#how to see through a bird
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Invoking the Highest
I stand with my feet spread out and my arms stretched out sideways, extending my shoulders with my hands like fists. And then I make alternating circles the size of a food plate in the air very quickly with my fists, it takes just about every muscle in the human body to make that movement.
So when my left fist is in the upward part of the circle, then my right fist is in the downward part of the circle. My arms move like one extended arm with my heart at the core.
It has unleashed something in me.
I do it with my eyes closed until I've had enough and then I relax my fists and hold my hands open as if they were wings, and then I imagine that I am an eagle or pterodactyl soaring high above the mountains.
Inviting the Highest to guide me always.
Nice way to start the day.
Blissful feeling.
. Sejeluho . Affirmations for All
#sejeluho#the highest#affirmations for all#invocations#occult#occultism#ritual#shamanism#spirituality#spiritual ritual#rituals#eagle ritual#pterodactyl#magic#magick#witchcraft#witchy stuff#shamanic#consciousness#how to heal#how to gain clarity#how to be#how to be calm#how to calm down#how to be creative#how to be love#how to be human#how to be a bird#how to see through a bird#clairvoyance
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different.
#can’t help but recognize how kieran is a fantastic unspoken representation of autism#i see a lot of myself in him and the way that he is so isolated and lonely and yet cannot help but perform and find solace in his daily#routines is so heartbreaking in its own way to me. like no matter what you do or where you are you have no choice but to be yourself and fun#nction the only way you know how and it will never not be vastly different from everyone else. and when you’re surrounded by people who DONT#like you and will not accommodate and are not at all willing or curious in understanding WHY you are the way you are you’re left to just ….#live in your own head forever. i’m certain kieran thinks many wonderous things and sees the world in a beautiful light and i know this becau#se i am autistic myself and because of that i see the world in colours that neurotypical people will never comprehend but we’re never allowe#d to see the world through kieran’s eyes. we are never allowed to see where his heart rests or the poetry he waxes or what he believes or wh#at his triggers are or what’s a stim and what’s just habit or anything. anything. the breeze sounds different to him and he can hear birds f#or miles and the sun makes every hair on his arms tingle and that’s why he wears layers everywhere and every green he sees sings a beautiful#song to him and yet we’ll never know. because he is too different even for the van der linde gang. he is incomprehensible to them and he doe#s all of his 4/5 daily tasks over and over and over again and while he would always do them and will always do them because they are innate#to him no one will ever know just what they mean to him. no one will ever know that kieran duffy can distinguish the horses behind him by th#eir breathing cadences behind him as he scrubs the spare saddle with the sun high above his head and he can know when something is wrong bec#ause he can hear it. no one will ever know that he CAN read but the only thing he’s interested in is books about wildlife and horses and fis#h in particular and no one will ever know because he knows no one will ever understand or even care and if they do they’ll be sure to make#it a point to tell him how DIFFERENT he is. and realistically even if the vdl’s DID come around to liking him he STILL would NEVER be unders#tood. i know for certain he would always be described as odd and despite its new affectionate approach he would still be the odd one out wit#h his daily routines and his texture preferences and his inability to make eye contact and his erratic seemingly random triggers and his#anxiety that seems to have a mind of its own. no one would ever know how bright the tree leaves are in his eyes or how every horse smells di#fferent or why sometimes it’s more fun to reel his rod in over and over instead of actually catching a fish. he will always be …. different.#sorry. novel moment. he means a lot to me.#i’m not super happy with how he looks in these but i’m just trying to draw more :’) i always say that but i always mean it too#also if my novel makes no sense then just ignore it. it’s late and my head hurts. i tend to get tangential#rdr2#red dead redemption 2#kieran duffy#image#art#hero draws sometimes
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re last reblog I do see fanfic culture pushing/replicating a certain model of "what trauma looks like," "how trauma works"
this is a problem across all areas of society obviously, but transformative works are, well, transformative. they're about crafting and modifying narratives where the fan-creator sees a flaw or a lack -- often for the better! don't get me wrong, I've done my fair share of "I take a hammer and I fix the canon," it's the main thing that gets my creative gears spinning -- but what happens when that "flaw" is simply a narrative not conforming to popular expectations?
some people just don't get PTSD from events that sound obviously traumatic. they're not masking, and they're not coping; they just straight-up didn't get the permanently-locked stress-response that defines PTSD. they walk away from a horrible experience going "well, that sucked, but it's over now." some people do get PTSD from events most people wouldn't find traumatic. we don't really know why some people get PTSD and others don't. but fandom has an idea of events that must be traumatizing, of a "correct" way to portray trauma. you see the problems with this lack of understanding in e.g. fans pressuring the devs of Baldur's Gate 3 to add dialogue where the player character badgers Halsin about his own feelings on his abuse -- because he must be traumatized, and his trauma must fit a certain mold and presentation of sexual trauma, under the mistaken impression that anything outside that narrow window is somehow "wrong" and disrespectful or even harmful to survivors.
take, for another example, the very common trope of a traumatized character who hates touch or sex "learning" to like touch or sex as a part of their healing process. certainly that can be healing for some people; other people will never like, or want, touch or sex, because of trauma or because they just don't. the assumption that someone who doesn't want sex or doesn't like to be touched must be traumatized, must be suffering from this perceived lack, is seriously harmful -- to asexual people, to people with sensory issues around touch, and to people for whom healing from trauma means freedom to refuse sex or touch.
and there's a secondary trope, one that's slightly more thoughtful but ultimately repeats the problem -- that once someone has learned that their boundaries will be respected, they'll feel it's safe to soften those boundaries. once they feel safe refusing touch or sex, they'll feel comfortable allowing it on their own terms. but many people don't, and many people won't! many people will simply never want to be touched, and never want sex, and they are not suffering or broken or lacking because of it. the idea that proving you'll respect someone's boundaries entitles you to test those boundaries -- the paradox is obvious, and yet this is something i've seen hurt (re-traumatize) people i care for.
