#Who hasn't really gotten to explore the outside world

[north-winds1]

#rain world #rainworld art #slugcat #digital art #rainworld #slugcats #rw artificer #Artificer au #artificer's pups #I'm not really sure what to say #But this was a bit of a pain to make #I think if I make more of these it's probably going to be flat colours and not as detailed backgrounds #Because I wanted to quit several times while drawing this #It still turned out nice though! #I like to think that arti's pups care for eachother a lot very much disliking being separated #Because of the whole separated from artificer thing #But in general wherever one is going the other will be there #One of the pups tries to act much older to try to protect their sibling but they're still a young slugcat #Who hasn't really gotten to explore the outside world #The next arti's pups AU things will be much happier and I'll probably do some doodles somewhat soon! #Wind art

[ceasarslegion]

honestly i think if this site finally dies to a ceo meltdown (which might be the only thing that can kill it lmao) i think... it would be for the best to just leave this place and the communities it fostered buried

I won't go to cohost, or bluesky, or anything. Y'all can catch me on my already made social (1) (discord. Im not giving anybody my facebook account with my full name on it after the death threats ive gotten over the years here) if you want, but this site has been going downhill ever since the advent of cringe culture and ace discourse circa 2015. It feels like recent months have been hurtling towards the logical conclusion of the turbo-echo chamber this site exists in. I seriously miss the era where it was just superwholock jokes and the only drama you'd hear about was the occasional bone-stealing witch level shit that everybody would go "lmao what" about and then go back to their regularly-scheduled movie discussions. Maybe i'll go back to pinterest at most and spend the rest of my time in fandom and furry forums and AO3. It would compel me to write and draw a lot more.

And honestly, I think tumblr finally getting the plug pulled on its long-dying life support may be legitimately helpful for a lot of the users who yanked this site's culture away from that and into the echo chamber. They might like, go outside for once. I know "touch grass" is a cliche or whatever but I do think a lot of this echo chamber can be chalked up to sitting on the computer all day and never getting exposed to anybody outside of your self-imposed internet echo chamber. Go outside, get some fresh air.

Also, it won't be the end of the world. If your free time and happiness is really that contingent on any one social media site then it may be for the best to take it away from you. Learn how to entertain yourself without it. There's a whole world out there to explore. Find something else to do. Pick up new hobbies, look into events in your area. Get really into some weird niche hobby and spend all that time doing that instead of just posting on a different website if this one's finally done. Remember that 4chan guy whose life turned around after he got really into raising shrimp instead of discoursing on 4chan all day? Maybe it's time to find your shrimp raising hobby instead of just posting the same things and perpetuating the same cycles on a different site.

I'm not saying to go full amish and abandon the internet altogether but i am saying that if this website has consumed so much of you that the prospect of it imploding is this upsetting to you, maybe you need to start raising shrimp for a while. I think it would be good for you.

Idk man, I'm chilling in my chair here but if it goes, she goes. I'll find something else to do, but this site hasn't been the tumblr I stuck around for for a long time now, so it won't be the end of the world for me if it ends. I'd just grab my favourite mutuals discords and head out to get more into the furry fandom and write more fic instead. I never wanted to be exposed to this much of the everything on this site anyway, I joined for the memes and the fandom content way back in 2010 and then just never really left.

#some thoughts

[saspitite]

Needlessly Pedantic Answers to Worldbuilding Questions that Don't Matter That Much to Begin With, Episode #1:

why is everyone in your fictional world an animal? what do they eat? are there any non-sapient animals? is it more of a "Zootopia or Beastars" type situation? how does anatomy change across certain species?

so as nobody may know, i write about a lot of fictional worlds and one of them is your standard diverse furry society. while these are quite fun to mess around with, they tend to bring up a lot of questions (that technically don't matter too much, i mean you're just telling a fictional story for god's sake) about how the world works. and there's especially a lot of questions raised in my case because my world doesn't just feature mammals, but also reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, and so on, so you wonder how differently they live, if at all. i'm gonna be evil and answer all of those questions that exactly -2 people have asked today!

1: why is everyone an animal?

of course, the real reason is because it's fun to explore stories and create characters that aren't human, and it's especially a fun opportunity to experiment with character design! but for a more in-universe reason, the gods like to take inspiration from each other and will tend to build off of each other's ideas. this world was made by the wandering god Belet, who became inspired after visiting several worlds of other gods. they were curious about creating a world where multiple sapient species exist, since it was a common trend in other worlds for only one dominant species existing at a time.

2. what do they eat?

naturally, all species are vegetarian, although some areas of the world have gotten to the point of inventing artificial foods adjacent to plant-based meat. the idea of cannibalism or killing other people to eat hasn't really been explored due to being kinda... dubious. but i guess it's up in the air. although it may sound weird, the practice of selling one's own dairy products and other non-meat animal products is quite normalized. it's basically just seen as the same level of normal as selling any other food items you make.

3. are there any non-sapient animals?

so far? nope. but that might get retconned in the future, i dunno. i haven't published enough about this world so i'm still able to reconsider if i wanted to. but as of right now, basically every single organism from the animalia kingdom is anthropomorphized, with a few exceptions. (exceptions usually being organisms i have no clue how to anthropomorphize lmao)

4. is it more of a "zootopia or beastars" type situation?

to expand on this question, it's basically asking for more information on how society functions and how fucked it is, if at all. initially i said it was going to be a utopia of sorts- i retconned that, lol, because it seems like i can't ever write about a truly happy world. it's definitely one of my better worlds to live in, but it's by no means perfect. i wouldn't say it's Beastars levels of messed up (black markets selling dubious meat and carnal instincts telling you to eat your friends) but it's probably not as cutesy as, say, Zootopia is on the surface level, although i do like how it tackled systemic racism and whatnot. i guess it's somewhere in between. there isn't anything going on that's straight out of a psychological horror movie but there's definitely inequality and tension everywhere.

5. how does anatomy change across certain species?

outside of the very obvious base change of every animal becoming anthropomorphic and thus more human-like, there's a couple other changes, such as necessary internal anatomy shifting around so all creatures can live on land properly, plus the ability to be able to speak the same languages, stuff like that. arthropods are a bit trickier (like oh my god so much would have to change) but i usually just explain that they're built different and call it a day. for my sanity. cold blooded animals are able to somewhat thermoregulate on their own, but will still largely rely on their surroundings. if you're cold, they're cold. wrap your lizard girls in blankets. also, all animals are similarly sized, but some tend to be slightly larger/smaller on average depending on the species. like, an old elephant man is gonna be MUCH taller than a moth lady lol.

oh, and an extremely unnecessary addition that i only expanded on because of the fact that i had to face the logical issue of giving my reptile characters boobs: non-mammalian animals will still tend to have visible "breasts" due to having the general silhouette of a human, but they don't produce milk or function at all outside of looks. some non-mammalians prefer to get their "breast" tissue surgically removed due to the fact that it serves basically no purpose for them.

that's about where the biological similarities end, though. when it comes to reproduction, biological compatibility largely follows the same odds as it would in the real world, so you sadly won't see many wolf/komodo dragon hybrids hanging out. this also tends to be a source of interspecies-relationship discrimination, and not to mention eugenics...

some miscellaneous tidbits:

-in terms of technology and resources, i'd say this world is about as advanced, if not a little more than our own. it's no sci-fi paradise but there are some significant advancements made that definitely outdo us, such as the research and technology poured into environment conservation and space exploration (the latter of which may or may not be one of the main topics of a story i'm working on... :3)

-trans healthcare is also reasonably advanced, although that doesn't imply there's less transphobia.

-yes, there's probably some unique version of veganism in this world, but instead of not eating animals it'd be like... fungi. or certain types of plants. or maybe even animal products anyways, despite the fact that they're normalized, for one reason or another.

-ohhhh clothes work so differently depending on what kind of animal you are. but i cannot get into that here. not without going insane. just know that i have been thinking about it a lot. there are entire different kinds of clothing for certain body types, just not the definition of body type you'd initially think of. there's specific clothing for the winged. the tailed and the non-tailed. the quilled. the feathered. the slimed. its insane

#sas spiels #sas stories #cant tell which one fits more here so im using both fuck you #belet's dream #worldbuilding #my writing #original writing #original world #furry #writing stuff #fantasy worldbuilding #i recounted everything from beastars off of very old memory do not attack me if i got something wrong

[torialefay]

Hi when you have the chance can you please do a compatibility reading with changbin? Here is my chart. Thanks again

Sun - Cancer Ascendent - Leo Moon - Cancer Mercury- Cancer Venus - Gemini Mars - Sagittarius 

okay, i wanna start off by saying that your chart in general screams "binnie stan" to me 😂 just looking at it superficially, i was like "oh yes this makes sense" lol. but here you are baby ❤️

your ascendant in leo:

acendants in leo are soooo much fun to be around. whether you're more extroverted or introverted, you probably have a knack for making people feel "seen" or special. you're also likely realllllly good at being able to find at least SOMETHING in common with anyone you meet, and you're able to go off of that. leos get a bad rep for being "self centered" etc etc, but i just don't agree. to me, leos are just very good at individuality. when people meet you, whether you realize it or not, people likely remember you as someone unique in one way or another.

this is a great ascendant to have (regardless of with changbin or not), BUT i think this is a really good match! i def think changbin would be drawn to those qualities.

your sun in cancer:

cancers bring such a loving energy into the world and really do want to heal the deepest parts of people's souls. you likely channel this into your personality as well. you're probably very sweet & kind, but with that leo placement, and just the general nature of cancers to get hurt easily, you could actually be a bit guarded on the outside. there's the possibility that people may even be intimidated by you or just completely misunderstand you until they ACTUALLY get to know you... and when they do, they realize they've met a super warm and caring person.

in a relationship with bin, you'd be able to provide a lot of love and affection that, let's be honest, binnie loves. you probably understand this and will be willing to give it to him. he also brings passion and fun into the relationship, which makes you feel loved and taken care of as well. one thing i will say though is to be careful that this doesn't turn into a co-dependency situation. it could be that changbin NEEDS to keep hold on you so that you will fill his need for adoration and assurance. and as a cancer, you like to feel needed. so it COULD be a problem if you don't work on it.

your moon in cancer:

this is one area that will have some upsides and some downsides. i think on one hand, you will both be able to bring new persoectives to each other. on the other hand, you both do have fundamental differences in emotions. with your emotions, you tend to be ALL in. you have gotten comfortable with emotions and knowing that you feel them strongly. this isn't exactly the case with bin. in fact, he may struggle with it from time to time. this is something you'd really have to work with him on.

your mercury in cancer:

with both mercuries in cancer, it's likely that even if you do have differences in who you are as people, the way that you go about thinking about and communicating it to the other is the same. so usually, you do really understand and are receptive to where the other is coming from. the only problem i see here is that cancer tends to be a gentler sign- no one would really be forcing you to talk about the hard things in a relationship, which could lead to some troubles moving forward.

your venus in gemini:

you are probably a super fun person in the bedroom, and i see that being a good thing for binnie, although you MAY have to introduce him to things at times. bin is probably a guy who hasn't explored many kinks. he probably is more dominant in the bedroom, but that's about it. gemini is naturally curious, so it wouldn't surprise me if you wanted to explore a lot of different fun activities. i think this would be good for bin to be pushed to branch out and explore different options, but you would be the push he needed. he may actually be hesitant at first, BUT, i think with your matching mercury cancers, you'd be able to communicate with him that it's about bringing you closer and connecting more, which i do think he'd be open to.

your mars in sag:

you can probably get in pretty heated arguments when you feel passionate about something. changbin, on the other hand can recluse a bit and can tend to avoid or altogether manipulate the situation, which tbh you MAY be able to pick up on. in ways, he may be a bit controling, which bothers you. i do think you have the slight upper hand in arguments, and if someone will apologize first, it will likely be you.

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Isle Connections Ch4 Familiar Faces

(Warning: Y/n has a fight with Avery. Mentioning of toxic relationships/families. This chapter will probably cover a period expanding over a few weeks to a few months. Will slightly reference the Twilight Wings series.)

You were confused about both of those guys to say the least...but you weren't sure about anything right now. And Gloria was right. So far the most either of them had done was be rude and try to cheat, even though Kara's way could've gotten someone hurt. Plus they did apologize and they were being punished instead of Mustard brushing them off which was good..

But you'd still be keeping a VERY close eye on both of them!

Bit enough of that. You were excited to see what surprise Mustard was going to gift Gloria. So after some rest and a quick lunch, you and Gloria both gathered back in the main training room to meet Mustard and see what he had to say.

"Ah. There you are, Gloria," he greeted you both with a smile, "Keeping this old man waiting huh? Since you completed all three trials, I give you the secret of the master dojo." You were expecting him to pull out a new uniform or maybe actual armor but instead he held up a...pokeball? "Now then. Come on out."

The pokeball was given a light toss. Light sparkled out and revealed to you both a... Little bear cub wearing a white sash tied around its head? The strange pokemon got you both to look wide eyed in surprise. It was SO CUTE!! The absolutely adorable little pokemon struck a pose immediately like a martial artist kicking and throwing a few punches before it paused finally seeming to notice you two and Silver staring at it. It froze before gaining a frightened look, and turned to flee and dove behind Mr. Mustard's legs. After a few seconds peeking out from behind him.

"AW! The wee thing's so cute!," Gloria gushed making Mustard chuckle.

"This pokemon is in fact the secret armor of the master dojo," he explained, "Say hello to kubfu. I know. I know. It's tiny. But raise it with diligence and it'll become strong enough to see you through any battle like a suit of armor. No opponent will ever get past it. This one in particular has amazing potential. Problem is it's a bit shy. It doesn't seem to have much confidence in itself.  So I was thinking maybe if it joined you I'm your training here, that'll help break it out of it's shell a little bit. So take good care of kubfu, Kay? It's now in your hands." He held the pokeballs out to her...and she slowly accepted it in awe. 

