#...and practice whatever this art style is gonna be :^D

[utane]

Bravern and his anxious emotional support human Isami

He is wearing one of those harness' you get for a nervous dog 😂😂

[thestrongestjewel]

Hey Jewel your art is so good and I just wanna ask you, HOW THE FUDGE DID YOU BALANCE ALL OF THIS?! THE SHADING, LIGHTING, COLOR, CURVY OUTLINES, EVERYTHING. I NEED TO KNOW CUZ I SUCK AT COLORING!

honestly im gonna be so for real i had no idea how i did any of the eepytale comics. i have no cluse what i was eating that week LMAOOO

but, i can tell you what i do currently a lot for rendering and coloring in general :D use textured brushes!!! they really add some dept into ur art! that and always try out different layer modes :3

for curvy lines i just recommend practicing a lot, that or use whatever tools you have for shapes and making curvy lines!

just- look at references, study different art styles and always try to learn new things :D

[t1ts-4-scattorcio]

Can you do a "being nat's sister" hc? Like she went with nat to nationals. (Post crash stuff too)

Sister Nat x Reader:

This was long

TW: Abuse + Substance Issues

Both you and Nat were accident babies but especially you. Her parents had settled with Nat but then you were born.

Nat had a hard time warming up to you. She was only around kids at school and was naturally a loner she didn't have that many friends at an early age so a new baby in her space was weird for sure

She liked her personal space and would side-eye you whenever you wanted her attention especially if it was by making a mess. "God you're so gross" she'd comment eyebrows raising in disgust observing you drool all over yourself on the dining room table. (like Nat girly pop shes a baby 😒 babies gonna be icky and loud).

But she saw how badly your parents resented you for taking up more of their time and money it actually was upsetting for her. Nat vowed to be your #1 protector the day your dad first yelled at you for being upset.

It was a bad day, you just couldn't stop crying and no one knew why. "Fuck she won't shut up! The brat's giving me a headache!" slamming his beer on the countertop turning to your mother who was at her wits end rocking you back and forth the entire afternoon. Nat locked herself in her room tuning out whatever was happening outside until she heard something break and your screaming getting worse

she burst into the kitchen and saw your dad get in your flushed face screeching in your highchair and of course, your mom didn't do anything but sob. Nat pushed him away and stood her ground, he gave her one of the worst beatings of her life but it was worth it to keep you safe.

That was the first night she let you sleep in her bed, and let you sleep with her until you were comfortable enough to be alone

Nat took the brunt of the abuse over the years because she didn't want to expose you to how bad your parents could treat you. She'd force you to stay in her room whenever confrontations happened or walk you to the local park and let you play for a while forget about your troubles, she would even teach you a little bit of soccer if you wanted to.

Doesn't want you around alcohol or drugs (she's a hypocrite I know) but she wanted better for you, she wanted you to succeed to be able to leave and make something out of yourself not feel stuck, and have the same shit (untrue) reputation she had.

Which meant she'd be on your ass at parties, "what are you doing?🤨” shoving your solo cup behind you "nothing.. 😀" nat jeered at you as you swayed back and forth sooo out of it. “You smell like vodka hand it over😡” you rolled your eyes and told her she's no fun but she brushed it off.

Absolute garbage at regular school work but is great with helping you make art projects and anything creative. She definitely asked Lottie or Tai to help you with any classes you were failing.

Will back you up and support anything you do, any performances or recitals you have, she will be there in the first row, she will skip practice to watch you play the sport you're in, stay's up late at night just to help you prepare for presentations

any spare money would go to taking care of you and whatever you needed whether that's school supplies or any new clothes. Your mom insisted Nat give you her hand-me-downs but Nat refused, she wanted you to find your own style.

You weren't home when your dad died, your mom was inconsolable and Nat completely shut herself off, you took care of her for a while and never blamed her for what happened to your dad. (something you had to constantly remind her of).

She's grateful you never judged her, just wanting to keep her safe like she did to you.

____

Silly sibling things:

Will kill you if you don't let her sleep in late

Interrogates any person you like or want to be in a relationship with. "I will kill you if you hurt them ☺️” all smiley while your S/O is shitting their pants.

Constantly reminds you to be responsible with your S/O. “Y/N don’t do anything stupid, and don't get pregnant. "GOD NAT I WONT 🤬."

Stealing each other's stuff but not fessing up to it or saying it looks better on your or her, (y'all never mean it).

The rest of the team also were your designated sisters, they would help you when nat couldn't.

ghosts you sometimes, she doesn't mean to she has garbage memory and a sense of "what was I gonna do again? syndrome" (which is why the other girls help you out)

You call her out about liking guys esp Travis "you're a girl kisser, you're all goo goo eyed whenever Lot's is around" cue to her stomping her cigarette out and walking away all huffy.

Lottie strut’s up “y/n why did Nat do that??" "she's in love with you Lots 😏" she looks at you like you grew a third head, "HUH" "nevermind 🙃" clueless gf’s for real.

----

You were her top priority before the crash and especially after it.

Nat had invited you to the trip for support and you were so excited everything was so luxurious. You plopped down next to Nat listening to music with her, dozing off to sleep until you woke up on the floor still attached to your broken seat.

She was terrified when she got out of the plane and couldn't find you, her brain conjuring your death. The worst thing that could happen to you coming true (you being gone would kill her.)

She found you heaving in Lottie's arms, she thanked whatever was listening to her hopes and prayers that you survived.

she never let you go or left your side once for the first few days in the woods, and is the only person that can comfort you when you're about to break down "listen to me everything's going to be ok! You know I'm never wrong."

you'd revert to sleeping with her like when you were a baby, being nervous to ask if you could though "of course you can, you could never annoy me, get in"

She'd ask if you wanted to come to hunt with her whether you could shoot the gun or not she loved your company and liked knowing you're safe.

you both would check in on each other especially when things got really bad (the snackie incident, not finding javi, shauna's traumatic birth).

You'd also back her up when she's calling out Lottie's "Voodoo Bullshit." (even if you believed it👀).

Best 👏🏽Sister 👏🏽Ever

[camellia-salazar]

Happy March, guys!

I forgot to post this last month so please count it as a February piece. Also Larchkit, Petalkit and Patchkit's designs aren't gonna stay like that for the most part. Idk why I changed the designs I already have for them into these but just know that I've tried to stick to the right designs.

(Also scratch out the Mapleshade and Ashfur from January's drawings since I've changed their designs a bit too). Thank you.

Was thinking about drawing this after realizing the similarities between the shows and their fan bases, mostly their opinions on these characters. I'm not gonna explain it all on here.

Colored doodles of characters I felt like drawing, Idk I just wanted to see my progress on getting better at mimicking the respective art styles of each thing for the most part. Mostly because I'm into both Bob's Burgers and Ed Edd n Eddy rn, and pretty much everything else shown on here (besides Orel and Greg I just thought they'd be friends, and Bluey cause i never get tired of drawing her im also excitedfor more Bluey).

I drew this basically as concept for an AU where Mapleshade was good. I know exactly what goes down but for now I'll just post whatever and probably talk about it more with some more drawings of this AU.

Also my designs for warrior cats are never consistent.

Since my birthday I started drawing certain characters playing Lazer Tag (since that's what my family, my youngest sister's friend and I did on that day). So I included the characters that had their birthdays (that I at least saved on my calander) and also other characters I really like recently.

Read more for more explanation on this last piece since i thought up a whole story for it basically:

So Leafy and Teardrop was teaming up until TD betrays her and Leafy tries to get revenge but keeps on getting shot by her (based on personal experience).

The thing about Kenny is that Sniper headshot him with a real gun somehow, and Crocker was teaming up with him so he's unaware of Kenny's death here.

Don't mind ARG he ain't hating Mickey he's just in the zone and looking out for himself and possibly Mickey, they're friends cause I said so.

Also 2-D is here because I like Gorillaz rn. Frank is here because there's a whole thing that I can't explain here but that's why he's "alive" here. Also he wasn't really caring about the game until the tension was getting to him. He turns into a ghost and flees at the end.

Logan here is looking up at Louise and Joe who were at a high point. Joe isn't even really playing, he was practicing his swing with the baseball nets next door to the Lazer Tag arena, but joins in with Louise at the last minute. They're looking down on him and making faces.

So that's basically it. Thanks for reading it all if you did! 👍🌟💝

And thanks for looking at my fan art! Hope y'all had a great March and will have a great April! 💖✨️

(Also I can't tag every character so bare with me)

[wasyago]

Love your art! I was super inspired by your Gillion design specially. He's so squishable (positive).

Do you have a specific process for designing characters? Be it original or reimagining canon designs of fandom

thank you!! :D

hmm, well, i don't remember the last time i properly designed an original character, so nothing on that front. for reimagining designs... i don't have a step by step way i do it, it varies from character to character, but i can point out some of the things i do that might be helpful?

i largely base my designs on the vibes the character gives me: their manner of speech, their actions, their story and personality. and also the world and environment around them if it affects the character. it sounds pretty obvious but like, duh.

im gonna try and explain on gillion's example since its the one you mentioned. he's a himbo, a swimmer and a paladin, so he's gonna be buff or at least a little thicker. he's a triton, so he's short. he's also short for the reason that he is in an unfamiliar for him world and he might feel small in it. he's also short because it makes him look almost child like, connecting it to his trauma and lack of childhood that manifests in his behavior now. gillion is kind or at least trying to be, so his features will be softer and rounder. but sometimes he's chaotic or harsh, so he has some sharp features too. though they're secondary, the softness is still the main focus.

i also really like to think and overthink the designs while drawing. i try to keep everything simpler and less detailed, showing personality with shapes rather than uhh presence(?), but that means that details i do include have a lot of thought behind them.

one of my favorite things is practically. i love to think about what a character would realistically wear in the climate they're in, which clothing would be comfortable for their anatomy and field of work. would certain things get in the way or would they be helpful? how would they style their hair, do they need it tied back or do they not care? would they wear make up, why yes or why not? etc etc etc. i like asking myself questions and answering them in the design.

continuing with the gillion example. he's constantly wet because he's a triton (again, yes), so it would be more comfortable for him to wear a wetsuit. other clothes may stick to him and be uncomfortable, or get stuck on his fins, etc. he doesn't have any piercings, there's no way he would've gotten them in the undersea, and on the surface i don't think there was anything meaningful enough to promt him to get it. plus fin ears. he doesn't have his hair styled in a complicated way because of the coral on his head. doesn't wear a lot of jewelry because he jumps in the water a lot and it'll easily get lost. no belts or flowy bits because they constrict the movement and might get in the way.

and then like. all the personal headcanons and preferences and little bits and things. there's a lot of elements that i draw just because i like how they look. or because that's a comfortable thing for me, or because it's cute or hot or sad or whatever. or because i saw it while looking for inspiration and i really liked it. just bullshitting with the design and making it my own, yknow?

