#is not a character for whom I have a natural affinity

[greatmuldini]

The original “substrate” - the bottom layer - provides the plane and the body of Rex Reason, which must be joined up with the head of Nelson Brenner as he would have looked “15 years ago” (i.e. in 1960). The picture chosen to represent the facial features of the younger Brenner (though not his hair) is a 1965 portrait of the actor Patrick McGoohan, as he appeared in an episode of Danger Man (Loyalty Always Pays). Aside from the incorrect age gap, the new head is too large for its adopted body and sits uncomfortably on Rex Reason’s shoulders at an anatomically impossible angle (with barely a neck to speak of).

The contortions do not end there, however, as the youthful image of Nelson Brenner must clearly display his receding hairline – the third layer to be added to the composition. For the “enlarged” close-up that Columbo presents as “evidence” in the final “gotcha” scene, the hairline was completely redrawn with a new left-sided parting, and the entire image inexplicably rasterized. No changes were made to the face itself, its size or its angle in relation to the rest of the body.

For the fifth and final transformation, Columbo’s “photo guys” went to work on the close-up and added features from the description that their witness gave them of the mysterious “operative” (code)named Steinmetz – and young Nelson Brenner, already follicly challenged, becomes an elderly gentleman, bearded and bespectacled, who is peering at the onlooker from underneath a set of bushy white eyebrows topped by the shiny expanse of his formidable forehead. (3/4)

[mellowwillowy]

Alright, let's get this straight. You are praying for the Great Seven, or whatever it is in this TWISTED wonderland, to be transferred away from Pomefiore! (Pure crack content with a lil bit of yan spice~)

No, it's not fun having to do these damn skincare, especially with Vil around you, ready to reprimand you for slacking off! Posture check, outfit check, hairstyle check, fragrance check, dialect check! Rook is sure as hell happy to assist Vil in checking on you! He really should have just let Azul and Kalim fight about who gets to keep you in their dorm.

It feels like Vil is just living beneath your skin like the beautiful parasite he is now, so by all might after punching Crowley right in the guts, he hands you a phone. Well, technically, he's only lending you his spare phone, stingy.

"Aren't I very kin-" Another punch right on his jaw because his beak ass mask will hurt your fist.

Alright, an admission for NRC's dorm, this is it. This is your one and only chance to actually make Crowley agree to transfer you to another dorm.

He sure took his sweet ass time in introducing everything in that stupid voice of his but here comes the moment of truth! Just tap the screen and pray for the best. It's a 1/7 odd and you sure as hell wish you won't be transferred to Heartslabyul. Riddle's name alone is enough to make you think Vil might actually be a better choice here.

Savanaclaw sounds peaceful enough, Leona got that lil Ruggie around after all. Ignihyde is great, you can just be the little introverted ass you are and send some game invitations to Idia and Ortho every now and then.

But of course, Octavinelle is a great option to start. You have a high affinity with those sea mafia and you just have to be careful not getting tricked by their scheming nature.

Scarabia? Great. You got Kalim. He will spoil you rotten and squeal in joy the moment he knows you are transferring. You are not sure about Jamil though, seeing how he has to take care of 2 babies now but he will manage.

Last but not least, Diasomnia. While you do have a great relationship with Malleus and co, Lilia is the real highlight here. You get a friend whom you can actually drag into a fistfight like the good ol'days Lilia misses (does he?). You two are old old, it'll be nice being able to vibe with him more in pulling stunts plus your life there will be made easy by Lilia and Malleus.

So COME NOW! Do not shoot me into Hearslabyul by all means!

A hand takes away your phone before you can see the 2D character appears on the screen. You know damn well which dorm's uniform this is because well, you are wearing it right now.

""I am Pomefiore's dorm leader, Vil Schoenheit."" Uh-oh, not only are you shitting yourself over the 1/7 odd, why are you hearing double? (This really happened. I got Vil's despite trying to transfer them away in my first go.)

""Are you the new student?"" By all means, yes. Ignorance is bliss.

""Hmm? Well, you may have been sorted into Pomefiore in the first one go."" Oh great Seven, in TWO go. Don't look up, don't look up.

""But, you are still very naive."" You admit it, you are naive enough to not include Pomefiore in the 'Do not shoot me into Heartslabyul and Pomefiore by all means!'

Like the brat you are, you close your face with both hands and look up, "Oh my, housewarden Schoenheit, what are you doing here?" If you can't see him, he can't see you.

Well, that is until Rook pulls both your hands away from your face, "My, my, mon chèri, you shouldn't hide your beautiful face from us, do never shy your beauty away as you exist to enchant everyone."

Now you see Vil's feature being graced with a smile yet you can feel just how threatening his aura is right now. You are in a BIG trouble. Not only did the Great Seven grace your prayer of not getting transferred to Heartslabyul, but they also grace you back in this stupid 1/7 odd!

"Let's have a pleasant chat about this, shall we?" And with that, Vil drags you by the collar of your uniform like a stray cat you are, ready to be starved and drenched in cold water.

"Don't worry, I'll share my dinner with you later~" "Really-" "Rook, no."

PS: Turns out the person who alarmed Vil was Rook himself because well, he sees everything that you are doing, whether creepily or thoughtfully? Who knows~ Now you'll just have to hear Vil lecture you again.

PS 2: Epel thoughtfully shared 1/3 of his dinner in exchange for you teaching him how to fight bare-handed like a Savanaclaw.

Reference to the said event

[sotwk]

hello there, birthday girl!!!!!!! i wish you only great things: inspiration to write, sweet dreams at night, and a lot of wonderful times with your family! i loge yaaaa 💕💌

to participate on your event, is it okay for me to ask for a match with a tolkien character or one of your own oc's? if you don't feel like doing time, it's absolutely fine!

if you want to, here is my oc: Liliana Wilde 🍄⚔️

She is a woodland elf druid, being trained since her teenage years to become the leader of her sanctuary once the leader wants to retire

She's extremely resourceful and cares about all beings, great or small. Her focus is too become wiser so the people at her sanctuary can count on her without fear, she wants to be a good leader

She is chaotic good. Liliana will be totally comprehensive if you happens to be a follower of a bag deity. She will kill you for hurting a dog tho.

Her twin sister left her when she was a teenager, and Liliana hates her so much she changed everything on her appearence not to look like her. She straighten her hair, became a red head, has a lot of tattoos, makes sure to always have some sort of make up on.

She lives wondering about the word (my girl was born to be a philosopher but forced to fight evil forces) which makes her a bit clumsy. Not in a accidentaly-fell kinda of way, but in oh-you-were-being-beat-up-by-a-devil-and-i-didnt-even-noticed kinda of way.

She is the most loyal girl out there. Once she makes the decision of being your friend she is your ride or die. Black cat energy this, golden retriever energy that: my girl is hound dog energy.

She is a necromancer. As a druid she could follow many paths, and decided that that of rotten and decay was more her style. Lots and lots of mushroom around her all the time.

In bg3 she marries Shadowheart and lived happily ever after in a farm until Jaheira is like "hey cub wanna fight some evil?". A workaholic, if you will

She doesnt take hints. Or do you say what you really mean, or she simply wont get it.