Wait...The kubfu has a similar problem to Gloria. Did that mean that Mustard planned this out in the beginning? This could actually work out really well for Gloria! 

"I won't let ye down, Sir!," Gloria gave a determined face clutching the ball to herself. "I promise ta train extra hard and help em out!"

Mustard smiled wider. "I'm glad to hear that because the special training I'm going to give you will be hard, but if you're willing to work then I'm sure you'll surpass it soon! Now then the first thing for you to do is to become best friends with Kubfu." Said Pokemon perked out a little more from behind his leg. "You need to build trust. Kubfu really hasn't had the chance to explore the world outside the dojo so maybe it'll help you become better friends if you let it have a look around. Once you're best buddies, we'll start harder training in earnest! Just stop by and let me know once you think you're ready for that." 

Gloria nodded at him before looking down at the kubfu and kneeling slowly. "Hi, lik guy. Oh you're so cute. Do ya wanna have a snack with me?" The pokemon looked back to Mustard who just nodded before it slowly shuffled out and nodded up at her. "Kay then! Let's go n' get us some grub!" 

"Gloria." She looked at Mustard. "You're real training will begin next Monday. If you're really are serious about this training then you shall need to listen to what I say."

She nodded standing back up. "Ya got it! I'm as ready as I'll ever be!"

He smiled wider. "Good. For now focus on bonding with Kubfu over the weekend."

"Oh! M' not done with my dex challenge yet!," she excitedly looked back to you. "We can all go exploring together an' finish it! And we can also go explorin' for those guys missing digletts!!" 

You nodded. "Yeah. I bet exploring places together would be a great idea for you guys to bond."

And so it began. Gloria started training hard with the kubfu and you tagged along on her adventures of finding random digletts and taking pictures left and right. The shy pokemon was still shy hiding from everyone but it seemed to warm up to Silver a bit the longer they were out together and Gloria's contagious adventurous spirit seemed to rub off on it a little bit. Then Monday came and her real training started. She was woken up bright and early with everyone else and made to train alongside all the others including Avery and Klara. Sit ups,push ups, running laps, but most of all battles. Hard battles that Mustard initiated between her and the older more experienced students in front of a crowd always. Forcing her to get out of her comfort zone and work hard to defeat them while everyone watched. It was pretty hard work like he promised it would be but Gloria as you learnt was VERY determined and stubborn so she would push through it in time. You were just stuck watching from the sidelines cheering her on as she did so. You also saw Avery and Klara take part in their punishments. Sometimes you'd see them doing exercises until they were sweating like crazy as Ms. Honey or Mustard watched to make sure they did it. Sometimes you passed a room in the girls' wing and heard Klara whine and grumble as she scrubbed a toilet. Other times you saw them taking care of the dojo's pokemon. One particular day you heard music coming from the kitchen. Wait. Not music singing.

"Hush Little poke don't say a word ~ Avery's gonna pick you a oran berry.~"

It sounded like a pokemon twist on the classic hush little baby song.  And it was coming from the kitchen area. Curious you poked your head in and paused at what you saw. Avery was knelt petting the slowpokes and hummed to their happy faces. You continued to stare at them for a moment before Silver just walked up to you and chirped . Causing you to jump and Avery immediately turn around and you broth froze as you made eye contact. For a long moment none of you said anything before you sputtered.

"Uh...S-Sorry," you held up your hands, "I was just getting a snack for my drizzle! I didn't know you were using the kitchen."

"I-... I-It's perfectly alright," he squeaked out looking embarrassed.

"Yeah..Um. Gloria's waiting for me to help her find digletts. Ok. Bye!"

You quickly fled the awkward scene snatching Silver up in your arms with a loud squeak. Avery still paused watching you retreat before shoving his face in his hat and screaming in embarrassment. It seemed Avery started to avoid you more after that awkward encounter which you also didn't mind. To get over the embarrassment you just focused on helping out Gloria with her side quests outside of her training to put it in the back of your mind. However you both were again be surprised a week later. You'd both just gotten back from your little expedition to find more digletts and their trainer was so happy he kept gifting Gloria Alola Region pokemon. He must've really valued his digletts. When you both walked up to the dojo with your pokemon, you ran into none other than Klara who was sweeping the steps by herself with Ms. Honey watching.

"G' afternoon, Klara!," Gloria greeted waving a hand to her catching her attention. "Tis a nice day huh?"

Klara sighed. "I guess so. If you don't mind working."

"Yikes! Ya still working on that punishment?"

"Master has the last day of our hard work literally marked on his calendar. Until then I'm gonna have to work hard ...But if it means I'll be a gym leader then I'll happily train hard and accept defeat!" Your brows rose. Well..That was certainly a positive response considering how she was before. "Again sorry for everything. Hey. Do you think we can battle again sometime? Fairly this time! I've been training hard and I bet I can beat you this time!"

Gloria lit up! "Yeah! I'd love too! We can totally battle again!"

Klara smiled. "Hehe. I'll be looking forward to it-"

"Look out, Ladies!"

You three jumped back as two of the male students attending the dojo struggling to carry ..A giant vending machine? Behind them two delivery men wheeled past another vending machine and behind them was two more delivery men carrying a rotomi machine. You all watched as the eight men walked by with Ms. Honey guiding them. 

"What the world is that about?," you asked.

"Oh. A couple corviknight came by with a big delivery and a new visitor just a few minutes ago," Klara said. "Apparently Ms. Honey is updating the dojo."

"OH! That's what Ms. Honey meant by a delivery with the watts." You both looked at her. "Y'know? That power supply that comes from the wishing stones n' dynamax dens. Ya can use 'em as currency n' Galar. Ms. Honey said she needed a lot so I gave 'er all the watts I had. I was nay usin' them anyways."

"How many did you give her?"

"Um...I think three million three hundred eighty thousand." You both gawked at her. The broom slipping from Kara's hands and onto the steps. "....What? I told ye I never used 'em."

"Uh...Right. Anyways..You said there was a visitor here?" You looked back to Klara.

Klara shook her head. "Yeah. A short kid like you." She pointed at Gloria. "Only he had this hair color that reminded me of poison types. It was all purple-"

"That sounds like Hop!" Gloria's suddenly yell had you both wincing as she beamed brightly before turning to the dojo. "HOP, HOP, HOP, HOP!!" Throwing up her arms she dashed for the dojo.

"Wow...She sure has spirit."

"Tell me about it. Try stopping her from jumping into danger all the time." You took a moment to look Klara up and down... before sighing making a choice. "Hey, Klara." She looked at you. "I just...Wanted to apologize for how I acted towards you." She blinked surprised. "I was pretty mean to you too and I wanted to apologize for everything I did. Do you think we could forget everything that happened and start over?"

Klara still stared before smiling. "TOTES!! I was a jerk too so I totally deserved it but like now I can start over with everything! I'm still gonna beat your friend though!"

You smiled. "Thanks. I look forward to IT-"

You were interrupted when Gloria just grabbed you by the arm and yanked you by the arm behind her. "C'MON Y/N!! DON'T KEEP US WAITIN'!"

You were yanked along by Gloria across the way and right up to the door that she threw open hard enough to make it slam loudly against the wall catching everyone off guard and to look over as you both came in but stopped just a few feet in the middle of the room. Mustard was there as well and didn't even flinch as Gloria came crashing in only smiling at you both. However you both interrupted him talking to someone. That someone had purple hair and turned to look at you both with bright golden eyes blinking. There was a moment of silence as the two stared before a smile graced his features.

"Oh. Hey!" Hop smiled brightly at Gloria. "Welcome back, Glory."

"HOP!!" Before anyone could stop her, Gloria rushed him. Practically tackling him in a hug that had him teetering back waving his arms before the two friends fell backwards onto the ground. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!"

"It's nice to see you too, Gloria." Hop managed to say from his now sitting position smiling brightly despite having been half tackled to the floor hugging one of his best friends back. "I missed you too!"

"Let him get some breathing space, Gloria."

Hop snapped up hearing a familiar voice. "Y/N!" Smiling he pulled both of them up standing and broke the hug to smile widely at you. "Boy! It sure has been a while! Things haven't been the same without you guys and Victor back at Postwick." He then smiled at Gloria again. "But it looks like you've been working hard keeping up your training here at the dojo eh?" 

"What are you doing here?!," Gloria piped up completely happy. "I thought ya was studyin' under Sonia!"

"Surprise!" Hop held up his hands with a bright smile. "That's just the reaction I was hoping for! I'm here at the Isle of Armor to research more of that dynamax phenomenon and gather a few max mushrooms samples for Sonia."

"Why isn't Sonia doing that?"

"She's doing some really important research in the Crown Tundra for the Chairwoman, so she asked me to take care of things here! And I'm glad I did. OH!" He turned back to Gloria. "I almost forgot! You're never gonna believe this! Victor got picked up as a gym leader in training too!"

You both gasped. "No! Really?!" 

He nodded. "Nessa hand picked him herself right after we saved Galar again!"

"You did what again?!"

"Oh right! You both dunno.  I'll be happy to tell ya everything but first I gotta get settled in." 

"Yes." All of you turned back to Mustard now who smiled ever patiently. "I heard that you two were friends. How delightful! Hop here was just asking permission to camp out on the Isle. But where's the fun in mucking about in the mud? I was telling him he should just stay here at the dojo."

"I mean it'd be loads easier than camping  out for a long while, but are you sure I wouldn't get in the way?" 

"Everyone's welcome to stay here at the dojo. Don't be shy, My Boy. Besides we're practically family already. You're the little brother of our Leon after all! Hmm...We still have some max mushrooms stored away that Gloria got us a while ago. I'll dig those out so you can bring this Sonia person some samples. In the meantime feel free to make yourself at home! I'll have Honey set up a room for you and get you a room key later."

"Yeah. It's true. Lee did train here when we were both kids. Alright. You twisted my arm. Hope you don't regret it because I'm staying." 

Mustard laughed. "The more the merrier. I'm as pleased as a gold plated punch bowl!"

Hop bowed. "Thanks so much, Mr. Mustard!" Hop blinked looking upside down at Silver and Gloria's kubfu. "No way!" He snapped back around startling the tiny bear pokemon. "Is that a kubfu?!"

Said kubfu dove behind Gloria's legs before peeking out. "Yeah! Yeah! I've been trainin' with him forever!"

"That's so cool! They evolve into ursifu but they can only evolve a certain way...but I forgot what that is."

"Ah! That reminds me." Mustard again spoke up. "I've got something I've been meaning to tell you about Kubfu, Gloria. Or it's evolution ursifu. The truth is the lovable rascal is capable of gigantamaxing too."

Gloria looked shocked. "Wait really?!"

"Yes but it's a bit tricky since it can't stand the taste of max mushrooms so max soup is off the menu unless you can find a way to make it more appealing. There's a certain something you can find here on the isle though that'll make even ursifu gobble up the soup. And that certain something is.." he paused for a long time giving you all a serious look..... Looking at them so long Gloria and Hop exchanged glances. .....Mustard suddenly smiled goofily again. "Actually. I forgot what it was. Oopsie daisies."

"Are you kidding me?!" "No!" Both looked defeated. 

"Hahaha! You're more fun to tease than your brother ever was!" Mustard chuckled making Hop give him a deadpanned look. "But the certain something I'm thinking of is sure to make the soup more palatable to kubfu once Gloria manages to evolve him and it has something to do with another pokemon." Another pokemon? That was a big clue right there! "Now I think I'll leave you two to figure out just what it is! Give it a good think! You're on your own kiddos! he world is your cloyster so get cracking!" He turned to leave but paused and turned back to Gloria. "But don't think you can slack off on your training just because your friend is here. I still expect you to join me for training."

Gloria nodded. "Of course, Sir!"

Mustard smiled again before he walked off making Hop shake his head. "Uh...Is this how you're training usually goes?"

"Pretty much."

"Yikes." Hop shook his head again before smiling. "I've got no rapidash in this race, but even I'm curious about this certain something. I think I once read something about ursifu in a book too.." he hummed thinking hard and crossing his arms. "It's the wushu pokemon right? The book said it lives in the mountains of a far off region." 

"Does it really?"

"Huh? You didn't know? Don't you have one?"

"Tis still just a kubfu."

"Oh..right. But I read somewhere ursifu is mad for some kind of sticky honey!" A 'AHA' look of realization came over his face. "Gloria! Honey is made from the nectar of flowers and plants right?! And Mustard said the special thing comes from another pokemon! So maybe we need some nectar made by pokemon that look like flowers and plants!"

Gloria lit up. "Hop, you're a genius!!"

"And if we're looking for those kinds of pokemon I'd reckon they'd be in the forest! I'll be able to look into dynamaxing along the way so count me in on exploring! There's a forest beyond that big marshland right?" Gloria nodded and he lit up. "Bet I can beat you there!"

"You're on!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" You held out your arms making them both stop. "It's too late in the day to go out again and we just got back, Gloria! And Hop hasn't even gotten his room yet either!" You rose a brow crossing your arms. "Besides, you also have training tomorrow with Mustard. Remember?"

Gloria groaned. "That's right. I totally forgot."

"It's ok!," Hop assured her with a smile. "We can go the day after tomorrow and look around! And then I can tell you guys everything that happened to me and Vic!"

Gloria again lit up like a firework. "An' I can tell you everything that happened here! And ya can help me find all these digletts and finish up me dex challenge!"

"I'd love to!! This is gonna be awesome! Just like old times!"

