#source: wt-art

[maximilliansblog]

Welcome Home Hyacinth Theory 🏠🪻🐛

Hello Tumblr! Most Welcome Home theories are just little bits and pieces or “Wally is evil, guys look!”/”Wally is not evil! He is a goober!” etc.

This theory is fully fledged and provides a plot and evidence. I call it the Welcome Home “Hyacinth” theory, after the myth that it is based on. This will be a very long post so here is a TLDR: Julie kills Eddie while they are playing croquette-bowling out of jealousy because he is getting too close to Frank, who is supposed to be her boyfriend/best friend within the show. Either just Eddie or everyone involved gets replaced, except for Wally, who witnessed everything. This is why we have all of those videos of Wally dissociating.

I have been sitting around in my toom rambling to myself about this theory like a madman for over a week so I decided to share it.

Please reference this post from @/partycoffin (the creator of Welcome Home) when discussing Welcome Home and be respectful in the comments and reblogs.

Extra information from @theneighborhoodwatch:

Welcome Home Observation Document

Welcome Home Livestream Trivia

Welcome Home Archive Links + Backup Screenshots

Fanmade Welcome Home Wiki (I don't recommend the Fandom wiki)

Extra information on exploring the website from @angel-lyah:

Welcome Home Website Secrets

Alright, let’s get into it! I have evidence to back up every single one of those claims, and I will include it in this post.

I want to be very thorough with explaining this. I’ll start by establishing that there are three main plots within Welcome Home (that I have noticed, anyways):

The plot of the late 60’s - early 70’s TV show, Welcome Home - only related to published episodes, books, audios, etc. that would have been shown to the public at the time of airing Welcome Home

“Behind the show” - feelings and actions of the puppets outside of the show (such as Frank and Eddie being a couple, or Frank being nonbinary)

The Welcome Home Restoration Project - people working to restore the TV show, Welcome Home, and find any and all information related to it and who made it

Okay so for the rest of this essay, when I mention BtS, it is related to the “behind the show” plot. I will color these things blue. When I write WtS, it is related to the “within the show” plot. I will color these things green. When I write WHRP, it is related to the Welcome Home Restoration Project. I will color these things pink. I will also mention things that have been said either on Clown’s Tumblr blog, Clown’s Twitter, or old streams. I will say CS, meaning “Clown source” to denote these things and color them orange. Clown source and behind the show areas often overlap, so Clown source information is dominant over behind the show information (if it is both I will just color it orange). Good? Good.

Now let’s establish our characters (only the ones related to this theory) and their relationships to one another. We’ll go alphabetically, starting with Eddie, then moving onto Frank, Julie, and Wally. 

I’m going to assume that if you are reading this, you have already visited the website (clownillustration.com) and have a basic understanding of who Eddie is. So I will only focus on the elements of his character that will be relevant in this theory.

Eddie (WtS) is clumsy and overworks himself. He is often dragged into Julie’s games. His house (post office) looks like this:

Note the hyacinth flowers and the butterfly. Eddie (BtS) loves Frank. (CS) He is married to Frank in one art on Clown’s Tumblr. BY THE WAY IT TOOK FOREVER TO FIND THIS IMAGE!!!! THEY ARE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER!!

Frank (WtS) is Julie’s boyfriend as it is implied that they are a couple within the show (I know a lot of us don’t like hearing this, but remember the three plots) (also for everyone that is going to argue with me on this, go look on their little profiles in the neighborhood section of the website and come back to me) and best friend. His house looks like this:

Note the sunflowers. Frank (BtS) loves Eddie.

(CS) As I said before, in one art on Clown’s Tumblr, Eddie and Frank are married (you can tell by the rings on their fingers in that image) . Frank is nonbinary but uses he/him pronouns (Clown refers to Frank on his blog with only he/him pronouns, so that is what I will use. Nonbinary people do not have to use they/them pronouns! Pronouns are not equal to gender!)

(WtS) Julie is a rainbow monster. Her thing is that she likes to make up and play games. She seems to be very strong (perhaps related to her being a rainbow monster), as she can easily lift Wally and is indirectly referenced to [throw a baseball very well] by Barnaby in the Live Interview audio. She also incorporates bowling into a lot of games where it is unnecessary. She seems to be immature, which is usually used to make her a playful character. Her and Frank are a couple. In several arts, her horns are different shapes or even nonexistent, implying that she has some ability to change her form. Her house looks like this:

Note the heart motif throughout the design. (BtS) Julie is best friends with Frank. (CS) She is genderfluid (she is only referred to using she/her pronouns on Clown’s blog, so that is what I will use). 

(WtS) Wally is the main character in Welcome Home. His house is alive and is named Home. Home is often considered to be a ninth neighbor. Wally often communicates for Home. (WHRP) Wally signs Home’s name in the guestbook (as Home does not have hands) (please stop with the tentacles I have seen the art please stop for the love of god where did that even come from). (WtS) The other neighbors frequently ignore and talk over Wally, but he doesn’t seem to mind, saying that he loves all of his friends in the live interview audio.

Okay so now that that is established, let’s look at some promotional art. Promotional art is not necessarily canon and may contain outdated designs, but may hint at the plot of Welcome Home. 

There is one more artwork that I would like to add, but it is on Clown’s KoFi. Here is a link to it that you can look at if you are subscribed to Clown’s KoFi:

[link to Clown’s KoFi here]

I won’t describe the image because some of you may not be subscribed to Clown’s KoFi. But if you are, you will see that the image supports my theory.

While we are discussing that image, I would also like to say that I believe that the puppets are some kind of biological organisms. I don’t have much evidence for this right now, but I may make a theory in the future. 

We will come back to those promotional arts soon. Right now, let’s look at Frank and Eddie’s houses and discuss some symbolism and mythology.

Frank’s house has sunflowers outside of it. Sunflowers are a symbol of Apollo. Eddie has hyacinths outside of his post office, obviously a symbol of Hyacinthus. Hyacinthus and Apollo were lovers, but Hyacinthus tragically died. Let me tell the story so we have context. (I am really into Greek mythology by the way, it’s always been a special interest since middle school but I am also a Hellenic pagan, you should follow my witchcraft and paganism blog, creatively named @maxiswitchcraftandpaganblog)

So Apollo, god of the sun, art, archery, and LOTS of various other things, loved Hyacinthus, who was a mortal Spartan man. And Hyacinthus loved him too, by the way. The god of the (west? don’t feel like googling it) wind, Zephyrus, was jealous of Hyacinthus, because he also loved Apollo. 

One day, Apollo and Hyacinthus were playing discus (like frisbee but the frisbee is giant and made of metal, kind of like a shield). Apollo threw the discus to Hyacinthus, but Zephyrus blew the discus off course with the wind, causing it to hit Hyacinthus in the head and kill him. Apollo created the hyacinth flower from Hyacinthus’ blood as he died, but in some myths made him a god. (read more on Apollo and Hyacinthus here)

I’m going to draw some parallels here. Frank = Apollo, Eddie = Hyacinthus, Julie = Zephyrus. Now Frank’s and Eddie’s parallels make sense because of the flowers, but where did I get Julie=Zephyrus from? Recall that (WtS) Julie and Frank are supposed to be a couple. Now, (BtS) Julie may or may not like Frank in that way, but she certainly enjoys being close to him as his best friend. Since she is already established as an immature character, it would make sense that she would be jealous seeing Frank get closer to Eddie.

Pause. So WtS, Frank and Julie are together. BtS, Frank and Eddie are together. If these are separate, then what is Julie jealous about? (WtS) Frank has been seen getting closer to Eddie even in the official material of the show. An example of this is him telling Eddie that he works too hard at the end of the “Eddie’s Big Lift” storybook record. So his BtS love for Eddie is leaking into the WtS canon. That is a problem for Julie, who is supposed to be Frank’s girlfriend WtS. So she comes up with an idea to fix this, much like the jealous god, Zephyrus. 

So what does she do? Let’s turn our attention to the “Just So” song demo. This song was never finished with instrumentals, and for a reason. The puppets function as actors in the show, as it is obvious that they have their own free will, and Julie does something that the writers do not expect later in this episode. So the song was never finished because the episode was ruined. 

In the “Just So” song demo, Frank and Julie are about to play croquette bowling. It was supposed to be just croquette, as Frank put on his croquette bow tie, but last minute, Julie added bowling to the mix. 

Wally knocks on the door and interrupts their song, saying that Home wants to play croquette bowling too. This implies that Julie told someone else that they would be playing croquette bowling after she added bowling. I feel like Wally and Home overheard Julie telling Eddie that they would be playing croquette bowling. This would make sense, as Wally often stands by and listens while the other neighbors talk. It is not unusual for Eddie to participate in Julie’s games, either, as we see from Julie playing “business woman in the big city” with him. [add a photo]

The song recording ends before we see them playing croquette bowling together. But I have a piece of evidence to tell us how it ends. Look at this promotional art again.

You probably assumed that the figure in the back was holding a hammer, but that could actually be a croquette mallet!

It’s covered in some gory-looking stuff, probably from Eddie. Now look at the flower. Whose eyes look like that? Almond-shaped, round pupils. Only one character: Wally. Wally was a witness, which would make sense for him, since he often watches on as the other neighbors do things. 

Julie is holding the flower in front of her, looking innocent. This is a stretch, but I think that this might be symbolism for her saying that she didn’t do it on purpose, Wally saw the whole thing, ask him! And Wally doesn’t know what to do. I don’t know what he does from there.

Maybe this image is a clue? I genuinely don’t know. Once again, promotional art is not necessarily canon, but we can use the concepts from it in theories.

This next part is also a bit of a stretch. The neighbors having a memory of something like that happening would ruin their “acting” (I think they are just being recorded as they do what they would naturally do). The show can’t have that. The solution? Replace everyone involved. 

Now go back and look in the promotional art section and look at that art of Frank. It looks like Frank is laying among extra puppet parts. They have extras!

And this is why Wally is dissociating in the videos we see when we click on the bugs. They did not replace him, because like the neighbors, they didn’t even notice he was there.

