor in this shift was the advent of printing, where black ink was used on white paper, reinforcing the perception of these colours as natural opposites.

Arthurian romances, one of the most popular forms of literature in the High Middle Ages, frequently employed colour symbolism, particularly in the depiction of knights. Pastoureau notes that these narratives used colours to convey deeper meanings and character traits. He writes:

The color code was recurrent and meaningful. A black knight was almost a character of primary importance (Tristan, Lancelot, Gawain) who wanted to hide his identity; he was generally motivated by good intentions and prepared to demonstrate his valor, especially by jousting or tournament. A red knight, on the other hand, was often hostile to the hero; this was a perfidious or evil knight, sometimes the devil’s envoy or a mysterious being from the Other World. Less prominent, a white knight was generally viewed as good; this was an older figure, a friend of protector or the hero, to who he gave wise council. Conversely, a green knight was a young knight, recently dubbed, whose audacious or insolent behavior was going to cause great disorder; he could be good or bad. Finally, yellow or gold knights were rare and blue knights nonexistent.

During the Early Middle Ages, monastic rules stipulated that monks should not concern themselves with the colour of their clothing. However, over the centuries, their attire became increasingly darker. The Cluniacs, one of the most influential monastic communities, believed that black was the appropriate colour for one’s habit. This perspective faced backlash in the twelfth century when the Cistercians adopted a white habit.

The debate over monastic colours was intense among the leaders of these orders. Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny, argued that black represented humility and renunciation, while white symbolized pride and was suitable for holidays and resurrection. In contrast, Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot of Clairvaux, claimed that white stood for purity, innocence, and virtue, whereas black symbolized death and sin, even likening it to the devil’s appearance.

Green is widely associated with Islam, but this association only developed in the twelfth century. The Quran mentions green eight times, always positively, as a colour representing vegetation, spring, and paradise. The Prophet Muhammad favoured green garments, including a green turban. While green was linked to Muhammad’s descendants, different colours were associated with the ruling Islamic dynasties: white for the Umayyads, black for the Abbasids, and red for the Almohads.

Pastoureau believes that green became a unifying colour for Muslims in the 1100s. He writes, “Its symbolism is associated with that of paradise, happiness, riches, water, the sky, and hope. Green became the sacred colour.” Consequently, many medieval copies of the Quran had green bindings or covers, a tradition that continues today. Religious dignitaries often wear green, whereas green gradually disappeared from carpets to avoid trampling on such a venerable colour.

Michel Pastoureau’s book on blue begins by highlighting the neglect this colour faced among the ancient Greeks and Romans, who rarely wrote about it or used it. He even explores the intriguing question of whether ancient peoples could perceive blue at all! This neglect persisted through the early Middle Ages until the twelfth century. “Then suddenly,” writes Pastoureau, “in just a few decades, everything changes – blue is ‘discovered’ and attains a prominent place in painting, heraldry, and clothing.”

The first significant shift in the ‘blue revolution’ was the use of blue to represent the clothing of the Virgin Mary. The scene of Mary mourning Jesus’ crucifixion was popular in the Middle Ages, and once artists began depicting her cloak in vibrant blue, it quickly became the standard. Additionally, artists, especially those working in stained glass, overcame technical limitations in creating blues, allowing the colour to be used in various mediums and clothing. Pastoureau notes that by the thirteenth century, monarchs such as France’s Louis IX and England’s Henry III began wearing blue, leading it to become the colour of medieval royalty.

Yellow initially benefited from its resemblance to gold, which bolstered its reputation. Many medieval heraldic symbols incorporated yellow, and possessing blonde hair was considered highly fashionable. However, in the Later Middle Ages, yellow began to acquire negative associations, including envy and heresy. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was increasingly depicted wearing yellow clothing. Consequently, it was unsurprising that when the Catholic Church convicted the Czech reformer Jan Hus of heresy in 1415, they dressed him in a yellow robe for his execution.

