#myth is also so much to play as story-wise. so

[dyvimwhitehart]

for Genevieve because Myth. 4. When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn? 12. Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways? 20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

ask me about amber (death), genevieve (myth), and primrose (ice) !!!

4. when scared, does your oc fight, flee, freeze, or fawn?

in the first arc, genevieve is definitely the type to flee. she herself would say this is less because she's scared/overwhelmed and more because she just cannot be assed to care. she doesn't want to be the savior of the spiral, so when she can avoid conflict, she does. of course, some of this mindset stems from fear, though she won't admit that.

however, things change in wintertusk. being isolated for that long kind of unearths something in her, and at a certain point, she absolutely snaps and goes off on an enemy, killing them in a more brutal way than intended. from that point on, she harbors a kind of bloodlust that makes it much easier for her to fight. by the time arc 3 roles around, fighting becomes her default, whether necessary or not.

12. is your oc self destructive? in what ways?

YES! genevieve goes from being extremely posh, moody, and stuck-up, which doesn't afford her any extra friends/allies, to being... a bit unhinged and unpredictable, which also doesn't make it easy for her to connect with others. because of this, she often sabotages relationships before they have a chance to begin, acting outright rude or off-putting to potential allies right off the bat.

she has a lot of anger re: her upbringing (her parents, originally from mirage and empyrea, moved to marleybone before she was born) and her lack of say in becoming a child soldier that she takes out on others in order to keep those who she assumes may hurt her at bay.

20. does your oc have a tendency to get jealous? if so, how does this manifest?

though she would deny, deny, deny it... yes, she does. genevieve grew up wealthy, meaning that she's always been very spoiled by her doting parents. she doesn't react well to not getting what she wants. she's very jealous of fellow wizards who get to live a more normal, everyday life, and lashes out to them as a result. it isn't until arc 3 that she actually begins to take pride in her role as the savior of the spiral.

also... on a more personal/emotional level... she really does not know how to regulate her feelings. so, for example, if she had an extreme attraction to a certain bat (she doesn't!!!!!!!!) and someone looked at him in a certain way, she may go into a complete tailspin... and get simultaneously very angry and very clingy

[charlidos]

THE CHRONICLES OF THE CUNTYBAGO

I love the lore of the Fellowship, I can't get enough of it. And it's really turned into a kind of myth, hasn't it? The stories have been established, from being told again and again. Regardless if it's not the whole truth, or even not true at all. The lore has a life of its own. And it changes, depedning on who's talking, and over time.

The lore of the (inappropriately named) Cuntybago is a favourite; that famed make-up trailer bus where Orlando spent so much time with Viggo (hours and hours for years and years if you listen to Orlando) absorbing everything Viggo did.

So here's the Ultimate (very long) Cuntybago Post.

The Cuntybago is apparently where all the after-work parties happened. Most of what actually happened on it is still secret, private events not to be shared; after hours, after some wine/whisky drinking. What kind of special stuff was in the drawers? What did they really smoke? And, most intriguingly, who exactly was left onboard when everyone were ordered to get out... (Erm, V&O, perhaps?)I'm sure there are many more photos from the bus. Like a photo of Viggo & Orlando - which has yet to be seen. Oh, to have been a fly on that wall!

(A clip from the last day of the reshoots, in 2003. Because it's the time the bus has been talked about the most. Even if I'm unsure if this is the actual Cuntybago or not. Since it doesn't look green...)

Mortensen and Orlando Bloom spent much of their off-time on a green bus they named the "Cunty-Bago." Instead of the standard luxury lodging demanded by most stars on set, Viggo and co-star Orlando Bloom shared a converted bus while filming Rings. Viggo stocked the bus with a wine cellar and wallpapered the inside with candid behind-the-scenes photos. A source on the set said the bus was the site of frequent cast parties, with the motto, "Everyone is welcome, but when it's time to go, get out!" Indeed, they formed a club — The Cunty-Bago Club. [Viggo, Sean and Orlando] shared a make-up Winnebago, and through hours of beard and pointy-ear application formulated the rules of their society — most of which boil down to getting gossip and posting it on. [on what? I think the text is cut?]

There are very few quotes from Viggo. If you read his old interviews about life on set it sounds like he mostly worked 6 days a week, 14 hours a day. And in his free time, he went camping and fishing by himself and just drove around to get some me-time. That's it. It all sounds like mostly work and no play for Viggo. Cementing this image of him being ever serene, wise and a hard working method actor who never stopped being Aragorn. But then, we have the stories of this bus, which shows his wilder side...

(Viggo in ponytails, with a glass of wine and banana, in front of that mirror covered in photographs. They both took a lot of photos on set, so I guess a bunch of those photos are Orlando's.)

All Viggo's said is this:

"It was a crazy small bus." "Everything had cunt. It was 'cunt this' and 'cunt that'. We had a cuntmas tree, and we had cuntmas angels."

(Orlando on the makeup bus. )

Orlando has mostly mentioned the bus in passing, as he loves on Viggo, his great hero. And in his words, it always sounds like it was just the two of them... (when in fact it was from time to time also shared with Sean B, Bernard and Liv - but only Viggo & Orlando were there the whole time).

[Me and Viggo would] sit next to each other for a couple or hours each morning in a make-up truck. You get to know someone that way, more than by being in scenes with them. I used to sit next to him on the make-up bus, and find myself just staring at him while he was having his make-up done and drawing in his book or writing his notes. I would find myself fascinated. When I went back for re-shoots, I was on my own and he wasn't sitting there, and I suddenly was sitting in the makeup bus that we'd been driving around in for 18 months in New Zealand and got really emotional and felt that it was kind of weird to be there without him there and sort of reflected on all of the happy conversations and chats and glasses of wine and talks that we would have at the end of the day or whatever. He really had a huge impact on my life as an actor.

But he did say a few specific things too:

"Ahhh yes, the bus. It was mine, all mine. It was my precious." Bloom christened the bus the "C-word" when the makeup artist was fuming about someone and asked Bloom's advice. "You should kick him in the cunt and tell him to fuck off!" Viggo just lost it for half an hour. He kept saying, 'What did you say?' [The bus] became all about "the word. We took that word and took all of its power away. We made it the most loving word in the world. If you were a true cunt, you were the most amazing person in the world. It was a very free-spirited bus. It came about because me and Viggo kept being moved around, and we ended up on this bus one day. And the actors were fed up and we said, "This is it. This is our home and we are not moving. If they come, tell them to go away."

And finally from Orlando's IG in 2019 (obviously, to this day, a very important part of his life):

Our fondly named makeup bus, christened by Noreen my makeup artist and Viggo Mortensen, was, and remains in my heart and memory the most female and male empowered, joyful, disreputable and yet totally respectful place of work and creativity ever. Hours spent in the the makeup chair to apply ear’s and wigs and contacts." (They can't even agree who named it, Noreen never got any credit back then...)

(From the reshoots in 2003, Viggo gives Orlando some love and points out the photo message from Orlando on the mirror. But I want to know, who put up the pic of O with Brad Pitt? From this clip.)

The comments from everyone else in the cast about life on the Cuntybago are actually more enlightening. The rowdy gang reveal another side of life on set and of Viggo: as a drinking, partying prankster who loves crude language. It's definitely part of the fascination with Viggo. He's never one to talk about these things himself.

(I think they're wearing the special cuntebago t-shirts here. No idea from whence.)