Okay yeah that’s the theory. It was really hard to get this into a coherent Google Doc and gather all the links. I was just rambling to myself about this in my room over and over pacing around for like a week. But yeah here you go, hope it's a good theory, sorry if it's not lol please be nice to me

[ego-osbourne]

Aldercaine and Meridia (BDay Gift!)

Happy birthday to @mellowscrolls ! You’ve been a grand help in pushing me with diversity in my art and fueling my fixations that I otherwise would have kept to myself. I still wonder why you latched on so heavily to half of what I’ve made, but the support has never faltered and the encouragement has helped me grow in my creative process tremendously. You’re a wonderful reference and source of inspiration. This gift barely encompasses the kind of support you’ve given me.

Drawing your girls was so very fun! Watching you develop their characters in WTS has been a joy, and I can’t wait to see where you take them. I hope you’re having a great birthday :]

[flimsy-roost]

I'd like to talk about the latest Pokemon Center plush line!

I tend to avoid official nintendo merch, because I give that company enough of my money already. But White was the first Pokemon game I ever played (after saving my allowance for months for it and a used DS lite), so I have a very special place in my heart for gen5/Unova pokemon. When I heard they were releasing a line of Unova "Sitting Cutie" plushes, I wanted to at least check it out.

And I did! And I mildly disappointed my wallet! There are some bangers in here! But there are a lot of... decidedly un-bangers. Tippy-tappers at best. So I wanted to take the time to walk you through some of the ways this line fell short of its central claims: namely, Sits and Cuteness.

"Sitting"

I'd first like to address the distinguishing claim of the line; that each of these plush can sit up unsupported (or, more generously, could be propped up stably).

It would be easy to only give examples of pokemon that shouldn't have been considered for this line at all, of which there are many:

fig. 1) in what universe, praytell

But there were many more that were so, so close to plausibility in the face of physics, that really only needed a modified design direction.

Let's compare Eelektrik (left) to Serperior (right). Eelektrik is extremely top-heavy and prone to tipping, problems which could perhaps have been mitigated by a coiled design (like Serperior), or even as a flat. It could be argued that the current form stays true to the original art, which should always take precedent. I see you, and I hear you, and I disagree

A skosh below the "no way in hell" category of sittability, lay a group of lesser design sins broadly defined as "questionable in the face of a stiff breeze." For many plush in this category, the product designers could learn a thing or two from Toxel:

fig. 2) a well-balanced bean

Put another way, the popular rule-of-thumb "four on the floor," most commonly begged for in the context of starter evolution lines, may be applied to great effect:

Top-heavy Golurk? Four on the floor!

Tall, spindly, misguidedly "source-accurate" Genesect? Four on the floor!

Think of his poor Tepiggy spine! FOUR ON THE FREAKING FLOOR

Purrloin, look! Your big sibling has it down! Get at that generational knowledge, girl!

"Cuties"

I'm not aware of a single official merch line in existence that lacks at least one cursed artifact. Plush are particularly susceptible, and this line is no different.

While I have to give the designers props for a perfectly lovely Mienshao, they canonized my bestie as having a cringe childhood:

All this Mienfoo wants are uppies. How's she gonna kick ass when her feet go straight into her torso? Her glowup will never come if she can't even land a pound.

Entire evolution lines fell prey to design decisions here. Please compare gen5 Elgyem and Beheeyem to their inbred and deformed purebred domesticates:

fig. 3) has IV breeding gone too far?

Let us also more closely examine the full Sandile evolution line compared to wild type examples, as I consider these among the least forgivable offences:

Why is the plush Sandile so sad? Perhaps he knows what is to come.

Where sass? Why snoot so droop????

NO MY CREATCHURE?????? NO NONONO NOT THE SNOOT!!!!!!!

figs. 4-6) look how they slaughtered my boy

Finally, I would like to highlight a subset of the line that has Witnessed The Horrors. These are more subjective in their cuteness. You know the saying; one man's uncanny gremlin is another man's terrified blorbo.

Meet Drilbur, who has recently Seen Some Shit!

fig. 7) the boy who inspired this post, with WT reference

The bug-eyed-ness is what tips this into horror movie prop for me personally. I should not be able to see both his eyes from a diagonal. I could understand how some people could find him endearingly goofy, but my litmus tends to be: would I be amused to open my eyes to see him in the dark at 3am, or would I shit my pants? Drilbur here leans towards the latter.

Here is an example of a shell-shocked friend I find cute:

Crustle, normally hiding safely under their rocky shell, is leaned back to fulfill the barely-followed criteria of "sits," and so turns their eyes to god to ask why he has forsaken them. I love it.

BONUS CONTENT: KERMIT DEINO!!!!

:D

[dreampearls]

do you think about how there are probably some very good writers on genshin who are talented at characterization or worldbuilding. how maybe they also see alternative potential for their characters but are limited in direction, time and scope? how they feel when they see someone get attached to and flesh out a 4 star they made? i hope they'd be happy to see it. idk ive been wondering about it recently but who knows. im just grateful for all the fan artists and writers

literally all the time, im always haunted by whoever wrote the genshin wt because if i had to rely off of assumption alone, i cannot in any way imagine the writer(s) who first concieved of collei there had any involvement w her implementation into the game. but anything is possible! and im just assuming since i dont have any idea how their actual workflow happens, i just see the end product. so many characters in genshin really do feel like they take the brunt of this though, being limited in time and scope etc.

love this ask a lot, i think of art and writing as something social by nature and that the interaction between audience and source material will always be something so so so special, loving something enough to bring it back to life etc.

[onaperduamedee]

Notes on Knife of Dreams

This is my favourite prologue of the series so far, blood and ashes! 

Galad immediately becomes a favourite if he is willing to go against a superior to have him stand trial and to fight him for assaulting his step-mom.

The way Valda talks about Morgase, Galad needs to turn him into a bloody paper garland. 

During the fight, Galad talks about hearing and feeling everything in a way that’s close to how women describe embracing the source. Food for thoughts.

We've seen different types of channelling so far, but only one type of martial art?

Galad killing Valda??! Becoming Captain-Commander? Rebelling against the Seanchan?!? CONSIDERING ALLIANCE WITH THE AES SEDAI?!? Hell yeah!

"Soldiers’ hours made farmers’ hours seem restful" - spoken like a true soldier who has no idea what he's talking about. Shut up. 

Ituralde leading the resistance against the Seanchan has all my respect though.

Wait, so Suroth had nothing to do with Egeanin's trap? That was the Seeker? 

Everyone is trying to fight the Seanchan because they ARE the bigger threat atm, and Rand is genuinely considering working with them. Rand, don't do it!

Although I am beginning to suspect the group who will meet Rand is not Suroth and her party. 

But still, Rand! They leash people who use the One Power! You cannot go anywhere near them! This is stressful.

I must admit Semirhage wiping out the entire Seanchan imperial family is satisfying considering Seanchan colonialism. RJ will always introduce bigger sharks, especially against groups who considered themselves big sharks.

We have now the Highest for the Red! First Selector for the Blue, First Weaver for the Yellow, Captain-General for the Green, Head Clerk for the Brown, and First Reasoner for the White. Nice! I am loving these details!

I haven't commented on it but Elaida's choice to call back sisters who were exiled to fill in the ranks, especially in powerful positions whatever their history with the Tower, is fascinating. This reminds me a lot of the behaviour of certain political parties losing their grip on power.

No one knows Rand healed saidin, it's frustrating me to no end! It's such a feat! And no one knows! 

Loving the meta behind Yukiri wondering whether the scene depicted on the tapestry happened and the need of a weave to keep it from falling apart.

"Yes, red. I thought it might have turned green when I wasn’t looking." - Yukiri is the best, I laughed out loud.

 "Pevara exchanged looks with Yukiri, then said, 'This is the less urgent, Seaine?'" - I love the BA hunting party so much. They're a hoot.

Seaine, Yukiri and Pevara are actually quite efficient given how fraught the situation is in the White Tower. And I dig the info sharing between the Ajahs: collaboration, it works!

So, the food rotting is the DO's doing? I really enjoyed the White discussing it like it's a very theoretical problem not affecting entire nations. Tbf, locked up as they are by Elaida, they probably don't know what's happening outside.

About AS as a whole: a) they're a millenia-old institution in dire need of reform, and that's even before we realise that b) they're infiltrated to the core by agents looking to sow discord and destroy the WT, c) they've been taken over by right-wing radicals. It is what makes the depiction of the White Tower mesmerising: the story shows us the White Tower at their lowest, in their deepest turmoil, when they are cornered and have no choice but to evolve or simply die out. Light, it's so current!

NON, Alviarin is onto Yukiri and Doesine, nope, nope, nope. 

Ohhh, Galina has been captured by Perrin and is trying to wriggle her way out of Shaido captivity by manipulating them! 

Perrin is a broken record repeating "wife." It's a tad silly.

You know what, Galina gets points for being one of the only POV characters respecting Berelain. She can call Perrin a fool to her heart's content because atm he is one. 

Berelain hitting Galina, hard, because Perrin didn't want to was perfect.

Oh, the tension between the White Tower AS is THICK. Of course Egwene picks up pretty fast how degraded the situation is among the sisters.

Hell no, they have Leane too! Thinking about her being put to the question again is breaking my heart.

"Whether or not she had managed to do well as Amyrlin, she would die in a manner fitting for the Amyrlin Seat." - I love Egwene so much. She is fast becoming one of my favourite characters ever. Her arc is truly unbelievable.

I literally had Garnet singing "Stronger than You" playing in my head while reading this scene. Egwene is unbreakable.

"Whatever you do, you’ll never make me deny who I am” - I adore Egwene. I now have a very strong need to see queer Egwene. You cannot give me a character saying "I am what I am" and not make them gay. It's forbidden. Another parallel to Rand too.

The confrontation with Silviana was so tense! Really looking forward to seeing Egwene going against her and playing Elaida. Her thoughts going to Siuan and Leane though. I am going to scream. My love for this trio is all-consuming and terrifying.

