#that took a lot out of me

[knightsheart-if]

oscar short story #1

He remembers the day they met so clearly. It was the day of the celebration of the Earth and the kingdoms of Vol and Fenia had reunited in pseudo peace. No fighting, no death, only a week of drinking and contests. It was his first time attending…well, as crown prince that is. Back when he lived on the streets of Irilem, Oscar lived for the moments where the streets would be set a light and flowers bloomed from the windows of every house in every neighbourhood. From the pretentiously rich mansions that loom over the docks to the broken down huts that lined the alley ways, never was a flower not seen. 

Even though he had lived poorly, he had never felt like an outsider then. He grew up away from the spotlight, unknowingly being a bastard for a major part of his life. In that time, people welcomed and embraced him as their own little troublemaker. He’s never had to worry about losing this feeling of community, until the king claimed him as his own. 

It’s…awkward, being surrounded by people who are either not from his kingdom or those who hadn’t even left Vol castle. There’s a…feeling of coldness, both in the sense that neither the soldiers of Vol or Fenia seem to like each other and that the location everyone was stationed at was numbingly cold. The morning frost stuck to his coat, with droplets slowly reaching the grass below. 

In retrospect, he really shouldn’t have stood under that tree for too long. 

He looked around, taking note of the differences between forces. The Vol soldiers wore chainmail and carried iron shields, while the Fenian Soldiers wore light fabric tunics with ranks differentiated by colour. Both kingdoms banners hung highly over their respective camps, their colours enchanted to stay so vibrant. Musicians had begun to prepare their songs, traders and artisans followed suit with their stalls while knights set up goal posts and games for everyone. 

It’s…somewhat overwhelming. He hid behind his father, his anxiety getting the best of him. His father looked down at him and laughed, his whole body shaking along with him. “You’re made of sturdier stuff Oscar. These guys can’t hurt you.” 

The king looked toward the main Fenian camp and smiled. Oscar had been told to not judge a book by its cover ever since he was young, but…the Fenian royals looked as cold as he’s been told they were. King Dacian’s eyes were cold, in sharp contrast to how he otherwise looked. Roughly waved red hair that shielded his face, his sharp cheekbones made him look like an experienced, if not terrifying, warrior king. 

So naturally, his son only shares his blue, stoic eyes. With short black hair that covers his ears and round cheeks that seem to pop out, he is the mere opposite looking of his father. Yet, they still shared that same detached look. They didn’t want to be here, that much was obvious. 

He shivered as they approached, crawling deeper into his father’s cape. The Fenian king took note and smirked. “Has your son inherited your cowardice, Revis?”

“Everyone would be afraid to look at you, Dacian.”

The two looked at each other intensely, before breaking down into laughter. Despite their two kingdoms constantly fighting, there wasn’t enough bad blood for the two kings to stop their friendship. Seeing them act in such a friendly way made Oscar wonder why they were even fighting in the first place. Maybe it’s an honour thing or something. 

“You should introduce yourself,” his father told him, nudging him towards the other prince. “I’d like for you to get along.” 

King Dacian does the same thing, guiding his son towards him. “It’ll do well to know the next king. Go on.” 

They both moved in sync, face to face. It's intimidating staring at the crown prince of Fenia, but he can’t help but admit that the prince is quite pretty. His eyes in particular were, as observed before, a stunning blue, but…there was something else to them. Something quite otherworldly. He couldn’t help but hesitate when introducing this himself after looking in such eyes.

“‘m…Oscar.” 

He gets stared at for a moment, even more so than before. It’s becoming overwhelming, very quickly. 

“Crown prince Oran of Fenia, blessed by the Mother, kissed by the ocean.”

Oscar remembered that Fenia, unlike Vol, has great reverence for the Gods of Hollas, with the Mother Goddess having a temple in their castle. Things are different in Vol; they have respect for their gods, but they don’t dedicate time to them. When he was living on the streets, he never saw someone pray before. Things changed when he entered the castle, where he met his sister. 

