I'm being ambitious, but I'm going to try to do something fun for Christmas- a little side story about the Safehouse residents- and it would help immensely to outsource a bit of the thinking.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
You volunteer with a nonprofit that's doing a charity drive to support the Box Boy Liberation Movement, sending things to Safehouses to give the the rescuees and volunteers a merry Christmas. The things you send can be fun or practical, it's up to you (but to be clear, they're genuine gifts of whatever kind, this is all fluff and no whump except perhaps in flashbacks).
At your monthly meeting, you take a little scroll off the tree and unroll it. Inside is the following description of the people you'll be cheering up this Christmas.
Mikey (approx. 24 years old) arrived on the same day as Francis and has been settling in to House 17 after being rescued from a rough situation. He recently had surgery on both arms and is going to be in casts for a few months before he can start learning to use his hands again. When he is able, he plans to learn Sign Language, so that he can communicate more easily, as he isn't able to speak. Mikey wears a size L or XL.
Francis (approx. 21 years old) arrived at House 17 the same day as Mikey and the two became fast friends. Francis has spent a lot of time sick in bed lately and is discovering the joys of daytime TV as he recovers. His favorite show is "What We Do In The Shadows", but he enjoys cooking shows as well. Because of injuries to his feet, Francis is particularly appreciative of soft socks and slippers. Francis wears a size M.
Nathan (23 years old) was rescued from the same home as Mikey. Thanks to a broken leg, he is spending a lot of time on the couch and is having a hard time trying to stay active. Nathan would appreciate having something to do that lets him exercise his mind and helps break up the monotony of a long day. He can read and write decently well, but would enjoy practicing both skills. Nathan wears a size L.
Angie (25) and Tim (26) are the House 17 staff. Angie enjoys going for long runs and introducing Mikey, Francis, and Nathan to her favorite movies and TV shows. When he's not trying out new recipes for his housemates, Tim likes to read detective fiction.
What would you send? I can't promise I'll use all suggestions (that depends on how many there are) but your ideas may show up later this month!
Tag list: @pigeonwhumps, @cepheusgalaxy, @i-eat-worlds
CW: institutionalized slavery, mention of broken bones
The buzzing of Angie's phone interrupted the seemingly endless movie marathon. Today, it was "Paddington". Angie picked the phone up, tapped her passcode in, and read the text.
She sat up a little straighter and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion or concern. She read the text again and then she got up and left the room, tapping furiously at her phone. Four pairs of eyes followed her.
"Angie?" Tim called. "Are you okay?"
"Be right back," she said, which did not answer the question. They could her her in the other room in conversation with someone, talking very fast.
"Is something wrong?" Francis asked in a low, nervous voice.
Tim considered his answer carefully. "It sounds like Angie's having a serious phone call," he said. He didn't want to frighten Francis, but he had to be careful not to make promises that weren't his to keep. "She looked worried, but not panicked. Let's just wait and see what she has to say when she comes back. That sound okay?"
"Francis will do his best," Francis murmured. Tim decided that would have to be good enough.
They tried to watch Paddington, but it was hard to concentrate and fortunately it wasn't long before Angie made the usual end-of-phonecall sounds that the rescuees had learned to expect.
"Mmhmm," she said. "Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay, thanks. Bye."
"Everything okay?" Tim was quick to speak on their collective behalf when she came back.
Angie shrugged expansively, a gesture that looked like exasperation covering for worry. "I guess. Mostly. That was my sister, Lexi. Chris- you guys remember Chris?" There was a round of nods from the rescuees. "Well, they broke their leg pretty bad."
"Oh, shit!" Nathan exclaimed sympathetically. "Are they okay? I mean, obviously not really, I mean, they broke their leg, but... you know..."
Angie grinned wryly. "Yeah, other than the leg they're okay. It was just a fall down the stairs, apparently. They were at home and they had their phone to call 911 and everything. Our brother and sister have been over there- Greg is Chris's twin, so I knew he would want to stay. He always worries when something happens to them. And Lexi lives close by and she's single, so she can afford to just stay long-term."
"Do you need to go, though?" Tim asked. "We'll be okay if you do."
