#in a manner that is respectful but realistic

[howlsofbloodhounds]

So glad someone else sees the weirdness of people being gross about fem body nightmare it always comes off as somewhat fetishy too bc they reduce him to just being hot

Yes! Absolutely. Seeing the weirdness not only in how nightmare is treated, but also how killer is treated! If he supposedly respects his boss, then why the hell is he drooling over him and treating him vastly different just because nightmare has tits now?

I also see this a lot with female killer or feminine killer—female killer always has huge breasts and small waist and it hardly seems like killer. Even when it’s just normal killer wanting to dress or express himself more feminine, it makes me uncomfortable when it’s done in an overly sexual manner for no reasons?

And of course nightmare and killer are adults, so there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being attracted to them or writing/drawing them in adult situations with eachother or others, it’s just that it feels very fetishized and hyper sexualized to have characters drooling over nightmare when hes just existing and also has breasts.

Even with killer as he is now, vastly hypersexualized as a character for not even any real reason either. He only flirted like once or twice in his canon drawings, clearly as a joke even and mostly because people asked rahafwabas to draw those things with killer, and yet it somehow became his entire character. Not to mention how people took “flirty” and “romantic” and immediately went “lustful creepy pervert.”

To the point where people just cant seem to let these aspects of killer’s character be just that; aspects, something interesting and fun, but not his whole entire character.

Don’t yall find it interesting to explore how a character who views themselves as emotionless and is dissociated from themselves and their actions most of the time navigates things like physical intimacy?

Especially when this character has very likely not felt any kind or comforting touch that wasn’t just a way to keep him further manipulated and controlled? How his experiences with abuse and torture and control have become so normalized it taints every aspect of his life, from the ideas of consent to the idea of boundaries.

Can he even feel much sensation that is too gentle, would it send him reeling in discomfort and disgust at first. would he hate how his body reacts even if it’s something that feels good—wouldn’t he feel viscerally unsettled if someone could provoke bodily reactions like flushing cheeks or a beating “soul beat” or even genuine arousal from him.

wouldn’t he think with contempt if his body reacts positively or negatively to receiving comfort. wouldnt he try to find a way to maintain control and detachment because too much stimulation or stress or feeling threatened or trapped or controlled or afraid for his safety and life could trigger higher stages and he lashes out and literally could kill his partner(s) because his mind mistakes the situation for something else. wouldn’t he need a level of either trust or control to willingly engage in something that feels deeply threatening.

Anyway i got off topic, but you’re absolutely correct. I love female or feminine Sanses, especially with the apple twins, and i don’t think there should be any need to hyper sexualize and fetishize the female body. (especially if these feminine/fem presenting or female bodies also happen to be trans/queer bodies; such as with transfem dream.)

like just let nightmare exists as nightmare, regardless of if he happens to have breasts or not—and don’t have his subordinates drooling all over him and behaving super strange just cause nightmares got boobs now.

(and I also don’t wanna see any situation where nightmare who usually doesn’t have boobs has boobs one day and the gang make a big deal about it, since nightmare is a shapeshifter and all. he could realistically just decide he wants boobs one day and the gang could just go “interesting. Anyway..” and hardly even that.

unless it’s to like, ask for today’s pronouns or something, i don’t see no need to comment on the breasts unless in the context of, nightmare is engaging in intimacy with their partner(s) or something. a context where it would make sense. Anyway just be normal about female/fem killer and nightmare please.)

[wazzuppy]

one of the things i really like about fish hooks is the male characters' relationship with their masculinity, or at least oscar and milo. like, there's episodes where they dress femininely or do traditionally feminine activities, and theyre like,,,, pretty chill about it? sure, maybe depending on the situation they can get a bit freaked out (especially oscar), but it's pretty much never about being perceived as "unmanly" or from doing girly things. a lot of the time they actually enjoy themselves a lot while participating!

like theres an episode where oscar and milo join the cheer team and both of them have a lot of fun, despite being the only guys on the team. they actually get referred to as girls when addressing the whole team, and they dont bother to correct it because seemingly they just dont mind. not to mention a lot of little details, like how oscar likes to crochet and milo likes girly pony movies, and theyre never made fun of by the narrative for it.

its just really nice :)

[trust-me-i-just-get-weirder]

.

[pit-2-podium]

I think everyone who is so upset about F1 Academy needs to take a breath and remember this is not the only series they are racing in.

The end goal is not to take some 16 yr old girl and just shove her into an f1 car and call it a success. The goal is to get these women up the formula 1 ladder and do it in a realistic manner. Most of these girls are competing in their various f4 seasons at the same time. Or others like lia block do rally cross, doriane pin was supposed to race in le mans, chloe chambers is killing it in America! The goal of f1 academy is to fucking normalize women being successful in motorsport and giving them opportunities to be successful!

Like when talking about f1 academy we talk about how the cars are 'to slow' but the important part is they are in the cars and getting that practice and those points and the cost isn't coming out of their pockets. F1 academy is getting these girls into f1 teams development programs. Which is huge because if you look at it you'll realize both Bianca Bustamante and Maya weug are the first women in their teams respective programs!

They are getting access to equipment, facilities, trainers, and some of the best teams in the world for motorsport and all of this is in part to f1 Academy. And this series is allowing them to get a majorly important thing, say it with me now, SPONSORS! Because let's be real if they didn't have the publicity of f1 academy they likely wouldn't have some of their life changing sponsorships.

Anyways this makes no sense but everyone should shut up and go support these ladies because there's a chance the future female f1 driver is out there watching right now and she deserves to feel inspired, represented, and supported from the very beginning

[someone-will-remember-us]

Boys as young as 14 have been asking their teachers how to choke girls during sex, a teacher has told the BBC.

Dr Tamasine Preece, who teaches at Bryntirion Comprehensive in Bridgend, said some children now felt it was a normal part of sex and asked if "a soft squeeze on the neck is OK".

Health experts said pornography was a key contributor and that there was no safe way to strangle someone.

One woman, Sophie Henson, who was strangled until she passed out, said choking should not be normalised as part of sex.

It comes after warnings following the death of 26-year-old dancer Georgia Brooke, who was choked to death during sex with her boyfriend.

Dr Preece, the school's curriculum lead for health and wellbeing, said there had been questions "creeping in, such as 'How can I choke someone safely?'".

She added: "I’ve certainly been told by some children that they think that girls really want to be choked - with one saying girls are mad for it."

Johanna Robinson, Wales’ national adviser on violence against women and girls, has heard similar examples.

"I’ve spoken to sexual health nurses who told me men in college were asking questions like 'How do I safely strangle my partner?' One young person was quoted to me asking 'What do I do if I need to resuscitate my partner?'.'"

