#Animal spirits are a lot of fun to write because animals in general are fun to write so it's like the best of both worlds honestly

[bandsandwristbands]

What are your top 10 fav headcannos?

Favorite hcs?? How could I choose ~ they are all my favorites ~~ I suppose I will just say the ones I include the most in fic and art lol (general Nart/gaalee ones since you didn't specify and I don't talk about anything else)

Gaara's sand is more an extension of his personality and feelings rather than the literal spirit of his mother (that would be weird)

Gaara is still pretty crazy and feral, just masks it really well!

Lee is a mad shit talker, if he doesn't like you he'll tell you, (rare) ex: will just be like "wow you are rude and I do not like you" or when he's sparring he'll egg the other person on

They are love note kind of people.

Gaara has a shock/deadpan sense of humor, gets a kick out of getting a reaction out of others.

Naruto is in love with all his friends, wants to smooch them all but is also very supportive when they get into relationships.

Gnc/NB Gaara. Lives in my head rent free.

Sakura invites Gaara to "girls nights" sometimes so the girls can try and get to know him better and because Naruto gets butthurt that he's not included. They have fun because Gaara will go along with pretty much anything and is actually good at helping with make up or nail Polish and has the scoop on a surprising amount of gossip. (I just think this scenario is cute, don't think I'll ever write out but I think of it often)

The sand village has a lot more rich culture than seen in the anime, sports like sand boarding, art and clothing and religious stuff. I will never not talk about this.

All of the Kages are lowkey endeared to Gaara with him being the youngest, he gets the baby brother treatment from everyone all the time. He doesn't mind and uses it to his advantage.

[critterishere]

Thinking about the design that I use for anons,,,, and I wanted to create new lore since the old one (where these beings were originally robots) is now outdated. Woooo big lore dump thing wooooo!

(Note: This will not affect asks at all, I literally just wanted to write how these things were created for fun. Playing touys)

I imagine my little sona (the critter😼) to live in this place called Craters. This place is based off of an inside joke,,, it’s basically a weird whimsical little land/maybe country that is home to all sorts of cryptids, spirits, and odd occurrences. A lot of the actual Craters’ lore hasn’t been fully thought out yet, but one place that exists in this world is the Messenger Junkyard!

The Messenger Junkyard (sometimes referred to as a graveyard) is an area in one of Craters’ forests where thousands of abandoned statues now rest. These statues used to hold religious significance and were used to get in contact with higher beings. The statues are tall, vaguely humanoid figures with long faces, commonly draped in a cloth with intricate patterns. (Ignore the fact that none of my drawings have the patterns I was lazy😭)

Various gods (or their workers) would send out messages to the people working in the church/shrine/temple. These messages were either warnings, prophecies, requests, or to tell someone off for not doing their job correctly. (😭 depends on the being in the vessel)

Random note! I like to think that whenever these vessels get possessed, the clay will fall apart, revealing a body of flesh underneath. 🐣 Why is there flesh inside of the statue entirely made of clay or stone? No clue! 😭 sometimes I write things because it sounds cool. Let’s just say it’s weird magic stuff. Fun yay yay❤️

These statues would usually have a seal or symbol placed on it to prevent any unwanted visitors from using them. After the mass discarding of these statues, these symbols were lost or got torn off (or chipped off, some had the seals carved into them), making it accessible for lesser beings without physical form to control them.

So, there is a forest filled with statues that may or may not be possessed by ghosts, demons, or other trickster spirits. Who will make sure that nothing bad happens?

This… This thing watches over the Messenger Junkyard…

The critter lives near the forest, and goes out to check on the statues every now and then. It cleans the statues, tries to reassemble ones that have fallen apart, and looks out for any movement.

It generally doesn’t run into too much trouble with the statues. A lot of the ones that get possessed are usually controlled by ghosts of humans that have died in Craters (sometimes the ghosts of animals possess the vessels. It’s rare, but it’s an entertaining to see what was once a symbol of the divine scratching its ear, then clumsily trying to climb a tree).

anywayss misc doodles over heeeeere!!!

In the left image, I was thinking about what a messenger vessel would look like if it were to present more human. I’m not quite sure if vessels can change color.. I do sometimes put fur on them and make them change into a multitude of different shapes, so maybe they can do some chameleon stuff as well! Speaking of fur stuff,, second image is me having fun with hair texture for a bit, as well as a drawing of some weird lizard spine ridge type thing going on at the top doodle. Fun shapes for fun creatures!

This was an old mini comic I never got around to finishing. It was made before the messengers were officially changed to be more organic. I think it’s still silly so here you go!👍📨

anywayyyys bye gang (explodes) I love playing toy and making stories up for my monster designs🌺

[guillotinesandroses]

So I was wracking my brain to come up with another request that would be super fun to write. Can I ask for a one shot for Gyomei Himejima from Demon Slayer and a yokai gn!reader. Reader is a Nekomata and has been protecting a village from demon attacks for a long time. One day Gyomei happens upon the village during the attack and steps in to help. He notices reader and attacks them, under the impression that nekomatas were usually malevolent. However, the villagers stepped in and vouched for reader's kindness. Reader has been fascinated with humans so much that they stopped being in their cat form and try to replicate a human appearance to their best of their abilities (even if they still have the ears, tails, and cat feet). Gyomei decides to take reader to the next hashira meeting so they can decide what happens to them. During the trip they fall in love, Gyomei seeing the gentle and caring nature reader has for humans and their ability to fend off demons. Reader is nervous at first around Gyomei but is soon infatuated with him but treads lightly when it comes to feelings since they understand he's a religious man. I hope this is good! Thank you for your time!

Related Note: To be perfectly honest, I may have gotten a bit... carried away. After finishing this draft, I realized that the Reader described in this request is a lot softer than what I ended up writing after researching Nekomata. Granted, in the standards of their species, Reader is still soft, but I feel like the vibe is different, and I somehow missed the part of 'during the trip, they fall in love' :( I tend to latch onto specific bits of what I read and run with those, this time it being 'generally malevolent spirit'... I'm sorry if this doesn't fit what you were looking for.

Somewhat related note: Rediscovered my love for Glass Animals' most inconveniently named song, Toes. I usually search for songs without adding artists' names because I'm too lazy to type them out... the things I've seen...

Contains; Gyomei Himejima x Gender Neutral Reader, Yokai/Nekomata!Reader, use of Japanese honorifics, hurt/comfort, reader is old and an obligate carnivore, some references to buddhism, mentions of cannibalism, death, and murder because it's the Demon Slayer universe.

Forms of Comfort

"In the mountain recesses, there are those called nekomata, and people say that they eat humans." An elderly man lowers the pipe from his lips, breathing smoke into the nighttime air. "One appeared a long time ago, and it killed and ate several people in one night. That beast is said to have fallen to a figure wielding a samurai's sword, a local hero of legend, but it's for the best to remain careful." 

Ah, a demon slayer must have visited this place before. I hope they lived long, and retired with a healthy body. Gyomei nods at the elder's words, pressing his calloused hands together. 

"I understand. I swear to bring you safely to your granddaughter's house, Sasaki-san." 

"Thank you for your help, young man. Going out is awfully dangerous these days." 

"That it is. Let us pray this journey unveils with no complications." 

With that, Gyomei and Sasaki depart from the quiet inn. The demon slayer ran into him by coincidence, and the elder requested his help to get home safely. In situations such as these Gyomei is grateful for his imposing stature, as it brings comfort to those who can see past it. Sasaki's intentions are pure, Gyomei could hear it from the tone of his voice and steadiness of his heart. As there was no deceit to be found, the hashira saw no harm in helping out the older gentleman. 

Unfortunately, Sasaki's caution turned out to be warranted. A few hours into the travel, a horde of demons stalks them from the woods. Starving, of low-rank and desperate, they either did not care about or did not notice Gyomei's level of strength. He readies his spiked flail and axe, listening to their sharp breaths. However, before he can strike, something beats him to the task. 

The demons screech as they are torn apart, nichirin flashing past the branches. Swift paws crash across trees, and soon enough the screaming comes to an abrupt halt. The culprit of the massacre lands on the ground, soft and quiet. Demon blood drips from its fur and chars into ash, fading to the wind. Its heart is as enormous as its body, thrumming calmly in its chest as it breathes out. 

Heavy, slow footsteps thunder on the ground with grace one would not expect from such a large creature. Its back scrapes against branches as it creeps closer. Bigger than a wild boar, greater than a lion, its mannerisms are close to a leopard's. Hunting alone, stalking its prey before striking. Knowing they devour anything with flesh on it, Gyomei knows he must act fast as the elder gasps. 

"Those slit eyes... that must be-!" 

"Eyes like a cat, body large like a dog... this demon has taken the form of a nekomata. You were right, Sasaki-san." Gyomei adjusts the weapons in his hands. "Which one may you be? An old domesticated cat, or a beast born to the mountains?" 

"It offends me you feel the need to ask. A mountain spirit is what I am." Your tails sway behind you, flicking in curiosity. The imposing form you took for battle fades into your usual human figure, only some of your feline features remaining.

"It... it can talk!" Sasaki exclaims in terror. That is not so surprising, but before Gyomei can open his mouth, a sudden swoosh of cloth runs into the picture. 

"Please don't attack!" A young woman rushes out from the trees, arms spread out to protect you. "Nekomata-sama is this village's protector, it's been this way for centuries!" 

"Granddaughter..?!" 

It takes the whole village to assure Gyomei of your innocence. As difficult as it is to believe, there is neither deceit nor blood demon arts at play here. From the tales of old folks to the fables of children, all of them confirm that you have been here as a guardian and not a menace, for a long time now. The tale Sasaki told him was actually nothing but a rumor, a misconception. There had, in fact, been a demon tormenting the village centuries ago.

However, that demon was not a nekomata. Rather it was you, a nekomata, who took it upon yourself to slay that demon, earning the village's trust in the process. Since then, you have been their guardian, slaying monsters and even assisting in daily tasks, keeping people company. Uncertain how to proceed, Gyomei convinced you to leave your post for a while to visit his master. He will know what to do and what questions to ask. 

Not that he does not have questions of his own. Since the Nekomata is considered far more malicious in its behaviour than the mischievous and playful Bakaneko, Gyomei wonders if you are the latter, after all. Still, he does not ask. Perhaps it would be rude to make such assumptions. Either way, your non-human features basking in the sunlight gather attention within the demon slayer base. A hashira meeting is swiftly called, and the pillars are filled with suspicion, as expected. 

"As a mid-Edo period scholar stated, 'old cats will come to have two tails and become the yōkai called nekomata, and bewilder people'. They have proven time and time again to be malevolent, bringing death and gloom," a woman with a butterfly hairclip explains. 

"Really..? But those ears are so cute and fluffy..." a pink haired lady mumbles to herself, fingers gently covering her lips. 