On my fanfics I tag her as "the kind druid", and her own quest is named "the lonely twin". (i have a lovely notion page about her that i am really proud of how great it looks/slightly ashamed about how much time i dedicated to it)

love yaaaaa! 🦋

A wanderer elf-druid with an affinity for animals and nature, has serious family-related angst and a bit of a rebellious free-spirit? The necromancer part is especially intriguing!

This one might be a little eyebrow-raising, but bear with me... The SotWK Matchmaking Machine pairs Liliana with:

CELEGORM, 3rd Son of Fëanor!

Is Celegorm a pure villain? Depends on whom you ask, I guess! I personally think the guy has serious issues, but is not necessarily a lost cause. He no longer had a mother to love and guide him, and his less-than-stellar-role model of a father also died. So, in my opinion, he suffered most from having no gentle companion to properly balance his "fire" out. Being joined at the hip with Curufin certainly didn't help. Fire fueling fire obviously gets out of hand.

Liliana strikes me as a lady strong enough to stand up to Celegorm, is lovely (and powerful) enough to attract his attention, and good enough to steer him to a better path. Damn, imagine all the lives that could have been spared. For her part, I think Liliana would be drawn to Celegorm the Fair's wild, feral spirit and passion--and what druid wouldn't be interested in the protégé of The Huntsman himself?

(My Celegorm fancast is Jamie Campbell Bower)

Thank you for trusting me to match up your OC! :)

This OC Matchmaking game is part of SotWK's Summer Campfire Sleepover 2024. (Requests accepted only on July 11-15, 2024.)

[synergysilhouette]

My Hogwarts Legacy OC

I usually don't make posts about my MCs, but someone reblogged my work and I wanted to make one of my own. I'll actually put my MC posts on my intro page. I may make amendments to this later on, but I wanted to get into this headspace. Please forgive me if my character's biography points to any inconsistencies wish the Potterverse in general; I'm not aiming for 100% continuity with "Hogwarts Legacy" itself, so there's some canon divergence (ESPECIALLY with the side quests). Sadly I'm not an artist, so you'll have to use your imagination, but enjoy anyway!

Name: Idris Chrysanthus Mirren (called "Ris-Rys" by some cousins as a child and it stuck, much to his chagrin)

From: Wales

Blood Type: Pureblood

Hair Color: Blue-Green (result of colrvaria; naturally black)

Eye Color: Grey (natural)

Skin Color: Deep brown

House: Slytherin

Heritage: Afro-Eurorasian. Haven't entirely nailed it down, but this is what I'm feeling right now (60% Black, 30% white, 10% Asian).

Pet(s): Hywel, a Siamese who rarely meows. He only seems to take to Idris.

Patronus: Welsh dragon

Animagus form: Crested Porcupine or Sunset Moth (haven't decided which)

Wand: Soft spiral black cherrywood with grey and silver imperial handle and phoenix feather core (14 1/4 inches long; fairly bendy)

Favorite classes: Divination and Potions, though it is noted he has a gift with charms.

Summarized Biography (Had to cut this down so much)

The third and youngest child of Welsh-born aurologist Silas Mirren (of British and Southern European ancestry, the latter of which has a mer ancestor) and French-born writer Odile Ranaivason (possibly of Malagasy descent), Idris was born during an extended family gathering in Spain, believed to have no magical aptitude at all, as his two older siblings had shown magical potential within one month. Due to his pureblood status on both sides, this was met with much disappointment, until it was discovered that Idris had an affinity for memory charms, something he used to his advantage as a child when visiting muggle villages in order to get free things. This greatly excited his family, but while his skillful siblings (who had went to different wizarding schools due to his parents' habit of traveling) had went to school, he never received a letter, and instead traveled with his parents or stayed with his grandparents or one of his other many relatives, all of whom tried to import certain morals and habits upon him. As he grew, he developed "useful muggle attributes," particularly an athletic build and acrobatic capabilities. He learned a few spells and became a animagus at the age of twelve (earning praise and comparisons to his metamorphagus sister Aurora) as well as conjuring a dragon patronus shortly before his entrance to Hogwarts, but he was a somewhat reserved soul.

While his paternal family in the UK isn't as fanatic about blood purity as their contemporaries, they were still quite prideful and had an aversion to muggles. This viewpoint led them down twisted roads, and Idris himself developed a quiet but cunning personality. At Hogwarts, he quickly opened up, though was still a bit softspoken. Seeing how Professor Black gives him a bit more leeway due to his pureblood status and being a fellow Slytherin, he occasionally uses this to his advantage when he needs to walk around the rules. He has a habit of getting people to open up to him, and since neither his memory skills or his animagus status are public knowledge, he can learn and twist things as he sees fit.

Important decisions

Sebastian--Formed a friendship with Sebastian (and Ominis) long before his quest began, and Sebastian's relationship with Ominis and Anne reminds him of his older siblings, so he's personally invested in Sebastian's quest. Despite his clever side, Idris is quick to submit, and thus complies with Sebastian's desires at first, but when the matter of the relic occurs, he uses imperio to make Sebastian destroy the relic. Sebastian, taken by surprise, doesn't remember this, and Idris lies to him by telling him that the relic must have been found earlier and destroyed. Ominis knows the truth, but lets it slide since Idris used dark magic to prevent Sebastian from using it. However, Solomon and Anne still move away due to Sebastian's obsession with curing Anne.

Poppy--Due to his interest in healing and divination, Idris forms a less hostile relationship with a small number of centaurs, which is more than the average wizard can say. Idris briefly considers keeping the dragon egg, but reconsiders when he realizes that Herbidean dragons are much more aggressive than the Welsh greens he grew up with. Given how the room of requirement provides him with what could be endless space, he rescues a few species the poachers have kidnapped.

Amit--Given Amit's preference for the conventional and less adventurous side of Hogwarts, Idris mainly hangs out with him when trying to focus on academics and to relieve stress, plus their bond of writing given Amit's desire to be a historian and Idris' mother being a writer.

Natsai--Idris makes friends with Natsai after seeing her transform from a gazelle, and she's the only person outside of Professor Fig who knows his secret at Hogwarts, something he's very keen on keeping on the down-low since he's not registered with the Ministry (at his grandparents' behest).

Lemme know if there's anything else you'd like to know about him! And REALLY random note: I got into this game and then into BG3, so a part of me does believe in an alternate biography for Idris where he's my OC from BG3's son.

[notalakelurk]

A New Thing?!?! Character Concepts

I'd like to preface this post with the information that I am not particularly creative or artistic by nature, but I do believe I have the ability to be passionate, so please do consider that everything here is a "learning experience," thank you! =|:)=;

This character, whom I am presently calling Hem, has been in my head for a little bit now. Right now, I am calling them Hem because it sounds right, and I relate to them as the edges and connections of my personality (i.e. the bounds which make me up).

They originally started as a little emoticon, appearing in my more quirky textual transactions beginning perhaps a week ago. The representation here being =|:|_),' =|:=; =|:|_ and other forms (there is a somewhat sizeable discord message to myself describing the rules and components of Hem, which I will include at the bottom of this post for brevity).

