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#adoptable would be like i design a completely new character which you can buy and then own the design
fishsticxz-art · 9 months
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i kinda wanna make more veadotube avatars, would anyone be interested in either commissioning one of their oc or buying an adoptable pngtuber avatar? alternatively i could design some to be like idk. licensable is that what it's called? like i'll still own the design but anyone who pays can use it in streams and whatever.
any adoptable/licensable designs would probably just have those similar 2 frame gifs for still and speaking plus 2 blink frames, but a commission could have more stuff like for example veadotube mini has these 'states' which can be used with hotkeys to replace the images so you could put an alt design or different emotions on it (ofc all extra frames would cost more). the avatars would be compatible with veadotube mini, which is a free to use lightweight pngtuber app.
idk put in replies if you'd be interested?
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chuuyrr · 2 years
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i wanna reqs hehe chuu my beloved, imagine scarlet witch! baby fushiguro! reader wanting to visit philippines because of boracay she want to see nemo and fishes, riding banana boat, kayak and of course foodies especially in Jollibee also jjk students, and papa toji is there din diba tapos they tried riding jeep.
jjk characters & scarlet witch! baby fushiguro! reader goes to boracay/philippines for vacation
jujutsu kaisen x reader
masterlist of the series
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╰➤ CW(s): jjk characters might be written ooc, mostly headcanons because almost everyone is in it, fluff
╰➤ PAIRING(s): platonic! jujutsu kaisen x child! reader (gojo satoru, fushiguro toji, jujutsu tech students, nanami kento)
before you read: hi, in case you're new, you're megumi's younger half-sibling, and while you don't have cursed energy, you do have scarlet witch's powers and abilities! aside from that, as a special scarlet witch variant, you also have the ability to travel across the multiverse. how chaotic! furthermore, like your half-brother megumi, you are being cared for by gojo satoru, who also serves as your adoptive father. for more info, please see the masterlist.
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you didn't know much about the philippines until you heard about it from your uncle nanami and adoptive father, gojo. the philippines was mentioned because gojo was looking for a vacation spot, and you were overjoyed to hear how the philippines had this island called boracay, which meant fishies and boats, as well as this well-known fast-food restaurant called jollibee.
you asked immediately gojo to take you there as soon as you heard about it (and everyone else including toji).
it didn't take long for gojo to clear everyone's schedules and buy flight tickets for a couple of days in the philippines, and honestly, gojo seemed more excited than you were because by the time he woke you up for the flight, you were still a little sleepy and irritated due to the time, but gojo was already dressed for the beach. the classic polo with hawaiian design, shorts, and sunglasses
anyway, after gojo woke you up and dressed you, you both went to the airport with your luggages, where you met a very sleepy and still yawning tokyo jujutsu high students; maki and nobara were leaning against each other while clutching their luggages, yuuji and megumi were still yawning, and inumaki and panda were drinking some of the beverages that nanami and toji got the kids. you were still too sleepy to process everything, so you slept even after everyone else boarded the plane.
the plane ride to the philippines took between ten and eleven hours, and you almost didn't get any sleep because toji and gojo were arguing about who you should sit with.
you were upset with them, so you didn't choose any of them to sit and sleep with. you chose to sit beside your uncle nanami, who shared a seat with megumi and yuuji because he was quieter than the two. both of your fathers were completely betrayed to see you lean against nanami and slept. gojo and toji also ended up sitting next to each other and grumbled and blamed each other the entire flight.
fast forward to the philippines, where you arrived at your destination, boracay, and everything was forgiven with toji and gojo because you were no longer irritable and had gotten a good night's sleep, but the huge difference struck you as soon as everyone got their luggage and stepped off the plane.
"it's so hot here," you exclaimed, and your brother and his classmates agreed, but a smile instantly lit up your face as you took in the sight of coconut trees, white sand, and how blue the ocean of the luxurious hotel resort gojo had booked, "but very pretty!"
"ahh! i can't wait! we should get to our rooms so we can change and swim!" nobara exclaimed, jumping up and down with yuuji.
"i wanna go see nemo and the other fishies!" you cried out, tugging gojo's and toji's hands.
"you will, angel," toji chuckled softly, reaching out his hand to ruffle your hair as gojo nodded and smiled down at you.
you were all guided by the staff to where you and everyone would be staying, and to be honest, you were annoyed when the said staff seemed to be... checking out gojo, toji, and nanami, but it was fine since your father and uncle weren't paying attention to her anyway.
the rooms were assigned as follows: you and gojo, megumi and yuuji, nobara and maki, panda and inumaki, and nanami and toji. you dressed up in your favorite swimwear and wore matching heart-shaped glasses with nobara, and as soon as you were all dressed up, you all went off the beach first instead of yours and everyone else's private pool because you wanted to go to the beach.
"look at how white the sand is! it's like snow!" you exclaimed softly, sprinting away from the others who were chasing you as you picked some up in your hands.
"there are also some seashells! look, [name]-chan!" yuuji picked up a bunch of pretty shells near the shore and showed them to you.
"fishies! we have to see the fishies next!" you exclaimed as you dropped the white sand in your hands and dashed into the ocean, almost squealing as the cold yet refreshing waters made contact with your skin, "the water's cold!"
"oi, wait for us!" gojo yelled, laughing as he chased you down, only to laugh again when you splashed him with water, "kikufuku! you little rascal!"
"take that!" you exclaimed, splashing water on gojo as he chased you and the tokyo jujutsu tech students in the waters.
and just when you thought it was over, women and even men were staring at your entire family, and it wasn't just because panda was with you; they were practically gawking (and drooling) at gojo, toji, and nanami at most.
but don't worry, your family was overprotective of you the same way you were towards tjem when little boys your age started talking to you and giving you seashells and seaweeds. gojo and toji were not having it and were not prepared for boys chasing after their precious kikufuku/angel! they may or may not have shooed them off on purpose.
anyway, for the most part, gojo, toji, and nanami had done the majority of the talking and explaining to you and everyone because of their fluency in english due to their works or previous work, as in the case of toji.
you honestly didn't understand much of what the kids you spoke to said either because you weren't fluent in english or tagalog.
regardless, you still had a good time at the beach. you splashed everyone and everything, collected seashells and seaweeds with yuuji, inumaki, and panda, and may or may not have scared the living hell out of everyone when you dove into the waters while everyone else was about to go snorkeling.
toji, gojo, and nanami nearly died as they dove into the waters after you, only to find you swimming just fine with the help of your chaos magic. you got to see a lot of fishes and, surprisingly, nemo, as well as some jellyfish and turtles, just like you'd always wanted to.
"there weren't any sharks like bleghh though," you frowned as you and everyone resurfaced.
"kikufuku, i think it was best that we didn't see any sharks at all or else we would have probably gotten eaten..." gojo's sweat dropped, along with yuuji, nobara and megumi.
in addition to swimming and snorkeling, you also got to ride banana boats, which you thoroughly enjoyed. you enjoyed the salty sea breeze as a guy in a speedboat dragged all of you on a banana boat around the ocean's surface, and then you were all yeeted straight into the ocean.💀
the kayaks were also very nice, especially the clear ones. nobara and gojo were in awe of the men rowing the clear kayaks because they really know how to take social media-worthy photos and videos of their passengers.
after a long day at the beach, new and fresh clothes and a good bath were insufficient. you were starving; everyone else was starving.
"daddy, papa, i'm hungry! let's find jollibee and buy there!" you exclaimed, your [color] eyes brightening as you remembered the fast-food restaurant you were looking forward to visiting.
"[name]-chan is right, we should have jollibee! i've read that it's as good as kfc, if not better," itadori said, to which nobara and maki agreed as they researched the said fast-food restaurant with inumaki.
"... kfc huh?" gojo muttered upon hearing yuuji, his sweat dropping as he recalled something.
"there should be one, but it's on the main road," maki pointed out, displaying the location on nobara's phone to everyone.
"i'll book as an uber ride. oh, wait, they don't have uber here. apparently, it's grab car here in the philippines," gojo muttered, his eyes widening as he looked at his phone and yanked his black round sunglasses down.
when you were getting your jackets and leaving the hotel to get a car and head to the nearest jollibee, a strange vehicle caught your eye from afar and looked like a mini-bus of sorts.
"hey, what's that?" you asked, pointing at the said vehicle as you sat on gojo's shoulders.
"i'm actually not sure.." gojo furrowed his brows.
"what if we ride that mini bus thingie instead to get to jollibee instead of a car?" you suggested, eyes lighting up with excitement, "it looks fun!"
gojo stopped booking a car, as you suggested, and instead, all of you went up to the mini-bus and had nanami talk and ask first about the mini-bus if you guys could actually ride it to jollibee.
"well? what did he say?" toji inquired as nanami returned to all of you.
"that mini-bus is a public transportation service here in the philippines, and it's actually called a jeepney—jeep for short," nanami explained, to which all of you nodded in understanding with a wonderstruck gaze at the vehicle. "there's a fare to be paid individually, but it's cheap."
"well, then, what are we waiting for?! let's ride the jeep!" itadori fist pumped the air.
you cried out happily with hands in the air, "yeah! let's go! let's go!"
riding the jeepney was an something. passengers were staring at you and everyone else, especially toji, gojo, and nanami who were gripping the handle in the ceiling of the said vehicle, wondering why (hot) foreigners and a walking panda were riding in a jeep when you could all have taken a car. sure, it was a little humid because there was no air conditioning, but it still was a fantastic experience.
after the jeepney ride, you all hopped off and made your way to the jollibee fast-food restaurant. when you saw the mascot statue outside, you couldn't help but zoom away from them and squeal with delight.
"JOLLIBEEE!!" you screamed, practically clinging onto the statue, "IT'S REALLY HIMM!!"
gojo couldn't stop laughing as he took out his phone to take pictures of you clinging to jollibee. you were eventually joined in the picture taking by megumi, yuuji, nobara, and the second years. after marvelling at the mascot, you all entered the restaurant, where you were greeted by friendly staff and some people who were once again staring at your family, particularly gojo, toji, and nanami.
"ooh! it's the chicken joy! let's order a bucket!" itadori exclaimed, pointing at the menu.
"and some fries too," nobara said, which itadori nodded in agreement with.
"how about you, [name], what else do you want?" nanami asked, gently picking you up to show you the jollibee menu.
"i wanna try this one.. it's called, uh, palabok?" you tested out the foreign word on your tongue as you picked, "and the peach mango pie!"
"hey, i want peach mango pie too!" gojo suddenly ran up to you and nanami, grinning.
"are you [name]?" nanami narrowed his eyes.
"hmm, how about we order a little bit of everything so we can try different foods besides the chicken and fries?" megumi suggested, "the palabok sounds interesting, as does their peach mango pie."
"megumi's right, let's just order a bit of everything," toji agreed with biological son.
with nanami, toji, and gojo, you and everyone were able to order all of the meals you had been wanting to try. you all chose to eat at the restaurant for the experience too. you all first tried the chicken joy and fell in love at first bite.
"oh my god. that's really good! it's crunchy!" itadori proclaimed, taking another bite.
"salmon tuna mayo," inumaki nodded.
"it really goes well with the gravy too." maki agreed with inumaki.
after that, you, megumi, and nanami tried the palabok. you were in awe as soon as you mixed the thin rice noodle dish with the sauce with shrimp, pork, and sliced boiled eggs and took a slurp of your food.
"this is amazing!" you exclaimed, taking another slurp of the palabok dish using your fork.
"[name]'s right, it's savory," megumi said, a small smile on his face, "i expected it to be somewhat sweet, but it's actually just right."
"really? let me try!" nobara inquired, to which megumi slid his own plate towards her, allowing her to take some and try it for herself, "you guys weren't kidding. it is good! really, really good!"
you then tried the peach mango pie with gojo and the tokyo jujutsu tech students and nearly died because the filling was so hot, but it was sweet and the pie was crunchy, which perfectly contrasted the viscosity of the peach mango pie filling. you and gojo liked it so much that he ordered an entire box just for the two of you.
gojo had taken out and paid for another bucket of chicken, along with some fries, palabok, and yum burgers at the end of your food trip in Jollibee because you, megumi, nobara, yuuji, maki, panda, and inumaki wanted more of it to eat back at the said hotel, and all of you rode the jeep again instead of a car because you wanted to ride one again on the way back.
maki and nobara combed and tied your hair after you took a shower and dried your hair with the help of toji and a hair blower, and you couldn't help but think of something very important as everyone gathered around you and the table of takeouts sitting comfortably in the living room of the hotel gojo booked.
perhaps you should magic a jollibee restaurant back in japan, you thought as you munched on your crunchy chicken joy drumstick. yeah.
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freefontsjapanese · 1 year
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Wonderful Japanese fonts
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japanese font
Regardless if you’re a stylish working for Japanese purchasers or just want to fantastic your Japanese ex girlfriend or boyfriend using your Photoshop skills, you’ll soon become tired of the very limited personal choice of Japanese typefaces that accompany your operating system, whether it be Windows, OSX, or simply Linux.
japanese font
Minchō
Mincho typeface, also known as Ming or Song, will be the most used font style in print designed for Chinese and Nippon. It’s main attributes are the presence associated with small serifs usable stroke width (vertical strokes are generally narrower than horizontal strokes).
TB Mincho is an effective Mincho font through the famous Japanese TypeBank foundry. It’s fairly expensive, but a good idea the money if you are your designer in need of a competent Japanese font.
Medieval
Gothic type, also referred to as Kaku Gothic, is practically as popular like Ming. It is seen as a plain rectangular shots with equal girth and no serifs and the main benefit is incredible legibility at modest sizes.
Meiryo (Free) is my favorite cost-free Japanese font. Inside preparations for Home windows Vista release, Ms realized that their particular current Japanese fonts (mainly MS Old and MS Mincho) are incompatible making use of their ClearType subpixel manifestation technology and thought i would create a new 1.
Meiryo is one of the earliest Japanese fonts established on and for ones computer screen and required two years to create along with engineer. The Japanese heroes were designed by Eiichi Kono who specially designed the New Johnston font used by London Subterranean. The Latin character types were designed by Matthew Carter, creator within the great Verdana font. The font can be incredibly readable from small sizes and is particularly one of the few fonts at which Latin and Japanese people characters look effectively together. Maru Medieval
Maru Gothic is essentially Gothic with circular corners. If the initial two styles may just be considered as equivalents from Western serif together with sans-serif fonts, Maru Gothic could be when compared to rounded sans-serif typefaces such as Arial Circular.
TB Maru Old is a nice Maru Gothic font from the famous Japanese TypeBank foundry. It’s quite expensive, but worthy of the money if you are a good designer in need of a pro Japanese font.
Yokobuto Minchō
Yokobuto Mincho can be described as a combination of Minchō and Gothic typefaces. It adopted similar width strokes nonetheless retained the serifs.
TB Yokobuto Mincho is one of the only Yokobuto Minchō fonts that you can buy but this actuality doesn’t make it any kind of less beautiful. It’s rather expensive, however , well worth the money in case you are a designer wanting a professional and genuine Japanese font. Open & Handwritten
Completely new Japanese font type resembling characters tempted with a marker compose. It’s mainly come with shop signs and additionally leaflets. Some of these fonts try to imitate real-life handwritten text in addition to transpose it upon the computer screen.
Anzumoji (Free) is a kawaii font with a kawaii name (あんず methods apricot, もじ implies letter/character). It’s fairly amazing how certainly this handwritten Japoneses font looks to the screen, especially inside longer paragraphs which can be problematic for comparable fonts.
KF Himaji (Free) - one other cute Japanese handwritten font, with an right name (ひま signifies spare time/leisure). I actually especially like round of golf shapes which are certainly visible in the 日 and 語 kanji.
Sakura (Free) is about the many great fonts by Flop Model with some pleasant touches like a sakura petals in place of shorter strokes.
Shirousagi along with Relax (Free) are simply just two of the many wonderful Pop style Japan fonts by gau+.
I hope that this catalog contains at least one Nippon font that very hot your heart.
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honeybunhalo · 3 years
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Kara/Lena adopt Superboy AU Notes (Part 1)
I’m finally delivering on the content for this Supercorp AU
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This is a Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor and Superboy (Kon-El) centric story. Specifically focused on exploration of one's identity and how you define yourself with the many aspects of your life and choices you made as well as what you consider important and precious to you. The effects of being constrained by how you were born and finding those who love you for who you are and don't ask you to change the core of your being to fit in. — this is not an action packed story at all.
Here are some of the ideas I have for this or things I thought Kon had in common with Lena and Kara that I find compelling.
Lena concepts:
Lena gets to know another Luthor, her biological nephew, who isn’t a trash person and is someone to not just for her to protect but who’s existence assures her that it isn’t blood that makes someone bad and maybe she isn’t so different from other people and she’s not “irredeemable”. Sometimes he reminds her of her older brother when he was kind to her growing up. Likewise, everyone usually sees the Lex in Kon as an inherently bad thing and thus he learns to hide it and hate himself for it. Lena presents an alternate because she remembers bittersweetly a simpler time when she looked up to her brother. Not everyone sees the Luthor genes in him as a threat, Lena finds it comforting to be able to help someone like her in a way she was never helped as a young girl. 
Lena thinks she can’t interact with kids well, much less the kid Lex had grown in a lab, but she totally warms up to him and can talk to him about familial rejection (via Clark) and if it’s because he’s a Luthor and if that makes him wrong. Is it because he’s artificial? Is it because he’s some strange illegitimate lab child? Smothering this kid with love and protection.
Plus Kon is like Kara in more than just being kryptonian but also in dorkiness. Lena’s life is just trying to wrangle an overpowered golden retriever and her lab puppy. She can’t stay mad at them for long.
Lena finding she is capable of loving and being loved and being with Kara makes it harder to ignore the crush she has on Kara. They talk together about love and acceptance now they have a shared kid they don’t want to hide personal things from that could later hurt him and many things become open secrets in their now shared house. Soon enough, it becomes obvious she needs to be truthful with Kara about her own feelings for her. 
Lena could learn about the difficulties of hiding being an alien that Kara had to deal with and the onslaught and exhaustion of developing powers in young kryptonians. She gets to see first hand what it does to a child and wonders how that must have affected Kara’s emotional development and sense of self. 
Lillian and Lex won’t get anywhere near this kid if Lena has something to say about it. Lena knows what it’s like to be the odd one out in a family and for people to reject you for simply existing from other people's sins
Kara concepts:
Kara recounts how she felt like a failure waking up on earth to find out Kal had grown up without her. Now she can maybe make peace with that by taking in Kon even if everything that motivates her choices with him is primarily for kons sake. 
Kara can share with another person krypton's history and culture which is something she’s had to keep seperate from her primary identity for years now *cough* it’s almost like she’s an immigrant who has to hide her identity and culture to be accepted and you could use that in the story *cough* 
Kon lived through being created as a lab rat and the only living experiment left. Kara could sympathize with his own grief from her experience with survivors’ guilt. 
Being open with Kon so that he doesn’t feel that same overwhelming pressure when she was told to hide with a human family also gives room for Lena to learn more about the world Kara came from beyond what she knows from interviews from Superman. Having Kara speak openly about her life on Krypton is much more personal and feels much more real than any article could do. 
Teaching Kon how best to control his powers and her and Lena being able to have the resources for him to do so safely 
Alex is very alarmed by the new addition to the family, mostly because how shitty Clark was in relation to the kid. From her perspective, this is not the first time the guy has dumped an unwanted kryptonian child on someone else’s doorstep. Whatever, she gets to buy leather jackets for her new nephew and be scary overprotective of him. “I don’t care if you think you’re nearly invulnerable at your age, do you have ANY IDEA what type of trouble your mother got us into when we were growing up? Or even when she just started hero work?”