"She was carrying the battle into the heart of the Tower itself. If she had had lips there, she would have smiled." - FUCK THEM UP YOU AIEL-HEARTED WONDER 

Egwene, I would die for you on a battlefield.

The joy of having a Siuan POV - her strength, her worry, her competence - is somewhat marred by the constant thinking about Gareth. She spares time to moon over him, and then cannot stop to help the injured because her news are urgent? It's exhausting.

I cannot fathom the strength it takes Siuan to do what she does against women who are so much stronger and stand so much higher than her. Her willingness to put aside her pride and fear to do what needs to be done is astounding. Truly a pillar.

Faolain spilled the beans to Lelaine, but Siuan is keeping her cool. Lelaine with her machinations to become the next Amyrlin will get Egwene killed. 

Wait, so Grays act as external judges going from villages to villages? That's fascinating!

Beonin, what do you think you're doing? Even your warder thinks you’re a fool. 

So dead people are just appearing out of nowhere? Cool, cool, cool. 

Egwene's plan of shutting down ship trading with cuendillar chains was brilliant, even if she was betrayed.

Look, my president was elected on the promise to save us from the extremes, has then started ruling with decrees, crushed public dissent with violence, painted opponents as terrorists and requisitioned striking workers to clean the capital streets where garbage is piling up. To say Elaida's reign of terror hits a little too close to home is putting it mildly.

Also fuck Beonin so hard for betraying Egwene and the Rebels, and revealing the rediscovered weaves. Whatever blood is spilled afterward is on her hands.

I did not have Aran'gar seducing Graendal on my bingay card, but here we are.

I'm surprised it took the Forsaken this long to set out to kill Mat and Perrin.

By my count, only Be'lal, Asmodean and Rahvin have been permanently killed among the Forsaken.

I am bloody angry with Perrin rn: giving the Two Rivers to Seanchan, really? Even if it means condemning to slavery some of his people? I thought his devotion to Faile was moving, but screw him, that's exactly what Tylin did.

Berelain MVP as always. What a great leader she is.

As with Isendre, I take no satisfaction whatsoever in the treatment Galina gets from the Shaido, even if she's loathsome: it's brutal, dehumanising and gendered. I think the Aiel rapport with extreme punishment is gratuitous and voyeuristic, and it’s putting me off.

Rolan and Faile... On one hand, I am glad he has Faile's back and he seems kind; on the other any woman would run from him as far as possible because his insistence is so creepy.

Also, I wish the motif of romantic captive/holder wasn't one in this saga.

At least, Arrela is sleeping with a Maiden to get her protection? Gay problematic is better than no gay.

Also, the wind, the ripple; what is going on? If this is the book of weird omen, I am all in.

And Faile has the rod! And followers! I knew she would find a way, crafty as she is.

Now, these are actually the first Mat chapters I found underwhelming? Luca is again getting annoying; I don't really care about Domon and Egeanin; what's the deal with Noal; the courtship with Tuon is entertaining, but not enough to justify the pacing.

And the Aes Sedai drama is exhausting because Mat, you lovable jerk, you are showing more sympathy toward a slave owner than her victims. Are they infuriating? Yes! Is Mat sensible in any of his interactions with or his treatment of them? No!

Also spanking Joline... He beats her first and asks questions later when channelling was the sul'dam's fault and it was HIS choice to put them in this set-up. They ARE annoying, yes! Last time I checked he wasn't spanking his manservants or Luca.

At least, Joline will teach the sul'dam? Not a great idea considering what the Aes Sedai went through and the sul'dam's attitude, but it's better than letting the sul’dam believe they are still the AS minders. No one had issues with Rand staying 1000 leagues away from AS because of Dumai’s wells.

Aludra creating canons to destroy the Seanchan: hell yeah, organise that resistance, you firecracker!

How hilarious that Mat keeps seeing Rand having sex with Min though.

The horse ride with Tuon was cute, and Mat's heart to heart with Setalle refreshing, but light, those chapters are slow. He still has so many interesting relationships with women.

The confrontation between the AS and Tuon sums up what makes Mat both infuriating and endearing: it's sexism and lack of empathy, until the women are attacked frontally and he defends them. His first impulses are always that of a jerk, but he course-corrects.

Is it fun to read? Not always, and there's something to say about reproducing sexist behaviour as is in a fantasy setting. But it makes him a realistic character.

Also Tuon can scram: enslaving people because they are annoying? DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF

Shiota was terrifying! I loved the way the horror just erupted out of nowhere. And the scenes afterwards were lovely. They've accidentally become such a dysfunctional little family.

I am glad Juilin will not forget that Egeanin owned slaves.

I am really curious about the suggestions Mat will chase the Seanchan away. How will that unfold if he is married to their empress?

The Egeanin/Domon pairing heavily suggests that he will change her, but it isn't enough to change a whole nation.

MOIRAINE'S LETTER

SHE'S ALIVE SOMEWHERE WITH THE SNAKE AND FOX PEOPLE

HELL YEAH WE'RE GETTING A MAT-FLAVORED KATABASIS TO RESCUE MOIRAINE!

That also explains all the reflecting Mat has been doing concerning the Finn and what they did to him.

Light, one of the elements of a katabasis - a descent into the underworld - is that people don't always come back right... Moiraine, my heart.

Really curious about the inspiration for the Seanchan invasion because what RJ is describing - the population's acceptance, the government's obedience, the imprisonment of a minority - is VERY reminiscent of Collaboration across Europe during WWII.

The visit in a Hell was fun in its urgency. Even if it's very much the Whedon syndrome where pretty and tiny women have no trouble wrecking trained assassins thrice their size, I like that we did get to see Tuon practise a different martial art.

Misreading Tuon as Thom and vice versa when they are in the same chapter certainly makes things interesting.

Between Vane sent to kill Mat, the gholam reappearing and the Seanchan after a false Tuon, they better get the hell out of the circus. At last!

Perrin trusting Bawler after the shit he put Moiraine through is beyond grating. And Perrin witnessing a poor man dying horrifically and showing not an ounce of empathy or sense is A Lot. 

What a thrilling chapter of Perrin on errands with the Seanchan!

It's crushing how thoroughly this middle stretch of books spoiled Perrin for me. I wouldn't go as far as character assassination, but he started off as my favourite of the boys and now he's just a bad friend, leader, ally to the Light and even husband.

And back to the Caemlyn siege!

Again, Elayne, having Rand's babies was 100% your choice, not Rand's. Not a mistake, not only Rand's fault.

On Elayne and the bargain: it's ironic because Morgase gave a whole lot of Andor to the Whitecloaks when held prisoner.

Elayne can fuck off for pressing her soldiers to kill retreating enemies and getting themselves killed while being a hothead on the battlefield because Min's viewing protects her. Why is she so blood-thirsty? Is the throne worth the blood and gold?

"Smiling, Aviendha turned her face up to let the rain run down her cheeks. 'I love to watch water falling from the sky.'" - Aviendha is so cute, seriously. I wish she had more to do than stand around and laugh or scowl or hug Elayne

Like with Min and Siuan, I really wish Elayne would not bemoan the Kin's newfound backbone. They deserve to stand straighter after everything they went through.

The Kin are as always very badass for managing to recruit 10,000 men for Elayne.

I love that the Kin have had a dozen professions because of their longevity and needed to move around to stay low. They are such a great addition to this universe. They will do a lot of good to the AS as a whole too.

Oh good, after competing in the last book over which of the two has the slowest arc, Elayne and Perrin are now competing for least empathy, excellent. Elayne wants to send the  damane back to slavery and justifies it by her hatred of the Seanchan. 

It's representative of the way some left-leaning people think about fighting oppression: hatred for the oppressor (the 1%, racists) but it doesn't extend to help toward the victims (supporting fiscal reforms, harsher sentencing against hate crime). Come on, Elayne, I know you have A Lot on your plate now, but you are better than this! If you managed to be the voice of reason for a whole journey to Tear with a traumatised Egwene and a drifting Nynaeve, you can handle this better, I know you can.

Vandene wears her sister's clothes and perfume while chasing her killer. Light, I am distraught.

"She had to watch Vandene perhaps destroying herself, and worse, make use of it." - oh, the gut-punch. Great parallel with Rand too.

At least this conundrum with the Aes Sedai and the Sea Folk is compelling. Elayne and Nynaeve made a bargain promising something they had no way of delivering, without much choice, and now they have to deal with the consequences.

Elayne, Birgitte and Aviendha are such a comedic trio: I have great expectations for the show.

The narrative is laying it THICK that pregnant women are unreliable and erratic in one of the worst bouts of sexism this book has displayed in a while.

"they did not think they already knew something of how to use a blade" - I appreciate the shade here.

I'm so frustrated by this arc: it employs Elayne in the way least fitting to her strong points. She's a Mat-type character in her chaos, with lots of heart, but her struggle with power is clearly echoing Perrin here and I don’t think it works.

Aviendha discovering her Talent with ter'angreal and the proof coming in the form of an e-book with an unbelievable library, along with the nice little nod to the difficulties of translation and the way it's a meta commentary on prophecies, was A+.

"How can you say you have nothing to give? You’ve given me everything." - The Aviendha/Elayne farewell was so moving and MoLan-coded. But I can't say I am displeased to see Aviendha move on to greener pastures where plot happens faster.

I know this won't happen but I hope the show just discards Elayne as Rand's love interest entirely. Their romance is the least developed of the three, it looks more like crush than love, and the chemistry pales in comparison to Min/Rand and Aviendha/Elayne.

I hope Birgitte is okay. With the bond, she should not be that tired.

Elayne is going to lose the mercenaries. Hiring them in the first place was a bad idea: Amyrilla also has mercenaries so it's merely a battle of who has the deepest pockets now.

Just give Mellar the boot if you don't want to arrest him! You are all needlessly endangering everyone.

The palace shifting is a really nice touch. This book has some delicious tiny worldbuilding elements showing the magic itself is wonky, like in TSR.

