#-via a ref. so sad!!!!!!

[glitter-stained]

A compilation of resources

Hi guys, sorry for spam-posting this morning: I have over 2000 drafts and needed to get these posts out so I could put them in order, in order to make this post.

FOOD

Stay on track of recalls to avoid getting food poisoning + more food recall info

5 ingredients/45 minutes recipes

Apple chai caramel cider

How to make cookies in a mug

Edible plants catalogue:

Homemaking, gardening and self-sufficiency resources that will not radicalize you

Sad bastard Expectations

You need to eat vegetables

Transcendent pumpkin pie

Hungarian mushroom soup

The spite cookbook!!

Crustless quiche of eternal dinner

Accessible cookbook for people with sensory issues!!!

RESOURCES FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUPPORT

Disability survival guide

Resources for sign languages

Toothbrushes you can use while in bed!

Hey, person who's feeling overwhelmed by life!

How to do hard things

Reality statements for interpersonal effectiveness

In case anyone else is having a bad night

Stretching advice

Learn the Beck Columns with Cassandra Cain!

Activities that are not doom-scrolling

How to actually help someone who attempted suicide via pills

Lavender tip

Resume help for people with disabilities!!!

READING RESOURCES

Public domain websites

Bookshop is in the place!

Reading sites

Ao3 cheatsheet

Support your local library

Study time!

J-stor has it for you!

WRITING RESOURCES

Useful websites aplenty

Disability writing guide

On villains with tragic backstories

On carrying children

Some writing resources

Ref recs for whump writers

Writing dialogue

Writing characters with Schizophrenia

Writing advice ("crime")

Taking emotional intelligence in account!

Non tragic backstories

Useful geographical descriptors for writers:

How to say "it hurts"

You don't need an agent

Write your story backwards

Quick english grammar dialogue guide

Worldbuilding guide website

Writing about wounds

Gems (more useful than you'd think)

Wikipedia monster compilation

GRAPHIC ARTS RESOURCES

Anatomy help

Hot artists don't gatekeep

Sketch warm-ups

Muscle references!

SURVIVING THE DIGITAL HELLSCAPE

Resources for staying safe online

Escape the discord generative AI

Stop NCII

Back-up your tumblr blog

Fuck ads

Fuck your paywall

Fuck your paywall, science edition

Learn the basics of digital archiving/preservation

Fuck your overpriced Netflix subscription , really, fuck it

Hidden search systems

Wafern = fediverse tumblr (none of these words are in the bible)

Fuck that spotify subscription

Woops! Gmail scam

Wolfram Amadeus Mozart or something idk i don't play the violin

FUCK YOU AI TOP RESULTS

Discord switch?

Lock your fics!

Piracy yay

Decentralize and clean up your life!!

MISCELLANEOUS

Dealing with the worst case scenario

Supporting native artwork

Correct your misconceptions!

Free classes!

Small ways in which you can support science!

Frozen water survival guide

Kink sex ed

Care packages

Magical bookstores (now with a map!)

Tumblr culture special: lore and legends

DIY clothing repare

Manners/etiquette

Yeah no I'm not doing that for free

Derek guy helping transmascs and trans men dress!

Summer advice

House maintenance

Washing machine tips!

Home repair! How do I cover up holes in my wall

Some help for finding help! Resources exist, but may be difficult to find

AP US History help for high school students

Making stuff and doing things

There we go! Hopefully some of those help make your life easier.

[astral-cookiery]

Hugging Headcanons. || Ft: Dark Cacao Kingdom

A/n: Surprise surprise! Guess who's alive? Such absence was caused by me being bad at keeping a solid schedule and then wanting to play Crk more than I wanted to write. Things are now being worked on heavily though!

Maybe a tiny spoiler warning for episode 14 on Affogato's? It's the last two bullets, so you can just scroll right past it if you do not wish to see spoilers. It doesn't spoil too much, I don't think.

Dark Cacao Cookie

You low-key might suffocate a tiny bit depending on the context of your hug.

If he hasn't seen you for a while, (I.e. on an adventure with the other ancient heroes) you can expect to be trapped in his armored arms until he decides to go and rest after a draining trip.

If you happen to spontaneously hug him whilst somewhere public, he'll give you an awkward side hug in response, since he doesn't want to break the stony demeanor he maintains to the other cookies.

If you're having an emotional moment while hugging and someone else walks in, the expression he gives the intruder is enough to send them scrambling away and mumbling apologies.

The cape goes around both of you. And then you're trapped in a cave of warmth.

Affogato Cookie

Smug bastard. If you ask, he'll give you some holier than thou remark before obliging, making a grand gesture with his arms and inviting you to come closer. Don't worry, he won't bite.

He'll wrap both his arms around your shoulders and pull you into his chest.

Probably gives you some stupid (not) reassuring words if you happen to be upset about something.

Bestie is not good at comforting. He's had a hundred and one problems, but a sad cookie has not been one of them.

If his vibe wasn't totally off, he'd probably give pretty comfortable hugs, seeing how his elegant clothing is made with soft silks and lined with fine fur.

If, after the events of episode 14, you do encounter him again (and don't hate him), he will most likely gladly accept a hug. His holier than thou demeanor will not falter, but he was secretly looking for a little comfort after so much work went to waste.

His hugs are probably a little more genuine than they were during his time as Royal Advisor.

Caramel Arrow Cookie

Older sister vibes

She'll hug you pretty tightly more often than not. Usually in the child way where they intentionally squeeze you like a boa constrictor, except she's an adult with wilderness training and she is significantly stronger than a child.

Awkward sibling hug? Awkward sibling hug. *pat pat.* /ref

H o l d. She'll grab you under your arms and lift you up into a hug. She will attempt to do this regardless of if you are taller or heavier than her. Caramel Arrow is strong, do not underestimate her determination.

(Using the bow and arrow gives you good arm strength last I checked)

If she's feeling playful, she'll outright throw you into the snow afterwards. And then she'll sprint off as quickly as possible. Unless you happen to drag her down with you.

Hugs often turn into snowball fights.

Crunchy Chip Cookie

He was embarrassed the first time you hugged him, and probably hid his face against your shoulder.

Really aggressive hugger. He'll probably squeeze you as hard as he can.

H o l d. (pt 2.) Crunchy Chip Cookie is the type to try and pick you up with a hug, do the awkward backward lean so that he can actually get your feet off the ground, and then drop you. Believe it or not, picking someone up via hugs is not the easiest feat.

When he's determined to hug you after being out at his post for an extended period of time, he'll outright charge at you and then knock you into the snow.

Prepare to get mauled by an excited cookie and his equally excited cream wolves.

If Caramel Arrow wasn't there to pry him off, you'd probably freeze before you got the chance to get out of the snow again.

He will pretend to be sparring with you if anyone happens to walk by (ahem, Dark Cacao.) He doesn't want to look soft or anything! (Please imagine the thing cats do where they randomly attack you while petting them.)

End.

This is not beta-read, probably very ooc, and probably a little self indulgent, unapologetically.

[moosh2727]

I FINALLY GOT ACCESS TO ISSUE 71 OMG

this took forever but finally i get to see him!! spoilers ahead :3

first of all, amazing cover. jet and the gang look amazing just in that one snippet

extreme gear dodgeball... thats interesting, reminds me of the multiplayer modes in riders zg that was not racing but fun!

HOW DARE YOU MAKE MY BOY ANGRY wave helping jet focus is nice like in zero gravity 💚

the rouges being in shock is always so funny, im glad to see wave and storm join in on the fun 💚

WOAHHH LOL dang sonic's going hard!!

i now headcannon wave has a mindfullness youtube video she makes jet begrudgingly watch LOL 💚

i love seeing them using their gear more, it fuels my autism 💚💚💚

THIS IS SO FREAKING FUNNY I LOVE IT, AND HOW DARE SHE CRASH IN JETS GEAR!! anyway love him /p 💚

AMAZING I WANNA SEE HIM ANGRYYY, BEAT THEM UP JET!!! 💚100 gonna use this part for art ref because it looks so good

the silence is so loud in this picture i love it, i wonder what jets gonna do? 😊

oh my gosh this is so heartbreaking actually what the heck- ALSO WAVE TELLING JET TO RUN IS SO ON POINT

the story telling via art is on point, theres not much words needed to convey the emotions the characters are feeling

THEY HAVE A NEW ROOM, I REPEAT THEY HAVE A KITCHEEEEEEEEN, storm being the cook fits so well i love it.

the food (curry im guessing) fits their background and double points for looking extra yummy.

jet's first sentence fits him so well, im really glad they're doing good depiction with him and everything relating to them, considering the idw special where jewel broke her wing SUCKED because of idw ppl not thinking about where jet lives on the ship, so they made it SUPER inacurate.

it makes me happy to see storm contributing and not being a stupid fat joke like in free riders. we need to appreciate this silly guy who got brain damage from amy hitting him many times, and he still manages to fulfil jets orders.

storm doing this with his eyes is as good as his eyes in free riders, but way better than his weird blink in the zero gravity black hole cutscene

jet being ahead of the game and i love it!!! NEW MISSION LETS GOOO!!!!!! 💚💚💚💚

these riders designs are really helping me in the future with my own oc 🫶

OMG THE WIFE OF THE TRAIN CONDUCTOR FROM MURDER OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!!!

ouch my heart

oh gosh thats so sweet but sad ugh

jet has become more thoughtful! i just hope he doesn't lose his edge, but even if he does i'll love him anyway /p 💚

i love how much talented ppl are in this community, im so glad for more jet content via idw and fan creations. jet needs all the praise and love. 💚

Overall i loved this idw issue, i can always make the excuse " use more jet content!" but they did a really good job with expressing all the characters fairly. (still, i still want more jet tho :P)

i waited so long for this issue its crazy, idk why it took so long to come out digitally since i don't have the money to buy them in person.

knowing more rooms, might create an accurate layout of their blimp soon!

anyway, i got a gaming pc and not a stupid mac earlier this week, meaning that i can finally play free riders yayy!!!