"Nekomata are the reason cats should not be kept for long periods," a man with bandages over his mouth speaks, "with all due respect, Master, there's no reason we shouldn't kill this yokai." 

You hum calmly, not threatened in the slightest. "I am a demon, yes, but not of Kibutsuji's making. He has no sway over what I do and what I must eat." 

"Nekomata devour humans." A white-haired man cuts in, hands clenched with readiness to strike. His eyes flare with hate as he speaks, but he retains a respectful tone. "They shapeshift, take human form and deceive people. Master, I ask for permission to slay the demon and just get this over with already." 

"I understand your apprehension. My kind isn't exactly known for our benevolence. I, however, fail to see a reason for committing such acts of violence. A man I took an interest in a long time ago, my educator, taught me much. Upon sparing his life, I grew to understand the worthless nature of my old habits." 

"But you have killed humans, Nekomata-san, isn't that what you're implying?" The butterfly woman asks, empty smile unwavering. 

"I have. It is what my kind normally does. Lacking a purpose, I took their example to ease my boredom." 

"It doesn't matter one bit that its murders are in the past!" The white-haired man barks. "These monsters don't change." 

"My current purpose is to protect the village of my former educator, as well as the nearby home of a friend I once knew. I have no desire to harm humans anymore. Demon flesh feeds me quite well." 

Conflicted voices clash against each other soon as the hashira argue over your situation. Examining your nails in boredom, you wonder how long this is going to take. Your people await you, and you have little interest in the worries of irrelevant humans. 

"Quiet down, my children, please," the sickly man's voice cuts the noise, sharp as blade yet soft as silk. "A demon not connected to Kibutsuji is a rare find. Tell me, Nekomata-san, what do you know of him?" 

"I am not as old as he is, nor have I met him. There is little I know that you wouldn't." 

"Alright, the cat's useless. Let's throw it into the sun." 

"Shinaguzawa, please, sit down. What is it that you know, Nekomata-san?" 

"He is searching for something. One of his servants cried about failing to find a flower. The kind he is looking for... I believe I've only seen it once in my centuries. The blue spider lily can only be found in daylight, but I doubt he knows that." 

"Hold on, something doesn't add up. If it only blooms in daylight, how come you've seen it, huh, demon?" 

"I told you, I am not like him. He is a fraud, a man-made creature. His transformation was nothing but an atrocity, and I do not accept him nor his demons as part of my kind." 

A brief silence falls over the room. It is broken by the jeweled man. "Hm... flamboyantly put, I have to admit! However, demons are well-versed in deceit, we mustn't forget that!" 

Their sickly leader hums. "Well, it has been decided already, Nekomata-san is to live. Even so, I'd still like to hear your thoughts, my children." 

"Doesn't matter. I'll forget it anyway." The small boy speaks up for the first time in the meeting, still staring off into space. 

"Yes, please let the adorable kitty live!" The pink-haired lady squeals. You tilt your head at the odd praise but say nothing. 

"Kanroji-san, do not fall for its tricks," the bandaged man scolds before voicing his opinion. "I disapprove of this suggestion, Master, but I trust your judgement." 

"Although I heard the villagers eagerly vouch for this demon's innocence with genuineness in their voices... I find it hard to believe they could be trusted." 

"I am indifferent on this matter," the man with a bi-colored haori says. 

"Of course you are." The white-haired man scoffs lowly. "Connected to Muzan or not, demons cannot be trusted." 

"In the event that I'll be allowed to run a few... friendly tests on Nekomata-san, I'll be happy to accept them!" 

"I absolutely cannot agree with keeping this demon alive! Master, it would be in our best interests to kill it at once!" 

"There is a type of flair to its fashion choices... but a demon is a demon! Allow me to carry out the utmost flamboyant execution for this deviant!" 

In spite of the complaints, the sickly man keeps his verdict the same. You are allowed to live another day, to linger among the demon slayers. Not that their hatred would ever worry you. There are thousands of tricks up your sleeve, and they are accustomed to fighting a completely different kind of oni. Their blades and poisons are ineffective, thus you walk down the veranda with calm grace. 

The white-haired man pushes past you with a snarl, growling out a harsh sentence. "If any poltergeist nonsense starts happening around here, your head is flying clean off!" 

"You're welcome to try, birdie." A lazy smirk falls to your lips.  

"What did you just call me?!" He whips around to face you. 

"All dressed up in white, bulging dark eyes... yes, a snowy owl, that's what you are." 

Before a fight could break out, Gyomei broke it up. Since he was the one who found you, it became his duty to keep watch over you. Although you would have much rather preferred to go home, his presence was at least engaging enough. You did not quite trust the demon slayers sent to guard your hometown, but you supposed it would have to do for now. The Stone Hashira had piqued your interest after all. 

A few weeks have passed since your first meeting. You walk beside him, locked in a casual conversation. "My favorite is Takikomi-Gohan, but I substitute the meat with delicious vegetables." 

"Why in the world would you do that? The meat's the best part." Your tails flicker in confusion. 

"Although I'm no longer a monk, my beliefs haven't changed. It hurts me to wound sentient beings, including all animals. Killing is something that should be condemned, all life deserves compassion."

You hum, understanding now. "Funny... I can only eat meat. My body cannot digest much else. Rice is pretty good in small portions, though." 

"Then it is a medical necessity... how unfortunate." Small tears glitter down his face. "You do not even have a choice, poor soul." 

"It's not a tragedy... not to me at least." You roll your eyes. 

"Perhaps we feel differently about this. Well, Nekomata-san, I have a question to ask you." 

"Ask away. I don't have much to hide." 

"That nichirin sword you carry... where did you get it?" 

"It's not that exciting of a story. Before I came along, the village worshiped the memory of a retired demon slayer. His sword was raised at an altar like the ones devoted to kami." Your eyes flick to a flowerbed, tracing over the lilac flowers. 

"I wanted to taste that reverence, so I took it. When I returned, transformed, they began to worship me instead. It didn't take long for them to accept what I am after the first demon attack." Your gaze raises to him as you smirk. "Now, where did you come from, what's your story?" 

"...The origins of most demon slayers aren't particularly pleasant. I am no exception." He pauses before the flowerbed that caught your attention earlier. "I went hungry and let the children I cared for eat instead. Despite my best efforts, all but one of them died to a demon attack." 

As he crouched over to graze his fingertips over the flowers, you stood by. Coming to a conclusion, you speak. "...I see. Another tale of loss. Do you wish to meet them again?" 

Gyomei freezes in his place, quiet tears still slipping. "Pardon?" 

"I possess the power of necromancy. Say the word, and I shall raise them from the dead." 

Recovering, his response is surprisingly quick. "As much as I long to hear their voices once more, I will not violate the rules of nature. Both human life and death are sacred, they must not be disrespected." 

"...As you wish," you murmur, "though I find it difficult to understand your refusal." 

The rest of the stroll is rather quiet, but you can tell he is not upset by your offer. Grief raises unpleasant memories from their graves. For the remainder of the day, you leave him to deal with his personal ghosts. 

Time continues to pass. You alternate between staying home and visiting the Stone Hashira. Aside from him, not many others have taken the chance to speak to you, with friendly intentions at least. The butterfly woman, Shinobu Kocho, approached you with experimentation on her mind, which you refused. The only exception thus far has been Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira. 

"I appreciate your efforts to keep me company, Honey Badger. It gets rather dull when Anteater is away. The experimentation offers from Slow Loris get quite tiring as well." 

"Oh, it's no problem at all! You're the nicest demon I've ever met!" 

"That's not such a difficult title to receive." 

"No, not really... but it's fun to have, right? Anyway, by 'Slow Loris' do you mean Shinobu-san? Um, don't take this the wrong way, 'cause they're super cute, but what's up with the animal nicknames?" 

"I've been bored, that's all... but you asked me a question just now. That means I get to ask you one too." 

"Oh, it does? Well, I don't mind at all! What were you thinking about?" 

"Most demon slayers avoid me. The lower ranked ones run away, the higher ranks glare. What made you want to approach me?" 

"It's a bit embarrassing, actually..." Kanroji covers her face before squealing and giggling. "...I just really love cats, and you're so, so adorable! Himejima-san also loves them, so I guess that might have something to do with why he's been so soft with you!" 

"Truly? Is looking adorable all it takes to gain his approval?" 

"No, of course not! He's clearly seen something more in you, and I trust him. Besides, all those stories probably aren't true. I mean... you... don't steal corpses, do you?" Kanroji murmurs with sudden contemplative worry. 

"What would I do with those?" You scoff in amusement. 

"That wasn't really an answer... but oh, hey, look! There he is!" 

Gyomei stands before a group of children, trying to teach them something. One of the kids stomps over to the Stone Hashira. The child yells at him, challenging him to battle. Gyomei proceeds to beat the him headfirst into the ground after he would not quit. Cackles break out from between your lips, and you cover your mouth with your hand.

You wonder if you should sneak over there and cause some extra mischief too, but refrain from doing so. Instead you watch him from afar as Kanroji talks your ear off. His strength truly is tremendous, massive logs and boulders weigh nothing to him. A strange, unfamiliar warmth flares in your heart. It is not entirely unpleasant but since you cannot seem to figure it out, the flame keeps you distracted until his training is done, and even after it. 

A few months later, he is the one to visit you instead. Caught up in memories for once, your mind remains absent as your fingers graze your shamisen, reminiscing. Plucking one of the strings, a melody a rings out as your slit-eyes dart to his. White and pure as fresh milk, empty and lifeless with no movement. What a conundrum, you ponder, playing a slow, sad tune you know well.

Its origin has been long lost to time, only you remember the heartbroken geisha who sang it long ago. Her clothes grace your androgynous body, it is her shamisen in your grasp that you toy with. Both were gifts for the comfort you gave her, that ancient, lonely woman with no freedom or options. So alone, she would embrace the company of even a bloodthirsty beast, who only wandered to her arms out of sheer boredom. 

Once Gyomei reaches you, the final string is pulled. Song finished, you lower the instrument with care. Eyes closed, you hum in thought. "Humans are quite cruel." 

"Whatever could have inspired that thought?" He stops before you. His hands press together in prayer as always, as if belief lays in his nature. 

"Do you need to ask? I'm sure you've noticed it as well. Clinging to your faith and beliefs... there's no way not one human has been crude to you because of them." 

"They have... but it does not get to me. Why do you ask?" 

"When we first met, I lied. All nekomata come from old, mistreated housecats. I wasn't born in the mountains, I ran to them." 

"I assume you lived as most nekomata do, initially?" 

"Of course I did." 

"What made you change your ways?" 

"It took some time and a coincidence. I met a geisha, who didn't respond with fear. Curiosity got the better of me. I let her live, take comfort from me. I was quite fond of her... until a group of rejected clients butchered her when I was away." 