Indeed it was. Just like old times. The day after the next you had to stop the two from just taking off without you and grab them back to stick together. Hop and Gloria didn't right away go to try and find this mysterious nectar. Instead they spent most of that day looking for digletts and catching up. Gloria told Hop all about her trials and new rivals here and in turn Hop filled you both on everything that happened back home. Apparently two troublesome twin who you met before had discovered the ancient grave of one of the heroes because they just so happened to be descendants of said heroes and had a book from him passed down. And then they went around Galar releasing wild dynamax pokemon on a rampage in the gyms AFTER stealing the ancient shield from Zacian and Zanazenta. Then Hop and Victor with help from Sonia and Piers had to go around and fight all these pokemon and chase them down only to finally corner them in Hammerlocke where they forced poor Zamazenta to power up painfully. So they had to battle and calm them down. Luckily they were able to get the ancient shield back and have the two troublesome twins arrested and returned the ancient weapons to the pokemon.

..... Y'know. Typical every day hero stuff in the world of pokemon.

You were shellshocked for a while by this but considering every you've been through up til now, quickly had just accepted it. Oh. Also apparently Hop decided to be a scientist like Sonia(which you already knew would happen-) and was studying under her. Good for him! Also apparently Nessa had taken an interest in Victor after seeing his actions during the gym challenge and helping to save her gym. She had offered to train him as the new water type gym leader which he happily accepted and you thought that actually suited him nicely. However Victor had his own problems battling. Being too serious and not having too much confidence in his battling skills unlike Gloria who was VERY confident about battling and only suffered from stage fright. Which she was really getting better at! Mustard's training was really working! Leon also sent him to get training with someone in the Crown Tundra. According to what Hop told you, Victor actually seemed to be getting much better too. He was actually letting loose a little and having fun battling and building up confidence. Good. You were glad Victor was getting better too. 

But back to the present day...

When not training the three of you explored the Forest of Focus. Hop suggested you find a liligant first to try it's nectar. And you all found one...Sorta. You all managed to find a lost petilil. The poor thing had apparently been separated from it's mother and had clung to Hop's leg until you all managed to find her. Gloria laughed the entire time and you had to admit it was funny and pretty cute. The grateful liligant was more than happy to allow Hop to take some nectar from the giant flower on her forehead. Unfortunately it wasn't the nectar you were looking for so Hop suggested you all find an applin instead since apparently they also were a pokemon that created nectar and were actually pretty common pokemon on the isle of armor. You all managed to find an applin but it rolled away quicker than you expected it to and all three of you lost sight of it before you knew it. Stopping at a fork in the clearing of trees. 

"Crud!," Hop stomped down a foot looking left and right down the paths. "Which way did it go?!"

"I don't know. Ugh. What do we do now?"

"The fastest way to find it would be to split up and cover more ground."

"What?!" You snapped to Hop. "Absolutely not! What if you two get lost?!"

"I'll stick with Gloria and we'll go together!," Hop easily assured you. "We have our phones so we can call for help or use a map to get back! And Glory has her cinderance! We can have them shoot fire in the air like a flare if nothing else works!"

"Yeah!" Gloria piped up. "C'mon Y/n. Relax and help."

Well...Mustard did say Gloria needed to do more things herself. You groaned but nodded. "Alright. You guys go that way and I'll go right. But keep your phones handy and call me if you find it or need help. And try not to get lost."

"Don't worry, Y/n! Besides getting lost is Lee's thing not mine."

"Well don't pull a Leon." Both laughed but agreed before turning and excitedly making their way down the left path leaving you with Silver. With a sigh you turned to start walking down the right way. "C'mon Silver. Let's go find that applin and get back with the others. Keep your eyes open for an applin.

With a chirp Silver loyally followed you down the right forest pathway. The warm sun beat down on you and the sun shown brightly above the sky. A lot of wild pokemon could be seen running around the forest between the flora and fawna. Playing, sleeping, eating, and just living out here in general. It was beautiful. You wished you had more of this peaceful life growing up. Such bliss. However you didn't see a single applin anywhere. Darn it! But you kept looking and looking and looking. Farther and farther you went. Looking everywhere and pushing apart tall grass and bushes to peer behind them. No such luck. Only finding every pokemon besides applins. Ugh! Where could it have gone?! You were just about to turn around and call it quits since clearly the applin didn't come down this way or if it did it was already long gone when-

B O O M-!!

What sounded like a giant crash sound sent pokemon running away from you and Silver diving behind you once again as you turned up to the sky. You knew what that noise was by now. Someone was having a pokemon battle out here. But...who? You were practically in the middle of nowhere! Maybe someone was catching some wild pokemon? For whatever reason your curiosity got the better of you and you started to head towards where the sounds came from. Bushes and grass pushed out of your way as the sounds of a man's desperate pleas cutting through the air making you feel a wave of panic and run faster. Someone was in trouble! They needed help!

"Where do you think you're going?!," a familiar man's voice asked. "You WILL battle me again!"

"Aaah! P-Please put me down!", another man's voice yelled out. 

You ran and ran until you eventually rounded around a giant tree and froze at what you saw. A beautiful clearing stood before you beautifully covered in wild flowers however that wasn't what caught your attention. It was the two men in the middle of the field. Standing there clear as day was Avery with his back to you and one hand held up. Above him in the air was another man who bore a panicked look surrounded by the same blue aura that was levitating Avery's pokeballs. He frantically ran through the air kicking his legs and arms about to no avail not able to escape Avery as he levitated him in the air. 

"Please put me down!," the floating man pleaded again almost on the verge of crying. "I-I don't want to battle anymore!"

"Not until you battle me again! I barely have any worthy opponents on this isle so you'll do!," Avery refused bringing him closer. 

You stared in disbelief before you scowled hard at the sight. "YOU PUT HIM DOWN NOW!!!" Avery jumped as whirled around wide eyed. Freezing as soon as he saw your form stomping up to him only to stop right in front of him and pointing at his face. "What the heck do you think you're doing?! Put that guy down!"

Avery still seemed in a state of shock before shaking his head and frowning. "Now you see here! This man is my opponent and I will have another battle!"

"Are you confused?! Or insane?!," you shouted back to him pointing at the still panicking man. "That's holding someone hostage!"

"I don't expect you to understand of course. No one would understand my problems with-"

He didn't get get to say anything else when two hands grabbed his shirt front and YANKED his tall form downwards to stare deeply at your snarling face as your hands balled into tight fists holding his still. "Alright. Listen up you wannabe psychic psycho! Since apparently you can't read minds I'll spell it out for you instead! What you're doing is basic kidnapping and holding someone hostage! You don't seem to realize how bad that is! It's no wonder you never were able to be a gym leader!" Avery flinched. Hard. His face falling into a shocked look of hurt. "You. Put. Him. Down. N O W!!!" You ended your yell with a little shove to Avery.

....The man instantly fell to the ground with a loud thud. Taking the opportunity, the man scrambled up and immediately fled as fast as he could. Dashing across the field and disappearing quickly into the treeline. You waited until he was safely away from Avery before releasing the blonde man and stepping back still scowling.

"Don't you EVER do that again!," you snarled at him pointing, "If I EVER see you doing that again to ANYONE not only will I tell Mustard but I'll tell Leon and the Chairwoman too!"

With that you turned around and stomped away from his hurt face with Silver running to catch up to you. Avery continued to stare helplessly at you before the pokeballs fell from his head pathetically falling to the ground before the first few years filled his eyes.

You didn't see much of Avery after that day. You met up with Hop and Gloria who had managed to indeed find and capture some nectar from the applin after it fell out of a tree and onto Gloria's head. Turns out the nectar wasn't what they were looking for either so it would take Hop and Gloria some research and brainstorming to figure it out. In the meantime as days passed, they buried themselves with FINALLY being able to finish Gloria's dex challenge and going around finding more and MORE run away digletts and trading them back to the guy. Gloria was also able to trade a bunch of other people for other different regional pokemon. Some of which she gave Hop who blushed a bit. Ah. Looks like the crush was still strong with him. Which reminded you-

"Hey. What pokemon did Gloria give you?," you asked him one day while Gloria was busy training. "I know she gave Marnie a purloin and Bede and Victor a pokemon too. So what did she give you?"

Hop blushed deeply and rubbed his neck as he did before chuckling. "well....I guess you'll know anyways once she finally confesses her love to me."

"Say what?"

"She gave me an applin before she left!," he smiked widely. "I knew she liked me better that that cotton for brains Bede! I haven't brought it up yet cuz I wanted her to focus on her training! HA! Take that Befe! In your face!!"

You facepalmed hard. First she gifts Bede a lovdisc without knowing the meaning of that and now she mistakenly gifted Hop an applin. Sigh. Gloria's love rivalry continued. At least you knew what happened to the applin Gloria left in her backpack for so long. Days also passed. Gloria still trained hard and you and Hop Always helped her with her turn in chores. Kubfu and her was getting bolder and bolder and she even got to battle Ms. Honey whom gifted her a special pair of league cards as a thank you for helping to spruce up the place. She also gave Hyde a lot of watts too to power up his strange machine and had gotten a polygon pokemon from his as a thanks. Gloria also seemed to have gotten along better with Klara even having a rematch battle with her. Klara lost but she seemed to be taking it a lot better than she did previously. However...Avery was barely present at all. In fact it was like he was mostly invisible. When he was doing training or some of his punishment chores, he would either turn away from you or do everything he could to avoid eye contact, and would pretend you didn't exist when he was assigned to do chores alongside Gloria. Silent and keeping to himself which was... actually odd. Maybe you scared him a lot more than you meant too. You had found out that Avery did end up rebattling Gloria again too after her training but that was the extent of it. Until one day you spotted something strange. You exited the kitchen after getting Silver a snack and found Gloria and Hop posing with Klara for a picture before she signed something for Gloria and haded her another league card.

Confused you walked up to them as Klara left. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Y/n!" Hop smiled brightly at you. "We finally found out what that certain something Mustard was talking about is!"

"That's great but what was Klara talking about?"

"Oh! We finally figured out who they are! Turns out Klara n' Avery are gym leaders from the minor division!"

You stared stunned. "Really?"

Hop nodded. "Yeah! Klara just started out a year or two ago but she wasn't exactly ready for the position yet, so she came here to train. Looks like she'll be ready though in no time!"

"What were they doing in Postwick then?"

"They were having a meeting with Lee to see if they could run the gyms again but he didn't think they were ready yet. So they came back here for more training." Smart choice on Leon's part. Hop sighed putting his hands behind his head. "I do feel kinda bad for Avery though."

You rose a brow. "For Avery? Why?"

"His family was really hard on him and they didn't treat him well from what I overheard Lee talking about." Both you and Gloria looked shocked.

"Ah. Ye poor lad."

Hop nodded with a sigh. "You see his entire family has always ran the psychic type gym but once he started making everyone who beat him levitate well ...From what I heard they almost disowned him after nearly getting kicked off the league circuit. Lee was the one who saved his position and Avery came here soon after. I think he's doing a lot better too...But it's weird. He's been really down lately. I wonder why?"

You knew exactly why.  A very bad and guilty feeling settled deep in your guts as you realized that-....You had really messed up. You had messed up BIG TIME. 

"So anyways we can find what we need by taking a flying taxi over to the honeycomb shaped island off the isle. Wanna come, Y/n?"

You numbly shook your head. "Nah...You guys go ahead...I need to think over something."

"Alright then. C'mon Glory! Let's go get that max honey!"

They both left leaving you shellshocked and numb for a while. Somehow you managed to stumble your way outside and sit on the steps of the dojo putting your head in your hands. Arceus you messed up badly. You didn't know Avery was-...That he-...That his family-..You buried your head in your hands groaned loudly again. What were going to do?!

"Y/n?" You jumped up and looked right at none other than Ms. Honey. She was giving you a concerned look. "Sweetie you look down. Did you get into a fight with someone?"

You stared wide eyed. "How did you know?"

"I have my ways." She slowly sat down next to you. "What happened?"

You groaned looking away. "I got in a fight with someone because he was doing something really bad but now I found out he came from a bad family life and now I feel bad but at the same time I don't think I was in the wrong because what he was doing was back. But now he's been down a lot and someone told me he has been working hard to get better so now I feel even more bad and he's avoiding me like the plague. So I have absolutely no idea what to do!!" You grabbed your head frustrated.

Honey blinked and didn't say anything for a real long time before looking down. "You know when my hubby told me he wanted to open a dojo of his own, I have to admit I had a lot of doubts. I was still working at my previous job at the time and there was simply so much work into getting the dojo built. Let alone the question of whether anyone would want to move to an uninhabited island like this just to train at an unknown dojo."

You stared at her blinking widely at her. "What.. happened?"

..She gave a soft huff shaking her head. "We got into a couple fights. I didn't want to put everything in this in case it failed I thought he was crazy to try and start this idea all those years ago going about this all the wrong way...and he was throwing everything at it instead of taking time out to plan it out. But..I eventually realized that fighting with someone who was trying hard in the wrong way wouldn't help them. You have to talk it out and help them." You stared at her wide eyed. "So we did and I finally agreed to give it a shot. My hubby and I put our all into this place and years later when Hyde came along all our previous students pitched in and helped us through it. We've made it to where we are today because we got help from so many people. This has been an entirely different chapter of my life, but it's turned out to be a great one." She looked at you with a smile. "So you see...Whether people need a little or a lot of help, they'll always be better afterwards. For some people it just takes a little bit longer and a bit more help."

You stared at her for a long, long moment before sighing and turning away. "Yeah. I guessed I messed up there."

"Well it's not too late," she assured you patting your back. "You can still apologize."

"I don't even know if he'll forgive me."

"Oh I bet he will. If I know Avery, he'll shake it off and bounce back quickly."

You whipped to her wide eyed. "How did you know it was Avery?!"

She smiled. "I have my ways." She stood up again. "Just think it over. Ok, Sweetie? I'm sure you both would feel better if you talked it out. If you want to find Avery just talk to my hubby. He always knows where he's gone training."

With that Ms. Honey left you sitting there staring.. before you sighed again.

