#com:stepping stones

[teamorcd-a]

Lose yourself in a Dream

intelligence. you're a soul that overextends yourself in all aspects to make up for the fact that you're not a disposable cup. you haven't let yourself breathe in years, instead choosing to make yourself 'useful'. whatever that means to you- throwing yourself into an interest so you feel like you know something, holding together a barely stable friend while you yourself are tape and glue, etc etc. i promise it's okay to not always know the answer. things will get better because you're better at things than you think. so keep that heart pumping, yeah? there's plenty of people that want you around.

love. you're soft hearted, and that's okay. despite feeling unnoticed and undervalued, you've kept it up. you're still doing a great job. i promise it'll be worth it to keep your heart open. people will notice you and treasure you like you deserve. you'll accept the kindness you never got before, and give just as much in return. things will get better because you let yourself feel. so stay kind, yeah? there's a lot of people who haven't gotten to feel the wonder that is loving you.

perseverance. whether you recognize it or not, you've got a strong soul. your last thread of hope might be fraying and thin, but it's still there. you're still holding onto it. i promise it'll be worth it to keep holding on. over time, you'll notice that it's easier to grab. you won't feel so weak anymore because things will be easier. things will get better because you command them to. so keep your head up, yeah? you've still got some people to prove wrong.

bravery. you've hardened a shell around the person that you used to be. there was only so much you could take until you needed to gain control, change the only thing you could. you might think there's only a yolk left inside, but there's so much more. in the corners and in the crevices, there's pieces of you that you never got to meet. i promise that little kid is still in there. things will get better because you're good at breaking through things. so keep yourself together, yeah? that little kid still hasn't seen the rest of the world yet.

Tagged by: @nightmarebcrn​

Tagging: Steal it and tag me

[teamorcd-a]

STABI LOVING HOURS HERE TOO!!!!! But also I'll throw in some questions too. What inspired each of your muses? Is there meaning behind the team name? Do you have main character arcs for each of them to go through, or are you winging most of their growth?

at least you asked questions this time ray

So really I just make OC’s for content that I like. I like exploring the created media and fictional worlds I enjoy. As anyone would tell you, something you create does take on a life of it’s own and that’s no exception here. It started with one, then a whole team, then it expanded and then the next thing I knew I was writing an adjacent story because hiatuses were long. I started to build things of my own accord away from the main story because I didn’t want to have to change anything on a large scale, and I had the freedom to do what I wanted.

This is gonna be a long tangent so read more if you want!

What inspired each of your muses?

Sometimes I get an idea and it just comes to life. Sometimes you make puzzle pieces that all just happen to fit together. Chroma and Russet were first, then I figured “well I’m halfway through a team might as well” but I always like doing something different. They weren’t going to be from just one kingdom, but what circumstances would that happen? Then I thought where do all the odd ones out, misfits, academy failures go? Then the experimental team I have now was made. This was around early V2 but I never actually got the blog up until much later.

Olivine originally was conceptualized as ‘how close can I get to magic without magic’ and ‘how do i make a wizard but not’ before the reveal of the Maidens. Also the concept of Dust is like ‘RT pls gib me more info ilu’. Magic rocks yes please. Then when the show confirmed Dust tattoo’s were a thing she got those. Though during the Watts/Ironwood fight when I saw what Hardlight Dust did to human flesh I became very concerned because guess who has that as a Dust tattoo? This woman on borrowed time that’s who.

Chroma’s original theme that still persists today is irony. The phrase blind as a bat that was twisted around. She originally had a different name until the naming rule was made widely known. Thus she is a bat faunus, made blind, named after something she can’t see, and what she uses to see with she can manipulate. Her motif was also twisted around a bit, rather than being cursed to repeat what she hears, she’s curse to warp her reality so she can see.

Russet was made partly as a foil to Chroma because... well read her profile. She’s the most... call it plain of the four but that’s also kind of the point of her character: she’s a ray of sunshine, incredibly animated, can be over the top and so on and so forth. However she also falls into a category of being someone a lot of bad things don’t happen to. She’s a grounding anchor of reassurance, even if she does have a lot of survivors guilt about nothing bad happening to her.

