#And then things descended into three different drawing styles

[theholmwoodfoundation]

A little bit of what you missed in the drawing stream tonight!

[p-erse-phone]

Losing Focus - Ch. 18

- 18 : I know you (written)

word count: 2.4k

Y/N sat in the backseat of Beomgyu’s car, her friends’ laughter filling the small space. The group had met up earlier, taken pictures and hung out, but it was all in preparation for tonight—a night that already had Y/N’s stomach in knots. Something so ordinary to everyone else felt like a huge deal to her. Her heart beat a few beats too quickly as she absentmindedly toyed with the hem of her shirt.

Beomgyu and Sangmi had been giving Y/N the rundown: who was going to be there, watch your drink, other things like that. Y/N nodded along, but the truth was, she wasn’t planning to drink much—if at all. The idea of maybe losing control in a house full of strangers wasn’t super enticing. She’d already made up her mind to slip out early once Sangmi inevitably got herself caught up in who knows what.

Beomgyu’s voice broke through her thoughts. “I forgot about parking. It’s a bitch every time,” he grumbled. They drove around a bit trying to find a spot in the abundance of parked cars until he found an open spot between two cars,  his hands gripping the wheel as he attempted a parallel park.

After what felt like a lifetime of three-point turns and sighs, the group finally exited the car. Sangmi led the way, clearly excited but still keeping her cool aura, while Y/N lagged behind, fidgeting with her outfit. It was different from her usual style, and she couldn’t shake the thought that it looked wrong on her. Sunoo must have noticed her nerves because he looped his arm through hers and shot her an encouraging smile. “You look great. Relax.”

The muffled bass of music seeped through the front door as Sangmi pushed it open, ushering them inside. The scene was less chaotic than Y/N had imagined—too many movies, she laughed at herself—but it was still bustling. Voices mingled with music, and groups clustered in corners, laughing and chatting.

“Let’s find Heeseung,” Beomgyu suggested, his eyes scanning the room. They soon approached a tall boy with sharp features, flanked by another equally striking figure. Beomgyu introduced Y/N to Heeseung, the host, and his friend Yeonjun. “Thanks for coming,” Heeseung said warmly before turning his attention back to Beomgyu and Sangmi.

Y/N found herself under Yeonjun’s curious gaze. “Y/N, right? Are you new this year?” His smile was genuine, and Y/N’s breath hitched. Yeonjun wasn’t just handsome—he was Yeonjun. Famous, even on Decelis’s campus. She’d harbored a quiet appreciation for him for a while now.

“Yes,” she managed, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach. Yeonjun leaned in slightly, asking her questions and drawing her into an easy conversation. His attentiveness felt surreal, and before she knew it, Sangmi’s voice cut in: “Sunoo has gone to find Sunghoon and we’re grabbing drinks.”

Y/N nodded, assuming she’d follow, but Yeonjun’s parting words stayed with her. “Nice to meet you, Y/N. Let’s talk more next time.” His smile lingered in her mind as she trailed after Sangmi.

People came and people went from the Party and everyone seemed to know each other to an extent. Sangmi, Sunoo, and Beomgyu kept introducing Y/N to different people, and in all honesty she had gotten a little worn out of the repeating introductions and small talk, slowly secluding to the wall with each conversation. The alcohol had obviously started hitting Sangmi’s bloodstream and Y/N admired her for her ability to draw people in. Y/N’s eyes had been going back and forth between the front door and her friends for a while now. She had been wrestling with the idea of leaving, but didn’t want her friends to make a big deal, or them have leave because of her. When they were clearly enjoying themselves and preoccupied, Y/N made her way quietly towards the door.  

“Running away already?” A teasing tone stopped her for a second. Looking around she say the owner of the voice. Riki. He descended the stairs, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I’m not running away,” she retorted, trying to match his playful energy, but clearly caught. 

“So…” he trailed off pointing at the front door. “You’re not about to walk out that door and not about to walk home?” Riki raised his eyebrow at her. “No.” She said back avoiding eye contact. “Mmhmm.” He hummed back sarcastically. 

“Why’d you assume I was going to walk?” Y/N questioned.

“Because I know you.”

Y/N stared at him for a second, his words floating around in her mind. Riki’s eye contact lingered while a grin appeared on his face. “Don’t I?” Riki chuckled, his demeanor light despite the faint flush on his cheeks that hinted at a few drinks.

“Where’s Jungwon? Wait, when did you guys come?” Y/N questioned Riki. She hadn’t seen them walk in.

“He’s here, wandering around somewhere with Jay. I’m surprised you didn’t run into him.” 

“Yah I’m not sure–doesn’t help that I’ve been glued to the wall.” Y/N laughs. “Let’s find Jungwon,” Riki suggests, but Y/N hesitated. She wanted to say hi to Jungwon, of course, but... She at this moment, as much as she hated to admit it, really wanted to leave. She just felt out of place and a little bit insecure. These people had been running in the same circles for a while now, and if they hadn’t they were confident enough to join the group. Y/N couldn’t seem to muster the same confidence.

He sarcastically sighed and pushed her playfully towards the door. “Okay okay, let’s go.” He shook his head. 

“Wait, huh?” Y/N said confused looking back at him. Riki looked at her, amused. 

“I’m taking you home,” he declared, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and steering her toward the door.

“Riki, you don’t have to—”

Pressing a finger to his lips, he interrupted, “Don’t argue. I’m not letting you walk alone.”

“I’m a big girl Riki, I got it.” She said to him playfully standing tall and puffing her chest. “Yah yah sure sure.” he rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Maybe you could scare the bugs, at most.” pulling her towards the door opening it. 

“Riki, where are you going?” Y/N hears a girl’s voice call out. She turns her head in his arm, trying to match the voice to a face. She finally lands on a girl standing at the top of the stairs that Riki had come down just a few minutes earlier. “I’ll be back.” Riki said back to her as she walked down the stairs. Y/N and her met eyes, where eye contact was held for a moment too long, before the girl glanced at Riki. She gave him a look, sighed, and walked away. Riki closed the door behind them and let go of Y/N walking alongside her. 

“Is it really okay to leave?” Y/N asked Riki, her voice had a hint of concern.

“It’s just a party.” Riki shrugged. “There’ll be about a hundred more this year.”

“I could’ve driven you, but…” he chuckled. “You know.” 

“It’s okay, I like night time walks.” Y/N takes a deep breath of the night air looking up at the sky. She wished she could see the stars, but the city lights drowned them out.

“Yeah, I remember.” Riki said softly. His voice carried a rare sincerity, and Y/N glanced at him, surprised.

The conversation flowed easily as they walked, her earlier discomfort melting away. When Yeonjun’s name came up, Riki’s expression shifted—a flicker of something she couldn’t quite place. 

“I met and talked to Yeonjun for a little bit.” Y/N giggled. “He’s one of the only people at our University that I was following before enrolling.” 

“Hmm.. yeah Yeonjun is cool.” He nodded. His tone still stiff. Y/N couldn’t read his expression, but she continued. “I love his style, and I heard he’s super talented. He was really nice as well.”

“You mean you like his face?”

Y/N playfully hit his arm in response “Why do you care?”

Riki gave her a look before faking a scoff and softly yanking on a strand of her hair. “I didn’t take you as a fan girl.” He replied, his regular demeanor returning. 

“I’m not.” she playfully protested.

As they strolled under the street lights, Y/N felt a warmth settle in her chest. Maybe the night hadn’t gone as planned, but somehow, it felt right in the end.

Y/N and Riki continued walking as the school came into view in front of them, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement. The easy rhythm of their conversation felt like a balm after the strained tension she’d felt at the party. Riki’s laid-back energy was as comforting as ever.

“Wait,” Riki said suddenly, tilting his head. “Don’t you live off campus? Are you going to take the bus this late?”

Y/N chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “No, no. We kind of assumed we’d be out late, so I’m just staying at Sangmi’s.”

Riki nodded, though his gaze lingered on her, as if turning the thought over in his head. “Makes sense.”

When they reached Sangmi’s apartment building, Y/N began to say goodbye, but before she could finish her sentence, Riki’s voice cut through the quiet.

“Why did you leave?”

She blinked, caught off guard by the abruptness of his question. It felt as if he was… stalling. His smile is smaller now, his face almost serious.

“Oh, you know, just… tired.” Y/N forced a laugh, but it came out stilted.

Riki didn’t buy it. His sharp eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, the air between them felt heavier. 

“Y/N.”

“What?” she said, trying to sound casual but failing.

“Come on.” His tone was soft but insistent.

Y/N sighed, her shoulders sinking slightly under his gaze. “Fine,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “I just felt… out of place, I guess.” She shrugged, her words tumbling out before she could stop them. “Everyone there just blends in so easily, and I feel like—like I don’t belong. Like I’m some kind of imposter or something.” The confession hung in the air between them, and Y/N quickly laughed, trying to smooth over her vulnerability. “But it’s just me probably reading too much into things, so don’t worry about it.”

Riki shook his head, his brow furrowing. “You’re not an imposter,” he said firmly. Then his lips grew into a smirk, lightening the mood. “If anything, those assholes are the imposters.”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh, her chest loosening as his playful tone chased away her self-doubt.

“You should’ve found me,” Riki added casually, but there was something in his voice that caught her off guard.

She hesitated, her smile faltering. “Yeah, right. Me, you, and ‘them,’” she said, adding air quotes for emphasis.

Riki raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I thought you’d be busy,” she teased, bumping his shoulder lightly. Y/N might’ve been naive at times, but she wasn’t oblivious, she had seen Riki with girls, and she had definitely heard about it from Sangmi.

“Hmm.” He hummed, his expression unreadable for a moment before breaking into a grin. “I would’ve hung out with you. For real.”

Her heart stumbled, an unsteady beat she tried to ignore. “Well, I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, shaking her head.

“Good,” he said, his tone almost too casual. “Next time, you’re sticking with me.” He stopped before quickly adding “and Jungwon, Jay, and Jake.”

Before Y/N could reply, Riki’s phone buzzed. The screen’s glow lit up his face as he glanced at the message, his jaw tightening slightly before he shut it off.

“You can go,” Y/N said quickly, waving a hand toward the door. “If someone’s looking for you, I mean, we’re already here—”

“It’s nothing,” Riki interrupted, his voice firm. He moved toward the steps leading to Sangmi’s building and sat down, motioning for her to join him. “Sit. I don’t want to leave yet.”

Y/N hesitated, her heart doing that strange, skipping thing again. Finally, she relented, sinking onto the step beside him.

They talked like they always did—effortlessly—but this time, there were moments where the conversation felt different. Louder in its silences. Warmer in its pauses. When Y/N drifted into a quiet moment, staring at the stars above, she felt a gaze, and turned her head.

Riki was already looking at her.

“What?” she asked, her voice soft, turning her head shyly. 

“Nothing,” he said, a charming smirk spreading across his face. “You look good today.”

Her breath caught, the words landing like a small jolt in her chest. She looked away, brushing off the compliment with a laugh. “I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes.”

“Not at all,” he said quietly, his gaze still lingering on her.

The weight of Sangmi’s constant warnings about Riki echoed faintly in her mind, but she shoved them aside. He was just being nice, she told herself. Friendly like always. Besides, she was sure she wasn’t his type at all so there's no way he was coming on to her, she thought.

When his phone buzzed again, this time it was a call, Riki sighed and answered with a curt, “Hello?”

Y/N caught snippets of the conversation—the sharp tone of Jay’s voice, the mention of Jake’s disappearance.

“You left the party to… walk her home?” Jay’s voice was confused even through the phone.

Riki laughed, the sound low and unbothered. “Yeah. I did.”

After hanging up, he stood and offered his hand to Y/N. She hesitated for only a second before taking it, letting him pull her to her feet.

“Time to go, I guess,” he said, though his tone lacked its usual energy.

“Thanks, Riki,” Y/N said softly as she stepped toward the door.

He grinned, the expression lingering on his face for a beat too long. 

“Anything for you.”