Bernard Hill:

You are not supposed to know about it!" "There were five or six of us - Viggo, Orlando and Sean [Bean]. Liv came in and out [of the group]. Viggo has this special kind of crudeness that he is capable of. We were in the same make up bus [along with Bloom]. When I came back [from a break] it was called the Cuntybago. It was our private club. We had wine tasting sessions and had lots of parties. We also kept lots of food in there. Anything that was out [on the table], you could have. You could drink it, eat it, borrow it, smoke it… but don´t go looking in any drawers. That´s where we kept our 'special stuff'! [The Cuntybago bar would on occasion open very early] like 6:30am. There were days that we needed it. [I've made life-long friends with] everybody who was in the Cuntybago. Leaving the first time was such a huge wrench. Especially because of the Cuntybago, it was like our club. Fortunately we managed to get it back for Return of the king reshoots, so ROTK was the Return of the Cuntybago. We actually drove it out onto the streets for Viggo’s farewell. Viggo didn’t know we were going to do it, and when it started moving, you should have seen his face. I kept shouting, “Cunty libre! Cunty libre!” And the bus start leaving—we were breaking free. For propriety’s sake it was called the C-Bago Club, because you couldn’t put Cunty on the call sheet. Sean Bean came in, Liv was also a part of it. As soon as I get back to England I’m going to start the C-Bago web site: Orlando will do fashion and Viggo will do current affairs. I’ll probably do gossip — you know, the social calendar. Liv will do Hollywood and Sean Bean will do the art of war. It’ll be our little corner of the world.

(Bernard & Orlando Bloom getting make-up done. Here's the green bus again.)

Elijah:

Cuntybago is an amalgamation of 'Winnebago' and Viggo Mortensen´s cuss word of choice. I've gained an appreciation of the word cunt. Negative words - the best thing is to diffuse them by using and taking the meaning away. Cunt! Cunt! It's a great, great word. Very forceful. [Viggo] became utterly fascinated with it and it became the word of the film. Their Winnebago for makeup was called the Cuntybago. I was not a part of the Cuntybago unfortunately - it was the makeup room of Orlando, Viggo and Sean Bean - but it was a lovely place to visit. Cuntybago T-shirts were made up. There was a Cunty Christmas and we had a Cunty Christmas tree, all this stuff. Cate Blanchett [who plays the elf queen Galadriel] was deemed Her Cuntliness. I think we were all secretly jealous of the Cuntybago. I was anyway. I loved the atmosphere. Any place that had Viggo in the centre was always an interesting place to be… And that was where all the alcohol was. It was just spending all of that time with brits and Aussies. The word ‘Cunt’ came up quite a lot. I was fascinated by that and how it could become not so dirty. It’s one of the few swear words that still shock people." Is that why you called Cate Blanchett “Her Cuntliness? “Not my creation. She was called that by Viggo Mortensen. I put the blame on him. It was used during the making of the movie and seems a bit silly now. Wood says that his Cuntybago T-shirt is home in a drawer. "It's too big for me. I'm a small guy."

(A few photos up on the mirror in front of Viggo. I'm guessing it's Henry on the toilet (aww!), and Viggo and Orlando doing something something... Sharing a cigarette? Extinguishing a cigarette on Viggo's tongue? It looks kind of erotic. And who's the other dude?)

Billy:

"On Lord of the rings we'd go to Viggo and Orlando's trailer which was called The Cuntybago. Viggo was good for getting Irish whiskey, which was great but I keep trying to educate him on malt whisky. (To Billy it was just V&O's trailer. Like it's where they lived together...) Hobbits, an elf, a King of Men, maybe a dwarf. And quite a few times a wizard, sometimes a princess. Ha ha! That's enough to make anyone feel pissed. We had some good times on that one, some great times."

Peter Jackson:

"The actors had a spiritual connection to it. I liked the way they had photographs [Mortensen and Bloom] taken behind-the-scenes, plastered all over the walls."

(From the reshoots, I think. Beautifully blurry.)

Liv Tyler:

I can't believe he [Mortensen] talked about that. That was our private world. There was a lot of liquor on that bus. But the funniest thing about this bus is that this thing was a beast. It was so tiny; nothing worked. If they ever washed our hair it would go from scalding hot to freezing cold. There was no heat. Our makeup trailer became the center of things. It was given a really bad name that I cannot repeat. There were pranks, most of them also too dirty to tell. I love them all, all my costars. We would hang out mostly in the hair-and-makeup trailer, and after work at dinner. We would eat all the time and drink wine and laugh.  I think that a lot of that was the friendships that we made with each other and the fact that we all needed each other. It was vital that we all had each other to survive and to be able to laugh. Everybody had a really good sense of humor, thank God. We'd be constantly making jokes and decorating the trailer with ridiculous things and being rude and that was our sort of little bubble of escape in our makeup trailer.

(Photo by Liv, in the bus. You can see all the polaroids and stuff behind the unicorn elf.)

Cate Blanchett:

Viggo is the funkiest person I've ever met. I am far too polite to . . . he had this thing he called "the cunty-bago" . . . no, I guess I shouldn't go into that. So, yeah, he's incredible, very funny.

So, I can't quite figure out which bus The Cuntybago actually is: the green one Orlando is seen exiting? Or the yellow-ish one seen in the vids from the reshoots? Because they aren't the same. And in the vid from the final day, Bernard says the bus he drove on that last day was the same they'd had "for years" and which never moved before. While Orlando said they drove The Cuntybago around "for 18 months". So which bus was it? And did they drive the bus around or not? Or was it stationary? It's a mystery.

(This is the green bus - but is it the make-up trailer? Same as in the vid with Bernard.)

(Here in the reshoots, the bus is yellow-ish? And completely different. Looks more like a Winnebago than the green one really... So which one is The Cuntybago?)

ETA: it's the green striped one! Here's it's on the Cuntybago shirt:

ETA 2:

All my memories from that time is filtered through our bus, the famous C-bago. That was our haven, our social club and our home: it was our special place. We christened it the Cuntebago, but it had to be shortened to C-bago because Cuntebago couldn't go on the call sheets. It was a big make-up bus, and in one of its previous existences it obviously took people to and from places on a commercial basis, so it had the little place in the front that said where it was going, and we wanted Cuntebago on there: "Cuntebago - everywhere!" That was me, Viggo and Orlando. We were the cunts in the Cuntebago.

-Bernard Hill in Empire Magazine 2011.

That's all I have found about this infamous, mythical place, where all the magic happened, as they say. If anyone has info to add, please do! I want this post to be comprehensive!

[ninjasmudge]

What are your thoughts on the two other monkeys? Idk if you ever heard of them, but it's the Red Bottom Ape and Long Armed Gibbon.

i actaually had some pretty lore heavy origin story hcs for those guys a couple of years ago, but i dont think i ever posted them. ill put some of the old art here and paste the lore under a cut cause its LONG (replaced the old swk and maq in the last pic with some more recent ones bc my hcs for them changed so much lmao)

their lore was well researched i spent days on it but it was a couple years ago lmao, its based on the principals they represent plus which of yin/yang they represent

long armed gibbon- can seize the sun and the moon, distinguish the auspicious from the inauspicious, and manipulate planets and stars

gibbon was born when a seed from a fir tree fell from heaven to earth. it landed on top of an eroded mountian and a tree started growing. after several hundred years, when the tree stretched high enough and was wise enough and the pine cones had gone from dark purple to blue, the trunk split one day at sunrise on a blue misty morning and gibbon walked into the world

red-buttocked horse monkey- who has knowledge of yin and yang, understands human affairs, is adept in its daily life and able to avoid death and lengthen its life

horse was born from a drop of water flung from a trough in heavens stables (part of the reason swk was so pleased to guard the horses when he went)

when she fell to earth she became a river that people often visited and talked around and played in. from this she came to understand human affairs. she also found she could help creatures avoid death or prolong their life by feeding their crops. when she knew enough, she climbed out of the river at sundown and walked into the world

sun wukong, the wise stone monkey- who knows transformations, recognizes the seasons, discerns the advantages of earth, and is able to alter the course of planets and stars