Birgitte and her Map room is such a neat choice and actually a great device to talk about Birgitte without doing so: her memories are fading, leaving only the newer memories, as the floor mosaic of Caemlyn is being progressively replaced.

"You were always expected to have an answer, to find one. That was what it meant to be Aes Sedai." - That's why people are like that when they learn AS are only humans. Also reminds me of my TDR notes: this is about kids understanding adulthood and that adults don’t have all the answers.

Elayne at last questions if maybe gaining the throne will cost too much to Andor. Siuan and Egwene were willing to let Elaida win if it meant saving the Tower.

Her gaggle of kid allies remain hilarious though.

The BA is now taking out Kin. No! I need whoever is responsible to be personally handled by Vandene.

Naean is also looking drawn and tired? Is something also happening to people's mind, like back in Tear with Ishamael?

Loial and his book! Of course he is interviewing Rand and Rand is underplaying his accomplishments.

Moiraine's name is written in fire inside Rand's skull: learning she may be alive will absolutely not fuck him up.

So, Rand is connected to Moridin because their balefire beams crossed? I was not expecting that.

Nynaeve replaced Moiraine as his personal Aes Sedia and it's so endearing. I am glad he has her by his side.

Man, I enjoy Verin and Cads' weird dynamic. Logain and Rand are at each other's throat like two roosters and need to cool down.

"Her knitting, a shapeless lump that might have been anything, sat in her lap" - I laughed. What a detail to drag, Rand.

Min, you're being childish: Rand knows he will die. Although apparently Rand has asked the Finn how to survive and there is a way out? Interesting.

I feel sorry for Loial. He clearly doesn't want marriage now. Why is everyone forcing him?

Awwwwww Loial wishing he had an AS with him to face his mom. Don't worry, they would make things worse.

The way he learned courage from humans though is filling my heart with joy. He has such a heartfelt subdued arc and now he will talk before his people!

The new weaves, LTT seizing saidin and trying to burn out Rand during the attack... Oof, a lot is happening to Rand.

"You’re harder than I ever was, Lews Therin said. Suddenly he giggled. If you’re not me, then who are you?" - wow, I am LOVING this.

Love the conceit of Alivia being so strong and old that no one knows what to do with her. Her destiny to help Rand die makes her figure all the more ominous.

Min seeing all sorts of things for Moiraine? How many viewings did Min have about her exactly? TELL ME

"Maybe it was just Aes Sedai concealment." - maybe it's the fact you should not require absolute obedience from anyone?

Using people as pawns is now second nature to Rand, Egwene, Perrin, Elayne. Only Mat and Nynaeve don't do it.

"She, at least, was one he did not have to worry about. Elza was fanatical in her devotion." - Rand, she's a DF. You're blindsided by her devotion to you. Be sensible.

Thank the Light Bashere is here. This meeting with the Seanchan is most definitely a trap.

A NYN POV AT LAST YES PLEASE MY GAL

"Moiraine used to say a headache was sign she had been channelling too much. That’s dangerous." - again, fascinated by this undercurrent in their marriage. How very Daphné du Maurier of Jordan.

"Greens! They simply could not be trusted with men!" - between Alanna, Myrelle, Elayne and Cads, they've certainly earned their reputation. Not on the same scale, obviously, but yeah, the Green Ajah needs to do serious education on bonding.

"his place was with her, not dying alone in a futile private war with the Shadow" / "She could try to make sure he survived, though." - No comment.

From wherever she is, Moiraine is mentally kissing Nynaeve on the mouth and praising her, as she should.

If the books had time, they would delve into what it means for Nyn to marry someone with so much baggage, and the time, adjustment and complexity behind such a match.

I've touched on this in one of my metas for the show before reading the books, but I love that Nynaeve has such a profound and sincere sense of community and duty, even more so than Egwene, which is saying a lot considering how dedicated Egwene is.

Nyn understands perfectly why Lan's commitment to Malkier matters, even understood Lan's commitment to Moiraine when she was around. But despite this understanding, she still meets Moiraine in feeling that Lan shouldn't let this commitment kill him.

There's no hypocrisy here: it's very much her saying "both matter; we are not going to sacrifice one for the other"

It's that same trait that made her push away Lan when he was ready to break his vows to Moiraine back in Tear and hats off to her.

"yet the land did not change greatly in two or three hundred years" - why do I feel this will lead to Tarmon Gai'don changing geography again?

"'Kiss me. [...] That wasn’t an order. I just want to kiss my husband.'" -

I dislike the whole Sea Folk obedience thing but that was SO cute!

One last night in Shienar: the show writers are sneaky.

Nyn leaving Lan in Saldaea to force him to ride all the way to Shienar is just SO good. She understood he cannot be trusted with looking after himself, so she will trick him into doing it, the fool man.

So men wearing the hadori carry "a reputation for sudden, unpredictable violence"? That is very interesting considering some of Lan's reflections and even Moiraine's behaviour in New Spring.

Many warders are essentially rehabilitated veterans.

They have different coins for different nations, but we haven't seen any mention of dialects? And what about the Aiel and the Seanchan being understandable? Do they all speak a language that's translated for the books like LOTR and westron?

Clever, Clever Nynaeve for travelling ahead of Lan to rouse the Malkieri, though it's funny to imagine her going from town to town in search of everyone with a Hadori before going back to healing everyone in the manor. She's the best.

Light, I've missed her POV. It's such a shame she was absent these last few books because she grew a lot in the meantime off-page. Instead of trying to overpower like she used to, she's far better at dissembling and not saying everything she thinks.

It obviously helps with Lan, but also with Cadsuane and Rand. With Lan, it's skirting manipulation, but she spent enough time with him - and with Moiraine's ghost - to realise he's not at a place where his death wish can be reasoned with for now. Healing will take time.

Oh, Rand's school led to the Locomotive rediscovery? This is making me emotional. He will change the world for the better, he will. It's truly a Renaissance!

"Lews Therin began to maunder on about taxes and money creating jobs" - okay, Ronald.

Again, not a fan of the depiction of Tear as not as beautiful as Caemlyn or Tar Valon, while pointing out the Tairens are brown-skinned and poor.

I love the detail of the merchant explaining silk can be made by worms.

Nope, please let Tear be spared the Seanchan, this city suffered enough.

Rand, you are sounding more and more like a tyrant ordering some people around and expecting total obedience, chill.

It's genuinely hard to see the lavish interiors while the Tairens are starving. It's not something Rand can fix without rebellion from nobles, but everywhere monarchy is depicted as a deeply flawed system bleeding nations (Caemlyn, Cairhien). This Age and Rand brought scientific and medical achievements in droves and magic hierarchy upheaval, but yet not an ounce of democratic progress so far. It's so bizarre!

If it isn't my favourite het couple, Darlin "himbo but noble" Sisnera and Caraline "girl in a bar restroom but noble" Damodred.

I like that Alanna gets to display her tactical knowledge as a Green Ajah, even if it's very brief.

Rand, I love you, but your imperial tendencies are showing.

So Merana, Bera and Rafaela did a good job with the negotiations with the Rebels in Tear. I’m relieved Rand is learning to delegate too.

Cads counting to get Rand to stop the disrespect: he should absolutely show more restraint as a leader, as the Dragon Reborn, otherwise his enemies will use it against him. Her advice is sound, even if she is patronising.

"When the terms you offer are accepted, hold to them.” - Rand, would you really starve the city even more because the nobles rebelled against you, a foreign leader who took power with an army of Aiel?!? Do you hear yourself?

"And would you marry a king, Caraline?” / “I will have to see you in it before I could answer that." - Darlin is a himbo king: I support him 100%. Caraline and he remain sickeningly cute and so charming together. They're by far the best nobles around.

Yessss, Rand is rallying troops for Tarmon Gai'don at last!

"More than that, we survived Cadsuane Melaidhrin, and I doubt anyone else here could do that.” - Harine and Shalon really went on a Hurin-like journey of epic proportion, didn't they?

Oh, cool, the Atha'an Miere are also flogging disobeying Aes Sedai. I would really appreciate it if ONE culture was not obsessed with spanking and whipping.

Oooooh, Logain is delivering the summon to the Sea Folk!

"It was not that he tried to dishonor anyone, yet he cared little for the honors of others." - like you humiliate AS sent to teach you? Self-awareness is the least shared trait in these books. Logain is just giving them a taste of their own medicine

Light, the Amayar after the Choeden Kal melted on Tremalking... That is truly horrifying. And so soon after the deaths in Ebou Dar and the Seanchan massacre too. How many Ath'an Miere died already?

I appreciate so many characters telling us the Last Battle is coming but Tarmon Gai'don is still three THICK books away.

"A brief interlude with tales of romance and adventure was much preferable to contemplating utter futility and the failure of what was by its very nature unfailing." - The meta of Romanda reading Birgitte's tale to escape from her reality is superb.

Of course, Romanda thought Egwene was Siuan's puppet, wrongly.

"No one has a leash on Egwene al’Vere. She is intelligent, observant, quick to learn and deft. She may become one of the great Amyrlins." - she already is. I love Egwene so much.

"That relationship was abhorrent." - I'm with you on this, Romanda. 

I like Tiana: she's clear-eyed. The newer recruits are fast learners and thus priceless novices well worth the rules bent. Romanda is just the old guard bucking

Myrelle bonded Llyw to save him? The show is definitely merging her and Alanna.

Nacelle testing a weave to sense men channelling! The agreement with Asha'man! Eben helping uncover Halima! Oh, the little Hall scenes are my favourites. The drama! The tension! The theatrics!

Egwene teaching a lesson to the Accepted who wanted to teach her a lesson and keeping the novices in their place is just so bloody satisfying. All the senseless beatings and the silent resistance against Silviana make me so bloody proud of her!

So relieved Leane is okay and the Tower sees her as an AS which grants her a modicum of comfort and protection.