[gatorkid509]

So I initially wanted to wait until I made full refs for my main 5 ocs and others before I drop any other fanart stuff for them, but then I kinda felt bad for not uploading stuff for them, especially when I talk a lot about them, and knowing you guys, you probably want to to see what they look like. So I decided to just do simple one image refs for now and then upload the full refs with bios and other stuff on them at a later date.

With that being said, I would like to officially introduce Gnull, son of Gruell, and Maxx's cousin( Gruell married the sister of Maxx's late grandmother) he might be a bit rough and intimidating, but he is nothing like his awful slave master of a father. With a passion for cooking and his rough around the edges personally, Gnull will do anything to prove he's nothing like his " dear old dad" while also helping his Uncle Mozar take care of Maxx while the three Triceratons are on earth.

I personally think I did a good job on him, though I can definitely tell he will need some upgrades when I make his full ref. Honestly, my love for him has grown quite a lot as I keep developing him( Kinda helps that he's a Triceraton). And to think he wasn't initially that important when I first thought of him.

Oh, and here's a zoom in on his eyes since the details are kinda hard to see( His dark red eyes also kinda hide his pupils, but I swear they're there) I was debating whether or not to give him pupils and irises since it does kinda fit more with the Triceratons of Fast Forward then the original, but it does make them more expressive.

I did actually use Boss Zukko as a reference for his eyes, but the images were pretty blurry( even if they were upscaled), but they worked well enough.

Now here are some fun facts about him, or pretty much a simplified run down of his story.

He's been cooking ever since he was a kid, and his mother was the one who taught him.

His scar and broken horn were, of course, a result of abuse by Gruell, who struck him with his whip when Gnull tried to defend a gladiator from him. This, and his father forcibly making him get his right arm tattoo, led to Gnull running away from home and joining the Triceraton Rebellion so his father wouldn't try and bring him back. He was 15 at the time and was the youngest Triceraton to join.

He wasn't exactly close to Moraxx, mostly due to the fact that they did really have much in common due to their differing ages and their home-life, but he became close to Maxx thanks to Moraxx asking Gnull to babysit for him. And he was sad when he heard Moraxx went M.I.A. during the Invasion.

He became angry at Mozar when he learned Mozar left Maxx in the care of Raz and Zed after the Invasion, he understands he did it because his son went M.I.A. and was grieving, but that didn't mean he should have abandoned his grandson and put all his focus in his work for the Senate as a form of coping.

He would often visit Maxx at Raz and Zed's place after the invasion, even watching Maxx( And Raz and Zed's daughter Ceri) When Raz and Zed went out.

He had a lot of jobs after the invasion, though he was often fired or forced to quit due to his jobs hearing rumors and lies from an anonymous source, who Gnull eventually found out was his dad try to ruin Gnull's new freedom.

That's all I want to reveal in this post for now, but I'll provide more i via asks, posts and other miscellaneous things in the future.

but for now, Enjoy Gnully!!!

[histrynerdss]

i experimented a lil with the blender marker (i threw myself in a cardboard box and became homeless because i messed up /ref)

shes my babygirl i love her so much <3 i was so sad at the end of the movie tbh but at least i can immortalize her via sketchbook

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

Worbs

Share, ankle, head, or wrist?

Thank you for the worbs by wonderful friend <3

Share from thought i wanted love ('til you showed me what it was):

Four days later, James still hadn’t left.  After that first sleepless night, Jamie came up with a plan—one that allowed him to forgive his father, one Ted would be proud of him for. Jamie offered his house, and as long as James continued to attend AA meetings, he could stay. A change of scenery had helped Jamie; why wouldn’t it help James? His father ensconced himself in Jamie’s spare room, and it was fine.  It would be fine.  He would take it day by day, just like his father said they did in AA.  Jamie spent his second sleepless night debating whether he should tell anyone about his Dad. He definitely couldn’t tell Mummy. Maybe he could tell some of the team, though? Sam wouldn’t judge him, but he wasn’t sure he could handle their pitying faces. But he didn’t have to decide now, did he? He could always tell them later. Maybe his Dad would leave after a few days, and there wouldn’t even be anything to share.

I got 112 words on the sprint <3

Ankle from the home invasion fic:

“We found a safe in the basement. You’re going to unlock it for us.” The two began to drag Jamie towards the wall, only for his ankle to give out on him the first time he transferred weight to it. He would’ve crashed to the floor if he wasn’t being held upright. Jamie could feel where the bruises from their grip on his arms would be.  “There’s nothing in it, please,” Jamie begged. “Please just let me stay here. I’ll give you the code you can see for yourself. It’s just like my birth certificate and shit. A copy of my contract. Nothing worth anything. It’s just fireproof.” “Forgive me if I don’t believe you, mate. Let’s go.” Jamie had one last chance to make a break for it. 

Added 163 words on a sprint!

Head from it makes me mad, it makes me sad, i break in half:

Roy followed closely but went immediately to the tub, turning the knob and testing the water before rummaging for bubbles under Jamie’s sink. Jamie watched with interest as he filled the tub with the bubbles and then added Epsom salts. Roy disappeared, and Jamie slowly peeled his t-shirt off. It hurt to lift it over his head, and Jamie wasn’t sure he’d be able to lift his arm on the side with the bruised ribs. He slipped from his shorts as Roy re-entered the bathroom, holding a cup, a couple of towels and a face cloth.  “What’re you doing, mate?” Jamie asked.  “Going to help you,” Roy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

And added 193 words via sprint!

Wrist from if i glued myself shut, you would find your way in:

Jamie concentrates on watching Monroe the rest of the match while keeping to his position as best he could. The good news is Monroe isn’t as keen to stay in his position and keeps drifting to Jamie knocking into him at any point or attempting to tackle him. Monroe is angry, but Jamie’s angry and fast, so most of his attempts don’t succeed.  But as the match ticks on, each step jars Jamie’s wrist, and the pain is zapping his energy, Jamie can feel the adrenaline leaving his body as he struggles to keep up with his team and opponent. It’s injury time when Monroe finally catches Jamie flat-footed, and Jamie goes down hard, rolling a few stops. The refs award a free kick, and Jamie struggles to remember to breathe, feeling as if a knife has somehow embedded itself in his wrist and thumb. 

And I added 404 words in a sprint!

[1moreff-creator]

Danganronpa One Shot: Pre-Release Analysis

Let's gooo!

In case you're not aware, for the last sixteen days, there's been a countdown of sorts going on in venus-is-thinking's account, and I've been excitedly following it along! The big reveal happened today: a fangan called Danganronpa: One Shot, hosted in the account av-multifangan!

For now, we have little more than a title, an announcement post, an FAQ and an About Page. Which I hope don't have secrets in source code or anything because I don't know how to chekc that :p

But is that going to stop me from talking about it? Hell no! I'm going to follow this from the start, and that includes early theories based on literally two pictures and a countdown. Mainly character talents and the such. Let's get into it!

What we Have

As stated earlier, literally two images and a countdown.

So... yeah not a lot. However, I feel like the poster with the wheel could give us an idea of tone, at least. Seems on the more lighthearted side from first impression, even if a killing game will inevitably have some pretty sad moments to go along with it. At least that's the impression I get, could be wrong! There's a big theme of games of chance with all the imagery of wheels, money, poker chips... as well as weapons like guns, knives and nooses, as expected of a killing game. Particularly, we see American-looking $100 bills, which combined with the names of the characters, could suggest an American setting. But hey, it's a prediction post; if I get things wrong, I get things wrong!

The comment on the names is a nice segue for the reveal that the tags of the announcement post include the names of the characters!

Now, venus specifically claims the names are secret, but I actually have a guess of what each name refers to. I could be completely off, but I think the names might be listed in Countdown Order. So Sixteen is Vanessa Bravo, Fifteen is Jeff Breeze, etc. It fits decently well, makes some sense, and I have exactly two evidence points for it, which could very well be coincidences. So again, I might be completely wrong on this :v

There's also a surprising amount of last names which... are just words? "Love," "Breeze," "Bravo," "Hall," "Long," "Walker," "Young." Hell, "Rey" and "Torres" are words in Spanish ("king" and "towers" respectively). I assume it means nothing, but I do find it amusing.

But there's one name that's interesting to me above all others. "Mark Dros." Because it just so happens that "dros" is the acronym of Danganronpa: One Shot. Now, this could just be a coincidence, or even a very meta hint of a fake name/mastermind/something like that, but if it's not a coincidence, what I find likeliest is that Mark's last name is not revealed at the start of the series. Be it because Mark doesn't remember it, or because Mark's hiding it, or something else; if Mark's name is not initially revealed, then venus and accirax would be forced to tag Mark alongside the acronym of the fangan to differentiate this Mark from the countless other Marks out there.

Am I cooking? Am I burning down the kitchen? Who knows.

Anyways, let's actually get to so-called "character analysis." I'll refer to them by their number in the countdown (I'm not confident in the name guesses as you can see :p), which can be tied to the cards by color, and from the cards to the wheel via face recognition. It's going to be extremely embarrassing if I somehow get the wrong wheel sprite from the card drawing, so let's hope that doesn't happen!

I'll mostly go in Countdown Order for organization, though... it'd feel wrong not to start at the beginning, no?

Seven - Ace of Hearts [The Protagonist]

Pronouns: Any

Color: Hot Pink*

Countdown Symbol: Penny

Card Frame Symbol: Pennies

Wheel Color: N/A

More-or-less Confirmed Name: Ellis Ortiz

*(Note: These colors are taken from the ALT text of the countdown pictures. None of them use "plum" so they're acceptable in my eyes /ref :))

Those deep in the DROS lore (so, me and maybe two or three other people so far :p) know that Seven's countdown post was the only one accirax reblogged apart from 16 and 1, saying she did it for "no reason in particular." This is one of the things that made me think Seven could be the protagonist, which I was seemingly right about, but I could have never expected her to actually be played by accirax! This sort of roleplay format is really interesting, and I'm very curious to see how it plays out!

