#I think having a frame of reference for if that's like...typical? might be helpful for me when talking to my allergist

[windvexer]

Helper Spell: General Assistance and Course-Correcting via Tarot

This is a method I haven't tested very much, developed in conjunction with a major project I'm undertaking with tarot.

It's the intersection between doing divination to determine the best course of action for spellwork, and the spell itself.

You draw a card to hone in on an area of concern, and then do tarot magic to use the card itself to assist in creating desired change.

So far I'm very happy with my results but much more testing is required... I just felt like posting a little something today.

Part 1: The Draw

1. Think of any situation in your life that you want to work magic on. The situation could be going well, or poorly, or just need some polishing and attention. Anything you like.

2. Think of how you want to frame your question. Whatever your question is, that is the path of magic you'll end up taking:

Show me the most unhelpful energy in this situation that is blocking my desires [blocking/cleansing/healing]

Show me the most helpful things that are happening in this situation which could use more active support [empowerment/protection/way-clearing]

Show me something in this that's just a waste of energy and doesn't need to be included moving forward [binding/banishing/release]

Make sure to frame your question to the end goal you desire: whether the draw is for the 'highest good' of the situation, or to achieve your personal desires, or for the good of someone else, etc.

3. Shuffle in your normal manner and draw a card. That card is the primary energy you will be working with.

Interpret what this card is referring to based on your knowledge of the situation and the meanings you're used to using. Remember to frame this in the context of your question.

Typically desirable cards showing up in the context of 'unhelpful energy' may ultimately be unhelpful by being draining/distracting/misguided.

Typically undesirable cards showing up in the context of 'helpful things to support' can indicate necessary boundaries, painful truths, or uncomfortable pivots that best occur in order to obtain your desired outcome.

4. Optional: Now, or during the next step, select a major arcana or court card to rule over this spell and provide support.

Using this system, I have found the major arcana to be more powerful than court or pip cards. YMMV.

Typically auspicious major cards, such as the Wheel of Fortune, Sun, Star, or World may be panacea for any spell, but they will each bring their own powers to the table; not interchangeable.

It's best to select a court or major card based on the best assistance you think you will need. Emperor will do very well in an out of control situation where people need to follow guidelines. Strength will assist in resilience getting through this round of medical care. Sun will help everyone have a better time at the club meetings. Etc.

Of the court cards I have personally found:

Knights are best appointed as rulers to assist with manifesting something, as in clear physical occurrences or change.

Queens are best appointed when a personal advisor needs to stand next to someone and assist them moment-to-moment.

Kings are best appointed when clear direction and order are required among many people, as in households or groups.

Majors have a sort of blanket effect and their power can be saturating. Might be too much for the little things.

(I do not find pages highly suitable to this appointment at this time).

Part 2: The Magic

5. With the card you've drawn to indicate the energy to work with in the situation, take your own personal steps to evoke the spirit of that card within ritual space.

For me this means:

Calling my spiritual helpers

Performing prayers to assist in summoning spirits

Performing a ritual of summoning

Plying the spirit for its attention

Keep in mind: You are summoning the spirit of the card as it pertains to the situation at hand. It is not strictly the "Five of Swords" you're after, but the "Five of Swords of [Situation]".

This step can take moments or dozens of minutes depending on your ritual structure. Calling the spirit is up to you. (Ofc you can work this just with 'energies' but you don't need me to tell you that!)

6. Once you're satisfied with your conjuring of the spirit of the card, do the following things as your intuition and practice advises:

A) Address the card and tell it that you are here to modify its impact in the situation for the betterment of [primary benefactor(s)].

B) If the card is reversed, upright it. This symbolically seeks to restore order and control to the card. Include ritual instruction such as, "I release disorder and reinstate control." If your understanding of tarot precludes this making sense, skip this step.

C) According to your understanding of the card and situation, gently but firmly instruct the card to modify things on your behalf*.

"Knight of Swords, I have uprighted you. This out of control impulsiveness must be sent away. I call to you now to exert your virtues into this situation and take charge of these impulsive behaviors at play. Remove recklessness and bind foolish exertions. Support and guide persons whose actions bring me towards my goals and the benefit of [primary benefactor(s)], but stand in the way of those who's actions are a detriment to our cause."

Each card should be instructed to do things relevant to it. I.e., the Two of Pentacles should be instructed to assist with balancing tasks and ensuring nothing gets forgotten about. You would not instruct the Knight of Swords to be a gentle and romantic shoulder to cry on. Etc.

*I've found that major arcana cards normally should be negotiated with or humbly petitioned. They do not seem to respond well to bossiness.

D) During this portion of the work, go slowly and work intuitively. As you make each request ("Knight of Swords, bind foolish exertions") you may feel compelled to cast 'micro spells' as you go along, like:

Grabbing some thread to tie a knot and 'bind foolish exertions' as you work with the Knight to do this task.

Having to go get a protective herb to help the Knight 'support and guide' helpful persons.

Stuff that's auxiliary, like feeling you have to do a cleansing ritual for the Knight so he's prepared to do his job.

E) You may provide offerings or not to the card in thanks for its help, or provide a candle to further empower the work. I place the card under a candle holder and light tea lights as the spell goes on to repeatedly energize it as necessary.

7. If desired, assign a court or major card to rule over these changes and provide further assistance.

I have found that some pip cards are not remarkably dexterous or powerful. Certain of the pips appear to have limited ability to mitigate their own harm.

The energies in a situation may also be such that while a helpful and dexterous card may be able to greatly assist, a higher power may still be needed to bring a degree of balance or course-correction a single focused pip or court card can't accomplish on its own.

If you so desire, appoint a court or major card. Go back to step 5 and evoke the spirit of the ruling card.

Ask it to pour its virtues over the situation at hand for the benefit of [primary benefactor(s)] and to achieve such-and-such goals. Ask it to work with the other card you drew and supervise it, giving it support as necessary.

If you feel you should, return to the first card you drew and encourage it to work under the purview of the ruling card.

Place the ruling card sideways over the first card you drew, indicating that the situation is now 'under' the ruling card's authority.

Place a candle (in a nice safe holder) on top of both cards or nearby, devoting the candle to the operation.

I have found that while pips and courts do not always seem to need payment, major cards usually do. They also make take more persuading and diplomacy* to help in a situation, and you should explain things that you do not want to have happen or that would be unhelpful, as they seem to have a great deal more agency and free will than other cards.

(*sucking up)

8. Keep the cards set aside until your desires are reached, providing more power to the cards through offerings or energy work (etc) as desired.

When returning them to the deck, thank each card for its assistance and call the spirit back into it. You may find it necessary to cleanse the deck after some of the spirits have been running around getting up to who knows what.

For this reason it's preferable to use a separate deck for spellcasting, as it's assumed the spirits of the cards will be busy at this time and unable to assist you with divination even if you re-shuffle them into the deck.

[storiesbyrhi]

Part One: A building gets torched

Eddie Munson x Reader Series Masterlist 1710 Words

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

Warnings: canon typical violence, references to sexual assault, swearing, drug and alcohol use, sexual references, child neglect, death/grief, references to organised crime

Note: A majority of the characters from The Crow have been replaced with Stranger Things counterparts. However, a few remain in their original form (e.g. Gideon, Grange). Some major characters have been written out, as they don’t work within the context of this story (e.g. Myca – who is one of my favourite characters). I have taken material, including direct quotes, from the film and comics/graphic novel.

After Sunset, October 30, 1994

Jim Hopper stood next to the broken window. He’d been there before. He recalled how he felt when he first saw that window. How its grand scale and clean glasswork made the rest of the ratty apartment seem worth it. The window framed the city in a way that made it seem almost beautiful. Almost.

That had been a couple months before Devil’s Night. There had been whispers that the building was going to be sold off. Hopper hoped it was true. Maybe a new developer would demolish the place. He didn’t want to think about how many ghosts haunted those walls. Between the overdoses and the organised crime related violence, a lot of trips to the morgue began there.

Unfortunately, the buyer was not the up and up real estate type. Hopper heard it was more of the top of the bad guy hierarchy type. Martin Brenner owned half the city and not by any legal or ethical means. In the police files, intel on him was filed under the codename Top Dollar, like even the cops were too scared to put their name to anything that could be used against him.

 When Hopper caught wind of that, he’d paid the apartment a visit – paid you a visit.

“You gotta cool it with this stuff,” he’d warned, gesturing to where you’d been working on a new petition for everyone to sign.

“You’ve never told me to cool it before. Never shown up at my home before,”

“Before when you were feeding the homeless? Helping little old ladies cross the road? This is different. Come on, kid. Don’t play dumb.”

You sighed, but it sounded more like a huff. It hadn’t been feeding the homeless. You’d fundraised to keep the local community kitchen from shutting its doors. And, there had never been little old ladies. Maybe little old raccoons and opossums you’d built little wooden houses for…

Hopper shifted on the spot. “Look… I know you’re tryin’ to the right thing… I know you don’t want to have to move-”

“It’s not about moving. It’s about-”

“The principle, I know,” Hopper interrupted you right back. “I know. But the guy who’s eyeing the place, you don’t wanna mess around with him.”

Even then, you knew Hopper was right. You knew what you were doing was potentially dangerous. Brenner’s name had been mentioned to you before Hopper came knocking. But you were stubborn.

“How’s he even doing this? It can’t be legal. Probably paid off Kline, right?”

Hopper cringed at the name Kline. Larry Kline was the elected official who should have been fighting for the city. Instead, he was lining his pockets with Brenner-shaped coins.

“Eddie know you’re doing this?” Hopper changed tactics. There were three giveaways that Eddie was probably on tour. The first was how quiet the apartment was. The second was the lack of guitars on the wall hooks. The third was that Gabriel, a fluffy white cat, was asleep on the couch. Gabriel only sought the company of others when Eddie wasn’t an option, even though he was technically a birthday present for you.

You bit down on your tongue. “I don’t keep secrets from Eddie,”

“Right, but… Might you have conveniently forgotten to mention who wants to buy the building? Who you’re starting a fight with?”

The conversation had ended with a vague promise that you’d maybe consider ‘cooling it.’ Hopper had left that night uneasy. He never got around to tracking a phone number for Eddie out on the road. Knowing Eddie, which he only kind of did anyway, he’d never tell you to stop doing anything. That man worshipped the ground you walked on.

Hopper stood at the broken window and held a cigarette between his teeth. He looked down to the street below, Eddie’s body being covered with a crime scene sheet while onlookers scrambled to see the carnage.

Behind him, crime scene techs and cops buzzed about the apartment. He turned to survey the scene. The photos on the wall told a story of love. His brain tried to reconcile how you looked in them, compared to how you looked lying on the apartment floor covered in blood. The paramedics were still working on stabilising you, you clinging to life by your fingernails.

Hopper gave the okay to move you while he picked up a thick piece of card off the floor. A wedding invitation for the following day – a sunset event.

“Who the fuck gets married on Halloween anyhow?” one of the cops asked, staring at the mannequin keeping your wedding dress company.

Hopper didn’t answer. He listened to their commentary.

“What’s the count so far?” a rookie questioned.

“143 fires so far… They’re slacking off from last year,”

“Three hours to go; maybe they’re just slow starters.”

Hopper followed the paramedics as they took you downstairs and out to the ambulance. Another detective was there. Detective being a very generous title, as most of the work Phil Callahan was capable of was not of the sleuthing variety.

“This the victim?” he asked.

 “No, it’s Amelia Earhart. We found her, Detective, and you missed it,” Hopper deadpanned.

Before Callahan could come up with something witty to say, Hopper was back at your side. A girl on a skateboard had appeared, pulling at your sleeve.

“Stand back, kid,” he said.

It was Max’s voice that dragged you somewhere close to Earth. “Where’s Eddie?” you croaked.

“Ah… Don’t worry about him,” Hopper told you.

“Tell him to take care of Max.”

Paramedics had you loaded up, closing the back of the ambulance. Hopper stood next to Max for a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You Max?”

“Yeah,”

“Okay, look… Your sister… She’s gonna be okay,”

“She’s not my sister. She just takes care of me… She’s my friend. Her and Eddie… You lied to her about Eddie.” Max sounded more sad than accusatory.

“I had to,”

“And you’re lying to me about her. She’s gonna die, isn’t she?”

Hopper could deal with a lot of things. A grief-stricken teenage girl was not one of them. He clasped both of her shoulders and held her, looking around the scene with a growing understanding that the misery had only just begun.  

One Year Later After Sunset, October 29, 1995

Max visited the cemetery often. She’d walk along the rows, taking one flower from each bouquet she passed. By the time she was standing in front of the matching graves, she had an offering. One white rose for Eddie, the rest for you.

Losing you and Eddie was bad, but the months since had been worse. Her mother had all but resigned from that role, spending more and more time wherever Neil and Billy Hargrove went. Max hardly saw Susan anymore. The Hargroves, and the people like them, were terrifying.

Max sat down facing the headstones. “I found another one,” she said. “It says that people used to believe that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead.”

In the weeks after that Halloween, Max obsessed over the science of death. She wanted to know how you and Eddie had felt. What would happen to your bodies, buried under all that dirt? Then, once she knew everything there was to know, she moved on to folklore. What stories had been told about dying? What existed beyond the veil?

“The thing though, is that if the person dies unfairly, if something so bad happens, then that is carried with the soul. The sadness. And the soul can’t rest.”

Max had contemplated magic. She saw a Ouija board put out by the trash cans outside her apartment building and seriously considered taking it inside. Her research had slowly veered into the direction of revenge-driven resurrection, for which many cultures had legends and fables of.

“Sometimes the crow can bring that soul back, to put the wrong things right.”  She paused, looking down and pushing the dirt around with a stick. Max shrugged to herself. “I know it’s a fairytale… But it would be nice…”

Thunder rumbled above Max. After gathering her things, she began to walk away. A crow swooped down, landing on Eddie’s headstone. She was sure it was the same one that always hung around the cemetery; she’d named him The Night Watchman.

“Keep an eye on them for me,” she told him, dropping her skateboard and riding off into the drizzling rain.

It was fear first. Terror. Darkness.

He tried to draw a breath in but it didn’t provide any relief. Something told him to get up. Get out. A voice. A voice in his head. Get up. Get out. But get up and get out of what? He thrashed but all his limbs hit solid wall.

Punching, punching, punching. When he finally broke through the coffin’s lid, his knuckles were raw and bleeding. He dug, splitting nails and swallowing dirt. He reached the surface, pulling himself from his grave.

His body couldn’t decide between curling up or being splayed out on his back. It couldn’t decide between screaming or sobbing. He was twitchy and achy. His knuckles had scabbed and scarred. He’d healed but the healing hurt.

At first, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was.

A crow landed on an overhead branch. It called to the man, a deep and piercing caw. It was there to guide him. It was there to bear witness. It was there to share the burden of the second life of Eddie Munson.

Eddie knew to follow the crow. He knew the crow would take him to where he wanted to go. It would take him to you.

He stumbled, pulling himself through the cemetery and out into the city. Nobody noticed him weaving through alleyways and stalking shadows. He pulled at his burial clothes, hands running over the bullet hole scars on his body.

Eddie’s bare feet walked through filthy puddles and over crumbling asphalt. He only stopped when the crow landed on a dumpster, squawking.  Something dark was sitting on top of the trash. Old worker’s boots, too small for Eddie, but he put them on anyway. He stomped onwards.