Yellow also became associated with Jews, and as European Christians enforced clothing regulations on Jewish communities, yellow was often (though not always) included. By the early modern period, yellow fell out of favour, perceived as gaudy and unpopular.”

- Michel Pastoureau, “Colour in the Middle Ages”

[kid-az]

All Tomorrows: Vanga-Vangog’s Clicker Hc’s

Specifically, I’m talking about these guys.

They’re a fanmade All Tomorrow’s species made by Vanga-Vangog, and are essentially the descendants of the Blind Folk. They are described as an agoraphobic species who live in dense cities completely without light, as such a thing isn’t useful when you don’t have any eyes.

Anyways I found them to be a very interesting and adorable people, simple in concept but very interesting in execution, so I’m going to make up some headcanons about them.

-Due to their agoraphobic nature and how important crops are for civilization, Farmer’s are heavily respected and idolized in many of their cultures, as they are brave enough to venture into the open plains with little fear of the endless void above them or whatever predators are outside. Often these farmers wear iconic, low brimmed tin hats designed specifically to better focus their echolocation.

-Focusing on farming more, the clickers generally grow various fungi and yam-like staple foods as their primary, non-meat based food sources, as well as some tree fruits and a wheat-like plant. Unlike humans, their animal husbandry involves the domestication of large, herbivorous crabs, cockroaches descended from the Hissing cockroaches, various species of herbivorous salamander descendants for slime and eggs, and a few species of non-sapient posthumans.

-There dog and cat equivalent is a terrestrial species descended from Olm’s, who had entirely lost their eyes like them but more than make up for it through a powerful strong sense of smell, taste, and electro sensitivity. They of course have various different breeds, from larger, longer-legged breeds used by farmers to herd posthumans and salamanders, to smaller breeds who hunt pests inside the cities, to even more aquatic breeds who help with fishing.

-Due to their dense cities, preference to tight spaces, lack of lights and the need to keep settlements more quiet to not overwhelm people and make them deaf, their ecological impact on their world was much lesser than that of modern humans and many other posthuman species, and most of their megafauna and and ancient forests still existed when they first contacted their posthuman brethren.

-Continuing on ecological impact, their world was one terraformed by the Star People before getting Qu’d, so there was very little existing fossil fuels in their world. Instead, their civilizations were powered via nuclear fission and later, fusion. They utilized this energy for power far before they invented their first nuclear weapons.

-They never invented tv screens, instead relying entirely on advanced radios broadcasting talk shows, news, and music. And yes, these radios had separate channels, which were indicated by symbols which functioned similarly to braille. Videogames were only a very recent concept introduced by other species. (Idk how videogames would work for an entirely eyeless species?)

-Other forms of entertainment involved strolling around enclose cave and night parks, appreciating forms of artwork such as sculptures, hollow casts and bas-reliefs, and of course concerts and operas. Also stuff like swimming, children games such as hide and seek + tag, and sports.

-Their cultures were in general more accepting of physically disabled people, (Aka folks with paralyzed/nonexistent limbs and the deaf.) and a lot of their architecture involves heavy use of ramps, elevators, and escalators, with very few stairs in…… “sight.”

-Clicker’s have head hair, but it’s almost never in front as it’d heavily disrupt their echolocation. They are unfortunately beardless, but compensate with their whiskers. Some folks even grow their whiskers to be 1 feet from each end!

-They would not be happy about being compared to a walking fungus zombie. /s

[amessageonthewind]

Human Biology and Reproduction

While humans and Pokémon are firmly considered to be separate species in a vast number of observable ways, the line between them is not as sharp as one would think. Pokémon have a more metaphysical physiology, able to change their forms and bodies more liberally and convert and spend energy very differently than humans do, but Pokémon and humans have far more in common than people immediately assume.

It is theorized that Mew is not only the genetic ancestor of all Pokémon, but of humans as well. This is because while all Pokémon are the genetic descendants of Mew, Mew do not lay eggs the way Pokémon do and instead give birth the way that humans do. Mew and humans are the only species that give live birth in this way, implying a direct connection between them.