“By the way, you should also introduce yourself using your title, lest people take you for someone lesser.” 

He felt his anger flare at these words, but he respected his fathers words to get along. Even if he had to deal with the insults. “Sorry, hard to use a title I only got last week.” 

“It’s alright,” Oran said, the corner of his lips turning upright, “I can’t expect a tramp to teach their son manners after all.”

This isn’t the first time he’s heard his mother referred to as such. From the guards inside the castle to the maids gossiping in the kitchens, it’s nothing new. Heck, he’s even heard it from his eldest siblings! But he’s never had the power to do anything about them. As painful as it is to hear his mother, his beautiful mother who raised and protected him, being slandered, there was nothing he could do.

Until now. 

His fist left his side and slammed into Oran’s cheek. Oran fell over with a cry, body landing on soft, wet grass. Oscar looked over him, rage filling his eyes. Status be damned, no one would get away with mocking his mother and to an extent, him. 

“Shut up! Shut up…” He cried out, a lot of his energy evaporating from his body. “Say whatever you want about me, but leave her alone. Just leave her alone…”

He couldn’t bear the shame of the kings of Hollas looking at him so he ran, ran into the forest and away from the colourful celebrations and musical fiasco. The deep green carried him in and dragged him into the comforting flora and fauna until he reached a lake. He knelt by the water and looked at himself: red, puffy faced and bruised knuckles. It’s admittedly not a good look for a crown prince. 

The place he landed himself is quite beautiful. A clear pool of water surrounded by budding lilies and calm deer. Trees surrounded the meadow, shying it away from attention, but also complimenting its hidden beauty. His fingertips reached out and brushed against the refreshing touch of the water. 

“It’s nice here, innit?” 

A voice surprised him and he jumped, water splashing in his face. The voice laughed and a figure sat beside him, “Sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t mean to spook ya!”

It turned out to be a boy, around his age with bright, blonde, curly hair and his skin a healthy tan colour. Meanwhile, his eyes were…indescribable. In some lights, they were blue while in others, light pink. Maybe in truth, they were a mix of both. Either way, this boy made him nervous and got his anxiety playing up. He noticed and said, “I should probably introduce myself huh? I’m Coby! Kissed by the ocean!” 

Ah, he’s Fenian. He reached over to Oscar’s hand and gently touched it. A blast of calmness flowed through his body and he exhaled deeply. It felt…relaxing. Like being caressed gently all over by waves of water. Oscar looked at Coby and said, “Thank you, sir.” 

“You don’t have to call me that! We’re the same age, y’know? We should speak on the same terms!” Coby said, looking at Oscar with sparkles. Oscar smiled, feeling more at ease with someone who considers him a true equal, rather than one who looks down at him. This did make him curious about one thing however

“How did you do that?” Oscar asked. Coby hummed and slid off his boots, soaking his feet into the lake. He said, “Do you know what an empath is, Oscar?”

Oscar shaked his head. While magic is quite common in the farmlands and around the docks, it was nothing that involved influencing the mind or body. The most common would be summoning spells, used mostly for contacting demons to do odd jobs and the like. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never met one before you.”

“Well, then you’ll have heard that we can sense emotions! The stronger they are, the more they stand out to us. And like I did before, I can also influence emotions. Sorry about not asking you earlier.” 

Coby looked apologetic, his face looking quite like a puppy. Oscar is easy to forgive because he doesn’t want to lose a new friend when he just made one. Especially one that’s been able to calm his nerves easily. He said, “Nah, you helped me out. I can forgive that.” 

He got a beaming smile in response and it made him nervous, but happy. People around him hesitate to give him any attention, to give him any sort of positive reinforcement. Instead, he gets scolded, yelled at and chased away from a home that was promised to him. He hates it; he wishes he wasn’t a prince, he wishes he could stay as the little dock boy that he grew up as. But reality doesn’t care for what he wants, it doesn’t care about anything that isn’t happening. 

