#sometimes it is natural due to mutation but it's very rare

[yesyourstalker]

Candy: hi guy! This is candy!! You're favorite girlyyyy!!!!! So I recently got a job at Rock shock at Barnacle & Dime Mall!! I'm so excited because I am partnering with them and sharing a location! I get to have my own little piercing station inside the store!! He's even letting me paint it pink. Isn't it cute!! It's a business inside of a business. I love it ....... Some you probably already recognize me as piercing princess on Inkstagram!.. I was at wahoo world boardwalk and worked with ink tank tattoos...... Unfortunately the partnership is over....they went back home to Gillsdens..aww It's not the last time we'll see them tho.......haha. Anyway usually I answer your questions on how to take care of piercings and treat infections but today I want to do something different. So recently I got a new client and that client is my boss!!! And you allowed me to do a piercing for him

Neta: hey Candy....

Candy: hi Neta...... so what did you want me to do today?

Neta: I was thinking of a tongue piercing buuuut how about some ear piercings

Candy: ohhhhh couple ear piercings so we talking about an industrial or maybe we can do a rook *gasp* we can do a daith piercing!!

Neta: yeah that sounds great................ hey Candy can we talk off camera.

Candy....... You don't want me to film in here? I understand... I should have asked first

Neta: no, no filming is fine It brings in people plus I watch you all the time....... I just kind of want this conversation about my ear piercing to be a private thing.

Candy: ok yeah That's no problem.

Neta:..........*sigh* ok...... So it's very obvious that my ear is kind of........ jacked.......and .....it how do I say this...... it holds a lot of trauma and bad memories..... Sometimes I struggle to look at it .......when I had long tentacles I used to hide it but now I'm not able to do that anymore and I've been getting a lot of stairs at it and I feel....... ummm........*sigh*.........I just want it to be easier to deal with..... I don't want to look at it and automatically associate it with my past and want people to look at and focus more on the body modifications instead.......you know

Candy: .......... Oh.... ok it's whatever you want and what makes you comfortable..... my clients come before my content....... I'm happy to provide a safe space and am honored to be a part of this journey of healing you're going through......

Neta: thanks candy I'm fine with you filming, I just needed to have that conversation....... thank you.

Candy: It's no problem..... ok.......1...2....3.....ok guys so first we're going to start with the left ear!!................I was thinking of maybe we can do 3 piercings that travel up the soft cartilage of the ear and then add a piercing on the flat and end with a rook....... mmmmm....... On the Right we can do similar but instead of 3 piercings on the soft cartilage I'm going to stick with 2 and an industrial piercing! How does that sound Neta?

Neta: yeah...... that sounds great. Let's get to it

Candy: great!!

[After piercing session]

Candy: ok we're done........ What do you think?...... Usually I like to film my client's first reactions but I feel like maybe this one should be..... personal

Neta:........................................... Wow ah ha .......... I love it!......... I can-i can actually look at it......I can fully look... at myself....... Candy.... thank you....

Candy: aaaaaaaaaaaa! It looks so good!!!....... you're welcome!! You look amazing! Some of my best work!!........am I crying??.... it's fine....What do you guys think? It's cute right?

Mahi: looks nice.....and painful

Neta: yeah the rook part hurt like shit but I think it's worth it.

Mahi: you didn't get the tongue piercing?

Neta: I did. I just got on the bottom. See......laaaaa....

Mahi: damn I should have gone that........ You look so different in the first time I met you. Are there any more changes that you're going to do?

Neta: I might stop dying my hair and keep it yellow...... I think I'll be good as a natural gold

Mahi: ehhh I don't know. Let me see you being green..... It would suit you though

Warabi: yeah, I would match your personality. A dumb bubbly gold bimbo

Neta: ha. Ha. Shut up

Candy: Oh my cod yes we would match!!

Mahi: I don't think Phoebe would recognize you though

Neta:ah man you're right guess I'm keeping it green...

Mahi belongs to @fish-at-fish-fish-resort

[awkward-walking-potato]

Can I ask for Kurt, Emma, and Scott with a reader that’s a little off-putting? They’re mostly harmless but them not making a sound still gives people a start.

Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)

Kurt has a deep understanding of feeling like an outsider due to his own appearance and abilities. He appreciates the silent, almost ghostly way you move, seeing it as a unique expression of who you are rather than something unsettling. He finds your ability to be stealthy fascinating and sometimes even challenges you to see if you can sneak up on him—though with his teleportation skills, it becomes a fun game of cat and mouse.

Kurt notices that your silence often leads others to feel uneasy, but he never lets it bother him. Instead, he shows affection through small, thoughtful gestures—leaving you little notes in places only you could find, or teleporting into your space to surprise you with a snack or a joke, making sure you feel included and cared for.

Kurt finds peace in the quiet of the night and enjoys spending that time with you, knowing you’re more comfortable when things are still. Whether it’s sitting together in silence or engaging in deep conversations about your experiences, he appreciates the calm you bring to those moments and is always there to listen without judgment.

He encourages you to embrace your mutation, reminding you that just as he has learned to love his appearance and abilities, you can find pride in what makes you different. He’s patient and kind, never pushing you too far but always there to help you see the beauty in your uniqueness.

Emma Frost

Emma isn’t easily rattled by much, including your unsettling presence. She’s more intrigued than anything, appreciating the power and control you have over your ability to move undetected. She respects strength, and in her eyes, your ability to make people uncomfortable is just another form of power, one that she finds admirable.

Emma sees your potential and takes it upon herself to help you refine your abilities, offering to train you in using your mutation more strategically. She’ll guide you in turning what others see as “creepy” into a sophisticated skill set, perfect for espionage or other high-stakes situations.

While Emma appreciates your ability to unsettle others, she also understands the importance of social dynamics. She’ll offer tips on how to use your silence to your advantage without alienating people, teaching you how to blend your natural stealth with a more polished social presence.

Emma doesn’t coddle you or try to make you more approachable; instead, she respects you as you are. She values your authenticity and never asks you to change, only to hone your skills. In her eyes, you’re already powerful—she just wants to help you refine that power into something truly formidable.

Scott Summers (Cyclops)

Scott’s military-like discipline means he’s rarely caught off guard, even by someone as silent as you. While others might jump when you appear out of nowhere, Scott barely flinches. He’s more likely to acknowledge you with a calm nod, appreciating that you’re simply doing what comes naturally.

Scott immediately sees the tactical advantage in your ability to move without being noticed. He’s constantly thinking about how your mutation could be utilized on missions, often pairing you with teams where your skills would be most effective. He’s pragmatic, recognizing that what others find unsettling is actually a powerful tool.

Scott isn’t one for excessive words, so he appreciates that you don’t need to fill the silence with chatter. There’s a mutual understanding between you two, a quiet camaraderie where actions speak louder than words. He respects your space and doesn’t push you to be more outgoing than you’re comfortable with.

Scott can be very protective of his team, and that includes you. While he respects your independence and ability to take care of yourself, he’s always watching out for you in his own quiet way. If anyone on the team ever made you feel uncomfortable because of your mutation, he’d step in with a firm hand to ensure you’re treated with the respect you deserve.

Scott might encourage you to push your boundaries, not to change who you are, but to explore how your abilities can evolve. Whether it’s training exercises that challenge your stealth in new ways or missions that test your limits, Scott believes in your potential and wants to see you grow into the best version of yourself.

[idle-daydreams]

Your writing is so beautiful, may i request fyodor with a reader who knows a lot ? She knows almost everything in the world and can talk about it for hours , from science to spirituality but the thing is she is a little bit naive and easy to be fooled .

P/s : i don't know if you still take requests so feel free to ignore this 🥲

[A.N.: Here you go! I hope you like it. Also, obligatory apologies for being late]

This is also kind of in honour of Fyodor in the new chapter :)

Tw: Mild yandere, mild controlling (this is actually pretty mild considering its about Fyodor of all people)

“You know, I sometimes wonder if there are beings other than regular humans amongst us,” you said.

Fyodor smiled. “And what has brought that question forth, my little dove?” he asked, sitting beside you on the bed.

You’d been living with him for a while now, in a secluded little house on the outskirts of Yokohama. While you’d initially been hesitant about moving in with him, you’d lost your apartment in a fire, and finding a new place had been surprisingly hard. You worked remotely, so commuting time wasn’t a problem, and the rent was cheaper than living closer to the city centre, so it had made sense economically.

And Fyodor was the gentlest man you’d ever met in your life, so it wasn’t like he could hurt you.

“I don’t know,” you said, kicking your heels as you leaned back against the headboard. “Or rather, I do, but - I was reading this book ‘Flatland’, about a two-dimensional person who lives in a 2D world, who’s visited by a being from the third dimension. It got me thinking: what if there are fourth-dimensional people walking amongst us right now?”

“A fourth dimensional being?” Fyodor shrugged. “I assume they would look quite odd, for one.”

“That’s the whole thing,” you said excitedly, “you wouldn’t be able to tell. To us, the 4D person would look just like a regular person. They’d only just phase in and out of our plane of existence.”

“Like a sphere growing larger and smaller in space.”

“Exactly!” You sat up excitedly. “Have you read the book too?”

“I have not. You simply explain things so well.”

Your smile faltered a bit at the teasing note in his voice. “You’re making fun of me,” you said. “I know I didn’t explain it that well.”

“I will admit I have come across some of those ideas before.” Fyodor patted your hand before brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. “After all, it is known that some people out there have supernatural abilities, that are different from regular humans.”

“Oh yeah, the Ability users. Yeah, I’ve heard of them too. Never seen one in real life, though.”

Fyodor’s lips twitched. “They are very rare,” he said. “Though it is impossible to tell their true number.”

“I wonder if they are from some other dimension.” You tapped your chin. “I’ve seen some of them on social media, and they look quite ordinary. But their powers are said to be extraordinary. Some of them can even bend the laws of physics.”

“A perversion of the natural laws of this world.” Fyodor cocked his head to the side, and added in a curiously soft tone: “What would you do, [Y/N], if you met one?”

“Me?” You laughed. “Well, I don’t know, I’d try to get to know them, try to understand what they’re like. They haven’t pin-pointed the cause of their abilities; the prevailing theory is that it is some kind of genetic mutation, though some scientists say that its due to environmental factors that affect them in the womb.”

“Would you be afraid of them?”

“Afraid?” You pursed your lips thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Maybe? I suppose it depends on the kind of person they are. I mean, at the heart of it they are people, aren’t they? They’re capable of good and evil just like the rest of us.”