for gillion. gave him a cool long tail and lots of fins everywhere because i like it when inhuman characters are openly and visibly inhuman and have distinct features. and gillion is VERY much not human, part of his personality is being confused about humans. big ol yellow eyes with slits — look cool, also doubles as an inhuman feature, also makes him look curious about the world. small black stripes all over his body — make him look more fishy, plus because there's a lot of them and they're all the same they form a pattern that looks more like a natural anatomical feature and draw less attention. coral that goes around his head and not only the front like a tiara— makes it feel more three dimensional and looks cool in perspective (also i kinda just drew it wrong and never fixed it). coral and fins are pink — adds some much needed color variation and contrast, plus pink is one of the more natural colors which again make him look animalistic and not magical, plus ties in with pretzel. his skin is closer to green than blue — removes blue from the color pallet (especially with his eyes being yellow instead of blue), making the design more coherent and pleasing, allows me to properly introduce reds and purples without it looking like a mess of colors (although it still does sometimes). sharp teeth — fish, cute. yellowish underbelly — supports the yellow for the eyes and makes it stand out less, plus again, animalistic feature. little to no details on the clothing — creates good negative space that lets the eyes rest and focus the attention on everything else. his fringe and hair are floating around and don't follow the laws of physics — personal headcanon that it always looks like he's under water, plus adds roundness to the design because of the waves and curls.

ookay haha sorry didn't mean to write down literally every design decision here-- kind of derailed the post again.

basically yeah, for me designing is like a dialog with myself where i ask and answer questions. also something that wasn't mentioned are references and inspiration. if i don't have a good idea when i start, i usually scroll through my gallery or pinterest for some time to get ideas and figure out the general direction i want to take the design, maybe also find some fun stuff to include, etc.

hopefully this long ramble was at least somewhat helpful or gave you insight on my progress. i wanted to draw some things to also visually explain the design decisions for gill, but i think I'll do it later and in a separate post, and maybe include chip and jay too...

umm good luck 👍👍

[themotherofhorses]

heey vic! :D

i just started following u & i just wanna say how much i adore your series 'just like animals' & 'last of her house no more' .. they're phenomenally written and so addictive to read ! ♡

i was just wondering if you'd like to check out some of my writing concepts? …(totally ok if u don’t)—i saw u reblogged the first one that i posted on this new blog (my old blog got shadow banned) ..</3

..but anyways, i'm also thinking about starting to write longer oneshots & not just concepts... i was just wondering if u had any advice? i wrote a few oneshot imagines on my old blog, but idk.…..it's just really hard for me to commit to writing something longer atm, y'know? anyways, i love ur whole blog & your writing & i’m gonna go reread 'just like animals' & wait patiently for the next part ! ♡

best wishes, xoxo.

heeelllloooo my little love

your words made me so soft and blushy, ily. and the concepts i reblogged earlier i ADORED ! like those modern!aemond w an innocent!reader ones? art. absolutely beautiful. loved it. i look forward to seeing and reading what else you give us <3

as for any advice? okay so this is what helps me a lot in staying productive and motivated (aka my writing routine when i tackle my prompts):

whenever i receive requests or think up new fic ideas of my own, i instantly write them down in my goodnotes notebook. from there, i tweak and outline, trying to figure out what i like and don't like. i think of titles, scenes, dialogue, all that jazz. and perhaps this is so silly, but i use my college essay strategy (introduction, body, and conclusion) CAUSE THAT HELPS SO MUCH! trust me on this, it makes it a shit ton easier. sometimes i start on the body and other times the introduction- whatever feels easiest for me. also, whenever you're working on a larger fic, at times, i find it best to write the part(s) where you have the most ideas and energy, and then gradually branch out.

throw out a rough draft, like a really ugly and shitty base. leave it alone for a day and then work on polishing it. it is much better to approach your writing with a fresh and clearer mind. and if you're feeling less committed to it, move on to something new and come back to it later on!

there is absolutely no use in forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do. nope. not at all. it just ruins everything.

for when i start to lose motivation (or begin to feel that stupid writer's block), i usually pull up a book to read. for my aemond fics, i'll typically reread fire and blood or one of the books in the asoiaf series. i don't know why but reading grrm's writing style fills me with a sudden rush of motivation and encouragement to write for this sexy one-eyed pathetic meow-meow bastard.

(okay well that and i'll go back to all my previous fics and reread y'all's comments, cause receiving comments from y'all is the best fucking fuel EVER.)

my love, my best advice is to find your own writing style. your own groove. as cliche as this sounds, writing is a form of art, and every artist has their own way of creating such. it is what makes us unique. play around, read some books, listen to music, talk to your mutuals (@chainsawsangel is my muse. love you bestie. everyone say thank you cause she constantly motivates my ass to write), and practice until it feels natural to you. think of your followers kicking up their feet in the air while reading your work. how excited they will be when they see you posted something new. "YAY, SHE POSTED!!!"

and if you ever need to bounce around ideas or plan how you wanna write a certain fic, don't feel shy- message me! i'd be happy to talk and help you out. this goes out to everyone.

i love y'all.

[mysteriawrites]

hello!! I would like to request a matchup with a genshin character. please and thank you! 🫶

Orientation: asexual + greyromantic (male preference).

Pronouns: she/her

Appearance: I'm 5'1. My hair is a darkish-brown with light brown streaks, and I have a long, whispy layered pixie cut. I have an inverted-triangle head shape, and I have a triangle + mesomorphic body type. I have dimples. I have beauty marks mostly on my shoulders and arms. I have olive-toned skin. I have almond shaped eyes, and my eye color is brown.

- Some people say I'm intimidating, but then others are basically like, "she's just a little guy! :D".

- I wear glasses because I'm just THAT smart, obvi ���️.

- My overall style is grunge, comfy, and artsy.

General personality traits + extra: Nice, independent, caring, calm, clever, intelligent, empathetic, friendly, gentle, humble, genuine, forgiving, hard-working, humorous, kind-hearted, reliable, logical, mature, observant, patient, selfless, sweet, responsible, wise, emotionally strong, accepting, supportive, quiet, awkward, reserved, straightforward, shy, tired, blunt, brutally-honest, gullible, procrastinator, lonely.

- I'm a good listener! I always try to reassure people that I'm there for them and they can talk to me about anything. I never judge.

- I genuinely care about others.

- I'm slow to warm up to others, but once I do, I'm much more outgoing.

- People say I have a comforting aura.

Likes: Going for walks, hanging out with friends, deep conversations, blankets, the night sky, sunrises and sunsets, astronomy, psychology, literature, ancient history, nature, meteorology, browsing, window shopping, sweets, pasta dishes, traveling, art, exploring, cats and dogs, music, fruit (specifically watermelon, raspberries, and strawberries 😩), coffee and tea, laughing, joking around, stormy weather, learning more about the things that interest me, to clean (willingly).

Dislikes: Waffles. , alcohol (for personal reasons), centipedes, anything that makes someone not redeemable (or whatever I think deems someone as a terrible person), humiliation, hot weather, people not listening to what I'm saying, silent treatment, being watched, chemistry 🤬.

Hobbies: Painting, ceramics, playing video games, reading, listening to music (I'm pretty diverse with my taste in music but I mostly listen to k-pop, j-pop, pop, rock, punk-rock, pop-rock, calm, '80s, early 2000's, 2010's) and occasionally podcasts (comedy, stories).

Etc:

- My main love language is quality time.

- My big three are libra (sun), pisces (moon), and capricorn (rising).

- My MBTI type is INFJ, and my enneagram type is 5w4.

Thank you for the request! Sorry this is extremely late. Just gonna get straight to the point DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

THOMA!!!

You and Thoma are very romantic kind of couple. You have similar likes and personalities you’re like peas in a pod.

You and Thoma met when you were hired by the Kamisato family. You were hired as Ayaka’s latests attendent. Your were practically her big sister.

Because you and Thoma see each other everyday, he wanted to get to know you better. He noticed you were a bit shy so he decided to invite you out to do some things he thought you would like.

He invited you to small outings at first like walking around the garden and helping him with cooking. As you two got closer and he found out about more things you liked he invited you to more things such as: a day on the town.

He took you out on a shopping spree where he would pay for everything (Thoma is a stubborn lad don’t fight him on this). He thought it was so adorable how your eyes lit up at the books you picked out at the book shop and the budding flowers from the flower shop. You saw a lot of Inazuma that day.

After a shopping for a few hours he took you to a cute restaurant and that had all of your favorite foods you almost didn’t know what to pick! You also got to learn all about him during your day out.

At the end of the day he took you to the top of a hill in a beautiful meadow. It was the perfect place for the two of you to see the stars. He asked you all about astronomy so he could hear you cutely ramble about your passion.

Before you headed out Thoma took you hands and confessed his feelings to you and asked you to be his girlfriend while holding a beautiful bouquet and blushing a bright pink.

(And that kids is how i met your father/j) Since then you and Thoma have been like those cute couples you see in romantic montages. You clean and cook together having fun together. Ayato and Ayaka ship you guys so hard. You’re dog parents to Taroumaru and he loves you guys so much.

He is the sweetest boyfriend. He pays attention to everything about you, gives you gifts and compliments, he does like to tease you sometimes but he won’t go too far. He treats you like an absolute princess.

10/10 very cute couple.

[icarus-suraki]

Classic, owl, skeleton for the spoopy asks :D

Spoopy ask game ooooooh~

Classic: What’s your favorite classic spooky movie? I could get really pedantic here like "But what do we consider a 'classic' and what is a 'spooky' movie? Indeed, what is a 'movie'?" But I'm not gonna.

I'm gonna go way back to a true classic: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from 1920.

The German Expressionism turned up to 11, the irrational and disproportional sets, the establishment of a buncha tropes, the influence it had and still has, the visual elements, the twist ending, Conrad Veidt in a black leotard and a lot of eye makeup…!

I like a lot of spooky movies, some more spooky than others, and I could just sit here and list them, but Dr. Caligari is just so iconic and influential in so many ways.

The art museum here had a showing some years ago accompanied by a live string quartet and I desperately wish I could have gone. Alas!

Owl: What creature would you have as a familiar? This is tough! I mean, I can always fall back on the classics: cat, crow, raven, owl.

Whatever, I'm kind of basic: cat. But it would be interesting to have a hairless cat. I worked with a guy who once said that I seemed like the kind of person who'd have a hairless cat. Maybe he's right. My hairless cat familiar and me, practicing experimental chaos magic in a minimalist house all done in black and white. That's the dream.

Now, speaking of, I did have a dream about a skinny black-and-white cat (more black than white, but he had white toes) named Honk who I saw in the bay window of an old bookstore next to a sign that read "Honk is not for sale!" So if I ever find Honk (who will be adoptable, I'm sure, but not for sale), maybe he's my familiar?

Skeleton: What never fails to send a shiver down your spine?

A lack of context!!!!!!!!

Let me explain: the less context or explanation there is around an image, a sound, a video, &c, the creepier or stranger it is (to me).