people are imperfect victims. people don't heal in the ways you expect. many people have positive memories of their abuse, of their abusers. many people hurt others in the course of their trauma, in ways that can't easily be unpacked in a 5k oneshot. very few narratives of trauma and recovery actually fit the ones put forward by popular children's media and romance novels -- which are the ones I most see replicated in fandom spaces, because they provide the clearest narrative and easiest catharsis, and so they're easy and soothing to reach for.
that's not necessarily a bad thing! i am not immune to goopy romance tropes. i am not immune to teary catharsis. not every fic has to grapple with ugly realities. but there's a problem when these narratives become predominant, when people think they're accurate and realistic depictions of trauma, when the truth of trauma is unpleasant and uncomfortable, and doesn't fit any single narrative, let alone one of comforting catharsis
#bird original#see also: the murderbot diaries#murderbot does not like to be touched. murderbot does not like touching other people#physical contact is an unpleasant necessity in emergencies or to feign being human (something murderbot also hates)#at one point murderbot uncomfortably offers a hug to someone it cares for because she's upset and needs one --#and she refuses. because she knows it doesn't really want to; she won't ask it to do something it hates for her benefit#& yet murderbot fic often has it learning that touch ~isn't so bad~ and maybe there are a COUPLE people it likes to cuddle with.#the differences between vash in the original trigun anime and trigun stampede --#tristamp!vash is your woobie who hides his sad and traumatized heart under goofy behavior;#who copes and avoids through silly indulgences#2011!vash ... is not that#2011!vash isn't coping or masking. he feels immense grief yes; he also feels immense joy; the two are inseparable#he pursues joy moment to moment because he knows how fleeting each moment is#he loves people so intensely because he knows that he'll lose them -- so he has no time to waste with them#his grief is real and profound; so is his joy#i find that much more compelling and i feel like that's not a character i'd see in today's media environment#anyway#fandom#trauma#fanfic#throwing a golden apple into the tags with this but fuck it we ball
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On top of everything else that's happened in the last month or so
(girlfriend breaking up with me / me running off in the night w the friend I was supposed to be maid of honor with bc her (now ex) fiance came home drunk and scared us, while ofc we also both were in swimsuits and had like NO money or even shoes due to incredibly poor timing / Getting stuck in Dallas for TWO MONTHS longer than I meant to be due to bullshit work transfer systems (and admitedly my own inability to remember that deadlines exist) / that same friend going BACK to her shit boyfriend alone to a city 4 hours away from anyone she may call for help if things go wrong / me now no longer having a place in dallas to stay for these next 2 months bc I was SUPPOSED to stay with that friend but her bastard boyfriend doesn't want me in his house anymore bc he knows I'd tell his girlfriend to dump his ass)
I have now lost my fucking house keys.
Anyways I may or may not be way less active for a bit so this is the formal apology and explanation for that. Sorry guys, we are NOT going back to ur normally scheduled rapid fire ninja content as promised for like. A minute. Possibly. We'll see. Sometimes my own motivation wave surprises me.
Tbh it's my own fault for daring to become a fanfic author tbh. Should have known the "sorry I didn't update, my house burned down teehee <3" curse would come for my ass
#this blog will go bafk to normal eventually. as soon as I stop getting hit by bricks. and can think properly.#im going through a lot rn idk#no one look at me#chances are I will go back to normal soon but rn Im burnt out as hell and feeling it in my bones#the hyperfixation isnt healing me like it should#i wanna go back to chicago so bad oh my god#im staying in my parents house for now on my days off and it looks like ill have to do that for the next few months#but its the fucking worse bc that commute is like 2 fucking hours for me MINIMUM on a good day#Also I forgot how many fucking bugs live in this house and how much harder it is to convince myself to eat while living here#man.#sorry this has half turned into a vent post at this point#but also like. whatever. its my blog.#its also 1am and I get up to work in 3 hours. so.#yippie#the next 2 months are going to be wonderful for me.#im sure.#uhhhhh actual fic updates + my art commissions will probably continue as normal#mostly also bc I have hella shit half written already#i just may be quieter than usual on here / not post much au things#which have been slowing down anyways#coincidentally timing well with my girlfriend breaking up with me. but. yk.#happens to the best of us.#anyways stay tuned for fic updates but yeah fewer au posts and art probably#apology also to those sending me asks I really do want to answer#but fatigue and depression has placed its cold hands on the back of my neck which makes me hesitate to do much here#anyways.#birds rambles#should I tag this vent I feel like I should just in case someone has that tag blocked and wouldnt wanna see this#just in case#vent
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some of you need to hate ai way more than you currently do
#i see so many tags like ‘this is ai :/ but its still cool!’ like how are you not absolutely filled with dread#how can you see what could be a beautiful image by an incredibly talented photographer-#realize it wasnt art created by a human and not immediately wanna kys#the very definition of art is HUMAN CREATION how the fuck can you stand shit with no meaning no talent no personality NOTHING#it gets fucking personal when the ai is of nature it makes me so fucking mad#mountains forests deserts oceans wildlife insects trees THERE IS SO MUCH OUT THERE AND SO MUCH YOU WILL NEVER SEE#AND BECAUSE OF THIS YOU DONT FUCKING QUESTION IF A PHOTO OF A WILD ANIMAL IS AI#YOU CANT SEE THE AI IN THE HANDS YOU CANT SEE IT IN THE ARCHITECTURE THERES NO HUMAN FLAWS TO POINT OUT#INSTEAD YOU JUST ACCEPT THAT ITS REAL BECAUSE WILDLIFE AND NATURE IS SO INCREDIBLE THAT IT DOESNT EVEN OCCUR TO YOU TO QUESTION IT#there are trees with trunks as big as houses!!!! we have only discovered 7% of the ocean!!!#nature is fucking insane and my favorite way to learn about it is through photography and i fucking HATE ai for taking that from me#GO OUTSIDE AND TAKE YOUR OWN PHOTOS OF WILDLIFE STOP FUCKING MAKING AI STOP REBLOGGING IT STOP STOP STOP#i did not make my entire college senior thesis a short film about birds of prey for you to make shitty bullshit ai images of an owl#kill yourself
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I... Just finished The Dragon Prince, if anyone needs me I'll be over there in the corner crying for 3-5 work days.