I have always had an interest in emoticons and text-based art (see ArTUI) as well as an affinity for the "old" web (well, old to me; I was born in 2007). At the same time, I will readily admit that Hem's existence is due primarily to the charming typing quirks of Homestuck characters (though, this is essentially the same thing as the prior mentioned inspiration, I would not have been sufficiently motivated to truly adopt such an emoticon prior to reading Homestuck).

It is also due partly to my isolationism and preference for self-made content that Hem has been created as a representation of self. (I have been getting tired of using random profile pictures and names for a while.) Perhaps I will write another blog post about this, but Hem is part of a larger trend in my current life towards creating more of the content that I consume (or in other terms, talking to myself =|>:]=; ) and expressing my true self, which I have kept mostly hidden for the duration of my life.

Recently, I decided that Hem would take on a greater role in representing me, and thus we entered a design prototype phase intended to make Hem a true character and outlet of self expression.

One of Hem's interesting traits that correlates with how I view myself is their multiple designs. At current, Hem is both a thin, perhaps gaunt specimen, as well as a wider, potentially sturdier character. Early on, Hem was designed with unique presentation and configuration in mind: their body was split into discrete sections and multiple bases were imagined for each. Not to get too personal, but I see myself in a very similar manner, my personality varies wildly, sometimes I am very talkative (typically with myself!) and have thousands of things to say about the least conspicuous things around me; at other times, I can hardly bring myself to remark on my most passionate interests. Unfortunately, I have only been developing Hem as drawn character for a very short time, so configurations other than my "expressive/quirky" insert (the equals-sign-body configuration) lack representation at the moment =|:(|_),,

Design-wise, it is important to me to keep Hem's ASCII/text-based style evident within their more detailed depictions. This means that my designs so far have only-slightly-manipulated versions of Hem's ASCII representations as their core shapes. To better define my imagination of Hem, I am currently using half-fill (Krita's dither tool) lines to draw their features.

I am not a good artist, so Hem's depictions are likely to remain largely abstract for a while (if they ever truly stop being abstract), lol =|:)=;

Right now I really only have two concept drawings for Hem. It may seem a bit premature to reveal them, but I fret that I may never continue work on them if I do not get them out there =|:'}=;

[Image ID: two digital concept sketches of Hem. The first features two Hem's composed of drawn ASCII characters rotated so that Hem may stand vertically. The leftmost Hem is a drawing of "Shuffler" Hem, and the second is of "Marching/Walking" Hem with the addition of small apostrophe sized arms. (see below for textual representations of Hem types). The second Hem sketch is a more detailed depiction of "Shuffler" Hem. Hem's ASCII core is drawn in thick, black lines, and additional features are drawn in half-filled black lines (created with Krita's dither pixel art tool). In addition to their ASCII core, their head is partially outlined, their hands, consisting of three fingers each, are floating to the left of their body, and their collar is depicted in a tall, notch-lapel (noir detective/secretive) style. Their stovepipe hat is left in two pieces (the equals-sign and pipe characters). The brim rests on their head, while the top part of the hat floats above. Hem is leaning over backwards to the right of the image and their hands are reaching towards a circular object to the far left. The object appears to be coming towards Hem, and is purple-ish in nature. \End ID.]

Hooray! You made it to the end of the post! Before I end this, I want to real-quick (and mostly for myself) put in a couple of Hem's design inspirations as a list:

Homestuck

Homestuck Sprites

Asmodeus (Helluva Boss)

Dynamo (Valve's Deadlock)

Noir detectives who are somewhat magical

Geometric hats (which I have been obsessed with for a very long time, Abraham Lincoln had style, fr)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Myself (this one is very important!!!)

Probably many other's that I'm forgetting

Tumblr people like you

Lastly, here's that Discord message I promised:

[Image Id: A discord message containing a description of Hem's early emoticon format, the text is as follows: # My EMOTICON =|:|_)= Hat (typically stovepipe) + Face (standard emoticon) + Body + Legs # HATS STOVEPIPE: =| BEHIND HAT: =/ PEEKING OUT: / PARTY HAT: *<| DOPEY/PAPER HAT: <| BODIESBEHIND WALL (no legs): |_ HEAD TUCK: _) THIN: => SHORT: = # LEGS SHORT: ; STANDING: = ANGLED FEET: =; WALKING: ,' SKATEBOARD: |: LONG LEGS: :,' CHAIR: ]x ROCKET/EXCITED: >+~ ~~ # PREFAB THE STANDER: =|:|_); SHUFFLER (Karkat mood): =|:=; HIDING BEHIND WALL: =|:|_ ROCKET/EXCITED: =|:|_)>+~ ~~ HEAD TUCKED: =|:_)> MARCHING/WALKING: =|:|_),' \End ID]

[dailycharacteroption]

Prestige Class Spotlight 12: Ashavic Dancer

(art by Arshi Sy on Artstation)

The image of the lone dancer in the moonlight is a simultaneously serene yet eerie trope, and today we’re tapping into a bit of that with today’s entry!

Named for the Empyreal Lord Ashava (whom we will do an entry on in Deity Drop eventually), who dances to lead the lost home, especially lost souls, today’s subject seeks to emulate their patron by seeking out the restless dead and helping put them to rest with dances of their own.

Some may be bards, while others might be clerics, oracles, and the like devoted to the azata demigod, and others still might belong to other professions. Regardless, however, they are devoted to helping the dead rest and the living find their way.

As we’ll soon see, the moves of these mystical dancers are more than just for show.

Naturally, the prerequisites for this class involve being able to cast spells, being a proficient dancer, and having an affinity for communicating with spirits.

This prestige class has similar roots to a bard, and indeed they gain their own performances, and can even tap into any bardic levels to fuel them as well.

The first such performance saps the motivating force from undead and haunts, slowly fraying their spirits as long as their dance is visible to them.

They can also choose to debilitate the undead instead, weakening them.

Another dance lets them affect all within with healing magic that heals the living within while also withering the dead.

Moving on from those that simply damage or debuff foes, they also eventually learn a waltz which can force possessing spirits out of a victim or simply break normal mental control as well.

The most powerful among them are able to perform a dance which coaxes the dead back into the graves in an almost literal way. Undead subjected to this supernatural performance are rendered sluggish and severely weakened as their ties to this world are severed, and this power is even harder to resist if either the place where they died or a consecrated grave are nearby, the call of final death and repose beckoning them.

Of course, these performers are more than just their performances, though importantly they learn the rituals to bridge the gap between living and dead, so that their performances can affect the undead, which extends to their mind-affecting magic as well as long as they perform the right ritual dance moves beforehand.

Like a bard, they can also learn to utilize their dancing skills in place of other types of skills as well, and even learns to apply them to even more skills later on.

Additionally, while they dance, the magic of their performance lets them reach into the ethereal, blessing their weapons and spells to strike the incorporeal without error.