"I dunno," Angie shrugged again. "Probably not right now. I kind of want to, but Lexi said Chris is sleeping. She and Greg are hoping I'll come a couple of days this week, when they have to be at work. They said Chris isn't great with the crutches yet and they don't want to leave them alone."
"Yeah, of course," Tim agreed. "Whatever you need to do, it's fine, we'll be okay."
"Thanks."
The agreement was that Angie would go over on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and that Greg and Lexi would cover Tuesday and Thursday by taking some leave from work. They hoped it would only be a few weeks, but the siblings agreed that they wanted to make sure Chris was able to get around safely on crutches before they were left alone for any length of time.
"I feel bad leaving you to do everything, though," Angie said to Tim on Sunday night as they washed the dishes, out of earshot of the rescuees.
"It's fine." Tim shrugged. "We did okay when you were at your sister's wedding, after all. And you're planning to be back in the evening, right?"
"Yeah." Angie dried a plate and added it to the stack. "I should be back by dinner. Greg and Lexi are both home by like 5:30."
"Maybe you could pick up pizza for us on your way back?" Tim suggested. He grinned. "You know. If that'll assuage your guilt."
"It might," Angie agreed dryly. "Actually..."
"Oh no," Tim teased. "I know that sound. You're having a good idea, aren't you?"
"Of course I am! And it's this- why don't I bring one of the guys with me? They're all healthy enough to leave the house and it won't be a lot of work to just sit at Chris's, so they'll be safe and they'll be resting for most of the day, just like we do here. But it's outside the house, seeing a new place and doing new things. What do you think?"
"I actually think it's a great idea," Tim said. "It's not that I mind having all three of them here, but it could be a good way to get some, like, occupational therapy in. If that's what that is. Get them out of the house, like you said."
"Who first?" Angie asked.
Tim considered this as they wiped down the table and counters.
"Nathan is the obvious choice," Angie pointed out. "He's probably the most ready to go out, and he and Chris are friendly. They text sometimes."
"True," Tim agreed. "But if he's okay waiting, I was thinking maybe we should see if Francis wants to go."
"I wouldn't mind, but how come?"
"For one thing, he seemed really worried. Like, more than I realized," Tim said. "He was still asking about Chris at bedtime- when I helped him with his shower." Tim wrung the washcloth out in the sink and went back to scrubbing a particularly stubborn spot. "And he still freaks out when anyone knocks on the door, but I think him being worried might be enough of a motivator to get him to be okay leaving the house for an extended period. I'm not sure anything short of an emergency like that would do it."
"That's a good point," Angie agreed. "Let's ask."
The next morning, they put the question to Francis as Tim was helping him dress.
"Leave?" Francis asked, his face going pale. "How- Francis is- Francis can't-" He stopped, licked his lips, and took a deep breath. "Francis will try," he said in a very small voice.
"It's okay to have an opinion on this," Angie reminded him. "We're not going to force you to do it. It's just an invitation."
Francis nodded and tucked his shaking hands under his arms. He didn't say any more.
"Why don't you think about it while we have breakfast?" Tim suggested. "Angie, what time do you need to leave?"
"In half an hour?" she said. "But I can be a little flexible. Greg said he'd be home until I got there. Think about it while we have breakfast."
They helped the rescuees dress and make their way downstairs, and over the meal the talk turned again to the idea of leaving the house.
"It sounds like a good opportunity," Nathan said. "I'd go, if I could." This was clearly a hint and he was looking out the corner of his eye at Angie as he said it.
She caught the look and felt a little bad- it was easy to forget sometimes that Nathan's trauma was as deep as anything Francis and Mikey felt. He clearly wanted to go and wasn't able to ask.
"I was hoping you'd come later in the week," Angie said and felt bad all over again at the relieved, eager look on Nathan's face. "Chris will be happy to see you."
"I'd really like to see them again," Nathan admitted. "They're really cool." Angie could hear the unstated "I'm worried about my friend" in his tone, but decided not to say anything about that.
Mikey nodded and looked hopefully at Angie. He tapped his right hand lightly to his chest and winced.
"You, too," she agreed. "I'm going three days this week, so there's a chance to take each you. But today, it's up to you," she continued, reminding Francis. "We aren't going to be angry. Whatever you choose is the right thing to do."