Last year, Sophie Henson was strangled by her ex partner as part of an aggressive situation.

"He gripped me by the throat so tight, I thought I was going to die," said the 24-year-old from Bridgend.

"I felt like a dead fish, my mouth was open, my body was so limp."

Sophie said she felt carrying out the act previously in the bedroom had blurred the lines, making it more acceptable.

"He'd say, 'You liked it 10 minutes ago during sex, why don't you like it now?'"

She's now warning other women to seek out and assess the risks before consenting to it as part of sex.

She said stories of it being normalised among young people were "worrying".

"Everyone is entitled to their bedroom manners, but there's no way it is safe," she added.

"There is a risk factor and it shouldn't be experimented with lightly - do your research and ask questions."

Her ex-partner Zach Pennell was convicted of coercive control and intentional strangulation in January this year.

Dr Preece said conversations needed to include consent and how that must continue throughout sex.

She encourages conversation in her classroom, so teenagers understand consent is needed rather than "just blindly accepting it" and encourages children to talk to their parents as well.

She added: "Rather than just choking specifically we talk about the fact there should be no abuse of any kind in sexual relationships.

"We can shy away from these issues or we can be realistic that they’re happening and making sure that we’re the ones having conversations with our children rather than leaving it to tech companies."

Ms Robinson echoed this message, saying: "How much harm do we need to see happen before we’re brave enough to have these conversations?

"I don’t think young people realise the potential harm - it can take little pressure to cause damage or cause someone to be unconscious.

"Helping young people to understand that is a first step."

Dr Kate Howells, an associate specialist in sexual health, believes more people think strangulation is expected, with "a lot" of young women telling her it had happened to them.

She believes instant access to porn for anyone with a phone is a key factor for it.

"People are watching it from a very young age and, for a lot of young people, it is their first sexual experience and therefore they’re almost looking to porn to learn about sex and what to do to be good at sex.

"If young people are seeing that kind of messaging from pornography rather than loving or caring, respectful messages then they'll think that's what they need to do - whether they feel comfortable with it or not."

[bivht]

Astrology Observations

😎Virgo moons are polite and respectful until you cross their boundaries. But people accuse them of being rude even when THEY were the ones put in a super uncomfortable situation

😎Aquarius and sagittarius placements are free-spirited. You tell them to do something and suddenly it’s an obligation rather than a choice and they don’t want to do it anymore lmao

😎Cancer risings and their low-key unhealthy relationship with food :0

😎Taurus is branded as the foodie of the zodiac but I think Sagittarius is the ultimate foodie

😎I like to see the moon sign as who a person is at their core. And the moon sign in your mercury persona chart is very insightful to how you express yourself.

for example:

Aries moon- expresses themselves passionately, perseverant, doesn’t give up easily, likes to keep things tidy, hard working, could be naggy, aggressive

Taurus moon- sweet and charming way of talking, logical, doesn’t like believe anything without concrete evidence, self care, words of affirmation, has definitive personal boundaries, slow down when you’re eating babes, when they’re toxic they’re some of the worst kinds of toxic

Gemini moon- domicile (home sign), real sweet talkers, witty, critical thinking skills on point, charmers, just the right amount of flirty, know how to talk themselves out of a situation, scatterbrained, PERFORMERS

Cancer moon- sweet, will remember your birthday, wants to include everyone, confused easily, overstimulated easily

Leo moon- humorous, dramatic af, will spread love to whoever gives them attention, gives their love to everyone, critical thinking not their forte

Virgo moon- domicile, polite, respectful, knows how to remain professional in awkward situations, hates the feeling of being stuffed full?? 7/10 full is sufficient for them, due to this they’re usually slim, “perfect” self expression, neat and tidy, expresses gratitude for every tiny thing, eats slowly, critical thinking on point, extremely private (esp. about relationships)

Libra moon- diplomatic, likes to agree, charming, soft and sweet but also vengeful, avoids confrontation, talks shit behind backs instead of addressing issue directly with person

Scorpio moon- opinionated, probably a coffee addict, death stares at people they dislike, private but not the same as virgo, virgos tell you things but won’t go into detail, scorpios just won’t tell you. so fiercely loyal, their charm is fatal

Sagittarius moon (detriment)- happy, seems like they’re always having fun, don’t take themselves too seriously, charmers, funny facial expressions, stuff themselves full. they DEVOUR food, tendency to overindulge so can be chubby cheeked, struggle to articulate themselves in a professional manner, hates being nagged, lacks critical thinking, they get bored easily so consistency is an ongoing struggle, can be flirty

Capricorn moon- logical, down to earth, realistic, charming, articulate, their smart little jokes, a bit reluctant to try new things but they will, loves feeling in control (more than anyone else), really patient, consistency is key, can be rude and dry, may make shy, insecure people shifty

Aquarius moon- they talk in a very self-important way, very recognisable tone of voice, an intellectual, research whore, likes to share their found knowledge with people, lecture people, full of themselves

Pisces moon (detriment)- ehhem OVERSHARER to the T, silly humour, a bit unreasonable as they don’t follow logic, poor critical thinking skills, either super empathetic or lacks any empathy, can be flirty

😎More of an assumption but Leo+Virgo (and/or taurus)= hating slimy and mushy textures like eggplant, okra, durian

😎Chiron in the 6h can be obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness. My brother has this and he will not eat from the same spoon or drink from the same straw as anyone else, not even his own mother. He’s criticized and scolded by his mother because of this

😎A mother with 10h mercury is scrutinizing their childrens’ speaking abilities and how they interact with people in public

😎Aries mars has a fit looking body

😎People with sun 1h in the mars persona chart can seem really athletic

😎Sometimes individuals with neptune hard aspects (esp. square) are accused of having a mental illness (bullied)

😎Mars square neptune is a really anxious placement. Their panic is so clear on their face. They get really nervous about things more than others. Their intentions are confusing and people find it hard to figure out what your intentions for your actions are

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

TWST OC Questions

I am supposed to be working on a req I got about a month ago OTL but I need uh. serotonin from something in the meantime LMAO (it is more than half way finished, dear requester, if you see this) ANYWAYS

Obviously, if you want to ask a question that's under one category but for an OC that doesn't fit under that category, you can <3 its more what that dorm inspired me to ask about

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RAMSHACKLE

Does your OC have magic? Do they develop it over time? Do they overblot? If they don't, do they ever reach a snapping point?

Does your OC follow the canon timeline? If not, how have you adapted their story?

Is your OC shipped with anyone? If so, who? What's their dynamic like?

Is your OC homesick? What are they willing to do to get back? How 'on' Crowley's ass are they? If not, why don't they want to go home? Do they have an issue with Crowley anyways? Have they considered/do they care about what happens to Grim if they were to leave?