End Note:

Thank you to the love of my life @jo-harrington for brainstorming and editing help, and for general support and hype girl shit.

The process of writing this series has been a bit of an isolated one, compared to past work. So, I don't know how it will be received. I am more unsure about it than I have been about my other stuff too. Any feedback would be immensely appreciated.

Happy New Year, xo Rhi

Fic Taglist (open): @mrsjellymunson @princesssunderworld @qweencrimson @b-irock @writinginthetwilight @bornslippys @ali-r3n @lexr86

All Eddie Taglist (open):solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel @dashingdeb16 @cultish-corner @em0220

[spacedlexi]

sorry if you've been asked this before , but do you have any advice for someone who's looking to get better at backgrounds ? It's the one part of my art I struggle with immensely and your illustrative pieces are so intricate and inspiring !! I was wondering if there were methods you used that you'd be able to explain for someone wanting to attempt more dynamic perspectives and backgrounds :]

thank you for thinking so!! my perspective class really helped me level up my backgrounds/environments. theres a few things i keep in mind

references!! i dont use them as much as i should but try to compile a reference board. the environment, things in that environment, color palettes, etc. the Vibes. heres a job board i had to make for class that also includes thumbnails and values

contrast/value: our eyes are drawn to areas of high contrast (light and dark). this can help establish your focal point. the farther away things get from view the less contrasted they become (for Science reasons. air particles impact our view. the more things in the air the more impacted our vision becomes). be conscious of where you use high contrast. and also use a full range of values!! light and dark and everything in between. i like to put a black color filter over my pieces to make sure i have enough contrast in value. remember this value chart. this goes for light/shade as well as the values you use when picking palettes for your characters/environment. contrast contrast contrast !!! if it feels muddy it needs more contrast!!

semi connected to this: lose your edges!! what this means is that when it comes to shadows, the edges between an object and its environment can get lost. if something feels like its floaty/disconnected from the environment, where the object meets shadow might not be dark enough

also connected to this: gradients!! think of how things exist in 3d space. light and shadow shift around the body of an object. heres a quick example my prof used. the wall the window is on (if light is coming through) will be darker, while the wall opposite the window will be lit. the wall connecting those two walls will be gradient light to dark. this also ties into things like bounce lighting (light rays hit an object and bounce off of it, scattering the light (and color) to the objects around it. and keeps bouncing until it dissipates/is too weak to see). adding gradients helps an environment feel less flat

perspective: leading lines help direct a viewers gaze around the image. the type of perspective you use can help accentuate directionality. the type of perspective you use can also accentuate the mood you want

for 2 point you can have the two vanishing points be vertical instead of just horizontal. this example only shows 3 point down, but you can use 3 point up with the third point above the horizon line instead of below. i dont really find much use for 4 point. i think 5 point is so fun. if youre doing a down or up perspective, you may want to keep the horizon line low/high in the frame, or out of the frame completely. its best to avoid having your horizon line at the center of the image in general. im a fan of a low horizon myself. sometimes things in an environment arent perfectly aligned (like a messy room), so using multiple perspectives/vanishing points may be necessary. also its good to have your vanishing points spread out/off the page. having them closer together make things look warped or unnatural. in reality vanishing points are typically extremely wide from each other. you can have one vanishing point on the page, but usually more than that looks squished (unless thats the vibe youre going for)

side note for perspective: its ok if things dont perfectly go to the vanishing points!! most things in reality dont. this is where using vicinity helps. as long as youre close enough its fine and honestly helps things look more natural. im just lazy and use the csp perspective rulers so unless im doing 5 pt or free handing itll be perfect perspective

also another side note: personalize a space. think of clutter. make your environments look lived in. adding organic shapes to an environment (like clothes or plants etc) can help break up hard lines/edges from furniture and walls and stuff

i hope this isnt confusing i feel like im just vomiting words. so, tldr: know the perspectives you have to work with, leading lines help direct a viewers eyes around the composition, a range of value is important, our eyes are drawn to high contrast areas, USE REFERENCES, gradients add depth, lose your edges in shadow, personalize spaces

[thedwarrowscholar]

Hi there! I am going to be playing an rpg soon using the One Ring system, and am planning to play a dwarf. I found your blog and it has been so helpful and interesting, thank you for all of your work!

I have a question about culture - I would like to play a healer/doctor-type character, I’m thinking along the lines of somebody who was a first port of call to treat mining injuries and the like. I’m wondering if you have any info about what kind of role doctors would play in dwarven society considering their immunity to illness, if this is referred to at all in Tolkien’s work, or anything similar?

Well met, and what a fine character concept!

Dwarves as doctors — it might sound contradictory at first, but let’s dig a little deeper (pun absolutely intended).

🪓 First, What Tolkien Tells Us

Dwarves, according to Tolkien, are:

Largely immune to disease — Human illnesses don’t afflict them.

Resistant to fire and corruption — Stronger even than Elves or Men.

Largely Unmoved by enchantment — Gimli famously resists Saruman’s voice when others are swayed.

Exceptionally hardy — They live long lives and are remarkably sturdy.

So no, they’re not seeing healers for the flu or a cough. However…

⛏️ Where Dwarves Do Need Healers

While illness is rare, injury is a daily reality. Consider the life of a Dwarf:

Mining accidents: cave-ins, broken limbs, burns, crushed digits

Forging mishaps: molten metal, sharp tools, inhaled fumes

Warfare: axe wounds, fractures, slashes, arrow injuries

Travels through wild lands: venom, broken bones, frostbite

A Dwarven "doctor" would thus be more like a wound-stitcher, bone-setter, or battlefield medic — part surgeon, part herbalist.

Imagine them with hardened fingers, singed eyebrows, a belt full of salves and clamps, shouting at young miners to "bite on the haft and hold still."

They'd also be skilled in:

Neutralising poison from spider bites, barbed arrows, or toxic fumes

Crafting protective salves for burns or frostbite

Using roots, mushrooms, and mosses gathered in the deep places of the world— the kind of ingredients other peoples have never heard of.

🧪 Healing in a Culture Without Disease

This unique Dwarven near-immunity actually shapes the healer's role differently than among other folk.

Think of it this way:

Dwarves don’t fight decay — they fight damage

A Dwarven healer is likely not your typical soft-voiced herbalist — that which they treat often needs to happen fast - hence they are practical and direct (and no doubt deeply respected).

In a Hall, they might be part of the mining guild, responsible for overseeing safe work and patching up the wounded.

👁 A Word on Dwarven Eyesight

It’s also worth noting that Dwarves are often described (or implied) to be nearsighted — their eyes well-suited to dark tunnels and close work, but less sharp at great distances. While not a "disability" per se, this trait likely influenced their perception-based injuries:

Falling rocks unseen till too late

Missed signs of a cave-in or fault line

Eye strain from fine rune-carving or gem work

Thus, Dwarven healers may also specialise in treating vision strain, developing magnifying lenses, or even crafting protective goggles for forge and mine alike. Though note, none of the Dwarves in the Company of Thorin wore any kind of goggles or lenses (though they were mentioned as being nearsighted) - so perhaps this was "not done" and a mark of some shame amongst them.

🧬 The Two Dwarven Illnesses

While Dwarves were famously resistant to disease — immune to human ailments and untouched by pestilence — two conditions were known to affect them:

Obesity (NKh: “fantagbâsh” - literally "broad fortune") Described by Tolkien that in times of plenty, many Dwarves would grow very fat, becoming physically inept and unable to do much besides eat.  This wasn’t framed as a health issue, per se, but it had clear mobility consequences (later in life Bombur had to be carried around by six young dwarves). A good Dwarven healer might be called upon to craft walking aids, prescribe salves, or adjust armour to fit an increasingly portly Lord. Though keep in mind that these "broader" dwarves wouldn't be regarded as ill, but that those with the widest belts would in fact carry considerable status in the hall.

An Older Bombur, as seen in LotRO, next to his carrier-dwarves.

Dragon-sickness (NKh: "uslukh-satas") Not a literal ailment, but a mental affliction — a consuming lust for gold and treasure, often triggered by proximity to a great hoard that had been brooded on by a Dragon. Most famously seen in Thorin Oakenshield, it clouds judgement, isolates the sufferer, and can lead to destructive paranoia. A healer might not be able to cure this sickness, but a top healer might study calming herbs. To what extent that might help is another matter entirely. The Dragon-sickness affected some more than others, and its effects were especially powerful on those who were already greedy and selfish. The most extreme case of this was the Master of Lake-town, who was given a part of Smaug's hoard to help in the rebuilding of Lake-town. Instead the Master took the gold and fled into the Waste, eventually dying of starvation.

Thorin's Dragon-sickness as depicted in The Hobbit movies

🎭 And in Your RPG?

Your Dwarven doctor could easily be:

The old-hand healer at the mining front

A former soldier’s medic who now treats injuries in peace

A herbmaster of the Deep Halls — one of the few who knows where healing mushrooms grow in the Roots of the Mountain

Or even a poison expert, who’s saved more than one axe-brother from a snake’s bite

You won’t need to think about diseases much (with the exception of dragon-sickness and obesity), but you will be the person everyone looks to when the stone cracks or a foe bites.

🩺 Dwarvish Healing Lore —Some Key Terms

If you wish to give your healer character some linguistic depth, here are a few Neo-Khuzdul terms relevant to healing, herbs, and recovery:

Healers & Patients

absâtrathkh – healer (leech); often a traditional, hands-on mender.

basatâl – professional healer; the equivalent of “doctor.”

mamahlikûn – he who is (or has been) treated; a patient under care.

Healing Practices

anradraiblêl – the practice of healing lore, especially bone-setting and cut-binding.

absata'lâz – recovery, the improvement of health after injury or trauma.

Medicinal Plants

ibsêtmajd - Athelas, Kingsfoil

zarsûnakhsag – entscloak, found near the mouths of the Entwash, known to ease the pains of the elderly.

i'bêdkhalf – tunglewort, a healing weed found along the Anduin in Gondor.

itmêm-mujd – settlegang, a Gondorian herb used in wound care.

jalaimgêmshelak – cranesbill, used for treating sores.

kalmunaith – maiden’s helm, a flower with soothing properties, found in Lossarnach.

sedezyusth – plantain herb, a common and reliable weed used in poultices.

Gem-Based Healing & Divination

kâminumkab – earth-reader, a Dwarf who uses gemstones as a focus for prophecy, healing, or magic.

kaminimkêb – earth-reading, a divinatory or ritual technique involving stones and crystals.

Treatments

ibrêzneked – poultice, a heated herbal paste spread on cloth and applied to the skin to draw out pain or infection.

In short: 🛑 No flu, no plague. ✅ Plenty of wounds, burns, bites, and breaks.

And the Dwarves — ever respectful of skill and grit — would honour such a healer greatly.

May your tools be sharp, your salves strong, and your beard never get caught in a splint.

Ever at your service, The Dwarrow Scholar

[shirefantasies]

Marti it is Moss *does small dance* sending in a Hobbit imagine should it strike your fancy to answer. If not feel free to delete you come first and foremost! Your blog is always a delight and i read everything you post like its the morning newspaper.

Im wondering if you would write a hobbit headcanon for a reader who uses a mobility aid like forearm crutches!

I myself use forearm crutches (named Catcher and Holder a la Dwalin) for dizziness and weakness due to neurological issues, but there are many reasons for their use from joint pain to hypermobility. Sometimes people use them all the time and other times they are only used when they have flare ups (some have to have them available all the time in case of The Return tm)

Sometimes you use one and sometimes you use two. All depends on condition severity, needs,what youre doing, and preference

Even when you have a flare up you may not prefer to use them for short distances ie in your house some people choose not to. I use mine on the steps unless im doing something hazardous and dont want to risk a fall (and be able to walk in general)which ive become prone to over the last two years.

You still live your life and do what you do sometimes its a bit different other times its not. Sometimes you have a stick or two.

You can make a lot of fun decorations and functional tools like cupholders and pouches for your crutches and stickers make them unique and customizable. Honestly the biggest challenge for me is mugs and stairs+ other two handed tasks 😩 let me see someone smack a warg protecting their bestie and then lament not planning their cuppa retrieval rofl.

Im wondering how our lads would have a time with this- not acceptance wise as i know Dwarves are very accepting. More along lines of shenanigans wholesome fun bonding the good daily stuff that you write so beautifully and capture each one of them so well!

Thank you so much and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out

🌿🏹moss🏹🌿

Hello Moss 🥰💚 OMG Catcher and Holder that's perfectttt! Sorry this post is so fuckin long in the making but hopefully you enjoy it and this captures it well! I confess I don't personally use a mobility aid at this time so I may not have the greatest frame of reference 😅 but yeah I hope you like these little moments! *does small exit dance in return*

Warnings: canon typical violence in some

Thorin's Company + Reader With Mobility Aids

Balin

“Might I ask who built that?” Polite as ever, Balin motioned to the chair upon which you had affixed a pair of wheels. “I did,” you answered, “I was the only person in my little village who needed something like this.” “Well, you are quite the craftsman. Would that you had no ties to your hometown and the Lonely Mountain could snap you up! You could see those skills built up tenfold.” “R-really? I came here to Laketown for something just like that! But I’ll confess I think you will be a far better teacher.” Winking, you gave Balin a smile he mirrored. “You’re resilient. Smart as a whip, too! It would be my honor.” “And after all,” you added, “If anyone would know how to mount a crossbow on the arms, it would be dwarves!” At that, even as polite a dwarf as Balin could hardly help bursting into a wicked grin.

Dwalin

“Nice axes.” “Forged them myself,” Dwalin answered with a nod, “Grasper and Keeper. One grasps your soul, the other keeps it.” “How funny,” you remarked, raising your forearm crutches, “I call these Catcher and Holder. Same idea only with the body. Suppose that isn’t nearly as impressive, though.” “Impressive?” Dwalin burst out. “We’ve all got our battle scars. Our wounds. Never be ashamed of that. The fact that you’re still up ‘n’ going? Be proud. I can show you plenty o’ scars myself!” At that last bit, Dwalin began lifting up his tunic to reveal toned skin paled in some places and darkened in others by all manner of scars and at that, you couldn’t help shyly laughing. Proud indeed.

Thorin

Yes, the king had not denied you entry into his company when Gandalf had recommended you, but he had raised and furrowed his regal brow in the skeptical look all but branded into your mind. He’d asked Gandalf if he was certain, and from then on the fire in your heart blazed. Certainly Thorin treated you as an equal, giving you the tasks he gave all others, but he had been yet to see you in battle and you knew that was where your proof would solidify. In fact, the first time wargs closed in upon you, you were one of the first to run back at them. Hearing the way Thorin called your name, but thoroughly ignoring it in favor of landing a solid crack upon the nearest adversary's skull. Luckily your body was having a better day anyway despite all the walking, because you spun and smashed your way through the orc pack, especially once you saw the way one bowled Bofur and Dori over. Fire took over your heart and eyes as you swung your mace until you could swing no more, all but deaf to the cracking of heads and the clattering of your allies’ blades through that pounding adrenaline. At the end of it all, Thorin approached you, his expression surprisingly mild. Then it broke into a smile. “The wizard was right about you,” he told you, clapping a hand to your shoulder, “Invaluable in all respects indeed.”