Well, I should point out that Seven isn't technically confirmed as the protagonist, but he may as well be. That means they're the only one with a confirmed name, as both the About post and the FAQ state accirax played Ellis. Ortiz comes from the tag. This is evidence point Nº1 for the names being in Countdown Order, as Ellis is listed seventh to last.

Apart from that, my previous guess of Seven being the Ultimate Lucky Student (based on the coins and the number seven being considered lucky) seems to hold up pretty well. The theme of chance and luck has only been made more prevalent with the announcement post, though it's to the point I almost wonder if Seven might be the Ultimate Game Show Contestant or something to that effect instead. However, since the About page claims some knowledge from THH is required, it's not unreasonable to assume this is a Hope's Peak class and thus needs a Lucky Student.

Plus, Ellis being Lucky would continue the age old tradition of Lucky Student protagonists: your Makoto Naegis (THH), your Yuki Maedas (DR Another), your Teruko Tawakis (DR Despair Time), etc. What this luck looks like is impossible to know so far, but since Seven seems like a relatively confident person at first glance, my best assumption is that he's aware of his good luck and uses it for their benefit. That's probably the guess I'm least confident about btw.

Seven's also connected to the Ace of Hearts, and looking at their glasses, yeah that makes sense :v The card is connected to new beginnings and love, which seems pretty in line for a protag.

Anyways, as a final note, I really love Seven's design and Vibe. Really fun looking protag, and since she's played by accirax, I would be foolish to expect anything but peak from them :D

Then again, the rest of the characters were written by venus, so I would be foolish to anything but peak from them either ;)

Alright, now we can start with-

Mascot

Pronouns: He/him

Color: N/A

Countdown Symbol: N/A

Card Frame Symbol: N/A

Wheel Color: Pink

Suspected Name: N/A (but probs Mono-something :p)

Right, this guy. Not included in the countdown, this little cameo in the announcement post is the only reference we have of this thing's existence. That means I genuinely have no guesses on what's going on with him.

I can't even know what I'm looking at, necessarily. It looks like a gem, maybe? I'm very curious to see this guy's full design, because I feel there's a lot being lost in translation to the wheel sprite :v

Alright, now we can start with Countdown Order. Jeez.

Sixteen - Queen of Clubs

Pronouns: She/her

Color: Lime Green

Countdown Symbol: Headphones

Card Frame Symbol: Headphones

Wheel Color: Pink

Suspected Name: Vanessa Bravo

Although headphones by themselves are a bit too vague for me to have made a guess from them alone back during countdown ages, the addition of a microphone in her card makes it seem that Sixteen is the Ultimate Singer! Or something to that effect, obviously exact wording is impossible for me to guess. In any case, I’m sure watching her perform would get anyone to say “bravo!”

… I’m very unfunny.

On top of that, while card symbolism is always pretty hard to pin down due to the large variety of possible interpretations, the queen of clubs' association with confidence and self-love seem in line with Sixteen's seemingly animated stage presence... I say, having exactly one picture of her. As always in these fangans, the persona of any performer will always come into question, so whether or not she's really as confident as she seems is yet to be seen. First impressions can be wrong, after all!

Anyways, I really like her design, her little hair accessory is everything :D

Fifteen - Jack of Hearts

Pronouns: He/they

Color: Teal

Countdown Symbol: Umbrella

Card Frame Symbol: Umbrellas

Wheel Color: Red

Suspected Name: Jeff Breeze

A cool looking guy to be sure, I... have no clue what Fifteen's talent may be. The towel they're holding makes me think the umbrellas are actually parasols, so maybe something like Ultimate Resort/Hotel Manager, Ultimate Tour Guide, Ultimate Vacationer, something to that effect?

Regardless, Fifteen looks like a relatively chill guy, which certainly fits the Jack of Hearts' connections to youthful love, passion, honesty and adventure. Seems like the sort of guy you'd really love to "shoot the breeze" with, huh?

... I gotta stop. These names are all gonna be wrong and this is gonna go from unfunny to straight up silly-

Fourteen - Queen of Spades

Pronouns: She/her

Color: Red

Countdown Symbol: Spade

Card Frame Symbol: Clubs, hearts, diamonds, spades

Wheel Color: Red

Suspected Name: Antonia Cisneros

Oh... oh she looks cool... and vaguely evil... Chat I fear I might have found a future favorite. Her smug little smile and and appealing design have enraptured me lol.

I particularly love the fact all four suits of the French deck are represented in her design; the club and spade accessories in her hair and belt (maybe?) respectively, the heart shaped dress, and the (I think) diamond earrings, she slays so much I worry she might "slay" a bit too literally if you catch my drift.

That aside, it seems my original guess of Ultimate Gambler or Poker Player or something to that effect remains solid, what with all the card imagery in her accessories and the cards she's holding. Especially notable given the series itself has quite a large theming around games of chance. Hell, all the characters are represented by cards in the French deck in the Header picture.

That could certainly imply a larger degree of importance for Fourteen than other characters. I expect her to be a common mastermind guess, but I personally think it'd be cool if she was the main killing game "antagonist," a la Byakuya. Of course, she doesn't have to be, but she's currently my best guess of who the "antag" might be, if there even is one at all.

This is especially so since the Queen of Spades can be associated with intelligence and logical judgement, which makes it seem like we might have a bit of a girlboss in our hands. As much as I'm excited to see all the characters, Fourteen is one that particularly intrigues me. Can't wait to meet her!

Thirteen - Queen of Hearts

Pronouns: She/her

Color: Gold

Countdown Symbol: Teacup

Card Frame Symbol: Laurel leaves, crown?, undetermined

Wheel Color: Pink

Suspected Name: Paris Hall

Speaking of girlbosses, Thirteen seems to be actively telling me to "spill the tea, sis" in her card, which is awesome. She looks like she'll be fun.

I originally didn't have much of a guess of what talent she might have, though Ultimate Tea Maker or something to that effect might still be the best guess. However, the combination of her color being gold, the crown-looking thing at the top right of her card, and the Laurus Nobilis leaves at the top make me consider she might be royalty? Ultimate Queen/Princess? Not impossible for sure. Though it would be pretty funny to call a monarch after the capital city of one of the most notoriously anti-monarchy countries in history, assuming I got the name right of course.

(...Should I mention that Cisneros, which could be Fourteen's last name, is the name of a historically important viceroy? Does this imply a thematic connection to Thirteen? I almost wanna look a bit deeper into it, but that's speculation on top of theories on top of speculation on top of theories, so I'll hold off for now)

In any case, I'm sure she'll be quite fun. The Queen of Hearts is associated with compassion and emotional intelligence, so I'm sure she'll be a good person to have around during the killing game! ... Provided we ignore the associations 13 has with bad luck :v

Twelve - King of Spades

Pronouns: He/any

Color: Dark Red

Countdown Symbol: X

Card Frame Symbol: X

Wheel Color: Red

Suspected Name: Aidan Ho

I didn't know what the X could represent on Countdown Day Twelve, and that hasn't changed just because we've added more Xs to the situation :v

Indeed, Twelve is one of the people for whom I have no guess of a talent. He's so weird that I don't even know what's happening with his hoodie??? Is Twelve wearing a half-blue, half-red thing??? What is this.

To be fair, though, the duality might be the point. The 12 in the countdown image was also split down the middle, although what this duality theming could imply is beyond me for now.

Very emo looking, though, I'm sure it'll be fun to see what his Deal is. The King of Spades holds similar meanings to the Queen of Spades, so I could see Twelve and Fourteen being a pair of sorts. Also potentially not, you know how this works.

Very mysterious dude... I'm excited to see where Twelve goes!

Eleven - Jack of Spades

Pronouns: They/them

Color: Orange

Countdown Symbol: Theater Masks

Card Frame Symbol: Theater Masks

Wheel Color: Orange

Suspected Name: Taylor Long

Really love the design of this Ultimate Actor (or something else theater-related)! They look pretty befuddled by that book, I wonder what they're reading?

I found conflicting reports on what the Jack of Spades symbolizes, but it's something along the lines of cleverness and hard work. Possibly a smart individual, then, and the fact they seem to be studying something in a killing game seems to corroborate the "hard working" thing. I'm interested in seeing them in action! It won't be "long" until we get to see how well that applies-

I gotta... I gotta stop.

Ten - King of Hearts

Pronouns: He/him (I really hope I'm not wrongly assigning the wheel things lol :v)

Color: Pink

Countdown Symbol: Rose

Card Frame Symbol: Roses

Wheel Color: Blue

Suspected Name: Davis Love

Ah, the classic trope of the "sopping wet cat guy," I suspect this one will be a big hit in the Tumblr crowd! Definitely connected to romantic love in some capacity, not just because I'm suspecting his last name is "Love," but more so because of the "they love me-they love me not" game he's playing in the Header image and the roses he's always accompanied by. Not to mention the King of Heart's connections to love and empathy and deep emotions.

Can't exactly tell what the pin he's wearing is, but it might be a rose too. Very Crystal Gem coded, this guy.

I wonder if "Ultimate Romantic" could be a valid talent, because that's the vibe he's giving me. Hey, I've seen weirder! If not, then I don't have many guesses of what he could be :p

Nine - Ace of Spades

Pronouns: They/them

Color: Purple

Countdown Symbol: Question mark

Card Frame Symbol: Question marks

Wheel Color: Orange

Suspected Name: Mark [Dros]

Ah, the classic Ultimate ???, huh? Well, maybe not, but that's my best guess for Nine! The mirror they're holding up could be a representation of them trying to remember their own identity, their talent... and possibly, their last name.

