#growing crystals

[telomeke]

Also this one grown to Stray Kids is especially insane–

[the-mang0tree]

dark energon crystals Popping out of her helm !! ow !!!

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 192

Danny feels exhausted. His stupid ghost-puberty is annoying, and is affecting even his human form. Which wouldn’t be that bad, except for the fact that instead of having a simple elemental or obsession core, he happens to have a Space one. Technically the Space Core seeing as apparently he’s the newborn Ancient of Space. Or something. 

Urgh, he just wants to get some food from the dollar store down the street, not deal with whatever attempted mugging this is. He’s hangry, and just wants to get some food and curl back up in his mass of blankets back in his tiny apartment. 

So maybe he overreacted. He might have released his very careful hold on his less-than human traits that have been attempting to leak through the last several weeks. On the bright side, he, uh, isn’t hungry anymore and is now back in his nest of blankets. 

On the other hand, there is now a vigilante in his window. 

[kateyopalescent]

Reasons to have a tall girlfriend include, but aren’t limited to:

[plutonium-sky]

I have not looked at a krill in half a year BUT BEHOLD: THE RAY

[dead-enby-detective]

I wonder how much this scene plays a role in Monty choosing to target Edwin over Charles after Esther sends him to befriend the boys and then later how it impacts him falling for Edwin.

Edwin is the first one to enter so he’s the first one Monty sees.

Monty doesn’t crow when Edwin enters the house but waits until Charles enters. Does he already like Edwin better? Did he see Edwin and see something special?

Charles immediately responds to the crowing by telling him to hush. Did Charles’s words stick with him after Esther gave him a human body and mind and feelings? Were his feelings hurt or was he just annoyed by it?

Edwin pulls his gloves off as he passes Monty’s cage, does he think about that after becoming human? The way Edwin takes off a piece of his armor right before going into danger?

After Edwin tell his partner he believes in Charles’s ability to open the lock, Monty crows, and Charles sasses back. Edwin pays him no mind. Does that frustrate him, later when he’s human?

After Charles opens the lock, Edwin is the one who figures out that cabinet is a trick door.

I may not like Esther but she is clever. Was Monty learning from her the entire time he was her familiar? Does he take after her in that way? Always learning, always being wanting to be clever?

Monty, is shown soon after becoming human, to have a vast knowledge of zodiac signs. Did he learn all that in that short time span or was some of it things he’s taken in from Esther over the years? How much had he learned from her, from her spells, her books over the years?

Was he “raised” to appreciate cleverness even as a crow? Did he admire Edwin’s cleverness from the beginning?

Did he become human and immediately think back to when they first entered the house and wonder if Edwin would appreciate cleverness in return? Would appreciate the opportunity to learn something new from him? Hoped that they could be clever together?

There’s just so much to this scene from Monty’s perspective that I think we should consider.

Did he ever wonder if he was clever enough, would it be enough for Edwin to give him a chance?

Like he said, he never asked to be human… did he hope that, when the time came, with all his cleverness, that Edwin would understand that?

That he had never really had a chance in the first place?

[muddypyro]

this recipe is third generation, and after several attempts to 'breed' a dark crystalline glaze, I stumbled on this;

this would be a good example of cobalt and nickel competing for crystal coloration. it's a greener hue in person, but with so much refraction going on, photographing it has been difficult. another stable glaze, in terms of crazing and keeping up with the porcelain.

when soaked in acid to leach excess oxides;

quite different!

trying to think of a good name for this result...

and still trying to get a fully deep/dark crystalline glaze. already have some ideas from this result though, testing that out next firing!

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

See, I think Charles’ annoyance and frustration with the Cat King really was just pure protectiveness and not any kind of jealousy - it’s understandable, because Edwin is not telling him what happened even though something clearly did, which is not typical for them. Edwin doesn’t usually hide things like this! Of course he’s worried!

Charles’ reaction to Monty, on the other hand, is difficult to explain in a way that isn’t jealousy. You could say he’s being protective again, but Charles shows no sign of distrust in Monty, and had no idea of who Monty was or that he might betray them - he was actually very chill with him, except in a select few specific scenes. You could say he just doesn’t like him because he got brushed off during their first meeting, but not only does that not seem like Charles at all, it also doesn’t make sense, since, again, in most instances, Charles is genuinely friendly and is happy when Monty compliments him and seems to have come around to liking him (it completely flies over his head that this is a petty jab at Edwin on Monty’s part but oh well hahaha). You could say it changes up their status quo a bit and that bothers Charles. I do think this bothers him a bit, but I think, unlike Edwin, Charles’ fear and frustration here is directed more at situations (the Cat King whisking him away for several hours, as an example) than others. He’s sociable and likes being able to talk to new people. There’s absolutely no way he’d begrudge Edwin doing the same - and he doesn’t… with Niko. Edwin and Niko hit it off and become very close and that never bothers Charles at all. He’s incredibly endeared to her, just like the rest, and for the most part, he’s chill with Monty too, and smiles pretty knowingly when Edwin confesses to him having awakened some feelings. The only exceptions, where he shows definite annoyance, are when Monty first shows up and gets really in Edwin’s personal space to show him the astrology chart he made, and when Edwin is so sucked into the book Monty gave him that he doesn’t hear that Charles is talking to him, to which he annoyedly says that they seem to have been “spending a lot of time together”.

You could say he’s unused to having anyone get in Edwin’s personal space like that, but, again, Niko. She’s very tactile with him and he doesn’t seem to mind all that much; they spend time together watching things. If it was just someone getting close with Edwin in general, not only would that be weirdly possessive for the character, but it would also mean he would show discomfort with anyone getting close, I think. Does Charles see Monty as more of a potential threat than Niko, seeing as he knows her and her personality and doesn’t know Monty? Well, maybe, but again, Charles shows no sign of distrusting Monty at all.

