#and why promise it in the first place ??

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

no thoughts just comparing the deliberate parallels between the concerned comments layla, faruzan and paimon make to kaveh which are used to contextualise alhaitham’s comments to kaveh during a parade of providence

In the desert, layla who previously had issues with dealing with anxieties, received dubious advice from kaveh about equating worries to that of a sickness for that which is no cure, therefore you have to let its run its course

Layla reveals that this advice isn’t suitable for her, since the cause for her anxiety was solely because she didn’t have a clear goal for herself. She states that therefore, if this advice is something kaveh adheres to, then this is ultimately worse for him, as kaveh claims to have a set goal - as in, he wants to win the interdarshan chanpionship.

She notes that kaveh seems conflicted, and that this could stem from some inner sadness which he suppresses with a façade of happiness.

This points to kaveh’s internal conflict being between that of his guilt complex brought about by his perceived involvement in his father’s passing, and his genuine desire to help others at the cost of himself. Kaveh cannot balance the two in ways that will allow him to prioritise his own needs and desires

Kaveh’s internal conflict is pointed out later on in the same quest by Faruzan, who highlights kaveh’s title as a genius being incongruous with his problem solving abilities after kaveh passes out in the desert due to giving his food and water to the disturbed foxes and going out of his way to lead them to safety, putting himself at risk and jeopardising his place in the competition

However, Kaveh states that his title of a genius has nothing to do with this situation, and although he admits it wasn’t the most practical solution, it was dually his conscience that ultimately caused him to act and perceivably the guilt that would come from not attempting to help

After the second round comes to a close and faruzan inadvertently informs alhaitham of kaveh’s “tribulations”, the player gets to hear alhaitham’s reactions to kaveh’s decision through kaveh, as kaveh and alhaitham have discussed the events in the desert offscreen

Paimon points out that this is definitely ‘something’ alhaitham would say due to the blunt manner of speaking and the dryness of his words - this contextualises how kaveh receives them, as personal goading

When looking past this and focussing on alhaitham’s actual words, the real meaning can be found, and it is even a point in this scene that paimon offers the exact same comments, drawing direct parallels between her and alhaitham’s words, and therefore establishing the same concerns

Alhaitham points out kaveh’s unreliable problem solving abilities being incongruous with his title as a senior - directly paralleling faruzan’s comments in which she highlighted how kaveh’s decision making abilities were at odds with his title as a genius

As well as this, alhaitham alludes to kaveh’s guilt complex being the reason why he exerts himself for others at his own expense - which is a point that the traveller and paimon directly follow up on

Kaveh responds to their questioning amicably despite the sensitive nature of the conversation, just as he did when faruzan pointed out kaveh’s problematical decision making, and this is because of their apparent concern rather than actively seeking offence, with paimon protesting when kaveh asks: “don’t tell me you think i have serious personality flaws, too?” With the ‘too’ clearly referencing alhaitham and the conversation the two had prior to the traveller and paimon turning up

Kaveh can understand the concern in others’ words when they question his problem solving skills and the sense of his inner conflict stemming from guilt, however, when alhaitham makes the same comments, kaveh sees this as a form on animosity and personal critique

Because of alhaitham’s manner of communication and kaveh’s apparent distrust of alhaitham, the two cannot reach a mutual understanding - despite alhaitham expressing the same concerns as three separate characters within this quest

It is telling then that when kaveh gleans an otherwise unseen meaning in alhaitham’s words is when alhaitham changes his method of communication and directly, and intimately, addresses kaveh by using a script that only the two are privy to

Kaveh still doesn’t wholly understand alhaitham’s meaning, but the switch up in communication method is enough for kaveh to question alhaitham’s sincerity and not attribute it to alhaitham mocking him

Kaveh continues questioning the cause for this throughout the remainder of the event, being seen to question why alhaitham left the notes for him and whether if it was a coincidence or not. He concludes that it wasn’t a coincidence and then states “then…”, inferably questioning why alhaitham left the notes for him and what the meaning of his words were, in a script only kaveh would understand. Additionally, kaveh mentions wanting to ask alhaitham what the meaning of his notes were when at dinner after the closing of the interdarshan championship, as the uncertain meaning of his words has seemingly left a profound effect on him

Alhaitham changing his manner of communication, which kaveh usually perceives as negative, causes kaveh to question alhaitham’s sincerity, and therefore causes doubt in whether alhaitham is patronising him or not. This in turn can cast obscurity over kaveh’s assertion that alhaitham holds “disdain” for him due to Alhaitham’s expression of concern which kaveh cannot perceive due to the abrasiveness of his words. Alhaitham conveying his concern in a roundabout way only allows for kaveh to misinterpret him, which kaveh perceives as “disdain”.

A parade of providence establishes the cause for the rift in alhaitham and kaveh’s relationship mainly to be perpetual misunderstanding in communication, and sets out to propose a solution being that a change of communication.

By using a language that only the two of them know shows that for kaveh to fully understand his meaning, alhaitham must meet kaveh on his own terms when it comes to communication - the two must be on equal and frank level. this could allow a potential rebuilding of intimacy the two once shared when initially learning the language, and thus overcome the idea of “mutual disdain” which kaveh asserts due to his fundamental misunderstanding of alhaitham which alhaitham seems to reinforce with his typical language

(Update: For more analyses like this, the essay this is taken from is now uploaded! It can be accessed here and here as as a pdf <3)

#haikaveh #kavetham #alhaitham #kaveh #a parade of providence #okay this is a condensed point from The Essay so yes there are several layers missing #i will talk about kavehs altruism and alhaithams egoism i promise!! #also i just think its interesting that kaveh and alhaithams arc in this event centres around miscommunication and understanding #not that the two should empathise with each other but that they should embrace and accept their differences #as in they should ultimately be companions to one another #kaveh’s hangout is PIVOTAL to this!! #which is why i stand firm in the belief that a parade of providence is kaveh’s story quest #also forever thinking about kaveh being fixated on that gay ass note #fellas is it gay to share notes in a language only the two of you know? #and how he finally got to ask alhaitham at the end of the event once alhaitham set out to find him after returning from the desert #of which he only went to in the first place for kavehs sake #im chewing my teeth

[oetscop]

this is kinda old and i almost didnt post it. i kinda gave up on making a full rainer ref like i did with daniel soooo take this ^}^

this is after 1997 and before 2000 when he went missing for good.