#frog noises#i am heartbroken#heartwarmed#heart everything#i cant believe how good it is to gave my meds working properly i am crying so so much#MY GOD Ilove rayla#ive loved runaan from season one and noe ethari also has my heart#my heart is very busy right now feeling many feelings#claudia oh my sweet claudia#and EZRAN#OMG MY BABY I was halfway through vol SIX when it hIT ME LIKE A BRICK#WHEN DID HE GROW UP LIKE THAT!!!! EZRAN BB his voice#and. the. fucking. bird.#KING HARROW OMG#tdp#the dragon prince#i am not doing alright dont check on me i will not recover#i forgot i truly forgot how fucking much i love this series#fucking aaravos#FUCKING AARAVOS what a DELICIOUS character he is a little shit he is a literal huge monster but OH i cannot hate him#hello terry here FUCKING BURST MY HEART AAH#i would like to see more dark callum and also never wanna see him again#ai ANYWAY to the corner I go#😭💖
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Saw a fic about vastaya Viktor and if you ask me he’s definitely a bird (or salamander if you wanna super angstify him- cough cough Rio cough).
#dex talks#league of legends#arcane#can apply to both#viktor league of legends#viktor arcane#league vik building himself a second wing so he can finally fly#the bird vastaya weve seen only have 1 wing but I mean vik is vik if he can’t fly naturally he’ll make it himself#he’d also get those cute long ears too so that’s always a bonus#have those sticking out of his metal helmet like two antennas#he could use his wing as a cape like how xayah n rakan do#one naturally clawed hand and the other a powerful prosthetic attuned to his magic bloodline#could make his desire to create robots even more founded in grief as he lives long enough to see suffering never change- at least not-#without interference#as for arcane vik he could be born weaker than most vastaya due to zaun chemicals#maybe have those hollow bones birds do making injuries especially perilous#an ousted loner vastaya family stuck by the fissures and disconnected from their tribe#jayce’s interest in magic particularly sparking viktor’s interest because his vastaya blood has somehow not born him any natural magic#his lack of magic being a reason the council tolerates him because he’s not technically a mage if he can’t use it#or really heimer took pity on vik and used his lack of magic to convince the council he wasn’t dangerous (after already hving to argue-#through him being from zaun)#as a vastaya vik shouldn’t be decaying and dying so rapidly making his desperation to live even stonger#feeling like his entire life was set up for failure and after finally being able to use (hex) magic after secretly trying his whole life#either bird or salamander/gecko like the oovi-kat#meeting rio as an oovi-kat would prolly be even more heartbreaking#they’d have a near literal kinship lol#IDK BRAIN STORMINGGGG THINKING THINKING SO HARD#I’m crazy about league and arcane rn help me lord#plus the vastaya are some of my favorite species of runeterra so…#arcane spoilers
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why did grian’s wings turn multicolored?
He dyes them !!!!
That’s my silly little headcanon, he still has bright white wings, but he occasionally dyes them.
(My silly little excuse bc I like changing his wing colour in hermit fanart >:P parrot is his favourite I think)
#ask#i don’t know how he does it and it’s probably annoying but he likes them#reclaiming that part of himself from the watchers. he’s just … a bird..#the colour eventually fades and washes out#i imagine it’s not a perfect dye and you can still see white peeking through but that’s the self dye experience
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He laid at the brink of death once more, staring at the face of despair. He remembered the path that led him to this purgatory, and with a smile could only ask:
"Shall we be friends?"
#ffxiv#digital art#concept#zenos yae galvus#endsinger#endwalker spoilers#adventurer zenos#eurydice#is just the tag im going to use for the post endwalker endsinger stuff I'll draw#alisaie lives in zenos' head rent free-#but for a man with no fear i find the potential idea of him reaching out to a weakened endsinger both sweet and kinda funny#“oh hey she was right- im not alone here- lets see if I can actually do better” <- the beginning of adventurer zenos#part of Adventurer!Zenos motivation is finding examples of happiness he sees and finds himself to tell her whenever he visits the ultimatum#the eternal question: did he adopt the bird or did the bird adopt him#Also thus begins Zenos having to dig through his own recollection on how to help people- i.e emulating the WoL lol#and endsinger having to deal with reading his mind only to probably get very random thoughts/static and only occasionally something helpful#she very quickly learns that nihility bounces off this man like a ball#he is simply immune
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one of the weirdest experiences i ever had was flipping through dimidue fic early on and realizing " ... oh some of you guys are here for the power dynamic? like straight-up? you're getting off to the appearance of their relationship? and not the complex interwoven navigation of the personal, interpersonal, and political in an attempt to honestly connect and express selfhood? not the balance of truth, half-truth, and façade? not the struggle to truly express, receive, and understand love, despite the power dynamics at play and the political realities of the situation?"