Indeed, the fact that "Mark Dros" happens to fall on Nine is my second evidence point for the name order I'm using. It's a theory built on top of a theory built on top of a guess, but it's what I have for now :v

In any case, I'm sure I'll love them. I'm always a sucker for mystery characters, be it in the form of weirdos like Okazaki Hanano (Tetro DR Pink), cryptids like Mai Akasaki (DR Despair Time), or as seems to be the case here, amnesiacs like Izanami Hoshimiya (DR (He)artless Deceit). And the mystery with this guy is exacerbated by the fact that the Ace of Spades has the most conflicting interpretations we've seen so far. It can represent power, authority, success, and good luck... or bad luck, defeat, and death. Quite literally impossible to tell what's going on, which is only fitting. Very intrigued by this one...

Eight - Queen of Diamonds

Pronouns: She/they

Color: Bright Blue

Countdown Symbol: Scalpel + Wizardry 8 reference

Card Frame Symbol: Scalpel

Wheel Color: Red

Suspected Name: Vivi Mitchell

Ah, my archnemesis.

The backstory here is that Eight's countdown image released after I had spent the entire day, from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon, in uni, and my brain was a bit fried from several hours of class and three hours of lab work. That's my excuse for fucking up not once, but twice with that image. Not only did I first think their symbol was a paintbrush (despite having checked ALT text for every day prior), I then proceeded to confuse the word "scalpel" for "chisel" and therefore assumed Eight would be a sculptor. You're allowed to laugh at me.

Anyways, third time's the charm, Eight is likely the Ultimate Surgeon/Doctor or something to that effect, and will most likely be our designated autopsy performer for at least the first few trials. They seem to be pretty upbeat from the one (1) image we have of them, so I'm sure they'll be fun to have around. The Queen of Diamonds seems to mostly represent wealth and power, which means... I don't know. Eight makes good money? :v

Also, still no idea what Wizardry 8 is, if anyone has any guesses on why that reference exists, please tell me pretty please?

Six - Ace of Diamonds

Pronouns: Any

Color: Brown

Countdown Symbol: Illuminati Symbol

Card Frame Symbol: Illuminati Symbols, but radiant

Wheel Color: Blue

Suspected Name: Kennedy Rey

It looks like Scott Smajor got a little too obsessed with Bill Cipher and turned into a Drew Flamboni kinnie. I wonder how many references it takes for no one but me to understand a sentence :v

In case the illuminati symbol wasn't enough, the red string she's holding, associated with insane cork boards filled with random connections, fully cements Six in my mind as the Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist, or something to that effect. Not sure what the rectangle in their shirt is meant to be, but I guess that'll have to wait for the actual release.

The Ace of Diamonds generally represents wealth and success, which makes me wonder how it could connect to Six. I guess... he might just be rich. Final note, while I'm still uncertain if I got the names right or not, if I am right, venus would be kinda crazy for calling the conspiracy theorist Kennedy, knowing the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK xD It would be iconic of her I think.

Five - Jack of Clubs

Pronouns: He/him

Color: Light Blue

Countdown Symbol: Page

Card Frame Symbol: None

Wheel Color: Orange

Suspected Name: Robert Smith

Now this one's interesting. While Five's countdown symbol of a page with a bent top right corner is etched into his design, being the pin he wears, he's the only character not to have any symbols on the frame of his card. I already had no good guesses for his talent before, just kinda throwing in Ultimate Writer or Ultimate Coder or equivalents as provisional guesses, but now they seem even less likely. Because the lack of symbols on the frame of his card could actually mean the page represents something different.

I think it's possible Five is meant to be a "blank slate," which could mean he has no talent at all. Of course, there's also the possibility that his average-ness is actually his talent, something like Ultimate Blank Slate or Ultimate Regular Person or Ultimate Guy. I'm probably way off, but who knows!

The Jack of Clubs has a few different meanings, but they're generally positive. Creativity, intelligence and sincerity seem to be the main themes. So I'm sure Five will be Perfectly Normal and have Nothing Wrong with him :)

Really curious to see this one!

Four - Jack of Diamonds

Pronouns: They/them

Color: Dark Green

Countdown Symbol: Gear

Card Frame Symbol: Gears

Wheel Color: Blue

Suspected Name: Grace Thomas

Another design I love at first sight, I really dig Four's vibe. They seem pretty straightforward so far; an Ultimate Mechanic or something to that effect (I am overusing that phrase so much), they give me the impression that they'll be a voice of reason within the killing game. The Jack of Diamonds seems to reference a "messenger" who helps people achieve financial goals, which extrapolated to the killing game, could imply Four will be some kind of important support. Probably will be helpful in trials, they seem smart. Entirely possible I might be off, but that kinda fits the vibe I'm getting from them.

Let's just hope the associations the number four has with death and misfortune aren't relevant...

Three - Ace of Clubs

Pronouns: She/they

Color: Light Gray

Countdown Symbol: Fountain Pen

Card Frame Symbol: Fountain Pen

Wheel Color: Blue

Suspected Name: Cass Torres

Another one that looks like they know what they're doing, Three seems to be some kind of Ultimate Writer or something to that- you know what the phrase is. The Ace of Clubs is connected to creativity, prosperity and good fortune, which certainly fits an Ultimate Writer. Bit ironic I don't have much else to write about Three, but what we have of her seems pretty straightforward so far. We'll see how much of that is wrong later!

Two - King of Clubs

Pronouns: He/him

Color: Orange**

Countdown Symbol: Omega (uppercase), 2 stylized as Lambda (uppercase)

Card Frame Symbol: Omega, Lambda, Phi, Psi, Theta, Sigma; all uppercase

Wheel Color: Pink

Suspected Name: Noah Walker

**(Yes, the ALT text for Two and Eleven describe their colors the exact same way. That's kinda funny)

If I had no idea what the hell the Greek letters were about in the countdown image, I have even less of an idea of what they mean here. Is Two the Ultimate Hellenic Scholar? As in, a scholar focused on studying Greece? Certainly kinda gives frat bro vibes. Surely, if he was the Ultimate Linguist or something, there'd be more than Greek letters, right? Why is he so confusing?

Anyways, he seems like a pretty positive person, but who knows. The King of Clubs represents leadership, intelligence and authority. I mean... sure? Maybe that applies to him? Yeah I have no idea. Two's a bit of an enigma for me :v We'll have to wait and see!

One - King of Diamonds

Pronouns: Ve/ver

Color: Dark Blue

Countdown Symbol: Heart in Hands

Card Frame Symbol: Heart in Hands, hearts, people holding hands, peace symbol

Wheel Color: Orange

Suspected Name: Harper Young

While I originally thought One might join ver apparent distant cousin Whit Young (DR Despair Time) as an Ultimate Matchmaker, the inclusion of the peace symbol in the card frame and One giving out sweets (kinda funny, given ver countdown image came out in Halloween) makes me think it's something more along the lines of... Ultimate Pacifist? Ultimate Activist? Ultimate Make-Other-People-Feel-Good-Person? Some vague title that refers to helping others with love and peace in ver heart, be it through volunteer work, activism, whatever. I'm thinking something along the lines of Tsuno Manami's Ultimate Superhero (Tetro DR Pink), if you catch my drift.

In any case, what I'm certain of is that One seems to be a very sweet and kind person! Even if the King of Diamonds, representing mostly material wealth and authority, seems like a weird fit for ver (btw if I use these pronouns wrong please tell me. I looked them up but I'm still not entirely confident I'm using them right :v). However, the King of Diamonds can also represent ethical success and bring positive energy to a reading (?), so it might not be completely off from what the rest of the information we have of One.

Finally, there's one variable I've been listing for these characters which I haven't really addressed yet, and that's the wheel color. Here are the full groups for each color:

N/A: Seven

Pink: Mascot, Sixteen, Thirteen, Two

Red: Fifteen, Fourteen, Twelve, Eight

Orange: Eleven, Nine, Five, One

Blue: Ten, Six, Four, Three

What could this mean? Well, uh... anything. Friend groups, shared themes, simple coincidence... I have no way of knowing what the connections could be, or if they're even relevant at all. I'm just noting them down for future reference :)

Anyways, that's all folks! Geez, how the hell did I write so much about a fangan that has practically no content so far? No wonder my other posts reach such ridiculous word lengths.

Hope you enjoyed! If you made it this far, you deserve a little treat! You can ask One, heard ve's passing them out. See you later!

[raptorrobot]

I love playing toys!!

How do you think Icarus would be if all the bad stuff didn’t happen to him and he remained an angel up until the events of the Ultrakill game?

What was the designed process like for Icarus (both prime and angel)? Were there any details you had solidified all the way through or things that changed over time?

ouhhhh what an interesting query !!!!

genuinely in that case i think 3-2 would be a dual fight with both of them involved. that's gabriel's guard dog ! he's still going to be taking that seraph everywhere with him !

icarus prime also wouldn't be canon in this scenario either ! no divorce fights no attempted suicide no second death just two angels against the world

and; oughh . i love this second question so so much. i will be yapping about it under the cut

why explain the basics when i can just show them ! here's icarus' first ever ref sheet compared to his most recent one;

yeauh . big differences

most notably: he was not originally a prime soul, he was just a fallen angel ! hence the shackles and funky satanic imagery patterns on him

the scariest part: AH !!!! TWINK !!!!!!! he was SO skinny back then it almost makes me Sad looking at it now . it was an intentional design note, as at this point in his development i wanted him to look like an emaciated animal - but his fatness is so important to him now that seeing him without it is DEEPLY jarring

some consistencies: his hooves, claws, and head have always remained consistent in his design ! i've just always loved the shape language of them too much to change . i actually tried to phase out the more animalistic parts of him (hooves & claws) when developing him into a prime soul (to be more consistent with the two canon ones) but i just. couldn't . they were so integral to his design at that point that i couldn't imagine him without them . and of course, his head is pretty much the exact same from the point of conception; the cross-face, dual horns and head wings have only changed via stylistic evolution and nothing more <3

colours: they're So Different now . since he originally belonged to heresy rather than violence, i really wanted to hammer in that red - which persisted up until somewhat recently, when i phased it out for the full blue/silver scheme . his prime form and angel form now share an almost identical colour palette, which i think is fun ! another reason for getting rid of the red was because i wanted him to stand stark against the colours of violence (specifically red & white); as minos does wifh gluttony and sisyphus does with heresy. it also makes him look softer :]

in regards to his angel form; i cannot find any old refs of it unfortunately but the change in that design has been even MORE drastic . though one thing that has always been super important to it is the silver metal; he has always supposed to look like a subordinate . being bereft of colour and the brighter hues of angels like gabriel is a Very Important Contrast that i like emphasising

the black metal in his design is a recent change though ! it used to be silver and white up until recently, not silver and black . the reasoning behind this one is that i'm a sucker for dark colour schemes in armour and it looks cool . it's an excuse to make him look more intimidating too since he's a bodyguard !