Conner Kon-Cepts:
His sort-of-aunts can be his adoptive moms and be much better to him than his biological dads ever were to him in the comic canon. Kon actually being allowed to be close to other Superman family members!!! I need it like the air I breathe. Kon could get to know a Luthor that isn’t trying to hurt him or use him. Someone who defies part of why (Kon thinks) Superman could never accept a thing like him. 
(I have too many things to say to put in a brief bullet point just know that he’s my fav little boy and I think that he deserves parents who would love him unconditionally and Lena and Kara deserve to live a slower life where they can be cute and domestic)
(If he’s raised by these two then I can give a solid reason as to why we just ignore all the blatant misogynistic and horny writing from the 90s comics that made me really uncomfortable and didn’t completely fit with his given backstory especially with how over the top the specialization was. It helps make up for that)
Kon has to deal with being constantly compared to his two genetic fathers mirroring how Kara and Lena both are constantly being compared to Superman and Lex Luthor as they are the female counterparts of those two more infamous members in their respective families
Kara and Kon have very complementary stories and could become what the other needs to fill a hole in each of their hearts. Canon is way too personally tragic. I’d rather have a bittersweet world that’s also soft so I can spend more time with slow paced character analysis.
(In the beginning, Kon’s much more timid given he’s still so young and is coping with being rejected by superman. The tone at the beginning of the story is very serious. As the story unfolds, kon will loosen up to be goofier like his comic counterparts personality)
Both Clark and Lex don’t deserve this kid in any way. If all they are gonna do is mistreat or neglect him in their own ways, Kon is better off with his aunts. 
Conclusion:
Kara and Lena can be happy together by fully trusting themselves with each other in domestic bliss for once AND Kon doesn’t have to cry his eyes out knowing he’s an unwanted experiment child who is “undeserving” of family and home who never got to experience childhood
Everyone who's always saying “you can’t trust a Luthor” better shut their trap when Kara walks in with Kon-El Luthor, her newly adopted son, and her fiancé, Lena Luthor. These new moms will tear you apart if you try to instill that internal hatred of being a Luthor in their son’s young mind. 
Kara and Lena both defying what people say about them and instead raising a well adjusted boy from both their warring families. 
Kon is gonna be raised by a true power couple.
DC refuses to deliver on giving this boy a home or parents so I’m gonna do it instead. Just look at the family they could be together:
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(FYI: This has nothing to do with the version of Superboy in the Young Justice cartoon TV show, so if you’re only familiar with that you may be a bit confused about this Superboy who that one was loosely based on. This whole punk fitted kid is indeed a real character and I stay pretty close to his original design from 1993.)
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juni-ravenhall · 3 years
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20 things i want really badly for sso to update / add
1. regularly scheduled main story updates. this is THE most important thing for a game that is quite story-based, but something sso has problems with. it makes us feel disconnected from the story and main characters and makes players lose interest, not knowing when we will get more story, or if the story will ever go anywhere. 
2. work hard on fixing bugs and improving functionality - QA testing a lot more on their own. i know the game has a crappy engine and that theyre trying to improve stuff, but yeah, theres just a lot of stuff that needs to be worked on. (i think they should just move to a good engine. a huge investment, yes, but worth it in the long run with the potential benefits from selling a higher quality game and being able to work on it more smoothly?)
3. ability to use photomode and control the camera properly when our character sits down, at cafes, etc, basically just being able to go into photo mode at all times.
4. weather system. rain, snow, fog, etc. preferrably random aside from during quests that need specific weather ofc. possibly with an ability to turn off weather. optional: updated skies for more variety in colours and clouds and all that to go along with the weather.
5. new areas to be released of the ones that have already been hinted at for ages! north link goes where???????? ashland, etc. and also, ofc, for the new areas to be unique and interesting in design, and to bring related main story updates - or “big side stories” like the nightdust storyline etc. i am just longing to interact with npcs for long storylines again and see some drama :( 
6. new tack and equipment, specifically more halters (simple not fancy ones, but cute and colour variety!), would be nice with lead rope too, and ofc blankets, stuff like this. but also more new good designs for tack in general and more colour options for saddlepads and legwraps, it drives me crazy that most pads are ugly and old and hard to match to anything. i want realistic pads with dark, vivid, pastel and natural colour options.
7. new mane and tail styles that are available for all horses (aside from too old models). it makes horses feel more individual and unique as well as giving us options to dress up our horses for photoshoots, eventing, etc. 
8. updated player model with new animations and everything, diversity and good representation in the design options. facial expressions, blinking. i would also love if there were more animations for the player character to pet and groom the horses.
9. our own place to live (something theyve been working on but we dont know exactly where it stands) that we can also customise and decorate. i would prefer if we can choose where we live in the way we choose homestables, for example theres this little house between the rescue ranch and the lighthouse on south hoof that would be lovely to live in. id like to be able to choose wallpaper and flooring, curtains, stuff like that, and furniture. we should be able to invite ppl in as well. optional: the pet that’s in your saddlebag shows up in your home and you can pet it. also ability to choose music from lisa, miscreants, etc to play in our home. it would also be great if when it was raining outside you could hear it from inside your home and see it outside the window. oof actually when i say that now im imagining seeing city lights in the distance on a rainy evening looking out the window while acoustic sso music plays in the bg. can you tell how much i fantasise about living on jorvik by how long this paragraph got
10. customisation in our home stable, to be able to choose designs and colours of the interior, etc. i would love to be able to choose decorations like the ones we see during holidays (light strings etc). i would like the tack room and feed room to be more cluttered and stuff too for better realistic rp purposes.
11. more groundwork type of gameplay, like the working equitation races that have been added lately, but not just “races”. maybe possibility of training for xp in different ways than just finishing a race quickly enough. just realistic groundwork stuff. 
12. dressage gameplay, and more arenas for it ofc. 
13. for jumping courses to keep being better as theyve been lately! theyre more difficult and interesting now and the designs are better! i want for this to continue and im really enjoying the obstacle designs. 
14. pasture - i’d love to see my horses run around and eat randomly out in the field without me controlling them, being able to go up and pet them or give them snacks. it would be cool if a paddock near the homestable was just used for this purpose (where you see your horses, but other players see their horses, etc, and we have the ability to hide other players). maybe it would show 3 of your horses at a time, out of the ones that are kept in the field in our stable manager.
15. new (and regularly added!) quests at south hoof rescue ranch, as well as other places where it makes sense like jorvik ranger quests, etc. stuff that doesn’t necessarily relate to the main storyline (but it might!) and is just fun dramatic quests, but it can also have character developments for hugh and others on south hoof, for jorvik ranger characters, etc. it could also be a way to introduce new pets and horses that are adoptable after rescue quests have been completed, as well as unlocking new equipment related to rescuing, rehabilitation and ranger work.
16. more shops, cafes and other things to do at jorvik city mall alongside the mall being updated in general, and to jorvik city which i really love and just hope aideen’s plaza and governor’s fall will also be updated with more shops etc. (add a dance club to the mall like the fort pinta disco! cafes with different aesthetics and menus, a fastfood restaurant, a fancy restaurant, a photo studio for professional horse photos and for our character, a cinema, a theatre stage like thalia’s idk, that whole fashion week catwalk thing, theres a lot of different things i think you can add aside from more shops which could also be added)
17. updates and additions to the cafe food menus and foods we can feed our horses, goes along with adding new shops and stuff too. seasonal event food being sold in cafes like gingerbread at christmas, chocolates on valentine’s.
18. make archaeology more fun - i still haven’t got all the things after years because i just can’t be bothered to do it, it’s too hard to find all the things and it’s not fun.
19. if fishing is going to stay at all, it needs to be improved and be fun.
20. overhaul of all the prices in the game so it makes sense. there are clothing and tack items that just make NO sense when you compare them to each other both in sc and js costs, or when you look at how meh quality they are. and, i dont think it’s reasonable to make individual equipment items (clothes or tack) cost more than like 50sc at the most (look at the real life cost when you buy sc!!! should we be paying that much for a low quality pixel sweater, really?). a good time to do this price overhaul, would be leading up to the player model update being released, since ppl will be buying lots of new clothes after that.
bonus: give us a ferry from south hoof to mistfall PLEASE. PLEASE
bonus 2: updates to every existing area and npc model, this is obvious and will most likely happen given enough time
bonus 3: 500000 pages of backstory and character development quests and bonding with mc scenes for all my favourite npcs. i would also like to take rowan on a date. thanks
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Note
Request Spyro, the best dragon around (maybe look at both Reignted and Legend's design? Not Skylanders though, it sucks!)
This is probably gonna be my most difficult review yet, but here we go!
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Spyro!!!!! The dragon!!!
So, Spyro started out way back in 1998, which is an important fact to understand with regard to a lot of Spyro’s general vibes. The 90s introduced Sonic the Hedgehog, who was wildly popular and completely changed the character design landscape for the decade – with numerous animals-with-attitude following on his heels due to his immense popularity. 90s gaming was heavily defined by platformers starring these characters, though most of them died out soon after their introduction, failing to achieve the recognition and success of their predecessor. Spyro, however, achieved an immense degree of success and became the functional mascot of Sony’s Playstation, a mantle he shared with Crash Bandicoot.
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As a product of the 90s, Spyro carries many of its hallmarks. Young and rebellious, he has that playful bit of edge that defined so many of his contemporaries. As a design, he’s pretty straightforward: a small purple dragon. But his personality shines through with his expressive face, and there really aren’t actually a lot of dragons I can think of that look like him! It’s worth noting he was apparently going to be green early in development, but purple was chosen instead so he would stand out against grass. This was an integral decision, as Spyro’s colour is probably what makes him most iconic. Gameplay-wise, his most distinctive ability was using his wings to glide, in addition to the unsurprising ability to breathe fire.
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Spyro’s design stayed pretty consistent for awhile, with just subtle differences like the addition of purple irises in A Hero’s Tail. But unfortunately, even Spyro couldn’t withstand the inevitable fate of the 90s animal mascot in the long term. After the original trilogy, his games fell in popularity and perceived quality, and 2006 saw an attempt at a modern reimagining of the character in the form of a reboot series known as The Legend of Spyro. This iteration featured a more realistic design, with his 90s attitude toned down a bit, but like many reboots of 90s franchises he couldn’t help but feel out of place in the gaming landscape. Simultaneously trying to balance his original concept with a desire to appear more tonally mature, The Legend of Spyro just felt….odd. But as a design, Spyro looked decent here. The added details maybe a little unnecessary, and the Dreamworks face a bit cheesy, but overall solid.
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The third game in the series actually skipped forward a couple years, giving us the older-looking Spyro seen here! It’s a competent design for an older Spyro, but making Spyro older is something of a questionable decision in itself. It just feels kind of uncanny, and seemingly misses the original spirit of the character. It’s just taking itself a bit too seriously, y’know? But I guess that’s all appropriate for an awkward teen. Also worth noting is that multiple breath weapons besides fire became standard in this series, with Spyro being able to breathe all of them due to his status as a rare purple dragon. Spyro could breathe other things in prior games as well, but it didn’t really have the narrative importance that it does here.
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After a period of silence until 2011, the Skylanders franchise surfaced. The first game started development as yet another reboot of the Spyro universe, initially even grimmer in tone than The Legend of Spyro, before reeling itself in and opting for the much friendlier Skylanders franchise we know. It also adopted a toys-to-life concept, with figures you could buy of characters to play as in the game, and it was a breakout success. In the end, though, Spyro was more or less just used as a recogniseable name to help the new franchise get a foothold in gaming consciousness. As the series went on, Spyro was ultimately sidelined and not much more important than any other Skylanders character.
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The real elephant in the room here though is how utterly atrocious Spyro’s Skylanders design is. This here was the first screenshot publicly shown, and to say people were livid would be a severe understatement. He looks like he’s been selectively bred for several decades to create the draconic equivalent to a pug. His scales are also way too defined, and his eyes are distressingly bulbous. People hated this design, and they still do. There’s really no defending it! The Skylanders Academy animated series helps to sand it down a bit into something less revolting, but how the base design got approved is beyond my comprehension.
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Anyways, come 2018, and we’d get the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. A remaster of the first three games, this brought back Spyro’s original design, and it looks fantastic. It perfectly captures Spyro’s original personality without overdoing it, and streamlines the details to look good in HD without being too texture-heavy. Although heavy pseudo-eyebrows can be very hit-or-miss with designs, they actually work marvellously here and do a lot to help frame Spyro’s face and expressions.
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The Reignited Trilogy is probably the most-respected Spyro’s been since his inception, and the design is easily my favourite of the bunch. As a whole, though, Spyro’s been through a lot. It’s interesting to see all the ups and downs a single character can go through, whilst still retaining the same basic premise: purple dragon with an attitude. But yeah. Spyro’s a good boy and I like him quite a lot.
14,000 gems/10.
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surlifen · 3 years
Text
i dont waste energy hating closed species And You Can Too!
alright you asked for it
Claim 1: “Closed species limit creativity in the art community by locking off certain concepts.”
No, they don’t. If you believe that, then you also must believe that copyrighting in general-- or just generally the fact that making a design exactly like someone else’s is viewed as kind of wack-- are stifling creativity. Why? It’s easy to accidentally make a concept that is similar to someone else’s, because there are literally just not that many Things That Exist. There will ALWAYS be repeats. Generally, if a design coincidentally looks like another, there will be a mixture of backlash from people who believe it was an intentional ripoff, and total acceptance from people who understand that it was an accident. Ultimately, the correct way to live is to understand that 1) these coincidences can happen and should not be punished, but 2) intentionally ripping off someone else’s work is wrong. It isn’t black and white, you must process 2 or more concepts at once.
Species owners understand this. I have never seen a species owner come after someone for accidentally making something similar or inspired. This is a myth. Species owners are busy as fuck, generally Normal People, and simply do not have the time or energy or desire to moderate things outside their community. Please talk to literally any of them for more than two minutes and you will discover this. Every species owner I have met is friendly and kind and I’ll go into detail on exactly how bullshit this stereotype of them chasing people down for similarities is later.
So, given that some randos will get upset and harass people over harmless inspiration/coincidence but most will not in ALL cases of accidental over-similarity: this is NOT a species-specific problem and happens just as often--if not MORE often, because of how much people fucking despise closed species-- with non-closed-species characters.
Secondly, species owners do not create a closed species with the goal of closing off a concept from use. They do it to create a community they can manage and share a concept they have created. 
Take the world of Nephfei, created by the artist Queijac. The closed species of Nephfei are called Spinxyn, and they are very much sphinxes. They are not a brand-new concept Jac is claiming to have come up with, they are intentional and very direct references to sphinxes. What sets them apart is their species LORE, WORLD, and COMMUNITY.
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[image ID: a screenshot of the Spinxyn species guide on deviantart, created by queijac. Text reads “IMPORTANT NOTE: Spinxyn are a species OF sphinx. Yes, they are sphinx, and yes of course anyone can make sphinx characters and designs using similar appearances! I claim no ownership over design aspects! Spinxyn as a CS community, however, which offers social art related activities, world building, themed events, etc., to use the characters in, simply relates to my own PERSONAL WORK and how i want to enrich peoples experiences with it! Please understand this, thank you!!!”]
This species is not closed so that Jac can copyright the idea of a sphinx. It is closed so that Jac has some control over the world and lore they have created. Were anyone able to create a Spinxyn without an approval process, not only would the community become too large to manage too quickly, but all sorts of Spinxyn with aspects that don’t fit the lore would pop up. 
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[Image ID: screenshot of a message from Queijac in the nephfei official public Discord server. Text reads: “theres just a total disconnect that 99% of ppl making closed species are making. a Group...... its about.... the community....... and building the community around One concept that someone makes and puts rules in place for so that they can actually. U kno. MANAGE THINGS... and make a cohesive group experience....... the reason CS have so much popularity is because they come with a community, not because theyre 100% unique never before seen or heard of concepts”]
Jac explicitly acknowledges that sphinxes do not belong to them and even says that borrowing some spinxyn-specific appearance details is okay!!! The ONLY thing off-limits here is a WORLD, COMMUNITY, and LORE.
Except it isn’t. Because Nephfei also hosts not one, not two, but THREE open species of intelligent beings, plus NINE official species of non-intelligent animals, so that anyone can participate.
Claim 2: Species owners harass and police people who make similar concepts.
I touched on this already re:species owners are busy as fuck & Jac openly encouraging people to make sphinx characters and even borrow spinxyn-specific traits, but this note from ground-lion/seel, the creator of Chimereons, really does it for me.
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[Image ID: a DeviantArt note from ground-lion to me. Text reads “hello, thank you for showing me this! we don't actively do anything to police offbrands, since it causes more trouble than i think it's worth. i like to avoid drama wherever possible, and it seems like most people who participate in offbrands are just looking to press people's buttons so we can't/won't do anything to these people, i think it is best to just try and ignore it and move on.”]
Here you have the owner of one of the arguably most shit on and hated species saying outright “we don’t bother doing anything about intentional ripoffs”. For context, this WAS 100% intentional, I had noted ground-lion about a user I saw posting adoptables that were LABELED “offbrand chimereons” (so if anyone was hArAsSiNg PeOpLe oVeR SiMiLaR cOnCePtS here, it was me, calling attention to intentional and stated copying). 
Sidenote: I think it’s shitty to intentionally steal a concept. Ground-lion has also said there is no issue with making anthropomorphic chameleon characters, just that chimereons were inspired by a set of traits, a word, lore, a desire to create a community, and their own personal stylization of anthro chameleons. It’s fine to take inspiration from how someone else stylizes an animal, but the degree to which people do it-- just outright copying every aspect of Seel’s work-- rubs me the wrong way. Not enough to say anything because that is only my personal opinion and because I do not have time for that shit.
The Dainty mod team + owner (Pajuxi-Adopts) also have a section stating that to make a design no longer a Dainty, all that’s needed are the following changes: 
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[image ID: screenshot of Dainty species ToS. Text reads “ Visual edits must be made for discontinuation, here is our standard discontinuation options: - remove the stockings completely and give them fur like an actual satyr - keep the stockings and give them human legs - make them an anthro - keep the stockings but they MUST start at least a quarter to halfway up the bottom portion of the deer leg with a clear divide between the stocking and leg with fur poking out underneath - you are free to suggest your own edits as well! “]
This may be speaking specifically about discontinuing a former Dainty due to the context we found it in, but this means that a design is not considered a dainty if, for example, its stockings show fur underneath and are not part of the body. That’s it. That’s all they ask. Pajuxi is not saying “this is my closed species of SATYRS WITH SOCKS and if you DARE make a satyr with socks i will COME FOR YOU!!!”, they clearly state that satyrs with socks are an acceptable Not A Dainty. I personally think the lore behind the stockings being physically part of the body and all the specific rules they entail is interesting and original and I do not think it’s such a wild ask to say “hey, please respect this and if you see it, don’t rip it off on purpose. You can take inspiration in all these valid ways but I want to have some control over the concept I came up with”.
Claim 3: Species owners are rich elitists making small artists suffer.
Species owners are small, independent artists. Artists being hated the instant they get even moderate success (that’s still usually BARELY A LIVING WAGE) is its own huge discussion and internalized issues + capitalist brainwashing you all have to deal with on your own damn time, but I want to emphasize that someone making a living or even comfortable wage from their art is Good, Actually, and is something we should all be happy to see and want to see more of. 
Furthermore, no one is being taken advantage of. CS characters are a luxury item. You do not NEED one. If you absolutely will die without a sock deer, make one where the sock isn’t part of their body. If you will die without a chimereon, make an anthro chameleon and use your own ideas. If you will die without a sphinx character, I’m overjoyed to inform you that fucking nobody ever asked you not to make one. CS involvement is voluntary. If you don’t like them, don’t participate in them, but keep in mind that someone saying “hey, please don’t blatantly copy this design concept I spent time creating” is The Same Thing as someone asking you not to copy their individual character designs. You could live without stealing character designs. You can live without making something exactly like an existing CS. 
Claim 4: CS put concepts behind a paywall and make them inaccessible.