Whether you go bard, cleric, oracle, or perhaps another class, this prestige class offers a lot of fun counters to incorporeal and otherwise undead foes, and even has elements that work upon haunts as well. If you’re playing any sort of character with a decent charisma, you can probably make use of the class if you plan on going undead-hunting. That being said, you do need at least some spellcasting, so splitting levels further with another multiclass is doable, but be sure to choose something you can dip into nicely, such as swashbuckler, rogue, or fighter. Heck, even sorcerer is a good choice. However, remember that your abilities from this class only really work on the undead, so I recommend using the feats and spells you get from your levels to diversify so you’re not overspecialized to the point of being unable to fend off living foes.

Something that is important to remember about this prestige class is that one of the prerequisites is a feat that literally lets you talk to the dead, both inert corpses and haunts. With that in mind, the charisma of these characters can come into play with more than just slaying undead, but speaking to them, helping them find a way to be put to rest. With that in mind, these dancer likely have a caring and understanding attitude towards the wayward dead.

Hailing from a nocturnal people, it only makes sense that the syrinx mystic Asheda has devoted herself to the faith of the Night Dancer, one who performs the elegant dances to soothe the dead and destroy those that refuse to rest. While she is beloved by her people, she holds a secret: she has fallen in love with one of the wingless.

They say that Vosven Hold is haunted, though no priest has been able to exorcise it. It takes the coming of a spirit dancer, versed in occult lore, to realize the truth, that the haunting spirit is no lingering dead, but a rare kami spirit called a dunagh. Distraught that the family line that once dwelled there has ended, the spirit has tormented visitors ever since. The dancer may be able to convince them to seek a new ward, but in the meantime, the party must fend off an attack from monsters of the wilderness!

When the Deathless King came into power, one of his decrees was to forbid all dancing. As over the top malicious as it seems, this did serve a purpose of criminalizing the art of spirit dancing, in hopes that such mystics with their ability to put the undead to rest could not use their power against him.

[disaster-husbun]

Heya o/

Figured it was about time to make a proper intro post.

-- Recently I split into a proper side-blog for all things XIV. I used to post them to @starlightstripes along with a bunch of other things. Likes and follows will come from my main @kanehon

-- OOC, I go by he or they pronouns. I RP in game, on Discord, and over the years have used various other platforms for it. English isn't my first language and there may be hiccups.

-- I don't view any of my characters as The WoL, for me going through the MSQ with them is at best, a fun AU possibility. Or in some cases, a hilarious "They would never" (Looking at you, Cain)

-- I can tag things on request.

-- I'm an Alt-holic. It's bad. Real Bad. I tag posts about specific characters with their full names. List of those posted so far below.

-- I'm shy about sharing my gposes and a bunch of alts don't have anything posted, so I'll try to update this list as I do.

===~*~===

Crenic Namalen - My main. Transmasculine Veena, married, possesses a version of the Echo that allows him to see the future. Wandering healer, gunbreaker, former Garlean captive.

Rune Nightfall - Troubled catboy. Keeper of the Moon. Cheeky and sarcastic, slightly alcoholic. Trying to figure out how to get a Voidsent out of himself (Spoiler alert: he can't)

Azha Eridani - Seeker of the Sun. Scout for his isolated tribe. Massive crush on his Nuhn (It's a mess)

Cain "Djt-Marouc" Starlight - Rava raised in Kugane, recently moved to Eorzea. Alchemist, totally not a drug dealer as well. Drowning in debt.

Rumare Sjadar - Known as Wraith of Skatay. Well over two centuries old, Cedrik's mentor. Plays the flute. Oversized, slightly feral arctic hare of a bunboy.

Cedrik Huorlwesfv - Crenic's old mentor. Extremely stern, constantly serious with everyone except his partner, for whom he melts away. Tiny angy eyebrows. Dyslexic.

Ruuj Foixe - Tall, strong, tattooed red-haired Veena. One of Cedrik's former wards along with Crenic. Rael's older brother. Extremely devoted husband and caring father.

Nuriel Hailstorm - Freckled Veena. Stubborn, rebellious, extremely kind and self-sacrificing.

Algol and Mira Flamekeeper - Rava twins with an affinity for fire and chaos. And tormenting Rumare. Share the brain cell between the two of them.

C'haron Nyx - Mixed Seeker/Keeper adventurer. Friendly, good naturated, wears an arm prosthetic made by his sister (Styx Umbra) and will take it off for the bit.

Yx Nahll - Seeker/Hhetsarro who recently woke up in Shaaloani with no memories or any idea who he is.

[melestasflight]

🌟 Which of the Valar do you feel the most affinity for and why?

⏸️ Which section did you read the slowest? (Not as interesting or "if I don't keep reading 'x' bad thing cannot happen)

Thanks for the ask sally!

🌟ahhh, couldn't have asked a tougher question haha! Definitely Yavanna because of her all-present energy in Arda, the mother of nature, the thing that endures and fights back, however slowly. The thing that is essentially tolkienesque for me.

She probably shares that spot with Manwë, with whom I have a strange fascination as the embodiment of the very air that all creatures breathe. An element that's so essential to survival, caring and soothing even when we take it for granted, but an element that can also turn wrathful. And of course, for Manwë's connection with Fingon which I can never get enough of!

⏸️The Akallabêth, I really am sorry Númenor fans. The first time I read the Silm (or listened to it, rather), I was still not over all the Elves, the sinking of Beleriand, and the Silmarils, and all my favorite characters being dead! what the heck! Who cares about self-absorbed mortals at this point? 😂 probably unfair, and I have come to change my mind about the Númenorean era, but still down on the list of top moments in that book.

Ask game prompts

[chocobox]

the fact that my threeeee biggest love heart guys are england and edgeworth and levi gives me many thoughts. because they all kind of occupy the same character niche and have at different times been associated with each other because of it. and are also all very popular fan favorites. in, again, a very specific niche. but i don't really tend to relate with their fanbases because despite their popularity, there aren't a lot of people who i feel like them the same way i do? not intended as an "I'm different and thus more special" dig but like. i am different, and it can be isolating. because i just don't relate to their fans in a very mundane way. so i sit over here playing toys with them on my own. (i don't think people ostracize me on purpose i'm just shy and a bit socially inept.)

also, i think it's funny that they get associated with each other because while i can see the superficial similarities, there are also substantial differences in each of them, to the degree that it would probably be very fun to graph out. like, they're all into having a 'refined' image, and that trait can often be conflated when comparisons are drawn, but they all approach it from a very specific life experience, with incredibly different behaviors around it.

for edgeworth, this 'refined' behavior is something very natural for him, he's kind of always acted like a stuffy snob, and then that behavior got exacerbated by being raised in an abusive, wealthy environment. it's something he couldn't shake if he tried, because it's just how he's learned to experience the world, and the most prominent way his taste had been shaped. he's also really refined and picky when it comes to what he considers to be elegance.