 Y/N gave a slow nod in response and shut the door behind her, making her way to the elevator. Her mind replayed the night over again as she got ready for bed, and then again as she laid in Sangmi’s bed ignoring the fact that her friends were blowing up her phone, turning it off. She sat awake for a moment thinking about Riki’s words, he was always friendly, sure, and they got along great as friends, close friends even. Similar to Beomgyu or Sunoo, but he was never THIS friendly before. She chalked it up to him being a little loose from the alcohol, unaware of what he was saying… but part of her couldn’t help but wonder about it until she finally fell asleep.

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author note; 2/2. persephone posts when she says she will challenge(impossible) lol, but anyway here it is :)

taglist : open

@chiaki-nanami-aesthetic @gweoriz @tasnemluvs @xxxnrigi @madebylilia @ariluvssssss100 @andassortedkpop @roarr-ki @ right-person-wrong-time @heeseungspookie @heartheejake @starefire21 @lovestruck-sky @rikidaze @kimuranirishii @kizumis @bananna-12 @nishiriks

[koiiiji]

HYPERFIXATION

sangho in old style drawing>>>

tw ; ; possessive, jealousy, egoism (tell me when sanghon don't), yandere.

warnings ; mentions of death (not main char.), mention of depressive episode, suggestive.

please no spam likes, ageless/empty blogs DNI OR I WILL BLOCK YOU!!

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Sangho have a perverted concept of love.

for sure, he love his siblings, he love Hwangyeon in his own way, always approaching him to train, study, not to rely always on him, fucking his brains about army and work, because Hwang already was old enough to take responsibility for his own life, but this brat always was too relaxed and reliable on Sangho's money and wealth.

for Aria things was quite more easy, since she didn't brought any harm and extra work to do as Hwangyeon, who was the master in bringing extra pain in the ass to his older brother. Sangho just provided Aria with all essentials and nowadays popular stuff and he thought that would be enough. his younger sister go to nice school, wear nice clothes and always have money on her bank account, so she doesn't need to go through what her brother went, she can have above the normal school life - Sangho totally understand concept that she just a teenage girl.

but with you… oh dear, his love for you is whole different level. just start from the point that you was with him from beginning, this is the point why he appreciates you in the first place.

he happened to met you in training center where he went to train for his earliest competitions, even before he was in national team. but hold on. you was with them. with him and Maheyon. yeah, that too optimistic and windy guy who thought that in this world you can just enjoy bike ride...that bitch.

unfortunately, you didn’t make it to the national team with them, and the women’s team was not formed yet, so you were allowed to train with them and be part of the team as an analyst and technical assistant. so you three always met in the hall of training center and went homes together.

many things changed from that times, but Sangho always remember your smile. oh, dear, he never forget you had different types — gentle smile when you even close your eyes slowly, as you greet them each meeting, exiting one when your eyes shines and you run towards them for a tight hug, congratulating them with another win on completion. and his personal favorite - that comfort, soft smile you have when you look at something you like and it seems that even atmosphere around you is shining.

and Sangho hated that he needed to share any of your smiles with Maheyon.

he knew what kind of feelings that bastard had for you, and it makes his blood boil. every time he saw how your naive eyes blink at another Maheyon's attempt to flirt with you, Sangho was thankful for his stoic face and self control for not slamming that brat face right in the wall. but you, such a pretty, little thing were naive enough not to catch Maheyon's romantic feelings for you, but still the fact that you took him as a really close friend irritated Sangho. he never liked to share.

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as the news of Maheyon's tragic death spread, a somber cloud descended upon whole team. the accusations of doping tarnished his legacy, leaving behind a shattered reputation and unanswered questions. the loss of your friend hit each of you differently, but none felt it as profoundly as you, who regarded Maheyon almost as a brother.

tears flowed freely as you stood by his graveside, the weight of grief heavy in your heart. memories of shared laughter and cherished moments flooded your mind, each one a painful reminder of what was now lost. your sobs mixed and echoed with all other people who came to honor Maheyon's memory in the quiet cemetery, a haunting melody of sorrow that pierced through the silence.

Sangho, standing nearby, observed your anguish with a conflicted heart. while outwardly offering you comfort and support, inwardly he was faced with a strange feeling of joy and elation. with each tear you shed for Maheyon, a small part of Sangho couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction that now, finally, all your attention would be directed solely towards him. he will make sure of it.

in the following days and weeks, as you grappled with the overwhelming grief of losing Maheyon, Sangho found himself basking in the newfound attention that came his way. sport sponsors and managers seemed like beasts, not having time to properly mourn one athlete, they quickly found a replacement for him in the form of Sangho, once hesitant to invest in him, now saw an opportunity in his rising star. offers poured in, promising lucrative endorsements and opportunities for financial growth. the whispers of his business ventures grew louder and louder, drawing more and more attention of investors and entrepreneurs alike. Sangho seized the opportunity to establish himself outside of the shadow of Maheyon, determined to prove his worth and carve out his own path to success.

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the rain hadn’t let up in days. it was as if the entire world had become soaked in gray, the heavy, endless downpour matching the numbness that had settled over your heart. every day felt the same. long, quiet hours alone in the apartment, staring at nothing, feeling the weight of your grief press down on you like a constant, invisible force.

if it weren’t for Sangho, you weren’t sure how you would have survived these past weeks. he was the only one who visited, the only one who still checked in. your friends had gradually disappeared, maybe busy with their own lives, or maybe they just didn’t know how to deal with your constant sadness. and your parents, living too far away to visit regularly, could only call. but Sangho… he had stayed. every night, he brought food, sat with you in the quiet, and listened when you had the energy to talk.

you were grateful. grateful for his steady presence, for the fact that he hadn’t abandoned you like everyone else seemed to.

you heard the familiar knock at the door just as the rain grew heavier outside, the dull thud of raindrops on the windows now a constant, almost hypnotic sound. you stood up slowly, wiping your face, though you hadn’t realized you’d been crying again. Sangho was here.

opening the door, you were greeted by his familiar, calm face. his expression softened when he saw you, concern filling his eyes. “you haven’t been sleeping, have you?” he asked quietly, stepping inside and setting down a plastic bag of food. scent of warm takeout filled the room, a welcome distraction from the cold, lifeless atmosphere that seemed to cling to everything.

“i guess not,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. you felt like a shell of yourself, too tired even to fight the exhaustion. “thanks for coming again, Sangho. i don’t know what i’d do without you…”

his lips curved into a small smile, though there was something darker behind it that you were too weary to notice. “you don’t have to thank me. i’m glad to be here.”

he moved into the kitchen, unpacking the food with practiced ease, like this was routine now. and in a way, it was. time to time, he’d show up, bringing food, keeping you company while the world outside your window seemed to disappear under the heavy rain.

as you sat on the couch, staring at the steaming containers of food, you realized how much you’d come to rely on him. his presence was the only thing keeping you grounded, the only thing that felt real in the haze of your grief. you didn’t have the energy to reach out to anyone else anymore, and they didn’t seem to be trying either.

“Sangho,” you started, your voice soft and hesitant. “you’ve been coming here almost every day. i just… i feel like i’m leaning on you too much.”

he looked up, a gentle smile on his lips, but his eyes flashed with something unreadable. “you’re not. you need someone, and i’m ready to be that person for you. after everything, it’s the least i can do.”

you smiled weakly, your heart twisting with both gratitude and guilt. “i don’t know how to repay you…”

he walked over to you, sitting down beside you on the couch, close enough that you could feel his warmth. “you don’t need to repay me,” he said softly, his voice low and soothing. “i’m doing this because i care about you. and Maheyon wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

Maheyon. his name still hurt, still brought the sting of tears to your eyes. you nodded, swallowing down the lump in your throat. “i miss him,” you whispered. Sangho’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, but his voice remained calm. “i know. but i’m here too. you don’t need to keep thinking about him.”

you blinked, confused by the sudden shift in his tone. “what do you mean?”

he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your stomach twist. “i mean that you’re not alone. you have me. you don’t need to keep clinging to someone who’s gone when i’m right here.”

his words sent a ripple of unease through you, but you dismissed it, telling yourself that he was just trying to help. after all, he was right. Maheyon was gone, and you were still here, trying to piece together the shattered remains of your life. Sangho was the one who had stayed. the only one who had stayed.

“i’m not trying to forget him,” you said softly, lowering your gaze. “it’s just hard to let go.”

“you don’t have to let go all at once,” Sangho replied, his voice suddenly gentle again, as if sensing your discomfort. he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. “just let me help you through this. you’ll feel better if you stop thinking about him so much.”

the way he said it made it sound so simple, so reasonable. and you wanted to believe him. you were so tired of feeling this way, so tired of the pain, the loneliness. maybe Sangho was right. maybe if you just stopped thinking about Maheyon so much, you could finally move on...

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hours passed as the rain drummed on, and your head eventually fell against his shoulder, exhaustion finally overtaking you. good, he thought. you needed rest, needed to stop thinking so much. thinking about him.

when your tear-stained eyes finally closed and your breathing deepened into the soft rhythm of sleep, Sangho stayed still for a moment, just watching you. you were so fragile, so beautiful, clinging weakly to the fabric of his shirt as if he were your anchor. his ego boosted with pride at the thought — you didn’t even realize how much you needed him now, how completely you depended on him.

but there was still one problem. Maheyon. ghost that haunted your every thought. every time you cried, it was for him. every time you seemed lost, it was because of him.

carefully, Sangho shifted you from his lap, laying you gently against the couch cushions. his eyes lingered on your sleeping form for a moment, the soft rise and fall of your chest, your lips slightly parted as you breathed. he almost wanted to kiss you right then, to claim you in a way Mahyeon never could. but no. not yet. he had to be patient.

Sangho stood, his gaze shifting around your apartment. it was truly your place, lived-in, but to him, it was polluted. everywhere he looked, there were reminders of Maheyon — photographs of the three of you from past competitions, souvenirs from trips abroad when you were all together, little things that held too much meaning, things that kept you tethered to a memory that should have been long dead.

a photo on the shelf caught his eye. you, Maheyon, and Sangho standing together, smiling after a big win at a cycling competition in Japan. Sangho remembered that day well, but not for the same reason you did. back then, you had admired Maheyon, looked at him like he was some kind of hero. and Maheyon had basked in it, clueless, while Sangho watched from the sidelines.

Sangho's jaw clenched, a cold rage building beneath the surface.

without a second thought, he picked up the photo frame, turning it over in his hands. his fingers traced the edges of the glass, his heart pounding with anger as he stared at Maheyon’s face. slowly, deliberately, he placed the frame back on the shelf — face down. it wouldn’t be there the next time he visited. one piece at a time. one memory at a time. he would erase Maheyon from your life, remove every trace of him until you forgot he ever existed.

satisfied, Sangho moved to the small table near the couch. there was a little trinket — a souvenir from that same trip, a gift from Maheyon. it had been with you for years, something you always kept close. but not anymore.

with practiced ease, Sangho slipped the small souvenir into his pocket. it wasn’t the first thing he’d taken. over the past few weeks, he had been quietly removing pieces of Maheyon from your apartment, exchanging them for little gifts of his own. new vase here, a framed photo of just the two of you there. you never noticed. how could you? you were too lost in your grief, too dependent on him now to care about such small changes. but those small changes added up.

he reached into his bag and pulled out a new gift — a delicate necklace, simple but elegant. he placed it carefully on the table where the souvenir had been, his lips curling into a satisfied smile. every time you looked at it, you’d think of him. not Maheyon. Sangho been patient. he knew it was only a matter of time before you realized how much better your life was with him in it. and when that time came, you would be his. completely.

as he returned to the couch, he sat down beside you again, watching you sleep. his fingers brushed against your hair, tenderly, lovingly. you belonged to him. you just didn’t know it yet.

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you woke to the sound of the rain, the world around you still dark, still gray. your head felt heavy, your thoughts sluggish as you tried to remember when you fall asleep. then you felt it — Sangho’s presence beside you, his hand resting gently on your arm.