How does your OC customize Ramshackle, if they do at all? How do they cope with the state it's in when they first arrive?

Is there anyone your OC sees as family?

How does your OC feel about magic in general?

What chapter does your OC experience the most character growth, if any?

What is YOUR favourite character's impression of your OC when they first meet?

What would your OC say their greatest strengths/flaws are? Do you agree with them?

Are there any characters your OC absolutely does not get along with?

How many times do you think your OC ends up in the infirmary? Besides canon, can you tell us about a time they've gone in?

Which housewarden does your OC clash with the most? Who do they relate to the most, if any?

What are some mannerisms your OC has picked up from the people around them? (be it other (people's) OCs or Canon Characters)

What's their relationship like with the ghosts? With Grim?

What class do they dread the most? Why?

Has your OC ever been sent to Crowley's office for their (mis)conduct in class/on school grounds?

Is there someone who scares them? Why? Do they ever work through it?

What's your OC's best memory since coming to NRC?

Do they work for Crowley? Or do they find another job bc FUck the bird?

HEARTSLAYBUL

Have they ever gotten collared by Riddle? For what? How long? How often does it happen?

Do they think they could be a better housewarden? What makes them think that?

What's the chore unique to Heartslaybul that they look least forward to? What's their favourite? (tending the flamingoes/hedgehogs, organizing the Unbirthday parties, painting the roses, etc. etc.)

How many rules have they memorized? How many do they actually follow?

If it was their turn to take care of the dormouse, how would they do it? What flavour jam would they spread on its nose at the Unbirthday party?

What's the worst thing they've gotten away with? What's something they do exclusively in the rose maze in hopes nobody finds out, if anything?

Who are they more likely to go to if they have an issue that needs to be addressed? (Riddle, Trey, or, pushing an HC here, former housewarden Cay-Cay?)

How clumsy are they? Does the unique furniture and layout of Heartslaybul ever throw them off? (Do you HC the dorm the same way I do?) Have they adjusted to it?

If Riddle offered to tutor your oc, would they take him up on the offer? If not, how do they normally study/prepare for tests?

What's your OCs favourite flower? Would it be realistic for them to grow it in their room/on the dorm somewhere?

SAVANNACLAW

Where do they consider themselves in the alleged 'hierarchy'? Is this accurate?

What sport do they specialize in? If they don't play, what club are they in? Or do they ever play referee?

Does your OC ever get into physical altercations? How do they usually play out?

Does your OC respect Leona? Do they want him to do anything differently? Does Leona know your OC? Does he respect them?

Does your OC have beef with someone outside of the dorm? Is it reasonable in your opinion? Is the other character aware?

How does your OC feel about all the dirt/heat in Savannaclaw? Have they ever considered transferring dorms just to get away from it?

How protective of their food are they? Is there a reason why, besides instinct/hunger? Or are they more likely to share food?

(assuming your OC is a beastman) What's something that makes them easy to read? (eg. tail wagging, ear wiggles, fur standing on end, etc. etc.) and do they wish they could change it? Are they sensitive to the paranormal?

Was there any alterations made to their ceremonial robes? Did someone have to help them put it on?

What do they think of Ruggie and his workload? Do they consider it fair? Are they jealous of how close he is with Leona?

OCTAVINELLE

Do they work at the Mostro Lounge? If so, what position? Was it by choice? Do they enjoy it? What's their biggest customer pet peeve/most ridiculous request they've seen/heard?

Have they ever made a contract with Azul? How did it go?

Can they be trusted in the kitchen? What's their favourite food?

Are they intimidated by the tweels? How did their first meeting go? Have they ever had the opportunity to put them in their places?

Do they like being under the water all the time in their dorm? And if they're a mer, do they go home for the winter holidays or no?

Does your OC enjoy wearing the funky dorm socks....not the uniform, just the socks, or do they try to cover them up like Jade?

Has your OC ever been blackmailed? Or do they do the blackmailing? What about your OC fits the nefarious energy the canon characters give off? Or are they meant to balance them out?

Did they know about the plan to make Ramshackle a second Mostro Lounge location? How did they feel about it? If they didn't know, how did they react afterwards?

Does your OC play any instruments? Does Azul know that they play? Can your OC sing?....Do you agree with your OC's opinion of their ability to sing?

Is your OC claustrophobic? Or do they enjoy small spaces?

SCARABIA

How do they feel about Kalim's parties? Do they ever help with set up/take down?

How do they feel about Jamil? His workload? Do they think what he did to Kalim was just/did they agree that change was needed in the dorm?

How do they handle the sand?

Has your OC ever stolen anything from Kalim's rooms of treasure?

What's something your OC does want to change in the dorm?

If they participate in Kalim's parties, what's their favourite part?

What's your OCs favourite way to stay hydrated in the sweltering heat of the dorm?

How did your OC feel about the whole hostage situation with the random magicless person from Ramshackle?

How did your OC fare on the treks hypnotized Kalim took them on?

If electing dorm leaders was a possibility, who would they choose and why? (if it's themselves, bonus points if you show a campaign poster or tell me about it or something LMAO)

POMEFIORE

What's their favourite type of poison?

What DnD class would your OC be? (I ask this bc I feel like. Pomefiore has the most diversity in that aspect than any other dorm)

Has Vil ever personally given your OC a makeover/pep talk about their appearance? How did it go?

What's a scent you associate with your OC?

What's your OC's aesthetic outside of school affiliated clothing?

How well does your OC know makeup?

Is your OC starstruck by Vil? Are they jealous of him? Are they in film studies club? (Aka, what is their dynamic with Vil?)

Between Vil and Neige, who did they vote for at the VDC?

Does your OC have issues with the way food is monitored in Pomefiore? Do they ever confront Vil about it? Do they have stashes of food anywhere?

What's your OC's biggest insecurity, physically and personality wise?

IGNIHYDE

Is your OC an introvert, or just selectively social? Or are they extroverted?

What is the project/invention they are most proud of?

What's a hidden talent they have?

What's a hobby they enjoy doing alone? What's a hobby they enjoy doing with other people? If it's gaming, what type of games do they enjoy most?

How competitive is your OC? How easy is it to rile them up?

Is there anything your OC would infodump about? How do you get them to share? Do they ever get insecure about their rambling?

Do they want to apprentice somewhere like S.T.Y.X/for the Jupiter Conglomerate? What's their dream career? Do they ever try to impress Idia hoping to get their foot in the door?

Does your OC ever find out what Idia's (canon) UM is? If not, do they have a theory on what it might be? What is it?

How did your OC react to Ortho returning to school in Chapter 6 (trying to avoid spoilers sjkfklsjdfh)

What's your OC's favourite piece of media/what would be the equivalent of their favourite media in our world?