Delaney just... became team mom and occasionally wakes up and tells me things about himself and then goes back to sleep. He didn’t get his proper semblance until about a year or so ago? He finally figured it out, motif and then just, went back to bed. Kool-aid Man’d through my mental brain and I’m just like ‘okay man????’. His story was the reason my whole villain group has any footing in my brain and oh boy are they quite unpleasant.

Is there meaning behind the team name? 

ORCD was, well a flower and it fit the colour rule. Then everyone kind of fell into a flower theme for names. Well do you know how particular and picky an orchid actually is? It’s hard to take care of, and if not done correctly, it will die. Oddly enough, so does everyone else on this team: Olivine can’t burnout of her semblance because she’ll risk heart problems. Russet’s pessimism can destroy her on a mental level. Chroma just... Chroma. Delaney has a target on his back and if he’s not careful with himself he could get a lot of people hurt.

Do you have main character arcs for each of them to go through, or are you winging most of their growth? 

Yes, as I said the ORCD story runs during the events of the show/a bit before. Everyone has staple moments in their own stories that will be relevant no matter what. Major moments in the main story will have impacts on these characters. I just need to get off my ass and write them all up and have them posted on the blog at some point. Sometimes some unexpected things happen that would count as winging it, but like I said, mind of it’s own creation, you can’t account for everything. There is so much in my head that I need to get out before it all blends together.

[teamorcd-a]

👫 Russet and Sun c:

Sun initially underestimated just how far Russet is willing to get back at Sun for petty pranks. She is a middle child with brothers on either end. A worthy opponent has been found.

Given how Russet’s older brother is a weapons engineer, and that she is a jack of all trades but master of none when it comes to weapons, Sun’s weapon is often a topic of her fascination.

Sun can make clones and Russet can make physical inanimate objects and simple tools with their semblances. When boredom strikes, hypothetical situations literally are performed.

Russet probably has the worst mouth on her team. No one expects her to swear as much as she does. Sun made a bet that she couldn’t use any typical cursing for a week. A list was provided. Russet then defaulted to old-timey language insults she learned from reading theater plays instead.

[teamorcd-a]

Anger HCs: 1 / 7 / 15 / 17 ( Dunstan )

1. Does your muse have a short fuse, the patience of a saint, or somewhere in between?

Dunstan’s line of work doesn’t allow him to have a short fuse. A short fuse without the fighting prowess to back it up leads to a swift trip to the grave.

7. Any pet peeves?

Chewing with your mouth open, leaving open bottles of drinks everywhere, the mishandling of antiques, and those with an ego to suffocate a room utterly spouting nonsense. Also he’s getting annoyed with all the ‘marital aids’ being brought into work so that people will know who were the last ones to use it.

15. Do they break their own things or others when they become angry?

No, Dunstan never physically lashes out at anything. If he broke one of his items from his collection, he might actually cry about it.

17. Have they ever killed in anger?

Dunstan has not, he’s not the best fighter but he will bite people out of sheer fury in self defense of another.

[teamorcd-a]

Is Senka good at housework?

She’s offended by the question. Senka is actually very good at housework, when she isn’t out doing jobs. She’s a very tidy individual and an entirely repurposed monastery isn’t going to clean itself, help or no help. She knows how to cook with whatever happens to be on hand. She was taught at a young age how to do home fixes as well, and is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Of course advertising that you can cook, clean,garden, and do house maintenance doesn’t help the work reputation in terms of being intimidating.

[teamorcd-a]

(Delaney) Do they like giving nicknames to their significant other?

Delaney often gives nicknames to people he likes, but in terms of a significant other, he picks one and sticks with it. He’s not entirely fond of the common pet nicknames like ‘babe’ and would rather make one up of his own accord.

[teamorcd-a]

👫 / Ashton and Russet please and thank you // serpentinehunter

Four Relationship Headcanons

@serpentinehunter

Russet really made an effort to stop swearing so much around Ashton for the longest time. It didn’t really work out, but she always apologized for it if she felt it was unnecessary. It wasn’t that often.

Ashton was hesitant about one thing and Russet made it her life goal to motivate and reassure him about just about god damn near everything. Especially the time Russet did research about how to talk to snakes and spent a week telling Ashton that no, it was not a joke directed at him, she wanted to get on better terms with Dorian.