skill issue. lmao
#bird original#look if you're into straightforward power dynamic that's Fine#-- honestly connect and communicate through the layers of compounded trauma repression and political necessity#ABOUT dimitri's craving for genuine human connection not mediated by his status; & the fact that that is frankly impossible#every relationship he has will always be inflected by his status -- but that doesn't mean they can't have a genuine relationship at all#especially from dedue who isn't from faerghus and has no ingrained attachment to the role of knight or king#“to be your friend ... is what i have always wanted”#dedue trusts dimitri **because he's dimitri**. not because he's king. because dedue is intimately familiar with dimitri as a person#if anything dedue loves dimitri DESPITE his status. & yet dimitri's status is a factor.#if dimitri wasn't a prince dedue wouldn't be. alive.#& it's dimitri's power as a prince that allows him to promise dedue justice#& *a role in* that justice#& to convince dedue that he means what he says -- that he really will use his power in the way that he's promised#but all of that is about *DIMITRI* as an individual#dedue expresses deference to dimitri because he has to; because he's assumed that role to protect himself & to remain by dimitri's side#but if you pay attention -- and EVERYTHING about dedue's character requires paying attention -- he doesn't believe in that deference#he doesn't truly see himself as subservient to dimitri as a *state of being*; he doesn't consider himself *beneath* dimitri#despite what he says with his mouth about having no personal will except as an extension of dimitri's; he quite clearly does not give a shi#about dimitri's orders when he doesn't feel like it#and because he knows dimitri won't actually enforce them because that's not how their relationship works#**dimitri** is the one who has a greater complex about their power dynamic and thinks it's more straightforward than dedue does#because everything else in dimitri's life has convinced him that this is how all of his relationships will always be#& dedue is also insisting with his mouth that that's how their relationship is -- so what else can dimitri believe?#i don't think dedue quite understands that dimitri *can't* see through him#i should've made this a whole separate post lmao#fe3h tag#dimidue
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Muichiro passed his hand through the fog that had been seemingly summoned by his bladework. It felt real enough, cool mist lingering on his skin as he carved out lines of air through the cloud, before they sowly dissipated back into the gentle, slow fading fog. He passed his hand through it again, observing it curiously. Finally, he looked up at Shisui, who was watching him with a bewildered expression. "Can you see this too?" "Are you well? Mentally?" ...He couldn't tell if that meant Shisui could or couldn't see the mist. Muichiro tilted his head. "Are you asking that in general, or in this moment?" "Uhh. Both...?" Muichiro considered the first half of the question. "No." He tilted his head consideringly in the other direction as he considered the other half of the question, before settling on a tentative answer. "...Yes." Neither answer seemed to improve Shisui's mood.
Chapter 2 of Manic Monday is !! Now !! In !! Progress !!!
#yayy !!#lets see how much Ill get through tonight#if I cant write it all in one go I tend to fucking collapse into a heap and forget to write more tbh#i have faith !!#lets do this !!!#naruto#kimetsu no yaiba#demon slayer#muichiro tokito#tokito muichiro#shisui uchiha#uchiha shisui#manic monday#birds snippets#birds writing snippets
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"why don't you hang out with your brother?" "he's at his new girlfriend's house"
You genuinely do not understand the emotional impact these two sentences had on me. I didn't respond sooner because this ask actually pushed me to write a whole ass oneshot about Colt and Lucky based on this. I've been sat here in my pajamas doing nothing but writing.
SO. ENJOY. IDK IF ITS GOOD BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND KNOW IT DESTROYED ME EMOTIONALLY. (below the cut cause its long as shit)
4386 words of unfiltered angst hurt/comfort.
His brother's soulmate
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The bell signalling the beginning of the next class rang out loudly, piercing the ears of nearby students and rousing birds out of the branches of surrounding trees. In their rush towards the main entrance, no one detected the hasty, light steps and delicate gush of wind passing through like a ghost, unaware that someone fortunate enough to avoid the oppressive authority of the school prefects had slipped through the front gate, completely unnoticed. The truant in question darted absentmindedly towards nearby shrubbery leading to Bullworth Town, unlit cigarette sitting patiently between his paint-blotched fingers, other hand smoothing the copper mane his older friends enjoyed tussling so much.
Colt De Luca, a Bullworth freshman and member of the feared and respected Greaser clique, could feel his legs moving yet had no idea where he was headed. He let his body take him wherever as he busied himself with searching his pockets for a lighter acquired off Ricky in the parking lot mere moments earlier.
After successfully retrieving the small object and lighting the tip of his very last cancer stick, Colt took a vigorous drag and felt his lungs burning, instantly relieving some of the stress off his mind. Granted a moment of clarity, the Greaser looked around. He found he’d already made his way over to the main road leading towards the path heading to New Coventry, his own place of residence.
Looks like it was yet another day of aimless wandering ahead of him.
While Colt was not usually one to skip school, having been brought up to value education and consider its impact on his future, today was different - much different - he thought to himself as he bitterly kicked the pebble which had the audacity to find itself in his way. Colt’s mind seemed preoccupied with thoughts and anxiety from the very moment he woke up and rose off his paper thin mattress and continued through the few classes he chose to attend and do badly in. Frustration kept him on the edge of his seat as the teachers talked and talked and asked invasive questions and refused his requests for a bathroom break (which they rightfully suspected would turn into a smoke break). Not even his trusty sketchbook helped soothe his irritable mind and upon hearing the dreaded ring of the bell, nothing could keep the boy inside the confines of the stone walls of the academy.
Colt’s anger was not unfounded yet as he traversed the decrepit streets of New Coventry he could not help but cringe at the memory of his friends’ concern throughout the day. Many of them have come around to inquire about his well being, sought him out of their own volition while he hid and ran. Norton offered to lend a comforting ear. Ricky asked if he wanted to ride around town after school. Lefty remained on his tail break upon break, attempting to get him out of his own head with chatter. Hell, even Johnny, the aloof, tough king of the Greasers said they should ditch and talk. Colt, regretfully, dismissed them all. He didn’t need their help, he could do this on his own, he was grown now.