as for england, a persona of being a 'refined gentleman' is something he deeply enjoys performing, but it kind of just is a performance. he's very proud of it in a way you'd only be if you were doing a good job at something foreign to you, which makes sense given it's not something he even really could have grown up in. he's awkward with it, and not actually very refined, but he has an attraction to it and he does have the privilege of consistent exposure to it. he's not necessarily bad at playing the part and it'd be disingenuous to say it isn't a big part of who he is, but generally, his more crass and shitty self always wins out. although he may criticize others, his own bad taste always shines through, because you can't really fake that. being elegant and refined is something he wants to be seen as, but he'll always have an inclination towards counter-culture styles and behaviors in a way that feels much more true to his personality, because he always has been, and always will be, rough around the edges. it's most comfortable for him to embrace that, and his enjoyment of performing gentlemanly behavior, in and of itself, is an offshoot of these off-kilter traits. it's still about maintaining superiority and pride in a very nasty way. (IM GOING TO SCREAM I WANT TO TIE HIM UP IN A JET PLANE AND FLY IT INTO A MOUNTAIN AND EXPLODE IN IT WITH HIM)

and then you have levi, for whom the idea of elegance is, in truth, almost completely foreign. he has spent his entire life in poverty and conflict, and he doesn't actually like rich people (setting him apart from england and edgeworth, who ARE both very well off.) he had to fight to survive and spent most of that time in filthy surroundings, and indulging in things he finds to be respectable is a way of keeping himself sane. he would never, ever don 'respectful' or 'gentlemanly' behavior the way the other two i've discussed here do, because it's not the point. maintaining cleanliness, liking tea, and having an affinity for types of dress derived from formality all comes from a simple desire for happiness and stability. in 'bad boy', it's literally established that the reason he likes many of the things he does is because he always admired his mother's refined elegance (🤪🤪🤪🤪im going to die) and has shaped himself around her in every way he can choose to, even despite the violence and cruelty he was forced to learn. it helps his self esteem, and also helps to keep her with him in a tangible way. he emulates superficial things that make him feel better and closer to her, and i don't think he even considers changing his personality to fit the matching image of refinement. after all of the suffering he has experienced in impoverished filth, he just wants nice things. he craves stability, and his snobbish behaviors and specific inclinations (respectively, the way his life has hardened him and the only things he can find simple comfort in despite said hardening) all come from his basic desire for a good life that he has never been allowed.

So thats just like one of the thinfs that they seem similar on but arent actually haha

[ashleysingermfablog]

Wk 17, 1st of June, 2024 Research

The Tree by Tim Ingold

From the text: The Tree by Tim Ingold, from Correspondences (2022)…

Chapter 4: The tree

Walking through the woods, your attention is caught by a particular tree. There it is, rooted in the earth, trunk rising up, branches splayed out, swaying in the wind, with or without buds or leaves, depending on the season. How should we define it? What is tree and what is not-tree? Where does the tree end and the rest of the world begin? These questions are not easily answered. Is the bark, for example, part of the tree? If I break off a piece in my hand and observe it closely, I will doubtless find that it is inhabited by a great many tiny creatures that have burrowed beneath it and made their homes there. Are they part of the tree? And what of the algae that grow on the outer surfaces of the trunk, or the lichens that hang from the branches? Moreover, if we have decided that bark-boring insects belong as much to the tree as does the bark itself, then there seems no particular reason to exclude its other inhabitants, including the bird that builds its nest there, or the squirrel for whom it offers a labyrinth of ladders and springboards. Even as they take wing, the birds of the air carry something of the tree with them – a memory, a sense of place, the perceived affordance of a perch. Given, too, that the character of this particular tree lies just as much in the way it responds to the currents of wind, in the swaying of its branches, and the rustling of its leaves, then surely the air, as well, participates in the tree’s presence.

It is a bright, sunny day, and the tree casts a shadow on the ground, which beckons as a place of shelter from the glare. Seated there, in the shade, with your back propped up against the trunk, are you not as much at home within the ambience of the tree as if you had climbed into its branches?

Have you not joined with the birds, squirrels, and insects into tree- life? Beneath you lies a carpet of fallen seed-pods, leaves, and twigs, all of which bear a relation to the tree as intrinsic as the tree has to the seed from which it once grew.

Left: Ashley Singer, the tree, 2024, research image, film to digital photograph

Right: Ashley Singer, tears, 2024, generative poem

I think my impetus to join myself so insistently with the vegetal is that I have always had an affinity for the outdoors since I was a child, but preferred the nature that was close to, or a quick trip from, the house. Embodiment is a practice of occupying something other than yourself. By focusing the forms of my work on vegetal species, at a point, I am too embody the vegetal through my work. Getting close as I can to nature, in art making, is my goal. I like using the lines, shapes, seasons, cycles of the natural world to sync myself with something other than my person identity. As Ingold asks, how close do you have to be before you are one?

I try to sum up this experience in this short poem, tears (above).

[angeliqueshelleyartist]

Further Development Project 1

Of Myth And Notoriety/Lycanmancer

Post #2

My own Game Concept blurb that I will be developing artwork for:

Of Myth and Notoriety  The gods, ever at odds, but sharing a sadistic enjoyment of entertainment, decided to settle their matters through human ends by resurrecting and raising champions. The only criteria was to choose people that had no current renown. The gods chose would-be champions based on affinity, personality and latent talent.   A tragic, lonely death of an absurdly unremarkable character catches the attention of one such god, who resurrects them as an undead; a second, albeit cursed, chance to create a new myth, and attract a notoriety that would rival even the gods'. 

Fitting with the theme of playing as an undead character, respawning has more of a focus. Your character's burial plot can be upgraded over time and increase in complexity and change in appearance as your character makes choices across the alignment chart in-game. For example, a humble tombstone may upgrade into a marble Gothic headstone if lawful good choices are made, or a cursed mausoleum if chaotic evil choices are made and myth and notoriety develop.

An alignment Chart often used as part of D&D game play

I have broken up the above alignment chart to create a style guide for how the grave markers could changed based on game play.

Cultural Influences: Lawful: Gothic Neutral: druidic/nordic/celtic Chaotic: cambodian/indian inspirations for good, aztec but sharp for evil

Shape Language: Evil: Triangle Neutral: Circle Good: Square

Details:

Lawful Good

Headstone Inspiration: Gothic inspired, polished white Marble, gold engraved text, symmetrical, square. Clean, orderly, clinical.

UK Cheshire Aldford St John the Baptist Church churchyard. travelib prime, 2008

Monument inspiration: Tour St Jaques, Paris

Saint-Jacques Tower at sunrise. Benh, 2015

Neutral Good

Headstone: Cairns which can increase in size & detail levels of single standing stone, evolving into a small henge monument with  celtic carvings.

Wistman’s Wood, Sidgreaves, 2018

Monument Inspiration:

Pictish standing stone (number 1) at Aberlemno. Scarf, n/d

Chaotic Good

Headstone: Repaired Kintsugi-style white granite Hindu style goddess with many arms.

Kintsukuroi: A perspective on COVID-19. Hayee, 2020

Lawful Neutral

Headstone: No religious iconography.

Illegible German Monument, South Side Cemetery. 3Dscanstore, 2020

Monument Inspiration: Sir Walter Scott Monument, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Gothic Missile. Traveling Savage, (Aelyth Savage), n/d

The National Wallace Monument. Ritebook, 2021

True Neutral

Headstone: All myth is reciprocated by nature, with little to no human elements, epic natural formations with growing wild flowers and stones. E.g. A flowering tree spiraling around standing stones.

