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mochinomnoms · 7 months

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A Floral Inconvenience

You came into Twisted Wonderland with nothing but the clothes on your back, a literally fiery cat, and an immune system not conditioned to handle the foreign antibodies in the air, earth, or water. It was honestly a miracle that you hadn’t caught some sort of incurable disease, probably because most diseases here required magical output to survive, like plants and water. You weren’t immune to your own feelings though, and magical disease and illnesses have a funny way of adapting themselves to their potential host. It was then that you found yourself prepared for springtime hay fever and allergies, after all pollen was pollen no matter where you were at. What was unexpected, and thus not prepared for, was the disease known as hanahaki, or the flower sickness. Long ago, there existed a family of mages that lived in a small mountain village deep within a jungle that was established by a family of mages. The family protected their village with fantastical and magical abilities, each unique and extraordinary as generation from generation grew. One of those mages, the Flower Bride, had the ability to grow a magnificent array of flora with just the wave of her hand! Flor de mayo, jacarandas, figs and vines all made their home with the Flower Bride. She had a heart so full of feelings, love for her home, family, and her beloved, of course, that her very emotions affected how dazzling those blooms were. The Flower Bride then decided that others should be able to demonstrate their love in the same beauteous display as she did: after all, who wouldn’t want their love developing into only the most lovely blooms? As such, hanahaki was born. Some see it was a blessing, a push, an opportunity for one to confront their feelings. It’s a realization that what they’re feeling is indeed true, the type of love that can only be achieved in fairytales. Others saw it as an inconvenience: after all, sometimes it just wasn’t the right time to confess your love, or they’d be coughing up petals mid-speech, kind of annoying honestly. Yet the sickness would continue until they acknowledge their feelings, the love died down, or it became a chronic illness. Officially dubbed hanahaki by researchers in the East, the disease was also referred to as the flower sickness, being twitterpated, and sometimes even the lovesick florae by the general population. The most commonly afflicted persons fit into two categories: the positively, without a doubt, enamored sort, the twitterpated or lovesick sort of folk. Or, they were the kind to bury their feelings deep deep down and just one day die. It wasn’t unique to any singular species either. It had adapted to afflict humans, beastmen, and even merfolk. Why, not even fae were immune despite their natural immunity to magical disease. Really, it shouldn’t have been any surprise that the emotionally stunted students of Night Raven College would be prime targets for their own bout of hanahaki.

An event to christen the creation of my blog! Please feel free to request or use for your own!

Requests Close 10/20/2023

Rules

Anyone can use this event and prompts on their own blog! Tag me in so I can read all your stories!

This event will be for TWST on my end, others are free to use for whatever they'd like!

All request will be up to 2000+ words, with a max of 3 characters per request.

Chose up one prompt for each character and indicate if you want romantic or platonic. You can also indicate if you want fluff, hurt/comfort, suggestive, etc.

No NSFW for this event (on my end at least, everyone else go nuts)

Reader will default to gender-neutral unless asked otherwise

Dialogue Prompts

“Why is your trash can full of flower petals? Are you secretly a botanist, or is there something you're not telling me?”

“So, I hear you've been coughing up daisies lately. Got any plans to enter the flower business?”

“You know you have it bad when you start sneezing petals every time your crush walks by. At least it's a colorful allergy!”

“I can't believe you're faking a cough just to get some attention. And you're using fake flowers for the petals? That's commitment!”

“I think the local florist is in love with me. Their shop is making a killing off my Hanahaki. Do you think they'll give me a discount?”

“You've got to stop sending secret admirer bouquets to yourself. The delivery guy is starting to think you have a dozen secret admirers.”

“I've heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but wearing petals in your hair is a whole new level of fashion statement.”

“I have a steady, loving partner. you on the other hand have a left hand and a sunflower cough.”

“Why'd I have to get a nose full of lilies? I'm allergic, this is so unfair.”

“You think with all the lavender on my head I could make my own syrup out of it?”

“No, I've been practicing my sleight of hand! Watch as I make a bouquet of tulips magically appear—ACK!”

“No, I haven't been growing marigolds out of my ass. Why would you even ask that?!”

“Here, your favorite flower! Hmm? Where'd I get them? Uh, I just found them, around…”

“I'd rather have the thorniest, pesticide ridden roses grow in my mouth before I'd ever admit having any sort of affection for them!”

“Sooo, are you gonna apologize for puking dahlias all over my breakfast?”

“I've never heard of a flower sickness, are you talking about seasonal allergies?”

“Look, even if confessing would let me get rid of the poppies, I'd rather not. Maybe I'll just learn how to make poppy seed muffins or something.”

“Is this normal here?” “Only for the emotionally unavailable folk.” “Ah, so it is.”

“Dude, are your freckles turning into baby's breath?” “AHH!”

“Aren't lotus flowers really good for your skin? Babeeey, I'm set for life—” “NOT WHEN THEY'RE GROWING OUT OF YOUR EARS!”

“Look, I care for you and want you to get laid, but imagine all the money we'd save on tea if you kept growing chamomile from your head.”

“Blehhhg…” “You know I always knew I'd be holding your hair back as you puked your stomach out at a party, I thought it be from the alcohol though, not flowers.”

“You know, some people pay a lot of money for Hanahaki bouquets, have you considered—OW! It was just a suggestion!”

“I'm so happy that you confessed first.” “Why?” “If I had to dig out another hydrangea petal from my teeth, I was gonna lose it.”

“Man, sunflowers have got to be the worst to be puking up.” “Nah man, it's roses and their thorns! They scrap up all up your gums, my dentist bill after was ridiculous!”

🌸 a floral inconvenience masterlist 🌸

gardenias & peonies: silver x f!reader – #13

stargazer lilies: sebek zigvolt x f!reader – #5

dahlias; zinnias & cosmos: ruggie bucchi, trey clover, [separate] x gn!reader - #15, #1

teonanácatl mushrooms: jade leech x gn!reader - #18

lavender roses: floyd leech x gn!reader - #14

lavender: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #18

marigold: vil schoenheit, platonic!ace trappola x gn!reader - #7 & #12

blue hydrangeas: idia shroud x f!reader - #24

baby's breath & red roses: riddle rosehearts x f!reader - #14 & #19 [QUEUED]

amaryllis: lilia vanrouge x gn!reader - #1 [PENDING]

carnations: leona kingscholar x gn!reader - #18 [PENDING]

asters; purple hydrangeas: ace trappola, jamil viper [spearate] x gn!reader - #22, #24 [PENDING]

gerbera daisies: trey clover x gn!reader - #3 [PENDING]

orange poppies & water lilies: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #17 [PENDING]

sunflowers: jack howl x gn!reader - #8 [PENDING]

chrysanthemums: jamil viper x gn! reader - #1 [PENDING]

green roses: malleus draconia x gn!reader - #13 & #14 [PENDING]

pink poppies & cala lilies: jamil viper x gn!reader - #17 & #22 [PENDING]

sunflowers: leona kingscholar x f!reader - #8 [PENDING]

BONUS:

azaleas, cornflowers, & white roses: ace trappola, deuce space [poly] x gn! reader - #6, #3, & #22 [PENDING]

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst prompts #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #a floral inconvenience #writing prompts #hanahaki au #mochi masterlist

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pathfuckery · 1 year

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Pathfinder 2e New Player Resource Masterpost

Hey there! Looking to get into PF2e? You’re making a great decision, but you may not know where to start! I’ve put together a handy list of resources you can consult while getting into the game. As always, if you ever have questions about PF2e, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I love this system, and I love helping new players!

Official Resources

The Archives of Nethys are the official host for the PFSRD. You can find ALL of the rules of the game for free there. Literally everything that is not Golarian specific is on the Archives, and all of it is laid out incredibly well. It may not look quite as flashy as beyond, but its search functions and layout are superior.

If you buy one product from Paizo as you get started, I HAVE to recommend to BEGINNER BOX. This thing is fantastic. It simplifies the rules, gives you GORGEOUS character sheets that highlight all of your abilities, and have a fun little adventure that dovetails nicely into either their Troubles in Otari or Abomination Vaults modules. (As someone who has run both of those now, they’re both fantastic as well and I highly recommend them.)

Beyond the Beginner Box, I would also suggest picking up a Core Rulebook. It is true that all of the rules information is already laid out in the Archives, but having a CRB on handd is nice for the art, plus the book is laid out incredibly well. If you can’t afford a CRB at this time, though, you’ll still be good! You might also watch for Humble Bundles, as they often have great Pathfinder packs on there, and sometimes it includes Physical CRBs, in addition to a load of other great PDFs.

