#yet has to deal with so many world and self problems

[darkdragon768]

Hey, it's me!

(was about time that I do a ref for my fursona)

[beta-therapy]

How to Deal with Sadness/Frustration from Rejection

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had a crush on a beautiful woman and wanted to give her the world, only to find out she has no sexual interest in us. Maybe she puts you in the friendzone; or maybe she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with you at all. It’s normal to feel frustrated in these situations, knowing that she probably has a vibrant sex life with other men, yet doesn’t have any sexual interest toward you.

When this happens over and over again, it can make us question our own self-worth: how come so many women have decided that sex is an activity which is off-limits to me? Do my sexual needs not matter? How come a woman can be salivating with excitement as she begs certain men to engage her in the most personal of ways—whereas with me, so much as asking if she’s single gets me permanently labelled as a creep?

As society becomes more and more accepting of personal freedoms, (especially regarding women) like allowing people to dress how they want, freely express themselves, do what they want in their own bedroom, etc., there indeed looms an increasing mental health crisis among those men who don’t get included in all the sexual fun. They can feel inferior and isolated. In this blog, I’ll discuss how to handle these emotions.

Although it might bring you feelings of shame, insecurity, and jealousy to find out that women consider you unsuitable for sex, it is important to understand that these feelings are rooted in misogyny. It is an outdated, oppressive idea that the goal of a man’s life is to acquire dominance, status, power, and wealth; and use this prestige to seduce beautiful women. This idea is so evil because it views women as beauty objects rather than equal human beings. Women are not trophies.

Women are full human beings with no less intelligence, leadership abilities, creativity, and dignity than the men who forced them to be quiet and submissive for all human history. A lot of men still refuse to acknowledge this today. They want to keep seeing women as less intelligent, less capable, submissive homemakers whose value comes from their sexual beauty.

That sexy woman you know probably does have a passionate sex life, but you should strive to admire her as a person: smart, strong, kind, witty, dignified. She can still have all these great qualities to her even if she has zero sexual interest in you. Considering her a “sexy woman” is—in and of itself—toxic masculinity at work. Why is “sexy” the first trait that comes to your mind when it’s clear that her sex life is off-limits to you? Maybe she is sexually submissive in her bedroom, but why should that concern you? She’s allowed to explore the “feminine” part of her existence in her private life without it subtracting from her value as an interesting, fascinating person in her public life.

You can still be a happy, nice, and fulfilled person even if all the women around you would prefer not to have sex with you. Just because the female community around you doesn’t want you as a sexual/romantic person, doesn’t mean you have been rejected as a person entirely. Sexuality is just one component of the human experience, and it’s very common throughout history for people to be deprived of it.

We have evolved for survival and reproduction, not necessarily to have good morals and be happy. For example, racism is part of our DNA. In prehistoric times, racism helped us stay away from warring tribes, so it was positively selected-for with respect to evolution. But in modern times, we can recognize that racism is a huge problem if we want an inclusive, happy society, and so we must actively denounce this artifact of our DNA.

Our sexuality is much the same way. Throughout history, the evil, abusive, tyrant was always better able to protect his children due to his status and wealth, in comparison to the poor, harmless, gentle, and caring man. That doesn’t mean the evil tyrant was a better person, but it does unfortunately mean that women would evolve a sexual attraction toward higher status, dominant men even if it meant overlooking their moral evil.

As a result, the things women are sexually attracted to are not necessarily the things that are good. You can take solace in this fact. Being sexually undesired by women does not mean there’s something wrong with you, it just means they see you as more harmless and submissive rather than powerful and dangerous.

[khaire-traveler]

So, my friend just left their job at a certain chain of grocery stores that starts with a W and decided to share some interesting facts with me. I thought y'all might find it interesting, too.

W has had a major problem with theft since introducing the "no plastic bags". People keep putting things in their personal bags at the self checkout or even leaving them purposely in their bags at the cash registers (and most cashiers don't actually check for hidden items if other bags are inside of the main bag or if it's not obvious).

They've applied new locks to certain items that hang because people would just pull them off of the old locks. They're actually planning to introduce more security measures in the future - specifically, putting many items behind locked glass doors.

W's self checkout now has features where it can detect a ticket switch (scanning another product in place of the actual product) and a mis-scan. Pretty interesting stuff! Apparently, though, it's not always 100% accurate, and if someone were to scan the second ticket in such a way that the camera above couldn't see it, it may not be able to detect it. The machine, however, can tell when two VERY different items do not match (ex: scanning a pair of expensive headphones as a fruit). If it detects a problem, the attendant can pause the transaction and review the footage of the last item that was scanned. Definitely a helpful security feature!

The greeters at the front of the store are trained to only check a receipt if there are unbagged items. Along with that, if they see a bag or backpack, they'll check receipts then, too, and will look inside of the bag if the customer allows it. Crazy thing is that you can deny having your receipt checked! They can't and won't do anything if a customer just walks past them, and if they try to stop a customer leaving, W can get sued.

The only W personnel who are allowed to deal with shoplifters and the like are the Asset Protection Team™. No one else is allowed to touch a suspected thief, nor are they allowed to accuse a customer of stealing. If a customer is accused of stealing and forced through a receipt check yet hasn't stolen anything, W legally has to compensate them for the hassle upon request (with proof, such as camera footage, the request simply can't be denied, though W may try to prolong the process).

W employees are required to clean up spills immediately upon seeing them. I'd say most employees will just leave the spill, grab the equipment, then come to clean it up in reality, but they're supposed to "guard" the spill until they can find another associate to help them clean it up. I'm just saying, but this seems like a really unfortunate distraction that could take an employee's attention away from other matters, such as if there's suspicious activity nearby and someone was purposely creating some kind of distraction. These spills do make their jobs harder, however.

One of the biggest issues that I heard about was people scanning the quantity of certain items as less than there actually were (specifically at self checkouts). Pastries and fruits are a good example of this. Some people will enter one cookie but actually have 3, for example. I think the items this happens most often with are cookies, donuts, avocados, bananas, lemons, limes, mangoes, cantaloupes, and any items that like those that don't require a weight to purchase. This is the case with most grocery store self checkouts, however.

Although many of the cameras W places within random store aisles are fake, those that are placed near expensive items tend to be legit cameras. There was a post that circulated online about how these cameras tend to be fake, and due to that post, you'll now see lots of thieves get caught on cameras that they assumed were not real. It's so wild when you see those videos on YouTube! Those videos literally expose the identities of the people who steal to potentially thousands of people across the world and establish shitty reputations for said people. Other stores are made aware of their identities and can more easily prevent the stealing!

Speaking of those videos, it's very silly to watch those thieves try to hide things in their coats or bags just to discover that the items don't fit. It's almost as if they didn't check beforehand to make sure they'd have enough room, especially without it being noticeable! I mean, don't they practice in a mirror or even have a loved one who checks to see if it's obvious? That's so wild to me!

While associates who are at registers and self checkouts aren't allowed to intervene if they see or suspect a thief, they do have to immediately alert the managers and asset protection. It's pretty wild to see this process in action and watch how quickly the team can move! I've even heard of asset protection being allowed to tackle customers they believe are stealing, although I've never seen this in action. I kind of feel like tackling a thief, especially one you're not sure is actually a thief, would be a good way to get W sued, you know?

I feel like SOOOOO many thieves get caught by giving themselves away, tbh. I guess this isn't something my friend told me, but I've seen it happen so many times in security footage videos on YouTube where the person stealing will look around them as they're grabbing the item, quickly put the item into wherever, look around again, and use a lot of nervous body language as they try to exit the store. Like, the best thieves I've seen have always acted very confident - being aware of their surroundings before grabbing the item, grabbing the item very casually, finding a casual way to slip it into somewhere as they walk away, and walking out with the confidence that they know exactly what they're doing and absolutely nothing is wrong. They seem to walk with their backs straight and their heads held up a bit, almost as if to say "I'm not worried". Either that, or they walk with a very relaxed stride, like that of someone who's just walking into W and walking back out for no reason in particular. When they put too much thought into how they walk, however, it becomes much more obvious. A dead giveaway is probably when the thief acts fidgety, seems paranoid, displays signs of being very nervous whenever an associate is nearby or watching them, and walks very rigidly. You also tend to see good thieves going to checkout lanes that are the furthest from an employee or are in a spot in the middle. Pretty interesting!

Please share this if you'd like! This information is very important for us customers to be aware of. Hopefully, we can spot security threats ourselves and report them to employees of any store! I'm sure many of these things happen at other stores besides W.

[lost-in-lamentation]

a/n: oh, how good it feels to be writing again. welcome to my corner; i hope you enjoy your stay. 

content: the poor brothers need your presence. you/your pov. gn!reader x lucifer, mammon. (separate). 1.5k words.

warnings: the kitchen almost catches fire. the boys cry just a lil. mammon has some doubts about himself. (also, proofreading does NOT go brr, we die like men.)

there were so many things that could weigh down a poor demon’s mind; brothers who lacked self-restraint, and others who had too much of it. there was paperwork to be finished, and projects to be refined. games were made to be finished 100 percent, and books were written so they could be read front to back. money was for spending, and food was to be devoured. lipstick was made to leave marks on mirrors, and of course, pillows were fluffed up so they could be flattened at night (and during the day, in some cases). so many problems in this world for few people, and yet, for all said problems, there was only one cure. you. 

═  ˎˊ˗

lucifer.

the silence that came from the kitchen was unsettling. lucifer had already warned you not to disturb his cooking duties, but his anger be damned. you were worried enough that he looked like he had been awake for 4 days straight, and a mess in the kitchen from a sleep deprived demon was not what you wanted to see. not to mention, beel’s stomach growled louder with every passing second. if you were going to deal with an angry demon, you’d rather risk lucifer’s stone cold gaze than beel's hunger pangs.

“lucifer,” you called as you pushed the door open. “beel’s getting… restless.” your words trailed off as your mind attempted to unpack the scene in front of you. there was no mess, which was a relief. however, there was a fire in the pot on the stovetop. the eldest of seven only stared at it in silence. “lucifer!” rushing over, you snatched the lid of the pot before moving it off the heat and attempting to suffocate the flame inside. eyebrows furrowed, you turn to lucifer, slowly waving a hand in front of his face. his red eyes were glassy, holding no light in them. “lucifer,” you repeated for the third time. concern took root in your stomach when he still made no effort to move. after a few moments, you left his side, calling satan to finish cooking duties while you manoeuvred the avatar of pride up to his room. the thought of lucifer being mad that you dragged him around bounced in your head briefly before landing in a soft cushion you liked to call denial. 

shaking off the idea, you sat lucifer down on the edge of his bed, bending down on one knee to take a clear look at his face. softly, as though you were cradling a swan made of glass, you placed his head in your hands, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. “luci? come back now, it’s just us.” you had done this before; the last time you witnessed it happen was after lucifer had come home after an argument with diavolo about RAD. a stack of papers on lucifer’s desk stole your attention. with pursed lips, you moved one hand away from his face and slid it onto his waist. “what’s diavolo got you up to now, hm?” your thumb pressed gently into his side, and slowly, you began to see his eyes focusing onto yours. 

when he finally came to, his sigh of relief and the way he pressed his cheek into your palm did not go unnoticed. “MC. i apologise, i haven’t been in my right mind these days.” as quickly as lucifer had searched for your warmth, he pulled away from you, one hand brushing yours away from his side. 

“you’re telling me,” you chuckled, leaning back onto your heels. “you know you almost set the kitchen on fire?” 

the avatar of pride was not feeling very prideful at the moment. “it was strange.” lucifer decided to have a staring contest with the floor. “i knew i had to do something, and yet, i couldn’t bring myself to move.” 

your breath hitched in your throat when you saw the first tear slip away from the corner of his eye. 

“it’s even more strange,” lucifer whispered, voice threatening to break at any moment, “that i would allow myself to feel so vulnerable around my attendant.” his knuckles turned white from how hard he clenched his fists. lucifer threw his head back, a pained laugh echoing through the room, painting the walls with desperation. you could only wait for his next words with your heart in your throat. when he brought his gaze down to meet yours, a perfect, fake smile overtook his expression. “MC,” he said softly. you waited in silence. 

“MC,” he cried, throat tearing at the seams. 

acting quick, you moved to envelop him in your arms, one hand pressing into his back and the other running through his hair. you pushed against him, forcing him to lay down. when you both hit the bed, lucifer immediately sought solace in the crook of your neck, his hands grasping at the back of your shirt as sobs wreaked havoc on his body. you responded by pressing your cheek onto the top of his head. “i’m here, lucifer. i’m not going anywhere.” 

═  ˎˊ˗

mammon. 

“yo, MC!” 