stealing from nezha reborn where the myth goes that when nüwe patched the sky, the leftover stone was where swk came from, but im changing it to one of the tiles that was used to create the furnace was dropped, leaving a monkey sized gap where he could later on slot into to keep himself alive in there. the tile was knocked out of the basket by the wind and fell to earth and this was the only one that landed on ffm. you know the story here, he absorbed chi from heaven AND earth which is why hes so powerful

six eared macaque- who has a sensitive ear, discernment of fundamental principles, knowledge of past and future, and comprehension of all things

macaque was born very suddenly when a piece of moon rock broke off and fell to earth on a new moon. the resulting meteor created a huge and sudden flash of light in a forest which created hundreds of stark shadows at once. the shadows condensed and the resulting being wouldnt have lived if it hadnt been a new moon because he needed the next hours of darkness to collect himself into a full being. but before the night was done, a new monkey was born who was able to hear everything in the radius he had collected shadows from, which if youve ever seen a meteor flash, is a long way

somethin interesting abt the things that created them- swks tile was actually heavenly, which is why he represents primarily yang (heaven). his was the only one that was CRAFTED BY heaven. gibbon and horse are both from something that fell from heaven and then the earth changed its form (the tree grew on earth from a heavenly seed, and the drop of water became a river) whereas macaque, representing the yin is fully of earth, the meteor that created him was from heaven but he didnt directly come from the meteor, he came from the shadows it created on earth. his only connection is to the earth

[dootznbootz]

Can i be honest. I don't get it when people try to use Antigone as a feminist icon or something, or that "She literally died because she didn't listen to man! That's just like us!" Because it's not and we're not living in the 16th century.

And these people are acting like Creon wouldn't have killed her if he was a man. Or that Creon wouldn't have killed her if he was a woman. Like guys, I'm sorry but "Girlboss" feminism is soo annoying.

I saw a post where it's like "Greek mythology male characters: 'He seems chill... Oh he's being a douche to women. Female Greek mythology characters: 'She seem cool... Oh she's getting revenge on the men that wronged her. She's so cool!!"

And in the tags they were hating on Ody for killing the slave girl and calling Medea an icon. Even though Medea killed her two young children just because she was salty at Jason... double standards at their finest, people

Real.

Also people better be mad at Penelope as well if they're mad at Odysseus for the slave girls. She hated them just as much.

Wise Penelope heard his words and rebuked Melantho, saying: “You can be sure, you bold and brazen bitch, that I have seen your shameless acts. You’ll wipe away the stain with your own head. You clearly know full well, because you heard me say it—I’m planning to ask this stranger in my halls some questions about my husband, since I feel such grief.”

(Book 19, Johnston)

People just literally turn a blind eye when the woman also does violence against other women. (Same with Clytemnestra. like sure, she killed Agamemnon but she also screwed up her kids. (one a girl so a lot of these "girlboss" types ideals are contradictory))

And it's really really tough enjoying Medea only to see people "girlboss" her. I love the play. It made me feel so many things but NONE of them were GOOD feelings.

Old meme from a post I made a while back but it sums up my feelings lol.

I think it weirdly comes from this awful wave of "I hate children. Horrible beings. Hope they suffer. etc.etc." bullshit and the girlboss wave :'(

Also um, yeah, Creon would've killed ANYONE who would have buried Polyneices. I've always seen Antigone more as a story of honoring family and a family's love for one another, not so much of a "feminist story". As Creon is like, the opposite of Antigone in how he does not wish to honor his family no matter what and will even have family killed for honoring family.

I weirdly think there's this phenomenon of people seeing stories/myths that simply have women in them, especially if they are "center stage" and then decide that they're feminist regardless of the context.

Like I guess you could say that these stories simply having complex and driven women is feminist (I mean...moreso than most booktok/modern YA novels ;~; where many female leads are very...bland imo) which is very sad that feminism is just the bare minimum of "Hey a woman is a person who is complex."

But it's also like, these women and their meaningful and HUMAN stories are LOST because they're just painted as "girlboss".

I think Antigone would be more like "I mean...I was just trying to bury my brother because I care about him and didn't want to see him left to rot. I would have done it no matter WHAT told me not to." and less about "YASSSS queen SLAY!" shit.

[skynapple]

Hi! Sorry to bother you but could you tell us (me) the plot of Love and Deepspace? I've seen a lot of tiktoks and tumblr post about the main 3 💦voice lines💦 but now I'm really interested about the plot of the game. I've only read about a Caleb dying in an explosion, Zayne seeing mc die in every timeline (?) and Rafayel being a Lemurian but I still don't know the contexts. I'm asking because I can't spend money on the game so I have no idea. Thank you in advance!!!

*cracks knuckles* Alright Anon.

This story is SO, so rich and deep and I can't even begin to cover it but I will try to be as thorough yet brief as I can for people who are interested!

TL;DR:

In a futuristic earth, the audience plays as a new hero in a world of alien invaders. When a sudden tragedy occurs, the world is revealed to be far darker than previously thought, and evil forces seem to be at play behind the scenes. Seeking the truth, our protagonist begins to investigate on her own.

On the outside, the story is about a heroine's journey, and also the internal struggle in seeking revenge and how far she'll go to find answers.

It's really about time loops, alternate universes colliding, and how far will you go for the one you love.

I'm going JUST off the main plot here not the myths or too far into the side stories and trying to avoid the in-game jargon:

About the three love interests in order of proximity to her:

Zayne:

Her childhood friend Zayne is introduced early on as her primary care physician and cardiologist. They spent 8 years apart and only recently reconnected. At this point in the story, he is the one she's closest given that history.

He is outwardly stoic but cares deeply not only about the MC but about people in general. This is widely noted by the hospital staff and patients you encounter.

He has an ice power that he uses sparingly and it's currently unknown whether or not it's because he doesn't have total control over it or because it causes him pain or...?

Secretly good at random things like he studied how to peel an apple perfectly in one go

Is shown to be very thoughtful. Always keeps candy around for MC (and his patients!) (they both have a sweet tooth problem)

Speedran med school (he's 27 good God)

Was a combat medic before taking up his current hospital residency

Plot-wise: he knows the most about MC's heart disease and a little about the evil forces who might be seeking to capture her? To me its obvious he may know a lot more than he lets on but he might be withholding to protect her

Xavier:

Xavier is introduced as a mysterious fellow hunter and colleague who is very powerful. They have odd run-ins and she's initially suspicious of him until his employment and position are confirmed by her supervisor, who seems to trust him greatly. Xavier is very knowledgeable about the antagonist's group (Onychinus, lead by the antagonist named Sylus) and what they are seeking. Proximity wise, he's her work partner and upstairs neighbor but it's unclear how much MC trusts him yet in the current plot.

Many things hint to him having lived a long, long time but his age is unconfirmed (he has mentioned he's around 23)

Has a light superpower, in that he can weaponize and control rays of light. Can also teleport.

Is probably definitely an alien

Has a secret alter-ego as a superhero vigilante called "Lumiere"

Is often shown needing to sleep to recover energy and finding out why killed me dead

Obviously knows more than he lets on

He's a bit standoffish with MC at first but this is revealed to be because he can't let her know too much and it's made clear he's very protective of her and shows up often to rescue her

Has a playful "play dumb" side

Rafayel:

Rafayel is a renown artist who is currently living in the same city. He's introduced as somewhat rude and maybe even arrogant. Because of his wealth and popularity, he's targeted by no-gooders and the MC is sent to investigate. She ends up being coerced into being his personal bodyguard-for-hire, in exchange for some information. Rafayel, too, knows more than he lets on and its clear very quickly that he is no ordinary artist. At this point, while they are friendly it's clear that he might be the person she trusts the least (just because she knows the least about him at this point and it's so, so obvious he's hiding a lot).

