#i think growing up i connected more to animal characters than to humans

[chickpea0]

Hey there!

I saw your post about looking for a fursona species and I thought I’d give you some ideas! No pressure to choose any of these, I’m just a big animal enthusiast and I picked most of these at random. I tried to choose animals that are not too common to see in fursonas and animals that aren’t just mammals just in case you’re looking for something different/want variety! Anyways here’s a little list for you and I hope it helps!

Pangolin

Sun Bear

African Wild Dog

Binturong

Saola

Patagonian Mara

Coati

Fossa

Pink River Dolphin

Pink Fairy Armidillo

Dumbo octopus

Echidna

I have more suggestions if you want them, but I didn’t want to make the list too long. If none of these are what you are looking for, I’ll definitely share some more ideas if you want!

Eek! I'm an animal enthusiast too! And actually a lot of these animals are ones I've considered before!! I love love pangolins and sun bears and binturongs (and that they smell like popcorn) and in fact the only animal you listed that I haven't considered is the Saola!!! I had to google them but I recognise them. Very cool colouring. Thank you very much :>

[janearts]

ASDLKFJADKJ I love how you two immediately jumped to 'ok but like... is he #4 material?' (For those wondering, "What The Hell Is A #4?", the answer is linked here for reference.)

(The way to a woman's heart is through her favourite animal, obviously.)

Halsin is very much Roisia's type physically—aka large and in charge—and he has character traits that she would be attracted to: he's kind and compassionate, strong-willed and decisive, gentle and slow to anger, and in possession of a wry sense of humour and a keen intellect. So, yes, in that regard, Halsin definitely stands next to Wyll on the "suitable suitor to bring home" list. Top tier. Well done.

Additional rambling thoughts below the cut.

The trouble with Roisia when it comes to matters of the heart is that she unwittingly looks at a person, thinks she knows their true desires, can play out their combined future in her head, and judge them as compatible or incompatible without questioning her basic assumptions about that person. So, for example, Roisia would in many ways find Halsin an ideal romantic partner. And then, she would get into her own head. Like so:

Halsin is an archdruid. An elf accustomed to leading a notoriously outdoorsy lifestyle in a grove. Roisia is going to someday inherit an entire funerary business and wants to stay in Baldur's Gate, known for being not-at-all grove-like. Surely Mr. Outdoorsman will feel cooped up and miserable in a city if he thought the Grove was too comfortable for his tastes. Incompatible!

Halsin is all about the Natural Order of Things. Balance. Guess who disrupts said natural order when she takes dead things and reanimates them? Roisia. Roisia does. So they're at opposite ends of an ideological spectrum. Incompatible!

He's an elf; she's a human. They are on two different timelines as regards their lifespan. Unless Roisia can guarantee her own extended lifespan in a way that preserves the flesh on her bones in addition to her bones, she wants to grow with her #4 and not outpace her #4. Incompatible!

Again, these are assumptions that Roisia would make about Halsin, and I think she would ultimately write him off as a potential #4 more out of fear of some future rejection down the line than of Halsin necessarily explicitly confirming any of these assumptions to be true OR as relationship dealbreakers if they were. I want to shout out to @gracelessrogue for their tags:

It would not occur to Roisia that she could bond with a druid and a healer over life and death. If she would only think to challenge her own baseline assumptions about what she thinks she knows about the people she's travelling with, I think she would see the ways in which she could nurture long-term romantic connections with one or multiple of our possible companions.

Because, as it is, I think the larger issue is that Roisia would write off not just Halsin, but all the current known companions as not being a good fit for her #4. I don't think she would look at any of them and say: 'This person would stay with me in the city of Baldur's Gate and be totally, completely comfortable and content in a house with bodies in the basement, my skeleton father roaming the halls, and a graveyard right out back.'

Granted, it's still only Act 1/EA, but that's just a real bummer.

[the-rat-eatery]

Angel Dust’s arc in Episode 4 is so incredibly important to him as a character. It can not be overstated how much I love the direction the team is going with him. He's this person, right, this fundamentally good person, just like most people are, who was born into a bad situation and didn’t really have much of a chance in life, and, therefore, in the afterlife. He is a tragic person, made more tragic by the fact that no one fucking knows the depth of the tragedy. You can see that he’s a good person with how he asks Val not to hurt Charlie in the dressing room, despite knowing that Charlie is far more powerful than Valentino and that he was in the real danger here. You see that he’s a good person with how he gets Charlie to leave afterwards, he is rude and terrible to her, but you can look at his body language (something that we can meaningfully analyze due to this being an animated show and knowing that all the decisions made with the body language and expression are made expressly on purpose), you see how gentle he actually is with her. And he’s a good person that had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time– and that led him down a road of pain, and hurt, and addiction. He isn’t wrong in the episode– he does know how to take care of himself. He has all these years, hasn't he? And he's still up and functioning, still a person who cares about other people in the end. And so ‘Loser Baby’ is so incredibly important: to survive, Angel built up this persona of someone who survives. He is resilient, he bounces back from humiliation and mistreatment (there is this moment at Husk’s bar where you can see Angel just– steel himself against Husk’s nagging and continues on with his shit as if he is completely fine), he is an actor, he is perfect and unreachable– but in ‘Loser Baby’ he not only finds actual, real companionship with someone who wants him as a person and not as a body, he also acknowledges his own humanity (“I’m a loser baby”)-- he is at rock bottom, you can’t get much lower than where he is. He’s a fucking loser, by any objective measure. He allows himself to be an actual person instead of a person-a for the first time in who knows how long– and that gives him strength, brings him a friend to fall back on. He’s finally got a safety net in the hotel, and now an emotional safety net in Husk and maybe even Charlie, so he can start to maybe get better. 

The strength of this show isn’t going to be in ships or violence or drama. It is going to lie in messed up people getting better, making connections, growing. I think that this is a very delicate balance to be struck, one that should be maintained as the baseline that the show always returns to. I really hope that it doesn’t lose sight of its strength.

[etradio]

I wish Tsuyu had a bigger role in the Uraraka VS Toga fight- kinda like how Iida had a role in Shouto VS Touya.

With Iida, not only is he one of Shouto’s closer friends- but he also contrasts and parallels Shouto and Touya’s relationship.

Tenya looks up to his brother, and Tensei is motivated to do better because of that- they have a very wholesome brother-relationship.

While with the Todorokis… Touya has literally tried to killed Shouto and even indirectly Natsuo. Shouto has literally done absolutely nothing wrong to Touya- he was a baby when most of Touya’s trauma was happening, and he wasn’t allowed near him growing up. But Shouto still loves him unconditionally.

Even though the relationship between the Iida brothers is so different from the Todorokis- Tenya can still understand how Shouto feels. Tenya couldn’t save Tensei- so that was why he had to do everything he could so Shouto could save Touya (and the rest of his family + the civilians)

Tsuyu’s backstory is explained in an extra manga chapter that was then animated in one of the OVAs. We get insight into her family and one of her friends- though we don’t really know the reason WHY she became a hero. We still don’t in way.

What we do know is that Tsuyu believed a hero is someone who follows the rules. She tells Toga this, and says that Uraraka doesn’t care about the rules- she just wants to help, so she asks Toga to listen to her.

In my opinion, Tsuyu isn’t really a developed character. I’d say Ashido and Jirou have more development than her. Tsuyu’s reasoning in what a hero is- contradicts what the audience is shown.

“Heroes should follow the rules��

But what about the unjust rules?

Lady Nagant and Hawks are basically child soldiers. When Nagant asked if what they’re doing is the right thing- the HPSC president responded by pULLING OUT A GUN- when Nagant killed him, that could’ve been argued to be self-defense. Instead, she’s thrown in jail for people she was groomed to kill, and the murder of the HPSC president was covered up.

Hero society is shown to be corrupt- so I think we should’ve been shown more insight on how a character like Tsuyu handles the reality that laws aren’t always right. I want to see how she would’ve been forced to reevaluate her way of thinking. How the world that society said it was- was a lot more complicated than she thought.

People should follow the rules- but when the rules are harming people who just want to live their normal lives- we need to make adjustments to the rules so more people don’t have to suffer trying to become something they are not.

Tenya was also shown to be a very rule-abiding person at the beginning of the series. Even so, we see what his breaking point is- so what’s Tsuyu’s breaking point? How does she connect to the Uraraka & Toga arc?

From how I interpreted the arc, Toga was someone who needed to be understood as a human being. The reporter, Curious, wanted to understand her- but she only wanted to understand her as a news headline, as a martyr for the Liberation Army.

Uraraka says in the fight, that she can’t ignore all the hurt Toga caused, she can’t accept every part of Toga, she can’t love her in the way that Toga wants her to- but she wants to understand who Himiko Toga is, why she smiles and why she cries.

Uraraka saw the ‘ugliness’ in Toga’s heart, and she acknowledged that- but she also saw the beauty and pain in her heart as well.

How does Tsuyu fit into this????

It’s mentioned that Tsuyu struggled in middle school to make friends, as people couldn’t read her expression since she has a poker face. Perhaps she understands the whole ‘wanting to be understood’ thing?

It could also be a case of quirk discrimination. As we’ve been shown, mutation quirks are looked down upon.