[honeydudedraws]

Can you tell us about the three moon dragons…….. I wanna know more………

HAHA youve fallen for my trap card!!! now i get to info dump about my ocs!!! sorry this is gonna be long and have a lot of images (only a little sorry)

hehehe so the moons came about via a convo with @zoo650 that started. not about the actual moons. we got on the topic of darkstalker and how its sad his canonical design is, to say, quite lacking in icewing traits. they mentioned he could've been a chimera and how cool that would've been, and we traded moonpaw (warrior cat) and darkstalker designs until they brought a funny thought to the table

and that IMMEDIATELY got my brain moving!!! i dont now a lot about systems and we dont end up giving darkstalker specifically a system but they will be mentioned later!

despite it being way too early in the morning i needed to get the image i had on paper, but that meant getting actual designs for the moons

we decided it would be funnier if the moons weren't nightwings, and we slowly cooked on the specific tribes as i started drawing them all

we was cookin!

but we're getting distracted already arent we? heres the initial piece i drew of them all! (side note i draw silkwings like centaurs because bugs :D) i wanted the moons to look like their tribe but still *other* yknow? they have 4 horns and 4 ears, moon patterns on their bodies, (and in the final designs) otherworldly glowing markings on their scales. and they *terrorize* darkstalker. we dont know of another dragonets born on brightest nights so he might have been the first! theyre so happy to spend their time with someone who can hear them (even if they made it happen) but man if these three arnet bad with kids. darkstalker is a weird case, hes narcissistic and egotistical, and who can blame him! HE CAN HEAR THE MOONS!!!! yeah they definitionally wouldn't be helpful with day to day activities that *mortal* dragons deal with. but!! still the actual moons!!

from this point on we kinda. forget about darkstalker. oops there are other dragons that might have fun with moons! like moon!

for a girl with an mostly absent mother and a dad we dont talk about, she *should* have a cool moon guardian (while this is fun to think about, the hoops we have to jump though with the loose lore we have would be plenty to justify her seeing imperial)

also we decide that Oracle is making Cottonmouths life even more of a living hell (for the jokes)

we pick up our convo again the next day with one last darkstalker! the moons with darkstalker vs the moons with peacemaker:

now more on the moon piece systems!

while my fixation on the moons didnt get me far enough to design the the 6 moon pieces (3 for whiteout and 3 for sunny, fatespeaker, and starflight) this is when i started designing the actual moons! so back to those three

(unused Oracle design with jumping spider inspo!)

some Perception headcanons! and then some general ideas

But lore time now!!!

also we start talking about hope,,,

and then unfortunately, the last time we mention the moons is this (aside from me finishing the refs)

and theres probably a lot that we both never wrote down or wasnt mentioned here! a few things that never went anywhere: starflight and fatespeaker trying to research the phenomenon they are experiencing and the only one knowing anything being hope. the three² groups skywing maybe being a crow. mentions of clearsight knowing of the moons (didnt go anywhere cause i forgot shes a future seer and not a mind reader), whiteouts headmates all having diffrent painting styles (mudwing: loves pottery and sculptures skywing: FINGER PAINTING, a beast at landscapes silkwing: knitting and crochet obviously (or smth else), the three² groups silkwing discovering silkwings are real, the reason why perception is a dove, SO MANY THINGS!!!!

thank you for making it through all that text! we kinda went hard on these guys and im sad i never drew any of the things we talked about. but just thinking of these guys again was fun!

[fox0war]

Okay pspsps come one come all I finally m going to make a proper intro for some of my cerifikn characters so y'all can meet them!! ------------ Also please consider joining the group! It's an ARPG (Art Role Playing Game) with several species, easy to aquire MYOs, a Semi-Open species for any and all newbies, and great community! Plus various other things I love! It is 16+ to join though so keep that in mind ------------ Anyways, now that we're done with that lil bit, are you ready to meet my lil cast? ;D (all refs here will be the most recent as of posting! Some may need to be updated in the future do to lore or just being outdated lol)

First off: My first character! It feels only appropriate to shine a light on her! Say a proper hello to Moss! She is a Smog-Imp! A type of Abyss demon which is also a very large single cell organism! She, in particular, is a 'Tundra' form one! Which means she's quite fluffy, has teeth on her mask (the bird skull looking thing), and unlike other Smog-Imps can consume meat! Though, she tends to stick to the standard plant diet anyway. She's also a serial adopter! She has much too many kids for me to list ATM but who knows, maybe she could adopt you too!

She's also in a relationship with the mysterious NPC named Vlad! Who while technically an NPC, is also a character owned by @pikku-peruna! A good friend of mine who is also the group's owner! (Say a friendly hello to them for me!) Moss was gotten through a 2021 MYO event! She's one of my most used characters :D ------------ Now you all, if you've been following me, have met Pho'Bous before via his stories! And while his ref is somewhat out of date, he is also quite darling to me! Also gained through that 2021 MYO event (Which is what spurred me to join in the first place, fun fact!) it took me ages to get his design down on paper (or well, screen?) in a way I enjoyed! His design only being fully settled a year and a few months later! Fun fact, this sad little man was originally going to be a dragon themed guitar player, but I like this sad little we cat way better XD

He is also one of my most used characters! If that wasn't already evident in how many posts I've made writing stories for him lol. He's currently on track to become a necromancer but shhh.. nobody tell him that <3 ------------ Ah yes a more recent one! Pri'tas was designed in 2023 as part of one of the group's design challenges! (Yet another free way to gain characters) Blessed with all of the "Master's Traits", mysterious features gained from an even more mysterious and unknown "Master". Pri'tas, himself, never met him, the Master just owed his parents a favor, but Pri'tas is now very dedicated to him. The Master didn't know what he was signing up for I guess, eh?

The government is currently looking for him too, no not because of all the murder, silly! But because having all of the Master's traits gives you mysterious powers, powers that they want to research. So uh, maybe don't tell anyone you saw him here, k'ay? (; ------------ I have tons of other characters too! Such as a traveling trader, a harpy-like Smog-Imp trying to escape the same cult Pho'Bous loves so very much, and did I mention the several demigods? Well, I have those too! Feel free to ask about them or any of these characters! but the best place to ask is in the group, where I post about all my characters much more often! ------------ One more time, credit to @pikku-peruna! Owner of the group and species here! Go say hi to her for me <3 (And respect their pronouns or else I'll punt you)

[chimeofthecomet]

4, 14, 19, and 25 for the end of year asks !!

HIIII ION hope youre doin good c:

4 - movie of the year?

ok loveeee movies and without divulging into surrealist stick figure stuff i’d say another i loved wassss nimona !!! animated, lgbt, found family story, im HOOKED

14 - favourite book you read this year?

theres a lot of books i Started this year and kind of forgot about but one that i read the whole of in a sitting was this really sweet graphic novel i got (on the trip down for newsies !!) called “ the girl from the sea “ which was a girls selkie love story which. i was ALL OVER and fueled selkie au in my mind and altogether was a really cute read :3 Unfortunately the books now water damaged which is kind of fitting

19 - what are you excited about for next year?

Ouoououhh !! next year i’ll be going to university which is the craziest and scariest thing on my mind,, gonna meet new people gonna live on my own,, the ball is rolling up,, a year from now things will be very different but they will be good. ALSO SEEING HADESTOWN YIPPEEEEEEE

25 - did you create any characters this year?

this has made me realise i think abt my ocs all the time but i Literally have like three or four in total. This year ive been re-doing the ref sheet ( and still working on it im Slow ) for my baby darling beloved girlie esther,, figured out more story for her through daydreaming at night so basically im plopping this sad deer girl into a little village and shoving found family and love and girlfrienb into her via bakery :3

[pixelated-whump]

@ailesswhumptober Day Seventeen - Hypothermia

TWs: Child death, Minor Whumpee

Contents: Other than the TWs, not much. Z is autistic (though it's not mentioned) and selectively mute, so he only really communicates with T and C via noises. (I'm potentially autistic btw so this isn't meant to come across as offensive)

Characters are Zane (Aka Z, They/He/Cor, Around 10), T (She/Her, Around 13), and C (It/He/Whisker, Around 14), all refs can be found here.

Also posted on Ao3!

Mama has always told Zane not to go too far from home, especially not during winter. Zane wishes he had listened to Mama.

He didn’t expect the snowstorm to come in so quickly, Papa had told him it would be here in a few hours. Maybe it has been a few hours, Papa never lies.

Zane is shivering really bad. Mama and Papa are probably worried about him. He wants to go home, but he’s never been good with directions. He doesn’t know which way home is supposed to be.

His arms and legs feel stiff, making it hard to walk. The world is all white around him. He trips over nothing and lays there, crying quietly. He wants to go home.