“hey,” he said softly, smiling down at you. “you fell asleep. i didn’t want to wake you.”

you blinked, rubbing your eyes as you sat up. your body ached with the weight of your exhaustion, but Sangho’s presence, as always, made you feel just a little lighter. “thanks for staying,” you softly murmured, grateful for the comfort of having him there. “i don’t know what i’d do without you...”

his smile widened, but something flickered behind his eyes, something dark. “you don’t have to worry about that. i’m not going anywhere.”

you smiled weakly, still too tired to notice the subtle shift in the room, the way something felt... different. you glanced at the table where something familiar small had once sat, but your eyes landed on a new necklace instead — a gift from Sangho, no doubt. you didn’t remember moving the old trinket, but it didn’t matter. you didn’t have the energy to question it.

Sangho watched as you stare at the table, your still groggy from the nap eyes blinking up, reaching for his gift. he couldn’t help but smile. you looked so unaware like this. so vulnarable.

you tried to sit up, your body still heavy with sleep, and as you moved, your hand brushed against his thigh. the innocent touch sent a jolt through Sangho, a thrill he hadn’t expected. he froze, his eyes darkening as his mind raced. the thought came unbidden. you were so close, so fragile, and the way you unconsciously leaned into him, trusting him — it made his blood run hot.

he couldn’t take it anymore. weeks of patience, weeks of restraint. late-night visits, the careful words, the slow dismantling of everything that tied you to Maheyon and past life. he’d been so good, so careful. but seeing you like this, vulnerable and unaware, stirred something primal in him.

before he could stop himself, Sangho leaned in. his hand slipped behind your head, fingers threading through your hair as he gently tilted your face up toward him. his gaze locked onto your lips, and for a second, his breath caught. he needed you.

and then he kissed you.

it wasn’t a soft kiss — not the way he had planned. no, this was desperate, hungry. his lips pressed hard against yours, and his hand tightened in your hair, pulling you closer, almost as if he was afraid you might disappear if he let go. he could taste the salt of your tears from earlier, could feel your soft gasp of surprise as your lips parted beneath his. but you didn’t pull away, not immediately.

for a brief, dizzying moment, he thought you would give in. that you would melt into him, let him consume you the way he had always wanted. his free hand moved to your waist, fingers grazing the soft skin just above your hips, feeling the warmth of you through the thin fabric of your shirt and you felt a shiver of something unfamiliar — something that made your skin tingle with a strange mix of heat and fear. his grip tightened, his fingers possessive as they pulled you closer, towering over your figure, and his kiss deepened, more forceful, more demanding than anything you had ever imagined coming from him.

your heart pounded in your ears, panic rising as you realized what was happening.

finally, you pulled back, breaking the kiss with a soft gasp, your hands coming up instinctively to push against his chest. look in his eyes was wild, dark — something you had never seen before. for a moment, you were frozen, your mind racing, trying to piece together what had just happened.

and then, he felt it too — a tremor in your body, a hesitation. and reality crashed back in. Sangho blinked, his breath shallow, heart racing as he realized what he’d done. his lips still tingled from the kiss, the taste of you lingering in his mouth, but something cold settled in his chest. he wasn’t supposed to do this — not like this.

“i-i…” you stammered, your voice trembling, unsure of what to say. your mind was spinning. this was Sangho. your friend. the one person who had been by your side past all this hard time. but the way he had kissed you — it didn’t feel like friendship. it felt like something much more intense, something you didn’t know how to process.

and the way he was looking at you now… it scared you.

he looked at you, saw the confusion and — was that fear? — in your eyes. his stomach twisted. too soon. he’d lost control.

“i’m sorry,” he said quickly, his voice softer now, trying to keep the panic from showing. he reached out to touch your arm, but you flinched. the movement was small, barely noticeable, but Sangho felt it like a punch to the gut. no, no, no. don’t be scared of me.

“I didn’t mean to… it just… i got caught up in the moment,” he lied, forcing a smile that he hoped looked apologetic. inside, his mind was racing. you weren’t ready yet. he had been so careful, so patient, and now he had almost ruined it. but he could still fix this. he just had to pull back, make you trust him again.

“i-i just wasn’t expecting that,” you said softly, your voice trembling with embarrassment. your cheeks were flushed, and you couldn’t meet his gaze for more than a few seconds. “Sangho… we’re friends... you’ve always been my friend. i didn’t think…”

“Of course, it's okay” Sangho said quickly, swallowing down the dark frustration bubbling up inside him. your hands fidgeted in your lap, and you gave a small, awkward nod.

Sangho forced another smile, though his insides churned with impatience. it wasn’t okay. none of this was okay. but he held back, telling himself this was a minor setback. he could still play the long game. you were still dependent on him, still clinging to him for support. he just had to be more careful, more patient.

not for much longer, though.

“let’s just forget about it,” Sangho said, his tone gentle. “we can go back to the way things were. i don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

you smiled weakly, still embarrassed, and nodded. “yeah… thanks...”

as you leaned back against the couch, closing eyes to calm your nerves, you couldn't notice how Sangho's lips curled a little.

‧˚₊•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈౨ৎ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•‧₊˚⊹

author's note ; I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!! I THINK THIS FIC WAS IN DRAFTS FOR 5(??) MONTH!! BUT I FINALLY DID IT OMGG🥸

MASTERLIST

[raccoonfallsharder]

i need your help!

hey hello, shiny gemstones and spring sunrises thw doodle queue is currently CLOSED

which is to say, ahem if you’re interested in being added to the doodle queue, REBLOG THIS POST with

a picture or detailed description of your OC

their name/pronouns, their story and any cool powers they have or what makes them rad as hell (i might message you to ask more questions!)

i welcome different body types, skin colors, and hair textures, etc. and so does rocket

you can also send me a message but tbh reblogs are easier to keep track of if i fall behind. see below the samples for more info.

in general i prefer to draw vaguely humanoid femmes with a thing for raccoons (you know which fandom im in), so those characters will likely get in the queue first. this ain’t a “first-come, first-served” thing, it’s a “which character does my brain want to gnaw on, with or without my consent” thing.

i got too swamped last time because i just accepted/took on too many requests at once which resulted in some glorious individuals waiting MONTHS for their doodles to be done and while that could still happen, i am hoping to avoid it by keeping the queue shorter and just closing/reopening more frequently

worth noting i’ve only ever drawn three anthro characters (see one of ‘em below) so if you so request that, just know i’m a novice

i may also end up adding a few to the queue as well (i really want to revisit ember, dori, petra, maybe fleuret and rose, always juno — would love a chance to draw jupe of one of @frostedwitch’s other OCs too!). ive also been playing with a new-to-me, semi-lineless style i might use your characters to practice on.

above are just a few of the OCs from the masterlist. you can find them there to learn more about them and their cool-as-hell creators. from top left to right descending: moon, dori, petra quill (dyed version), brita, ken, magril opossum, rose, cherry, mori, and juno ♡♡♡ thanks for letting me doodle these cuties!

to see past works, check out the let me love your OCs masterlist

taglist ✩ @pa1kaa-toto @archangelofzion

[2af-afterdark]

I might reveal myself and send in some drawings when I feel a little braver...I'm a little shy, but I'll try my best to gather some courage to maybe render the outfit digitally before sending it in. But I can give some of my ideas here right now.(and also because I'm not 100% satisfied with the current outfit design...)

I tried to keep it vague but also have enough detail that it makes some sense(I'm also very bad at explanation...), but it might not so I'll answer any possible questions.(also I'm not a writer so it may suck...👉👈)

P.S. its a lot longer than I expected

In my version, instead of MC just suddenly get revealed that they've became God, they have to go through a process, where after they break the last contract, they starts to feel more fatigued than usual, and no amount of devil or human energy can give them their energy back. The Seraphim haven't been in the way for the last few weeks and something happened (I don't exactly have a solid reason yet) leading to all of the angels fill the sky, maybe they want to end everything all at once, hence the reason why they've been away to restore their number, train and such. This is also when MC is back by Satan's side in Gehenna, but they haven't chosen a king yet.

Then when the Seraphim descend from heaven, the closer they are to hell the more they can sense a Godly aura around, causing them to panic and look around frantically, when the Seraphim laid eyes on MC, all three froze since they can see that MC is the one radiating said aura. Giving them an entirely different goal, "Save God" basically. And the dynamic of the angels I used are based on your way of including them, so Gabriel is the main pursuer of MC. Then things happened, Gabriel disappeared, leaving Michael and Raphael to fight against, Satan, Belial, Astaroth and Sitri, while Ppyong, Paimon(he's carrying MC, bridal style), Leraye and Zagan protect and try to bring MC into a neighboring country to get more protection while they wait for further reinforcements. But the amount of angels overwhelmed them so Paimon has to put MC down but not before making sure that they're somewhat at a dead end so no one could ambush them from behind. After Paimon put MC down and started firing away, Gabriel appeared and flew straight at MC, none of the devil could shoot at him since his angel underlings are taking hits for him, so in one fell swoop he snatches MC and just started to fly up, making eye contact with Michael and Raphael signaling it's time to retreat, while MC make eye contact with Satan. Satan's anger fell as fear struck his heart. (My MC is a bit of a softer MC, so she just smiles and mouthed 'I will be fine' at Satan to reassure him that she'll survive, but he doesn't seem to be taking in none of that.) The other two Seraphim maneuver around Satan and his subordinates to return to the sky to retreat.

MC faint as they ascend to the sky and when they wake up the Seraphim are just staring at them. Then Gabriel mention about Devil and Human Energy, and how MC would need Angel Energy in heaven, so we had to fuck him. Then a few more days goes by and we fucked Michael and Raphael as well(hate fucking if you will). After a week up there MC just get encased by a cocoon of some kind, starting their "reborn into a God" stage. While they sleep in the cocoon, the devils came up with ideas to invade heaven and sensing the threat, Gabriel brought cocooned MC to the original God's "throne room"(Idk why I imagine he have one, but he have one) since its a little far from the main angel land, he think it should be safe. So when the day come where hell invade heaven, while the 72 devils rage war upon the lower rank angels, the 7 kings go searching for MC.

Something happens that lead the three Seraphim to guard cocooned MC and something lead the kings toward the throne room, making a 7v3 situation but before anything can happen, the cocoon cracks and crumble to reveal MC in a new outfit but with no extra addition or changes(I was planning on adding half and half wings, as well as a decorated halo and horns but I felt like that's too much, so I stuck with the simple designs of God we can see), who's kinda waking up, after the cocoon is completely off of MC and they're completely awake, they just wanted to end the war as quick as possible so they just hurriedly demand both the Seraph and kings to go out and stop the battles. Even though Michael and Raphael still have doubts, they follow MC's command anyways since they're outnumbered if they try to argue.

After the war ended, MC learns to move and create materials to rebuild any broken down houses n such. And while they're at that, they also tried building a whole court room for the judgement of the angels so that all of the devils that have suffered from the angel's actions could give their ideas, but in order to save their pretty asses, the devils can't kill the Seraphs, since they are needed to keep the human world in balance, because MC was tasked(during their time in the cocoon, a mysterious force gave them some tasks that they must do as the new God) with reviving or creating 2 more Seraphs to restore the amount to original. (My MC forgive the angels for trying to kill her several times, but did not forgive them for hurting and killing the people around her) so the final decision was sealed and the Seraphim have to serve their punishment for quite some time.

And that's all I have for now, I hope it wasn't hard to read (*´∇｀*)

You're good. I followed it.

I love that you made your own story inside the god!mc au! Honestly, I have one too, but I am still developing it based on what we learn about the angels (like, Raphael is way nicer to MC than Michael or Gabriel which is not what I expected at all).

But, ummm, 🦩anon send me their art off anon and I just post it without putting their name on it. You could do the same? Or I could just reply to you privately if you want? Honestly, we can do whatever you want (if you want to do anything at all).

I'm just a greedy little thing that wants to see what people make >w>

[astriiformes]

18, 22, and 29 for the fic asks, please!

18 - Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Oh this so, so depends on the fic, in part because every once and a while an excellent title descends upon me early in the process and also if I'm working on a fic for a while I have more time to think.

Usually my fics start out with placeholder titles that are whatever came to mind when I first saved the document; I'm yet to have one of those graduate to being a final title but that's partially because they're all things like this:

...and are often tonally different than what I'm actually going for.

As far as where my titles end up actually coming from, poems are a common culprit; I've got one or two song lyric ones, and some inspired by various other cultural references (ranging from like... pop cultural to Biblical). I tend to try to work in some wordplay, irony, or symbolism where I can, and love a title with layers.

