#but that's mainly because i realized halfway into the hieroglyphic tablet... i don't actually know hieroglyphics enough to fake it lol

[dreamcrow]

(re: my latest gay activity)

THANKFULLY @arcaneorderships i managed to exert some measure of self-control this time 😂 i don't actually know any languages written in cuneiform, and i successfully refrained from trying to learn just for a soft silly doodle. but i do think a lot about how the order might have seen/received/participated in the discovery of various human technologies, including writing! so if u don't mind: gay little headcanon time Φ ᆺ Φ

for my order, it starts with bellroc. it's not the most elegant system, just little scratch marks or symbols at first to keep track of an ever-expanding collection of materials for their alchemical projects. think very very early cuneiform, probably not yet even crossing the border between "picture" and "symbol." but in those days they are still more or less interacting with (very limited) segments of human societies. while i do think they come up with their own writing system at some point (cries in worldbuilding...), i think they'd also naturally become familiar with these other systems just because they end up learning to read them, and so they end up cribbing a lot of ideas. the gold thing bellroc is holding in that picture is meant to be one of these things: a kind of two-pronged stylus, one point with a wedge tip (for making cuneiform marks), and the other a smooth/dot tip (like a pencil). they might write mostly (though not only) in their own language, but rather than reinvent the wheel, so to speak, they just adapt a system they already know works well.

my skrael. is a weird case. i basically just recycled this headcanon from an earlier and much more embarassing fandom oc, haha. i think the term i learned then was aliterate—not "illiterate," but just. not concerned with writing and written text to the (massive) degree most human societies are now. basically: he's not quite dyslexic (i don't think), but he largely doesn't read written text unless he has to. even then, it's mainly a nuisance: he either has to pay a lot of attention OR "just magic himself to be able to do it." (and as you may remember from bellroc, i'm very fond of "migraines following over-use of even the best assistive magic.") so while he can read, he just...generally Does Not. hence gently bullying bellroc to read for him, instead. >:)

i do love the thought of the order + writing though, so in return for giving me the excuse to write up this little post:

"wow crow that outfit looks awfully similar to the one you did for double date night ship week art" after staring at that picture for two straight days i 100% forgot the embroidery on his cloak and yes, several months later, it still HAUNTS me :')

one day however... One Day... i'll get to the fic i designed this outfit for and then the whole order will be fancystuck for ever and ever aMEN