“mammon?” light flooded into your room against your will, forcing you to squint and continuously tap your night stand in search of your d.d.d. 1:37am. “gods, it’s almost two in the morning, mammon.” you huffed in annoyance, throwing your d.d.d. onto your pillow before falling back onto the bed and drowning yourself in blankets. “at least close the door if you’re gonna stay here,” you groaned. 

“okay, first off.” mammon huffed right back at you as he closed the door, “we are in the devildom, there are no gods. second-” 

at the second eldest’s remark, you grabbed your free pillow and threw it at his face. “fine, fine. DEVILS, it’s almost two in the morning.” mammon let out an unrefined squawk when the pillow made contact with him. you could barely stifle your laughter underneath your comforter. 

“MC, you aren’t funny.” mammon yanked the covers off your face, and it was only then that you saw the annoyance and misery etched into his expression. you decided not to ask about it directly, instead choosing to wonder what mammon wanted to say second. 

raising your hands in defeat, you gave mammon a sympathetic look. “i think i’m pretty funny, but whatever you say.” the avatar of greed sent you an unimpressed glare before moving to quite literally sit on you. “oof- mammon! you’re heavy, get off me!” mammon’s shoulders bounced with laughter briefly before he slid off your stomach and into the spot next to you. “ugh. anyways, what were you gonna talk about earlier?” 

“oh, yeah, get this.” mammon cleared his throat as though he was about to tell you the greatest story ever. that’s what you wanted, at least. it’s not what you got. 

“so i was over at the fall, right?” humming your acknowledgment, you turned onto your side so the two of you were face to face.

“there was this crew of demons, they were all wearing matching jackets and everything. it honestly looked kinda strange, but everyone else there was totally raving about them. i have to admit, their leather jackets looked like they were high quality too. definitely not the ones you could find in those small clothes shops.”

“are you going to spend the whole night fan-boying over them?” you murmured, a hand reaching up idly to play with the hair that draped over mammon’s forehead. 

he scoffs in indignance at your reaction. “oi, shut it. and stop playing with my hair, you’re distracting me.” you hummed again before dropping your head and allowing mammon to continue. 

“so, basically, long story short, i think they were some sort of gang. asmo warned me about those when at the fall, didn’t think i’d ever see them myself. but then, they came up to me. and can you believe what they started saying? they were acting all high and mighty, sayin’ stuff like, ‘oh, it’s just the second born. the scummy one.’ i don’t even know where it was coming from!” 

slowly, you moved your hand closer to his own, tapping your fingertips on his. as if it was second nature, mammon grabbed it immediately, fingers intertwining and fiddling as he continued to speak. “i mean, can you imagine? saying all that about THE great mammon? it’s not like they know me, right? they don’t know what it’s like being second after lucifer. they don’t know what it’s like to actually fall, right?” mammon stopped playing with your hand, opting instead to look you in the eye. “right…?” he practically whimpered the question under his breath, gold eyes turning to sapphire as the tears began to well up. “please, MC,” he begged, his breaths becoming more ragged. “they don’t know, right?”

you felt your heart sink at the question. with a nod, you opened your arms to him and pulled his trembling frame into your embrace.  “they’re just jealous, mammon. they don’t know you at all, and everything they say is wrong.” 

mammon’s arms tightened around your back, his breathing shallow and his tears never-ending. 

“don’t you worry about them,” you whispered into his ear, your hands slowly working their own kind of magic along his back. “everyone that should know what you’ve done for them already knows.” mammon released a sob into your shoulder before trying to press further into your touch. you didn’t stop him. “after all, you are the great mammon, right? you may be the second brother, but you’ll always be my first man.” a shaky laugh replaced his cries briefly, and you couldn’t help but nuzzle your face into his hair in return. “that’s my mammon,” you purred softly, holding him close until he fell asleep. 

and that's it for first post. hope you enjoyed it if you're here at the end ♡

[a-spes]

A D E A D L Y W I S H - One-shot.

Words count - 5,5k.

Tags & Warnings - Wanda Maximoff x Reader, mentions of forms self-harm (burning, scratching), description of suicide (drowning), deaths (background characters), a lot of angst/hurt with a bit of comfort at the end, kinda a happy ending.

Summary - It comes a day when you are so desesperate that you threw a coin in the lake, wishing for a better life. At first, you thought it was stupid, but was it? If you've learned anything, it is to never take ancient magic lightly.

N/A - It is my first time writing for Wanda Maximoff, I really hope you'll appreciate it! don't hesitate to let me know and interact with the post ♥ ♥

MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST

"Are you sure that you want to hear that story again?" she asked, smiling soflty at the girl, but she already knows the answer because, every night, you were demanding the same story.

And tonight was no different. 

She chuckled as you nodded frantically, excited by the idea of hearing that legend again. Yet, she is almost sure you know this story by heart now, with the amount of time she read it to you, she would be surprised if you didn't. 

Your mom doesn't appreciate it, you know it because she frowns every time she has to read it to you, always making comments that you are trying to ignore, pleading her to stick to the story that is told in the book.

"This story takes place a loong time ago. When grandpa and grandpa weren't even born, when the world was nothing like the one we know today. Some say that this legend is so ancient that it was told even before Humans discovered fire."

"It was a time when magic was known by people, it could be seen everywhere, it was truly amazing!" 

"But very few were the chosen ones, the ones that were gifted with such a talent by nature, because not everyone could bear the weight of it. The nature choose the strongest human that were born, but it wasn't all about physical strenght, they also needed a great mind to be able to deal with the responsabilities that come with great powers." 

"The rest of the story was twisted by the centuries, so we can't be sure of anything as there are several versions, but here is the one that runs in the family, the one that my own mother used to tell me when I was around your age." 

"A long time ago, a girl was born that was gifted by nature. Her name was forgotten, but we now remember as the Scarlet Witch. Some say that she is called that way because of the color of her magic, stained by the blood of her numerous victims. It's said that she took so many lives that it would be impossible for a human being to count all of them."  

"But she hasn't always been the Monster described by the legends. There was a time when she was just like any average little girl, when she was similar to you," she said, taking the opportunity to steal a laugh by booping your nose. "The only difference was the magic within her. She was bright, handling this gift to perfection." 

"Yet, for some people perfection isn't enough, and the little girl - that was now a teenager - was one of them. She decided that she wanted more than what the society would allow, that she wanted to fully embrace the power she was gifted. Those rules she learned as a child, the Witches Code, and all these ceremonies only fed her desire for power as they made her feel trapped. She knew she could do great things, way more important than helping the villagers with their trivial problems."

"She wanted to believe that her destiny had more important things in store for her than what they wanted her to believe. She was certain that her name would be remembered for a long time to come, and she definitely won't let a few random men, frihtened by the talent she had been given, prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. If this powers were given to her, it was for a reason."  

"But nature isn't excempt from mistakes." 

"She was prepared to do anything to achieve her goals. She has taken hold of the weakest minds, convincing them to bring her the powers of the other witches in exhange of a favor. She tricked those who were seeking for her help into believing she would grant their wishes." 

"Yet, she never lied and always fulfilled her promises, just not the way they were expecting her to. The Scarlet Witch was wise, she knew how to twist the words so they could mean exactly what she wanted them to. She played with the words and the despair of the Humans, all ended up begging for their deaths, filled with feelings of guilt and regrets they couldn't live with." 

"Soon enough, she was the only living witch, also being the only one whose name and story lived throught the centuries." 

"What happened next?" you asked, following your mother's silence. She never liked this part of the story, the one that tells the downfall of the Scarlet Witch, she used to say it wasn't appropriate for a young girl like you to hear about the atrocities the enraged villagers inflicted on the witch. 

You used to sneak up in the living room when she was asleep, just so you could get the book and leaf through its pages to take a look at the illustrations she never let you see. If those were already horrible to look at, you don't even want to imagine how bad the reality could've been, probably worse than what's depicted in your child book. 

If they couldn't attack her directly, because of how powerful she was, they could still take her most precious possession: her family. So you saw how they burned her home and family, how they took everything from her because of their anger, seeking to inflict a punishment equal to the harm she had caused them. After all, it was just fair that they took from her the same thing she had taken from them. 

"It wasn't long before it became a quest of blood and revenge," you could read on the pages. 

It only made it worse and, this time, the village didn't survive her wrath, the last picture in your book being a representation of the village, completely destoyed and empty of any presence except for a female figure. She was depicted from behind and seemed to observe this spectacle. She has red hair that flutters in the wind and a red aura that matches the colour of the dress around her: the colour of blood and death. 

"After that day, she wasn't seen anymore," your mom would continue to read after skipping the few disturbing pages of the book, "some say that she died, but this is unlikely, she gathered so much power that she could easily defeat the human condition."

"She propably cut herself from the Human world, waiting for the day she could be needed again, when she could get another revenge over the ones that took everything from her because eradicating them wasn't enough for the witch - and it'll never be, nothing could ever make it up for the loss of the ones she loved. The legends say that she retired in what is now called the Ancient Forest, which would explain why the wildlife, even the flora, is so hostile to humans."

"However, even if she hasn't been seen for decades now, her story is still told by every parent to their kids, the mere mention of her name being enough to instill fear in people's minds."

"This story is a lesson for everyone, both those who use magic and those who ask for its help: there is always a price to pay," she added before falling silent. The story finishes here, you never got to know what the Scarlet Witch became, it's left to your imagination. 

• ✧ •  ✧  • ✧ • ✧  • ✧ • 

Everyone knows better than wandering near the Ancient Forest. This place is the scene of many strange events and legends that give nightmares to the children, but you've never believed in these. 

The past decades, only two kinds of people have ventured into the forest: the most courageous soldiers the village has ever known and the stupidest ones. If you certainly don't belong to the first category, you don't feel like you are part of the second, so maybe there is a third type of person that is going here: the ones in despair. 

They are the ones that have nothing to lose, the ones that see they're last hope in that forest, the ones that think that, maybe, if none of the humans that ever went to the forest came back, it's because they found a better life, wherever they are now. 

And it is exaclty what you are. Not a brave soul, not a silly mind, just a desesperate human. 

In the end, it doesn't matter what category you belong to, because once you've stepped into the forest, you are just as everyone who did it before. She doesn't care about your motivations or story, she reserves the same fate for everyone who dares to enter her domain. 

No one knows what exactly happened to those who went here, no one was ever able to come back to tell their story, but many rumours are whispered among the inhabitants. Some think that they are dead, it is the easiest explanation because it doesn't involve searching for those who have lost their way in the forest - which no one wants to do. So very few are the ones who maintain the hope that they are still alive and will, one day, be able to find their path back to the village. 

It never happened and the ones that got lost were never seen again, dead or alive.

For decades, it was assumed that this rule couldn't be broken. The centuries had failed to attenuate the witch's rage and each generation of villagers has learned to stay away from it, passing on this use to their children - and so on. Thus, when you walked into the forest for the first time, by the age of ten, no one would've expected you to emerge from it a few hours later as if nothing happened, not expecting a little girl to be the one to break the curse.

You were the only exception to a rule that everyone thought immutable. 

By the time, you've lost count of how many times you've visited the Ancient Forest. It slowly became your realm, where you go whenever you want to be alone for a while, knowing that no one would dare to drag you out of here. You weren't ten years old anymore, nor the kid you were the first time you stepped in the forest, oblivious of its dangers and distracted by the flowers she was picking up that just got the luck to get out of here safe. 

No, now, when you enter the Ancient Forest, you know exactly where to go. 

It may be strange to some that you never got lost. Even in the darkness of the night, when all the trees were looking the same and you couldn't even see the stars because of their leaves, when you would get off the beaten tracks with no idea of where you were going, you have always found yourself exactly where you needed and never struggled to find your way back to the village.

There was something, like a voice in your head, that was whispering to your heart the right moment to turn or, on the contrary, when you shouldn't go somewhere, filling your soul with fears, but always to guide your steps through this hostile environment. Even if you've never been attacked by any wild beast, you know there are many because you saw them in the past - but they never tried to get close to you, they seem to be afraid of something. 

This forest was your realm more than theirs. 

This simple thought was enough to fill your heart with pride, giving you the feeling that you eventually found your place. You've not felt that way since your childhood, desesperatly looking forward to the day you would eventually stop feeling like a stranger in your own village. 

Nature chooses you, after all these years. 

They say that you're carrying her mark and that is why you can go in the forest as you want, but it's just another story they made up to explain the things they can't understand in any other way. You believe that the mark they are talking about is nothing more than a birthmark and that, given the circumstances, their minds created stories around it - you are almost sure the mention of a mark on witches' skin was only a thing after they saw yours. 