The thing with Tenya is that role was a small part, and yet a big part of the arc he was in. He told Shouto that he is able to be the hero he wants to be now thanks in part to him- and that Shouto can be the hero he wants to be as well; he didn’t say much, and yet that says so much more.

Idk…maybe the role Tsuyu could’ve had is something like ‘She is someone who was discriminated against for her quirk, and people failed to understand her or see her as a human being- but she had a loving family and friends to support her’

-so then the conversation could’ve been more like Tsuyu trying to empathize with Toga and let her know that Uraraka was there to support Tsuyu, so now she’s here to help her as well.

Or it could even have mentioned Tsuyu’s friend from middle school- who also struggled to make friends as well. They were both people who others couldn’t understand them (because of their unexpressive faces) and because of that they connected to each other.

I think it was even mentioned that Himiko is the ‘oldest’ child of her family, so…what about her siblings? How does she feel about them? Could Tsuyu and Toga being older siblings parallel somehow???

The more I talk about this- the more I wonder if Tsuyu should’ve saved Toga or have an equal role to Uraraka. There could be a lot of similarities when I really think about it…

I think the ‘rule’ thing could’ve worked, but I think Tsuyu should’ve had her own arc and perspective shown for it to have more impact.

Maybe this is just a me- thing, but I think Tsuyu should’ve been fleshed out more if she is the character supporting one of the Savior trio.

[teecupangel]

What about a kitsune Desmond, a white fox appears shortly after Altaïr's birth white as snow with one black leg and golden eyes it follows Altaïr for his entire life seemingly never aging and smarter than any animal should be. Years after Altaïr's death Des feels a pull and shows up at the birth of Ezio and gains a second tail, the same trend continues with the Frye twins, the Kenways and the other two post Altaïr protagonists whose names escape me right now which if my math is correct leaves him able to get his ninth tail as he steals his infant self from the farm

I'd imagine he'd get more powers from each tail he grows maybe foxfire with his second (fire that burns as bright as the sun) and gaining a human form around 4 or 5

I’m going to be honest with you, nonny, I know a bit about kitsunes, specifically fox spirits, because one of my favorite characters during my childhood is Daji (specifically Dakki from the og Houshin Engi anime) and I never stopped loving her in all her malicious tyrannical glory.

While fox spirits/kitsunes can be benevolent or malicious, a lot of fox spirits are shown to be trickster.

… and seducers.

Like, being able to shapeshift into beautiful women and men who ‘bewitches’ or seduces humans are signs of how old a fox spirit is XD

But I kinda like the idea that Desmond remains as a fox the entire time, never changing in size or weight.

His tails can easily be ‘disguised’ into one tail by making sure they all move as one so it just looks like he has one big bushy tail (which is strange but not ‘mythical’ strange).

Now, we want Desmond to have 9 tails so the list of people would be:

his initial tail

Altaïr’s

Ezio’s

Edward’s

Ratonhnhaké:ton’s

Arno’s

Evie’s

Jacob’s

The ninth tail would be his own infant self.

My suggestion for his powers are, depending on how many tails he has, he unlocks:

Immortality and eternal youth (default)

Foxfire (kitsunebi) – the number he can summons grows with the number of tails he has

Dream sharing with his current connection (Ezio, Ratonhnhaké:ton, etc) – he always appears as Desmond Miles in their dreams

Shapeshifts to Desmond Miles

Shapeshifts to any human he is familiar with (having genetic connections with them makes it faster to shift to their form)

Shapeshifts to anything that is not human

Possession (having a genetic connection with Desmond Miles makes it easier to possess that person)

Ability to cast illusions that are almost impossible to distinguish from reality

Omniscience due to a direct connection with the Calculations

(These are all powers that are more or less seen in kitsune stories. If you think there’s too many shapeshifting powers, kitsunes are also known for being able to turn invisible, can fly, bend time and space or make people crazy)

Oh and making Desmond a white kitsune is *chef’s kiss*. In folklore, a white kitsune has reaches the top of its powers and is called celestial/heavenly which is a good foreshadowing on how powerful Desmond could become.

If I may suggest, whenever Desmond uses his foxfire, his tails is engulfed in white flames like this (but white and gold and without the ‘seal’:

[beyond-justice-009]

is there anything about light yagami specifically that makes you connect with him, or is it a general interest in death note?

I’d say both honestly! I adore his character in more ways than one, and I think a lot of people misinterpret him due to the anime’s portrayal of him- which is fair enough, until you read the manga and find he’s not some psychopathic monster.

He’s full of expressions that the anime deprives him of (the same goes for Near, he was a lot more playful in the magazine version!) and you can really tell that he’s constantly trying to look normal, if we completely ignore Kira entirely- he’s been like this his whole life. He wants to be the perfect son, the perfect student, and one day, the perfect police officer.

So when he ends up killing someone with the death note, he can’t live with himself- how could he have made such a horrible mistake? His hands were soiled - that is, unless he made a world where it wasn’t a mistake anymore. He could still be right, still be good.

I also feel it’s worth bringing up this post that’s stuck with me for ages-

This. This is why I love him, why he resonates with me so much.

People forget he’s not just human, but he’s a kid. He’s a kid who had his childish worldview cemented in his head by external factors beyond his control, and he was never allowed to grow out of them- if he did, he wouldn’t be righteous anymore.

And that’s also WHY he feels like he’s the one who has to do all of this. His hands are already soiled, he’s already been tainted by evil. The least he can do is try to prevent others from having to make the same mistake, the same choice- which means getting rid of the people that you’d have to make that choice against. Which is also why he didn’t give up the death note- Ryuk would find someone else, someone less selfless, and he’d be responsible for whatever damage that new person would do because he turned it down. It doesn’t matter if he’d forget the death note, because he’d still have that itching feeling buried in his head, that something isn’t right.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love L, too (though certainly not as much as I love Light) and I love the Wammy’s Orphanage and the general implications of raising a child investigator- but there’s one thing - and ONLY one thing - that separates L and Light.

L has the support of the police, the justification of the law, and Light does not.

If it were L who’d decided to start doing this, everyone would be excusing it like “oh well it’s his job, he just decided to be more efficient about it” or covering it up entirely. The government hates when you do their job better than them.

Anyway I’m definitely getting ahead of myself here- I think I’ve explained myself pretty well. Thank you for the ask! This was refreshing.

[canmom]

it was a matter of time but pure-generative-AI animation has progressed to the point of looking 'not utterly shit'.

it's obvs a blatant ghibli pastiche, there's sometimes e.g. some inconsistent spacing (the leg on the walking cat for example) that I would criticise in a human animator, but the level of spatial and temporal coherence is much, much higher than it was before and it basically 'feels like' human animation, or at least a lot closer to it, than previous efforts that I've seen.

the process used involves a lot of 'human in the feedback loop' iteration - the artist used one generative model to produce still shots, and a second generative model to produce animations out of them, and additional generative models to get foley and music - but this was done in a weekend, compared to the weeks of work (months if you include preproduction) by experienced experts that it would take to produce comparable animation by the traditional techniques. the video generation is controlled by a text description of what you want to happen in the shot, but it doesn't seem like there is much fine-grained control over the details here.

traditional animation is a thoroughly collaborative process (unless you're Don Hertzfeldt), it takes large teams, and generally speaking only functions at all in the modern world by outsourcing large parts of the labour to countries where the cost of living is lower. the most celebrated (and higher-paid) roles in the process tend to be roles like storyboarding and key animation, where artistic choice is highest. animation lore is full of frustration from artists at this end of the pipeline, about the intent of a cut being lost through rushed or thoughtless inbetweening and compositing.

although image generation competes with this 'planning' stage, its unpredictability and lack of a connection to a 'personality' means I think that direction and key animation will still be a thing in animation to come. I'm less sure about inbetweening. current techniques for AI gen aren't there yet, but it doesn't seem to be far off the point where we can give an AI some keyframes and have it generate a reasonably convincing path between them, taking over the roles of cleanup, inbetweening, and compositing.

I doubt it will stop here either. the question will be how amenable it is to artistic control. for making an impressive-looking non-narrative twitter video you can just take a few generations that look good and staple them together, but these tools will only be useful for filmmaking if they can maintain consistency of character designs and respond reasonably to tweaking, without having cumbersome text input.

at the demoscene event this weekend, I was struck by how, as much as there is plenty of excitement about exploring new techniques, there was perhaps even more work being produced in the 'old school'/'mid school' categories targeting machines like the Commodore 64, Amiga, BBC Micro, or even modern low-level fantasy consoles like the TIC-80. new techniques are still being discovered for C64 demos, despite the hardware being decades old and no longer produced, and oldschool demos are still being made and appreciated by an audience who didn't necessarily grow up with the tech. not to mention the fact that we still draw and paint as furiously as ever.

art and medium are intimately connected; knowing how someone made something is a huge part of the context I bring to interpret it. so I don't fear that nobody will ever want to produce animation anymore.

but a demo is something that can be produced by a solo coder and generally not done for money. animation is produced in a variety of ways - there is a strong subculture of solo or small-team independent animators - but animated films are rarely made except by a whole studio working full time. I'm not sure how AI is going to affect that whole economic structure, and affect the future of this medium I love, but it's getting much closer to the day that we find out.