This is why I get disappointed partway through basically, um, every analog horror series or internet horror creation: sooner or later, there's too much context and/or too much explanation and it destroys the mystery. It puts too much of a frame around the concept. It solidifies it. And it immediately defangs it.

Once there was all this lore that evolved around The Backrooms, they immediately stopped being interesting to me. Do I like that The Backrooms are this collaborative storytelling project? Absolutely. And I enjoy some of the things people have made in that whole concept. But they've ceased to be as eerie to me because there's all these explanations now.

One of my favorite(?) examples of no-context-horror is from just before the US-made version of The Ring came out, the "cursed video" was posted online--and it was just the cursed video. There was no context, just a series of unnerving and (seemingly) disconnected images. (It was 2002 and I remember watching it on my friend's desktop in her dorm room. We were all scaring each other with it. If you had a cell phone, you'd call your friend's dorm number right after she'd seen it lol.)

And, yes, a lot of the images are gross or disgusting unto themselves--twitching severed fingers in a box is gross. But not knowing how everything connected together made even benign images like a plain wooden chair all the more horrifying. As in, if the images will go as far as a finger jammed onto a nail, the implications of the plain wooden chair are even more horrifying.

But then you see the whole movie and it's like seriously? That's it? It was a real letdown for me. The suggestions were scarier than the facts.

And, honestly, anything that you do show can't be as horrifying as what might be shown. I don't even mean Cloverfield-style where you don't really see the monster but you know a monster is there. I mean leaving the whole thing open-ended enough that the benign becomes the terrifying. Why are weird sounds in the dark scary? Because you don't know what's out there; you can only imagine it. Or worse, you can only half-imagine it.

I think The Blair Witch Project (1999) just about managed this because they never showed the witch. You got no satisfying explanation. That made it scarier (to say nothing about the "is it real or isn't it?" marketing, as Cannibal Holocaust did back in the 70s).

Nowadays, it feels like all the found footage stuff explains too much. It's like the creators think of something for the backstory so therefore they must include it in the main plot. No, don't do that. Stop that. You have to hold some things back.

Same thing with most modern "real ghost videos." It's Too Much.

Back in the early 2000s on YouTube there were actually decent "real ghost videos" that had no context, no explanation. Some of my favorites were compilations of ghost videos and photographs from Japanese horror/ghost televsion shows--I remember the photos giving me the absolute creeps in particular. And it was because I had very little context. The language and culture barriers made everything scarier--to say nothing of the time distance, since most of the clips I was watching were from the early-mid 90s. So it was all low-quality VHS tapes and film cameras, which made it just that much harder to really parse out what you were seeing. And then when you see it, you will shit bricks.

And I think this lack of explanation is what makes Tool's video for "Sober" by Fred Stuhr so fucking disturbing. Humans like narrative and explanation right? And, yes, there's some kind of narrative here but it doesn't entirely align. There seems to be a story here but it's not clear. At one point, this human-like figure the camera has been following opens up a pipe and there's raw meat flowing through it. What does it mean? What's going on? Why is this happening? We want an explanation, in part because the raw meat is distressing unto itself, but we get nothing, which makes it more distressing than just gross-out images. (The video always reminds me vaguely of Kafka's writing, and he understood this too. See: The Trial and The Penal Colony.)

I could talk about this for hours because I really think "showing the monster" is both the escape hatch or the release valve of horror but it's also the weak point of horror. Stephen King loves to show the monster eventually in his books and I don't usually find his books all that horrifying. But Revival actually almost got me because of the creepy visions the main character experiences and the whole "Mother is behind the paper sky" line. There's not much explanation in the plot/text about this, but it's not totally unexplained. But I can tell you, the first time I hit it in the book it actually got me. And that's rare.

I think that lack of context is very hard in the, well, context of a narrative. I mean, narrative demands context. Narrative is context. So the things that get me are the rare things without much of that: the cursed video from The Ring, music videos (like "Sober"), certain kinds of visual art (Francis Bacon's early work, especially), butoh dance, early internet stories and some urban legends, ghost videos/photos that don't try too hard… Lose the context, gain the fear.

(I think this is why I like the smeared, almost-but-not-quite look of older AI art, like Midjourney v3. It's in that other uncanny valley: it should be recognizable and yet it isn't entirely right.)

Oh my gaw this went on longer than it should haaaaave...

[f0xgl0v3]

Okay- first off

Working on the 1st big draft of camp! Obviously I’ve changed some things but I’m glad to be actually working on it. This is just a, more detailed plan because obviously not everything measured and pretty and whatever and numbering doesn’t make sense but I wasn’t planning it.

Also I started helping my friend learn how to draw!! He said he wanted to learn and I just sorta explained it the best I could for my style, I made sure to tell him my stuff isn’t the opitomy of art but he had so much progress from the beginning to the end!

Also I might’ve put off a mall trip because of my overwhelming anxiety that comes with buying things. But that is a topic for like very sleepy crying Kleos to go out out on the internet rather than me at the moment. But just know I might haul pic in the future if I’m very proud of myself.

Also Kleos in PJO tv show! It was really funny because yesterday I was gonna make a pinned post explaining my name but I’m very happy it popped up in the show! And that I don’t have to word-vomit my explanation B]

AND CHRIS- AND LUKE OMG- AND MR. D

Okay, I’ll talk about that later, but update on the map and like my life rn I guess- also getting ready to start practicing the LeFou audition for my drama club!

I’ll probably post tmr more updates-

[catwithangerissues]

Haikyuu Polyship hc’s!

♚ Hey hey hey! Welcome to a little collab that @tetsurocking and I have been working on for a few weeks now! Like two but still. We each chose three different couples and wrote headcanons about a poly relationship with them!

♚ My three!: Suna x Osamu x Reader! Tendo x Ushijima x Reader! And Futakuchi x Shirabu x Reader!

♚ Make sure to check out the three couples J wrote about over on her page! I promise you’ll find some stuff ya like😉 ‘I think about polyships too much for a monogamous bitch’ -J 😂 Anyways, enjoy!

♚ Warnings: Should be none! Although I reference high school in the past, everyone involved is aged up!

Suna x Osamu x Reader Poly!

✧ When you guys were in high school, Rinta would always send you videos of Osamu and him at practice; sometimes they were videos of the twins fighting, some were of them doing little tricks with the ball to get your praise, and some were just of them waving/saying they missed you

✧ They tend to spam your little group chat with memes while you’re at work or school, and sometimes they just spam you for attention <3

✧ They both really like it when you wear their clothing. Sometimes they get pouty if you wear one shirt or the other, but they never genuinely mind. In addition to this, they basically share a wardrobe. Is that Suna’s shirt or Samu’s? They don’t even know 🤷🏻‍♀️

✧ Suna probably sends you two pictures of the ugliest things he sees in a day and and puts a caption like « haha that’s you two. » that’s it. He probably doesn’t even bother to put a period at the end (Thanks for this one, Alma!)

✧ Suna takes tons of pictures with/of the two of you, and he changes his lockscreen background pretty often because of it. His favorite pictures are the ones he takes without you two noticing, hehehe

✧ These two are both really great drivers and they’re very smug about it. Food for thought 😌

✧ When you’re grocery shopping, they probably start eating what’s in the cart before you’re even out of the store.

✧ In addition to grocery shopping, don’t even TRY to tell Osamu one brand of a certain ingredient or food is better than another, he will throw a Miya Twin hissy fit™️ lmao

✧ They both keep extras of anything any of you may need in their cars. Period stuff if you’re someone who has one, hygiene products like deodorant and an extra shirt for Suna after practice, snacks for Osamu cause the poor boy always wants to eat in the car, etc.

✧ They both like to tease, but in reality they’re big softies for you. Want cuddles? Rinta is always flopping down on top of you once you sit on the couch. Need a back or shoulder massage? You don’t even have to ask Osamu at this point, he does it subconsciously.

✧ Suna prefers dates at home, lounging around and cuddled up, movie nights, dinner dates, etc. Osamu prefers lazy errand days. Going grocery shopping, cleaning the house together, dropping something off to Atsumu or grabbing lunch on the way home, he enjoys the domesticity of life with the two of you.

✧ DOING THEIR HAIR. Styling Suna’s hair for him in the morning or helping Osamu touch up his color before he goes back to brown.

✧ Holiday decorating, birthdays, and anniversaries are always fun with these two. To others, they’re relatively reserved, with a few sarcastic comments to spare *cough cough* we all know who I mean- But to you, they’re rambunctious and sweet. Making stupid jokes to see you laugh, babying you, all the like.

✧ Someone picking on you or getting a little too friendly? No need to worry, your two tall ass, intimidating boyfriends have your back. Suna is more of the- glare daggers at them until they get the hint- kinda person, but Osamu is definitely the- throw my arm around my partner and tell the other person to back off- one.

✧ Going to Suna’s games with Osamu to support him! Osamu once pretended to be a fan and asked for his autograph, and when Suna just looked him dead in the face and kisses him everyone around lost their minds.

✧ You and Suna visiting Osamu at work and bringing him lunch so he doesn’t have to make it himself! He has pictures of you three in his office too <3

✧ The boys visiting you at work/school saying it’s to playfully embarrass you, but usually it’s something like; bringing you lunch, coming to pick you up for a spontaneous date/adventure after you clock out, or just coming to sit in your office and bug you for a little while to get your mind off of work.

✧ They are both pretty possessive, but aren’t controlling. They just like to hold you, though Suna is the more reserved one of the boys when it comes to pda.

✧ ^That said, they like to show you off- a lot. Showing pictures of you or the other boy to their coworkers and teammates is a favorite of theirs.

✧ Whatever hobbies you’re into, they like to sit and watch you do. Reading, cooking (with Osamu?😌), baking, art, music, video games, etc. They just love to watch you do your craft! You’re so supportive of them and their dreams, the things they love, they try to repay the favor any chance they get.

✧ Suna is definitely one to just sit his head on your lap or shoulder and listen to you talk all day about something you love <3

Tendo x Ushijima x Reader Poly!

✧ Tendo has a massive collection of hoodies and he loves it when you two wear them. It makes him so happy to see you guys in something that’s his, a physical symbol that you two want people to know you’re with him.

✧ Both very affectionate partners, in their own ways. vv

✧ ^Tendo wasn’t very fond of pda at first, more so he wasn’t comfortable with it because he thought you two would be embarrassed to be seen with him. Once he found out you two weren’t embarrassed of him and wanted to show others your relationship, he was all for it! Usually likes to hold your hands or lean on one of you.

✧ ^Ushijima is more subtle with his affection, not because he’s scared or embarrassed, just that he prefers to do it in private. He knows you two know he loves you, so he doesn’t really see the need to be all over you in public. But in private? That man is always hugging you or nuzzling into your shoulder- he’s like a giant teddy bear.

✧ Ushijima loves to do all the domestic shit with you two. Cooking, cleaning the house, running errands. He’s just a sucker for feeling like a lil family with his two cuties.

✧ Tendo loves to plan the dates! Though if you want to, he’ll gladly let you! He likes to plan little day adventures for the three of you, whenever Toshi doesn’t have practice or training!