His paintings are implied to have occasional hypnotic abilities

Is obsessed with the ocean

His special power is fire and it can't be put out by water

Is older than MC

Its revealed to the audience but not MC that he is a Lemurian from the ancient and long gone civilization under the sea (not actually a merman but can and does take the form of one)

Has a strange work partner that may or may not be related to Onychinus but either way he's definitely involved in the underworld somehow

Initially comes off bratty, whiny, and demanding, seemingly thinking only of himself. Overall very over-dramatic

Has a lot of faith in MC for seemingly having just "met her"

Lore-wise: his backstory is very, very deep, tragic, and intriguing where you learn the brattiness is somewhat of an act

The Myths:

Each love interest has an equivalent "mythical" story self, either long, long in the past, long in the future, or simply an alternate world altogether. There's no official word yet on whether they're all connected, or if the myths truly happened. The myths at least add layers and layers to the love interest's personalities and interactions with the MC, at least in showing their deep care and also how they conduct themselves in different circumstances. In each myth, the MC is known to either be romantically involved or wanting to be romantically involved with the corresponding love interest. In all of the myths, the MC has the same heart disease. All the myths have tragic endings.

Rafayel: a former sea god

Xavier: an immortal prince

Zayne: a cursed demigod

About the MC:

The version of her in the main story was adopted by her grandmother-like figure (but no confirmation of true relation) alongside her adoptive brother, Caleb. They fit into the mix for only a brief moment in the story and both die tragically early on in an explosion. This being the event that shakes her world and sets her off on her journey to seek truth of what secrets her grandmother may have been hiding.

Can reincarnate

She's shown to be headstrong, determined, diligent, and a little mischievous.

Her superpower is "resonance" which. I'm still... a little lost on what that means altogether. We do know that she can "connect" and "enhance" other things so in the gameplay by "resonating" with the love interests' powers she can enhance their abilities and make them stronger and maybe even mirror them(??). Don't quote me on this. Anytime she does something I'm like "okk?? I guess she can do that now??"

Her heart is Broken™️ in that she has some kind of disease that only exists in that world. Something struck her heart in a catastrophe when she was young and is now just... lodged itself in there.

Whatever is lodged in her heart is what the evil group (and literally everyone) is seeking.

It's somewhat obvious in the plot that her power is actually going to be crazy OP and strong and that "Only She Has The Power To Save Us All" type of trope

Has a mischievous side

When she wants something, come hell or highwater she's gonna get it

Currently does not have feelings for any of the love interests in the main plot

There you have it!

There's so many layers, so much to uncover, but the main plot is relatively simple so far. The gameplay is fun, and easy. Apparently its similar to Genshin Impact but I've never played that so I can't say!

There's a ton of content on Youtube so if you ever have more questions pls pls bother me I will be glad to send a link or explain more things! My brainrot is spinning so bad.

[jokeroutsubs]

An interview with Bojan Cvjetićanin and Nace Jordan in Jana magazine, published 10.10.2023. Featuring a very special shoutout! 😁

On the couch with Joker Out: about the big changes in their lives

Still good, sober boys

We’ll play this and then we’re off – to switch off

The time we have with them is tightly limited, but that’s appropriate for stars of their kind. They are the most popular musical group right now, and they’ve thoroughly conquered many hearts far beyond both Slovenian and Balkan borders. At sold-out concerts, Finns are swooning because of them, Poles, Serbians, Croatians and Spaniards are fainting, not to mention the girls back home. No one prepared them for this kind of craze, but they’re holding up pretty well – they’re still humble guys with good manners, which can (also) be seen in their polite greeting and relaxed chatting in front of their rehearsal space, a comfortable hideaway somewhere between Ljubljana’s warehouses with an unappealing blue door.

Floating into their sanctuary, you almost hit your head on a collection of hanging bras with various affectionate messages written on them. A few more steps, and we plop down on the couch with Bojan Cvjetićanin and Nace Jordan. Jan Peteh and Kris Guštin (damn, he’s tall!) are busy with another camera, and Jure Maček is nowhere to be seen.

How’s your health doing with your (as it seems if you look at the crazy number of concerts all around Europe) pretty exhausting life? How do you take care of your physical fitness?

Bojan: By working out.

Nace: Well, you and I work out, the others only do it a little.

Bojan: Well yeah, she asked us.

Nace: So: we work out a lot, we play badminton, I run, we go to the gym and hike, Bojan also does mixed martial arts.

You’ve found yourselves at a turbulent stage in your career, and like you’ve said before, you cannot be fully prepared for that. What about mental preparation? Do you have to pay extra attention to that or do anything you've never done before?

Bojan: Yes, we have to rest. We haven't had any rest ever since everything became much more intense. My mind and body are now really begging to switch off.

Nace: I agree. Just the other day, we were talking about how we haven’t truly rested since the pre-Eurovision performances. Two- and three-day trips don’t count.

So you’ll only be able to turn off for a bit, after your big concert in Stožice?

Bojan: That’s right. Well, we maybe planned our break a little poorly, because we’re going on a holiday together. (both start laughing loudly)

Nace: Everyone has the same stunned reaction that you did.

You really have to love each other and have a good time together, that’s all I thought. Can you reveal where you’re going?

Bojan: Far away, somewhere warm. As to whether us going together is smart, we’ll tell you when we come back. If we end up needing another holiday after this holiday, then we didn’t make a very wise decision.

Since you really hang out with each other so much, do you perhaps understand any better why some bands get into fatal quarrels or even break up?

Bojan: We definitely understand it a lot more. In a short time, I’ve realised that this rock and roll lifestyle presented to us by rock legends (myths, stories, Hollywood) is truly something that is untenable in the long term. If we look at all the most famous bands, they actually existed for a very short time.

Nace: And, as an interesting fact, most of them broke up while on tour.

Bojan: You can’t do rock and roll and be devoted to your music, concerts, travels, if you’re constantly under the influence of any substances (drugs, alcohol). You really can’t do that, because neither the human body nor the mind are made to withstand this kind of strain, sleeplessness, pleasure, dopamine. All those legends either died young or the bands broke up. Sure, they did a lot, left a permanent mark, but at what cost? We’ve realised that if we want to enjoy what we’re doing, we have to be sober, and you truly enjoy yourself a lot more if you’re sober and feel physically and mentally ready and cultivate friendships. I think that this way, we’ll remember a lot more after a few tours than many rock legends do in their longer careers. How much can you even remember if your brain isn’t even with you on the same stage?

I see that you’re drinking plenty of water, and we remember you, Bojan, from Eurovision, when you were walking around with a bottle of water and blowing into a straw. What was that for?

Bojan: It’s a technique to warm up your vocal chords, based on the principle of blowing into a slightly wider silicone straw in a water bottle. You blow into it, in the correct way and because of the water in the bottle, a negative pressure is created that puts your vocal chords into the most natural position and it works like a massage for them.

Did you discover this for yourself or was it recommended to you?

Bojan: I had never paid special attention to my voice before that, I’m not a trained vocalist, but luckily I naturally developed the correct technique. Otherwise I would’ve lost my voice long ago. So, on the stage, this mechanism luckily developed in a very positive direction for me, which was also confirmed by singing coaches and the doctor I went to for my vocal chords check-up. A phoniatrics specialist, a wonderful guy, helped me during Eurovision. Before the Eurovision performance, my voice gave in a little due to nerves, so I was constantly in contact with a doctor – and we didn’t even really know each other – who gave me advice over the phone. Then, at the first sound check, everything opened up and sounded like it should. It’s really interesting what happens with your voice, it gets incredibly affected by your mental state. Your vocal chords can be perfectly fine, but if your mind is not in the right place, your voice won’t work either.

I also went to get advice from singing coach Nataša Nahtigal, who really helped me a lot. I especially needed that preparation from a psychological point of view.

Did the other band members also need coaches for anything?

Nace: Me and Kris also visited Nataša, because at the beginning we thought that we’d be singing the backing vocals live on the Eurovision stage. So we also practised with her a few times. We also had rehearsals with a choreographer for the optimum stage performance.