[with-my-calamitous-love]

i think my favourite type of character is the brother type character. and i don’t mean just any sibling or siblings duos.

edward elric is one of my favourite anime protagonists of all time. fullmetal alchemist, both versions, are masterpieces in their own right, but edward elric is just an incredible character. he was a boy forced to grow up overnight, bearing the guilt of breaking a taboo and the burden of knowing the truth. he is a selfless person, but this is especially in regards to alphonse. only edward knows how much he loves his brother, and the guilt he carries for trapping him in a suit of armour. he thinks that it should have been him, that he’s his older brother and he should have protected him more. getting his limbs back is apart of edward’s journey, but restoring alphonse comes first. i love fullmetal alchemist because it tells the tale of powerful, unconditional love. its the love edward and alphonse have for each other, how they want to restore one another more than anything. alphonse reminds edward of his humanity, of his morals, he’s one of the only thing that keeps edward selfless and compassionate throughout all that he’s gone through.

another example i love is the todoroki family in my hero academia. i feel a sense of connection to shoto since i also come from a family of four, and have a more or less complicated parental relationship. so i speak from experience when i say that oftentimes, siblings are the people that understand trauma the most. they experience with you, albeit from different lenses, but they offer a circle of refuge that you can bask in for years. the todoroki’s are a damaged family, torn apart by years of abuse, trauma, and isolation. i know shoto’s still a baby at heart, because every youngest child is- he still turns to fuyumi’s hugs and natsuo’s jokes. and when he looks at toya he feels anger that dissolves into hurt. he sees the result of his family failing his brother. and he’s not sure if its too late for him.

an open love letter to anyone who needs familial love. for my lovely filipinos, call me ate ♥️

[momentov1vere]

Assigning PJO/ HoO characters to Knights Radiant orders (+ my reasoning)

I put too much thought into this not to share it somewhere so here’s a sort-of character analysis that is much longer than it needs to be (bc I was bored and stuck in a car for 10 hours) :)

Not sure how much of a crossover there is between the PJO and Stormlight Archive fandoms but this was mostly for fun (and I want to see what happens lol)

Here we go!

——————————————————————————

🔱 Percy Jackson : Stoneward

The powers don’t rly fit (Cohesion- manipulating objects at a molecular level- & Tension- changing the stiffness of something) but none of the Radiants have water powers so 🤷‍♀️

Loyalty is pretty much the #1 belief of the Stonewards (“Though sometimes gregarious, they are never flighty. If a Stoneward is your friend, they will be there for you”) and Percy’s fatal flaw is literally loyalty so that’s that

Percy is said to be one of the best fighters seen like anywhere in a long time and Stonewards are the order that is viewed as the best soldiers of the Radiants

They like a challenge and will often take on more than they can handle (like Percy choosing to take on the Great Prophecy)

Stonewards are also good at being able to find a solution to a difficult situation with only few resources and Percy often comes up with things on the fly/ improvises

I struggled SO MUCH picking one for Percy oh my god he had similarities to like half of them (I almost made him a Bondsmith or a Windrunner but they didn’t seem right)

🦉 Annabeth Chase : Elsecaller

Powers : Transformation (changing an object into something else- aka ‘Soulcasting’) and Transportation (looking/moving between realms); Annabeth likes creating new things (architecture) so there’s a bit of a connection to the Transformation power even tho she doesn’t really have powers

Elsecallers are always trying to reach their full potential, like how Annabeth is always be seen trying to learn new things and become the best version of herself

They are regarded as the ‘wisest’ Radiant order (just like Annabeth/ the Athena cabin are viewed as the ‘wisest’ demigods)

Annabeth always has her goals in mind but also always trying to lead and encourage others (like Damasen) which is common amongst Elsecallers

🐐 Grover Underwood : Edgedancer

Powers: Abrasion (altering the friction between surfaces) & Progression (quickly growing organic objects faster than normal- including plants, skin, body tissue, etc.)

He’s able to make plants grow faster using his magic reed pipe so that would translate into Progression

Abrasion would kind of fit for him too, bc of the goat legs (he’s able to navigate more difficult terrain than humans)

Edgedancers care about the ordinary/ overlooked people of the world and spend most of their time making sure those people are protected. Grover cares deeply about nature/ animals and always tries to protect them bc humans often deem nature unimportant (nature = ordinary people in this scenario)

☠️ Nico di Angelo : Dustbringer

Powers: Division (control over destruction/ decay) and Abrasion

I don’t know if Nico has anything that really fits the Abrasion power- except for maybe the fact that his shadow travel helps him get places quickly- but Division is definitely similar to his power over death/ earthy materials

Dustbringers typically don’t get along with others (including people in their own order) because of personality differences and stereotypes about their powers like how Nico is often ostracized at first bc he scares people

☀️ Will Solace : Edgedancer

Powers: Abrasion & Progression

Will is a healer so Progression would be a good power for him to have; while he doesn’t have any powers similar to Abrasion I think it would be useful for him to have to get to injured people faster

Will cares about everyone and will do his best to heal anyone because he doesn’t want anyone to suffer, and he doesn’t just focus on the powerful demigods- he makes sure to lend his power anywhere it’s needed

Fighting is not the the Edgedancers’ main concern, preferring to protect/help the injured (especially people who aren’t necessarily warriors) and Will also is more like a wartime medic than a fighter (though he- and the Edgedancers- can fight if necessary)

They want to see and understand both sides of something, even their enemies, rather than seeing everything in black and white. Will struggled with this in TSATS but eventually realized that places like the Underworld aren’t necessarily just about death/decay, but are also about life

🌩️ Jason Grace : Windrunner

Well first of all the man flies and that’s basically what the Windrunners do lol

Their powers: Adhesion (temporarily sticking two objects together) and Gravitation (changing the direction/ strength of something’s gravitational pull)

He cares a lot about protecting innocents/ the defenseless and keeping his friends safe which is a main idea of the Windrunners

Windrunners are very militaristic in general and Jason was raised by the wolves and the Romans to be that way as well

Tempest would be his windspren & prefer a horse form cus they can do that (I think)

⚡️ Thalia Grace : Windrunner

I know she hates flying but I don’t think it’s really a requirement of the Windrunners to ‘fly’; they mostly just change the direction/amount of gravity that’s pulling on them so she could find creative ways to use Gravitation (walking on walls/ceilings which then appear to be the floor to her, etc)

The Hunters of Artemis are pretty militaristic as well (they have a specific leader & ways of doing things, similar to the Romans)

Thalia cares about innocent people/creatures and is very protective over the people she cares about (Annabeth, the Hunters, etc)

Windrunners tend to attract “big-sibling types” and Thalia is definitely a big sibling type lol

🏹 Frank Zhang : Stoneward

Powers don’t rly fit him either but personality-wise I think it’s right

Frank is really loyal to his friends (sometimes to the point of attacking/fighting people more powerful than him to save them) and will always be there for them both in battle and for personal issues

He’s pretty good at improvising and his shapeshifting allows him to come up with creative solutions (turning into an iguana to get out of the Chinese handcuffs lol)

He’s also pretty quick to come up with creative solutions without many resources (using his firewood to free Thanatos when there was no other heat source, etc.)

💎 Hazel Levesque : Lightweaver

Powers : Illumination (illusions) and Transformation

Hazel learned how to manipulate the mist from Hecate, essentially giving her illusion powers, & she can change the shape of earthly materials (can’t change the material but it’s close enough to Transformation); this is one case where I almost made her a Stoneward but Lightweaver just fit better for everything else I think

Lightweavers are the ‘artistic’ order and attract people who love art/ creativity (Hazel is an artist)

They tend to not follow rules the way other orders do, instead choosing to reach their goals by their own means (ex. Hazel choosing to go her own way and make her own choices rather than taking one of the paths Hecate gave her in HoH)

🔥 Leo Valdez : Dustbringer

Same as Nico; both of them being Dustbringers would be an example of contrasting/ clashing personalities within the order

Fire is definitely a destructive ability similar to Division (they can burn things) and without a level of control (which Dustbringers need to learn before they can advance their powers) things could get bad (and have- rip Esperanza Valdez)

Leo hasn’t really been ostracized for his personality like Dustbringers could be but his powers originally made people scared (they didn’t know he had them at the time but his cabinmates did say a that having that power was dangerous and they hoped no one would ever have it again so he took that a little personally)

🗡️ Reyna Ramirez-Arellano : Bondsmith

She’d be bonded to the Stormfather (1 of 3 beings who can gift Bondsmith abilities), allowing her to generate Stormlight and infuse other Radiants with it; this is incredibly draining and similar to Reyna’s ability to share her strength

Bondsmiths’ main focus is unity/ bringing people together and Reyna definitely spends a lot of time attempting to unite the Roman and Greek camp (after all, she did spend an entire book helping Nico and Coach Hedge get the Athena Parthenos back to CHB as a peace offering)

Bondsmith powers aren’t typically used for fighting but rather for assisting other Radiants and keep them fighting; Reyna is skilled with weapons but doesn’t use her powers to fight, only to help others keep up their strength/ motivation

🕊️ Piper McLean : Lightweaver

Piper had some personal things that she had to work out (lying to her friends in TLH, etc) before she fully embraced her power, & Lightweavers have to come to terms with truths about themselves before they can progress as people & as Radiants

There aren’t really any Radiant orders that work with manipulation magic so it’s hard to bring the Charmspeak in but the illusion magic Lightweavers have does allow them to change their appearance, so I’d imagine her using it to make herself super beautiful for espionage purposes or smth (maybe using it to transform into someone’s loved one?)