When looking to GM, I recommend the following pages in the CRB first. I’ve also linked the corresponding Archive pages:

Introduction, Pages 7-31. This will give you the rundown on key terms, how characters are created, the base flow of the game, and the action system (the best part of pf2e!)

Playing the Game, Pages 443-481. This is the longest section of the rulebook to read, but there’s a lot of great stuff in here. This will give you the rules for checks, combat, conditions, resolving actions, and the differences between encounter, exploration, and downtime mode. The most important is encounter and exploration mode, so you can feel free to only skim the downtime mode section of this part.

The Gamemastering section has a lot of great stuff, but for a GM, your two most important sections will be the following:

Encounter Building, pages 488 and 489. The rules for building encounters work in this system, and they work WELL. Obviously, environment, terrain, and how a specific groups strengths and weaknesses compare to a monster affect things, but if you budget a moderate encounter, it can be expected to be moderate. Just be sure you recognize that Moderate encounters are still meant to be challenging in this system, and Severe encounters are potentially deadly. Extreme encounters should be used incredibly sparingly. Maybe 1 or 2 times per campaign.

DC Charts and Adjusting DCs. Pages 503 and 504. If you ever need a quick DC, these charts are your friend. You don’t need to memorize them, but you’ll want to have them in an easy-to-reference spot.

Youtubers

There are a lot of great youtubers for PF2e. I’ll only be highlighting a few of my favorites here!

How It’s Played is probably the best resource for a new player, and helped me a ton with all of the rules when I started GMing. They do close looks at different subsystems, and clearly break down how the rules apply. You don’t need to watch all of their content before you jump in and play, but if you watch a few of their main series on PF2e between each session, you’ll be a rules master in no time!

I also really enjoy The Rules Lawyer. He always has well-reasoned takes on things going on in the hobby, and and has an enjoyable calm/measured tone. I highly recommend his “Combat Tactics” videos, as he highlights some of the major differences with 5e and what things are now expected to survive. A lot of common 5e tactics are a way to a quick death in PF2e, but you do have the tools to survive!

The final Youtuber I’ll be highlighting is Nonat1s. He’s puts out quite a variety of videos, including skits and other fun things, but is also a wonderful ambassador for the game and gives great character advice as well. I want to highlight his “Welcome to Pathfinder Second Edition” video, which is just perfect!

Other Resources

I can’t create a list of resources without calling out Pathbuilder! It is hands down the best character builder, and its available on desktop and mobile. It’s mostly free, with a small donation being required to unlock premium features. At this time, there is no crossover between the web app and desktop besides being able to save and access characters from google drive.

The Pathfinder 2e Subreddit is a wonderful community of people, and it’s a great place for discussion. There’s weekly question megathreads, discussions about releases, people highlighting great builds and fun things in the system, and it’s probably the quickest place to keep track of announcements. There’s also a lot of love for 3pp there!

Speaking of 3pps, I LOVE the Battlezoo line! One of my players is OBSESSED with dragons, and they have a whole book that was tailor-made for him, and it’s incredibly balanced and fun. They’ve also got a whole bunch of other cool stuff that’s been kickstarted and will be releasing soon.

What VTT should you use if you’re playing online? My hat is thrown into the ring for Foundry VTT. It’s my VTT of choice. It’s wildly powerful with the Pathfinder 2e system, and a wonderful community of devs have gotten the system almost entirely automated so you can focus on RP! It’s a breeze as a GM as well, and the only difficulty is in self-hosting, but even that isn’t too bad. Their site has a great set of guides, starting HERE with the ways you can host. If you choose to self-host, you only need to make a 1-time payment of 50 dollars for the software, and only one person needs to actually do the hosting. Split between a group? That’s incredibly affordable, especially considering there is no subscription!

I’m gonna shout MYSELF out here. I put together a List of Actions you can take in combat that isn’t just moving or attacking. Coming from 5e, it can be easy to get stuck in the loop of move and attack, but there are so many more options, and those options are very crucial. This isn’t comprehensive, but covers the basics characters can have access to with only minor skill investment.

#pathfinder #pf2e #masterpost #ogl #orc #suck it wotc

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gravewaax · 11 months

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canada is burning

hey friends. wanted to draw attention to the unprecedented wildfire season us canucks are currently having (and especially how these have been impacting indigenous communities).

3.3 million hectares of wildland have currently burned across the country. this is 10 times the average amount of fires that we experience per year. there’s air pollution advisories all over, with conditions ranging from persistent smokey hazes to orange skies and a red sun and general hellish atmosphere. communities are burning and people are being evacuated. i’m going to go over which provinces are the most affected along with some links to resources.

*updated 11/07/2023. please link me to any updated resources or personal fundraisers and i’ll edit them in.

QUEBEC:

currently headlining because they have 160 (mostly out of control) fires and the smoke is hanging over southern ontario, where most of canada’s population lives.

the Algonquins of barriere lake have been displaced. the community has a population of 800, with a number of people living in cabins along traditional traplines. the Maniwaki Native Friendship Centre has been taking in evacuees, as well as providing meals and support. i believe they’ve closed donations for now, but keep an eye on their socials in case anything changes.

edit: mutual aid request for the Algonquins of barrier lake can be found here. physical donations can be dropped off at ramada plaza, gatineau, quebec.

edit: Odawa Native Friendship Centre is taking donations to assist evacuees.

MARITIMES- NOVA SCOTIA & NEW BRUNSWICK:

following heavy rainfall, people are beginning to return to their homes in NS. due to the location of the fires, ruptured fuel and chemical tanks may have contaminated the groundwater. if you live in NS, free well-water testing kits are beginning to be circulated. samples can be dropped off at the following locations.

the canadian red cross is taking donations to provide humanitarian aid to those displaced in NB and NS, including shelter.

edit: fundraiser for a lost home in nova scotia, having raised almost 2000 of the $8000 goal.

ALBERTA:

set a record in may for the most hectares burned in a year, sitting pretty at over 1.3 million. the previous fire season was less than 500.

the east prairie Métis have been especially affected, losing 29 homes in a community of only 300 people. while this was in early may, and they’re starting to recover, their official gofundme is here. they’re about halfway to raising $50,000, with the aim to prioritize the 14 families who lost actively lived-in homes. the high prairie friendship centre is also taking physical donations if you live in the area. edit: been made aware that there is a fantastic linktree to individual fundraisers regarding the loss of homes.

edit: fox lake was also forced to evacuate back in early may. Little Red River Cree Nation had to escape across peace river on a barge. they have a fundraiser with 30 of $50,000 raised to purchase baby supplies and household items for the affected.

the canadian red cross is taking donations for alberta as well.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES:

K’atl’odeeche First Nation and their neighbouring community hay river were displaced. as of late may, the K’atl’odeeche chief, Martel, is still trying to set up a 100 person encampment for those who were impacted by the fires. while hay river has been allowed to return, there is no timeline yet for KFN. chief Martel says that people from hay river have been ignoring the barricades set up at the reserve and she is concerned for the safety of her community. please be aware that chief Martel has asked photos of the damage not to be shared on social media, as members of her community have not yet been allowed back on the reserve to see it firsthand. sacred sites and traditional traplines have been destroyed. please be respectful.

i couldn’t find many fundraisers for the NWT, unfortunately. it appears that united way is taking monetary donations, yellowknife evacuation centre is taking giftcards, and the yellowknife salvation army is accepting physical donations.

SASKATCHEWAN:

in early may there were wildfires in northern sask that displaced the Clearwater Dene Nation. i wasn’t able to find any updates or fundraisers on the situation, but their live map indicates there are still 4 uncontained fires. you can imagine this is not good on a huge swath of flat, hot, dry land full of flammable grass.

*NEW* ONTARIO

i’ve been made aware of a fundraiser for the Anishinaabe of Grassy Narrows. last year, their one and only fire escape route was washed out by flooding. as canada experiences its worst fire season in years, it’s absolutely crucial that this road be repaired as soon as possible. they’ve currently raised about 16k of their 40k goal.

since the community banned industrial extraction (logging/mining) the ontario government has stopped maintaining the roads in the area. Grassy Narrows deserves justice and support during these hard times.

#canada moment #please reblog if you can i don't think tumblr likes donation links

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dcmeme · 6 months

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Batfam Covid series part 1

I figured out how to turn off autocorrect so it types ‘Selina’ and not ‘Selena’ woohoo! Progress! Multiple parts, all longer than usual.