You are convinced they made it similar to the one on the back of your neck on purpose, describing exactly the circle they saw on your skin. It looks like a sun, except for the rays that are crossing the circle instead of being on the outside. In the legends, the mark is scarlet as a symbol for the devil living inside the witches' hearts, but yours isn't. 

How convenient was it that there were no witches left to verify this fact?

The rumors were quick to spread among the inhabitants and, soon enough, you became the Beast. No one wanted to interact with you anymore, they barely dared to glance at you, scared that an action as simple as this one could lead to a horrible fate for them and their family. They hoped you would go away on your own, that you would understand that you weren't desired here, but to go where? You had no family, the closest town was miles away, a journey of several weeks, maybe months, that you couldn't start alone.

You've tried to get rid of the mark, but you just couldn't. It was on your skin, a part of you that you couldn't part with despite your desesperate attempts. At first, you hid it and tried to cover the symbol with your hair and clothes but, when it wasn't enough anymore for you to forget it was here, you tried to scratch and to burn it, but it didn't make any difference - except for the pain you experienced at the back of your neck. 

Maybe if it wasn't here, they would forgive you for your sins. 

Even if they decided to not throw you away because you were a child and had a few of the elders by your side, they still made you pay for what they believed to be your mistakes or to prevent the ones they were sure you would do when you grow up. They believed that you would follow the steps of the one who marks you’re carrying, destined to become like the Scarlet Witch. 

So you decided to run away where no one would come to harass you, the only place where you know they wouldn't dare to go because they weren't courageous enough to defy this forest and the monsters living in its legends. 

This time, you found yourself on rocks, overlooking a lake by a few meters. You've never seen this part of the forest before and it was probably the most beautiful place you were allowed to be in your life. It was late, so the only light was coming from the moon, dimmed by the clouds that were covering the sky. Further down, you could observe how the water is brushing against the shore in small waves caused by a light wind, the same that keeps bringing your hair in front of your eyes.

The landscape had something sinister, but yet you found it comfortable, wishing you could stay here forever. 

For a second, some darkest thoughts infiltrate your mind, whispering to you that peace was only a few steps away. As you are standing at the edge of the rocks, you can't help but imagine what would happen if you jumped. You imagine your body colliding brutally with the cold surface of the water, stealing your last breath. You could almost fill how the water would fill your lungs until it has replaced the air inside, making your struggle vain. 

You wouldn't really try to get out of here anyway. Even if the lake is calm tonight, you would drown into some of your own thoughts. The way you are trying to get to the surface is all an act, your arms and legs moving just so you could trick yourself, saying that you did everything you could when it was a lie. You wouldn't try at all, being relieved the moment your eyes would close.

But when you open them, you aren't greeted by pitch black, but the same landscape as when you closed them. Before you could listen to the voices in your head, you decide to take a few steps back from the edge - this night wouldn't be the one of your death. 

You are not sure where the confidence is from, but you are certain that your time has not yet come. 

As you slip your hand into your pocket, your fingertips touch something cold. It is a small object that is rolling between your fingers and you were sure it was never here in the first place. When you get it out, you can't help but frown as you're observing the penny because it doesn't look like the ones you are used to see. This one has a strange crown engraved on the first side and, on the other, a symbol you are unfortunately familiar with.

It is the mark, the same as the one at the back of your neck.

You don't really know what to think about it, brushing the symbol with your thumb while you're losing yourself in your thoughts. You are not afraid by this discovery, it is something closer to curiousity that you're feeling. 

Eventually, you remember some details about the Scarlet Witch's story. As you are playing with the penny, you think about how people used to ask the witch to grant their wishes by tossing a coin in a lake or a fountain. You wrap your hand around the object, hesitating for a moment. 

"I wish..," you whispered, taking a few seconds to think about what you really want, "... that I could find my place in this world, if I have any. I wish they would stop treating me like I am not one of them. I am tired of being alone and... so weak," you eventually said. 

At this point, your voice wasn't just a murmur anymore, you yelled the last words, hoping someone would hear your distress but, once you're done, you are just greeted by the deep silence of the forest and your loneliness. You laugh as you realize how stupid it was, tossing the coin as far as you can, using all the rage you are feeling at the time. It hits the surface of the water, disturbing it for a moment before it becomes calm again. The minutes pass and it's as if nothing had happened. 

You are laughing as you are thinking about how stupid you've been to expect anything to happen, like a child who still believes that tales are real. Soon, your laughter turns into tears which run down your cheeks, they are carrying your pain and despair, the one of not having a better life. 

As you are easily finding your way back to your house, you could feel the stares of the villagers on your back. Your journey is accompanied by their murmurs and you don't need to hear their words to guess what they are whispering to each other, sometimes being ignorant is the best. Every time you step out of the forest, you could read the disapointement mixted with the fear on their faces. 

You now understand why your mother didn't like that story, it was twisted and unfair, and you stopped liking it when it became too close to your reality. 

Tonight, you can't sleep properly. For seemingly endless hours, you toss and turn, your eyes closing only so your mind could trap you in horrifying nightmares. So, when a voice whispers a few words in your ear, you are unable to say if it's a part of reality or just another trick of your mind, the line between the two being too blurred. On the corner of the room, you catch the movement in the shadows. It was so furtive that you weren't sure you actually saw it until the shape detaches itself from the gloom. 

At the end of your bed, a montionless figure is observing you. You can't see their face, but you can make out its outline thanks to the moonlight filtering through the open window. This being is envelopped in a red glow that is even more intense around their eyes and hands, where it seems to be concentrated. You don't dare to move, petrified by the power that emanates from your guest, not needing to see their face or to know their name to feel this overwhelming aura that lets you know you'd better be careful around them. 

Yet, strangely, you don't feel worried, no fear grips your heart, no questions trouble your mind, it's almost as if this lad'ys presence makes sense, that you've been waiting for her all your life and the universe has eventually decided to put her in your path. 

"I could help you, if you'd let me," she whispered, unclasping her fingers to hold on one of her hands, expecting you to take it. 

"You could?" you asked, and she just nodded, which resulted in a sad laugh from you,  "and how's that?" you added, your words sounding drier than it did in your mind, for a second, you regret it, scared it would make her angry.

"I can't tell you that," she murmured after a few seconds of silence, "you just need to trust me, but would you? How hard do you want your wish to be granted?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She didn't take her eyes off you for a moment since you started talking. 

You hesitate, but not for long because you are eventually nodding. You have the feeling that you can't lie to the woman anyway, you are sure that she can read in your body and mind your lies and you want your wish to be granted more than anything else. You decided to trust her the day you threw that coin in the lake, sharing your secrets with her, begging for her help. 

And, if for a second you thought about refusing the hand she was holding to you, you don't. It is impossible to deny the woman when your soul is drawn to her, your body almost moving on its own to shake her hand. At this time, you already know that there is no turning back, that you sealed an unspoken deal of which you don't know the conditions but that will have a great influence on your life. 

Your destiny was sealed the moment your fingers entwined with hers, the moment you pronounced the name that was on the tip of your lips the whole time: hers.

"Scarlet Witch...," you whispered, and she smiled. It was strangely soft, it contastred with the atmosphere of the room. If she was impressive, she did not appeared as mischevious.

That is when you find yourself surrounded by a white glow similar to the witch's. You have the feeling that the pressure she is exerting on your hand became stronger, her fingernails digging into your skin, almost leaving marks, only to prevent you from pulling away from her grasp. Your heart is racing and you are struggling to breathe as anxiety is taking over you - but it is too late to have regrets because you are already feeling your consciousness slipping away. 

"I know it can be scary, but I promise it'll be okay, love," she mumured as you were struggling to keep control over your mind. She slowly raised her hand to stroke your hair behind your ear, the same way a mother would with her child, "don't try to fight it, let it go...," she added, convincing you to do so.

There is an unknown force trying to get in control of your soul, and you don't have the strenght to drive it out. It only lasted a few seconds before a sharp pain twists your head, spreading in the rest of your body and getting you on your knees. The white aura around you turns the same colour as the witch’s and the scarlet glow darkens your vision. 

For one night, she accepted to share her magic with you, to lend you her strenght. 

When you slowly get your mind back, it takes you a few seconds before being aware of your surroundings again. The first sense to come back to you is touch; as you could feel the heat that is licking your face, but it is only when you hear some muffled screams that you open your eyes, brutally brought back to reality. 

Everything is burning. 

You were standing in the middle of the main street of your village but you couldn’t recognize anything. You protect your face with one of your sleeves, the smoke-laden air starting to make you cough and sting your eyes. In the chaos, you could barely see anything. 

The worst was probably the silence that came next, when no one could scream anymore, when the beginnings and excuses turned into unintelligible sentences before shutting up completely. The last prayers were said, but they were useless: no one is left alive, except you, as a spectator of this scene.

Not as a spectator, but as the culprit. 

You are suddenly running through the village, praying to all the gods you have never believed in so that it is not too late and there is at least one person you could save. You don’t even think about it twice, your legs moving on their own to the first house that is still standing, pushing you inside despite the fire to seek for any form of life.

But there is nothing left. 

Inside, you can’t find a soul or a piece of furniture, just destruction. You barely have time to glance around anyway because you are pulled out of the building by a firm grip on your arm. For a second, you are relieved at the thought of another soul still being alive, but it is short-lived as you realize it is the Scarlet Witch. 

"What were you thinking?" she yelled while dragging you out of the burning house so strongly that you are almost tripping on your own feet. "I certainly didn't do all of that for nothing,” she added, glaring at you and you knew you made a mistake. 

Contrary to what you may think, your death is the last thing she wants. She waited so many years to be awakened by one of her peers, she won’t let you go that easily. When she eventually lets you go, it is accompanied by a heavy sigh that carries every of her thoughts; how can one be so dumb? She definitely wasn’t expecting you to run in the fire while she was making sure everything was going as she planned, she only left you for a minute but she now regrets it deeply. 

But if her face shows concern, yours is pure hatred as you slowly understand what happened despite the lack of memories. 

It is her fault. 

Tears start to uncontrollably run down your cheeks but you are barely feeling them, the only thing in your mind being the sick feeling that is growing inside of your chest as the realization of what happened dawns on you. There is nothing you can do except watching the consequences of your own mistakes, the result of your naivety.

“What did you do?” you yelled, suddenly turning around to face the woman, getting out of her grisp with agressivity. She raised an eyebrow, surprised by your reaction and the tone you are using, but she is not amused at all - you are on thin ice and must be careful about what you are going to say next. 

“Me?” she scoffed, as if what you just said was nothing but a joke, “I did nothing my dear, you are the one that did it all,” she added in what you could describe as a condescending voice. 

“But I-,” you immediately said, trying to protest, but she doesn’t even let you enough time to say a word before she cuts you off, not having the patience to deal with that kind of shit tonight - it was a long day. 

“Isn’t it what you wished for?” she asked back. 

“Of course not!” you yelled, crying, shaking, “that’s never what I wanted!” you added, but as you are talking you realize that it is exactly what you asked for, just not the way you wanted it to be done. 

How are you supposed to find the peace you were seeking for now? 

You are not feeling at all the relief she promised to you, only guilt and disgust, and you know that feeling is going to eat you from the inside for the rest of your life. You wanted to be better than them, that’s what you tried to do your whole life by ignoring their insults, you’ve never replied to their provocations, waiting patiently for the day you would prove them that they were wrong. 

But you just showed them how right they were all that time.

Some of them were innocent, you heard the cries of children that will never get a chance to live, the ones of the elders that gave you a bit of help, the ones of the people that smiled at you on the sly, but it is all gone now.

“Oh,” she frowned, her tone being like it was just a mistake without any importance and it gives you the urge to slap the woman, but you don’t do anything. “Then I guess you should’ve been more precise,” she added, shrugging. 

That’s a first lesson she knows you’ll remember for the rest of your life: always be careful with ancient magic, it is not some sort of game.

She knows it is not easy, but she also knows it is needed. As she sees the tears in your eyes, she feels the urge to take you in her arms to comfort you, to tell you that everything will be fine, but she can’t. 

She can’t lie. 

The future that is now yours won’t be sweet, the ones born with that mark have never meant to live a great life.

When she looks at you, she is filled with a feeling she hasn’t felt for decades: pity. When she was born in a witches’ society, you grew up in a humans’ one. As her eyes wandered around the destroyed village, she sighs, knowing she is about to do something she promised herself to never do, but she can’t leave you there.

In that instant, you seemed to be so fragile, your whole body shaking, not even having enough strength to stand up, and it reminded her of the person she was a long time ago, when she was just as young as you are. Maybe if she had someone to guide her through that she wouldn’t have ended up with the name she knew for now, maybe she could spare you the mistakes she made, the ones that condemned her to a life of errand and loneliness.

Or maybe it will only cause chaos and destruction, no one can know. 