Monty is a boy. Okay. So something about seeing Edwin so close to a boy that is not him, getting lost in thought over something this boy gave him, really rubs Charles the wrong way. Charles appears to catch on just as quickly as anyone else that there is something (or it looks like something) between Edwin and Monty. He is not surprised when Edwin comes out to him in episode 6, and in fact, seems to have just been waiting for him to verbalize it. He smiles and is not bothered at all by Edwin showing (what he thinks is) a romantic interest in Monty - he just doesn’t like it when Monty clearly shows a romantic interest in Edwin. Um. Well. Well.

Charles is jealous. I really don’t know what else to say.

Look, when I first watched this show, I actually didn’t want them to end up together romantically - I love the idea of one having fallen in love with another who does not reciprocate and the two of them still loving each other just as much. That Edwin’s confession made them closer instead of making things awkward is such a beautiful outcome to this build up and I absolutely love it. However. On my two rewatches, I caught a lot more little details, and I think it would be very strange if the show did not follow up on this. That, plus the deliberate quality of these “jealousy” moments where the camera focuses on him, Charles’ Orpheus coding throughout the show, the fact that Edwin’s arc was far more about realizing his feelings for Charles specifically than just coming to terms with his sexuality, and that even the actors admit that Charles’ response to the confession kind of left things open, it really seems to me like the path leads to a romantic endgame for them, or at the very least, that this possibility will be explored in more depth.

**This is just my reading of it. Please do not use this post as a gotcha for anyone who loves them as a platonic duo or people who really love Crystal and Charles together (because let’s face it, they’re super cute too). I’m just doing my rambles. As per usual.

[oddarette]

Signs point to..... abduction?

[skateboardtotheheart]

CRYSTAL PALACE DESERVED MORE SEASONS!!!!!! SHE SHOULD'VE GOTTEN MORE!!!!!!!!!!

[pastara-cell]

I love him so much. Thornling jimmy is my FAVORITE jimmy headcanon and I think we should make it more popular cause that skin was a BANGER

(Artstyle change number 2974942892 LOL)

[lully-jo]

To give my own two cents about Alphi being failed by all the adults around him, it really is complicated and nuanced but I really do agree that there isn't anything short of tying him up that any adult could do to get him to listen to them. The Crystal Braves was HIS project, his baby. Given he's a legal adult in this world, there is nothing they could have done to stop him and knowing Alphi he wouldn't be stopped BECAUSE of his immense ego. He's considered a prodigy, he comes from a very high profile family and lots of privilege. How the hell do you step in to stop this kid when he has access to more resources, is legally an adult, it's HIS project, and the boy is self-righteous and has an ego to rival any peacock? Not to mention, there were warning signs--he was warned! It didn't change anything. This was HIS blunder and his alone. He wasn't some uncertain child stumbling through the politics of Ul'dah, he was confidently barking orders and making plans that HE thought were best because his sense of self was so high.

My favorite thing about Alphinaud is that yes he's a prodigy with lots of privilege and resources and can be a know-it-all, but deep down he does have really good intentions. His problem is that he is far too smart for his own good and it clouds his judgement. His lofty ambitions cause problems and he ends up causing more harm than good. Seeing how he really humbled himself throughout Heavensward and by the end realizes that he needs to get a new foundation to stand on--that his reason for fighting needs to change... ugh, it had me bawling my eyes out.

By the end of the Dragonsong Quests, Alphi learns that it's not about the politics or the governing bodies, it's about THE PEOPLE. He learns to re-center his values on people rather than conceptual ideas of nation and peace. I love him so much for the way he grows and comes to that conclusion.

If we want to claim Alphinaud was failed by adults, we'd have to start with his entire upbringing. He got into that position because he was a privileged child prodigy and it clouded his judgement, not because he wasn't protected by his comrades who were equally as caught up in their own saviorism.

[enygma0710]

Just my thoughts…

When Crystal & Charles are walking, she’s still has her mean girl defenses up and after insulting him, he laughs it off. Even after telling him she’s purposely being mean, it doesn’t phase him and that throws her off. Crystals mean girl persona is a defense mechanism to protect herself and keep others at arm length. That doesn’t dissuade Charles & eventually Edwin and can be argue the beginning of her character growth.

At the end and after she she regains her memories, Crystal realizes with the help of Jenny’s knowledge drop that she can’t run away and to reconcile who she was in the past, she has to accept it to continue her personal growth and surprisingly tells Charles it's because of them. Tbh I was curious how Crystal was going to be compared to the comics and I enjoyed this version of her.

Charle's backstory with his father, wasn't in the comics and was interesting that he deals with it is the exact opposite of Crystal's method. He's a fixer and wants & keeps everyone around them happy and his use of that as a coping mechanism is heartbreaking and sad.

Them calling each other out holding the other accountable helps with their character growth and tbh their friendship.

I could go into Edwin character growth but I've had a soft spot for him since I started reading the comics and I will start rambling.

I've loved the comics for years and tbh I appreciate the show's display of having loving friendship between all the characters which unfortunately you don't see often or people are uncomfortable talking about...

I've rambled on enough...go read the comics and watch the show.

[youredyingthatsallthereis]

in my mind gary roach sanderson is from rural louisiana

[starfiresky]

Separated at dawn

[bookshelfdreams]

hey do y'all ever think about the fact that Charles probably has told Edwin about being beaten as a child at some point during their 34 years of friendship? And that Edwin likely never found it remarkable enough to ask further questions because back when he was alive, beating children was completely normal