#eyes #my art #petscop #petscop art #petscop fanart #rainer hammond #petscop rainer #i like to think the reason his stuff is in the marks garage is bc daniel nlm was just squatting in there #so now she like refuses to speak to him #mostly bc she only just got care back and they didnt even want to be living there in the first place #same night he was trying to get a picture of care #almost breaking the door down #anna had never seen him cry before so it was jarring #you can imagine why she went no contact #he actually stays in contact with belle for like. a really long time #theyd leave silent messages on their answering machine until she left for college #she reported them missing and nothing came of it #idk why im saying all this LSJSKSJSKSHSJ I PROMISE ILL WRITE AN ACTUAL FIC OR SMTH ONE DAY

[squidpedia]

Why do you have 50+ unanswered questions in your mailbox? >:)

I am but a slow person who is overly ambitious in thinking i can answer most of these with art. A chunk of the asks have been sitting in my drafts folder for a few weeks while i stare at them and just think about the thing i wanted to draw for them. While i still try to find the time to work on my own personal projects.

#shoutout to clovers memories comic #part 3.5 is still worked on sometimes i promise #I PROMISE #PART 7 FINALLY GETS TO THE MEAT AND BONES OF WHY I MADE THE COMIC IN THE FIRST PLACE #I WONT LET IT DIEEEEEEE #asks #not drawing #pedia says stuff

[tricksterlatte]

Anyone else think short form social media based on algorithms designed to promote topics that create more engagement instead of more joy, the idea of fast fashion but conveyed through social media, and the fact you can monetize suffering and outrage better than ever has largely resulted in the death spiral of media literacy and the mass emergence of bad faith readings?

#I may be venting a lil but god it blows my mind #fyp is a blessing and a curse because i don't think ppl were ever meant to be subjected to this many ppl at once #god i took a bird site hiatus for weeks and now BARELY check it and it already feels like a hit #oughhhhh #even fandom spaces have hugely incorporated marketing and networking into them bc of cmms and sponsorship and building portfolio #which would be fine tbh if it weren't for the way socmed is designed #now it's like you can't support too many ppl or else you're shadow banned or you have to make yourself palatable and marketable #and websites with threads in which people will only read the first post before qrting because ratios are seen as five minutes of fame #features that permit beating an algorithm are locked behind a paywall that promises you money if you go viral #and what goes viral is usually incendiary content meant for those ratios or trends. whether for or against OP #even in hobbyist spaces the climate has changed so much due to the monetization and marketing and just. ugh #not to mention side accounts dedicated to gossip in this new priv account culture like...idk #if you have to make another account so you can make fun of a friend on main with selected priv friends it just doesn't sit well with me #and not every priv account does this but enough do and it makes me tired #unsolicited hate comments are still as bad as they used to be on ff dot net except now people openly are proud of it more #why do most socmed feel like passive aggressive sticky notes on high school lockers #there is so much more I could say about everything that has left me weary about the internet but I don't know the time or place #and I don't want anyone to think this is about them because it's a general statement. though if you are doing the more inflammatory things. #maybe rethink that. it's not good for anyone else and it's not good for you either #I keep coming back online to check on ppl and see art and I *know* it's draining for my health every time #but I feel a lot better now that i use socmed less overall. and that I try to focus on what makes me happy #it just sucks seeing so many people i care about endure absolutely wild struggles bc people online do not care. #I like rambling in my tags because this is the only place I ramble except my personal journal and to my wife

[sprout-fics]

ty for answering my ask, i appreciate it.

the only reason i’m most likely going to stick to the fandom is because the characters bring me joy. yes wars are real and i feel horribly bad for the Palestine people aswell as the Ukrainian people who had to suffer through the wars, but i have to remind myself that the in-game stuff hasn’t happened and it isn’t based off real events (luckily.)

obviously i’ve donated around all of my pay checks to the Palestine people and Ukrainian people. i’m sorry if this is offensive, i can’t tell if it is or not.

but in a short statement: i’m staying in the fandom because i like the characters.

(I got your other ask too, and I don't think you are starting drama)

Again, you do what makes you happy friend. My decision is my own, and I'm not going to convince people one way or the other.

I will add on, however, that in game stuff is based on real life. It's all fictional to a degree, but there are events in the game that are based off real life. The missile attack on General Gohbrani is based on the US assassination of an Iranian general, Makarov is based on Russian nationalist sentiment that has influenced the Ukraine War, The dam mission in MWIII has some unfortunate parallels to the deliberate destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, Graves' own testimony has been likened to that of the Blackwater testimony on Capitol Hill. False flag operations that blame freedom fighters, cartel sicarios murdering innocents, all of these things do occur in real life.

You can still consume it, nobody is stopping you, and I myself have spent some very enjoyable moments in this fandom. However it is important to note that these events are inspired by real life. They aren't unique in that, granted, but it is all the more reason to consume this media critically.