“Come,” she eventually said, holding out her hand to you so you could take it, “it’s time to go home,” she added, her tone being gentle compared to the one she used earlier, when she dragged you away from the fire. 

“Where?” you asked back, “where?! My home is completely destroyed because of me, of you, I have nowhere to go!” you screamed, standing up just to shout at the woman, making big movements with your hands.

The witch flinched, she wasn’t expecting you to talk to her that way but she didn't say anything, trying to be understanding. She takes a few steps closer until she is close enough to wrap your hands in hers.

“That wasn't your home,” she said, “let me show what a home really is, let me guide you,” she added, she was practically begging. 

And, despite everything that happened that day, you decided to trust the woman a second time, to take her hand again, to follow her home, and you don’t need to know where it is, as long as you are far from the village. You are convinced that everything will be fine by her side, her hand in yours is making all the negative emotions disappeared for an instant. 

After all, she is the one you have waited for your whole life. 

MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST

Tag list - @onyxwolf96 @alexawynters @ichala

[vasito-de-leche]

Hi! I read about your super cool Self Aware R1999 AU and it got me thinking about what Sonetto would be like, since I have a 100% bond with her in the suitcase.

Would she try to keep normalcy? Have a brand new idle line? Perhaps pull a Monika DDLC and start writing poetry where she tries to grapple with the fact that there’s an eldritch being puppeteering her best friend?

;R1999 SONETTO - Self-Aware AU

Headcanons about how Sonetto would act upon becoming self-aware. Related to this Self-Aware AU post.

glad you like the AU! this was a nice chance to explore Sonetto's character more <3

To organize my thoughts better, I gotta talk about Sonetto first for a bit.

I definitely talked about this with a few friends, but Sonetto is a wonderful character to me because I both dislike and feel for her a lot - especially in the new 1.4 Main Story update. The emphasis the game puts into her role as a military dog (raised to follow orders and die for a cause she doesn't truly understand) and a lost puppy (a curious and dependant child believing her caretakers have the best of intentions) really lives up to the way she portrays these same traits. Yes, it's awful to see her continue to perpetuate the harmful ideas the Foundation taught her, but it makes sense. Yes, it's lovely to see her slowly break away from everything she's ever known, and yet revert back to her habits because change is difficult. The way she works perfectly as a foil to Vertin, it's so good!

To me, Sonetto is a character that resists change, while yearning for it at the same time. That's why her Medium is curiosity, after all. It's so lovely and ironic to see THE perfect example of a Foundation martyr being set up for failure in something that they couldn't have even foreseen, her own Medium, her own innate curiosity.

So with this in mind, I think that within the Self-Aware AU ... I think she would be able to deal with this sudden awareness of everything being fake, because her first reaction would be to assume there's something wrong with herself for thinking something so outlandish, so beyond what she was taught. Sonetto would still resist this change - if this is a game, then she's not meant to be aware of it, therefore she's the one at fault and perhaps, broken in a way.

Maybe "broken" is too heavy of a word, I imagine it's more like she believes she broke the rules by gaining this level of sentience. That it' wasn't supposed to happen in the first place.

How would she act overall?

I feel like Sonetto would be relatively fine upon becoming sentient because of this, she'd be shaken but would continue to do as expected and follow the script like a proper little chess piece, one of the many cogs needed in the machine - her reasoning is simple: if everyone who is self-aware began to act out, there wouldn't be a game to play. And what would happen to her friends, then? If this stability that the plot and script brings is suddenly gone?

There would be times where she might slip up, but they'd be very subtle changes in the her dialogue - perhaps the inflection of her voice, rather than the words - she might pause for longer to think, to consider whether to do anything outside of what she's expected to. But that's about it.

The problem begins when she finds out (or is told) that the Foundation had known this truth about the world they live in for longer than she's been alive. Sonetto remains docile entirely to keep that order and harmony she's been raised to maintain, but to find out that the very people who taught her that have known and done nothing but lie to everyone - that would be the catalyst for her.

Personally, I like to think that this is something she figures out on her own, rather than being told. A truth she must face on her own instead of just accepting someone else's words.

Her behaviour would still largely remain the same whenever she knows she has a part to play, but in those moments when she knows there's no "camera" looking at her, Sonetto would... sit there. WIth the way I've interpreted Sonetto, she's a character that struggles to actually have an identity outside of the Foundation's training, so now that this is something she can't rely on, she's at a loss as to what to do with this newfound freedom.

I imagine this is when other arcanists who were self-aware before her would start reaching out to Sonetto and slowly give her that stability she needs.

On the subject of Sonetto's relationship with Vertin.

The way I interpreted Sonetto and Vertin's dynamic, I don't see them as best friends!

From reading back some scenes and transcribing most of CH 03 of the Main Story, it feels like both Sonetto and Vertin have always found themselves in a one-sided relationship: when they were kids, Sonetto rejected Vertin's attempts at becoming friends because of their differences, even if they were both curious about each other. They never striked me as close. Now that years have passed, Vertin treats Sonetto similar to how she treats everyone else, while Sonetto explicitly wants to be closer to Vertin due to what happened when they were kids.

To me, Vertin has shown more emotion to Schneider and Madam Z than to Sonetto. There's this one-sided dynamic again.

In the context of the AU, I think Sonetto finding out about what Vertin goes through with this entity and this role that the game forced upon her, she would double down on her feelings to protect Vertin. There's a lot of guilt involved, since - once again - that's what the Foundation teaches to all orphan arcanists, to repent for their unruly and destructive existence.

I think Sonetto would feel guilty for not gaining sentience sooner, while Vertin has been struggling with this heavy weight for God knows how long. She would recontextualize everything about Vertin, her actions and the differences that constantly got her into trouble as a child, her desire to escape - attributing all of it to this entity that follows her. Because I do think that Sonetto idolizes Vertin to a degree that fuels this one-sided dynamic between them, not out of malice of course, just like a puppy.

So in the end, Sonetto would resent the Player and worry even more for Vertin, now using this as a justification for acting out of line and out of script, as Vertin's self-imposed protector.

It would take Sonetto a looooooong time to do anything with her sentience and freedom, beyond continuing to support Vertin. Her poems and her art would reflect this progress slowly, but yeah, not a lot of noticeable changes.

Reaching 100% Bond with Sonetto.

This is a very conflicting event for Sonetto, I'd say.

The more attention you pay to her, the more aware she becomes of your influence - and now she has to come to terms with the fact that there is no way of separating you from Vertin. She can't free Vertin from this fate, and it doesn't look like she wants that to happen either, but it eats Sonetto from inside out. Because she doesn't understand, and she wants to know why this is the way things are meant to be.

When it comes to reaching 100% Bond with her, or levelling her up and so on, I don't think she'd pay much attention to the mechanical aspect of it all. She's a skilled arcanist, she's the first important character the game gives to you during the tutorial stages, she knows just how important her Disarm ability can be to win a battle - of course you would want her on your team.

But as she slowly spends more time with Vertin and the Player, I think Sonetto would start to wonder about the outside world. They're small, little and impulsive thoughts in the back of her mind, like wondering if you too have someone in this fictional little world that you care about enough to see the story through the end. Are you capable of loving someone that can't reach out to you nor acknowledge your presence? Isn't it cruel, for those who remain blind to the truth, to be so loved and cherished by you?

Do you read the newspaper the same way Vertin does? Do you care about her? About her goals and dreams and thoughts?

This is the only way Sonetto can reconcile this resentment she has for you: through Vertin. I think Vertin would eventually notice all these subtle changes, the way Sonetto never looks truly happy whenever she looks at Vertin, looking above as if she could catch a glimpse of the Player. And Vertin would help through the whole process, easing up to sentience as a whole, to accepting the Player's existence as just something that is there, neither good or bad.

While she's one of the very few who has no trouble differentiating your actions and influence from Vertin's own free will, she would eventually come to respect your choices. Doing her best and beyond whenever you choose her to battle, because now the stakes are higher - now, she's choosing to fight for something she fully understands and cares about.

I like to think that Sonetto can't hear you, but she might be able to see you. Little glimpses here and there, when she happens to look up at the sky, and she sees you cheering after beating that one level that's been giving you a headache. I like to think that she would share these details about you with Vertin, if only to ease her own mind about the complex dynamic you have with THE Timekeeper.

But at the end of the day, this is progress and these are many changes that happen out of your field of vision. Perhaps, one day, Sonetto will gather the courage to thank you for taking care of Vertin when no one else would.

[salt-clangen]

Duskclan Lore & Culture

Proud, stoic, and pious.

So this is the long post on the culture of modern Duskclan, I’ll do a history post separately since it would be a huge post.

Credit to @rippleclan @bonefall & @niftysenpai for world building inspo, warrior roles, and camp design inspo

Lifestyle:

Duskclan is known for two things superior clerics and proficient fighting. They hold their emotions and intentions close to the chest, even amongst each other. Individualism is very prevalent, most cats- especially warriors/clerics/code keepers- believe that it’s better to solve your problems yourself through perseverance than to ask for help. That’s not to say a warrior who’s sick/injured wouldn’t go to the cleric for care or ask the camp keepers for extra broth. However that warrior would probably wait to get treatment until they were sure they couldn’t power through.

Despite the emphasis on solving your own problems and not asking for help, there’s a sense of pride that they get when they can provide for each other. It’s a double edged sword that many of us can relate too. ‘No I can do it myself. Oh that looks heavy let me get that.’ An outsider observing them may laugh at the tongue in cheek behavior of it all. They care so much about each other, yet they can’t show it for fear of being seen as unreliable, they want to be strong for their loved ones and they can’t do that if they’re weak. Mentors and parents feel especially responsible for their kits and apprentices success and safety, postpartum anxiety and depression is very real.

But the cats of Duskclan aren’t just stoic, emotionally constipated warriors. They also lead the clans in spiritual and herbal work, they are proud to be the clan closest to the Moon spring. The cleric stones located in Duskclan but outside of the High cave is a meadow dotted with large boulders, the soil is fertile and moist. Herbs growing here prolifically, a large variety of herbs in such a small place is just another source of pride for Duskclan.

Cleric apprentices spend a longer time training than other clans, typically graduating at 15 moons or older, it’s also very difficult to be chosen. Apprentices are usually selected after a series of tests while still in kithood and being taken to the Moon spring to receive Starclan’s blessing. Normally the clan has 3 clerics and 1-2 apprentices, but as of right now there’s only Darkfold and Burnpaw. The other two passed away within just a few moons from each other, first Dappleshade from a yellow cough outbreak and then Burdockpelt from the fire accident. Due to the clan’s strong ties to the Moon spring clerics hold a lot of power and influence.

While their ways and lifestyle may seem harsh, there’s a a pretty good reason for it, two-legs. They’re the clan that’s closest to the twoleg place, yes Honeyclan is kinda near the boat house and Oakclan is next to the thunderpath. But no other clan feels the constant presence of twolegs like Duskclan does, directly and indirectly. Small creek would be a great source of water and fish, but it’s compromised by the carrion twolegs leave. Not to mention hunting rodents too close to the nests could prove fatal as they could be poisoned.

In addition to that Duskclan also has to deal with loners and kittypets, some are just curious, but many are intrusive and aggressive. The clan can’t risk it, even Jaggedstar lost her most recent life to a loner near the twoleg nests, so they maintain their borders fiercely. As such they see very little new comers, usually it’s from Honeyclan or loners very interested in cleric work and new clan mates are treated with suspicion until they can prove themselves trustworthy.

Food:

The food of Duskclan reflects their no nonsense work ethic and deep spiritual ties, their dishes are either packed with herbs and nutrients or dried for quick and easy meals. The only thing they need to trade for is grains, such as flax or oats, and sausage. Otherwise they are pretty self sufficient from the other clans, a point of pride of course. Duskclan has 2 large communal meals at sunrise and sunset (breakfast and dinner) that are served and prepared by the camp keepers. Breakfast is usually a nutrient dense gumbo-like meal mashed grains, herbs, and meats, it’s very balance though it skews protein heavy since cats are obligate carnivores and need 70-80% of their meals to be from meat. The mash has sausage, ground meats, meat chunks, and bone broth/marrow. Dinner is usually a soup, something hydrating after a long day with plenty of prey bits and pieces thrown together, lots of organ meat is used. Most communal meals are served with a warm tea or broth, it’s up to the individual’s preference which they get and it’s usually just from large batches. If someone desires a specific drink then they can either ask for it ahead of time or prepare it themselves, if it’s a medical reason it’s usually accommodated by clerics. Teas are typically bitter or tart and have little broth in them, mostly just water and herbs. Broths are what you’d expect, usually a clear liquid from bone stock, slightly savory but typically plain. Both drinks are considered a palate cleanser for the rich spice in the other dishes, also a great way to get your fluids and nutrients from herbs. Cats will usually eat in a group, not necessarily just their friends, patrols or reports are discussed over the meals. They eat slowly due to the frequent conversations. Any other meal you need throughout the day you’re on your own, that’s why jerky and dried fish are so common. The meat/fish are easy to tie to a belt or keep in a basket while you go about your day, so most warriors have their own accessories or baskets. If you need to eat something else throughout the day or need frequent feedings for medical reasons it’s not an issue, the camp keepers are usually made aware of any particular needs by the clerics and can easily accommodate, it’s usually just extra of what ever meal was served earlier just warmed up in the oven.