DIASOMNIA

What's your OC's favourite type of music? Is there anybody they listen to music with? (Jamming out to Canon in D with Malleus amirite OTL /j)

Are they scared of Malleus/the power he has?

Has Lilia ever pranked them? How did it go? Did they get him back?

Have they ever tasted Lilia's cooking. Did. Did they like it?

What's a magic skill your OC specializes in?

What's a "traditional" or old fashioned hobby your OC has? (Calligraphy, fencing, leatherwork, etc, etc.) How did they pick it up?

If your OC is fae/has a prolonged life span, did they participate in the same life events as Lilia? (again, I'm trying to stay spoiler free)

On a scale from 1 - 10, how powerful would you rank your OC? What about their UM? (and what is their UM?)

Which of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth) do you associate most with your OC and why? (remember some of these have more than one connotation e.g. blood lust)

What's your OC's favourite orchestral instrument?

FACULTY

What position do they have? How long have they been working there?

Did they go to school with any of the canon faculty/other character's parents?

How well do they remember students names and faces?

Did they know Ace's older brother? What was their impression of him?

What's a quirk they have regarding how they teach their class? (e.g. allowing cheat sheets, mandatory brain breaks, pop quizzes, weird disciplining, etc.) If they're not a teacher, how is the way they interact with students different than they interact with coworkers?

What's their opinion on Crowley/Ambrose? Given the opportunity, would they take over as headmage?

How do they feel about all the overblots? Do they ever feel slightly responsible or like they should have been there to support the students more?

How do they deal with entitled attitudes or otherwise disrespectful students?

Are there any students they've come to see as their own kid? How do they feel about the one magicless student on campus?

Do they enjoy being a part of student gossip/actively involved in student drama?

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Do they stim? What are they and what triggers it? How much do they mask?

What's something they'll never leave home without?

What was the main inspiration behind their design?

What's in their bag? (link to picrew)(if you want)

How do they handle caffeine? If they need/enjoy it, what's their preferred method of consumption? Have they ever concerned anyone with their intake?

Do they have any family heirlooms? What is it, and how long has it been in the family?

What's the fastest way to piss them off? To calm them down? To cheer them up?

What is their ideal date, be it romantic/platonic or otherwise?

Have they thought about their dream home? What's an absolute must have?

What are their minor fears?

Do they have any regrets?

If they could go back in time and talk to themselves, what age would they want to talk to? What would they say?

Do they have light in their eyes? If not, is there anything that sparks it, even temporarily?

What's their relationship with their parents? Siblings?

If they could magically change ONE aspect of their life immediately with no repercussions, what would it be?

Do they have any body modifications or tattoos? Any that aren't obvious just looking at them/in uniform?

What's their guilty pleasure?

If they could fight anyone with a guaranteed win against them, who would it be?

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OTL I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS but I'm going to leave it at that for now <3

If you're new to tumblr, the general rule of thumb is if you're going to reblog an ask game send an ask in too. Not to me. To whoever you RB from, okay <3? If you're RBing from me don't worry about sending one in unless you really want to sdkhlkf

Have fun <3

[nerdy-autistic-things]

I’m thinking about the failed check to get Kim to dance, and. Even though Harry is a disaster bisexual, in many ways (at least on a good playthrough), Harry is a breath of fresh air. Like we talk a lot about Kim putting up with Harry, but Harry also, as his best self, helps Kim a lot by just letting him be himself instead of the impenetrable wall he has to be around.. everyone really, to be given respect. He whisks him away on his eccentric little journeys with his silly little mannerisms and just.. radically accepts Kim. Until he calls him a slur. And even if you apologize to him, it breaks that illusion. You can’t go back to being that for him.

He doesn’t even call Harry officer. He is more disappointed than angry, and self blaming even. He calls himself an idiot for not seeing it. He’s frankly heartbroken because he really likes you (whether you ship them or not because they can still grow very close either way). He let himself be vulnerable with you and you slammed the door in his face.

It hurts to only see how much Kim really cares about you when he’s walking away and it’s such good writing, and it’s so realistic as well. To feel like you’re in a safe place with your friends until it all goes south so quickly it makes your head spin

[graphedpaper]

Modern-Day Vampire Yandere

This is kind of crazy but after watching that tiktok about a Lyft driver claiming to have seen these attractive vampires in New Orleans I couldn't stop thinking about a realistic and modern vampire lover. I usually don't like non-human yanderes at all, but here me out plsplspls, this is what I've been fantasizing about before I fall asleep.

You two first meet when you're moving into your new apartment, near your university. When you pass him by, you admit he's attractive with his tall frame and regal aura, but nonetheless a man with an odd sense of style. Not his clothes per se, or even his hairstyle which is messy black hair tied back low, but his strange coloured contact lenses that were currant with a white-blue ring around his black pupils and, his overall vibe... it was odd. You two keep bumping into each other and his strange mannerisms are short glimpses through his charming act. He seems to have taken an interest in you, inviting you to all sorts of different outings, which you refuse because first of all, you're busy with studying, and secondly, he seems sketchy. However, he doesn't get the hint and he persistently asks you to hang out with him until you finally succumb to agreeing.

He takes you to a rave, which you've never been to. You're overwhelmed by the crowd, the lights, the loud electronic music. You cling to his toned arm as he pushes through the people to introduce you to his friends. To no one's surprise, his friends are also just as attractive as they are odd. All of them, with similar eye color to your neighbour. They comment on how much they've heard about you before you're even able to introduce yourself, to which you look at your neighbour, confused for clarification. However, the atmosphere makes it impossible to dwell on one subject for long, and you forget about it, deeming it as insignificant. You observe how all his friends aggressively flirt with the people around them, dragging them away to an unseen part of the dark space only to return without them, a euphoric expression spread upon their faces. You prudishly turn away from this sight, assuming they were getting high or hooking up for a quickie. All of them do this throughout the night, except for your neighbour, who remains next to you, his arm always protectively wrapped around your waist or shoulder.

You soon start to feel exhausted, and tell him you're going to retire for the night. His face turns into an odd expression and insists he'll leave with you. As the two of you trudge home to the apartment, one of you clearly drunker than the other, you confront him about why he invited you, and if it was out of pity that you seemed like a loner. He smiles down at you, his godly features shining in the bright streetlights of the city. He shakes his head no, and you can see his mouth moving, yet his words seem incoherent to you. His attentive gaze falls upon your inebriated state, and he scoops you up with ease, bridal style, all the way to the apartment. When he realizes you're unable to open your door, he takes you to his place, and lets you sleep in his bed for the night.