#pokemon shield #pokemon sword #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #pokemon avery x reader #pokemon avery #Pokemon reader x Avery

[interwcven]

[ india amarteidio, she/her, cis woman ] — was that DINAH NIGHTINGALE? the TWENTY THREE year old is a LADY, how exciting to see them this season! rumors have it they are WITTY and AMBITIOUS, but i’ve heard they are CYNICAL and REACTIVE as well — maybe that’s why they’ve been called the SPITFIRE. I have even heard that SHE WAS BORN AS THE RESULT OF AN AFFAIR BETWEEN HER MOTHER AND THEIR SERVANT —only time will tell.

name: dinah ( samirah - her ghanian name ) nightingale title: lady nightingale age: twenty-three birthday: march 29 sign: aries sexuality: bisexual languages known: english , french & german

BACKGROUND

dinah's mother , afryea nightingale , was born in ghana , where she came from a moderately wealthy family who grew rich off being merchants. they were world travelers who traveled & traded for a living. her mother , who was never far behind her father on his adventures , grew to love exploring new communities.

when she was 17 , she met dinah's father in france , laurence nightingale. he too was visiting the country , as he was from england. he came from extremely new money , a formerly low-class family who had earned their wealth unconventionally through a series of lucky streaks of gambling.

the two fell for each other headfirst and on impulse , days before she was meant to leave he proposed and asked her to return to england with him. however , the major secret between them was that already gotten pregnant during her time in france , therefore the wedding was extremely rushed as to avoid scandal.

they ended up having six kids , of which dinah is the youngest. things were good until her mother grew bitter with her life. she had always dreamed of adventure and hadn't had much intention to marry , but had acted impulsively out of love. her husband had very traditional views of marriage and didn't allow her to join his travels like he promised. this eventually led to her resentment of her own kids , feeling like her role as a wife and mother got in the way of her happiness.

dinah's birth served as the essential death of her parent's love. by the time she was born , her father had had countless affairs and put his gambling tendencies over his family. her mother had fallen for one of her male servants , and the two secretly had an affair , leading to the birth of dinah. while there were whispers amongst the staff about dinah's legitimacy , it's always been met with hostility by her mother.

dinah's always had her own suspicions , though she's never been told the truth. but she sees how differently her parents treat her , and how those closest to them seem to narrow their eyes just a little more at her. but most of all , she can't shake the sadness in the eyes of the servant who curiously looks so similar to her.

outside of her parent's , though , dinah's been grateful to afford a relatively free life. she inherited the adenterous spirit of her mom , and even though she hasn't traveled much , she grew a love for reading and language learning as they allowed her to mentally go someplace else.

she hadn't expected her parent's pressure to debut in society , by being the youngest of many other siblings. however , her father made a harsh comment to her , stating " she couldn't live off his money forever " , it made her feel horrible , but rumors have said it's because her family's entering fiancnail ruin due to her father's gambling addiction. so , she's taking this year more seriously as a real chance for her to be less reliant on her own family's wealth.

PERSONALITY

outspoken , opinionated , and unafraid to take up space , just like her mother. it's something that's always been celebrated within her family , though the same can't be said for those outside it. as the youngest , she is a bit spoiled , so hasn't ever really been told no ? therefore , she doesn't have much of a filter , and it's been a recurring challenge she's had to deal with ever since entering society.

spoiled , but not snobby. she's the youngest and therefore is often being doted on , but both her parents come from relatively new money and who's families were both hard workers. she doesn't scare away from spending , but less bc she has to and more bc she believes it's a privilege her family has earned ! but she's not yet in a place to feel her family is fully comfortable in nobility , so doesn't quite feel as ingrained in that part of society as others may.

a little artist ! she loves all things creative , and spends a lot of her free time painting or wandering around art galleries. but her favorite medium is just doodling in her free time. it's not odd to catch her hiding away from others in the grass , drawing people faraway as she people watches !! if it's someone she knows sometimes she'll slip the drawing under their door without saying it's her , totally not a way to creep people out dinah !!

a huge learner. not the athletic type , would much rather spend her time inside with her nose in a new book. she mostly enjoys foreign language or exciting adventure books. secret lover of romance books , but she's sure to keep those books buried underneath her pillowcase.

on that note , she's a bit cynical about love. it's not that she doesn't believe in it , but every example of it in her life has taught her it's bound to fail. she's a natural hopeless romantic who use to fantasize about love , but time has made her grow cold to the idea. she feels love exists , but isn't enough.

so as she looks for her future partner , she is seeing marriage as more contractual and less magical. more than anything , she wants someone who grants her freedom , who allows her to explore her passions and learn more as she always has. but there's a sliver of hope somewhere inside her that hopes that love can be found somewhere in the equation , though her expectations are low.

her mom always has those faraway eyes and smiles so much when she speaks of finding love , but it confuses dinah bc it's not what she's seen ? her siblings saw her parents in love but ever since she's been around , there hasn't been much of it for her to understand her mom's fixation on it ?

despite her pessimism , she does adore being in society now. with her friends , she's a known gossip , and she loves finally feeling in the mix of all that happens around the most vibrant time of the year. even if love isn't in the cards for her , she's had plenty of fun getting to flirt with pretty girls and guys of the ton !

and while i say she's flirty , she's a very "blink and you'll miss it" flirt. she's not into cliches , she sees right through it so it makes things boring for her. she likes being kept on her toes , and therefore enjoys those who challenge her the most ! the very typical swooning style will make her roll her eyes HAHA

also incredibly competitive , which definitely contributes to her fun during the social season ! she's not there to find love but she is there to win , so even if it's not her type of game she'll play it to beat everyone else !! will literally turn walking to the bathroom to the race to the top if she has to LMAO

i would say she's extroverted , but easily exhausted from pleasantries and polite society. she could spend the entire night out w no problem , but if that night involves having to lie and shmooze uppity adults , she's gonna find away to sneak out when no one's looking !!

WANTED CONNECTION

pleeeease give her friends to spill the tea with (metaphorically LMAO ) !! someone who she can run over to during parties and be like do you see what i'm seeing ?? she's such a gossip and it's only natural she'd attract friends who are like her !

maybe a long-term crush ? someone she took a liking to before she got to her no-love-for-me phase , but could never really shake her crush off ?? bonus points if they were childhood friends for all the teasing and embarrassing stories that could ensue !

on that note , platonic childhood friends ! could also be working class , i could totally see her sneaking off to play w the kids of the town ! the nightingales are fair to their staff , as i said they're not very snobby , so i could definitely also see them allowing their children to play w dinah and the rest of their kids !

siblings ?? this is a more formal wc but an older sibling who feels bitter towards her mother's differing treatment of her vs them would be v interesting ! i could see this being either a really cute positive or a really messy negative connection , i'd love either !

enemies ?? she's so competitive though this could've originated from the most stupid , petty reasons ever. but whatever the cause she can't stand the sight of them and she's not afraid to say it !

a more recent love interest she's found after entering society ? this would be much newer and probably more push-pull , since she's actively rejecting being vulnerable to love atm. it could be fun slow burn though so i'd definitely be interested !

someone who either likes art or helps her w her doodles ! she's not a formal artist by any means , but it'd be great to have someone she could paint with or who'd pose for her to draw !

chaos buddies !! she's been trying to be on her best behavior as per her family's wishes , but i'd love to see someone who knows exactly what to say to get the chaos in her to return ! downing her family's wine collection , giggling about other members of the ton , sneaking out to go on late night adventures , all of it !!

this is by no means an exhaustive list though , just a way to get the ideas flowing ! pls know i love braintorming as well and if none of this works i'd love to just talk about our muses together and see what fits !

#wdintro #sooo sorry this is so late omg i'm embarrasing #more has been added to her personality & added a wc part!

[lorei-writes]

for the ask game!!!

Who’s your favorite character you’ve written?

Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included?  Why did it get cut?

!! Chaos!! Hello and welcome, thanks for dropping by!!!

41. Who’s your favorite character you’ve written?

I have three.

Masamune, because beloved. I could squeeze him into hundreds of scenarios and would never have enough. Ultimate comfort right there, and... I may be fairly confident in the way I write him, considering that I theorised certain things about his motivations and personality overall, only to have those confirmed once Act II got released. (Not to say that my interpretation is perfectly canon-compliant. I tend to most enjoy situations that allow for his softer side to shine.)

Asra, because he's a sweetheart, I love his design, and he opens up sooo many opportunities for the exploration of the world of magic. I adore the dynamic he has with my OC, and, aah. They're just goofy and sweet?

And lastly, Chevalier. Probably for all the wrong reasons.

The thing with him is that... Chevalier is presented as a genius, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that. He's supposedly this fearsome flawless person, and MC only reinforces this notion. She seems to believe that he can do anything he sets his mind to and I'd say she admires him.

I enjoy pairing him up with my OC, Esther. Not necessarily to undermine the way he is written in canon, but to explore scenarios that are less likely to occur there, partially due to Esther's personal circumstances, partially because of the way she views him, and partially because of the way her understanding of emotion affects their dynamics. In her eyes, he's a devilishly intelligent grump with his own personal brand of social awkwardness. She sees his talents, but doesn't write off his flaws as "just the way geniuses are"... And I could probably write a whole lot more here, but let's end it with one more sentence. She sees him as a flawed man, and it is exactly that flawed person that she loves.

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

I may have a couple?

Writing is a bit like a game of broken telephone. Your understanding of your work comes from within your mind. Meanwhile, the reader is supplied only with what you've written. Did you express your idea clearly? Were there moments when your reader didn't know who was talking, what was happening, or was just lost? Would somebody outside your head be able to follow your paragraphs? Were you skipping some vital information? Sometimes it is good to let a work rest so that you can forget about parts of it. It may give you a bit of an outside perspective.

"Good" is a garbage bag of a term. It can contain many things. Define your goals clearly. If you cannot explain what precisely your "good" entails, don't beat yourself up over not being "good enough".

It is counterproductive to worry about a quality of a work that hasn't even been written. Time spent on something imperfect is not wasted -- all experiences are invaluable sources of information. All that matters is taking from them.

Yes, somebody will enjoy it, even if that somebody is just you. It still counts.

72. What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

Oh. This lightly scratches something I've been thinking about recently.

I have several comments I go back to every now and again. But... I suppose what it all boils down to would be a rather simple "I really enjoy your ideas".

62. In [insert fic], is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included?  Why did it get cut?

Okay, no fic in particular got mentioned, so I suppose any fic is good.

Hmm... Overall, no. However, I remember being a little pouty sometimes while writing Trials and Tribulations, because the direction which was voted in wasn't the one I was hoping for, haha.

Ask game.

#answered #a-chaotic-dumbass #long post #ask game

[echantedtoon]

Isle Connections Ch4 Familiar Faces

(Warning: Y/n has a fight with Avery. Mentioning of toxic relationships/families. This chapter will probably cover a period expanding over a few weeks to a few months. Will slightly reference the Twilight Wings series.)

You were confused about both of those guys to say the least...but you weren't sure about anything right now. And Gloria was right. So far the most either of them had done was be rude and try to cheat, even though Kara's way could've gotten someone hurt. Plus they did apologize and they were being punished instead of Mustard brushing them off which was good..

But you'd still be keeping a VERY close eye on both of them!

Bit enough of that. You were excited to see what surprise Mustard was going to gift Gloria. So after some rest and a quick lunch, you and Gloria both gathered back in the main training room to meet Mustard and see what he had to say.

"Ah. There you are, Gloria," he greeted you both with a smile, "Keeping this old man waiting huh? Since you completed all three trials, I give you the secret of the master dojo." You were expecting him to pull out a new uniform or maybe actual armor but instead he held up a...pokeball? "Now then. Come on out."

The pokeball was given a light toss. Light sparkled out and revealed to you both a... Little bear cub wearing a white sash tied around its head? The strange pokemon got you both to look wide eyed in surprise. It was SO CUTE!! The absolutely adorable little pokemon struck a pose immediately like a martial artist kicking and throwing a few punches before it paused finally seeming to notice you two and Silver staring at it. It froze before gaining a frightened look, and turned to flee and dove behind Mr. Mustard's legs. After a few seconds peeking out from behind him.

"AW! The wee thing's so cute!," Gloria gushed making Mustard chuckle.

"This pokemon is in fact the secret armor of the master dojo," he explained, "Say hello to kubfu. I know. I know. It's tiny. But raise it with diligence and it'll become strong enough to see you through any battle like a suit of armor. No opponent will ever get past it. This one in particular has amazing potential. Problem is it's a bit shy. It doesn't seem to have much confidence in itself.  So I was thinking maybe if it joined you I'm your training here, that'll help break it out of it's shell a little bit. So take good care of kubfu, Kay? It's now in your hands." He held the pokeballs out to her...and she slowly accepted it in awe. 

Wait...The kubfu has a similar problem to Gloria. Did that mean that Mustard planned this out in the beginning? This could actually work out really well for Gloria! 

"I won't let ye down, Sir!," Gloria gave a determined face clutching the ball to herself. "I promise ta train extra hard and help em out!"

Mustard smiled wider. "I'm glad to hear that because the special training I'm going to give you will be hard, but if you're willing to work then I'm sure you'll surpass it soon! Now then the first thing for you to do is to become best friends with Kubfu." Said Pokemon perked out a little more from behind his leg. "You need to build trust. Kubfu really hasn't had the chance to explore the world outside the dojo so maybe it'll help you become better friends if you let it have a look around. Once you're best buddies, we'll start harder training in earnest! Just stop by and let me know once you think you're ready for that." 

Gloria nodded at him before looking down at the kubfu and kneeling slowly. "Hi, lik guy. Oh you're so cute. Do ya wanna have a snack with me?" The pokemon looked back to Mustard who just nodded before it slowly shuffled out and nodded up at her. "Kay then! Let's go n' get us some grub!" 

"Gloria." She looked at Mustard. "You're real training will begin next Monday. If you're really are serious about this training then you shall need to listen to what I say."

She nodded standing back up. "Ya got it! I'm as ready as I'll ever be!"

