#(I say this now. I'm sure when I start working on my thesis my tune will change.)

[ante--meridiem]

Life is so good when you've dropped a course.

[noaheadiegamedev]

Basil

Species: Wingless Owlkin

Homeworld: Blueperch

Pronouns: They/Them

“Look at my funny little hat. Yes, I know it’s funny. But isn’t it kinda cool, too?”

Backstory after the jump.

PROPERTIES::>>>- Basil]+Debut]+Interview]]]VIT]

File type:: Vocalwave Interview Transcript

Software:: Valkyrsoft Steno, Professional Edition

Sample quality:: Standard (28k iotas per second)

OPENIN::>>>- Valkyrsoft]+Steno

File opened in Valkyrsoft Steno.

READOUT::>>>-

Michael: Good morning, folks! Michael Moonrust here. Joining us is Basilwood Stonethorn, the newest member of the Thrasher League!

Basil: Please, call me Basil.

M: Sure thing, Basil. Now, tell us a bit about yourself. Folks at home have already read your thrasher sheet, so they know what you can do. Now they're ready to learn what you're about.

B: As they should.

M: That's the spirit! So, what got you into magic?

B: When I was little, my mother took me with her when she'd get her feathers done. They had a few early issues of Arcane Arts Annual in the waiting chamber. The covers caught my eye, so I picked one up - issue five, I think - and started reading. Beautiful stuff in there - rune-reading guides, energy crystal reviews, potion recipes, tips for writing your own grimoire, full-spread photos of combustion spells, magic circle diagrams, the works. But what really caught my eye, was this page in the back for beginner magicians, for how to do a basic conjuration spell - using a prism and a tuning fork to conjure a cloud of someone's favorite color. I uh, I still feel a bit guilty about this, but I actually ripped the page out and snuck it home.

M: You didn't!

B: [Hooting in laughter] Yeah, I was a right little scamp back then.

M: So did you try it?

B: Oh, yeah, and I was terrible at it, terrible! I barely got a cloud at all, and it was always the wrong color.

M: No kidding.

B: Yeah, but something about it was really exciting. When I got it to work it was... well, it was magic. I got really into it. So for my birthday, mom got me a children's sorcery kit - one of those thirty-cred deals with a bunch of single-use aura crystals, tiny packets of ashes and salts, all that jazz - and a cast-your-own grimoire with some cute little prewritten conjures and divinations. And it all kinda went from there. I think I still have that grimoire somewhere, in the attic or something.

M: And now you're on the cover of Arcane Arts Annual.

B: And now I'm on the cover of Arcane, yeah. That's a riot.

M: So, where did you go for magic academy? What was your thesis?

B: Oh, yeah, I didn't go for that. I'm basically self-taught.

M: Really now?

B: Yeah, I just read books and articles and stuff. Occasionally I'd post on a web coven when I got stuck on something.

M: And how did you figure that all out? Isn't magic really, well, complex, and subtle?

B: I mean, some of the really top shelf, high mana stuff, sure, but mostly no. Once you understand the basics, there's a lot you can just kinda guess at and see what happens. If you've ever painted, or meditated, or coded, I'd say the process is somewhere between those three.

M: You must have had a lot of talent to be able to pick up on all of that yourself.

B: Actually, no, and that's kinda why I'm here, right? I wanna show folks at home that anyone can do magic. Really good and original magic, too. I've come to realize that there isn't really such a thing as talent, in the sense that people have or don't have it, and that it's the primary barrier to doing really cool stuff. So many people live with that belief, and they end up limiting themselves artificially. The thing we call talent, is really just lucky guesses at how to build up a skill. I, honestly, just kinda guessed at what would and wouldn't work - and for a few years, they were all just total miscasts. I only got as far as I did, not because I had 'the right stuff' in me all along, but because I persevered through all the failures and trusted that, if I just stuck with it and practiced in a productive way, eventually I'd actually be able to cast something for real. And that's me, and now I'm here. I think anyone can do that.

M: Huh, wow, that's really something. I never thought of it like that, I suppose.

B: It's totally understandable, most folks have that assumption.