I truly don't think you message was offensive or that you are starting drama, and I apologize if my tone came across that way as well. I just wanted to offer a perspective that certain events in this game are not entirely fictional, and should be consumed with a grain of salt. I hope you continue to enjoy your time in the fandom, and please know this was not meant to encourage you to part from it, but merely to (gently) correct an assumption that these games are 100% fictional

#I promise there's no hard feelings here friend #You don't need to justify to me why you're deciding to stay #because I was not encouraging you to leave in the first place #My views are entirely my own and I am in no way telling people they need to drop everything and run for the hills #I also would stay for the characters were in not for the fact that I'm contending with a lot of personal stuff at the moment #it is also not offensive at all to make donations to humanitarian causes #You should be proud of that

[queerbaitesque]

who the hell is reading this and thinking sebaciel is just something those perverted queers made up. genuine question but what do they think this is

#ok last post im gonna make abt it and then its just good fun i promise but god. some posts i read were ridiculous #'normal bb fans dont like sebaciel' why are reading the sebaciel manga in the first place??? #kuroshitsuji lb #are you*

[simulation-machine]

˚‧º·(˃̣̣̥∩˂̣̣̥)‧º·˚ <- I was like, seconds from a tantrum about an hour ago.

Y'all. I did something so incredibly just, typical inattentive levels of ridiculous. I accidentally deleted my subfolder with all of my up-to-date mods. Since I wasn't really messing with those, I didn't think to back it up like I did with all my CC.

I really get into it re: mental health and while I'm really trying not to be so hard on myself, this set me back somewhat.

It was when I was doing the standard clear all the caches pre-loading-game fare. I must not have realized it was highlighted. I always empty my recycling bin after I do that, just a force of habit that I can trace back to the days I played Sims 3.

I tried to use Windows Recovery, and my last saved PC backup was right when I got sick, in early January. So I know which mods I have to download, but they all need to be updated.

Not all hope is lost. It would have been slightly worse if it were my CC or a saves folder or something. But this has already taken me like 4 entire days of hyperfocus and I just added like 2 hours of busy work because WHY NOT.

I really don't mind being ADHD most of the time. The diagnosis really helped me figure out a lot of important stuff about myself and gave me tools to be more successful with things I previously struggled with a lot. Unfortunately, I've been without my ADHD meds siiiince late January because of the stimulant/ADHD meds shortage that is somehow still a thing.

And when I do finally get them, I'm probably going to need to wait another month and a half for them to kick in. Apparently, a pharmacy a couple of miles from me is getting some in tomorrow so I can go and get it then so this added to it. Plus since I'm in a stage where I'm sort of just doing the same thing over and over again, it's easy to be in autopilot.

Anyways, I'm totally fine now. Got more of an all-business-no-goofin'-back-to-work vibe going on.

#the great cc purge of 2024 #crystal solves problems that were caused by crystal in the first place #this right here is the reason why I will occasionally smoke the devil's weed #it really helps with stress and anxiety #i unfortunately have a brain that likes downers and hypnotics waaay too much so i can't use those #i only cried a little bit and it wasn't a sad-cry it was an ANGERY-cry #now it's just back to business #okay that's all #i promise i'm okay now #now i'm just rolling my eyes at myself #this is why baby jesus invented marijuana

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

the higher-ups (and Yaga) immediately trying to leverage Gojo & Ieri's absence to put Yuuta on the roster??? God that's such a stark moment. Thank god Nanami and Gojo saw through that one immediately, because Yuuta wants to justify his own survival so badly he would've fallen straight into it.

That whole scene, with Yuuta immediately jumping on the opportunity to help people even though something is Extremely Wrong with him and he's on the brink of physical collapse--this boy is selfless to the point of self destruction and I am chewing the drywall about it. I love him so much.

If only he was able to summon his newly found homicidal rage in defense of himself, the higher-ups would no longer be a problem. Alas, this boy is Extremely Unwell.

(Sea Glass Gardens is absolutely incredible and i am obsessed with it in a way that is totally and 100% normal. I'm so normal about it, trust me <3 )

The thing about Yuuta is that he really is prime to be taken advantage of right now and the higher ups know it. They had him try to kill himself for them--they know that there's a window of opportunity that they can use to get him under their thumb and avoid The Problem of Gojo, which is, namely, having a human weapon who you cannot fully control. Gojo nailed it from the beginning: they want a magic gatling gun with no personality or free will. They learned their lesson with Gojo and are trying to rob Yuuta of his agency before he learns how to protect himself.

And Yaga's part in that scene really was meant to kind of emphasize how, even with the best intention's, he just doesn't work to protect the kids. Like. everything he said was technically true, and he meant it with the best of intentions. He's the guy who has to think of everyone's needs. he has to manage this crisis. he's got a lot of people hurt badly who just came out of a war, and a lot of people going into fights with some very aggravated curses spawning without sufficient manpower to address the danger and no healer to save them if they cut it a little too close. He didn't have the intention of manipulating or sacrificing Yuuta, but he was aware that it would come to his detriment and risk.

The issue is the higher ups. They don't give a shit about the people in their workforce. They should be the ones doing whatever it takes to solve this crisis and save their people--and if that means giving up on their machinations? They should have already done it. It's their responsibility.

They just don't care. They want Okkotsu Yuuta under their thumb, and their society hemorrhaging is treated like an opportunity, not a dire problem to be solved. They don't care if half a dozen of their own people need to die to do it. Hell, it's better if they do die--they can put it straight on Okkotsu for not being willing to sacrifice himself, when they should have been making whatever promises they had to in order to make this work.

Gojo's done this before, is the thing. He was Yuuta, a long time ago. Nanami was right there watching it happen. They both know what the higher ups do: They let society get to a crisis level and put all the responsibility on you to save it. they let you maneuver yourself into a vulnerable position as a result, and then they use it as leverage to put their goddamn boot on your neck.

The thing is that Gojo adopting megumi all those years ago really did put them into a crisis state. the zenin pitched the mother of all bitch fits trying to secure his unconditional return, and they were a huge percentage of jujutsu society's labor force and resource pools. instead of the higher ups managing the problem at all, they took advantage of the situation and shoved more and more of its weight and responsibility onto gojo, until he was dropping off his own kid at his abusers' compound thinking it was the only compromise that could resolve things. megumi paid the price for gojo not calling bullshit, and right now, with him in a hospital bed? gojo's less willing to repeat mistakes than ever.

he knows that they're going to use the safety and suffering of everyone else as the leverage against him, and he knows that as terrible as it is, he cannot blink first. He's played this game before, and he knows that the only way to get the higher ups to back off on something like this is to dig in your heels.