Damian: Why is it everyone has to be within the same household?

Dick: Because it’s quarantine. Meaning you isolate with people you’ve been in contact with already that could have the disease.

Jason: I mean, I’ve gotta agree, this seems a bit blown out of proportion. The symptoms aren’t reading.

Tim: I think it’s more of the spread that’s of concern and those with preexisting health conditions being affected more than anything else-

Bruce: *throws tiny robots on the ground that latches to everyone’s ankles* There.

Jason: HEY! You said I wouldn’t be under house arrest again if I didn’t blow shit up (on purpose) or cause a full body cast for at least 3 weeks!

Bruce: This isn’t house arrest, this is insurance that none of you try to leave and put others at risk of infection.

Damian: That is absurd!

Dick: I gotta say, this feels a little extreme, Bruce.

Tim: Yeah, no. *takes it off*

Jason: How the f*ck?!

Tim: I’m gonna go stay at my boyfriend’s.

Bruce: The last thing you are doing is leaving this house, Tim. Like you said- it’s a major concern for those of preexisting health conditions.

Selina: I helped Alfred switch your and Damian’s old bedrooms so you are a bit more isolated-

Damian: Excuse me?! I don’t want to sleep near Helena’s room. She continues to make sounds.

Bruce: You don’t have a choice. In fact, none of you do. Not until everyone is tested- including anyone you’ve been around the last 12 days.

Dick: So no Kori?

Bruce: Has she been tested?

Dick: I mean she’s been on another planet with Mari for, like, 6 months soooo

Bruce: they’re fine to stay.

Damian: Can John come over?

Bruce: I don’t even let him over when there isn’t a pandemic.

Jason: Can’t I just be under house arrest at a safe house? I don’t care to self isolate- just let me grab a few books and I’m good for dayyys.

Bruce: Absolutely not.

Tim: Ok than let Bernard come over?

Bruce: No.

Tim: But what if he tests.

Bruce: I don’t like that boy being in my house.

Tim: Oh come on. He only broke,like, two or three things in the cave.

Jason: Didn’t that somehow include the giant penny?

Damian: and the window to the Batmobile.

Dick: *sighs* The chair to the batcomputer has squeaked ever since he left that night.

Bruce: My cape.

Alfred: He was rather harsh on the grappling hooks as well, Master Drake-

Tim: I said I loved a man, not a smart one-

Bruce: No Bernard.

Tim: oh come on! Dick gets to bring Kori!

Dick: and my kid.

Tim: Oh come on you barely see her but three times a year.

Dick: I’ve known her seven months and she’s been gone six for some Tamaranian ritual or something humans can’t be at!

Selina: Will all of you stop shouting. If my baby wakes up, I will find a way to make all of you pay.

Bruce: The only person with a second option on where they’re staying is Damian-

Jason: Bull shit!-

Bruce: Talia has asked he go back to the league’s temple since COVID hasn’t likely breeched them yet.

Damian: Can I bring my children?

Bruce: Only the dog.

Damian: than no.

Bruce: you’ll have to take that up with your mother.

Damian: I’ll make this much clear- I would sacrifice each of you individually for the sake of my children-

Tim: you mean your pets?

Damian: they are family in this house, Drake. I can’t say the same for you.

Tim: You really don’t expect me to live next to this brat for literal months, right? He’ll kill me by the end of the week! I’m much safer at my place.

Bruce: As of right now this is all of our place. Stop bickering and get used to the idea of being under the same roof for a while.

Cassandra: It could be fun! We can even have a family dinner after we’re all tested.

Damian: oh joy. Sharing food with the nuisance Drake and the pig that is Todd. Fantastic.

Jason: Don’t you have a mommy to call?

Damian: Don’t you have a casket to sleep in!

Jason: Oh f*ck you!

Bruce: now boys-

Tim: Is this seriously how you expect me to live?!

Cassandra: we can make breakfast for dinner and by then maybe the weather will be nice enough to open windows and set up candles-

Jason: you think you have it bad?! I’m surrounded by the same people who-

Damian: I better not have to sit at that dinner by Drake, Cain, or so help me god-

Bruce: enough!

Tim: For my own safety please god do not do that cass-

Jason: I don’t see why you’re complaining when I’m the one who has to-

Bruce: *louder* enough

Tim: I have a right to feel however I want!

Damian: If that is the case, I feel you should all be disowned-

Dick: why are we all arguing again?!

Damian/Tim/Jason/Bruce: SHUT UP, DICK/GRAYSON

Dick:… what did I do? 🥺

Helena: *screaming from upstairs*

Selina:…

Bruce:…

Everyone:…

Bruce:…we’ll take this outside.

Selina: That would be great, thank you.

#batfamily #batman #batfam #dc comics #dc universe #bruce wayne #dc robin #damian wayne #richard grayson #tim drake #selina kyle #bruce x selina #helena wayne

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echo-goes-mmm · 6 months

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Silas and Wren #8

Masterpost

Warnings: dissociation, panic attack, implied past non-con, past conditioning

Note: Felix (Silas’s brother) uses they/them pronouns and masculine family terms

Silas paced up and down the room.

“You think they’ll read the letter?” he asked out loud.

“They’re your brother,” said Wren, “I’m sure they will.”

Silas sighed. “I just don’t know why Felix didn’t tell me. It’s not like my parents are the type to arrange the marriage, so they had plenty of time.”

He sank into an armchair. “I mean, I don’t expect to be told everything. But still.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Maybe I'm just making a mistake. I just know I’m going to worry about this for weeks like I always do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mail is so slow,” He stared up at the ceiling. “If only I could just get an explanation just like that,” he snapped, “instantly, y’know?”

There was a thud, and the sound of heavy breathing.

“Wren?” he glanced over.

Wren was on his knees, forehead pressed into the wood, bent in a bow. He could hear him crying.

“Wren?” he knelt by his trembling body. “What’s wrong?” He reached for him, but Wren flinched and sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Master!” he cried, “Please, don’t!” Silas stared at him, at a loss.

“It’s me,” he said, “It’s just me, Wren. I- I’m not going to hurt you.” He put his hand over Wren’s. Wren shuddered, but didn’t move away. He wept, and Silas didn’t know what to do.

“Could you sit up? Please?”

Wren pushed himself up from the floor. His arms shook and he was flushed with tears. His eyes were unfocused, and they shifted back and forth.

“Wren?”

He whimpered, shaking his head. “Please, don’t.”

“What do you think I’m going to do?”

Wren looked back to the floor. “You’re going to punish me, Master. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Y-you’re not?”

“No, I- Wren you didn’t do anything wrong!” He cupped Wren’s cheek, tilting his face upwards. “It’s me, Silas. I’m not going to hurt you, Wren.”

Wren’s eyes searched his face, and recognition sparked in his expression. He wrapped his arms around himself. “I don’t- I don’t understand. What- what’s happening?”

Silas hesitated before placing his hands on Wren’s shoulders. Wren tipped towards him, into his chest.

“I don’t know,” said Silas, wrapping his arms around him. “We were just talking. Or, I was just talking. And then you were just… on the floor.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I must have freaked you out or something.” He gave him a little squeeze, and Wren sighed into him.

“I dunno,” he said, after a moment. “There was this sound and I wasn’t Wren anymore. And I thought- I thought you were someone else.”

A sound. The snapping?

“Did one of your old Masters snap at you?” Wren pulled away, looking up at him.

“How did you know that?” he asked, hurt written all over his face. “I never told you about him.”

“I guessed. I snapped my fingers right before you… well, before. I’m sorry Wren.”

“It’s not your fault, Master.”

“Do- do you want to talk about it?” Silas wasn’t well practiced at being a friend, but Wren had listened plenty to his complaining.

“I’d rather not, Master.”

“Okay,” he said, “and… you don’t have to call me that. I know I… bought you but it’s really okay.”

Wren bit his lip. “You’re the best Master I’ve ever had. It’s different. Respectful.”

Silas had never really been respected before, but the novelty seemed so far away. Here he was, blabbering on about simple family drama, while Wren had to deal with so much worse.

They sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor in silence. Wren laid his head on Silas’s shoulder.

___________________

Silas was so good to him. Fantastic, really. It was past time Wren was good back. It wouldn’t even be bad like he thought that first week. Silas was too sweet and awkward to be brutal in bed.