Oin

“Oh, that’s clever, that is!” “My eyes are up here,” you quipped, crossing your arms and smiling sardonically down at the dwarf bent over peering at your wheels. At that, Oin tilted his head up to look back at you, giving a raucous heh heh heh of laughter. “Never seen anything like this lot before,” he commented, shaking his head and running a hand over the frame of your chair, “You’d think dwarves’d be the first to make ‘em! ‘S beautiful.” Your lips parted wordlessly for a few moments before you spoke, head still slightly tilted. “Beautiful?” “Course!” Oin replied, smiling widely as he rose to his feet again. “A real beauty for sure. A marvel, actually. It is quite the privilege to get to see it in action!” “No one has ever told me that before,” you replied quietly, a smile spreading across your lips.

Gloin

Orcs rushed you from every side, sending you scrambling as fast as your crutches could support you. Carrying a sword aside it all was about as unwieldy as one imagined, but you knew no different. In fact, your best strike that fight had nearly taken a whole arm off. Catching sight of you, though, the nearest of your blood-spattered adversaries grinned and gave a savage kick, sending your crutches flying from beneath you. Teetering, you pitched forward, trying to catch yourself with one arm and steady your sword with the other as the shout rang out. “You think you’re so clever, you great filthy buzzard? I don’t think so!” With a savage growl of his own, Gloin flew into the fray, and with a violent swing of his axe the orc’s head was sent unceremoniously tumbling to the dirt. “Serves ‘m right, eh?” Gloin asked with a smug look as he extended a hand, helping you up, handing you your crutches, and even gently dusting you off.

Bifur

You had seen the way he glanced your way. How his eyes traced the lines of the crutches extending from your forearms, the extensions of steel that made walking less painless. And running more painless if you were a charging warg on the receiving end of a bash to the face. Bifur had seen the way you slid your arms free to motion and sign to him, indicating the interesting things seen along the road. If you had a tendency to go nonverbal, he would aid you in removing your crutches when you needed to sign. Such things had been floating in your mind when you sat by his side, asked him if he understood in a way. You certainly felt understood in his presence, after all. Bifur glanced away with haste, but still you caught notice of tears in his dark eyes, just for a moment. A moment before the smile spread across his face and he leaned in, gently resting his forehead against yours- carefully, of course, so you barely felt the brush of the axe against your joined skin.

Bofur

“Bofur!” Uncaring how earsplitting your scream may have been, you charged forward, heaving one leg before the other as fast as you could while still keeping a hand on your walker. Which was faster than even you realized, sped by adrenaline and rage and urgency all pounding through your ears. Loading your crossbow again and again, you fired three successive shots into the assailant’s side, shoulder, and finally with the last you struck his ugly head and knocked him down onto his ass. For good. Sighing heavily, you leaned for just a moment on your walker frame before making your way to Bofur’s side, this time at a less painful pace, and turned it around to take a seat. Leaning down, you reached for his hand. “Bofur, are you alright?” “I am thanks to you,” he chuckled, his hazel eyes fixed upon you fondly, “Maybe I need to get myself one of those. Seems to aid the aim, having something to lean on.” Grinning and blinking back tears, you procured a cloth and a strip of bandage and started to dab away the blood on his shoulder.

Bombur

“Hope this isn’t rude…” You were surprised by the sound of Bombur's soft voice coming from your side, turning from the journal you wrote in and setting your implements aside. A part of you wanted to roll your eyes, well aware of all the 'not rude' inquiries you'd received over the years as to why you carried crutches, especially if some days you did not. However, knowing this one came from sweet Bombur softened you. He actually meant it. "...But what's the hardest part of having those?" You couldn't resist a snicker at the thought that immediately rose to your mind. "You'd really like to know?" "Yes," he nodded, "If I may." With another little snort, you smiled and told him, "Mugs." "Mugs?" "Mugs and stairs. Can't tell you the number of times I've spilled on my way up. Anything that takes two hands, really." "I see!" The conversation ended with Bombur's eyes lighting up. At least you thought it had ended... Several days later, he came shuffling up to you with that same sweetly eager glint and his hands behind his back. "I've made you something," he told you, pulling out an open cylinder of steel and unfolding another little piece from it, "Hope it works. It's a little mug holder. Go on, let's see if it fits." Snapping the little unfolding piece to your crutch, Bombur watched your face break into a grin as it remained in place. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has done for me, Bombur. Thank you." "You deserve it," he replied, smiling fondly at you.

Dori

“I wouldn’t exactly mind having one of those.” “A cane?” You arched a brow. “I’ve always thought it made you look distinguished,” he admitted with a smile. “Now that is a new one,” you commented wryly, “All for use of my leg.” “Nothing wrong with it,” Dori shrugged, “We all do what we must. Seems a shame you’ve such a plain one, though.” At that, your proverbial ears perked up. “As opposed to what?” “Well,” he shrugged, “I don’t know. Haven’t you seen all the nice silver tips and things they put on canes?” “Ah,” you nodded, “I see what you mean! It is a bit of a shame I haven’t anything to decorate mine with, isn’t it?” “Haven’t anything? What do you call this?” With that emphasized last word, Dori reached behind into his pack and procured a little silver charm, one carved richly with dwarven runes and even centered with a little green stone. Fiddling at his back more, the dwarf also found a section of string and hastily tied it to your cane’s handle. “Now what do you call that?” He asked, waving a hand over the charm. “I have a bit of luster dust if you’d like something more.” Needless to say, it was the most fun night you’d had in those endless weeks of trekking.

Nori

Raising one eyebrow at Nori, you stared in skepticism as he held a hand out and repeated his request. “Your cane, please?” “How do I know you won’t just run off with it?” You shot back. “You’re sitting,” he pointed out, “Not like you really need it. Besides, do you really think I’d be so incorrigible a scoundrel as to make off with someone’s means of walkin’ for no reason?” Nori’s gaze slid upward from your carven wood cane back to your eyes, which remained as they were. “Second thought, don’t answer that. Just trust me, hm? You won’t regret it. Dwarf’s honor.” At the invoking of honor, an action infrequently taken by Nori, your brow lowered to form a more neutral, though inquisitive, expression as you handed your cane over. You were quickly distracted by conversation from Dori as you sat, folding your hands in both complacency and content and shivering a bit in the snow. The conversation continued for some time until an ‘A-ha!’ rang out and Nori came running back up, triumphantly hoisting your cane, to which he had crudely affixed one of his many knives. “And what,” you asked, “Is this?” Nodding beyond your night’s campground, Nori indicated the ice extending across the ground. “Aid in your trek! Can’t have you slipping, can you? Not that I won’t catch ya.” He winked.

Ori

“Your sticks!” Ori gasped, brown eyes wide with horror. “Where are they?” “My crutches?” Eyebrows sliding upward in amusement, you made your way toward the young dwarf, who was stitching a sock a handful of feet away. At that, he simply nodded, repairs completely abandoned upon his lap. "Oh, I simply had no need for them today," you answered with a small shrug of your shoulders. At that, Ori gave a curious little frown. “So you can walk some days?” “It isn’t only a matter of walking,” you chuckled, “Moreso that some days my pain and balance are worse.” “Like when Gloin’s leg bothers him?” Ori asked, face turning to childlike eagerness. “Or how Bifur doesn't talk some days?" A little smile spread across your face and your chest expanded with warmth. "Yes," you agreed, "Just like that, Ori."

Fili

Mind drifting off in tandem with the pulsing ache of your limbs, you gazed at the flicker of the fire, faintly drifting smoke curling into the air from pipes and the kindling itself. Your hands idly wrung your cane until the sensation of warmth brushing your leg drew you from your empty focus spiral. Shifting your gaze, you were met with the sight of Fili sitting at your side. "Think I might need one of those after today." Following his gaze, your eyes fell back down to your hands, more specifically the cane held there. "Your own mobility aid or the other?" At your last words, Fili quirked up a golden brow. "The other?" He repeated. Smirking proudly, you slid the end off your cane, revealing a sword hidden within. “The other,” you repeated once more with emphasis, “Guess you weren’t paying attention to how I heaved so many goblins off that bridge.” “You’re right,” Fili agreed, blue eyes lighting up in the fireglow, “I do want that. How long has that been there?” “Whole time.” “Just waiting for the right moment, eh?” “Of course,” you bantered back, “Gotta make a show.”

Kili

“Can I try?” Kili smiled up at you as you blinked at him, face blank with thought. Reaching down, he pantomimed using your crutches for a step, swinging his arms back and forth. "You want to give my crutches a go?" Your eyebrows shot up, a smile building upon your face. Memories flooded your mind, deep knowledge of the struggle that nearly always comes with those first steps and even far beyond. Loosening the grip you had upon your aids, you handed them off to Kili as you took Oin's hand and allowed him to help walk and lower you onto a makeshift camp seat. Hooking his arms in, Kili stood up, adjusting his posture after several moments. He took a step, then swung them. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. Hold on." You giggled from your seat at Oin's side as Kili raised one leg, thought, brought the crutches down again and wobbled such that you were tempted to extend hands that could catch him.

Bilbo

“I was scared first, but trust me: you’ll be grateful in the end once you get on these fellows,” Bilbo told you, looking down at you as he patted the pony he sat upon. “It isn’t that,” you answered, gaze dropping from the hobbit’s, “It’s…well, it is a bit embarrassing, to be honest.” The dwarves had been sweet enough to fortify the feet of your forearm crutches, though they still could not understand why you didn’t ride. The answer, quite frankly, rose a bit of a flush to your cheeks. Bilbo must have caught this. “You shouldn’t be ashamed. Nothing of it is your fault. You can tell me. Probably better me than all those dwarves, right? I won’t tell a soul.” His voice dropped to a playful whisper for that last sentence, which though it didn’t help the heat radiating beneath your skin did open your heart and your mouth. “If I were to get lightheaded or a shock of pain riding a pony I could fall off. And...And I would need someone to hold onto me.” “Ah,” the hobbit replied, this time taking his turn to shyly gaze away, “Well, if you ever change your mind, I would be more than happy to hold you.”

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[hervygervy]

hello! I saw your pyrrhon localisation comparison post and I'm deeply intrigued by the characterisation and saw that you'd potentially be doing more. if you don't mind, could you do one on dark pit?

specifically on how he views freedom/flight, if possible. I've looked through some translations and I feel like though both concepts fall under the same umbrella, his character places more emphasis on 'independence' in english and 'flight' in japanese. maybe this gives slightly more edge to the questionable decision to make him join the forces of nature...though it is just my two cents. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

if requests like this are unwelcome then please feel free to delete this ask! sorry for the long ask and thank you for your insights!

No need to apologize! If anything, I should apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. I got terribly busy at such an unfortunate time...

A few others actually asked me to address Dark Pit in some capacity, but since you're requesting the full shebang, I figured I'd simply respond to you. I hope the others in my inbox can forgive me.

Anyway, yes, you are correct! The Japanese version places more emphasis on freedom while the English version seems to frame everything more around servitude. His English characterization is also a lot more smug and snarky compared to the Japanese. But since we're here, I might as well pick out all the notable line differences I can find. As has become the trend, there's more yapping below. Tumblr keeps moving around the cutoff so let's hope that when this gets posted, it isn't in some funky spot...

A few things before we start comparing voice files:

Dark Pit is actually called "Black Pit" in the Japanese version. Personally, I think this name is a lot better at representing the kind of character he is because "dark" kinda implies "evil" when that isn't necessarily the case. He plays the role of antagonist, sure, but he's not exactly a villain. It certainly doesn't help that he gets lumped in with the rest of the villains by outside sources (lookin' at you, Splatfest). "Black Pit" just does a better job at getting the whole "mirror image" idea across, since at the end of the day, that's the point of his character. Black's the opposite of white, after all. Of course, the name had to be changed out of necessity. It's got racial connotations in English. Anyone in their right mind would raise an eyebrow. Similar thing had to be done for Metal Face from Xenoblade Chronicles, who's called "Black Face" in Japan. Yeah, that definitely ain't gonna fly over here.

As a result, he's got a different nickname: ブラピ (Burapi, which I'll render as "Blapi" in translations). This is just an abbreviation of his full name, ブラックピット (Burakku Pitto), and it follows the typical Japanese abbreviation conventions. "Blapi" is certainly cute, as Palutena herself says, but "Pittoo" is kinda perfect.

Also, just like how Pit and Dark Pit are both voiced by the same voice actor in English (Antony Del Rio), the two share the same voice actress in Japanese (Minami Takayama). Like the English version, he has a slightly deeper voice. But in the Japanese I think there are a lot more apparent differences in how they talk.

For one, Dark Pit generally talks in a much more masculine fashion. I guess I should explain: Japanese is not gendered in the romance language sense (as in gendered adjectives and nouns as a grammatical function), but more like the way a person talks, like how they refer to themselves, their word choice, or how they end their sentences can evoke a certain vibe, if that makes sense. There are a bunch of different first and second-person pronouns in Japanese and all of them will give off a particular impression of who you are and have varying degrees of appropriateness depending on the social context. Dark Pit refers to himself as オレ (ore) which is very masculine and super casual. In the real world, it would only be used around close friends. He refers to everyone else as おまえ (omae) which is pretty much just as masculine and just as casual as オレ. Second-person pronouns are rarely used in real-world Japanese as is, but outside of super casual contexts, it can sound really derogatory since in essence it literally means something like "that which stands before me." To top it off, Dark Pit sometimes ends his sentences with really masculine particles like ぞ (zo) or ぜ (ze). Basically, he sounds gruff and tough and all that.

Pit's speech on the other hand is a lot less blatantly masculine. It's certainly masculine, but a lot less harsh and more on the boyish side. He refers to himself as ボク (boku) which is the typical little boy's pronoun you could say. It actually comes from an old Japanese word for "servant." Japanese society conditions boys to lean on 僕 (another way to write "boku") and girls to use 私 (watashi, which is gender-neutral and also the "default" pronoun). Unlike オレ, ボク can actually be applicable for more formal situations, but from what I understand, 私 will always be more preferable since 僕 does come across quite as boyish. Anyway, Pit does actually occasionally use おまえ and ends sentences with ぞ and ぜ but only when he's actively trying to be intimidating. I've also caught a couple instances of him using キミ (kimi), which is historically associated with 僕 anyway (kimi is to boku as anata is to watashi), and said instances have been for Dark Pit which is pretty interesting. キミ is supposed to have a pretty friendly and affectionate vibe from what I understand, but it apparently can also sound condescending and snobbish. Hmm. Otherwise he uses the other person's name in place of a second-person pronoun or ends sentences with the neutral よ (yo) and ね (ne). Palutena also uses those two.

Alright, enough about that. I think the emphasis on freedom as opposed to servitude specifically is apparent the moment he's introduced. The cutscene before the boss fight continues pretty much plays out the same way between versions so I'll skip right to the second phase. As always, English first:

Boss this... serving that... Palutena's lines also double down on the more servitude-centric approach the English version takes. You'll hear she doesn't make this kind of comment in the Japanese version:

Okay! This one's easy:

Pandora: Hey! Your opponent is that angel over there!

Dark Pit: That has nothing to do with me. I'll only do what I like!

Pit: It's kind of like watching myself... it's disturbing...

Palutena: But it looks like he's quick to fight, huh? Well, while you're at it, how about you try to defeat Pandora together?

Now that I'm comparing the two, the English version really seems to be trying to hit you over the head with the servitude theme, huh? But you see what I mean, there's a clear difference in framing here. The whole "I'll only do what I like" is a reoccurring theme for his character throughout the game, I'd say.

If you spend a little bit more time with the boss, Pandora will make a comment about how the "Mirror of Truth reflects the truth," but they go about the same way between both versions.