To your surprise, Fyodor chuckled. “You are truly kind,” he said, reaching out to caress your cheek. “You have a beautiful heart.”

You reddened, touching his hand softly. His hands were cold - he was always cold, thanks to his anaemia - but for the slightest moment a tingle passed through your fingertips, like the static of socks on a carpet. You flinched but Fyodor tightened his grip, pulling you closer.

“Yes, a very beautiful heart,” he repeated. “But it does worry me. You should be afraid of them, [Y/N]; you should be afraid of them indeed.”

“Why?” you said, wishing he wouldn’t hold onto you so tightly. “Have you ever met one?”

“Would you need to meet a wild animal to be afraid of one? Would you wish to experience being robbed before you consider it a bad experience?”

“No, but-” You bit your lip. He had a good point. Fyodor always made good points, common sense ideas that you usually didn’t think of. It would have been annoying, but he never made you feel bad about it. Not too bad, anyway.

As if reading your thoughts, Fyodor ran his fingers through your hair. “It is all right, my dove,” he said. “It is not as though they are pounding down your door. But it is something to think of, yes? Danger exists everywhere, but more so in this world that we live in now.”

“I guess.” You pouted. “You know, you always see the cynical side of everything. It’s not very nice.”

“Oh, I am not nice. You are the nice one, while I am the jaded one. It is why we are so suited to each other.” He sat up, straightening his clothes, a sign that he was leaving. For some odd reason, your heart tightened in your chest at his innocuous actions, even though you knew he was only going downstairs to his office.

“Do you have a lot of work today?” you asked. “I was hoping we go out for lunch, and then get some groceries and-”

“No. We won’t be going anywhere today.”

“Oh,” you said. “Then I’ll just go alone.”

“No. I do not like to be alone in the house.” He turned to you with that soft, sad smile that was so characteristic of him. “You know that too, don’t you, my dove?”

And before you could argue the point, he planted a soft kiss atop your head and exited the room, leaving you alone. You frowned - you couldn’t put a finger on it, but you didn’t like it when he behaved that way - but dismissed the thought. After all, Fyodor was a good boyfriend in every other way. He was neat, responsible and far more intelligent than most men. So what if he was a little emotionally distant?

After all, you figured, it’s not like he’s got me trapped here. I can leave anytime I want.

[felinefractious]

Hi! I was wondering if you have any thoughts or resources on the Highlander/Highland Lynx breed? Or what, if any, is the difference between the two?

I've read that they're two different breeds, but that that may only be the case because of different registry requirements..??

Also, are they really truly domestic? Every where I've read has said that they most certainly are, but that they're also crossed with Jungle Curls? That bit has left me a bit confused...

https://www.petfinder.com/cat/sampson-71366971/wi/new-richmond/gregorys-gift-of-hope-inc-wi432/

This pretty little guy is up for adoption at a shelter near me, and I'm contemplating going to see him (if he isn't snapped up in the next week lol), but I'd like to cover all my bases for breed research first!

He apparently came in fully intact and was recently neutered which seems.... Strange to me. The people who surrendered him supposedly bought him from a breeder out of state?

I'm not by any means 100% certain, but i did look at a few Highlander catteries and I THINK I may have found his breeder? At the very least they have a king that very well looks like he could be this guy's sire

https://www. highlanderswildnwonderful.com/ Kings.html

I do still wonder why he would be sent out as a companion fully intact though... Or why he wound up in a shelter and not returned to the breeder...

Anyway! I'd love to hear thoughts/opinions resources for potential health issues

So far I've only read that they require frequent ear cleanings and have some UTI issues, but the stumpy tail does make me a little nervous... It doesn't seem to be the same thing as manx, buuuuuut......

Woah, amazing find!

From what I understand - and if this isn’t correct someone more familiar with the breed is welcome to correct me - but the Highland Lynx is essentially the outdated name for the breed more widely known as the Highlander.

The exception largely being the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry which has decided the Highland Lynx is still the Highland Lynx and the Highlander is the same thing but backcrossed to the Desert Lynx use in the breeds foundation.

Which doesn’t make sense to me, it should just be considered an allowable outcross…? But whatever. I don’t respect that registry anyways.

As for their domestic vs hybrid status it’s true that the Jungle Curl is a Jungle Cat and American Curl but it seems like the Highlander falls more into the Toyger realm… there are technically wild caat hybrids in the ancestry but they’re far enough removed that it isn’t super relevant.

Even after 4 generations a cat is largely considered domestic or “SBT” (Stud Book Traditional) and these guys are generally even further out than that.

Before I get into the health of the breed I just need to make a small correction to their description… this handsome fella is not chocolate, he’s black sepia - often called brown or sable, sometimes called natural.

The toe beans tell, and he has many beans to reveal his secrets.

Currently we are not aware of any issues related to curled ears the way there are with folded ears but anecdotal evidence suggests that they’re more fragile and.. yes, require more frequent cleaning. Dirty ears and ear infections are definitely something to be mindful of.

As much as I enjoy polydactyl cats I’m not a fan of deliberately breeding for the trait, the nails on these extra digits can be difficult for the cat to maintain and are more prone to becoming ingrown. Some cats even require an onychectomy (declaw) of the excess digits due to reoccuring problems.

[Image Source]

So acclimating to having their paws handled and tolerating routine nail clips is an absolute must.

And finally… the tail.

Your concern about the relation to the problematic manx gene is warranted.

There are presently two types of tail mutations documented in domestic cats: the “natural bobtail” manx gene due to T-box mutations and the “asian bobtail” due to an HES7 mutation. The latter is not presently associated with the same issues as the manx gene.

HES7 mutations are not present in the Highlander.

Two T-box variants have been identified in the Highlander breed, meaning the mutation for their bobtail is the same as those responsible for the manx. Standard Highlander’s can have no tail to a short tail, those with a long tail are considered non-standarf and are largely used only for breeding purposes due to the lethal nature of T-box mutations when homozygous.

Some Highlander lines owe their bobtail appearance to a “novel variant,” meaning no known mutation has been identified. As this variant or variants are currently unidentified we can’t confidently say which gene (if either of them) it’s most closely related to or if there are similar issues associated.

All that being said not all manx gene cats will present with related problems and for those who do the severity is variable, some may have minor issues that can be managed with diet or medication while others may be… pretty severely effected.

I imagine at this age they would have a good idea of if Sampson has any issues and to what degree they’re present if he does.

If you’re prepared to deal with potential health issues should they arise I think it would be lovely to adopt him, you’re not contributing to the breeding of more if you go through a rescue and are equipped to educate others on why “Yes, mine is awesome but no you don’t actually want one.”

Like Dr. Frank Bozelka and his rescue Scottish Fold. His videos are hilarious and informative, by the way, I definitely recommend giving him a follow.

It would also be good for him to be placed with someone aware of and prepared to accomodate possible breed-related issues instead of someone who just wants a fancy cat… but I understand this can also be overwhelming, so absolutely no judgement if you decide to pass.

But if you do adopt him I’d love to see more pictures! I want to squish his cheeks.

[randomrabbidramblings]

Rabbid biology

Follow up of the Rabbid biology post I made a while ago with some things i mssed.

Appearence

A rare fur mutation, most commonly seen in litters of rex/rex Rabbids where the offspring completely lacks fur. These Rabbids have a hard time staying warm and they will always wear as much clothing as possible to shield their skin from enviromental factors. Hairless Rabbids are more prone to get sick than furred Rabbids. Skin and ear infections are the most common health problems, to contrast them, they have to have frequent baths and use hydratant and antibacterial skin lotions. They also tend to be either underweight or overweight (due to being constantly sick or to overeat to fight the cold). Angora Rabbids or Rabbids that shed a lot will sometimes donate their fur to hairless ones to make clothes, wigs and blankets out of (thanks this anon for the idea!).

Biology

Rabbids have incredible healing factors, they can whitstand injuries that can kill other creatures their size. However, they are not less prone to illnesses and diseases. Sick Rabbids are treated differenly from every culture: some use natural remedies, some have advanced medicines and some even have to learn to live with untreated disabilities. Their ears are especially vulnerable to cuts and bruises, but they also heal really fast, so Rabbids with notches in the ears are pretty common. Scars are also common, and are quite visible as the fur on the area comes back thinner (like on their belly where the skin shows). Rabbids (especially very young and old ones) who get some kind of surgery or have an open wound treated, will have to wear a cone to avoid picking at the healing site.

When Rabbids get older, they mellow down and are far more calm and quiet. However, they will not stop from doing what they always loved to do despite the age, so it's possible to see an elderly Rabbid still enjoiyng running around and play with their friends. They do get tired quickly, though, so they need to rest a lot.

Rabbids build their nests in safe spaces when they're about to have kits: wild ones prefer to dig a separate room in their burrow for this, while civilized ones tend to build the nests in a quiet room (usually the bedroom). The nest is made out of soft materials (leaves, hay, blankets, pillows and shedded fur) and is circular in shape with a raised rim to keep the kits from wandering outside. The nest is prepared quite in advance and the parents keep adding and shifting things until the kits are born. No one other than the parents is allowed to enter the nest until the kits are already able to wander out by themselves. Rabbid kits are carried around by picking them up by the scruff. They have a lot of lax skin there, so it doesn't harm them, in fact they completely relax even when just pinched behind their necks. Rabbids carry this reflex even in adulthood with various degrees of sensitivity to it: some of them may not relax that much, but some of them can literally ragdoll to the ground. The parents rarely move the kits away from the nest when they're too young, but if needed they make bundles out of some nest materials to wrap the kits and carry them with to keep them warm and to keep them calm by having something close with a familiar smell.

Behaviour

Rabbids are very social creatures, as such they love to form colonies and live close to eachother. It's not uncommon for some Rabbid culture to have a single house/burrow for all the population to live in.

Wild Rabbids dig burrows to live in. They have different rooms and they decorate them with things they find suitable, for example a "kitchen" would have plates, pans and maybe even a stove regardless if the Rabbid owner even uses those things. The room they sleep in is usually the lowest one and is the only one with a door, to avoid noise from the outside as Rabbid dig their burrows very close to eachother.

Civilized Rabbids live in buildings and have a more complex social structure, with one or more Rabbids leading the others. Buildings vary depending on the environment where they are built and, unlike wild Rabbids' burrows, they have distinct rooms with functioning furniture.