We’re having this conversation five days before your biggest concert yet, in Stožice. Does that require any special preparation?

Bojan: It’s a special concert, because it’s the first time we’re encountering the organisation of something this big; it is, after all, the only arena in the country. It’s a lot for us, Magnifico also told us that he was kind of in the dark the first time, but now they’re acclimatised to it. It’s a different type of preparation: we have to prepare the show, the lights, the stage appearance …

Have you even internalised what you’ve managed to do, all the places and the number of people you’ve played to in the past few months (from Ireland to Great Britain, Finland, Norway, Belgrade, Zagreb, Vienna, and now in December, you've got Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona …)?

Bojan: I think that will be a task for the upcoming holiday. When things just keep happening, you’re in this cycle and don’t even really differentiate between one peak and another, so we need to come down a bit to start retroactively comprehending what really happened. Because it’s really wonderful. We were in cities and countries we’d never been to, and then we were there – to play our own sold-out concerts. We absolutely never thought anything like that would ever happen to us.

Nace: Often it’s only when I come home from this kind of tour that I think to myself: wow, look at where we were! We’re playing on a stage where world legends had played before us! Now, in the club in Helsinki, Foo Fighters and AC/DC had played there, among others. Any musician would wish to play there, let alone sell out that concert.

When you walk around these European cities where you have sold out your concerts, do people already recognise you on the street?

Bojan: It’s pretty bizarre, but now they’ve really started to. I think that on this Nordic tour there truly wasn’t any place we went to without at least someone recognising us – either on a train, on the street, in a restaurant, at the airport. Foreign fan culture is a little different, as they get prepared to meet us, in a way – for example, they know when we’ll be at the airport, and they wait for us with gifts, they don’t just come to take photos with us. They bring along our merch shirts, various things for us to sign, they give us gifts. Fans make a lot of things on their own – bracelets, dolls, there are a lot of drawings, crafts; I have two knitted Joker Out scarves at home.

Nace: In Finland we got a lot of knitted socks, hats …

Hand-knitted socks?

Bojan: Yes, with a Slovenian and Finnish flag, for example.

The Scandinavian youth are clearly well-versed in that.

Bojan: Let’s go, Slovenian youth, start knitting Joker Out stuff too! (laughter)

And what is it like to walk down the streets of Slovenia? Can you go to the store in peace?

Bojan: It’s nice to walk down the streets of Slovenia, but we truly always get recognised, that’s a fact, it’s not as inconvenient in stores as it can be when you’re out for drinks, when you constantly feel like someone is eavesdropping next to you.

How difficult is the rockstar life?

Bojan: It’s really nice – every time we’re on the stage, the audience rewards us with a really nice energy, you can’t compare that to anything else, but like any profession, ours has negative sides as well, with the biggest difference being that you’re constantly in the public eye. Very few things are truly personal – you also have a hard time judging for yourself what’s private and what’s not. It’s more of a mental game with yourself – that’s the hardest part of it all. As well as not sleeping, because you travel a lot.

Are there any big disappointments or unexpected things – perhaps that some fans get “carried away” or that not everyone is as well-intentioned as you thought?

Bojan: Absolutely! You suddenly find yourself not only belonging to a home crowd, but also becoming an internet hashtag. The internet has no limits, people have no reservations there, they hide behind a nickname. Each of us has definitely had a few of these moments that shocked us, that’s why we’ve started to pull back from social media.

That’s probably pretty tricky: for the sake of advertising and contact with fans, you have to be present on social media, but meanwhile you’re aware that you need to take a step back for the sake of your health. How do you stay on the safe side? What’s your strategy?

Nace: Primarily, we’ve all stopped reading Twitter, the comments … We have to maintain a certain distance.

Bojan: To be completely honest, I’d like to find someone who could handle my personal profile on social media. It also bothers me that you really waste a lot of time on social media and subconsciously create a lot of unrealistic expectations, because you’re constantly swiping through people’s perfect lives, faces and situations, it’s all quite absurd.

Do you want to influence teenagers in this area, to pass any important messages on to them?

Bojan: Yes, find some wonderful analogue way to follow us and delete your social media.

So, knit a Joker Out scarf or socks instead and listen to their music – that’s pretty analogue. Then, you can also do a charity auction of your fans’ knitwear.

Bojan: Exactly!

One small revolutionary move would also be if concerts or gigs at various parties started earlier. Us slightly more mature citizens also like to go to concerts, but we also like to go to bed a little earlier.

Bojan: I can say that after our Stožice concert, people will be able to be asleep by midnight. But actually, when we were abroad, we got used to gigs starting very soon – sometime between seven and nine in the evening – and the party is definitely not any worse because of that.

You say that you’re full of creative energy. Does your creative process continue under the covers too, do you have notebooks on your nightstand?

Bojan: All the ideas come to me just before I go to sleep. The most recent song Sunny Side of London also happened on the last day before we went to the studio – I couldn’t sleep and I came up with those base lyrics while in bed.

Even though your latest song is in English, due to most of your songs being in Slovenian, you’ve unintentionally become ambassadors of the Slovenian language as well.

Bojan: It was never our goal to become ambassadors of the Slovenian language, but we consciously decided to sing in Slovenian at Eurovision. It means a lot to us, and we hope that our fans will accept that we want to widen our listener base and that there will be some more songs in English because of that. I think that people all around Europe or even further singing twenty of our songs in Slovenian is already a lot, and shows that we’ve done our job. In the future, we’ll create in foreign languages a lot, but we’ll also stay loyal to Slovenian.

A lot of your TV appearances can be found translated to English on the internet. Is that your doing?

Bojan: No, the credit for that goes to a group of fans from all around the world called “Joker Out Subs”, who follow our videos and concerts and translate into quite a few global languages (recently even into Hebrew). They’ve already translated a huge amount of our content, and they do it voluntarily. They’ve also connected with each other in that way, and they’ve told us that 20 of our fans, who met online because of us, booked a house together for our concert in Amsterdam (in December). They’re all coming to the concert and they will stay there together.

Nace: A lot of people have connected like that because of us, which is very nice.

What’s it like at home? Is everything the same at home despite your stardom?

Bojan: Yes, it’s all the same – go mow the lawn!

Nace: I, for example, still drive my grandmother around to run her errands.

And your grandmother listens to your songs?

Nace: She’s definitely listened to some, but I doubt that she’s playing our entire discography. (laughter)

Bojan: Oooh, mine plays it every day, she goes through everything 150 times!

Have you made any changes to your menus?

Bojan: I’ve started eating vegetables – bowls (various healthy ingredients, served in one bowl), Nace got me into that.

Nace: Isn’t it nice to savour something together that’s healthy and that we all like? (Kris pipes up from the background, saying that Nace has gotten them all into Asian food.)

Translation of the captions on the photos:

1) The special friendship with Finnish Eurovision representative Käärijä continues. Together on Finnish stages in September.

2) Bojan loves Swedish girls, says the writing on his shirt.

Translation cr: Joker Out Subs

EDIT: to celebrate the JokerOutSubs shout-out, we prepared a giveaway for Tumblr! You can read more aboout it here!

[superkooku]

Dionysus' iceberg (part 2)

Here's part 1 :

Yes, I know, I took my time with this one 😅. But part 2 is finally here on Tumblr !

And, since there's a lot to say about Dionysus, I'll probably need to do a third one... yes he's that interesting.

In this part, I'll talk about Dionysus' connections to theater, nature and vegetation.

Despite Apollo being the god of the arts, theater is one of Dionysus' domains.

1. Theater 🎭

In fact, his theatre (in Athens) is considered the first in the world! Dionysus is like an entertainer, not only through parties, but also through a performance on the stage.

Okay, more seriously: one of his festivals, the Dionysia, even had five days dedicated to drama. In fact, theater plays are said to be set in competitions honoring Dionysus himself.