At that, Francis' shoulders relaxed slightly and Angie was fairly sure she knew what the answer would be.
As it turned out, she was wrong.
"Francis would like to go," Francis said in a small, determined voice. "Francis would like to see Mx. Chris. Francis is worried for them, because he knows they are in pain and he thinks he will feel less worried if he can help them." He took a deep breath and looked down at his hands, twisting nervously in his lap. "But Francis is afraid. It will be a long way to walk and Francis does not want to hurt."
"We're taking the car," Angie said. She couldn't tell if he was envisioning having to walk to Chris's house, or if he just meant that being in a new place might mean more walking than usual.
Francis just nodded, which didn't clear anything up.
"Angie will help you, like she does here," Tim said. "And you can wear your boots and take your crutches, so that'll help. And once you're at Chris's, you're mostly going to just sit around, like here. Remember, Chris isn't up to a lot of walking, either."
Francis nodded and watched his cereal as he ate a few bites, slowly, contemplatively. Then he looked back up.
"Francis will go," he said firmly, and that was that.
Next Time: Angie takes Francis to visit Chris.
Master List
Notes: There may be the traditional "Advice" introduction again at some point, but if I'm honest, having to come up with relevant excerpts from the manual was one big thing preventing me from writing more of this story. The other was the need to write chronologically- I have several ideas that don't fit together neatly. Ultimately, I decided it would be better to write about the Safehouse more often with a slightly different format and without worrying too much about continuity.
Tag list: @pigeonwhumps, @cepheusgalaxy, @i-eat-worlds
The next morning, Chris woke up sore and tired, as if they hadn't slept very much at all. It was still dark out and their leg was throbbing, and they wondered if it was too early to wake Greg and ask him for their painkillers? Instead, they fumbled for their phone, in its usual place plugged in on the bedside table.
"Speaking of..." Chris murmured. There was a text from Greg. It read:
Morning! If you haven't already talked to Lexi or me, then we're still asleep. Meds and water are next to the bed, should be easy to reach. If not, or you want ANYTHING else, call. My volume's all the way up.
There was also a text from Lexi.
Morning, Chrissy! I put some crackers next to the water. Don't take your meds on an empty stomach. If you want ANYTHING call or text me, k?
Chris had to smile, in spite of the pain. Those two were so organized. They had been the perfect people to call.
They groped around the bedside table until they found the packet of peanut butter crackers and ate them, despite the pain having ruined their appetite. It had to be done and the painkillers would be worth it. Once they had swallowed the pills and only spilled a little water down their shirt, Chris relaxed back against the pillows and waited for the medication to take effect.
They spent most of the first day home in bed, nursing their leg and trying not to move too much. Once Greg and Lexi woke, they brought in chairs, hooked up the DVD player from the family room, and devoted the day to keeping Chris company.
"After all," Greg pointed out, "if you can't spend even one day just hanging around, what's the point?"
"Yeah," Lexi agreed. "It's the least we can do."
The next day was more difficult, largely because they agreed that Chris would need to get up and move around. Chris knew it would be good for them, and that lying in bed for too long wasn't the healthiest thing, but it wasn't the most fun option, either. For one thing, the leg was nothing but heavy, dead weight. For another, crutches required a lot of work and Chris was quickly finding that walking more than a few steps was exhausting.
On the other hand, Chris couldn't shake the constant awareness that Greg and Lexi had their own lives. Lexi, who was probably vying to become Chris's favorite sister, had offered to move in and be around in the mornings and evenings. Chris had taken her up on that offer, at least, but she would still have to go to work during the day. She couldn't be a caretaker 24/7 and it wasn't like Chris was incompetent, after all, just... hurt. Temporarily. They were going to need to get comfortable doing at least the basics for themself.
So Chris practiced on their crutches and insisted on going downstairs to watch movies on the couch instead. The first trip down the stairs, the had to admit, made them nervous. Greg went in front of them, hands out to catch Chris if they fell, and Lexi came behind, holding one of the crutches. In between, Chris balanced on the hand rail on one side and a single crutch on the other.
There were three sighs of relief when they made it to the bottom of the stairs and moved with more confidence into the TV room.