Carrots are a staple food of Rabbid diets. They're eaten and prepared in all sorts of ways and every Rabbid culture has its own recipes. For example in hotter climates (like Beacon Beach) carrot ice creams are really common, while in colder places (like Pristine Peaks) carrots are usually baked in more caloric dishes or used in desserts. Rabbids also make drinks from carrot juice. Carrot juice is used as a substitute of alcoholic beverages as Rabbids aren't affected by alcohol at all. They can get "drunk" off of the sugar contained in concentrated carrot juice (more on carrot juice here), but it's more of a sugar rush.

[creaturefeaster]

Wondering for OC reasons.

What restrictions are there for bluple? (Like, what colors can their skin be? Are there limitations? Are their eyes always yellow? What hair colors can they have? Are they all magical?)

Also sorry if this is a loaded question. 😭

Depicted above is just a general range of color, and can vary further in any direction in rare instances. I'll go into detail below on their appearance and race-related quirks.

Physical:

Their skin color the majority of the time is considered blue. Sometimes, ableit uncommonly, they can appear a little greenish or purpleish, but because of their blood color, it's never going to stray far from blue.

Their hair can be in a range from pitch black to dark purples, though a lot of bluple get lighter highlights in their hair as they age. Their hair does not gray out with age, however, such as human's hair would.

Their sclera is always that creamy yellow color, but the color of their iris can vary. Typically, their eye color range is much like the rest of their bodies: blacks, blues, and dark purples. Elliot is a rare case, as he's inherited a very unique eye color mutation that's akin to albinism of the eye in a human.

Marks upon a bluple's skin tend to be lighter than the rest of their skin, and often faintly glow. Freckles like Samantha has do not truly emit light, but create sort of a glow-in-the-dark effect when not under direct light. Scars tend to heal lighter than their skin color, especially in darker tones. Things like zits or temporary blemishes, however, are darker due to the blood close to the surface under their skin.

Additionally, their height and skeletal structure is all relative to the average human. Adults typically falling within the 5 to 6 foot range, nothing too unqiue about their facial structure, they build fat in the same way, etc. Oh, but their nails do grow in darker! Some bluple can even have nearly black nails, naturally. In the same vein, their bones are also a purplish black.

Past appearances, there are a few other things to know.

Lifestyle:

They're very cold-inclined, and tend towards less sunny climates as well. While they are the most common people of the modern world, the bulk of their population resides high in mountains, or closer to the poles of the planet. They are more susceptible to heatstroke as they sweat very minimally.

They also do not have the greatest immune system, and fall ill easily and more visciously than your typical human. As such, their people have some of the greatest doctors in the world because of the advancements they've strived towards for the sake of their people.

Food is a pretty big thing for many bluple, they have bigger appetites compared to a human and favor dense meals over light ones. This comes with the age-long preference to colder climates, and the caloric need for keeping warm.

Latent abilities:

Every bluple has dormant psychic ability. This ability begins to boot up as they get older, but it almost never reaches full potential before death. It can take some 200 years or more to even begin to unlock these abilities fully, and as bluple don't tend to live past 120, it's rarely seen actualized by anyone. Samantha is unique in this sense, as a heavy concussion early on in life awoke her latent power very early, and it continues to grow as she ages.

On the same topic, this part of their mind also enables the slowing of aging. As the older get older, their physical aging slows, but because they're already so old already, they almost always fall to age related illness. In Samantha's case however, she's likely to live far, far longer than her kin. She doesn't know this though, because pretty much no bluple in the new world have ever survived this hurdle.

These latent psychic abilities do a few things, depending on its accumulative level:

-It allows linking and bonding of the minds in early stages. Samantha & Yuan have this link.

-One can sense the emotions and thoughts of their peers regardless of linking in early-mid stages. Samantha is in the middle of developing this.

-A mid-level accumulation can disrupt & alter the state of the brains of their peers, causing one to become anywhere from unconscious to uncontrollably enraged, and anywhere in between.

-Higher accumulation can harness the brain power of their peers, in what can essentially be considered mind-control.

-The highest levels of accumulation can allow for the extraction of energy and physical properties from their peer's brains and bodies. This includes generating heat, pulls in gravity, permanent alteration of the mind and body, etcetera.

^Basically, they can create black holes from nothing but your brain's energy, generate cancers in your body, and cause mass die-offs. Of course, it can have its good uses too. But, with that sheer amount of power, I just don't see it going over well when these high-tier powers are used en mas.

...

That's all that comes to mind this morning. There's probably a lot more I could elaborate upon given the right questions are asked, but I think this is a good general overview of how bluple are, what they're capable of (in theory), and their limitations. Always happy to answer any other questions you might have, though ^^

[heisenberg-simp257]

Hello! Could you please write headcanons for the Four secretly insecure about themselves Lords and reader who truly loves and accepts them the way they really are? Thank you so much!

I love this idea! Hope you enjoy!💖

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The Four Lords Being Secretly Insecure with a Reader Who Adores Them

Alcina Dimitrescu

-I think it’s safe to make a bet that Alcina would get a bit insecure about her height, especially with you. It’s one of the reasons she gets so angry about men because, well the ones she knows, will always be the first to judge a lady’s appearance.

-And she’s not exactly your average woman.

-Her daughters are supportive of her, and she knows this. This is why they adore you so much because you make their mother feel better. I mean, no one has ever truly loved her before, and sometimes she wishes she was more normal for you.

-It’s hard to tell when Alcina is feeling insecure because she’s a stoic and well-kept woman. That said, she does get catty and defensive when she’s feeling down on herself. However, you know never to take it personally. You understand her struggles.

-When this happens, you plan on making her feel extra special. You don’t do it with touch because that would only make her feel more insecure as a reminder of her height. Instead, you use words.

-All she needs to hear is how special you find her for her confidence to shoot back up. We all know Alcina is a sucker for the finer things in life, and words mean a lot more than actions to her because they come from your heart. 

-That said, she wouldn’t mind a nice dinner to spice up the evening. It would make her feel even better.

Donna Beneviento (and Angie)

-Donna is probably the most insecure out of everyone because she always has a constant reminder of her face. The veil that covers it hides her saddened facial expressions whenever you mention it innocently. 

-However, she is also probably the best at hiding it. 

-She never really says that much if anything at all. Angie does a majority of the talking, but for once, she doesn’t make fun or talk down on you. The doll appreciates what you do for Donna because you do make her feel beautiful even when she thinks otherwise.

-That said, you can pretty much guess that she feels insecure most of the time due to her reclusive nature. It’s pretty much all the time.

-Unlike Alcina, you can be a bit more forceful with Donna to get her to feel better. Also, she doesn’t mind any sort of physical affection. If anything, that makes her feel so much better about herself, especially if you remove her veil to stroke her cheek.

-Even though she values her alone time, you pester Donna until she fesses up. After all, something more amazing than anything is seeing her smile, especially since it’s so rare.

-Donna is still wondering how she got someone to truly love her because she always views herself as hideous. However, you will always be there to tell her otherwise, even if it takes a while for her to accept that.

Salvatore Moreau

-Moreau gets insecure, even if he always isn’t able to fully comprehend it sometimes. He just gets those moments of feeling down and knowing that his life before the mutation was a lot better, and he wishes he could get it back for you.

-Especially after being around Heisenberg, who’s suaveness and perfection could explode women’s ovaries.

-He isn’t good at hiding his insecurities but tries to do it with a smile. Moreau is the type to pretend nothing is wrong and that every day is just a great day when in reality, he’s struggling with himself. It also doesn’t help that Heisenberg makes fun of him daily.

-Moreau doesn’t push away your love or thoughtfulness like some of the others. Instead, once you get through his very small shell, he embraces and craves your love. It’s the medicine he needs to feel better about his insecurities.

-While you are very and gentle and loving, you don’t hesitate to cuss Heisenberg (or any of the others for that matter) for making Moreau feel bad about himself. You don’t win the fight, but you do succeed in making our fish boy feel better. 

-If he’s not in the mood for any words or cuddles (sometimes he gets overwhelmed), just watch some movies with him. Yes, he has to be coddled and babied sometimes, but don’t we all?

-But most of the time, he clings to you until he feels better. You love him so much that you don’t mind, and you always take the time to remind him of the things that make him perfect in your eyes.

Karl Heisenberg

-Now here’s a man that is so brimming with confidence that you would never think he could get insecure. But in fact, he’s the most insecure out of all the lords, just strong enough to not show it.

-Heisenberg gets insecure about a lot of things. His looks? No. His personality? Never. It’s the fact that he can’t give you a normal life when there’s so many other options available out there for you. He’s insecure that he knows nearly nothing about outside the village.

-However, it’s the toughest thing in the world to figure that out.

-With Heisenberg, it’s the slightest (and I mean very slight) change in his personality. Perhaps he’s angrier than normal and snaps more often, which is hard to tell, especially if you try to call him out on it.

-He will deny it every time, perhaps even yelling at you. However, you adore him so much (and he knows this), that you don’t even let yourself feel hurt by that. You understand what he’s going through.

-For Heisenberg, a bunch of adoring words is what you need to use along with some physical affection to make him feel better. He’s like Alcina (they really can be so much alike) in the sense that he just needs some boosting words from you, like how your proud or something.

-Allow him to use you as a distraction from his insecurities. This can happen anyway that you want it to, but that’s what’s going to make him feel better. Besides a confidence booster, he wants reassurance that he is the only person that you need in life.

[sburbian-sage]

Hey so ive been watching your posts quite a bit and you seem pretty knowledgeable so i had a question

I was wondering what other species have been run into out in sburb?

I have a coplayer this session whos is a smith of heart who is some kind of plant creature? Shes made of vines or something

Tried finding info on the web and could find nothing but clearly made up rumors after a day or two of searching

Shes cool enough but has a habit of trying to pet my hair which like, no fuck off ive been through 4 sessions now thank you very much im not a child (although I am fine with her cooking because God damn I don't know how she does it but she makes that shit taste way better than it should)

Shes a fucking whizz with the alchemiter as well, making shit i can barely comprehend

Ive also never seen her kill an imp but according to grist torrent she has grist in the quadrillions which should be completely fucking impossible since we have only been in session for about 2 weeks

Currently shes building a 'ath based quantum code entangled communications array' which was about the only bit i understood other than the fact it somehow uses the furthest ring to send messages long distances? Which i dont understand the point of since we can communicate instantly anyway

Just wondering if anyone else has encountered them before, i asked for like a species name and she just rustled a bunch and changed the subject

Oh yeah, there are other guys out there. Humanity and Trollkind seem to be the most common (technically Trolls propogate more as a species across universes, but Humans tend to have more successful SBURB sessions and thus are over-represented among the Replayernet), but there are four other "well-known" species. Not to imply they're at all common, in fact I'd say all of them combined, there's probably less than 200 of them in the Replayernet. Less than 100, potentially.