Screams in "Egwene and Leane trying to sow the seeds of mutiny one sister, accepted and novice at a time while prisoners", holy shit

Egwene becomes an Amyrlin for the novices, advising, comforting them, and extending this quiet support to sisters and Accepted and I love her so very much.

Laras truest ally. She'll help Egwene like she did Leane and Siuan, I tell you.

"Eventually she would teach them what she was." - EGWENE Also, again with the queer vibes. Her defiance in the face of violent rigidity and labels feels very gay.

She's apparently mediating pillow friends’ fights too.

"You’ve been kidnapped and brought aboard a sinking ship.” -

Egwene dodges Alviarin's attempts to ensnare her and absolutely dominates her conversation with Mattin.

I just love seeing her fine mind at work. Like Siuan, she's so incredibly smart.

Aes Sedai bound by the 3 oaths who swear obedience can reason their way out to an extent? That's not great for Rand...

Doesine finally interacts with Egwene, Beonin folds, Silviana talks, the novices bow... Easily the best chapter of the books so far.

I feel sorry for the women of WoT: even a woman with smaller breasts will get a description of her breasts and how doing anything will have her boobs pop out of the dress. Amazing. Tits in this universe obey to entirely different laws of physics

Elaida is a study in unravelling. And the echoes to Rand all the more delicious. This is what he risks, if he doesn't tread lightly: disobedience, allies at each other's throat, spies and DF manoeuvring in the background.

I am very confused about the amount of PDA and private discussion in public we are suddenly getting for various couples: Tuon asking for a kiss was so out there.

Of course, Mat dislikes nobles except Talmanes and Tuon. You old romantic.

I really, really wish Mat was warier of Tuon and Selucia. He's smarter than letting an invader know so much about his plans. Overall, the tolerance for a coloniser who enslaves people and slaughters others is just staggering.

Talmanes being unable to understand Tuon because of the slurring is hilarious.

The Band of the Red Hand might be the only army I feel an attachment to. Their devotion to Mat is quite moving.

My big issue with Perrin's arc is that the narrative camps on its position that He is the main character when Faile is the one driving the narrative. So we get him mostly waiting for Faile, and we get little of her POV.

Not a fan of Perrin hoping the tea will be strong enough when infused cold. It's a sound plan but you've been waiting for days! You had time to experiment! He's Ta'veren, I guess.

And Seonid adding on to the list of badass Aes Sedai. A trouper!

At least Perrin has more sense than Mat keeping the Aes Sedai and Seanchan apart. Respect to Annoura for broadcasting "fuck you, with feelings" vibes toward Tylee while the woman talks unchallenged about enslaving more people. I'd have bitten her.

Again, screw Perrin for making the personal sacrifice of letting Seanchan enslave people if it means saving Faile. He's this close to jumping the shark for me. 

The ripples are so unsettling, I love it.

Seeing Rand donning his best garbs to impress the Seanchan... Moiraine would be proud.

I feel so bad for Rand. There was a time Min was a genuine source of comfort and now she's frankly overbearing and treats him like a child.

Oooooh, I thought the trap was set by Tuon's sister and was not expecting Semirhage at all! Also, Rand lost his hand? Wth?!?

So, tattoos can be restored through healing? I am not taking any notes here, none at all.

Semirhage revealing Rand's voices to everyone will not help his standing at all. Thankfully, Asha'man and Aes Sedai are getting closer which means more trust for him from these two groups.

"I am Cadsuane Melaidhrin. I look forward to long talks with you." - she's so hardcore.

Well, now he's aware the Seanchan have male a'dam, thank the Light. He'll be more careful.

Frankly, the way Mat treats Teslyn and Tuon as a "both sides" issue is so off-putting. One is literally trying to enslave the other.

I get such satisfaction from seeing Mat impress Tuon and Teslyn with his military tactics. Also, I love it when the plan succeeds thanks to collaboration.

As evident as Galina's treachery was, the escapees encouraging Morgase to channel was lovely. I’m curious about how Morgase wasn’t affected by the tea, but perhaps they drink from a different source as servants?

I don't like the Asha'man being overworked and exhausted. They should unionise.

What is so frustrating about Galina's obvious trap is that the main characters are constantly suspicious of Aes Sedai EXCEPT when they should be.

And Perrin and Faile are back together! At last! I do appreciate that Faile would have gotten herself out without Perrin, even if it failed toward the end.

Did Morgase faint because of the tea in the water or because she overdrew the One Power?

Perrin wanting to execute Galina on the spot, leaving all the Shaido Wise Ones in slavery... I feel sick. I genuinely hate him right now. I am glad he feels what the Seanchan do is disgraceful; it will be a great comfort to the people they captured.

I am so tired of people stripping their prisoners, so tired.

At Last the Shaido are leaving. I feel a little sorry for Galina: being trialled and executed would have been a mercy compared to what she will experience at the hands of Therava.

I won't comment on the expedition to High Moon Street because that was so foolish it left me speechless. That was even more clownish than the Far Madding outing. 

Adeleas went to the Moiraine stabbing school of dealing with DF which I salute.

They cut down oaks hundreds of years old to make gateway grounds? Are we in Isengard?

Siuan and Egwene behave far more like adults sisters than Birgitte and Elayne: these two are like a much older sibling having to look after her disaster teenage sister.

A Birgitte POV chapter! What a delight! Like Berelain, she really is the MVP. Also Dyelin. Yes, I still ship them.

I love seeing her perspective on losing her memories. It makes her friendship with Mat of the 100 lives all the more touching.

Elayne's capture, the mercenaries, Arymilla's attack feel like such a waste: the bloodbath is a direct consequence of Elayne's recklessness. It's immensely frustrating because it's the same mistake made during the BA hunt back in book 2 to 5 except this time she’s a leader so her people die. She should know better.

The ending of the Caemlyn siege and succession felt rather rushed? Everything happened all at once and so suddenly after books of dawdling as if Elayne was ta'veren. Which she probably is tbh. I didn't enjoy this arc as much as Egwene’s or Rand's political intrigues so I'm glad it's done and she’s Queen at last. It was a fun concept, but I’m not sure about the execution.

Karede tracking Tuon and the marriage were rather cute. It might be one of the most well-developed romance in the books, oddly. I appreciate that Mat has been defeating the Seanchan for weeks now, so his leniency with Tuon is somewhat mitigated.

I get the Aludra hype now. I love a good resistance fighter and she is amazing.

"I think,” Joline said slowly. “Yes, I feel in danger, now." - The Aes Sedai are so funny.

That last battle was well set-up with a nice use of external POV and the humour in Mat's chapters is always a pleasure. His reluctance, about being a hero, a general, a husband, makes him really endearing too. He's very Nynaeve-like in his begrudging devotion. I just wish Mat wasn’t so at ease with the Seanchan.

How very Suroth of Suroth to be caught by Tuon in the epilogue though.

Pevara is extremely brave, extremely confident and extremely naïve to walk into the Black Tower like that.

As strongly as the book started, the ending wasn't as powerful as it could have been in my opinion. I would have preferred to end on Rand or Egwene whose final chapters felt more explosive. The Perrin, Elayne and even Mat plot conclusions felt a little like ticking boxes on a check list. They would have wowed me more had the plotlines not been stretched over several books. For example, LoC was very slow, but the conclusion at Dumai’s Well made it worth it for me.

It was still enjoyable and the Egwene chapters were some of the best I’ve read in a while, but we spent so much time on arcs with a foregone conclusion that at the end I didn't even care anymore.

And Nyn’s arc is still MIA. I thought that for a moment she would get something to do in the long run with Lan's ride but nope. She is shadowing Rand, but Cads is doing most of the counselling so far, and I don’t see the books introducing the kind of juicy conflict we got between Rand and Moiraine, if only because it would be repetitive. She also deserves to have an actual plotline that is about her character like Egwene and Elayne and not helping Rand.

I would be remiss in not mentioning this was RJ's last full book: when I started this journey, I wasn't particularly fond of his writing style, but I grew to enjoy his voice. I will miss his quasi photographic descriptions and impressionistic battles.

[alusniper]

I just wanted to how u were doing?

And how the next chapter of Wardtale was going (very excited for this chapter btw. Esp. given the sneak peeks we have gotten of it so far)?

(Honestly. Wardtale is just so great and interesting in general. Like; I love Sans being a former military general. Now newspaper delivery person, is that right? Idk, I just love that kind of past live(s) and/or multiple side stuff when it comes to Sans. Plus; I am suck for science stuff, military, spy, tactician, or assassin, etc. stuff for Sans. Think ur series, or the amazing Timetale. With one of the best Sans and Alphys and Sans and Alphys relationships I have ever seen. Or think The Golden Quiche series. Or TLD series, by the same person who did TGQ, and is a really great and unique DustTale take. So I love that for ur Sans. Alphys' and more cold (if I am remembering correctly) role in WT is very interesting too! And it is interesting that Sans hates her. I wonder what Alphys thinks and/or feels about Sans. Ur Frisk take and design is great too! Tbh; u are just so good at designs in general.

Also, I love the sprite game art style kind of thing that Wardtale has! It is so different and unique. And it gives me the vibes of sprite comics, which, I wish say more of, esp. ongoing and/or completed ones in the fandom(s). Though, the ones we have are great. But still different, and very developed. Anyways, I am very excited (though also sad, but also happy the series is going to be getting closure) for the next chapter and the last 2 (I think) chapters in the Wardtale. And I am very interested to hopefully still see ur take on Wardhorror. I love horror and/or horrortale takes. And I already love ur takes on Sans and Aliza for example.)

Or about the next part and/or chapter of The Ebott Books is going if u are working on that instead?

(Loving this so far too. I love ur sprite video series for Wardtale, but ur comics are so well done too! And it helps even more to give each series a really unique feel to it. Loving the kind of fairy tale elements, designs, and curses in this! It is all very interesting. Sans, Paps, Frisk's, and I think Asgore was in this and had a cool design, all look awesome and cool and cute and stuff.