Again, these are a luxury item. Most closed species MYO slots cost $10-$45. That is not a ridiculous amount to aspire to. Closed species owners WANT people to participate in their species, so there are a ton of ways.
- Chimereons hold First-Time Owner flatsale slot raffles every single month to ensure people who are new to the community have a greater chance of nabbing a slot than existing participants - Dainties have an art prompt every month, which rewards every participant regardless of skill level one prompt point (the art can be visual or written). Six prompt points can be used to buy an MYO slot for free. If you desperately need a dainty and are flat broke, you can get a free one by writing 150 words a month for six months or doing one drawing each month. Skill level doesn’t matter, ALL participants get a point if they follow the rules. - I joined a raffle for a free pre-made Spinxyn. I did not win the raffle. Jac randomly decided to give out 7 MYO slots too, one of which I won. I entered a raffle that DID NOT HAVE MYO SLOTS AS A PRIZE and got one for free anyway. CS owners want people to participate, I promise. - Dainties just had a 24-hour turn-in event (that they warned about a month in advance so folks could prepare designs), meaning every single person who submits a design in that 24hr time frame gets a slot. Normally slot sales are limited in number and sell out in seconds. - Jac sporadically draws quicker, messier Spinxyn designs which always cost $5 and raffle-flatsales them on Discord. $5 is not a gatekeepy price. - Tomoyokis recently had a free-for-all event where everyone could claim either a free common slot or a $10 uncommon slot. These are just specific examples I remember of easier or free ways to get CS. Non-specifically:
- art = reward systems are common, so again, just writing or drawing enough can equal a free MYO slot or entry into a raffle for a pre-made design - many many species that are relatively new have FREE turn-in events or giveaways to build a community - free FTO slot raffles - paid but discounted FTO slot raffles - random free design giveaways - trading art for a CS character or MYO slot (I’ve gotten a dainty and two dainty MYO slots this way, and I realize not everyone’s art gets accepted, which is why this is a whole list of ways that don’t require artistic skill whatsoever)
So getting your hands on one isn’t the worst thing in the world. You might need a little luck (as in, you have a completely fair chance that is equal to everyone else’s) or a little dedication (6 months of wanting one, or having to have a design ready within a limited time for a free turn-in event).
Also, there’s a reason CS prices cannot change much: this causes issues with the value of all existing CS characters. Dainties will ALWAYS be $35. The MYO slot price will NEVER increase. If it did, all previous dainties would be worth less, or would have to have their worth increased, which is logistics hell. Inflation doesn’t affect CS the same way it does everything else.
Claim 5: ok but legally nothing is stopping me from making one lmaoo
That is true. It’s also true that there’s not really any effective laws in place to protect artists when they say “Hey, please don’t quote retweet my art on Twitter” or “Hey, please don’t repost my art even with credit”. Sometimes, we just respect artists and do what they ask because we are Nice Fucking People, but apparently, species owners are a whole different thing, evil, and do not deserve the same basic respect.
IN CONCLUSION
Talk to a CS owner. They’re reasonable and kind people. There’s an exception to every rule, of course, but what I’ve found overwhelmingly is that they’re literally just people like you and I who were excited to make something cool and share it with people. The emphasis is HUGELY on community. I used to dislike the idea of CS too, but since participating in them and talking a ton with the owners (who are super down-to-earth and active in their servers-- Jac helped me with a confusing horse video game and gave me a Free Horse in there), I’ve realized that the caricature of CS owners as greedy and bitchy, laying claim to basic concepts like A Cat With Wings, is just bullshit. The stereotype that CS community members are an angry mob who will roast you over a fire if you draw a chameleon on two legs is bullshit. The idea that CS are impossible to get, are for the bourgeoisie, and cost thousands of dollars is bullshit (I bet you’re thinking about scarfoxes right now. Hot take: I think it’s great that an artist is selling their intellectual property for that much. I think we all should be able to. I think if someone chooses to spend that much on a design they think would make them happy, that is literally not a fucking problem, and since it was their choice and their money no one is being taken advantage of unfairly. Let people buy the shit they want to buy, I promise you will fucking survive).
I like CS, I think they are neat, I wish people would give the owners a break. They are just independent artists like me. They get lied about and stereotyped over this stupid drama bullshit and they’re so tired and saddened when the subject comes up. They literally do not police anyone-- they don’t have the time or the desire, and it wouldn’t work anyway.
I won’t post CS content here anymore. But I like participating voluntarily in these communities. I don’t understand why that’s something YOU get to have a problem with.
Stay out of my inbox. Thanks.
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asclepius-erebus · 3 years
Text
Nevarro
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Title: Personal Eden (Ongoing)
Chapter 3: Nevarro
Rating: Mature (17+)
Word Count: 4.3k
TW: mentions of abuse (lmk if I should include any more!)
The next day, as anticipated, you land on Nevarro, where upon disembarking a flurry of droids scurry up to the ship.
“Hey!” Mando yells, paralyzing all the droids, “No droids!”
You learn that the baby is not in fact Mando’s, but a foundling he’d taken up first as a quarry but then adopted. You’re not sure what’s so special about this child, but for it to have a bounty over it’s head before it can intelligibly speak seemed cruel enough, and you don’t ask any further questions.
You also learned that Mando is a man of few words. He tends to keep his responses curt and to-the-point; and never straying away from the subject of conversation. From your observation, he has not gone onto tangents or disclosed any new information, willingly, that did not immediately pertain to the topic. It made it even more difficult for you to learn anything new about him, his character, humors, and appearance. He is a complete mystery, and yet you find him fascinating all the while he continues to intimidate with both his outward appearance, and lack of openness.
The day on Nevarro is grey despite the sky being totally clear. The landscape isn’t strikingly beautiful like some of the other planets you’ve been on with Malsifer. It’s gritty, dusty, and terribly suffocating. The air feels dense and warm, that kind that made you feel sticky and uncomfortable. The sky is a dull blue, but blue nontheless.
Since joining Mando on his ship, he’d allowed you the time to wash off the caked on makeup from the other night, some of which you’d cried off, like your ruby red lips. It was a nice color, you were fond of how well it complimented your skin and the shape of your lips- but it had overstayed its time on your face and it was time for it to go.
However, upon stepping onto the rough planet, you realize how out of place you appear to be. Not only is the green alien child perched on your hip and babbling to himself, but you’re still dressed in what Mando had rescued you in a few days ago. The wispy fabrics fluttered in the subtle warm breezes, carrying with them the muted but bright colors of an oceanside sunset of lavender, magenta, and gold. You felt exposed among the muted and dark colors that Mando and his child limited themselves to, sticking out like a sore thumb.
Mando’s child begins to fuss, deciding that he wanted to meander around in the dirt as Mando took a few steps towards an unfamiliar man. The man is of a darker complexion, though his beard and hair suggests he is of a wiser age, and extended a friendly hand to shake. They must already know each other.  
The child giggles and laughs, grasping and tossing any rocks he finds on the ground. You crouch to his level, structuring his play by tossing him back the rocks he’d thrown. From this, he giggles excitedly.
~~
“Greef.” Mando greets the aging man, Greef Karga, approaching him at the opening to the city, densely lined with clay houses and open markets. It teems with a unique variety of inhabitants and passersby- like Mando, who does not stand out in the crowd as obviously as the brightly colored dresses his new acquaintance was dressed in. That, was something he’d address soon enough.
“Mando.” Greef smiles, eyes lighting up upon seeing the familiar helmet, “How are you old friend?”
Mando looks over his shoulder at his companions before returning his attention to Greef, “Surprised to be back. What are you doing out here?” He asks with a tired sigh.
Greef raises an inquisitive eyebrow, “I’m just as surprised to see you out here… Tying up a few loose ends. Who’s your new friend?”
Mando hooks his gloved fingers at the top of his chest plate, resting his arms casually over himself and relieving some of the weight of the Beskar on his shoulders, “That’s who I’m here to find some information about. She’s one of Malsifer’s.”
“Malsifer?” Greef’s eyes widen, “What is she? A quarry?”
Mando’s helmet shakes, “No, Malsifer was. Malsifer had an indentured servant situation and I need to know more about her… Anything would be useful, but especially any bank records.” Mando says quietly, sliding a small note with the name of his newest crewmate scribbled onto it.
Greef looks down at the note inquisitively, “Malsifer, huh? Doesn’t surprise me… He always rubbed me the wrong way… Though I’m not surprised that his luck, or lack of it, finally caught up to him.”
“She’s got no where to go. Is there any way you can find out anything about her that’s useful…?”
Greef looks between Mando and the cooing child and woman behind him, and then down at the name on the note, “Get back to me in an hour or two.”
~~
Mando turns to wave yourself and the baby to his side, the man with whom he was conversing with turning away and headed into the city.
“What was that about?” You ask, the baby occupying itself with a metal ball he’s produced from his bundle of clothing.
“Business.” He says briefly.
Business. You think to yourself, the most colorful response I’ve gotten since I boarded.
With the baby balanced on your hip, Mando navigates you both through the streets of a busy marketplace. Vendors line the streets and advertise their products and produce, crafts, and other items for sale, all ranging in complexity and beauty that you admire from a distance. The baby on your hip is thoroughly entertained with all the sights, sounds, and colors, teething on a pastry he managed to swipe off a vendor when they weren’t looking.
Of course you attract some attention. Not only did it not help that the baby you tote clearly is not yours, but your impractical and fluttering dresses had other passerby step and trip on them as you went- sending you a few gross side-eyes and raised eyebrows. You clutch what you can in your hands as you follow Mando’s glistening helmet through the crowd.
He approaches a stand fluttering with colorful fabrics, handcrafted designs embroidered to the hems of cloaks, dresses, and shirts. They’re all so pretty and wonderful to look at.
Mando begins a conversation with a middle aged woman at the stand in her native language, her weathered face and dark eyes glancing at you from time to time as Mando continues to explain something to her. She raises her hand and counts on her fingers as she explains something to him in response, Mando filling her palm with a few coins. Pleased, she nods and produces a neatly folded up wad of fabric. She extends it towards you with a forced but friendly smile.
“Something to cover yourself with for now…” Mando explains, “Later, on the ship, I can find you some clothes.”
Accepting the folded fabric, you briefly study its particular shade of purple. It’s dark and neutral, almost barely detectably purple should someone care enough and stare long enough at you. You unfold it to find an opening, and you slip it over your head, a hood catching on you as the rest of the fabric settles on your shoulders and over your torso. The baby gets caught in it too, but frees himself with a shake of his enormous head. It is a cloak, the fabric feeling pleasurably heavy on your figure and comfortable on your bare shoulders. It feels protective and warm, but breathable and completely functional as an everyday garment. Not only does it feel well, but it conceals you much better amongst everyone else.  
“I buy my cloaks off her.” Mando responds simply, the first time he’s shared a new fact about himself, “She’s also going to find you a pair of shoes.”
He’s right. Perhaps the pair of sandals tied at your ankles aren’t the best fit for a shoe to be blundering around planets with. It was certainly enough for the occasions you accompanied Malsifer to meeting his clients, and the extent of your time out in the elements was limited to barely nothing. Malsifer concerned himself more with whether you appeared to his liking and aesthetics.
The older woman returns, producing a short pair of dark brown leather boots of a matte finish. They are simple and easy to slip on, with no intricate buckles, zippers, or ties. They hug your feet comfortably and accomplishes all the criteria necessary for being a practical piece of footwear.
Mando glances around and hands the woman a few extra coins, nodding in thanks as she accepts them and waves kindly at the child on your hip.
“Thank you.” You tell Mando as the three of you walk away from the stand of fluttering fabrics. He doesn’t react, at least as far as you can observe from the faceless helmet that you looked at when speaking to him.
“We have some time before we meet up with Greef again.” Mando says, ignoring what you’d said, “We can-“
“-Take a look around.” You interrupt, your curiosity about the rest of the market piqued. Surely there were other useful and interesting things the three of you can look at other than the four metal walls of Mando’s ship.
Mando agrees, but you’re not necessarily sure if it was from acquiescence or genuine concurrence.
It is difficult to read him, you’ve noticed it bothering you, without any facial expressions and other visual cues to clue you into his mood. His body language was often also very grey and difficult to deduce. This is unlike what you’ve relied on in the past to understand and predict other people’s behaviors. Malsifer was an individual very prone to giving himself way via his expressions and tone of voice, which made it easier to clue you into how you should respond, if at all. It’s natural to rely on social cues in order to know how to respond to a given situation, but with Mando, it feels quite the contrary.
He strolls with you at a relaxed pace, his hand firmly placed on the hilt of his blaster he keeps attached to his waist.  
Your eyes flicker between his helmet and his hand. You’d seen him use his blaster with deadly precision, it drove you to tears to see the barrel trained at the space between your eyes. You hadn’t heard of stormtroopers being as accurate, and you question what he is, and what he represents. You can already deduce that he’s a bounty hunter, why else would he be looking for quarry? But why the child? Why the armor? And why the ship you’d finally observed to be very Old Republic.
“Mando-“ You begin to ask curiously…“Can I ask you a question?”… cautiously.
“Sure.” He says simply, his helmet turning to observe a long blaster rifle on display at a vendor.
“Where are you from?”
Mando’s helmet continues to follow the long rifle as he walks away, “No where. I was a foundling.”
“A foundling from where?” You ask again. “Who found you?”
“I don’t remember.” He says dryly, his gaze returning forward as he scans the vendors again till something catches his eye… visor.
“So then what’s with the armor?”
He stops midstride, and you sense that you’ve either said something wrong or insulted him in some way.
Your cheeks immediately feel like their burning despite the chill that raced down your spine. You blink back a million-and-one thoughts and possibilities on how he might respond. Was he mad? Dumbfounded? Absolutely furious? It’s too hard to tell. By the way he’d stopped and now turned his head towards you, your hands clench into a fist- not prepared to strike, but to brace.
He chuckles. He chuckles. Warmly, softly, and bemusedly, his modulated blitheness is musical and so incredibly comforting. You’re not sure how you should react. It’s not the reaction you’d braced yourself for. After all, you’d insulted him, didn’t you?
“You mean to tell me that you’ve never seen Mandalorian armor before?” He asks, resuming the slow pace he took beside you.
You shake your head, looking down at the ground as you resume walking a few paces behind him. The child, unbothered, continues to chew on the pastry and inquisitively looks between yourself and Mando.
“I’m surprised Malsifer never let you see one.” He says, “No wonder you seemed pretty scared when I was there.”
You’d kept your gaze down at your feet as you walked, feeling ashamed to ask a dumb question in the first place. Of course you knew what a Mandalorian was, but you’d only ever read about them in flimsi books you’d managed to smuggle in and out of Malsifer’s library. They seem downright fictional, down to their very demeanors of being militant and mute. It didn’t help that the only information accessible to you came in bound flimsi books that in itself was probably older than yourself or Malsifer’s combined existence. You’d never seen their armor, at least not the kind that Mando was sporting in pure Beskar and with a helmet that looked too much like a storm trooper’s. You’d sooner expect he was an ex-trooper, or someone who simply stole or bought their armor.
“It was terrifying.” You admit softly, “You, pointing a blaster in my face. Doesn’t help that you’ve got all that armor.”
You see his boots stop moving and turn towards you. You still keep your gaze down, distracting your hands with the child’s robes as the crumbs of his treat fell from his face.
“Look at me.” He says sternly, and you obey, looking up into his visor, “You need to… unlearn whatever this is.”
You chew your lip, intimidated by his presence so close and so powerful over you. You fight yourself and your nervous glances away from the glare of his visor.  
“I don’t know what Malsifer put you through, but here, with us… none of it.” He continues, “Can’t have you walking behind me like some shadow, not with my kid.” He takes a step back from you and turns away, but stops.
His shoulders drop and his demeanor softens, “You were walking next to me.” He says, awaiting for you meet him at his side, “You were saying…”
Meeting up with him, the child in your arms coos and reaches out to Mando, who scoops him up from your grasp and you hide your arms under the cloak. He is right, it’s different with Mando and his kid. This is an equal playing field where you’re a part of a cohort of other individuals just like you. Of course, Mando is the leader, he provides, flies, and protects. The new dynamic is refreshing, but old habits are hard to beat. Which isn’t a natural nor healthy response. But neither was being caned across your knees and shins if you didn’t do so.
Mando stops at a vendor selling a wide assortment of things. They all seem extremely random, from switchboards to datatapes to bacta kits. Perhaps these are things the vendor was able to scavenge off broken ships and droids, this isn’t the first time you’d seen scrap collectors try to sell off what they can’t trade at a refinery. You’ve heard of such beings called Jawas who are infamous for such scavenging, but you also know that they’re not entirely open to the idea of selling what they find.
Mando strikes up a conversation with the vendor, a tall and slender specimen with small black eyes and three digits on each of their four arms. They’re haggling, is what you can assume, as Mando shakes his head and points to a well-stocked bacta kit on the table. The vendor insists on a certain price, counting it off on his palms before accepting a deal with Mando’s budget. He swipes the bacta off the table, and tosses it.
You catch it and immediately hide it under your cloak. Mando notices, walking away from the vendor saying, “Keep that there, don’t want him noticing he let me take the wrong one.”
His dry friendliness is welcoming, it made you feel like you were walking with a friend rather than a tank. The child giddily had finished his snack and entertained himself with his metal ball, which now you’d deduced was from a switch or lever, likely coming from the cockpit of the ship.  
“So… your armor. Mandalorian?” You ask, keeping pace with him.
He nods, “Mandalorian.”
You think back to what you’d read about in the flimsis, “If I recall correctly, some Mandalorians choose to keep their helmets on? Or do all of you have to wear it all the time?”
Mando nods, “When I swore to the creed, I swore to keep my identity secret. It’s part of our code.”
“So ‘Mando’ isn’t your real name?” You ask.
“No.”
“So what is your name?”
“Mando.”
You furrow your brows, not wanting to press further. You admire the devotion, despite it frustrating you further. You wanted to learn more of him, but now you know that such learning can no longer pertain to his appearance, and you must now learn his character. Though it wasn’t the only thing weighing on your curiosity, you’ve already begun building his profile.
Like you’d learned during your time in hyperspace that he is a man of not-so-many words. He isn’t aptly good at beginning a conversation, and usually such conversations are limited to small talk on the basis of his work and ship… But that had been debunked when he disclosed that he gets his cloaks from the woman at the colorful stand, and joked to you about the bacta-kit hidden away under your cloak. You hope he will reveal more of himself to you with time. You’re patient enough for that.
You respect that his physical appearance as an extension of his anonymity. It’s not the only instance where you’ve experienced the sort of veiling that came with particular religions, cultural identities, and personal choices. It will be up to him to disclose what he wants and when- it would be rude of you to pester. It’s not your place.  
The three of you walk leisurely, stopping occasionally to look at something interesting at a stall before returning into the direction of the ship. In the distance, you observe the man from earlier standing and waiting for you, Greef, you remember Mando mentioning the name.
Mando hands you the child back into your arms, “Get back on the ship.” He instructs, and you nod, the baby beginning to doze off to sleep in your arms.
~~
“What did you find?” Mando asks taking a few steps towards Greef and out of earshot from his new crewmate.
Greef’s usually friendly smile is thin, “I found one result for her name, one that appears on an obituary. According to the systems, she’s technically dead.”
Mando exhales sharply, disappointed, and curiously tipping his head to the side, “So, what? How long has she been ‘dead’?”
“Five years.” Greef says bleakly, “And she has no digital footprints anywhere. No record of her ever even having an account to hold credits, or receipts from anywhere that she’s spent credits.”  
Mando looks back in the direction of his ship, watching you board the Razor Crest with the child in your arms, how tenderly you hold his head and attend to his sleepy babbling. This is unfortunate news, that Mando would need to tell you sooner rather than later.
“I don’t know what to do with her.” Mando admits quietly, your silhouette disappearing in the ship.