Breaking down a couple recent ones:

Beharren ist eine Kunst -- German for "Persistence is an art," stemming from the longer proverb "Anfangen ist leicht, Beharren eine Kunst" (Beginning is easy, persistence an art), works particularly well for a story about an artist where "Kunst" doubles as a bit of a play on words.

Stemma Codicum -- A textual criticism term referring to the chart that can be drawn of different manuscripts relationship to each other (what was copied from what, where changes entered into the manuscript transmission process, and etc). Worked really well for a Pentiment fic about three "alternate timelines" all branching from a single change at a specific point in canon -- manuscript transmission as a metaphor for those critical points in people's lives that manage to change everything!

Long Upon the Land -- A tongue-in-cheek reference to Exodus 20:12, which reads ""Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee"," as a title for a fic in which a character with an overbearing abusive father contemplates art and things that can outlast us across generations. Really loved the irony with this one, it's one of my favorites I've come up with in a while.

Needless to say they draw from all over the places, but I feel like between them it's pretty easy to get a feel for what I like in titles.

22 - Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I don't want to say there's for sure something I won't do, just because it seems like there's exceptions to everything (Pentiment wrung a "Major Character Death" warning tag out of me which is a new one!), but in general I am pretty allergic to most romance tropes. I'll write romantic relationships -- although my fics rarely center on them, but that's one of those things I'd be willing to assume might have an exception one day -- but when I do, they tend not to be particularly trope-y. There's just a lot of amatonormativity steeped into ideas like soulmates, fake dating, etc, and I'm not interested enough in them to consider ways to rehabilitate them in my own writing. I am but a tired aro and while it means I'll never write the most popular fic in any fandom I'm in, I get by perfectly fine in my little gen niche.

I'm also not a big fan of writing in first person (reading can go either way! I'm less into it in fic unless the canon itself is in first person, but fine with it in original fiction), but even that one has an exception on the horizon! If and when I finally write my TOH Sherlock Holmes pastiche, it'll probably be in first person, to mimic the original source material. So really that's a great example of why I have a pretty solidly "never say never" stance on most non-romantic tropes and devices.

29 - What’s your revision or editing process like?

I have a horrible confession to make. I edit as I go. My terrible perfectionist brain struggles to make peace with messy first drafts, and while I'll often give things a final, editor's eye read-through once I've finished writing, the bulk of my editing happens on repeated re-readings of the material throughout the writing process.

This is not a good way of doing things and I would love to break the habit, particularly since I think it would result in me writing more and faster. Do as I say, not as I do, everyone.

[crazed-tales]

Mad Mew Mew

Tucked behind Papyrus's towering castle lies the forgotten dump, an unremarkable graveyard for discarded dreams and waste from the Powerplants above. Papyrus, ever so thoughtful, ensured this unsightly mess rested out of sight, leaving only his resplendent fortress to dominate the skyline. But even forgotten corners can bloom with grandeur. A few monsters sought shelter within the debris, yet none left a mark like the enigmatic, dazzling queen who rose from the scrapheap. Mew Mew. A vision. A force. The sovereign of the underground dump turned kingdom, basking in the glow of her own magnificence. To know her is to yearn. To see her is to desire.

Appearance: Once upon a less...than fortunate time, Mew Mew drifted as a mere ghost, weightless and dull, clinging to the futile hope of finding a body worth her spirit. That is, until she stumbled upon a pile of discarded manga. Their pages whispered inspiration, and Mew Mew took it upon herself to craft a form echoing the elegance of every deliciously wicked villainess she adored. A masterpiece born from scraps. Now fused with a humanoid, feline doll, she parades her unmatched style. Atop her head sits an oversized, dramatic black hat with a crimson band, its veil cascading like the fabric of night itself (though Mew Mew hasn’t the faintest clue what the night looks like, she simply revels in how it frames her face). Her grandiose dress sweeps the ground, black as a starless sky and lavishly embroidered in tantalizing greens, reds, and yellows. Long, sleek gloves crawl up her arms, paired with matching boots crafted from glossy, rubber-like material that clings perfectly to her silhouette. Her appearance draws from solitaire, each detail meticulous, each color purposeful. Her “skin”, once vibrant pink, has aged into an elegant, pale tone. like porcelain left too long in moonlight. Her hair, stark white and black, falls in waves, crowned with bows. With feline paws, tail, and eyes sharp enough to pierce, her origins are a mystery. No one knows where these features came from, and Mew Mew delights in keeping it that way. Wrapped beneath her clothes are velvet ribbons, ready to slither free at her command, whether to grasp, fight, or climb.

Personality: Mew Mew had always desired to be something different, she was never happy with herself or the way she was expcted to be. Mew Mew always desired to be better than them all and for herself. She is bashful and a huge snob often viewing all as below her, she often goes on about herself. Mew mew is also very stubborn and tends to despise being forced to do things she doesn't wanna do. She is saracastic and can easily be enraged when things do not go her way, she is most likely going to flip her shit. Despite all of this she has a high sense of honor, if anybody does something in her favor or acts kindly towards her she will repay you one day as long as you are on good terms with her. The Story: Ghosts in the All Father's domain were destined for one of two fates, either entombed in cold, lifeless armor to serve as elite guards, or sealed within delicate porcelain dolls to play the role of dainty castle maids. Neither fate whispered of the splendor she craved. The thought of rattling around inside a rusted shell repulsed her, and the porcelain doll's fragility felt beneath her. Despite her protests, the inevitable loomed, and soon, she was teetering on the edge of becoming just another suit of armor in the endless ranks. But fate, as it happens, favors the bold. The Great Floods that swallowed layer three in chaos brought ruin to many, but for her, they brought liberation. Amidst the confusion, she slipped away, ghostly and unseen, descending into the depths of layer two. Here, in the forgotten wasteland of the dump, she carved out a refuge. Years passed, and Mew Mew's spirit lay dormant, nestled inside a discarded dummy, her sanctuary from the patrols above. It was there she uncovered a charred box brimming with battered manga, their covers blistered by heat but their stories still intact. Page by page, she devoured their tales, intoxicated by the bold characters, their sumptuous clothes, their untouchable elegance. The allure was undeniable. She wanted that. She deserved that. With newfound inspiration, she began to sculpt her ideal form from the scattered remains of discarded dolls, piece by precious piece. In the heart of the refuse, she fashioned herself into the sovereign she was meant to be. Mew Mew, self-crowned queen of the dump. And like any feline basking in their dominion, she now prowls her domain with velvet paws and hungry eyes, forever hunting for those foolish enough to cross her path. She has also dug tunnels into Layer three and made a hidden kingdom within said tunnel system...Its very exciting.

[the-suggestion-boxx]

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE-PARTS 3-5

BEST WAY TO WATCH: ENG Sub or ENG Dub

Not required but JP with ENG Sub recommended for full jokes bc Engrish is hilarious and so isn't the scene where where Rohan laughs with Josuke and he stabs his own hand to prove he's a badass.

A Quick Rundown of JOJO...and things to know

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a comic spanning back to the 1980's about a the Joestar family and their individual stories through the decades and their fight against deadly foes including the mysterious immortal vampire named Dio who has cursed and tried to kill them for a century. Each part takes place with a different Joestar descendant in their own story so you can start at any part.

Jojo has been a major influence to manga and art for decades. Ask any of the top animators or manga writers where they got inspiration from any they'll tell you- "I loved reading JoJo." That's probably why you've seen a TON of JoJo references in all sorts of media with out even knowing it, hence the memes.

Jojo carries a unique style that draw people in, serious but comedic. Sad but full of shit that just takes you for a ride.

It's art style is a known of masculine muscle headed punks likening Fist of the North Star in feminine ways with bombastic outfits, stunning color, absurd hair and high fashion and a tribute to rock.

Very fun. Highly recommend it.

JOJO PART 3: STARDUST CRUSADERS

Jojo Part 3 takes place in 1980's Japan where high schooler Jotaro Kujo and his grandfather Joseph Joestar discover the existence of STANDS. After finding out about Dio is still alive after the events of Part 1 they travel to Egypt to put an end to Dio's curse before it kills Jotaro's mother.

------------------------------------------------------

JOJO PART 4: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE

This part takes place in 1999 Japan and stars Josuke Higashikata , Jotaro's very young uncle and bastard son of Joseph Joestar,. It centers around the strange town of Morioh. High school hi-jinx and urban legends involving STANDS turn into a thrilling murder mystery about a serial killer with a hand fetish.

Seriously a super great story. Josuke is one of my favorite Joestars

-------------------------

JOJO PART 5: GOLDEN WIND

Part 5 takes place in Italy in the early 2000's a year after the events of JoJo part 4.

Gorno Giovana.. the 15 year old son of Dio Brando and Johnathan Joestar. ( no sorry he is not a vampire) He knowns nothing about his origins or his father aside from a photograph. Sick of theiving the streets he decides to make moves to become a GANG-STAR~ by joining Bucciarati's crew, climbing the ladders of the Mafia to over throw "The Boss".

" I can taste it, the sweat of a LIAR."

Okay so that was a lot... and to make it less long I erased a lot of going into the art, influence, etc that Jojo has had bc I wanted to cover three suggestions at once. Uh...Jojo is great and you should watch it or you're stupid.

-----------------------------

You can watch all seasons/parts of Jojo on Netflix

[sk3tchisworld]

While I don't play D&D anymore, this does show a beautiful way to approach it.

The main thing I would do is establish during session zero is that an evil campaign does not equal a murdohobo spree. They can go and play any manner of video games if they need to sate their bloodlust.

After that, establish a reason these assholes would work together. The truth is, in every book I've read, bad guys will turn on each other even if it goes against basic self-preservation. One gets too big for their britches and says, "I'm flying solo," and leaves everyone trapped. This happens whether there's a promise of ultimate power, immeasurable treasure, or a looming curse. Generally, you have to suspend some belief here and insist on some camaraderie due to history, life debts, etc etc etc. And then they need a unified goal, even if they have different reasons for wanting it.

Step two, I would make sure the setting is designed for bad guys. As in, they will be moving through the underbelly of society mostly. The taverns locals stay away from, underground clubs, etc. These are places where they can act out their worst impressions of a villain. Brawls, gambling, illicit material trade, and other things your momma told you not to engage with.

Step three, give clear consequences for overt villainy. No, this isn't GTA where the moment you assault an NPC the town guard sends a raiding party. But, the violent death of a working member of society (shopkeeper, tailor, cobbler, etc.) will cause whispers among the people which will draw attention from the authorities. If this happens in the slums it may garner less attention, but multiple deaths of this style may attract unwanted attention.

This brings me to step four, most of their quests they won't want to alert the wrong people about. They want to evade the detection of the legendary hero squad, the dragon lord, or whoever. There is a threat that will descend upon them if they are too noisy.

Finally, accept that your most carefully set safeguards will crumble under player agency. And inevitably evil campaigns that are not just murder and mayhem become a huge task of managing conspiracies and webs.

I've played the rogue with a heart of gold but under the thumb of a medieval mafia boss. I've also played his uncle who dove head first into the crime world but lived as a loving husband and father. My co-op partner played the mafia boss guy so dang well, both of my characters were terrified to cross. He was managing an in-depth underground network so effective that thousands of years later he was an icon for evil bosses. He is so iconic there is debate if he was even mortal or real. And the guy lived as a humble tavern owner that was like a second father to the legendary hero's daughter! It can be done.

The best Bad guys don't just kill. They kill with finesse.

Tl;Dr: Design a world specifically for PC villains, but assume it may not work out no matter how precisely you craft it. Players are chaotic and predictably unpredictable.

Dm Tip: Playing the Villain/ Guidelines for “Evil” Campaigns

I’ve never liked the idea of running an evil game, despite how often I’ve had people in my inbox asking how I’d go about it. I’m all about that zero-to-hero heroic fantasy not only because I’m a goodie twoshoes IRL but because the narrative-gameplay premise that d&d is built around falls apart if the party is a bunch of killhappy murder hobos. Not only would I get bored narrating such a game and indulging the sort of players who demands the freedom to kill and torture at will (I’ve had those before and they don’t get invited back to my table), but the whole conceit of a party falls through when the obviously villainous player characters face their first real decision point and attempt to kill eachother because cooperation is a thing that goodguys do.