"How cruel... I pray her soul found peace." As expected, tears roll down his face, yet the sympathy is in no way false. "I presume you took some form of action against them, no?"

"Naturally... I tormented them. I've never taken kindly to my favorite things being taken from me. I brought her back to life, of course. We talked, she offered me her belongings... but there was only so much we could do with her as a corpse. I let her go after a while. It made me think about what I am, what I'm doing. I have power yet no dreams. So, for once, I sought guidance." 

"Is that when you met that man, the one you call your educator?"

Breathing out, you lean back against a wooden pillar. Face glowing beneath the moonlight, the stars glitter in your eyes. "Correct. Out of boredom, I protected this village and lingered near the Red Light District. Later on, I made it my duty to keep these areas clear of maneaters." 

"Ah... there have been rumors of a feline demon roaming that district for quite some time now. Is it safe to assume that has been you?" 

You confirm his assumption, moving on. "For the hatred most of my kind feel humans to be reasonable... is it truly such an unbelievable thing? Is it unjustified? People hate those who have wronged them. How different is it from your hatred of demons?"

"I suppose it is similar... many creatures hurt one another, unfortunately."

You hum in agreement. "Normally, I wouldn't waste my time with such questions... but to be perfectly honest, the way in which your peers treat me is quite bothersome. I am not their adversary." 

"I apologize for their behavior. Given how much you've helped humanity, it's certainly inappropriate. Your patience has been remarkable... I'd guess you know humans feel the same way about demons as you used to about humans."

"Yes... I only wish that understanding would be returned. I am still a living being, who can form bonds and feel emotions. There are still bits inside of me from the kit I once was, the one who sought to be loved by humans."

"The older and more abused a cat is before its transformation, the more power the nekomata has," Gyomei states, tears dribbling down his face once again, "and you are quite the powerful one, (Name)." 

Your eyes grow dark yet dull, hazed over with old, burnt out wrath. Centuries ago have those who wronged you perished. Their bloodlines could not last long, not with the malevolent spirit haunting them. So strong was your wrath, the greatest shamans, priests, and evokers failed to exorcise you. When all mediums failed, all of them were believed to be insane when speaking of visitations from their dead relatives, doomed to a lifetime of loneliness, as they deserved. 

"...and for that reason, they cut the tails from kittens." 

"If the tails cannot fork, the cats cannot become nekomata. Such needless damage..." 

"Exactly... they hurt us, then take away our only method of revenge. We are living beings, not toys to doll up. If we are treated well, there's no need to ever fear us becoming this way. Cutting the tails off so early... it's like they know they will be cruel. They prepare for the consequences instead of thinking about what they are doing wrong." 

"That would apply to demons as well. Kibutsuji's hunt for true immortality would not be necessary if he hadn't hurt so many along the way." 

"Of course... his demons begin as humans. In the end, we all choose to use our lives a certain way. From what I've seen in my many years, choosing cruelty rarely ends well." You stand, brushing off your kimono. "He will fall eventually." 

"That is guaranteed. The Demon Slayer Corps will never disappear until we eradicate all demons from this world." 

The air remains heavy that night, yet you feel as if you understand one another better now. You continue to work with the Demon Slayer Corps, finding entertainment from its members. Most importantly, you seek to better understand Gyomei. Peeking your head out from a shōji screen, you adjust the handkerchief over your head. To your surprise, it is Shinobu who greets you eagerly. 

The eerie woman invites you for a walk. You decide to indulge her, knowing a demon slayer's weapons would not be very effective if she were to attack. However, from her nervous mannerisms as she speaks with you of herbs and the like, you can tell she has other intentions, thoughts she is not so sure about. When you finally confront her about it, her answer surprises you. 

"I guess there's no use in hiding it. Is it true that spirits like yourself can raise the dead, Nekomata-san?" 

"Yes, it is. I rarely feel the need to do so, if you intend on reprimanding me for it." 

"No, that's not it. Could you..." she trails off, voice wavering as her usual confidence wears off. She breathes in through her nose, poised as ever. "Nevermind. It would be a silly request." 

"There's someone you want to see. I can arrange that." You stand up, dusting off your kimono. 

Shinobu blinks, mouth parted. With your nonchalance, one would assume you are headed to get some water from a well, not to raise the dead. Forcing herself to relax, her eyes shift downwards. "I... there's nothing more I could want, but... would that be such a smart thing to do?" 

"Only you can decide that. For some, it's like ripping an old wound open. For others, it's what allows that wound to mend. Which one would it be for you, to speak to that person again?" 

"...I don't know." 

"Do you accept the risk of pain? This revival will only be temporary." 

Her uncertain gaze hardens. "I do. That is irrelevant." 

"Very well. Think of what you want to say to her." You step forward, walking to a clear area of the forest. 

With a sharp twitch of your arms, music echoes in the forest. Dark tunes from the netherworld, drums for the breaking of bones, shamisen for shredded heartstrings. Joining in on the symphony, the bells of your accessories ring with a haunting sound. Gesturing with claws and tails, you sow together the rift between the planes. So your dance begins, ritualistic and powerful, your connection with death incomprehensible to the human eye. 

A strange fire bursts to life. It glows in reds and oranges, then blues and whites. The colors flicker, lingering in one set of shades, only to blink back to the other within a second. The flames follow your smallest movements like loyal, reverent dogs. They burn gently as you slow down, exploding into colors as you flare into the next harsh move. 

Slowly, a spirit emerges from the embers, and you slow to a stop. "Kanae Kocho, you have been summoned. I permit you to speak and move." 

Shinobu's eyes are blown wide, her usual mask crumbling. The question falls from her lips in a fragile whisper. "Kanae... is that really you?"

You step back, allowing the two to reconcile, or whatever it is that they were doing. Their conversation lasts for a while, until something nearly crashes into you. Shocked, your spell releases as you spin to the side. 

"YOU DEMON BASTARD!" Shinaguzawa yells out, trying to slash at you again. "HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THE DEAD LIKE THAT!" 

"Shinaguzawa-san, stop! I requested (Name)-san to use their powers!" 

The white-haired man lands after you dodged him. "So, you're getting chummy with demons now, huh, Kocho? Is this what she would've wanted, to spare as many of them as possible?!" 

"No," she cuts him off, harsh tone reflecting from her eyes. "I am more convinced than ever. My sister's death will be avenged." 

"I hope that was helpful." You dust your shoulders off, annoyed by the interruption. 

"It was, (Name)-san. Thank you for giving me this chance." 

You are quick to leave after hearing that, letting the pair settle whatever discussion they intended on having. Although necromancy is your forte, the energy drain will always be irritating, no matter how small. So, you seek out the man you have deemed your favorite a long while ago. 

Gyomei lowers the shakuhachi to his lap, a type of flute he mentioned he loves to play. Upon your arrival, he speaks as you sit beside him, having recounted the days events to him as you usually do. "Your dance must have been beautiful... and those offers of using your power over death... they are attempts at comfort, no?" 

"Yes, they are. My understanding of humanity is limited, but wanting closure is something that makes sense to me. Words from those not involved are useless. It's better to give the mourning an opportunity for those to be shared with the deceased." 

"Although I disagree, it brings me joy to hear you care so much." 

"I have felt fear and pain. I have no reason to wish it upon others." 

"Even if that is a simple notion, it is valuable. I have noticed your compassion when we've spoken, and I suspect there is more you haven't shown." 

"Nothing gets past you, it seems. I may as well be honest, then. Against my best wishes, I have fallen in love with you." 

"It appears my guess was correct." A soft smile graces his lips. "I am a deeply distrustful person... but I've grown to believe in you. In the eyes of my heart, I have seen your honesty. As for what's in mine... there are feelings similar to yours." 

A genuine, uncontainable grin spreads across your face. "Is that true? Will you be my betrothed, then?" 

"Ah... what a dreamy sentiment." His lips part in surprise, a small blush rising to his cheeks. "I cannot accept your proposal, not yet at least. In the Demon Slayer Corps there is no guarantee you will live to tomorrow." 

"I'll keep you alive." 

"As much as I love fighting by your side... the dangers of this occupation are not the only reason for this rejection. My religion's thoughts on romance are... complicated, as are my own. I'd like to think this through before we proceed. For now, I am glad to know these feelings are mutual." 

"That is fine with me, I have nothing but time. I worry more for you." 

"I am proud to live and die as a human being. Even if that means I get to experience only a blink this world's beauty." His words linger in the fresh air like last night's rain, in pearly droplets over the grass. Heartache, that is the cold feeling rushing over your chest. Even so, you cannot force him to accept immortality; humans like him are meant to be perfect, fleeting visages. 

"Then I'll let you be my favorite memory, my favorite era." Your fingers pluck the softest, quietest melody on the shamisen. The world slows down as your eyes flutter closed, sky bleeding into the pale shades of a cherry blossom flower. 

"And you will be my only vice, the one thing to make me regret my mortality." Tears pool in his eyes, falling in large streaks. You would tell him it is not the time to mourn yet, but he already knows. These are tears of joy, knowing he has found someone to love. No matter how unconventional, no matter how different you are or how slow you take it, this relationship will shape out into something beautiful, something you vow to carry on even after he passes. 

[ladyloveandjustice]

Winter 2025 Anime Overview: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun/Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun Season 2

After a five year wait, one of my all time problematic fave anime is back, and the anime about a hopeless romantic and her weird little ghost friend continues! I basically wrote a novel when the first season of Hanako-kun hooked me, so you can check that review out for more information about the show. This is a season that contains multitudes—the first arc finally covers the time keeper’s arc in the manga—an arc that had some really good parts and introduced an ongoing dramatic conflict, but also unfortunately introduced one of my least favorite characters (and relationship dynamics) in the series.

That’s a bit subjective and I plan to tag this so I won’t go into detail since I have no interest arguing about it, basically the character in question’s behavior is supposed to be funny and it’s not, I don’t find their motives or dynamic with the character they’re obsessed with interesting (and said dynamic will dominate said characters screen time later on and she deserves better), and the bad behavior is only jokingly condemned and not seriously called out in the way Hanako’s possessiveness is.

 But then the second half covers my favorite arc in the manga, so I was a happy camper. This arc has a lot of emotional development for the main characters, with Mitsuba and Kou and Hanako and Nene all having great little stories, relationship growth, and dramatic moments, the premise is heartbreaking and creative, Mei is complex antagonist and great character, the manga comes out in favor of the power of girls writing self-insert OCs, and there’s a beautiful message about how fiction can help us keep going through dark times, and how it can be a way to live on. It’s so good.

The change in directors is from the first season is noticeable, though the animation is a lot less limited, it’s notably less stylish and striking in its use of colors and elegant flourishes. Don’t get me wrong, it still mostly looks good and the cool art style that drew me in remains intact. There’s some really beautiful moments. I just sometimes found myself missing the pizzazz of the previous director sometimes. While the little manga panel transitions were there in part to cover up the first season's limited animation, I still missed how distinct that style was. It would have been nice to see what that direction could do with the second season clearly getting more of a boost resources-wise. But it's not the end of the world.