Greef clears his throat, “I know this is none of my business, but the baby seems to like her, it’s pretty obvious… Until she can figure things out on her own, she can stick around, learn a thing or two, and you’ll have someone who can take care of the kid when you have jobs.”
Mando nods, “This isn’t the first time Malsifer faked someone’s death just to drain their accounts?”
“It’s also not the first time he’s trapped pretty young girls into being his personal assistants.” Greef says, raising an eyebrow in Mando’s direction.
“He abused them.” Mando says, “If it wasn’t for their money, what else did he need them for?”
Greef shrugs, folding his arms across his chest, “Malsifer seemed like the controlling type… He liked being in control of anything and everything important to him which is money and power. I don’t think she was a part of anything more sinister, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.”
“I’ll find that out more when she feels like talking. Right now… I don’t know what to do with her.” Mando crosses his arms.
Greef looks back at the ship behind Mando and back to his visor, “Let her stay until she can figure something out for herself. She can be useful while you work, keep the ship and the kid safe while you’re out…”
Mando nods again in agreement, “It’s my only option right now. Thank you… for your help.”
Greef smiles, “Anytime, old friend.”
--
Mando appears on the ship shortly after you’d put the child to sleep in his shiny egg-like crib. He’d tired himself out from the morning shopping and was happily full of whatever pastry took him the entire walk to eat.
You’d put the bacta pack in the bacta kit soldered on the metal of ship and managed to clear out some of the dust that had blown into the hull while the door was open. You’d observed Mando’s ship to not only be Old Republic but also just old in general. Though it is in excellent flying condition for its age, it lacked in amenities that more modern ships had like touch-pads instead of buttons and actually finished floors and walls. Either Mando is a man of old fashion, or simply too preoccupied to take care of his ship like others do.
He is quiet, walking up and down the hull checking lights, buttons, datapads, and other things. While he did that, you patiently sit on the familiar wedge prepared to strap into the metal wall and prepare for take-off. Your hands occupy themselves with the hang nails that plague your fingers.
You see, from the corner of your eye, something tan and grey. Looking up, it was Mando, handing off to you a pile of clothing he’d gathered in his quiet pacing around the hull.
“Thank you.” You say softly, standing to get to the fresher.
Mando nods, “Meet me in the cockpit, we need to talk.” And he turns before you can ask any questions. He disappears up the ladder.
The cockpit? You think to yourself curiously, what in the worlds does he want to talk about?
The mirror in the fresher is just reflective enough to call itself a mirror. It clearly once existed as a piece of scrap that Mando had repurposed to decorate the blank wall above the sink. But it fulfilled its purpose in reflecting back the visage of yourself you present every day.
Today, you look tired.
Dark circles around your eyes hint at some much needed deep sleep and the tired squint you gave to yourself only emphasizes this.
You look at the clothing Mando handed to you, consisting of a large white shirt and some pants that definitely needed to be tailored to accommodate your height and lack of… lower… masculine features. These are clearly articles of clothing Mando has no use for, and you’re thankful for them despite Mando’s somewhat apparent reluctance.
You undo yourself from your dress, somewhat sad to see the magical colors fall to the floor in a wispy heap. This was healthy though, a transition into a different person. After all, you’re fulfilling the prophecy you’d begun to brainstorm the first night aboard the ship: a change of clothes.
The shirt is square, harsh but hemmed edges of fabric for sleeves, a collar, and buttons to secure said collar closed. It sat rather high on your neck, so you keep the first two buttons undone, one side of the collar falling open to reveal the raw edge of the hem. The sleeves were of a comfortable length, also squared off with a button for cuff-links that you undo and gently fold up your forearm.
Looking back up at yourself in the mirror, you look like a little girl trying on her father’s clothes. It’s clear that they’re too big, but you make do with tucking and folding where you can. But the broad and structured shoulders the shirt gave you made you feel… bigger? Something about it made you feel more robust.
The pants are… another story. Of course they sat a little low on your hips and were too loose around the area where you lacked the facilities of a man. But the utilities of having so many pockets and places to stow away small items brought you some small joy as you cuff the pants around your ankles and tuck the shirt into them.
You style your hair simply up, anything to keep it away from your face and off your shoulders till it’s time to wash and you think what to do about them then.
Looking back into the crusty mirror, though your eyes see themselves, a whole new person has taken shape behind them. It felt foreign to you to appear so fresh-faced, neutral, and unassuming in a world where Malsifer demanded you always looked your best as an extension of himself and his appearance. That usually translated in wearing makeup on a near-daily basis, and extravagant colorful gowns to even the most casual of events.
The dress is a pastel mess on the floor of the fresher, and looking down at it, you feel a twinge of guilt for having to abandon it. It’s pretty…
You bundle it up and head out from the fresher.
You walk quietly across the hull, your bare feet making light patting noises as you went. Sitting at the wedge in the wall, you ditch the dress behind you and slip on your boots again before standing up, and head towards the cockpit like Mando told you to.
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darkhymns-fic · 3 years
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There's a sweetness to you
With a basket full of fresh strawberries, Colette takes a little detour outside of Iselia to make her sales until a strange dog leads her down a path to an out-of-the-way farmhouse - and to a gentle-eyed farmhand, whose smile lights something in her chest.
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel Rating: G Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Fic request for @frayed-symphony​ based on this art of colloyd in a farmer AU! Expect fluff.
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Colette found her bravery underneath the sinking sun, and all when she met Lloyd for the first time.
The farmhouse was a bit out of ways from her own, just a few miles over by the hillside, past the brush where some ranchers brought their cattle to graze during the hot summer months. It was so out of the way, that she wasn’t sure if it even had an address?
There’re no roads over here… And try as she might, she could see no signposts anywhere that indicated she was still going in the right direction. Only the landmarks of the small trickle of a river that curved by her left, and where the fields of wheat stalks rolled out before her by the hillside, like a shimmering sea of gold.
It had been quite an ordeal to get here…
Colette had stumbled numerous times on her journey, boots scraped in both mud and grass stains, her twin-plaited hair dangerously close to unraveling. Even her overalls had gotten a rip or two on its front, making her look as if she had just gotten into a fight with a bush and lost (which had basically happened.)
Every part of her showed the fatigue of her trek – everything except for what she held in her hands. Somehow, the basket full of strawberries looked as fresh and unharmed as when she had first picked them that morning. Which was good! Because no one would want to buy any bruised strawberries, that was for sure.
Though maybe going out of her way to this solitary farmhouse out in the country may not have been the smartest decision...
Colette would have given up then and there, her basket still feeling quite heavy in her grip, if it weren’t for the dog that walked into her path. A dog with great big ears, a fluffy tail, and an intelligent look in his black eyes.
Just like that, Colette’s strength was instantly regenerated. “D-doggy!” she blurted out, her mind going in circles as it tried to process this new, amazing information. “Wait… are you the doggy from the place I was trying to find…?”
It was almost like something from a fairy tale, the dog, nearly up to her chest in height, tilting his head at her question. He didn’t wait long, already trotting off down the dirt-trodden path ahead, looking back to her with eager whines. Colette’s strength was instantly refueled at the sight, so she followed after the animal quickly, suddenly going over the dips in the road with expert grace, all while dozens of strawberries bounced in her basket.
She then heard the passing of a river, full and brimming instead of a meek string of puddles, its clearness shining underneath the deepening twilight. Right next to the river was the very farmhouse she had been looking for – though it looked more like regular home that was three stories tall, complete with a balcony where ivy clung to its railing. It was a structure crafted from oak, with a stable attached to its side, a sign hanging from above it on creaking hinges.
On its face was the design of something familiar – and she looked to the green-furred dog then who had led her here, seeing his face on that very same sign.
By then she looked further, at the wooden posts that encircled the farm and its land. At the animals that ran across the grass, at the adorable way they barked and yipped, and soon Colette realized that the sounds she had thought she heard in the breeze had not been wishful thinking then.
There are so many dogs! she thought in complete awe, eyes opened wide. Dogs of all shapes and sizes! From short and stout corgis to furry huskies to gentle bloodhounds, and even to mixed breeds with all their wonderful features. Was this… a doggy farm?!
And in the midst of all that, she saw a boy – a red handkerchief tied around his neck, his forehead beaded with sweat from the heat. He wore black suspenders, along with thick work boots and gloves as he held up one tiny, black-furred dog over his head, while others milled around his legs. There was a smile on his face as he held up the animal. “Feeling better today, Noishe junior?”
Her first thought, after her own wonder at the farm and the animals they cared for, was at this boy, and how cute he seemed just then.
The dog who had led her there just then jumped over the fence posts, whining to catch the boy’s attention, along with a dozen of other dogs. Numerous furry heads turned, and Colette nearly melted at the sight of adorable furry snouts and wide black eyes, with both floppy and pointed ears to match. I wonder if I can pet them…
“Oh! Are you the strawberry girl?” Lloyd asked, plopping down the dog back on the ground to join the others. There was a mass of snuffles and yips, but he didn’t react to it. He must be so used to it , Colette thought. He’s so lucky!
“Um, yes! You’ve heard of me?” Colette’s exhaustion caught up with her again, and had just enough energy to place the strawberry basket on top of the fence post.
“Yeah, of course! My dad always says the strawberries from Iselia are really amazing!” He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he walked up to the fence, carefully moving around shuffling doggies, some following his every step, while others got bored and ran off to chase any wandering butterflies. Colette noted that the first few buttons of his shirt were loose, but even that wasn’t enough to stop the heat apparently. “And that they usually delivered strawberries to places too. But I can’t believe you really came out all this way! You didn’t get lost?”
Colette stood up proudly. “Nope!” she lied right through her teeth, then felt guilty at such a blatant lie. She sighed. “Actually… I did… But I was led here by your dog so I wouldn’t lose my way.” She smiled at the green-furred animal, seeing him go to that stable and curl up in the middle of it. He looked so big, big enough to carry a person!
“Oh, Noishe helped you!” The boy grinned, sunlight turning his hair several shades of bronze. It was the twilight, the way it heightened colors, burnished them in different angles. “He’s always wandering around here, but I never expected him to lead a girl to our farm… Oh, my name’s Lloyd by the way! I didn’t mean to give you my dog’s name over mine…”
Colette giggled, her chest feeling a strange sense of lightness. “That’s okay. I’m Colette! It’s nice to meet you. I can’t believe I never knew about this doggy farm…”
The boy named Lloyd placed his hands on his hips, looking particularly proud. “It’s new! This used to be just a regular place but after finding some strays around the woods, I decided to make this a farm for stray dogs everywhere! I take care of them and people come by to adopt one if they want to!” Noishe, still in his stable, then began to whine a little. “Although I think it makes Noishe kinda jealous now.”
Colette would have stood there and hear all sorts of doggy stories all day if she could. But she figured by the large gathering of dogs that ran around the great yard, some chasing each other (or their tails) while others napped in the waning sunlight, that not many people came by. Maybe if they had a sign for it somewhere…
She couldn’t help her gaze going to them, watching the way one small puppy tried to dig a hole in the ground with such a fervent zeal, as if they would find the treasure they would seek if they just dug even faster! Lloyd followed her eyes to the same dog. “Hey, careful there, Noishe the third! You’ll hurt your little paws!”
Colette blinked at the name, so familiar. “Noishe?” she asked aloud, and Lloyd suddenly looked nervous.
“Er, it’s a working name! I’m… not good at giving names, really. Not to dogs anyway.” He scratched at his cheek, facing her again, the sunlight now streaming against his face in bright strokes. “And every dog is like Noishe, so, it made sense!”
Colette couldn’t help but smile even more at his explanation, his voice so earnest and warm. She turned to look at that particular dog so obsessed with digging. At their curly, fluffy tail, their wheat-colored fur, and a face that always looked like it was smiling, no matter what it did. “Hm, but how about… Pookie? She looks like a Pookie to me.”
Lloyd paused, staring at her. “Huh, that’s not a bad name… Wait, how did you know she was a girl?” He looked back at the dog, who had dug just enough and was now laying on her back to soak up the rest of the sun before it dipped beneath the hills. “I always get confused with that stuff…”
Colette giggled again, still fiddling with the basket handle as she looked around the farm and the various dogs. “That big one over there looks like a Teddy. And the little corgi by the door feels like a Caramel. His tail is so cute! And the dalmation definitely feels like a Kitty!”
“Kitty? On a dog?” Lloyd questioned, but soon she saw the same realization in his eyes as he looked over at the same dog, who was busy gnawing at a stick. “Now that you mention it… that does fit! Heh, you’re like the ultimate dog namer, Colette!”
She instantly flushed at the comment. The sensation was similar to standing out in the sun too long, or walking up hills too high up, which she had done today… but this was different though. She was sure of it. “Thank you…”
Her gaze when downward to the strawberries, bright red still, but their shade darkening with the slow setting of the sun. “Ah, I meant to ask you though, if you wanted, um… uh oh!” She nearly dropped the strawberry basket, but just caught it in time, gripping tightly onto the handle. “Um, these? Fruit?” The word suddenly escaped her!
Lloyd started a bit at her action, hands half going for the basket as she still held it precariously. “Oh, the strawberries? Yeah, I want some! Er, actually can I have most of it?”
“Y-Yeah! Please!” Oh, and now here she was, sounding so desperate too. “I mean, I’d be happy if you could purchase these from me.”
“Hehe, well I’m kinda hungry too, and I’m sure dad would love these too.” And as Lloyd leaned in to look over her product, she could catch the way a lock of his hair fell over his forehead, the way it just begged for a hand to brush it back, to linger near his face and catch the focus of his eyes.
Colette had never felt this flighty before; her chest so close to bursting, her hands fidgeting with the basket over and over. And in the corner of her vision, so many doggies that roamed all over the grass – maybe that was the reason she felt so weak in the knees right now? That must have been it.
Lloyd reached into his pants pocket, where the sound of rustling coins followed. It took her several tries to tell him the price of a dozen strawberries, and then she had to multiply that by a few times to match the very basket… And though it took a few stumbles, they eventually got to final price. Except…
“Ah damn, I’m not sure if I have that much on me right now…” Lloyd looked at his hand where some gald lay, then reached into his other pocket. “Let me keep checking though!”
And then, an idea burst into her head. A silly idea. An awful idea. One that she could imagine her friend Zelos would come up with. Maybe it was his influence that whispered at her ear, making her consider it for longer than she should…
“300 gald…350… um, I think I have some more in my other work suit actually.”
Colette fiddled with the woven threads of the basket handle before timidly placing it back on the ground on her side of the fence posts. It was getting harder to balance it, making her arms ache. Also, she didn’t want to accidentally drop it this time… “Maybe… you can pay for the rest of these with something else?”
Lloyd raised his face to hers, blinking. “Oh? But with what?” He tilted his head the same way the dog named Noishe did, except this was a boy, and the way his hair drifted with the breeze caught her gaze just so.
So she blurted out before her fear took hold completely, her voice squeaking with every syllable. Was it the fading sun giving her courage? Was it the fatigue from traveling, making her tongue loose? “You can pay the rest with a kiss!”
Oh. Oh no that had sounded so awful coming from her.
There was still the sound of the dogs milling about the yard, some going to the stable to curl up with the giant Noishe, some resting on the grass. Colette felt the heat engulf her face, and she could only blame it on herself instead of the sun, which sank so low that only a sliver of its shine remained in the sky.
She could feel Lloyd’s stare, his confusion, and maybe his embarrassment for her. She shouldn’t be impulsive like this. “I’m sorry-”
“Okay,” came his voice, barely audible, and only through the grace of an errant breeze did she even hear him.
Colette raised her head, eyes drawn to the locks of hair that fell over his forehead, to the nervous smile on his lips. “I mean…” he started, laughter spilling all over his words. “I wouldn’t mind it! If, uh…”
This place was far away, off down a beaten path that was hidden underneath leaves and moss. She wasn’t even sure if she would ever see this same boy again, if she could even follow the twists and turns without a friendly dog to guide her. What was the chance that she would find this same place, alone within the fields?
So, she felt daring. Something about meeting Lloyd made her suddenly braver then she’d ever been.
Colette moved closer to the fence post, her boot scuffing against the wood. “Well, if you want to pay me… You should move closer!”
Another little dare, another little leap. And Lloyd met her dare with another smile, hands leaning on the fence post, slouching just a bit to match her height. “Like this?”
“Yes,” Colette whispered. She had only just met Lloyd, but the almost instinctive way she reached for his face, placing her gloved hands against his cheeks, it was natural, comfortable. “That’s perfect.”
And Lloyd didn’t move away, placing his face in her hands with complete trust. She could see the color of his eyes now, russet-brown like a dog’s fur, looking as soft as one too.
She had never kissed anyone before, so when she leaned in, she imagined a number of ways this could go wrong. A bump of their heads together, or missing his mouth by inches. But she felt warmth against her lips, the way Lloyd’s own moved over hers, mingled with the feel of his breath. She smiled into the kiss, and so did he, along with a smattering of giggles that escaped them both. But he continued to rest his face in her hands, trusting her to take her payment for as long as she wished.
Maybe she had taken more than her share, but Lloyd didn’t seem to mind.
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The fence creaked just slightly under his weight as he kept kissing her, and even when she leaned back to speak, sometimes she found her mouth covered again, as if Lloyd had missed a spot, like the corner of her lips. She didn’t complain, and only found herself so awed that Lloyd would do his best to give her what she asked for.
The sun had long set before she finally felt the chill breeze against her face.
“So…Can I keep paying this way?” Lloyd murmured against her mouth, eliciting another giggle from her.
“Mm, maybe not all the time…” she said. Her father would wonder why she was giving out free strawberries. “Unless you want to give me extra next time?”
She said it as a joke, winking at him, finally releasing him from her hands. But his own reached up to grasp one of her own gently, the grin on his face so wide and bright. “I think I might want to.”
It was as if they had already known each other for years, with the way she felt so comfortable around him. Even when she made her silly request, it felt like something she had been waiting for all her life.
Or maybe, it was just the sight of all the dogs running around the farm, some sidling near Lloyd’s legs to see what he was doing. She did always feel more content with dogs around.
So Colette left the basket there, with its dozens of strawberries, and just remembered that, Oh. I’ll need to come back for that basket though . That had been her only one! She needed that for her daily deliveries for her family’s business. She’d have to see Lloyd again for sure.
She found herself smiling, her lips still feeling so warm. Maybe he’d be kind and help pay her for her trip, back down the beaten pathways to where a gathering of cute puppies played. It would only be fair.
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angerissue · 3 years
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Character Survey.
Real name: Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, Ph.D..
Single or taken: Single, and this probably isn't going to change anytime soon. He has a number of ingrained emotional issues, and ideological issues that pertain to his condition, that prevent him from seeking romantic relationships and even just becoming close to someone. One-night stands are possible, because they don’t involve emotional commitment from either party, but real relationships scare the hell out of him. The closer that someone gets to Bruce, the more he fears hurting them or being hurt himself.
Abilities or powers: He has an extremely high IQ, almost unprecedented intuition when it comes to the sciences and its numerous technologies, and a great ability to think outside the box and solve complicated, confounding problems. Also, he can turn big and green, which makes him capable of inhuman physical feats and gives him a ridiculous healing factor. This cannot be understated; he can literally recover from decapitation if the conditions are right. It's debatable whether these qualify as gifts or curses, because of the experiences they've created for Bruce in the past, but they're definitely abilities at the least.
Eye colour: Brown. Sometimes green if he’s in a mood.
Hair colour: Dark brown with some grey.
Family members: Rebecca Banner (mother / deceased), Brian Banner (father / incarcerated), Jennifer Walters (cousin / alive), Susan Drake (adoptive aunt / unknown), Elaine Banner (aunt / deceased).