A silence roamed around as Oscar and Coby sat side by side, feet dangling in the water. It’s not an awkward atmosphere; rather, it’s comfortable enough that Oscar was happy enough to wait for Coby to say anything. And he did. “So, where are you from Oscar? If you feel comfortable answering.” 

“Irilem, the big dock city in Vol.” It’s not the biggest city in Vol, but it certainly has the advantage of the sea. Travellers from different continents arrive at the city, offering trading and other cultural exchanges. Nobles also come through that port to get to Vol castle, showing off to everyone who can see. Oscar used to visit the docks just to see them and watch as money and trinkets get stolen away from them. 

Coby’s eyes lit up and said with excitement in his voice, “You lived near the sea?! Oh wow! I live in the Cala islands! It’s not as exciting as Irilem, but we do practise pearl farming! Sometimes we go deep diving and we’re able to meet merfolk! I even saw Goddess Ceti one time! That’s how I got my mantle, y’know? Kissed by the ocean? Isn’t that cool?!”

Oscar’s awed, not just because his new friend met a goddess, but also that someone was so eager to talk to him so energetically. “Really?! Wow, I wish I could go there, but…”

“Huh? But you’re a prince! You can go anywhere!”

“But…aren’t both kingdoms fighting?”

Coby looked at him with confusion. Oscar looked back. 

“Didn’t you know? The kings have decided to end all fighting. We’re at peace now.”

[jasperscringepit]

Being misgendered by family whilst they use my chosen name is wild. I haven't seen my aunt in ages, and it's jarring to be called jasper whilst being aggressively she/her'd.

[laughingcatwrites]

As a reminder that good exists out there, a coworker recently confessed to me that he found out his child is questioning their identity (kid's gender redacted for this post). The kid is keeping it from him, so he can't say anything to them or show that he knows, but he's doing his best to get mentally prepared and educated so that he'll be ready whenever his kid does feel comfortable enough come to him.

For context, this guy is a big, bulky middle aged dude who loves sports and typical outdoor "manly" activities. As his coworker and friend, I know he's a kind and sweet teddy bear of a person, but his kid probably views him as a stern, authoritarian figure, the way most teenagers view their parents. His family lives in a conservative area, so I'm sure between that, their dad's looks and interests, and the fact that their dad is a Figure of Authority, the kid is worried that they won't be accepted.

But you know what? When he found out about his kid, the first thing he did was reach out to his closest queer friend and ask for resources for parents of questioning children. His biggest fears are that his kid will be bullied or discriminated against and won't feel comfortable enough to be themself. His second action was to find himself a mentor in another parent who went the same situation (kid coming out in a conservative town). The other person is preparing him for some of the struggles his kid may face and the fights he may need to take on as a parent to make sure his kid is safe and treated well.

Something I want to emphasize for people focused on language as the primary method of allyship is that when we spoke, he used some outdated terms and thoughts about gender and sexuality. That does not make him bad. These were the terms and thinking used about questioning teenagers when he was growing up and he never needed to learn more current ones. But now that he does have that need, he's throwing himself in head first because that's his kid and he's darn well going to make sure that his kid feels welcomed and has a safe place to be themselves even if they never come out to him.

[nakmor-leigh]

Welp, haven't done that in a while

[devkit]

I don't think I want to make angry stuff anymore... At least not for a while.

[professorcalculusstanaccount]

the most anticipated comic from this blog: White Boy Goes Dancing (follows directly from this)

Everyone's been sending me asks for this! I have a second part to this planned for the future. Watch this space!

[uncanny-tranny]

Little things adults and older people can do to help younger people and children feel included, safe, and respected as an equal individual:

Ask before touching the young person - even for hugs. Ask before you take pictures of them, and let them see photographs of them before they are printed or sent to others (even family).