When you wake up, you realize that he carried you to his own bedroom to let you sleep, and you thank him immensely. You still feel slightly drowsy, memories hazy, and your neck is a little sore from a cut that you got in the rave, but you feel grateful to your strange neighbour for taking care of you like this.

Day by day, thoughts of him invade your mind, playing with your heart, until you realize you've developed a big old crush on him. It was so sudden and so confusing that you couldn't wrap your head around the concept. He wasn't that weird, and everything about him was just so, so, so attractive to you. His caring nature, his flirtatious yet respectful tone of voice, even his odd red eyes. Now, whenever you see him, your smiles are no longer out of amicable politeness, but a deep longing for him to notice you in the way you notice him.

Amid your own blinded attraction for him, you have no clue that your crush on him isn't one-sided, but mutual, and the fact that he's fallen for you eternally the moment he saw you moving in on that fateful first day. If you loved him the size of the ocean, he loved you the size of a thousand infinite universes. It felt like this attraction was written in the stars, pre-destined, a fate woven by the gods.

You're shyer around him, a little bashful and embarrassed, and he picks up on your obvious shift in behaviour immediately, no matter how careful you think you're being. The next time he asks you to an outing, you reject his offer, causing a pitiful expression to form on his face. When he starts to turn away from you, you hurridly grab his hand and laugh, clarifying you'd like to go somewhere with him a little more calm, and a little more private, to which his face lights up.

[tubborucho]

sunny talking about phil's tone was so important. i know that sign was about their conversation today, but i'm petty sure it applies to her reaction to phil in general. i really hope tubbo or phil start to realize but i'm very happy the admin decided to play it like this. a lot of times it feels like everyone just expects parents and eggs to get along unless something bad happens but this is a very realistic way for kids to react to new adults.

if you just look at words fit has said similar things around her but his tone makes it very clear (imo) that it's just a bit and he usually follows up with compliments as well. phil's tone is harder to decipher (again, imo) and sometimes he doubles down with a more serious note. the first day they met, for example, he made a lot of jokes about the train tubbo built for her and then after he got an explanation for why it was done that way he followed up with a more serious comment about how tubbo still needed to build something better.

obvioulsy we know tubbo was fine with all of it, but i think him playing into the bit made it sound even worse from sunny's perspective. they don't know phil or his mannerisms yet. all they know is he's someone their pa respects but who doesn't seem to respect much other than his skill with create. and phil doesn't realize the effect he's having because he's not trying to be mean or scary, he's just acting as he normally would.

I don’t have much to add here, because I do think it’s pretty on point.

Sunny’s admin does a wonderful job of creating an interesting dynamic with the whole Death family. It’s somehow so different from any other on the server. All the layers of this: Phil being a respectable adult and yet seeming judgmental (like she said); Tallulah being the sweetest person in the words of others, and yet being so cold at the start; Chayanne, who is kind and warm and seems to care, but you know that it’s only by extent of caring for dad. Sunny is in a situation, where she wants to fit in, wants to love and be loved, but at the same time nothing is ever quite right.

This is a great storytelling. I am sure there will be a happy ending for the Death Family+ (lmao), but right now there’s a lot to polish.

[kookies2000]

Because I feel like it.

Yellow sky? Bare footed characters? Mostly a mess? Over exaggerating some of the Hispanic features. I saw the first episode, and it was just poorly written in general. And what mother calls their son "cochinada." Roughly translates to dirty or trash.

What's good Latino/Hispanic representation?

Colombian 🇨🇴

In the Caribbean region of Colombia, they light up candles and lanterns on December 8, before sunrise. So the candle giving them magic was a wonderful detail. Generational trauma is a thing for us Latinos, and this film handled it in a healthy and matuer manner. And I love how they didn't shy away with how Spaniards attacked and colonized latin lands.

Mexicans 🇲🇽

Yes, us Mexicans love death. 🤣 But hey, I was always taught to respect death, La Muerte, and our ancestors. So, it makes sense that many Mexican films talk about death. But I also like that Maya and the Three have Aztec, Mayan, and Incan mythology. Natives to Mexico.

Dominican Puerto Rican 🇩🇴🇵🇷

Luz mom is Dominican, and Luz dad is Puerto Rican. I appreciate a good interracial couple and a mixed child. Luz name also translates to light, and some Latinos are known for doing witch craft. Or at least knowledgeable about witches and demons, and no, we aren't evil. We just know how to handle this stuff. Plus, the owl has many meanings in Latino culture. To some, I believe the owl is a messenger of death and is telling everyone that death/danger is near.

Afro Latino. Puerto Rican 🇵🇷

I am a massive sucker for interracial couples and mixed kids because of this. I was working at a hispanic store as a cashier. This woman walks past me and starts talking to the bagger. The bagger has blond hair, blue eyes, and white skin. The bagger looks at me worried because she doesn't speak English. So brown skin, black hair, me has to tell the bagger that the lady wanted ice in Spanish. I then talked to the lady in English. Her reaction? "YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!" Same for a dark skinned man. So many people skip me and talk to him in English. He's Dominican, and he only spoke Spanish. I appreciate films that show Latinos in different skin types and features. We're not all brown. So yeah, the mass diversity in this film is just beautiful. And I love how they wrote Miles relationship with his parents. Realistic conflict and healthy communication. Not falling into toxic stereotypes.

Spainard Puss 🇪🇸 Mexican Kitty & Perrito 🇲🇽

Spaniards are considered Hispanic but not Latinos like Mexicans. And again, interracial couples for the win. And I love the realism in their romance that heals through healthy therapy. Many people see Mexicans as toxic, so having Perrito as a therapist and the one helping everyone emotionally, it's nice. Not every Mexican is toxic. And I love how you can tell their Spanish and Mexican even though their animals. Puss Spanish accent, Spanish actor, him being a ginger like some Spaniards, flamingo dancing, and gazpacho. Kitty, Mexican accent, Mexican actress, black fur/hair like most Mexicans, quinceañera, and I love how they gave her a luchador mask. Something that originates from Mexico. Also, my brother and I joke how we as Mexiacns can't swim and Kitty nearky drowns in the 1st film. 🤣 Perrito, he's a chihuahua with a Mexican actor. Enough said. I also want to say death is Brazilian because of his actor.

I don't know much about Spanish culture, but someone said the wishing star has a connection to Spanish culture. Is that true? If so, COOL! Because death is connected to Mexican culture. So, Dreamworks finding a way to combine Spanish and Mexican culture in one film is 100% magical.

There are many more, like Beverly Hills Chihuahua 🇲🇽. 🤣 That film is better than Primos. Emperor's New Groove, Peru 🇵🇪, and Rio, Brazil 🇧🇷. Not Hispanic but Latino culture. But this post is getting long. Primos! A huge step down in Latino/Hispanic representation. Especially since we have so many good films and shows that have proper representation.