It is considered unsociable to make and eat all your meals separately from everyone, but cats with specific dietary needs (even if it’s more of a strong preference/aversion) are encouraged to advocate for themselves if necessary. ‘Oh Greyclaw always eats alone outside of camp or in his den.’ Is cause for concern vs ‘Oh Ashenstep doesn’t like fish or tea with rose in it, so better to just give them broth to drink or leave the fish out of their portion.’ Is just Ashenstep being assertive and communicative. Again individuality and advocacy for yourself are the norm, hiding away from your clan mates is seen as sneaky and that you don’t trust the group.

Trade and crafts:

While warriors and clerics are considered honorable jobs that require skill, talent, and perseverance, artisan work (weaving, pottery, crafts) is considered easier. Anyone can make some twine, but not everyone can fight or heal. That being said, they do have some items they trade for other goods, mostly herbs and leather goods. Most of their herbs are able to be found in other territories, but they have superior quality of their decoctions, salves, and tinctures (vinegar based). Clerics and care takers work very hard to grow and cultivate quality herbs, planting and tending to them in the Clerics rocks. There are a few herbs found in Duskclan’s rocky territory that aren’t found elsewhere, this includes gravel root, goldenrod, and juniper. Because of their abundance and spiritual ties to the herbs (also for a better balanced diet), most Duskclan dishes have a lot of added herbs and vegetables mixed with whatever mash or soup is being served. Juniper is also a big flavor boost and so Duskclan is known for their ‘spice’ compared to the other clans.

Duskclan is one of the few clans with both the opportunity and the strength to hunt larger game, mainly deer. The local deer population travel through the lawns of the near by two-leg nests, but they also veer into Duskclan’s neck of the woods when foraging. Due to their impressive strength and sophisticated strategies the warriors are able to coordinate deer or boar hunts, it’s not often, usually once a moon or so. It takes a lot of organizing and work, most of the clan is needed before and after the hunt to bring the kill back to camp and process the carcass. They’re able to process the hides into workable leather or nesting material.

Camp:

(Sorry the camp sketch is so shitty, I lost my original and didn’t have the energy to redo it)

Duskclan’s camp is similar to Oakclan’s, they have one official entrance and then a few smaller ‘secret’ exits hidden throughout the border. The piney forest they live in has little undergrowth compared to the other clans so they have to cultivate shrubs specifically for construction. They also weave the branches of the bordering trees for extra protection and escapes. If you don’t know what to look for the hidden paths weaved into the branches you’d never know they were there. The paths are short but take you outside of the camp for evacuations and are above most of the dens, excluding the leaders and the apprentice dean which are located vertically from each other.

They have one large oven/fire pit lined with soft soil and stones to avoid spread. In this oven the camp keepers cook meals and make the communal broths. Individuals are able to assemble the ingredients of a particular dish ahead of time for the keepers to make with everyone else’s, but only camp keepers are allowed to cook or handle the fire (Burnpaw 👀). The clerics have their own separate fire pit outside of the camp walls near the entrance, it’s separate mostly due to space and demands. Most of their herbs need to be preserved some way to avoid spoilage and aid in trading affairs, so that means decoctions (boiling in water then letting it steep for days-months) and infusions (steeping herbs in an oil for a long time to mix in with salves) which bother require heat. So a cleric will have some basic fire knowledge or will have a designated camp keeper to help with the pit.

The clerics and warriors den are in fallen trees that were carved out, while the nursery, elders, and apprentices’ den are in rocky caves. The leaders den above the apprentice den in the hollow part of a living tree over looking the camp, they hold meeting outside of the entrance on the rocks.

Roles:

So obviously Duskclan is pretty weird with their hierarchy but most clans have similar roles, due to how unsafe the territory can be most patrols need at least one warrior. Solo patrols are only allowed by senior individuals. For a warrior if you’re chosen to assist a patrol it’s seen as a compliment since that means ‘you’re so strong and keep me safe’ without actually saying anything. For a non warrior, if a warrior comes up and assigns themselves to help you it’s considered presumptuous and can even be seen as a bit flirtatious. Usually done by confident or flamboyant cats, reactions vary based on the individuals.

So a list of all the roles are:

Artisans- make crafts and usable goods, not involved in cooking but can help if needed. They also gather their own materials so they usually take a warrior on patrol with them. They are also in charge of trading with other clans at the quarter moon (weekly) artisans gatherings and full moon gatherings. They work with camp keepers to process hides and pelts after the butchering. Good role for cats that enjoy repetition and consistency.

Camp keepers- also called keepers for short, they are in charge of cooking, processing prey, camp construction, and changing moss bedding. They are pretty busy in the clan and it’s a pretty good role for cats that aren’t very strong but have a lot of energy and don’t like downtime.

Care takers- sometimes called gardeners or carers, they’re in charge on the territory maintenance and gathering herbs. Clerics are too busy making herbal mixtures, caring for clan mates, and communing with Starclan to gather herbs. All of the clans have this role, seeds are gathered by clerics during herb processing and are stored in their den, care takers have learned when the best time to plant is. They focus on making sure the territory is full of diverse and useful herbs as well as making sure over harvesting is minimized. This technically includes prey, but it’s considered less important to the herbs. This type of patrol needs a warrior for 1-2 cats but larger groups are usually fine. Good for cats that love exploring and have a special interest in plants.

Lore keepers- called historians and teachers interchangeably, Duskclan has fewer cats in this role than other clans. These cats are in charge of recording/memorizing the history of all the clans and teaching it to kits and apprentices. They’re in charge of tracking weather to help predict patterns and storms, as well as adjusting tools the clans need and inventing different uses for them. Because of how this role is more of an ‘unseen’ sort of role with no physical product, cats may see others in this role as lazy or weak. Duskclan is a very busy-bodied clan and values tangible progress they can see and feel. Nonetheless, cats in this role are still loved and cared for, they just don’t have a lot of say or persuasion in the clan. This role is good for a cat that can’t or doesn’t desire to do a lot of traveling or physically demanding work, also cats who are good storytellers and have good memory.

Queens- in charge of the care of newborns, pregnant/postpartum cats, and kits under the age of 6 moons. There’s only one in the clan at any given time so it’s a fairly demanding job. They work closely with keepers and clerics to monitor the mother’s health and care, they also give the cats a much needed break from their kits. They often arrange games to help test and build skills they’ll need later in life, small chores to foster a sense of community and responsibility. Especially rambunctious kits are taken on little tours in the territory with a warrior patrol to help with all that energy. This role is great for cats who have a lot of patience, creativity, and enjoy kit sitting. They also work with historians to provide education to the kits.

Code keepers- sometimes called guards and sentries, these are warrior who have studied the warrior code extensively. While it may seem like all cats (especially in Duskclan lol) these cats are particularly educated. They are typically very strong physically and mentally, they’re able to patrol alone and check the borders more often than regular warriors. Most of the time they do the same tasks as warriors, however if the warrior code has been broken or suspected of being broken these cats are in charge of investigating the incident. If there’s enough evidence that a code break has occurred then a trial is held before the clan. One cat represents the accused and tries to either prove doubt or innocence, a second cat is in charge of presenting the evidence to prove the accused’s guilt. Afterwards the leader will decide the next course of action. These cats are well spoken and strong fighters.

Clerics- very busy cats, they have a deep Starclan bond and herbal knowledge. They interpret physical signs and abstract omens officially, so if you had a weird dream bring it to them for determination, however if you come in saying you saw a Daisy floating in the puddle and a bug that drown so that means Daisypelt is gonna try to murder Antfoot in the river…. They’re gonna smack you over the head. They make all of the medicine in the clan that’s gathered by carers.

Warriors- this is a catch all role, if you’re not a specific role you’re a warrior. It’s similar to cannon, they hunt and patrol. Duskclan warriors are utilized a lot for escorting other roles around, they also spend a lot of time training for physical improvement. Small competitions are common and encouraged.

Leaders and deputies- same as cannon, the deputy oversees day to day operations while leader supports their clan in the field and manage larger projects.

Apprentices- starting at 6 moons and ending after a passing assessment usually around 12 moons, apprentices in other clans spend 3 moons learning the basics of hunting, fighting, etc like cannon then if they would like to specialized in a specific role they get assigned to a new mentor. But in Duskclan they are apprenticed in specific roles and stay with that mentor their entire apprenticeship. Switching isn’t common as the clan is pretty thorough on screening what role a kit would be best at.

Mediators- plot twist DUSKCLAN DOESNT HAVE ANY! No one is surprised at this point I’m sure. This role is considered unnecessary, but not for the reason you’d think. Duskclan cats are raised to be vocal and advocate for themselves, to pursue personal development and goals, so they’re actually pretty good at settling disagreements between each other. Major disputes will be brought to the deputy, leader, clerics, or a senior member of whatever role the individuals are in to be settled, which is fairly uncommon. For disputes or discussions with other clans it’s handled by the leader and clerics.

Alright so this post has gotten pretty long, so I’m gonna end it with this picture of the current leader, the clan founder, and a typical Duskclan cat (in this case a camp keeper).

[horsemenoftheapocalypse-if]

(First ever collaboration IF between the Author of King's Despair and Dragon's Edged.)

Writer's Links: Dragon's Edged & King's Despair

(Warning: 18+ The story includes the following: Violence, , self-doubt, cliché’s, child abuse, torture, trauma and many more will be added in the future.)

Kroz&Author

"Greetings, Reader!

You are about to enter a world of darkness, danger, and deception.

A world where a child has been sold to the most powerful underworld company known as the Fates. A world where you will have to make life-or-death decisions for them. This is not a typical story of an orphan or a survivor.

This is a story of a child who has to learn how to kill, lie, and manipulate in order to survive in the dark side of New York City. A city where crime never sleeps and where the Fates control everything from the shadows.

You are not just a passive observer of this story. You are an active participant. You are the voice, the intuition, the gut feeling of the child protagonist. You will have to guide them through their trials and tribulations, their choices and consequences, their victories and defeats. But be careful, Reader.

The Fates are watching your every move. They have plans for you and the child. Plans that may not end well for either of you.

Are you ready to take on this challenge, Reader? Are you ready to face the Fates? Reader I beckon you to join them on this extraordinary adventure, where danger lurks at every turn, and the stakes are unimaginably high.

Through your unwavering presence, you will empower our young hero to face their fears, outsmart their enemies, and ultimately shape their own destiny.

Prepare yourself for a thrilling and immersive experience. Brace for the adrenaline-pumping encounters, the unexpected alliances, and the heart-wrenching decisions that will test the limits of our protagonist's resilience.

The fate of our young protagonist lies in your hands. Choose wisely, for their life depends on it. Decided are we?

Then come closer, and let me tell you more about this story…"

Introduction:

You were a kid, was a kid, now your a cold-blooded killing machine.

Dispensing justice and vengeance using your guns and knives. A modern robin hood you ask? Nope your not wearing any leotard pants or cap.

You're a merciless executioner, killing anyone who crosses your way. But underneath all that bloodshed and brutality, you still have a soft spot for kids.

It all started when you were taken by a prolific assassin, who decided to make you his protege. Armed with guns and knives, he taught you how to kill, track and hunt. But there was one rule that he made you live by, "No children, we never hurt them". That code fueled your respect for the man.

Through rigorous training, you became an expert in sharpshooting, knife throwing, and stealth. You even surpassed the master assassin, becoming the leader of your own hit squad. Together you and him started cleaning the streets from drugs, hoodlums, pimps and mafias. That made you a hero to the poor and downtrodden. But you were known by the authorities as a murderer and vigilante.

Despite all the havoc you reaped, you kept your code. Whenever you had a child captive, you would send them back to their families or orphanage. But one day, rumors of a powerful entity known as "The Fate's" were spreading they deal with guns, prostitution, alcohol, guns for hire, and mercenaries.

It was said that they're the Top Dog of the black market, the consigners of death and terrorisms. You know because your were one of the victims in their child trafficking business.

Now it's up to you to take down "The Fates", the only problem is that you couldn't seem to find any hard evidence against them. It was rumored that they cover their tracks so meticulously.

Until one day a member of their organization was sent to the hit list.