He smiled wider. "Good. For now focus on bonding with Kubfu over the weekend."

"Oh! M' not done with my dex challenge yet!," she excitedly looked back to you. "We can all go exploring together an' finish it! And we can also go explorin' for those guys missing digletts!!" 

You nodded. "Yeah. I bet exploring places together would be a great idea for you guys to bond."

And so it began. Gloria started training hard with the kubfu and you tagged along on her adventures of finding random digletts and taking pictures left and right. The shy pokemon was still shy hiding from everyone but it seemed to warm up to Silver a bit the longer they were out together and Gloria's contagious adventurous spirit seemed to rub off on it a little bit. Then Monday came and her real training started. She was woken up bright and early with everyone else and made to train alongside all the others including Avery and Klara. Sit ups,push ups, running laps, but most of all battles. Hard battles that Mustard initiated between her and the older more experienced students in front of a crowd always. Forcing her to get out of her comfort zone and work hard to defeat them while everyone watched. It was pretty hard work like he promised it would be but Gloria as you learnt was VERY determined and stubborn so she would push through it in time. You were just stuck watching from the sidelines cheering her on as she did so. You also saw Avery and Klara take part in their punishments. Sometimes you'd see them doing exercises until they were sweating like crazy as Ms. Honey or Mustard watched to make sure they did it. Sometimes you passed a room in the girls' wing and heard Klara whine and grumble as she scrubbed a toilet. Other times you saw them taking care of the dojo's pokemon. One particular day you heard music coming from the kitchen. Wait. Not music singing.

"Hush Little poke don't say a word ~ Avery's gonna pick you a oran berry.~"

It sounded like a pokemon twist on the classic hush little baby song.  And it was coming from the kitchen area. Curious you poked your head in and paused at what you saw. Avery was knelt petting the slowpokes and hummed to their happy faces. You continued to stare at them for a moment before Silver just walked up to you and chirped . Causing you to jump and Avery immediately turn around and you broth froze as you made eye contact. For a long moment none of you said anything before you sputtered.

"Uh...S-Sorry," you held up your hands, "I was just getting a snack for my drizzle! I didn't know you were using the kitchen."

"I-... I-It's perfectly alright," he squeaked out looking embarrassed.

"Yeah..Um. Gloria's waiting for me to help her find digletts. Ok. Bye!"

You quickly fled the awkward scene snatching Silver up in your arms with a loud squeak. Avery still paused watching you retreat before shoving his face in his hat and screaming in embarrassment. It seemed Avery started to avoid you more after that awkward encounter which you also didn't mind. To get over the embarrassment you just focused on helping out Gloria with her side quests outside of her training to put it in the back of your mind. However you both were again be surprised a week later. You'd both just gotten back from your little expedition to find more digletts and their trainer was so happy he kept gifting Gloria Alola Region pokemon. He must've really valued his digletts. When you both walked up to the dojo with your pokemon, you ran into none other than Klara who was sweeping the steps by herself with Ms. Honey watching.

"G' afternoon, Klara!," Gloria greeted waving a hand to her catching her attention. "Tis a nice day huh?"

Klara sighed. "I guess so. If you don't mind working."

"Yikes! Ya still working on that punishment?"

"Master has the last day of our hard work literally marked on his calendar. Until then I'm gonna have to work hard ...But if it means I'll be a gym leader then I'll happily train hard and accept defeat!" Your brows rose. Well..That was certainly a positive response considering how she was before. "Again sorry for everything. Hey. Do you think we can battle again sometime? Fairly this time! I've been training hard and I bet I can beat you this time!"

Gloria lit up! "Yeah! I'd love too! We can totally battle again!"

Klara smiled. "Hehe. I'll be looking forward to it-"

"Look out, Ladies!"

You three jumped back as two of the male students attending the dojo struggling to carry ..A giant vending machine? Behind them two delivery men wheeled past another vending machine and behind them was two more delivery men carrying a rotomi machine. You all watched as the eight men walked by with Ms. Honey guiding them. 

"What the world is that about?," you asked.

"Oh. A couple corviknight came by with a big delivery and a new visitor just a few minutes ago," Klara said. "Apparently Ms. Honey is updating the dojo."

"OH! That's what Ms. Honey meant by a delivery with the watts." You both looked at her. "Y'know? That power supply that comes from the wishing stones n' dynamax dens. Ya can use 'em as currency n' Galar. Ms. Honey said she needed a lot so I gave 'er all the watts I had. I was nay usin' them anyways."

"How many did you give her?"

"Um...I think three million three hundred eighty thousand." You both gawked at her. The broom slipping from Kara's hands and onto the steps. "....What? I told ye I never used 'em."

"Uh...Right. Anyways..You said there was a visitor here?" You looked back to Klara.

Klara shook her head. "Yeah. A short kid like you." She pointed at Gloria. "Only he had this hair color that reminded me of poison types. It was all purple-"

"That sounds like Hop!" Gloria's suddenly yell had you both wincing as she beamed brightly before turning to the dojo. "HOP, HOP, HOP, HOP!!" Throwing up her arms she dashed for the dojo.

"Wow...She sure has spirit."

"Tell me about it. Try stopping her from jumping into danger all the time." You took a moment to look Klara up and down... before sighing making a choice. "Hey, Klara." She looked at you. "I just...Wanted to apologize for how I acted towards you." She blinked surprised. "I was pretty mean to you too and I wanted to apologize for everything I did. Do you think we could forget everything that happened and start over?"

Klara still stared before smiling. "TOTES!! I was a jerk too so I totally deserved it but like now I can start over with everything! I'm still gonna beat your friend though!"

You smiled. "Thanks. I look forward to IT-"

You were interrupted when Gloria just grabbed you by the arm and yanked you by the arm behind her. "C'MON Y/N!! DON'T KEEP US WAITIN'!"

You were yanked along by Gloria across the way and right up to the door that she threw open hard enough to make it slam loudly against the wall catching everyone off guard and to look over as you both came in but stopped just a few feet in the middle of the room. Mustard was there as well and didn't even flinch as Gloria came crashing in only smiling at you both. However you both interrupted him talking to someone. That someone had purple hair and turned to look at you both with bright golden eyes blinking. There was a moment of silence as the two stared before a smile graced his features.

"Oh. Hey!" Hop smiled brightly at Gloria. "Welcome back, Glory."

"HOP!!" Before anyone could stop her, Gloria rushed him. Practically tackling him in a hug that had him teetering back waving his arms before the two friends fell backwards onto the ground. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!"

"It's nice to see you too, Gloria." Hop managed to say from his now sitting position smiling brightly despite having been half tackled to the floor hugging one of his best friends back. "I missed you too!"

"Let him get some breathing space, Gloria."

Hop snapped up hearing a familiar voice. "Y/N!" Smiling he pulled both of them up standing and broke the hug to smile widely at you. "Boy! It sure has been a while! Things haven't been the same without you guys and Victor back at Postwick." He then smiled at Gloria again. "But it looks like you've been working hard keeping up your training here at the dojo eh?" 

"What are you doing here?!," Gloria piped up completely happy. "I thought ya was studyin' under Sonia!"

"Surprise!" Hop held up his hands with a bright smile. "That's just the reaction I was hoping for! I'm here at the Isle of Armor to research more of that dynamax phenomenon and gather a few max mushrooms samples for Sonia."

"Why isn't Sonia doing that?"

"She's doing some really important research in the Crown Tundra for the Chairwoman, so she asked me to take care of things here! And I'm glad I did. OH!" He turned back to Gloria. "I almost forgot! You're never gonna believe this! Victor got picked up as a gym leader in training too!"

You both gasped. "No! Really?!" 

He nodded. "Nessa hand picked him herself right after we saved Galar again!"

"You did what again?!"

"Oh right! You both dunno.  I'll be happy to tell ya everything but first I gotta get settled in." 

"Yes." All of you turned back to Mustard now who smiled ever patiently. "I heard that you two were friends. How delightful! Hop here was just asking permission to camp out on the Isle. But where's the fun in mucking about in the mud? I was telling him he should just stay here at the dojo."

"I mean it'd be loads easier than camping  out for a long while, but are you sure I wouldn't get in the way?" 

"Everyone's welcome to stay here at the dojo. Don't be shy, My Boy. Besides we're practically family already. You're the little brother of our Leon after all! Hmm...We still have some max mushrooms stored away that Gloria got us a while ago. I'll dig those out so you can bring this Sonia person some samples. In the meantime feel free to make yourself at home! I'll have Honey set up a room for you and get you a room key later."

"Yeah. It's true. Lee did train here when we were both kids. Alright. You twisted my arm. Hope you don't regret it because I'm staying." 

Mustard laughed. "The more the merrier. I'm as pleased as a gold plated punch bowl!"

Hop bowed. "Thanks so much, Mr. Mustard!" Hop blinked looking upside down at Silver and Gloria's kubfu. "No way!" He snapped back around startling the tiny bear pokemon. "Is that a kubfu?!"

Said kubfu dove behind Gloria's legs before peeking out. "Yeah! Yeah! I've been trainin' with him forever!"

"That's so cool! They evolve into ursifu but they can only evolve a certain way...but I forgot what that is."

"Ah! That reminds me." Mustard again spoke up. "I've got something I've been meaning to tell you about Kubfu, Gloria. Or it's evolution ursifu. The truth is the lovable rascal is capable of gigantamaxing too."

Gloria looked shocked. "Wait really?!"

"Yes but it's a bit tricky since it can't stand the taste of max mushrooms so max soup is off the menu unless you can find a way to make it more appealing. There's a certain something you can find here on the isle though that'll make even ursifu gobble up the soup. And that certain something is.." he paused for a long time giving you all a serious look..... Looking at them so long Gloria and Hop exchanged glances. .....Mustard suddenly smiled goofily again. "Actually. I forgot what it was. Oopsie daisies."

"Are you kidding me?!" "No!" Both looked defeated. 

"Hahaha! You're more fun to tease than your brother ever was!" Mustard chuckled making Hop give him a deadpanned look. "But the certain something I'm thinking of is sure to make the soup more palatable to kubfu once Gloria manages to evolve him and it has something to do with another pokemon." Another pokemon? That was a big clue right there! "Now I think I'll leave you two to figure out just what it is! Give it a good think! You're on your own kiddos! he world is your cloyster so get cracking!" He turned to leave but paused and turned back to Gloria. "But don't think you can slack off on your training just because your friend is here. I still expect you to join me for training."

Gloria nodded. "Of course, Sir!"

Mustard smiled again before he walked off making Hop shake his head. "Uh...Is this how you're training usually goes?"

"Pretty much."

"Yikes." Hop shook his head again before smiling. "I've got no rapidash in this race, but even I'm curious about this certain something. I think I once read something about ursifu in a book too.." he hummed thinking hard and crossing his arms. "It's the wushu pokemon right? The book said it lives in the mountains of a far off region." 

"Does it really?"

"Huh? You didn't know? Don't you have one?"

"Tis still just a kubfu."

"Oh..right. But I read somewhere ursifu is mad for some kind of sticky honey!" A 'AHA' look of realization came over his face. "Gloria! Honey is made from the nectar of flowers and plants right?! And Mustard said the special thing comes from another pokemon! So maybe we need some nectar made by pokemon that look like flowers and plants!"

Gloria lit up. "Hop, you're a genius!!"

"And if we're looking for those kinds of pokemon I'd reckon they'd be in the forest! I'll be able to look into dynamaxing along the way so count me in on exploring! There's a forest beyond that big marshland right?" Gloria nodded and he lit up. "Bet I can beat you there!"

"You're on!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" You held out your arms making them both stop. "It's too late in the day to go out again and we just got back, Gloria! And Hop hasn't even gotten his room yet either!" You rose a brow crossing your arms. "Besides, you also have training tomorrow with Mustard. Remember?"

Gloria groaned. "That's right. I totally forgot."

"It's ok!," Hop assured her with a smile. "We can go the day after tomorrow and look around! And then I can tell you guys everything that happened to me and Vic!"

Gloria again lit up like a firework. "An' I can tell you everything that happened here! And ya can help me find all these digletts and finish up me dex challenge!"

"I'd love to!! This is gonna be awesome! Just like old times!"

Indeed it was. Just like old times. The day after the next you had to stop the two from just taking off without you and grab them back to stick together. Hop and Gloria didn't right away go to try and find this mysterious nectar. Instead they spent most of that day looking for digletts and catching up. Gloria told Hop all about her trials and new rivals here and in turn Hop filled you both on everything that happened back home. Apparently two troublesome twin who you met before had discovered the ancient grave of one of the heroes because they just so happened to be descendants of said heroes and had a book from him passed down. And then they went around Galar releasing wild dynamax pokemon on a rampage in the gyms AFTER stealing the ancient shield from Zacian and Zanazenta. Then Hop and Victor with help from Sonia and Piers had to go around and fight all these pokemon and chase them down only to finally corner them in Hammerlocke where they forced poor Zamazenta to power up painfully. So they had to battle and calm them down. Luckily they were able to get the ancient shield back and have the two troublesome twins arrested and returned the ancient weapons to the pokemon.

..... Y'know. Typical every day hero stuff in the world of pokemon.

You were shellshocked for a while by this but considering every you've been through up til now, quickly had just accepted it. Oh. Also apparently Hop decided to be a scientist like Sonia(which you already knew would happen-) and was studying under her. Good for him! Also apparently Nessa had taken an interest in Victor after seeing his actions during the gym challenge and helping to save her gym. She had offered to train him as the new water type gym leader which he happily accepted and you thought that actually suited him nicely. However Victor had his own problems battling. Being too serious and not having too much confidence in his battling skills unlike Gloria who was VERY confident about battling and only suffered from stage fright. Which she was really getting better at! Mustard's training was really working! Leon also sent him to get training with someone in the Crown Tundra. According to what Hop told you, Victor actually seemed to be getting much better too. He was actually letting loose a little and having fun battling and building up confidence. Good. You were glad Victor was getting better too. 