✧ Tendo likes to have his nails painted by you, and Ushijima likes to watch you two <3

✧ Matching nails with Tendo??? Mhm😌

✧ Protective boyfies! Let’s be honest here, it’s unlikely you’re gonna have too many problems with these two giants standing next to you. But if there ever is one, they definitely scare off whoever is bugging you quickly.

✧ These two are some of the most comforting people on here. They both had their share of not so great things happen to them growing up, Tendo being bullied and Ushijima basically being treated like a brute. The two of them became really good at comforting people, knowing how it feels to not have someone there to comfort you when you needed it.

✧ They’re big on cuddling to begin with, but if you’re ever sad or stressed? Prepare for Tendo making a pillow fort and Ushijima baking your favorite treats. These two are incredibly supportive and comforting when you need them <3

✧ Ushijima once got so fed up with Tendo being a little brat, he threw him onto his shoulder and walked around the house like that for a good half hour. Tendo thought it was hilarious and so did you

✧ Speaking of, he seems to really enjoy carrying the two of you around at random times. Piggyback rides, bridal style, or just like a koala clinging to him, he loves it.

✧ Tendo can sense a mood change in the two of you like it’s nothin. Seriously, the guy just knows when something is bugging either of you.

✧ The boys definitely ask if they can get a pet when you move in together. Tendo has a long list of crazy animals and Ushijima keeps suggesting a hedgehog for some reason.

✧ Regardless of what you decide on, you know these two are going to treat your pet like their baby. They’re going to spoil tf outta that little fella. 100% Tendo takes a million photos of them everyday. Ushijima doesn’t baby talk, he just talks to them normally about random things like volleyball and it’s pretty comical.

✧ Visiting Tendo at his chocolatier shop! He usually has very long days, and gets extremely happy when you two pop in to see him. Please bring this baby some lunch or dinner, he’s not a big eater and often forgets too. He has pictures of the three of you in his office too <3

✧ Watching Ushijima’s games and practices! This boy can’t get enough of the praise you and Tendo offer him! He loves seeing you sport his jersey with his name on the back, and he says seeing you two in the stands at practice or during a game really helps his focus?

✧ If you’re someone who has a period, these two are so sweet and thoughtful to ya. Tendo always makes the best chocolate, and Ushijima is basically a walking heater, he runs you hot baths too! Both handle mood swings very well and always make sure the pain meds are stocked in the house. 10/10 boyfies

✧ Please let Ushijima have as many house plants as he wants. He loves them and names each of them, he’s let you and Tendo name some before too! Catch this big teddy bear talking to his plants while he repots or waters them and your heart will melt </3

Futakuchi x Shirabu x Reader Poly!

✧ Salty, sarcastic, teasy boyfies- if you’re easily flustered, prepare yourself, they are going to use it against you. Calling you nicknames and saying things they know will make you start to stutter at any chance they get. (Lookin at you, Futakuchi) (please don’t think I’m making fun of people with a stutter, I have one myself.)

✧ Very protective, though they may not show it as often as some others do. Someone messing with you? You bet they’re next to you in an instant- offering several sarcastic remarks and a menacing glare from Shirabu, Futakuchi throwing an arm around you and bending down to the creeps level to further the intimidation.

✧ Both very comforting partners, if you’re feeling anxious or upset they’ll gladly take you into a big cuddle pile. Petting your hair or cheek, and telling you all the sweet things they can think of to see you smile.

✧ ^ Shirabu picks up on your insecurities very easily, especially if they’re similar to his own, and helps you learn to cope with and improve your mental health. Futakuchi has a gift for comforting people, always knowing what to say to make you feel 100x better about yourself or anything that’s bugging you <3

✧ Let’s not even get into what they’d say or do to the person if someone hurt your feelings, let alone made you cry. We’ll leave that to your imagination.

✧ Very competitive with each other. They constantly play fight for your attention, making comments about who’s shirt you wore today or who you ate lunch with- but it’s all in good fun.

✧ Futakuchi is a sly bastard, he really loves to fluster and tease tf outta you and Shirabae. For example: When Jirou gets mad at Kenji, Futakuchi just calls him his pretty boy or compliments how cute he looks when he’s angry and Shirabu becomes a complete flustered, stuttering mess.

✧ Going to visit Shirabu at work and/or bring him lunch! He doesn’t like to admit it, but he really does appreciate when you two come to visit and eat with him, especially during long shifts where he doesn’t get to see or talk to you two very much. He always becomes a blushy mess, waving off his coworkers with a glare when they comment on it- or when Futakuchi points it out

✧ Going to watch Futakuchi’s games! He’s very open with his appreciation for the two of you coming to watch his games! Either of you wear an extra jersey of his and it’s game on. He’s mindful to ask if you’re okay with hugs after, since he’s usually pretty sweaty, though.

✧ Of the two of them, Shirabu is the more perceptive one. He can easily pick up on any of the changes in mood the two of you may have, and it makes it easier to solve any issues you may have, rather quickly.

✧ In your relationship, Shirabu also gets frustrated the easiest. Whether it be with himself or the stresses of work and school, he finds himself getting frustrated and overwhelmed rather easily.

✧ You and Futakuchi are masters at calming him down by now, pulling him into a cuddle with lots of affirmation and he feels better in no time, offering to help with his work and take a bit of the load off cheers him up quite a bit too.

✧ Your boys are both very loving and cuddly when sleepy.

✧ Both getting overwhelming soft when you’re being cute, they just start to overload. Whenever you do anything remotely adorable, they can’t help but dote on you. SOFT BOI HOURS

✧ HEAD PATS! That is all. :)

✧ Futakuchi is the type to kiss you hard during an argument while Shirabu is the type to sulk and then come over to you later that night asking to cuddle.

✧ Random hc, but Futakuchi’s car is a fucking mess, I just know it.

✧ Saw this somewhere else, but it fits him! Futakuchi says yes ma’am/sir with a huge shit eating grin.

✧ You three have a good system when it comes to planning dates, taking turns every week or so, although Shirabu tends to prefer slow days/nights at home, given his busy(er) schedule.

✧ Another random hc, but I think Futakuchi has some sort of energy drink addiction and Shirabu is constantly nagging him about cutting it out of his diet because he aggressively cares for that boy.

✧ “Stop drinking that, idiot. It’s bad for you.” “Aww, Jirou~ are you worried about me?” “Shut up,,”

♚ Hope you enjoyed our little collab! Go check out @tetsurocking ’s part on her page! Believe me- it’s good😭 be warned! It does have nsfw content! Mine was gonna but some of you can’t follow rules😤

Taglist: @sunalma @toworuu @lovie-and-co (for your boys😌)

[crossdressingdeath]

I saw people talking about the Lan sect rules and how only LWJ was noticed to break them, did you all not notice that LQR, the elders, even LXC and QHJ broke the rules? The thing about the rules is that nobody can follow them 24/7, all the damn time. Who knows what rules you break and didn’t break? That’s not on anyone really. LQR broke the rules in front of everyone regarding the resentful energy debate and everyone excused him! As an educator, he doesn’t practice what he preach. The rule LQR broke? Morality is propriety. Also he talks shittily about wwx’s parents like bruh. Nobody in the Lan think about Madam Lan situation precisely like why she killed QHJ’s teacher, etc. QHJ himself also didn’t investigate and just marry and imprison her. The rule broken? Don’t make assumption. LXC also listens to gossip all around him, so he shouldn’t have the gall to act like the holier than art thou because he sees LWJ broke rules for WWX. LWJ did that, LQR did that, LXC and his father also did that, the whole elders I am sure broke rules too. Not all the rules broken are within their right and sometimes it is important to know that with rules like these acting as governing body discipline (like rise at 5 and sleep at 9 pm is a basic healthy life style for working people commuting) but others such as no killing, don’t lie, it’s supposed like common decency and what humans need to uphold as principles, not rules in the wall where it prevents everyone from lying in situation needed (like absent of gc or gc transfer). Though canonically, everyone even Lan disciples like LJY broke rules too. Even LSZ. Moreso, non Lans like NHS, JC, and other visiting disciples (JZXun, JZXUan etc). didn’t they insult wwx’s parentage and jfm’s rumors thing? And no Lans stopped them and just listen to the gossip or fight going on? Well I could go on but only WWX is punished for every thing in the end. LQR surely isn’t blind that he doesn’t know NHS doesn’t cheat or smuggle porn alcohol etc but he only singles out WWX. It just means they are somehow using the rules to cover up hypocrisy we are supposedly seeing.

though I agree the rules are not harsh, some are unnecessary such as no killing and no lying, but if the authority upholding and witholding the rules are not just, then it’s gonna be corrupt or biased assertion of sort.

I mean, to be fair we don't actually know that QHJ didn't investigate what happened with his teacher because we only know the most basic of basics regarding that situation. And I don't remember LQR talking about CSSR at all beyond maybe a sort of "Just like your mother, she was a troublemaker too" type thing, which is... y'know, accurate, not talking shit. And I don't think LXC really does listen to gossip (accepting the word of trusted associates as fact is not the same as gossiping). And he does not have a holier-than-thou attitude towards LWJ breaking the rules for WWX! His issue is that LWJ is committing treason and could end up heartbroken or dead! Concern for your sibling is not the same as being holier-than-thou! LXC's issue is with the fact that as far as he can tell WWX is toying with LWJ's feelings, not the fact that LWJ's breaking rules!

As for "others such as no killing, don’t lie, it’s supposed like common decency and what humans need to uphold as principles, not rules in the wall where it prevents everyone from lying in situation needed"... anon, allow me to introduce you to a little thing called laws. There are laws that are only on the books so that people know where to assign fault if something goes wrong, and there are laws that are in place so that people know what the punishment should be. Name one society that doesn't have rules in place regarding things like killing. And the rule against lying is a principle thing? It's more like... "you are expected to hold to these principles as a Lan cultivator". It's setting out expectations. Like a dress code; you go into a job knowing that you are expected to wear a certain sort of outfit, and by taking the job you are saying that you understand that and will wear that sort of outfit. Same deal here; Lans are honest, this is a known thing, if you want to join the Lan sect you have to be honest and if you're not prepared to do that you shouldn't join the Lan sect. Also uh... there is no evidence that the Lans can't lie in situations where they absolutely have to, what? We know Lans can break the rules in circumstances where that becomes necessary! Unless you're arguing that every Lan who participated in the Sunshot Campaign then had to be punished for all that killing. Which I hope you're not, because that would be... stupid. And we know they do lie; LSZ would be in deep shit if Lans couldn't lie, because it would be impossible to keep the fact that he's a Wen quiet if LWJ had to tell everyone who asked where he came from! It's not a fucking magical compulsion, it's a rule they choose to follow to the best of their abilities! Like how murder is illegal but self-defence is okay, there are times when breaking a rule is the best option and there are additional rules in place to allow for that.