Pets: In The Persistence, he owns a white knockout mouse named Eddie, who came from a selection of ailing lab mice that he experimented on with the Hulk's plasma. He doesn’t have pets in other verses, though he wouldn’t mind a cat, or a dog with a calm and mellow demeanour, as long as his living situation and overall routine is constant and undisturbed. Otherwise, it will never be a possibility. Back when General Ross' squad broke down his door in Brazil, he needed to abandon a mutt named Rick, and it hurt because he’d become very fond of him. He doesn't want to do this to another animal.
Hobbies or activities: He loves hiking and jogging (with trails in forested areas being his preferred location), cooking and baking, gardening, reading textbooks and science journalism, bait fishing, programming and experimenting, travelling, sightseeing, meditation, yoga, collecting and listening to vinyl records, and being a rebel by listening to police scanners and going after bad guys if he doesn't have much else to do. But even if it seems like he's not outwardly doing anything, he's probably still occupied — he tends to spend a profuse amount of time in his own head, ruminating and reflecting on future goals, whether it involves anticipating or dreading them. He also likes to contemplate new concepts and designs for technologies.
Animal that represents them: Definitely a pangolin, because you can’t look at a pangolin and the way it carries itself and not think of Banner from a purely visual perspective. Add on the fact that their bodies are covered in hardened scales for defense, and how they curl up into a ball whenever they're upset and threatened, and you have a metaphorical version of Bruce, who tends to shy away and retreat into himself whenever he's having a lower moment, and has a lot of deep-seated defensive mechanisms on display during social interactions. But seriously, these animals just want to walk around eating ants, minding their own business. They don’t have a bone to pick with anyone... Which is also similar to Bruce. And did I mention that pangolins are endangered, because they're frequently hunted and trapped by humans for their supposed “beneficial properties” in medicine (none of which are proven)? That's similar to how Banner has been followed all over the place by the U.S. military, just because they perceived his condition to be useful somehow.
Worst habits: Take your pick. Distancing himself from other people even when he could use the company, self-flagellation, humouring his guilt complex even when he's not responsible for certain negative outcomes, repressing or suppressing his emotions when he needs to express them (or the opposite, staying as the Hulk so he can stew in those strong emotions and therefore punish himself for whatever he “did wrong”), running away from connections that involve real commitment, especially romantic ones.
Role models: Steve Rogers for his patriotism and overall sense of morality, Neils Bohr for his defense of the Bohr atomic model (which had been a radical theory for the time) and subsequent successes, Ernest Rutherford for similar reasons, and his mother when he was younger, though he doesn’t remember much about her because he was only six when she died. Same goes for his aunt, Susan; while he spent more time around her than Rebecca in total, he was rather emotionally absent by this point because of all the trauma earlier in his childhood. In general, his role models tend to be people who remain strong in the face of adversity and judgement, and stick to their values for the benefit of others. All the above people qualify in that sense, for different reasons.
Sexual orientation: Heterosexual.
Thoughts on marriage and kids: Nope, and bigger nope. He would love to have a close connection with someone, however much he's actually repressed the desire for the time being, and some part of him does want to have a child — however, he always concludes that it wouldn't be worth it. Bruce believes marriage would be a shackle for anyone who's unfortunate enough to become his partner, and it would open them up to potential threats from people who could use them to get to him and his condition. And children are a no-go because Bruce doesn’t want them to have a father like him; he might be absent for a lot of their upbringing, and either unstable or otherwise unaccommodating in temperament if he’s upset. And he'll constantly be trying to hide his condition from them as well, because god forbid they find out their father is a monster, and they feel like a freak because of it. He's been in a position where he felt like an anomaly as a child, and he's not interested in subjecting his children to this. He also loathes the idea of bringing children into the world because he would not be able to ensure their safety — after all, he can’t even ensure his own. So to Bruce, he'd be setting them up for endangerment just because they’re related to him, similar to how his partner would become a target as well.
Style preferences: Safe and conservative, and not flamboyant by any means. He usually sticks to warmer and neutral palettes, and cuts/styles that are classic and unlikely to fall out of style; this includes his suits, jackets, pants, and shirts. We're talking chinos and slacks, poplin dress shirts, wool sport coats and blazers. Most occasions will see him wearing the dress shirt, slacks, and sport coat together. If he's feeling more adventurous, he'll pair a sport coat with a crewneck, or he could even go with a polo shirt and jeans, but the latter is rare. In general, Bruce's most interesting piece is a brown leather bomber jacket, which he usually wears in the warmer months; colder weather will bring out a peacoat (and he loves to pop the collar in lieu of using a scarf). As far as cost goes, Bruce is fairly well-off between the royalties from S.H.I.E.L.D. and other work he's done here and there, but even so, he doesn't purchase outrageously expensive clothing and tends to go for the mid-upper brands. He'll do made-to-measure, but not full bespoke. He finds any further spending to be superfluous.
Approach to friendships: Cautious and uncertain about them, and tends not to approach people first, because he would hate to overstep his boundaries / make someone uncomfortable. Rather accommodating to people he considers friends, but he's extremely quick to duck out if they can’t meet him eye-to-eye regarding touchy topics, like decisions that affect the well-being of many people. This is the reason he shunned his friendship with Tony after they debated about the Sokovia Accords. Being an introvert, he’s one of those people who doesn't like bothering his friends; even if they make it abundantly clear that he's welcome anytime, he'll hesitate, but he’s completely okay and even happy if those friends approach him instead. He doesn't always like when his personal space is invaded, or if someone touches him, but he'll start to make exceptions if he becomes more familiar with someone. He loves the people that he can consider friends, but he always views the friendships as something that could dissolve in a heartbeat. On some level, even unconscious, he's always expecting things to end.
Thoughts on pie: An acceptable desert. Bumbleberry, strawberry rhubarb, and pumpkin are his favourites. He prefers the homemade variety, and because of it, he tends to make his own, butter crust and all, avoiding store-bought unless it’s particularly memorable — or if someone buys a slice for him. He’s appreciative like that.
Favourite place to spend time: Somewhere he can guarantee that he's not being watched; these are most commonly his labs in the Northwind Observatory, quiet and secluded trails, or his chambers in the Crown City citadel on Sakaar. Not only do these locations ease his anxieties about being studied, inspected, or followed, but he feels less of a pressure to put on false pretenses and exhaust himself with social niceties, many of which may be fabricated. He doesn’t need much external stimulation, because he’s fine simply turning inward and thinking, without paying much attention to his surroundings, but he’ll certainly admit to spending a ton of time tinkering with pet projects if he’s in the labs. Obviously, Bruce prefers to be alone in most of these cases. But if he's with someone he cares about, whether a friend or a romantic partner, and can openly express himself around them, that's nice for him too.
Swim in the lake or ocean: Lakes, without question. He has some bad memories of being in the ocean, whether it’s about the time he was tossing and turning in glacial waters after his failed suicide attempt, or clawing his way out of a quinjet that crashed into the water while his alter started to take over. Bruce remembers all that, and it's not pleasant. The openness of oceans perturb him as well; lakes are usually far more intimate and amniotic because they’re often surrounded by forests, which allows him to feel safer and less exposed.
Their type: Someone who is, and is comfortable with showing, some semblance of dependence on him, which would placate his need to fill a provider role and not simply be a charity case; he's had enough of that between begging on the streets and asking Tony Stark for boarding. (This doesn't mean he's looking for someone who's a total pushover, cannot make their own decisions, or is emotionally needy, because those would make him run in the other direction, frankly.) Someone who can hold their own and stand up for their beliefs when necessary. Someone who can challenge him intellectually, though not necessarily in an academic sense; it really just depends on how much they can expand his own perspective by giving their own. Someone who really understands his needs and issues. And obviously, someone who isn't scared of his condition, because it's going to manifest a lot. It needs to; he doesn't really have a choice in the matter. Hulk is another story, but fortunately, he doesn't show up enough to really be an immediate concern, and Bruce and his partner can cross that bridge when they reach it. Physically, he's usually attracted to women who are slightly shorter than him; their hair can be anything from blonde to brown, and he prefers body types that are similar to his own; more on the slender side but not necessarily fragile.
Camping or indoors: He’d rather be indoors. He isn’t extremely fond of camping, if we’re using the most common definition of "pitching a tent, cooking with a fire made from sticks and tinder, and spending the night in the woods with the bears and the bugs". There are indeed occasions where he cannot stand to be indoors, whether because he’s feeling claustrophobic (a common symptom of abstaining a little too long from transformations), or he simply needs some time away from other people in the geographic sense, but in those cases, he’s more likely to go for a walk or hike, not set up an entire campsite and spend the rest of the night outdoors. For him, camping is meant for a survival-type situation rather than a recreational one. The closest thing to camping he'll do is living in a cabin with a wood stove and local water supply, which he’s done a few times over the years. He's even purchased a few cabins by the time his Persistence verse rolls around, so if one of the properties are compromised, he could always retreat to another one.
Tagged by: @mynameisanakin​! Tagging: @fallencomrade​ , @asgardianhammer​​ , @alongingwithin​ , and anyone else who wants to do this.
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trashynyland · 4 years
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Alright, someone asked about this and I'm here to give.
There's not much to the HermitFamilyAU. I'll try and go in order in a way from oldest to recent characters that have been created so far.
Grian, mute avian hybrid. 23 but acts like an excited 10 year old. He communicates in bird, sign language, writing and charades. Only Mumbo, Iskall and Xisuma can understand Grian's bird talk (he'll chirp, squeak screech and squawk). He's a bundle of joy, really energetic, he loves to cuddle and he's usually always happy. He'll tend to stick by Mumbo's side a lot. He has the habit of sitting on people's shoulders, it helps him with his height dysphoria, makes him feel taller which makes him happy. He loves to build with his legos since he isn't allowed out of the house unless he's with Xisuma. He was abused by his parents who cut out his vocal cords with a knife at age 9. He's lived in the hermit household for 5 years. He has a feather shedding habit which Doc despises (that's what earned Grian the name "Feathers"). Grian and Doc have a love hate relationship but mostly, Grian loves being a little shit to Doc and annoy him. Grian can easily get sent into a panic attack if someone touches his neck without permission. He has trust issues and won't let anyone he doesn't know near him.
Mumbo, human but has the power to generate Redstone dust from his hair (like King Sparklez but he can generate the dust with his hands). He's 24 and a nervous wreck. Mumbo always needs an explanation to things he doesn't understand, if he doesn't get it then he'll try and figure it out himself. He's very shy around others he doesn't know and has a horrible stuttering habit when he has to talk to people he doesn't know. He loves hanging out with Grian (his comfort buddy boyfriend) and loves to help the little avian. His legs got shattered and ripped from a piston malfunction that he was trying to fix, they had to amputate his legs from the knee down. He's got Redstone prosthetics that are powered with Redstone (made by King Diamond). He has no recollection of his past, all he knows was that he showed up on the Redstone King's doorstep at age 7 and was adopted by the king. Mumbo's father is King Redstone (or CaptainSparklez) but Mumbo lives with Xisuma since Mumbo himself isn't found of the Royal lifestyle. But he works for his father and helps around the castle from time to time. Started living with Xisuma at age 19.
Iskall, slime hybrid. He's 27 and a comedian. He acts like a crazy uncle, loves to make inappropriate jokes but also acts like the 2nd father of the house. He loves to jokes around and pull pranks. He's very kind until you hurt his family in any way. Again, acts like the second dad of the house because things can get too crazy sometimes. When he was 16, he was shit in the eye by a blast spell which caused his eye to never grow back. Instead of getting an eye patch or a regular eye prosthetic he asked Mumbo and Doc to make him some kinda cool looking eye instead. He was abandoned by his mother at age 13, was taken in by Xisuma at age 15. He has abandonment issues.
Xisuma, Archangel hybrid (four wings, halo and 6 eyes. 4 of the eyes and the halo only appear when X uses his powers. Two of the wings get hidden beneath the top two wings.). He's over 1000 years old (but 38 in human age). He absolutely loves adopting and it's his horrible bad habit. He's been banned a few times from adoption centers because the guy can't control himself. Because of this, he's been named the "Caretaker" and "Dimensional Adopter". He's a Warrior (meaning he goes out to different dimensions to help out others in corrupted dimensions) but he's also a coder and hacker. He loves his family and would do anything to protect them. He was banished to the world Palace Concy at age 17(human age) and has lived there happily ever since. In his old world, he use to live in the heavens which had thin air. Since the air is much thicker on the ground and too much for him he wears a ventilator to help him breath better. He also can't die, he can respawn which he finds unsettling. When he dies he respawns in his bed. He's a bottom, he's gotta admit that and his husband is Doc (someone he first saved when he became a Warrior). Most of his scars on his body (including his "X" scar on his face) we're given to him by Doc himself on accident. He's a dad of the hermit household.
Doc, creeper human cyborg. He's 40 years old and a cranky guy. He tends to put up a touch guy act but in reality he's just a soft teddy bear. He'll only show his true softness when alone with Xisuma or playing with the kids. He's caring but will act like he doesn't give a shit. Parents call him Soccer Mom because of how prepared he is and how much he helps his kids but also because he tends to pick fights with the entitled parents who thinks their kid(s) are better than everyone, "News flash Christian! They aren't special!". His prosthetic arm, half head and neck, part of his chest and half is heart were all designed by King Diamond and Doctor Joe Atlantic(they also got some help from Prince Stampy). In Doc's old dimension he use to be a creeper that couldn't explode (which hunters found amusing so they'd pick on Doc and give him scars, basically abuse him). One day he fell in love with his world's Cub who later ended up turning him him an and forcing him to become his science experiment. Once he was deemed useless, Cub put him up for auction which Xisuma ended up buying him and taking him home. Doc has major trust issues with everyone and still doesn't trust Xisuma's 3rd new adoption, Cub Issatic who's always on edge and thinks someone is after his blood (character Cub is still a wip so this may change later on). Doc is surprisingly actually a cuddly type of hybrid. He loves to cuddle alone with X when they get the chance. Doc's husband is Xisuma. Doc is the mom of the hermit household.
Tango, very energetic guy, he's a Telikiantors (a mythical creature created by me the artist, there's a post I made about them but to be short, they're forest creatures that are like SirenHeads but don't eat humans unless provoked by them). Tango is a hybrid version of a Teli. He's 6 years old and still waiting for his future surgery to get on his mouth tail so he can start eating from it again (in his old home it was damaged). He loves to pull all sorts of pranks and is the house's little chaotic demon. Even with no arms, he can't be stopped. He use to be owned by an old woodworker who used Tango as his personal slave. Since Tango was young at the time and didn't know any better and was a child he'd always fool around and didn't listen. This angered his old owner who cut off Tango's arms off and cut his tail mouth so he couldn't eat. Xisuma stumbled upon him one night when the Archangel got lost on a hike in the woods. X saved him and adopted him at age 3. Even though Tango went through that torture he's still bubbly and doesn't have much trama. He's more unsure about things and will asked about them.
Impulse, he's a God actually who was the son of a lightning goddess and ocean god. He's currently 5 years old. When he was born his eyes were completely gold and blue but after his mother and father forced him to use his magic he went blind. Since he was only 3 at the time his eyes were still sensitive and not use to powerful magic or anything bright. His mother was frustrated with him that he couldn't summon up lighting or water so she summoned up some lightning and struck it right in front of Impulse which caused him to go blind and his eyes to lighten up a bit. When the parents left to argue after the situation, that's when Xisuma jumped into the dimension to save Impulse and take him away. Originally his eyesight was supposed to be fixed and he was supposed to be sent back to his home world but he refused the care and refused to leave X's side. He's very scared of powers and when people raise their voices. He's shy and fragile and can easily get overwhelmed by things. He has some sensitivity issues, where when he's so overwhelmed by something he can easily fall into a panic attack. Doc, as a Christmas gift, gave him two shovels that have turned into his comfort item. They help conceal his magic so it doesn't get too out of hand when he gets overwhelmed, upset or angry. He usually sticks by his brothers Tango and Zedaph's sides but when he's not with them then he'll be hanging around his dad, mom or one of his siblings while on a child leash (he doesn't mind the leash and actually loves it since it gives him comfort. He's still not use to being blind and all).
Zedaph, he's a witch, that what everyone knows so far. He's 5 years old and has a teddy bear attitude, his personality is very fluffy and caring. He loves the world and the world loves him. In his old dimension, he was a rich witch's slave and was forced to do dirty work. His owner once had enough of him one day when he accidentally dropped her food and his owner blasted his arm off. Because of the traumatic experience, Zed prefers to keep his eyes shut in fear of having to go through something terrible and scary again. His old owner sold him off to Xisuma who took him in and adopted him. Zedaph's powers are unknown because they haven't yet activated. He's been labelled as a witch for now because of the place he came from and his low power levels. His favorite person in the world his his Uncle Stizoom because of his fluffy hair and tail. He loves to curl up in anything soft and fluffy because of how comfortable and safe it makes him feel. It's the reason why he owns a large Wooloo plushy.
Cleo, a very rare zombie eel siren. She's 31 years old and doesn't like speaking. She likes to stay mute unless talking to Xisuma or False. Nothing seemed to be wrong with her old dimension same with her except that she was always bored. Pirates and fishermen always tried to catch her and at first Cleo loved to prank them but as she got more and more bored she started letting them capture her and sell her at black markets, auctions, sold to royals. She always knew how to escape and she found it fun at first but soon grew bored of it all again. It was always the same routine. Xisuma found her while he was wondering her dimension in a black market. He asked her if she wanted to join him but of course she said nothing. Xisuma ended up buying her and bring her home with him. Cleo has never tried to leave or escape since (except to False's bedroom to sleep with her).
Ren, dog hybrid who has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Since he has many different identities all have different personalities (check out his character sheet for more details on all the identities). But mostly Ren is in charge and upfront to control the body, he is the main host after all. Ren is the definition of the one crazy uncle. He's comedic, crazy and loves to put a smile on others faces, he's also very playful. He can get flustered easily if someone dominates him (either in bed or at his own games like flirting). Ren and the body are about 21. In his old world he was abused a lot, mostly chained to a wall in a basement his entire life. He was abused a lot by his owner alpha and many other bad things. It's where a lot of his trama comes from. He one day ended up escaping but fell through a dimensional portal and ended up in Palace Concy. He was found in the woods passed out by Slime n Bone podcast who were taking a vacation with the Woodworks family in the Kosikians Sky (mt. DeathLoxes) mountains. He's was taken to Xisuma after the podcast group couldn't figure out how to help him since Ren wouldn't say anything and just shake in fear in the corner. He was taken in by X which Ren is very greatful for. Ren is scared of everyone since he's an omega and comes from an omegaverse, he thinks an alpha will come and hurt him again. Ren has a huge crush on Iskall and even though he knows the man likes him back he's too scared to ask him out. Ren loves to hang out with Grian, Doc and sometimes Iskall when he isn't blushing nervous. Very cool dude.
Bdubs, human but is immune to explosives but can still get stabbed. He's 19 actually and has a big habit of getting into trouble with Impulse and Tango. He works at an explosives store in town, helps out the construction crews when they need a certain area exploded and loves to volunteer at the firework stands that pop up during July 1st "Redstone Founders Day" (Bdubs favorite holiday). He's enthusiastic and doesn't mind teaching kids about explosives and safety in his spare time. He loves causing trouble when he can but he also loves helping out others with decorating. He's got a side job he's made "Bdubs Interior Design" and usually many people hire him for help. He use to live in a HermitCraft world when he decided to leave one year and stubbled upon an Earth dimension which he was then used as a bomber during the everlasting wars that were going on. He was one day capture and take to Palace Concy by Lunch Army and was then later adopted by X. During his time on the Earth War he gained black smudge on his face that X has found won't come off so it's become part of Bdubs skin basically. Some have called him blackface and think that he's being racist but he's not. He's just got some black smudge on his face that is unremovable. He's bubble and loves to make others smile when having a bad day. He doesn't really have any trama except for being weary of portals. He's got a crush on Keralis but won't admit it.