Grownups don’t mope about the anniversary of their parents’ death.
Colt took a final drag of his cigarette and tossed it onto the side before its remains could burn him, stomping it out with his dirty loafer. He looked at the pitiful bud for a moment before averting his eyes, reminded much to his dismay of his current appearance. “I probably looked like a pathetic kicked puppy right now, damn it.” He thought to himself bitterly and headed for one of New Coventry’s many sketchy alleyways.
He’s fourteen years old, fifteen in a few months. Practically a grown man, hanging around the most dangerous and intimidating group in the whole school (excluding the Jocks, but Colt didn’t like to think about the roid monkeys if he could help it). He should have already learned how to deal with grief a long time ago, should have forgotten about the whole ordeal either way since he was merely a baby by the time he became an orphan. He had no right to miss the people he didn’t even know. Yet the stabbing in his heart and tightness in his throat he felt at the moment were just as intense as when he was first yelled at by his uncle after bashfully handing him a Father’s day card he was forced to make in school. Or when neighbourhood children tripped him onto a busy road and asked if he’d tattle to his mommy. Or when he was scowled at by teachers for being brought to school by a boy not much older than him instead of an adult.
In previous years though, as juvenile and immature as it was, he had someone to share that grief with. None of his friends could understand better than that person did, for good reason too. He’d take young Colt out to do anything to get their minds off their parents, visit their favourite hotdog stand, wander around surrounding fields with no purpose at all, ride around on bikes from sunrise till dawn. They’d religiously visit their parents’ joined grave, year by year, and talk. Touch on things they normally would, couldn’t, and those conversations brought them closer than ever before.
This year was different, however. Colt would have to grow up and be brave on his own, since the jerk didn’t care about him-
Just as Colt was about to descend down the winding path behind the Tenements a small, familiar hand roughly grasped his upper arm, violently ripping him out of his own thoughts. He smelled the smoke before he even turned around to glance at the person with irked, surprised eyes.
Standing behind him was Lefty, his best friend, in all his jean jacket-clad, greased up glory, though the intimidating effect of his appearance was dampened by how out of breath he looked, coughing small droplets of black tar onto the pavement below their feet. Yet his grip on Colt’s arm never weakened.
“Dude, why do you have t’ be so fast?” Lefty gasped, straightening his back yet still appearing winded “Ya got a bounty on yer head or somethin’?”
Why was Lefty even there to begin with, though? Colt knew the little Greaser still had two more classes and though he often skipped school, some days entirely, he usually hid away from the prefects in the labyrinthine path toward the Autoshop. That, or he hung around the Blue Balls Casino, smoking it up to the point where they had to let it air out before entering.
He chose not to pry, however. He just wanted to hide somewhere, even if it was from who he considered a brother from another mother. Especially since his real one…
Colt sighed and looked away, feigning interest in nearby anti-Greaser graffiti.
“Not that I know of. Why are you even chasing me, shouldn’tcha be getting your beauty sleep in Slawter’s class right now?” retorted Colt, more venom in his voice than he would have wanted. He couldn’t even control himself with his best friend, what a child, he chastised himself, fists clenching.
Unbeknownst to him, Lefty had begun moving away from the alleyway as they talked, grip firm on his brooding friend as they slowly traversed the sidewalk rounding their designated yet dilapidated hangout spot. Truth be told, the chainsmoker had been worried about his childhood bud for a few days now. It was not uncommon for Colt to grow snappy and sad as they neared this time of the year, when leaves grew yellow and air crisped yet the avid painter found no drive to capture such picturesque sights. That was usually when he and the other Greasers stepped in - though emotional maturity was decidedly not their forte - to mitigate the bad moods of two of their clique members. That was when they partied the hardest, laughed the loudest, got up to most comedic hijinks they could think of and led actual in-depth discussions about things left untouched any other time of the year. The 50’s enthusiasts had their own, unique ways of showing each other they cared and, though unconventional, they usually worked.
This year was different and Lefty spotted it instantly. As the mid-October grew closer, nothing seemed to soothe Colt and the desperation Lefty felt witnessing his best friend’s pain was unlike any other. Unaware, or rather left in the dark about the reason for such an abrupt change (because he asked, many times at that!) he tried everything to make it better, which, ironically, did nothing. Which is why, having lost sight of Colt, Lefty turned to his friends to see if they’d caught wind of him anywhere in the academy.
Ricky, the ever-worrier, was the first person Lefty approached. He knew their resident mechanic usually had the most intel on all of their whereabouts since he usually obsessed over the people in his life to an unhealthy degree (such as his ex, but he didn’t like to talk about that). When asked about Colt, the older Greaser looked around the Autoshop’s entrance tentatively where he could only see Peanut and Vance having an animated conversation, upon which he leaned in, cigarette nearly falling from behind his ear.
“Don’t tell Lucky but I saw him dashin’ out of the front gate and haven’t seen him return since. Also might have given him a lighter, I ain’t proud of it but the kid was insistent.” Ricky confessed bashfully, smoothing the back of his pompadour, concerned expression never dropping from his face.
“Big deal, like we don’t all smoke.” Lefty muttered under his breath, shaking his head curtly. That was one thing he’d never been able to see eye to eye on with Lucky, he and Colt were barely four years younger than him and the rest of the Seniors yet when they smoked like a chimney it was okay. But enough about that.
“Why would Colt skip, though? He’s too nerdy for that, even on this day…” Lefty wondered.