The caveats from the last season remain—the frequent mean spirited running joke about Nene’s ankles (as a manga reader, this does stop appearing as often in later arcs at least), and a good amount of ~funny pervert~ moments (though fun fact about one comment Hanako makes: a million chapters later it will be revealed that by “pervy stuff you could do with time travel powers” he meant…touching someone’s upper arm because apparently he’s secretly a Victorian child??? Also he’s legitimately embarrassed he said that later on, wow, growth). You can check out my first review I linked above for a more thorough rundown.

Some additional warnings: A character impulsively attempts suicide (but talks about planning to find a way to come back to life as they do). The attempt's method is not graphic, but I thought I'd warn just in case. Suicide is also discussed a few times, with a few nameless background characters making some shitty comments that are appropriately framed as a bad thing.

Hanako-kun as a story is interested in screwed-up romances and relationships in general, none of them are completely healthy. Personally, I don't need characters to be unproblematic and I usually find how the show explores these relationships really interesting, with a notable exception that I mentioned earlier. Hanako does do some screwed-up things that don’t respect Nene’s agency this season, but Nene reasserts her agency and thoroughly takes him to task for it. She’s so good, I adore her.

It’s a messy show, but it remains a rewarding one, especially if you love ghost stories and tragic ghost/human relationships like I do. I’m so happy we’re getting a third season soon. 

[ranticore]

Helloo I have questions for you re: the author ask you reblogged recently!! If you'd like for Félix and Islin: 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 19 (and 20 if you'd like!)

let's fucking GOOOOOOO!!!

2: How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)

F: day fucking one babey i knew his entire life story from the first second i drew him. the only things that changed are some minor appearance details. the FINAL final version has not arrived yet because i haven't finished writing the third book ;)

I: sure he looked different but in terms of personality and behaviour, the early him was very similar to what ended up in the books. what has changed is my understanding of him (<- that is to say, he always behaved the same, but i had to keep teasing out WHY he did that to reach what felt like a 'true' conclusion)

3: What was the first thing you decided on, the character's name, appearance, personality or their role in the story?

F: "oh I have to make a guy to be Jean's Twin Brother" so role in the story I guess

I: Absolutely the religiosity, there had to be a tension between his morals and what he did for a living (among the magpies). Personality I guess

4: And reverse, which one of the four things did you struggle with the most?

F: Name. I am TERRIBLE at naming

I: .... Name

12: Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

Both of them had separate playlists, but I hated how it crowded my spotify playlist window thingy to have so many, and there was a lot of overlap, so I consolidated their playlists into 1 big MVF draft one playlist with no rhyme or reason and no consistent anything

For songs, I can pick some random ones now just by hitting shuffle. It's a playlist I actually don't listen to much anymore (I made a new one for the rewrite) so this is a fun time capsule

Ok first Islin one i got was Devil Devil by MILCK, Point of Creation by Markéta Irglová, Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys OF COURSE, Judas by Lady Gaga... of course..., Los Ageless by St. Vincent, No Light No Light by Florence + The Machine, Without a Map by Markéta Irglová, and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine naturally

for Félix i got Heat Waves by Glass Animals, What's a Devil to Do by Harley Poe, A Mask of My Own Face by Lemon Demon hehe, Like a Prayer by Madonna, The Stolen Child - 2006 Remaster by the Waterboys (this is just. The Poem. yknow the one), Stalker's Tango by Autoheart, and finally Bad Believer by St. Vincent

14: Do you have any quotes tied to the character, either from the story itself or from another source that fit them?

Oh hmmm I don't think so? It would be hard to pick one line out of thousands except who am I kidding it's this line from the first draft of the book i'm writing right now

it's so dumb

19: What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

F: who's to say

I: i like how mean-spirited he can be at times despite all illusions to the contrary. huge fan personally

20: Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

i got nothing lol i tried going to random spots in the document but i'm not feeling any excerpts rn

[carionto]

Human sciens is simply fuck around and find out

So when the humans give a tour of the labs so alliance members see what the crazed apes are up to, suddenly BOOM the halls shake and lights flicker but the tour group is fine while the one giving the tour says something like "Ah thats the sound of progress" all while there's people rushing by with guns and extinguishers yelling about a code Red and subject escape

[22/09/23] Nice, that is a fun trope to work with. I think I'll leave the dinosaur crew be, and have some other questionable research station make a debut with an "accident". [23/09/23] Idea pops in my head after several rejections - Human-alien hybrids (because you can't cross-breed because that's not how biology works, but Humans are still curious, because of course we are) [24/09/23] Actually, no, I don't like that: 1st - fairly common as is; 2nd - doesn't feel right with the Humanity I'm writing out. No, I think a better avenue is, since Earth in this verse is gonna collapse in on itself in under a century, experiments towards terraforming methods, since that's a requirement and thus a literal blank check for any- and everything. Yes. (mad scientist voice) Yeessss, I can see it taking shape! [25/09/23] It took some kind of shape indeed.

_____________________________

Biology is the most diverse and complicated field of research with literally no end in sight. We will eventually discover every law of physics, and, yes, chemistry also has the potential for limitless combinations, only in biology can you find and create circumstances where trillions of different organisms co-exist and co-operate, compete, and can create a stable and self sustaining system. Not to mention mutation and evolution across generations, as well as the myriad of changes and adaptations a single organism can undergo in its singular lifespan. The potential is truly beyond the bounds of imagination.

Since biology is an omnipresent field in every civilization, it is only natural that it didn't take long before a Human led joint Coalition Flora research station was established - the Efflorescent Sneezewort Yarrow.

It is also natural that not long after that the non-Human staff sent this panicked message:

The Humans are insane! First, there is no regulation for anything beyond decontamination, which would be fine, if - IF - they didn't sometimes just bring the test materials out with them anyway for, and I quote: "Let it experience the outside world" or "Introduce it to my other plant buddies." The head researcher, instead of reprimanding this clearly dangerous behavior, just lets it happen. As a matter of fact, he almost exclusively and constantly ingests a plant-based gaseous substance through a device he calls a "bong" and locks himself for days on end within a random lab and, as he put it while looking at the ceiling: "Feel out the connections. We're all part of one whole, and only by becoming one with the roots of the soul can you truly attain the understanding of the spirit, and unlock the true calling of each sapling." As I draft this emergency message, there is a shuttle going through decontamination with two squads, one is an extreme disaster containment unit, the other a full on military special forces unit. With heavy duty weaponry. The worst is what they had to say: "Yeah, sometimes one of these nutcases gets the idea to combine plants with animal genes, and, to be fair, with access to the whole Coalition database and samples, I get it. There's a lot of really weird and cool creatures out there on each planet, makes most people at least think about playing scientist. Anyway, it's gonna be fine, the code said it was just a Mini HoH, so we'll be done in under an hour and you can all go back to doing your thing. I just hope we don't have to burn the thing this time, the prof said it's something like a dandelion and a small rainforest actual almost-lion from one of the real far out planets, but it's got bunny ears and the nose of a German shepherd, sorta. I think that's kinda neat." By the way, HoH stands for, and I am not making this up and the translator did get it right - House of Horrors. They claim it is just an homage to a piece of old Human culture. I don't believe them. I refuse to be a part of this madhouse for any longer than I must. Send a vessel and return me to a normal laboratory setting. I will now incubate myself in a cryo-pod to prevent any more exposure to these "scientists". Thaw me out in clean garbs and with two interns already doing real work on new medicines.

[tlbodine]

Fae Horrors: Huldra

This week's double-header features a Scandinavian folklore creature, huldra (or hulder, for a collective of them, I think?) -- generally described as a seductive forest spirit or guardian, a beautiful woman with an animal tail and/or a spine like a hollow tree stump. I've read that they can be friend or foe to people who venture into the woods, and a common thread seems to be that they can seduce and manipulate men into doing all kinds of things.

I'm not personally familiar with the myths, so I'm not sure which things I've read on the internet are historically accurate. Maybe one of you lovely followers can fill me in?

Anyway, the films this week were Thale (2012) and Huldra: Lady of the Forest (2016). They are, to my knowledge, the only two movies about hulder. They also could not be more different from each other, beginning with the fact that one of them is quite good and the other is a steaming pile of hot garbage that had me screaming at the television.

First, the good one. Thale is a Norwegian film written and directed by Aleksander L. Nordaas. It's about two guys, Elvis and Leo, who work as crime scene clean-up guys. While cleaning up the very messy remains of an old man ("wild animals" got at him, tearing him to pieces and scattering him around the property) they find his hidden basement, where he had seemingly imprisoned a young woman.

The girl, naked and mute and somewhat inhuman, turns out to actually be very inhuman in the sense that she's not a person at all but a hulder who had been taken into captivity and experimented on. The old man in the cottage had worked at the laboratory, smuggled her out, and raised her here as a father figure, but continued to experiment on her. We figure out some backstory courtesy of some convenient fae-creature telepathy, and the story builds from there because the girl (the eponymous Thale) has family still in the forest, and also the military is looking for her.

I won't spoil anything further. It's a very simple story, one that leaves a lot of questions unanswered. But I don't mind that ambiguity. In form, it reminds me quite a bit of an episode of Trevor Henderson's podcast, The Mayfair Watcher's Society: Two normal blokes stumble into an uncanny situation, see some crazy shit, and get on with their lives without explanation or context. If you like that type of storytelling (and I do), this is worth the watch.

The entire movie was filmed on a budget of $10,000, with Nordaas acting as writer, director, editor, set designer, and so forth. Most of the film was shot in his dad's basement.

And honestly? Mad props. I have nothing but respect for a micro-budget film that understands its limitations and leans into them. The creature effects are excellent. Like, the CGI is a little rough, but the design itself is A+ and it delivered a proper scare at one point.

The greatest strength of the film imo is the on-screen chemistry between the two leads. We don't really know what the relationship between Elvis and Leo is, whether they're friends or brothers or what, but they manage to communicate a great deal without saying a word, and it's easy to believe they've known each other a very long time. They're drift compatible, in other words, and they have very different personalities (Leo is utterly unflappable, Elvis can't get through a job without puking several times) that make it fun to watch them grapple with being in over their heads. Props to Erlend Nervold and Jon Sigve Skard. And props too to Silje Reinåmo, who has to spend most of the movie naked and do most of her acting with her eyes. Good stuff all around.

Which leads us....sigh....

Huldra: Lady of the Forest is a Swedish film directed by Ove Valeskog, with writing credit to Valeskog, Eddie Boschek, and Björn Boström. I believe it is Valeskog's first feature film, and I don't know what the budget on it was for sure but IMDB estimates it at $75,000. It certainly looks and feels much cheaper than Thale, probably because of the terrible script.