The client? The Fates their selves wanting to kill one their own. Yet there is one problem, your just still a rookie under the eyes of your teacher and he's not getting any younger.

"We need you to get a team and a back-up plan," your mentor said. "To get to The Fates, we need to be ready for everything they throw at us."

Despite his worring tone, you were confident that you can end this once and for all.

Now it's up to the great assassin and their protege, to bring the dark side of the world to light and serve justice to those who deserve it.

"It's time, kiddo," he smirked as he patted your back. "You've proven yourself more than ready for what's ahead, you will be leading this team but under my supervision of course!"

This was an exciting step towards finally taking down the Fates. With your mentor and you leading the team, you were sure it will be successful. After all, this was his legacy, and you will be a part of it. Together, you and him gathered a group of skilled mercenaries, sharpshooters, and information brokers.

You knew it wasn't going to be an easy mission. The Fates were known for their ruthless methods and their underhand tactics. To take them down, you needed to be able to outsmart them.

But this wasn't a rite of passage or even a battle of egos. This was a race against time, a race to save countless souls like you, who were trapped and used for the Fates' twisted plans.

Elizabeth Baker, The Rider of Death

"Appearances can be deceiving. I don't have to be gentle with my words to save your life."

She was once a respected doctor at a prestigious hospital, admired by colleagues and loved by patients. Her passion for saving lives and talent for surgery were well-known. However, everything changed when she uncovered the hospital's dark truth. They were charging exorbitant fees while using second-hand equipment and expired drugs. The medical director was involved in a corruption scheme, siphoning off millions of dollars.

When Elizabeth confronted him, he responded with threats and violence. In self-defense, she accidentally killed him with a scalpel. Fleeing the scene, she left behind her career and reputation, going into hiding. In the underworld, she became a freelance doctor, offering services to criminals and outcasts.

Operating in secret locations, she used whatever tools and resources she could find. Her prices were high, but she maintained high standards. Morality and legality didn't matter to her clients as long as they paid well and respected her rules. With a sharp tongue and a cold heart, she became the most sought-after doctor in the underworld.

Over time, her skills grew, and she began performing complex procedures like organ transplants and limb replacements. You and your mentor have made countless deals with Death, even cheating him a few times, so you know how to handle someone like her.

~

Nate O'Neil, The Rider Of Conquest

"The beauty of an explosion's light surpasses that of a sunrise!"

Nate is an unpredictable force within the group. He excels at causing explosions and demolishing obstacles, making him the go-to person for such tasks. Nate embodies chaos and has a twisted love for destruction.

Recklessness defines Nate. He thrives in dangerous situations, embracing the adrenaline rush that comes with each explosive endeavor. With a devil-may-care attitude, he charges into any situation, leaving destruction in his wake. His disregard for personal safety often leaves his comrades on edge, unsure of what he might do next.

Nate's passion for pyrotechnics is unmatched. He finds beauty in the chaos and destruction that fire brings, taking pleasure in watching things go up in flames. His eyes light up at explosions, and his laughter echoes through the chaos as he revels in the fiery spectacle. He is a true pyromaniac, using the world as his canvas to paint with flames.

But Nate is not just a reckless demolition expert; he is also the life of the party. With his larger-than-life personality, he fills the room with infectious energy. His boisterous laughter and dark jokes keep everyone entertained, even in dire circumstances. Nate can turn any situation into a comedy show, ensuring there is never a dull moment.

He possesses an innate talent for determining the right amount of explosive power needed to achieve the desired result, whether it's breaching a secure facility or creating a distraction with a chaotic firework display.

Nate is also one of the most loyal members of the group. He always has their back, regardless of the situation. He willingly puts himself in harm's way to protect his comrades and will fight fiercely for them if necessary. His bravery knows no bounds, and while his recklessness can sometimes lead to trouble, it is ultimately his heroic actions that make him the beloved daredevil he is today. Nate O'Neil is a wild card, a dynamo of destruction, and the heart of humor in the group. He reminds everyone that even in the darkest times, laughter and explosions can still exist, and he is always ready to ignite excitement wherever he goes.

~

Haley Jones, The Rider Of Famine

"When I look through the scope, all I see is you."

Haley, a Texan country girl, was born and raised on a ranch. She had a fiery spirit and a talent for precision. While she was no stranger to hard work and the thrill of the open fields, it was the touch of cold metal and the weight of a sniper rifle that truly ignited her passion.

From a young age, Haley displayed an uncanny talent for marksmanship. Her ability to hit headshots with unwavering accuracy earned her the title of the best sniper in her town's academy. Instead of pursuing a military career, Haley chose to become an assassin, targeting key figures who committed heinous acts.

Haley's movements were as precise as her shots. She never missed a target and always completed her missions efficiently. Her sass and flirtatiousness added to the mystique that surrounded her. She often used her curves to distract opponents, giving her time to get into optimal shooting position. People said that if you heard Haley's rifle, it was already too late - you had been marked and there was no escaping your fate.

Despite being an elite assassin, Haley never lost sight of her roots. She took pride in her Texan heritage and maintained a strong work ethic. After every assignment, she would return home to the ranch to decompress from the chaos. Among familiar faces, she would tend to the fields or go horseback riding, finding solace in the simplicity of her upbringing.

~

David Garcia, The Rider Of War

"I don't engage in meaningless conversations. Prove your worth or go away."

David is a mysterious and versatile individual. In private, he is quiet and reserved, preferring simple communication. However, during missions, he surprises even his closest allies with his various personas.

David is quick-witted and can easily become a charismatic trickster. With his clever wordplay and silver tongue, he can turn the tide of a battle without using force.

Flirtation comes naturally to David, and he uses it to manipulate and gather information. It's hard to determine his true intentions when encountering him.

Regardless of the roles he assumes, David is always dedicated to completing his missions. He will do whatever it takes to accomplish his tasks, whether it's infiltrating an enemy stronghold or uncovering a sinister plot.

[aesthetic-gamersnail]

Everybody has been talking about Branch's problems and anxieties (and I will probably make a post about this later too) but I think we should also talk about Poppy.

After the two movies she has gone through her own share of traumatic events like betrayal but also the fear of loosing the people she cares about. Which brings me to the point of this post: I think that after the events of the World Tour it would not be surprising if Poppy has become scared of loosing Branch.

When he self-sacrificed himself for her and jumped in front of the guitar chords, she couldn't have possibly known what would happen when he got hit by the guitar chords and after that she could not have known if it even was possible to turn him back to normal. So, now she has to worry about Branch doing stuff impulsively and without regarding his own safety if it is, in his own eyes, for the greater good or for the people he cares about.

And when she destroyed the strings, the first thing she thought and cared about was Branch. She literally threw the strings on the floor and ran to him, to make sure he was all right. Of course, it was her being worried about him and seeing how he was doing after the whole thing being a rock zombie. But maybe another reason why she ran to him so fast is that she saw he was grey again. And it was just such an impulse reaction to her seeing him like this, that she had to make sure how he was doing as soon as possible. The general consensus that I want to pull from here is: Poppy does not like seeing Branch being hurt neither physically or emotionally.

Thus, I just want to say that I think it would be pretty plausible to assume that she is scared to lose him because of his tendencies, because it almost happened before and that she isn't particularly thrilled to see him being hurt in any kind of way. I also think the way how she feels about him is actually very new to her, so she does not yet know how to deal with the many feelings she has. So, of course, it would be pretty overwhelming to see the person you love (and you possibly have not loved someone this way before) self sacrifice themselves for you. That could strengthen the fear and the trauma even more. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if she has become cautious or a little paranoid because of that.

Yeah, that are some of my speculations. I don't know if we will see something that has to do with this topic in the new movie, but it is interesting to think about the impact the last two movies left on our characters and how it could influence their actions in the third movie.

[taboo-delusion]

So, I just discovered something interesting.

This is a bit of a long one, so bear with me. It's important. Seriously.

I just woke up a few hours ago. My meds are starting to kick in. I was having a very serious and genuine, deep conversation (in-head) and it was... beautiful. It wasn't happy, but it was beautiful. Not the point.

Point is:

I had not had a single fucking intrusive thought today until someone made a noise in the other room.

I am so fucking PISSED OFF

Why my brain refuses to realize that intrusive thoughts CAUSED the good feeling to go away, I have no fucking idea. I've known that for almost a year now, yet my stupid fucking subconscious refuses to change anything it's doing

Before I snap my fucking android phone in half and yeet somebody's face into neptune, I thought I'd share the discovery!!!!

Basically:

MY INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS DID NOT START UNTIL SOMETHING STARTLED ME OUT OF FOCUS

AS I TYPE THIS, I REALIZE THAT INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS -AT LEAST FOR ADHDERS- ARE A SURVIVAL TACTIC.

Elaborating:

When you fall asleep and your heart slows too much, your body does the falling thing to make sure you're still alive.

It's not that intrusive thoughts are *Just* because your brain gets too quiet, It's because your life has never been completely quite before, or -like me- the few times it is quiet, something interrupts. And even if it doesn't piss you off, even if you don't jump like I do, your brain still registers it as not safe.

--

Falling asleep, heart slows a lot-

Body: *Sends adrenaline just to make sure it still actually works.*

Drowning, even mostly unconscious-

Body and brain: *Hold onto that last half-breath even if it feels like you're head is going to explode.*

Going grocery shopping or talking to someone you think is cool-

Brain: *Remembers what it felt like the first time your guardian was indifferent or mean about something that made you happy or calm.*

Things around you actually get quiet-

Brain *Sends a thought you hate just to make sure you're prepared for a sudden problem.*

TDLR 1: Your brain isn't mean on purpose, It's just paranoid and still has a will to live.

Listen. I know I'm just some random dude from a weird blog. But I'm trying to translate, to assist. Maybe somebody else needs this realization as much as I do. I apologize for the yelling earlier. I'm still just as upset, but only at my dumbass subconscious. Now some time has passed, and I have regained self-control.

(I also apologize for the above paragraph, my brain nags for me to do this, but I can't remember why. So:)

I am no psychologist. Here are my qualifications (why you should listen to me):

As my friends call it- "Disturbingly self-aware at all times."

Paranoid Schizophrenic with actual (unrelated) OCD, with years of experience dealing with it- more healthily in recent years.

Philosophy and deep thinking is simply my default. I use metaphors, but everything in this post is entirely literal, ...except the angry threat. (*begrudgingly accepts disappointment*)

I am a fiction writer. I don't know about healing people/first aid, but I know a LOT about how anatomy works, with many deep-dives on the psychology/evolution side.

People irl generally consider me a genius? Idk how to gauge that, IQ tests are irrelevant with this type of... smart?. I've been compared to both Da Vinci and Einstein. So, ...actually that's pretty fuckin' cool- (I AM NOT TRYING TO BRAG! I APOLOGIZE IF IT COMES OFF THAT WAY! I've never put it all down like this, and I'm just surprised and questioning my reputation.)

(Also, I love playing detective, so naturally I call myself Batman XD.)

Autistic; I experience the world, and every situation, from a view without any context.

ADHD: My brain automatically -As a guardian I hate describes- "Can watch three different movies at the same time, all in fast forward, and can keep up with all of them." ... Well, yes, but technically no. Idk if other ADHD people do this, but my brain "connects the dots" so quickly, I end up laughing at jokes I've never heard before the 'punchline', because I've already figured out what you're going to say next.

Now combine all that. I am kicking depression's ass and now I want to help you do the same.

I have only mentioned the relevant things. Please keep in mind that ALL of these have both advantages and disasters. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I am running on four hours of sleep. For the love of whatever, I hope this actually helps someone other than me.

Qualifications are noted because: This is all stuff (and stuff like this) that I am just always casually aware of.

TLDR2: Even if I wasn't trying to help people feel better, Apparently I was born with a nat 20 perception/insight check, so please don't argue that I truly understand what I'm talking about here.