And you say only WWX was punished for the cheating and the smuggling of alcohol and smuggling porn, but a) WWX is incredibly open about it, b) WWX is the only one mentioned as smuggling alcohol, c) WWX isn't actually punished for smuggling porn because only NHS is mentioned as doing that and he's VERY VERY GOOD AT HIDING THE FACT THAT HE'S DOING IT SO HE'S NEVER ACTUALLY CAUGHT (you say that LQR "surely isn't blind" like that means he must have noticed, but you're forgetting that 1. LQR isn't actually omnipotent and 2. NHS's whole thing is being insanely good at hiding what he's doing; don't assume he was obvious enough to get caught, especially when he's been through these classes multiple times and presumably knows all of LQR's usual tricks for catching troublemakers), and d) there's... nothing to say the other disciples weren't punished for cheating. LWJ caught all of them. WWX is specifically mentioned as being punished because a) he's the protagonist so of course he is, b) he's a repeat offender and repeat offences generally do lead to a heavier punishment, and c) LQR (correctly and definitely understandably) pegs him as the ringleader; WWX is being punished for heading the thing while the others are just punished for participating. That's... not unreasonable. (And yes it was NHS's idea but LQR doesn't know that, now does he?)

The guest disciples probably get away with more because they didn't sign up for how strict the rules are, not because the Lans are being hypocrites. Hey, remember how WWX blatantly breaks a bunch of rules right in front of LWJ on his first night only to get off scot-free because he claimed (likely falsely!) that he didn't know the rules yet and the only real consequence was that LQR then read out all the rules the first day of class so that he could ensure everyone knew the rules? WWX benefits from the laxer standards on guest disciples too, it's just that he's far more determined to cause trouble than everyone else! Also the other disciples don't insult WWX's parentage or talk shit about JFM's supposed favour? Because WWX is in fact incredibly popular? Like, I think you're underestimating just how much people liked WWX before the Sunshot Campaign! This man was insanely well-liked by his peers! It is only the Jiangs and assholes like JZXun who have an issue with him based on his parentage or position in the Jiang sect! Hell, the novel expressly states that him being head disciple and the son of the sect leader's childhood friend in addition to how young people aren't as bothered about status and ancestry meant that he was pretty much accepted as an equal right away! The closest thing to someone talking shit is JZX's "Doesn't [JFM] treat you better than his own son or something?", which he clearly doesn't even fully believe himself (the "or something" suggests he's parroting someone else's words in an effort to hurt, not stating something he believes wholeheartedly himself), and the Lans aren't so much standing around listening to the gossip as they are trying to pull JZX and WWX off each other. Also I don't think JZXun is even mentioned as being there but whatever, he might have been one of the nameless disciples in that scene.

Basically... are the Lans all perfect paragons of justice and honour? Of course they aren't! They're people! People are going to be petty and harsh and unfair, that's just what people do! But people seem so determined to treat them as this awful, hypocritical, cruel mess of a sect who use their reputation to bully people and I just do not get it! "Strict but fair" is the most accurate summary of how the Lan sect works, and yes, sometimes individual members are petty about it and everyone in the sect sometimes breaks the rules because again, they're human, no one can uphold all those rules all the time, but everyone in the sect signed up for that and if they find they can't handle it they leave the sect. Like... guys. Strict does not inherently mean they're hypocritical and awful. Come on.

[owl-eyed--witch]

Reconnecting with my craft

Hello Tumblrverse,

It's been a while. A long while. I have been out of touch with my craft for what feels like forever. To be honest with you, I have never really known what I was doing for 99% of the time I've been a witch. I've known for a long time that I was a witch, that to my core, I identified with everything witchy, but it didn't quite feel right to me. I had been living with roommates for most of my adult life, if not a partner, then my parents, so practicing witchcraft had always been tricky for me. I've never really practiced openly and freely because I was surrounded by people that judged me in one way or another. I didn't feel comfortable being myself. I didn't feel comfortable being a witch.

That started changing a couple of months ago. My TTRPG group started falling apart, things were going awful. We switched to playing D&D once a week to every two weeks because we needed a breather. During the off week, one of my friends introduced us to the system called Monster of the Week. I love this system to bits. It's urban fantasy style, a "what is the supernatural existed and it was a threat?" type of game. Your shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Teen Wolf, all of those, You get it. For that game, I created a witch, because it felt so natural to me. I knew exactly what I wanted my character to be. I searched for a name, something that resonated with the aesthetic and the core of this character and I stumbled upon Avalon. It fit her perfectly. She was a baby witch, new to the craft, with a mentor and she was about to grow into her power, much like me in a way. I played her for months and we started her storyline and my Keeper (what the DM is called in this system) truly understood the assignment. The vibe and the aesthetic were fucking immaculate. I was giddy like a child every two weeks when we got to play.

Because of Avalon, I started reading tarot again, and it became part of the game too. My Keeper thought it was so cool, that at the beginning of every mystery, Ava would read tarot cards to gain insight into the monster that we would hunt. So through that, I reconnected with my deck. When new players joined our group, two of them collect tarot decks and showed them to me. We started gushing over the cute art and how we love the mysticism of divination. They made me feel welcome and seen.

Then I moved out on my own for the first time. Single and alone. It sounds bad, and to be honest, I thought I was never going to be able to shoulder it by myself. This year I found out I have BPD, which is a struggle to live with day to day, but I have worked on it so much in and out of therapy. I thought that living alone would be so difficult. Then I started taking it one day at a time. I went back to checking Tumblr when I was bored. I started to miss witchcraft a bit, then a lot more. I stumbled into the "Reconnecting with your craft" post that you can scroll down to see on my blog, and I started doing that. Reacquainting myself with my BoS and all of that jazz. I felt anxious at the beginning, not knowing what I was doing. There's always a part of me that's scared I'm gonna summon something bad or whatever but knowing my practice if I manage to do that, then I truly have supernatural powers because my practice is chill af.

I pull a tarot card every morning, getting the energy for the day with a side of insight. I am now back to drinking a lot of tea (and my soul rejoices, chamomile truly is magical for anxiety.) I never got acquainted with the phases of the moon in the past, now I'm exploring that, and to be honest, it's quite fun. I'm gearing up to celebrate my first Lughnasadh as a witch and I'm looking forward to that. In the past, all of that has felt not quite like me, like I was an imposter, a little kid pretending to be something they are not. Now, it feels right. This is me.

To reflect all of these new changes, I have changed my witchy name. I used to use my online pseudonym, but I think it's a little passé now. I want my name to reflect the growth and healing I have gone through. Therefore, this witch is now known as Avalon. ♥

You will see me more around these parts, from now on. I'm looking forward to interacting with this community once more. :)

[likeabxrdinflight]

How would you reform Fire Nation mental health care? (And what would make Zuko apologize to Azula for institutionalizing her?)

So...this is potentially going to be a very long post because there’s a lot to discuss here. 

For starters, I’m going to just operate within the confines of what canon gives us, including the comics, because it’s going to make this easier. But I do want it stated that there is absolutely no good reason that the Fire Nation should have some kind of western style institution with things like straitjackets- there is no precedent for that kind of mental health care in an Asian-inspired world where Europe just straight-up doesn’t exist.

But white people made this show and so it does, and the Fire Nation is the nation that gets the most “westernized” by the creators in terms of imposing things like industrialization onto the society, so......eh. I suppose if any nation was gonna do the asylum phase, it’d probably be the Fire Nation. This is an imperfect model, but there aren’t many other models for mental health care out there. I have tried, in looking up information for my own fanfiction, to learn about Eastern mental health care practices. I found very little that hadn’t been influenced by western ideas. So I don’t see any way around it, we’re just going to have to start with this...for whatever reason, the Fire Nation decided large psychiatric hospitals was how to handle mental health. Now let’s fix that. 

First, you can’t just close down the hospitals. We tried that in the real world, and it was a disaster. You just cannot take patients who need more intensive, long-term care and toss them out like “well, the hospital ran out of funds, good luck out there!” In the US, deinstitutionalization really took off in the 1980s (though the seeds of it started much earlier as part of Kennedy’s attempt at mental health reform), in which the large state hospitals closed down due to the inhumane conditions and poor treatment outcomes. However, in the Kennedy policy, hospitals were supposed to be replaced with community-based outpatient mental health centers. The community mental health act (CMHA) was signed into law in the 60s, and was supposed to begin the process of creating these mental health centers and closing down the asylums. However, it was slow going for several years, and the law didn’t actually provide the funding to build the community centers. This only got worse in the 80s as the rest of the funding for the CMHA disappeared. Because guess who didn’t want to pay for it?

State hospitals were going out of style with or without Reagan. But lord he made the problem worse. Today the correlation between homelessness and severe mental illness is staggering, suicide rates are up, and mental health care access for anyone who can’t pay is deplorable. 

We want to avoid this in the Fire Nation. 

So the first thing we need is to know what kind of mental health care they even have. And this is where it gets a little speculative. Because in our western world, Sigmund Freud existed. And we all love to shit on Freud because he deserves it, but credit where credit is due- modern psychotherapy would not exist without him. The man pretty much single-handedly invented our current idea of talk therapy, which paved the way for just about every empirically supported treatment we have today. The two gold standards- CBT and DBT- owe their existence to Freud.

I have to assume, then, that without the influence of psychoanalysis, the focus becomes more biological and probably spiritual. I’d like to see what it would look to integrate Eastern spiritual/healing practices (i.e., acupuncture, like we saw in LOK, or opening blocked chakras, like in ATLA) with mental health care. Perhaps facilities can be set up to train people in these arts. Bending, I think, could also be incorporated- who’s to say highly specialized waterbending couldn’t be used to heal problems in the brain? Schizophrenia, for example, is highly associated with the dopaminergic system in the brain. Could waterbending be used to influence this? What about herbal treatments, could they function similarly to our medications?

Someone would probably at some point discover that healing relationships benefit people with mental illness- but I don’t know that that kind of compassionate care model would necessarily translate into what we would call “therapy.” Still, empathy goes a long way no matter what kind of treatment you’re giving. It is possible for Eastern philosophy to influence some kind of mindfulness based interventions- in our real world, mindfulness based therapy pulls heavily from Buddhist ideas and integrates it with more traditional therapy. So I could see this cropping in a purer form as an alternative to psychotherapy. 

So probably we need to start there. More funding for research and development of mental health treatments in the Fire Nation- let’s find better options than locking people away. They’re clearly a nation that values science, so I can see this development being realistically possible in a few decades or so. (There’s probably an existing knowledge base to build on that we aren’t made aware of in canon.) Once such effective treatments are verified, then we need to get them to the people who need it. Set up facilities, community centers, something- anything- to allow people to access the help they need. 

Now, since these larger hospitals do exist, I don’t think the Fire Nation should do what we did and just shut them down. Instead I think it would be better to keep them open and available for people who need it, but make them a lot more humane. Now in some fairness, the institution Azula stays in looks...pretty nice. 