In another life, they could have been dating. Maybe they’d even end up husbands. Silas was compassionate, generous, empathetic, and handsome. Even when Wren wasn't ideal, he was understanding. He was so kind during the nightmare and the 'snapping incident'.

That, and everything else, was exactly what Wren would look for in a partner if he had the option.

Unfortunately a silly little crush didn’t make reality, and slaves didn’t marry, or get to love. Especially not their masters. But sex was a good replacement, right? He was pretty sure happy couples had nice sex.

He’d be able to pretend Silas loved him back, at least for a little while.

___________________

It wasn’t going well. Ordinarily he didn’t have to seduce his way into his master’s bed. Sometimes sex happened as soon as they brought him home.

Wren tried really hard to do every romantic gesture he’d ever heard of to get Silas interested, that it was okay to have sex with him, but it wasn’t working. Silas just didn’t understand hints.

He trimmed some roses (from the back of the bush, so it wouldn’t mess it up) and put them in a vase on Master’s coffee table.

They had dinner together (or rather he ate and then Silas drank from him) under candlelight Wren had strategically lit.

He gave Silas bites of his food and desserts. Apparently vampires could eat small amounts of human food (too much could upset their stomachs), and Silas enjoyed a variety of things .

Wren sat close to him during games, and even closer at reading lessons.

None of it worked. Sure, Silas blushed when Wren curled up on the couch next to him, but that was a far cry from seeing him blush from a good blowjob.

Maybe Wren was just ugly. He couldn’t compare to vampire beauty. Master had a few fashion magazines, and the vampire models in them were prettier compared to humans, and especially compared to him.

His hair was a nice color; he could do worse than sort-of red. But his eyes were plain brown. Not even a gorgeous dark, or especially golden.

He’d always just been ‘good enough’. Never expensive, never cheap. Perfectly middle.

Wren had always been fine with that, before. It kept him safe. A high price tag came with high expectations, and a low price tag meant brothels. Objectively worse than serving one master at a time.

Silas deserved better and prettier. But Wren was still damn good at his job. He just needed to give Silas a bigger hint. Something that screamed 'please have sex with me', and hopefully everything would work out.

taglist: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @secretwhumplair @freefallingup13 @mylovelyme @whumpzone @paintedpigeon1 @haro-whumps @whumpthisway @fanastyfinder @extemporary-whump @susiequaz12 @keepingwhumpwiththekardashians @the-cyrulik

#that moment when you don't know how romance works cause trauma #relatable am i right #Silas and Wren #whump #my writing #slavery whump

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msfcatlover · 7 months

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Can you tell me the about the talon jason au?

YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes yes!!!

The Talon!Jason story is really heavily inspired by All Birds Have Talons, a fantastic little oneshot which got my gears churning with possibilities (as well as Talon’s Grasp, my all-time favorite Talon!Dick fic, specifically for how it handles the conditioning & Dick’s escape.) I just… snipped the Joker out altogether, and had Shiela betray Jason to the Court directly. They wanted Robin, after all, and she’d been out of Gotham for so long that even if she had contacts to know about the “wanted alive (or else)” bounty on Dick’s head, she probably wouldn’t know any of the details. She’s embezzling funds, she’s being blackmailed, she’s kinda on the run, and here’s the son she never wanted offering to help her with whatever problem she has, insisting they won’t even need to get his rich new dad involved if she doesn’t want to because Jason can handle himself; she doesn’t need to worry about him, because he’s Robin.

The Joker isn’t involved at all. Shiela calls her old contacts herself.

(CW: heavily referenced if not described brainwashing, torture, medical abuse, dehumanization, and depersonalization ahead.)

They’re not happy. Jason’s not the Robin they want, but he’s seen/heard too much once Shiela tricks him into the meeting, and they might as well get something out of this meeting. They fake Jason’s death with Shiela, the bomb, flesh too charred to get a DNA reading off of, a dangerous amount of blood, and hack off one of Jason’s arms before pumping him full of experimental healing drugs so they can stick a new one on and don’t end up with a one-armed Talon. (It never connects quite right, and Jason is always a little clumsier and a little bit number on that side.)

Jason wakes up in the labyrinth, fighting off the drugs & shock, with an arm that looks dead, doesn’t move right, and that he knows he should not have anymore. He’s not ready, his body isn’t chemically prepared for the procedure, so they keep dragging him back to the medical area, talking over him like he’s not there, and when Jason fights back, the punishments are brutal. There’s also plenty of classical conditioning, trying to train him to do what they want one step at a time. (He loses fingernails & teeth, because those are easy sources of extreme pain that won’t damage him in the long term, but he does piss them off worse. Jason learns that broken bones hurt worse when forced to heal too quickly. Spitting in one of the doctors’ masks cost him color in his right eye. The shock collar was just to make him put on the hood originally, but eventually they just… left it on. Food can be bought only with cooperation, and it’s a hefty price indeed.)

Jason does hold out for an impressively long time. First it’s because he thinks he needs to wait to be saved; they break that hope by showing him his own funeral. Then it’s because he needs to escape, though his attempts all come to naught. In the end, Jason hangs on because he listened when the Owls talked over him, and he knows they’re just using Jason as a trial run; he knows they’re planning to go after Dick. The longer Jason holds on, the longer his big brother will be safe. Conditioning corrupts that, though. Memories fade, names slip through his fingers, he’s… he knows he’s here for a purpose. Protecting someone. Someone the Court will also make Talon if he fails—no one should go through this, and that person is (warmth & sunshine, bright smiles & sky blue) is important, and he can’t… he can’t fail. He can’t let them down.

If he can just be a good enough Talon, that person will be safe. (This is what carries him through the training, the treatment, the cold, humiliation, and death, death, death, death, death. He can do it. He can be good enough. He’ll keep them safe.)

And then. The Court gets what they want.

Jason doesn’t realize it at first (of course not, who tells a Talon anything?) He doesn’t realize it until the base is under attack, all the Talons are woken up and sent to defensive positions, and he finds their newest prisoner in the middle of an escape attempt. He freezes for just a second, hands on his knives, trying to make sense of this. His voice is still hoarse from scarring and flat from disuse when, for the first time in well over five years, he says, “Dick Grayson?” (He didn’t even know he still knew that name.) Dick has been fighting Talons since he got here (and is pretty drugged up himself,) and acts on instinct. Dick strikes out, and it’s not until he knocks the Talon down that he realizes it’s only fighting defensively—and only because it stops fighting altogether. It just lays there on the floor, staring at him through that blank hood. “Dick Grayson,” the Talon says again, and this time Dick can make out what almost sounds like confusion in its voice, “You shouldn’t be here.”

Dick doesn’t know what to make of the Talon that helps him escape. Dick does try to help the Talon back (raiding a bat-safehouse to check both of them for trackers and to change their clothes. The Talon seems hesitant to change out of the uniform, even when Dick turns away and promises not to look. Dick still catches just a glimpse of the old scarring on the Talon’s neck out of the corner of his eye, thinks of how hoarse the Talon’s voice was, and feels sick.)

The Talon stays with Dick all the way to the back entrance of the Batcave, but when Dick turns to ask if they want to come in, the Talon is gone.

(When Dick tries to explain everything that happened to the rest of the family will be the first time he realizes: “The other Talons, they were very formal, full names only. ‘Richard Grayson, the Court of Owls commands’ blah-blah-blah. The Owls just called me Grayson. But the Talon who helped me called me Dick.” “Do you think it was someone you knew?” Tim asks. Dick manages a weak, humorless laugh. “I don’t know, Tim. Maybe?” Dick thinks of the scars again, the breathy rasp of the Talon’s voice, and swallows. “Gods, I hope not.”)

It’s not the last time they meet, though. Not by a long shot.

(The Talon cannot go back to the Court, not after having the greatest failure possible dangled in front of its face, stealing the Court’s prisoner, and… and what if they try to take Dick again? No, no, can’t let that happen, can’t let this happen to Dick too, not after everything. Never, ever, ever again.)

(And gradually, the Talon begins to find Jason Todd in the graveyard of his own mind.)

I have several scenes I really, really love drafted (the moment when Dick convinces the other bats to see Jason as an ally. The moment Jason realizes what his connection to Dick actually is. The entire sequence where Dick finally realizes who Jason is, who Jason has been this whole time.) I also have a few concepts that won’t seem to go right on paper, like a final confrontation with Cobb, and Bruce finally seeing his second son face-to-face for the first time in years.

