#if you see typos or stuff that don't make sense i'm sorry it's almost 5am the dawn is literally breaking rn *Radiance scream*

[fly-sky-high-bug-games]

I can't sleep so how about I ramble about troupe Taka some more since I can't only draw him in the breaks between commissions and stuff but he has clearly infected my brain to the point of no saving it

-I am still thinking how the troupe itself works in this concept and since I started winging Grimm to the point of making him an OC esque, I figured I might as well do the same with the troupe.

-So I end up thinking what even drew Taka to just ditch the temples and join the troupe (aside from crushing on Grimm) and I always mentioned he was bored of the temples and wanted something fresh. But I also like to think he was just so mesmerized by the concept of nightmares, as the temples have such a unique dreamscape (but that's another story) they basically have no nightmares, like, ever. So he was drawn like a moth to the flame...

-I want to showcase a ritual of joining the troupe through Taka's perspective and what it feels like to be bound to the flame which is at the core connected to the nightmare heart. It's not a very pleasant experience but once it passes it's a rather freeing one!

-I think that contributes to his cockiness. He takes the role of the grimmkin as a fresh start where he is allowed to push boundaries. He is essentially "immortal" (i cant get into those details atm but some day aaa) and has a chance to fuck around and find out without getting into too much trouble. It also doesn't change the fact that he is still a very skilled fighter who underwent daily training for mind, soul and body, as such was the way of the temple's teachings. He's a bit of a chaotic person while at the troupe!

-I dont know if other troupe members would like him as much but he is still kind of a goofball at heart who knows when to get serious and how (and he is a little scary when serious...). I assume he would look for fun but it wouldn't be something other grimmkin of different, possibly more tragic or serious origins would be in the mood for.

-I imagine he tried to perform at the acts within the stage as an acrobat of some kind but I haven't decided on what yet. He's kind of a clown/jester adjacent. He can also use poles with fire and spin those for cool effects, since most of his fighting technique includes a staff that he skillfully flips, spins, swings and jabs with (thanks to his four arms). He can perform with fire staff with ease. However, he doesn't really keep the role of the entertainer for too long. He ends up mostly as a grimmkin flame keeper, waiting for summoners to try to take his flame and fight them. (i wrote some stuff about this and how it works but can't be bothered to copy paste it atm and it's not super Taka relevant I guess)

-The origin of his squinting I am very tempted to just go with Flame's suggestion that his vision just got worse over time without him realizing and it turned into a habit gjskgkjg! It's not like I have any other reason so heck it! This is a dude who should have been told to have his eyes checked but no one ever did. And he died with this bad vision too and it stuck around when he became a dream master ghost. Rip!

-He talks about his home but he is maybe not so inclined to talk about why he never had nightmares before. He doesn't know the full history behind his temple goddess and Grimm of the far long past but there is a good reason why Nightmare heart could never tap into the dream realm Taka and other Temple members are part of. Sometimes it's hard to tell if Grimm can tap into Taka's fears at all because of it (he can but not through mind and dreams but his heart, which is granted more difficult to read instead of directly just seeing the nightmare)

-Since he isn't like a ghost self where his mask just sort of floats "attached" to the back of his head, he mostly has it off while alive at the troupe, having it hanging by the thread around his neck, either on front or at the back. No matter what he wears and how, he always has his rosaries around his neck!

-He and Grimm have something going on, idk what that is but it's queer and that's all I need to know the vibes! I'm having a lot of fun with them as a "pair" lol