[chainsawcorazon]

my favorite thing about about the 90's young justice solos is that they catered towards three distinct audiences, and yet after all these years, the one that would have been LEAST likely to be projected into nowadays is now the MOST woobified out of the three.

tim: a story for white kids, by a white guy who hates poor people, and didn't really take itself OUT of that white-male-projective-state even after all these years. bonus note, now the gays can project into tim cuz timbo's finally out the closet, and chuck dixon wants to kill himself over it, but it's ok bc we like tim even tho we don't like chuck.

bart: a story initially about a time-displaced refugee whose narrative heavily mirrored a refugee's forced assimilation into a new culture WHILE also appealing to the adhd/autism crowd, which the writer was absolutely OK with because bart's story can be accepted by BOTH the refugee narrative enjoyers and the adhd/autism crowds without impinging on his narrative poignancy, plus mark waid actually loved bart and he loves that WE love bart. inshallah he will write his boy again.

kon: a story about teenagers who are being neglected, and so he's acting out every which way and partying it up because he was meant to appeal to the 90's teenage rage and show how easy it is for kids to get caught up with predators like knockout and tana because of the lack of structure and discipline in their lives, but when geoff decided to ignore nearly ten years of creator-run canon, we had to deal with his timkonnie dreams, and now geoff's leaving, so now we gotta deal with the yja nonsense and some lady's self-insert dreams going into a character whose writer is not only still alive, but actively on the bi!kon train but from the 90's crackhead era perspective. and HE'S the one most woobified.

it's absolutely facinating cuz you'd think kon would be the most hated out of the three bc of his issues with consent and the unhealthy ways he frames relationships, but instead it's BART who people hate the most! bart's being infantalized and discounted and used at a third-man-ship-prop, while tim's being rewarded for being an emotionally strugglesome white man who just came out of the closet, and it's not nearly as bad as how bart's getting his ass beat in the fandumb, but poor tim can't even date his high school homie in peace without someone crying about how he 'deserved' kon instead.

to think that the character with that many issues would be the MOST woobified character in the yj cast is insane, bc what are you even woobifying? his depersonalization? his lack of boundaries with women? his inability to read a room? the fact that nobody loves nor cares about him enough to protect him from the horrors of the world? the fact that he was a stellar example of a CSA survivor who didn't even KNOW he was a victim of CSA, and thus wasn't really able to understand the ramifications of his inappropriate behavior until years later when he forced himself into a masculine fold so he didn't fall into the trap of being like 'the old him' again?

kon's story was a story of self-hatred come to life in the most fantastical ways. he thinks it's ok to publicly date a grown woman other people are judging for dating a dumbass minor. he didn't know what a mother's love was, and had to witness it first hand with nanaue's mother. he thinks an emotionally unavailable and distant clone handler is his dad bc he doesn't KNOW anyone else who can fit into that mold. he thinks roxy's his sister but still has no problem sexualizing her in his head bc he thinks it's ok to find your older sister hot.

kon was the DEFINITION of the kids are not alright, nope, not at all, hell to the fuck no. geoff was the single biggest driver in stripping all the nuance from his character post-graduation day, but he not even here no more... what's the excuse in continuing to strip away at what makes kon, kon? i know dc's afraid to admit lois and clark looked the other way when a teenaged clone was dating an adult woman, but you woulda thought he woulda been a turnoff to the fandumb as well. he aint tho, so he suffers for it accordingly.

i can only hope karl kesel lands another contract after these new movies flop, so we can finally get a REAL follow-up to the 1994 solo. you could never make me hate that man's insane writing. justice for 1994 kon. if dc still had good writers, we coulda had a multi-year healing arc exposing how horrifying superheroing really is for people, and why clones deserve something to the equivalent of human rights. instead, he's doin fuckall and kissin m'gann. no shade to m'gann, she absolutely deserves more than the current caricature.

[pop-punklouis]

I feel it's not fair at all, poppunk is not my type, On the other hand, I love Louis's voice in 1d songs, and back to you , and couple songs from walls album. And that's it, I don't have anything new to listen to from him. I know this is my problem and my musical taste and it's not Louis's fault. But come on do something like back to you that more people loved it, what's wrong with that? If we want to be logical pop punk has its own fans but they are in the minority.

I know his prejudice fans always says, that's fine, he'll be fine, don't worry about him, let Louis be for us, we don't want to share him, becoming number one is not his goal, but isn't it? Wasn't he happy when he was number one in the UK? I know the fans made it , but it's not like Louis said I'd be upset if I became number one and I don't want it and I refuse to accept it.

He says he doesn't care about commercial success, but who wouldn't want that. When you have the ability and talent, what's wrong with using it and singing a song that will bring everyone's attention to you? I really don't understand why Louis doesn't want to sing something that is popular with the majority of society?

1) this is such a weirdly self-serving ask of an artist like: “create music i want to listen to. if not, i cant listen to it and you’re not going to be successful.” perhaps, louis isn’t making music for you but for himself and if that isn’t for you, that’s fine. but that doesn’t mean he isn’t successful…..?

2) louis made mainstream pop music with one direction for five years. and tried his own hand at it for the first half of his solo career. he’d been in that world for a decade. and for his solo career, it wasn’t really that successful. and most importantly he wasn’t happy??

3) louis has made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want to make pop music. that his heart belonged in the indie rock/pop-punk scene. and always has. there’s been remnants of that in his style, his interests, and some of his music for years. he’s given countless interviews and talked himself about the pressure that was put on him to dress up as someone he wasn’t with these major record labels. to hide his accent. to create radio friendly music. to be a puppet on a string for them. he wasted years of his career dealing with that pressure and those contracts.

4) FITF, an album that was created as the most authentic body of work he’s released yet, is what got him the number one. it wasn’t walls. it wasn’t any of the strictly EDM work he released. it was FITF. it was an album that featured the sound that he loves and wants to strive towards going forward. it was louis clear vision babe.

5) louis has seen a growth in his career and his venue sizes that is exponential in just one year. and this isn’t because he’s releasing mainstream pop music. it’s because he’s being authentically him. his music is better. his tour is bigger. his presence is brighter. it’s gravitating so much good his way because of the content he’s creating and how it’s translating to his crowds and him as an artist. he’s a much more confident person than he was just a couple years ago. he’s a much more self-assured person.

6) FITF is part of the reason he’s being booked for these festivals now. it allowed him the growth in his fanbase and live shows to attract fests. if he was still creating music like Walls, i’m not sure if it would be shaking out the same way. and with how his music sounds now, it is open to attracting new fans especially in these big festival settings. most of the songs from walls don’t have the capacity to do that. and that’s just the reality.

7) there isnt just one metric of success. success has many different forms. numbers and charts aren’t the only way to succeed. and louis has lived in that world of success. he’s done all of those things. he’s hit those milestones. they feel good, but they aren’t a driving force behind why he does what he does. he does what he’s doing now because he’s finally being able to show who he is sonically. who he is as a lyricist. who he wants to continue growing into going forward in his career. he’s succeeding through his own journey in the industry. and he’s doing a damn good job controlling that for himself.

8) there’s nothing wrong with pop music. i love pop music. there’s a reason why pop music is popular. but asking your favorite artist to reshape who they’ve steadily been building themselves to be all because you don’t like the sound and you think they need to follow a one-dimensional version of success is….. sad lmao he has worked so hard to be where he is. to feel authentic in the music he’s putting out. and for someone to be like “um anyways i don’t like this. go back to what you were trying so hard to not be. i liked your music better that way” is just ????

9) indie-rock isn’t unsuccessful. it isn’t dead. it’s very alive and successful. genres don’t have to be pop or mainstream to be successful. give music much more credit than that, please.

[ereana]

drabble prompts: zhongven; 2, 36, and/or 50

Zhongven 2 - The thought of losing you scares me

Venti was angry.

He didn’t like being angry. It scraped against his mind like shards of glass turning the very air around him into sharp stinging winds, the sort that left humans chilled to the bone on a cold winter’s day when not even the warmest coat could keep out the cold.

It was a little embarrassing really. He was one of the oldest gods left yet he still was at the mercy of his own emotions unlike a certain blockhead who—

The sound of splintering wood filled his ears as the tree beside him disintegrated into sawdust as the very air around it tore into the bark in a sudden fit of rage. Venti pinched his brow and let out a deep sigh.

Right. This was why he was here sitting on one of the cliffs overlooking the Stone Gate instead of drowning his sorrows at the Angel’s Share. Diluc might actually try to kill him if Venti destroyed the building because of his bad mood. Plus he didn’t want to accidentally hurt any of his people who were completely innocent and had nothing to do with his current displeasure unlike a certain traitorous liar of a lizard that he was determinedly not thinking about. 

A few unlucky birds flying overhead let out chirps of alarm as they were suddenly spent spinning towards the ground, with a flick of his fingers Venti corrected the breeze and sent them gracefully soaring towards Liyue.

He watched them silently for a few moments. While he wasn’t the sort of being to lose himself in melancholic thoughts there were times when taking a minute or two to just think could be helpful. And it wasn't like this was a normal situation either.

If it was normal, whatever normal meant to a wind wisp turned god turned ex-archon turned bard — although he had been a bard for quite some time so maybe the chronology needed some rethinking — then he wouldn’t have any issue controlling his anger. Venti would like it to be noted, probably in one of his own songs, that he was usually pretty good at the whole self control thing. He hadn’t turned his anger on Mondstadt when he’d learned what happened to Dvalin. There were secrets that could shake the world locked safely behind his teeth. Granted there were perhaps a few too many people who knew his true identity but it wasn’t his fault that his people were so perceptive!

With all that compelling evidence in mind, Venti was confident in asserting that had this been a normal issue he would not have had to exile himself to a barren cliff edge because he was a danger to everyone around him due to his fury turning the summer breeze into blades of anemo.

He nodded decisively before groaning at his own inability to deal with the actual problem

Although judging by the footsteps steadily approaching the problem had come to deal with him instead.

Venti closed his eyes and waited until the intruder had reached the top of the cliff, unable to get too close because of the protective vortex which now surrounded him but close enough to hear him.

“I’m mad at you.” Venti stated quietly, his voice devoid of its usual humour.

“I can tell.” Morax — or was it Zhongli now — said calmly. So calm it made the winds whip up into a frenzy sending blades of freshly cut grass spiraling into the sky. 

“Is that all you have to say?” He asked, and now there was a note of anger in his tone. “After what you—” Venti cut himself off, clicking his tongue in frustration at the mix of hurt, relief and sadness which swelled inside his chest.

“No, there is much I would say to you. If you would allow it.”

Venti laughed, a harsh sound that grated against his ears.

“Oh now I’m suddenly someone worth talking to. Now. When the damage has been done and the dust has settled here you come ready to make things right once more. What does the immediate upset matter when it can be fixed with a deal or a contract to replace what has been….” Venti stopped and finally turned to look at the man behind him. “I thought you died Morax.”

Morax stared at him quietly. They’ve known each for far too long to hide anything from the other and Venti can see in an instant that he won’t get an apology for what happened. Morax will offer one for hurting him, for not seeking him out straight away after the matter had concluded, but he won’t apologize for the act itself. 

“You had to, my dear. In case someone was watching the wind had to mourn the loss of the mountain.” Morax stepped forward causing Venti to instantly drop the vortex in case the old fool actually hurt himself.

It only took a few of his husband’s long strides before Morax was lowering himself to sit beside Venti. Venti, who hadn’t seen him since he woke up from his unplanned five hundred year long nap, dropped his head onto one firm shoulder. It was about as comfortable as using a rock for a pillow.

“The thought of losing you scares me more than anything. It almost broke me.” He admitted softly. 

If there really had been a murderer in the world Venti would not have stopped until he’d ripped the air from the culprit’s lungs himself.

Mor— no Zhongli was probably best to use now. Morax had died.

Zhongli wrapped a hesitant hand around Venti’s waist. Venti let him, too tired and too relieved to push away the comfort. His husband wasn’t wearing any gloves so the warmth from the golden veins in his hand seeps through Venti’s shirt to his skin. After five hundred years Venti was back where he belonged.

“Don’t do it again blockhead.”

A press of lips against his head, the stroke of a thumb against his waist, and the first contract made by the man known as Zhongli.

“I promise.”

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock, what DO you love and like so much about Dostoevsky's work? I don't think you've ever talked about that. Please, I want to know !!!