“Don’t know dude, I’ve just been waitin’, hoping he’ll return before Luck sees and loses his shit. Hey, it wasn’t that long ago that he scrammed, maybe YOU can go bring our baby bro back since you seem to, ya know, be playin’ hooky too?” Ricky quipped playfully, looking at his watch to see it was already fifteen minutes since class began.
Which is how Lefty found himself in his current predicament, meandering the dirty streets of New Coventry, Colt in tow, head down as they traversed quietly. The silence was not awkward yet held an air of tension and sadness Lefty tried his best to signal a will to converse about through his pointed stares which, unfortunately, went completely unnoticed. Colt seemed lost in his own head, even more so than usual around the date of the anniversary. Lefty did not want to press but could simply not allow his friend to silently suffer any longer.
He led Colt towards a familiar, comforting path towards the abandoned, destroyed playground behind an old pizza parlour in a similar degree of upkeep. Since the closure of the restaurant many years back, the playground on its premises had been used exclusively by its undesignated audience of troublemakers, urban explorers and junkies who sought a secluded place to shoot it up in. It also just so happened to be where Lefty and Colt hid away since childhood when all seemed too overwhelming, when the world was just too big, their family issues too stifling.
The jean-clad Greaser moved the large carton box covering the entrance hole out of the way and bent down to pass, looking back at Colt as he went. His friends seemed aware of his surroundings at least, in his state of depression, as he mimicked Lefty’s movement and soon they stood in front of the hazardously rusty playground equipment, unmoving. Lefty saw it as his chance.
“OK dude, trust me, I know today’s rough on ya but I can see it’s worse than usual. What’s gotten into ya?” Upon receiving a deafening spur of silence in response, Lefty continued, attempting to look his friend in the eyes “I mean… skippin’ school, smokin’, ignorin’ us, to hell with the guys, ignorin’ me. It’s just… If something’s eatin’ ya up I wanna be able ta help and it clearly is.”
Desperate for any sort of answer, Lefty felt himself beginning to ramble, getting closer so he could put his hand on Colt’s shoulder in a - hopefully - consoling manner.
“And if you don’t wanna tell me, why don’t you hang out with yer brother? You know Lucky would be down to skip and drive around with you, he don’t like Maths anyway, you’d be doin’ him a favor.”
That seemed to finally get a reaction out of the artist, not one Lefty was hoping for, however, as the mournful Greaser sucked in a breath too quick to conceal and stiffened up under his arm. In the mere seconds their eyes met, Lefty saw pain and frustration and an unexpected glisten and moments later, Colt made a dash towards the entrance they had just breached.
Lefty hurriedly dove after him, grasping his arm much akin to how he caught him earlier in front of the Tenements.
“No gettin’ out of this one now buddy. Tell me what’s goin’ on and what’s it got to do with yer bro.” he stated, uncharacteristic severity in his voice as he led Colt towards the nasty, rusted swing set, other hand instinctively reaching for the full pack of smokes in his pocket “We’ve got all day, I may not be patient but for you, Imma sit here in silence till spooky hours till you’se in the mood to spill.”
Though the last part of his sentence may have been humorous, not even a hint of a smirk graced his face as he lowered himself carefully onto the squeaking swing and took out a cigarette out the box. His friend mimicked him wordlessly, sagging against his own seat’s cable, hand reaching out in unsaid request of his own cancer stick. Lefty did not hesitate before handing it over, bringing the tips of the cigarettes together before lighting them at once.
For a few solemn minutes, the two friends sat and filled their lungs with smoke, the only sound penetrating the silence between them being the croaking of the playground equipment around them and cars whooshing by on the other side of the fence. A light gust of wind tousled their hair from time to time, blowing the smoke back into their eyes, though neither gave it much consideration, lost in their own thoughts. Lefty wondered and pondered, unused to deep thought processes and obviously unaware of what exactly went down between the brothers on a day to day basis. To him, they seemed as in cahoots with one another as they usually were, albeit more glum with the anniversary of their parents’ passing around the corner. Having practically grown up alongside the De Luca siblings, Lefty felt he could confidently judge when the two had just had a falling out and despite Colt’s terrible mood Lucky appeared his regular self.
“He wouldn’t.” A meek voice disturbed his train of thought.
Lefty glanced over questioningly at his best friend who was mid cigarette drag, hands visibly shaking, brimming with anxious energy. Colt pushed himself absentmindedly back and forth on the swing with the heels of his loafers, the motion soothing to the Greaser, albeit barely. Noticing Lefty’s steely, concerned gaze, he coughed and continued.
“He wouldn’t. Be down to hang, that is. He uh… he’s goin’ over to his girl’s place today. Stayin’ the night too…” Colt mumbled and twisted his head away completely from his friend, cigarette long forgotten, burning dangerously close to his fingers and trailing ash on his pants.
Why had he even said anything at all? He wasn’t the only one who was growing older, Lucky, who’d always taken care of him, who’d always been there for him, who'd given up so much to raise both of them since their uncle couldn’t give a rat’s ass about them. He had grown too, into a respectable young adult at that, as respectable as he could be given their life circumstances. Despite being a notorious ladies man in the past, in recent months he’d been trying to actually make things work with a girl he met in their uncle’s shop. His undisputed charm worked its magic on her but contrary to his usual flings, so did hers. Lucky was actually serious about this girl, introducing her to his way of life, to his friends and (until that point, at least) the most important person in his life, his little brother Colt.
He was not jealous. At first. Jealousy is juvenile, after all. He enjoyed her presence, rather motherly, she was the calm to his fiery nature, the ying to his yang. She liked all of his hobbies and shared her own with him, some of which Lucky would never have considered uptaking in fear of them not being manly or tough enough. She was there for him through thick and thin, helped him destress and relax and take his mind off things when burnout approached since he was such a terrible workaholic. In turn, he showed her real fun, a rough, dangerous edge of the town and the Greaser way of life. Encouraged her towards spontaneity previously foreign to her.