Cherubs. Skull-faced, seemingly solitary, prone to doing solo sessions, and with a weird split personality thing going on. I recently got into drama with one of them. Technically one half of them. Keep up!

Hobs. Furry dinosaur things with prehensile tails (and sometimes arm-gliders). Evidently they frequently come into contact with Trolls (as in, they get conquered by them and tend to resent this). Known to be inordinately gregarious, making them pretty good networkers. Probably the "most common" of the rare species.

Birdbros. Big intelligent parrots with two-meter wingspans that tend to form technocratic societies. They have trouble walking on flat surfaces, but they can also fly so cry about it I guess. If you have a Birdbro coplayer, you can pretty much give up on navigating their houses unless you ask them to build accommodations, gain flight, or get really good at balancing on horizontal poles.

Hoofdogs. Technical bipeds, but they prefer four-legging it. Natural telepaths, but it's left their spoken and written language rather atrophied. If you want to hold a conversation, either get ready for a not-quadruped to get inside your brain, or get ready to start drawing pictures (and figuring out what they're drawing). In fact, they have a Pesterchum/Trollian equivalent called Expressfriend where you can only draw.

I can't say I have heard of a plant Player Species though. I tend not to think of them in general due to their rarity, but still, you may have actually come across an as-of-yet undocumented Playeroid. Assuming she isn't just a human who got heavily mutated, somehow. That might explain the evasiveness concerning her species.

Some notes, questions for you, and questions for her. Documentation appreciated, as always.

The fact that she can communicate seamlessly with you is quite notable. Some Player Species can communicate with each other mostly fine (Human English and whatever language the Trolls speak are kind of identical but with different alphabets and some goofy terminology, the Trolls get around like I mentioned earlier which may explain why Hobs and Cherubs can also communicate well), but the Birdbro language is mostly whistling and trilling, and the Hoofdogs barely even have a language. Either it's a hell of a coincidence (but not a conspicuous one), or the errant "she's actually a human" conspiracy theory I came up with on the cuff is holding up.

~ATH is a universal factor, nothing worth raising suspicion over.

SBURB's mythology and trappings vary wildly depending on the species making up the session. Alchemy is a universal, so it makes sense that she would have prior experience. But ask her what differences she notices between your (assumedly mostly-human) Session and her plant-based Session. In particular, if the Carapacians were physiologically/psychologically/culturally similar to her, if the Battlefield's chess metaphor was replaced with something else, if God Tier or other mechanics were different, stuff like that.

Related, while the game does have different "localizations", in a mixed-species Session it will actually partially localize itself in proportion to the different species present, and their proportion, in an attempt to create a maximally accessible Session. So you might be able to notice slight differences between this Session and a "Human Session" which clue you in to the more severe changes you'd see in her Session.

While you're at it, try to learn as much of her culture as you can. Do they have a fucked up romance thing going on? Was her attempts at tousling your hair a sort of mating ritual?

Extortion is a tool that must be used with discretion. If she can't provide a name for her species, you have free reign to make up something goofy like "Vineys" or "Verdancies" or "Seedrians" and make that the de-facto common terminology among the Replayernet.

This is your duty as a SBURB documentarian. It is also your duty to put to rest the "new species or a weird human" allegations. As well as, now that I am thinking about it, maybe keeping an eye on her. The phat Grist stockpile is pretty suspicious, and the communications array seems very odd. If it's actually a cover for her sending a signal to her home base so they can descend upon your Session and drain it of its resources, don't worry about it. Not only is any home base she had destroyed (SBURB Moment), but she ain't doing shit with the Furthest Ring unless she stakes her soul on it. But still, better to know than to not know.

[eldritchborn]

Can you tell us about Potion?

❛[ UNPROMPTED ASKS ≻ always accepting

The Mage appeared almost to be withholding a grand amount of EAGERNESS behind her smile // LIKE ONE TALKING ABOUT A DOG THEY FOUND DEAR. (AND FOR HER, IT WAS NOT ENTIRELY UNTRUE // SIMPLY SHE WAS NOT SPEAKING ABOUT A COMMONLY BELOVED PET). “&– - She is the sweetest thing you'll ever meet... perhaps too sweet for her own good sometimes. The energy of the most people friendly, high energy dog in the body of a nine foot long killer insect. I knew her since she was a fresh hatchling-- - someone from my old group brought the clutches eggs in, intending to use them for research and well.... potions. She hatched early, and I was fixated upon keeping her when the others wished to simply kill her to be used still. As you can tell, I was very convincing even in my youth-” Kasaen laughs // THE SAME WAY ONE WOULD RECALLING SOMETHING FONDLY.

“&– - Either that or was annoying enough. I did present a case that she could be studied living to see how being raised in a caring environment may or may not shift natural behaviors. I know they were expecting her to die from lack of what care was necessary, run away, have to be killed due to danger, or worse-- - and I proved them wrong. You'd be hard pressed to find one of her kind that is more loving, or more spoiled. She does this cute little chittering whine and twitches her mandibles all upset and grumpy when I stop scratching her between her hard plates- it's absolutely adorable and-”

She catches herself-- - she knows she is rambling // AND OLD HABITS EXISTED THAT FORCED HER TO STOP (TO BE AWARE WHEN TO DO SUCH AND WHEN NOT TO. TO GARNER BETTER FAVORS // OR SIMPLY BE CAUTIOUS). And yet she cannot stop herself from continuing. “&– - I'm aware her species does not get the best representation, and I do not think it is completely unfounded. In the wild they do not care how little one wishes to hurt them; you are either a threat, a meal, or perhaps a nest for offspring. Potion is... an abnormality. In more than just personality which could be attributed to atypical raising-- - she has qualities that do not fit many of her kind physically. Either for whatever reason these manifest due to environment, or she would have died due to mutations. Or heralded a new form of evolution. Who knows-- - well, there are those, but I am not willing to make trades for such information. Regardless-- - I do not suggest one goes out and tries to just tame one of her species just because she is a cuddle bug.”

A sigh, then shoulders slump ever so slightly. “&– - And I will admit I am not the best aid in a way to the mindset others have. I'm having to unteach her bad habits that I started with her-- - milking her poison was beneficial for me, and she seemed to feel some relief from it as well. However how it was released initially did not seem the most pleasant. So I learned her lightly 'chewing' upon my scales and letting the poison drip down into a collection bucket gave her a sense of calmness and attention, and me useful material. Unfortunately others do not have hard hides nor somewhat of a poison resistance-- - she's only broken my skin a couple of times, but even then I had some negative effects. She does appear very capable of remorse when she is reprimanded, but I feel bad cause I technically started this. And others are a lot less understanding; its happened so rarely, and I always have antidotes but.... yeah... need to fix that.”

[aggravateddurian]

SubSurf: My Cyberpunk SF/Fantasy Universe I've been working on for just over 8 years now...

SubSurf is a near-future cyberpunk urban fantasy universe, set in alternate universe. In this universe, a fantastical element known as 'Etherite' has propelled science and technology. Etherite has also fundamentally affected the development of humans. New species of flora and fauna have popped up across the world.

You might recognise them from fantasy, maybe like those seen in DnD, Skyrim or Shadowrun, but different in their own ways, the consequence of the circumstances of their creation.

Before we begin, let's check the news...

Florida man strikes again!

Now, some of this might sound like a TTRPG sourcebook, and that's because I started this project as a TTRPG, and back then my cyberpunk of choice was Shadowrun (I am a glutton for punishment).

Part 1: What is a Subsurfer?

The term 'subsurfer' started appearing in slang around 2025. The term referred to mercenaries and punks who used the disused Los Angeles Subsurface Transit (LAST) Network tunnels during the Third Continental War (also known as the First Intercorporate War) to traverse the city.

It also had the connotation of being associated with underground culture (e.g. punk) culture. It is therefore accurate to state that the term 'subsurfer' is synonymous with the term 'cyberpunk.'

Part 2: The Subsurfer Life

Subsurfer Archetypes

A list of the typical roles or specialties of mercenaries in the 2080s.

Street Warrior

The Street Warrior is the ur-archetypical Subsurfer. The first Street Warriors were the Baywood Ronin, a crew of subsurfers who revolted against a corp-backed gang in Baywood, on the south side of Morro City, in 2028. Prior to that, without a unified term, Street Warriors were often referred to as gunslingers, street ninja, cyber ninja, street samurai, cyber knights and a thousand other variations, some of which survive today as self-applied designations of a particular speciality in combat.

Street Warriors are the muscle of a mercenary crew. They specialise in the very delicate art of applying firepower or force to targets, making physical holes in things, knocking teeth out and any other number of combat-related tasks. Depending on the speciality, they can range from agile, acrobatic shinobi types to the generic ‘operator’ with an assault rifle, breachers who specialise in explosives and CQB combat with shotguns, all the way to brute force muscly chrome-heads decked from head to toe in subdermal nanoweave armour and equipped with a pair of tech-fists capable of punching clean through tank armour.

Warpers

The Warper is a specialist in psionic warfare. Etherite warps reality, and some beings with large etherite presence in their body, due to genetic predilection to naturally accumulating it in their bodies (and not getting horrible cancer or mutations in the process) or because a corp decided to ‘accidentally’ drop an airship’s worth of etherite dust into the river and your poor family (who can’t afford water filters) had to drink etherite-laced water for the formative years of your life.

Nobody is born ‘magic,’ you develop it. Warpers are powerful force multipliers or gamechangers on the battlefields of the 2080s, and one that corporations and the military rarely employ, because they’re prone to etherwrack, a condition that’s not unlike Violent Cybertech Dysmorphic Psychosis (VCDP, or borg-rage, the final, and often terminal stage of CDP). This means that almost every Warper’s a subsurfer. A subsurfer with the ability to warp space and reality, granting them capabilities on par with some of the most advanced cyberware.

Codecasters

Codecasting is the ‘lite’ version of webcrawling, in that their work exclusively takes place in meatspace. Their weapon of choice is the WANDeck (sometimes just called a ‘wand’), either a small, PDA or phone-sized device they wear on their hip, or in recent years, a neural implant attached to a pair of wireless transceivers mounted on the user’s temples, or inside their optical implants. The codecaster uses a set (deck) of pre-built programs to wirelessly (but sometimes, surface crawling as well) penetrate enemy nets and distribute (cast) their pre-coded attacks on their enemies. This has effects ranging from causing their optical implants to reset, to triggering critical system failures in their enemies, or underclocking an enemy’s control limit to induce borg-rage.