Like ignoring the straitjacket for a minute, that building itself looks pretty well-funded. That’s a fancy mirror. So the resources are there to make these decent places to stay. We just have to get rid of the restraints and whatever other inhumane treatments may or may not be happening and replace them with effective, science based treatments instead. These need to become places of temporary respite rather than warehouses for people no one else knows how to handle. 

In our world, hospitals are still controversial- and psychiatric abuse still occurs, especially in areas with poor funding- but they’re also beneficial. Some people need this kind of intensive, round-the-clock care. People with acute, untreated psychosis, people who are actively suicidal and in danger of killing themselves, people with manic episodes, people with severe eating disorders- all of these can be dangerous to the patient, and require more intensive interventions in our world. Hospitals are often the best place to get that kind of care. Unfortunately, our hospitals don’t really have the capacity to keep people longer than 72 hours in most cases (there’s always exceptions). Long term stays are expensive, and the facilities are not as easily accessible. We don’t have great options for people with chronic mental illnesses that need this kind of support for longer than a couple days.

So I guess that’s the other thing I’d want to do- perhaps transform these institutions into longer term care facilities with maybe a ward or two for short term patients in acute crisis. 

Next step is educating the public and de-stigmatizing mental illness, which is a broad scale thing. Put effort into education and allow people with mental illness to re-integrate back into society. Frankly, I think someone like Azula could play a key role here- she’s already a well-regarded public figure in the Fire Nation. She could do a lot to promote new treatments and demonstrate that people with mental illness are not, in fact, “crazy and need to go down.”

The best thing I think Zuko could do to apologize would be to regulate all this and to step up as an advocate. These hospitals and care facilities cannot be allowed to act as warehouses for the “undesirable.” There need to be laws in place to prevent psychiatric abuse, and training requirements for care workers. Listening to people with mental illnesses about what their needs are is also a pretty good idea, and showing Azula that he cares about that would be a nice gesture. For him to get to this point, though, I think someone needs to show him how bad a straitjacket feels, or how abusive these kinds of unregulated facilities can get. Zuko is a compassionate person, I don’t think it would take too much convincing for him to see how inhumane an asylum can be- so long as he’s looking at it with eyes open.

[ais-n]

hello!! i just spent the past month or so reading all the icos books, scrolling through your account, and reading the notes you posted about the sequel on patreon. i’m absolutely amazed by this series and these characters, i don’t have words for how good of a time i had delving into this story. i started off loving hsin immediately and although it took me some time to warm up to boyd, he ended up being one of my absolute favorite characters that i’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. i really think boyd and hsin and their story, along with the stories of all the other amazing characters associated with them, will stick with me for a long time. anyway sorry for the long message, but i just wanted to express my gratitude for these books—they helped me out a lot mentally after everything post-2020 haha. i did have a sort of question though!! how did boyd deal with the loss of one of his eyes? did he train with hsin to help adapt? how did he deal with the insecurities and frustrations that came with that loss?

Just in case - **ICOS SPOILERS / FADE SPOILERS** :)

Hi! Aww that's awesome! I'm so happy you enjoyed the series :) And that you were able to find all the content on it right away too. It's also really cool how things shifted for you over the course of the series - because that means it did its job with showing character progression :) I mean, not that it matters if people end up liking all the characters or not - but if you start feeling one way and end another, that's awesome because it means there was character development that resonated with you in anyone and that's one of my favorite things when I'M reading a book, so it's one of my favorite things for if anyone ever reads anything I'm involved in writing. So that made me really happy to hear, thank you <3

I'm gonna put my answer behind a cut just in case for spoilers :) Hopefully this thing doesn't disallow you from clicking the Read More link which once in awhile tumblr does.

Spoilers behind cut :D

Regarding his eye, it was obviously in many ways pretty life-changing for him. Even though Boyd and Hsin by that point were much better about communicating, and Boyd would want to lean on Hsin whenever needed, although I haven't written out anything from those time periods (so it may change when/if I actually do, as sometimes the characters do things I'm not expecting) -- I have a feeling Boyd tried to kind of hide as much of the downside as he could from Hsin. Not because he didn't trust Hsin - he did, unequivocally - but rather because Hsin had seemed so regretful and seemed to have guilt/worry when Boyd first woke up and learned he lost his eye. He didn't want Hsin blaming himself for it, and if Hsin saw it upsetting him too much he would have probably worried about how Hsin felt.

It did take him time to figure out some things - his depth perception was fucked, and he couldn't fight quite the way he initially had learned because of that, along with other things. He would have let Hsin see him relearning things when necessary because that's inevitable, but he would have tried to play off anything much deeper if possible. He would have wanted to see if he could handle things on his own first (in typical Boyd style) just so he could spare Hsin extra stress. He felt like Hsin had already lost so much; it didn't feel fair to pile anything further on him.

So Hsin would have helped with some stuff when needed, and obviously I'm sure they talked about things as needed too. It's not like the topic was taboo or Boyd was super sensitive to it. As much as it sucked, it was also just a thing he had to accept. So in some ways, he kind of just rolled with it the way he'd had to learn to roll with so much else in his life.

Where it really was most frustrating and upsetting for him was the way it affected his ability to work. Even though he felt and was fully capable of many things, certain jobs just would not hire someone with one eye, period. Their rules didn't allow it, or they just chose not to, or so on. Because they had to stay on the downlow, he already had limited options in the first place, and that made it worse. Then on top of that, having an eyepatch made him more memorable. Once he eventually got his glass eye, it helped a bit with that, but he'd always had an unusual eye color so without contacts and different hair color and all that, if someone were looking for him they could still potentially track him down. Hsin was also incredibly memorable so it was a worry for him as well. Especially when you put those two together.

I don't think we ever talked about it but in my personal opinion, I would guess that they probably talked about their plans for the different cities/countries they were in, whether one or both of them would stand out more, what sorts of income they could get, what sorts of things they could do, what sort of places they could live incognito, and so on.

I have always had in my mind that there was a period of time especially early on when Boyd was still healing and getting used to things, where he (as usual) tried to push himself a little too far a little too fast but Hsin stopped him because he knew how Boyd is and he knew if he was firm, Boyd would actually listen.

So for a time, Hsin was the main person going out to do things, get money, etc. There were hours Boyd would be alone wherever they were staying, and during that time all those doubts and frustrations and anger and insecurity and fear would come in. For awhile, I think he probably even drank when he was alone. Never to an addictive level or anything; just the actions of a man who felt depressed.

I'm sure some of his demons leapt on that--telling him shit like he wasn't ever going to have more worth than he did when he was used by Cyclone, or the Agency - shit like, maybe you're never going to be anything more than a valentine/whore for money in the future anyway. If people won't see you as anything other than the parts of you, and now the parts of you that are missing more than the parts that are there, maybe it's useless to think there's anything more of value in your life. That sort of negative thought process that you know isn't true but still buries its tendrils deep inside and twists.

The thing is, Boyd never really had much to call his own his whole life that people didn't attribute to others around him - one of the only things he had was his art. And losing an eye didn't make it impossible to do art, but in that beginning stage, it just felt extra awful to have lost something so integral to the one thing he had that was his alone, that hadn't been used and abused and destroyed by other powers in his life - it felt like maybe that just went to show he didn't have value other than what others assigned to him. Which is how the valentine stuff probably came to mind - through a bit of depression and also practicality, because he knew he could make money doing that if they needed it, even though it was the absolute last thing in his life he would ever want to do. But then the guilt would come in about not being able to do enough on his own, not pulling his weight, etc etc, and then the fear associated with all of these topics, and that's how the depression would have slid in and spiraled him down.

I always imagined that Hsin recognized how depressed Boyd was, even though Boyd tried to hide it, and eventually they would have had some sort of conversation about it all.

In my mind, somehow through that and any following conversations or actions or etc, Hsin was able to remind Boyd of all the things he could do still, rather than focusing on the things he couldn't. He would have reminded him that it was bullshit to think he had no value, and as for getting denied different jobs, it didn't matter - they were in this together, they'd figure it out together. He would have been able to remind Boyd to stop taking all the shit on himself and share the burden. And that Hsin didn't give a shit about any of that stuff - Hsin saw Boyd for who he was, and he loved him for that, and nothing would ever change that. Boyd would have probably told Hsin at that point he was afraid of Hsin blaming himself when it never had been his blame to begin with, and he never wanted to hurt Hsin, and etc. I imagine he told him that, but am not sure.

Either way, it would have reignited Boyd's stubborn streak and determination, and he would have been reminded of how much they could do together as a team. And how much they loved each other. And fuck the world, who cared what other people thought? He could do whatever the hell he wanted. He'd figure it out. He always had.

From then, he would have started working on things again - figuring out ways to fight that relied more on touch so his blind spot and depth perception were less of an issue (Hsin would have helped a lot with this), and he would have started painting and drawing again. It went from his offtime from Hsin being something dark and depressing to something largely productive. Obviously everyone still has bad days, but at least he was generally on the up. And they did eventually figure out jobs he could work too, or things he could do, so he wasn't just spending all his time alone when Hsin wasn't around. And so Hsin didn't have to have any pressure on him to do things alone.

I don't remember if I ever answered this question before and if I did, it's possible my answer was a little different. I often think about parts we didn't write down and I feel like I have an idea of how it would go, but until I actually write something down I never know for sure. We never planned for Afterimage, for example - but when we went to write past Evenfall, it became clear that was a thing that was going to happen, and so it did, and then things from that affected other things into Interludes, Fade, 1/27, etc.

So it's possible if ever any of these time periods are written down that maybe my view of what I think would happen ends up being completely incorrect or off. But right now, generally speaking, I imagine it went something like this.

Sorry for the long rambly reply!

[yukiwrites]

Magic, not Actually the Same

Thank you so much for the support and patience as always, @xpegasusuniverse! Henry, please, don’t scare them too much!

Summary: There were many kinds of magic throughout the myriad of worlds out there. The graduates from the School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad, Lorenz, Annette, Mercedes and Constance still attended some of the mage classes in Askr, but after one particular class, they met Henry...

Commission info HERE and HERE!

__________________________

The Order of Heroes was a place where many people of different backgrounds worked together towards a common goal -- it was their differences that allowed them to form bonds they'd never thought possible back in their original worlds.

Of course, that also meant that Heroes with similar experiences also converged together so as to share and gain new knowledge. There were three of such groups that stood out among the others: The Community of Hatchet-Operating Persons, also known as CHOP; the Hatchet Aspirational Committee of Knowledge, also known as HACK, and; the currently unnamed, self-proclaimed School of Magic that usually took place three times a week at the library.

Though it by no means held a professional curriculum, the School of Magic of Askr was invaluable to the young or aspiring mages due to the amount of older, more experienced mages willing to pass down their knowledge. That was to the point that some students, although already enrolled in another school back in their world after having graduated a known School of Sorcery, made it their routine to participate in these classes.

That was because there was a wide array of magic available in Askr that they had never seen before in their world: some exclusive or rare magic that they would never be able to see again were they to miss this opportunity. So even though they were summoned to Askr while still being students, the young mages who graduated from the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad took it upon themselves to absorb as much knowledge as they could during their stay.