[shivadh]

Have you described in any of the books or shorts what a Shivadh bow looks like, yet? As in, like, bowing out of courtesy, not a bow and arrows. I'm rereading Twelve Points again and I realised I don't know what to imagine for that. I would very much like to know, for reasons.

(Also I just realised, curtsy and courtesy are the same word. Performing your courtesy to the king. Performing a curtsy to the king. Wild, the leaps we make at midnight-thirty.)

Honestly it's one of those things where I kinda stumped my own brain. I mean there really are only so many ways to bow. And we know that the depth of the bow matters and also how it's executed because it's distinct from just Any Old Bow. (And curtsey as well of course.) So I've kind of been letting people imagine their own. :D

Realistically, I think what makes the most sense is for the curtsey to be a sort of Regency style, where you bend at the knee and bow your head, rather than bending from the waist. That's fairly distinct but still elegant. For the bow, what makes the most sense is to make it more melodramatic, like an actor's bow -- you put one leg back, bend at the waist, and sort of wave one hand outward. It's not necessarily the flamboyance of the movement, but the distance your leg goes back and the depth of your bend, that would count.

For both, the depth of it doesn't just show respect but also indicates rank, so you might bow deeply to someone you're very familiar with, but if you were the same two people who didn't know each other and you outranked them socially or culturally, you wouldn't bow nearly so deeply. That's why occasionally someone is surprised when one of the kings bows deeply, because most of the time the kings are barely nodding their heads, since it's acknowledged that they hold a particular rank. It seems like it would be a weird power trip but I think of it as the king acknowledging "Hey, you're a person, we're in this particular social configuration, I'm showing you respect by not treating you weirdly or trying to puff you up." And of course it's all contextual -- like most people you would meet in a day are basically your social peer because the Shivadh aren't highly stratified or rigid about class, but even Gregory would bow more deeply to an elder to show respect for their age. And you can imagine how much room there is to play with how you might snub or slight someone.

All of this said, most of the time it's considered a bit archaic. The royals do it more often because one, most of them are old nobility, and two, it's kind of a marker of someone whose job or duty it is to preserve culture. Gregory bows because he's king and it's expected of him, but also because his mother was the duchess presumptive of Askaz and it was just instinct on her part to teach him "proper" (old) manners. And someone like Caleb or Noah or Ephraim might bow more often because they weren't raised in Askazer-Shivadlakia, so it's both novel and aggressively Shivadh of them, like "Hey I definitely can do this and it's sorta fun." But most Shivadh usually just shake hands or say hello, bowing isn't something you'd do very often in a day if at all.

[witchofthesouls]

You know the film Who Framed Rodger Rabbit where humans and Toons live there together?

Imagine the sheer chaos to occur if any Transformers iterations landed on that type of Earth. No one knows who the fuck these giant robots are as they definitely aren't Toons. Meanwhile the bots can't help but be confused by these strange creatures living alongside the organics.

The Toons however see both factions as perfect targets for mischief. Starscream crashing into a wall via a super realistic painting, poor Optimus getting flowers full of dynamite or Bumblebee having multiple 'Kick Me I'm Fake' signs plaster on his bumper by Toon cars. Megatron feels like they landed in a looney bin as he fails to intimidate the 50th cartoon rat on the ship.

This probably lead to kidnapping a human cause no one is making progress when they're constantly getting menaced by law defying entities.

Oh man, the childhood nostalgia is so real here 🤣🤣

Look, the Toons would break the Autobots and the Decepticons. Cybertronians are not strangers to special powers, but beings that regularly defy all sense of laws in such a blase, hilarious manner without one ounce of logic yet yield so much damage?

The factions' respective medbays will be constantly full of mecha with processor crashes and circuit burnout. Soundwave, Prowl, and Red Alert will have to be put into long-term stasis for their mental and emotional health.

You want peace? Or a long-term armistice? Send in Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as Trojan Horses.

There is no escape from their antics. Those creatures are everywhere.

Land. Sea. Air. Fucking space in a random astro-suit.

(Mechs would be driven mad trying to find who the hell is Marvin the Martian in any database. Including the Galactic Alliance.)

Even Megatron will break.

He will become hollow mech, desperate for respite, and beg for mercy. A new phobia for the fear of the sound of carrots being crunched and chewed would be implemented in their disorders. As well as Daffy's crazed laughter once they can reliably track it.

But the biggest kicker? All the humans would just chuckle or outright laugh at their declarations. Aliens? Really? Are you sure? What's the gimmick?

Many humans shake their heads, elbowing people around them because there's a new joke going around. Apparently, the Toons caught into the mecha anime explosion, so now they have sentient Gundams walking around with an epic battle of good versus evil.

(Que some Americans shouting things in Japanese. Some want to improve or keep up their language skills. Others just want to be dicks. It would be funnier if humans had so much experience picking out the robots in disguise from the Toons' general mayhem and shenanigans.)

The Toons know that those are real aliens but are too delighted by the sheer potential chaos of having fresh meat, ahem, new neighbors.

[luna-writes-stuff]

What types the Crows would fall for:

Includes Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan van Eck, Nina Zenik, and Matthias Helvar.

————————————————————————

Kaz Brekker:

This man relies on every realistic aspect. Whenever planning something, or even thinking about something, he runs through everything that could go wrong and analyses it properly. He needs someone with a mind that completely contradicts it. Someone who could think of creative solutions he usually wouldn’t come up with. And not only the mental aspect of creative. If you engage in something such as painting or embroidery, he’d love that too. His mind is complicated, and completely logistic and analytical. He doesn’t leave much room for imagination or creativity. He relies on you to do that for him. And when you can, it’ll grow on his list of things to adore you for. Your ideas are the most captivating for them; he’s always admired a good mind. But that doesn’t mean other outings of creativity go unwanted by him. He will proudly display your items throughout his office, leaving portraits for heists hanging in the halls.

——

Inej Ghafa:

Inej is very hesitant because of obvious reasons. She has been through some stuff and it still messes with her. She’d 100% love someone who just soothes her when necessary, but in a somewhat distant manner. Words of affirmation or tiny services are good enough for her. She’d fall for the type who is able to see the good in everything. To turn even the glummest of points into something somewhat positive. When she has that dip in her mood, she tends to see the worst in everything and make it add to her already terrible state. If you would point out all the things that she can learn from this, or all the things that are not necessarily evil, she’d be comforted so much. Even by the mere thought of it. Gently reassure her that you’re there, even after everything she has been through. She can run to you, she can find refuge with you. She adores the way your voice switches tone when she’s down, or how you’ll approach others on a daily basis. Everything about you is so calming, not just to her. She takes great pride in that.