Transformation would allowed her to turn something into something else (etc. mud to food) which kind of relates to her cornucopia & how it makes food out of nothing

——————————————————————————

Hooray we made it to the end!! Sorry that this was so long, I had a looong time to think about this and wanted to get all my thoughts down

I mostly used coppermind.net and the descriptions of the Radiant orders on Sanderson’s website so some of this info may be a little inaccurate but this was just for fun lol

[fourtyfourcatss]

[████████ 100%] — @tillichan !

ᨒ↟ 𖠰𖥧˚⚘ … FILE #1 SERVAMP MATCHUP

“What a beautiful soul..” — something soft draws you in, to each other, for each other. Like visiting a lake upon spring, and seeing the sunlight shimmering upon its surface. Yes, your matchup has to be this person..

[ LAWLESS ] ᨒ↟ ⋆｡°

𖠰𖥧 there is something despicable that he finds within himself which is alleviated by your presence—the first person that came to mind so strongly was Lawless when I read your information multiple times, and this is why. There is a manner of which that you write that makes me believe that you are a very “ethical” person; ethical as in a perceptual quality defined by a focus on the human, social, moral, and emotional content of reality [1.] — not a lack of logic. And, it is within this frame of mindset that allows Lawless to become deeply infatuated by the state of your being. But let’s get to that.

𖠰𖥧 Lawless is characterized by an aggression in his hedonistic nature that is extremely hard to overlook at first, but you have this quality to you that unravels his character. What I mean by this is that once you solve one problem of his (which is his need for love, which we will get to) this man unravels. His problems start to really untangle by itself because his main problem is with his own mental state.

𖠰𖥧 Lawless himself is a very hurt individual (as are all characters within the servamp series lol); he’s very externally emotional. And, you are internally emotional. There is this connection between the two of you when this is realized. The way you feel too much is actually an aspect of interest that you stroke within him; how are you so connected with people? How do you make yourself so likable; and to him later on, so lovable? And your calmness, openness, kindness; tolerance of him despite how he is— shows to him the answers he seeks. You see, I would not say he’s self centered as opposed to his wiki— I think it’s an oversimplification to his core character—rather than to say that he’s very stuck within his own problems. He has been grieving.. he’s one who wishes so strongly to be loved, and to love back, and this need has become so overwhelming yet concealed by himself from the conditions of his immortality and state of being (I can see him going into his animal form to make it easier for you to hold him) that it has been the precipice of his concerns. Your traits completely turn these issues from the inside out; so naturally, so gently that Lawless feels seen and appreciated with you. There is this gentleness that accompanies your empathy; and it feels so “clean”, so wholesome to him, your connection with animals, your voice, your face. He very much loves looking at you (not so surreptitiously); he is a romantic at heart. Someone who would take apart his entire system to fit yourself in, and truly implement your goals and aspirations and thoughts into his own. He doesn’t strike me as the type to try to plan into the future, but “live in the present”; so he’s ready to give up on a lot of things in order to be with you. I think it’s because of his fear to think about the future. You, on the other hand, seem more future oriented. If the two of you convene about your plans for the future; it will draw him more confidently out of his own shell, and allow him to confront what he desires again. On your part you may not wish to talk about harsh topics because of it’s uncomfortable nature (but some things must be discussed); I think Lawless at this time would tell you to say things straight to him because he isn’t someone who is so easily offended. He can take what thoughts and opinions you do hide to his face, and allows you to become more confident in expressing yourself too. He doesn’t coddle anyone using sugarcoated words. The way this happens is perhaps, he sees some hesitancy in your demeanor, and immediately clings onto it. It’s not a bad thing; following up with these uncomfortable topics, the conversation will grow more comfortable and deepen in thought. He has more of a simplistic (but logical) thought process; when he sees you need help he will pursue, and let you stop overthinking regarding subjects.

𖠰𖥧 At the same time, he would love teasing you about your preference with animals, but it is never malicious or uncomfortable, because you can tell with his voice that he is actually very giggly at this; the level of affection that you hold is something so dear and profound to him, and he himself also does have a preference for animals. You can see how he softens when he looks at you while you are focused elsewhere, how he somehow becomes so different, very gentlemanly towards you. When you exit cars, he will hold his hand out. When he sees your hands turning the pages of your books, or petting animals, he feels the urge to kiss it. You let him display a level of affection as a result of this because you make him feel like his emotions will not be laughed at. Lawless loves compassionate peoples; but to a degree of realism, someone who does what they can, like you. It’s not just the compassion but also the passion inside; You make him melt.. The best to to describe this is comparing the two of you to poetry in motion. It’s like a harmonic dance in a sense?

𖠰𖥧 He’s also quite a yapper, so having you, who’s a great conversationalist, makes him exceedingly excited to talk and meet with you. The two of you could engage in stimulating and lively conversations, and grant each other new insights based on your experiences and thoughts. Be careful! Every time you tease him, he will tease you back with twice fervor. It will never be uncomfortable, but very attracting. He has a way of using sweet words and his own sensuality in his body language playfully to color in the tones of your conversations.. It is never aggressive, but sensual, the way he calls you sweetie, honey—or gestures to grab your attention, to seek it, and your subtle remarks back will keep the two of you on your toes. I think that he is someone who would want to fuse into the sanctity of your presence.

𖠰𖥧 He’s a deeply interesting, charismatic, fiery, unstoppable force, moving constantly, like a chihuahua with separation anxiety. This is a trait which might strike a lot of apprehension within you, but, you’re actually the perfect owner of such a chihuahua. You seem like someone who often stays ruminating in place.. your intuition is something I can see help you make decisions, but as a fellow intuitive type, I can guess that there is still a level of uncertainty in this decision. Lawless is someone who is very ambitious, decisive, and he is calmed by you, while you become inspired around him. He’s a very competent person outside of how necrotic he seems; and he will back down if you are uncomfortable; he does have regrets about things. he has this “can do attitude” that doesn’t feel egotistical but more like an actual promise. He mobilizes you, encourage you to take risks, challenges you to grow beyond your comfort zone. You feel like the type to get stuck inside your head before you even act, and he can bring you out of this “stuck” feeling if you go too deep. You also seem like the kind of person who may be taken advantage of sometimes due to being unable to turn people down sometimes. It’s a matter of pressure and what needs to be done, perhaps, but like how he is, he will always stand up for you. He doesn’t just abandon the people he chooses to be with. It’s like.. being whisked away by a prince in a fairy tale, but instead of bringing you away from your home, he waltz’s you back to your doorstep. This is how I feel about your relationship; it is built upon softness and thinking of one another. A warmth of home, and of sincerity. Neither of you want to be insincere at all, and both of you can display your true colors to one another. This draws away from his hedonistic qualities and makes him see life in the mundane and everyday life.

𖠰𖥧 As a result of all what you do to him, another big comfort of his being is what accompanies you in return. Sanctuary and attraction. He makes you feel safe. He feels superbly special to see himself allowed in your comfort zone, and fumbles awkwardly to meet your likings. When you tell him to just relax, he feels himself doing it on purpose. Remember how I described him like a chihuahua? He acts a bit like one too (haha), not dehumanizing, but as in, he fetches you whatever he knows you enjoy. He will spring out to go pick flowers and fruits for you, he will treat your animals nicely—(he knows how it feels to be an animal, how they feel as animals..). He cuddles up to you if you are alright with it; in cold weather, he pushes your hands into his own pockets. He pays attention to your every word and preference. He would entertain you with his presence alone, and accompany you because he loves to. You aren’t boring to him; and these fantasy stories makes him curious. It’s the kind of relationship where words is not truly needed when you’re enjoying each other. He’s someone who has seen a lot of fantastical things throughout his life— would you like to listen to him speak about it? (These are honestly a congregation of my general headcanons, but there will be a shorter section on it later). He praises you exceedingly, haha, I think you’d find him slightly out of place. In the beginning he is. He’s very cocky, but all the same, he is much more than just that. His cockiness just makes things more interesting later on (especially as the two of you influence one another). It’s ok; he lowkey gets spoiled by you.. so I think he’d rather not act out of line. He’s more like your hype man! He will without fail make you feel special, like someone precious. Sometimes, it’s lowkey embarassing 😭 it’s like… you’re unimpressed by this guy. And that encourages him to be even more bold, and it’s just funny at the end. He’s someone who absolutely feeds off your joy; your happiness is my happiness. He is this kind of intense person, fiercely loyal, and he only ever says what he means, does what he wants; and this simplicity makes you feel secure in both your relationship and around him, since he becomes so inherently protective of the people he do have left that cares about him— so reliable. He is responsible after all— for you. You’re lovely, so he never puts you on a pedestal, and respects you as an individual, and loves you like an infatuated lover would. He makes you feel seen in a humane way. It makes you feel like the things you have done are worth it.