Okay. Ugh. Basically: A lady boxer is invited out on a camping trip with a bunch of guys she went to school with, and they all go party in the woods and engage in various...activities?...at some kind of former hippie commune turned hunting resort attraction camp....thing? The hippie who runs the place has a "daughter" who they spy bathing naked in a lake and who (spoiler?) is a huldra.

I guess (???) the main point is that the hippie guy lures people out to his commune to sacrifice them (???) to the huldra, who also apparently has the ability to make people go crazy and turn on each other, which is seemingly how the hippie guy got here in the first place. The story keeps cutting between the present-day group and the original hippie group, and we see both of them becoming paranoid and turning on each other until only one dude is left standing to take care of the huldra?

It's convoluted. And, frustratingly, there are the bones of a really good story in it. I actually really like the idea of a forest creature who uses her faerie wiles to psychologically fuck with a group of tourists and make them turn on each other. It's like Evil Dead with a faerie and I'm here for it!

Unfortunately, the movie is two hours long and agonizingly boring to get through. It's paced like a slow-burn psychological thriller, except none of the characters are actually fleshed out or given any depth at all. You're forced to watch scene after agonizing scene of rambling, pointless naturalistic dialogue as a bunch of annoying frat guys get drunk, argue, act misogynistic, and make small talk, without any clear idea of why anyone is doing anything. Also most of the film's dialogue is in English (owing I guess to their multinational friend group) but it seems like English is not the primary language of any of the actors so all of the line delivery is also kind of weird? Like inflections are in odd places, stiff tone, just....everything is weird, man. And most of the violence is off-screen and there are no cool creature effects so we don't even get the pleasure of seeing these people eviscerated for our trouble :(

I could have put up with all of this, maybe. I could have dealt with the frankly nonsensical storytelling (which was SO CLOSE to being good but then shit the bed), the bad acting, the wobbly erratic camera that bounces around for no reason, the poor editing....all of it. I could have shrugged it off as a "meh." Until the end of the movie.

At the outset, we see our heroine playing with her baby niece, and her sister telling her that having babies is great, actually, and that she needs to get laid, and maybe if she acted more feminine people would stop assuming she was a lesbian. and we think, ok, fine, sister is kind of annoying but whatever.

So then the heroine goes into the woods with all these dudes and tries to rekindle with a childhood crush. They have sex, then he pushes her away because he's married, and then gets all up in his feelings about it and it's stupid but ANYWAY....he dies, and then later she nearly drowns, but she has a vision of his stupid dead face telling her she HAS TO LIVE because there is a BABY INSIDE HER and this gives her the strength!!! to survive!!!! and then there's a flash forward a couple years later and we see her baby running around on the beach with his cousin and her boxing coach tells her, "You finally have achieved real balance! but why did you quit boxing?" and she's like "I don't need it anymore because MY LIFE IS COMPLETE with the power of LOVE! I love being a mommy soooooo much" I'm not even exaggerating this is almost exactly how the scene plays out and oh my god it is so stupid and cheesy and terrible.

You are allowed to be a shitty movie, and you are allowed to be surprise twist birther propaganda, but you don't get to be both.

Ew, ew, ew.

Anyway. Ugh. I don't know where or how this film ended up on my list -- it doesn't have much footprint online, there's only one review on the IMDB page and no Wikipedia, there's no Rotten Tomatoes score, only two reviews on Amazon. So maybe it's mean to hate this much on a tiny obscure random movie. But dear god. If you have two spare hours and a Tubi account, spend that precious time on something else because this movie is a big stinker.

Onward and (hopefully) upward next week.

[yoonmetogether]

Get to know your mutuals

hiiii @moochii-daisies thanks for tagging me!!! this was really fun! sorry for the lack of grammar tho

what's the origin of your blog title? it's kinda corny and i sometimes think of changing it but i'm lazy lol basically just incorporating my fav yoongi nickname and making it a play on words i guess?

favorite fandoms: army, atiny once upon a time i was a hooligan lol

OTP(s)/shipname: sebastian and grell (from black butler)

favorite color: pink

favorite game: honestly? club penguin oh and that card game 'spit'

song stuck in your head: there's so much going on up there i don't really know lol today it was everybody mad and yesterday it was that creepy tiptoe thru the window song idk

weirdest habit/trait? i constantly talk to myself. and if i'm outside i'll pretend to be on the phone so no one thinks im nuts lmaoo

hobbies: writing, reading (when i have the brain capacity), hiking with my dog, singing

if you work, what's your profession? I’m a substitute for elementary school students. I dont think im going to branch out to any other grades bc unfortunately where i live there are higher risks of firearm incidents in middle/high schools 🙃

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be? a singer and/or vocal teacher historian, museum curator

something you're good at: oversharing making lattes/mixed drinks

something you're bad at: being on time

something you love: my dog and kitty aka my children markiplier's editor - (also just markiplier in general he's endlessly funny. one day at work i was watching him play that supermarket game and when things weren't going well he went "this is a poopy day! what a shit ass poop ass day!" i had to go hide in a corner for ten minutes to laugh i'm laughing just thinking about it im immature as hell)

something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: bts' origin story lol other history related things

something you hate: fascist governments, maga all these fucking ads everywhere like there's an extra $3-4 fee to not see 5 minutes of ads every 10 minutes on a service that already costs $8-12???? i guess i'll be indefinitely paying for youtube premium because i cannot be without my youtubes fuck you capitalism and forced consumption that goes for you too tumblr !!! something you collect: rocks

something you forget: everything. i have the memory of a gnat on acid

what's your love language acts of service

favorite movie/show: movie - spirit: stallion of the cimarron (idk if hamilton counts lol) tv show - new girl and family guy

favorite food: bibimbap if i could eat that every day for the rest of my life i would but i can't cook for shit nor can i afford it lol

favorite animal: my top 3 are elephants, cheetahs, and pigs lol

are you musical? yes! i went to an arts school for vocal music and did musicals from age 6-13. i don't miss the competitive environment but i do miss performing and singing pretty much every day

what were you like as a child? i was an only child with undiagnosed adhd and not a lot of friends im gonna leave it at that

favorite subject at school? history

least favorite subject math

what's your best character trait? i've been told that i give good advice and perspectives on issues and that i'm caring and understanding

what's your worst character trait? umm i get triggered easily when i feel left out (i have unresolved trauma okay im working on it) ((there's that oversharing))

if you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? that i finished cleaning out my car

if you could travel in time who would you like to meet? my great-grandmother bc not only am i named after her but she was also born almost exactly 100 years before me and i want to show her everything i found out about her through the research i did for my undergrad thesis project like some stuff none of our family knew about but i was able to discover

aaaaand on an entirely different note, brendan frasier on the set of the mummy

recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love) first thing that comes to mind is Kanalia it's just so perfectly written and beautiful like the angst and tension is paced so well i wish my memory could be erased so i can read it again for the first time i'm actually about to go reread it now

i'm gonna tag @ot72025 @polarnightmyg and @glossdebut ! but no obligation to do it!

[blackberry-command-cap]

intro (as of October 2024) :||

⚠️ 4/6/25 update: this is. uh. quite old at this point, and kinda outdated. I'm on BG3 now. I still have burnout, I'm still Christian, still like getting asks and interacting, blah blah I'll update this properly at some point 👍🏼

Pertinent information about me:

Call me Blackberry <3

She/her and a LEGAL ADULT as of this month 🧀🧀

Improving from what is probably burnout and also mild depression

I doodle a lot. Sometimes I draw comics. I don't do fancy art or writing bc it takes too much patience. I take a lot of screenshots of my SWTOR babies :D besides that I'm just around

That one screechy death ginger who got 4 minutes of screen time in The Force Awakens? I deeply relate to him (tag)

I have a few OCs which are more memes than actual characters but oh well (character page)

I'm Christian and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Posts related to that are tagged #spiritual stuff or #church stuff

I like to talk about my interests but don't want to bore ppl so if you want to hear more about something interactions and asks are always welcome! (plz talk to me)

Less pertinent information about me:

I like to play D&D and Mario Kart

I read a ridiculous amount when I was younger and have a complicated relationship with a number of YA series, including Divergent and (sigh) Twilight which I am happy to yap about if prompted

Mumbo Jumbo is my spirit animal (though I haven't watched him in years

My brain does math really well but it sucks at writing (also social stuff. not really a good deal tbh I want my money back)

Tagging is pretty disorganized but I try :/

Me talking: #bb thoughts, #bb thinkings, #bb complains etc.

#tobbhibsw - non-star wars tag, stands for "turns out blackberry has interests besides star wars"

#i need a hux tag - the man himself 🤭🤭 I can't asd;fkjasldfj\

#oc: worst sith ever (+anxiety) - my current favorite SWTOR blorbo <3

other Character tags are on my character page

Self explanatory: #my doodles, #real life stuff, #unprompted sw thoughts, #unprompted swtor thoughts, #fun stuff

#church stuff - posts related to my church's (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) culture or doctrine, or generally organized religion

#spiritual stuff - posts not specifically about organized religion but still religious in nature, referencing God etc.

Reblog tags

#cool art 👍🏼 - art that strikes me or has a particularly good vibe (because it's pretty)

#analysis and lore - any post where someone has typed out their thoughts, headcanons, explanations, whatever in a big block of text

#crack/memes (don't worry abt it) - memes, text posts, s***posts, etc.

[bcbdrums]

For the fic writer ask?

🥭🍐🍇

From this ask game.

🥭 Rank from most enjoyable/fun to write to least: Fluff, Smut, Angst, Crack.

Angst, fluff, smut, crack. Crack is hard because I don't know how to do humor. And the humor I do occasionally write doesn't fit the crack-vibe. Smut... Becomes kind of one-note after awhile, for me. Fluff is a delight. They DESERVE to be happy and I will write all those warm fuzzy feels that may not be entirely in character but gosh darn it, the blorbos deserve them!!! And angst... Ah, angst, my wheelhouse. They're already suffering in canon. I will make it worse, I will drag it out for thousands of words... And I'm good at it. Definitely the easiest, and the most fun.

��� Is there anything in canon that you absolutely hate and love to fix in fics? A wrong choice made, a bad characterization, a misunderstanding never cleared up, a conversation never shown onscreen, etc…

I wouldn't say hate. If I hate something I tend to dissociate from it. Like, I won't watch Star Trek Generations at all. Never seen it. Trekkies know why, probably. If I didn't see it happen, it never happened! (I still don't hate it - can't hate something I haven't seen.) Or Soul Eater NOT, again don't hate, but hate certain choices so I just...dissociate and disavow. Especially when it heavily contradicts established canon, it's easy to disavow. But if I'm just mildly annoyed by something, or frustrated, I'll write like...missing scenes. Things that answer the unanswered questions or clear up confusion. Or when a thing ends too soon, I may write a missing scene thing that fleshes out more of the details and emotions. But as a canon purist I never change things. Now, if we wanna be specific about a specific canon... Honestly, nothing is leaping out? Just that missing scene/fleshing out details, thing.............. WAIT. I've got one. In the Soul Eater manga. Maka should have hugged Spirit. Like. I get that the author needed to wrap things up fast, and comedy is a good way to do it. But.... That...... What the author did there. That was wrong. Which makes me think of the Soul Eater anime. A specific thing I would have changed is, all of Crona's lines in the final scene in the Death Room should have been spoken by Spirit (and changed to make more sense). Honestly, that part makes me cringe. It ruins the final episode for me. I won't keep going about it because it'll make me upset, but yeah.