Then I realized I was going about it all wrong.

The problem was I had started out playing d&d with assholes, those “murder and torture” clowns who wanted to play grand-theft-auto in the worlds I’d created and ignore the story in favour of seeing how much unchallenged chaos they could create. They set my expectations for what an evil campaign was, and I spent the rest of my time developing as a dungeonmaster thinking “ I Don’t want any part of that”

But what would an evil campaign look like for my playgroup of emotionally healthy friends who understand character nuance? What would I need to change about the fundamental conceit of d&d adventures to refocus the game on the badguys while still following a similar enough narrative-gameplay premise to a hero game? How do we make that sort of game relatable? What sort of power/play fantasy can we indulge in without going off the deepend?

TLDR: In an evil campaign your players aren’t playing the villains, they’re the MINIONS, they’re mooks, henchmen, goons, lackeys. They’re the disposable underlings of uncaring overseers who have nothing but ill intent towards them and the world at large.

Where as in a hero game the party is given the freedom to challenge and overthrow corrupt systems, in an evil game the party is suck as part of that corrupt system, forced to bend and compromise and sacrifice in order to survive. The fantasy is one of escaping that corrupt system, of biding your time just long enough to find an opening, find the right leverage, then tossing a molitov behind you on the way out.

Fundamentally it’s the fantasy of escaping a shitty job by bringing the whole company down and punching your asshole boss in the face for good measure.

Below the cut I’m going to get into more nuance about how to build these kinds of narratives, also feel free to check out my evil party tag for campaigns and adventures that fit with the theme.

Keep reading

[plungermusic]

Même si ça change, c'est encore la même chose*

Plunger caught up with Connor Selby again at the Half Moon, Putney, more than five years since we last saw him and, not surprisingly, there have been a few changes since then: from profile-raising support slots for The Who and Pearl Jam to signing with Provogue/Mascot Records; and from collaboration with session men du jour Redtenbacher’s Funkestra; and a slick, don’t-frighten-the-horses makeover.

Those last two events left Plunger a little worried that Connor might have taken a different musical direction to that of the long-haired, Clapton-is-God-t-shirt-wearing artist we’d witnessed. But this show proved our fears were baseless: as evinced in the opening southern soul-influenced pairing of I Can’t Let You Go and Falling In Love Again, the former displaying rather Warren Haynesish guitar phrasing and the latter some lovely interplay between Connor and Joe Anderton in a brief but tasteful guitar-off.

After the slow but swinging blues of I Shouldn’t Care, a long and impressive organ solo from Stevie Watts introduced the soulful amble of If You’re Gonna Leave Me before a new song, Truth Comes Out Eventually provided a splash of snare-on-three Caribbean-spiced 60s blues-soul.

Connor’s deft touch with various shades of blues was shown in the echt, slow, slow-blues of Love Letter To The Blues featuring some highly Larry McCray-like tone and phrasing; a rather funky Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland-inspired version of Goin’ Down Slow with tight snare-and-bass underpinning, and era-correct Fender Rhodes-y electric piano; and a fabulously swinging The Deep End, drawing on one of Connor’s heroes Ray Charles, with rim-shots for that late-night smoky-dive vibe, and excellent jazzy piano throughout.

Much to Plunger’s delight there was plenty ‘southern soul’ in a 70s vein (of the kind that reeled us in on our first hearing of Connor): the melodic keys and guitar of a mellow Man I Ought To Be were reminiscent of solo Gregg Allman - not least in Connor’s fine-grained-sandpaper voice - topped off nicely by a delightful tremolo-laden chordal break from Joe; and Hear My Prayer’s Derek & The Dominos/Delaney & Bonnie brisker jangle included anthemic piano, ride cymbal-led drums, Joe and Stevie adding bvs, and a sweet southern-fried closing solo from Connor.

The closing pair of tracks reminded Plunger of the modern day torchbearers of that whole 70s southern soul thing, Tedeschi Trucks Band: the relaxed opening of That’s Alright with ticking rim-shots and swirly organ shifted up a gear with a full-band break-in with three part bvs, while the lithe TTB funk-soul of Show Me A Sign, with its Stax-y insistent-snare chorus and bustling bass lines, was the opportunity for solo spots from all, most notably a fiery British Invasion break from Joe, and a cracking keys outing featuring some surprisingly Jon Lordesque touches including a smattering of Bach! Connor’s own solo (perhaps the longest in a night where brevity and restraint were watchwords) ranged from clucking muted funkiness to soaring southern bends and all points in between.

An inevitable encore saw Connor switch from Les Paul to SG for an old Plunger favourite, Emily - a loping D&B southern soul-rocker with hints of the Louie Louie riff, a Wasted Words-style descending organ wash, and fabulous Billy Powell-style piano… a cracking finale to a cracking evening.

Some things may have changed but the accomplished songwriting, restrained non-grandstanding (but still highly fluid) playing and wonderfully soulful vocal are all still there, as good as they were, if not better.

* “Even if it changes it’s still the same thing” - with apologies to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

[groupsix]

Coming up with Concepts

After having a meeting with the group I was tasked with creating concept art for three ideas, in order to present them to the tutors.

The first idea that I had to develop was conceived my Manjeeth. He wanted the dome projection to be of a three dimensional forest, and in that forest he wanted there to be a fox which would walk around the dome. While the fox was walking it would age, so by the time it got to the point it started from it would have completed an aging cycle. The scene would start in the morning and by the end it would be night time. By the end of the cycle, the fox would die, and a swarm of fireflies would descend from the sky and approach the fox.

For the second concept, I wanted to make it take place in the interior of a submarine, where the audience can see what is happening outside from the windows. I thought that the shape of a submarine interior would be a great fit for the dome structure.

The third concept would take place in the a castle room interior, where the audience can see a dragon flying around through the windows.

I created a Pinterest board, where I gathered inspiration for the three ideas.

For the first idea I looked at how different artists had approached drawing foxes in a cartoony and simple style, for the second concept it looked at drawings of submarine interiors, and for the third concept I looked at castle rooms with dome like structures and dome windows.

First idea development:

Manjeeth had already modeled a forest for his idea, so I used images of the model that he sent me as a reference:

So I drew a panoramic image of the forest, as well as the fox moving across the dome. Below that I drew a storyboard of the fox going through its life cycle, and finally the fireflies flying down from the sky. I also used lighting to show how the day is progressing while the fox is walking

Looking at images of old foxes I found that there isn’t a huge difference between them and younger foxes, so I tried showing the age progression by having the fox be more energetic towards the beginning and middle, and more calm and tired in the end. Another thing that indicated older age in foxes as far as I could tell was their fur. The fur in older foxes was more raspy, creating more jagged shapes. So I tried having the fur change slightly throughout the storyboard. I don’t think either of those things were that noticeable, it would have definitely been something that I would need to develop more and exaggerated had we chosen that idea.

Second idea development:

For this idea I wanted the audience to be in the submarine and to be able to see what is going on outside in the ocean through windows. One of the windows would be a really big one where the main point of focus would be, and then there would also be small windows where people would be able to see the environment on the sides of the submarine, as well as fish swimming by.

The inside of the submarine would be in 3D, which would feel more realistic and immersive for the audience, while the exterior would be in 2D and more stylized, which I don’t think would break immersion too much as it is meant to be seen through windows. One way that I thought would be effective to show the environment from the side windows was parallax scrolling, as it would make it seem like the submarine is moving forward, and for the front window we could make it slowly zoom in. I hadn’t come up with what the main thing happening outside would be, as I thought it would be a betting idea to develop it only if we decided to go with that idea. My two ideas for it here that there could be a shipwreck outside and the audience could see the submarine crew extracting some kind of treasure from it, and the second one was that there could be a bunch of massive underwater statues around the submarine.

I also thought it would be a good idea to add bits of environmental storytelling in the submarine by having maps book pages etc hanging around the walls of the submarine.

Third idea development:

For the castle room I wanted it to be dome shaped and have five windows on the walls and one big window on the ceiling. I was mainly inspired by the image of the summer palace exhibit that I mentioned in my previous post, as I liked how the main point of focus was on the ceiling. The way I visualized it was that the dragon starts by flying around the room, which the audience can see from the wall windows, and the it flies up and reappears from the ceiling window

By Sofia Stefanis

Image Bibliography:

#ship #art #gameart #shipinterior #shipdeck #gaming #gamedev #gamedevelopmentart #G...: Episode interactive backgrounds, environment concept art, episode backgrounds (2023) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047229/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Agameofclothes (2015) A game of clothes, Tumblr. Available at: https://agameofclothes.tumblr.com/post/92126029359/halls-of-sunspear (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Animals and architecture photoshopped surrealism (2018) Design Stack: A Blog about Art, Design and Architecture. Available at: https://www.designstack.co/2018/04/animals-and-architecture-photoshopped.html (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Aphrodite (black clover X reader) - Chapter 9: Arte da Fotografia, arte e arquitetura, Fotografia de paisagem (2023) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047101/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Binatang lucu, Binatang, Rubah (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047158/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Castro, F. (2021) Tears from the past, ArtStation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rAeWnG (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Cdr (2020) Winners of the "Fox adventurer" challenge, Character Design References. Character Design References. Available at: https://characterdesignreferences.com/winners3/winners-of-the-fox-adventurer-challenge (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Cole, M. (2020) Spectacular series imagines life in a house submerged deep in the Ocean, My Modern Met. Available at: https://mymodernmet.com/devin-elle-kurtz-mermay-underwater-house-series/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

CulpeoFox (2007) Colour-variations of the "red" fox; Vulpes vulpes, Flickr. Yahoo! Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/25426284@N08/2436313605/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Faulwetter, P. (2012) Sketchpat, SKETCHPAT. Available at: http://sketchpat.blogspot.com/2012/04/aquarium-at-californiasciencecenter.html (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Firnhaber, J. (2018) The invitation, Behance. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/69178969/The-Invitation (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Gaser, M. (no date) Contract Artwork, Matt Gaser Contract Artwork Comments. Available at: https://www.mattgaser.com/projects/contract-artwork/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

glee_writes (2019) Anyone? who knows the artist. , Twitter. Twitter. Available at: https://twitter.com/A_aphrodisia/status/1200208343937236994 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Hidden Architecture (2016) Geghard, Hidden Architecture. Available at: https://hiddenarchitecture.net/geghard_3/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Ink Animals Can Be Commercial Elements Fox Hand Painted Chinese (no date) Pngtree. Available at: https://pngtree.com/freepng/ink-animals-can-be-commercial-elements-fox-hand-painted-chinese-style_4076433.html (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Kurtz, D.E. (2021) Pillow Fort Research Outpost, Artstation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/qA4ZlR (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Mad Head Games (no date) #ship #art #gameart #shipinterior #shipdeck #gaming #gamedev #gamedevelopmentart #game #submarine #...: Fantasy Rooms, interior concept art, environment concept art, Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047191/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Menn, P. (2019) Our Students Gallery, Pene Art SCHOOL Concept Art Academy by PeneMenn. Available at: https://cafe.naver.com/peneschool/7207 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Molnar, C. (2015) Dream Chronicles hidden object game 2007, Artstation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/dream-chronicles-hidden-object-game-2007-fe3fae64-8edf-4cce-a65e-ca1c73ab8216 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Padilha on Twitter: "fantastic mr. Fox... ": Funky art, cute art, character art (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047164/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Pavlin, M. (2013) Geghard Monastery, Armenia, Flickr. Yahoo! Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vagabund-stream/10080646986/in/pool-armenia/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Pin by mad head games on ships in games by MHG: Game background art, fantasy story ideas, fantasy landscape (2023) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047227/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Pin on science in games by MHG (2023) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613052568046047236/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Sabin, C. (no date) Rufford Abbey undercroft, Flickr. Yahoo! Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/37329908@N08/6238442327/in/set-72157627755864485 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Sunny Painter LTD (2019) Choices： Fantasy Scenes, Artstation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/oO8OnW (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Thevaultofretroscifi (2016) Thevaultofretroscifi, Tumblr. Available at: https://thevaultofretroscifi.tumblr.com/post/145907040927/repulsion66-zdenek-burian-illustration-for (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Verne (no date) Colossal Squid, Old Book Illustrations. Paris: Hetzel. Available at: https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/illustrations/squid-colossal/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

What does the fox say? sketches for my next pattern: Fox drawing sketches, animal drawings, Fox Drawing (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.es/pin/548102217148436012/?nic_v2=1a2W0AYKB (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

Wood, R. (2011) Incredible photos of ancient and medieval underground cisterns, Light Stalking. Available at: https://www.lightstalking.com/cisterns/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).