The standing stone of Tir Artair. Megalithix, 2013

Chaotic Neutral

Headstone: I would describe the tombstone design to be an irregularly shaped monolith, seemingly suspended at an odd angle with symbols of unpredictability, like swirling patterns or abstract designs. The inscription is cryptic, hinting at the complexity and unpredictability of the person whom the memorial is for..

Lawful Evil

Headstone: Corrupted "Lawful Good".

The Haserot Angel. DocBrownX, 2014

Monument Inspiration:

Gothic Fountains. Ferrebeekeper, 2017

Neutral Evil

Headstone: Circular stone formation, hanging bones, bird wings, moss, lichen, poison puffy mushrooms, thorny vines.

Mystery artist creates elaborate stone artworks. Barrowdale Institute, 2021

Chaotic Evil

Headstone: Grotesque and malformed/monster-human hybrid sculptures/cthulhu

Telmessos. Fethiye, (n/d)

Image References:

3Dscanstore. (2020). Illegible German Monument, South Side Cemetery. [Photograph]. https://pittsburghcemeteries.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/illegible-german-monument-south-side-cemetery/: Pittsburghcemeteries.

Benh, L. (2015). More details Saint-Jacques Tower at sunrise. [Photograph]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Saint-Jacques#/media/File:Tour_Saint-Jacques_BLS.jpg: Wikipedia.

DocBrownX. (2014). The Haserot Angel. [Photograph]. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-haserot-angel-cleveland-ohio: AtlasObscura.

dungeonsdragons.fandom. (n/d). Alignment. [Online]. dungeonsdragons.fandom.com. Available at: https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Alignment [Accessed 9 January 2024].

Ferrebeekeper. (2017). Gothic Fountains. [Photograph]. https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/gothic-fountains/: Ferrebeekeper.

Fethiye. (n/d). Telmessos. [Photograph]. https://fethiye.goturkiye.com/telmessos: GoTurkiye.

Hayee, F. (2020). Kintsukuroi: A perspective on COVID-19. [Photograph]. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kintsukuroi-perspective-covid-19-fawad-hayee-ca: Linkedin.

Megalithix. (2013). The standing stone of Tir Artair. [Photograph]. https://megalithix.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/tir-artair/: Megalithix.

Ritebook. (2021). The National Wallace Monument. [Photograph]. https://www.ritebook.in/2021/06/wallace-monument-scotland.html: Ritebook.

Scarf. (n/d). Pictish standing stone (number 1) at Aberlemno. [Photograph]. https://scarf.scot/national/medieval/5-empowerment/5-2-standing-stones/: Scarf.

Sidgreaves, M. (2018). Wistman’s Wood. [Photograph]. https://dartmoorwalker.co.uk/2018/11/wistmans-wood/: DartmoorWalker.

travelib prime. (2008). UK Cheshire Aldford St John the Baptist Church churchyard.

Traveling Savage. (Aelyth Savage). Edinburgh’s Gothic Missile. [Photograph]. https://www.traveling-savage.com/2011/03/18/picture-this-edinburghs-gothic-missile/: Traveling Savage.

[shrimprider]

[The Sisters]

Lancer Pilot Hecate (right) and her little "sister" Trivia (left) debate their next course of action after meeting (awake and in person) for the first time

A product of a successfully failed cloning experiment by a fellow UNI asset (and alleged former/current HORUS member) Trivia seems to have inhereted both Hecate's martial skills and her Aunic/Apollonian affinity with the mysterious Firmament, allowing the clone a similar degree of militant prowess and paracausal ability.

Personality wise Trivia is a stark departure from Hecate's soft spoken and careful nature. The clone's short and violent time spent conscious, along with a brain full of muddy impersonal memories, leaving her with a wildly shortened temper. What Hecate might brush off or ignore Trivia will confront head on, and usually with much more cursing.

(Art of one of my Lancer campaign's characters and her "sister" obviously creates by the INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING @skycrimedraws whom I can never thank enough)

There’s two of them….

[nyxeren]

Since I'm new over here, purrhaps some introductions are in order? I'm Nyxe, and I've been making derpy screenshots for my main, Phae, since HW! I started out as a pink-haired miqo on Insta, but several dozen fantasias later, Phae's "true" form is definitely midlander hyur.

Phaemera - Leviathan - Primal

Birth name: Fhlae Mercer (yuck?)

Hails from a rich merchant family in Ishgard, youngest of four children (twin brothers are the eldest, one older sister). Disgusted by their cutthroat techniques and willingness to do anything to get ahead, and aware of the disdain from other families in Ishgard (who merely tolerate the Mercers because of their effectiveness), Phae left home at a young age to make her own way in the world. She hasn't spoken to them since, and avoids any attempts to find her. To her annoyance, Rowena seems to know both Phae's family and true name.

Natural white hair and blue-green eyes, tendency to dye hair pink. Known to change names, eye and hair colors to suit her mood, or to avoid attention. Sometimes disguises herself as other races entirely. Adept at appearing boringly average when called for, but prefers to let her personal tastes shine.

As a teenager, she was caught trying to pickpocket a member of the Rogue's Guild in Limsa Lominsa and subsequently taken under their wing. While she has come far and learned many other trades since then, she does not forget her roots, and still considers the Guild to be family. Became a Machinist out of respect for Stephanivien's vision and willingness to break from his family's tradition, as well as admiration for the Admiral. Became a Dark Knight at a low point in her life, stuck with it to harness the powers of darkness in a positive manner so that others need not walk the path of shadow.

Embraced the Warrior of Light mantle readily, and welcomes the title of Lightbringer. She considered it a chance to do the most good in the world, even if she knows at times the legend is far more impressive than reality. Feels it's important for the people to have a symbol to look up to; her affinity for stars and celestial themes stems from this, and a wish to be a "light in the darkness."

Easily bored, slightly absentminded, always restless. Zero respect for authority unless earned, speaks her mind with little regard for the consequences. Hates fake or formal people. Outwardly optimistic, spontaneous and easygoing, with a desire to see the best in people that sometimes borders on irrational. Inwardly less cheerful and naive, but still maintains a desire to believe in others. Despite her empathetic nature, she has trouble getting close to others and only has a handful of close friends. Sullen and moody at times; on these occasions, she withdraws to a number of "hiding places" to clear her mind. As her family rose to power with no regard to whom they stepped on, Phae desires to leave things better than she finds them, in whatever minor ways she can. Rarely stays in one place for long.

Canon mounts: Black Pegasus, Amaro, Battle Panther, SDS Fenrir. Canon minions: Silver Dasher, Byakko Cub, Amaro Hatchling. Canon weapons: Outsider, Makai Hand Mortar, Xiphias Eureka, Edenchoir Greatsword. Favorite earrings: White Ravens.

Influences: Ax (my original RP character, a loud, foul-mouthed, cheerful but troubled human warrior), Arya Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire), Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket), chaos (Xenosaga), Lyra Silvertongue (His Dark Materials)

That's all for Phae, I'll do more introductions for the rest of my characters when I'm less lazy!

[lost815]

The '' unusual '' and solid masculinity of Gabriel Oak and Peeta Mellark

Some time ago I made a post about one of my most beloved literary characters Gabriel Oak and how the archetype of masculinity he represents is still unfortunately ignored in pop culture. This time I want to talk about a wonderful exception.