At lunch, Chris insisted on coming to the table. "It's good practice," they said, when Lexi tried to convince them to stay on the couch. They heaved themself up onto their good leg and positioned their crutches under their arms. First, they shuffled sideways to get to the open space at the edge of the room and then finally turned and hobbled to the table.
By the time lunch was over and Chris would consent to go back to the couch and lie down, their leg was throbbing and clearly more swollen.
"I'm still glad I did it, though," they insisted, as Greg helped them back across the room, too tired to rely on their crutches alone. "It's good practice."
"Yeah, sure," Greg agreed, rolling his eyes. "Just be sure you don't 'practice' yourself down the stairs again."
Chris winced. "Too soon."
But their siblings had to admit that the practice and the movement were good for Chris, even if they weren't very fun, and they got in the habit of letting Chris make it to the table under their own power. Besides the bathroom, it was the only place they had to go.
"I'll be right there," Chris called on Sunday afternoon, the fourth day since they had come home and their third day in charge of coming to meals unassisted. They sighed as they heaved themself up, the foot in its bandages already starting to throb.
Oh, well. They could make it to the table, anyway. From the way the house smelled, whatever Lexi had on the stove was going to be great.
They took the first tentative hop forward, holding the leg out in front of them. They had experimented with holding it behind them, but it was so heavy that the toe of the cast almost dragged on the ground. Forward it would have to be.
Chris made their way across the room, sweating slightly with the effort. Just this room, then the hall, then the kitchen, where there were chairs and they could prop their leg back up. This was do-able. They would make it.
It just felt so undignified to hobble around on crutches. They knew they didn't look graceful, swinging along the way some people seemed to be able to do. Mostly people in movies, come to think of it. Instead, they hopped on their good foot and frowned in concentration, huffing and puffing before they even got into the hallway. Sexy, Chris thought to themself, rolling their eyes. Worse, the movement jarred their leg, leaving Chris wincing in pain with every step.
Still, they were more or less fine until they made it into the tiled hall. The smooth, sometimes slippery flooring made the hall a unique challenge. Chris wondered if one of the siblings would be willing to pick up a rug and decided that if they asked, someone would do it. That wasn't going to help with lunch today, though. Chris took more careful hops, trying not to move so far with each step. They watched very carefully where they were going, making their way inch by inch...
It was all going fine until they slipped. One of the crutches hit a slick spot on the tile, which had never bothered Chris before, and before they knew it, they were thrown totally off balance.
On instinct, Chris put their broken foot to the floor and cried out in the terrible pain that shot through them as they involuntarily leaned weight on it. Even without the pain, though, the injured leg would have been no use. The bandages provided no traction and slid out from under Chris, bringing them swiftly to the floor with a thump.
For that first moment, Chris sat, stunned and staring. Then the agony began in earnest and Chris found themself too pained to even call out to their brother and sister for help. They looked around, then down at their bandaged leg, realized what damage might have been done, and began to cry.
Greg and Lexi had heard the commotion in the hall and paused only long enough to turn off the stove before rushing in to see what was going on. Their sibling sat in a heap of cast and crutches, clutching at their thigh, rocking back and forth and weeping in pain.
"What happened?" Greg exclaimed, but Lexi was quicker on the uptake.
"Oh, Chrissy, did you fall?" she asked. Chris nodded miserably, wiping at their eyes. "Oh, no. Shit. We shouldn't have let you do it alone. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Chris managed. They choked back a sob. "I'm sorry I'm bad at this."
"You don't have to be good at this!" Lexi reminded them. She knelt down and rubbed their back. "Do you think you hurt your leg- like, worse, I mean?"
"I don't know."
"Okay. Well, let's get you to the couch, okay? Then you can rest and we can talk it over."
Getting Chris up might have been impossible, if not for Greg's devotion to his gym. Lexi was too small to be of much use and Chris was in too much pain to stand, but Greg knelt and got Chris's arm over his shoulder. With Lexi balancing them on the other side, he stood up and brought Chris with him. Then he and Lexi propped Chris on their shoulders, put their arms around Chris's waist, and helped them hop into the living room.