Anybody with a WANDeck and cursory web knowledge can become a codecaster, but the best codecasters have custom rigs, sometimes even backpack rigs, or significantly chrome their own bodies (on par with the most advanced webcrawlers), and code their own programs.

Webcrawlers

Webcrawlers, sometimes called ‘spiders’ (particularly corporate or government operatives), are network specialists who engage in the riskiest, but most rewarding way of accessing the net… connecting your physical body to the net and directly interfacing with it. Webcrawlers are often chromed in unique, often lifechanging and permanent ways, to achieve this. This technology has only existed in the last forty years. Prior to this, webcrawlers ‘ran on the web’ by entering the net through a deck (now called a LANDeck, or simply a spider deck), often worn on their hip or forearm, which contained their programs and other advanced tools for interfacing with the web.

In the 2040s, the cybertech firm MacroComm, the grandfather of the modern webcrawling profession, developed neurodecks, which allowed crawlers to ditch the deck (though many prefer the added layer of protection the deck’s ICE system provides) and directly interface with the web. Today, most webcrawlers are the latter type, who have neurodecks implanted directly into their brains. Some webcrawlers accessorise their neurodecks, including datavols (data volumes, essentially expandable storage devices) to store programs and viruses, and some even have branched into the world of codecasting, augmenting their neurodecks with caster transceivers.

Techies

Techies are specialists in a range of technical fields, ranging from car repair to advanced surgery. They are an essential part of any merc crew, even if they don’t go out into the field and get shot at daily. Most techies specialise in weapons systems, vehicles, or drones, and build a repertoire of contacts, resources, and knowledge to become highly skilled in their field. Those who choose the field of drone ops, vehicle operations (e.g., becoming a professional wheelman or pilot) or medicine undergo extensive training for years, often starting their career working for a gov or corp before they go out on the streets.

The most famous and well-known techies are cybertechs and cybersurgeons (sometimes corrupted to cygeons), the specialists in cyberware maintenance and modification, and implantation and removal of cyberware, respectively. The best comparison is the difference between an electronics technician and an electrician.

Fixers

In a world where crime is just about the only way to make a living in the neon-choked streets of the dark future, it makes sense that someone who is a combination between logistics specialist, organised crime boss, mercenary commander, arms dealer, contract lawyer and celebrity agent is one of the most important professions. Meet the fixer, a logistical master who uses their contacts and connections to arrange jobs for mercenaries, or even for non-mercs, sometimes fixers are employed by bands or media crews to arrange logistics or gigs. Sometimes, they cover up ‘unfortunate accidents’ for corps, others, they’re arranging the shipment of arms through restricted zones, and other times, they’re helping negotiate deals between rival gangs.

The job of the fixer is highly rewarding, but fraught with risk. Fixers are one of the most dangerous subsurfer jobs there is. Betraying a crew for a leg up on another lead could lead to the crew (or a survivor) hunting you down and giving you a lead injection to the back of the head. Organising and executing a hit on a corp could lead to said corp ‘paying you a visit,’ working with gangs could lead to rival gangs doing what gangs normally do, but to you. Piss off a band you organised locations and gigs for, they might destroy your reputation… and the less said about what happens if you decide to fuck an journo, the better.

I'm going to post additional lore over the next few days. Next will explain what Crystal City is, and why living there is worse than living in San Fran or LA, as well as the variants of humanity (and inhumanity) that exist in the world of SubSurf.

[agirlwithmagicpals]

Weaselroo biology 🧫 

Nack,fang, and Nicole(as well as her own mom) are all half weasel half kangaroo what this means is they all have the speed, stealth, and flexibility of the long tailed weasel specifically and the strength and aggressive nature of red kangaroo’s resulting in a gang of rather unhinged small little hoping, bouncy, Australian, purple, kickboxing, self serving(with only a few exceptions)very witty know it all weaselroos.

There gestation cycles are very similar to weasels lasting about 35 to 65 days of course the options of when and how are endless since mobians in this au have no reason to limit themselves with only a few in between exceptions for the most part but sometimes if there more roo than weasel they do have the opportunity of producing a Joey instead although that rarely ever happens if anything it’s usually the opposite of what happens.

the purple is the result of a genetic mutation due to dna patterns conflicting with one another.

that’s my personal headcanon for my au I hope you found this interesting 🤔

[luuckyyou]

I honestly would love to know about your Crying Volatile 👀

Aw really? 🥺 Well, I don’t actually have THAT much on them, and I’ll probably change some things later on, but I can talk about them a little!

They’re essentially a bit of a disaster! They’re a rare mutation produced mainly when a dormant/underdeveloped Volatile (like those you see in Volatile Hives being guarded by mature Volatiles) comes into prolonged skin contact with THV Genmod. Exposure to THV chemicals usually just produces standard uncommon infected, but if an infected is already on the verge of becoming a fully fledged Volatile, their transformation gets a bit muddled in the final stages, and they end up with ever-changing mutations and some traits that differentiate them from standard Volatiles. Speaking of traits, they can be identified by limb and bone duplicates (additional limbs will usually fuse into large singular appendages around the original ones with multiple hands, feet etc.), bone dislocations, osteoporosis, and pustule growths!

Their mutations are usually confined to one part of the body at first (like an arm or leg), but will begin to affect other areas upon injury. Repeated trauma to the same area causes more extreme mutations. Unlike other infected, they never reach a point where they stop mutating and will continue to develop new mass throughout their entire life, so they could probably just become an actual blob of muscle tissue and bone at some point if they were exceptionally unlucky 🤷🏻.

Due to their uneven weight distribution caused by their mutations, they struggle more with the usual Volatile stuff like climbing and hunting. They tend to have uncoordinated movements, and they usually don’t have total control over fused limbs. Because of their natural instincts as a Volatile, they’ll still relentlessly pursue prey up buildings or tricky terrain despite the difficulty, probably breaking a couple of bones, falling off a great height or getting stuck somewhere in the process because of their body shapes and poor balance. They usually start to rely on food they can scavenge since the success rates of their hunts are lower than that of regular Volatiles, and they can force other infected to give up their kills easily enough.

For what they lack in agility, they make up for in aggression. Being in constant, agonising pain from ceaseless regeneration makes them more aggressive than the regular Volatile. They will even attack and kill other normal and uncommon infected if provoked, and they’re easily agitated by any kind of sound or light. Their volatile (ha) nature means that they can be tricked into clearing out groups of lesser infected (or enemy factions) by using sound to confuse them into attacking, so it does benefit survivors to have them hanging around sometimes as well.

The fluid inside of their pustules is corrosive and extremely flammable. They’re vulnerable to heat and can be easily dealt with by molotovs and flaming arrows, but it’s still dangerous to deal with them this way because the pustules will burst upon exposure to high temperatures, and you could end up getting burned very badly if you’re in range. Side note: they have also lost their ability to projectile spit, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

Due to their anatomy, they will lose mobility over their lifetime. The incessant development of new muscle and bone, osteoporosis, frequent joint dislocation and the body’s overcompensation for injury is going to eventually cause excessive tissue and bone to regenerate around joints in awkward ways and make movement increasingly difficult for them. This means they’ll have to exert themselves to move, will get more easily injured, regrow more tissue, and the cycle continues. Some time after this stage, the rest of their body starts to degrade if they’re unable to return to their original Hives, withering away as they’re unable to feed their extremely demanding metabolisms. Sometimes, they’ll make it outside and the sunlight will finish them off. If not, they’ll just kinda sit there and rot until they starve to death or something else puts an end to them. On the off chance that they do make it back to their original Hives, though, the other Volatiles will actually keep them alive and look after them by bringing them food!

Aaaand their name basically just comes from the fact they’re constantly leaking blood from the eyes due to internal bleeding (as well as occasionally vomiting blood mixed with pustule fluid and other excess fleshy matter. Gross.).

Sorry if this is a bit all over and boring, I still need to replay DL2 to refresh myself on the DL lore so I can add a bit more to these guys! Hopefully they’ll become more interesting with time, too :3

[kariachi]

Me: *poking at various things for unrelated purposes*

Also Me: You never actually made a post detailing familiars, specifically in relation to Erinaens but just in general as well

Okay! Familiars in my Ben 10 shit!

The strictest definition of a familiar is a living creature bonded in some way to a magic user which acts as a conduit through which the magic user can channel greater power than they would have access to alone. There’s no standard shape or ‘class’ of creature they are- sapient, non-sapient, what have you- though they are most commonly animals of some description. They can’t be just any creature however, not everything is capable of acting as a proper conduit and in fact the vast majority of creatures aren’t, though we’ll get into that in a bit.

Basically, there are two key aspects that define a familiar- 1) they are themselves capable of acting as a conduit through which things can be channeled safely between two or more points (this actually makes for the big difference between Kevin and other navivores- your standard navivore can’t transfer energy, nonetheless anything, to someone else without doing them damage, and while it’s not something that comes intuitively to him Kevin can), 2) they are capable of and have bonded to a magic user in such a way as to increase the effectiveness of their conducting in relation to them (basically a potential familiar works better in tandem with their particular magic user). Combine the two and you have a proper familiar.

As to why they can do this, nobody is entirely sure. The general stance is that it’s one of the baseline mutations- much like enhanced strength and durability- and is simply an extremely rare one. Common Erinaen belief, meanwhile, says that they’re spirits who, for their own reasons, took on a mortal form. Whatever the reason is, what is certain is that familiars and creatures can act as familiars occur very rarely. True numbers can’t be ascertained, but current estimates have them discovered at a rate of about 1 per 340,000 living creatures capable of producing familiars. Non-sapient species typically exhibit tame behaviors in the presence of magic users and tend to exhibit enhanced intelligence, which can be used as a potential sign when searching for them.

Due to this rarity the majority of magic users don’t work with familiars- the majority never even see one. Most accept this and don’t bother themselves too much about them, though some go out hunting for the things and there are spells and charms and such that people use to increase their odds, though the viability of them is in question and at the least variable. Upon finding a potential familiar, whether via tracking one down or simply coming across them by pure fate, it is possible to force an immediate bond via magic, though it tends to be tentative and is more likely to end in harm to either or both parties involved in the long run. More commonly various sequences of rituals are undertaken which join the two together in a more natural way, and sometimes these things aren’t even needed, the pair bonding quickly and easily without the need for excess magic use to make their natural magics fit together.