Peeta Mellark is the main male character in The Hunger Games book and film series and he is openly inspired by Hardy's character. Suzanne Collins, the English author's avid admirer, gave Bathsheba's last name for her heroine Katniss, but more than that, she pays homage to Gabriel in her hero Peeta. I have a lot of affection for the character of Collins, I met him when I was a teenager myself and even then I noticed that his personality was different and more special than the ordinary male interests of YA that I had seen until then.

But what are the similarities between them and what is so special about their way of being men? Both authors give superficially traditional masculine characteristics to their heroes, they are described as strong, courageous, physically capable and have professions typically related to men (Gabriel is a shepherd and Peeta is a baker). But make no mistake, the usual stops there. Peeta, like Gabriel, represents a brilliant, serene, gentle, sweet, soft, loving, nurturing and empathetic personality in his story. Both don't use artifice or an aura of mystery, they aren't impulsive, dark, imature, dominating, aggressive nor stormy, attributes that are common in young male characters who are also love interests. Both use violence only when absolutely necessary for protection. In fact, they are constantly characterized by the purity of their smiles. Gabriel and Peeta have a great affinity with an artistic vision of the world, Gabriel with the music of his flute and the contemplation of nature and reading and Peeta with his painting, confection of cakes and cookies and camouflage. They are caring people at their core; this is demonstrated in Gabriel, not only by the way he takes care of Bathsheba (which Hardy even compares with the care of a maternal figure), but also with his relationship with the natural world and his function of feeding, helping to give birth, warm and protect animals, as well as his kindness to vulnerable figures like the humble young Fanny Robin and the mentally unstable Boldwood. In Peeta, this care impulse is also present in his relationship with his romantic interest Katniss, whom he provides emotional strength, as well as in cleaning up and feeding the drunk and disturbed Haymitch or in comforting one of the tributes that dies in his arms, distracting her from the pain with the artistic description of a sunset. Both are described by their love interests as a source of steadiness and moral balance. In their relationship with the main female characters they are a constant support for comfort and advice, even at times when they have no hope of being matched in their affections. They are primarily concerned with the well-being and happiness of their ladies, even if it could mean that they'll no longer be part of their life. In the moments when the strong, stormy and also unusual female figures of Bathsheba and Katniss demonstrate exceptional vulnerability to them, they never make this rare moment (taking into account the tough personality of the two girls) a weapon of manipulation to get paid for their attentions, on the contrary, both help their loved ones return to the resilience common to them. But they aren't altruistic without self-love nor are they passive, they both show integrity and aren't ashamed to express when they feel hurt or disrespected, for example. They go through considerable trauma and loss. In Peeta this translates to the loss of his leg, his family and momentarily his sanity and identity. In Gabriel this translates into the financial and expectation ruin that forces him to start from scratch after a lonely life of deprivation. Both know how to use words to express themselves, not that they talk too much, but they know what to say at the right time and what to do to make people feel welcomed and safe around them. Neither, however, are infallible or unreal, it isn't always easy to maintain this moral indubitability and the state of beings who think before acting in extreme situations, especially when it means making non-simplistic choices, but they are still the humanistic compass of the two stories.

All this doesn't mean that they are emasculated (as a sexist view would accuse ...) for following the lead of their female characters of a more combative and ferocious nature, but that their masculinity is more solid, confident and healthy than the emotional unavailability with which society still torments men (and consequently women, who are taught from an early age to observe such inability as a desired masculine trait and themselves having to provide the full range of affection in their families).

Yes, this is mainly a love letter to the two characters, but also a not-so-veiled criticism of the still limited view of masculinity in entertainment, whether in classic literature or in the best seller, in the cult film or in the blockbuster. Art shapes the world, but the world is shaped by art too, and if our boys and girls learned to respect and admire more characters like these two, we would have a society that perhaps would be less unequal and less painful for everyone.

[theggning]

I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on Curie, if you have any.

Sure thing! Apologies in advance if I get any of this wrong, I don't personally hang out much with Curie so I had to do a bit of brushing up on her.

Curie's key role in the meta is another facet of the theme of "what makes a person a person." She single-handedly displays the differences between robots and synths and through her we get a lot of what we know about the nature of synths and how it feels for her to become one.

But before Curie becomes a synth, she's another example of a rather unique robot. She starts off quite sophisticated and unusually intelligent-- though unlike Codsworth, her unique personality and knowledge were programmed into her, not developed over time. The Vault 81 scientists loaded into her all of the great academic works they had on hand (she lists Kant, Einstein, Born, Darwin, Curie, Faraday, Turing, and Braun) along with her initial capabilities as a medic and a doctor. Also unlike Codsworth, she hasn't become accustomed to the wasteland, nor traumatized by it-- nor does she even have the capability. Curie has spent the past 210 years trapped in the secret section of Vault 81, and since the deaths of the scientists, she has been completely isolated from human contact. Thus, she is incredibly booksmart, while being... quite unprepared for the horrors that greet her in the wasteland outside.

My favorite description I've ever seen of Curie is "a doctor coming to the slow, horrified realization that nobody washes their hands." She has a picture of the world in her mind that's dictated by science, math, logic, reason, and ethics-- and as a still, quite basic robot, she's baffled when reality doesn't match up to this. Just like Sole, she emerges in a world that resembles what she knows and yet is completely strange and oftentimes very hostile-- she's just doing this with the capabilities of a robot reconciling observations against what was literally programmed into her.

I think there's a fandom tendency to infantilize Curie to some degree, or to play up her naivety to the point of farce. But Curie isn't clueless, or stupid. In addition to her scientific knowledge, she has a very firm set of morals and ethics and will speak up or push back if she feels the Sole Survivor is behaving poorly. She is one of the "good" companions who approves of kind acts, and she is a pacifist, if she can help it. She's philanthropic, but also more scientifically-minded than the other "good" companions-- notably, her approvals all lean in favor of helping scientists and supporting the advancement of knowledge. She supports the Minutemen and the Railroad-- but also the Brotherhood of Steel, since their knowledge and preservation of technology strike her as more important than their feelings on synths. She is pro-synth and disapproves of the enslavement or mistreatment of synths, but when the Institute is destroyed, she chiefly expresses sorrow for how much knowledge was lost. She disapproves of Dr. Chambers' cruelty, but dislikes it if you kill her-- cutting short any contributions to science she could have made. Curie is kind, but she's also ambitious, logical, and values "big picture" scientific advancement.

Really, if there was any companion besides X6-88 who could fit an Institute mindset, it's Curie. She has more compassion for people than anyone in the Institute does, but it's interesting to compare her logical, pragmatic beliefs to the faction that has taken them and twisted them to evil purposes. (Am I saying that Curie would make a terrifying villain if she were to slip too far down that road of logic and pragmatism? Maybe I am...)