Aside from this, there are many examples of humans becoming Pokémon – though, this is mostly to do with becoming Ghost-type Pokémon, which is a fascinating phenomenon on its own.

There are many legends told from the history of humans and Pokémon that tell of a time when the line was almost nonexistent. When Pokémon and humans could speak freely with one another and even married and had children together. However, the validity of these legends has not been verified as they are relics of a long ancient time and many Scholars and Anthropologists seem to agree that these are nothing more than exaggerated folk tales and myths that were meant to impart lessons and simply tell stories.

While many theorize the possibility of humans and Pokémon having closer relationships in this manner, the ethical stopgaps and limitations do not allow research to be conducted as the regulations around ethics in research would not allow for the circumstances that would facilitate research into this possibility. The Pokémon Association’s stance is firm on keeping humans and Pokémon separate in this way, the punishments for being caught harsh and often resulting in jail time as the Association views it as an abuse of power and a felony offense.

There are claims of humans that can understand Pokémon and, while this may be provable in a scientific sense through research and documentation, it is a legal nightmare to try and prove in court and is far too easy to abuse as a defense, so the Association quietly rejects any formal notion of humans claiming to understand Pokémon for the sake of ensuring the safety of Pokémon. While it may be something that is true for some individuals, it is far too flimsy of a defense to use in court since bad actors can claim it in bad faith to evade the consequences of the law.

However, be that as it may, while humans understanding Pokémon is a rather uncommon phenomenon, it is not unheard of and has been documented in the past when studying native cultures and more ancient civilizations. Many children speak to their Pokémon as though they can talk back when they’re very young and many parents simply explain it away as children using their active imaginations. However, there is a theory among Behaviourists and Researchers that humans are actually born with the ability to understand Pokémon that most then begin to lose after twelve to eighteen months of age. This has not yet been proven and is merely only a theory.

As far as human (and Mew’s) reproductive biology is concerned, there are two important things to note. Humans do not have a menstrual cycle in the Pokémon world. The reason for this is because when humans are gravid, the embryo is not only attached to the placenta by an umbilical cord and encased within the uterine lining, but there is an additional layer that encases the placenta on the outside that, as it’s developing, becomes tougher and behaves similarly to an egg. The cartilage of the oviary lining reaches a point where it becomes calcified like an egg within the womb, typically during the second trimester, and the expecting carrier will often begin craving calcium-rich foods at this time such as seeds, cheese, and other various types of plant proteins.

During the third trimester, the oviary lining will begin to soften once more the closer to the due date the offspring is to being born. Birth begins when the oviary lining tears, the ‘water’ breaking and then once the offspring is born, the oviary lining sheds itself along with the placenta.

Afab reproductive systems are slightly different in the Pokémon world than they are in ours. It’s more similar to birds in a few way, but not exactly. One similarity is that one of two of the ovaries and fallopian tubes will develop while the other will become vestigial in nature, usually the right one (although in cases where the right one is defective or missing, the left will then develop to compensate for this). Secondly, humans possess a shell gland within the uterus itself that’s made of calcium carbonate, which is responsible for the changes and conditions of the oviary lining that encases the placenta within the uterine lining that surrounds the developing embryo.

It’s encouraged for people to walk a lot while gravid, although this is mostly a superstition among Breeders and Egg Walkers. They encouragingly claim that it leads to an easier labour and healthier baby, though this is not supported by any scientific or medical study.

Taglist:

@earth-shaker / @little-miss-selfships / @xelyn-craft / @sarahs-malewives / @brahms-and-lances-wife

-

@ashes-of-a-yume / @cherry-bomb-ships / @kiawren / @kingofdorkville / @bugsband

Let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from my taglist :3

[siamesephoenixrandomideatank]

Language of the Seven Rings and its Varieties

The Pride Ring/Common (Morningspeech/’Nugaheem’)

Initially, hellborns of the Pride Ring had their own languages based on grumble, roar, ‘controlled scream’, and aspects of the body like clapping, snapping, or slamming objects in patterns. This language is known as ‘Impish’

When Lucifer and Lilith fell, both introduced Adamic Language to imps, hellhounds, incubi/ succubi, and locals of the Pride Ring. Impish still existed as ‘peasants’s languages’ while ‘corrupted/Hellish Adamic’ is considered the official and ‘high language’.