But back to the present day...

When not training the three of you explored the Forest of Focus. Hop suggested you find a liligant first to try it's nectar. And you all found one...Sorta. You all managed to find a lost petilil. The poor thing had apparently been separated from it's mother and had clung to Hop's leg until you all managed to find her. Gloria laughed the entire time and you had to admit it was funny and pretty cute. The grateful liligant was more than happy to allow Hop to take some nectar from the giant flower on her forehead. Unfortunately it wasn't the nectar you were looking for so Hop suggested you all find an applin instead since apparently they also were a pokemon that created nectar and were actually pretty common pokemon on the isle of armor. You all managed to find an applin but it rolled away quicker than you expected it to and all three of you lost sight of it before you knew it. Stopping at a fork in the clearing of trees. 

"Crud!," Hop stomped down a foot looking left and right down the paths. "Which way did it go?!"

"I don't know. Ugh. What do we do now?"

"The fastest way to find it would be to split up and cover more ground."

"What?!" You snapped to Hop. "Absolutely not! What if you two get lost?!"

"I'll stick with Gloria and we'll go together!," Hop easily assured you. "We have our phones so we can call for help or use a map to get back! And Glory has her cinderance! We can have them shoot fire in the air like a flare if nothing else works!"

"Yeah!" Gloria piped up. "C'mon Y/n. Relax and help."

Well...Mustard did say Gloria needed to do more things herself. You groaned but nodded. "Alright. You guys go that way and I'll go right. But keep your phones handy and call me if you find it or need help. And try not to get lost."

"Don't worry, Y/n! Besides getting lost is Lee's thing not mine."

"Well don't pull a Leon." Both laughed but agreed before turning and excitedly making their way down the left path leaving you with Silver. With a sigh you turned to start walking down the right way. "C'mon Silver. Let's go find that applin and get back with the others. Keep your eyes open for an applin.

With a chirp Silver loyally followed you down the right forest pathway. The warm sun beat down on you and the sun shown brightly above the sky. A lot of wild pokemon could be seen running around the forest between the flora and fawna. Playing, sleeping, eating, and just living out here in general. It was beautiful. You wished you had more of this peaceful life growing up. Such bliss. However you didn't see a single applin anywhere. Darn it! But you kept looking and looking and looking. Farther and farther you went. Looking everywhere and pushing apart tall grass and bushes to peer behind them. No such luck. Only finding every pokemon besides applins. Ugh! Where could it have gone?! You were just about to turn around and call it quits since clearly the applin didn't come down this way or if it did it was already long gone when-

B O O M-!!

What sounded like a giant crash sound sent pokemon running away from you and Silver diving behind you once again as you turned up to the sky. You knew what that noise was by now. Someone was having a pokemon battle out here. But...who? You were practically in the middle of nowhere! Maybe someone was catching some wild pokemon? For whatever reason your curiosity got the better of you and you started to head towards where the sounds came from. Bushes and grass pushed out of your way as the sounds of a man's desperate pleas cutting through the air making you feel a wave of panic and run faster. Someone was in trouble! They needed help!

"Where do you think you're going?!," a familiar man's voice asked. "You WILL battle me again!"

"Aaah! P-Please put me down!", another man's voice yelled out. 

You ran and ran until you eventually rounded around a giant tree and froze at what you saw. A beautiful clearing stood before you beautifully covered in wild flowers however that wasn't what caught your attention. It was the two men in the middle of the field. Standing there clear as day was Avery with his back to you and one hand held up. Above him in the air was another man who bore a panicked look surrounded by the same blue aura that was levitating Avery's pokeballs. He frantically ran through the air kicking his legs and arms about to no avail not able to escape Avery as he levitated him in the air. 

"Please put me down!," the floating man pleaded again almost on the verge of crying. "I-I don't want to battle anymore!"

"Not until you battle me again! I barely have any worthy opponents on this isle so you'll do!," Avery refused bringing him closer. 

You stared in disbelief before you scowled hard at the sight. "YOU PUT HIM DOWN NOW!!!" Avery jumped as whirled around wide eyed. Freezing as soon as he saw your form stomping up to him only to stop right in front of him and pointing at his face. "What the heck do you think you're doing?! Put that guy down!"

Avery still seemed in a state of shock before shaking his head and frowning. "Now you see here! This man is my opponent and I will have another battle!"

"Are you confused?! Or insane?!," you shouted back to him pointing at the still panicking man. "That's holding someone hostage!"

"I don't expect you to understand of course. No one would understand my problems with-"

He didn't get get to say anything else when two hands grabbed his shirt front and YANKED his tall form downwards to stare deeply at your snarling face as your hands balled into tight fists holding his still. "Alright. Listen up you wannabe psychic psycho! Since apparently you can't read minds I'll spell it out for you instead! What you're doing is basic kidnapping and holding someone hostage! You don't seem to realize how bad that is! It's no wonder you never were able to be a gym leader!" Avery flinched. Hard. His face falling into a shocked look of hurt. "You. Put. Him. Down. N O W!!!" You ended your yell with a little shove to Avery.

....The man instantly fell to the ground with a loud thud. Taking the opportunity, the man scrambled up and immediately fled as fast as he could. Dashing across the field and disappearing quickly into the treeline. You waited until he was safely away from Avery before releasing the blonde man and stepping back still scowling.

"Don't you EVER do that again!," you snarled at him pointing, "If I EVER see you doing that again to ANYONE not only will I tell Mustard but I'll tell Leon and the Chairwoman too!"

With that you turned around and stomped away from his hurt face with Silver running to catch up to you. Avery continued to stare helplessly at you before the pokeballs fell from his head pathetically falling to the ground before the first few years filled his eyes.

You didn't see much of Avery after that day. You met up with Hop and Gloria who had managed to indeed find and capture some nectar from the applin after it fell out of a tree and onto Gloria's head. Turns out the nectar wasn't what they were looking for either so it would take Hop and Gloria some research and brainstorming to figure it out. In the meantime as days passed, they buried themselves with FINALLY being able to finish Gloria's dex challenge and going around finding more and MORE run away digletts and trading them back to the guy. Gloria was also able to trade a bunch of other people for other different regional pokemon. Some of which she gave Hop who blushed a bit. Ah. Looks like the crush was still strong with him. Which reminded you-

"Hey. What pokemon did Gloria give you?," you asked him one day while Gloria was busy training. "I know she gave Marnie a purloin and Bede and Victor a pokemon too. So what did she give you?"

Hop blushed deeply and rubbed his neck as he did before chuckling. "well....I guess you'll know anyways once she finally confesses her love to me."

"Say what?"

"She gave me an applin before she left!," he smiked widely. "I knew she liked me better that that cotton for brains Bede! I haven't brought it up yet cuz I wanted her to focus on her training! HA! Take that Befe! In your face!!"

You facepalmed hard. First she gifts Bede a lovdisc without knowing the meaning of that and now she mistakenly gifted Hop an applin. Sigh. Gloria's love rivalry continued. At least you knew what happened to the applin Gloria left in her backpack for so long. Days also passed. Gloria still trained hard and you and Hop Always helped her with her turn in chores. Kubfu and her was getting bolder and bolder and she even got to battle Ms. Honey whom gifted her a special pair of league cards as a thank you for helping to spruce up the place. She also gave Hyde a lot of watts too to power up his strange machine and had gotten a polygon pokemon from his as a thanks. Gloria also seemed to have gotten along better with Klara even having a rematch battle with her. Klara lost but she seemed to be taking it a lot better than she did previously. However...Avery was barely present at all. In fact it was like he was mostly invisible. When he was doing training or some of his punishment chores, he would either turn away from you or do everything he could to avoid eye contact, and would pretend you didn't exist when he was assigned to do chores alongside Gloria. Silent and keeping to himself which was... actually odd. Maybe you scared him a lot more than you meant too. You had found out that Avery did end up rebattling Gloria again too after her training but that was the extent of it. Until one day you spotted something strange. You exited the kitchen after getting Silver a snack and found Gloria and Hop posing with Klara for a picture before she signed something for Gloria and haded her another league card.

Confused you walked up to them as Klara left. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Y/n!" Hop smiled brightly at you. "We finally found out what that certain something Mustard was talking about is!"

"That's great but what was Klara talking about?"

"Oh! We finally figured out who they are! Turns out Klara n' Avery are gym leaders from the minor division!"

You stared stunned. "Really?"

Hop nodded. "Yeah! Klara just started out a year or two ago but she wasn't exactly ready for the position yet, so she came here to train. Looks like she'll be ready though in no time!"

"What were they doing in Postwick then?"

"They were having a meeting with Lee to see if they could run the gyms again but he didn't think they were ready yet. So they came back here for more training." Smart choice on Leon's part. Hop sighed putting his hands behind his head. "I do feel kinda bad for Avery though."

You rose a brow. "For Avery? Why?"

"His family was really hard on him and they didn't treat him well from what I overheard Lee talking about." Both you and Gloria looked shocked.

"Ah. Ye poor lad."

Hop nodded with a sigh. "You see his entire family has always ran the psychic type gym but once he started making everyone who beat him levitate well ...From what I heard they almost disowned him after nearly getting kicked off the league circuit. Lee was the one who saved his position and Avery came here soon after. I think he's doing a lot better too...But it's weird. He's been really down lately. I wonder why?"

You knew exactly why.  A very bad and guilty feeling settled deep in your guts as you realized that-....You had really messed up. You had messed up BIG TIME. 

"So anyways we can find what we need by taking a flying taxi over to the honeycomb shaped island off the isle. Wanna come, Y/n?"

You numbly shook your head. "Nah...You guys go ahead...I need to think over something."

"Alright then. C'mon Glory! Let's go get that max honey!"

They both left leaving you shellshocked and numb for a while. Somehow you managed to stumble your way outside and sit on the steps of the dojo putting your head in your hands. Arceus you messed up badly. You didn't know Avery was-...That he-...That his family-..You buried your head in your hands groaned loudly again. What were going to do?!

"Y/n?" You jumped up and looked right at none other than Ms. Honey. She was giving you a concerned look. "Sweetie you look down. Did you get into a fight with someone?"

You stared wide eyed. "How did you know?"

"I have my ways." She slowly sat down next to you. "What happened?"

You groaned looking away. "I got in a fight with someone because he was doing something really bad but now I found out he came from a bad family life and now I feel bad but at the same time I don't think I was in the wrong because what he was doing was back. But now he's been down a lot and someone told me he has been working hard to get better so now I feel even more bad and he's avoiding me like the plague. So I have absolutely no idea what to do!!" You grabbed your head frustrated.

Honey blinked and didn't say anything for a real long time before looking down. "You know when my hubby told me he wanted to open a dojo of his own, I have to admit I had a lot of doubts. I was still working at my previous job at the time and there was simply so much work into getting the dojo built. Let alone the question of whether anyone would want to move to an uninhabited island like this just to train at an unknown dojo."

You stared at her blinking widely at her. "What.. happened?"

..She gave a soft huff shaking her head. "We got into a couple fights. I didn't want to put everything in this in case it failed I thought he was crazy to try and start this idea all those years ago going about this all the wrong way...and he was throwing everything at it instead of taking time out to plan it out. But..I eventually realized that fighting with someone who was trying hard in the wrong way wouldn't help them. You have to talk it out and help them." You stared at her wide eyed. "So we did and I finally agreed to give it a shot. My hubby and I put our all into this place and years later when Hyde came along all our previous students pitched in and helped us through it. We've made it to where we are today because we got help from so many people. This has been an entirely different chapter of my life, but it's turned out to be a great one." She looked at you with a smile. "So you see...Whether people need a little or a lot of help, they'll always be better afterwards. For some people it just takes a little bit longer and a bit more help."

You stared at her for a long, long moment before sighing and turning away. "Yeah. I guessed I messed up there."

"Well it's not too late," she assured you patting your back. "You can still apologize."

"I don't even know if he'll forgive me."

"Oh I bet he will. If I know Avery, he'll shake it off and bounce back quickly."

You whipped to her wide eyed. "How did you know it was Avery?!"

She smiled. "I have my ways." She stood up again. "Just think it over. Ok, Sweetie? I'm sure you both would feel better if you talked it out. If you want to find Avery just talk to my hubby. He always knows where he's gone training."

With that Ms. Honey left you sitting there staring.. before you sighed again.

#pokemon sword and shield #pokemon shield #pokemon sword #pokemon swsh #pokemon avery x reader #pokemon avery #Isle Connections

[ear-worthy]

Latest Episode Of Spotify: Discover This: Batman Unburied & Audio Fiction

Spotify has just released the newest episode of its podcast series, “Spotify: Discover This. ” Spotify bills the show as “a show aimed at sharing fresh insights on music, podcasting, cultural moments, and trends - amplified in a way only Spotify can.”

In this episode, host Lea Palmieri explores the growing world of fiction podcasts with a variety of creators and voice actors that have joined the audio space - exploring trends in sonic storytelling and taking listeners on an audio adventure.

You can listen to the full episode here

On the heels of the season two pick-up of Spotify’s top-charting audio series, Batman Unburied Lea sat down with Sam Witwer to talk about how he got into character to voice the Harvester in the series. She also chats with Spotify Senior Creative Exec Liz Gateley for some background on why fiction is such an exciting area for the company right now. Lea also sits down with indie creator Lauren Shippen to discuss how she built her fiction audio world from the ground up and how others can do the same. Plus, Gimlet sound designer Jonathon Robertstakes listeners on a journey inside the production side of sound effects, Foley, and audio design.