Oh, and you can also see some differences in their characterization once you take Pandora down:

"Hmph. Finally kicked the bucket, huh?"

Like I said... a whole lot more smug in the English version.

Since we're here, I like how the cutscene afterwards plays out:

"You look too much like me and it's disturbing!"

"That's my line..."

English Pit is way too nonchalant about the situation, lol. I think we gotta acknowledge how genuinely unnerving it would be to have another you walkin' around.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. The rest of the cutscene pretty much plays out the same... the only other thing is that English Palutena expresses a worry that Dark Pit could be allied with Medusa whereas Japanese Palutena just says he ought to be pursued immediately.

Moving onto chapter 6, the level in which we subdue Dark Pit. Yippee.

We're thrown right into an aerial duel and the conversation pretty much goes the same way between versions (obviously there's a lot more snark from Dark Pit in English)... except for this line when his identity as a clone is brought up:

"How can you say I'm a copy? Right now, I'm living!"

"How about that? I'm living!!"

Mm yes, impeccable logic right there.

I think this idea might be related to a later discussion brought up by Palutena about the nature of his existence. In English she says "his very existence is unnatural" and in Japanese she says something like "he should have never existed in the first place."

So, by that logic, since clones are unnatural and shouldn't exist, the fact that he's alive and existing like nothing's wrong means that he isn't unnatural and thus not a clone. He just doesn't want to face the truth... that doesn't happen till the boss fight anyway.

But before that, Medusa tries to appeal to him, only for him to brush her off:

In English he just reinstates that nobody can boss him around.

Here he's saying something along the lines of "those who brandish another's sword have no wings to alight." "Alight" as in to descend or swoop down. Never knew it could be a verb. There's definitely a servitude sort of context in both lines, but the Japanese version incorporates a little bit more of that freedom aspect with the whole alighting wings thing.

Okay, now we can talk about the boss fight!

Methinks the puppet doth protest too much... teehee.

Strong emphasis on servitude as we already talked about. Now the Japanese:

Translation time:

Dark Pit: Come at me! You piece of goddess shit!

Pit: What did you say?!

Dark Pit: You're always the goddess's yes-man and fighting for her without holding any doubts. Aren't you dissatisfied with that kind of life? Hm?

Pit: Not in the least! I'm sure of it!

Dark Pit: They say that the "Magic Mirror of Truth" shows the truth. In that case, my existence itself embodies your true feelings, does it not?

Pit: You don't understand. You would never understand! I respect Lady Palutena's affection and want to be of some help to her! That showing of the truth, it's a lie! It's nothing more than a suggestion that comes from its name! I won't be tricked that easily!

Dark Pit: They say people get worked up when you hit the mark.

Pit: Still with that logic!

Dark Pit: Whatever. Do as you like. As for me, there's no way I'll serve someone. With these wings, I'll live freely!

Pit: I envy you, but then I don't!

A couple translation notes:

The Mirror of Truth just has a slightly different name in Japanese. It's called the 真実の魔鏡 (shinjitsu no makyou) and although 魔鏡 isn't a real word, it's just combining the characters for "witchcraft" and "mirror" so it's easy to just render it as "magic mirror."

Dark Pit calls Pit 女神のフンめ (megami no fun me), and as we discussed in a previous post, tacking め (me) onto something makes it derogatory. And フン (fun) is another way of reading the kanji for 糞 (kuso) which means like "feces" or "excrement." So combined with め... you get the idea. I can't elude swears here either...

When Pit is talking about "Palutena's affection," he uses the word 慈愛 (jiai) which I honestly had no idea how to translate without it sounding really weird. My JP to ENG dictionary just equated it to "affection" or "fondness" but I wasn't satisfied, so I looked into a Japanese dictionary, and it defined it as "the kind of affection a parent has for their child." ..."affection" it is then.

This exchange is probably the only time Japanese Dark Pit blatantly brings up servitude. Even then, there's still a lot more emphasis on "doing what you like" compared to the English, which is very hyper-focused on servitude. What I'm trying to say is, the Japanese version is like "you're doing what someone else wants rather than what you want" and the English version is more like "you're someone else's servant when you don't have to be." Not the most eloquent way of putting it, but that's the vibe.

The English conversation in general I think leaves out a lot of information for the sake of sticking to the whole servitude thing. Pit says he "follows Palutena because she always guides him the right way" when obviously their relationship is a lot more than one of mere mutual benefit. The Japanese version kinda fills in these gaps by elaborating that Pit's devotion comes from his respect for Palutena's fondness for humans and life. So that allows Dark Pit to question why he would want to adhere to someone else's wishes rather than his own.

There's also that last line in the Japanese version: it is indeed true that to some extent, Pit envies his clone. Palutena surmised that Dark Pit is a manifestation of Pit's "dark side" (she says pretty much the same thing in the Japanese version, if you're wondering) and I don't think that's entirely untrue. Japanese Dark Pit even states that he's the embodiment of Pit's "true feelings." Pit harbors some deep-seated desire to be on his own, and I think this is reemphasized in chapter 10, where he says his wish would be to "fly by himself" (or "to be able to freely fly through the sky" as he says in Japanese). He gets all worked up for a reason. And we must remember, Dark Pit is Pit's mirror image. So as his opposite, he embodies those hidden feelings, and of course Dark Pit holds some suppressed desires of his own... I'll get back to that.

Before I move onto his appearance in chapter 9, I just want to point out that in the Japanese version, Palutena actually acknowledges Pit's defense of her and thanks him, it's really sweet. In English she pretty much just says that they gotta move on, lol.

The next time we meet Dark Pit is in chapter 9. He must have snuck behind us while we were entering that gate to the Underworld... he suddenly shows up to take out a horde of enemies. When asked why he's there, he responds with his typical snark in the English version:

Are you now...

And in response to Palutena asking if he was interested in helping Pit out:

Standard response. And now the Japanese equivalents:

"I told you, didn't I? I live freely."

"I just so happened to want to beat the crap out of these guys."

He's using 無性に (mushouni) here which is like "excessively" or "like crazy" so I did a bit of creative interpreting...

And then in the Japanese version, Palutena asks if he was called by Pit's "fighting spirit":

"That has absolutely nothing to do with me! Nothing! Don't say disturbing things!"

Seems like we really hit the mark, eh? I'd share the voice files because the delivery here is fun, but I'm limited to only so many... and I wanted to include the English files just because his characterization is so different.

Then he dips but he comes right on back to take out the miniboss right before the ground portion of the level. Did you know the scene plays out totally differently between versions? Here's the English:

All smug and tough. Heh. Now in the Japanese... not so much:

You can hear it at least, right? I'll translate:

Dark Pit: Ugh...! I-I overdid it...

Palutena: It doesn't look like any bones were broken!

Dark Pit: Don't dawdle! Go quickly, before more troops arrive!

Palutena: It's just as Blapi says. Let's take him at his word.

Pit: Thanks a lot, Blapi!

Dark Pit: Seriously, what's with this "Blapi?"

Palutena: We're breaking in!

Not so tough anymore, huh? Something like this REALLY shows the differences in characterization, doesn't it? This kind of scene really emphasizes Dark Pit's tough, lone wolf type character... or it alludes to the possibility that he can't reach his full potential living freely...

The next time we encounter Dark Pit was always weird to me, he kinda just shows up as a miniboss in chapter 13... Arlon summons him there somehow. How did they get into contact? Who knows.

Anyway there's honestly not much of interest in that scene. The whole conversation plays out pretty much the same. It's just another case of a smug line in English versus something not smug.

So let's look at a more interesting line instead! Dark Pit suddenly shows up again with the Lightning Chariot to bust open the entrance to the Chaos Vortex. And when asked about this course of action...

But in Japanese it's interesting:

"This is not the time to talk about it! Lady Palutena's in a pinch, right?"

So, here he actually addresses Palutena as さま (sama) which is a really respectful honorific. It's like "exalted" or "esteemed." Basically, he actually calls her "lady," which he NEVER does in the English version.

Those are his suppressed feelings. He secretly has some respect for her. Why else would he suddenly show up to help Pit out?

"But Hervy!" You might say. "He was unconscious while Pit was a ring after the war against the Aurum! He's helping Pit for the sake of self-preservation!"

Oh true... he does say this. Here he is in the following level:

I mean, Pit quite literally says it. That's why he has to help him save Palutena!! Now then... what if I told you that this was entirely exclusive to the English version? The conversation goes VERY differently in Japanese:

Lemme write it out clearly for ya!

Dark Pit: Still at it, huh?

Pit: Blapi!

Dark Pit: Seriously, don't call me "Blapi!" I'm gonna kick these guys around. Stay quiet and watch.

Pit: Your meddling is unnecessary! I got this!

Both: Rahhh!!

It's rather plain, huh? But no, your ears did not deceive you... er, your eyes did not deceive you. I'm reading too, don't worry. How else can I look up words? Lol. The whole self-preservation thing is something entirely reserved for the English version. In the Japanese version, I suppose he's just doing as he likes? And that's beating up baddies, I guess. That tracks.

He has a few other speaking lines as the level goes on, but it's once again a matter of in English he says something smug and in Japanese he says something rather mundane by comparison. Similar situation for his lines in the little skirmishes in chapter 6 too, by the way. In the boss fight itself, there's this one line in English that always stood out to me:

Like, why would he say this? Lol. Girlypop, you're literally using the dead remains of a goddess in order to fly around. Who are you to say where the line is drawn? I dunno, it just seems... random for him to say. He was never one to harp on about morals up until now.

The Japanese line is less odd to me:

He says something along the lines of "I don't think any other soul would last this long being consumed," obviously referring to Palutena's.

There isn't much to note for the rest of the fight... in the segment afterwards, when Dark Pit is attacked by the remains of the Chaos Kin, he cries out "help me" in English but calls out Pit's name in the Japanese version. Just figured I'd mention it since I personally found it interesting.

Alright! Final stretch! Despite the fact that chapter 22 has you playing as Dark Pit the whole way through... there honestly isn't much to note, but I'll list a few minor things:

Unrelated to Dark Pit himself, but the English version consistently implies that Pit is dying or on the verge of death, and it's reemphasized by Viridi's lines where she talks about "cheating death." The Japanese version just says he's in a "comatose state" and never really seems to imply he'll die or anything. In fact, Palutena expresses a worry that her plan to restore him might end up "eradicating" him (the Japanese game tries to avoid using "kill" as much as possible, probably due to ratings reasons). Following the English script, you would think Dark Pit would be a little bit more eager to help out if Pit was indeed nearly dead, lol.

Palutena also doesn't bring up the fact that she too owes Pit in the Japanese dialogue. Hmm. Either way, she persuades Dark Pit to assist by reminding him of his debt to Pit.

Of course, Dark Pit is, you guessed it, just more snarky in the English version. Heck, both Palutena and Viridi comment on his attitude in later points of the level, which doesn't happen in the Japanese version. Back on topic, there are these lines:

Back to talkin' servitude! The Japanese version naturally reflects more of the freedom lens:

"For your information, I don't need the miracle of flight."

"The sky is mine!"

Pretty much in line with everything we've discussed prior. Different emphases and all that. Oh, and "miracle of flight" is just the Japanese equivalent for the power of flight. Any instance of "miracle" is either omitted or replaced with "power" in the English version

There's also the part where Hades' grand scheme is unraveled, right after the miniboss. Just like in the Chaos Kin boss fight, English Dark Pit decides to be moral about the whole mass molding of souls into Underworld soldiers thing:

In English, as you can see, Viridi's wigging out over Hades' irresponsible use of souls. In Japanese Viridi instead makes a comment on how Hades' strategy isn't terribly efficient, as they just discussed how it takes a whole lotta souls to make an entire monster. Since that's how the conversation progresses, Dark Pit instead remarks that the ability to fight back is possible:

Something along the lines of "in other words, we can brute force it!"

I just want to know what the idea is behind the occasional moral grandstanding is in the English version. I honestly never really noticed it until now. Maybe it's just to express the fact that he's a neutral party...?

The last scene we'll take a look at for today is this one exchange during the first phase of the boss, since really there's nothing else left of note and I've been dragging this out for quite a while. It's the last example of the contrast between emphases I can find. Here's the English:

And then the Japanese:

It goes something like this:

Palutena: Blapi's ability to fly freely was thanks to Pandora's leftover magic powers.

Viridi: Essentially, you could say Padora's remains were residing in his wings. And by the power of the Rewind Spring, she was able to revive herself.

Pandora: The nerve of doing whatever you wanted!

Dark Pit: Well, it was rather convenient. I'll defeat you again and use you in the same way. Be grateful.

Pandora: You little shit!

The return of フン... anyway, Pandora uses the phrase 好き勝手 or "doing as one likes/wants/pleases," which is the kind of vibe the Japanese version has always been going for. That's the reoccurring theme.

There ya have it. To be honest, the best way to really highlight the differences in characterization is to look at the pre-boss battle rallying cry.

"Servant to no other but myself" versus "wings of freedom." Can't get more succinct than that.

You brought up his joining of the Forces of Nature... this is something that is revealed in Dark Pit's Palutena's Guidance conversation in the Palutena's Temple stage in Smash Bros for Wii U and Ultimate. I didn't know this until recently but apparently it's pretty divisive among fans. It's definitely a little odd but personally I don't think it's too farfetched?

Think about it: Dark Pit answered to Arlon's request at one point. He uses the Lightning Chariot, which is always retrieved by Phosphora, who follows Viridi. And at the end of chapter 22, the one that collects him is Viridi. He keeps getting wrapped in their business one way or another.

He can't "live freely" or "do as he likes" without Pandora anymore either. So realistically, what else can he do if he wants to continue on fighting and trouncing baddies? Viridi can supply his flight and thus enable his scrappy lifestyle.

The conversation in Smash pretty much goes the same way in both languages. Viridi reveals that Dark Pit became an officer of her forces and that she isn't beyond opposing Palutena again. Dark Pit meanwhile says that their alliance came as a result of mutual shared interests. What these interests are, we never learn.

I wonder if people's gripes with this information come from that strong emphasis on servitude in the English version--he'd never be anyone's subordinate! But if we consider it from the Japanese side of things, he doesn't really have that kind of dignity to lose. He's already lost the one thing he defined himself by--his wings of freedom. So based on this, and events from Uprising itself, I think it's reasonable enough that he would hang around Viridi. I'd imagine he's more of a free spirit like Phosphora, anyway.

Besides. This is all only in Smash. Are there really enough grounds to say it's canon? I don't think so. Personally I wouldn't think too deeply about this unless it happens in an actual Kid Icarus game. And we all know a sequel will never happen. Not outside our dreams, anyway. Until then, if you still have your gripes, I'd say feel free to disregard it!

Well, thanks for your patience and thanks for reading if you made it this far! I know I took a bit of a hiatus but I don't plan on quitting these kinds of posts. There are still more things that can be talked about, I think. Feel free to send me requests if there's something specific you want me to take a look at! :)

But please keep in mind that I'm also juggling my part-time job and my final semester of university... bear with me if it takes just as long for me to respond!

[cafecourage]

Idk if requests are open; if they're not, please feel free to ignore this!!!

Okay so uh, I know that the post I'm gonna reference is more than a year old, but I just discovered your blog and I went on a binge and, well...

The Dragon Au Part 2? The one with Sky (along with the other boys, but I'm focusing on Sky)? Where you said that Sky would probably never tell his S/O about him being a dragon despite the trust he has in his S/O?