M: Well, tell me then, why are you fighting in an arena to show people this? We're glad you're here, but why didn't you just, say, write a book?

B: Uhhh, cause fighting is badass. Duh.

M: Hey, fair enough! Well, it looks like you've got a clear sense of purpose, and you know what you wanna do and how to do it. Thank you for joining us today, Basil.

B: Thank you for having me.

[honeyrose-tea]

this has been a strange start to the new year for sure. how are you doing? what did you think of the situation in the capitol? any thoughts or worries about the rest of the month? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on everything. -🌙

thank you so much for the ask💞 almost every day I check my inbox anticipating the next time I'll hear from you. just knowing that someone cares.... it really does a lot for my self-esteem. I don't have many friends right now and the few I do are very busy and have a lot of things they would rather do than talk to me. thank you for making time to listen to me and ask me how I'm doing. you wouldn't believe how many people don't. I haven't always been the most consistent presence for you and I'm sorry. I'm trying to do better and be less selfish because I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of that. thank you for always being kind to me, pen pal.

there is a lot I want to say regarding the capitol and the situation in the country in general. as a social science student (and hopefully one day a professor!) these situations are of great academic interest to me. as a bisexual woman and an informed US citizen who cares about my rights I am also very personally vested in American issues. but first I would like to tackle your question regarding how I'm doing:)

I'm doing pretty good. classes have started back up but most of mine are online. I'm thinking of switching to online exclusively because of how much emotional (and sometimes physical) labor in-person classes are, and also for the sake of my health and my parents'. it's funny how so many things we did with ease before the pandemic seem so burdensome now. even small interactions are anxiety-inducing now, and I find myself having a hard time socializing even casually. like a muscle that has atrophied without use, my social skills are awful now. on a happier note, my productivity and creativity are both at all-time highs since social interactions aren't using up all my energy anymore. I brought my record player to my dorm room and I've been listening to a bunch of music, I've also been writing and recording some music of my own. I have a couple of demos and if you or anyone else is interested, I'll post them on here. once I record and edit full band versions I'll put them up on my soundcloud. I've tried sharing some of my stuff with some friends but none of them really care and I don't want to annoy them. besides, it's more for myself anyway. I wang to prove to myself that I can make music and that I can say something worth saying. a lot of my struggle over the past 6 months has been that I feel as though nothing I do or say can change anything, that none of my actions matter. I struggle a lot with control and I've been working on it for years, but it's still really hard for me. anyway. I'm enjoying class and what I do outside of it. I've been in my element living alone again (in my dorm) and feeling free to wear/do/say what I want, when I want. I wash my dishes and sing to myself and manage my time and drink lots of artificially sweetened and heavily flavored coffee without anyone around to judge me. and I get to cry and masturbate when I want, both of which are helpful in regulating my moods. I don't know. it's not like I'm doing anything exciting, but I am doing each thing I do well and with a happy heart. I feel like this portion of my life is something of a hibernation- the winter seasons combined with the pandemic have me in a cozy little daydream, reading and self-reflecting and getting back in tune with myself and my passions. I have a feeling that the spring and summer will be very vibrant bustling months so I am trying to enjoy my rest and soak in as much knowledge about myself and the world around me as I can. it's hard for me to live in the present and not get antsy (connected to control issues, I think) but I'm getting better at it. on the subject of the future, I've also been using this time to look into grad school and prepare for the GRE (a standardized test required for most grad school applications, similar to the ACT/SAT). I'm learning a lot that I didn't know since neither of my parents went further than undergrad, and I'm getting excited. I'm really looking forward to doing research. I've already been collecting some thesis ideas for an undergraduate-level thesis that I have to complete next year for the honors college, and hopefully I can turn that into a masters and/or PHD thesis when the time comes. now, on to more important matters than my silly little life.