[croc-odette]

from ‘the black cottage’ by robert frost. love you, gay angel

image id below cut

[image ID:

three pages of a blackout poem, with drawings in the margins.

the first page is:

“Anyway have the disturbed.’

buttoned spread arms

Under a

sad old daguerreotype.

always,

Sooner or later came and knelt

beside it, thought I doubt

such unlifelike power

after all the years.

I know- it makes a difference

of course.

But what I’m getting to is how forsaken

this has always seemed;

more than ever before-

I mean the lives

That had gone out of it, the father first,

Then the two sons, alone.

(Nothing

valued

at some cost)

I mean by the world having passed

almost this afternoon.

It always seems to me a sort of

measure brought

in haste

These steps

warp their own old

idea of things.”

There is an image of castiel in the style of a dageuerreotype tilting his head, above him a canal of water leading to a dark tunnel surrounded by black wings, angular shapes, and small human body parts. Below are gold clouds and black rain falling on water. In the water are three red whales, on larger than the other two, with a large white hand about to grab all of them. Strings from the hand lead to three arrows pointed at each whale. A black boat with a silhouette with black wings has a hook lowered into the water. The hook is lifting up one of the strings.

The second page is:

“Do you know there was a time

When to please

I would have changed very little?

ask me to;

never got so far as the bare thought

tremulous

half asleep too much for me.

Why, I might startle

‘descend into Hades’

to

suffer

well, if true keep

Saying them like We could

Only-

Such a phrase

missed

As a child misses the unsaid Good-night,

And falls asleep with heartache- how should I feel?

glad

For, dear why abandon a belief

Merely because i cease to be.

Cling to it and

turn true again, for

Most of the change we think see in life

Is due to truth and favour.

and oftentimes, I wish

I could be

I could devote and dedicate forever

To the truths we keep coming back and back to.”

To the left is a drawing of Castiel sitting cross-legged and reading, with a series of blue abstract shapes behind him. To the right is a dusk sky with a noticeably bright star, from which Castiel is emerging from a hole in space, leaning in close to Dean who is reaching up. A small creek winding through a field by a windmill is in the corner.

The third page is:

“to be, so

worth

The pains to change

but mostly

held loosely

over and over in idleness.

sugar

born to

my cowering

‘There are bees in this

Fierce head

rose on the windows.”

Most of the page is taken up by a drawing of Castiel, face cut off at the nose, wearing a blue cloth draped over one shoulder and a silver ring on a necklace. Next to his face is a rose, an anatomical heart, and some bees. A red wild rose is between margins of writing. In the corner is a hand holding a small and worn photograph of Cas slightly smiling in a cowboy hat, flannel, and jacket.]

[red-riding]

Tolkien Elves Clothing Headcannons

Please read: These are only my headcanons, meaning my ideas and interpretations of what Tolkien's elves would have worn based on the text, my clothing knowledge, and imagination. I am in no way claiming this is how it should be. Also I own none of the photos used in this post. 

Also this is obnoxiously long and wordy, so if you skip to a section that interests you, I won't judge. I may have went ( A lot ) over bored ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Also I just want to say thank you so much for all the support I got on the post asking if I should do this, I hope it lives up to everyones expectations. 

Sources

Okay so in going on this journey of research, I ran into an issue. What culture or cultures to base the clothes off of. My first thought was to have each elven group take ideas from different human cultures. Which makes sense to an extent.

I feel elves would all dress more similar than different across Tolkien’s universe. My reason for this is all the elves started out in the same place (the awakening) and were all exposed to the same things. I believe their clothing would be strongly influenced by the Valar due to Orome’s influence in the beginning and since elves are immortal this influence would not die out as generations go on (I talk about this in the trends section of this post).

If you look in human societies throughout history, they are often unified culturally, despite being far apart, by a religion and I'm applying this to elves. They would emulate the Valar’s clothing in my mind.

Okay now that I narrowed down that I want to use one culture mostly, what culture to pick? There honestly is no right answer to this I feel, but i'm going with European influence (Which is super general I know) since that is where the concept of elves originates from and Tolkien was English. Elves started making their way into stories and poetry in around the 1500s, so that gives me a general area and date to start forming my headcanon. I'm also going to take quite a lot of liberties and take influence from the Lord of the rings films, and general fantasy aesthetics as well to form these headcanons.

Fabrics

When talking about clothes the first place to start is what they are made of: the fabric. What kind of fabric would the elves use and have available to them. When coming up with this I considered two main things, One how durable the fabric is and two could elves make it.

I think durability would be extremely important to elves. According to the International textile association, the average regularly worn garment will last two to three years. Imagine how short of a time period that is to elves! This is why I believe durability would be extremely important to elves, they want something to last. especially the less wealthy elves because they can not afford constant new clothing.

I am only going to list clothing I think the elves could realistically make, so no polyester, plastic and chemical based fabrics.

Considering these two things I have come up with this list using this website as reference. 

Canvas

Cashmere 

Chenille 

Chiffon 

Cotton

Georgette (Silk variety) 

jersey (Silk and cotton variety) 

Leather and Animal Skins/furs 

Wool (And all its woven variants) 

Muslin 

Lace

Satin 

Silk (And all its differently woven Variants)

Taffeta 

Velvet 

Silhouette 

Note: We are looking at shape/Silhouette in this section, don't mind the colors or fabrics in my reference photos. 

So if you study fashion history and culture at all you know the silhouette is one of the defining things of a culture and era. This brings on the question of what the Silhouette for elves would be. I think elves would share one general silhouette with similarities between the male and female silhouettes but have differences as well. This also applies to elves of different lands. They may have the same general silhouette with slightly different things.  

For Elleths

For the common elleth silhouette I am going to say one thing SLEEVES. This is taking inspiration from both the LOTR movie and 1500s european paintings and fashion. long graceful sleeves is something I think would be an elven stable on formal/evening gowns. I feel there would be different styles of sleeves however the most common would be something like this. However I will say for casual work wear they would yield unhelpful. 

Another thing I feel most elleth dresses would have is a waist seam. This is one thing I strongly dislike about the LOTR movie dress, a majority of the dresses at their base looks like a modern slip dress or a night gown and im not a fan. I understand this was probably a stylistic choice to represent how refined and ellagent the elves were, but to me it just looks like an ill fitted fast fashion nightgown. Here is a link to a good example photo if you want to look. Almost no dresses until the last hundred years lacked a waist seam like this. Some cultures don't have a waist seam in woman clothing but will almost always have a belt like garnet if there is no seam. And I personally think waist seemed gowns, look far more elegant. Plus 1500s european gowns all had waist seams so we are adding a waist seam. 

Now the skirt, I feel it would be simple and more on the flat flowing side. No hoop skirts or bum roles for the elves. I do think in some gowns they may add some under lawyers to add volume and or warmth. 

For Ellons 

I actually really like the LOTR movies interruption of elven male robes for formal situations, Here is an example. I also think similar styles but shorter would be worn by either younger ellons or ellons wanting to branch out in a different style for a formal occasion. Here is an example. 

For General Elves 

I feel something both genders would share in their formal and non formal clothes is the use of capes in very versatile ways. The cape could have a function like keeping one warm, or just be purely for show and drastic flare as one descends from their throne *cough* Thranduil, Feanor *Cough*. Here are some examples: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3. 

Now onto the talk of practical clothing. No matter how graceful elves are they can not wear gowns and robes when training or horse back riding. I imagine simple slacks and tunics would be a common site among elves who do physical activities. What Legolas wears in the lord of the rings, is perfect I feel. Practical and rather similar to what humans wear. Here is the example. 

Colors

I feel the elves would have clothing of all colors overall. depending on a couple things. Elves' clothing colors would be different depending on the environment and what dyes they have available in it. As well as what colors function best in an environment, so a lot of greens.

I don't think elven royals would enforce any laws that limits what colors an elf can wear depending on class like most royals throughout human history have. I do feel that certain elven houses, or elves would take on certain color themes. For example I believe Feanor and his house would wear a whole lot of reds, and blacks. While Finarfin and his house would be wearing more blues, whites and silver.

I think plant based dyes would be the most common among elves, making their clothing fall more on earthy toned down colors, opposed to bright synthetic ones we are used to (See mood board above). I do think some brighter colors could be achieved by dying a garment multiple times or using a rarer material like minerals. However I feel majorly would be as I said earthy and natural.

Embellishments 

I believe elves would dabble in all forms of embellishments on their clothing, I mean they have so much time on their hands so why not? I think embroidery would probably be the most common, Little swirled designs on hems and such. Bead work probably would be reserved for more formal garments, due to it being done with crystals and gems and taking lots of time.

I think what designs elves created would mostly be inspired by nature. Different flowers, birds, and stars being the most common.

I think some elven royals would have robes glistened with sewed on diamonds and jewels, to draw attention to themselves and show status.

Environments 

(Note: The way I arranged this mood board above is by environment. So Beach/tropical first row, Temperate forest middle, and snowy cold place third row.)

I feel the main thing that will be changing between different environments and temperatures is what materials they use. Fur and wool lined cloaks and robes for cold places. Light breathable fabric, decorated with sea shells for tropical beach environments. And cotton and medium warmth clothing for forests. I also feel for hunting clothing elves in forests would wear green, and in snowy areas would wear white furs.

I believe elves would still maintain the same general silhouette in different areas (Go to the Silhouette section for more details) just adding on layers and warmer fabrics in colder places.

Trends

So this section does not get a mood bored because I could not think of what that would be.

Trends are something extremely prevalent throughout human culture, often decided by those in power: Celebrities nowadays and in the past royalty. I don't think elves would have trends like we do, for two main reasons.

Reason one is as I said, trends in the past were decided by royals and oftentimes when a new royal took throne fashions would change in their image. However elven rulers don't die of old age like humans, they live forever. making the constant change of trends not occur with each new ruler because there is not a new ruler often. When there is a new ruler it is most likely extremely tragic because that means the past ruler died, and the next  (Most likely a child of the old ruler ) would probably not want to cause a drastic change in clothing out of respect.

Reason two being age groups. Trends often times change as new age groups move into the prime of their life and old generations die out. However elves are immortal and don't die out. I have no doubt younger elves would dress somewhat differently but there would be no massive clothing changes, In silhouette or fabrics due to the older elves pushing back against it. As well as the elves wanting to continue emulating the Valar.

Everyone who asked to be tagged and I want to show this too: @psychostatic, @deep-space-elf, @bitter-sweet-farmgirl, @tiefliing, @animallover81, @softnessfrommyheart, @xmarchwarden-of-lothlorienx, @hardinginhightowns, @xirinofarvada, @gossip-girl-of-middle-earth, @brannonlasgalen, @most-random-blog-with-stuff, @aduialel, @a-dragon-under-the-stars, @proffyaffle, @estel-means-hope, @eldritch-gilthoniel, @tsuyu-sama, @lady-of-black-roses, @perhaps-iwilltry, @lady-latte, @allinwonderlands , @saviorsong, @entishramblings, @rowandor, @halfwaytheremama, @tran-khuetu​, @tolkien-fantasy​

[elliottjpg]

Today in "Elliott's extremely niche projects" :

Lupin III Gwendalavir AU!

Gwendalavir is the universe of the french fantasy novel series La Quête d'Ewilan. It is a medieval-type empire, where multiple warrior groups, magicians and secret societies fight both to protect the Empire from its enemies, and to rule it. Meanwhile, Lupin and his merry band of misfits are running around trying to steal as many magical items as possible.