Zane just wants to go home.

---

Zane is woken up by someone gently shaking him. He whimpers quietly, expecting Mama or Papa’s voice. Instead, there’s a rather bored-sounding voice instead. “This one might as well be dead,” The voice says, sighing. “We probably shouldn’t bother.”

There’s another voice, a slightly more upbeat one. “Some of them take a while to wake up,” Voice number two says with a sympathetic tone. “Besides, I think I heard them make a noise.”

Voice number one rolls him over, and he’s greeted with a burnt and scarred red cat. Zane cowers, trying to make himself seem smaller. Voice number two is another cat, nearly pitch black against the plain beige background of the area they’re in. “There we go,” He says, holding out a paw. “Hey, buddy. What’s your name?”

Zane just stares at him. The burnt cat stares at Zane with plus-shaped pupils. The one with ears that looks like those of a Lynx gives him a warm and friendly smile. “It’s okay, you don’t need to be scared.”

When Zane doesn’t respond, he continues talking. “Can you talk?”

“...Mhm,” He hums, then stops and shakes his head. “Mm-mm.”

“Well, that’s helpful,” The burnt cat deadpans. The Lynx shoots her a glare.

“Can you give me the first letter of your name? Just sounds is fine.”

Zane pauses for a moment before doing his best. “Zzz.”

“Z?” The Lynx asks, and he nods. “Well, Z, this is the Void. You, uh, live here now. I’m C, and my friend here is T.”

Z continues staring with a slightly tilted head. C gives him a small, slightly sad smile. “You... you died, Z. So now you’re here. This is, uh, like heaven, kinda.”

Oh. Oh. But he’s still here, so he can’t be dead.

He makes a discontent noise. T yawns. “You were brought back to life. Don’t ask us why, we don’t know. But we’re basically a family here, so you won’t be alone.”

Z doesn’t want to be alone, so he jolts forward and hugs close to C. After a few moments, C hugs back. “It’s gonna be okay, kid. I promise.”

[sibillascribbles08]

Ough got a tag back from @vegalocity !

Here's some Holly Blue fun (??) facts

Her cloaking brooch, the flower on her hat, is specifically designed after the flower Lou Jitsu gave her right before Big Mama used her as leverage to force him to fight.

In spite of her history with sex work she still enjoys sleeping around (and using it to her advantage sometimes)

In the fics she's in her early fourties and only lives to her mid/late sixties (honestly much longer than she expected)

She's actually an excellent singer but does not enjoy doing it for an audience

She likes dancing but does it better in the air because so often she is taller than whoever she is dancing with and it gets frustrating

She's a sucker for sweets, a sucker for cute things, and a sucker for romance novels

Because of her bond with Donatello she does end up with the Hamato clan in the afterlife (which is rather overwhelming for her because she always assumed no one would be waiting for her)

On the topic of sad things, no she never survives long in any of the doomed timelines (and truthfully she thinks it isn't worth it)

She is intensely flattered that Donnie names his daughter after her and spoils the absolute BEANS out of her at any given opportunity.

Magic abilities! For one they include summoning poison needles from anywhere on her person, a poison spear, controlling insects within a certain radius and somewhat connected to that, subtly influencing others

In terms of the last one, she's not aware this is a thing she can do so it's not particularly powerful, but it is one reason people are so easily swayed by her (always has advantage on persuasion checks basically)

A unique thing about her needles is they actually stay present after she manifests them. Most manifested mystics will disappear from either a lack of concentration or if the person dies/leaves their range.

Also her intense screaming ability isn't magic, it's because wasps normally don't have lungs and due to her size the ones she now has are VERY big

Like Donnie can see magic, Holly Blue can smell it to a certain degree via her antenna

She picked up her smoking habit while working in the Nexus and never really quit

Let's keep it going! @sayijo give us some Rae details it's been a while! And @camilieroart if you're up for it I know you've been posting some new refs lately and I'd love to hear more about Avril!

Rules under the cut!

You and hopefully one of your OCs have been tagged! Your job is to make a post about them, and it can be whatever you want! Talk about general information, their backstory, their design inspiration, post some sketches or older art, write up a few fun facts, as long as it's something!

When you're done, be sure to pass it along by tagging at least one other person and their OC (you can tag as many people as you want though!) Tag backs are allowed and encouraged.

When you tag someone, try to specify an OC, even if you don't know who they are yet (i.e. "You should do that OC with the butterfly wings you posted the other day!" or "Do the OC you drew most recently!")

Participation is not required, but even if you don't want to, it'd be great to pass the tag along to someone else!

[robhofker]

Taking It To The NEXT Level! Expedition Vehicle Build 2.0

Taking It To The NEXT Level! Expedition Vehicle Build 2.0 Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code TRUEBLUE for an extra 4 months free at https://ift.tt/J2hWbCH This vehicle stole our hearts for a number of reasons, but one was that it offers such a unique space to build a travelling home in. This build and its 'uniqueness' has definitely challenged us over the last few months but seeing some of the finishes come together is so rewarding! I do, however, completely fail to keep Jon in check this week so prepare yourselves!!! 💙Support the channel. Buy Jon a tool 🔧 or Jess a cake 🍰: https://ift.tt/CScWIlU or https://ift.tt/4AQDVtB Follow us on: 📘Facebook: https://ift.tt/I3u2NJe 📸Instagram: https://ift.tt/kzn0ivE ✉️ Contact us: Mail: True Blue Travellers, Suite 105, Fence House, Fence Avenue, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1LT Email: truebluetravellers@aol.com 🛒Amazon Shop: We have an amazon associates shop where you can find all the things we buy from and recommend on amazon. Please note that if you buy using these links it does not cost you anymore but we earn commission on qualifying purchases. https://ift.tt/reOb5Ja 🛠️10% discount on all Shadow Foam products by using the code 'Trueblue' at the check out: https://www.shadowfoam.com/ref/True%2... 🔥5% Discount on all Autoterm products by using the code 'trueblue5' at the check out: https://autoterm.store 🎇5% Discount on all R-TECH products by using the code ‘trueblue’ at the checkout https://ift.tt/4tY9pqk 🖥️ Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code TRUEBLUE for an extra 4 months free at https://ift.tt/J2hWbCH 💧Life Saver Jerry Can affiliate link. Please note that if you buy using this link it does not cost you anymore but we earn commission on qualifying purchases: https://ift.tt/drGxfJv 🚽 Get a £30 free gift if you use the code "TRUEBLUE" when you buy a Trelino Toilet: https://ift.tt/GB0sU9b 00:00 Betrayal and disappointment 00:31 V grooving wood paneling 02:34 Custom off-road shovel 04:20 Lining the pop top roof 07:31 Fitting the roof light 09:42 Sad news 11:06 Fitting the wall panels 15:38 Tool Talk Tuesday 18:22 Adjustable gas struts 18:59 Moment of truth! Perhaps a little too much! #vanbuild #vanconversion #selfbuildcamper #adventure #pinzgauer #overlander #overlanding #4x4 #6x6 #offroad #offroading #offgrid #camping #campingcar #campervan #campers #adventureawaits #tinyhomeonwheels #tinyhome #expedition #expeditionvehicle #camper #vanlife #travelcouple #coupleswhotravel #builttorove #adventureisoutthere #overlandbuild #camperbuild #overlandbuild #adventurecouple #vanbuildseries #truckbuild #overlandtruck #firetruck #roofrack #poptop #gullwing #alucab via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oFhfmtr_sI September 7, 2024 at 08:00AM

[mirandamckenni1]

(PART 2) Spectrum of Love: My Autistic Odyssey with Sex okay hi friends this is part 2 thank you so much for watching and caring. i didnt know so many people already would connect so much with the first video, and i feel so touched, happy and angry and sad. love you all take care of you. ~~CONNECT WITH ME~~ PAYPAL: https://ift.tt/8RMuhqV CAMEO: https://ift.tt/T9VYCXq INSTAGRAM: https://ift.tt/pfYrMcb... TIKTOK: https://ift.tt/WYXF84w... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/paigehennekam?ref... PRE-ORDER my book, But Everyone Feels This Way, How An Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life below! https://ift.tt/ZerAJav For business purposes, email MGMT@PAIGELAYLE.CA Send me stuff! Paige Hennekam 46 Kent St W. ROYALE TOWN & COUNTRY REALTY Lindsay, ON Canada K9V 2Y2 Do you have a topic/ subject you want me to talk about? If so, fill out the form below and I will have a look! https://ift.tt/Bmjd2z1 Related: autism, autism diagnosis, Paige layle, paigelayle, paigelayle tiktok, tiktok videos, autistic, autistiktok, autistok, autism spectrum disorder, Aspergers, Aspergers syndrome, autism in girls, dsm, autistic kid, autism mom, autism family, autism speaks, autism awareness, autism acceptance via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VMUAwYX6uk

[snakerdoodlle]

“When you think they have found peace, I know that they have not.”

-

Hello everyone, I have made a Red Queen OC :) Ahh I’ve been super excited to draw her!! I finally finished the ref sheet so meet Nell Freeman, a newblood born in Norta and bearing an ability called spirit-walking!

Her full info page (including general info, ability info, + backstory) is about 5K words (most of it being her backstory lmao) so I completely understand not reading it but if you wish to (I will love you sm), it’s located under here + a few zoom-ins from her ref above:

Some important notes about her backstory - she does have close connections to Jon and did find herself in the middle of Maven’s path, then ending up helping the young king even though she never meant to. She’s also considered part of the Scarlet Guard, but she’d never call herself one of them. She’s not a fan of taking sides… after all, everyone ends up the same way when it comes down to it.