This pragmatism extends to her desires to become a synth. Curie comes up with the idea mainly because she feels her scientific ambitions cannot be reached unless she feels inspiration, which she's not capable of as a robot. She insists that her new body will allow her to do good for humanity, and to her, this justifies any ethical problems around transferring her into the braindead G5-19 (Curie doesn't understand Glory's hesitation to let her friend's body be used in this way-- because as a robot, she's literally incapable of empathizing with her.) It's only after Curie opens her eyes in her new body that we understand what a stark difference it is, and how many new and frightening things she's feeling for the first time-- emotions, wayward thoughts, urges to breathe and eat and sleep-- hell, fear is a new concept for her. Her robotic brain worked in numbers and data and programming, and all of a sudden she's capable of all these other things that could never be replicated by data. Curie's transition clearly illustrates the difference between a robotic brain and a synth brain- a human brain, for all intents and purposes.

(I've always thought it takes a special kind of dingus to travel with and befriend and even romance Curie and yet still proclaim that synths are "just machines." You'll see PLENTY of them, but boy oh boy, that's quite a load of cognitive dissonance going on there. Or creep, depending on the argument.)

Which leads me to one of the hot-button topics when it comes to Curie: the romance. While Curie's romance does fall under the umbrella of the "Born Sexy Yesterday" trope, I think this aspect of it is a bit overblown. Like I said, there's a real tendency in fandom to infantilize Curie, or make her seem more clueless pwecious uwu cinnamon roll than she really is. But the difference between Curie and most of your standard issue Born Sexy Yesterday waifs is that Curie isn't helpless, nor childlike, nor incapable of standing up for herself. She's both extremely intelligent and fully confident in her morals and beliefs. She asks for the Sole Survivor's support with her emotional transition because she already trusts them as her friend, not because she has no one else or can't handle it on her own. From early on in her affinity convos, Curie expresses attraction to the Sole Survivor, and approaches learning about these new feelings with the same enthusiasm and curiosity that she does everything else. It's her attraction, not begun by the Sole Survivor manipulating her or tricking her into it. I feel like a lot of surface-level descriptions of the romance disregard Curie's agency, as though she's a bubble-headed innocent who's completely vulnerable and clueless about the mere prospects of attraction, romance, or sex.

Now, that said... did Curie have to transfer into the body of a conventionally attractive woman for her plot to work? No. Does her romance scratch the itch for people who like Born Sexy Yesterday? Yeah, probably. Is she designed to be Prime Waifu Material*? Undoubtedly. Is it my cup of tea? Nah. But different strokes for different folks**. I don't think Curie's romance is inherently bad or anyone should feel bad for enjoying it, or her as a character. She's extremely intelligent, cute, and wholesome, and if that's your type, then embrace her!

* Like oh my god, this is video games, Curie's entire character and romance could have been done so much worse.

** And seriously, I'm not about to judge someone for falling in love with the cute waifu-bait romance when I'm over here lusting over Strong Flawed Sad Tragic Himbo Whom I Can Save With My Love.

It ain't like they didn't cater to my tastes, too.

[voluptuarian]

Love everyone jumping in with their particular niche of nun/priest kink specialization, so I thought I'd throw in too

To add to the discussion of stereotypes/mocking representations of loose priests, I wanted to talk about how many clerics weren't in the church out of their own volition or even suitability but for economic reasons. @ravenkings mentioned this about nuns, but this was often true for priests, too, especially in areas/periods where marriage/dowries were very expensive, or where primogeniture left second sons without a built in living.

There's Venice in the Renaissance, for instance, where prohibitively expensive weddings basically forced large numbers of men into the church (and women into nunneries or prostitution); another example are the Goliards (who you may have heard of, since they're credited with writing the Carmina Burana), and who Wikipedia describes as "a group of generally young clergy in Europe" many of whom "felt no particular affinity for religious office, and often could not secure an office even if they desired one because of an overabundance of those educated in theology. Consequently, over-educated, under-motivated clerics often adopted not the life of an ordered monk, but one mainly intent on the pursuit of carnal pleasures." (Sounds fun, honestly).

Basically, in these situations you had large numbers of generally educated, discontented young clerics who were unsuited to the church and didn't want to be there, and were horny, unattached, and often wandering around the countryside (the latter generally being the eternal recipe for becoming Hot Person of Choice in a culture) and that's a perfect recipe for horny monk stock character, as well actual figure for local people to be thinking about fucking, and potentially a fantasy for people who were in the orders themselves. Priests were also allowed a level of intimacy with the opposite sex (through private worship, confession, and as supervisors of nuns) that was not available to other men, and which was maintained only through the priest's dedication-- opening up the possibility that a priest who broke his vows could suddenly have unprecedented sexual access to the women around him, making him a potential threat to other men, but a potent fantasy for any unsatisfied women, I would think. (I think The Decameron and a lot of its movie adaptions are good examples of these ideas, both in showing the humor and mocking roles of sexual clerics, but also the potential hotbed for unfulfilled libido that religious orders could be).

There's also the post-Protestant distrust and fascination with Catholic orders-- most Protestant sects allowed priests to marry, had no options for women to enter the church (the way I support and also am publicly booing Luther for these at once), and viewed marriage as natural and cloistering and priestly abstinence as decidedly un-natural. So you have this lurid idea of "what actually goes on" in Catholic orders developing in Protestant culture, which gets expanded on whenever somebody wants to talk about the "pagan and corrupt Papacy," but also is a nice excuse to justify debauched sex fantasies. (The whole phenomenon of Western harem fantasies is similar, since they were largely disconnected from any reality, and meant to represent the worst of oppression and excess while existing almost entirely to titillate).

Anyway long story short Protestants fucking love nun porn as a result. (I'm not specifically throwing Germany under the bus, but back in my youth when the internet was a Wild place, if you wanted to look at anything risque, it involved swimming through swathes of German nun/priest porn-- I am not exaggerating, it was extremely loud Germans in habits as far as the eye could see, only occasionally relieved with inexplicable [still German] ski-lift sex, which, unlike the nuns, I do not have an explanation for).

Throw in the 20th century's increasing shift towards secularization, religious exploration, outright atheism, and the cultural knocking of Christian authority from its pedestal, especially between the 50s-70s, and the sexual revolution and sort of moral rebellion and indulgence of sex, violence, and general "depravity" that marked media of the 60s-80s and you have the recipe for Wild and Sexy Nun/Priest media explosion, leading to tons of religious imagery and elements in tv and porn, including the development of nunsploitation as a genre. There's also the appeal of corruption that underlies a lot of (at least) modern priest/nun sex in media, which is very popular and compelling, but I'm not as educated about.

I would love to connect this to the proliferation of hot nuns and priests in Japanese media (esp. games and anime) but I don't know nearly enough to do so! (I think that could spread into a conversation about sexy Buddhist/Shinto clerics in Japanese media as well). All I can tell you is that there are more hot clerics (and clerics having sex) in that shit than I can possibly list off the top of my head (and a lot of it is clerics and demons, which surely deserves a discussion of its own!)

But basically, people have been sexualizing nuns and priests since there were nuns and priests-- the appeal of the untouchable lust object, the corruption of purity, the tension between ideology and appetite, and the unquenchable urges of young, sexless people all boxed in together, all have eternal staying power and so continue to be attractive to people regardless of century.

Saw a post that was talking about nunsploitation indicating that “priests don’t experience this type of fetishization” like I haven’t been lusting after priests from afar since my girlhood