——

Jesper Fahey:

Outwit him, please. When he flirts, flirt back. Play that uno reverse card. It only takes one sarcastic or charismatic remark to make him fall. “You come here often?” “No, but seeing you here, I think I should.” BOOM, GONE. Just like that. Now, he’ll constantly follow you around, placing compliments here and there, flirting with you continuously. He’ll buy your drinks, he’ll hold your chair, he’ll take your coat. This man becomes a puppy, but with attitude. And once you actually get together, he will not stop. But now he’ll include kisses on top of your head, hands around your waist, hugs from behind, hands buried in your pockets, hands running through your hair, hands everywhere. He needs to be touching you constantly. If you grow uncomfortable under this, he’ll try to keep his hands to himself, but he cannot help the occasional touch on your shoulder. A simple remainder he is still there. He respects it, he truly does, but he cannot always help himself. You’re just so gorgeous and witty and breathtaking and you picked him???? He wants to show that shit off, okay?

——

Wylan van Eck:

As Kaz, Wylan has always loved creative people. Mentally or practically. Most adoration would go towards sculptors, I’d like to believe. Whether you create tiny statues out of clay or huge cut out marble. He doesn’t care. Hell, you could make a birdhouse from wood and he’d like it. Though your looks and kindness would initially captivate him, his admiration grows as he discovers your hobbies. And from that, he decided to do a lot of actual research! Need some inspiration? He’s your guy. He makes it his entire duty to give you a good idea. I’m talking, nose deep into books to note something. He himself loves to tell stories, and it gives you a lot of ideas through this. The funniest part is that he doesn’t even know it. When he tries to look for something, you usually dismiss it (kindly), but when he’s ranting about something or comes up with a funny story, the ideas start flowing. Late nights are always spent on the bed, hand entangled as he talks and you listen, occasional kisses places on top of your head.

——

Nina Zenik:

Nina is smitten with badasses. I mean the people who practise sports such as Kung-Fu, Judo, Krav Maga, boxing etc. etc. Not only is it incredibly hot to her, because who wouldn’t think it’s hot, but she loves the movement of your figure throughout the practises. It looks so flawless and graceful. There is so much commitment and dedication in your eyes, she thinks it is absolutely stunning. And you, quite literally, kick ass. It’s a turn on for her, okay? Anyone who can beat her in physical combat. If you have some good strong arm and/or leg muscles to go with that, she falls even deeper. Because, you’re kidding. Not only are you the most awesome person she has ever met, but there are muSCLES???? You actually met through a argument gone wrong at the Crow Club. Someone got too close to a friend of yours and you full on body slammed them into the table. She was nearby when it happened, and she thought that person was going for her. In her eyes, you saved her. You haven’t corrected her on it. She’d wrap her arms around one of yours when walking constantly. Not because it makes her feel safer - even though it does -, but because you’re so damn huggable, she cannot get enough of it.

——

Matthias Helvar:

We have seen him around Nina; he needs some joy in his life. Someone who makes him laugh. And that’s a whole task. Initially, you had stumble into something and you ended up falling like an idiot, but Matthias thought it was absolutely hilarious. And since that laugh, you had begun to make it a task to hear that more often. Yes, he had a nice laugh, but also, his usual stoic self seems to fade away so flawlessly. It’s a whole other side for him, which you seem to appreciate very much. And for him; who doesn’t love laughing? Being so gleeful you have to audibly out it? That is why he fell for you. He felt so happy and relieved around your mere presence. He knew he was safe with you and vice versa. You bring out the best in him, as cheesy as it may sound. And now, he will protect you with his life. He has this habit of stepping near you every time someone nears. Subtly, at first, but eventually he’d end up blocking your view entirely. That’s his sunshine. No one touches it with evil intent.

[linderosse]

I LOVE YOUR WIELDERS OF WISDOM COMIC!!!! i think its wonderful and so absolutely necessary (if u will excuse my feminism)... the art style is GORGEOUS and im just so grateful someone is giving love to all the zeldas <33

sorry that this is anon but. i dislike being perceived lmao

Thank you so much!!

And heck yeah on the representation front! I’m doing my best to write a variety of interesting characters that will help me tell the stories I want to tell. To me, the fact that they’re mostly women is both incidental and vitally important at the same time.

Tetra was my first Zelda, and I always loved her pirate captain badassery and no-nonsense attitude. I was a bit of a ‘tomboy’ (used in the non-insulting sense, simply referring to a girl who liked traditionally boyish hobbies/clothing) growing up, so I identified with Tetra real hard <3. Heckin’ loved her practical, forthright nature— and the way the games don’t hesitate to show her wackier side and how her actions sometimes get her in trouble— and how she gets out of it, with or without help.

And of course, girls can also be girly and get things done! Love the more traditionally feminine Zeldas as well; shirking feminine mannerisms definitely isn’t a requirement for a well-written female character. You can have a character wear a tiara, battle in a dress, and still be cool. Heck, you can have ’em don a soft gown, not fight at all, and still be an awesome character: maybe she genuinely wants good for the world, or maybe she controls the board with gentle magic and soft “feminine” persuasion to achieve her goals, turning foes into friends— or her pawns.

And characters don’t always have to succeed! Sometimes persuasion fails. Sometimes they argue with someone they know is right. Sometimes her sword falters. But that’s fine! That’s what makes for a good, realistic, fun character— that’s how humans are.

(continued under the cut)

See, I feel like some popular media is trending towards forcing women to be *exclusively* badass, almost flawless in their physical skill yet boyish in their mannerisms.

Like, as a random example: Peach in the Mario movie. Movie Peach no longer giggles and blows kisses, because that would be too girly. And Movie Peach is a perfect platformer and politician, because female empowerment. Same thing with Galadriel in RoP (and it’s honestly a bit different and way worse with RoP Galadriel, because her mother-name is Nerwen which translates to man-maiden and she is canonically a tomboy, but they write it so badly in RoP that not even the rest of the characters in the show respect her for her over-the-top ‘female badassery.’) And as a huge, longtime fan of both the Mario series and the Silmarillion, it kinda hurt to see those Mary Sue-esque, somewhat shallow depictions of what should be complex characters.

Now, the thing is: one or two perfect characters like that are just fine! The problem lies in the fact that many of these shows have only a few female characters to begin with, and they’re all like that. Peach is kinda alright, but Galadriel’s major flaws are barely even shown because the writing has to try to make her look badass even when she’s making objectively terrible decisions.

Because here’s the thing— depicting only perfect women and minimizing flaws isn’t supporting female empowerment. Girls have flaws too, folks. Popular media relying only on the immaculate femme fatale badass just makes for a more cliche story, and imposes higher standards on young girls who look up to these characters. And the forced boyishness forces standards as well.