General info:

Name: Nell Maddox Freeman

Age: 26 years

Height: 5’9”

Birthday: October 18th

Blood type: Newblood

Birthplace: Norta

Current residence: Montfort/undetermined, always on the move

Allegiance(s): None

Personality:

Nell is a reserved and quiet individual who has a constant sad look to her. She keeps to the backs of crowds, or avoids them altogether, instead content to sit and watch. She’s very aware of everything in her environment, despite people thinking opposite because she appears to be spaced out most of the time. She’s good at reading people’s emotions, always studying their faces, specifically their eyes. They say eyes are the windows to the soul after all. People often avoid her, both out of fear of her ability and because she is not very open or welcoming to an outside perspective. But she would never describe herself as lonely, she has plenty of otherworldly company. If someone took the time to get to know her, they’d find she’s a great listener and has a gentle kindness.

Ability:

Spirit Walking

Ever since she was 18 years old, Nell Freeman has been able to see spirits of the deceased. Her soul is connected to the spirit realm, allowing her to see, hear, talk to, and “touch” these entities. She can see spirits at all times and being able to see them does not involve her having to explicitly activate her powers. This comes as a result of her being tied to the crossway, the halfway point between the living and the dead. The only ones she’s able to see are those who are stuck in the crossway as a result of unfinished business or them becoming lost on their way to the other side, commonly know as the afterlife. Part of her job includes trying to help these spirits settle so they may leave the living world and reach the spirit world. She can also guide those who are dying over to prevent such things from happening.

Her ability actually being “activated” happens whenever she brings a living person with her into the crossway so that they may talk to a spirit; she would describe herself as a bridge of sorts in this regard. Doing this could be dangerous, since there is a possibility of wrathful spirits wishing to come after the person she brings. There is not much she can yet do about this issue besides refusing to host the connection between living and dead. When Nell activates her abilities, the sigils on her hands will begin to glow, as will her hair and the whites of her eyes. Her irises disappear and her hands will turn a bluish-white color, and this change in color will end up going about halfway up her forearms.

Though she would never wish to do so, she does have the power to trap a living person in the crossway. This could happen either on accident or on purpose, usually via the person letting go of her hands outside of the crossway or her of theirs. Such a thing results in the slow loss of their soul as they are left to wander for eternity or the forever torment from those after them, their body then left empty and paralyzed back in the living world. She can choose to get them out or not, and this has only happened once before. She wants for it to never happen again.

With time, she has discovered she’s able to tell when someone is about to die, no matter what way it may come. And with time, she has learned never to tell someone when she knows. It is usually only mere hours before it happens or less. There will be a certain energy around the person, one heavy with the weight of death and it will leave a sinking feeling in her gut.

Since she’s discovered what she can do, all she’s wanted is to help people. It does not matter their blood color or their status, if someone wishes to speak to a dead loved one and get closure, then she will give it to them. She will spend her life helping these spirits until she one day joins them.

Backstory:

Nell’s story started as any average Red: born to a poor family, in a poor town, destined for the battlefields once she turned eighteen. She grew up struggling as a Red did: getting the bare minimum education, the food on the table being whatever they could scrape together, fighting to keep things afloat. Her mother, Edith Freeman, and her father, Jasper Freeman, were emotionally distant towards her, as if they never truly wanted the extra burden of a child atop all of their other struggles. Her father fought through his time at the war front for fifteen years, coming out with a lost arm and a permanent limp, and her mother worked as an apprentice to a Red cook within a lower Silver house. Nell did what her parents told her, she was a quiet child which to them meant she was a good child, and she did her best to exceed in her classes even though it wasn’t ever very difficult. She wanted their attention and their love, but she never said as such, knowing she’d never get it.

When she was seven, her parents had a son, Oliver Freeman. He was like her exact opposite. He was loud, messy, and could never sit still. He made friends quite easily, something she could never do; not like she ever really tried for that matter. He would attempt to play with her but he was always too much for her and she was too quiet for him, so eventually he stopped. Something Nell noticed was how different her parents treated Oliver. It was like a flip was switched. They gave him their love, they gave him their attention, they comforted him when he was upset, they listened to him, they did everything she had wanted but they never gave her. This built a resentment for her younger brother, though she didn’t let it show.

As the years went on, she saw how her parents relationship deteriorated. She never knew why, but they started fighting more often, over the smallest things, getting louder and louder. One day when she was sixteen, it seemed her mother had had enough and she took a small bag of her belongings and left with Oliver without a goodbye, leaving Nell with her father. Nell never saw Oliver or her mother again after that day.

Her father became more bitter than he already was, taking his anger out on her. He’d call her endless names; useless, worthless, a mistake, anything he could think of. He told her how she had to support the family, as if there was much of a family left to support. He constantly pressured her to find a job, telling her the horrors of the war and what would happen to her if she was sent out there. She was glad when she finally found a job that took her out of her home and away from her father. She was able to take a position within House Welle, the house of the greenwardens. It was the closest she ever got to Silvers, powerful ones at that. She wasn’t scared of them like most Reds, she was more fascinated by them and their powers. However, she stayed out of the way of the Welles, simply doing her job and sticking to the shadows. She sent half of whatever measly money she earned back to her father and kept the rest within her safe box in her servants quarters. She was able to keep herself from the war, but another problem wasn’t afraid to show itself when she was eighteen.

It first started with her dark, reddish-brown roots turning white. She already had some of the usual Red hair, gray and brittle at the ends from years of stress and hard work, but this was unusual. Luckily, no one paid any attention to another simple Red servant so she was able to keep it hidden until it began to spread. The second thing that came was the sigils and designs that appeared on her hands, made from light blue ink that seemed to be etched permanently into her skin. She woke up with them one morning and in a panic tried to scrub them off to no avail, then having to beg one of her fellow servants for an old pair of leather gloves they had to spare. From then on she kept them over her hands at all times. As time with these changes went on, she noticed her eye color changing and becoming duller, her normal light brown instead becoming a cloudy blue. It was like all of the color was draining from her, like her life was draining from her. She didn’t understand what was happening to her, only that she could be killed for this. That was until she saw her first spirit.

She had been going about her job as normal, trying to avoid suspicion when she noticed someone next to her. She looked up at the person, a young woman, and she looked like a normal human except for the fact her body was transparent, slightly blue in color, and she seemed to be floating off the ground by an inch or two. Nell thought maybe this was some Silver ability she never heard of before, so she kept cleaning, looking like a dutiful Red with nothing weird going on. Then the woman spoke to her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nell Freeman,” she had said. ”We’ve been waiting very, very long for someone like you to be given to us.”

Nell had looked up again, confused. She didn’t understand what the woman meant, or how she knew her name. The woman saw her confusion and went on to explain.

She smiled. “You have a gift, my dear. You see, I’m a dead woman, have been for the past fifty years. You’re the only one who is able to hear and see me right now. You’re able to see all kinds of spirits and talk to us. You’re meant to help us.”

Nell could barely comprehend what she heard, she simply stared in shock before she hurried away from the woman with her hands shaking. That couldn’t be right, could it? Seeing dead people?

After that day, she saw spirits everywhere. They were all ages and types, ranging from young children to elders and both Red and Silver, not like blood type really mattered much when they were all dead. They looked at her with interest, and she tried to ignore them, but luckily none of them tried to talk to her again like that first woman. She heard their whispering, their tales and woes in the back of her mind, she could feel their weight, it all kept her up at night. Though nothing had freaked her out more than when she opened her eyes once in the dead of night to find several of them bent over her bed staring at her. She had screamed in terror and demanded they never do that again and thankfully, they didn’t. That was also the first time she ever spoke to them.

She was nineteen when she met the man with the red eyes, Jon. He came to her when her hair was almost all white, her eyes nearly completely blue, and she was out of ways to try and hide herself and avoid the spirits who followed her everywhere. Jon told her to trust him and come with him. He told her quite bluntly that if she didn’t, she’d be sentenced to death, and she couldn’t argue with that. She decided to trust this strange man and follow him, leaving House Welle, her father, and basically anything normal about her life behind.

On the way to Jon’s supposed home, he explained who he was. How he was one of what they were calling “Newbloods”, people born with Red blood that have Silver type abilities. He explained how his ability was to see the future, every possible twist and turn and path that time could take, unlike an Eagrie who could only see bits of the immediate future. He told her how she was one of those, a Newblood, and that she was like him in a way. Born with an ability dealing with the otherworldly, something other people would never be able to understand. That’s why he wanted to help her, both so that her power didn’t go to waste with her untimely death and so that she could use it properly.

She spent the next five and a half years of her life with Jon. She lived in his small, barely furnished cabin in a location she didn’t know, sleeping in the spare room which was really just an oversized closet. It was better than what she was dealing with at House Welle, so she’d take it. Jon was indifferent towards her, not showing any particular affection towards her but still being kind enough that she would consider him a friend. Her first friend. He was her mentor as well, as was more or less the whole purpose of their relationship. He taught her everything about her ability, how to use it, what to do, how to show the proper respect needed when dealing with the dead. She trained and she practiced, even managing to help a few spirits cross over to the other side. Doing that always filled her with good feelings, knowing that she helped someone at last find their peace. Some just needed help finding their way while others needed her help to complete one last thing before they could pass on, and she was happy to help however she could.

She was twenty-two when Jon took her to take someone’s spirit and guide it over for the first time. He told her this was better for them, it kept the spirits from getting lost and becoming wanderers like the ones she saw around all the time. He brought her to a nearby village and to a young boy. The young boy was dying from an illness, and didn’t have much longer to live. His parents knew this, and while they were sobbing over their child, they allowed Nell to do what she must. Jon guided her, telling her to do what she normally would to find the spirit world and to bring the boy over. After getting over her initial hesitation, she did just that. She comforted the boy who was far too young, telling him how much his parents loved him and how he’d feel better soon. She held his hand all the way, then passing him over to his aunt and grandma who were waiting for him on the other side. He had hugged her before he left. While it brought tears to her eyes, she was still happy to have been able to give the boy his peace.