I think what happened to Megumi all those years ago and how bad it got before they put a stop to it is something that haunts all three of them. When they first started raising him, they were very young, and they were very broken, and they loved him very, very much. He was their little boy, and he was never the same after the Zenin. They were supposed to protect him, and they didn't, and not a single one of them has forgiven themselves for that.

Megumi was sort of sacrificed for the greater good when he was a kid. None of them thought that that was what they were doing when it happened, but that's what happened. His happiness, safety, and wellbeing were sacrificed to pacify the Zenin and make it easier on everyone else.

Megumi and Tsumiki had to become their non-negotiables after. They had to become the things they refused to compromise on. The Zenin would take miles and miles if you gave them a millimeter, let alone an inch.

Gojo didn't think he was compromising them when he left them on their own to deal with Geto's war. They were disgustingly self-sufficient kids. They had been alone for longer stretches of time when they were practically toddlers--they should have been fine on their own for a couple of weeks.

But they were still his kids, and he still left them alone for everyone else's sake, and now his kid is blind and half dead in a hospital bed. It's like being punched in the face by old mistakes.

So they're off the roster completely, all of them. And they're not compromising an inch on what their focus is, and they're not letting anything happen to any of the other kids in their care.

It's terrible that their coworkers are suffering, but it wouldn't be happening if the Zenin hadn't fucked with Gojo Satoru's kid, of all the goddamn people. It wouldn't be happening if the higher ups would actually do their job and start managing shit.

And if they use Yuuta as an anxiety riddled bandaid on the bullet hole in their society? Then they'd be sacrificing him the way they sacrificed Megumi all those years ago. And they have never been less willing to do that.

I'm so so glad you like the story! Thank you for talking with me!

#i think gojo has such a big emphasis on giving kids the tools to protect themselves because no one ever did that for him or geto #geto snapped under the pressure and was lost to gojo forever #Gojo repeatedly focuses on giving the kids the tools to enjoy their childhood without being hurt #like with yuuji--he doesn't want him to sacrifice his youth and happiness with the others #so he focuses on giving him the strength to protect himself when gojo isn't there #in my mind that's also why gojo was always trying to feed yuuji the fingers #like when i first started the series it seemed kind of weird to me because gojo very obviously didn't want yuuji dead #until i realized that yuuji canonically had a good chance at suppressing sukuna even at 20 fingers as long as he had them spaced out #if yuuji had sukunas power level and had gotten it in increments eventually the higher ups couldnt touch him and hed still be under control #honestly none of the adults are doing well right now #a little under a decade ago the issue with the zenin came to a head and megumi ended up being very small and very hurt in a hospital bed #and they promised him that it would never happen again #now he looks very small and very hurt and he's in a hospital bed and the zenin put him there #as much as he's an angry teenager who hates displays affection he really is their little boy and they adore him #nanami was the one who took him from the zenin the final time all those years ago and he personally promised megumi that he would never eve #go back to that place. he feels like a complete failure right now. #gojo always blamed himself for not digging in his heels and refusing the custody compromise and now he's FURIOUS that this happened under #his nose a second time. i think gojos really interesting in the hero role because he's canonically low empathy and struggles with homicidal #impulses and let me tell you he thought about just killing all the zenin back then and he's REALLY thinking about it right now. there's one #fucking way of making sure this never happens again. #shoko generally feels like shit because this is supposed to be the one thing she can do to help and she /can't/ do it right now to help #megumi. also she privately thinks she had the most opportunity to realize how bad it was with the zenin back then and /didn't/. #she was going through a lot of her own issues back then and the zenin had some kind of believable excuses for why megumi was always banged #up. like. he was already getting into fights at school. its not like the zenin had issues procreating. they said he was picking fights #with other kids and that's where he got hurt. they actually blamed maki more than once. and some bruises here and there is expected for a #kid in combat training even at what was meant to be a very preliminary level. he was supposed to be in like. kiddie karate classes and they #didn't realize the zenin were training him like a fucking marine. it was SO obvious in hindsight and that tortures them. #protecting yuuta right now kind of feels like a chance to get it right the first time and all of them need that now that they feel like the #fucked it up with megumi a second time #sea glass gardens

[floralfemmes]

why. is alcohol

#why did i promise the guy who was my sister's first kiss that id play pool at his place on tuesday. why.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Norman ratri fuckery or maybe Norman in lambda scenario if im understanding this right!

For an AU with greater canon divergence, I like tinkering with the idea of Peter being more hands on in interacting with Norman to better contrast with Emma and Ray getting Lucas and Yuugo for father figures.

22194 has been a child of interest since he scored a perfect 300 on his first test at age four. Potentially even earlier than that, if, like Ray, the demons kept track of his pedigree and his mother was also a full scorer. Regardless of exactly when it started, he continues to capture the attention of researchers and the demon nobility alike, so by the time Legravalima gives approval for him to be sent to Lambda so she can avoid handing him over to the demon god, Peter was already aware of his general existence.

He's thrown for a loop when he meets him in person though. The only potential photographs he would have of Norman would be from when he was an infant at headquarters. His incredibly light/white hair on its own wouldn't have been enough to give him much pause, but now that his features have had more time to develop, Peter's a bit startled at the Ratri ones he can pick out.

(@bon-nii's comparison of James and Norman from chapters 173, 152, 126, and 154)

(Chapter 74)

There's a bit of vanity in him saying he's too young to be Norman's father (never mind he was eighteen when Norman was born), but combined with the boy's looks, the phrase sits at the back of his mind, nudging him until he can't ignore his curiosity any longer. He looks into the genealogy records at Grace Field headquarters until he can't find any recording of a sperm donor, which isn't more than a few generations back. Odd, given that Grace Field is the top premium farm, but sometimes such documentation snuck through the cracks, and it wasn't unheard of for the occasional scientist to consort with the Sister candidates prior to the refinement of artificial insemination.