Though, I won't lie, seeing Paps more mainly in blue, and Sans mainly more in a brown-ish color; even though they both look great, kind of threw me off. '^^ Because, I more connect blue to Sans. At least usually. Or like, they both have blue clothes and stuff; like in some Outertale versions. Like, The Ebott Books Paps is not the only blue Paps I have seen. There is also CP from Under/Source. But like, blue just works for me w/ CP (not that it doesn't ur Paps) and doesn't throw me off as much for some reason. Maybe because also, a couple of the main Sanses and characters are mainly purple and blue (so still one blue, and another cool color. Plus; I just like purple on Sans). So maybe that helps in me not getting as thrown off.

Last thing: About ur " • S A N S ' S • • F A M I L Y•"

Post:

That post and art was really cool and interesting. I would have loved to see it in the series proper or maybe some kind of side video or something, because idk, I just find it cool and interesting. And exploring Sans, Paps, Gaster, and skelemom a bit more as a family sounds cool. And I like seeing people different takes on the skelebrothers family. But I get why u decided u can't. If u ever do post more and/or etc.; I will defin. be interested though.

Also, I know it is because you don't want to show the Mom (which, honestly, I wouldn't minded seeing ur take on Skelemom. I like seeing more takes on Sans' and/or Paps' parent(s), and we know more of that in the fandom(s) imo. Like, there is Timetale, Reminiscence, The Golden Quiche (and kinda The Lone Defender), etc. have good takes on the skeleparent(s). As a few examples), but the way u have ur part of the picture missing and/or ripped is quite ominous and mysterious.

If don't know or don't want to answer about how stuff is going with Wardtale or The Ebott Books and/or etc; I would totally understand and get it!

Wowwww this the great ask I received :>

• (this makes me happy) Thank you for liking sans' relationships and him being a former general who gave up his life to be a newspaper delivery boy, I always liked watching documentaries and I did well at school when they were about revolutions and wars. Alphys doesn't hate but doesn't like Sans either, she supports him more because of Papyrus and Gaster (even though Gaster sees Sans as a soldier rather than a son and Papyrus for having fought with Sans but still cares a lot about him) The only common thing they have in common is that they think that humans should be left alone and that they don't transmit the virus to monsters, but they have totally opposite ways of solving this problem.

Sans is also jealous that Papyrus admires Alphys and listens to her more than Sans, after Sans arranged for Papyrus to join Asgore's army and try to place him in an important position.

• Yes, after Wardtale ends I want to do two ideas that popped into my head (which won't be canonical in the story) but after it's over I'm going to do some drawings of Au, either events that happened in the series or from each Monsters past.

• ebott books I left on hiatus because I want to focus on finishing wardtale and war fragment (an old sonic comic of mine with the main couple from infinite x gadget) on Wattpad since both are not long before they are finished.

• The idea was for Papyrus to be white or black, but it didn't work very well (because they are both inspired by wild wolves) so I thought about putting a gray color but it looked quite dead, then finally I decided to put a more bluish gray color since the Au's colors are shades of blue and white to represent ice (yes, I confess that it's not every day that there's a papyrus with blue that reminds me of a sans lol)

• I can even show more of the past two two (there's a part ready about this that I haven't posted yet) and also if I have space I'll put more of Alphys' past or at least mention about their and Alphys' childhood and more about the asriel and sans relationship

• At first I thought about Sans and Papyrus's mother being a parody or something funny like featuring Temmy or another character (maybe an NPC that no one knows the existence or importance of) but since Wardtale took a more serious path I thought about what she could be like or who she could be, so I thought the fans could interpret what her face would look like... BUT I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT OF DESIGNING THE DRESS BECAUSE I LOVE DESIGNING DRESSES.

No problem, I'm happy that you love the series a lot, I'm still doing Wardtale, but due to the accident that caused my cell phone to die and me losing a lot of things, it made me feel discouraged, but thanks to my girlfriend, my sister and some fans encouraging me to continue little by little I came back and I'm redoing some sprites that I had lost

[jesuisgourde]

There just isn’t a good place for me to put it in this WT writeup but I wish SO BAD that I could include some discussion of RD Laing’s theories and thoughts on mental illness and treatment.

The reason I even know about RD Laing is because Richey wrote a quote from one of Laing’s books (The Divided Self) on the leg of his trousers and I spent a good amount of time attempting to decipher the scrawl (only visible in one singular photo) enough to figure out its source and then I bought and read the book once I figured it out.

But one of Laing’s major ideas in the book Richey was quoting from is that when a psychiatrist treats a patient they should be treating that patient as though the patient’s experiences are real. Like his whole thing is basically “You as a psychiatrist might know the delusion is a delusion or the subject of paranoia isn’t real etc etc, but it’s real for the patient and so you have to work with them to find a solution to their problem as though it’s totally real” etc. That’s a really terrible summary (especially as it’s been a few years since I last read the book in full) but that’s kind of the gist of at least some of his ideas.

And the authors of this stupid book spend quite a bit of time insinuating and/or outright saying that maybe Richey faked his mental illness and manipulated everyone around him into thinking he had all these problems just so that they would remember him and write books and shit about him and he’d have a whole like myth behind him or whatever. (Which is wild on its own but also....if you’re cutting yourself so deeply you need stitches multiple times and starving yourself and acting super erratic just to manipulate your loved ones then uhhh you’ve definitely got some other mental health issue going on.)

And they also use this other anthropologist guy’s theory about how every person’s reason to live and continue living is to try and become immortal by leaving behind some sort of mark on the world that will last for a long time, blah blah. Which is fine, there’s probably a level of truth to that. But first of all, they claim Richey’s disappearance was what he wanted to leave behind, and not his art, which is bizarre. But also it’s interesting to compare Becker’s theory about depressed people with Laing’s theories and observations about depression because like they’re exactly opposite each other. Becker’s theory is that depressed people are depressed because they’re desperate to leave that mark on the world but feel like their “immortality project” is failing because of their own inevitable decay and so become totally paralyzed and unable to do anything. Basically, Becker blames the depressed person for their own depression and feelings of failure. Whereas Laing talks about how depressed people will “detach” from their bodies because they’re completely overwhelmed by reality and the outside world, so that they essentially dissociate for their own protection, except that it means everything outside their own head feels false and meaningless and therefore becomes even more overwhelming.

I’m probably going to write a separate post comparing the two and stuff like that but it’s just weird to know what sort of psychology theories Richey seemed to connect with compared to the theories these authors are using.

[nickgerlich]

Something To Chat About

It was November 2022, and the academic world was in store for a shocker, something that would send us into a worrisome orbit. You know. The kind of thing that causes hallway discussion and fear mongering, department and college meetings, and sleepless nights. It was a lot like what happened with the arrival of online classes, because…you know…change. The same thing occurred with handheld calculators back in the 1970s, and math teachers feared the apocalypse.

Except that this change was different. It was the announcement of ChatGPT from OpenAI, and as we educators are so wont to do, we thought the end was indeed near. After all, students would never need to actually write anything anymore. One good query and the click of a button, and—voilà!—instant essay, research paper, or exam response.

It’s just that we probably didn’t stop long enough to actually think about it. Well, until we here at WT formed a blue ribbon committee over the summer to figure out how we were going to respond. I think by then the powers that be realized that the genie was out of the bottle, and there was no putting it back in. We had better figure out how we were going to deal with it.

The result was faculty being allowed to choose exactly how much (or how little) AI they would allow. Our Syllabus template gave us three options for the AI statement (You really should read the Syllabus all the way to the end. I bet you will now. In fact, please go look at the one for this course. I’ll wait.)

Turns out I am good with it, as long as you make proper attributions. Use it as a starting point, a guide, but not a finished product as it stands. It’s a search engine, so think of it as such. Since I happen to like calculators and teaching online—and change in general—last semester I supplemented my written lectures with a second one created entirely by ChatGPT, using the prompts I had written that contained all the key words I had included in my own material. I wanted to see, as well as wanted students to see, the differences and similarities.

I was far more verbose and detailed, while ChatGPT was brief, to the point, and in the shallow end of the pool.

I suspect every university has had similar such discussions, and now we see Arizona State University is the first institution of higher learning to sign on for ChatGPT Enterprise, thereby giving everyone on campus access to a much faster ChatGPT with no usage limits. In other words, bring your calculators to class, kids! It’s OK!

Just like calculators and online classes did not end education as we know it, neither will AI. It is a tool that we all must learn how to use, and not regulate haphazardly in a knee-jerk reaction. It’s not going away, and we must all know how to use it for good.

Sure, there will always be those who choose to push limits and even use it for evil. I suspect it won’t be long before a desperate junior faculty member enlists ChatGPT to write a research paper to be submitted to an academic journal. It’s no different from professors fabricating data in hopes that their “findings” might similarly attract the interest of a journal.

One question that remains is who owns the outputs of ChatGPT. Does OpenAI own them? Is it copyrighted material, and should be handled as such? Technically, I would side with OpenAI on this, but then again, it is scouring the web, compiling sources, and then creating text from that. As for students and profs alike, plagiarism is plagiarism, too, so don’t be tempted to just copy/paste with reckless abandon.

And what of works of art, such as images, lyrics, and music? The same applies, because even if ChatGPT is creating from scratch, it is still creating. We just get to use it.

There is one big drawback of ChatGPT, though, and that it is limited to information gathered from the web up through 2021 only. Anything more recent is not happening. This gives academics some breathing room, because challenging group exam questions—hint, hint—could be based on very recent events, thus requiring original thought.

I also have some novel ideas for how to use ChatGPT or AI in general in my research. While ChatGPT cannot access the web, other AI platforms can. Now imagine me creating an online survey that seeks to measure personal evaluations of economic or social policy. I could instruct the AI platform to access this survey on my Qualtrics account, and repeatedly ask it to complete the survey.

Now imagine if I tell it to take the survey, but from a conservative viewpoint. Or liberal. It would be very interesting to compare and contrast the data and crunch the hell out of it. Why, I bet a media outlet could get exactly the results it wanted to broadcast by doing something like this. Something for me to think about, as well as all of us.