They were a fantastic influence on each other, one could (and did, such as Lola) call them soulmates who healed a little bit each time they gazed into each other's eyes.
And Colt selfishly wished he could be such a person for Lucky.
Hence why, upon receiving the news of his brother spending the anniversary of their parents’ death, which the two of them usually bonded on, at his girlfriend’s place in a little village some distance away from Bullworth, something inside of Colt broke. The little boy inside of him, so painfully and tenderly helpless, desperately grasping onto his big brother’s hand like a lifeline fell onto the grainy sidewalk and watched his only support crutch walk away without looking back. He could not cry, he could not show weakness, yet he could not get up on his own either, left to rot and slowly melt into the pavement beneath.
He knew he had to be mature. To grow up one day. Let go of Lucky who did not deserve to have been forced to play parent for so many years. Let him lead his own life after he’d already shaped so much of himself to accommodate Colt's unseemly form. But he didn’t feel ready. Despite his desperate, unfair battle against his own feelings and his tormentor’s allegations, Colt knew deep down he was still just a silly, desperate child, incapable of fending for himself in the real world just as they had suspected all along.
He felt a hot, fat tear rolling down his cheek before he quickly rubbed it away with unwarranted force. Impulsively confessing something ridiculous to his best friend was one thing but letting him see him cry? Colt couldn’t handle that level of embarrassment. He’d already wallowed in self-pity in front of other people enough for his liking.
Before Lefty could form a response, Colt tossed the remains of his cigarette down into the sand below them, burying it with the tip of his shoe and standing up abruptly, not regarding his friend with the slightest of glances.
“I’m okay though, don’t worry ‘bout me man, ‘s just the usual. At least he’ll be havin’ fun. Let’s go back to school, I’ll mope ‘round a bit and then I’ll be good.” Colt began moving towards the exit of the playground, a faux smile plastered over his features. He knew it showed in his eyes which were still as mournful as before and although he realised that Lefty was not dumb enough to believe him, he’d hoped he was negligent enough to drop it.
The other Greaser had different plans, however.
While Lefty would not argue with the others saying he had the emotional intelligence of a fruitfly, he also considered it one of his greatest weaknesses and felt nothing was worse than when he wanted to comfort a friend and failed miserably due to his attitude of actions over words. His own upbringing and parents did not grant him much opportunity to develop a sense of maturity required to handle such intense situations and he fumbled with his words, stumbling and landing head first before he could even attempt to console the other person, which had ironically happened with Colt more times than he could count. The artistic Greaser was much more mature in that sense yet never judged him for his inadequacy.
Today was different.
Lefty caught up with Colt, placing a tentative hand on his leather-covered back, his long hair just barely tickling his fingertips as the other came to a half, short of bending down to the hole in the fence.
“‘S that why you’ve been so depressed these past couple ‘a days? ‘Cause Lucky ain’t gonna be here today fer you today?” Lefty inquired carefully, not a drop of judgement in his voice.
Colt spared him a measured glance, insecurity clouding his judgement as he convinced himself he saw humour within the icy gaze of his friend. He shrugged off his hand.
“I know it’s fuckin’ ridiculous and childish of me, okay. Let’s just move on and go back ta class.”
Lefty, indignant, stopped the advancing boy in his tracks with his elevated tone.
“Dude, FUCK class.” He spun Colt around to face him directly without a hint of hesitation “You need to hear this right now, you ain’t ridiculous, you ain’t childish, and ya certainly don’t gotta force yaself to be okay today. I’m not gonna sit here ‘n listen to ya talk about my friend like that.”
Both held uncertain breaths, not looking away from each other, one set of steel meeting sky blue in a desperate attempt at reading the other’s mind, hoping to make the message stick. Lefty knew deep down that if he let his friend go, he’d never let himself live that fact down. He clicked his tongue and continued, struggling to think of the right way to articulate his thoughts.
“It fuckin’ sucks, that you’se breakin’ a tradition like that. I know yer bro means the world to ya and nothin’ will ever replace him. But… you ain’t alone, with or without Luck. Maybe we don’t tell ya enough but you got the guys, you got me, I’m not gonna let you forget.” Lefty felt the corner of his own mouth twitch upward for a moment “Matter of fact, since you’se not busy with Lucky, I’m takin’ you out, gettin’ yer mind off it all-”
Colt attempted to butt in, shaking his head adamantly, a horrified blush gradually spreading across his features. “I couldn’t make you do that! You don’t gotta-”
“But I wanna!” Interjected Lefty, growing giddy by the second “Man, I want you to be happy. I want you to see you’se not alone. And I wanna hang out!” He assured, smiling with his teeth now.
“We can do whatever you want man, throw firecrackers at the coppers, ride ‘round the town, stay out ‘n sleep outside somewhere like bums. Hell, we can even go visit yer parents together… if you’se good on that…” Now was Lefty’s turn to smooth his hand over his pomp nervously, hoping he didn’t cross a boundary.
A quick glance upon Colt’s awestruck expression told him all he needed to know.
“Just… don’t isolate yerself from me, Colt. I’d rather see you bawl yer eyes out than have’ta wonder what’s got you down in the dumps. Lucky’s not the only one who cares about ya you know.”
He did know now.
It took a moment for Colt to collect himself after such an outburst from his usually humorous and emotionally unavailable best friend. The shaking in his limbs subsided as he carefully considered Lefty’s spontaneous stream of consciousness, gratitude clouding the sheer awkwardness of the moment and the embarrassment he felt at his impromptu venting session. While he still missed Lucky and felt lost without him by his side, he could now approach the situation with more assurance, his dearest companion in clear support even through his withdrawal and depressing attitude.