These are the serious character design drawings, and I have a few shitposts in the making ^^

Character introductions under the cut!

Lupin: Designer.

In Gwendalavir, some people called "Designers" have the gift of "Drawing": they can make things they imagine become reality - from a simple light to a whole-ass building, depending on their level and the balance between their Creativity, Will and Power. Lupin has a HUGE Creativity, but very low Will and Power, meaning his drawings are all very out-of-the-box, but they tend to blow up in his face. He stole an uncountable amount of powerful drawing-related artifacts/relics, such as the graph sphere he's wearing (a drawing aid) and Jigen's glove. He's also stolen secret manuscripts of the Shadowalkers' Guild, non-conventional weapons, and other such fun items.

He also keeps doing all the stupid stuff you shouldn't, like swimming in the Eye of Otolep (a magic sentient lake), climbing the Rentaï (a magic sentient mountain) to steal a graft, infiltrating the Shadowalkers' council, stealing stuff from the Chaos Mercenaries, etc. He tried to become a Shadowalker, but he couldn't resolve to follow a master for three whole years, so he said "screw it" and ran away. His personal philosophy (freedom, thrill-seeking) is very close to the Shadowalkers', but he is too selfish to be part of a guild.

Jigen: sharp shooter.

He is the most talented shooter in all of Gwendalavir. He grew up on the streets of crime-ridden Al-Far, enlisted in the Imperial Guard for a short while, before becoming a mercenary, and eventually meeting Lupin. He's constantly trying to stop Lupin from drawing, and failing. He won all the shooting trials (all categories) in the Tournament of Al-Jeit one year (probably competing against Goemon in longbow category). Lupin stole and gifted him a relic, an eternal Drawing called the Glove of Ambarinal: it is an archery glove linked to an intangible and invisible bow with an infinite supply of arrows. Because he dresses in all black tight-fitting leather outfits, people constantly mistake him for a Shadowalker or a Chaos Mercenary (depending on how strong his "don't fuck with me" aura is that day).

Also, he's transgender, and got his surgery done by the Dreamers, a brotherhood of magic medicine monks.

Goemon: renegade Frontalier.

Goemon Ishikawa the First was part of a people called the Frontaliers, who are expert swordsmen with a steel-strong sense of honor. He was banished from their Citadel for being a thief. His descendants continued learning the Frontaliers' sword fighting and uphold their code of honor, but they also cherry-picked a bunch of different techniques from every fighting group in the country. Meaning Goemon's fighting style is extremely confusing to everyone, and he regularly gets mistaken for a Frontalier, a Shadowalker or a Chaos Mercenary. The Ishikawa family has beef with the Fuma, a branch of the Chaos Mercenaries, after they stole one of the Fuma's secret scrolls. Goemon has a relic from Merwyn, a legendary Designer: a sword that can cut through any material and always stay sharp.

Yes. I know. He looks like Kylo Ren.

Zenigata: Thül warrior.

The Thüls are a group of warrior tribes renown for their strength, their relentlessness and their ardor in battle. They often escort and protect merchant convoys. Zenigata joined the Imperial Guard, and has vowed his life to catching Lupin. He is a very mediocre Designer. He is also the only Thül that Goemon respects (the Thüls and the Frontaliers are hereditary enemies).

Fujiko: Shadowalker.

The Shadowalkers are a very secretive guild, whose members are known for their extreme independence, their incredible fighting skills, and downright supernatural abilities. She actually joined the Guild and went through the exhausting three years training, in order to get close to a member of the Council and to steal the aforementioned Glove of Ambarinal from him. In the end, Lupin beat her to it by sneaking through the vents of the guild's HQ. She has a "graft" (a secret power that some Shadowalkers may acquire by climbing the Rentaï), that allows her to detect any precious metals or gemstones in her vicinity. Fujiko is also a passable Designer, but generally hides it and keeps it as her secret weapon. She works with any rival group in Gwendalavir, as long as she can get something out of it, even sometimes pretending to join the Chaos Mercenaries (her guild's hereditary enemies, and partly composed of renegade Shadowalkers).

[dangerousstrawberryshark]

Random Thoughts: A Dark Past

This came into mind; the Male reader is a prisoner of war and is taken back to the mainland. As usual, me and @softboy5393 fanboying over this.

I went overboard with this.

You were taken by a Titan with a long face, like a horse into its mouth. You fell unconscious during the whole time.

When you woke, you were in some room. You looked around to see where you were, you noticed you had a red armband on your left arm. 'What the... where am I?'

Then the door opened. "Ah, I see you're awake." the unknown person said along with others. He had blonde hair and an undercut style which was pushed back. [This] He also had an armband on, but his was more of a lighter red.

You took the people that walked and noticed that Reiner was there. "YOU DAMN TRAITOR!" you attacked him. You didn't do that much damage before getting pulled off of him.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! DON'T TOUCH ME!" you yelled trying to get away from them.

"So, you're the guy that Pieck took? You island devils are sure are something." The one with blonde hair said, sitting down. Reiner was dusting himself off.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves? I'm Pieck. You already know Reiner. The one with glasses is Zeke and the one next to you is Porco." The girl- Pieck said. She had long, disheveled shoulder-length black hair, a Greek nose, and relaxed dark brown eyes.

"You probably have questions as to where you are?" you calmed down a bit to respond.

"Yes. And why am I here? Why did you take me from my home?" you said, backing away from them.

"You're in the nation of Marley. And it was Reiner's idea to take you."

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It had been 4 years since you were captured. You've kind of gotten used to the new environment. 'So, humanity didn't die after all?'

You were shocked by the outside world. There were these flying ships in the skies, a cart that was driving without horses leading it. The food you have never seen before. A picture that was too detailed for any person to draw.

"That's a blimp, that's a car, and that's a photograph," Zeke said, showing you everything.

You also got to meet others. "That's Gabi, Falco, Sophia, and Udo. They are the next in line to inherit the Titans."

Gabi looked at you with mistrust. She had hatred in her eyes. "Don't mind her, she hates anyone from the 'Island of Devils.'" Zeke whispered into your ear.

It has taken a while for Gabi to get used to you but in due time.

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You were walking with Pieck, Reiner, and Porco in the Liberio Internment Zone. There were stands everywhere and colorful decorations everywhere. You were amazed.

"Today's the festival, M/n. Ambassadors and famous families from all over the world are going to be here for Willy's speech. Of course, since you're with us, you'll be joining too." Pieck said she was your favorite out of all of them.

"Let's go try some things. Try this." she gave you some kind of dessert with a cone?

You gave it one lick... "WHY IS IT SO COLD?!?!" you said, others were looking at you weirdly.

"What's this?" You picked some triangle-shaped food with toppings and cheese? "Mmm, this is good! I never had anything like it!"

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You had a fun time at the festival but now it was time for Willy Tybur's speech. You sat with the others but Porco, Pieck, and Zeke were requested.

Then the sounds of instruments began to play and Willy came on stage. He bowed before starting. "Allow me to tell you a story."

(This is the entirety of Willy's speech)

"Approximately one hundred years ago, the Eldian race ruled the world with the power of the Titans."

"Between the appearance of the Founder, Ymir, and the present day, Titans have stolen the lives of so many people that the present population of the world..." showed Titans eating people. "Could die thrice over and still not compare."

Then the lights turned red, people appeared covered in blood and screaming. "Because of Titans, and an extraordinary number of races, and the cultures ad histories thereof, have been stolen from the world."

"That slaughter has defined human history and the history of the Eldian Empire. And when the Eldian Empire ran out of enemies, it turned to the killings of its own kind."

You were shocked. Was this the history of your ancestors? Were they like this?

"Thus began the Great Titan War."

"Houses holding eight Titans shed blood in combat among themselves. In these desperate times, one Marleyan saw a path to victory. He was our hero, Helos."

"By artfully waging an information war, he led the Eldian Empire's biggest threats to turn against and kill one another. By joining hands with the Tybur family, they forced the unbeatable King Fritz to flee and retreat to Paradis island." the crowd began to clap. You were awestruck.

"But even exiled to the island, the king still held power. Tens of millions of Titans are capable of crushing the world flat still slumber on that island." the crowd gasps at the revelation and fear.

"The fact that our world still exists undisturbed to this day is pure luck. That is the only explanation our Titan experts could muster up. My fatherland, Marley, decided to take the initiative against the island and sent four Titans to neutralize the threat, but that plan failed and only the Armored Titan returned."

'That's why Reiner broke down the walls.'

"In other words, the Eldian Empire, the scrounge of human history, is alive and well."

"Now, the story up to this point consists of facts known to everyone. The truth, however, differs slightly. From here on, I'll discuss the memories passed down in my family alongside the Warhammer Titan."

"The complete truth will be revealed here and now for the first time. Approximately one hundred years ago, the one who ended the Great Titan War was neither Helos nor the Tybur family." Two people standing side by side to him.

One was represented Helos and the other, the Tybur family.

"The man who brought an end to that war and saved the world was King Fritz. He came to regret the Eldian Empire's savage history and the infighting among his own people."

"Above all, he grieved for the Marleyans and the oppression they lived under. When he inherited the Founding Titan, he and the Tybur family devised a plan." The lights turned blue with King Fritz and the Tybur family shaking hands in agreement.

"To establish a single Marleyan as a hero in the war. His name: Helos. After that, King Fritz moved as many Eldians to Paradis as he could. Erecting the great walls around them."

"He left a warning if anyone threatens his peace, countless Titans would be unleashed in retaliation. However, he never intended make good on this threat." Things began to add up to you. That's why the world hates Eldians. 'I'm not what they say we are!'

He continued. "King Fritz made a vow of renouncing war and bound his successors to uphold it, just as he had. Thus his ideology was passed down to each new King of the walls and the Titans with the power to crush the world remain dormant."

"Marley didn't stop Eldia and pure luck hasn't kept the world from being crushed, it was the king of the walls, Karl Fritz, a man who yearned for peace. That's it. That's all he wanted. He said if Marley grew strong someday and came in force to shatter his peace and seize the Founding Titan, he would accept it."

"He believed the sins his people committed were so horrific that they could never be atoned for."

"When the day of retribution finally comes, I will accept it until then let me enjoy this walled paradise, free from strife and conflict. I ask for nothing but a brief span of peace."

"Those were the final words the king left us with." King Fritz stood next to Willy bowing.

The crowd erupted into chatter. "What does this mean?" Gabi was shocked to along with her friends. You were twice as shocked as they were.

"If what he saying is true..."

"So, Marley and the Tybur family didn't save the world?"

"Willy wouldn't lie..."

"That means Paradis doesn't actually pose a threat, right?"

Willy spoked, the crowd went silent. "It's true, to secure our own safety, my family joined hands with King Fritz and became heroes to the world. While our fellow Eldians became devils but plainly, we Tyburs are petty thieves, growing fat on honor we did not earn."

"I stand before you willingly parting with my false glory because I have come to understand that the world we share is in grave danger" the crowd began to chat again. The drums began to ring.

"With the Founder's might, King Fritz erected three walls, using a great host of colossal Titans..." the background changed to colossal titans conjoining arms. "Counted together, the walls surely contains tens of millions of colossal Titans."

"They guard the King's peace as his shield and his spear or they did, but now, that peace is being threatened from within. An uprising has taken place on Paradis, the king has been deposed, the Founding Titan stolen."

The background changed to a devil. "The thief is an enemy to every man, woman, and child outside his island. An enemy of peace, his name... IS EREN JAEGER." Your eyes widen...

"If the colossal of Paradis are ordered to walk, the rumbling will be felt across the Earth and death will follow. Until now, only royalty has had the power to wield the Founding Titan and King Fritz's vow has kept his descendants from using it, but this Eren Jaeger has found a way to use the founder without having royal blood."

"Which means he could begin the rumbling at any moment. Once the walls of Paradis begin to walk, there will be nothing we can do. Except flee in vain from the sound of Earth-shaking steps that will herald our doom." your face turned into a worried one. Was this going to happen?

"These monsters will crush every city, trample every tree and flower, they will literally flatten our world. I have always hated my blood and more than anyone. I have wished that my race would disappear."