And it is, like most of my stories, full of holes I’m still trying to fill; I can’t promise this will ever resolve into a cohesive, fully narrative fic one day. But! I’m happy to ramble, and nothing helps me fill in the holes faster than getting to talk through things with people! So please, feel free to ask more if you’re interested.

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gold-pavilion · 2 years

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Repost of my old BSD meta post on the 4 main strategists of the series (so far), brought back due to the deletion of my old blog and interest from peeps!!

Plain text version under the cut (thanks to @kaus-quietis ):

Ranpo, Dazai, Fyodor and Mori are the biggest players in the large-scale strategy games in BSD, but the smarts in which they excel and the way they play their hands are widely different. As expected, they’re effective in different scenarios, perform with different methods and have different limits.

Thanks to an ask I recently got about Ranpo, I thought it may be useful to someone to set apart each of them in regards to their individual talents and styles, what they do and don’t do with their own types of genius (as best as I can discern, of course), so… here’s my rundown of the master strategists, with quick n’ easy keywords for simplicity:

RANPO: CLARITY & FORESIGHT

Ranpo’s genius is summed up with the fake ability built around it. Just like Ultra Deduction is supposed to provide him, Ranpo has the clearest of sights: when presented with a scenario, he’ll easily understand every element of it, why things are as they look and what’s beyond that. In this attention to detail and grand understanding, he’s unparalleled. His pure intelligence is the highest of all.

But it doesn’t end there. His deduction abilities also make him capable of projecting ahead, of predicting outcomes and happenings by analyzing the elements currently at hand, so he can look ahead as accurately as he can see the present. And generally, this includes people. He can understand behavior, motivation and intentions just as well as he can make any of his other calculations.

However, he uses this clarity and this foresight usually to expose culprits, to achieve confessions by confrontation or to work on his team’s strategies, but not as a means to control that person. He understands the human element of the equation terrifyingly well, as he understands everything, but doesn’t aim to manipulate it. (Unless, as he explained with Mushitarou, unless it’s absolutely necessary and he’s very very pissed, in which case he’s not entirely against psychological attack, but in general his benign moral alignment and his blunt approach to people don’t mix with that.) Actually, this respect he has for life in general and this upright intention can be considered a secondary skill of his, because they’re the reason his confrontations tends to end with people getting something out of the experience of opposing him and ending up as new strong allies, like Minoura, Poe and Mushitarou did.

DAZAI: FORESIGHT & MANIPULATION

Dazai’s style has a big part in common with Ranpo’s, yeah. Namely, his ability to get ahead of the game by (understanding and) predicting, though in his case, it’s focused largely on behavior, on people in general. That’s where he differs and also where he excels: people. He strategizes a lot based on his ability to tell what individual people will do, how they’ll react, how they’ll think, what they’ll go for or how they’re likely to do it. In a game of strategy where personal motivation and individual wishes move the pieces so much, it’s a fantastic specialty.

This people-based focus shows its full capacity in his manipulation skill. Understanding others so well, it’s easy for him to prepare the stage and move the people through it without even having to tell them what he needs them to do (see: the entirety of Dead Apple haha). He just needs to set the conditions; the pieces will move on their own, in ways he can be prepared for. And if closer intervention is needed… well, part of his manipulation skill is in his charm and his capacity to act, so he can certainly get what he wants out of a person that way, too: with an encounter, a couple of words or a seemingly natural action. More often than not, people manipulated by Dazai will fail to realize they’ve been manipulated, or will only see it when it’s too late/there are no other options.

It’s worth noting that Dazai is very flexible; his intelligence by itself is very high and he has a lot of useful extra skills, like enough physical dexterity to get him out of trouble to a degree, lockpicking/pickpocketing and laying traps, but these are kind of like bonuses. They make him more versatile and capable, but aren’t his main thing.

FYODOR: (DESTRUCTIVE) MANIPULATION & TEMPTATION

It’s probably no surprise to anyone if I say that Fyodor’s style has similarities to Dazai’s haha, but still, yeah. They’re indeed very similar. Like Dazai, he also has a base intelligence level that’s just insanely high (though both to a lower degree than Ranpo, as far as we’ve seen in the midst of the DoA arc) and his own extra skills, such as his capacity as a hacker. This is utilized as an available tool for his schemes, but is also not the main basis they’re built on.

The manipulation keyword is shared between him and Dazai, and in the main gist of it, works the same: understanding people, being able to get into their heads and through that, either implant in them new decisions that fit his agenda in such a way that the person won’t realize they’ve been led, or let them act in their natural way if convenient. Leading a person this or that way as pawns on a chess board. However, there’s a big difference between how Dazai and Fyodor do this, which is what I mean with destructive manipulation: once Fyodor utilizes someone, he’ll usually not even leave the chance to have a new enemy or even a witness, instead he’ll dispose of the person (see: Karma). If not, the way he executes his needs is uncaring, and likely to leave the manipulated person broken; once he’s set up his use, he doesn’t care about their wellbeing or what happens with them (see: Shibusawa). His process of utilization may even involve breaking them (see: Goncharov). He doesn’t take care of his toys.

As for the temptation keyword, it’s the other part of his usual method, so characteristic of him that it stands out to me. Rather than being a huge charmer and an actor like Dazai is, Fyodor is a deal-maker. He finds what someone wishes for or needs (even being capable of isolating them or manipulating conditions to create such a need), and then simply presents it to them as a tempting bargain in exchange for whatever he needs. Sigma, Shibusawa and Mushitarou are big and clear examples.

MORI: STRATEGY & ASSET USE

And then we have Mori, unique even among this small group. His style is mainly what I can only describe as strategy itself, pure and led by logic and probability; theory of game, in a way. Mori also has a great deal of intelligence, combined with a level head that allows him to make sure to act, in every instance, in the way that benefits him (or rather, his organization, since he’s playing for the Port Mafia overall) the most; if unclear, then what has the highest chance of success with the best balance of risk will do. He’s able to understand and foresee enough to determine what that beneficial course of action will be.

Then, there’s his asset use, or what can be called the skill of command. Mori’s method is not independent, he’s the leader of a strong and unified organization (because he’s shaped it so), and as such, will most often be using his various divisions and subordinates and their talents. Seeing what someone is good for and leading them to the role in which their capacities can grow and shine is a true commander’s quality, and he possesses it. Gauging who and what he can dispose of and when to sacrifice is included, as is having a balance of when to control and when to let his subordinates act on their own. Be it goods, influences, situations, persons or anything, seeing what’s available and how it can be matched and used to higher advantage has been part of his modus operandi from the past, all the way to the present.

I hope these explanations put it into good perspective, but I’ll point out, for good measure, that asset use and manipulation are different things. Both involve using people as pawns, but when it comes to asset use, there’s an element of willingness and trust from the subordinates involved that sets it apart. Mori seems to be the hardest one to understand in general, with the most confusion and misinterpretation around him and what he does since he’s controversial to some, but following the principles of benefit and strategy, his genius can easily end up being the clearest.

As always, this is merely my interpretation and a rundown of the ideas I personally use to track of each of the strategists’ characterization. As much as I try to base my reasoning on canon as best as I can, I’m never claiming to have the final word. Grab this if it’s useful for you! But always take with a grain of salt.

#thoughts and talk and so #archiving #edogawa ranpo #dazai osamu #mori ougai #fyodor dostoyevsky #mori #dazai #ranpo #fyodor #bsd #bungou stray dogs #meta #wow me actually saving and recovering one of my posts wowwww

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great-and-small · 11 months

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Hi! I hope you’re doing well. I was wondering if you could help me out? I know your primary interest is birds, and also that you’re from Florida, but you seem rather knowledgeable about all sorts of wild animals so I thought I might as well ask.

A relative of mine has been seeing a very large (4-5 feet long, maybe slightly longer) snake about once a year for the past 3-4 years, and none of us have a clue what it is. Said relative lives in Ohio, and my attempts to search “large snakes in Ohio” just lead to questionable exotic pets and searches for native snakes was bringing up smaller snakes that didn’t seem to fit the bill. My best guess was some kind of rats snake but it’s just a vague guess.

Here’s a pic for reference:

I’m also curious about the snake’s behavior. The family has a dog, and one of the adults is unemployed, so they’re outside often, yet they only see the snake once, maybe twice a year. Additionally, they live in a well-off suburban neighborhood, with little “wild” space, so I’m curious where the snake is living and what it might be eating. (Chipmunks??? Is it the reason they don’t have rats?) is this species native to the area? Or is it invasive?