It's one of Norman's blood samples that confirms someone from the family—either from the main one or the branch Andrew's from—fathered a daughter with a Sister, and that daughter went on to have a daughter who then bore a son.

Pulling this bit from an earlier post:

…I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of Peter knowingly and willingly [putting a Ratri child in the farm system] on the basis of viewing them as an extension of the clan rather than as individuals, so it’s almost like it’s a worse reflection on him not being able to restore the honor of this wayward branch of it by “salvaging” the traitor’s children and raising them “correctly.” He places such great value in being a Ratri and displays such disdain when speaking of the cattle children as food, it’s hard to see him sullying the line in any way by condemning a member to the fate of the latter as opposed to just outright killing them, even if said member was an infant. That’s still Ratri blood—his blood—that would be going into the farm system, and he would never let anyone as lowly as food have any sort of claim to such a noble and prestigious status. […] However, I’m more inclined to entertain the idea of another family member taking advantage of their position as a Ratri to have a dalliance with a Sister candidate, as @officersnickers brings up in this post. It’s not something Peter would ever approve of, but what’s done is done, and importantly there was no explicit denouncement of the clan in this act, which I feel he would take personal offense to. There’s nothing he can do to save these children—the one-drop rule thoroughly entrenched in his mind, and their blood is thoroughly tainted—but maybe their Ratri lineage will win out and they’ll be able to rise above their pitiful status, so he does keep tabs on both as he approves of them being sent on their separate ways in the system.

This is where one has to make the concession that Peter cares more about having an heir and/or believing a child's Ratri heritage trumps their fate of being born into the farm system. Shirai never confirms if he has a partner, but regardless, no mention is made of biological children of his own or if he knows of any potential ones on the way.

And maybe that's getting to him as the thirty-sixth head of the Ratri clan who's going to turn thirty next year, along with this boy looking so much like James. He knew his brother had no children, and despite his traitorous ways knew he'd never father one with a Sister for a variety of reasons. Yet here is this distant relative whose genes were still so prominent even after being diluted with multiple generations of cattle blood (him being vain enough to include Norman's intelligence as being another gift of Ratri inheritance). He decides to take it as a sign and as a duty to reclaim and "salvage" this wayward line of the clan.

Norman knows something's off when he doesn't receive all of the drugs he normally does for the day. Everything else proceeds as routine until dinner, when he's escorted not by scientists or demons, but men dressed in suits to an area of Lambda he's never been to before. They arrive in a lavishly decorated room with Peter seated at a relatively small but well-furnished dinner table. Norman's never seen so much food meant for one person, but as Peter invites him to have a seat, he realizes it's meant for two people.

There's some small talk regarding the spread, Peter's recommendations and whether Norman's favorite dish is there. By sheer coincidence there is some chickpeas and meat stew present, and while Norman is still wary of the entire situation, he doesn't refuse the bowl placed in front of him by the butler. It's the most delicious thing he's ever tasted. Peter makes sure to clarify one of his personal chefs made it.

This segues into a brief discussion about the daily tests Norman's been taking at Lambda. He confirms they're harder than the tests at Grace Field, but he enjoys the challenge, the tiniest bit of smug pride seeping in in the event Peter had any ego tied up in his being bested by one of these tests. The proud tone in the response throws him off before his brain registers the words "as to be expected of a Ratri." Peter then apologizes at the small but still noticeable change in his expression, lamenting how he probably should have started out with that to ease any of Norman's worries.

He goes on to explain how he discovered this, interpreting Norman's silence as positive before moving on to provide a brief overview of how the Ratri clan came to be the mediators between two worlds and then explaining how his life will change now that he'll be staying in the Ratri visitors' quarters for the remainder of his time at Lambda. The process to remove his tattoo and brand will begin the following day, and he'll be weened off the remaining drugs he's been given.

Norman knows it's beyond his consideration, but he still can't believe the gall of this man.

As for what [being a Ratri] would mean to Norman, he’s never indicated any sense of loss related to not knowing members of his immediate birth family or fretting over his origins, but for him to be related to the clan that’s perpetuated this system of abuse over a millennia and with how his rigid sense of morality lent itself to the idea of exterminating every single demon, if he was in a particularly negative thought spiral, it might eat at him on some bad days.

Where Peter expected rapturous or reverential awe at being a long-lost member of the clan, he felt sick. He never knew his birth mother or other forebearers, but imagining everything those women had to endure after seeing what it turned Isabella into, all being said so casually without a hint of guilt over the horrors his clan perpetuated like he's discussing the pedigree of a thoroughbred animal instead of a human being, it's nauseating.

And his neck tattoo…the Lambda brand he wouldn't give a second thought to losing, but the tattoo has this paradoxical sense of kinship attached to it that I briefly go over in this post regarding the children still keeping their tattoos years after being in the human world. Even with it being a horrible symbol of their dehumanization under this system, it's been a familiar sight to him since his earliest memories. It's one of the physical markers of his connection with Emma, Ray, and the rest of his family, and this man will be flippantly erasing that. How easy it is for him having never bore the grief that comes with it.

This is already long but a tangentially related conversation to this eventually comes up with Peter asking about Emma and Ray. On the surface it's to connect with Norman and learn more about his life at Grace Field, but the ulterior motive is to see if there's any information he can glean about these kids to find and capture them quicker. Norman will give it to him for having the tact not to slip and refer to them by their numbers like he's sure he wants to do, but he's still incensed at their names in his mouth. There's also the chance that Peter might reveal a crumb of information himself about their status (because Norman can't see why he would be asking unless he had something to gain from it, so that has to mean their escape was a success and they were all alive. The alternative would kill him), so he entertains the conversation. He tries not to give any tells, but when he talks about them his thumb might have grazed the spot where his number used to be before covering it up with a cough.