Once they had lowered Chris onto the sofa, Greg returned to the kitchen to make sure the food didn't burn while Lexi did her best to make Chris comfortable. She put a pillow behind their back and gently propped up their leg.
"Owwww," Chris whined, unable to conceal their agony.
"I know," Lexi murmured.
"Shit, man," Greg added helpfully. Chris couldn't help but laugh, even in these dire straits.
"Thanks, that help- argh, shit," the joke turned into a groan as Lexi settled another pillow under their foot.
"I'm sorry, I'm done," Lexi apologized.
"You're okay," Chris murmured. "It's fine." It wasn't, but saying so wasn't going to help anything. They tried to lay very still, faint with pain, watching lights dance before their eyes.
Anon hate is shitty and you shouldn’t do it of course but it’s also the funniest and least effective kind of hate
For starters the blogger can just delete and ignore it. And given tumblr’s penchant for eating asks I think it would drive some hate senders a little insane if they keep checking back in wondering if their ask got eaten.
For second the anon ask format guarantees the blogger gets the last word in every time. Even if anon sends a follow up message they will never get the last word. And tumblr for better or for worse seems to run on this currency of “whoever expressed the last opinion in a post is the one we’re supporting”
For third, this publishes the hate directly to the blogger’s own followers, i.e. the people MOST likely to take the blogger’s side. Home court advantage by design.
#I call for an audience with the king. After waiting in line I stand in front of his throne #(dressed in a huge white bedsheet like a cartoon ghost so as to hide my identity) #I call the king a bitch. I insult his policies all of which were made with the guidance of his court who r also all here #the king ignores me. I say it again in case he didn't hear. The king ignores me #I leave in shame (via @septimus-heap)
Had the pleasure of commissioning this awesome artist for some art of ya boy, Tozraz. So, if you were ever wondering what he looks like, well, there he goes lmfao.
Amazing piece, by an amazing artist. Thank you so much. You guys go and check them out. A pleasure and joy to work with.
👀 if a mix couple is looked down upon because they wouldn't keep the bloodline pure what about same sex couples? 🤔 are they ok with them keeping a relationship as long as one of them has a kid with another person to keep the bloodline going? Also how would that affect the ros positions? As in, if Ozara romances a female Phoenix and they can't have a child, does she just appoint someone to take her place or another family member would be next in line to be leader?
*slides back in even though I was done answering asks for today* Gotta keep that lore train moving.
So same sex couples are widely not frowned upon in the houses. Phoenix and Griffin tolerate them, not in a bad way but in a way of "you see more straight couples than same sex." Basilisk and Dragon don't care either way, love who you love. And Pegasus and Great Stag were actually more pro same sex than they are straight. And you'll see in Ozara's route more of this.
Most Houses if the ruler is in a same sex relationship will have a surrogate come in to keep the line pure. So for example, Dragons have women and men who volunteer to make sure a proper heir is born. Pegasus is unique as they use magic to allow same sex couples to produce children (this is not to say other Houses can't but Pegasus are extremely gifted in magic and so it's easier to find someone), which is another reason they are more pro-same sex. With magic you can better define a child's genes and what not.
Otherwise, the ruler will just appoint someone like a niece or nephew to take over. This isn't frowned upon as Phoenix has done this once, but you can imagine that many Houses want to keep it as pure lineage as possible.
Where do the TOA ROs like to give and receive kisses? 😘
I'm going to say this is PG so more so places they wouldn't mind in ... yea, no. I'm going to be dirty if I want.
Ruben: Gives on the forehead IF Phoenix is short. He loves that shit. Otherwise he's a classic lips guy. Receives on his arm or chest.
Ozara: Gives on cheek and neck. Receives on hand and wrist, she comes undone with those very soft and romantic kisses.
Nour: Gives ... everywhere like ... it's Nour ... But Receives on the back of their neck, that's the sweet spot for them.
Zarik: Gives all over, but mostly on face and hands. For Basilisks that's a common affectionate area. Receives on the forehead or right behind the ear, appreciates neck too. In private he's a fan of getting kisses on his scars.