As far as the usefulness of familiars, beyond any typical uses of their species and potential use for renewable magical components their primary use is to increase the levels of power usable by the magic user to whom they’re bonded. A familiar can pass power, magic, such-ever onto their magic user, either from their own natural stores or by channeling it from other sources. The limits to this are determined by the limits of the familiar themselves, both how much power they have and how much they can safely channel. A more powerful familiar makes for a more powerful magic user. Due to this, when acting together the familiar is often the first to tire out of the pair, and the one more likely to burn out.

Most magic users, should they outlast their familiar, will not take on another. For many this is purely for logistical reasons, namely they can’t find another one, but others, especially those whose familiars were sapient, report they would not take another familiar given the opportunity, citing a distaste for ‘replacing’ a creature with whom they had an extremely close bond. This is seen more often, when sapience isn’t in play, with individuals whose familiars were long-lived, allowing for a deeper bond to form over time. Familiars who outlast their magic users also often don’t bond again. Sapient individuals again cite a distaste for the idea of ‘replacing’ them, while non-sapient individuals typically go off to live wild in the area in which they lived with their magic user, and avoid any who attempt to bond with them.

[foggynightdonut]

How Monozygotic Twins Develop And More Interesting Facts About Twins

By Rachel Gurevich, RN

Updated on November 03, 2022 Medically reviewed by Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG

Twins that look exactly alike are typically referred to as "identical" twins. However, a more accurate term is "monozygotic." Monozygotic twins share almost exactly the same genes as they are formed from the same embryo. Learn more about monozygotic twins, including how they are formed and other interesting twin facts.

How Are Monozygotic Twins Formed?

This type of twin formation begins when one sperm fertilizes one egg (oocyte).1 As the fertilized egg (called a zygote) travels to the uterus, the cells divide and grow into a blastocyst. In the case of monozygotic twins, the blastocyst then splits and develops into two embryos.

Simply put, monozygotic twins happen when a single fertilized egg divides into two. From there, two embryos grow into two babies. Monozygotic ("mono" means one and "zygote" means fertilized egg) is the term used to describe this process.

In contrast, dizygotic (fraternal) twins form when two separate eggs are released and fertilized by two sperm. Then those resulting embryos develop at the same time, but individually. Dizygotic twins are common with fertility treatments that cause multiple eggs to be released or more than one embryo to be transferred into the uterus.

Why Do Monozygotic Twins Occur?

Overall twinning rates (monozygotic plus dizygotic) vary globally. In the United States, for example, the rate of twin births has declined in the last few decades2

 and monozygotic twins make up a small percentage of the overall twin birth rate.

However, most of the variation is due to differences in dizygotic twin rates. The rate of monozygotic twins is very consistent around the world: about 3 to 5 in every 1,000 twin births.3

In some tribal and isolated populations, monozygotic twins seem to run in the family or in the greater tribe. It remains unknown if genetics are at play or the environment, but it's likely that something in the environment triggers the split, or it occurs randomly.

What About Family History?

Contrary to popular belief, the chances of having monozygotic twins are most often not related to your family history. If there is more than one set of identical twins in a family, it is probably due to luck or external environmental factors. Some genetic mutations have been identified that increase the chance of monozygotic twins, but these are very rare.4

However, dizygotic twins dorun in families. This is mainly thought to be due to genes that increase the number of eggs released.

Higher Frequency with IVF

Interestingly, in vitro fertilization (IVF) appears to increase the likelihood of having monozygotic twins.5

IVF researchhas given us some insight into how identical twins form. IVF embryos are more likely than naturally conceived embryos to split into identical twins.6 Afertility doctorcan transfer just one embryo—in hopes of reducing the risk of non-identical twins—but identical twins may still occur, and more frequently than in the general population.

In normal embryo development, a fluid-filled cavity grows inside the embryo. This is known as the blastocoel.7 Also inside the embryo is a collection of cells known as the inner cell mass, which is a collection of cells that will eventually form the fetus.

During IVF, the blastocoel may collapse on itself. While this typically destroys the embryo, sometimes the embryo survives, causing the inner cell mass to split into two. The two inner cell masses lead to the development of twins.

The embryo is initially kept in an artificial solution in the lab. While scientists have done their best to make this environment as close to natural as possible, it isn't exactly the same environment as inside awoman’s reproductive system. Perhaps this solution increases the risk of collapse.

Opinions differ on when to transfer the embryo into the woman’s uterus. It seems that transferring the embryo later may slightly increase the odds of identical twinning.8

The Genetics of Twinning

It was once thought that monozygotic twins shared the exact same DNA. But this isn’t true because every time cells split, there is a chance of mutations, starting as early as the first split. This is one reason why identical twins are at an increased risk of congenital diseases.9

After one split, individual cell masses continue splitting on their own. With every split, there is another chance of mutation. Usually, by birth, the genes of twins are extremely similar but not identical. Over time, genetic dissimilarities continue to increase. This is due to epigenetics—the way the environment changes how our DNA is expressed.

Some studies have found that slight DNA differences are more common in older identical twins than in very young identical twins.10 Spending more time apart in different environments is a likely contributor.

Even though monozygotic twins look alike and share similar characteristics, they are not clones. The two embryos have the same genetic components to start, but slight differences develop over time.

Identical Twins…But Different Sexes?

When twins are born with genetically different sexes (one twin is genetically male and the other is genetically female) they are usually dizygotic. Monozygotic twins are typically born asthe same genetic sex.1

However, while it's extremely rare, it is possible for monozygotic twins to be two different sexes. This goes back to the idea that genetic mutations can occur from the very first split.

If an egg carries two X chromosomes (when a normal egg should carry just one X chromosome) and is fertilized with a Y sperm, you can get an XXY embryo. This is also known as Klinefelter syndrome.11

However, what happens if that XXY embryo splits into monozygotic twins? You can end up with one twin with XX expression (female), and the other with XY (male). This situation is so rare that it has only been described in medical literature four times.

There is another (rare) way to have identical twins of different sexes. If you have an egg with one X chromosome, and sperm with a Y chromosome, you would typically get a boy (XY). Normally, if this embryo split into twins, you’d get identical twin boys. However, it’s possible for one twin to result with only the X chromosome (usually written as XO), and the other XY.

Thus, one twin will be a girl (with the congenital disorder known asTurner syndrome), and the other twin will be a boy. All this said, these situations are so rare that it's safe to assume that 99.999% of boy-girl twins are not monozygotic twins.

Semi-Identical and Conjoined Twins

A rare form of monozygotic twins issemi-identicalor half-twins, which occurs when two separate sperm fertilize one egg. This is another situation where you can get two sexes, but these are not truly “identical” twins since you started with two and not one sperm fertilizing the egg.

The first case was only identified by researchers in 2007, and another was found in 2014.12 In these rare cases, scientists hypothesized that the egg was fertilized by two separate sperm.

At first glance, it appeared that the twins would be identical, but they were born as genetically different sexes. When the twins' DNA was examined more closely, it became apparent that each twin actually had both XX (female) and XY (male) chromosomes.

Conjoined twinsare another rare form of monozygotic twinning, where the twins do not fully separate when the zygote splits. They may share multiple organs. Most conjoined twins die in utero or are stillborn.13

Monozygotic Twins in the Womb

Most of the time, monozygotic twins haveseparate amniotic sacsbut share oneplacenta. The technical term for this is monochorionic-diamniotic (or Mo-Di), and it occurs between 60% and 70% of the time with monozygotic twins.14

Sharing one placenta increases risks to the pregnancy, due to the possibility oftwin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The pregnancy must be watched very carefully if Mo-Di twins are diagnosed.

Another possibility is for the twins to each have their own placenta and amniotic sac. This is known as dichorionic-diamniotic (or Di-Di) twins. The risks in a Di-Di pregnancy are lower than with a Mo-Di pregnancy. There is a misconception that Di-Di twins are always fraternal (non-identical), but this is not true. About 30% of monozygotic twins are Di-Di.15

The riskiest combination is when twins share one amniotic sac and one placenta. This only occurs in monozygotic twins and never with non-identical twins.

This is known asmonochorionic-monoamniotic (Mo-Mo) twins, and it is relatively rare, occurring in only 5% of twin pregnancies. With Mo-Mo twins, the biggest risk is that the babies can become entangled in the umbilical cords. There is also a risk of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and a higher risk of prematurity.16

Early studies found that only 50% of Mo-Mo twins survived, but later studies have found more encouraging results, with the perinatal (the period immediately before and after birth) mortality rate closer to 20%.17

Determining Whether Twins Are Identical

The only way to be sure about zygosity is with a DNA test. If the twins have the same DNA markers, they are most likely monozygotic. If they have different markers, they are dizygotic.

The genetic similarities in the DNA of monozygotic twins explain why theylook remarkably similarand can even share similar traits, interests, behaviors, and personalities. Monozygotic twins will also have thesame blood type.

Sometimes, zygosity can be determined during pregnancy, but it depends on the timing of the split. Some monozygotic twins develop with a single, shared placenta and are enclosed in a single chorion or amnion. Healthcare providers can look for these telltale signs on an ultrasound, but it's not definitive of monozygotic twins.

Amniocentesiscan also be used to determine twin zygosity before birth, but it is an invasive procedure and is not generally part of routine prenatal care.3

There is some research looking into using less-invasive prenatal DNA testing todetermine twin zygosity.18Talk to your OBGYN or your child's pediatrician about DNA testing options.

Your twins areprobably notmonozygotic/identical if...

They are boy/girl twins

They have different blood types

They look very different

Your twinsmight bemonozygotic/identical if...

They are the same sex and look very similar

They shared one placenta

Your twinsaremonozygotic/identical if...

DNA testing confirms they are identical

They shared one amniotic sac

"Identical" Twins Are Individuals

DNA tests can be used to compare thetwins' genetic markersand confirm that they are monozygotic. However, genetics do not determine everything about a person. For example, research has shown that monozygotic twins do not necessarily have the same genetic risk factors for disease.19

Furthermore,identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. While the patterns are similar, they are not exactly alike. A set of identical twins is still made up of two separate people. Environmental influences, epigenetic differences, and life experiences make each twin a unique individual.