Ashton made an effort to help Russet sleep by reading to her, whenever the woman’s insomnia really hits her hard, rather than getting up, she stays in bed and plays an instrument instead. Typically it’s her harmonica but she has a few other handheld instruments on hand. An acoustic guitar doesn’t make the easiest fit in bed.

Everyone has to learn that Russet has an unfathomable limit for dramatics, in the best possible way. Ashton has at least given Russet the idea to warn him of such things first before she starts drawing attention to herself.

[teamorcd-a]

👫 [I'd Like To Buy A Vowel]

still the dumbest ship name i’ve ever come up with

Whenever Chrom is composing music and can’t get a harmony right, Chroma immediately knows how to correct it. She’ll often yell random notes at him from across four rooms.

Chroma mentioned a back up career in singing. The rest writes itself.

Whenever the two of them both go on the same mission for the IPRI, it’s unusual. No one expects Chroma to bring a plus one anywhere.

They have had long conversations about buckets being counted as a musical instrument proficiency. While the bucket is not an actual instrument, the bat says it counts and will die on this hill.

[teamorcd-a]

Five of those sleeping HC’s for Chroma

5 Head Canons Time

Chroma is a rather light sleeper. Most of this is because of her semblance. On the flip side, she tends to fall asleep quickly if she’s in the right mindset.

The bat is a clingy sleeper. It ranges from huddling up against whoever is next to her, holding onto an arm, or nearly spooning. Normally pillows curb this subconscious action, but she’s incredibly self conscious and embarrassed about why this happens. Even if someone who wasn’t there before, is suddenly there, she gravitates to that body.

Give her a very soft blanket and a bunch of weighted ones and she will be happy. She will sleep in a mound of blankets and if you take them, she will know.

Given Chroma cannot tell time that well, she has no problem sleeping anywhere at any time. Vacuo doesn’t exactly give you the best options for outdoor sleeping spaces.

Of course being able to manipulate sound, Chroma is familiar with the science of ASMR, and has used it on Russet to try and help her sleep. She might also make sensory deprivation bubbles around her to try and help her sleep if she needs to.

[teamorcd-a]

emblem hcs all

Five Headcanons Time

Olivine’s Emblem is based off of a frame of fines and the face of a snapdragon flower head. The negative spaces are meant to look like what their seed pods resemble, which is a skull. All Snapdragons have the same emblem frame, but the middle is always different.

Russet’s Emblem is a masquerade mask mixed with a helm. Russet had the longest time figuring out her emblem, but Chroma suggested something along the lines of battle theatre. In a day Russet figured out what it was and she would not stop pestering her older brother for vinyl stickers of it.

Chroma’s Emblem was designed at a very early age, before she lost her sight. She made it with Wisteria and it’s one of the few things she remembers the appearance of. It’s meant to resemble a reversed bass clef combined with the flower of her namesake.

Delaney’s Emblem was not designed by him, and was in fact a Hemlock family collaboration when he was admitted into the program. A lion head with a mane of claws. It was simple and worn, but Delaney’s rather proud of it. He think it’d make his dad proud.

Dunstan doesn’t actually have an emblem of his own. Given his handful of aliases and his line of work, he would rather be made as hard to identify as possible.

[teamorcd-a]

🍦[All of them.]

You always gotta ask in bulk don’tcha XD

HOW DOES MY MUSE MELT MEME

Olivine: she’s a useless bi-saster who only needs one genuine flirtatious comment and perhaps one finger gently going down her skin and she’s done. She’s gonna try to act all not interested and tough it out but no, no she’s a goddamn terrible liar.

Russet: She’s a hugger. If you can manage to figure out a way to get her to consistently sleep, or attempt any method to get her to sleep, she will be a happy little potato flower.

Chroma: With the prerequisite of being allowed in her personal space, massage her ears and just have quiet whispery conversations in her ears. That will get her relaxed and tired, and and a tired bat is a clingy one.

Delaney: Mess with his hair. It’s already a mess. He doesn’t want to give into the whole cats like being petted thing, but everyone likes being pet so is it really a stereotype?

[teamorcd-a]

Shipping and Handling: Chroma, from absolutely no one in particular.