𖠰𖥧 Why him and nobody else? Well, many things I took into account. Firstly, I didn’t want to give you any characters that was extremely assertive (and thereby intrusive) — but enough so they would be the one approaching you first. I wanted to give someone with more mobilization, more extroverted, but also not very high energy as to tire you out. However, someone assertive enough to chase, with both idealism and realism (which brings pleasantness due to the optimism it brings). Additionally, someone with a disposition similar to yours about possession and space would be important. They could not be too internally conflicted and necrotic. I wanted to give you someone who was very “internally deep” (pique your interest), at the very same time, who can be influenced by your traits and can be changed by it. Lawless is the proper fit for this… he is willing to change, unlike so many other characters within the narrative who are so headstrong and will butt heads with you. You can see the good in him, and this is so very important.

Ultimately; someone who can be gentle.

𖠰𖥧 RUNNER UPS (☎️.) ALL OF LOVE. This one definitely also has a chance of happening; but it can also lean more towards a more platonic relationship style. I feel like you might get too.. comfortable? There’s less “spark of love!” And more, “friends hanging out by sitting next to each other, not speaking, but still very fun.”

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#additional headcanons…]

A househusband; his motto to your relationship is to get spoiled and spoil you back. Well, he has no money to spoil you with, but acts of service. Let him lay on your lap for an hour while you’re birdwatching? He’s already off to prepare your bath for you when you two get home. Gardening? He’s always by your side with it. You’re cold? Hm, take his jacket! Servamps don’t get cold anyways (he’s shivering actually). Will absolutely blush if you share any of your clothing with him. You can say he’s… he’s kind of like a tsundere!

Well, the way your relationship truly starts to develop is that he starts appearing at your front gate arbitrarily.

“It’s cold out! Won’t you let me in?”

Licht is an avid slanderer of Lawless; he’s an Angel, and that man’s eve, so he’ll take responsibility and drag this guy back whenever you want it. Ah, but it is good to be without lawless pestering him for a while… would you mind keeping Lawless for some time while he practices? He appreciates it, truly.. don’t worry! He’ll always make sure to collect him at the end. It won’t take too long. So in a sense, he’s kind of like the supervisor while you two inadvertently start courting each other. Yes, inadvertently—you two get comfortable around each other. It feels like one of those relationships where he confesses, and you’re like “? Ok.” And then go about your day until you realize half an hour later.

Absolutely gets slightly pouty because of the cat and dog sometimes. Transforms into a hedgehog and wedges himself between them to get your attention too! They’re very interested in him, and he ends up playing with them in his own way until he gets too tired 😭 defeated hedgehog.. rolling around until you pick him up.

Gets absolutely dogged by you in chess games. Not at all overconfident nor bragging (his demeanor around you is different compared to others -> like a calm dog), very inquisitive. Speaking of dog.. will definitely take care of your pets for you when you are busy.

Tickle monster here. But usually, he’s more of a cuddle monster. Warmth makes him feel.. more alive. What? You’re cold? That can’t be, doesn’t that mean your blood circulation is poor? He will make sure to make you feel warm before you two go out to walk the pets. Always taking care of you physically whenever he can.

He’s never truly been in a romantic relationship, or understand how it works normally, you’re going to have to explain some things to him 😭 he isn’t dumb though, so he can surmise a lot of things by watching, er, unrealistic television shows. It’s the only thing he knows because he watches the most dramatic ass rom coms and randomly brings it up expecting you to know. Why would you know??? He thinks you’re a very intelligent person, so he really expects a lot out of you sometimes, even if it’s nonsensical.

Finds your lifestyle interesting because it’s not what he expects from a modern human. He often sees people doing things in excess, eating, smoking, drinking; he kind of finds you endearing in this way that you take care of yourself and fulfill your basic necessities while also pampering yourself physically and keeping yourself healthy. He finds you very elegant (you are), and that makes him somewhat flustered (since he’s into that). A lot of times you kind of reawaken his past, almost noble demeanor inside him, and he ends up serving you like you’re a princess (holding your groceries, massaging your arms, etc).

You’re probably his exact type; the kind of person he needs at this moment in order to become healthier. And this makes him feel flustered and adoring around you; it makes him want to comment on the little things you tend to do, or how cool you seem. You have this kind of composure that makes people feel at ease around you with how chill you seem, and this is exactly what he needs to take direction in his life and become a better person for himself and others— and for you.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#first meeting]

“Ah.. you..”

The cold weather had already formed frost inside the crevices of windows, where the faint gloss of condensation ran over the expansive panels of the concert hall.

The first meeting is something that is very small, but very intriguing. The recital stage should be this way, to the left, you’re sure of it. But following that direction, the signs were not the ones you were told it would be. You peered around near a wall, but the people striding around you look very busy, and you don’t want to bother them at all—you can tell you will get some annoyance tainted answer, and you don’t want to bother with that right now. However, it is a fancy recital. A big name pianist by the name of “Licht” will be playing— a lot of people are scrambling in order to meet him today. Including your parents.

“Don’t be late,” you remember hearing. The thumping in your chest gets louder and louder.

Then, there was suddenly a tap on your shoulder. However, as you looked back, there was a flash at your peripheral, and an outdoorsy scent passed by in a split second—the kind that reminds you slightly of a cat. In front of you, a blond man with a black scarf stood, grinning.

“‘Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords…’ Hahaha..! You lost, little lady?”

There is this perverse, almost innocuous tone in his words, as if he is expectant of something. This feels like it is something important, and you’re not sure why, but as your explanation leaves your tongue, his face rescinds a subtle expression you couldn’t quite catch. “Hah? You’re not here for Licht?” He suddenly seems calmer. Your face, still dispassionate, glances at him.

It was then, that a pair of doors opened nearby, and the limelight that filtered through that slanted square doorway limned the two of you in its radiance. Any movement can be discerned from how harsh the light is, but for a moment, you could almost see him getting lost in the light refracted from your eyes. But only for a moment.

The first impression is characterized by two words; “boring” on his end, and “off” on yours.

He looks tired now, mood swinging like a pendulum. And he shrugs, before pointing to another door opposite of where the two of you stands. “There. If you’re looking for the other musicians. They’re performing there.”

After the performance, you find your mind still straying to him. Something about him seemed off. There is a slight hope in your heart that he may be someone like you..

Opening your hand, you find an illuminated piece of vine. But you close it as soon as you hear your parents calling for you.

This is about a week before Licht’s actual interrupted performance in the manga, and after this, you’re surprised to see your parents knows Licht. You recognize this blond haired man next to him.

Your mother nudges you gently, teasing you to make some more friends your age since you’ve moved here. Licht doesn’t give out his phone number easily, so Lawless offers his own! When this happens, Licht also gives you his phone number (to make sure lawless isn’t going out of hand). You don’t like mobile phones much, but you don’t want to reject it since they’re giving it. That’s how it first starts.

Asks you tons of questions about your day, your work, many things. Lawless would honestly start to visit your house if you mention your preference. (This may be even worse to you though). This is how he gets to know you at first, but it doesn’t feel too unpleasant. After, he just starts to grow on you, and it feels natural to see him at your house randomly to hang out.

What he finds annoying in regards to you is how restrained you are. You seem like the type to truly conceal your grievances when it happens, and this mannerism is both understandable (to some extent) and irritating to Lawless. It’s reminds him of that stupid elder brother’s eve..

You mention that you’re good at dealing with adults who act like children? That’s him at first. Honestly he’s still childish, but less so later, transforming into “youthful” instead.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#crush] + [#confession]

𖠰𖥧 with a crush, he becomes extremely hesitant, and much more withdrawn. Hes also anxious; he feels like it’s safe anywhere unless you’re in your home. With all the conflict that has been going on, he’s glad that you’ve decided to aid in the sidelines instead of rushing over. This is a conflict between vampires; a guardian of nature (to be elaborated on in roles) should not be involved so intimately, even if it may be more fun. You seem like the type to help when you can, so many people are grateful to you for that. Ah, he couldn’t have been bothered with whatever you did before, but now he’s relieved. Isn’t that hypocritical of him? A man such as himself, you might dislike that aspect of him. He’s convinced himself that you would never reciprocate his feelings back, in short.

𖠰𖥧 this makes him superbly hard to deal with, even though he’s also acting very squishy in matters regards to you. Licht judgingly glares at him at the corner of his eyes when he brings something related to you up. He’s sheepish and slightly indignant.

𖠰𖥧 how is this overcame? Well, as an impulsive person, Lawless is unable to control his mouth whenever he wants to speak, you see. Whenever he’s with you, he just starts talking. Eventually, he gave up on trying to be restrained around you (funny how he disliked this aspect of what he felt towards you when he did it himself!) and the two of you started hanging out again.

𖠰𖥧 because of all the factors stated above in the matchup section, falling in love, confessing… it just happens. It’s just natural. You probably said something that brought him into a romantic mood, and he, judging the atmosphere, promptly confesses. It happens on a dark evening, where the cherry blossoms are in bloom. He picked something up from the convenience store while you waited outside, and emotions just swelled up within him when he saw your face. He is in love, he is in love, he is in love. He didn’t know it would happen again.

𖠰𖥧 and the tang of the sweet flowers was in the air. He never liked this smell, as it reminded him of flowers in funerals and… oh, but you look so lovely. There is darkness all around you, and you look somewhat antsy. He should step it up and protect you, shouldn’t he? His heart feels very present and his face feels somewhat flushed.

“…stay with me from now on, ok?”

Haha, that’s his style of confession. And he leads you back to the picnic area where you left your things by the hand. He’s a vampire, but he feels hotter than normal.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#role] + [#abilities]

A human blessed by the nature spirits? What a rare sight. Not even much priests or priestesses are bestowed this honor, much less rangers and hunters of the old….