[pandoramusicbox]

Fish people

Sea kin, theres three kinds of fish people in my setting, mermaids (called mers), finfolk (also called neptonians or neps), and sirens. The main difference between the three species is body shape or more accurately the way they move. mermaids move like dolphins, sirens move like snakes/eals or fish, and finfolk possess legs like a person so they can walk and often use a mix of swimming styles including swimming like a seal, like a person, floating, and swimming like a frog. All of them can be bioluminescent and many of them have some ability to change color all. The three species (technically in taxonomy the same family)  live a long time anywhere from 350 years to 600 years

-they also don’t stop growing. so some of the oldest members of the species can get massive they don’t grow at the same rather through their life

so theres that, but  because they don’t stop growing, they a bit like trees, have good years they grow more than bad year where they grow less, some species grow at faster average rates than others.

-hhhmmm I wonder how that works for hybrids. ill have to think about that. because instead of growing every year they might just grow every few years or so. would probably depend on the hybrid too. ill cover that particular can of worms at some other date.

Meanwhile I should cover the hair issue---

-Some of the fish people have hair, and as someone who has had long hair and swam, I can tell you it creates drag. That is a bit of an issue for things that live in the water. So for these fishies the hair actually has another use. For one thing its rather different then human hair in texture and structure. its usually black or brown in color. the hairs themselves are sort of hollow and can fill up and be drained of water really quickly. when the hair is exposed to water it has an interesting property of being able to slightly change texture. sort of like an octopus's skin but not as dramatic. another interesting property of the sea folk's hair is its ability to change color. the hair can change to blueish- greenish hair tone or sometimes even a more reddish color. this ability is actually very useful for the sea folk who use ambush as their main form of hunting. using their “hair” as camouflage generally making it look like sea weed. theirs ability to change the hairs texture is nonexistent when their hair is dry but the color-changing property is still there. other seafolk with other hunting methods tend to not have hair, and instead are a much more streamlined body. they dont really have body hair either, made clear by a lack of eyebrows. (though they do have short eyelashes)

the normally dark hair color is rather important to the seafolk because most cases where they naturally have lighter or diffrent hair colors can affect tier ability to use their hair as camouflage, famously blond or white hair is a rather detrimental mutation that prevents the ability to change hair color. the current empress of the Neptonian empire is blond, the mutation is relatively rare still in modern times but at least within the Neptonian empire it is not as detrimental due to strong social networks and not needing to be the sole primary hunter in a family. other examples of nonfunctioning mutations of their hair is for the merrow; a fin folk who live just off the coast of Ralunjas, in a place called the red kelp forest. where their hair has more reddish to maroon-ish pink coloration, though some of them have functional brown hair, their adaptation for that specific environment makes it difficult for them to live outside of that environment. the other major group of sea-folk with strange hair mutations are the sjofru of the northern sea and the ice pass. their hair has none of the camouflage qualities so is generally lighter and thinner than what it is for others, their hair often has colors ranging in the blues, grays and greens to soft reds and oranges that tappers out to a near transparent color at the tips. unlike their warmer sea cousins who use the hair for camouflage the tips of the sjofru hair is covered in tiny poison filled stingers, essentially they have jellyfish tendrils for hair. the potency of the venom depends on family.

-The humanoid appearance of the sea-folk is only skin deep and even then, its barely skin deep as demonstrated by their hair. The first thing that separates them from humans is the fact that they have a hexapedal body plan verses a humans quadrupedal body plan. then theres the whole bioluminescence thing. they generally have a few patches of this bioluminescent skin when they do have it. some sea kin depending on species can have other features like antenie or exess fins or scales or other things.

 All regular sea folk have these hexapedal body plans though on some species it is more obvious than on others. the fin folk are usually the most easy to the the six limed body as they have their primary arms, secondary arms (usually just called their fins) and their legs, for sirens and mermaids their “ legs” are internal and generally not easy to see but they do have them.

-Sea folk nails are sharp and claw like, and their teeth are sharp too. most species have at least two rows of teeth. Some larger species have three rows. The only species with a singular row tends to be some fresh water ones, but they still usually have some indication of their second row of teeth. Like sharks if they loose a tooth a new one from the back row just moves up to take its place.

They have webbed hands. and for the neps their feet are long and webbed too. some deep sea species that rarely need to use their hands have more fin like hand. that work better as paddels. the webbing is not all the same either. sometimes it is skin that is elongated and stretched between the diddgets, other-times it is a filament mesh of keratin, other times it is a thin mucus producing membrane. for most species getting the membrane torn is not too painful but is rather avoided non the less and the webbing will grow back in some capacity.

They are all amphibious, able to breath both air and water, though it’s not the most pleasent experience to move between the two substance. As they have to force all of the previous substance out of them, like coughing out all the excess water, with some practice they can do this change in a few seconds as opposed to a few minutes for one who is not accustomed to the change. they are also capable of “holding their breath” for either substance as well. They can have gills in either one or two place. The most common place it right along the neck or where the ribs are located, but some less common but still possible places are, right along the face such as the  cheeks, right below/in the armpit area, or the collar bone area. Speaking of collar bones. they dont have them, or at least not in the same way humans do, like most sea mammals they lack them. instead they might have a more flexible cartilage matrix that has a simmular function when they are on land.  they  also have a bit of an odd structure to their rib cage, they are able to sort of temporarily  "collaps" their sternum  enabling them to more or less squeeze through spaces they can fit their head through.

The sea folk are able to move between fresh and salt water unlike most regular fish and sea life, but they rarely do this as the transition, especially if it is a fast transition, this can make them very sick. they are also able to temporarily “close up” their gills when they are on land, some species are capable of this for their nosterals as well, and most species have a second eyelid that they close when in water to protect the eye.

 the absurd length of their feet makes it difficult to move around swiftly on land when walking. so for fin folk they tend to walk on their tippy toes and can do so quite easily, but when they stand they go down on a flat foot. unlike humans they can stay up on their tippy toes for extended periods of time. some finfolk species often have shorter feet then their other relatives, these are generally the species who spend more time on land, like the kappa who are primarily river dwelling fin folk, other fresh water fin folk also have shorter fins. though they are not the most agile on land they are quite fast in water, the average sea folk usually have their top speeds somewhere in this range. -finfolk: 20-30 mph ( 32.2- 48.3 kph) - mers: 31- 37 mph ( 49.9- 59.4 kph)  -sirens: 35- 45 mph ( 56.3- 72.4 kph)

- Sea kin can reach great depths. most surface water can regular reach depths of  6600 ft (2000 m), while species more adept for deeper water can comfortably make it to 15000 ft (4500m) while mysterious deep sea sea kin can reach depths of 19685 ft (6000 m). though they can reach these depths they can be in trouble if they try to leave those deep pressures once they have reached them. most deep presures are easier for older and larger individuals to reach and individuals with deeper blood colors. - speaking of blood color i nearly forgot one of the most important differences between humans and sea kin, and one of the main things that diffurenturates them from other kins, their blood color. For one thing each individual of any of those species can have one of three blood colors. the first and most common blood color is red but not the same kind of red as human blood. the red seakin blood is a darker almost maroon or burgandy color. second color is a purple, a very reddish purple like wine, plum or mulberry. the rarest and final color is pink a richer dark pink, like magenta or royal fusia. each blood color results in some slight differences, the main most notable one is lifespan and apparent durability other than that not too much. as blood color is more important socially among the sea folk.

-They have an ability to create a strange calcium mixture that the use as a glue or cement. this is not an ability possessed by every species or even individuals among species. they do use this ability to create safe nesting grounds for themselves. some species like the kappa have adapted this ability for other pourposes. this is an ability that seems to be shared with a strange sea kin called shell people.  one of the downsides of this is the need to eat excess calcium for this sticky mixture, but they do that by eating seashells and bones from whale falls and such.  the substance is soft and malmble for the first minute it is created, exhibiting some properties of a non-newtonian fluids, but if produced right it quickly hardens to a solid regardless of being under water or in the air. it hardens more quickly when exposed to air. -Singing, all of sea kin are known by land dwelling people for having haunting voices able to resonate great distances. and that is true even the worst of their singers can be louder and sound more haunting than any human. this is in part due to a general cultural value of singing as a courting ritual, but also due to having a hollow cavity somewhere in their chest they use to create these higher resonances, this is sort of like whale song. at a smaller scale. they also poses more complex vocal cords. They are only able to produse sound with air. some species can come up for air once in a decade and store and reuse the air for sound, but most of their close corders communication is done through a sigh language. so this is a condensed and hopefully understandable description of the primary seakin.

TLDR; Sea Kin and the three sister species of mermaids, finfolk and sirens are rather human looking but the recemblence is not skin deep, they have diffrent hair, blood colors, and skeletal structures. they are good at singing a lot like whales and they can swim fast. main difference between the three spesies is how they swim, like a dolphin, like a shark or like a frog. 

[rayofsunas]

baby daddy | kaeya [2]

A/n: so already, in the first five minutes of me beginning to write tumblr decided to delete stuff again, so that’s pretty swag ;-; but nonetheless, I’m alright lmao, I’ve been super happy this week ever since I pulled xiao AND mona after wanting to give up plsss. also, I can’t exactly remember if I gave Klara a age in the last part, so I would just like to clarify that she’s one lol. anyways, here’s part two and I hope you guys enjoy!! it took me four hours to write this

Summary: kaeya wants to set a good example for his children, naturally. so he’s given up a lot of things, one being his excessive drinking. but being a knight is hard, despite how nonchalant he seems and he finds himself slipping sometimes… when you find out about it, you’re less than happy and decide spending time with the children would be a good idea for him. he’s more than happy to spend time with the three little monsters, but, he never realized what a normal day was for you when taking care of them.

Parings: Kaeya/Fem! Reader

Warnings: children, fluff, reader and kaeya are mid 20s, alcohol, Klara and Katheryne are friends because I said so, stan Katheryne she helps us so much-

Word count: 2.3k

The sun was slowly but surely rising, leaving beautiful orange and yellow hues to paint the usually bright blue sky, and Kaeya couldn’t be happier. Unlike the last couple of days, he’d been able to wake up, eat a quiet breakfast with you before the kids woke up though he tried and successfully tried to flirt his way into your already claimed heart, and then when Klara woke up, he got the chance to contently feed the wailing little girl; something he shockingly missed. 

Even if at that moment, the tears and cries were a lot more than he could handle, he was more than happy to do something too trivial, just because he was spending more time with her. And unlike the other days, he’d been able to take her for her morning walk, before he’d have to report to headquarters.

Most citizens were still asleep, though very few could be seen preparing for the days work, a few stall owners he noted, as he held Klara’s tiny chubby hand and helped her walk through the town, though she greatly seemed to like speed, already worlds ahead with her mobility. 