Available to stream for free exclusively on Spotify, please see below for interview highlights in the episode:

06:25-7:02 - Sam Witwer on preparing for his role as The Harvester in Batman Unburied. “When I think of Batman, some of the stuff that had a greater impression on me when I was younger was stuff like Arkham Asylum and the really dark, scary psychological depth of some of those pieces. My instinct was to go in that direction and to play some of those characters glimpsed in the corners of the painting-like images of Arkham Asylum. Scary, scary stuff that's just beyond the frame of those panels.”

15:13-15:45 - Liz Gateley on Spotify’s approach to fiction podcasts.“For fiction, our strategy has always been to innovate, push boundaries of storytelling, and really create something that embraces audio. All the scripts we look at and concepts we look at, we say, Why do this in audio? And I think what's so unique about what David Goyer created was something that you could only really do in audio, living in the mind of Bruce Wayne for four episodes. He really got it from the get-go. And it was exciting to bring in someone at that level of partner, a producer, and a creator.”

19:31- 20:03 - Liz Gateley on what listeners can expect over the next few years for Spotify and its fiction podcasts.“So we're going to be doing more fiction. I think big hits is what we're aiming for and big partnerships. So you'll see more from DC. You're going to hear about Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw and our partnership with Jordan. And we're also, as you know, adapting Caso 63, which was a huge global hit. So I think we'll also see a lot more adaptations globally for Spotify since we're such a global company.”

23:38-24:08 - Lauren Shippen on how the recording process has changed from the earliest fiction podcasts to the episodes she records today.“Yeah. I mean, it's funny. My process hasn't changed all that much. Yeah, the equipment has gotten better. I think I've become a better director. Like I was directing by default in those days. Whereas now I actually consider myself like I'm a person who, like, directs other people's stuff, you know? That is a lane that I can drive in. And I think I've become a better writer too, so I think that has changed. But the process of working with actors and the way that I like to record things hasn't really changed all that much.”

30:39-31:33 - Jonathon Roberts on what excites him most on sound design in fiction podcasts.“I think sound design for fiction podcasts is really unique in that you are so tight with the protagonist in a story. As opposed to film where you're maybe watching what's going on from the outside. In the fiction podcast, you're right there with the protagonist and sort of like walking with them and experiencing the world through them. And that, I think, is really unique. When I listen and when we make the podcasts, it just feels like I'm more immersed in a story than I might be if I was watching film or TV or theater. ”

--

#podcast #fiction #psychology

[barbenheimer-core]

AUDERE EST FACERE !

하나. chanel : part two — 1.7k words

TURN.

The lights in the shop lowered in their intensity, and Ahyeong gasped, drawing in heavy breaths of air as her limbs finally moved of her own accord, bending low to clutch her knees and balance herself when she slightly stumbled.

"Are you okay?" Wangja the Shop Owner asked, concerned about the sudden change in demeanor.

"I,"— Ahyeong found herself at a loss for words, what was happening to her?— "I don't know."

An abnormal lucid dream, she thought, that was what she was experiencing. One in which she was aware of her made-up fantasy world but couldn't control her speech and actions at times.

It was like the dream itself had a script of its own.

Huh. Maybe that was it. She just had to follow the script.

"Umm... I think I should get going," she mumbled, hoping her hunch was right.

Wangja looked a bit disappointed that he couldn't carry on the conversation, but nodded in agreement. The sleek black car outside that he had spotted while coming in was probably her driver waiting on her.

Suho was still coughing on their way out, and upon the two shooting concerned looks at him he merely ignored them, gaining his composure and zooming past them and into the dimly lit night in his mildly flustered state.

As Ahyeong stepped into the cold night air, she saw her family's personal car, finding Driver Kwon sitting in front of the wheel through the tinted windows.

Her family and acquaintances must be the same as before then.

"Well, do come by often," Wangja said, handing her the copy of Shiver that she had been sifting through previously, and when Ahyeong looked at him confusedly, he winked, "as an insurance that you do visit, I'm letting you borrow it. Remember, the shop's policy only lets you borrow items for two weeks. Any more and you'll have to compensate."

The girl tucked the comic under her elbow, amused at his antics as if she'd known him for a long time, and said without thinking, "Does ramyeon work as compensation?"

The shop owner grinned, "Aye, you know me so well. Now go. Your driver is giving me the creeps with his glare."

Ahyeong chuckled at that. Driver Kwon was rather overprotective over the Song siblings and got suspicious of anyone who got within six feet of them, even the people the two kids had explicitly stated were their friends.

Bidding Wangja goodbye, Ahyeong slipped into the leather seats of the car, fastening the seatbelt around herself as was the clearly stated rule by the person in front of her who turned the key as soon as she got in, revving the engine before taking off into the night and to, presumably, her home.

Ahyeong paused at the front door, looking at the front lawn with puzzled eyes.

Why did it look even more extravagant than it was on a usual day?

The flowers were in full bloom despite spring having passed months ago, the garden lights were still switched on, illuminating the finely-trimmed shrubs and foliage, and the cars were displayed out in the open instead of being in the garage.

It was as if someone was trying to make a drawing of a picturesque rich household, perfect in every aspect with next to no flaws in its design.

The mahogany doors opened abruptly, halting her thoughts, and the housemaid, Eunjung, hurriedly ushered her in, putting slippers in front of the girl's feet as she toed her shoes off.

"Why were you out so late? It's past curfew. Thank goodness Mrs. Song hasn't returned from work yet, or you would've been in trouble," she fussed.

Trouble with her mother? That was odd. That never happened because Ahyeong usually informed Eunjung of where she was going, and her mother didn't really mind if she was out past curfew as long as she had alerted someone of coming in late.

"I'll prepare your dinner while you wash up. Do you want to eat at the table or should I bring it to your room upstairs?"

"My room, if it's not too much trouble."

Eunjung waved her hands, dismissing her, and scurried off to the kitchen while Ahyeong headed up the stairs to the West Wing of the house where her bedroom resided.

Contrary to what she thought, her room had not been what she expected.

It was littered with cardboard boxes and suitcases, most of them unpacked and organized but there still being enough to do that the floor looked messy.

Ahyeong remembered her involuntary words back at Prince Comics.

So her family moved to Seoul in this dream?

From where though? She's never lived anywhere else other than this city.

Oh well, too bad. There was no use dwelling on it. Her dream would end as soon as she would go to sleep and wake up anyway.

But her nagging mind urged her to clean her room up, and despite knowing that her efforts may be in vain she obliged, and by the end of the hour, her room looked just as it had been in real life.

Setting her towel by the bathroom rack to dry, Ahyeong sat down in front of her desk in her pajamas, where the maid had spread out a variety of steaming dishes on fine china while she had been tidying up.

Leave it to Eunjung to make mouth-watering food for any time of the day.

Just as she raised her spoon to eat the seaweed soup, her door swung open.

Gilyeong stood by the threshold, racing to her and shoving his phone in her face, a rather horrible picture of a mangled body on its screen.

"What the-" Ahyeong dropped her utensils with a clang, pushing the device away from her face with a disgusted expression and glaring at her brother, who giggled mischievously, "I'm trying to eat, you gremlin. Don't make me lose my appetite."

"It's payback for the time you showed me a clip of a gutted person when I was trying to eat pat-bingsu. Now get a taste of your own medicine, grinch," Gilyeong laughed evilly, shoving his phone into Ahyeong's eyesight as she tried to stop him from ruining her eyes in front of her food.

Even in dreams, her brother was as nasty as they came.

"You evil little-" Ahyeong wrestled the phone out of his hands, making the younger Song frown and whine at her to give it back to him, and got an idea as she glanced at the shelf on top of her desk.

"If you promise to behave yourself this week, I'll let you borrow that," she said, pointing at the Junji Ito comic that Wangja had let her borrow.

Gilyeong looked up, and his eyes glimmered in anticipation as he jumped up to grab it from the shelf.

"Woah, where did you get this from?" He exclaimed as he started to peruse the pages, "It was out of stock in every bookstore I dragged you to."

"I got it from a hippie who starred in a drama," she smirked at her brother's puzzled face , "so, do we have a deal?"

She raised her hands as she said so.

Her brother looked up at her suspiciously, eyes narrowed in contemplation, then nodded briefly, "deal."

He raised his palms, meeting Ahyeong's halfway as they did their Handshake of Temporary Truce.

Yes, they had different handshakes for a whole list of situations.

"But you still have to pay up for your flinches from yesterday and now," he drawled while walking out of her room.

Wait, yesterday?

"What do you mean the flinch from yesterday?"

Gilyeong stopped midway and turned around, confused.

"Don't tell me you've been getting amnesia too. We were at the restaurant yesterday with Mum and Dad's investors, remember?"

With that ominous comment, he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

Sunlight peeked through the half-open blinds, beaming on Ahyeong's face as she woke up and looked around her room, same as ever.

What a crazy dream.

She remembered it as clear as day.

But it was over and done with, and she was in reality now.

For a moment she pondered how she had gotten into her bed, but then trashed the thought. One of her parents had probably carried her here when she had fallen into a deep sleep in the lobby of the restaurant.

She got up, picking up her phone to look at the day and time.

It was around 8 on a Sunday morning, and Ahyeong yawned, kicking off her blanket to freshen up. She woke up too early for a weekend.

Deciding to explore the city for the day, she changed into a button-up and denim trousers, picking up a set of Doc Martens on her way out for breakfast.

"What's new this mornin', gremlin," she greeted Gilyeong while running down the stairs, who sat by the couch reading something, its cover blocked out of her eyesight.

She slightly tripped on the last two steps and hit her knee on the railing, hissing in pain and lightly hopping towards the dining table.

"Good morning, Eunjung-ssi," Ahyeong smiled through her discomfort at the maid, in complete contrast to the way she greeted her brother, and he scowled at her from his spot but didn't say anything.

Eunjung rolled her eyes in good nature at the sibling's antics, all too used to it, "Good morning to you too."

She set down two servings of rice, soup, and a variety of side dishes for breakfast, and the siblings came to sit at the dining table.

As Ahyeong scooped up a spoonful of rice, she saw Gilyeong putting down his book, finally spotting its cover.

She paused.

"Hey, dongsaeng, how did you get that?" She said as she pointed at the copy of Shiver.

The young Song stopped eating, pointing a fake grin at her.

"From the grinch who got it from a hippie who starred in a drama."

This was not a dream.

masterlist

© 2021 Alfia Sheikh, All Rights Reserved

#true beauty #cha eunwoo #hwang inyeop #moon gayoung #lee suho #han seojun #im jugyeong #kang sujin #extraordinary you #lee suho x reader #lee suho x oc #korean drama #kdrama fanfic #kdrama imagine #kdrama scenarios #webtoon

[krys-loves-otome]

10, 12, 15, 17 for houki!

(OC Ask Prompts)

10) Favorite Place? Do they go there often?

She loves any place that is quiet and that has a large assortment of books. Whether it'd be the libraries back home or the archives of Azuchi, she loves a place she can sit and read. It's the most likely place to find her if another warlord hasn't decided she has another place to be, like Nobunaga needing her as his lucky charm in battles, Masamune wanting her to try another recipe he was creating, or Hideyoshi when he wants her stretch her legs and explore the rest of the castle and the town once in a while because her sitting and reading all the time worries him with how much she does just that.

12) Are they hot-headed or even-tempered? What frustrates them the most?

For the most part, she's pretty even-tempered. Not much gets to her as she usually just logics her way out of her problems, feeling that emotions are wasted on things outside of her control.

That being said, she is frustrated that:

1) She doesn't know if or when she can return to her original world despite her problems there,

and by

2) Her original world's problem, which was being a replacement for her cousin that ran away from her duties as political marriage fodder.

15) Are they the type to adopt strays (animals or people?) What or who have they "adopted" over the years?

People are more the type to adopt her rather than the other way around. In her original world, when she was sent to the Summit to be her cousin's replacement, she was adopted by at least two princesses (one of them being a snow warrior princess that was just there for free food and to flirt with cute girls; the other Houki saved from an obnoxious prince that didn't want to take no for an answer so Houki annoyed him with random trivia facts until he went away), a few more lords and ladies, her Summit assigned attendants, I think one or two of the Summit chaperones too probably. In Azuchi, pretty much all the Oda forces adopted her as is want to happen with MCs in this universe. Hideyoshi mothers her, Nobu finds her a fun challenge in Go, Mitsuhide likes to pick as he does, Ieyasu mostly ignores her but finds her slightly more tolerable than Mitsunari, who thinks she's very pretty and smart and awesome.

If she can have one thing she's adopted over the years, it would be the kittens from her cat's litter. Her older brother had gotten her a cat when she was younger, a very sweet lady, but the cat got out one night and had a scandalous affair with a scruffy alley gentleman that left her an unwed mother of three. Houki kept the kittens until they were old enough to be adopted out. She still misses her feline grandchildren some days.

17) Do they consider themselves to be romantic? Why or why not?

Not really. She does what she likes and if it can be seen as a romantic gesture, she's likely the last to know. If she wants to hold pinkies while on walks through town or sitting with her partner with a good book, she sees it more as things that make her and her partner happy and feel good rather than as a romantic thing to do.

#meme thingys #ikesen oc #houki of jiyel #she's my little book gremlin #I love her #so much #another fun note #I have a template that I found in my old writing word docs that had a character questionnaire to help with character development #the original link in the doc is dead but I did manage to find it again via wayback machine #and now I keep a copy of it for each of my characters in their dedicated notes in onenote #which is where the notes about her cat and her brother come from #I'll probably release it in it's completed form... someday #asks a lot of diff questions too #like about personal history sexuality morality takes #and stuff like that #Houki's sheet has the most development so far #might work on it for my other girls too #Houki also says ace rights #because every gesture you like doing doesn't mean it always has to be seen as romantic or with romantic intent #she can hold her bae's hand if she wants on walks #hugs don't have to be romantic to feel nice either #she does those things because it makes her and or her partner happy #nuff said

[revasnaslan]

🌪️🎀👖🎷📣 for the skyrim crew

🌪️ what is the biggest change you’ve ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?