It's just...so sad! 😭 So, if I may, could I request a fic where Reader (who is, or wants to be, Sky's S/O) finds out that Sky's a dragon?

Maybe he accidentally shifted during battle, or maybe one of the other Links accidentally let slip that all of the Chain (and, therefore, Sky) are dragons? I'm not quite sure about how Reader would find out, but they do; cue them crying to another Link (probably Time, bc he's The Dad™) or even Sun, and Reader admits that they feel like they're a terrible person bc surely they did something to make Sky not trust them, right...? And Reader asks for advice on what they can do to make up for whatever Bad Thing they did, and how to be a better friend to Sky, etc. etc.

I don't like angst if it doesn't have a happy ending, so idk how to end it on a happy note; maybe Sky talks to Reader about it all & they "kiss & make up" (either figuratively or literally lol)?

(Again, feel free to ignore this if requests aren't open!!!)

IVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE THIS EVER SINCE I TOLD PINKY ABOUT IT.

Typically you were stay away from battles if anything you were learning how to fight. In this battle though your back was towards a cliff and the monsters were blocking your way into the forest which is where you normally hide. Well… This was a particularly bad situation to be in. You duck and tried to weave through but each time you tried to you almost get hit. Luckily Sky was staying by your side for a bit to fight the monsters off. Though the chain was truly outnumbered.

Not to be a downer but you think they might need a miracle.

Then it happened.

A Lizalfos got a fairly lucky shot at you right in the shoulder. The impact knocked you back off your feet and stumble back.

Right.

Off.

The cliff.

It was weird. You didn’t scream. But something did. It was loud and it felt like the air was full of electricity. In a blink of an eye a black plop swooped down heading towards you. When the blur finally crashes into you whatever it was brought you into its arms and pulled up. “Keep your eyes close.” You hear Sky whisper in your ear, you didn’t even know that your eyes had been closed the whole time. It’s not like you’re going to open them now. Especially with a warning like that.

There was a lot of screaming not just from the boys but monsters as well. A few crashes of lightning made you flinch and hold onto Sky tighter. Slowly your curiosity had peaked and you open your eyes and glanced up at Sky.

Sky who was typically the softest person in the world looked monstrous. His eyes were sharper more snake like and Night Sky-esque scales framed his features. Giving his once soft face a fiercer look to it. It could also be the death glare he had on his face. Behind him were two bat like wings and long serpents tail that matched his scales. It would have been breathtaking if you weren’t loosing blood.

Your glaze was met with his now electric blue eyes, “put me down?” You asked as you had to force yourself to look at the others but as soon as you moved the arrow that was lodged into your shoulder made its move. A curses leave your mouth as you slump back in his arms.

Sky was about to speak but Hyrule beat him, “We should find and get camp set up. For now Let me see what I can do.” The team’s medic was in charge now as the battle had been over for a bit now. “Rancher, Champion can you scout out a better, safer place?” He leads Sky with you in his arms to be seated. When settled with you in Sky’s lap and Hyrule helping you through the process of being stitched up.

You had so many questions to ask but you honestly doubt you would get answers too. “I have a question.”

“Yes Darling?” Sky’s voice was a bit more gravely than normal.

“Are you guys…” You had not idea what to say about this situation as you would assume dragons.

“Yes.” Time said before you could find the words.

A beat passes you look up at the token father, “all-“

“All of us yes.”

“Ok…” You lean into Sky’s chest. Before something bothers you again, looking up at Time again you go to ask him something.

He just sighs “yes. I’ll explain later about how our magic work. Just focus on healing.”

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Not too sure how strange of an ask this is, but have any ideas on how to make a winged being with "legwings" similar to sharovipteryx, but is capable of flight? Thank you in advance!

in the process of looking up images to remind myself what a sharovipteryx is and how it moves, i found this tumblr post redesigning the pokemon Latios and Latias as a pair of sharovipteryx and it's amazing, I love this, shoutout to @alphynix

anyway. so what you're asking is how to make a creature with those back-leg membrane wings but in a way that allows for powered flight instead of just gliding? powered flight requires some method of flapping, so as long as the muscles and joints are able to move that way, it should work out. for reference, here's an image of the sharovipteryx (artist: Dmitry Bognadov)

(image description: artistic depiction of two prehistoric flying lizards, seen from below. they have long skinny tails, short forelegs, and very long back legs with a triangular membrane over them, including a membrane between the knees and belly. end description)

their shape reminds me of a paper airplane.

hmmmm let's start by talking about how arm wings flap for powered flight, comparing their shape to these leg wings.

(image description: simple sketches of a bat wing, labeled "arm", and a sharovipteryx wing, labeled "leg". end description.)

going for the bat wing because they've also got a membrane. when bats fly, a lot of the motion is in the elbow (excluding the fingers for the sake of comparison here). each flap brings the wing to a full horizontal spread, and then it's drawn closer to the body and lifted at the elbow to bring it back upwards, more or less. not every flap folds all the way in! once a bat is in the air, it can usually flap in smaller motions to maintain its lift. this also depends on wing shape and size, as smaller wings require more frequent and deeper flapping while bigger wings are typically better for soaring and require less and more shallow flapping after takeoff.

the back leg wing is easy enough to spread out and flap downward, but i think the struggle comes from bending the knee for an upstroke. in this case, I believe a more flexible hip joint would allow for a better upstroke. or it would have to move more forward and then spread out. as a result, it may not have the same range of big flaps as a bat or bird, and i think it might resemble the way frogs kick their legs when they swim.

(animation description: very simplified sketch frames of a leg wing and an arm wing flapping. the arm wing goes all the way up and down for each flap, while the leg wing only comes in line with the body before it extends for a downstroke. end description.)

I do not dabble in animation very often and trying to do foreshortening on flapping wings is hard, so forgive the quality haha. but I couldn't figure out how else to illustrate what I was thinking of for the movement on the leg wings. may not be as efficient as arm wings when it comes to agile powered flight, but it would perhaps be enough to provide lift so the creature isn't just gliding.

hope that helps!

[lendeah]

After the Weave 2.

series masterlist

Summary: Astarion x OFC!Tav, past Gale x OFC!Tav

Pairing: Astarion x Fem!Tav, past Gale x Fem!Tav

Tags: Angst, Drinking to Cope, References to Depression, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Emotional Baggage, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Post-Break Up, Tav finds herself again with Astarion, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD.

Word count: 4.5k

Also on AO3

"Well, it is not as bad as I remembered" I tell Astarion, while entering the enormous stone arch of the entrance to the Crimson Palace. "It is so much worse. "

Astarion just laughed. "Always the optimist, aren't you?" His words were frosted with his typical humor, his voice smooth as velvet. "Would you prefer to return to your melancholic musing instead?"

I shot him a glare, but he ignored me as we stepped into the place that brought me so many bad memories. While it still looked like it did back in the day we came to beat Cazador. The ominous decoration that used to be dark, with crimson rugs and dark wooden floors, is now a bit more lively; vibrant paintings decorating the halls, flowers in every vase, and shelves full of books in every corner. The rugs are also changed to ones with different patterns of lively colors, like purple and orange. Overall, it feels like the house has become alive with Astarion's influence.

He takes me around, showing me every nook, even though I have been here before. As he moves ahead of me, I can't help but observe his changed appearance - his hair now falls just above his broad shoulders and his once sturdy frame now seems leaner, a result of the lack of physical activity we were subjected to in the past.

"This is the Kitchen, not that we use it a lot anyway" he continues, lively. As we come across the next hallway, a tall figure is already there, speaking to a servant. When she turns to face them, her face seems familiar. Then she remembers: she is one of Astarion's sisters, the one they met at the flophouse along with his brother. She stands tall, almost as tall as Astarion himself, with long, flowing blonde hair and the same bright red eyes. Her features are sharp, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, giving her a regal and intimidating presence.

"Dalyria" Astarion greets her.

"Brother," She replies warmly, though she doesn't bother to hide the slight frown on her face. "You look exhausted as usual. Is everything alright? You know I can prepare you a replenishing potion should you be in need of one"

"That can wait" He replies nonchalantly. Then he turns to me. "Remember my dear friend, Elara?"

"Oh, I do recall. You freed us from Cazador." She replies, in a tone that's hard to place. There's genuine interest there - maybe a touch of amusement. There's also a degree of suspicion in the way she holds my gaze, though it seems less like she thinks I'm an enemy and more like she's studying me.

I smile. "That was me indeed."

"Then consider my thanks to you," she bows her head slightly, her expression still unreadable. "My brother has said much about you these past few weeks."

I turn to him in surprise, raising my eyebrows slightly "I wonder what my dear companion here has been talking behind my back" I retort.

Before Astarion can reply, Dalyria continues "There is indeed a great deal you might say about such a remarkable mage. My brother speaks only the highest praise of you, in fact." She gives me an appraising glance up and down before turning her attention back towards her brother." By the way, I have made some progress with the investigation, but it seems every time I find something new things get more complicated" she adds.

Astarion nods, serious for once. It must be something important then.

"I will come to your office when I finish with her " Astarion turns back to me, his smirk still in place. "Shall we continue our tour then? I believe you have yet to see her bedchamber." He offers his arm, gesturing towards the large double doors at the end of the hall. As he leads me ahead, I smile at her and add "It was nice to meet you again, Dalyria"

Dalyria nods politely in response before continuing down the hall. As we walk, I glance back at Astarion.

"So you've been speaking highly of me."

He laughs, the sound light and musical.

"Don't let it go to your head. I may have mentioned your name in passing once or twice."

"Uh-huh," I reply, unconvinced. "I thought all your siblings had gone to the Underdark to guide the vampire spawn."

"In fairness, most of them have" He replies as we reach a wooden door. At that, Astarion's expression grows serious, his playful demeanor fading. "Dalyria has proven herself invaluable in tracking down various threats and conspiracies against me. She is also investigating a private matter."

My fingers twitch nervously as I debate whether or not to pry further. Astarion's demeanor has shifted, becoming more open and approachable than the last time I saw him. "Have you... resolved your issues? With your siblings, I mean."

Astarion's expression darkens slightly at my question, and I immediately regret asking. But to my surprise, he answers nonetheless.

"Not entirely," he says with a sigh. "But we have come to an understanding of sorts. They still see me as a traitor, but they know that I am the reason they are free from Cazador."

I nod solemnly, understanding the weight of his words. As we continue walking down the hall, Astarion suddenly opens a set of carved wooden doors and gestures for me to enter. I step inside and find myself in a grand bedroom, with floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with leatherbound books. The plush chairs and polished tables give off an air of elegance, while the fancy rugs and huge fireplace add a touch of warmth to the space. But what catches my eye is the enormous bed lying in the center of it all.

"Here's where you'll be staying," Astarion announces, waving his hand across the room. His voice is casual, but I notice an underlying tone of nervousness. Was he worried about my reaction? "I hope it's to your liking."

I stand in awe at the grandeur of the room, taking in every detail. "This is...amazingly excessive," I say, turning to look at Astarion with a smile.

That brings a smirk back to his face, and he shrugs languidly. "I've been told my tastes veer towards the extravagant. Feel free to make any changes you like."

I chuckle at that and then turn my attention towards the room once more. It is a beautiful space, with the kind of splendor I'd only ever seen in royal chambers. The walls are adorned with rich tapestries depicting various scenes from myths and legends. There are large windows draped with velvet curtains, closed to protect the inside from the morning sunlight.

Turning around, I approach a large painting hanging above the fireplace. It depicts a grand feast filled with all sorts of creatures - humans, elves, tieflings, orcs, and what looked like demons? A strange choice for decoration but it was beautifully painted nonetheless.

"So, what's next?" I ask curiously.

Astarion pushed himself off the doorframe "Take your time to cool off, darling. We can meet for lunch later, and I'll fill you in on the juicy details then."

I nod and turn again. This feels like way too much, but I guess that's how it always is with Astarion. I decide to go to the on-suite bathroom first and take a moment to freshen up. The bathroom holds a mirror that spans one entire wall and a sunken tub, already filled with hot water, steaming gently. I shed my used clothes, leaving them in a messy pile on the marble floor as I step into the warm bath. The heat envelopes me, soothing my tired muscles.

I lean back against the edge of the bath, closing my eyes and letting out a quiet sigh. This life here is far from the humid and dirty basement I was living in. All the luxuries make me feel out of place. But then again, perhaps this is Astarion's world now – a world of elegance and intrigue where I was merely a guest.

After what feels like hours, I rise from the bath, wrapping myself in one of the plush towels. As I open the closet, my mouth falls open. It's full to the brim with fancy expensive clothing. My hand reaches to trail along the vests, and I decide to settle for a green soft dress, light to the touch. I retouch my hair, placing the crazy black strands in a long high braid. Then I get out, crossing different halls to reach the dining room. The table has been set, and a lavish spread of mouth-watering dishes sits before me. It smells divine, the aroma wafting in the air enough to make my stomach growl.

From across the room, I spot Astarion leaning casually against a pillar, dressed in a scarlet silk shirt that matches his eyes and a pair of fitted black trousers. His shiny white hair falls in elegant curls around his face and he looks absolutely captivating.

"Enjoy your bath?" he asks as I approach, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He still has his usual smug confidence, it seems.

I give a slight nod and shrug nonchalantly, "It was nice, thank you," I admit trying to match his tone. He grins at me before taking a seat at the head of the table and gesturing to the one right next to him.

"Please, help yourself," Astarion says with a wave of his hand, gesturing towards the food.

There's a variety of dishes laid out before us – a hearty-lookingfreshly beef stew, roasted vegetables, a platter of assorted cheeses, and fresh baked bread. I wonder why he brought so much food when I am the only one able to enjoy it.

Astarion pours out two glasses; one of dark red wine for me and what I assume is blood for him.

As I eat, I decide to break the comfortable silence we've settled into "So, what was this urgent matter with the spawn that led you to seek my help".

Astarion smiles, sipping on his wine before answering "Well, as it turns out, taking care of 7000 spawn lurking in the Underdark and city sewers is not an easy task. Less so when they absolutely despise you for being the reason they are there in the first place" He smiles, but it's strained, the lines of his face terse "That's the short of it."

"And what's the long version?" I ask.

"So, it seems the city has become quite the popular destination for disappearances. And how fortunate for us, some have turned up deceased with bite marks adorning their bodies. My intuition leads me to believe they may be the work of a recently escaped group of spawns. They've always had a particular appetite for the finer things in life, so perhaps now they've developed an appetite for humans. Can you blame them? After being cooped up for so long, I'm sure they're craving something new and exciting." He rolls his eyes. "Also, providing for them has been proven not only difficult but also incredibly expensive. Even with Cazador's fortune at our disposition." he adds "And the spawn themselves are no help. They're like petulant children, and I mean that quite literally. With Cazador dead and a thousand-plus years of confinement gone to waste, they are utterly lost. Most of them are refusing to eat at all. Others are gorging themselves into an animalistic state. It's like I'm trying to corral feral cats, only the cats all have sharp teeth, claws, and a deep hatred of me"

I nod, processing the words "And how do you think I could help you solve all of this?"

"Well, I'm not asking you to solve it. I'm asking you to help me manage it" He replies, leaning forward.

I raise an eyebrow, "And why come to me for help? Surely there are others who are more experienced in dealing with such creatures."