Distanced from servamps, C3, and the conflicts that arose— you were an ordinary person until one day, where you found yourself lost in the mountains.. when you returned, you found yourself with strange abilities that suddenly emerged.

As it seems, you’ve become some kind of chosen guardian of the natural regional area near you. Something like a priestess in Inuyasha, if you are familiar with that. Other than spending time in that place a little longer, not much has changed. It seems to have a protective effect on you; trying to separate you from the chaotic world of mystical creatures. Thus, whenever you enter this plane, it separates into a space where nobody can come in or leave without your jurisdiction. Like a safe haven in a sense. Your abilities have specific characteristics that have also been altered by this blessing.

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary—How does your garden grow?”

A long distance continuous spell which generates protective effects based on distance. The user is able to create luminous vines that are invisible to others with both physical and spiritual properties that offers a few things specifically. These vines can grow from anywhere that is viable for plants to grow as long as the user knows the location.

Claircognizance. Upon vines coming into contact with a being, you can ask a question in your mind (thus long distance) and perceive the TRUTH. It doesn’t exactly tell you what is a lie, but whenever there is a lie, a second voice tells you the hidden truth. This works on animals as well, which interlinks with the second ability.

Animal coercion. Any animal that comes into contact with the vines can be influenced to follow an order. For example, a bird can be used to spy on enemies. It would take more out of you, but humans is also possible. As it is an influence of gentle force, the person/animal usually doesn’t know they’re being influenced. This makes it hard to detect. Then, you can use claricognizance to understand what happened.

Adaptation. These vines can be used in order to close wounds, hold the bleeding, etc. it will temporarily adopt the necessary conditions of a certain organ to trick the brain into keeping the body working. In a life or death situation, this saves a ton of lives. Latching onto allies, the vines can grow into thick walls to shield people, or extend in order to grapple or entangle enemies, or even be used as a means to escape for allies who have it on hand. Outside of closing wounds, this can also be used in order to bind enemies. As it is made using magics, it is hard to break unless it is done with a spell or large attack.

I do have reasons for this kind of ability, so if you want to know why specifically it’s so utility based, ill tack it on.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#relationships]

— ALL OF LOVE is your best friend. He may speak such weird things sometimes, but he’s a very gentle and sweet person who makes you feel at ease. He has this deep empathy similar to yours, so he can truly understand how you feel. He uplifts you. Always invites you into the mansion to have a tea party, especially to spend time with the children there afterwards. If you bring your pets, even better—he’ll make sure to have treats and things set up for them. They absolutely adore you! When you two first met, it was through these kids, since they didn’t know the directions to a certain sweet shop. You two immediately hit it off, and discuss the books you have read and or just the general state of situations. He thinks you’re kind of similar to a very matured Misono without all that attitude, with your elegance and your affection for others. It’s very cute, and it makes him want to protect and pamper you. Always makes sure to send you home with a heat pack, or more clothes if it’s needed after your visit— or just goodies like some new sunscreen he thinks is great for you. Very much tries to spoil you materialistically, or offer you some profound advice if you ever need it. Dependent on some variables, he may even have a crush on you. You’re lovely, too lovely. If you ever tease him, he’ll start to flush.

EMOTICON DYNAMIC: (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) (him) + ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ ) (you)

— MISONO thinks of you as a sister. He can’t help himself even though he tries to reject this, but you’re someone that he truly could picture as his older sister. He admires your cool-headed attitude towards things, and thinks you’re cool! A lot of the eves are teenagers, and they’re very impulsive, somewhat self-centered teenagers; having someone who thinks things through like you while still being considerate towards their feelings is something he is grateful for. It makes him feel seen, and happy. You exchange some tips with him for his health, and he lends you his drivers if you need it. Though, he absolutely doesn’t like Lawless much. He’s seething while watching that man throw himself over you, he absolutely doesn’t deserve you..! But if you’re happy.. well, maybe he can tolerate lawless a bit more.

— LICHT the absolute goat in your relationship with Lawless. Listen, he doesn’t do this for anybody, but he likes you. You’re someone who has all the traits to earn his respect, especially with how tolerant you are of him (that’s to be expected!!), you don’t act all cheerily fake, or impulsive, you have some ear for music, and your upbringing is similar while you don’t try to pry into his life or lick up to him. He appreciates this. That’s why he acts a bit like a “supervisor”, or a “matchmaker” in your relationship when you need it—he has a very keen eye, so it would be very insightful to listen to what he has to say about things as well. He understands both of you well, and he definitely also has accompanied both you on your little dates. (“It’s not a date!” Lawless yells. Yeah yeah, you devil). But if you have anything you want to say, he’ll turn an ear to you. Other than this entire relationship thing, the two of you are strangely close friends. You don’t hang out often, no, but the emotional distance between the two of you seem very small. While Snow Lily may be your “best” friend, he is your closest friend. Your insights make him reconsider situations at hand, especially since you speak in a way that makes him much more comfortable and respectful towards, as he may seem very cold to people sometimes. You two meet by odd coincidences, like at the park, and just sit down and talk to each other about how things have been.

— MIKUNI thinks you’re a nice girl. Haha, but you should definitely get out of here before anything else happens. If you still continue, good for you, he supposes. He’s very curious about your abilities and how other things come to play, and he’s happy you make his younger brother so delighted. (In his place, yes.. perhaps he is a little jealous). He’ll even bail you out if you ever get into trouble with C3. He often cheerfully asks you some very bizarre questions whenever the two of you meet, but as always, he is very emotionally distant and doesn’t like it when people close in on him. You respect that, and the two of you have this nice acquaintanceship.

— GEAR is similar to you, yet he is also not similar to you at all. He is the closest you can say to be somewhat of a teacher figure, a mentor figure, for this world you have suddenly found yourself in. The two of you are both disconnected from vampires, with other supernatural forces at hand, and this factor, alongside the similar viewpoints the two of you share, allows the two of you bond. You met him on a family trip to England, and had passed through London, where you first met Yotaro. He understands you well, and can really say things that hits the target almost uncomfortably. But he absolutely adores you, I know I’ve been saying this a lot for a lot of the characters but like you’ve said, you usually give a good impression to people. Definitely ships you some nice tea/coffee he’s been trying out, books since he’s a bookworm himself, and gives you some funny little tips regarding your dogs (since he is a werewolf). He’s very patient with you, and enjoys your company if you ever visit. Most of your exchanges is done overseas, but.. while I write, it feels like this guy would definitely see you as a child to take care of— so, father figure somewhat as well? He is very proud of you whenever you show him the new techniques you can perform with your powers, or really, just anything of note that you’ve done well.

— YOTARO gives me the feeling of a childhood friend—like a bit of a brother. I guess this is your new family now, Gear, Yotaro, Tilli trio, even though Gear and Yotaro don’t have the relationship you do with Gear. He thinks you’re a very dutiful person, you see, and the two of you seem to share similar values in terms of material living. I can see the two of you roaming markets together and him sharing all the tricks in the book that he picked up by being a carer. Cooks you your favorite whenever you visit, and shares recipes he finds. I’m not sure how to describe this other than “familial”. He’s your other hype man, albeit realistically, and somehow makes FaceTimes enjoyable with his enthusiasm. If you need anyone to confide in, he’s your guy. In the time where you and Lawless was getting together, he was very subtle in conveying his opinions across to push the two of you together. Thinking back on it, it was so obvious!

— KURO and you are best buds. Yes there is a difference between that and best friends. You are the first person to ever take him upon his “hold me and calm down” nonsense, but he definitely smells the scent of your pets on you, and end up crawling away. He gets reminded of his siblings whenever he sees or smells animals. (“It’s kind of a pain..” <- what’s with this half assed answer????) But the two of you are the chillest duo together. Even if you don’t like his habits, you never judge him on it, and since you love the fantasy genre, he would definitely try to invite you into playing rpg video games with him. Please do indulge him, he’s kind of lonely on that end 😭 do it for the fantastic storylines. I’m slightly lazy to write another section for Mahiru, but you and him would also be great friends. Having you around in this chaos.. it feels like a relief.

EMOTICON DYNAMIC: ૮(˶╥︿╥)ა (Kuro) & ( - ⌓ - ) (you).

[a/n] I hope you’ve enjoyed! I yapped way too much with this one 💀💀💀 I didn’t write platonic relationship for lawless because it would just be the same thing except without the romantically charged dynamic.

[ghouldtime]

same anon from the cryptid König ask. Person who started the 6’10 thing was his own voice actor (who is already a not so pleasant guy).

anyway. you want cryptid könig ideas? Oh bitch (affectionate) I have plenty.

1) most prolific Austrian folklore dude is of course Krampus, who is a specific character in his own right and holds connections to old pagan folk tradition. Mostly the deal here is about punishing people for being bad. Usually Krampus and the other adjacent folklore creatures of the same ilk (namely the Straggele) are depicted with big horns, shaggy hair and weird eyes. big weird goat dudes. this König would probably be a pretty old spirit. Would be fun if he was the reader’s ‘white whale’ of sorts, trying to get evidence of his existence, while he’s watching on with heart eyes.