Nalvyne has existed since around 2016. She's actually the first dragonborn I ever played as and the main one I continue to play as, mostly because the Dunmer are my favorite 💜💜 very little has changed about her personality, although she's gotten a bit more sarcastic over the years... but she's always been relatively cool-headed, she's always been the kind to avoid outright conflict (even when she caused it), she's always had a father and a niece/nephew, and she and teldryn have always been a couple. I think one of the biggest changes to their backstory happened as a result of this au. they already know each other here, they've been together for years, so they've already worked out their shit and settled yknow? where originally there was a lot more push-and-pull because they were figuring their shit out during the dragon crisis.

Trahtus has also existed since around 2016, albeit under a different name. He also was barely developed, outside of his basic character premise. With him I wanted to explore an Altmer who was at least partially allied with the Thalmor in some way, but who had fled the Aldmeri Dominion. That is still his basic backstory, since he comes from a very important and prestigious family who is heavily aligned with the Thalmor. One of the biggest changes (outside of being paired with Muragh, who didn't exist back then because we were not friends then) is that he and Ondolemar are brothers now. And I think that adds a lot to both of their characterizations.

Harald is the newest, so he really hasn't existed that long. The original premise for him was Archetypal Chosen One, because he's the quintessential Nord hero. Son of the nobility, warrior, appears rather masculine. But in reality his personality is a complete departure from that ideal and he doesn't actually want to be the chosen one at all. I really think the eureka moment for him was deciding that he was Ulfric's son. It opened up so many doors for us from a writing perspective and really enhanced the story we were going for.

🎀 how would they fit into other worlds / aus? what aus would you like to try out? what fictional world would they fit / not fit into?

Can you imagine an au where all of them were dragonborns. It'd be absolute chaos 🤣🤣

My personal favorite is still that au we came up with there Trahtus and Muragh get an arranged marriage, and then proceed to still have the slowest of burns because they respect each other too much to make a goddamn move at risk of offending the other due to differing cultures.

👖 what is their go-to outfit?

Trahtus has... Refined Tastes, shall we say? He feels much more comfortable in fancy, flowing fabric than he does in actual armor. If the outfit isn't "pretty" enough, he's going to embroider it until it suits his tastes. However, his favorite outfit is probably the battlemage armor Muragh makes him so he'll be properly protected in the field. It isn't restrictive or too bulky/heavy, it's actually quite fashionable, and she made it herself, specifically for him, so it fits him perfectly. He didn't even see any need to alter it 😊😊

I think Harald likes things simple. Extravagance isn't really his thing despite growing up in a rather wealthy court for most of his life. He does like furs, but I think that has more to do with living in the middle of Eastmarch than anything else. It Be Cold There. I also think he's very comfortable in his armor, because fighting is something he's actually good at.

Nalvyne feels most at home in her Nightingale armor. One of the benefits of being a Nightingale of Nocturnal is that the gift she received allows her to completely disappear into the shadows, provided she's wearing her armor. It's very useful in her line of work, and because all you can see are generally her eyes, it ensures that people are too scared shitless when seeing her at night that they generally aren't going to bother her. It also comes with a built in mask, so that's a plus!

🎷 do they play any instruments? are they any good at it?

I have a feeling Trahtus does. It'd be an important part of any well-rounded Altmer education. For some reason I have been picturing him knowing how to play the harp, like one of those big ones you have to sit down to play.

Harald, though? Probably not. I do, however, have a whole headcanon surrounding Nord sea shanties and how they're often still used to pass time while on the road. He isn't trained or anything, so there's no telling if he's actually good or not, but he knows plenty of those we'll enough to sing them from memory when he's traveling. He and Ralof make a hell of a duet.

I think Nalvyne knows some good lullabies? She's been one of the sole caregivers to her niece and nephew since their fathers (her younger brothers) died very suddenly, and they were rather fussy when they were younger. I know it's not an instrument but it was the first thing I thought of.

📣 how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

Trahtus is rather soft-spoken most of the time. His manner of speech is basically Jane from Tarzan, I can unironically picture him saying "what's all the hullabaloo about?" His speech in general is very formal, because he's Altmer Nobility. It's very ingrained in him at this point. don't actually have a voice claim for him, but I don't think his voice is all that deep. He would have that Pompish Accent that all Altmer in game seem to have, which means he's probably misinterpreted as being condescending but he rarely actually intends to be. It's Just The Altmer Noble Accent 😔😔

Harald, in contrast, has a pretty deep voice. Probably one of the only things he got from his father besides his eyes is the pitch of his voice. My mind actually goes to Richard Armitage, because his voice is the one that comes to mind for Ulfric despite him not voicing Ulfric at all? idk I think it's because Armitage has this Presence to his voice that works really well. Harald speaks rather informally, and how he speaks depends on who he is speaking to. He stutters when he's nervous quite often, especially when he's trying to mimic Ulfric in any way, and I think part of that is because he and his father are not the same type of person, despite him trying to force it so he's taken more seriously.

Nalvyne is the only one who I 100% have a voice claim for and it's Cree Summer. Specifically, Cree Summer as Kida. Summer has this very nice rasp to her voice that I think fits Nalvyne very well. I enjoy the headcanon that most Dunmer (who have lived in Morrowind for their entire lives) sound like that because of all the ash they've been inhaling. Unlike Harald, the Presence in her voice isn't forced, and she never stutters. She's very confident in her speech. She's also a raging asshole who enjoys poking at people. Half the words out of her mouth are sarcastic quips, it's practically a love language. She's also one of those people who uses titles in a sarcastic way (example, using "serjo" for Harald, despite not actually respecting him as nobility in the slightest).

Also I know Muragh is yours so I'm not gonna go on about her, but honestly I've been kind of picturing her voice as being similar to Zethrid's in VLD. I believe her VA is Jamie Grey Hyder? But like the deep voice with an underlying roughness to it is how I've been picturing her voice.

#rev's rambling again #harald tag #trahtus tag #nalvyne tag

[transgenderteensurvivalguide]

(1) Hi, I’m not asking this question to offend anyone, this is a genuine question I have. If I offend anyone for being insensitive I am very sorry. So I've been thinking a lot of the differences between transracial vs. transgender and the more research and opinions I find on it the more I get confused. The main argument against being transracial is that a transracial person hasn't gotten the full experience of the specific gender they are identifying due to them living as birth gender. continued

(2) Like Rachel Dolezal being told she is not allowed to identify as black because she hasn’t gotten the true experience of being a black woman in America due to her living the her life as a white woman. However, can’t the same thing be said, for example, a MTF transgender person? It is undeniable that there is a specific woman experience. And for people (especially who realize they are trans late) live their lives passing as a man and don’t get this experience. (continued)(3) Being a woman is being catcalled, is being objectified, and is being paid less than their male counterparts. A MTF trans person doesn’t experience those for most of their life until they begin to live their lives true to their real selves. Why does this ‘experience’ argument work to discount transracial but doesn’t discount transgender? Again I’m very sorry for this question, I will admit myself it is very ignorant. But I just really want an answer to this and I hope I can get that.Harper says:Hi there, I’m going to assume you are asking this in good faith but to be quite honest the phrasing of some of your questions seriously makes me doubt that. Before I start, I want to clarify as Kii does in this ask that transracial is a term that actually describes someone who has been adopted by someone to a family of a different race, rather than the racist stuff Dolezal is doing.First off I’m going to address some assumptions about being a woman that you make in your question: “there is a specific woman experience” and that that experience “is being catcalled, is being objectified, and is being paid less than their male counterparts.” It’s curious to me that you claim there is an “undeniable… specific woman experience” and then only cite moments that we can see other people who are not women experience. For example, homophobic catcalling, i.e. verbal sexual harassment can and does happen to effeminate gay men on the streets; black men are a site of sexual objectification in much of media, consider pornography for example; gay men, men of colour are also paid less than their male counterparts and have been for some time historically. If you base your understanding of what makes a woman entirely on something like misogyny, you have to be open to the fact that other oppressive forces will coalesce in the same way to recreate similar experiences in similar liberation groups. You should also acknowledge that gendered discrimination doesn’t operate on a basis purely targeting women. I think you should broaden your understanding on how such forces work. I recommend reading Julia Serano’s Whipping Girl:

While often different in practice, cissexism, transphobia, and homophobia are all rooted in oppositional sexism, which is the belief that female and male are rigid, mutually exclusive categories, each possessing a unique and non overlapping set of attributes, aptitudes, abilities, and desires. Oppositional sexists attempt to punish or dismiss those of us who fall outside of gender or sexual norms because our existence threatens the idea that women and men are “opposite” sexes. This explains why bisexuals, lesbians, gays, transsexuals, and other transgender people — who may experience their genders and sexualities in very different ways — are so often confused or lumped into the same category (i.e., queer) by society at large. Our natural inclinations to be attracted to the same sex, to identify as the other sex, and/or to express ourselves in ways typically associated with the other sex blur the boundaries required to maintain the male-centered gender hierarchy that exists in our culture today.In addition to the rigid, mutually exclusive gender categories established by oppositional sexism, the other requirement for maintaining a male-centered gender hierarchy is to enforce traditional sexism — the belief that maleness and masculinity are superior to femaleness and femininity. Traditional and oppositional sexism work hand in hand to ensure that those who are masculine have power over those who are feminine, and that only those born male will be seen as authentically masculine. For the purposes of this manifesto, the word misogyny will be used to describe this tendency to dismiss and deride femaleness and femininity.

I’d also like to turn your attention to Jacob Hale’s essay Are Lesbians Women? in which he lays out a list of factors of what makes a woman. He does so in such a way where each individual item on the list is not necessary nor sufficient in order to be a woman. For example, although he lists ‘presence of breasts’ as one such condition that is often correlated with being a woman, there are plenty of women without breasts in the world: trans women without breasts, cis women who have had double mastectomies, and so on. Hale also notes that his list is not entirely exhaustive: there’s always the possibility that this list will be added to in future. I’d highly recommend you look at it if you’re after your “undeniable” “woman’s experience”.Next I’m going to look at your claim that “an MTF trans person doesn’t experience those for most of their life.” This entirely constructs a similar narrative for trans women and entirely disregards the possibility that such a person was raised by understanding and supportive parents from a young age and grew up as a girl from an early age. Whatever your argument about ‘transracial’, it’s clear that you already have a reductive understanding of womanhood and a transgender experience. Such forces and experiences that play into gender interact in ways far more complex than what you’ve detailed above. I also want to point out here that you’ve failed to describe how the arguments above apply to trans men: that is to say a trans man who transitions in his late twenties in the western world will probably experience all of what you label as the “woman experience”, and yet they are men. The argument you present is typical of the considerations ‘transracial’ arguments operate with. They are often circulated by people with a vested transmisogynistic interest as a “gotcha!” designed to portray trans women as either dangerous or ridiculous. As a result they are designed to eliminate any shred of transgender voices. What is implicit in the argument you’ve laid out is that 1. trans women aren’t women and 2. trans men are. The argument fails completely to consider how a trans person articulates their own understandings which often run contrary to the line of argument. I urge you to consider how this argument is made and what purposes it serves. Is it an honest exploration of the workings of gender and race or is there a bias or a motive driving the ‘logic’ of the argument.On to the ‘transracial’ aspect of your argument. I hope so far I have managed to draw your attention to the implicit biases given in the argument, as well as the levels of complexities you have yet to acknowledge. Much of the same can be said about how you present race in the argument.First of all, I’d like to draw your attention that considerations of being perceived as a different race is a reality faced by many white-passing people of colour and many mixed-race people who live through this daily. It is a consideration that has been often articulated and is still often articulated. If the argument was an earnest exploration of the shifting and transitory nature of the perception of people of colour in a racist society, would it not rather look at this aspect? If the argument was an honest exploration of the similarities and differences a construction of both racialised and gendered experiences, would it not center trans women of colour’s voices as they are best situated at this intersection of race and gender to experience this? Is it not suspicious that such an argument doesn’t do this? In fact, go read Franchesca Ramsey’s article on this for a black trans woman talking about it, and Riley’s arcticle, a black non-binary person who highlights:

Rachel Dolezal flat out lied about her life and her experiences, and not to protect herself, but to protect the benefits she received and the space she acquired through those lies. She lied to protect her privilege, a trait of white people and all privileged groups. Her life could have been the same had she merely remained the white woman she was. White people already devour space in Black communities as a bonus of their whiteness, but she chose to take her farce further, becoming a “Black” woman who happened to be indistinguishable from the party in power.There is no benefit to being transgender, and there is no harm, but there is every benefit and harm to a white person picking a less privileged race to join because white features are privileged in every race and identification has no effect on that.

(my emphasis added.)In addition to the points raised by Riley and Ramsey, I’d point out that the move to make a blind comparison between race and gender on the basis of “they are both experienced by people” or “they are both social constructs” “so why can’t x” is just so materially and historically off. There is no consideration in your given argument over the differences between race and gender. There is no consideration that racism was founded by a white ruling colonial class to dominate a colonised and enslaved population. Such a population had within it differently gendered and transgendered people. There is no consideration that this domination was a product of hundreds of years of a capitalism that needed a large white working class to carry out a sustained colonial project: a colonial project that is still in action across the world today. There is no consideration of the formation of gender and the nuclear family as a product of the division of labour enforced by capitalism and the ruling classes on the working classes.In effect, gender and race are two different things. They of course intersect, but the ways in which they operate are distinct and different. Reducing both down to a level that strips them of their actual effects and lived realities in order to further either a justification for a racist white woman exploiting black people or to further a ridicule and strawmanning of the transgender community is a shameful act of bigotry posing under a guise of logic and inquiry.

Check out our /tagged/transracial for more commentary. 

#Anonymous #harper says #transracial #racism #transmisogyny #transphobia #hale #serano #caps #im not going to tag this mtf because it'll just be noise in that tag #misogyny #mtf /