🍇 Is there a particular scene/episode/book/etc that you want to just write a million fics about, over and over? Which one?

Well............... I've technically written over 200 fanfics about Drakken/Shego in Kim Possible. Just....those two. Aaaaaaahhhhh yesssssss making a villain romance work. That hits the spot. Like. How many love confession fics can I write? A lot, apparently. In Soul Eater, basically any moment Stein and Spirit are together onscreen I want to write about. 😅 Same in the manga. I'm not obsessed, I swear-- Other fandoms... I do have those moments but they aren't leapint out at me right now. If I think of them I'll edit this post to include them. Was trying to think of Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes (book and TV) canons. Hmm...

Thanks for the ask!!

[seventeenlovesthree]

You know, one thing about getting older, at least for me, is the realization that keeping up that whimsical spirit is hard. Very hard.

I have spent the past four years trying to maintain routines in regards to self-care and, while it worked out well for a period of time, the "noise" out there is very persistent to break your habits. By "noise", I don't just mean the world out there, the constant stream of social media providing you with news and tragedies, a ruthless algorithm that is very hard to avoid if you're seeking that little serotonin streak out there. Yes, I agree that our attention spans have been pretty much messed up and that it's VERY difficult to get back to some... Quiet.

That's why the noise basically refers to everything - your social life, family, friends, partners, acquaintances, colleagues, all the people out there, but also the things you surround yourself with. Habits, food choices and sleeping rhythms, once again, the media you consume while trying not get consumed by it...

I keep going on about how I had re-started drawing back in 2021 after a rough 10-year-break in which I simply didn't feel like drawing at all. I was occupied with other things during time - and if you're familiar with my tumblr, you know that that's been heavily related to football. I loved my clubs, I loved by NT and for the longest time, I could get by despite the set-backs and bad developments surrounding it. Right now I am staring at my PC and am slowly but steadily realizing that basically all the players that led me towards football have retired. Either just from the NT or completely. There are players, relatable figures, people I (used to) look up to, that inspired me, that brought be through the day, week, month, year. It was a fun time. But then the "noise" took over. The people I rambled with ended up just as frustrated and left. Only a few of them are left, but the majority - me included - has moved on to other things. Why? Because it had become too draining, too negative. The bubble had popped, several figures in the business had turned out to be unbelievably "bad people" (I'll keep this PG), things were so commercialized, unfamiliar and just... Opportunistic. The "whimsical spirit" was so hard to maintain and even if this Summer provided a little spark, it still feels alienating. There is still a glimpse of hope, but, again, you REALLY have to hold onto that.

The same goes for my other "fandoms" to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I still have fun sitting in my little corner and draw, write and create little things - even if it's mostly for myself, sometimes I do wonder why interactions have become so scarce. The atmosphere on social media is incredibly... Empty sometimes. I'm not just saying that because a lot of people have not grasped the reblogging system on this site. You may have heard the concept of people being overexposed by the neverending stream of art, "content" being thrown at them from all sides... It's become more of a product to consume than a thing to look at and enjoy and savour. And I feel that myself. I used to save fanart to my phone and computer and find myself looking at it countless times. I still do that with several art pieces, but... I assume it's because the brain has become somewhat tired that we cannot appreciate it like we used to.

Everything is just... Happening too fast and I feel like I need to have a detox every now and then. My brain still craves the serotonin of seeing new, beautiful art. But to get there, I have to get through a sea of things that get me anxious. Even with filters, even with blocking things I don't wanna see... It's not the same.

The same also applies to media in general - I'm currently in a fandom of a series that's kinda "walking on air". There is the possibility of a new animation being planned out there somewhere, somewhen, maybe... But a part of me isn't even sure if I want something "new". Consider myself "old" when I say this, but a lot of things that come out these days, sequels, reboots, remakes of things I used to enjoy as a kid... Simply don't hit the same way anymore. There's a reason why I find myself rewatching the old stuff over and over again and often have quite a mixed relationship with more recent things. EVA is one of the few franchises that, in my opinion, managed to get to a satisfying ending after ALL these years, but I am TERRIFIED for the new Madoka movie. I haven't even dared to look at Sailor Moon Cosmos, simply because I know my brain is tainted by how much enjoyed the 90s anime and how much of a clusterf*ck Crystal/Eternal/Cosmos has been for the past ten years... On the same note, do we really need a One Piece remake? And Digimon? I would loathe the idea of an Adventure remake... Because it would not only contradict the messages of the previous entries of the series; move on but keep the things you love close to you... It would simply not... Satisfy me. A part of me wants to see how the OG timeline goes on, but what if there'll be things to contradict it all even more? Do I want things to go on for the sake of keeping the nostalgia alive, even though the fear of mischaracterizations is very real? Do I really want the milking of the cash-cow to continue? To hunt for breadcrumbs? The commercialisation and... Opportunism? And why does it feel like I've heard that before...?

I don't want to end this post on a negative note. I'm gonna turn 34 in a few weeks, I've been into TV shows and had my hyperfocus topics basically since I was like 7 or so. I might always find things that keep the whimsical spirit alive to some degree. But I need to remind myself to not let the "noise" get too loud every once in a while.

[moviememokeeper]

HI ITS DREAM this is gonna be a long one im sorry-

i got into pokemon again and i thought of a team for reca, and also my oc (who ive decided to name abezethibou aka zeti for short). i read so many pokedex entries for this... heres the teams and explanations.

RECA: in my head he's not that strong or serious as a trainer, so he just has pokemon he likes most, or for real life utility.

1 Rotom: yknow how rotom phones exist? yeah, so that, but assistant director. its genius.

2 Beheeyem: it can manipulate memories of others. perfect.

3 Palpitoad : amphibian :). also it can sorta sing apparently.

4 Smeargle: dog that draws lmao. literally. the dex doesnt say much else.

5 Mr. Rime: i didnt even need the dex entry for this choice, but its a dancer and comedian.

6 Lurantis: idk, just vibes, but the dex says collectors like to maintain the vibrance of their colors which is apparently very hard. in my head that registered as like: oh, exotic rich guy pet. yeah put it there.

ZETI: theyre a pretty paranoid person so they feel better as a stronger trainer. my game knowledge is limited so this team probably sucks but theyre strong cause i said so hehe

1 Absol: it appears to people just before disaster strikes. this is def not canon in the games but iirc in an anime ep or movie it was that they predict those disasters and try to warn people, and it resulted in them becoming a bad omen instead. zeti relates

2 Metagross: it doesnt really have a reason to be here but i love metagross so i had to.

3 Grimmsnarl: its apparently pretty mischevous and likes pulling pranks. zeti likes to tease others just so see their reaction sometimes so i had to give em this

4 Ceruledge: theres not much to say except the vibes matched.

5 Spiritomb: the dex entries say such different things abt this pokemon but i understood it as this. its made of 108 evil spirits who were imprisoned in the stone below it for their misdeeds. anyways, my reason for this was something-something the pull between wanting to not give a fuck but also eternal grief and regret

6 Urshifu (rapid strike): i hc this is the pokemon they got specifically to ease their anxiety. it also kinda fits though. its implied that it seeks to exterminate those with evil hearts, so in my head it aligns with zeti's one belief that is a constant in their life -never fw evil people- and also this makes it a good protector.

OKAY THAT IS ALL im sorry again that this is so long.... if tumblr somehow deletes this ask i will DIE. to anyone reading this, esp those that know better abt pokemon, feel free to give ur ideas. im just a filthy casual lol

-dream anon

I don't really have much to add I just love this idea alkzfcuqb

be prepared for a lot of rambling

the absol thing is canon in game btw - you can find the dex entries on bulbapedia (said you're a casual so I don't really know how much you do know, bulbapedia is a great source for pokemon stuff in general)

from:

firered/leafgreen: It appears when it senses an impending natural disaster. As a result, it was mistaken as a doom-bringer.

diamond/pearl: It senses coming disasters and appears before people only to warn them of impending danger.

Black2/White2: It appears from deep in the mountains to warn people about upcoming disasters it has sensed with its horn.

(it's in pretty much all games, I just picked a few to write in the post lol)

it can also mega evolve, might fun to look into :3

do you think either of them would use any gimmicks?

my oc uses mega evolution for his lucario, he has a couple z-crystals but doesn't use them often, he also has a dynamax bracelet he doesn't use at all lol - Leon gifted it to him and he kept it because it looks cool (also he can't just get rid of a gift from a friend)

I can imagine Reca using mega evolution, but you didn't give him any pokemon with that ability lol.

it mostly comes down to:

looks really cool

requires a strong bond between trainer & pokemon

I know gen 7 rewrites mega evos as something hurtful to the pokemon but I always despised that retcon so I'm ignoring it <3

just to be clear; I also imagine him to be a casual trainer, but if someone were to challenge him I think he'd try this

I was thinking maybe a gardevoir?

partly because Diantha has one and she's an actress...

mostly because of the fairy/psychic typic and it's protectiveness of it's trainer

the part that kinda throws me off however is Gardevoir's ability to look into the future, when a memokeepers whole thing is looking into the past

also about Zeti's team (I love the name btw) - it's not as bad as you might think it is, in fact I think it's pretty good

I put it into marriland to take a look at the weaknesses & resistances and (you can skip this part if you don't care too much for it lol)

There's have a bad weakness against fairy, but that can be easily fixed by giving metagross & ceruledge the right moves. you could probably give the others something as well if you think it's necessary

overall the team is looking really good honestly imo. if the ceruledge has the ability flash fire it would be immune to fire type moves as well (won't change the total weaknesses, just fun to know imo)

the pokemon you chose look pretty intimidating as well, really gives off the vibes of a powerful trainer :3

also, "they're strong because I said so" THATS SO REAL

I mean my oc uses a pikachu for fucks sake

it's quite literally the pikachu I had in my playthrough of Let's Go Pikachu, his name is Lightning and his favourite outfit is his suit with his little bowtie because he's a distinguished gentleman.

anyway back to ask

I used a ceruledge in pkmn violet, absolutely loved it here's it's dex entry

I don't know everything about your oc, but I do feel like it kinda fits them, you be the judge :3

I have so many thoughts let's go back to Reca for a second

I am IN LOVE with the rotom idea. especially because I imagine AD to be a bit mischievous and Rotom are kinda known for it lmao

from Legends Arceus: This bizarre Pokémon appears to be a will-o'-the-wisp powered by electricity. Be wary, as Rotom is both smart and mischievous.

it just fits PERFECTLY

for some reason I can imagine him with a joltik... I just feel like he'd love tiny bugs in general

also about lurantis - I agree with you don't get me wrong - but on the topic of rich people pets: Meowstic or espurr

tell me that's not a rich people cat

no I'm not biased what do you mean

okay perhaps I'm a little biased it's one of my all time favourite pokemon....

and also I just see Reca as a cat person

okay, one more thing I'm done, consider: Mimikyu

from pokemon Moon: A lonely Pokémon, it conceals its terrifying appearance beneath an old rag so it can get closer to people and other Pokémon.

a few reasons why I think this works:

Imagine Reca as a lonely person in general (headcanon that he built AD bc he needed a friend), so it's like him and mimikyu finding each other and becoming companions... ack. my heart

ghost quota. I don't know. for some reason memokeeper just makes me think ghost. would want black swan to have one as well

I KNOW ROTOM IS A GHOST AS WELL I just never think of it that way. he needs a ghostier ghost.