Do you have any insight on any of this? No worries if you don’t, I just thought I might ask as my googling hasn’t been very successful, and I saw you post about snakes a couple of times.

Thanks for taking the time to answer, and I hope you have a lovely day/night! :)

Now that is one healthy looking snake! I believe the species that your relative has spotted here is indeed a gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides). This species is native in Ohio and they can grow to be pretty large. Ratsnakes are wonderful to have around and as their name implies they make for fantastic pest control. Your relatives might have this friend to thank for keeping the numbers of rats and mice around their property to a minimum.

Snakes can be a bit more shy and elusive than some other animals, so it doesn’t surprise me they don’t see this individual too often. Rat snakes adapt to life around humans fairly well and aside from rodents they’re also happy to eat birds and eggs, as well as small lizards and amphibians. It’s in great body condition though so you can be sure this guy is eating good! If you or your neighbors happen to have a chicken coop, make sure not to use fake eggs as these can be lethal to snakes.

Thanks for sharing your snake! I really like this species (and all ratsnakes) and you have a really lovely specimen here. Wishing him many years of prowling for rats as your friendly neighborhood pest control.

#asks #snakes #rat snake #wildlife #Pantherophis

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

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Hey :> I'm new on tumblr so idk how to use it properly please forgive me if I do it wrong! I remember really being into twst a long time ago but then I stopped for some reason. Recently, I saw your blog and it inspired me to download it again! So I wanna say thank you so much, your writing's awesome <3 Anyway, I'm just curious - what are your favourite characters in each of the dorms? I know that you like Jade and Rook but what about the other dorms? Sorry if I'm annoying, you don't have to!

Welcome to Tumblr and back to the rabbit hole that is Twisted Wonderland!! 🥳 Hope you have fun with your return and continue to enjoy this blog and my writing~

Here are my favorite characters from each dorm and a quick rundown of why (under the cut because altogether it’s lengthy):

From Heartslabyul: Ace!

My love for Ace is somewhat conditional. He’s my favorite of Heartslabyul largely by technicality because I don’t feel fondness toward any of the others in the dorm unless they’re interacting with specific other characters. For example, I love Trey having to play the straight man in a comedy duo whenever he’s with really “out there” classmates like Rook or Lilia. However, Trey as an individual character isn’t as interesting to me.

Ace can stand strongly on his own. He gets on my nerves at times, but I can appreciate his blunt honesty and I sometimes find myself cheering him on when he’s getting all up in someone’s business. His mischievousness nets him trouble, but I never stay mad at him for too long. Ace has a delicate balance of cheer and cheekiness that wakes me right up and keeps me on my toes!

From Savanaclaw: Leona Ruggie! 😌

I admire Ruggie for his work ethic and how he stays upbeat in spite of his circumstances. He's very street-smart and quick on his feet, which makes him a joy to watch, whether getting up to trouble or throwing quips at his classmates. Moreover, I love how there's a logical explanation as to why he acts the way he does. Having come from an impoverished neighborhood, he values practicality and finding a use for things people would usually disregard or throw away. I really understand where he's coming from. I also find the reason for Ruggie's "greed" to be much more compelling than most other characters with the same vice. For Ruggie, money is a matter of survival and security; he doesn't seek out wealth out of pure gluttony or greed but because he seeks a genuine better future for himself and those he loves. It puts a lot more weight into those "funny haha" moments where Ruggie's talking about how he can't relate to the wealthy.

... *pained groaning* Alright, I’ll cut the bullshit for a second and talk about he-who-shall-not-be-named.

I have an intense l*ve-hate relationship with L*ona. He used to be a character I didn't really care for (mainly because of how poorly written he was in episode 2 of the main story). As new content has come out (especially around episode 6, but no spoilers), I gained a newfound appreciation for him and his growth. I find that I like him best when he's not squandering his potential (although character-wise, I understand why he does) and utilizes his intelligence, and/or acts like a good leader and upperclassman to others. Sometimes there's content where L*ona doesn't even physically appear and it's just others talking about how they admire him or look up to him (Epel's Union Birthday/Birthday Jacket being one such example), and those kinds of lines really get to me 😭 The grumpy old man side of L*ona, his effortlessly sarcastic edge (like when he claims he's a lost child or a delicate prince that bruises easily), and how petty he gets toward his rivals are also fantastically hilarious. When I really think about it, he can be funny but he is also such a complex character (not that the others aren't, it's just that L*ona's kind of complexity is one I find really interesting). It's just... the way he usually presents himself (arrogant, prideful, and lazy) does him no favors in my eyes. It's a matter of personal taste, I just don't like those traits in a character. Every time he opens his mouth, I don't know whether I want to close it for him again or if I should just let him talk anyway despite how aggravating the results may be. It's similar to how I feel about Ace, except with Ace it feels a lot more juvenile so it hurts slightly less (whereas L*ona, a jaded adult, may bruise my own ego lol).

ANYWAY 🤡 I'm not going to say anything more than that because I don't want to prove my friends right about going from hating to l*king someone I basically swore I would never look up to/find attractive.

From Octavinelle: Jade!!

… Do I need to explain why 😂 J-Just read this post… You’ll see… a sneak peek into my brain wrinklies…

FUNNY (?) STORY: My favorite in Octavinelle (and overall in the cast) used to be Azul!! … But then I dropped him for his right-hand man, which is a joke that persists in my circle of friends to this day.

From Scarabia: Kalim!

(Honorable mention goes to Jamil!)

Whether I lean to Kalim or to Jamil depends on my mood, but most of the time I prefer Kalim. Sometimes I feel very motherly, in which case I’ll want to nurture and cherish Kalim. He has the kind of smile I want to protect from deception and bad things. He’s also naive enough where I worry if he doesn’t have someone with the right intentions teaching him, then he’ll fall prey to something nasty 🥲

Other times my patience is wearing thin and I don’t have the energy to “deal” with Kalim and his extravagant wants/needs. In those moments, I find that I relate more closely to Jamil, who is constantly worked to the bone and exasperated (yet has to hold his frustration in for the sake of maintain a professional veneer). Jamil falls into some bodyguard/butler tropes which I usually love, but part of me feels guilty about it since… well, Jamil doesn’t enjoy his position in life. It feels like some of my feelings toward Jamil comes from a place of pity rather than genuine love for him.

From Pomefiore: Rook!

What I love the most about Rook is his positivity and how he smiles even in the face of danger. He helps me look on the (reasonably) bright side of things even if things are bleak. There’s a rare comfort to be found in that, and it has actually helped me cope with some pretty tough situations.

Rook definitely comes off as too excessive in how he expresses himself, but I find it charming (he’s a one-man show!). This, as well as his aforementioned optimism, creates funny contrasts with the other characters—but as frivolous as he comes off, Rook can still mentor and pull through for others when they need him. There’s still so much left untold about him, and I’m really curious to figure out what he’s hiding 🫣

From Ignihyde: Ortho!!

Ortho’s in a very similar boat as Kalim; he’s the (sort of) innocent son I want to protect. I like how supportive Ortho is with Idia—he’s devoted in a way that’s hard to describe with words. Even if Ortho’s “just a robot”, you can tell how sincere his feelings and motivations are, and just how much he cares for those around him. (nxbdnwbdks though I also find it really funny when Ortho acts devilishly and uses his uniquely robotic traits to cause chaos 😂)

From Diasomnia: Sebek!

(A close second place goes to Lilia!)

Sebek has that sweet, sweet duality of looking tough and imposing but actually being a kinda pathetic puppy dog that only wants to be praised also he’s a bodyguard, what’s not to love about that👌 His smile is so cute, absolutely one of the best ones in the game!! I also find Sebek’s personality to be bracing—it's initially very off-putting, but something so familiar about the way he geeks out over his favorite person ever, and how he wants validation from those he admires. Sebek just has a... unique way to communicate (that is to say, he really doesn't), and I think that's pretty endearing.

Another immensely interesting aspect of Sebek is the insecurity surrounding his lineage and his identity fascinates me. This is usually the point that gets him written off by others as being intolerant—and while that’s true, I love the nuance behind it and how that plays into his character. It’s really complex and speaks to similar real-world issues. I’ve actually written a whole analysis on this topic, so I’d encourage you to read if if you’re interested.