Astarion smirks, "Because my dear, you have a unique set of skills that I believe could be quite useful in this situation. And besides, I trust you. You've proven yourself to be quite resourceful and adaptable during our time together. Your ability to handle conflicts with diplomacy has always been evident. People listen to you, follow you, even to deathly war battles." he takes a long sip of his wine "I believe that you can use that charisma to our advantage. So many of Cazador's old allies have been fleeing our side, with his recent death and my new situation as a vampire spawn no longer being so... secretive. If we could show we still had allies of importance on our side, I believe it would turn our whole situation around. We could win their respect enough to earn their aid once again."

"So you want me to manipulate them so they will give us more money to waste on some wild murderous spawn living in the Underdark?" I raise a skeptical eyebrow.

"That is precisely what I'm asking you to do." His lips curl up into a mocking smirk as he continues, "But don't worry, darling, I'm not suggesting that you outright lie to them. No, no, just use your considerable charm and cunning to sway them our way." He shrugs nonchalantly. "And as for the 'wild murderous spawn', well, some of them are actually quite decent. They're just experiencing the same struggles we are. It's a shame really."

I sigh "Yeah, I kind of get that," I whisper, more to myself than him.

"That's all I ask," Astarion purrs, his crimson eyes glinting mischievously. "Just a few measly balls, charming the pants off of every noble in attendance, you know, basically your expertise. Just..." He pauses, exhaling dramatically before locking eyes with me again. "I need to make sure I do things right for them this time. It's the least they deserve, after what I did."

My heart swells with emotion at this unexpected change in him. His demeanor is so... different. So strikingly mature and selfless. It's a stark contrast to the old Astarion, who only ever had eyes for his selfish desires.

I take a moment to compose myself before responding, "Astarion, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know Cazador was keeping them alive." I say, reaching to touch his arm, his skin as cold as I remembered, "and you were going through a lot of pain too." I whisper softly.

Astarion freezes as my hand touches his arm, his eyes drifting away from mine and towards the bottle of wine. He looks back up at me for a moment, his mouth twitching slightly. "I was a tool of Cazador, yes," Astarion continues. "But I also...I had my own part in it." His voice is barely a whisper now, tinged with regret. "I condemned them to an eternal darkness, gave them false hope, and then took it away from them."

"But you're trying to change that now," I tell him, my voice soft but determined. "You're doing what you can to help them. That's worth something. And we will help them. Together."

Astarion's expression softens, and for a moment, I see a glimpse of vulnerability in his eyes before he quickly masks it with a smirk. "Oh, darling, you always know just what to say." He leans back in his chair, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of his wine glass."Well..." he continues, as if he had never just gotten so close to breaking down as he did "it sounds like we have a lot of work to do, don't we?" He leans over to refill my glass, a smile on his lips. "You know, in hindsight, it might have been a mistake to call you here for a job offer. You are looking exceptionally... inviting in that outfit. Very seductive, if I may be so bold" He adds, giving me a sly smirk.

I roll my eyes, taking my hand off him. "Keep dreaming, bloodsucker."

Astarion lounges in his chair, a devilish twinkle dancing in his eyes. "But my dear, let's not forget all those indulgent moments we shared together when you let me feed from you? I know you really enjoyed those" He leans closer, voice dripping with honeyed seduction. "Perhaps we should revisit those blissful days, hm?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "No chance in hell, Astarion." I take a sip of wine to hide the slight tremor in my hand at his words. Memories of our past together flood my mind, and I can feel his fangs piercing my skin, the pain quickly giving way to a pleasure unlike any other. His hands, surprisingly gentle for someone with such sharp teeth, traced every curve of my body with a tenderness that both thrilled and terrified me.

"Oh, my sweet, you must be craving for some excitement after all these dull months without that wizard's touch." He purrs, his fingers brushing against the back of my hand.

The mention of Gale sends a pang through my heart, but I quickly push it aside and retrieve my arm. "You know very well that's not what I'm here for," I respond firmly.

He chuckles, placing his hand over his heart mockingly. "My apologies, my dear," he says with a hint of sarcasm. "I'll try not to let old feelings get in the way."

I take a deep breath and rise from my seat "Now if you'll excuse me," I say as I stretch languidly, "I am going to get acquaintance with my bed."

I turn to leave, but not before I feel his cool hand on my wrist again. "Wait..." he says, not meeting my eyes. "Thank you. For everything. For listening and for agreeing to help. I...I appreciate it."

His words catch me off guard, but I manage a small smile. "It's what friends do, Astarion. We help each other out."

His grip on my wrist tightens for a moment before he releases it. "Yes...friends, of course..." he murmurs, looking up at me with an unreadable expression before I turn away.

Walking down the long carpeted hallway towards my quarters, I think about what Astarion said. About the spawn, their situation, and how he wants me to help. It's a lot to take in. But then again, what part of my life isn't overwhelming these days?

"I don't want to dance" I whine "I hate dancing. Is it truly necessary?" I say while Astarion leads me to the ballroom.

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of preparation for the next ball, which happened to be the next day. Astarion had taken it upon himself to teach me every name and position of every attendee possible, filling my head with endless information. He had also taught me protocol and manners, deeming my behavior akin to that of a "savage in elegant attire." My days had been consumed with a routine of endless studying and fancy dinners with the vampire. It was a welcome distraction from the haunting nightmares that plagued my sleep again. Also, living with him hadn't been as bad as I had anticipated, as he seemed more relaxed and mature than all those months ago- in fact, it was quite nice having someone to talk to and spend time with after so much time.

Adjusting my sleeping schedule from night to day had also been strange. However, my tired body and mind gratefully embraced the break from the unrelenting cycle of stress and sleepless nights. To my surprise, I didn't find myself constantly thinking about ale like I thought I would, as my mind was preoccupied with endless details and plans instead.

Despite the improvements, I had been absolutely dreading the moment I had to learn how to dance, as I was well aware of my terrible lack of skill in that area. I had tried to convince Astarion out of it for weeks but to no avail.

"Yes, it's absolutely necessary," the vampire answers without missing a beat. "You're not going to convince anyone of anything if you're standing around like a wallflower." He grins at me with that infuriatingly charming smirk of his. "Besides, you might enjoy it. Dancing is a lot like battle. There's strategy involved, lots of footwork, and the right partner can make all the difference." he ends with a wink.

I huff in response. "I'd rather fight a horde of goblins than dance in front of snotty aristocrats," I grumble under my breath. But I know there's no point in arguing. Astarion has made up his mind, and he's as stubborn as they come.

The empty ballroom is splendid, bathed in the warm glow of numerous chandeliers that cast prismatic rainbows across the polished marble floor.

"You can't be serious, Astarion," I say, turning to face him with pleading eyes. "I have two left feet. There's no way I can possibly learn how to dance in one night."

He simply raises an eyebrow at me before gesturing towards an empty corner of the room.

"Luckily for you, my dear," he says with a smirk, "I happen to be quite skilled in dancing."

Before I can protest any further, he takes my hand and leads me over to the center, as soft ballroom music starts playing. Astarion moves me through the steps slowly at first. We stand close together, his hand finding mine while the other rests on my waist. I swallow nervously as he guides me through steps I can hardly remember.

"Relax," he murmurs, his voice soothing. "You're thinking too much."

"You're stepping on my feet too much," I retort.

"The key is to let the music guide you," he says as we begin to move. "Feel the rhythm in every part of your being. Imagine you are fighting – you must anticipate their next move."

His smile widens, and he squeezes my hand, moving us into a gentle twirl. "You're looking majorly exquisite tonight." He whispers in my ear, his low voice sending tingles up and down my spine. I gulp, he always knew how to make me nervous. I try to distract myself by centering my attention on the task at hand.

The dance is simple enough: a few simple steps across the floor, then a twirl, then stepping back to begin another turn. At first, I struggle to follow his rhythm, but Astarion guides me with ease, our bodies moving in unison. I soon begin to relax, letting him lead me as we glide across the floor.

"I must admit, there are few things that you are skilled at. But dancing certainly isn't one of them." Astarion adds, his tone playful.

I raise an eyebrow at him but don't bother responding. Instead, I focus on moving more smoothly across the floor as he leads. I slowly begin to learn the pattern of the dance, and I find I am enjoying myself more and more as we move together. I smile slightly despite myself, and as we twirl once more, I notice how close we are. Our bodies are almost touching, dancing slowly and rhythmically together. It has been months since I have been this close to someone, and it makes me feel a little guilty to think about Gale like I am betraying him somehow.

Astarion doesn't seem to notice my discomfort, or perhaps he's purposefully ignoring it. He leads me through a few more steps, this time slightly faster and more complex, but I'm able to follow his rhythm easily. "Have you had many partners on the dance floor?" he asks after a few moments, his voice low and soothing.

I smile slightly out of breath "Well, you know Gale wasn't keen on dancing, so no. You have the honor of being my first"

Astarion pauses in the middle of a step, glancing up at me with a sly grin. "Oh really? I didn't realize I had such a special privilege" He twirls me around so I'm facing away from him, and then pulls me back in so our bodies are almost touching again. "It seems I should be thanking you instead of the other way around"

I roll my eyes "Well, I haven't thanked you, actually."

He smirks at me, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. "No, I suppose you haven't." He leans in close, his voice low and quiet, "Maybe you should fix that."

, his voice soft against my skin causing a shiver to crawl down my spine. I look up at him, our faces inches apart. My breath catches and my pulse quickens slightly. His eyes hold a certain level of mischief that has me both exhilarated and scared all at once. It's a feeling I have associated with Astarion since the day we met.

"Maybe I should," I murmur back in response, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. But I can see the glimmer in his eyes that tells me he knows just how much he's affecting me. And of course, he wouldn't be Astarion if he didn't take advantage of the situation.

His hand slides down from my waist to the small of my back, pulling me closer. His thumb brushes against the exposed skin there, sending waves of goosebumps along my body. He leans in even closer until our noses are almost touching.

"But then again," he whispers, his breath warm against my lips."What would Gale think of this? He wouldn't be thankful for me touching you like this, would he?"

His words hit me like a bucket of icy water, pulling me back to reality. I pull back abruptly, stumbling slightly as I detach myself from Astarion's grasp.

"I—I don't know," I stutter, my cheeks hot. His words have stirred a pot of emotions within me, his charm ensnaring me in a moment that felt too intimate, too personal. Memories of Gale flood my consciousness, his soft voice, the way he looked at me with his big brown eyes. He asked me to marry him, to wait for him. Suddenly, dancing with Astarion feels so wrong.

His eyes narrow slightly as he studies me, not saying a word as he waits for me to gather my thoughts. "Look Astarion," I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. "If you want this deal to work, you have to stop that. It is enough for me to get over my breakup, I can't deal with you play flirting around me all day."

Astarion raises an eyebrow at my response, a devious smirk playing on his lips. He leans back against the edge of a table casually, crossing his arms. It is as if we were simply discussing the weather.

"I'll keep that in mind. But don't worry, I won't push my luck again." He lifts his hand in surrender, trying to lighten the mood. I can feel that he's not done yet. My fear is not in his attempts, but in my own weakness to resist him again. Can I keep saying no?

Despite the situation, I can't help but smile at his casual demeanor. There's something about Astarion's wit that reminds me of my old self.

"In that case," I say after a moment of contemplation, "Thank you, Astarion. For the dance and your...guidance."

"There it is," he smiles "Good girl. I knew you would make it."

Our playful banter is abruptly halted by a servant, who clears his throat discreetly as they cross the opulent room.

"Mr. Ancunín," he addresses Astarion with a slight bow, "I have been instructed to deliver a missive intended for our esteemed guest."

Astarion motions for the man to approach and looks at me, with an unreadable expression in his eyes. But I am unable to tear my gaze away from the piece of parchment paper in his hands. As he draws closer, I can see the familiar handwriting scrawled across it, causing my breath to catch in my throat.

It is Gale's handwriting.

[kisu-doodles]

You draw Logan and Scott ‘s physiques so well! Do you use references for drawing muscular physiques or what did you study to get good and make it stylized?

I’ve never found great references to study from but I’m really curious how you practiced and got so good at it?

OMG im so flattered! fr im definitely still learning and im not super confident with my art yet but i'll do my best to answer and maybe it will be helpful!

To answer the first part i always ALWAYS use reference but maybe not in the typical way. Usually i'll try and do the sketch from my mind but im the type who frequently forgets how to draw so i'll usually end up using reference. Typically i have multiple reference categories because 1. it helps avoid just copying others stuff 2. you learn more deeply i find

Here are my typical reference categories

Poses: i tend not to look for poses that look like the character because i think you can get bogged down trying to copy it exactly so for example i'll use a pic with a woman when drawing a man. I also highly recommend using videos if possible you can find alot of great stuff on youtube so for example if im looking for acting reference i'll often watch an always sunny clip (because the i find that the actors have really great hand acting) or for let's say a fight scene ill look up something from an action movie i like, I do this alot because im working on alot of storyboards and animation rn so seeing things frame by frame is very important. In addition i've been studying alot of x men comics because they have some really great fight scenes specifically all new x men. Further note, I usually try to draw the pose by eyeballing it but if im struggling then ill trace over the pic breaking down the forms and then draw it again using the breakdown as a reference (also u dont have to do this but my goodness it helps, is to draw the pose again from memory without looking at the reference I do this alot especially when animating because i want to build a visual library)

STYLE: One of the things which i think is a big hurdle if you're trying to learn anatomy or more specifically how to draw it in a way you find both easy and appealing is just going from irl pics. This is where studying from other artists is essential for me at least because im naked and afraid 99% of the time when it comes to art. So what i'll do is usually breakdown an artist's work that i like down trying to get into their mindset usually; How are they simplfying the form; what shapes are they using and why. I think it's good to micro focus at first so let's say you're finding forearms tricky then just breakdown how the artist draws forearms then draw your version and COMPARE seeing what's different between your version and the artist. Then i might get some irl pics of the subject and im like ok im x artist and i try my best to draw the part in their style, you know kinda imagining how the artist you like distills the same info. I reference a great deal of artists because they all have a great deal of knowledge but also you dont just want to copy one.

ANATOMY: Im the type that usually wants to apply anatomy immediately to what im working on rather than just doing endless drills because it's one thing to draw an arm for example as u usually see in reference which is by the side and completely different when the arm is actually doing something. There are a ton of great resources out there for anatomy but for me at least i think it's important to find references that simplify because again i think building a visual library is best. So for me usually i'll whip out the anatomy reference when im stuck on something and cant remember how to draw it

THE CHARACTER: with some characters like scott i usually dont need a reference but with logan and his silly hair it is essential. since with these two there are so many comics there is a ton of great reference

Further thoughts:

One of the things which i think is super essential at least for me is to try and force yourself to draw from imagination because it's very easy to get stuck in a learning cycle if that makes sense. A nice way to ease yourself into it is to start modifying your pose from the reference so let's say you've drawn the character sitting on a chair now draw it so they're leaning forward or to the side whatever you want! you can also try drawing from a more exaggerated perspective or from a completely different angle! Finally i think it's a great way to loosen up to just doodle poses with no reference just whatever tickles your fancy for this it helps to have a shorthand that you feel you can draw at any angle so even stick figures can work nicely!

i found especially for drawing muscular characters it is best to try cartoony simplification because the anatomy can be quite overwhelming. When i first started to draw logan i used his character sheet from x men evolution and would doodle random poses and then using the model sheet as reference try to put him on model (basically the mindset was what would the animators on the show do) it was really fun and because i had these simple but clear logans adding more detailed anatomy was super easy!