Apologize when you are wrong

Ask for a young persons thoughts on a subject, then engage with them after they have spoken

Demonstrate behaviour you want to see from them (see: apologizing). Say "excuse me," say "thank you," say "please" to them

Validate their feelings, even if they don't know how to express them just yet

Remember that this is the first time they've been alive, and that you've had way longer to "figure it out"

These are some things I wish other adults remembered when engaging with young folks. We so often forget what childhood felt like and how unfair it all was because we were often awarded freedoms as adults that we never had as children. These kids are equal to adults, and they deserve the same courtesy, respect, kindness, and understanding we give to other adults.

[mienar]

stillness in these waking hours

instagram | shop | commission info

[salamispots]

dream from several days ago

[crunchchute]

My Sam & Max cosplay I debuted at a local con during the weekend!

[nounaarts]

LEAKED SCENE FROM SONIC MOVIE 3 ??

*queue 80’s music*

Here’s all their crimes listed :)

[pommegrantaire]

well, heaven knows

that without you is how i disappear

[little-pondhead]

DP x DC Prompt

…

There are no more heroes.

Well, okay. Rewind a bit.

Danny has been doing the hero thing for a while now. He’s had a big reveal; everyone has accepted him (including his parents), the GIW disbanded, the Anti-Ecto acts repealed, and generally, everything is going great. Some of the A-Listers are even training as junior ghost hunters to help give him a break from his rogues! (Being Ghost King makes things hectic sometimes, and he just needs the extra help. Sue him!)

The point is, literally nothing is wrong with Danny Phantom’s afterlife.

And then Valerie Gray, the Red Huntress, disappears in front of his eyes.

Danny is baffled! She’s just…gone! Valerie just popped out of existence, like she was never there. But no matter how hard he searches in the Ghost Zone, he can’t find her soul anywhere. His core isn't broken in grief. So she’s not dead. Which is good. So then, where is she?

Some of the others come forward with ideas on how to find her. A few ghosts volunteer to go out into the mortal realm, an area Danny had declared off-limits, to see if she was out there. Danny approves it. He rounds up some of the friendlier (i.e., discreet) ghosts and Amity Parkers and demolishes the outside travel ban.

So everyone spreads out, looking for their dear frenemy and teammate. But it becomes apparent very quickly that something is wrong with the rest of the world.

There are no more heroes.

Every single living superhero on the face of the Earth has just…vanished. Villains are running amok; the countries are in chaos! Some aliens are invading Earth, mythical deities are trying to take over, and society is crumbling to the ground. Everything is on the brink of collapse.

Well, Danny was still there. And so were his people. They were pretty spread out, so could they just…take up the mantles? He also knew where to find the souls of dead heroes in the Zone; surely they wouldn't mind coming out of retirement for a little bit, especially if they couldn't die again. Oh! And that skeleton army leftover from Pariah Dark's reign might be useful in repelling those invading forces.

Honestly, there were more than enough hands to go around! And with the heroes gone, Danny didn't mind letting everyone out for a little break, as long as they followed his rules. They wouldn't stop the search for the other heroes, but hopefully, when they found them, the heroes wouldn't mind Danny's intervention too much. :)

In other words:

Someone fucks up, and all of Earth's living heroes are either wished out of existence or are whisked away to some far-off realm where Danny hasn't checked yet. In the attempt to figure out what's going on, Danny lets the dead run amok over the Earth as they search for clues. The skeleton army repels the invading armies, the souls of dead heroes deal with the world leaders, and his rogues and other Amity Parkers set up shop in place of famous heroes, trying to get the cities under control again.

Basically, they just do their best to keep everything from imploding until the Justice League and others are back.

(And why is it that Danny hasn't disappeared? Well, whatever caused everyone to go poof! only affected living heroes. Anyone heroes that were dead in the first place, or even just half-dead, stayed behind.)

[fiendishartist2]

redraw of this post from bunnyfarm's release

kofi|instagram

[cozylittleartblog]

400% sure he would love steven universe

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

While you were fighting in the war, I was falling in a pit.

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