Meanwhile, here we are early into 2024, and already ChatGPT has become as common as COVID was in 2020, except that ChatGPT is not a virus. Some folks treated it as such, though. No, it is the Next Big Thing come home to roost, and in spite of my incorrectly guessing it would be Time Magazine’s Person of the Year last year, it is truly the elephant in the living room. We cannot ignore it.

Instead, we must welcome it and get to know it.

Dr “Query This” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[araiz-zaria]

Spotted in Uncle Billy's hometown 😏😎☕🔥✨

(also I am sure that he would like just that kind of blend for his own cup of coffee 😏)

[softshouyous-archive]

TODAY’S EPISODE REALLY FUCKED ME UP LADIES

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. Pretty much every LO critic is also Anti PJO lmao. Just because PJO fans also dislike LO doesn't mean its critics do too.

2. the creator of covenant literally went viral several times over her dynamic takes on harley quinn and poison ivy to where several big name media sources were praising it and saying DC should pick them for their own and yet DC would rather use their WT partnership to give RS a one shot to shit on the gods once again that was so insignificant even the DC wiki doesn't link to it, despite them doing it for every modern comic issue and anthology they have. someone make it make sense.

3. i just love RS' comment of she'd NEVER do a Norse mythology comic because it's "too popular". ya know, because when you think of unknown mythology you think GREEK MYTHOLOGY. she probably instead knows she doesnt have a popular ship in it to force her weird cishet fantasies onto so that's why she wouldn't touch it (though at the very least Baldur/Hel is a far more interesting dynamic with a looser mythology to make up whatever you want than than HxP does, but why would RS know that?)

4. I do not get why LO has SO MANY characters in it. I was looking at a tier list for it and it had over as 100 different characters (not that you could tell, some of them are copy pasted faces) but seriously, why do they need SO many? Even just limiting it to only the characters in the hymn + the olympians it would only be about maybe 20 characters, which is more than enough, yet Rachel keeps adding more and more, which ironically end up taking away from time that should be used for HxP!

5. superman is probably the only character that is required to have a massive barrel chest but of course rachel doesn't give him that for??? reasons?? and wonder woman is another doe eyed skinny teenager?? im not even touching "circe" thats literally just her friend from art school and im not joking you can check her twitter and see theyre exactly the same. how uncreative is this woman.

6. "why doesnt rachel do LO in black and white? it'd look so much better!" because she can't design characters to save her life so she needs the colors to tell anyone apart, that's why. go on, turn your laptop or phone's color to black and white and pull up a random LO episode and try and tell anyone apart when the colors are gone and see how it goes. I promise you it wouldn't be a fun exercise.

7. TBH I would be totally cool with Eris as Zeus and Hera's daughter in LO if it weren't for the fact she's randomly designed EXACTLY like Nyx is?? Like you can get where she's going with the designs then just yanks the wheel in a random direction and thinks she's clever for it. I don't get it??

8. I get it's a Webtoon thing to have the men be all muscled but the LO men just look uncomfortable, you know what I mean? Their bodies are way too big for their heads (where are my lanky and chubby kings) and I don't see how it's supposed to be attractive. I get the same way with the women being cartoonishly hourglass shaped with their backs broken into an S. It's like RS is trying to be "sexy" but is doing in a way that it looks like satire of oversexualization, but it's supposed to be serious 💀

9. do LO fans want us to critique PJO too? Because I know I certainly have a lot to say about it. Where to start, the racism? Making the Greek gods reject Greece for America? The cringey humor? Framing Ares as wrong for defending his daughter from sexual assault? The list goes on. If anything LO fans should love PJO, it has many of the same issues it does too that they love to defend.

10. WHY ARE THE LO BOOK COVERS ONLY GETTING MORE BORING I DONT GET IT

[frostedpuffs]

Tbh I havent read ur fics cuz I havent been into mlb for several years now but the fact that ur writing in the first place? And r so invested in it to the point that ur sharing it and making ur own art for it? Very admirable and a sign of u being a cool, creative, and passionate person. Its always a delight to see ur content, regardless of my own interest in the source material

OHH THIS IS SO NICE WT F... thank you so much oh my goodness 😭💖

YOU are a delight anon!!! thank you!!!! this ask made me smile so i appreciate it! i am so deeply invested in my own writing that it's genuinely very enjoyable to create whether ppl like it or not, i DO!! so i am glad that comes across <333

give me an assumption you have about me based off of my fanfic

[ji-yeon-woo]

Good morning, Sunshine! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡ 

Last night, I was distraught at the news. You're my source of happiness. Without you, it would never be the same. However, I'm hopeful. I'm optimistic that one day, you will come back. You're the best, Taehoon. No one can replace you in my heart.

Now, I want to present to you my answers.

1. How is the spirit of martial arts applied to Taekwondo?

Taekwondo is roughly translated as "the way of the trampling fist" or "the art of punching and kicking." As an unarmed martial art, Taekwondo is cultivated from the traditional taekkyeon and Karate to serve as self-defence, actual combat (e.g. war) and personal development. A Taekwondoin upholds the moral standards of a martial artist and follows the Five Taekwondo Tenets.

2. How would you use Taekwondo when you achieved a black belt?

Achieving a black belt means I didn't give up training at the start. Sosai Oyama said, "One becomes a beginner after 1000 days of training. One becomes a master after 10,000 days of practice." Hence, a black-belt student is merely a beginner. There are many things to learn, even when you achieve high ranks. I would develop my Taekwondo further, and I would not stop until my body could no longer train. A black-belt student holds the power to help and harm; it's imperative to maximise the help and minimise the harm.

3. What are most important things to consider in Taekwondo sparring?

Safety, respect and honour are of utmost importance in sparring. WT-styled Taekwondo has a set of rules to avoid permanent injuries and fatalities. You are respecting your sparring partner by knowing when to stop, being careful with others' limitations and disabilities, treating others with kindness. You are honouring the art by applying what you learnt and upholding the traditional values of a true martial artist.

4. Stances, blocks, kicks, strikes and punches, which is/are the most essential for beginners to grasp?

A Karateka like me would say, all of them are important. They are the foundation of martial arts such as Taekwondo, Karate and Kung Fu. The order to learn, I believe, is similar to Karate. We start with stances, punches, blocks, strikes and kicks. It may be different in Taekwondo.  

5. What do you think of this quote? Support the answer with your knowledge and experience.

“To help others to develop and succeed in life is a reward itself and only has value when nothing is expected in return.” - Choi Hong Hi

When I read his quote, "selflessness" appeared in my mind. In martial art, the notion of "self" is destructive.

For example, when I put myself first in a spar, I get lost in self-consciousness and overanalyse my moves towards my opponent. When I put the self away, I become fearless. I observe people like how I see myself. The fifth tenet, "indomitable spirit" in Taekwondo, fits this concept.

I'm not an instructor like you, Taehoon. I only tutor a few students but seeing the smiles on their faces is one of the best feelings in the world.    

[corkcitylibraries]

Cork History | National Heritage Week 2021

by Richard Forrest

As part of National Heritage Week 2021, we take a look back at some of the more interesting history stories discovered by Cork City Libraries’ Local Studies department.

The Botany of the Bohereens

Cork polymath, Richard Dowden, fell very sick to fever at the time of the Great Famine. During a slow recovery he eventually felt up to walks in the countryside near the city. During these he found he had leisure and energy enough for botanical exploration, one of his many diverse interests. This eventually resulted in the publication in 1852 of his “Walks After Wildflowers”, subtitled “The Botany of the Bohereens”. Richard prefaced his “botanical chit-chat” with the beautiful illustration you see here. But who was responsible for it? Well, it was a mystery lady whose name we at Local Studies would love to discover. Richard simply tells us that he had a kind lady friend “to thank for the pretty and tasteful illustrative vignette which ushers in these pages but I may not give her name, dear reader, without hurting her modest secrecy”.

Diddledum Club

Admit it! You’ve always wanted to know what a Diddledum Club was. A folk music band? An Alice in Wonderland Appreciation Society? Well, neither. Local Studies can now assuage your curiosity. A Diddledum Club was simply a savings club in times when money was scarce. Their heyday was before the foundation of the national Credit Union movement and they were especially popular in the run up to Christmas. Indeed, the Yuletide Diddledum Club was the most common variant. Usually a neighbourly-minded individual got the ball rolling by collecting penny subscriptions and handling the paperwork, before releasing funds back to the payees for a spending bonanza. Unfortunately, embezzling opportunities sometimes proved tempting and in 1938, a fowl plucker for a city centre firm was charged with fraudulently converting sums entrusted to her by her colleagues. The court decided she was more of a “muddler” than anything else and had gotten all mixed up. Although witnesses did say she was down in Crosshaven in August (living the high life?) Anxious to defer prison, His Lordship described the accused as “an old woman, a grandmother and not in the best of health”. In a similar case, a defendant was admonished for leaving her clients vainly calling out, “Alice, where art thou?” for their money. Maybe there is a Wonderland connection after all.

The Victoria Hospital – a Snapshot from 1921

This largely charitable hospital on Infirmary Road was established in 1874. One hundred years ago, it had 50 beds and treated 391 internal patients and 2,005 external. It began 1921 £80 in debit but reduced this to £28 by the close of the year. Here we see a photograph of a salubrious looking Children’s Ward. Note the rocking horse and the large toy cow! The Hospital Council had a fair representation of Sirs, Colonels, Ladies and even a Countess in 1921. The Tabitha Guild supplied most of the wants of the children’s wards, including 70 garments and £8 5s. 6d. for further purchases. The Annual Report 1921 has a nice informal tone. It mentions that £32 was spent on the installation of electric radiators and that the absence of floor covering on an upper floor was a source of considerable noise to those below. That problem was addressed with less expenses than expected. Now, time to have a hunt through our collections at Local Studies to see if we can find a photo of a children’s ward in the North Infirmary in 1921.

A Case of What Might Have Been!