Norman's never taken in by Peter's seemingly genial demeanor, but it's odd how personal and almost…amiable the man can be with him. Still, the love he's offering is contingent on Norman's continued assistance at Lambda (Peter sees it as their shared duty to solve the conundrum of faster high quality meat production) and at least the appearance of respect toward the clan. It's not unconditional like Lucas' and Yuugo's.

The clearest hint of this might be Peter mentioning how much Norman resembles James one night at dinner, building his brother up with the same admiration he displays in chapter 173 before lamenting his fall from grace, stressing the sacrifice he had to make by murdering him but still ultimately going through with it because the clan and balance between two worlds takes precedence above all else.

Alternatively, another scenario that's easier to work into canon is the Ratri clan realizing Norman's lineage when the cattle children arrive in the human world, also prompted by the databases at Grace Field sparking further investigation with a DNA test. Once it's confirmed, they keep pestering Norman about leaning into this kinship and actively working for them, along with having his family and friends seemingly on good terms with the clan for some PR optics. Norman finds the idea insulting and revolting, but he can't ignore the benefits that would come with it.

Like some other fans, I greatly dislike Norman becoming a CEO during the final major timeskip, as well as Lambda sickness being conveniently treated with no chronic aftereffects and absolutely no issues with them integrating into human world and being welcomed with open arms by everyone. I understand Shirai wanted to wrap up the series on his own terms after years of dealing with the strain that is weekly manga publishing, and he needed an explanation for how the kids could easily fund their expeditions to search for Emma, but oof, do I hate it lol. All of these remain a concern for the cattle children here, and while the Ratri clan wouldn't outright abandon them if he refused, Norman wouldn't put it past them to drag their feet on certain matters. Their finances and prestige shield them from any misguided resentment some people may hold for them. Their connections are a boon for securing future educations and careers. And god would it expedite the search for Emma.

I like to imagine a late night benefit-cost analysis between Norman, Ray, Don, and Gilda taking place at some point after they've settled in enough. The other three reaffirm that if Norman felt it was going to kill his soul to work for the Ratris, his friends and family would stand by his refusal, but they would be remiss not to acknowledge the pragmatism in further solidifying the relationship (particularly poignant coming from Ray, though not completely analogous situations). The conversation drifts off for a bit before Norman, looking exhaustedly across the table they're seated at with his hands on his knees, states, "I want her back with us."

Working with the clan would be odd in so many ways with how they would laud his status as a cattle child and how he was taking the lead on amending relations between the Ratri and the cattle children while never wanting to fully interrogate what that meant. There's a hierarchy with Norman at the top and the mass production farm children at the bottom in many of their minds. At one point in private after a publicity event someone says offhand, "you can cover that up now, you know," referring to his ID. Even in the winter he tries to make a point not to wear scarves or turtlenecks when he knows he's going to be around them.

I hate the idea of there being one good and upstanding Ratri member that befriends him just because it's too convenient, and if we're being real Norman would never let down his walls enough and let them into his personal world after everything he's been through, but I do like the thought of him maybe getting along with a few scattered members, probably younger, who recognize the terrible fate that befell the children from another world and are genuinely amiable with him without beholding him to form a meaningful friendship with them. A small attempt at a personal level of atonement that he can recognize and appreciate while still maintaining that mental distance. I also think he'd appreciate the very youngest children of the family who could give him insight into what the adults might really think of him and his friends with their uncensored commentary lol.

#the-music-note-system6 #The Promised Neverland #Yakusoku no Neverland #TPN #TPN AU #YnN #TPN Fanfic #TPN Norman #YnN Norman #Norman #Norman Ratri #Peter Ratri #Ratri Clan #FSS Chatter #FSS Asks #Search for Minerva Arc #TPN 074 #Human World Arc #TPN 179 #Long Post #Read More #anyone know of any fanfics like this or where Peter just interacts more with Norman in general hmu #the occasional odd AU of him being Norman's dad or more typically his bastard uncle? delicious #he's never going to prioritize this kid over the honor of his clan as a whole #but i do like him entertaining the idea of some familial relationship for funsies and the optics #and Norman having to balance his hatred with playing along and hey he gets some info along the way #including how to deal with Peter because he will eventually break free of him #also it might seem counterintuitive to kill Emma and Ray if he wants to engender love for him in Norman #but the sentiments are Norman would have eventually outgrown them anyway so it's fine and he'll get over it lol #Norman at being offered Lambda brand removal two months into his stay there: well why tf did i have to get it in the first place then

[kelpiemomma]

It happened in the blink of an eye.

The Alpha Alakazam glanced at Khan, who had been oddly subdued since begrudgingly giving up where their next destination was, and then Ingo heard “you might be surprised by what you need,” and suddenly he was in the middle of a blood bath.

And Ingo was no stranger to battles- he and Emmet made a living off them, after all, and he'd participated in a handful of raids against scientists who thought they knew best for the world. He had seen the aftermath of people who had been attacked by wild pokemon, and what remained of those who decided their best course of action in life was to jump into a set of train tracks. It was never any less horrifying, and Ingo occasionally had nightmares about what he'd seen, but where he was now…

It simply was a nightmare.

Fires burned in varying degrees all around him. Some consumed trees, and some consumed bodies. He tried to find something to put them out with there was nothing nearby. Not even snow. At the sound of laughter he turned his head to see a group of humans in pale tunics walking away, a few of them carrying bloodied sticks. Anger flushed through his veins and he went to chase after them but was pulled backwards instead. He tried again, and again, but their strange words vanished into the forest and faded into darkness. Ingo was left surrounded by corpses of pokemon, confused and horrified.

There was nothing he could do, and he didn't know why he was here.