Makaio: Gives on the the ears and the corners of the mouth, she's a mean little tease. And receives on the legs, game over after that for her. Also on her - whoa, look at that bird, it's a dragon.
dunno if you’ve gotten a question like this before or not, but how would you say the MC’s phoenix form looks? any type of bird specifically or just like “typical” phoenix pictures found online?
It's a typical phoenix. The colors vary as they can be different colors and the plumage isn't exactly fire as they literally have feathers that are just on fire. But yea, typical phoenix.
I gotta say reading the Phoenix look ask was kinda disappointing ‘cuz like every other house has this badass transformation where they are the size of lions, horses and even dragons! not to mention that some might even be bigger.... and then there we are... the size of a family KFC combo 😪.
I know we are fire but our size just make us seem so easy to beat instead of being one of the strongest houses there. Also by the drawings that run through internet I thought Phoenixes were naturally the size of a small house, imagine how badass would that be..
First of all. How big if your family KFC combo because either they pumping your chicken with the super soldier steroid or I gotta stop going to Popeyes.
Now ...
*stares at dragons who are currently getting their asses kicked by a species smaller than them.*
*stares at House Pegasus who besides one species who are technically large and badass, the rest of them are horses and though I love horses as much as the next crazed horse person, I don't see this badass transformation you speak of*
*stares at griffins who are definitely shorter than Pegasus and not the size of a small house.*
My point is there's only one large and badass group and they're getting decimated. Unless you got the balls to go up to an eagle be it Harpy or Bald and tell them they're small to their face, Phoenixes are larger than them and so I don't see that as small. And again, you can't ride them because they're not strong enough to support a rider. Like, are we really looking at a creature made of fire and saying, ah you're small so you couldn't possibly be badass? Also, I might be the only one but I see the benefit of being small. You're faster, more agile, and a harder target. A dragon can't even match you in the air without luck. But to each their own, wrapping this up I ain't changing shit.
idk if you have played the sims 4, but if you had to choose 3 traits for each ro of TOA which would they be? 👀 (if it helps you can google the trait list!) my phoenix would be bookworm, gloomy and proper 😌
Pssh, have I played the sims 4. *me waiting patiently for Paralives* How we feel about that werewolf pack and the new highschool one about to roll out?
In Throne of ashes when mc was finally at home with Ruben meeting the parents, and their father wanted to have a chat with Ruben. What did they talk about in there? While mc went with their mother.
About Ruben's intentions pertaining to Phoenix as well as House Phoenix mainly and depending on if Ruben is on fiery or mindful path depends on how it goes. If on mindful, Ruben starts off pissed but gradually calms down and the conversation goes quite well. Otherwise Ruben is an utter asshole who tries to push as many buttons as possible with his remarks.
Hello, first of all I love all of your games!! I have a question, do the Phoenixes have any traits of their second form in their bipedal form? Like feathers or claws or something like that? English is not my first language so I hope my question makes sense.
Your question made perfect sense. Not all phoenixes, Phoenix MC is an example of one that doesn't have their animal parts shown. But there are phoenixes that have their plumages (different areas such as part of their hair, on their elbows and upper arm, or tail) and/or feet shown. It's not something they can get rid of as it's just their second form showing in their bi-ped one.
Not sure if this will show up in game but the houses (TOA) have some custom regarding courting?
It shows up in Zarik's route ... Makaio's route ... Ruben's to a small point as one thing he does is custom. They all have them though, the biggest issue being that most of the customs have to do with you wooing a member of the same race though.
For example all the flying houses have customs where you do trust falls and what not in particular ways. Griffin hooking claws like eagles as they freefall, Pegasus doing aerial tricks with near collisions, the closer you get the more you trust them. Dragons actually fighting.
A lot of dragon customs have to do with fighting, there's hardly any married couple that hasn't had a bral lyesu (honorable duel). They also have one where they stay in the woods for half a month together, surviving off the land (huh, I guess Ruben and Phoenix do that too lmfao).
Griffins are simpler really, and their customs are more akin to dates. They do have one that no everyone do where they have to climb a mesa blindfolded while the other guides them. They also build a house together.
Pegasus are one of my favorite as their customs are more environmental and help future generations such as planting plants, trees, helping wildlife, etc. Ozara is pretty early and you will go by her home so I may be able to actually sneak some customs in.