Post-Babel humans introduced Semitic languages along with Kemetics, Anatolian, and Hittite. There were two ‘main waves’ outstanding from each period; Sodomite-Gommorian (Having senses of gender binarism and ‘chopped’ honorifics from ‘The Lord of Lords’ to ‘Trash-Slaves’) and Kemetic during the Exodus (Thanks to the last Plague).

After the ‘Babelite/Old Morningspeech‘ period, there was another big reformation after Hebrews and Latin-speaking sinners became more noteworthy. The ‘Middle/Common Morningspeech’ was meant to be ‘easily learnt, simple, and direct’ enough for even the laziest idiots to learn the basics in months. Some called it ‘Old Simplified Nugaheem’.

Later, the 3rd wave imported English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and ‘loanwords’ of Chinese and Japanese into the Pride Ring. It’s referred as ‘Modern/Intercontinental Nugaheem’ or ‘New Simplified Nugaheem’

Both versions of Nugaheems are commonly used between rings and sinners alike. Official declaration and media tends to use the Old/Classical one, except on casual media and Social Medias.

The Wrath Ring

The Wrath Ring’s Nugaheem is shorter by syllabi-per-word, lack of tone marking, and focus on time and relationship between senders and receivers. The written form is mostly direct, focusing on relationships between place, persons, and time, and incorporating emoji-like symbols that don’t take part when being spoken.

Acronyms, Alias/nicknames, and offensive terms are ‘flavorful’ and ‘various‘. 

Wrath Ring-variant Nugaheem is considered ‘low culture’ and in higher societies, Morningspeech is expected to be used instead.

Some elements of ‘Old Impish’ have remained; shouting, highlighting words, grumbling, and hand gestures play significant roles.

Nonlinguistic and Nonverbal languages also play major roles, as form or ‘context’; sarcasm, taunting, oathmaking/affirming, subjugated/confessing, threatening/commanding, or requesting/blackmailing.

The Gluttony Ring

Adjectives-specific; doneness of steak, ripeness of fruit, subtypes of flavors, cooking methods, etc. 

Each culinary adjective bears figurative meaning; ‘Medium-Done’ means ‘Half-willing’, ‘Green Rare’ means ‘toddler-like’, or stewed as ‘taking time to understand’.

Some loanwords from Italian, Chinese(especially Cantonese), French, Spanish, and Arabic. 

Context of genders, ages, and relationship between senders and receivers are almost nonexist beside familial and friendship closeness-related contexts.

They tend to use adjectives and adverbs frequently like ‘spices of language’.

The Greed Ring

Avoiding idioms and figures of speech, but jargon is highly used. Especially in written forms. Most of them are ones of communication industry, engineering, and business/banking.

Prefer to use ‘less words that carry more meanings’, in both specifying and vagueness, which causes loopholes.

‘Sounds polite, gentle, and professional’

Can be said quickly that there are almost no tongue twisters.

Commoners stick to ‘Official Morningspeech’ with sparingly added jargon.

The Lust Ring

Tonal, Prose-like, and Emotional(including anger, sadness, excitement, boredom, endearing, dominance, submission, etc.)

Romance-like with flexible honorifics and some loanwords from Japanese, French, and Spanish.

Written forms are Latin-based(as in almost solely Latin alphabetic) and ‘additional words’ are expected.

Vulgar words are more ‘specifically functional’ than others, while non-vulgar offenses are also common, but both are somehow combined.

Homonyms are common, as some say there are far too common.

The Envy Ring

Combining characteristics of The Greed Ring, The Lust Ring, and Gluttony Ring while also developing their own characteristics.

Regional Sublanguage elements are still present, as some pronunciations are incapable to be said by sinners at all.