Shipping & Handling Romance Advice

Chroma can’t buy a whole lot of things for someone because, well it certainly helps if you could see. Instead if she’s letting you in her personal space, then you’re doing something right. Her personal space is absolutely sacred to her so if she’s leaning against you, that’s one way she’s giving you something she deems very special. Eventually she’ll warm up to sharing her immediate space, so as long as you aren’t overwhelming her or making a huge deal about it, things will progress. She’s the slowest of slow burn relationships so patience is also key.

[teamorcd-a]

L O [r] E (Wisti and Dunstan)

THE TREND CONTINUES

(Also I know you took the R out but I’m posting the links for consistency’s sake okay)

Wisteria

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Wisteria has an unending amount of love for her daughter. Despite her worries and regrets, nothing will get in the way of her being unable to be there for her daughter. Loving another partner takes time. Orville gave her some emotional scars and she has taken a bit more of a cautious stance on love.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Wisteria has a silver tongue and she knows it. She has a fine balance of seductive and romantic flirting and absolutely sees it as a fun challenge to out-flirt her chosen partner of interest. She’s had all that time in the world to think of plenty of ways to fluster others. Libra would know.

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Answered here!

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

Yes Wisteria loves hugs. They are the ultimate way to show affection in all forms of love. Of course when you have huge feathered wings, that gives you more options than the rest. No matter what kind of hug she is giving, it’s always a comfort and a safe place to hide.

Dunstan

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Dunstan loves and appreciates his assistants and trusted work associates. He’s very careful about who he places his romantic affection in. He still has connections with few members of his family, but they’re strained. He still loves them though.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Being the classic gentleman that he is, Dunstan isn’t too creative with his words but he makes up for it with genuine sincerity. He speaks like a man who wants to gain something from his endeavours but he never does. Now you get Dunstan delirious or sleep deprived then he’s more flirtatious, but still maintains that level of respect he holds himself standard to.

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Answered here!

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

Dunstan has very light hugs. He’s used to people trying to stab him in the back so he’s a bit evasive to the action. People he trusts completely he is okay with giving hugs to, but when you’re Semblance is getting information from whatever you touch, anything involving physical contact is a hesitant affair. His mind is rarely clear but he is capable of keeping his Semblance in check in times of extended contact.

[teamorcd-a]

O, R, C, D

I laughed so hard when I saw this.

I left this to the dice gods as specified and they decreed Delaney.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Delaney has his moments, but he’s a genuine and honest man. Either making attempts to be romantic or faltering, he doesn’t see any point in lying about emotions. the only case he would is if it was to protect someone else.

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Delaney doesn’t think much about romance. He’s rather simple. However he isn’t much of a cynic, either. He takes things as they come and tries not to think too much. Over thinking tends to make decisions difficult. Honestly this boy just tries his best but doesn’t let himself get too far ahead.

C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

Dark chocolate, around 62%. This was something he didn’t get a lot of as a kid. Granted you give him any chocolate and he’s going to eat it. You give this guy any food as a gift and he’ll eat it

D   :   DATE.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

It all depends on his partner. Delaney didn’t grow up with expendable income for most of his life. He’s always done anything for others and he’s quite content making other people happy. The only consistent thing he keeps in mind for any date is a good view, and keeping it far away from the seedier parts of town. Been there done that.

[teamorcd-a]

Redacted: Olivine and Chroma

Send me ‘Redacted:‘ with Trivia or Headcanon and get secret info about my muse!

Headcanon or Trivia wasn’t specified so I’ll do a bit of both!

OlivineOlivine is very particular about maximizing her time use in a day. While people typically chalk it up to her upbringing because of her attitude, there is a much more sad reason behind it. Olivine is very aware of her health history and feels she is constantly living on borrowed time. She wants to make the most of what time she doesn’t feel she deserves. It is also because of this that she is nearly afraid of going to sleep every night. Excluding potential sleep paralysis, she’s afraid one morning she just won’t wake up.

ChromaChroma has the lowest aura level compared to everyone else on ORCD. There is a single connection between her low Aura level, and how her Semblance works. Ever since Chroma has had her Semblance and learned to see with it, her Aura has been attempting to heal her eyes, for over a decade to no avail. Eventually it leveled off to a point so it wouldn’t constantly drain. This also means if the right medical feats are achieved, her eyesight could be restored.

[teamorcd-a]

New tag dump pls ignore