“Slow down, my little Mist Flower.” She was moving as fast as her little legs could take her, straight towards Katheryne who sometimes gave the little girl trinkets, saying adventurers had brought back things they didn’t wish to keep or had no use for. Even if Klara couldn’t really speak, she knew little things, “Thank you” was one of them, so she was always grateful despite not knowing exactly what they were. And although Katheryne seemed to not be human, some sort of machine with a very robot-like tone, she also made sure to let little Klara know how happy she was to give the youngest Alberich little trinkets. 

“Good morning, Katheryne.” Kaeya called, grinning when his daughter’s eyes widened at the mention of the kind receptionist. As the pair approached the young woman, Klara yanked on her father's white cloak, instructing him to lift her into his arms, so she could get a better look, and Katheryne, usually behind the tall wooden counter.

“Oh- good morning, Captain Kaeya!” The woman exclaimed, eyes lighting up when she saw the little girl she adored very much. “And little Klara, good morning.” She was happy to see the pair well, seeing as though she hadn’t seen Klara in days. 

“Hi, Kat...” Klara whispered with a shy smile, Katheryne smiled even more because of the use of the nickname she’d been given.

She was just the most adorable little girl ever, Katheryne couldn’t help but think. 

All three Alberich children were the sweetest, though obviously, Klara had a sweet place in her heart especially. Adrien was an identical copy of you, sarcastic, very stubborn, but very respectable for such a young age. And Elena was a smart cookie, a young girl who enjoyed questioning and correct everyone and everything that she came across. Lastly, little Klara, who had much growing to do was the pride and joy of the large Alberich family. Everyone adored her and she continuously swayed hearts wherever she went, just her cute curiosity alone was enough to bring a smile to even Wagner’s face, who typically seemed grumpy. 

Katheryne felt very lucky to have met them in this lifetime, they were a gift from the Archons, truly. Everyone knew Katheryne as the Adventurer Guild's Receptionist but to Klara? She was Kat, a generous friend who gave her gifts. 

Though a sad frown graced the young woman's lips, Kaeya ever so observantly caught on, something was wrong.

“I’m very saddened to say this, but I’m afraid there aren’t any new trinkets suitable enough for little Klara today...” Yes indeed was the receptionist saddened, evident by every feature on her face. “There’s been a shortage it seems of adventurers and travelers willing to take the commissions.” The brunette stated.

“Why is this?” The Cavalry Captain questioned, silently huffing when the one-year-old attached to his hip kept chewing on his white fur cloak, closest to his neck. Great, another issue added to the mix. Maybe she had begun teething again? Archons, Kaeya really felt as though he’d missed so much, seeing as though he couldn’t remember the last time his youngest daughter had teethed or even if she'd stopped entirely together. In short, he probably hadn’t been there for that either, courtesy of his position and job. 

“From my understanding, there have been more hoards of monsters, and something about a mutation as well,” Noted Katheryne, watching as the curiosity built upon the man's features. “Would you like to take a few of the commissions? To show Acting Grand Master Jean?”

The part bout there being an abundance of monsters did sound familiar, he’d been hearing about that a lot recently, but mutated forms as well? That was new... He’d have to bring that up today at the briefing, maybe Jean would know more than he currently did. 

“None of that will be necessary. I’m heading there now, after I drop Klara off back home, I’ll just forward the information to her personally.” Katheryne nodded, seemingly getting sidetracked and entranced by the bright violet-eyed toddler staring at her, with her father's white fur cloak still in her mouth. 

Adorable. 

She still couldn’t help but feel bad though. The only trinkets that had been brought back from any scarce, but recent missions were partially damaged swords waiting for Wagner to fix or scrap into new materials.

Such a thing did not belong in the hands of a child, nonetheless the ever so gentle Klara Alberich, she was too sweet for this world to be handed a complimentary sword, even if she had heard Kaeya say the countless amount of times that he wanted to eventually teach each of the children how to use a sword, preferring to start earlier, rather than later. And from Katheryne’s overheard? She now knew it had been somewhat of a topic of discussion between you and Kaeya, causing mini spouts of anger and frustration. 

Archons, how she wishes she had something suitable to give the little girl...

Katheryne nervously fidgeted. “Oh and about the trinkets-”

The usual daily gifts Kaetheryne would give to Klara, were absent today. Due to one big factor; adventurers and travelers weren’t taking commissions, therefore, they weren’t bringing back what Katheryne saw as unique finds, but they claimed to have no use for.

“No worries,” He was more worried about the fact that adventurers weren’t taking commissions instead of the usual trinkets Katheryne would give his daughter, nonetheless he offered reassurance. It really was no big deal.

Kaeya indeed was something else entirely, Katheryne concluded. A mind reader, some sort of witch- just different. How had he known without her even saying anything?

She was stunned for quite some time, though still feeling guilty despite his supposed reassurance. The guilt partially stemmed from the fact that Klara was staring so intently at her, with big blue-purple-hued eyes, unknowingly being one of the main stressors of Katheryne’s guilt... 

“Klara has too many nicknacks anyways,” You and Kaeya were sure she’d be some kind of trinket collector when she was older, seeing as though she had so many already. “Y/n says you spoil her.” Kaeya’s statement almost sounded like he was scolding her, but if not for the grin and chuckle he offered that immediately followed, she wouldn’t have known he was being entirely playful. 

“That is not my intention. She’s just so adorable, I cannot stop myself,” Kaeya laughed, glancing down at the toddler. She was adorable, his little Mist Flower.

“If it bother you or Miss Y/n, I’ll-”

“It’s quite alright, Katheryne, no need to worry,” Kaeya announced smoothly, dramatically waving his hand to show he was dismissing her statements of protest and concern.

“Alright...”

Eventually, Kaeya did take his leave, much to Katheryne’s dismay. She’d probably see Klara tomorrow, if he stayed true to his schedule, so she remained hopeful and excited for tomorrow. 

Before he knew it, Kaeya was bringing Klara home, giving you and Elena - who was now awake - hugs and kisses, telling you both to let Adrien know he loved him and that he’d return soon - he was still asleep. And then just like that Kaeya was out the door again and off to headquarters.

-

No one expected him to be at the Cat’s Tail this late at night, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected nor rare by any means, he was a familiar face after all. 

It was unexpected because Kaeya claimed he had given up the incessant and excessive drinking years ago when his firstborn, Adrien graced Teyvat. Sadly, it was expected, because it seemed he’d been in here more in the last week than in the last few years... Though, patrons who often visited the tavern were all betting on the fact that you were entirely clueless to how much he’d been drinking; they were right. You were too busy taking care of the children and training to hopefully join the Knights again, to even keep up with your husband's drinking habits. So, it went unnoticed. 

Diluc though, who was often at the tavern, noticed it unlike you. Kaeya had been a great pretender, a great spy; good at keeping secrets, but when he had secrets, somehow Diluc always found himself finding out first, if not second, closely behind you. And unfortunately - Diluc thought - he was on the more personal spectrum concerning the certain Knight... He was his brother, your brother in law, an uncle... He disliked what Kaeya was doing, greatly. Especially since it felt as though his idiotic brother was going behind his family's back. No, he hadn’t promised to quit entirely, but he’d made it seem that way to you. Probably a fabrication so you wouldn’t worry... 

Diluc should’ve known he'd find himself back here again, trying to get his once again, idiotic brother, to leave and go home. The pyro user couldn’t understand. His brother had everything he didn’t. A beautifully devoted wife, three amazingly easy children, a status many simple Knights and Guards would kill for; Captain. And he’d rather risk it all for a drink or two, maybe three.

You thought nothing of it. Kaeya was out late a lot, more often than not patrol and paperwork held him from returning home, but on the rare occasions that he had a sliver of free time that wasn’t spent with you and the kids, he was drinking. 

You always knew when he wouldn’t be returning, in the form of a letter from Kaeya, stating he was alright but would be staying to do paperwork, etc. It would be brought by one of his underlings, Knights or Guards in training. But when that letter never came, you panicked. 

Was he alright? He never forgot to write... Maybe he was held up?

Thankfully, Lisa had decided to come over for tea earlier and had still been here trying her best to reassure you, after seeing how worried you’d been after not receiving any letter. 

“You should probably return home, I’ll be alright.” You kept reassuring the librarian, though she wasn’t falling for it. She could practically feel the stress and anxiety oozing off of you, it was concerning. 

You could only be thankful Amber had been busy and couldn’t come over for tea or else she would’ve ripped Kaeya a new one when she got ahold of him. He’d never be able to leave for missions again, without getting a reminder from Amber to reach out or else...

“Darling, I’m not leaving until he returns.” She took your hands in hers, hoping to offer you comfort. Lisa had always been there for you, which you were very thankful

She had no prior experience with children, though she was incredible with your own. You figured because she was one of the older members of the Knights of Favonius, she had taken more of a big sister role and the youngers looked up to her wisdom. Though she wasn’t much older than you, only by five or six years, so she was really like an older sister towards you as well. Lisa was a very kind woman, you appreciated her tons.

“Maybe I should go find him? I could ask around...”

“Please don’t stress, Y/n,” Lisa said. “You’re too beautiful to stress. I trust that he’ll be here soon.”

Lisa was in fact right. Kaeya returned soon after she had said he would. Master Diluc knocked on the door close to midnight, hanging off his arm was your drunk husband. When you saw him slumped on his brother's shoulder, you immediately assumed the worst. Maybe he’d been physically harmed. You were under the impression he had stopped drinking. 

But then, when you allowed Diluc to step further into the house, you got a huge waft of what you quickly recognized as alcohol. Surprisingly enough for Diluc, you didn’t yell, instead, you just stared at Kaeya with disappointment, gravitating towards him to try and take him from his brother's arms. 

“Thank you Diluc, I’m sorry you had to deal with this so late.”

The Ragnivndr wanted to scold his brother, for making a fool of himself and you, leaving you worried and disappointed. But, using better judgment, Diluc just nodded and offered an understanding and apology, on behalf of his out of it brother. 

“It’s quite alright, I-”

“I’m sorry he had to come home this way,” Diluc stated, glaring at the taller man.

You hummed, helping Kaeya stumble into your living room, both Lisa and Diluc watching with worried gazes from the door. “Don’t worry, I’m just glad he’s safe.”

Diluc once again, realized his idiotic brother did not deserve you or your kindness and understanding. He was one lucky man, that was for sure.

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2.10.21, rayofsunas