Here is one proposal that was mooted when Cork was searching for a downstream crossing of the River Lee. The City was frantically looking for ways to ease traffic congestion and stimulate economic growth and our picture is from a report by a firm of consulting engineers drafted in 1980. The eventual outcome was, of course, the Jack Lynch Tunnel. Just as well, walks along the Marina wouldn’t have been half so pleasant. The Library’s Local Studies department will bring you more of these alternative futures in the near …. future!

John Fitzgerald’s Diary 1793

John Fitzgerald, teacher and convivialist lived on Drawbridge Street (behind today’s Easons) in the 1790s. He had an insatiable curiosity for events both local and international and has left us with an evocative record of his life and times. Here’s what was occupying John’s thoughts this week all of 238 years ago: July 7th: Drank a share of 12 pots of porter at Cotter’s. Paid John Connell, the barber, 2s. 6d. July 8th: A fine warm day. Commencement of the new moon. Bandon races began. Old potatoes 11 d. per wt. and coal 7s. a barrel. John Hely Hutchinson, our M.P., and Sir William Clarke, our Sheriff, are both now fighting in the entrenchments at Vallenciennes. July 9th: Beautiful weather. Met Dr. Orpen on Wandesford Bridge and he told me to walk as little as I could. July 10th: Fine and warm. 500 recruits from Dungannon arrived at Cork for embarkation. Frigates and transports at Cove to take away the 58th and 63rd Regiments. The journeymen bakers striking. July 11th: Three troops of horse came from Bandon to quell the rioters in Limerick. They stayed but an hour to refresh. July 12th: At break of day there were tremendous claps of thunder and heavy rain. Several flashes of lightning. Mr. Sandiford was buried. July 13th: Gloomy sky, slight rain and close. Patty Chamberlain’s gown was stolen. Took mutton broth for my dinner. Drank three tods at Bat Murphy’s with John Baily and Jack Conway.

The Fingerpost

A fingerpost is a traditional signpost consisting of one or more ‘fingers’. Erected in cast iron or wood, the poles were painted black or white and the fingers had black lettering on a white background. It is thought that the oldest in existence is in England and dates back to 1669. It points to Oxford, Warwick, 'Gloster' and 'Woster'. Recommendations from 1921 advised 21⁄2 or 3 inch high upper case lettering and, from 1933, that poles be of alternating black and white bands. Mileage is typically measured to the nearest quarter mile although fifths and eighths of a mile were used in parts of Scotland. Cork’s fine fingerpost example at Douglas shews the city 2 ¾ miles, Passage 4 ½ and Carrigaline 5 ½. A major review of road signage in Ireland was carried out in 1977.Just how old is our Douglas landmark? Well, for a century or more, the post served as the meeting point for the South Union Hunt. Mind, they would look lost on their horses on today’s modern roundabout! A Grand Jury presentment dating from 1845 tells us that road repairs was under way between “the gate of the Douglas Lunatic Asylum and the finger post”. Further back again, the old ballad has it that one of the brave 1798 men, Phil Carty, was tracked when slipping home “to old Donnybrook” and “his bosom bled from the cruel lead, of a well-aimed musket ball”. After that, his body was hung from “the Finger Post, where walks his ghost, that they made his gallows tree”. Though still standing proud and prominent, perhaps the post has already, in fact, gone the way of Phil’s ghost. The current occupant of the historic spot is a metal recreation from 2004!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for further Cork related treats from the nooks and crannies of the Local Studies department.

[steelandcotton]

Tibetan Short Sword and Scabbard                                                                     18th–19th century

Date:                    18th–19th century                            

Medium:                Iron, gold, turquoise, coral, leather, wood                

Dimensions: L. with scabbard 27 1/2 in. (69.9 cm); L. of blade 19 7/8 in. (50.5 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm); Wt. with scabbard 2 lb. 0.8 oz. (929.9 g)                

Classification:         Swords                

Credit Line:                    Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935                

Accession Number:                    36.25.1466a, b 

Source:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27783?fbclid=IwAR3LFkZ0R73zXYyQt2l58qt-RsiCAe4U-pyu9GJ9Npyrg00k1KtgXycq1VA  

[harveywritings92]

Arno x reincarnated!Reader

The following is a non profit fan based story Assassin's creed belongs to Ubisoft please support the official release.

_

I gain no profit from this nor do I own anything other then OCs  and whatever sprouts from my imagination. Thanks for reading!

[Y/n always knew she was different growing up, but being the reincarnation of a Templar and the lover of a master Assassin who lived during the french revolution, and somehow warping back to said time well that just takes the cake.]

[Year 20xx.] 

Elise De la Serre was dead, very dead that much was for sure however the universe likes throw curve balls. Example? Oh I dunno..Like reaching down in the well of souls and bring miss De La Serre back into a newborn baby girl name Y/n L/n. 

The former templar was terrified when she first opened her eyes and saw bright lights, unknown machines that made a god awful beeping noise! "What is it?...A Girl?" A new voice causing her eyes to search around frantically as a masked man came into view his e/c eyes shined warmly at her confusing Elise, Who was this man?

 "*laugh* Oh, hear that M/n We have a daughter!..Hi there sweetie! I'm your daddy."Her daddy?! Impossible! This man was not her father! she went to protest this only to be stunned when a baby's wail left her mouth causing the man to chuckle and as a woman's voice happily chime "Oh a daughter? I'm so happy we have a little girl..." 

The woman voice was breathless and oddly comforting before that infernal beeping starting Elise started crying as M/n's voice started panicking "F--F/n?" she wheezed as F/n handed the new born off to a masked as he and the other people in the bright room tried to help the poor woman.

It would seen Elise was not meant to know her mother in this life either, M/n name didn't make it apparently she had a heart condition, and knew the risks of having children would cost her. but that didn't matter to her, she wanted a baby. 

F/n was wreck for the first couple weeks his colleagues would tend to Elise or rather Y/n as she was now known as; It wasn't a bad name or anything it just felt odd...And she was still trying understand this world and where she fit into it?

It's obvious something awful must've happened because sometimes when one of her "Aunts took her out; Elise could see destroyed landmarks and nature slowly taking back the streets of {Y/city}... 

Soon a year had passed F/n had come around and was starting to raise his daughter himself and Elise's consciousness started to fade slowly being taken over by Y/n's. but that doesn't mean Elise was completely gone! some of her traits shone through the girl through the years.

When Y/n started school, she somehow knew more about history and the arts, and took up french, aced that with flying colors despite never speaking the language, ( She always knew how to speak french, But had no idea why? So, she pretended she was a newbie to the language); and when she was 12 she took up Fencing had a real flare for it and was even captain of the school's team for a while...

But those were the positives... the negatives were the dreams! Those legitimately scared Y/n because they feel  so real,and during those dreams she's still herself...but at the same time she's someone else, and they often revolve around a boy or a man ...Arno, He always looked so broken when ever she saw him in her visions...It made her want to slap and talk some sense into who ever was causing him pain! But, sad to say it was her causing him that pain...or at least she thinks it was her?

He calls her Elise..But that's not the y/hc's name. Y/n would often wake up crying or screaming at the end of those dreams; scaring her dad half to death! he would rushing into her room holding a hammer, looking around frantically for what was hurting his daughter? after seeing nothing, he would calm her down and coax her into telling her what happened? Y/n would apologize and say it was a bad dream.

Then came her nineteenth birthday Y/n brows furrowed as she was awoken a four in the fricking morning?! she sighed grumbling about being right there passing her dad's room the door was opened and his bed was undisturbed... Did he pull another all nighter in his lab? the y/ht yawned as un-bothered by this it wouldn't be the first time her old man the whole night down there.

"I'll bring down his cereal and coffee later..." she mumbled as she went down the stairs to front door she undid the chain and was confused to find Dr. Kit standing on their front porch...Odd Y/n knows that Kit and her father aren't exactly on speaking terms.

"Dr. Kit, what are you doing here?"

"Look, I'm gonna keep this short sweetheart cuz' i know yer dad and I don't get along."

"Wha-"

"It's starts tonight."

“What starts tonight?!” Y/n demanded flabbergasted, but Kit had already thrown their hoodie up and took off into the night. Leaving a confused birthday girl standing on her porch, Y/n blinked and went back inside before heading downstairs to her dad's lab she knocked on the basement door once, walked down the stairs while running a hand through her hair. "Hey dad, Kit was here, and they were acting weird and..." The y/wt girl finally looked and saw her dad's lab empty? "Dad?" she called out confused as she surveyed the dark spake the only light source being a blank computer screen...

Y/n's heart started to speed up. "Daddy?" She called out again more awake now, Maybe he's in the laundry room? she reasoned and went to check only to hiss in pain the second she step foot on the basement floor.

Y/n grabbed the little cord for the lights and turned them on, the pain in her foot; which turned out to be broken glass, was all but for gotten she saw the state of her father's lab it was trashed! The cellar door was busted open and it looked like whoever trash was looking for something as all the drawers and containers were ripped open and rummaged through, then she saw blood not her blood.

Y/n swallowed still ignoring the pain in her foot went to check the laundry room where the trail ended or began? She certainly hoped it was the second one... The y/hc sighed in relief when she swung the laundry door open to find no dead dad...but her over packed duffle bag stuffed into the dryer, Her cell phone went off in her bag reminding her it was her birthday...

Why was her phone in... "Right dad wanted to take me camping today, he always made sure everything was packed" she took the bag out of the dryer and saw a small box fall out of it, her brows furrowed as she opened the box to find a bracelet? 

Along a small note from her father saying [I'm sorry Y/n please protect this, get it to the sanctuary in [other town]-Dad] That certainly doesn't explain what happening? Surely this little gold band isn't the reason behind all this?! Y/n took the bracelet from the box and put it on her right wrist, as soon as the metal made contact with her skin a flash lit up the entire room temporarily blinding the confused girl.

When the light died down, Y/n cautiously looked down at the little gold band unnerved, and tried to pull herself of the floor when she felt like the air was suddenly knocked out of her, Y/n remembered grabbing the straps of her duffle bag before everything went black...