Willy sounded like he gonna burst into tears. " However, I confess that I want to live. That despite everything, I believed this world is my birthright just as it is yours."

"The people gathered here may belong to different races, different nations but if we're to survive this crisis then for the first time in history, we must join as one. SO PLEASE, if you wish to live and lend me your strength, help me protect our world's future!" The cameras began to flash. The crowd erupted into cheering.

"If we work together, we can overcome any obstacle, any threat! I ask each of you to join me as I go to fight the devils who would plunge our world into hell! HELP ME DEFEAT THEM!"

The crowd continued to clap and cheer. "Here and now, as a representative of Marley's government, I send this message to the devils of Paradis!"

"CONSIDER THIS, A DECLARATION OF WAR!" As Willy said that, a Titan erupted from the building behind the stage. A Titan you knew very well.

"Eren..."

[demonslayedher]

Buriko-Senpai! This is such a wonderful blog to read, and I love your art so much! It's so nice to see other traditional artists out there! What's your thoughts on the demon slayer marks and their affects after Muzan's defeat? Do you think they're a purely physical effect, or a supernatural curse like Ubuyashiki's? It seems like in the latter case it would be lifted? In Tanjiro's status report, he mentions wanting everyone to be happy "when he's gone", and hints of preparation for the future...

Thank you for the kind words on my art! (≧◡≦) Glad to know people like the style, I like the feel of trad art both for the final product and how the pen feels in my hand, haha~. I love all the additional possibilities in digital art, but will leave that to the people who are good at it. Glad you find my blog a good read too, because we’ve got another lengthy read ahead.

As for the mark and whether it works in a purely physical sense or a curse sense, I'm ok thinking of it in either way, depending on its purposes in post-canon fanwork (but of course, you can do whatever you want in fanwork totally inventing the mark or completely ignoring it too). As Gotouge never states exactly what becomes of Tanjiro, Giyuu, and Sanemi, I don’t feel we can declare it working one way or another. We'll consider it from both angles, but in general, I think canon evidence leans toward an avoidable physical impact. Even that, however, leaves room for interpretation on strict "25" might be or not.

If we approach the curse direction first, the worldbuilding surrounding the Ubuyashiki curse gives a lot of framework for the mark being a curse. The second fanbook even gives us more circumstance and age-related perimeters that seem very arbitrary, like how only one male will survive each generation and how the daughters will also die young by sudden illness or accident if they don’t marry out. As the curse is tied to Muzan’s/demons existence, it is completely lifted once Muzan is eradicated, but Kiriya still anticipates dying in his 20’s and does not feel relieved that it’s gone until he’s in his 30’s. This would put Giyuu and Sanemi in their 50’s if they’re still around, and with their own curses effectively gone, they’d probably have spent the past couple decades insisting to Kiriya that he can relax.

If the rebound of the mark is a supernatural curse, there are a couple other things that make sense about this to me, in the light of cosmic justice at play in this universe. First, it’s a general rule in a lot of philosophies and other works of fiction that to gain something powerful, you must pay the price and sacrifice something. Second, the Ubuyashiki family is cursed to carry the sins of one of its members until they can stop that demon member. While Demon Slayers may not necessarily be carrying the sins of demons, we see demon marks at play in this series first, though its effects are not clear until we see how Nezuko is stronger when her vines appear. A Demon Slayer also gaining extra strength like this is, perhaps, taboo.

As for the mark being a purely physical effect, I think the emphasis on physical effects of the mark (especially how in Chapter 129 Muichiro analyzes its effects on body temperature and the heart), and how throughout the manga it is continually stressed that the Demon Slayers are mere humans even if Breath helps them push the natural limits of human ability, lend to a more physical interpretation that in order to push so far past normal limits, it has to borrow against the natural human lifespan. This is how the characters in-universe also interpret its effects. If we look more into what Muichiro says:

Muichiro: The anger was too strong for me to have any handle on my emotions. I believe that in that moment, my heartrate exceeded 200 beats, and my body felt as hot as though it was burning. My temperature would had measured at least 39 degrees or more. Shinobu: !? Could you move like that? That would be life-threatening. Muichiro: Right. That’s why I think it’s a matter of falling into one category or another. Whether you die or survive that moment is what determines whether a mark will appear or not. Amane: A heartrate of over 200, and why a temperature of 39 degrees? Muichiro: That’s because when I was received treatment at Kocho-san’s place I was running a fever. When my temperature was taken, the thermometer read 39 degrees. At the time I would have been said to have a mark appear, my body was just as feverish.

(For reference, according to searching with the same terms used in the original text, your top heartrate is 220 minus your age, making Muichiro's 206 beats per minute. The average for someone in their 20's is 120~140, somewhat hard exercise would put it at 150, and hard exercise puts it at 170, according to the Borg scale. Normal body temperature in Celsius is 37 degrees; while 39 C = 102.2 F.)

If we look back at when Tanjiro is first facing off against Daki, he considers how he gets more power out of Hinokami Kagura than from Water Breathing because it suits his body better, but he is not yet physically capable of the switch between them. As he psyches himself out in Chapter 77, we see that he has physically been trying to prepare himself for this, and he’s shouting at himself to set his heart ablaze. Clearly, Tanjiro is leaning into that advice from Rengoku-san, and if he’s on his way to getting the mark, he’s been taking that advice somewhat literally.

In Chapter 78, as he purposely raises his own temperature to fight the side effects of switching to Hinokami Kagura, we get a flashback that Kiyo-chan was very worried that Tanjiro was running a temperature of 38 degrees (100.4 F) for three days, but Tanjiro begged her not to tell Shinobu yet because he felt fine in that sustained feverish state, and was able to put more power into Hinokami Kagura that way. (This may also be part of why the mark seems to have a different effect on Sun Breath users, as their body draws from this power in a more sustained way.)

We can probably think of most of the other Breath Users who attained the mark as having gotten it in a similar way to Muichiro. In a fit of high emotion and desperate battle, their body pulled from its natural reserves, and similar to a human and/or demon being exposed to lots of Muzan’s cells all at once and either dying or quickly adapting, they attained a mark and relied on that temporary extra burst of strength. While it either happens or doesn’t happen for the others (Muichiro plainly states he was unaware of a mark’s appearance) based on being the flow of tense battle, Himejima seemed to have gained enough ability that he could choose when he wanted to tap into that power. When we’re first left not knowing what else Amane told the Pillars, Himejima openly wonders what would happen in his case (seeing as he is over the age of 25). In the third light novel, we get a brief scene of Himejima pulling Muichiro aside after that meeting to ask if he’s alright with this, since he’s just found out that he has no chance already of living a long life. Muichiro is fine and wonders about Himejima, who is also fine with this. They both are willing to do whatever it takes to fight Upper Moons and know their survival has never been assured. Himejima goes on to say similar things to Kokushibo in Chapters 169 and 170, when we the readers are finally told about the limited life expectancy. The two of them both sort of expect Himejima to drop dead that night because of his limited stores to draw from. Himejima would had preferred to not raise his temperature so much until facing Muzan (seeing as he knows he’ll be racing against time), but knows he has no choice but to start while facing Kokushibo. Kokushibo is somewhat impressed with his control of getting a mark and his preparation to die, and he finds it a waste of Himejima’s ability and likewise is like, “why not preserve your flesh as a demon” because, as we find out in Kokushibo’s flashbacks in Chapter 178, this was part of what motivated him to accept Muzan’s blood. He couldn’t handle the frustration of his polished techniques being wiped out by a short life span, especially since it would mean he was soon out of time to match or best Yoriichi. If we go back to that conversation between Himejima and Kokushibo, Kokushibo loses his cool (hahaha, that feels like a bit of a pun here) the moment Himejima is like, “there was one exception to the rule though, wasn’t there?” I suspect that Yoriichi was the exception partly due to Sun Breathing being a more perfected, sustained form of pushing the limits of human capability, and Yoriichi being born naturally perfect at it, so his body didn’t need to scramble looking for extras sources of power like hastily (or slowly) borrowing against his lifespan. What’s very interesting about Kokushibo is that he also regularly sustained his mark, so perhaps it’s possible he could had lived past 25? Here's what really key: We also don’t know about these early marked users. Did they regularly sustain their marks, or did they only show up regularly when they battled demons, repeatedly borrowing against their future lifespan? Or was it a one-off thing for each of them, like it was for Giyuu and Sanemi? It’s possible that even if Giyuu and Sanemi are doomed to shorter lives, since they both only had the marks for relatively short periods of time on a single night, they might well exceed 25 years. The fact that Gotouge gave them descendants (as opposed to only implied reincarnations), and because they are both characters generally written as dense in the ways of love and close personal relationships, that sort of implies they needed some time before leaving behind offspring, and I hear a lot of voices in the fandom displeased with the idea of them leaving children behind when they know they won't be around to raise them. Since we don't know any canon details on this, let's cut the boys some slack and say they took a chance on being happy. After all, all their time in the Corp already teaches them tomorrow is never assured.

Side note while we’re on the Sanemi topic, he attains his mark right after Himejima brings his own forth (because Himejima is a badass who can just be like, “ok, now”). While he comments to Himejima what a good idea it was to do Pillar Training so he could attain that powerful state, it’s also possible that being in the presence of someone who already had one was part of what triggered Sanemi’s body to access that state as well. The nature of the mark’s spread from person to person is another tick in the “supernatural curse” box if people like that interpretation more.

Let’s take a look back at Tanjiro, though.

Tanjiro, our special Hinokami Kagura boy, was already a special case for his own knowledge of Sun Breathing (however imperfect), and his own sustained mark (though as Genya notes in Chapter 134, it tends to transform slowly, and as Tanjiro remarks in response to Shinjuro’s comments in Chapter 81, his mark was not something he was born with like the original Sun Breath user was, it was but a childhood injury which took on a different shape when he was injured at the Final Selection). While Amane cites him as the one who started the trickle of marks appearing again, we know in the Pleasure Quarter arc than Tanjiro was been unknowingly training himself to make the mark appear, like the Pillars later tried to do in training.

Tanjiro also, however, has the very unique experience of undergoing repeated cruel and unusual suffering in battle against Muzan, basically dying, turning into a demon with more of Muzan’s cells than any other demon in history, and turning human again with man-made medicine all in the span of about two hours.

We can’t really compare Tanjiro’s case to Giyuu’s and Sanemi’s very easily. Besides the slightly different nature of his mark (which Muzan says will still kill him anyway if he becomes human again, but whether he says that based on a cosmic rule or historical precident, we don't know), we simply don’t know all the details of how Tanjiro's flesh has been affected by everything that happened to him in that two hour period. It seems safe to say that becoming a demon is what saved his life since it rebuilt his flesh and supercharged life back into him, but since he wasn’t a demon long enough to have fully integrated those new cells, the entirely reconstructed parts of him (his left arm and right eye) are essentially lifeless. However, there may still be some amount of reclaiming that his body did during his demon minutes, for the whole right side of his face should be paralyzed (yet he can still use it expressively), and there was probably internal damage throughout his entire body and other various injuries (like stabbing himself) which were repaired enough for him to survive. Had he been a demon longer (long enough that his body with Muzan’s memories likely would had broken down the medicine Kanao gave him), my guess is that he would had fully integrated these body parts, like how Nezuko gets to keep her legs despite all the times they were blown or chopped off.

But we also know that Tanjiro had to take a few months to recover (his visitors looked like they waited the whole three months before getting permission to see him), and that his condition allows him to live and work, but he generally is in a weakened state. Again, rather than only having borrowed (on multiple occasions) against his own lifespan, we don't know the extent of the damage and repair he's undergone.

While he’s got 25 as a historical benchmark to anticipate, and as you mention, he does seem to fully anticipate that early demise, his case is so unique that it could go in any direction. Tanjiro might live longer than 25, as this would give him time to pass on Hinokami Kagura to at least his eldest son, but like Tanjuro, he’d probably have a pretty weak constitution for the rest of his dwindling life. But also worth noting, the phrase is that they die by at least age 25. That means some of the Warring States era swordsmen probably died before that age. (｡•́︿•̀｡) I don't feel this is likely for Tanjiro, Giyuu, and Sanemi, but it is worth noting as a possibility.