I also like Lilia because we exude similar vibes (looking young but acting "old")—but even more than that, he’s the kind of person I want to be. His guardian and mentor role among the students is irreplaceable, and he’s the true “heart” that ties together Diasomnia (I’m a sucker for the found family trope). He’s wise, but he can also kick back and have fun whenever he wants! That’s the ideal retiree life, haha 😂

x jabsjxbskwnw You’ve probably noticed some patterns by now 🫠 I tend to like characters that fall into a few broad categories:

Characters with big brain cells and/or characters that rely on brains before brawn🧠

Characters that are cheerful and/or smile a lot 😊

Characters with strong duality or contrast

“Son” energy characters

Butlers and/or bodyguards in general

#Ace Trappola #Trey Clover #Leona Kingscholar #Jade Leech #Azul Ashengrotto #Ruggie Bucchi #Kalim Al-Asim #Jamil Viper #Scarabia #Rook Hunt #Ortho Shroud #Idia Shroud #Ignihyde #Lilia Vanrouge #Sebek Zigvolt #question #notes from the writing raven #Epel Felmier

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vintagerpg · 1 year

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This week, let’s take a look a Goodman Games’ Original Adventures Reincarnated series. These are great! Could they be better in a couple specific ways? Probably!

I don’t have big love for B2; it’s a fine module, but I tend to think it is beloved because it was printed in gigantic quantities, rather than printed in gigantic quantities because it was beloved, you know? Similarly, B1 is the superior introductory module, but it isn’t really a module to fall in love with. For this reason, I passed on the OAR series for a while and for those reasons I am going to pick my nits now so I can be more enthusiastic the rest of the week.

Again, these books are great, they’re gigantic love letters to the original source material, which are reproduced in full. They’re accompanied by 5E conversions that mostly stick to the originals, but also sometimes add or expand the material in fun ways. The 5E sections are accompanied by piles of new art, which helps me re-envision stuff that was previously fossilized in my brain, which is cool. Anyone with an interest in these old school modules will enjoy owning this book.

That said, I think they are trying to do too many things at once. I think the archival effort is fantastic, but along with the supplemental essays and interviews ultimately balloons the page count to a degree that it is hard to use the conversion module at the table — this should really be two separate books. Even then, the lack of PDF availability for the conversion (no doubt a condition of the licensing deal) also diminishes playability (I don’t think I could photocopy the maps without taking the book apart, honestly), which is a shame, because I think the conversion is the real legacy of these books (and their source material). Adventures want to be played!

#RPG #TTRPG #Tabletop RPG #roleplaying game #Goodman Games #Into the Borderlands #OAR #D&D #Dungeons & Dragons

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paulsmelody · 2 years

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I think what has always kept me staunchly on the side of “there is nothing supernatural in Petscop” is that anything that is actually supernatural is ultimately just a tool used to discuss abuse. Which is not to say that those supernatural elements cannot coexist as allegory and reality, but they don’t. There aren’t ghosts in Petscop. It’s not haunted. Or, well, it is haunted, but by the past. By its creator. By its players. By itself. Petscop is lines of code and a multiplayer system weaponized against defenseless children. The aspects of it that are hard to reconcile with reality are the metaphors for abuse—how do you use the reflection from a vase to traumatize a child? How does playing a melody on a piano fundamentally rewire somebody’s personality and psychology? These are the most fantastical aspects of Petscop, the moments where reality has to allow space to tell this story in whatever way this format can portray it. Were the children Marvin kidnapped playing Petscop at the school? Well, probably not. But that is the only lens we have into this world.

We first see Care NLM characteristically crying into her hands, but otherwise fine, and then Paul plucks the petals from a flower and suddenly Care NLM is blurry, scratched out, red. As though we’re seeing her through the reflection of the vase. The way Marvin sees her? Maybe. Paul is forced to retrace Marvin’s steps, after all. But, more importantly, we see Care the way Marvin left her. The way Care sees herself. The mirror in the bathroom is a nauseating green. Oftentimes children who have been sexually abused—as the “deflowering” scene and other moments in the series subtextually imply is happening—feel as though they’ve been dirtied, as though they’re “damaged goods.” The first thing we learn about Care NLM is that she believes, intrinsically and wholeheartedly, that “nobody will love her, not ever again.” Of course, being kidnapped and held hostage for six months, in horrific conditions, inside of an abandoned building, while your own father attempts to turn you into the memory of a girl who died long before you were ever born is, without a doubt, wildly traumatizing. But would it leave her believing that nobody would love her ever again? Those words specifically? We read them during the same section where Rainer talks about Marvin thinking about Care while he’s in the bath. The framing of this series has always been extremely intentional. And, when you’re clued into what you’re meant to be seeing, it is all extremely unsubtle.

The most supernatural event to take place in Petscop is the disappearance of Lina and the windmill. But even that feels like a fantastical allegory for the death of a young girl that Marvin blames himself for, and probably with good reason. What did you do?, Rainer asks, and it’s a good question. It’s worth noting that Marvin marries Lina’s sister. Out of guilt? Desperation? They were children when it all happened, but Marvin develops an obsession with Lina that lasts a lifetime, and that must have had a psychosexual angle to it—he married her sister, after all. For Marvin to believe that Lina was reborn in Care’s body. . . No child is safe within Marvin’s grasp. But Care was always particularly in danger.

It’s also worth noting that severe childhood sexual abuse is one of the most common reasons why a person might repress memories of their entire childhood, the way Paul seems to have so clearly done. Petscop isn’t a story about multiple timelines converging. The things that happen are all very linear. Hard to put together, especially since we don’t have all the answers and have to make quite a fair amount of educated conjecture, but still very linear. Rainer—with his survivor’s guilt, with his being too old to be in danger but too young to stop it all from happening—took the code for the video game he was making for his brother, and turned it into revenge against an abuser. It backfired, and Marvin began to use the game as another tool for abuse. By then, Rainer had killed himself, yet another plot in a graveyard.

When Paul tells Marvin his room, he starts spelling “da—” before being stopped. Nothing on screen moves for a painful several minutes. We don’t know what happened in that room. All we know is Marvin hurt Paul. And, looking at the previous ways in which Marvin hurt Care—hurt Paul—the silence and lack of movement in that scene, our inability to know what is happening in real life. . . It’s the most terrifying moment of the show. I’ve lost the thread a bit, but my point: Petscop is more based in reality than it originally seems, but it is first and foremost loyal to its medium, and it uses that medium to tell a story that is, at its thematic core, focused on the intersection between child sexual abuse and transness. When those two things click for you, the conclusion is inescapable. As it was for Paul.

#edit: I’m glad this has notes but ppl should check out the rb I added w more analysis :3 I think ab Lina Leskowitz.#petscop #idk just stuff on my mind. taking advantage of tumblrs lack of word limit also less eyes on here #I think I just get a little sad and tired when I see how little ppl discuss CSA as a central theme of Petscop. bc like. it is.#TW csa #ten thousand years of poetry it requires #captain’s log #ok to reblog!

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phantasmagoric-acquaintance · 2 years

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On slow days, Lup’s lunch breaks are typically spent in the sketchy fragrance boutique, distracting Taako from his oh-so-important job of watching people warily sample perfumes and colognes and hoping nobody breaks a bottle because if I have to sweep up glass today, so help me God…

Lately, it seems Lup’s been using this time as an opportunity to ogle the dork who runs the phone accessory kiosk in the middle of the hall from another angle.

She lets out a long, dramatic sigh, and leans back on the counter.

“Jesus, you sound like a tired old dog.” Taako digs his spoon into the cup of Dippin’ Dots she’d brought for him.

“He’s just so cute,” she insists, like a teenaged schoolgirl. “Don’t you think he’s cute? Look at him.”

Taako looks at him. He looks like a regular dude. “I think you can find five of those at Home Depot.”

“You’re an ass. I think he’s special.”

“Maybe FYE? You could find a man like that at FYE, I bet.”

“No! He’s perfect and there’s only one of him.” Lup turns and dips her own spoon into Taako’s cup.

“Heyyy, get your own!” Taako whines.

“I just wanted to try the cookie dough. And I paid for it, so technically it is mine.” She slides her own cup across the counter. “Here, you can have a taste of mine.”

Taako pouts. “It’s got your fucking spittle all over it and now mine does, too.”

“Eh, you’ll live.” She turns back, looking across the threshold at the phone accessory man again. “I’m gonna talk to him.”

“And say what? ‘My phone screen is cracked, do you think you can fix it?’”

---

“Do you think you can fix it?”

“Um.” The pretty lady from the Hot Topic levels a strange, intense stare at Barry. The tips of his ears start to burn, and he hopes he’s not flushing. He tries to focus all his energy on her phone, and not on the fact that he’s been crushing on its owner from afar and now she’s looking at him and talking to him and oh, God, don’t fuck this up, Barry.