Keralis, human. He's 18 (looks 16) and a punk. He's mean and bitchy to everyone and doesn't let a single soul through his walls (he doesn't let others see his emotions and what he's really feeling). He love to break the law and pick fights. He works with "Brtakis Construction Company" which causes him to travel from home a lot. He's very strong and can pack a punch. He's a warrior so that's why he's got his own special weapon, he's not allowed on any dimensional missions but he's allowed to kill Alumas (soul takers) when they show up. In his old dimension he was a homeless immigrant who lived on the streets of New York (where he earned his punk attitude). He was saved by Xisuma one night when he was about to get killed by a gang group, almost got shot in the head. X had offered him a home but Keralis denied his offer. It took 5 years of constant saves and denied offers until one year he almost committed suicide he finally opened up to X and accepted his offer with a wailing sob. He still keeps his punk attitude because he grew up with it but also because he finds it cool. He also kept it because of Doc, Keralis wants to be just like the guy. All smug and strong. Doc is the person he looks up to, his idol in a way. His trama? He gets scared and panicked when left alone and he can't go near any big cities that are similar to New York.
Wels, avian hybrid mixed with an angel hybrid. He owns a halo that's cracked and shattered but only appears when he's angry. He's got beautiful golden wings that goes along with his ruby red hair. He's 15 but a secret Drag Queen at night. He loves to entertain people and put on a show, show off what he can do. He loves the stage and to him it's his home and life. (Idk how to explain it but he's just like the YouTube Wels but gay). He owns two Drag Personas, Cherry Rider who's his usual sona he dresses as who can be a wild ride. Cherry is an encouraging fool that will try and help anyone build up their confidence to do anything that their heart desires to do. His other persona is HelsKnight, Hels is a naughty bad fool who, for Wels is his way of getting his anger out in style and in a safe way. He'll preform and have a happy attitude when Cherry but have a dark and naughty~ attitude when being Hels. Because of X's worry, Wels has paired up with Doc on the weekends to do drag but pairs up with Skeppy during the weekdays for drag. Since he's young he still needs parental vision. Not much about his past except for being an orphan all his life and getting bullied at school and at his orphanage for being gay and loving to cross dress. When Xisuma adopted him, Wels hid his love for drag which ended up causing problems because when Cherry Rider first appeared on TV Xisuma fell in love for her and was horrified when he found out the drag person character was his son. After a bit of awkward talking and drag performances from Doc for X, Xisuma got over his silly love crush for Cherry and told Wels that he accepts who he is and will always love him as family. Xisuma told him that it would just be a bit awkward for awhile because X still had to get over the fact that his favorite drag queen he had a crush on was actually his adopted son. Doc helped both X and Wels after the reveal. Wels grew more confident and stopped hiding his drag cross dressing side (while his father Xisuma got over his crush and dropped it entirely but he ended up crushing on Wels' drag performance partner Skeppy). Wels still has a small fear of being himself in front of others but has overcome most of that fear because he knows his family has got his back (especially his over protective Dadsuma who would kill anyone who hurts his family and his Docmom who will murder any parents that talk his son down, "I'm lookin at you Rebecca! Your daughter is a lesbian and will never be straight you blind fu-"). Wels has a small crush on Biffa (an orphan friend of his that lives on the other side of the world (Biffa is still being developed) who Xisuma is thinking about adopting.
Jevin, rare blue slime hybrid. He's 1 year old and there's not much to him. He's a happy a baby who has a weird love obsession life with the Jello food. Iskall loves to take that and tease his baby brother with it (like stabbing his lil brother's jello in front of him and watching him cry about it, Iskall just finds Jevins whole Jello obsession hilarious). Xisuma actually found Jevin in a basket by his tracker right before he was about to work on his farm fields. Jevin will usually be hanging out with Iskall since he's also a slime and the hybrid connection helps them work better with each other. But also since Xisuma and Doc have no idea how to take care of a slime hybrid since they're hard to come by in Concy and there's not many books about them, so the two husbands let nature take it's course with Iskall since it looks like he knows what he's doing.
NPC Grian or Rustie, he's a demon but apparently can change into a robot? He's an interesting type. He's 25 and a cheerful man. He works in architecture, both with planning out the building and how it will look along with the construction. He also works at a bookstore named "BookRook". He's sweet and kind but will snap your neck in you make him angry, a smile with a dark atmosphere like aph Russia. He loves his kids but if he finds Grain making anY MORE ROBOTS THEN HE'S GOING TO-. He love to volunteer for events and he loves his husband Zoom. He was found by Zoom in his old dimension where Rustie was still locked and hibernating in his closet. He would have taken his robot brother with him but Robot Grian was in horrible condition and... dead so there was no use of him. Rustie owns a nice little rustic cabin in the woods beside a like with a great view. He and Zoom built the house and nother are proud of their work and family.
Evil Xisuma or Stizoom(Zoom), a Strider hybrid but fluffier. He's 27 and has a very gentle heart. He loves nature with a passion and Rustie tends to find him curdle up in his flower beds quite often. He likes to bird watch and plant flowers. He's a five star chief for "Blossburgi Restaurant" and a karate teacher for "Hightri's Karate". He hates the cold and loves to cuddle up with Rustie during the cold seasons and Rustie finds it adorable. Luckily, the two own a nearby hot springs so when things get to cold, Zoom will go hang out in the hot springs for awhile. He loves animals, all kinds. In his old dimension he was always forced to be near creatures and he always hated the small to so little space he always got. Xisuma found him and took him in for all awhile until Zoom found and fell in love with Rustie. His husband is Rustie and they both love each other very much. Very cute :3.
HermitPets, they're more used and made for a different AU of mine but in HermitFamily they're more background characters for sorts. Not much.
HermitFamily house, huge house I mean huge. It's a mansion that's up in the Stonety Mts. It sits in a large valley surrounded by mountains. The valley is actually a farm the the hermit house owns. They grow crops and sell it the small nearby town they live by named "Vellenture". Their house, in the back has a large poor (more of a lake and it's for Cleo) but it attaches to a nearby forest. The house itself, on the outside is a creamy white and on the inside, many colors. (I'll have to draw it out for a better explanation but basically the house looks like Grian's mansion but a creamy white and rustic grey.
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shrimppebbles · 3 years
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Through the Generations
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there’s probably another challenge named this, but I am not good at names, so I’m keeping it
*this challenge is currently unfinished as I am play testing it and fell into a rut, but feel free to start from this point*
this challenge is a free forming challenge meant for me to hopefully enjoy the sims more and have structured legacy that I like without anything that seems to hard. this legacy can be bended however you want and the gens played in whatever order you want (each gen however has a backstory and will not work if you switch them around, so create your own backstory if you switch generations around) there are a lot of pack requirements I didn’t intend to make, but you can skip those or modify them to your will.
Also, feel free to play with siblings and such to make fun family trees, just make sure to have “auto-age current household only” on!
we’ll get into all the rules below the cut to make it neat, but incase I ever delete my tumblr or it gets deactivated, HERE is a google doc of the rules too 
@sims4challenges​ @ts4-challengenet​
Some Basics before we get into the Generations
Heirs are whoever you choose unless specified 
You can give the next generation however much of the family funds of the current generation as you choose
Piggy-backing off of that, unless specified you can use however many funds you want to build/buy new lots
You can create sims to be your spouse and add them into the world unless specified
Any lifespan length is fine, although regular is recommended
Start each gen at young adult unless specified 
You can have pets in any generation unless otherwise specified
You can have same-sex or hetero couples per each generation (your choice). In same-sex couples, you may adopt or use a mod that will allow try for baby and pregnancy between them
and lastly...have fun and please tag me if you play or use the tag #ThrGen, I’d love to see it!
Generation one: A Big Happy Family 
family oriented, [your choice], [your choice]
any family aspiration
You grew into young adulthood with absolutely no-one, no siblings or parents, it’s not something you would wish onto your worst enemies, let alone your own family. You vow to make a large, happy family for your own children and never want to lead a boring life for your kids
Marry one of the first sims your spouse meets
Have 10 children (you can use mods if you wish, but just replacing them as they move out is fine)
You can live in whichever world you want, just pick the biggest lot of that respective world
Paint, write, or any other work from home job (your spouse may hold a part-time job or do the same)
Max the parenting, cooking, and charisma skills
Grow a nice little veggie garden
Have good relationship with all children
Most of your children should have the happy toddler trait and at least one positive character trait
Generation two: Work, Work, Work
 [your choice], [your choice], [your choice]
fabulously wealthy aspiration
You didn’t hate growing up in a full, loud house, but you saw how much your parents sacrificed of their own freedom and ambitions for you and you never want your family to come in between your dreams and you like that. So you move to the city to build up a career for yourself completely kid free.
Move to San Myshuno, working from a small apartment up to a penthouse
Reach level ten in either the Business or Politician careers (you can pick which branch)
Take any career opportunities the game offers you
Only after you reach the top of your career can you look for a serious relationship (you can have one night hook ups here and there if you wish, just nothing serious)
The only way you can intentionally boost fun is by listening to the radio or watching the television
Have a child with your spouse once you complete your aspiration (this should be into adulthood, the older you are the better)
Only have one child building a strong relationship with them and spoiling them rotten
If you or your spouse dies of old age, the respective partner should also die in some manner shortly after (to set up for the next gen)
Generation three: All on my Own?
snobby, [your choice] , [your choice]
start with whatever aspiration you think fits, but change it to and complete the Friend of The Animals aspiration
With the sudden passing of both your parents, you have no idea what do with yourself and how to live on your own. In a rash decision, you sell the penthouse and all it’s belongings. You blow through all this money quite quickly on drinks and gambling until you have barely enough money to move out to a small house on the coast (you will probably need to cheat this, just cheat it down to 20,000). There you try to find yourself and make a life for your new normal. After job after job, you notice the amount of strays in the area, which inspires you to open a small family clinic
Do as the description above says, only starting once both of your parents are dead
Move to Brindleton Bay
“Try” (you can just work at them for a couple days) three different jobs before deciding to open a small vet clinic
adopt at least five animals over the course of your life
You can meet your spouse wherever (perhaps the clinic) and have 2 children with them
Take your children on trips to different parks, museums, etc., every week
Max the pet training and veterinary skills
Generation four: The Nuclear Family
athletic, paranoid, [your choice]
strangerville mystery aspiration and successful lineage aspiration 
Your parents always encouraged you to pursue what you wanted, but also encouraged economic conscious and independence. Not sure what you want to do, you enlist in the army and move to StrangerVille, trying to figure out what you want, but as your there, you get enveloped into what’s going on
As a teen, have a part time job
move into the trailer park in StrangerVille
Enlist in the Military
Complete the StrangerVille Mystery aspiration
After finally taking down The Mother, you are finally able to decipher what you wanted, a Writer. You leave your position in the military and pick up a job at the local paper (the writer career), where you tell your stories of your adventures and other strange happenings in Strangerville. At the paper, you meet your spouse and settle down to have a few children with them. But still feeling unsatisfied, you find solace in a stranger at a bar and do things very questionable as a married sim.
Move to the Suburbs of StrangerVille
Become a writer and choose the Journalism path
Meet your spouse at work
Have 3 children (preferably at least one boy and one girl)
Cheat on your spouse with someone you meet at the bar (this can be a one time thing or a continuous theme)
Complete the Successful Lineage Aspiration
Max the Writing Skill
Generation five:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
green fiend, perfectionist, [your choice]
Eco Innovator Aspiration 
Sensing something was always off in your parents marriage, you wanted everything else in life to be perfectly in your control to balance it out. One of the biggest problems that seemed to be out of your control however, was the environment and the negative impacts of it, until you learned about a little town on the coast, Evergreen Harbor. There people of your similar mind lived and coexisted, working on creating a community of a better environment. So, soon after your eighteenth birthday, you pack your bags and move. 
Move to Evergreen Harbor
Always live in a tiny home, the smaller, the better
Grow a garden of at least ten different plants
Go into the Civil Designer Career, specifically the Green Technician Branch (you can also choose the conservationist career, just cheat the aspiration go
Concerned about their environmental impacts, have only one child, you can either by adopt or a have a one night stand resulting in a child ( you can be in contact and be in a relationship with the child’s parent, but they should not live with you) 
Have at least fifteen renewable energy sources
Make your neighborhood (and maybe others!) the cleanest it can be
Generation six:  Paintings of Cityscapes
creative, loves the outdoors, [your choice]
 pick painter extraordinaire aspiration, but also complete “friend of the world” along the way
Growing up with a single parent, your life was a little interesting, but never dim or unloved. Growing up in Evergreen Harbor gave you access to many interesting and cool people who shaped your view of the world and it’s beauty (Rory and Lorelai Gilmore type vibe ig?). Interested in broadening your world view, you move yourself all the way to the big city to pursue a career in arts. There you meet all sorts of people 
Move to San Myshuno, try moving into the smallest apartment possible, make it into a studio/loft and live there for as long as possible
Meet all your friends at art galleries and karaoke bars
go to as many festivals as possible, trying to paint and photograph them as much as possible
Max the Charisma and Painting skills
Never to boggled to settle down, have at least two children to at least two different people, preferably “casual” friends
Never live in an apartment bigger than what you need in the name of being unique (basically no mega big apartments and penthouses)
Marry as a elder to your highest romantic partner
Take your kids on trips to art galleries and such every week
You should have an extra stock pile of money, don’t spend it on stuff you don’t need
Generation seven:  A Higher Degree
genius, [your choice], [your choice]
Academic aspiration and then whichever aspiration you think fits
Living with your eccentric parent in a tiny apartment with your siblings, at times, felt quite odd and claustrophobic, but your parent always introduced you to new people and new places that widened the lens of what you could do in your life. With the help of your parent, who put away any extra dollar they could so that you and your siblings could to go to college and pursue your passion, you apply for university and move into the dorms. 
Go to University and get a degree in Psychology, History, or Literature and Language
Join at least one student organization
Meet your spouse while in university (they can be attending or you just meet them somewhere on campus)
Have a big graduation party with all your friends and classmates
Marry your partner soon after graduation
Pursue a career related to your major
Max your Logic and Research & Debate skills
I will add  more to this as I get here 
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another-mexico-oc · 4 years
Text
💖 What your favorite Mexico´s ship/OTP says about YOU ...
Spanish version —> AQUÍ
Hello everyone! The month of love is finally over, but before that, inspired by the “What your Favorite Hetalia ship says about you” and related; and since Mexico is one of the most shipped countries (at least by the Hetalia and Countryhumans latin fandom), I decided to make this in collaboration with my cousin. If you are not familiar with this, basically it is a recopilation of facts some people share when they ship Mexico with another country.
WARNINGS AND NOTES BEFORE WE START:
- This post is for both, Hetalia and Countryhumans fans. I clarify that in this blog we don´t discuss which one is better than the other, we enjoy the healthy part and avoid the toxic part. 
-  This is just for fun, and IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. Think of it as a horoscope, you can share some of the facts, maybe not. The main purpose is to have some fun. 
- We are aware that not all the ships will be here, or that not all of them will have the same extension. We tried to gather all we could. 
- This is an extra warning for the English translation: This post may contain a lot of mexican and latin american modern references. Also, the best known historical periods are going to be mentioned, so if you are not familiar with the history of Mexico, we invite you to watch this video, and to consult other articles and media.
Without further due, let´s begin: 
FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS ONE OF THE POSSIBLE REASONS YOU SHIP MEXICO WITH ONE, IF NOT, MORE COUNTRIES: 
- You are mexican, I don´t have a doubt. You have a Mexico OC and you make fanarts and write fanfics about him/her with your favorite character.
- You are latino, and you came from the Latin Hetalia fandom, or you are from the latin fandom of Countryhumans (obviously, Miss Sherlock Holmes).
- You are neither mexican or latino, but still you like Mexico. 
- If you are from Hetalia, you are still waiting the day Himaruya publish the official design of Mexico, so he/she can interact with your favorite character. 
OKAY, NOW LET´S GO WITH THE SHIPS:
IF YOU LIKE 🇺🇸 USAMEX (USA X Mexico) 🇲🇽
- Favorite fanfic genre: Angst.
- Your guilty pleasures are the toxic love, the impossible love or the unrequited love. Or perhaps you like stories about people who fall in love with their chilhood friend. Or you like the phrase “From hate to love...”
- If you are from Hetalia, (also applies to Countryhumans) probably you also like FrUK (France x UK) or SpUK (Spain x UK). Or you simply don´t support USUK (USA x UK).
- If you are mexican, probably you are from the North, and you love the North and South Mexico OC´s. (And obviously, you ship North Mexico with USA).
- If you are mexican, you probably have visited the United States or your have relatives living there. Going further, you are chicano.
- You love the states personifications of both countries, and you are fascinated by the idea that Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California are the USA and Mexico kids. 
- If you are from Hetalia, you like cowboy America, and you also like Mexico dressed as a revolutionary or adelita.
IF YOU LIKE 🇷🇺 RUSMEX (Russia x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You hate USAMex and surely you don´t like United States if you are mexican.
- Your favorite historical event: the Cold War.
- Favorite word: Tripaloski.
- You like couples with a lot of height difference. Lil Mex is the most adorable thing in the world. 
- If you are a Countryhumans fan, probably you also ship Perú with USA.
- You like love triangles stories. (Cough… cough… USA x Mexico x Russia)
- You have seen Youtube videos of “Rusos Reaccionan a…” (Russians react to), and of mexicans in the Russia 2018 FIFA. 
IF YOU LIKE 🇨🇦 CANMEX (Canada x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You like fluffy ships.
- You think Canada is a better suitor than the toxic USA and the distant and cold Russia. (Or if you are from Hetalia, you think Russia is too mad and unstable for Mexico)
- If you are mexican, you have visited Canada, you want to work or study there, or you have relatives living in Canadá. 
- If you´re from Hetalia, it is likely that you don´t like CuCan (Cuba x Canada).
- Also, if you´re from Hetalia, you got excited when in the anime and the manga, Kumajiro mentioned Mexico, and then you got mad because he/she was never showed up!
- If you´re mexican, you were into the memes of Peña Nieto and Justin Trudeau. 
- Like Russia case, you adore the love triangles, but in this case you like stories about brothers who have a crush on the same person.
IF YOU LIKE 🇪🇸 SPAMEX (Spain x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You like sugar daddies. (Daddy Spain 😏)
- Your guilty pleasure are stories about possesive couples and couples with secret lovers. (Okay, that´s not healthy...) 
- If you´re from the Hetalia fandom, you do not like SpaMano (Spain x Romano), and if you are mexican, you will never accept (or you ignored) that canonically, Romano received better treatment than the rest of Spain colonies.
- If you are mexican, you like when Mexico (or New Spain) is represented as the spoiled kid, as daddy´s little princess, and as the best colony of Spain. (Sorry, the other Spain former colonies.)
- Your favorite Mexico periods are the Conquest, the New Spain colonial era and the Independence. 
- Probably you not only ship Mexico with Spain. Actually for some reason you like Mexico cheating Spain with another country, either England, France, a latin country and, why not? with the United States.   
IF YOU LIKE 🇫🇷 FRAMEX (France x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You like to live the expensive life: Eating in gourmet restaurants, buying brand clothes, expensive trips with a five-star hotel stay. Or if you had money, you would love to live the expensive life. 
- You like fashion and architecture.
- Favorite Mexico period: The Porfiriato. If you´re mexican, you think that outside of the bad things, Porfirio Díaz made great contributions to the country, and his remains should return to Mexico.
- If you are mexican, you live in the capital, or/and you love to visit Mexico City downtown. 
- You like stories about characters who made the casanova to fall in love with them, or stories about the stalker gaining his crush´ heart. (Creepy...)
- If you like male Mexico, you like him to be a flirt and gallant. If you like female Mexico, you like her to be very femenine and dressing pretty outfits.
IF YOU LIKE 🇬🇧UKMEX (England x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- If you are from Hetalia, obviously you like tsundere characters. 
- You are fan of Harry Styles, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Queen, the Beatles, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, or any other english celebrity. 