“Annie, today’s teacher already left; don’t you think we should head back, too? Perhaps to drink a bit of tea with these new pastries?” Mercedes placed a knitted pouch on top of the large table, intent on alluring her best friend with the sweet scent.

… Well, some students took it more seriously than others.

“Mercie… Just a bit more, I just gotta memorize this formula here…” Annette grumbled under her breath, replying mostly out of habit than actually acknowledging her best friend beside her. Once the girl set her sights on a subject, it was hard to pull her out of it.

“I do agree with Mercedes, Annette.” Lorenz got up from his seat beside Annette as a flock of students followed Knoll around to ask questions pertaining to the class. “A tired mind will not make any more progress even if pushed to do so. A relaxing cup of tea with great company will do wonders to soothe your spirit, giving you better focus afterward.”

The young girl grimaced, then pouted. “Buuuut, I just can’t get it to get into my head! It’s ‘magic’, but it’s still so hard to use! What’s up with that?! I thought I’d be able to use a tome as long as I had magical energy, but this- this- huff!” She hit her feet under the table, more intent than ever to understand the puzzle right in front of her.

“Not to fret, little Annette! I, Constance von Nuvelle, will crack this mystery for all of us! There is no impossible magic for one such as I!” Constance got up from her seat with a proud huff -- her style of magic consisted more of experimenting with formulae rather than following their original path, so the power she wielded differed vastly from her peers.

It was because of that that not only Annette but also Mercedes looked up to Constance in a way that made the blonde tilt her nose upwards with inflated pride.

“Really? Will you help me with this, then? Look, I can’t make heads or tails of these-” Annette turned the large tome to Constance, pointing at whatever gibbering was written in the ancient askrian language.

With a glance, Constance was able to tell that she would take weeks to crack that. “W-well, perhaps doing so right away will spoil the fun, so why don’t you lend me this tome…”

“Ohhh, that’s a new kinda hex there!” A chirpy laugh sounded right over Constance’s shoulder, making her jump out of her own skin.

“W-who goes there! How dare you sneak up on a lady like this, young man!” She slapped her fan open as she took a step back, pointing to the white-haired, grinning lad that seemingly appeared in their midst as though through magic.

“Nyaha, you’re even louder than Maribelle! I bet you’d be good friends.” He sneered, then moved his gaze back to the tome on the table. “The name’s Henry! I never really came to these classes ‘cause they didn’t seem fun, but today’s teacher was a dark mage so I wanted to see what cool stuff he had to show us!”

“Hmm,” Lorenz crossed his arms, changing the weight of his body to one leg. “I did notice you simply staring at our teacher without taking any notes, ah, Henry.”

“Mhm! I mean, he didn’t say anything I didn’t know and boy, are the dark arts outdated wherever he came from! They’re still a taboo!” Henry let out a snort, running his thin fingers through the writings on the page. “This here, though? Fun! I’m gonna borrow it after you’re done, Annette, can I?” He raised one eyebrow questioningly, though from his tone of voice it felt either more like a demand or a really funny joke. It was hard to tell.

“Outdated? What’d you mean?” Annette’s eyes shone with the prospect of gaining more knowledge, especially from someone who could understand the strange language in that book.

“Welll,” Henry took his index to his lips as he looked up in thought, “I think not many people died from studying it yet, since he was so careful about telling everyone how dangerous it is and stuff! But it’s fun to research it, look!” He lifted his index overhead, mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath then pointed to the book in front of Annette.

A cold shiver went down their spines as a low, hellish whisper started to come from the very pages of the book.

“W-w-what-what’s going on? A g-ghost? What-” All color left Annette’s face as the voice within the book got louder, though the words were still incomprehensible.

B̵͍͕̹͍̜̭͚̺̪͝͝e̴̛͞҉̢̭͔̙̹̹͉̗̹̰̜̦̹̯̪̣̼̯ ̛̗͉͔̮̗̫̣̠̞͉̗̺͍̪̣̬̕͜͟c̸̰͍̞͞ú͏҉͉͙͕̙̠͇̣͉r̵̶̡̰̯̤̠̙̟̱͎̥̻̥̝͉͚͖͞͞ͅ ̼s̨̫͕̝̟̝̰̞̪̠̠̯͖͕̫̹̼͘e̷͎͓̣͇̤̪̼͞ḑ̶̰͇̰̼͠ ͍͓̝̫͈͈̻̙̟͇̤̫̟!̛́͟҉̼̗̱͖͇̤͞ ͕̲͓̯̗̼̩ ̢̛̞͍̬̱̫̹͎̰͓́̀ ͔̺̮̩̠ ̖̱͙Y̡҉̝͖͍͉͚̺͔̩̪̩̖̣͡ó̧̧̻̣̙͉͘͜ư̛̘̘͔̙̯̜͈̫̥͎̪̠̠̥ ̘̥ ̨̰̥̯͍̥̦̩̀͜͢ẁ͏̯͖̞̮̩͙̯̤̦͚̻͔̲̘̟ͅh̸̗̻̱̩̪̲̪̞̣̯̀͞ơ̶̲͕̘͎̘͕̕̕͠ ҉̵̡̮̗̫̯̤̣͕͖̙͎̩̰d͇̭͚̫͇̜̝͕̠̙̙̘̠̗͇͇̼͙́͟a̛̬̥̠̮͔̖̝̘͉͎͇̙͈͇̖͜ͅr̷͜҉̲͚̮͚̪͉̲̭̘̮̬̯͙̕ę̨̕͟҉̼͎ ̼̯̪̪̞̟͖ ҉̶̡̹̘͎̘̦̭̗͟r҉̥̮̝̭͚͔̟̬̫̦̝̙̖̜̲̙̲̙e̢̙̱̝̞͎̻̗̠͉͓̻͉̗̻͙̤̲͠a̡̧̢̡̪͇̪̝̘̹͇̣̜d̷͝҉̴̞͎͝ ̻̩̰͙͎̥̙̺̜̝̤̗̼ ̛͔̥̼̩͡ţ̀͠͏̵͈ ̗̻̗̤͖̫̥̮͔͖̣̭͖̝̤̥ḩ҉̴̡̮̕ ̰̹͍̱̭̤ ̦̖̱͕͔͕̯i̷̧̢̨̱̬̰͞ͅs̸͚̥͟͢͡ ̼̦̯͍̭̲̩ ̷̵̬͙̗͉̺̠͠b̴͙̜̜̯̬̫̠̬͔o҉̡͔̬͍͉̹͞͝͡ ͔ó̡̨͖̦̰̥̗͙̯̝̙͚̯̕͘ḱ̛̛̰̫̦̼͖͈ ̗͕͍͖̮̱!̨̨̭͕͍͙̤̼

They could barely understand it, but the sound of screeching fingernails, grinding teeth and chains that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time made their hearts grow cold.

… Well, Mercedes’ eyes were glistening as she clasped her hands in wonder, but she was the exception.

“Cool! There’s a curse in the book! Hey, can I keep it now? I wanna see if I can crack it-”

“Hold it right there!” Lorenz slapped Henry’s hand as he had reached out for the book one more. “Explain what you just did, young man! What was this sorcery? And I mean that as being one of the few who actually went to a school of sorcery!”

“I-indeed! This was no normal display of magic. What have you done to achieve such results?” Constance fanned herself to feign coolheadedness.

“Muh? Well, I just hexed it! I did kinda also go to a mage school back in Plegia, if that counts. We’re all dark mages where I’m from!” He replied cheerfully.

“Preposterous. Dark magic used in combat has no such effects!” Lorenz retaliated, pulling the book away from Henry as he did his best to ignore the deathly moaning coming from it. “Hexes? Pagan practices meant to fool the ignorant? I shan’t believe in such schemes!”

“Well, you’re a weird one! You just attended a dark magic class and you don’t believe it? Wow!”

“Why, I’ll have you know-”

“I’d love to show you more complex hexes, but I think Robin and Lissa would get mad at me if anyone died, so I guess I won’t, nyaha!” He said with a smile, though an ominous shadow covered his thin eyes.

“D-died? Hey, wait, am I trying to learn something really dangerous here? I just wanted to know more stuff to be more useful!” Annette shivered, somehow sitting on the opposite side of Mercedes so as to be as far as possible from the moaning book. “Knoll did say it could be dangerous and stuff, but- death? I-I just wanted to help…”

“Huh. You’re not trying to learn magic to kill people? Another weirdo here, huh?” Henry grinned, pointing to the book once more. “Can I have that for a sec? I think if it finishes chanting whatever it started, our heads might explode! Pop!” He made a funny sound with his mouth as the group collectively lost the color on their faces.

“By all means-” Lorenz cleared his throat as he slid the book through the table to Henry, who simply had to touch it for the moaning to stop.

“Okay, uh-huh… Wow! That’s a really old curse. I’m gonna show this to Tharja later, she’s gonna love it.” He forced the book closed with a thump, silencing it once and for all.

“You will have to explain more than that, young man.” Constance tapped her fan on her palm. “I have researched magic more diligently than anyone and I have never heard of such phenomena.”

Henry turned to Constance with a gasp. “Really? Maybe the dark arts haven’t been researched at all in your world? Fun! You’ll get to discover a bunch of things.” He sing-songed as he held the large tome close to his chest. “But everything Knoll said today was true! There’s always a price to pay after using dark magic, and even greater prices if you wanna curse someone. Back then, people sacrificed other people for everything! Want to get your loved one? Plop, kill your neighbor for it! Want tomorrow to be sunny? Plop again, another neighbor dead! It must’ve been a bloodbath, nyaha!”

“Oh, goodness. Are you alright, Henry? Have you seen such things yourself?” Mercedes looked up to the strange boy, feeling compassion towards the smile he never erased.

“Mee?” He pointed to himself before his smile grew dangerously large. “Of course I saw it, silly! I slaughtered everyone in the village for killing my only family! I was sent to the mage school right away, so I got to know a bunch of other ways to kill people, too. It’s fun! You all should try it sometime.”

After saying that, he did a short bow just like how Robin taught him and bid them farewell. “I really gotta read this, so see you all next class! It’s gonna be lots of fun!”

Annette gripped at Mercedes’ sleeve to stop her own body from trembling. Constance and Lorenz frowned deeply, suddenly uncomfortable inside their own skins. Mercedes held her hands up in prayer, worried for the darkness inside that boy’s heart.

“Hey, Mercie…”

“Yes, Annie?”

“I kinda don’t wanna learn this anymore…”

The four of them exchanged glances before nodding solemnly, silently vowing to never attend a dark mage’s class ever again.

[potatotrash0]

Your DR magic AU, hand it over 🤲

Okay I have two other anons and I’m just gonna split the character ideas among the three asks. I don’t quite have a plot thought out, and most of these characters’ concepts have only existed in my head up until now...bare with me skdjksjfkd

Mm I talked about them briefly in Prom’s ask? But here’s a more in-depth thing of the THH fighting styles.