The screen doesn’t have cracks, so much as it has a few severe scratches. Barry’s certainly used phones in worse condition. “I don’t, um, really do repairs? I mean, I can— I’ve fixed my own phone and stuff, but uh. I’m not really confident enough to, to try to fix someone else’s. Wouldn’t wanna risk making it worse, y’know?”

“…Oh.” Customers are usually disappointed when Barry refuses to do repairs, but something about the lady’s demeanor is different. Barry hands her phone back to her, and she shifts her feet nervously. “Um… so, what kind of cases do you have?”

They’re phone cases. Not much to say. “We have, uh, some that are functional. And others that are pretty. Not many that are both,” he says, and immediately regrets it. It’s not exactly the tightest money-making strategy, downplaying your product, and he’s getting all flustered now and, fuck, he’s not doing a fantastic job of selling himself, either.

But still, the woman walks away with a new phone case, some tacky monstrosity painted with sparkling flames that had made her laugh, and a wink, leaving Barry behind to replay the interaction over-and-over-again in his mind for, at the very least, the rest of the day.

#the adventure zone #taz #taz balance #blupjeans #lup #barry bluejeans #taako #woe! silly mall au be upon ye #there is a deep and expansive lore to this au and i've already written at least one other scene if there seems to be a demand for it #it's not much but its more than ive done in months so. pls accept this humble offering #i know i have prompt fills collecting inbox dust too i just can't make the words come out lately :( i haven't abandoned all hope on those-#-yet i want to be in a place where i can work on those i just haven't been able to write words that weren't silly

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sans-guy · 9 months

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For Bitty Advice anon:

The care and keeping of bitties is a bit more like rabbits than like hamsters or gerbils: They're social creatures, like us, and they like company. They do better when they're included in part of your family instead of relegated to a specific section of the living area. That being said, they do like having their own dedicated space for privacy to retreat to if they get overwhelmed!

It's like having a tiny roommate who's sort of also your dependent.

Personally I lean towards the larger AUs so I feel more confident handling them because the tiny ones make me so nervous when people talk about a 2 inch skeleton sharing their bed (my guy tops out at 14 inches, and a lot of 1:3 scale doll furniture/novelty seasonal decor furniture fits him just fine), but they do have a range so you want to take into account what kind of space you have for them and how much time you're willing to dedicate to carrying them around and whether or not you're the kind of person who's going to get one of those chest wraps everyone's putting their cat in on tiktok to tote a small skeleton around while you're doing chores. If you're rescuing it can be a gamble who your personality is going to click with, so you may want to start with an all-purpose beanbag/repurposed squishmallow until you know what scale you're working with.

And you can't skimp on the entertainment! Don't just give them your phone and turn them into ipad monsters! They like puzzles, and crafts, and books, and if they MUST be home alone for long periods or they're just not feeling the other options, you can even get little desktop video game arcade consoles like pac man or even a DDR machine that works just like the big version for not too much. ~20-30 bucks for hours of entertainment.

“Basic” Sansies are great for first time keepers, since they’re mostly content to cuddle and snooze and are okay with being left alone for long periods like work hours. Papyrus-types will tell you they’re also okay being left alone but they get anxious and lonely more easily and just won’t cop to it out of fear of losing your approval. Papyrus-types (LilBros and other swap variants not included) tend to be high energy and high stimulation, and can be picky eaters from what I hear. They can be a bit fussy about their surroundings and like their spaces to be clean, but they’re lovely companions if you have the time and energy to dedicate to them. I have never witnessed less-conditional love than a Papyrus-type for their caretaker, regardless of skill level or number of mistakes made. That being said, I don’t personally recommend them solo for beginners on account of the fact that they may not speak up if they’re unhappy for fear of losing your approval and begin to deteriorate without notice. If you're a beginner caretaker and absolutely MUST have a Papyrus-type, please also include a Sansy-type with him. Sansies can act as mediator and translator when it comes to anxious Papyrus-types getting what they need.

Sorry this got long! I only meant to drop a note or two and I got off on a tangent. Regardless! Good luck with the adoption and I hope you find someone that suits your current situation!

excellent, fantastic advice anon. but what bitty type do you have that is 14 inches tall

#hugh mongus #crumb is 5-ish inches #YEAH... see this guy has done way more research than me sdfsd i havent dedicated a whole lot of time to it #most of my experience is from learning how to care for crumb #i mean i always endorse rescue over 'breeders' cus there's plenty of bitties out there that need a home #bittybones #long post #i didnt really Choose crumb he was just thrusted upon me by fate and its not incredibly easy to find someone who wants them so #i bear the mantle....

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archivistofnerddom · 9 months

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Hilarious Rebels/Bad Batch crossover idea:

Everyone is chilling on Yavin 4 in a rare moment of peace. They’re enjoying this little respite to rest and recover. The Spectres is enjoying their time together, especially since they were able to get Rex and Kallus outside to enjoy some fresh air around the Ghost.

And then a heavily-modified Omicron class shuttle from the late Republic and early Empire era comes in for a hasty landing. It’s an . . . unusual approach to say the least, complete with a specific turn and a touch-down that few pilots would dare to attempt.

Everyone, especially the Spectres, are interested in what this means.

Hera remembers this ship and what its occupants did to help Ryloth during the early Imperial period. Kanan gets leery, by contrast, since he remembers Kaller.

And Rex just laughs, gets up, and casually strolls over to the shuttle.

When the shuttle opens, a blonde woman emerges from inside like a bat out of hell, rushing over to hug Rex. He is equally as excited to see her, retuning that big hug with equal enthusiasm. The spectators can hear the gonking of a GNK droid echoing from inside.

The woman is wearing an amalgamation of several different clone trooper armor pieces with some unique adaptations. Zeb is the first to comment on the massive knife attached to her thigh and the smaller one sheathed on her forearm. Kallus responds with an observation about the Zygerrian bow she’s carrying. (Using that weapon takes practice and skill.) Ezra is intrigued by the unique design of the helmet she’s carrying, especially with the skull motif on it.

Before anyone can ask who this woman is or how she found the Rebellion, Rex asks, “So, why do you need a cover story when your brothers call me in a huff?”

The woman grins and pulls out a ratty old red bandana from a pouch on her hip. (She’s got more pouches than seem necessary on her person, but she seems to know what is where.) That makes Rex howl with laughter.

“It was either this or Echo’s legs . . . and I already stole those as a prank three times,” the woman replies. “This was harder to steal honestly, but it was completely worth it!”

“This is why you’re my favorite sister, ‘Megs. I haven’t seen Hunter without that thing on in . . . maybe since Bracca actually. You know he’s going to call me to see if I know where you are, right?” Rex tells her.

Neither seem to notice the audience growing around them. With that landing and the age of the shuttle, how could there not be an audience? If they do notice their audience, they clearly don’t care. Their reunion is more important to them to worry about that.

The woman gives Rex a sly smirk. “Of course, he will. And you get to witness first hand the annoyance of Hunter with a terrible haircut. Cross pulled out the clippers again while Hunter was napping.”

That seems to make Rex’s day.

“Don’t tell me what new haircut he got. I want to be surprised.” Rex finally deigns to notice the group watching him. The Ghost crew especially seem fascinated by who this woman is. He slings an around her shoulder and asks, “Why is everyone so interested in my sister all of a sudden? You haven’t seem siblings reunite before?”

“We didn’t know you have a sister,” Sabine asks carefully. (She’s fascinated by the modifications to the shuttle. There’s no way it should be in as good condition as it is at its age.)

The woman shakes her head. “Hera did. She’s met our brothers and my squad before.”

Hera grins and laughs. “I have. It’s great to see you again, Omega. How are your brothers, by the way.”

“Oh fantastic. I’ll tell you about what they’re up to over dinner, if that’s okay with you. Rex should be getting a very annoyed call any time now from Pabu. Hunter will have looked in the mirror by now. I promised Tech and Wrecker I’d record Rex’s reaction,” the newly-named Omega says.

And that’s when Kanan finally finds his words.

“How the kriff are Rex and Clone Force 99 your brothers? They’re clones - male clones,” he asks, a myriad of emotions in his voice.

Omega sighs. This isn’t the first time that she’s had this conversation.

“Well, let’s just say some of us are little . . . deviant from the standard mold,” she replies. “Though, we prefer to be called the Bad Batch.”

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