I don't know if this one is a reach but. Mimikyu isn't what it looks like right? it's not the cloth, it's the mysterious being underneath. Now think about reca being a memokeeper and how he keeps that secret from the public

I don't know, I feel like it fits

and now I'm gonna stop because this post is already way too fucking long

[klysanderelias]

So I've been playing through Shadowrun Hong Kong with the audio commentary enabled (side note, what a pain in the ass to try and balance the audio out with this, AND no subtitles?) and it's really interesting-

Partially because I'm slowly remembering how this story goes and it's interesting to jump back in with a lot of those memories still hazy, because I kind of know what's going on? But not enough to be like 'oh right, THIS guy'.

But also because like, the audio commentary is a nice addition and something I wish more games did, I know the other big games I can remember that had it were half-life 2 and left 4 dead, both valve, and I remember it being kind of underwhelming, and the commentary for Hong Kong so far is.. also underwhelming 😅

Mostly because commentary in general is kind of dogshit - it's often a group of people in a room just kind of off-the-cuff talking, and it's often just shouting out the great work the art designer did etc etc, but also I think that a lot of people are looking for trivia or tidbits rather than deep dives. It's fun to hear that they based the portrait of Kindly Cheng off the landlady from Kung-fu Hustle, but I'd much rather hear more about why they chose certain plot elements, or character choices, etc. The best so far has been about Kindly Cheng, because she's a major character and so to a certain extent it'd be hard for them NOT to talk about writing her, but sometimes I'll open a commentary track and it's like 'oh yeah we were originally going to have this harbor completely dry but we ended up actually expanding it out from our original reference' or 'it's great to have a small team making a text-based rpg because it's really simple to add little connecting events and dialogue rather than having to get like five people in a room between animation, voice acting, writing, etc, it takes us like twenty minutes and we're done'

Which is, y'know, I like hearing about the process, but I'm really champing at the bit to hear like, they've talked a very little bit about the overall plot and why they chose the Yama Kings, how it takes aspects from the tabletop rpg, and I'm just grabbing my screen like 'talk more! say more about this!'

Partially because I'm coming into this without full knowledge of everything so I'm like, hey, am I sure that Hong Kong is good? Because the plot is about how there's a place that's genuinely cursed because of qi and I'm wondering like, how is this going to be portrayed? Am I going to be happy with the implications of that?

And the answer is, y'know, probably not, because Shadowrun is fantasy enough that ancient spirits and magic flow are real observable actors in the world, and so sometimes, uh, y'know, slums exist because the vibes are bad?

I don't think it's going to be that shallow, of course, I'm putting my faith in the game, but it's definitely hard not to look at the game thus far and go 'hmm, these maybe aren't the themes I was hoping for'

Do really like all the characters so far - Duncan sucks, because he's SUCH a cop, but also they don't shy away from like, yeah, he's overly aggressive, and he's got anger issues, and he's willing to hurt people for convenience, and they're not posing it as like 'well but that's what cops HAVE to do'. And Is0bel and Gobbet are great, really happy with their characters so far. Also going around talking to people in Hoei and again, lots of natural-feeling diversity without it being uncomfortable - sometimes you got a rigger-doctor in a wheelchair with a bunch of amputations, no one's talking shit about him, he's genuinely the most friendly and social guy in the place and everyone wants to party with him! /I/ want to party with him!

It's just like, y'know, the thing I really love about this team is that they're so committed to having a cast of characters with basically no white guys. Just the most anti-gamergate shit. No there isn't a sex sidequest, stop asking, be fucking normal around people.

And unfortunately, not everyone who plays the game understands this, because I've already seen edits of Is0bel's portrait to be white and red-haired in the fucking community pictures under the game in my steam library. But y'know.

[prima-materia-ttrpg]

How do Players interact with the world, anyway?

In my last post I said I'd either talk about this or combat. Well, combat's not here yet so. Attributes, Skills, and Characters it is. All-in-all, the fundamentals of how players actually interact with the game (and why they are the way they are).

Lots of ttrpgs have different ways of having players interact with the world. I already talked about dice mechanics, and how they interact with the Attributes and Skills in a previous post, which is the basis of how every system in the game works. I won't rehash that post here, so I'm mostly going to talk about the specific Attributes and Skills that exist in the game, and how Character Creation works.

The Attributes in the game are meant to symbolize general things about a character's body or mind. Some Attributes, like Strength and Dexterity, are probably in most ttrpgs that exist. Others I hope are more unique, like Alchemy. Skills exist underneath an associated Attribute. Brawl is associated with Strength, Metaphysics is associated with Knowledge, and so on. Anyway here's Wonderwall a list of the Attributes and Skills that are currently in the game.

Strength

Athletics

Brace

Brawl

Labor

Dexterity

Acrobatics

Dodge

Sleight of Hand

Stealth

Cunning

Animal Handling

Cooking

Glibness

Insight

Intimidation

Vitality

Endurance

Perception

Resistance

Survival

Knowledge

History

Religion

Machinery

Medicine

Metaphysics

Alchemy

Chemistry

Magical Constructs

Potioncraft

Spellcraft

Toxicology

The main reason it's set up like this is because I personally like the Attribute / Skill way of representing characters in adventure type ttrpgs, and it's also what I'm used to for the most part. The reasoning for tying Skills to Attributes in an explicit way like this is largely due to the kind of dice system that I'm using, which means Attributes and Skills need each other to work and you can't actually roll any Attribute on its own.

There are some skills in interesting spots, as well as some more enigmatic skills that I'd like to point out here. Cooking being a Cunning skill rather than a Knowledge skill was quickly pointed out by one of my friends when I came up with this list, and while I do see a world in which that makes sense, the way I personally cook is by "feel" more than following specific recipes. I like to make up new dishes and work with weird stuff when I can, and so Cooking makes more sense under Cunning to me.

One of the more enigmatic skills is Metaphysics, which is one of the fun "your GM will let you use this skill but only if they're cool" skills, like Religion and History. Here's the explanation of Metaphysics straight out of the PDF.

Metaphysics is your ability to identify and understand metaphysical phenomena, and your general knowledge thereof. This includes understanding and identifying bridges to other universes, what happens to spirits when they are rent from the body as well as what they are made of, and wrapping your head around phenomena and forms of magic that can bend the local laws of physics.

I will say nothing of Alchemy except that it is the magical skill and most of the skills under Alchemy are used in various Alchemical disciplines to craft very interesting magical things. I will cover this in excruciating detail in a future post, as it's one of the parts of the system that I personally am the most excited about.

Characters? In my Fantasy TTRPG? It's more likely than you think.

Characters in Prima Materia are a collection of statistics, narrative writing, and skills. - The PDF

We've already talked about some of the statistics that make up a character, being the Attributes and Skills, but this is one of the last things that goes into making a character. The first thing that you do when making a character is choosing a species. Each character also has an age, size, speed, and fine manipulators (Hands or hand-like appendages). They have unique traits based on what species they are as well, for example, Narud have an exoskeleton and thus natural armor. Ternaki are more resistant to diseases and poisons. Sepia can trick people into thinking they're objects. I think a fun way to talk about this would be to talk about how I made Dr Hugh Mann, the character that I'm currently using in playtesting. Dr Hugh Mann is, of course, a human. He gets all the goodies that humans get from being human. Actually, here's one of the unique traits that humans get because I think it's neat.

Social Creature: You may choose a creature with which you believe you have bonded. When taking a course of action to help or defend this creature, you gain a +2 modifier to rolls pertaining to that goal. During a short rest, you may socialize with this creature and gain an extra die to any one roll until your next short rest. You may change the creature with which you are bonded during a short rest.

Humans will pack bond with anything.

You then choose a profession, which is a suite of skills you can unlock over the course of the game. The current professions in the game are Alchemist, Magi, Martial Artist, Physician, Prophet, and Vessel. I'll talk about these in more detail in a future post; but a character's profession says a great deal about how they interact with the world. Dr Hugh Mann is, of course, a Physician.

After this, a background is chosen which gives you some more things to put on your character sheet. Dr Hugh Mann has the Carnie background, and this is where my imagination went off the deep end into backstory for him as a character.

Hugh, a he/him nonbinary human, traveled with a carnival for a while offering his Physician services both to the other performers and at a cheap rate for anyone who would come on stage with him during his performance. His act consists of dressing as his drag persona, Mel Praxis, and using his assistant (whom he may have just treated an hour ago) to engage in magic acts in which he pretends to cut them open with a scalpel and pull out, say, 100 feet of multicolored handkerchiefs that have been tied together end to end.

Mechanically, this means he has very good Medicine and Sleight of Hand skills, and while he's good at a few other things, he's fairly specialized into these skills at level 1, and there are several skills he is worse than bad at and will likely not improve much.

A few of my friends have also made characters that they really enjoy, including a Ternaki Alchemist who's in a self-imposed exile, and a Human Fusilier who worked mostly as a cook for their company.

Although the math and things are still being worked on to make the system work mechanically as intended, this is to me a very good sign. The system so far seems to make people excited about the character's they're making, and that was the foremost design goal.

As always, thanks for reading all this. Next week I'll will either be about combat or Ternaki lore (and mechanics). Contingent on whether I can playtest combat by next week.

I'm also working on a website where I can host the PDFs and some forms for playtesting, so that could be a thing soon! I was hoping to have it up today so I could release the Character Creation playtest with the Character Creation blog post but alas, technical issues ensued and things don't always work out the way I want them to.