- You´re a big fan of gentlemen like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. In fact, you have readed a lot of books from that period and from that genre.
- You like black humor, wordplay and double entendre phrases. 
- You hate Spain and you think England would have been a better sugar daddy. (Why would you think that?)
- You think England would have been a better colonizer than Spain (Why would you think that?)
- If you´re from Hetalia, you like pirate England.
IF YOU LIKE 🇩🇪 GERMEX (Germany x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- If you´re from Hetalia you think Italy doesn´t deserve Germany. In other words: No GerIta.
- You like dogs, and you want to adopt Paco from Countryhumans.
- Favorite historical period: WWI and WWII.
- You are one of those who think the Zimmerman Telegram was a love confession letter from Germany to Mexico.
- You think England and United States are the worst for intervening on your OTP. 
- You like stories Romeo and Juliet´ type: Two people who are from opposite groups who fell in love with each other.
- Also if you´re from Hetalia, besides you like the Doitsu, you like his BDSM side. (Fifty Shades of Germany, coming soon to your nearby bookstore)
IF YOU LIKE 🇦🇹 AUSMEX (Austria x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- If you are mexican, you think Maximilian I of Mexico would have been better governor than Benito Juárez. 
- If you´re mexican, you think Mexico should have been an empire since it´s independence.
- You like stories about arranged marriages, or stories about a poor character who marries a rich one, like in telenovelas!
- If you are from Hetalia, probably you prefer PruHun (Prussia x Hungary).
IF YOU LIKE 🇮🇹 ITAMEX (Italy x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- Congratulations! You are 1000% unique and different. Oh, and you are alone in your fandom too.  Barely there´s someone who shares your ship. 
IF YOU LIKE 🇯🇵NIMEX (Japan x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You´re mexican and you are 100% otaku.
- You are tired of Mexico being shipped just with europeans, latinos and north americans. Asians also deserve time y admiration.
- You love cats. (You may be also in the furry fandom)
- If some of the previously mentioned ships have this feature, with this one you confirm that you like complete opposite couples.
- You love long distance relationships.
- If you´re from Hetalia, you like Japan quiet, shy, inocente tiene la mirada… 🎵 🎵 🎵Le tomo la mano, y siente algo extraño … 🎵(Okay, i´ll stop singing)
IF YOU LIKE 🇨🇳 CHUMEX (China x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You don´t like neither USAMex or RusMex. 
- Or maybe you like the Rusia x México x China love triangle. You can add USA, and now you have some kind of love square.
- You have seen the Chumel Torres on HBO videos, specially those that are titled: “Mexicanos al Grito de Trump” and “Latinos Enemigos”.
- You like the apps Wish and Tik Tok.
- Unlike those who ship FraMex, you prefer to save money by buying good, pretty and cheap things. You have bought in Miniso and in other Chinese low-cost variety stores.
- You like couples with a lot of age difference (If you are an Hetalia fan, you know what I mean). In other words: 🎵A mí me gustan mayores, de esos que se llaman señores … 🎵
- You prefer Huawei rather than Iphone.
IF YOU LIKE 🇰🇷 South Korea x Mexico 🇲🇽
- It is more likely that you came from Hetalia than Countryhumans, and you think Korea needs more recognition alongside China and Japan, even more when this character was censored from the anime.
- If you´re mexican, your ship started when: “Hermano coreano, ya eres mexicano”. (Korean bro, you are already mexican)
- You like K-Pop.
- You have seen videos of El Coreano and Coreano Vlogs on Youtube.
IF YOU LIKE 🇧🇷 BRAMEX (Brazil x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇦🇷 ARGMEX (Argentina x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇨🇱 CHIMEX (Chile x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇵🇪 MEXRU (Mexico x Peru) 🇲🇽, or ANY OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY X MEXICO.
- IN GENERAL:
    - If you are from Hetalia, obviously you are from the Latin Hetalia fandom. If you are from Countryhumans, obviously you are mexican and/or latino.
    - Your favorite characters are without doubt the latinos, and you prefer that all stays in family. In fact, you don´t like to ship Mexico with first world countries, or you use these last ones to create love triangles, love squares, or any other love geometric figure. 
    - You like Mexico being the dom of the relationship.
- BRAMEX: If you are from Countryhumans, you are most likely to be a fan of @torakashu. You don´t like Argentina x Brazil, or maybe you like the Argentina x Brasil x México love triangle. You also ship Argentina with Chile.
- ARGMEX: You don´t like Argentina x Brazil, or maybe you like the Argentina x Brasil x México love triangle. You also ship Brazil with Uruguay.
- CHIMEX: You live with roomies. You love tsundere characters like those who ship UKMex, but maybe not too tsunderes. And people who don´t like your ship, you smack´em with your guitar! ( 😁)
- MEXRU: If the people who ship RusMex like lil adorable Mexico, you think that Peru (who is even more short sized) is the most mega super 1000% kawaii thing in the universe. Probably you also like the Rusia x Peru x USA x Mexico love square.
IF YOU LIKE 🇺🇦 UKRAMEX (Ukraine x Mexico) 🇲🇽 or 🇧🇾 BELMEX (Belarus x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- Your favorite historical event: the Cold War.
- You think that RusMex is very overrated, and similar to the CanMex case, you think Russia siblings are better suitors.
- You don´t care to ship countries which do not share a lot of history and interactions compared to others.
- If you are from Hetalia you are a Belarus fan,and you ignore or hate her canon personality in the manga and the anime. 
IF YOU LIKE 🇳🇱 NEDMEX (Netherlands x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You are from the Hetalia fandom, without doubt. 
- Favorite Mexico Historical Period: The New Spain Colonial era.
- You like mysterious guys and with aura of "bad boy" but romantic on the inside.
- Eh… you like tulipans???
IF YOU LIKE 🇵🇭Phillippines x Mexico 🇲🇽
- Favorite Mexico Historical Period: The New Spain Colonial era.
- More probably you are from Hetalia than Countryhumans. 
- You like dom Mexico.
- Is probably that you ship, both Phillippines and Mexico, with other countries, since this two have their own harems.
IF YOU LIKE PRUMEX (Prussia x Mexico) 🇲🇽,  🇵🇹 Portugal x Mexico 🇲🇽,  Scotland x Mexico 🇲🇽
- You are an Hetalia fan.
- PRUMEX: You don´t like GerMex.
- PORTUGAL X MEXICO: You don´t like SpaMex.
- SCOTLAND X MEXICO: You don´t like neither UKMex or USAMex.
- IN GENERAL: You don´t like popular Mexico ships, and you prefer to ship Mexico with the siblings of the popular countries. 
IF YOU LIKE 🇲🇽Mexico x Any other country which is not on this post 🌎
You like random ships, you are unique and different, or you simply are a mexican who has visited or likes certain country. 
IF YOU LIKE 🇲🇽 Mexico x Mexico 🇲🇽
- You are a 100% patriot mexican.
- You like the North, South, and even Central, Mexico OC´s. 
IF YOU LIKE 🌎THE MEXICO HAREM (Everyone x Mexico) 🇲🇽
- You are mexican without doubt.
- You like submissive Mexico, or you like the flirty Mexico OC´s. 
- You think Mexico is the best country in the world and everybody should know it. 
- You get excited everytime a foreigner speaks well about your country. You often read the news about Mexico and it´s negotiations and agreements with the other countries.
- You have thoroughly investigated the history of Mexico and its relations with other countries. You've watched the YouTube channels of MainWatchers, Yolo Camotes and The Nopal Times Tops
- You are studying or you are interested on the next careers: International relations, History and Languages. 
- If you´re a fan of Hetalia, you like all the male characters and you fantasize about them. 
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We finish! If you like it and you had fun with it, I invite you to reblog it with this emoji: 💟. We also invite you to reblog it so you can share it with more fans :) 
I still have a lot of work and it seems it will get more hard, but I´ll do my best to keep active. Without anything more to say, see you all on the next post. 
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alter-chara · 4 years
Text
Review of Joker 2019 by someone with Psychosis
Joker 2019 is a critically acclaimed movie that came out in late 2019, however, I have some problems with how Psychosis was portrayed in the movie. So what was good? What was bad?
The Good-
The movie is strikingly Beautiful. There are several parallels to earlier points, and it gets straight up poster worthy near the end.
It does properly show Anxiety and Depression, and not in a negative light.
Medication is, at first at least, not portrayed as a "fix it all".
It also properly shows how underfunded and mishandled mental health facilities can be.
Also Arthur (The Joker), gets hit by cars three times during the movie. The first one was supposed to be sad, but the other two just felt relieving after all the shit he's pulled.
Now onto the Bad.
First, the Story
From a story perspective, It is never clear if you are supposed to like Arthur or not. Whether you are supposed to agree with him or not. There's not even a specific "His ideas are right but his execution is flawed." Instead, the movie tends to flip flop between him being unlikeable, scary, and wrong, to a victim, sympathetic, and even right. There is no clear logic about how you're supposed to feel about him, and it comes across as a lazy attempt to write a morally grey character.
Secondly, Framing.
Horror Music is often played during the moments where Arthur's psychosis is discussed. This is most noticeable in an early scene where Arthur sees his Therapist, and his Journal is brought up. He doesn't show it right away, and he starts laughing and bouncing his leg. This is clearly setting up the scene to be viewed as a frightening moment for the audience, and the payoff...? Arthur shows his journal and it has a joke about him being suicidal.
Horror music is also played during a clear psychotic break where he starts to have the hallucination/delusion, and his handwriting is messy and erratic.
Horror Music, for the last time, is played during the moment that the delusion is revealed, and Arthur has broken into his "love interest's" house. It is left vague if he killed her or not.
At best, this is a misstep in trying to make him sympathetic by using ill fitting music, or, at worst, this is a clear attempt to make these moments frightening, by use of sound design.
Thirdly, Inaccurate Symptoms.
There is *one* good delusion scene , and it is at the beginning. Arthur has a delusion about him being noticed and of importance to the talk show host of a show he enjoys. It is clear that this is a fantasy, and the delusion is of being important to this host.
The rest of the delusions? Painful to watch in their execution. Mainly the one about his love interest.  The hallucinations are way too clear and human. They speak like a person, they interact like a person, and there isn't any difference between them and the actual person until the end. This is likely done to prevent people from seeing the twist until the end, however, this would have worked better if they made it clear these were fantasies, and not actually happening. Instead they go the Hallucination route, where she is a Hallucination the whole time. This makes less sense, and is inaccurate to how hallucinations actually work.
Another inaccuracy to these delusions is that they are not distressing. They do not cause Arthur any mental stress, and, if anything, they are shown to be GOOD as long as they last. Delusions are scary as hell to the person experiencing them, but it is instead shown as scary to everyone around them. There is even a scene where the hallucination encourages Arthur's homicidal behavior. Can you get any more stereotypical?
Fourth, Psychosis is used to mean Abusive
His mother is mentally ill with Delusional Psychosis and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. (Slight aside, NPD is a highly stigmatized disorder of it's own, and is often blamed for abuse. In most cases, people with NPD are abuse victims, and are often actually at risk of being manipulated, which makes this worse.) She adopts Arthur, who was abandoned, and, due to her delusions, is unable to prevent her son from being abused. It is important to stress here, she is, at the same time, being physically abused by the same person.
And the movie says?
It's her fault.
First off, if this happened, CPS should have taken Arthur away from BOTH parents, and put him in foster care again.
Secondly, Arthur does not come to this conclusion himself. It is laid out, in hospitalization forms, that it is her fault. And the movie, does not argue against it.  It's supposed to be another nail in Arthur's coffin. Another person who hurt him, and another awful person in the world. In the movie's world, Arthur is not made out to be in the wrong for this, and neither is the hospital, or the police, or the news papers that cover the story as "Woman lets her son be abused".
Yes, neglect, and failure to protect a child is abuse, however, it is wrong to paint a mentally ill abuse victim, as completely responsible. There is no similar consequences for the main abuser, who perpetrated all these crimes against Arthur and his Mom. We do not hear his name, we are not told if he is alive or dead, and we do not even hear if he has been arrested.
Fifth, Mental Illness as demonized, and as a prop.
In the hospital scene where Arthur gets his mom's paperwork, there is a patient writhing, strapped to a bed. The situation is not at all portrayed as wrong, just the patient, who is specifically put there in order to cause unease in the audience.
When Arthur kills his former colleague, he tells him that he is off his meds and he feels great. And then he kills him. This perpetuates the stereotype that Mentally Ill people off their medication, are dangerous. We'll just ignore the horrible side effects Anti-Psychotics have (Especially in the time frame, 1980s, that this is shown in), and just say "Medication good, Unmedicated People Dangerous"
Arthur is also shown as being just seconds away from "snapping" and killing people at any moment. I should not have to explain why showing your mentally ill character like this is a bad thing.
The Psychotic Breaks are always shown as Freeing to Arthur, and dangerous to everyone else. Once again. Not how it works.
There is also the "What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that doesn't care" scene, where the punchline is that he shoots the talk show host and says "You get what you fucking deserve"
While this could be an attempt at saying that Mentally Ill people not being taken care of leads to undesirable outcomes, it just ends up coming across as "If we don't treat the mentally ill, they will become violent and kill people"
Then there the whole idea that none of this would have happened if Arthur wasn't given a gun.
Thank you for the blatant scapegoating of Mentally Ill people for murders. We are more likely to be victims than the general populace, and no more likely to commit crimes.
Lastly.
They used a pedophile's music for their most iconic scene, the dance down the stairway that Arthur is often seen walking up in his lowest moments. Even if the Pedophile was not paid royalties for his work in the movie, people who were fans of this scene will seek his music out, and possibly buy it without knowing.
Don't use a pedophile's music in your movie.
In Conclusion
Joker sets out to be a movie about Mental Illness while doing the absolute bare Minimum to actually portray it accurately. Much of this could have been cleared up by research and talking to people affected by the disorder. It fails both as an attempt to make a morally grey character, and in being an accurate portrayal of the mentally ill. 
3 out of 100 stars, one star for each time Arthur got hit by a car.
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otpnessmess · 4 years
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Daminette December Day 3: “Decorating”
TW: Major Character Death.
Now that I made that clear, I want to apologize in advance for any sadness this can cause. I just couldn’t help it. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy your read as always! Also, @ethelphantom is awesome for putting up with me and going over this.
Ao3 - Masterlist
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Decorating any type of thing had never been Damian's forte, but he tended to become particularly grumpy about it around the time the holidays rolled around. 
During the time he spent under the supervision of his mother and grandfather, holiday decorating was sparse, if there even was any at all. He couldn't say he was mad about the lack of spirit, however. Normal people liked to believe that there was something special about the season, with their holier-than-thou attitude and preaching hope and happiness wherever they went. Damian found them annoying and was more than glad his family didn't engage in such festivities. 
When he arrived at Wayne Manor, though, he wasn't ready for how different things were handled. Being introduced to the family a few days before his birthday meant half of December had already gone by, which in turn meant that the holiday craze was on its peak point.
'Disgusting.' The boy scowled around at the menagerie of trinkets and garlands hanging everywhere he could see. Was that mistletoe on that door frame? Why would you bring a tree inside, only to put stupid colorful balls and a star on it? He was pretty tempted to go back to his mother and her strict training. Anything sounded better than staying in the mansion from hell, with these savages and their awfully cheerful spirits for the month. 
Bruce never allowed him to do that, however, so the only thing Damian could do was learn how to at least tolerate it. 
It was surprisingly less difficult than they originally planned, even if it took the family several years to completely warm him up. They learned presents were a great incentive. His siblings knew perfectly well that, was Bruce to find out they were gifting him with weapons and strange books (which contained incredibly inappropriate things for a 12-year-old), there would be hell to pay. But hey, at least the kid seemed to appreciate them. Hopefully, he liked the gifts enough to keep quiet about it and not plan any murders.
By the time he was 16, the holiday season was not such a burden anymore. Like, sure, Damian still hated carols, and those cheesy Christmas movies his family used to watch all huddled together on the sofa. But, as Jon liked to remind him, that's not what the holidays were supposed to be about. 
That same year, his friend introduced him to Marinette. She was in Gotham on a trip with her class, and since Jon was a fan of just befriending adorable people, he made it their new mission to do so with her. Not that it was hard, mind you. When the tiny girl learned that Damian could speak French as well as he could English, her face lit up. Much to Jon's dismay and surprise, quick responses to whatever the hell Marinette was saying kept falling from his best friend's lips. And thus a friendship was born. 
It was sad when, a month later, they had to go to the airport together to say their goodbyes. She promised to keep in contact with both of them, before waving as the duo saw her disappear inside the plane. 
For two years, they kept close contact. Damian used every opportunity he had to hop on a plane to visit his friend in Paris. As the nineteen-year-old touched ground in France's capital, that frizzy December morning, it was with determination on his heart. There was no beating around the bush anymore. He was going to confess to Marinette. Even if she didn't like him that way, it would have been fine. He would never stop visiting or being her friend because she rejected his feelings. That was something cowards did, and Damian Wayne was a lot of things, but never a coward. He, however, turned out to be one of the lucky ones whose feelings were reciprocated by the one they loved. That night, standing next to the Seine, Marinette had said she liked him too. Damian couldn't be more excited about starting a new chapter of his life, with her by his side. 
More holidays came and went. Mari accepted a scholarship to a university in Gotham for designing, and now the couple was living together. They got a very nice apartment in the middle of the city, close to both the university campus and Wayne Tower, where Damian had started to help out Tim in the family business.
His Angel couldn’t have been more excited when he offered to take her shopping so they could decorate their new home. And he honestly didn’t feel the need to complain even 5 hours into skipping from store to store, arms full of bags. 
Once they got back, they immediately put their hands to work. He still hated Christmas carols, but maybe, just maybe, seeing the woman he loved hanging stupid and colorful ornaments on their tree while humming, made him hate them a bit less. 
The lovebirds adopted a routine and executed it to a T multiple times over the upcoming years. Marinette took care of the tree while Damian went around hanging those dumb garlands that he now kinda liked. They reminded him of his Angel teasing him while pretending it was a feathered boa. It had been a hilarious sight. His absolute favorite thing to do was to call his beloved to him, only for her to step under the mistletoe he had just put up. She would always roll her eyes at his stupid demeanor before kissing him senseless. No matter how many times he did that, Marinette would humor him. And once they pulled away, she would always have a smile ready for him. The kind of smile that could blind you if you looked at it too hard.
The kind of smile that could easily light up an entire room.
The kind of smile that made Damian wish it had been him that fateful night. 
The world hadn’t deserved to lose her. And she hadn’t deserved to go.
God, he missed her so much.
-
Most of what he had on his mind about the incident was a patchwork of other people’s memories. His own memories didn’t manage to survive the shutdown that overcame him when his brothers showed up at his door, all of them sporting pained and scared expressions. It was a cold and dark evening in Gotham, most people having already retreated into the warmth of their homes. Marinette hadn’t. The only thing he could clearly remember from earlier that night was seeing the snow slowly fall outside as he waited for his Angel to come back from her dinner with Chloé.
A drunk driver, they had told him. The man fell asleep in front of the wheel and drove straight onto the sidewalk where she was standing, waiting idly for her blonde friend to come back with their hot chocolate.
Damian had lost a part of himself that day. Those who were close to him worriedly wondered if he would ever be able to heal from it.
They hadn’t had the time to start decorating yet that year. 
Despite his family’s best efforts, he completely secluded himself. The boxes full of Christmas spirit had been waiting in the middle of the living room for the young couple to break into them yet again. Ready for another holiday season of making new memories, as well as remembering the old ones. They stayed right there. Unopened. Inside the empty apartment Damian hadn’t dared step into after that night. His father had insisted on having him stay with them, and he had no energy to even try and fight it. In his numbness, he ignored everything that happened the following month. 