The sun faded in the sky and the fires began to die, slowly turning to embers. The bodies they'd consumed were nothing but charred husks, and the primitive buildings he'd first thought to simply be fallen trees collapsed on themselves with no support left. It has taken Ingo longer than he cared to admit that this hadn't just been a group of pokemon- it had been their home, where they'd had their own rooms. There were enough bodies here to be an entire family, the kind biologists loved to see where he came from. They were so few and far between, requiring a curious amount of intelligence, teamwork, and tolerance. He knew people, personally, who would have loved to observe this family.

And here he was, observing their bodies instead.

A terrified yelp grabbed his attention; another den had just collapsed. Apparently this inhabitant had been alive. Ingo dashed over and tried to remove branches- his hands went right through, but he didn't stop trying. After releasing his own anguished scream - why was he here when he was so useless?! - the branches moved. An ashen, burnt paw emerged first. The sticks wiggled again, collapsing around the body further, until the remaining pokemon finally managed to pull itself free. And it was only then, staring at the young Zorua, that Ingo finally realized what he must have walked into.

He turned to look, to take in what he had taken for granted before.

The bodies weren't just pokemon. They were Zoroarks, Zoruas. Pokemon that had, from his understanding, been long loathed in Hisui. Seen as ill omens, as dangers to their societies. This clan must have settled somewhere, thinking it a safe area to raise their family, only for it to be discovered by humans. Humans who were fearful of what they saw as dangerous. Attack before you are attacked. Ingo could, to an extent, understand why- pokemon in Hisui were so much more aggressive, defensive, than those he had grown up with and known. Some people had pokemon partners but they were not like what he was used to. And with this clan settling in, with new generations being reared, he could only imagine the thought process the humans who had found it must have had.

Get them, before they get us.

He turned back to the Zorua, who had emerged from the collapsed den and now stood silently.

Staring.

Ingo wanted to know what his expression was, but just as he began to lean over to look the pokemon began moving. He approached the closest corpse first- this one hadn't been burned, at least, but there was a puddle of blood haloing it. The Zorua didn't seem to notice his paws getting wet as he drew closer, lifting a paw to nudge the body. The corpse. As Ingo expected, there was no response. The Zorua tried again, finally turning away when the corpse remained still.

Ingo followed as it staggered around the ashes of the clearing, prodding at every body it found regardless of their state. Some were so very obviously dead… but the Zorua still tried.

Trauma, Ingo knew, did funny things to a mind. To one as young as this…

It was no wonder why Khan was the way he was.

The young pokemon finally stopped, his breaths coming faster and faster. Ingo knelt down when his back legs collapsed, arms reaching out as if he could help. As before, he simply phased through. The Zorua turned his head, finally revealing the scar that Ingo would come to know well, now a fresh wound that still bled. His paws were cut up and burnt, there were scratches and lesions all along his back. He was a mess. Ingo could hear frantic, near-silent whines coming from the Zorua. It was hard to say if the volume was from fear that he would be heard, or if the smoke had gotten to his lungs.

Tears began slipping from the Zorua 's eyes. His panting became one long, hiccuping whine. His head remained turned, staring behind him, and Ingo was struck by what he'd yelled at Khan in anger so long ago, and yet so recently.

“You have no idea what it's like to have a family you can't return to!”

Khan, of all of their companions, absolutely did. This… this was why his reaction had been so strong, why Nana and Mnesomyne both had stepped in to stop Khan from assaulting - perhaps even killing - Ingo.

This is why she sent me here.

Ingo looked down at the Zorua again. Khan seemed to be frozen in place, but the wind around them was moving leaves and leftover smoke. It was only Khan who was frozen, unable to look away from his slaughtered family.

“I'm sorry,” Ingo said quietly, placing his hands around Khan's body as if he could actually hold him, “I'm so sorry.”

#Khan a. #Centaurworld au #Ingo #Not sure how much I'll upload after this tbh. I'm not really feeling it anymore. #In this au Khan takes the place of wammawink but... He's an aggressive asshole. Who aggressively takes care of people. #Not very many (he can't tolerate a lot of people) but his small pack is much beloved by him #And anyone outside that pack is a threat that he will eliminate #Ingo ended up with them through circumstances (named Akari. He was injured and she was sympathetic) #He and Khan butt heads a lot at first bc Ingo desperately wants to get back to Emmet. #Ingo (not knowing Khans history) does a lot of shoving his foot in his mouth re: Khans (lack of) family #Until Khan realizes they need guidance on where to go and... Reluctantly takes Ingo and Co to an Alakazam who can help #(you get not what you want but what you need) #She sends ingo into Khan's memory (horse being thrown into wammawinks past) where he sees the truth #That Khan isn't alone with his small pack because he's too good for other Zoroark (so he says) #But because his entire pack was ruthlessly slaughtered by humans while he was young #The reason why he's so protective. Why he doesn't sleep much. Why he's so volatile towards humans. #And Ingo has said so much without knowing better. He's going to do better now that he knows tho. #Re: wammawink and horse bonding. So did Ingo and Khan. #Ingo sees Khans past and understands his desire to protect. Promises to help him as best he can. #Khan in turn lets himself rely more on Ingo and gradually begins to soften. #When the noble Zoroark tries to kill Ingo (who's sad bc he's losing his memory and noble Zoroark just wants to genuinely help) #It's Khan who approaches him with softness and kindness and forgiveness #'we are all just fragile things' #And he promises that no matter what he'll get ingo back to where he belongs and who he belongs with #(Emmet is horrified and concerned and just relieved Ingo is back but. Why did he bring back three pokemon and two humans as well. #Why did they have to come with.)

[violinist-rachel]

I notice you said you go to church on Sundays. Are you a Christian?

"That's one way to put it! You could go further and say I'm Catholic, but that can be a little controversial, depending on who you ask."

"If I'm honest, though, I'm not entirely sure what I am."

"I've never consistently believed in just one thing my entire life. For example, at one point, I was actually an atheist! And at another point, I was starting to lean towards Buddhism. And now, I'm currently Catholic... and I want to show everyone that I'm really trying... but..."

"......."