So to elaborate id find lets say a reference of someone eating a salad and then id draw logan in the style of x men evolution eating a salad.

Sorry if this was super rambly i hope it helps!!! i could elaborate if ye require it

[a-most-beloved-fool]

I don’t remember when I followed you (I never had an interest in Star Trek and idk if you were an old old mutual that remade or something) but now I have so much secondhand knowledge of it, I’d like to ask where to begin? Is there a beginner friendly series, go chronologically, or some other way you recommend someone starting out with the Star Trek universe?

I've definitely always been a star trek blog, so I'm a bit impressed you're still here! I'm more than happy to help <3

As for starting Star Trek... there's a few places that could work!

I do think chronologically works well. The Original Series is (in my opinion) genuinely a lot of fun, and it gives you a good basis for the general vibe of the Trek universe. (It's all about hope for the future! And really silly costumes!) However, it was made in the 60s, and there are definitely part of it that are... very 60s. Parts of it aged very well, and parts of it didn't quite so much. (I also have a friend who thinks the pacing is weird?) I love it, and clearly it's made an impact, but it's not everyone's favorite! (And actually I think there may be some "Best Of" guides that let you skip some of the most "60s-ish" episodes, too)

If you'd rather start somewhere else, I think the next best spot is The Next Generation, which is the second series chronologically. It started airing in 1987, so the pacing/acting/special effects/etc. are all more modern, and possibly a bit more palatable. Also I think the first two episodes jump right into Star Trek's weirdness lmao so you'll know what you're getting into from the start. It is, at times, a very silly show.

The two other most reasonable places to begin, which might be considered the best spots for beginners, are

a) the AOS movies (Star Trek: 2009, Into Darkness, and Beyond), which are a bit more marvel/star wars/action type in their framing and therefore really aren't my favorite, but I know they've gotten a lot of new people into the fandom, and they are fun, so I can't begrudge them. (they're based on the Original Series characters in an alternate universe, so the names are the same as the OGs, but the world, plot, and characterizations aren't really.)

and

b) Star Trek: Prodigy, which is a new animated kid's series, and does a fantastic job being Star Trek. (and actually more trekkies need to watch it still. seriously! it's good!) It's a lot of fun, and gives a good taste of the feel of Star Trek in 24 minute episodes instead of the usual 50. (This is also the only one I know for sure is on a non-paramount streaming service, which may be a point in its favor)

Strange New Worlds might also be a pretty safe place to start, but I haven't seen that one yet, so I won't swear by it. also i keep hearing about things they're doing to spock and i have concerns It's still coming out, and is technically a prequel to the Original Series (though canon doesn't 100% line up. it's fine, it's sci-fi, there are alternate universes lmao). I've heard that it does a good job keeping the fun and campyness of Trek when some of the newer shows have lost it!

Honestly, I think you could start pretty much anywhere and have a good time! Star Trek does like to make references to itself, but it doesn't typically rely on you knowing these references. (Though I admit that I didn't recommend Lower Decks as a starting place entirely because i think it will be more fun if you understand the references. That show likes to make callbacks.)

This is probably a longer guide than you need, but. hopefully it helps? And do please tell me what you think, if you decide to start any of it! I'd love to hear!!! <3

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #40

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 3, I Know Where I'm Going, gravity

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are long. I would even go so far as to say they can go in the longest-length category. That's typical for being in Gabriel's presence without humans around.

Gabriel is the supernatural presence that affects the sideburns in such a way for most of the story.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

The streak can be found. It might even expand a bit when Crowley is talking about his Operation Lovebirds plan by the window. Still, the streak is usually visible when Crowley's around Gabriel, just like the sideburns are usually long when Crowley's around Gabriel.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The hair is more wavy on the right side of Crowley's head. The hair near his part and above his left eye indents in a little further to Crowley's right. It curves slightly upward in its overall tilt to the right.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | Earthly Objects Study - Windows Part 1)

Gabriel is repeatedly dropping a book. Touches probably count for when he picks the book back up. Crowley is touching a stack of books has walks down the stairs.

Gabriel places his hands on his hips briefly while Crowley is talking to him. He has a question with, "Why?"

Crowley probably gets points for touches on the rugs.

Crowley and Gabriel share a complex window scene looking at Nina. With the window look touch active, they both do self-touches.

My latest guess, which I reached while drafting this post, is that there are two sets this pair do. Because they were looking at the fly together, they are in a context to allow a shared window look.

Crowley starts the first set with the name, "Operation Lovebirds." That's point #1.

Both he and Gabriel are not physically touching any earthly objects as they start their shared window look. That's the lookers looking as Step 1.

The camera shows Nina and part of the window frame visible. That's the window seeing as Step 2.

The camera cuts back to the pair behind the window. That's the lookers being seen clearly behind the window pane with at least some of its window frame visible, which is Step 3. They have earned their shared point as point #2 of this set.

Crowley earns them their third point with smacking his hands together while Gabriel maintains the look on the window. That's point #3.

During the previous set, Gabriel was implied to touch his coat. The camera confirms it as this next set starts. That's point #1.

Gabriel asks, "Vavoom?" That's a question to earn point #2.

Crowley has an implied pocket touch, but I think he's obscuring it enough to not earn a point. Instead, he earns the last point with a self-mouth-touch after saying, "That's the plan, yeah," and before saying, "I haven't done weather in ages."

He concludes the scene with ensuring that he is looking out the window. Instead of a physical object being physically touched, the window look is maintained so long as the characters occasionally look to show they are still using the window.

...

As a reminder, all of this window stuff is, at least in my experience, to help an audience player find and solve The Window Trick in Round 1 of the Threshold Tricks.

...

Time to pay attention to the pockets...

Crowley has manifested his clothes differently. He has no jacket and no vest. That means I'm off to examine the tie strands since they have no lapel edges to strike for retying or whatever other mischief they might do as the Tied Hands.

Okay, the first thing I notice is that a clasp hits an edge along the line of the outer shirt near the end of the scene.

That means I'll look for retying signs as well as whatever else they do.

With Crowley carrying the books, the tie strands are mostly covered at first. After he throws the books, the tie strands are not fully visible yet. His right hand is in front of them. The space between his thumb joints is what lines up with the lower part of the clasp furthest to Crowley's right and slightly higher than the hidden ones for the other tie strand below it. As Crowley's right hand lowers, that lower part hides briefly. The upper part of the left-most tie strand becomes visible and aligned with the right hand CMC thumb joint. Then the right hand covers the clasps.

Both arms are making pockets with his body.

Given what's going to happen, what I think the scene is trying to show is a confirmation that the tie strands are indeed Tied Hands, even with the different attire. Because of how this display happens, they're also going to have to be retied. The tie strand closer to Crowley's right eventually switches to be closer to Crowley's left. Then in Crowley's movement, it will match with movement of Crowley's left hand.

Crowley steps forward, and both his arms move while the tie strands swing. His legs end up making a pocket with the bottom of the screen. His watch's face still can't be seen, but it's exposed enough for its metallic shine to be found while the bookshop clock's face is also visible and to Crowley's right. Crowley's left thumb tip lines up to the edge of the tassel that is probably the one closest to Crowley's left. That's the one connected to the right hand at that moment.

Then the left thumb tip covers the other tassel for the tie strand closer to Crowley's right, which is the one it's theoretically tied to. Crowley keeps stepping forward, and the tie strands switch with his movement. The shorter tie strand ends up closer to his left side. When it swings slightly to Crowley's right, Crowley's left hand is in sync with its movement. His left arm is making a pocket with his torso. The tie has skin contact with both sides of Crowley's neck.

Then this display is done, and now it's time to start retying. The watch is known to be on Crowley but will not be seen again. However, the bookshop clock's face is on screen when Crowley and Gabriel watch the fly going up. Gabriel's index finger makes a point. As the pair make their way toward the window, the tie strands push off the shirt 3 times.

Crowley's pinky finger is extended when Crowley smacks his hands together as he says, "vavoom." The thumb is also extended. The index finger is blurred but has more lighting on it than the middle and ring fingers. The hands are crossed in the process.

Gabriel's right thumb CMC joint is touching his pocket when next to Crowley as Crowley implies his own pants pocket touch.

When Crowley says, "That's the plan, yeah," is when a clasp finally hits the shirt inner edge.

My guess then is that's the end of retying this time.

Well, playing this part was interesting. I'm going to have to think on it for awhile to see if it has value to other parts of the game and if it has more value than what I've found so far here. The main place I'll consider first is the Single in The Pocket Trick. I'm already so lost there as it is.

Now maybe I should go back and look at any other pockets or pocket-related things I missed with the whole studying the Tied Hands part.

The stair lamp is visible again, and it is found above and to the left of Crowley's ear at times. Well, since it's there, I'm going with guessing Crowley gets to reuse it as an Overhead Light. The logic isn't clear to me for why reusing is allowed, if that is the case.

Gabriel does something interesting where his right hand has his index finger and middle finger spread to make a "2" that is touching the desk. Meanwhile, his left index finger is touching the desk on the other side to make a "1". A Rule of Three is met with the fingertips touching the desk. He places his hands on his sweater and makes pockets with his arms. When stroking his left index finger to his cheek to ask, "Why?" there is a brief pocket between the finger and his shoulder. Later in the window part with Crowley, he places his hands on his coat and makes pockets with his arms.

Crowley ends up visually pocketed between Gabriel and the window during parts of the retying.

There are at least two humans using pockets for the part showing what the window sees.

The Belt Head is sometimes visible and a potential clue that the Overhead Light is active as an Overhead Light when Crowley and Gabriel are watching the fly. There are a few smaller lights, including one above the stair railing that can act as an Overhead Light for the Belt Head if necessary.

Crowley is wearing sleeve garters, but the only thing I could find that they might do is lighting assistance. They have more shine at parts where the arms and hands are moving to show that the tie strands are still Tied Hands.

...

For my tangential reading in my desperate attempt to improve my play, I finished The Sandman last Saturday. I don't think I'm in a ready mindset to go over my notes, but I do have some notes from when I finished and before returning the graphic novels to the library.

In my Discworld reading, I recently finished Reaper Man and just started on Witches Abroad.

...

Story Commentary

This scene shows Crowley in a more relaxed mood around Gabriel. Gabriel doesn't even ask, but Crowley offers the information on gravity. In the general hint that Crowley has been in a similar situation to Gabriel, it's like he knows that Gabriel is dropping the book to figure out gravity exists because he's done it.

He also admits to not remembering the logic of why gravity is what it is but was part of the team that worked on making it happen.

The conversation overall happens on friendly terms, and there's no acknowledgment from Crowley that there's a threat to be concerned with by having Gabriel in the bookshop. Instead, he's openly sharing his Operation Lovebirds plan with a willing listener.

The throwing of the books is unsettling. Crowley, no! I've admitted I'm not much of a reader, but I'm enough of a reader that seeing such a thing is more alarming than it is funny. Besides whatever absurdity he's doing with the Tied Hands, why?

I don't think there is a good, other reason, but I would love to be wrong about this one.

Crowley finally sees the fly but doesn't have much of a reaction to it. He comments, "Well observed," and moves onto the next part of the scene.

If one takes the time to look, Crowley's sunglasses can be found on the desk. He's opened himself up enough to leave them off while around Gabriel and no one else. Overall, he is acting more at home within the space while borrowing it from Aziraphale.

When Crowley and Gabriel make their way to the window, the cardboard box Gabriel arrived with can be seen in the background. Not only that, Crowley's plants are near that box so are also visible during this scene. They end up briefly pocketed between Gabriel and Crowley.

The scene leaves me with the impression that these two characters were friends before Crowley's fall and are friends again here, or at least on friendly terms, in at least this part of the story.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[codecicle-archive]

hi ash, could i utilise your mega autism for a moment? would it be possible for you to provide me with some good reference images for drawing Charlie's face ie front and side profiles ect? plus any tips on details you think are important? No pressure ofc! Just thought this might be something you had a lot of thoughts about anyway, if not then please don't go out of your way I am indeed capable of using google, it just takes longer and is less fun than talking to a cool guy XD

YES. YES ALWAYS AND FOREVER. GLADLY. ABSOLUTELY. Here's references + notes under the cut!

First of all, go -> here <- for a guide by razberypuck, which is perfect and explains everything better than I ever could.

Second of all, he has some pretty distinct features of both his face and his body that are important to keep in mind, which is mainly what I'll be talking about :-)

Third of all, not all these features need to be kept, especially when you consider styles and the tendency to drop certain parts of the body or face once you've learned the rules enough to break them. Im just listing them all so people know what features work well with their style and what features don't ^_^

His hair is very messy and fluffy, kinda like cowlicks for his entire head. His front hair typically comes down into bangs that curve towards the right, while the rest goes in every direction possible. (This is also true going back years ago. He just combed it a certain way, so you'd only see the fluffy cowlicks in the back of his head)

Another thing I wanna point out is his Adam's apple, which is very prominent ! I kept ted in the photo to show the difference ^_^

Also! No matter what era you're drawing from, his eyebrows shape a LOT of his face. They're really thick!

3/4ths views to show it more clearly, his jawline is relatively soft! And his old frames are clunky. He has a really pretty hooked nose which curves down towards the tip of it. Otherwise, it's pretty much a triangle! If you're drawing him from the side, keeping the little triangle dip on the side of his nose can help you find the general shape easier.

Also! The above images are really good examples of his mouth. I don't have many notes on this, but if you're going for anything 1 to 1 of him, I'd recommend keeping the curve of his cheeks downward when his mouth is closed, and the curve upward when he's smiling. He has visible cheekbones that make the area around his mouth appear very round

^ this is a great reference that shows everything I've been talking about. 1: triangle on the side of his nose to show the curve from the front 2: thick eyebrows 3: visible cheekbones and small curves around his mouth 4: cowlick hair

Also, he's very buff! Chulked out 2 the max. Some of these images came from me being a major hater over art of him, before remembering people can do whatever they want forever. But I can use it now! Charlie has wide shoulders, natural tummy, and gigantic tits.

He's visibly wider than Tommy and Ranboo, with a frame closer to Sneeg and James in build. He's strong!! He's really really strong!! I feel like people forget Just How Strong This Guy Is.

Also heres an image from and older post of mine, which I designed while trying to explain why he doesn't look That Different without the glasses (2 me). It's pretty much everything I said above, but summarized in a photo!

source: bro trust me and also source: the final 2 images i could fit on mobile which are 2 random face studies I have of him nearby. I have better one's but i can't find them right now so take these okay bye bye

+ I'm so sorry if this made 0 sense I'm very tired ^_^

[divineerdrick]

Homestuck: Beyond Canon Upd8 for 612 2024

This is long overdue, but it's been a bit of a rough week. Most of my activity on Tumblr this week has been from doctor's offices. Nothing really new or important to report there, just lots of doctor stuff.

While long overdue, I've mostly somehow been able to avoid spoilers. The only thing I've been spoiled on is what I kind of new was coming. Oh! And the plush! I know about the plush. Somehow in all the chaos though, my brain kinda didn't connect celebrating 612 with the idea there would be an upd8. Tells you how scatterbrained I've been.

So let's start with that news post.

Oh! James is going to be doing a stream? Cool! I hadn't heard of this. I wonder who with. I'll have to look that up next. James also goes into detail about revenue from the plush. From what I understand, this kind of deal is pretty common for when you supply a design/book/print but someone else does all the production work. Some never go beyond 10% unless you're doing a lot of business.