2) of course, if we want to go more classic campy paranormal, there’s always classic weird fucked up ghost thing. sort of shadow monster creature style that has solidified into a dude who is definitely a regular guy don’t worry about the mist. The type of paranormal entity who’s creation is more complicated than a regular standard death. maybe his ghost-hunting afterlife is so he can figure out what the hell happened to him. maybe he just thinks it’s funny. don’t worry about the mist.

3) weird shit time. You’ve seen the könig with tentacles under his hood fanart trend I assume, and boy don’t I love a nice dose of eldritch with my monster men. weird shapeshifter sort of vibes. Dude in the woods who has maybe two many arms (it helps with his miniature carving, actually). He’s got most of the being human parts down well and can go to the grocery store. but sometimes he needs a second when sweet human offers to help patch a hole in one of his jumpers (because he might start growing feathers from joy). His eyes are a little too bright sometimes and his shadow a little too long but he’s just a regular guy!

rambling over. im a massive sucker for monsterous men.

Oh really??? Explains it. I mean the 6'10" will always have me laugh it is rlly ridiculous (especially when you see his character model near others)

I, embarrassingly, don't know how I forgot about Krampus. I have like a stuffed animal of him, I was JUST playing Wizard101 winter in summer event where he was there. I have greeting cards with him on it. I'm absolutely going to write that one for SURE in some way shape or form so thanks for the idea 👀

I'm also doing the second for sure. I was trying to figure out what kind of paranormal being he would be and I was thinking some type of shade or shadow creature. A being that lurks in the dark and can just be a glowing pair of eyes or something you see out of the corner of your eye before disappearing??? Sign me the hell UP

I love love love all of these ideas so so so much and I NEED to write them all eventually. They've been added into the queue of future things to do 👀 I can already picture it now

Whoever you are anon, I love your big beautiful brain and THANK YOU for the ideas. 💚💚💚💚 You're always welcome to submit any ideas you have for any monster men of the COD characters and I swear I'll write them

[the-monkey-ruler]

Just a random ask, what are some weird JTTW adaptations you’ve seen or heard about?

I can’t even begin to call them all but… if you bear with me, I shall try.

Here are a few games that I always found funny additions!

Starting off strong we have Journey to the West: Undersea Adventure (2021)! I have never seen it but LOOK AT IT.... THEY FISH

Six-eared Monkey (2021) where Six Ears goes back in time, accidentally adopts Wukong not knowing he is his future enemy and gives his life to save Child-Wukong despite knowing who he grows up to be.

Wukong's Christmas Adventure (2019) is like... saving Ruphdolh or something and Wukong is going through a mid-life crisis and also kinda depressed but CHRISTMAS. Also the Erlang and Nezha models in this movies are TERRIFYING... and also they have Wukong rap so take a look.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013) is weird but like in a GREAT way like... I love the monster designs they give Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing, it is such a different vibe then any other movie I have seen and Honestly LOVE It for that. Really sells just how HUMAN Sanzang is dealing with POWERFUL YAO that could kill him in a second.

Bling (2016) is strong that it didn't hAVE to be Xiyouji coded characters like the Monkey, Pig, and Frog are robot storage performers, wannabe heroes and they follow their creator who is trying to propose to his girlfriend but there really is not journey or ANY need to have the robot being Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing.

Spark: A Space Tail (2016) is also BARELY a Xiyouji film but like it does have a monkey with a staff and turns out he is the son of a king and a queen of monkey planet. Really more like Lion King with the evil uncle trying to take over but with space monkeys.... and also Bajie is there.

Mo mo King (2011) is something I'm not completely sure what's it about but just that it is like a whole monkey island that Wukong-like protag works at... and also Bajie is there.

Devil's Chip (2002) again NO idea what it is really about but there is space and time travel and for some ungodly reason no wukong from what I have seen but Sanzang and Bajie company the space/time travler

Flying Monkid (1996) I have no idea why this was ever MADE like there is barely a connection to Wukong and every other demon is new or some kind of version that is barely recognizable, not to mention the animation is barely any better than Pixal art.

Flying Superboard (1990) I always just found this one strange from the animation to the art style to the design choices. Like making Wukong some kind of skateboard, nunchuck, mouse-looking creature and giving Bajie a machine gun is.... something. I have no idea what they did to Wujing, made him like a bat, goblin thing.

Midnight Goku (1989) is like a sci-fi detective story where the protag has like computer eyes that can see through people and a bo-staff and honestly, I haven't seen but just the STRETCH they use to make this Wukong-related is so insane like would have never thought of it.

Little Wukong (1987) honestly not SURE what this story is even about but like... it is nearly lost media, this is so obscure and out of the way I have a feeling it was probs a children's education show or something but idk.

The Legend of Red Boy (1989) is something that looks like candy land spat out and while I have not seen it I am so sure that it is filled with nonsensical elements I cannot begin to describe.

King Kong's Adventures in the Heavenly Palace (1959) is... more of a crossover than anything else. Just imagine a movie where instead of Wukong destroys heaven... it is Kind Kong. Legit THE king Kong from the OTHER MOVIES YES.

Pink Journey to the West (2015) is honestly not that strong I would say besides that it is just Journey to the West but they are all girls... haven't seen it but who knows maybe it is good!

Tom and Jerry Chase with Tom as Erlang Sheng and Jerry as Wukong

Fortnite Wukong... that is it

Overwatch with Xiyouji skins just think it is adorable honestly. Love the Winston as Wukong

Plants versus Zombie: Journey to the West addition

Rabbits: Party of Legends

And while this isn't EVERY weird (there is a lot) one these are that I thought were at least interesting enough. Like a lot of Xiyouji movies have strange plotpoint but honestly, they are more boring and confusing than anything memorable. At least these were the ones I always thought were fun!

[carcinogenical]

I wanted to do a deep dive into crime and punishment and honestly you're carrying the fandom from what I've seen. If you know anything about when the modern fanbase started or where else to look for answers, that'd be greatly appreciated. I also wanted to know what drew you to Crime and Punishment specifically?

First of all thank u for looking at all the works I’ve done :’3 I’m glad you enjoy them !

hmmmm I’m really not sure why so many people are into it in specifically a fandom-like nature (by many I mean more than I would guess …) I’m guessing maybe the Ted talk animation is responsible in the west because I know quite a few friends who picked up the book because they were convinced to read it by that …. Me included …. Maybe it just resonates with a lot of mentally ill young people on top of it being a significant cultural work lol ? Maybe it is in many school curriculums. Or maybe BSD is responsible ….those are my guesses

I was drawn to cnp so strongly because at the time I first read it I was very isolated and mentally ill so it made me feel understood and in a book that had dark social themes , philosophical and moral questions and this and that I didn’t expect it to be so empathetic and also have a sense of humor . I think I’ve been into it for so long because there’s so much to research and chew on ? I feel like it’s a book that I just can’t move on from. But I also find as I grow , my relationship with the book and its characters also grow. And at first I was scared that my initial impression and vision would change, but now I embrace it and find it interesting.

But beyond that , making human connections through friends with the same interest as me really encouraged me to make art and were some of the highlights of my life at that time. They made it worth living ….. and isn’t that what cnp is about ? I still treasure those friendships to this day even if we take different non cnp related paths ☀️☀️☀️it goes without saying!

[alexsiple]

dude when i tell you i read your essay crying and throwing up with little exaggeration. there gets to be a point of gon freecss standom where thinking about him becomes physically nauseating despite him ostensibly just being a green little anime boy. but it's actually worse and far far more serious than that. gon is ultimately a doomed child prodigy precisely because doom always befalls a child prodigy. because one always grows out of either the latter or the former but it nonetheless spells tragedy on whatever concept of self the child's managed to build up beforehand. the fact that either way there is a monstrousness left behind because there's nothing normal (human) expected to be done with a child like that. because hunters, all hunters, are defined by prioritizing their wants/desires over other people and priorities in their lives. gon is an especially self-destructive example, pushing himself to monstrous extremes because he's the only freecss hunter with a pre-established model to follow and wants to be what ging expects of him. so ging does whatever he wants and gon tries his best to measure up. gon is a naturalistic character in that he behaves as comes most comfortably to himself but even that is cajoled and coerced.

i feel like a lot of my life has been lived being the killua inverse to everything you said with all the applicable hangups that entails. i am also 24 years old and i also understand the worldview expected of me will be something i reject and will knowingly hurt the people who molded me. but such is life.

kite hurts gon in chapter one, reminding him he is a powerless child and his death years later confirms his initial assessment and causes gon so much grief, he upends himself trying to rectify it. and even that doesn't work to undo the "damage" of being an ill-equipped child thrust into something beyond his capabilities. and it costs him everything so dearly. and i think about gon’s conversation with kurapika on the airship after the fourth phase of the 287th hunter exam where he feels so utterly defeated by hisoka and weeps to an audience of one about how lost and angry and bitter and distant he feels right before he's declared a hunter and such emotions are all for "naught" and he gets his license despite how little he thinks he deserves it.