Bruce had someone clean the apartment regularly, but leaving it untouched otherwise. Marinette’s family took care of the very private funeral they held, agreeing to have her stay in Gotham where she had decided to spend her life. Damian had attended, he was sure of it, they said they had dragged him along. However, he sometimes still doubted the image of her in a white gown, laying there on a casket, was real. His beloved had looked beautiful even then.
The following year was not easy. Ten years with Marinette had gone by in the blink of an eye. One could argue it was a lot of time, but for the 26-year-old Damian, it hadn’t been nearly enough with his Habibti by his side. She was his anchor in the stormy sea that was his mind. He had been her sword and shield whenever something or someone made her doubt herself. 
That was all gone now. 
No anchor.
No one to support.
He was on his own.
But slowly but surely, his stubborn nature surfaced. And had decided that it was enough. It refused to let Damian wither away. Not willing to throw away everything the woman he loved had worked so hard on. Marinette had made him want to be a better person, and he was not going to dishonor her in that.
That’s how that December afternoon had found him standing in the middle of their living room. Having a staring contest with a giant tree.
Even if it had taken him longer than in previous years, he had managed to put up all the usual house decorations. Although he couldn’t help but feel the mistletoes were mocking him whenever he walked under them and there wasn’t a smile, or a roll of the eyes, or a kiss for him. After some hours, the only thing left to decorate was the tree. But there was no Marinette to decorate it. Which left just Damian to complete the job.
One by one, the ornaments his fiancee had picked with the utmost care all those years ago were hung on the branches. At the time, Marinette had said they were a promise. For as long as they had each other, they could have these as a reminder of all the good moments. She had made it her mission to, no matter where they went on holiday, or if they were just celebrating a special occasion, buy a little ornament for their tree. It had stuck with them. Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, important moments. They all had their commemoratory trinkets.
It took him some minutes to gather his thoughts and himself together, but he did eventually start. With every little decoration he put up, he began to feel his heart become lighter and lighter as he relived the memories they each carried. Memories of the great times they had spent together. Having finished with those, wrapping up the tree with lights proved to be the easiest task he had taken on so far, they were just lights. But now he had to finally face the most challenging part: the star. 
Damian didn’t know how much time he just stood there, twirling the silver star in his hands. He reminisced about how every year, whenever it was time to finish with the tree, Marinette would seek him out happily. She used to drag him along and wait for him to hoist her up by the waist so she could finally wrap up her work. He always teased his Angel about not being able to do it herself, since she had indeed been the one to pick the tallest tree for their house.
Thinking of her brought a sad smile to his face, as well as some resolve to his brain at last. A moment later, the star was standing tall and proud in its place, looking down at him.
“There you go, Habibti. It’s done.”
Tears welled up in his eyes as he smiled at the photo he had previously balanced in between the branches. A photo of them on their last Christmas together under the tree on the morning of the 25th. 
He was still sad. 
He still missed her with every fiber of his being. 
But, as he glanced into those beautiful blue eyes he loved so much, Damian could finally feel how the weight that had found home on his chest for the past year alleviated, leaving nothing but a dull ache in its place. 
He took it as a sign, and hope bloomed in his heart. 
May Marinette remember him wherever she was, because he was sure he always going to remember her. And with a last look at the picture in his hands, he finally knew.
He was going to be okay.
-
And there it is! Day 3 is done! Thank you all so much for reading and leaving so many lovely comments, both here and on Ao3. I cannot explain just how happy those make me <3 Hopefully I will have enough time to write at least something tiny for day 4, so see you tomorrow!
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ruthoakenshield · 3 years
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Thorin and the Gem Carver (Part 14)
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Thorin heads out of your chambers and goes to the business district of Erebor. He finds Bofur’s and Bifur’s toy shoppe and enters. He chuckles when he hears a few pebbles squealing “Melhekhul!” (My King!!!) when they see him. They drop to the bows or curtseys that they had been taught from a toddling age to do when they saw any of the Royal family. “Rise little pebbles. What have you been up to in here?” he inquires of them.
They spend a few minutes showing him the latest toys His friends have created, and he smiles warmly at the little dwarf children. He chuckles and buys them each one toy to go off and play with. They are speechless and it takes them a full minute to process that the King just bought them toys to play with. They forget themselves, rush to him and hug his legs and then run out the door with their new toys thanking him as they do so. Bifur chuckles and asks him what he is doing in his humble toy shoppe.
“I wanted to talk to you and Bofur. Jade is back on bed rest and is getting agitated at not being able to move around. She apparently is an excellent artist, and I was wondering if the two of you could come up with some device that would allow her to draw while laying on her back. Something that would let her lie on her back, and support her arm as she draws, and would hold the paper in place with a hard backing so she could draw with ease.” Thorin explains. Bifur nods and tells Thorin that they will get to work on it immediately and will bring it up to her chamber once it is completed.
Thorin thanks him and gives him some coin for the project. Then he heads out and goes in search of a nice drawing journal and pencils for you. He enters a few shops looking around for them, but doesn’t see what he is looking for. He inquires where would be a good place to find them and is directed to a shop off in the corner of the mountain. He approaches it and finds an elderly dwarrowdam there with ghostly white hair. She greets him respectfully and inquires how she may be of service to him.
Thorin explains to her what he is looking for and why and she grins. “I have just the thing for you, Melhekhul! (My King!)” she tells him and hobbles over to the counter. She reaches down and pulls out a beautiful blue velvet bundle. She hugs it, then sighs and hobbles nervously back to her King and with a bowed head hands him the bundle with trembling fingers.
Thorin opens the blue velvet and sees a beautiful leather-bound book with elegant gold and silver designs on it. Thorin grins and nods. “A Gem carver’s journal fit for royalty.” She says caressing the delicate and quite intricate leather tooling embossed with the gold and silver leaf.
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Thorin goes to hand her coin and she shakes her head. “No, my King, I have kept it for a long time, too nervous to give it to you. I made it many years ago, before Smaug attacked, when your Father spoke of finding you a wife. I had intended to give it to you when you wed, as a gift back then; but it did not happen and I am old now, and wish to give it to you before I enter Mandos’ halls. I had heard you had found your One finally and were courting her. I had hoped to be able to give it to you before I departed this world. Do with it as you wish, Melhekhul!” She tells Thorin.
He sighs. “Please. Let me give you something for it, for I intended to give my One a book to put her drawings into for when she can carve again. For me to be able to give it to her as a courting gift I must purchase it or make it myself.” He tells her.
She chuckles. “Ah, I see.” She says. “If it is not too bold of me, you may purchase it with a kiss to this old, wrinkly cheek. Will that suffice?” she asks. Thorin chuckles and nods. “Aye, that will suffice.” He tells her. He leans down and gives her a kiss on the cheek. She blushes and nods. “I wish you well in your courting, my King. May the book bless your One with many fond memories and much joy.” She tells him, gently patting his arm as it rested on her shoulder. He nods, gives her a warm smile, and thanks her again, then heads out. He enters another shop looking for drawing pencils and finds some in the back corner of the store.
He is hidden from the sight of those entering the store and freezes in his tracks when he hears some dwarves gossiping. “I heard she is a cripple… can’t even feed herself, from what I hear. Why would anyone want to court someone like that?” One dwarf says. “I heard she is incredibly beautiful though and is a Master Gem Carver.” Another says. “How can she be a Master Gem carver if she is a cripple and can’t even feed herself! And how would it make our kingdom look to have a cripple for a queen?!? He could do so much better than her!” the first one says, “So what if she is a sight to see, what use is that to us if she can’t contribute to the community?” the first dwarf says.
Thorin is growling quietly, listening to them talk of his beloved like that.
“What are you saying, Dolrac, that just because someone can’t move by themselves, that they are of no use?!? She can still talk and grace us with her beauty and her presence! And it would not reflect poorly on our kingdom if we had a cripple for a queen! It shows our king sees beyond the physical and admires what true beauty is. That which is on the inside. Besides, I hear she has a good sense of humor and is a bit of a tease when she is in the mood. There are other ways to contribute that she can partake of, Dolrac. Give her time. From what I hear, she is still trying to find her way now that she can’t carve. I’m sure she has other untapped skills she isn’t aware of that she will be able to do once she recovers from her injuries. Who knows, perhaps she is an excellent negotiator, like Balin is! Did you hear he adopted her?!?” The second dwarf scolds.
Thorin silently steps behind the two dwarves and clears his throat, drawing their attention. The two dwarves’ eyes get huge and they drop to their knees apologizing profusely.
Thorin growls. ‘Dolrac, it is not your place to put judgement on my One without even meeting her! Before her injuries she was as skilled as any Gem Carver here, perhaps more so. It is indeed unfortunate that she is unable to carve and suffers from her injuries, but Mahal assures me she will one day walk and carve again, that it will just take time for her to heal and regain her strength. So, I’ll thank you to keep your trap shut in regards to my One unless it is in praise or defense of her and her character.” He thunders.
He turns to the other dwarf and says more calmly, “I thank you for defending my One. You are indeed correct in what you said of her. She indeed is beautiful, inside and out. She has a good wit and can be a tease when in the mood. And she is trying to figure out life now that she can’t carve at the moment. We are exploring other skills with her to see what interests her and what she is able to do.” Thorin tells the dwarf.
He bows to Thorin. “Please, Melhekhul! (My King), will you give her my well wishes and tell her I hope she finds new skills she can enjoy until she is able to carve once again. I look forward to seeing what all she is capable of carving.” He says.
“If you wish to see her skills with carving wood, travel to Rohan and ask the King and his kin to show you what Jade the Gem Carver has carved for them. They will happily show you.” Thorin suggests. “She is as skilled with carving wood as she is with carving Gems.” He adds. “She has also carved much for Lord Elrond and his elves as well as for Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn and their elves.” Thorin informs him. “Any of them would be happy to show you Jade’s work.
The dwarf nods. “Thank You, Melhekhul! I will remember that when I am in those areas again.” He tells Thorin. Nodding, Thorin motions for them to make their purchases.
They do and quickly leave. The business owner apologizes for the disrespect they showed towards the One of the King. Thorin thanks him and pays for the purchases. “Please tell her I wish her well and I pray to Mahal that she is able to find new skills to keep her occupied until she can carve once more.” He says. Thorin nods and heads out.
He wanders around for a while, thinking of you and he sighs. He heads down to the heart of the mountain once again and kneels before Mahal and Yavannah’s statues. Unsure what to do or say. Not sure to voice how he feels and his concerns.
Yavanna’s statue shifts and she appears before him sensing his uncertainty. “What troubles you dear Thorin?” she asks. He looks up and bows his head. “Many things, but I do not know how to put them into words to describe them.” He says and sighs, sitting on his knees before her. “Walk with me, and let us talk of it, perhaps you will find your words.” She says.
They walk along the nearby lake and Thorin tells her what has been going on with you since your injury and with your recovery thus far. He tells her about the two dwarrow he overheard in the one shop, and how depressed you are that you can’t seem to get ahead in your ability to walk and how much you are struggling with not being as independent as you were.
Thorin explains how every time you seem to make headway a few steps, something happens that yanks you back to square one again. “Yavanna, all she has ever known is carving and drawing her plans for her carving projects. She is used to traveling and the simple life. She says she feels caged like a beast on display and is not happy here. How can I ask her to marry me when she doesn’t want to stay here and isn’t happy?” Thorin’s heart aches at the thought of you leaving him.
Yavanna is quiet for a few minutes. “Thorin you said she was regaining feeling when there was traction on her spine?” she asked. He nodded. “And you said Lord Elrond made mention that something must be blocking the path for communication between the nerves in her legs and her spine?” she inquires. Thorin nods again. “Stay here a moment. I will be right back.” She says and disappears.
Thorin sighs and looks down at his gift for you. He pulls the book from the velvet, then sits on a boulder and examines the book closer. He opens the book, and something falls out of the book’s first page. He frowns and picks it up.
It is a note. “May this book bless you as you fill it’s pages as it blessed me making it for you. May the Peace and blessings of Mahal and Yavannah, be forever with you.” Thorin sighs and places the note back into the book. He flips the page and notices it is written on. “To Prince Thorin and His Lovely One. I wish you all the happiness in the world and many blessings of Yavannah and Mahal. May the gods bless you both with peace and joy.” Sincerely, Miranda Goldenleaf, daughter of Erebor, Royal book binder.
Thorin smiles seeing the blessing bestowed to his One and himself from the old Dwarrowdam. Just then Yavannah and Mahal appear before Thorin and he startles, dropping the book.
Mahal chuckles and bends to pick it up. He grins seeing the cover. “Ahh, I see Miss Miranda finally worked up the courage to give it to you.” He says as he examines the cover. “She has had this in her possession for a very long time.” He tells Thorin.
Thorin looks at him confused. Mahal chuckles. “She had a crush on you for many, many years, Thorin. She made this for you when she was learning her craft. It was a test her mentor gave her to create the most intricate and detailed work she could. “Something fit for a king.”
She came to us in tears and prayed, asking for our help and blessing on her project. We blessed her and she became one of the best book binders in the dwarven kingdom. Your Grandfather appointed her as the Royal book binder before the Gold Sickness began to affect him.
Her work fills your library. Her only wish was to get a kiss from you. ‘Just one,’ she said, ‘and I’d die a happy dwarrowdam.’” Mahal recalls. “She never married and dedicated her life to creating beauty for Erebor’s royal family and it’s libraries.”
Thorin’s eyes get huge. “SHE made all our book’s covers?!?” he says surprised. Mahal nods with a smile. “Yes, Thorin. And you have made her a happy dwarrowdam by giving her the kiss she always yearned for. She will enter our halls soon, as her time here is drawing short. Mahal informs Thorin.
“I wish I would’ve known of her sooner. I’ve always wondered who made the beautiful covers for the books I had read. Her skill is becoming a lost art. Ori would’ve loved to learn from her how to do what she has done, I’m sure there are others as well who would’ve loved to learn how. Had I known, I would have asked her to take him on as an apprentice.” Thorin says sadly.
“I will grand her enough time here, Thorin, to teach Ori what she knows so the knowledge is not lost. I know he will record it in detail and faithfully for future generations for when she is gone.” Mahal says. He looks at her creation and enchants it so that it and its contents never fade and never wears away.
He hands it back to Thorin who reverently wraps it in the blue velvet with the package of Pencils at it’s side.
“Now, Yavanna tells me your One is having troubles with getting her back to heal properly, that it is hindering her progress in recovering?” Mahal asks. Thorin nods and explains to Mahal what they figured out so far. He nods.
“When Lord Elrond comes, he will use his magic to fix what the problem is. Once that happens, I will visit her and make it so she has no more problems with the bones shifting out of place there. It is a weak spot for her right now, like a crack in a stone foundation. I will fill in the crack and strengthen it so it is no longer weak, and it will be as it was before her fall. From then on, she should be able to progress with the recovery unhindered.” Mahal tells Thorin. “You have been a blessing to her, Thorin. Without your support, she would have given up.” Mahal adds.
“She will need to stay in bed for one week after Lord Elrond and I heal her back. To give the body time to adapt to the healing and to give the nerves time to reconnect properly. If she does not abide by this, she WILL NOT walk again.” Mahal warns. Thorin sighs. “I will do my best to keep her in bed. She already is wearied by it and feels caged. I worry this will put her into a deep despair.” He sighs.
“Stay by her side, Thorin. Give her the gifts you have bought for her. Continue to encourage her. I have given her other gifts besides the wood, metal and gem carving that she has yet to discover. Help her to find them.
Bofur and Bifur already have plans for the project you have asked them to create. Jade will need it soon to lift her spirits and to give her hope.” He says. “Have Fili take over ruling, temporarily until Jade is able to walk again on her own. She will need you at her side during this time coming up.” Mahal warns Thorin. “I will do as you instruct, Mahal.” Thorin says with a bow.
“Thorin, give Jade this as a gift from us.” Yavannah says. She hands him a green Jade box.
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When he opens it, his jaw drops. He looks up at her and she just giggles. Inside the box, nestled in lush green velvet, are two tubes of silver and a silver ring. On each of the long hair beads are three small iridescent stones that he has never seen before. “The Stones are called ‘Yavanna’s tears’.” She explains to him. “They form when I cry as I beg my husband to help someone, usually a dwarrow. If he decides to help them, the stones are given to them as a token of the promised aid.” She explains further.
Thorin looks down at them and caresses them reverently. Surrounding them are carved the runes stating, “Mistress Gem Carver of the highest degree, favored of Mahal, honored by Yavanna.”
The same stone sits on the ring, only it is larger, with the same runes surrounding the stone only in reverse. Carved into the stone deeply are the braided pattern Thorin’s courting braid had made when the maid put it into the diamond design on the side of your head.
“This is Jade’s signet ring, gifted by us to her. That no one any longer doubts her skill level nor her talents. The hair beads are to be placed above your courting beads for now, and once you marry, they are to be placed above your wedding beads to her.
Jade’s hair is never to be cut other than to trim the split ends off. She and any future Mistress Gem Carvers are to wear the diamond patterns in their hair that Jade’s handmaid placed into Jade’s hair when she used your courting braid to create the pattern. You and the line of Durin will be given and taught a new courting braid pattern for the line of Durin by Yavanna when the time comes for them to need it. Remind Balin that he needs to make Jade beads signifying his adoption of her. He has forgotten it with all that has been going on. Have him braid his family braid just behind her courting braid, under the diamond pattern.
When Jade readies to leave her chambers from now on, she is to have her courting and eventual wedding braids in this diamond pattern, so that the beads are able to be seen and recognized and not drag on the floor.
The diamond pattern will now be the symbol for Mistress Gem Carvers Guild and as such they are to be recognized as equals to the Master Gem carvers Guild, who now will be the male counterpart. Any dwarrowdam reaching the skill of a Master Gem Carver will be given the title of Mistress Gem Carver and are to be shown the same respect as a Master carver.” Mahal tells Thorin. Repeating it twice in two different ways to emphasize it’s importance that both the guild as a whole as well as the dwarrowdam both be given equal respect and honor as their male counterparts.
“Have Balin draw up an edict stating this and that it is by order of Mahal and Yavanna. We will put our seals onto it that none will ever question said order. Then call your kingdom and the other kingdoms of Middle Earth to come to a celebration and there you are to formally announce this edict but not until Jade is ready. Then at this celebration, announce her as the first Mistress Gem Carver by order of Mahal and Yavanna. Present her with the beads and the ring in front of your kingdom and all the other kingdoms of Middle Earth, that none will further question her skills and abilities nor the dwarrowdams who come after her in these fields.” Mahal instructs.
Thorin is speechless and simply nods, then looks down at the gift. “Thank you.” He whispers. He hears Yavanna’s giggle and Mahal’s low rumbling laugh and when he looks up, they are gone. There is a light shining out from the blue velvet and Thorin looks at it puzzled. He unwraps the book once more and opens the cover. Inside is an additional note that wasn’t there before. It states:
“My dearest Jade, this book has been blessed by Yavanna and myself so that it and it’s contents never fade from memory, will never wear out and will survive till the ending of the world. Use it to preserve the talents of the Mistress Gem Carver’s guild (the dwarrowdam’s new counterpart to the Master Gem Carver’s guild). You, My Dear Jade, are the first dwarrowdam we name as Mistress Gem Carver. Your skills and talents being honed by your Father from infancy. You carve better than any dwarrow I have ever created or ever will create. None will compare to you. Teach others what you have learned, you WILL carve again, both in wood and in gems and precious metals. Do not despair, my sweet Jade. You have not been forgotten by us. We are proud of you and all you have overcome.”
~Mahal and Yavanna.
Below each of the signatures were the seals of both gods burned into the parchment. Thorin smiles and says quietly, “Thank you once again for giving us hope.” He slips the notes into the page with the note from Miranda Goldenleaf. Then carefully wraps the book and the box of pencils into the blue velvet. He picks it up along with the jade box and leaves the heart of the mountain feeling lighter in heart and happy knowing there is still hope for you.
More Chapters to come.
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