This festival in and of itself is quite complex, as it's divided in two categories (rural and city festivals) and has quite a history. So, I'd highly recommend reading more about it.

Even the idea of theater masks come from there ! They were parts of disguises actors (always men) wore to play the roles of women or gods.

I'm gonna stop a bit with the informations to talk about two interesting things :

It's actually really cool that the god of theater is a good actor.

I say that because he managed to fool Pentheus and a WHOLE pirate crew into thinking he's some inoffensive boy. And then, dramatic plot twist : he's not.

Another cool thing : he appeared both in a comedy and tragedy. Probably in other lost plays too. It's part of his duality, which I'll talk about more in part 3.

Anyways, ancient Greek theater, the ancestor of our modern plays, is very closely tied to Dionysus.

2. His link to satyrs

This bearded man is Silenus, son of Hermes and one of the satyrs. The baby he's holding is an infant Dionysus, who was forced to go in hiding because of Hera's wrath.

Edit : forgot to complete this part. So, Silenus is considered Dionysus' tutor, kinda like Chiron and Asclepius, but wilder.

Like Dionysus, he appears to be a funny drunkard, but in reality, he can be very wise too. Heck, he even has some prophecy powers when intoxicated. How cool is that ? I like this little duality.

He notably appears in Midas' myth. Silenus was found by peasants and given to the king. Since Midas took good care of him and showed a lot of hospitality, Dionysus decided to reward him. And we all know how the story goes at that point.

Another important satyr (in the Dionysiaca, for example) is Ampelos/Ampelus. He was a young satyr who could very well be Dionysus' first love. What's so interesting about him is that, after his death (R.I.P), Dionysus transformed him into the first grape vine 🍇 !

(this time, not a flower, unlike Hyacinthus and Crocus).

Yes, if you drink wine, you're technically drinking Ampelos' blood.

In general, the satyrs, along with the maenads, are Dionysus' companions. We all know what satyrs are, but it's not surprising to see two symbols of sexuality, drunkenness and wilderness so closely tied.

Also, coming back to theater, there was something called "satyr plays", a mix between tragedy and comedy that were played during the Dionysian festival.

3. A god of nature and vegetation

There are many other nature gods. They each show their connection to nature in their own unique way.

Of course, there's wine and grapes (and Ampelos), but also a lot more stuff.

Dionysus was said to live his youth on Mount Nysa, in the nature, among nymphs and other satyrs. So those ties would come from very early on in his life.

He's not only the god of grapes, but fruits and plant life in general. It's interesting to see the same domains shared by multiple gods (here with Demeter).

The multiple water and wind gods are another proof of that.

And yes, he can grow vines as much as he pleases, like when he punished the thyranean pirates.

4. A fertility god

Yeah, don't listen to LO, male fertility gods exist too 😂.

He's not even the only one, since there's Priapus as well. And he's often (not always) considered his son, with Aphrodite as the mother.

It's honestly not surprising to see a god of nature and fruits, but also one known for his orgies, being associated with fertility.

So...

There aren't many myths about it, so I'll just include that one because it's interesting.

I went through these informations pretty quickly, in order to keep this post at a normal length. I'd love to see you complete on these particular aspects.

In part 3, I'll talk about Dionysus' duality, but also his link to madness, mortals (like Semele and Ariadne), and other gods.

Part 3 will be the longest, since I'll include a lot more references (to myths like the war against India, the Bacchae and more infos about his cult and stories)

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

hello again everyone i'm putting on my tinfoil jester hat & passing out Hefty grains of salt. its batshit theory time!

in short: i think Julie is gonna get violent & might end up killing someone - or she'll at least try. and i'm pretty sure something terrible is gonna happen to her.

in long: hoo boy. strap in

first off, i'd like to say that i love womens' wrongs And rights! all of this is said with utmost affection & respect for Julie. i love it when characters do terrible things, its interesting and so tasty for the story and their development <3

second disclaimer: most of this is just based off of what we have / know as of now. which is, admittedly, not much! so despite having short arms, i may be reaching very far! i'll get the based-on-knowledge part of my thoughts out of the way before getting into the more abstract I'm Just Making Shit Up At This Point part (educated guessing, yk yk!)

not sure where to start so i'll begin with what starting this line of thinking - flower symbolism. I've gone a little bit into it in a previous post from a while back (where i just made observations about the neighborhood map), but i'll restate the relevant parts. there are two flowers in the neighborhood with greek myths attached, and similar ones at that: the hyacinths outside of the Post Office, and the sunflowers outside of Frank's house.

most people know the hyacinth myth! Apollo, while playing metal frizbee with his (male) mortal lover Hyacinthus, Apollo's thrown discus bounced off of the ground and accidentally hit Hyacinthus in the head, killing him - then Apollo turned the spilled blood into the hyacinth flower. in another - popular - version of the myth, the wind god Zephyrus was jealous and blew the discus off course to kill Hyacinthus. as for sunflowers: Clytie, a nymph, was in love with Apollo and grew jealous of his relationship with a princess, Leucothoe. Clytie informed Leucothoe's father of the relationship, and he buried Leucothoe alive as punishment. Apollo turned his murdered lover into a sunflower. two flowers attached to greek myths about Apollo falling for a mortal, and that mortal gets murdered by a jealous non-mortal.

next, I would like to bring attention to This Concept Artwork from 2021. now i'm not gonna use this as a definitive "oh this exists so it must mean-" but there are always elements of concept work, especially Canon concept work, that sticks or can allude to themes or information that will be revealed later in the story. concepts are concepts for a reason - it means there's a solid idea that's being explored in depth, most times for use (especially that deep into the story crafting).

specifically, right now i'd like to look at the type of flower Julie is holding. pansies. normal ones + the primary fucked up pansy. pansies are symbols of love - both romantic and platonic, but predominantly platonic. it can also symbolize nostalgia, thought, admiration, remembrance, and can even be used as an "i'm sorry" flower. in victorian times, it was often used to represent forbidden/secret love.

stick with me, i'm getting to the point i promise

now, another thing is how much of Julie's character (meta-wise & in regards to the WH show as a production) is centered around love. her house is the "cutest" or most feminine one in the neighborhood, and it's downright infested with hearts, from the windows to the bushes to the chimney. she exists as Frank's foil, and it's almost definitive that she was meant to be Frank's love interest (there's just. so much evidence that there's no way that's not it). and just look at her! she looks like a love interest! if WH was a real show that i sat down to watch, i'd see her and immediately go "oh, ok, that's her base role"

this contradicts with what we know of her character - Julie seems big on platonic love, loving her friends, but other than that? she very much steps around what her house/character design is trying to say. she's hopscotching right over what the production wants from her. the only thing she kinda sticks with is the whole flower thing

but. but but but. i wonder! after the update, I'm pretty confident that the neighbors are influenced by the "script" and the workshop, even if they're not aware of it. see: the difference in how they act in the "recovered media" (where they behave more like they're characters playing out a bit, their dialogue has no natural lulls and it just sounds like a (really good) script) vs the 14 audios & the phone calls (natural dialogue, they seem more layered & like actual people instead of just characters, there's no set shenanigan - they're just doing their own things). and we can assume that the latter audios are from the neighbors off-script off-the-air.

despite this, they still somewhat try to fill their roles. the question is: how much of that is authentic, and how much is them still feeling that pressure to perform? just like how We as people feel pressure and expectation from societal rules/norms, even if we're not conscious of it. like, say... kids growing up thinking being queer is wrong, even if they've never been directly exposed to / made aware of homophobia/transphobia. We fill in the absence of being told "this is right" with "it must be wrong", and We act accordingly

so apply that to sapient puppets who were (again, most likely) made with set relationships, dynamics, and character details in mind. they're meant to be This Way, even if they want to be That Way, and that internal "programming" has to conflict, at least a little. like how I've seen Clown mention that homophobia will/may be a theme, and the only way i can see that happening among puppets who have never been directly exposed to it is if the above happens: they feel pressure from something they're unaware of. expectation from a "higher" plane of existence. as above, so below.