Their language is riddling, highly symbolic, idiomatic, and hides true contexts on purpose(Like Kanto accent to the rest of Japan, but more extreme)

Hissing, Croaking, and throat-based pronunciations are common.

Adjectives and adverbs are not commonly used, but using them means it’s extra serious.

The Sloth Ring

‘Prayer-like’; slow and pitch-accented, but having several syllables per word can be tongue twisting if spoken quickly.

The closest to Babelite Nugaheem; barely changed. However, more Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin elements are somehow common as loanwords.

Prefixes and Suffixes are often used to ‘form words’.

Sometimes, silence and nonverbal languages between words are ‘part of the speech’.

Grammar barely exists, or if it does, it is simple and highly flexible.

[ratasum]

A Qirri rundown for your morning. New to the channel blog? This is me infodumping about my favorite little albino rat. This is just part one since it's mostly a nutshell version of her childhood leading up to what is, effectively, the start of the personal story for her.

The most important fact to remember is: Qirri was not supposed to happen.

By that I mean, her mother Tixzi was not supposed to have anymore kids. Then, seven years after their then youngest daughter Rissia, she found herself pregnant again... and after much consideration, they decided to keep her.

Tixzi spent most of her pregnancy with Qirri extremely ill and bedridden, and Qirri was born far too early. Coming into the world with underdeveloped lungs and a weak immune system, their family doctor Dlina was very clear with Pazz and Tixzi about what their youngest child's chances were... and those chances weren't good.

But as would prove true through her life into adulthood, Qirri was a surprisingly stubborn child.

Though she got sick often and rarely got to interact with other progeny or even leave the house, she developed a rebellious streak early on, trying to sneak out at every opportunity.

She wanted to see the world that for so long had been denied her.

(An aside here because it's one of my funniest Qirri facts, even if she's hugely embarrassed by it: when she was six, her father was tapped for a potential council position. Pazz wasn't super stoked about it, but his work with the ALERT Krewe - formed when Qirri was two or three years old - had gotten him a lot of recognition. Anyway, Pazz brought his whole family: Tixzi, their oldest girls the twins Izza and Pyrria, the middle girl Rissia, and little Qirri.

While introducing the family around, Councilor Phlunt made a comment about her being "rather small" for six and tried to pat her head. As Qirri had been taught to not let strangers touch her without their permission, she did the first thing she could think of and bit Phlunt's hand, hard. The fuss that kicked up surrounding the incident prompted Pazz to reject being nominated, and after getting the family home, Qirri hid in her room for hours and cried because she thought it was her fault. Realistically now she knows it's not, and she hates Phlunt, but it was awful in the moment.)

Back on track, it was early on that her family realized Qirri was brilliant. Incredibly smart for her age, to the point that it prompted them to home school her with a progeny instructor (both to prevent exposure to other kids and to help her along her track) and then to enter her into college very early.

A prodigy in every sense, she excelled in school, despite how much time she often had to miss due to her health. Spending time in and out of Rata Sum's medical ward, she often came with piles of datapads and books so she could keep up with her coursework.

It was early in her time at college that she received her first mentorship as well: the golemancer genius Zojja herself.

Zojja was a good mentor for the stubborn, headstrong Qirri. She helped funnel her frustrations into her work, and helped her nurture the tiny spark of magic she possessed into something she could infuse into her invention- unlike everyone else in her family, Qirri's spark was for engineering, and her elementalist abilities were otherwise almost nonexistent. With Zojja's help, she learned to attune to water to increase the amount of healing her gizmos and turrets could do... something that would come in handy when starting to develop her own medical aids later.

Not long after Qirri turned fifteen, though, she had a serious episode that left her family fearful for not just her health but for her life. Tixzi petitioned to have Qirri take a year off from her schooling, despite Qirri's protests, and those wishes were granted.

Frustrated and effectively under house arrest, Qirri fumed for months... until a fortuitous letter from her favorite sister Rissia and a convenient bribe to a gate technician gave her an opportunity that would change the course of her life forever.