Looks like we've got apparel coming too! I bought a ton of shirts for 612 from one of the old retailers back in 2015. They are very beat up now. It would be nice to get some new ones.

It doesn't sound like the comic is self sustaining for this size team. I'm pretty sure James wouldn't carry through with his threat to actually put adds in Homestuck, but people deserve to be paid for the work they do.

Finally, this will be the first of two upd8s. Let's see what they have for us!

I think this is the first time we've seen the wings actually poof like that. Before, it was just outfit switches from God Robes to teen duds. We get a little reminder here of the increased age gap, as John has to stretch out the dad bod a bit.

Apparently, Immortals do still have to worry about aging and body degradation. Pretty lousy immortality . . .

Vriska ain't got time for that.

And I'm pretty sure Sollux doesn't have time for it either.

Nope! XD

Things still a bit awkward between John and Roxy. Can't expect things to be stable there yet. They may have had their heart to heart, but the war isn't giving them any time to reconnect. John is also trying to bury what he's feeling by just involving himself in another adventure. Hopefully Roxy will keep him from just getting caught up too much in Vriska's orbit. But I'm pretty sure Vriska won't be satisfied until all of the Candy Timeline revolves around her.

Suitably awesome with a frame break and everything.

So there's no chance this doesn't cross some kind of Universal barrier. The question is, what? The hour glass shape has a lot of people speculating that it's a time machine of some kind. But anything that allows you to cross from one Universe to another would inherently have built in time travel, since from your frame of reference one point in time is much the same as any. The question is, can this escape Calliope's black hole? I can't help but feel like that looks like a singularity there too.

Let me try and compile what I know about this thing.

It's called The Plot Point. Since Homestuck has always been about narrative manipulation, a device that directly impacts the narrative isn't just possible but already has precedence. In a story a Plot Point is something that greatly impacts the narrative. In a normal three act structure, plot points can be used to start or end acts, or in the middle of acts to mix things up or increase tension. They can even be used to change how the intended audience sees the story and its characters. There's basically no limit to what this thing might be intended to do and possibly no limit to what it can do.

This is supposedly the reason why everything got so extreme in the Candy Timeline, the reason why John and Vriska both feel this version of the Universe is fake, why a near full cast has congregated here, why Jane went from being a typical rich neo liberal to being an outright fascist, why Dave ended up fully ascending under such hilariously crazy circumstances. Whatever this thing can do, it's supposedly already doing something just sitting there.

3. While obviously this isn't the same device, it shares some traits with the device from Hiveswap. But they're obviously not the same. The previous device looks a little more ramshackle, more steam punk, where as this one looks more streamlined. In Hiveswap's device, the colors on the serpents are clear references to Calliope and Caliborn, who have dominion over the four Universes in Homestuck.

The colors on these serpents are different. They don't even share a color between their spirals. What they remind me of more are God Robes. Specifically, Roxy and Jade's robes. I think these represent . . .

Oh hell! I think a fan theory might have just been proven right!

Follow me here . . .

I think both of these serpent represent Calliope. The Black and White serpent represents Dead Tier Calliope. As Muse of Space, they have black and white for their God Robes. Additionally, they have been influencing the Meat Timeline through Jade's body. While Dirk may be trying to take full control of that narrative, it's technically Calliope's jurisdiction as now both Muse and Lord of the Alpha Timeline.

But why does the other serpent have Roxy's colors? Because our Calliope, our dear, sweet, fanfic writing Calliope, has been creating the stories of the Candy Timeline from Void. Somehow, through their deep connection with Roxy, Calliope has been manifesting their own narrative in the Candy Timeline. It may not even be this Calliope! It might actually be the Calliope in the Meat Timeline who stayed together with Roxy and grew closer to them. That Calliope is the one that was described as writing and drawing stories on their walls!

So what does this thing do? I think it can create any narrative Plot Point you want it to. I think it can steal the Void attribute of any idea, any character, any McGuffin you need it to! Need Gamzee back in the narrative? Bam! Gamzee's back! Want to bring Jane's dad back? Bam! Done! Need another life ring for dead trolls, or just a story that will eventually result in all the Homestuck trolls coming back to life in full? You got it! Want to write a peaceful resolution and dénouement to the war? Easy peasy!

Who the fuck's idea was it to put Vriska in the same room as that thing!

[kagcyu]

So I'm thinking this will be the first of many entries where I discuss some of my writing. I've been re-reading some older chapters of Chimayoi for future editing & thought it might help with my own process to document my reflections & intentions for future reference.

This commentary will concern Arisa's (the MC) past relationship with Jasha, another OC of mine.

tw: toxic relationship (to put it very mildly).

There may also be light spoilers for Chimayoi if you squint, just in the way I will be discussing things on a meta level.

Jasha × Arisa – A Closer Look

Jasha's backstory has always been tricky for me, just in determining what is fitting to show and not to show. He has evolved tremendously since my original draft (which portrayed him as a cardboard cutout of a villain - the physically abusive drunkard archetype more specifically) partially due to my desire to inject more nuance into his past as a traumatized Summit War veteran, but also because I wanted to frame his and Arisa's split in a drastically different light than I originally intended.

Jasha projects heavily onto Arisa even before their first official encounter, incidentally having seen her for the first time in the midst of one of the darkest moments in his life:

[I thought] back to the couple at the bar.  The beautiful silver-haired girl and that Marine.  I wondered fleetingly what they must be up to right now...  They were probably having a good time doing all the typical things couples are supposed to do.  Drinking and dancing and holding hands and hanging out with friends and laughing at each others stupid jokes.  Or maybe they had gone back home and were enjoying each other’s company. I thought about that too and felt even more ashamed.   Jealous. Those two had appeared so normal, so refined and well put together.  People like that were strong enough to make living look easy.  They both probably had their troubles, every relationship does, but at least neither of them was as broken and burdensome as I was.

ch. 17 - to love an outcast

The irony ofc is how he is unaware that they are more alike than not, both being former child soldiers and in recovery from a traumatic injury, which is hinted at in a later journal entry:

[Arisa] is getting over some health issues & her family had sent her here with the hopes that a change of scenery would help in her recovery...

ch. 19 - unforgiven

Even before they properly meet, the seeds are sown: he ascribes to her a sense of 'normalcy' which just doesn't exist. This disconnect will only grow throughout their time together.

Checkered history aside, Arisa had seemed to be a nice girl.  She wasn’t nearly as spirited as Misa or sociable like Teru, but she was smart and hardworking and responsible.  Anson had thought she was exactly the sort of partner Jasha needed, to keep him grounded and prevent him from embracing his most self-destructive tendencies.

ch. 17 - to love an outcast

Anson's recollections hint that Jasha continued to project his need for stability onto Arisa after they became a couple. This is true, and such a tendency becomes very toxic after he is incapacitated in the Summit War. She, in turn, never able to resolve her guilt of losing her teammates in the Saboady Incident, is determined to stick by him even as he spirals into deeper depression and alcoholism (the "I can fix him" mentality cranked up to eleven). In their self-loathing, both feel as though they don't fully deserve the other, and this manifests in ugly ways.

For him, it leads to insecurity and paranoia.

INVESTIGATOR:  Did you ever cheat on him? WITNESS:   (shakes head; barely audible)  No. INVESTIGATOR:  Okay.  (flips page)   Did he ever accuse you of it? WITNESS :  (silence)   INVESTIGATOR:  Because I have it here in my notes - Dr. Minerva’s report - that he was… WITNESS:  Stop.  Please just - INVESTIGATOR - that he was very suspicious of you having an affair.  He never confronted you about that?

ch. 14 - second opinion

For her, guardedness and latent resentment, the latter of which is not shown until she is pushed to her breaking point.

DETAINEE:   I know that I should have died back there.  It’s what a monster like me deserves. VISITOR:   (sobs) VISITOR:  No.  (deep breath) You aren’t a monster, Jasha. DETAINEE: (ragged breathing) VISITOR:  I’ve dealt with monsters.  You aren’t a monster.   You aren’t anything as formidable as that.  You���re a coward.  [...] The thought of living paralyzes you and makes you scared and miserable.  There isn’t anything remotely noble or sensational about it.    

ch. 18 - we never learned to say goodbye

And in her ignorance of why he is the way he is, she is always left with this overly simplistic interpretation of him, one painted with a sympathetic bias - that he is soft by nature, too tormented and gentle and good to handle the weight of her past sins.

"You… You’re still hurting, right?  I can see it in your face.  Why won’t you tell me the cause of your torment?  Even after all these years…do you still not trust me?"   

ch. 18 - we never learned to say goodbye

This is the tragedy: had Jasha lived, his and Arisa's relationship would not have worked... because they are never quite able to see each other for who they really are. They both are heavily damaged individuals who love each other whilst hating themselves. In their self-hatred, they denigrate themselves & put the other on a pedestal, blinding themselves to the reality of their shared struggles. Their love is raw and hungry and self-sacrificial at times... but it isn't enough. It won't ever be enough. Because a worshipper won't ever stand on equal footing with their god. That self imposed distance will breed animosity. It will - and does - lead to ruin.

[meowmeow-motherfucker]

The Fox & The Squirrel- Chapter 1

Hey gang! If you've read this series before or over on AO3, you're not seeing double! I decided to make some changes to the story going forward and will be re-releasing chapters on a weekly basis starting next Wednesday!

Summary: Chasing yet another demon in a long line of hunts, the Winchesters get help from an unlikely source. But their new recruit isn’t exactly who she says she is. Savannah is used to looking over her shoulder. Life in hiding doesn’t leave much room for enjoyment, but traveling with the Winchesters just may give her a new lease on life.

Pairing: Dean Winchester/OFC Savannah Hart

Trigger warnings: elements of horror and witchcraft, references to past torture/trauma, Crowley is a dick, lies and deception, mutual pining, flirting, sex, typical Winchester shenanigans.

Word count: 1.1k

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16242644/chapters/37972217

Decorah, Iowa

“I hope they have pie.” Dean grumbled as the pair climbed out of the Impala.

The brothers were seated almost immediately and made themselves comfortable in the booth as they waited for their server. Sam immediately buried his nose in the menu, scowling at Dean when a straw wrapper pelted him in the face.

“What?” Dean asked innocently.

“What are you, five?”

“Maybe. Come on, it was a good shot. It was a good shot, right?” Dean asked the server as he heard them step up to the table.

“I couldn’t say, to be honest. I didn’t see any shooting going on.” The server replied coolly. Dean glanced up, shock lancing through him at how beautiful the woman was. Light blonde hair, pale blueish gray eyes hidden behind dark framed glasses…pale skin, wine colored lipstick and gorgeous curves.

“Ignore him, he’s a child.” Sam said apologetically.

“I can see that,” The server offered a tight-lipped smile at the older Winchester’s expense, ignoring his protest without batting an eye. “Have you had enough time to look at the menu? I know it’s a lot; I can give you more time if need be.”

“No, it’s fine. I think I’m gonna have the California salad and he’ll…well he’ll probably get something that’ll kill him.” Sam replied. The server gave another tight smile as she scribbled Sam’s order on her pad. “Do you have poppyseed dressing?”

“Sure do,” the server scribbled a note on her pad and looked over at Dean. “What can I get for you?”

A thousand filthy responses flitted through Dean’s brain, but all that came out was an order for the bacon cheeseburger.

“Good choice,” the server gave another tight smile as she scribbled away. “We’re actually famous for the bacon cheeseburger.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

“Would you like French fries or onion rings?”

“Definitely fries, and is there any chance you have pie?”

“We have several kinds of pie. Any flavor in particular?”

“Cherry?” Dean asked hopefully. The server pursed her lips in thought, clicking her pen repeatedly.

“We might still have some, but last I knew we were down to our last slice and Mr. Reynolds always orders cherry. I’ll check for you.”

“Steal it from him if you have to.” Dean joked.

“You want me to shake down an old man for pie?” the server snorted. “You’re cute, but not that cute.” She tucked their menus under her arm and turned on her heel, disappearing from their view as she returned to the hostess stand.

The server returned to refill their drinks and again to deliver their food.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Dean asked as she placed her bacon cheeseburger in front of him.

“Oh, you don’t know? I figured you would have seen my nametag while you were staring at my chest.” Sam choked on his salad, quickly swallowing his food so he could laugh at his brother.

“Right. I deserve that.” Dean blushed, offering an apology when the server raised a judgmental brow at him.

“Yes, you do. Can I bring you anything else?” she asked Sam as a bell started dinging from the kitchen.

“No, thank you, um…do you need to get that?” Sam asked as the dinging intensified. The server clenched her jaw, her eyes glued to the ceiling as she exhaled.

“I’m gonna kill him if he keeps dinging that fucking bell at me.” She muttered angrily.

“The cook?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. He thinks he’s being funny but really, he’s just being an ass.”

“Maybe you should stab him.” Dean suggested.

“Oh, don’t tempt me.” The server grumbled as a Hispanic man emerged from the kitchen.

“Savannah! Window!”

“For fucks sake,” Savannah hissed, stepping away from their table. “It’s not mine, pendejo. I just picked up the food for my only table.”

“Think she’s who we’re after?” Dean looked across the table at his brother as he picked up his burger.

“I don’t think so,” Sam shook his head. “Yeah she’s got anger issues, but she seems well adjusted.”

“Alright, so we’ll just stay put, keep our eyes peeled.”

“Yeah, I mean...everyone seems on edge around here.”

“Maybe whatever it is is affecting the whole town?”

Savannah came back ten minutes later to check on them, and to drop off the coveted cherry pie for Dean, topped with a mountain of whipped cream.

“Cherry?” Dean asked in awe.

“Cherry,” Savannah nodded. “Freshly stolen from a defenseless old man.” She grinned. She was lying, of course. They’d ended up having a back up cherry pie, so both Mr. Reynolds and the hottie in booth 19 got a piece.

“You’re too good to me.”

“Remember that when you cash out.” Savannah teased, her eyes darting up to connect with his as she refilled his coffee.

Savannah did her best to keep her distance from people. Being a succubus tended to instantly exclude her from most circles, and she’d learned to be okay with that. She didn’t want to accidentally enthrall someone, so solitude was her best bet. Never mind that she’d been around for well over a hundred years now and had learned early on how to control her powers of persuasion.

Savannah didn’t have friends. Sure, she existed in the social orbit of some of the folks in town, but that was as close to friendship as she dared get. She’d only gotten this job when her funds got low. Succubae had bills too.

But dating? Out of the question. Completely off limits. While it was true that her kind needed sexual energy to survive, there was no rule it had to be derived from intercourse. Savannah had learned to survive on what energy she could derive from milder interactions, like flirting and occasional makeouts. She never went further. She had no desire to turn someone into her slave. She didn’t really miss sex that much anyway.

That’s what she tried to tell herself when Hottie smiled at her. God, his eyes were so green. He thought she was pretty, too. Gorgeous, in fact. Sometimes being able to read minds came in handy.

~~~~

In the wee hours of the morning when he should have been sleeping, Dean lay wide awake, unable to get the server from the diner off his mind. Something about her just...drew him in. Almost like...he didn’t know what.

~~~~

Across town, Savannah was restless. She knew Hottie was still awake and thinking of her. It was driving her up the wall, to feel the sense of yearning she could feel in him. Had she accidentally enthralled him?

Savannah’s stomach dropped. No. No. She was so careful! She’d barely flirted! She hadn’t even felt the urge- no, this was something else. Could this be nothing more than a crush?