Makoto is a mage-type. (I used fighter, support, and mage to describe the various adventurer types it’s temporary just roll with it) Again, he can’t really hold magic for very long? He’s got a large mana reserve but it’s hard to activate and harder to control, so he’s currently working on mastering the little bullets. In the future, I imagine large barrages of bullets would sort of circle around him like they would in the barrel of a gun.

He probably got in accidentally? I’m not entirely sure about this, but I think there’s an entrance exam for Reserve Courses and he was probably forced in on Komaru’s behalf for some reason.

He was basically running the entire time until the very end when he panicked and suddenly the entire field was wiped clean from him waving his arm. HPA saw that, decided that he was worth training, and put him into the Main Course. He doesn’t feel very good about getting in that way, but HPA isn’t exactly empathetic like he is. Again this is like one of three ways I think he could’ve gotten in with the rest of the cast because I’m indecisive skdjsjf

Kyoko is another mage-type, in general the Main Gangs of each game have various themes. THH’s trio has a magic theme, they all use magic. She doesn’t use a weapon, though I’m thinking her gloves act as a limiter of sorts?

As a general rule, more mana means less control, and being half-demon gives her a lot of it. Her gloves help her regulate her mana output so that she doesn’t use too much of it when attacking and tire herself out. Later in the timeline, I imagine there might be a scene where she takes them off and fights off some enemies to buy the rest of the class time to escape something? She would get trapped in the process, but I think this would happen after she’s worked with Makoto for a while and she would trust him enough to believe he would come back for her if she didn’t return.

Oh this isn’t related to her fighting style but on the topic of her being half-demon, that’s mainly because I thought it was boring for everyone to be human and I’m a big sucker for fantasy species so yeah. She’s a cambion.

She has purple-tinted skin, horns that curl up and are fairly close to her head, a thin pointed tail, pointed ears, her pupils are slitted, she’s got carnivore-style teeth, her nails are longer and sharper by default. Whenever she uses the full extent of her magic, her scleras turn dark purple and her irises turn white. Oh yeah her scars came from an accident she had when she was young where her magic got out of control and burned her hands. Her mom’s the demon by the way, for no particular reason, I just thought that the Kirigiris would stay human in this and I don’t know anything about her mom’s side of the family.

I just realized I never said Makoto’s race skdjks he’s human!! He and Komaru just happen to be a special case and have a lot of mana. Most other humans in this AU aren’t so lucky. (cough hinata cough cough)

Byakuya, again, uses magic. He’s the only one who uses a weapon in the Trio, he uses a staff specially made by the Togami family. He also knows how to use a sword and a bow.

I haven’t put too much thought into him, but I know for a fact that his adventuring outfit would have a big sweeping cape later in the timeline. In the beginning though, he just has a stupid expensive suit. The cape comes in later as he, Kyoko, and Makoto start to group up more and more.

I’ve decided that adventurers in this AU group up just as often as they go solo, and while Byakuya would initially be solo, he would deem Makoto and Kyoko strong enough to work with whenever they’re taking on a difficult job.

Groups would change to have matching designs the longer they’re partnered up, and capes/cloaks happen to be the THH Trio’s Thing, as in all three of them would have a cape/cloak of some sort. Byakuya because he’s pretentious, Makoto because he thinks it looks cool, and Kyoko because she uses the cloak for practical reasons like storing things and keeping a low profile when needed. Oh and Byakuya’s bloodline is of royal elven descent, their business is selling spellbooks, runestones, potions, reagents, any magical item you could think of.

Sayaka is a half-siren mage! She mostly uses charm and illusionary magic, as well as healing so that she can support her allies. Later on, she might learn water magic so she can actually deal damage as well. I haven’t decided on her weapon of choice, perhaps she uses a lyre or casts spells from a book. I’m also debating having her learn hand-to-hand combat instead of water magic?

I just like the idea of someone coming up and trying to challenge her, thinking they’ll beat her easily, and barely getting a hit in before she kicks their legs out from under them and tosses them over her shoulder like they weigh nothing. She deserves to take out people twice her size and be menacing, as a treat for the amount of disrespect she gets in the fandom. And I want her to take Leon down a peg because he definitely acts a little like a cocky frat boy sometimes.

Speaking of Leon, we’ve got our first fighter-type!!! I could have him use a baseball bat but that’s boring so I’m thinking he might utilize items as well as a weapon? Bombs or grenades that look like a baseball and explode on impact, baseballs that ignite when thrown and act as fire balls. Alas, I don’t think about him much so this is all just me throwing ideas to see what sticks.

Whatever the case, the main thing I know would happen is that he frequently gets help from Kazuichi and Miu because he just cannot for the life of him stop breaking his equipment. He’s reckless and rushes into battle and now that he doesn’t have Kanon to stop him from setting stuff on fire all the time, he gets detention a lot. (And no she isn’t into him like in canon, I refuse to acknowledge that she ever was.)

Chihiro......they can’t fight djfjsjfjjf. They specialize in making tech and weapons, and in the beginning, would mainly use robots that they programmed to support their allies. Though, they do end up training with Mondo, Sakura, and Aoi to help them become better at combat, and eventually they join everyone else on the front lines as a ranged fighter/support type.

Also, the robots would kinda follow them around like pets. Cute little guys that can also shoot lasers. The robots are powered by mana crystals and each one has a different personality and magic type! Sometimes they follow around different people, the electric one took a liking to Mondo and you’ll see it floating around while he works out. They’re buds.

On the topic of Mondo, he’s another fighter-type! He’s more hand-to-hand combat. A controlled berserker, if you will. Probably started out fighting guys in his hometown and progressed to clearing out monsters when Daiya got concerned about his temper? Perhaps. Maybe. I do not think about Daiya I apologize.

Oh wait hold on. I’m looking at his character art and he’s got a hammer.........it’s decided he uses a warhammer, the biggest one they’ve got, and it’s probably a mana-based weapon. Specifically electric. He and that lil robot wipe the battlefield with their opponents >:D

Taka is probably a fighter-type? I can’t for the life of me find where I read this, but apparently he’s really good at self-defense so I imagine he does hand-to-hand combat as well as sword-fighting for the Noble Paladin Aesthetic.

Hifumi was originally a mage-type, but upon second thought, I’m making him a support-type who uses items and potions and stuff! I like the idea of him making fun little bottles and potions themed after his favorite animes and mangas..........he also definitely helped everyone design their adventurer outfits. He’s the only reason that Makoto’s outfit isn’t boring as hell.

Celeste is, of course, a mage-type. She’s Miss Lolita of course I have to make her an ethereal magic user alright also I love her and I love mages let me have this skfjdkjf. As for her weapon, my first thought was her having playing cards that she throws HxH style?

Or she could summon goons to fight for her, playing into the whole loyal servant dream she has. They would be vaguely themed after the cards, so there would be a jack, king, queen, and joker, all of different magic types depending on the suit of the card she throws. Electric for a spade, fire for a heart, ice for a diamond, something along those lines.

I’m also considering having her little...finger armor thing? I’m thinking of having that cross into her magic, where she attacks with claw-like things formed out of mana. Of course she could also just. Use the cards to cast spells directly skdjksjfkhf

Sakura is definitely a fighter-type. Again, hand-to-hand style, but I imagine she’s more controlled and strategic than Mondo. I can’t see her using a weapon, so I guess she’s like one of the only characters to fight exclusively with fists.

Mukuro’s a ranged fighter-type, but she can also do melee. She uses magic-based guns, ones that shoot mana infused bullets. They have a variety of effects depending on the type of bullet and magic. (I’m not a gun person so take this with a grain of salt.)

Bullets that break apart might be laced with electric magic so that they can shock a target from several points, or fire magic if she’s aiming to start a fire quickly. Exploding bullets are usually used with fire magic, but she might switch to ice if she wants to create a barrage of ice shards for...some reason, I don’t know. There’s more combinations I could probably make, but I’m. Not here to spend an hour researching guns. Not right now at least, who knows what I’ll want info on in the future.

Mmmmmm I’m starting to lose patience here so forgive me for the shorter explanations. I might throw in a fun fact about them for ✨ flavor ✨

Junko’s a fighter/mage-type! She uses a scythe and laces the blade with magic. She could combine it with fire magic to create a flaming scythe and go nuts with it, or she could just channel general mana and slam the blade into the ground to create a big crack in the ground.

There’s about an 80% chance she gets several weapons later in the timeline. Her scythe, a spear, possibly a gun. Monokuma probably exists, I like to think Junko ran into a smarter monster and tamed it and kept it as a slightly feral pet.

Also, yes, she’s still a big adrenaline junkie who gets off on despair. If you see her fighting things she knows are out of her league, mind your business.....actually, call someone to help before she gets herself killed. Please.

I haven’t decided what Aoi will be just yet? I’m veering towards fighter/mage-type, she could use water magic and maybe a leg-based fighting style. Possibly judo or taekwondo. I.....do not have any ideas for her. However I do know that she and Sakura would have a bunch of combo moves together dkfjkejfkdjjd

Toko is a mage-type! She probably uses a book to cast spells from. Or just uses her hands. She would fight ranged, I don’t think she’d want to be up in the action. Too much stress for her, y’know? I

As for Syo, she fight differently than Toko! She technically uses dual swords, but the swords can also connect to create a giant pair of scissors. Again, this is just sort of a fun character thing, but she gets to hate Byakuya in this AU. They have arguments and get on each other’s nerves a lot, but I think the rest of the class usually separates them before anything serious happens.

At some point after Toko befriends Komaru, I like to think that Syo gets a proper fight scene with Byakuya where she rips into him. I don’t think Toko would want to hurt anyone though, even him, so Syo would probably leave him with a few minor cuts at most.

Afterwards, I think Byakuya would quiet down with the insults with Naegi and Kyoko’s requests. (Well. Naegi asked him to try and be nicer because he was worried that they might fight again. Kyoko just bluntly told him that he needed to stop being a jerk and start considering everyone else’s feelings.)

Skfksjfkdh ah. I also like to think Komaru and Toko were initially partnered up by HPA for a job. They were assigned to deal with a couple of school kids wreaking havoc on a nearby city with some monsters they semi-tamed?

But after finishing the job, they decided to partner up permanently on their own. They probably have a few combo moves that Komaru came up with, Toko tweaked them to make them actually possible with their skill set and weapons.

Hiro is...possibly a mage/support-type? He’s probably a bit cowardly and freaks out when on the front lines, but he can use a crystal ball to attack from afar. I’m also considering giving him tarot cards so that he can toss them and attack from several points at once?

Or the ball could shatter at some point during the story and he could just roll with it and spread the shards out during battle to attack from several points at once. They could also be used to create a magic cage of sorts, like electric fence but only electricity.

Okay that’s everybody oh my god. I have plenty more stuff about this au, this isn’t even half of it trust me lmao. I’m sorry about this being so long I didn’t realize it’d be this wordy!!!!!