Why can’t Peach flutter her eyelashes, giggle, and still knock bad guys on their asses? Or, better yet, why can’t Peach flutter her eyelashes, giggle, knock bad guys on their asses, help Mario out, also get helped by Mario, and maybe admit that it took practice for her to get to where she is now?

That’s how she used to be in the middle Mario era, like Super Mario RPG, Thousand Year Door, and Super Paper Mario. Peach was feminine and still relatable to a young tomboy like myself.

I’ve rambled on for far too long, but anyways, that’s what I’m gonna try to do here with the Wisdomverse: tell stories of a bunch of different types of people, where each of them has their own take on what it means to be Zelda.

I can’t promise I’ll be perfect at writing this either, honestly. Perhaps I’ll fall into some of the same traps— I’m sure it’s hard to avoid them.

And perhaps my thoughts on this will evolve over time as well, and I’ll later have an even better understanding of how to write the characters I want to write.

Either way, I’ll certainly do my best!

Tl;dr: I got really sidetracked, but thank you for the kind message! Glad to hear you’re enjoying Wielders of Wisdom; hope to keep building my characters into interesting and at least somewhat complex women as things progress :)

[wolven91]

Secret Scritches

The negotiations hadn't gone well.

Nearly two years after the 'Sol-3' Incident the felinoids were ready to take a far greater role within The Galactic Community but were struggling to come to amicable terms with the galaxy spanning organisation. Howard had been a trainee diplomate back on Earth, barely out of university and only just beginning his career in the murky world of politics when all the politics he knew about got wiped out. Still, as far as he was aware, this was the first time a human had been allowed to sit in and at the very least observe and the skills were transferrable.

The Community representative had stepped out of the room in disgust at the felinoid's expert handling of their usual, one-sided contract they point blank refused to sign. The Galactic Community wanted closer ties, the external ursidain territories had been trying to advance into felinoid territories and causing an embarrassment for them, but the slippy felinoids had been able to resist them, even push them back.

By signing the contract, it would emphasize trade over raw resources and the ursidains would realistically be better off simply choosing to trade rather than take. The contract was of course skewed significantly in The Community's favour. Market prices were practically slashed for them, making the deal sour in the Felinoid's eyes.

The Felinoid sat across the table and stared at the human diplomat who gave her a flat smile.

"We are above this." She stated flatly. The orange and black stripes of her fur were very pretty in the human's opinion and reminded Howard of the tigers of old. It was mildly intimidating to be sat across from one, especially when she saw Howard as part of the problem, since he had walked in with the Community representative.

The human sighed and nodded. He didn't disagree, but humans only had 'soft power', influencing people or individuals, not actual policy. It was useful in it's own right, but humanity couldn't get an actual seat at the table yet. The man's leg's ached, so he stood from the table to try and stretch them.

Saharhan, gracefully stood as well, seemingly out of respect or manners, but she also joined Howard as she stalked over to the large, wall to wall, ceiling to floor window. Like all felinoids, she walked on her toes, while her hips swayed from side to side in an exaggerated manner. The thick, stripey tail coiled and flicked like a snake. Howard was hit with the idea of what it would be like to touch it.

The felinoid Saharhan stood a good head and a half taller than Howard, her negotiations had been clear; she wanted to impress that she was intimidating and would not easily cow to other species just because her government was willing to open talks. If the deal was not favourable, then they would continue as 'just' a member.

The alien stood to his side, as close she could without being pressed to his side. Howard blinked when he felt the flicking tail briefly grace the back of his legs. Before either of them spoke, the appendage flicked round to the front, where Saharhan grasped it and smoothed the fur along it.

"I'm glad they decided to take a break. I think everyone was digging their heels in somewhat." Howard admitted, trying to release the tension that had built up in the room. There was a chuckle from the alien.

Saharhan smiled and released her tail before placing a large paw on his shoulder. The leather pads brushed the cotton of his shirt and the claws subconsciously extended as she rolled her own shoulders to ease her tension. She was so fluffy; every strand of her fur was expertly maintained. Despite the negotiations already being several hours long, it seemed as if she had just stepped out of a spa. The towering tiger-like creature smiled down at the human.

"I understand what they are negotiating for, but we are a proud people. We know who is above and who is beneath us." The diplomate admitted with honey-like words. Howard noted it was strikingly softer in tone than anything he had heard from her all day. Still, this wasn't the first felinoid or even the tenth that Howard had dealt with in the short time that humanity had been in the stars and something she had said struck him as odd.

The human looked at her with a suspicious side eye while Saharhan cooly watched him back, he had her full attention.

"Who hell do you consider 'above' you?" Howard demanded in disbelief.

She barked with laughed and fixed the human with a fanged grin.

"No one, of course." Her head tilted as she seemed to see something within the human. "You are wiser than what The Community has told us, it would seem."

The human nodded as he noticed a tuft of fur that was sticking up and out messily on the top of her paw. He reached up and stroked along the grain of her fur, brushing it flat over multiple strokes. It sounded about right that The Community would underestimate humanity. A single person, regardless of species or race, treated humanity has equals. The moment that administrators or governments got involved, they simply didn't know how to handle or what to expect from humanity.

Oh sure, some humans hadn't helped matters by stealing crafts or accidently blowing them up, but for the most part, the people just wanted to live as equals and seek out a life. Still... merely disappearing and going humanity's own way was not an option. Howard himself knew how quickly pirates reacted to a lone or even a small group of humans. A community would need one hell of a fleet to protect it.

Unbeknownst to Howard, Saharhan was smiling and had closed her eyes at his idle petting of her fur. He couldn't have known that she was inches away from suggesting he come to her quarters later that even to strength their two race's bonds. It was worth laying the groundwork in her eyes...

"Keep doing that and we'll open fair trade for the humans at least." She murmured, forcing her arm forwards until his hand brushed into the deer, softer pelt of her arms. Howard smirked and rather than just brushing the fur, instead he dug his fingers into the pelt, scratching at the warm flesh below. The felinoid actually started purring.

"Huh, I thought it was a myth that you 'purred'." The human admitted. He paused and her eyes flicked open. Without a word, the diplomat with enough authority as to declare war on behalf of the felinoid people, bent at the waist to lower her head, so that his hand was in the perfect position.

Howard reached the remaining few inches and began scratching her round, fluffy ear. His fingertips scratched along the base and back of the ear, while his thumb pushing into the white pelt of the front. The alien's head turned, and she leant into his hand. Her fur was amazingly soft and thick. He watched as the strands ran through his fingers.

Neither heard nor noticed the door to the private room opened behind them.