I have very complicated feelings about america. I do have some attachment to some of the original ideas that are at the foundation- "bring me your huddled masses...", "all men are created equal", the general spirit of democracy, etc.- all of these are valid and worth keeping (in some form) to me. I think a lot of good people and ideas exist around us and I believe that we must be as empathetic and kind as possible to one another in order to navigate the current climate and preserve the good that we do have. that said, america was also founded on some pretty terrible, bigoted principles and our history- as well as our present- is marred by injustices. our society has become highly individualistic because of capitalism, and it has resulted in considerable division on every level. the competition that fuels capitalism is like an invasive species of plant, it does not only exist within our economy but it slithers out into our social world and the way we relate to others. I think capitalism coupled with our post-enlightenment founding is the source of most all of our problems as a country. capitalism has taken root in america in a way more malicious and all-consuming than in any other culture, because it was there at the beginning of our country and all of our social norms have grown out of it. many other cultures have existed long before capitalism and though it has modified their culture, it has not altogether become it. because america was founded on capitalism, we have no cultural identity outside of it. america is, itself, capitalism. that is precisely why america is experiencing all of the best and worst parts of capitalism at their most extreme. it is why, as I mentioned previously, we are perhaps the most divisive and competitive society in the modern world, and probably in history. we are the richest and most powerful country but we have the largest wealth gap and incarceration rate, among many other extremes.

all of this is to say that the rise of Trump and fascism in this country has been a long time coming, and unmistakably inevitable. to defeat it we will have to break america down to its fundamentals, throw out everything that is unethical and unjust, and rebuild our entire society from there. this is radical and hard to imagine, it will also be very difficult to execute, but I strongly believe that much of our societal systems just cannot be reformed, they must be thrown out and replaced.

the capitol riots were inexcusable and sickening but decidedly inevitable. this has been steadily building for america's entire existence. I think it will get worse before it gets better, as there are already plans for bigger and more numerous protests across the country in the following weeks. that said, I feel hopeful as I see the anti-fascist movement grow in the wake of fascism, I am hopeful as I see many people being radicalized and awakened to the realities of this country's failings. I don't know how exactly we will even begin to rid ourselves of the biases, prejudices, and downright hatred that plagues our country. I don't know how we will relate on an individual level to those with such deeply-ingrained hate in their hearts. I don't know how we will change our systems of government and economy to reflect new cultural values that we begin to build together. I am not sure what the future will hold. I do believe, however, that we will triumph over this moment and that the future will be better. I think that the only way to radically change and unite so many vastly different people and remove the blinders from their eyes is through a terrible, historic awakening like the one we are having now. the situation itself is awful, but I am hopeful that out of this mess we become a nation more committed to justice and to some of the ideals which we have falsely claimed to be emulating for our entire history.

so yes, I am worried about the next few weeks, months, and even years. there is no end to the pursuit of a just society, and I think every informed citizen is always a bit apprehensive about certain aspects of their culture. there will always be problems to combat and injustices to rectify, but I think that we will soon be moving to a better place, that we will remember these moments and say, "never again". I am hopeful, despite seeing some of the worst of humanity in recent days, that these atrocities will bring positive change.

I know that was long and instead of discussing issues about the capitol, or even just current political issues, I expanded the scope considerably and dragged in a lot of things from history and grander sociopolitical theories. still, I think it is hard to talk about the insurrection attempt without talking about a lot more. thank you for reading my takes and caring about them. I spend a lot of time thinking about these things, and it feels nice to share them with someone other than my annoyed professors who want me to shut up so they can finish the lecture and stick to their semester schedule.

I hope you're well and that you're staying safe and healthy. are you in school now too? have you or your family had the virus? thank you for coming to talk to me, I always enjoy it. I'll talk to you again soon💞

[lallemanting]

hello darling sara! how are you on this quarantine-y tuesday? i'm working on my thesis but the anxiety of writing something shitty is really feeding my procrastinating tendencies aka reading fic. and i read fwog again- and now i have questions if you don't mind my asking: what did eliott think when lucas asked to hug him? also what was his pov of the morning after they got their marks- y'know the talk with yann and all that good stuff? thanks for being my no.1 source of serotonin, love you!

hello lovely! I’m doing okay, how are you? been there with the thesis struggles so sending you lots inspiration to get through it 💛

yay some more diving into Eliott’s pov!! let’s do it:

So that hug is a big turning point for Eliott and something that really restores his hope. I’ve said before he realized he was in love with Lucas when he was painting for his art show and when Lucas runs away, he takes it as a sign that Lucas saw through the meaning of Eliott’s painting and was rejecting him, so he’s scared and pulled back. And then he hits a low for a few days. It’s not major, but there’s a weight in his chest he’d rather sleep off and even though normally he doesn’t want anyone around, he thinks about calling Lucas, thinks it would be nice to have him near. But in the end he decides against it because their relationship has felt so fragile over the past week, especially after nearly a month of being inseparable and Eliott is scared of being a burden, scared of pushing Lucas away even more. And then Lucas shows up anyway. When Idriss knocks on his door, so incredibly softly, he barely makes a sound, just a rough grunt in acknowledgement, but then Idriss says Lucas’ name and Eliott can’t really explain how he feels, only that he feels cared about, that someone who doesn’t lived with him felt his absence in their life and showed up and it’s Lucas of all people, which makes him want to cry both from happiness and the heartache of loving him thinking Lucas doesn’t feel the same.

But then the hug. He’s been sleeping for hours, and every time he wakes Lucas is still there. He doesn’t ask Eliott for anything, doesn’t resent him for his sadness. He just seems perfectly happy to be around him, which is something that Eliott had been telling himself only his soulmate would be willing to do and so that only reinforces the way he’s been changing his mind as he’s gotten closer to Lucas about the whole soulmate thing. The more time he spends with Lucas, the less important it seems. And then Lucas, whose greatest fear is touch, offers to hold him and it’s a bit like his world has been turned on its axis. He knows that he’s done it before, when Lucas needed him, but he never felt like Lucas would offer something like that. And it shows Eliott just how much trust Lucas has in him, just how much he cares, and just how much he understands Eliott as well, and what he needs, and so it’s all of this that makes Eliott think that maybe he was thinking about this all wrong. That maybe there’s a chance that Lucas loves him too, which makes him seek Lucas out at that party, ready to confess. And then we know what happens from there...

As far as the morning after they find out, Eliott would be this really strange mix of elated and concerned. He’s so incredibly happy at first, especially when he blinks awake to see Lucas tracing shapes on his skin and watching the marks he leaves behind with this kind of soft, pleased expression on his face. And when Lucas kisses him so freely, Eliott just has to lean in and kiss him a few more times just for good measure. But he’s also very aware of how overwhelming this must be for Lucas, who has spent so much of his life running from the very thing they now are. So he’s cautious and makes sure to make it clear to Lucas quickly that he doesn’t owe anything to anyone, that they can go as slow as he needs, can keep this to themselves to give Lucas time to get used to it because he’d never want to rush it, never want to make Lucas uncomfortable or start to resent the marks they’ve given each other. (And as we see a little later, it’s a warranted concern, because Lucas does very nearly freak out about it.) So Eliott is prepared to keep it to themselves, even though he wants to tell everyone who will listen about Lucas, because Lucas makes him so happy he would never want to do anything to jeopardize it. But then Lucas, almost immediately, says that he wants to tell Yann that they’re together, even if they leave out the soulmate part, and that makes Eliott feel so good, because it confirms to him that Lucas isn’t ashamed of him, but rather that any discomfort he might have is because of the stigmas and this lifelong dislike of the whole soulmate thing. He knows how important Yann is to Lucas, so the fact that Lucas wants to share his happiness and Eliott with Yann makes him feel so incredibly loved. And then he does tell Yann and Yann clearly knows much more about the situation than Eliott expected and that makes him feel even better because that means Lucas was talking about him and his feelings with his friends and that Eliott has been in his thoughts for a long time. And all Eliott wants to do at that moment is wrap his arms around Lucas and hold him close, pressing a kiss to his temple, but he knows that for Lucas’ sake he can’t so he just stares at Lucas and drinks him in, sort of tuning out the conversation and suddenly Lucas is blurting out that their soulmates and Yann is even more bewildered and Lucas is laughing and Eliott just feels giddy. There’s no other way to describe it. He can’t imagine how he got so lucky, can feel the way the love in his heart pushes at his ribs and makes his chest expand and those few moments in Yann and Lucas’ kitchen are some that he never forgets. It’s really the start of this new thing.