#anon #rachel #castle of nations #thanks for the follow up question anon! #this question is one that I've been expecting #and yet one that was still difficult to answer :'0 #sorry to bring up religion! #I won't go into it too deeply and I promise it has some relevance! #a very interesting note about rachel though #is that just like karl #there's meaning behind her name #to those of you who're curious #try giving both names a quick search #it's the entire reason why I even thought about churches in the first place #thank you for the question!

[artekai]

They talk to each other like this on a daily basis (canon) (real and true)

#remember that post i made about enjoying ships where they are both just trying to out-manipulate each other? this is that but platonic #they're so fucked up and toxic i hope they kill each other and then forget why they even wanted to kill each other in the first place ❤️ #pretty sure the only reason tilda still keeps fross around is bc if she tried to leave he would pull some shit like #''damn what would lis think of you if she saw you treating her only surviving family like trash... 🤨 she would not love you very much... #you'd spit on the last promise you made to her... trample over the only thing you have left of her...? you must not love HER very much... #yeah i thought so. you'll never be free. tee hee ❤️'' #<- add that to reasons why aloy's existence is a threat to fross #oc: fross #oc tag #horizon oc #horizon au #deni's art #deni's stuff #oc art

[agp]

Small businesses must report how many employees can’t communicate in French. This requirement applies to businesses with between five and 49 employees, and the data will be made public by the province’s corporate registry.

dont you love it when the state not only makes you a second class citizen, but makes the location of workplaces with people like you present public information in case anyone has problems with these kinds of people

#colonies make space unlivable to those who dont cant or wont assimilate #'why dont they just leave yknow? :/' #it says first nations citizens who already expressed english preference prior to when this thing was tabled #are exempt and can continue to recieve services in english #what about their kids? what about future children? #and how long are whatever protections they promise going to stay in place?

[despair-tea]

"should fighting games remove motion inputs" has always been the wrong way of looking at things. Should there be different input styles? of course! diversity for the genre is a good thing... and there HAVE been games without motion inputs for a long time.

But you look at a game like SSBM (an insanely popular, well-selling game that's still played today*), and it turns out that that game is way hard to play at any competent level for reasons that have nothing at all to do with inputting a quarter-circle.

Even if the special moves are easy to perform, there are going to be techniques that are difficult. Even basic things like "dash into up-tilt" (you have to turn around and make sure you don't get dash attack or up-smash, both of which will get you whiff punished) or "shorthop into back air" (you jump a little and hit back + A. or back-C. but actually hitting a moving player with it is another thing entirely! and whoops, you accidentally did a full jump so silly) are barriers from controlling your character the way you want. Meanwhile more traditional fighting games like DNF Duel or Pocket Rumble get passed up by exactly the audience that says they want simpler-to-input fight games.

Ultimately, I don't think the ease of use alone will make for a lively game that "casual audiences" will get more invested in (and if they get more invested, they're not casual anymore, right?).

That said, I think games like DNF, MBTL, and SF6 are extremely fun to play with Baby Beginner** players. The rules are more clear, they can use more of the tools immediately, and it's easier to see how they can have fun the next time.

This part is the most critical, to me. It doesn't matter if they're hardcore or casual - the moment a player decides to give up on your game forever is the moment they stop growing and their part of the game stops growing. 'Coz fight games are living things. They only live while we play them; simply acknowledging their existence without getting your hands dirty and playing the game does nothing for the game itself.

Personally, I want every game to thrive. That's why I play everyone's game. If I want other people to indulge me and help keep my games alive, then I need to pitch in and help bring their game to life, even if it's just a little bit. Are you playing your game in the corner of your locals and no one wants to challenge you? I'll fight you. Hit me up any time.

I'll accept any challenge, especially the ones I'd lose. All is for the sake of the culture!

*: nintendo may have deleted SSBM from the culture so sorry if no one's playing melee tomorrow **: a player who has just gotten their hands on the game or who has never put any serious effort in. maybe they "just want to mash buttons" or maybe they're picking up a game seriously for the first time ever and have just started their journey. at any rate, an important part of the community. not to be mocked.

#it should be said that winning and losing isn't the important part about fight games #but this is the part that gets to new players #more than inputs #more than overly huge character selects or big move lists #and it's the part that's hardest to admit #but gamers hate to lose #drives them batty #over time the single-player games market has moved more and more towards games where losing is not a factor #games where you're meant to play and play and play and never be told you did something wrong necessarily #is there pushback in the single-player sector? of course. dmc5 came out in this culture #traditional roguelikes still eke out a living #but folks are so afraid of even minor inconsequential setbacks that it'll stop them from ever trying in the first place #this more than anything else is why fighting games won't ever ride the same wave as the rest of the games industry #you either have to learn to love losing or be crazy or never lose #and none of us are gonna be the guy who's never lost. i promise #you have to love building skills first #and i think this is an admirable trait in all people #i don't truck with folks who don't want to grow #and i'm not sorry about that #it doesn't have to be fight games of course #but staying put #just seeing the inside of your own well for your whole life #i can't relate to that *at all* #i get that we want things to be easy #sure #but life isn't easy #and it won't get any easier if you sit back and let yourself atrophy #every blade needs to be honed after all #if it's too hard for you now that's fine #but try to imagine a future self who has blown past that limit

[fellhellion]

2099 if it would let Dana’s ambition have some real teeth and like. actually say something abt her >

#like. her throwing Miguel under the bus at the promise of power and favour is so INTERESTING #wish we got like. fucking anything w it furthering her interiority #like. does Dana even respect Miguel now that he’s reticent to scale Alchemax’s power ladder like he used to #<- considering how she speaks of how he reacts to and tries to suppress anger sbdhdjfj debatable how far her respect extended in the first #place shdjfj but you see me #tunes talks 2099 #tunes talks critical #<- sorry for always bitching lmao I’m just gnawing on this woman 24/7 #WHY DID I SAY RETICENT I MEANT RELUCTANT SHDHDJFJ