Therefore, after exhaling deeply, his gaze traversed over to his friends wherein he nodded, more enthusiastically than he thought possible mere hours before, agreeing to Lefty’s primitive yet endearing idea of consolation.
The rest of the day, albeit undeniably sombre and glum, was spent by the two best friends on their feet, causing unwarranted mischief to their beloved neighbours, wandering aimlessly and basking in each other’s presence. They did, to Colt’s alleviation and Lefty amazement, visit the marble headstone of Mr. and Mrs. De Luca and though Lefty’s presence in Lucky’s place was strange at first, it felt natural, as the chainsmoker encouraged him to retell tales of their childhood afore the couple’s passing, a request with which he complied enthusiastically.
Colt felt no need to remark that most of them he'd only learned from his brother.
Hours later and much after curfew, Colt and Lefty laid on a patch of desolate green grass outside of the dirt path surrounding New Coventry. Fully clothed, not caring whether the blades stained their garments green, they conversed calmly, though the events of the day were starting to take a toll on their energy levels. Conversation drifted lazily, their faces only illuminated by the wide array of stars visible to the naked eye outside of their polluted neighbourhood and the glow of the moon bestowing upon them the ability to look each other in the eye from time to time, snickering at one another’s drained expressions.
From where he resided, Colt was sure that through squinted eyes he could see his mom and dad smiling down on him from up above, telling him it was all going to be okay.
He hoped Lucky saw that too, wherever he was.
#red ninja posting#canis canem edit#bully cce#bully#bully rockstar#bully scholarship edition#bully oc#colt de luca#lucky de luca#lefty mancini#ricky pucino#small role but he's there#this has unironically taken over my life today#should i post to ao3? does anyone even care? idk but im dropping this at your doorstep like a cat giving u a killed bird#angst#hurt/comfort#my two favorite genres enjoy#im shit at titles please someone give me tips on how to concoct proper titles cause im! lost!#can you see the moment when i got a headache but continued plowing through
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#thinking about how there can be a real gift to not fully understanding a situation while you live through it#or even just not being able to wrap your head around it completely#because it leaves you open to be guided by grace#in a more simple and direct way than understanding even total understanding could give#I always want to understand things fully. deeply. to get my head around things but also to get ABOVE them#to get a bird’s eye view#and of course I never fully will#because I am NOT God#and of course i absolutely won’t in the moment that I am living through it#and that is a grace—I am seeing more and more clearly#total intellectual understanding and clarity are a) not possible. b) not as good a guide as the promptings of grace can be!#like. of course *I* want to understand. both for my own gratification (tbh) and because it is how I make decisions#or want to at least. thoughtfully. weighing all the information. leaving nothing out#but the truth is I can only ever do that imperfectly. and the reality is that I always live in an imperfect world#so following God’s guidance and trying to keep peace of heart (peace of heart that doesn’t depend wholly on my understanding)#both accomplish more than my own attempts at understanding#this IS the problem of Hamlet. the heart of Hamlet. to me at least#he’s so smart and he’s so educated. and there is a way in which he can wrap his mind around the truth of things#and especially the truth (I should probably say reality) of evil!#so he’s like. staring into the abyss! but in an even realer way he can’t handle total understanding#(and of course however smart he is doesn’t have it and can never have it fully. no human CAN)!#so he has to end and find peace at —there’s a divinity that shapes our ends rough-hew them how we will#let be.#some of that is just letting go of the instinctive relentless need to understand fully what we are living through#you don’t need it—need it less than you/i/we think#as much as we need a heart open to the promptings of grace#A N Y W A Y.#I have been reflecting
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💙 Vinny through 2023 💙
#A lil tribute to the lizard that kept me going through this year#Can't wait to draw more of you my gayest bird boy#no clue for how long i'll be able to work on the comic#with too many stressors going on#a long ass comic is hard to make#but i'll try for this lil man#i want ya'll to read about him so bad 😭#show you what a lovable mess he is#we'll see if i can#digital art#anthro#pokemon#scrafty#citylifeau#vinnyscrafty
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#the cryptid talks#one of those days where you’re irritated by everything and everyone#I had to lay on the floor while playing one of those angry/mad playlists as i dissociated#the kids annoying me then my dad spewing about whatever I don’t even remember#mainly how me n my sis are trying to raise the kids in a way different form his past#like sorry you were abused as a child and thought it was fine but we don’t wanna do that for these kids#cuz that parenting style TOTALLY worked for me n my sibslings and totally didn’t give us fucked self esteem issues that we have to carry#through our adulthood#WHOOPS#and don’t address me as a friend we are not on that level#I wouldn’t even want to be associated with if we were strangers let alone related#i was already annoyed before that and just wished he’d stop talking#doesn’t help I’ve having a headache ever since the election too#just fuck me i guess#played some borderlands 3 as a stress reliever#even at the cost of seeing Ava again and the storyline ughhh#I miss my bird#I wonder how she would’ve grown by now
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ysee, i believe people can do whatever they want in their fanart + headcanons, though i myself am not really big on headcanoning appearances for characters we never see bc i don't have a very strong visual imagination and it just doesn't super interest me
however, i also believe that if you draw the protagonist of slay the princess (or any of the voices or the narrator) without a beak then you are a coward
#hes a fucking BIRD DUDE#if you draw him as Some Guy but with feathers you are weak#also we *do* see the narrators face so we *know* he has a beak in canon#ive been going through the slay the princess tag and i am surprised at how many beakless designs there are#also part of me wants to draw fanart of the protag paralyzed in fear during the nightmare route#but i dont really wanna lock in a design for him#so im at a bit of an impasse#with myself#slay the princess#slay the princess spoilers
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