[hapuriainen]

Hapuriainen's animation, comics & Games from 2024

Anime: Delicious in Dungeon, One Piece Fan Letter

The magical girl stuff: Wonderful Precure!, Heartcatch Precure!, Precure movies, Märchen Mädchen, Sasaki & Peeps, MahoAko, MahoAku, MahoNare, Acro Trip, Magilumiere, Samurai Flamenco

Manga: Shangri-la Frontier, Pokemon Adventures, How Do We Relationship, Vinland Saga, A Sign of Affection, Maison Ikkoku, Girls Last Tour, A Sinner of the Deep Sea, Go with the Clouds North-by-Northwest, Enidewi, Is Reiroukan still alive?, A Kingdom of Quartz

Continuing: One Piece, Undead Unluck, My Hero Academia (end), Spy x Family, Frieren, Witch Hat Atelier.

The magical girl stuff: Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, Shugo Chara Dream Joker, Magical Girl Dandelion, Mermaid Melody Aqua, Champignon Witch, Pretty Guardian Stress, Who Said Blues had to be Cool

Games: Zelda games (Adventure of Link, Majora's Mask, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, Minish Cap, Spirit Tracks, A Link between Worlds, Echoes of Wisdom), Pokemon Scarlet DLC, Animal Crossing New Horizons DLC, Ghost Trick. Unfinished: Some Pokemon BW2, Overcooked, Super Mario Wonder.

Movies: Elemental, Spy x Family Code White

Overall I think I watched very little animation that wasn't magical girls, and those have been extensively documented on the other blog. Dunmeshi and the second half of Frieren the only non-mahou anime I can remember, and I meant to watch many of the newer Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks movies but keep missing the chance and haven't even seen Wish yet. Hopefully next year will be better on this front, I do like magical girls but it's nice to branch out too.

The manga side had a bit more variation. I finished/caught up with several titles that were in the Humble Bundle set of award winning manga, but there's still plenty left. Vinland Saga is really good and I'm sad to see it go now that it's clearly about to end, Shangri-la is shallow as a puddle but good fun, and Sign of Affection is ok I guess but a bit bland. I also read a bunch of Harta/adjacent manga this year for the art and vibes.

Then I surprisingly started reading Pokemon Adventures, because I simply need to meet the manga version of Scarlet. I started from the beginning though and haven't even made it out of the Ruby/Sapphire arc yet so it's still a long way. So far I've been really happy with the writing of the female characters, but I hear the quality drops on that front after Platinum which makes me worried.

This year I've been quite the gamer because I played something other than one of the big Nintendo franchises I've been playing for years. Which is Ghost Trick and Overcooked, both of which were great. Mario Wonder is still in progress, it's a fun game but doesn't exactly have a gripping narrative, but I'll finish it for Daisy. Next year looks promising for game variety too since I bought a bunch of games from the Switch e-shop sale (and already finished Gris but that was in 2025).

For Pokemon I unexpectedly became a total hardcore player and voluntarily gave Protect to more than one mon. Ultimately getting into the competitive aspect is way too much upfront work with team building, but I feel I gained a lot of appreciation of the franchise in how there's some really complex mechanics under that kid friendly gameplay. And then I even got into the gotta catch 'em all aspect when I finally downloaded Pokemon Home and started filling my Dex, but that project is on pause right now since there's just no way I'll be able to get some of the rare/version exclusive mons. Also I found 3 shinies in like a week which still baffles me.

Best work: Echoes of Wisdom

Best music: Eow final boss final phase

Best visuals: One Piece Fan Letter, EniDewi

Best character design: Delicious in Dungeon in general

Best OP: Magilumiere (for the song)

Best ED: Samurai Flamenco ed1 is the one I most often didn't skip so I guess it wins, no real standouts this year

Biggest WTF: All those shinies in Pokemon. Also Mikau's death (in Majora's Mask) was really funny. The reveal of the painting in Ghost Trick was a great twist.

Best Girl: EoW Zelda, PokeSpe Sapphire for runner up

Best Boy: Thorfinn (Vinland Saga), Sissel (Ghost Trick) for second place

Best Side Girl: Hilda (a Link between Worlds)

Best Side Boy: Kieran, and also my Skeledirge! (Pokemon Scarlet)

Worst Girl: Lukia from Mermaid Melody Aqua

Worst Boy: This goes to Mermaid Melody Aqua too, forget his name but he sucks

Worst Side Girl: the other magical girl from MahoAku had a cute design but character wise was pretty worthless

Worst Side Boy: the one note big corporation boss from Magilumiere, those blue armoured freaks from Zelda 2 (assuming they're male)

Best romance: Elemental was ok, or alternatively SatoIro from Wonderful Precure

Best non-romantic relationship: I like what they did with EoW Link and Zelda but I'm not sure if I ship them

Worst romance: Lukia's drama from Mermaid Melody Aqua

Worst non-romantic relationship:

Plans for 2025:

Maybe it'll finally be the year of NGE? I should start keeping track of how many years I've been saying I'll watch Eva at some point…

Some anime that is not magical girls

Finish the backlog Precure seasons

Finish the backlog Zelda games

Wish, Inside Out 2, Wild Robot, Moana 2

The stuff from the Switch e shop sale

[devout-khajiit]

From the pop culture paganism section:

Does the fandom influence how you perceive or interact with your entity or PCP in any way?

What entity do you work with where you had to fill in the most blanks due to lack of canon information? (Excluding your discovered/unrecorded Princes, of course.)

From the pop culture witchcraft section:

What series is the hardest to write spells for?

What series/character/concept do you want to write a spell based on but you just can't quite figure out how to?

From the general/both section:

Is there a series you know very little about but still adore for PCP/PCW?

Are there some fandoms you'll touch PCP for but not PCW, or vice versa?

~Jasper

Aw man that's a lotta questions! Thank you! I love rambling [ munching on breakfast while answering ]

Does the fandom influence how you perceive or interact with your entity or PCP in any way?

A little bit - For a bit of context my only PCP series are Elder Scrolls (main, both Gods and Lesser Daedra), Touhou Project (which essentially is more hero worship than anything else though there are some Gods in series), and Pokémon (where the Legendaries/Mythicals are worshiped as gods and I invoke other Pokémon as helper spirits).

Elder Scrolls... not so much. Especially for the Daedric Princes. Some aspects of the fandom I do enjoy, but a lot of it is too shitposty to actually incorporate, or is so bad I wouldn't want to (ex. Dagoth Ur is racist to Argonians and Khajiit joke headcanon. I get that it's a joke but I would NOT want to consider Dagoth Ur being racist, you get me?)

Touhou is basically nothing but fandom inspired. Y'see, part of the pain of Touhou is most characters shows up like. once. PC-98 is even worse because they had barely any info given even back then, and now PC-98 is the "old canon" and is no longer canon to the rest of the series, so despite all the endless "Mima is coming back!" jokes, She's not coming back. So relying on the fandom and picking and choosing is a necessary - though I still heavily pick and choose because I don't like some headcanons (ex. s-word Sanae, masochist Tenshi, etc). But other headcanons very much do get ingrained, though with my belief system of "The entities came first" it's actually more appropriate to say I ask them if it's accurate or not then move forward lol. So headcanons can be likened to UPG in this case.

Pokémon is somewhere inbetween - We obviously have some lore through the Pokédex entries and for the Legendaries/Mythicals, their movies (plus one for Lucario lol), but I still need to rely on some fandom ideas for Pokémon to really succeed.

Long answer, but it's a bit much to explain!

What entity do you work with where you had to fill in the most blanks due to lack of canon information? (Excluding your discovered/unrecorded Princes, of course.)

Currently, Ithelia and a vast majority of Touhous. Ithelia was just introduced into the canon, so there's barely any lore for Her beyond some basics. Unlike the rest of the Princes, who had a few games to build some lore and some outside info like books and stories, Ithelia was just introduced in ESO. She may play a part in TESVI, but who knows when THAT'S gonna come out, and if She'll even be there.

As well, pretty much a vast majority of Touhous, especially the PC-98s that didn't migrate (Yuuka Kazami, Alice Margatroid, and of course the two main protags, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame are the only ones who did).

Speaking of, I really do debate making devout-of-the-elder-scrolls sister blogs for Touhou and Pokémon respectively, but I don't think I will for now. Especially because the blog that does exist exists because TES is my main focus, not just because I do it. It seems fun though. Hence why I debate on it. It'd be a bit weird to be a Khajiit in a Touhou world though, there's no anthros, only anime girls (and Rinnosuke and Unzan). For now, I think it'll be delegated to this blog unless I begin making quick starts for Touhous and Pokémon... which does sound EXTREMELY appetizing, hold on.

What series is the hardest to write spells for?

Interestingly, it's probably TES. Pokémon you can base it off the moves, Touhou I have like 15 different ideas sitting in my "spells to make" part of my spelltome, but TES? I got nothing.

I think part of what makes it so difficult for me personally is I wanna focus so much on the in-universe magic schools, but translating them into our world spells just does not come to me easily.

What series/character/concept do you want to write a spell based on but you just can't quite figure out how to?

I really wanna turn the Destruction School of TES into baneful magic because I think it'd be fun. But like I said above, translating TES into this world spells just isn't working out.

There's also a few PC-98s I dunno what to do for because in Windows Era (current era), they each are assigned a skill/ability, that I can base spells off of - Such as Chimata Tenkyuu's ability being that she can magically relinquish ownership of an object to another owner because Her whole thing is She runs a trading market and was the Stage 6 (Final Stage) Boss for Unconnected Marketeers. Super easy to base a spell off that for me!

Is there a series you know very little about but still adore for PCP/PCW?

Not particularly - Most of my PCP/PCW focuses on sources I know very well, of which the three I do also happen to be special interests of mine that consume my every day life lmao. I don't think I'd be able to perform PCP especially for a series that didn't invoke a lot of emotion within me. I think it'd just end up getting casted to the wayside and while I know the entities don't really care that much, I feel a bit bad when that happens! Even though my work style focuses and hinges on switching through people as I feel I need them or them approaching me being like "I can help with that!"

Though, I support all PCP/PCW... so I guess that counts, just not for me personally lol

Are there some fandoms you'll touch PCP for but not PCW, or vice versa?

Again, a not particularly, for basically the same reason above. I touch these series for PCP/PCW because I love them very, very deeply. And even if TES gives me a hard time in the PCW sector, I'm still learning Daedric magic from Lady Mephala and Liege Hermorah, so I'd say that still counts enough to be "I am touching TES PCW".

I do touch TES PCP a lot more than I touch Touhou PCP and Pokémon PCP, but that's just by happenstance and because TES resonates the most with me for the case of a religion, probably because in source it IS a religion. I want to get more into each of these PCPs, as well. I generally need to grasp hero worship better for Touhou. (Maybe I should make a sideblog for it to encourage me more. I've been doing Touhou PCP and Pokémon PCP since the same time as TES, it's just not my focus so it gets casted to the side lol.)

Thanks as always for the questions, and thanks for the chance to ramble, Jasper! Have a great day!