there are certain expectations of what i am supposed to be from childhood and i've willfully evaded a lot of them to my credit, i'm sure you did the same though for your own reasons

all this to say i think i get you (as much as a stranger really can) and that i'm glad you wrote this piece. i don't identify with the leaving and certainly not with the charisma but instead with the talent and subsequent stuckness. ging freecss is a funny little bastard but it's its own fun imagining being the kind of person who can up and disappear and be applauded and missed regardless. if arriving is understanding, i reach it all to often for the wrong kinds of people and i'm learning to crave absolute destinations less. for a very long time, i wanted to burn up in a big fire to become the most important person on earth. i'm rethinking this wish more and more. here's to being and potentially growing past being a 12 year old anime boy 🥳🥳

i'm kissing you on the knuckles anon... thank you for reading the essay with such care and equally giving that to such a wonderful message. i think i get you as well. i'm glad we can connect in such a way through this shonen story, lol. "gon is ultimately a doomed child prodigy precisely because doom always befalls a child prodigy" is crazy (/pos). yeah. would just send you back your entire message in quote form but i won't do that- instead know that i agree with your takes very intensely. i think about that airship moment with kurapika a lot! gon's conversations about hisoka with kurapika specifically are so jarring and complex. it's such a turning point for his character.

i find it super interesting that you feel you're the killua inverse of all that. i do think that killua and gon have a lot of their traits mixed up in each other but also develop perpendicularly; feels bad to be either one, though, so i'm sorry for any wounds you have incurred over the years. killua's a study in trauma, too, huh! and being a child and growing old is difficult, who knew, lmao, but he's also a study in love, so there's that, too. thank you for appreciating this piece, as i appreciate you reading it! yes, that arrival to understanding can be given to the wrong people for sure, i know exactly what you mean... as we learn to make mistakes, we learn from those mistakes, too, i suppose... and yeah, being a big fire isn't all it's cracked up to be! i know that we'll become kinder to ourselves. i think growing out of being a 12 year old anime boy is just as inevitable as the other stuff, ha... even hxh agrees with this, i think. i'm sending you love :')

[survivalove]

Thinking about why I like Kataang so much

so a lot of my posts/asks lately have been about things I dislike so I decided to balance it out by talking about something I actually do like! ofc I immediately thought of kataang and started thing about why i like them so much compared to other couples in media I watched growing up.

first thing is, I don’t actually like romance in visual media. I much prefer it in books but having to actually watch it gives me the ick idk why. also when i first watched atla I was like 5, so the romance really had no appeal to me and I was super focused on katara and the other girls on the show because they were girls! i would completely block out the boys and all the ship scenes for years after that because my attitude to romance never really changed.

right up until I was about 11/12 and became aware of romance from hearing people my age start to talk about crushes, boyfriends/girlfriends, kissing etc. suddenly I had entered this phase in real life where romance was suddenly relevant among my peers and this made me start paying attention when it played out in the shows I was watching like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, etc. this also included ATLA as my dad and I would rewatch it together on DVD throughout the year.

as I watched with my katara blinders, like I always do, for the first time I started to notice the boys in the show, particularly aang, (yes I finally started focusing on the main character after 6 years 😭) and certain interactions katara had with him that I never noticed before.

*dramatic pause*

and the way I consumed media would never be the same.

jk, but really tho.

fast forward to now, and I’ve recently started watching anime after consuming a bunch of western media my whole life from cartoons and disney shows to contemporary literature and Y/A movies/TV shows. and one thing that stands out to me with kataang compared to most of the romance i see in shonen animes (one of atla’s biggest inspiration as a TV show) is the way katara and aang develop in a way that is realistic, yet too good to be true.

let me elaborate:

starting from the very first episode, katara and aang have that classic meet-cute interaction. the music is playing, their eyes are widening, aang’s acting like he’s never seen a girl before and katara is impressed by literally every single thing he does. this is pretty much how every ship is set up, anime or otherwise, and kanna basically spells out their imminent connection when she sends katara and sokka off and sokka even explicitly says the word boyfriend seconds before that. obviously, these two characters are gonna get together at some point and it’s just a matter of when.

this is where it gets more than that:

the more katara and aang spend time together, the more they start to get on each other’s nerves.

I’m sure everyone’s had a crush at some point, where you see someone for the first time and go “oh they’re so cute” and you feel the butterflies blah blah. you either fantasize about them for a while and move on, or you pursue the crush and start to actively make moves to get to know them better.

and as you get to know them, you notice some things about them that kinda piss you off. the way they pick their nose, the way they bounce their knee, the way they chew. it’s always something. it can even affect friendships because that’s life. we are humans, not concepts. no one is perfect, there is nobody on this planet that you will 100% agree with or like about them. it just doesn’t work like that. and for some relationships, there is that one irritating thing about them that breaks the camel’s back and it doesn’t work out. you learn what annoys you and move on to the next relationship. or you have the lucky ones who actually stay together and the relationship continues to blossom as you get to know each other better.

similarly, kataang in the beginning are completely enamored with the other. until they’re not. throughout season 1, we see katara becoming more and more disillusioned with aang going from “aang’s so brave. he’s the avatar!” to realizing he’s just a boy with insecurities and flaws just like her. some of which get on her nerves BAD. similarly, aang goes from trying to impress katara and going along with every single plan she has, to disagreeing with her and even getting annoyed by her as the seasons go on.

despite this, it doesn’t stop that thing they have for each other from growing and flourishing. that is the magic part. watching two characters fall in love as they continue to annoy and irritate each other more and more. the more katara and aang butt heads throughout the seasons, the more and more unambiguous their romantic interactions become.

aang bluntly telling katara she’s not funny like he didn’t just ask her to dance with him in a candlelit cave in front of dozens of people a few days ago? katara constantly getting annoyed at aang’s antics to turn around and ask him for his opinion on the way she looks or kiss him on the cheek? right.

this is what makes them stand out from other fictional couples I’ve seen, where the girl and guy’s opinion on the other never changes significantly from that first interaction they have. one person, usually the girl because of course, worships the ground our main character walks on, meanwhile he seems to barely notice her apart from that first scene where she looked pretty and his jaw dropped or something. and even if they do interact a lot, their dynamic hardly evolves from that initial setup. they never get upset with each other or at the least, visibly annoyed. their dynamic is static, stagnant, mostly affected by major events in the plot rather than personal characteristics and minor misgivings the characters may have.

there’s no juice. it’s stale. and for me, very unrealistic.

I was watching this video about writing couples in media and one comment stood out to me in particular:

What you said about charm is so true. Entertaining chemistry to watch ≠ chemistry that pairs people together. A lot of sitcoms try to pair opposites romantically or as best friends, because opposites are good for comedy and conflict, but I find myself not understanding why they’re so into each other.

instantly i was reminded of the way people call kataang vanilla/boring, in favor of pairings that are far less similar. and while katara and aang do fight a lot, fundamentally they are very similar which is why they are so believable and realistic. I love watching them slowly become disillusioned with the idealized version of each other they had in the first episode to seeing all the ways they manage to piss each other off, and still being drawn by that initial mutual attraction.

katara learns the hard way that aang isn’t the infallible savior from her grandma’s stories, but she never stops believing in him. aang comes to discover katara’s flaws and conflicting opinions, but he still encourages her belief in hope, affirms her as a waterbender/healer and yes still calls her beautiful every chance he gets.

and what I love about this, is, it gives them reasons to fall in love that go beyond the superficial reasons that drew them towards each other in the first place.

they don’t fall in love with each other in spite of those little minor flaws, but because of them.

katara doesn’t love aang because he’s the avatar. she loves him because he is the goofy fun boy that allowed her to be a kid while taking up this heavy responsibility. aang doesn’t love katara because she’s beautiful. he falls in love witnessing those moments of her being determined, speak up for herself and others, and even going to great lengths to inspire hope in everyone she meets.

[davekat-sucks]

I know Hussie wanted some excuse to parody fanfiction or some shit but I think the concept of troll ancestors/dancestors is absolutely dumb when everyone is born from an incestuous slurry and they have no concept of human family. Lusus shit is cool as fuck and if anything, because of their genetics, it makes more sense for trolls sense of family to be formed through an adoptive sense than a biological sense. In fan works I also wish there was way more stuff between trolls and their lusii (a cooler, more interesting and far more sensible much more previously established canon concept) than just making trolls have this more traditional and human family unit and structure (like making the characters be offspring, siblings then parents).

Like yeah that’s cute and all but the concept of this fantasy alien race being raised by cool mythical and fantastical beasts and monsters as the norm and lack that traditional human sense of family > what if the aliens were even more like humans and raised just like normal humans. Just takes away another fun element that made the trolls more fantastical and alien.

If anything with the ancestors/dancestors, I think it would have been much better if they were more like these historical figures of a specific caste each troll idolized or looked up to or was inspired by. Vriska and Mindfang are already an example of this.

Part of it is that lusus would use their scent to select the troll. Lusus who were with the Ancestors, would pick up the scent of their descendants upon being hatched. It would be something if the Ancestors were historical figures that just happen to have similar blood color as the troll cast or have different signs if familial connection isn't needed. It's also stated from Andrew Hussie that lusus stay with the trolls for life even in adulthood. So technically, the trolls' lusus would have been alive a little longer within the Sgrub session if they had used a different corpse for the kernelsprite (similar to how the Beta Kids' guardians were alive after entering Sburb). Could there be potential to explore if a lusus grows fond of a troll that they do not wish to adopt another in its place? Even for dark topics like child neglect or abuse, lusii needs a troll to care for them could show they aren't just mindless animals. They are as intelligent as any other living thing.