^o^

(christianity mention jump scare below proceed with caution)

i thought this would be an easy to answer but figuring out how to put my feelings into words proved difficult .

the beginning is always a good place to start, so let's go with that. by chance, i happened upon this video on youtube and gave it a watch. about halfway in i decided i had to read notes from underground for myself. i struggled to understand what the narrator was trying to get across. the unique writing style, where the reader is addressed directly, as if in challenge, helped me preserve.

i think part of what makes his work special to me is his depiction of people. and they really do feel like people more than characters, even if some of their characteristics are unique to the era dostoevsky wrote in. everything else about them transcends time. i can see myself in some of them. whether it be the titular idiot, prince myshkin in his naivety; alyosha, who goes from devout to doubting; and ivan, whose bitterness toward religion masks his disappointment at the state of the world. 

that's why the brothers karamazov touched me in particular. for some context, i grew up in a christian household and was heavily involved in the church (american northeast white baptist strand of church). around when i was 11 or so, the introduction of left-wing politics through social media had me undergo a looooong identity crisis. these new ideas felt at odds with what i'd spent my entire life believing. what i grappled with the most relates to ivan's anecdote, the grand inquisitor, where the goodness of god is called into question. the bitterness, the disappointment from crushed expectations, all those sensations resonated strongly with me. reading it as an adult who (supposedly) 'healed' from that time period in my life was like opening pandora's box. i'd never seen my thoughts and struggles so accurately described, or treated with more than a 'his ways are higher than our ways' type platitude. i stuffed these concerns of mine away because they only ever served to make me feel worse.

i won't delve deep into the Depressing Lore. the only reason i mention it is to stress how profound an impact the work had on me. throughout the remainder of TBK (and in most of dostoevsky's discography), the best and worst of humanity is shown. our hypocritical nature, capacity for evil; nothing is shied away from or made more palatable. and yet, throughout it all, our potential for good is shown too. whether it be in the little acts or monumental self-sacrifice. sometimes those acts are honored, or ‘worth it,’ sometimes they aren’t. it’s cheesy but whatever i’ll say it — choosing to love and serve others is my greatest joy. i don’t really need a definitive answer to those problems i struggled with. that’s the takeaway i’ve had from his work. it might not seem like a big deal, but not feeling guilty for having certain doubts or anxious over those doubts never fully being resolved was. very significant for me. and healing (for real this time). 

so that’s the sentimental perspective GJSDLKFJS from my writer’s perspective, i can only describe him as brilliant. his grasp on the human psyche is incredible. he can accurately describe so many emotions, worldviews, and give the context necessary for each one to feel organic and real. it’s vivid, too, in a way i can’t properly get across. everyone’s unfiltered and messy. characters contradict themselves in the same sentence. they’ll murmur, go off on tangents, tell stories, misquote the bible (or many other significant works), and just be overall disasters. aka how people actually are. 

the man’s also funny as hell. the protagonist from crime and punishment has a mental breakdown spanning multiple pages over a sock. yes, there’s context, but that’s still the gist of things. then there’s the issue of the hedgehog in the idiot. hedgehog drama. 

ultimately, his work is so very human. there’s commentary on issues that are prevalent to this day, multiple centuries later. the topics he touches on tend to align with what i care about most. whether i agree or disagree with what i’m reading, there’s always something i glean from it. something meaningful that sits with me long after i close the book. i’ll mull over it and bother people in my vicinity until they mull over it too. no one is safe. whether it be a co-worker or my dad who drives noticeably faster to reach our destination and be free of my many questions.

i could keep going but this ended up being long enough GJSKDF i hope at least something here makes sense?>?? i apologize for the incoherent ramblings. it's what the dude does to me.

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Any headcanons for your Hazbins?

Meet my Hazbins!🌈😈🌈😈🌈😈🌈😈🌈😈🌈

Charlie Morningstar 🐑🍎🎼.

🍎 Charlie likes to collect playbills and other musical merch.

🍎 Charlie can play numerous instruments and knows many dance moves 🎻🎺🎷🎸🎹🕺💃

🍎 Charlie has a big fascination of the mortal world and has read up a lot on its history, has Def helped her with understanding what the residents could've gone through in their times...they're not the prettiest of pictures.

Has also read up on things such as morality, virtues, redemption, rehab for the hotel project. She's basically a college student who's now applying everything she's learned into the real world and getting the most important learning. Actual experience.

🍎Charlie fav food is apple pastries 🥮🍎 and loves sparkling cider 🥂🍾🍎🍏

🍎 Lucifer made a cute carousel music box for Charlie when she was a little girl. She still has it 🎠🎼

🍎Can detach her body parts and still be able to move them around.

🍎Charlie's sinner friend was in show business, vaudeville. Hence why she's so drawn to that kinda stuff.

🍎Has this actual ability to sense the good in people. She can hear the amount of goodness is someone’s soul, like a song. The more she can can, the more likely someone’s a good person, she’s managed to hear at least a little bit in the people around her, even in Hell…she was surpised when she couldn’t hear anything in Valentino when she first met him…

Vaga🦋👁🗡

🦋 Vaga has great hearing 👂

🦋 Vaga used to dance all the time alive. When she died and became an angel she lost in touch of that. Now just Hell with Charlie she's been growing that love again

🦋 Moths were actually Vaga's fav animal when she was alive.

🦋 Vaga went by "the black night" as an exorcist. Originally people called her the dark night...until that batman movie came out and switched to black instead.

🦋Vaga’s short for Vagabond. It’s also actually a real name with Spanish origins.

🦋As part of self soothing, she does something called “cocooning”.

🦋Fav food, pupusa. El Salvador’s national dish 🇸🇻

🦋 Vagas eye wasn't ripped out by Lute...🍎🐑 (related to my backstory for Charlie)

Angel Dust🕷️🕸️👢

🕷️Spiders actually used to give Angel the creeps(arachnophobia) back when he was alive. He def freaked out when he realized he became one.

🕷️ Angel Dust LOVED Lilith's performances, big fan. Also enjoys Verosika Mayday's stuff too! He and Charlie def bond a bit from this.

🕷️ Most hesitant of the gang to open up about his past…

🕷️Can create his own webbing 🕸️🕷️Has used it for wardrobe malfunctions, making matching outfits for Fat Nuggets…even bandaging 🩹

🕷️Angel used to have a different color scheme and stripe pattern...Vals contract changed him to how he looks now. He has trouble remembering what he used to look like. Talked to @a-sterling-rose about this, about overlords being able to change their contract souls appearance to fit their look.

🕷️ Like Charlie, enjoys broadway 🎭 def reminds him of home and…better memories. Would LOVE Chicago.

🕷️Charlie reminds Angel of…someone he really misses. Hopes they got into heaven 😇

🕷️ When Angels alone, he enjoys doing silly private dances, think Claire from Jack Stauber’s Opal.

Niffty🐛🪡🧹

🐛 Has created a lot of her own clothes. Also does tailoring for Alastor and Husk🧵🪡👗👔

🐛 Niffty can burrow thanks to her sharp claws that she can dig into almost anything…or anyone☠️

🐛Niffty has her own fur coat. Unrelated, the hotel had a rat problem🐀

🐛 Made herself Husk’s honorary wingwoman. Full Huskerdust shipper.

🐛Owns a daruma doll. Hopes it can help her make her wish come true and can finally pain the other eye…when she finds her true love.

🐛Compared to Husk, her deal with Alastor’s easier to get out of…all she has to do is..give up her form. Though she has no reason to break things off with Al…yet.

🐛Niffty tends to be hesitant to share her Japanese heritage to people…had to alive🇯🇵

🐛Smells a lot like fresh lemons,🍋. Her fav sanitation smell.

Husk🐈‍⬛🎰🪄

🐈‍⬛ Wanted to be a magician…never could really make it happen…yet🎩🪄

🐈‍⬛Likes to do cool tricks with drinks! Like color changing cocktails!

🐈‍⬛Memorized the gang’s fav drinks: Charlie-Appletini, Vaga-Tequilla sunrise, Angel Dust-Manhattan, Niffty-Shirley temple, Baxter-Scotch & Soda, Sir P & Alastor-Old Fashioned 🍺🍻🍷🍸🍹🥂.

🐈‍⬛Husks fav drink is the classic martini 🍸Husk also enjoys fruity cocktails(more slcohol) @a-sterling-rose suggested this as they have more alcohol). Those kinda drinks also remind him a bit of Vegas🍹

🐈‍⬛ Knows a lot of different magicians, has def read up on Houdini.

🐈‍⬛Kept some memorabilia from his older days.

🐈‍⬛Wings can light up like a Vegas sign. Used that trick a lot to throw off gambling competition. They haven’t lit up in a while…

🐈‍⬛Feels like he deserves Alastor controlling him and whatever else he does with him💔…begins to grow out of this mindset when he talks to Angel about his relationship with Valentino.

Baxter🐟🧪⚗️

🐟 Baxter transitioned after dying🏳️‍⚧️

🐟Seafood fan🐟🦀🐙🍣🦞🦐🍤🍱🦑🦪

🐟Uses his head light as a nightlight for bedtime reading 📖 🛌

🐟Baxter has many theories and thesis' on the hotel members. Has a lot about Niff. 🐟 Baxter often gets Niffty to be part of his experiments. Ain't like she's complaining though. Always gets her snacks

🐟His light can actually become multicolour on account of a past experiment side effect. Angel loves it(think that dance party meme)

🐟Likes to do science stuff with Sir P! They’re def lab buddies.

🐟 Should not be left alone in the kitchen ⏲️🔪☠️.

Sir Pentious 🐍⚙️🎩

🐍 Sir P loved to invent since he was a kid. His inventions and ideas weren’t as…considered back then. Atleats in Hell he’s been able to accomplish a lot more.

🐍 Sir Pentious was around during Alastor’s takeover as Radio Demon. In my take I imagine he tells the gang the story Mimzy told them in ep 5 while my Mimzy would instead share who Alastor was, alive!

🐍 Sir P gets a lot of his material from Hells junkyards, pawn shops, thrift stores and whatever he can scavenge from the doom district. He's pretty smart with costs. His stuff blows up allt so he's gotta be dareful not to go bankrupt.

🐍Keeps up with all the Overlords and other high power Hell people. Learned the importance of branding from figures like Alastor and Vox.

🐍 Sir Pentious and Charlie often do high tea now and then🫖🍰🍪

🐍Made his arm prosthetics himself!

🐍 Sir P favorite childhood nursery rhymes Humpty Dumpty🥚🎶

🐍His Gear Eyes can become Hypno swirls like his OG eyes 👀

Alastor🦌📻📡

🦌 Alastor before getting into the radio show business, worked as a busboy back at the speakeasy club Mimzy used to perform in, hence how they knew each other.

🦌 Despite the front he puts up about television…has some guilty pleasures, likes vintage style shows, films, especially involving murder mysteries. He also likes “The Twilight Zone”….Used to watch it with Vox📺💔

🦌Had to deal with a lot of prejudice for his heritage, especially for his aspirations. Had to fight a lot to keep his show…

🦌Back alive, he talked about his killings on his radio time. What made him popular…unfortunately he was beginning to slip a bit more than he meant to and people were starting to get suspicious and eventually the authorities set a trap 🪤.

🦌Enjoys cooking 🥘 🍳. Learned most of his recipes from his mother.

🦌Loves to talk about his mother…his fathers a completely different story.

🦌Pretty dependent of Husk emotionally. Deep down he knows…their relationship isn’t healthy.

🦌His biggest fear…is to turn out like his father.

What do u think? Any headcanons u have for the Hazbin characters, canon and/or reimagining? I’d love to know❤️

[cloudstarcats]

YOU WERE WRITING POETRY IN MY REBLOGS BRO. I SEE YOU!!! I SEE YOU!!!

ajsdkashdkjahsdkja yeah lol, I love ur post and thinking about ratio's love for humanity/life vs his desire to be recognized for his genius makes me sentimental af about him,,,

the push and pull of wanting to test the limits of the universe that he holds back not because he doesn't think he could accomplish it but because to do so would shatter the line he has drawn between his own self and the life he wants to keep out of harms way. Is is so much of a doctor, knowing that he could push past the boundaries of humanity yet to do so would discard the very thing he swore back when he first learned medicine, "Practice two things in your dealings with disease: either help or do not harm the patient"

And he is such a man of principle, a man who sticks to what he believes to be true, to himself, that to cross that line and break that oath would render him the greatest fool in the universe.

And it must weigh on him some nights, like all choices weigh on a person, when he thinks of a way to solve a problem but knows that to do so would cost him his entire sense of self. To wonder why he can not be like the other geniuses, who create so much, but then to almost be upset with himself for even thinking that to be like them would be better, to disregard the feelings of others, to put yourself on a pedestal above the crowd in a way that is done not to be a leader but to be separated, divorced, from the public-

Herta does not teach on her space ship, she leaves her scientists to think of her as their own god, to worship her- Ruan Mei leaves her sentient creations behind, she tests them with knives when she knows they can feel pain-

Ratio could never do such a thing. Ratio spends his time as a teacher, though he is seen as the professor many want to avoid- there is no doubt that he teaches. He shares his knowledge, he provides a space for growing minds- he is not harsh because he does not care, he is not harsh because he sees his students as beneath him- he is harsh because they are students, and to learn is to struggle; to not be hard, to not push them, he sees that as his failure.

How could I ever hate him? How could I hate a man who does a job that perhaps harder then just spending his days on trips and researching in a lab- how could I hate a man who years to cure ignorance because he truly wants to improve the world, how could I hate a man who loves so deeply that it is the sole reason he will never be recognized by Nous; the being who has no room for caring in it, who will never cast his gaze on Veritas Ratio, though the man has done enough to deserve it.

How could I ever hate him? He who welcomes anyone willing to learn, who encourages thought, who cares. So much. And who suffers for it, in his mind, unaware that what he lacks is minimal to what he has; his burning love for life.