OKAY NOW WE'RE GETTING TO IT I PROMISE! blend this all together into Frank & Eddie catching feelings. they weren't meant to fall in love. they're not supposed to be together. it's - from the perspective of Playfellow & society (in the time period WH was active/created) - wrong.

Julie is supposed to be with Frank. Frank is supposed to be with Julie. in a way, they are together - they're best friends. they're foils. they were created to compliment each other and click. in the media audios, they're almost always together. if one of them is in a scene, so is the other.

so what happens if Frank starts to pull away? if he starts to spend more time with Eddie - what if Julie feels like she's being pushed out? what if she asks Frank to come play, only to be told he already has plans with Eddie, and if Julie tries to join in, what if Frank tells her no?

if it were me in this situation, I think I'd start to panic a little. everything has always been the same - it's always been Frank and Julie. that's how it's supposed to be. Frank and Eddie, well that's just - that's just wrong! and if, at this hypothetical point in the story, things are tangibly starting to degrade/go wrong, Julie might cling even harder, panic even more.

you see where I'm going with this? what i meant with the flower symbolism and what it could point to?

their world is falling apart, and Julie's one constant - Frank, her best friend, her grumpy rock - is pulling away. for Eddie. the mailman. and so what if the jealous "lover" takes action? Julie can make things go back to normal. she needs Frank, and in her mind she's losing him, but she can't lose him. she can't. and maybe that little whisper of expectation that she can't hear but feels nonetheless, fuels this fire. it makes her feel justified, makes her feel the need to act and "correct" this. maybe if she gets rid of the distraction, Frank's love and attention will be hers once more.

i mean, people do insane things when they're under that much pressure. from current probably-horrible events, a loss of control in their own life, their closest person seemingly distancing themselves, subconscious pressure from societal expectation. especially when it comes to love - platonic or romantic. w/ Julie, i'm pretty sure it's platonic in regards to Frank. though she is bi, so you never know! could be both!

and maybe it won't be about Frank & Eddie, if any of this turns out to even a little right. maybe there's a factor I'm not considering or haven't seen yet. but i really do think that there are things pointing to it.

like yeah, the Concept Art linked above. the caption saying "liar", the specific species of flower, Julie holding it over her mouth as if keeping a secret, the hammer. not sure if the person standing over her is her primary puppeteer, an abstract, or something else (it seems cracked?) but that's not what this theory is about!

then there's the flower patch - both behind her in the concept art, and the one behind her house on the map. it's striking me now that the two look very similar. they have mostly the same flowers, even. blue/yellow/white/orange "daisies", some daffodils, what i think are roses (it's hard to tell specifics on the map). an odd choice to make them so similar (unless it's coincidence!).

when I first saw the patch, my immediate thought was "holy shit is that a body dump?!" bc it's oddly green compared to the rest of the map, it's placed at a noticeable distance behind Julie's house - as if it's supposed to be "hidden", and it's the lushest spot in the neighborhood. now, to provide a counterargument to my own claim: it could be very green because that's how things are shaded, it looks like it's at a distance from the house bc the map is 2D, and its the lushest spot bc Julie's all about flowers - also, i doubt flowers would spontaneously grow since we can assume none of them are real. it's a puppet world of props. but who knows.

(and okay this might or might not be relevant but we can assume Julie is the one who made the chalk drawings on the path, right? i think there's a spiral in front of her house. just making a note of it.)

and there's just how much "pressure" seems to be on Julie compared to the others. she doesn't match her house. she doesn't fit her "role" the way she's meant to. AND OH AND I ALMOST FORGOT - by the swingset, there's now a bowling ball and what looks like red scissors. idk about you guys but i associate scissors with Eddie. he's all about crafts, after all! now i'm really reaching but hey? murder weapon? Julie does seem fond of bowling balls... that's a perfect bludgeoning weapon to have on hand (in abundance!)

in conclusion, i just think Julie has major potential to do some deliciously fucked up stuff. in fact, i hope she does! it could be handled/done in an absolutely fascinating way, and could have intriguing consequences.

who knows, maybe i'm right about her trying to get rid of Eddie (not out of malice or anything, just fear & pressure), and there'll be a whole thing where he keeps on coming back, completely unaware that she tried to off him, bc he's a puppet and it's probably really tough to kill something that wasn't really alive in the first place. i mean, in This Observation post i made about some new map secrets, there's a strange window shine on the Post Office door that could be spelling out either "nexus" or "new us". that plus the apparent extra hands/faces behind the door... Eddie is quite accident prone. who's to say he's not used to being replaced by himself? it's not like he'd remember. or is that the reason his memory is bad? holy shit wait - no wait this is a tangent. sorry. this post is about Julie lmao maybe i'll make a different post for this Eddie Thought i just had bc ough. ough...

and also, before anyone tries to come at me - because there's always people who twist words to Start Shit or misinterpret/miss the point - i'm not saying that Julie is like... homophobic. or hates Eddie. or is a "jealous crazy-" just. yk? and if you think that, maybe reread the post. or take a reading comprehension class &lt;3

AS FOR THE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENING TO JULIE. this is based on Two things and also Vibes. this section will be mercifully short compared to the rest of this clusterfuck of a post

so in the Livestream Trivia doc compiled by @/theneighborhood watch, yes i'm referencing this again sorry, there's this tidbit:

that, plus This Artwork, which features Julie (they're her shoes!) standing at the edge of an apparent chasm (the edge of the set, i assume) paints an interesting hypothetical picture. maybe she wanders a little too far and falls off the edge of her world. maybe she discovers something and Wally has to do something he doesn't want to do, but "needs" to. hey, who knows. maybe she is gonna hurt / try to hurt someone, and in an attempt to save them / stop her, Wally pushes her - either accidentally or on purpose, either way the end result would be the same. now I'm just pulling things out of my ass so lets move on lmao

then there's the Unknown Record in the website's media section. i actually recorded the audio and sped it up - i'll post that video later - and it seems to be an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland. the only part of it i've been able to clearly pick out is "Alice found herself falling down.... down... down..." followed by, presumably Alice speaking - who's high pitched voice reminds me of Julie's. so that's another point in the Julie Goes Bye-Bye Via Rapid Descent theory. or just goes temporarily missing! it could be that the only relevant part of the above trivia tidbit is the "falling down a cavern", and not the "never seen again" part. but it could. be. both.

though! though. Clown has stated that if all the neighbors were to take on roles in Alice in Wonderland, Wally is the one who would be Alice. which follows his direct connection to the spiral/eye pit, and the phrase "down the rabbit hole". so it could be either or. it could be both! it could be neither! this is all speculation, which brings us to....

the end! we made it! i hope you're still carrying your Hefty grains of salt! soon you'll be able to fill a large chicken-shaped shaker with it all!

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Fo4 Companions Favorite Settlements To Stay At

➼ Word Count » 0.7k ➼ Warnings » Slight spoilers in MacCready's

MacCready really likes the Finch Farm. It has always been a place of comfort for him. There's something about the family that lives there that almost reminds MacCready of the family he and his son are never likely to get. He hopes that one day when his son makes it to the Commonwealth that they could hang around the place for a little while longer, maybe even live there with them permanently.

Nick's always been fond of the Starlight Drive-In. Human Nick spent a lot of time in these types of theatres, so he's always felt weirdly connected to them. Nick also likes to stand behind the counter and serve drinks while all the other settlers gather around on the stools. It's just a naturally nostalgic place for him.

Cait has never been particularly excited to visit the settlements, they're all too open and the settlers are wayyy too in her face for her to have fun. That's why Hangman's Ally is the only one she ever agrees to go to. Not many settlers like living there, and it's almost invisible to the rest of the world.