Much of her training went this way, Jon taking her out to places to get hands on experiences. He was also out a lot as well, doing who knows what to change the course of who knows how many futures. It was like they were in their own little world, unbothered by the outside, by the divide of Red and Silvers. She even ended up helping a few Silvers along her journey, though they were only ever low Silvers, and they never knew she was a Red. Her skin had become pale enough that they could never tell. Jon had told her that one day it’ll be all up to her who to help, who to go to, who to find, and how she’ll handle that responsibility. She had given him a small smile and told him she could do it and he gave her a smile in return, and with him she didn’t know if that was good or bad.

She never knew her time with Jon was coming to an end until it was already over. It’s not like he told her anything, after all. It had seemed like a normal day, though Jon was bringing her along on one of his trips without saying any specific reason. He brought her to an abandoned town covered in soot, the town of Rosen. She doesn’t ask what happened to the town, she already had a feeling based on the amount of spirits she saw milling about the place. She was confused as to what they were there for until she heard a group enter the area, a group of five. Jon kept the two of them hidden until the time was right, but he still told her to stay behind when he went to go speak with them. Based on what she could hear, it seemed they weren’t huge fans of the seer. Then it started to rain. The group was boarding an air jet, one girl trying to still speak to Jon, when he made Nell come forward. He told her to go with the group. She was confused, stricken with fear as he sprung this on her so suddenly. He put a hand to her back and with a smile on his face, told her this was her path to take. The last thing he told her was that he enjoyed his time with her before he turned and left as if he was never there. With no other choice, Nell boarded the air jet with the group who gave her suspicious glances and kept their guns at the ready.

After an awkward silence, Nell decided to introduce herself. Saying she’s a Newblood seemed to ease the group a bit and the girl from before then introduced herself in turn. Mare Barrow. She explained who they all were, what they belonged to. A rebellion and revolution called the Scarlet Guard, built for the liberation of Reds across the continent. With her was a woman named General Farley, a young fisher boy named Kilorn, and the exiled crown prince of Norta, Tiberias Calore VII - but they all just called him Cal. Nell had heard whispers of what had happened within the palace, the death of the old king, but she never paid much attention to any of it and as such, barely knew what was going on. Mare said how they were collecting Newbloods like her, and that she was a Newblood herself; someone capable of controlling and creating lightning. When Nell spoke of her own ability, they seemed both surprised and a little off put. The prince denied that seeing ghosts was even possible, but Nell could see in his eyes that he had far more thoughts about it. Perhaps it was because he had someone who recently crossed over. An interesting group.

Being around the rebellion introduced her to the talk of war, and reintroduced her to the hatred Reds and Silvers hold for one another. A hatred that she did not share. With her abilities, she had learnt she doesn’t favor one side or the other, she only wants to help people find peace no matter their blood color.

The sense of death around the Scarlet Guard as a whole was very heavy, as was a sense of anger from the realm beyond. There were clearly a few spirits who wouldn’t mind taking vengeance on them. She never found too many spirits lingering with the rebellion, though she did try to help and speak with the ones she did see. They all died in the line of service it seemed. She wasn’t a fighter by any means, which allowed her to simply stay back and out of most conversations which was just her style. She felt others eyes on her a lot, but they always looked away when she turned towards them. She guessed people weren’t really fans of someone who could talk to things they wanted to believe were long gone.

It was almost her twenty sixth birthday when she was discovered by the king himself, Maven Calore. She had followed the Guard wherever they fled to after Mare got captured, but she went off on her own often to tend to the spirits or get a hold on her surroundings. She’d never seen so much of the country before. She had been doing just that when she ran into what looked to be a group of high ranking guards of some sort. It turned out she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time and said the wrong thing because next she knew she was being hauled off. She was taken to Whitefire, the size of the palace and the capitol city amazing her. What also amazed her was how powerful the feeling of death was. It almost choked her as she entered the city borders. She was then brought before a lonesome court, and there, sitting on a throne made of Silent Stone, was his majesty.

She’d only seen Maven once before when she was younger, in a broadcast. This version of Maven was wildly different. The first thing she noticed about him was his eyes. They were a bright, almost ice blue color but they were so… sad. Desolate. The stains born from sleepless nights beneath them held much the same story. His face was set in a displeased expression, brows slightly furrowed with a downturn to his mouth. She could sense the resentment and anger around the young king, and she felt powerful spirits wandering near him, both of them so terrifyingly fresh to the other side that they were no more than blue wisps to her eyes. It sent a shiver down her back.

“You’re Nell Freeman, correct?” He had asked her. He sounded so tired, and slightly annoyed. She definitely had to be careful; dealing with a man who had all the power in the world and was tipping over the edge was a dangerous combination.

She nodded, all of her actions hesitant. “Yes, sir.”

“And you’re able to interact with the dead?”

She paused. “Yes… sir.”

His demeanor changed, he sat up a little straighter, curiosity sparking within the icy blue depths of his eyes. “And how can you do that?”

How could she do that? She wasn’t really sure herself. She was acutely aware of her situation, the sentinels standing around, the king himself in front of her. She had no other choice than to try and explain herself. “Well, I’m able to see those who have become recently deceased and talk to them. I can also allow others to talk to spirits. And I can help lost spirits pass on to the other side.”

He nodded, more to himself than anything. He was thinking about something. His silence was enough to make her hold her breath, mind racing with thoughts about if she was going to be executed. Then he spoke. “Nell Freeman, I welcome you into my home, accommodations have been prepared for you to stay here. You’ll be called on again in a few days time.”

And with that simple statement, she was dismissed. She felt nothing but confusion and fear as sentinels herded her out of the room and down too many hallways before she was left in a room that she guessed was her new bedroom. With no belongings and nothing to do, she sat, listening to the spirits whispering around her. None of it was distinct, and she couldn’t see the entities they belonged to, but it kept her busy.

She was welcomed to the dinner that night, something offered to most Newbloods that came through the palace, it seemed. But there she saw someone familiar.

“Jon? What in the hell are you doing here?” She asked as she sat next to the seer.

He smiled his kind, slightly unnerving smile at her. “Ah, I was wondering when you would finally arrive.”

No you weren’t. She thought, knowing Jon knew exactly what second she’d walk through the dining room doors. He sees this, chuckling to himself.

The dinner went smoothly. She didn’t speak much, instead studying her surroundings and the Newbloods around her, wondering what their powers are. Every one of them seems to be so different. His majesty sits elsewhere in the banquet hall, making it easy to ignore the fact that someone who practically holds her life in his hands is in the same room as her.

Retiring for the night left a strange feeling in her gut, uneasiness about being in the palace keeping her tossing and turning throughout the night.

True to his word, the king called on her two days later.

Nell was brought into a private room where he was waiting for her. To say she was nervous was an understatement.

He wasted no time. “If what you say about your powers is true, I wish for you to allow me to speak to my recently deceased mother. You can do that can’t you?”

His mother. Queen Elara Merandus, if she remembered correctly; brought down by Mare Barrow in a gruesome end. She could see the uneasiness about the young king, his tense posture and eyes constantly scanning around him giving away more than he’d probably like. Back to the task at hand, she realized she had never attempted to call on a specific spirit before. She didn’t know if it was possible, but perhaps if Maven was with her in the crossway, it would help.

It’s not like she had much of a choice, so she nodded. “Yes, I believe I can.” She held out her hands to him, palms up. “Take my hands and don’t let go in this realm. If you do, the connection will break. I will lead us both into the spirit crossway and that should be where your mother is.”

He did as she asked with surprising ease. His hands were soft, but they were oddly cold for a burner. She closed her eyes, she took a deep breath, she concentrated. The markings on her hands began to glow softly, the color draining from her hands and turning them a bluish-white color. Her hair glowed as well, and her irises disappeared from her eyes. The room around them shifted, and they (or more specifically their souls) were transported to a ghostly valley covered in grass and trees and flowers, created by the spirits of said dead plants. Everything was in the different shades of gray, the only splashes of color being herself and Maven and the spirits within the valley.

It’s strange, because if anyone was to walk into the room back in Whitefire, they would find them just standing there frozen, hand in hand, with the eyes of someone who’s soul is no longer with them.

Maven was clearly unnerved, though he did his best not to show it. A spirit formed before them. It seemed his mother was making things easy. She didn’t know how to describe the emotion she saw in Maven at that moment. Relief? Shock? Some wild determination? She wasn’t sure.

She stepped back and let the two of them speak, not wanting to get involved with that in any way. The mother and son spoke urgently and for quite a while. Over time, she could feel her connection beginning to slip, caused by staying too long and her own stamina not being up to par.

“Your majesty,” She said. She held firm when he turned that icy gaze to her. “We must get going. I can’t hold this much longer.”

He said some parting words to his mother before joining her again. She breathed in and out and they were back in the room in the palace. She put a hand on the table next to her, trying not to fall over from the use of power. “You may go. Thank you.” Maven said, and just like that she was being escorted back to her room.

She thought that that would be it, that he wouldn’t need her anymore after that. She was sorely mistaken. He called on her at least once every other day, wanting to speak to his mother. It seems her council was more important to him than Nell realized. Despite all their time together, Nell never discovered anything about the king. It was all business between them, and he left no time for her to linger afterwards. She wasn’t particularly upset with that.

She let this go on for perhaps too long, causing more harm than good. But she never saw how she could leave. Until there was a wedding.

It was chaos; Silvers running, guns firing, and lightning splitting the sky. She joined the other Newbloods escaping thanks to the Scarlet Guard, more than happy to leave Whitefire far behind her.

The next chapter of her life led her to Montfort, a free republic where Reds and Silvers could live in peace with one another. It was a land mostly unburdened by spirits, however the otherworldly beings would always find her no matter where she went. She made herself a home there, and even though she’d spend the rest of her life going across the continent helping those that needed her, she always found herself going back.