Danse's favorite settlement to be at will always be the Boston Airport. There's nowhere he'd rather be than near his fellow soldiers—they're like his family.

Preston loves all the settlements you work on, but The Castle always wins. In his opinion, there's nothing better than the space, people, and artillery that the Castle holds. It's a natural place for any Minuteman to want to be in. He especially loves the history of it all. Looking back at old pre-war artifacts that have been scattered across the castle makes him feel so intrigued.

Codsworth loves sanctuary for sentimental reasons, but greygarden is a place he really feels at home. It's just him and all the other Mr. Handys, cleaning and gardening, his favorite things to do <3 (and sometimes they have really good gossip)

Piper spent a good while trying to solve the mystery in Jamaica Plain, and in doing so, set up her own little shack to call a temporary home. She made pretty good friends with the settlers who currently resided there and likes to visit every now and then to see the home she lived in for a week serve a different purpose.

Curie's very interested in all the ghost stories that surround the Croup Manor. She can't help but get excited at the thought of spending the night there or starting a little campfire just outside the place and going back and forth telling each other myths and legends.

Strong likes a lot of the settlements, but Sunshine Tidings Co-Op always makes him satisfied due to all the raider camps that are scattered nearby. Even Nuka-World's close. He can eat as many people as he wants down there, what more could he ask for?

Hancock loves supporting his fellow ghouls, so the Slog is a personal favorite of his. He always tries to help the group down there out as often as he can, especially security-wise. He wants to see this group prosper. It's refreshing to see others working toward the same goals as him.

Deacon, against Desdemona's wishes, turned the Taffington Boathouse into a frat house of sorts. He's always trying to recruit people but he's only managed to convince Tinker Tom to get on board. He's also the only one who knows what a frat house actually is so everyone just ignores him.

X6-88 hates them all. They're all too grimy for him to ever willingly be near. Although, if he had to pick, it'd be Covenant, only after he's killed everyone else in it. He'd much rather it be just the two of you in that semi-secure township. 

Dogmeat likes all of them, although Sanctuary and the Red Rocket Station are his favorites. Both settlements always hold such friendly people and tons of junk for him to play with!

Naturally, Old Longfellow prefers his cabin. He has the most detailed mental map of his little island—knows where all the traps are set and everything. Besides all his weapons and alcohol being stored there, why wouldn't it be his favorite?

Gage doesn't have much of an opinion on any of them, although, he thinks Hangman's Ally has the best cover. It doesn't matter to him though, everywhere's home if you can take it from the original residents.

[mask131]

Thinking about it, I do believe that the big misunderstandings of the Greek gods on the Internet today (or in media recently) is due to a problem of... let’s say “character VS personification”. 

People have grown too much accustomed to the consumption of Greek myths and legends as... not so much “stories” but... as fiction. Which leads them to treat the Greek gods as characters of tales and stories. Which leads people to treat them like... well, like people. Like full humans. Thinking about their actions only in terms of human/social/psychological reasons and consequences. And people forget the very essence and nature of the gods...

The Greek gods are personifications. They are allegories, and their actions always reflect their actual nature as a part of the world or a human phenomenon. It is true that when you read the Greek myths as they reached us today, you will read what seems to be stories about super-humans, because said stories were given to us through epic poems and theater plays. But there was a whole theology and religious thinking behind those myths (to the point some of the ancient litetature of the Greeks was criticized by religious authorities for deviating from their actual beliefs) ; and there was an entire philosophy surrounding those myths. Literal philosophy - with Ancient Greek philosophers not only re-reading and interpreting the myths in the lights of their teaching, but also inventing their own “philosophical myths”. The Greeks had time to read and rewrite and discuss their own myths and stories for centuries and centuries - and thus these stories ended up with numerous layers of meaning and interpretations woven through them.

Which is why to fully understand a myth, one must look behind the simple story. A god in the story is never just a character, but always something else. Poseidon is a grudge-holding, monster-birthing deity prone to mood swings which place him alternatively as an ally or an antagonist - but it isn’t just because “he is like that”. He is like that BECAUSE he is the god of the sea, and the Greeks, as sailors and explorers and island-dwellers, knew very well that the sea was a changing and treacherous thing, the sailor’s best friend and worst enemy at the same time. The fact that Apollo is at the same time the god of truth, the god of beauty and the god of art isn’t just because it’s his hobbies - it is because for the Greek all these concepts were inter-connected, art being beauty, the truth being beautiful, the best art being the truthful art, etc... And as a result myths are always about something else than their own story. The most famous case being Persephone’s abduction. People keep treating it as just being a love story - forgetting that, beyond the story of a guy in love with a girl and a mother worried for her missing girl, it is actually also a fable for the brutality anf unfairness of death striking young people, and how a mother can deal with her grief. It is literaly the story of “Kore” (which isn’t a proper name, but just means “maiden” or “young girl”), being ravished by Hades (whose name is ALSO the name of the Underworld), of a young girl plunged from the world of the living to the world of the dead, and a distressed mother crying for her disappeared daughter... 

I can list on and on the examples, but I think you get my point. Yes, it is nice to know the story. It is better to try to understand them. The topic came when I read something about Zeus recently... It talked about the gods embodying “order” - and it listed Zeus, for after all he was the ruler of the cosmos, punisher of wicked ones and fighter of monsters, the god of justice overseeing all oaths and the basic principles of Greek society... But this text added that however, his behavior character wise was “much more chaotic”. Notably pointing out towards Zeus’ wild behavior around females of all kinds. It is true that a serial cheater with a HUGE number of lovers of all kinds, and lots of “bastard children” everywhere seems to contradict his role as a god maintaining order and morals... But again, the key is looking beyond that. Yes, Zeus is massively unfaithful on his wife and seemingly can’t keep his thunderbolt in his pants - if you pardon me the expression. But the question that nobody asks is... Why is he like that? Why does he do that? Just because he is a horny guy? That’s the superficial explanation, that’s the joke explanation. That’s not what the Ancien Greeks would have answered you. This precise topic is one I like to reuse frequently because it illustrates perfectly something that feels natural to those that read about Greek mythology from experts, and yet can seem like a sudden mindblow for those that only know Greeks myths from popular fiction. 

I do not recall where exactly I read this explanation - but I am certain it was in one of the books about Greek myths written by famous French experts, so it was probably from Jean-Pierre Vernant or Pierre Grimal, or someone of those waters. Why is Zeus such a horny dog? We have to think about his titles. “Father of Men and Father of Gods”. It isn’t just a nickname or a title, it describes what he does: he birthed most of the major Greek gods, and he birthed many ancestors of humanity. It also makes you think: what was Zeus’ first action when he became king of the cosmos, when he took over the world after fighting the Titans? He married, several times, and had numerous lovers, with which he birthed some very important gods. Through sex he actually created important elements needed for the world. Not counting the other Olympian gods, he gave birth at the beginning of his reign to the Arts (Muses), the Seasons (Horae) and Fate itself (the Moirai), basis for the civilized world and an ordered, stable cosmos. And who are the other children of Zeus, all those “bastards” children he got out of being unfaithful? Heroes. Heroes who build principles of civilization, heroes who destroyed monsters, heroes who threw down criminals and tyrants. Good things. That’s the thing with Zeus: he constantly lusts after women, yes, and he constantly has sex, yes... but most of the time, if not always, it is to create something good. He keeps procreating beings, things and people needed for the universe to form itself, for civilization to form itself, for the world to get better and evil/chaos to be defeated. Herakles and Athena and Perseus... Even through his unfaithfulness, Zeus keeps creating new agents and champions of order, law and justice. 

It is in fact quite interesting to look at Tumblr here, because on Tumblr there are favorite deities who are depicted right because people love them enough to go dig into their symbolism and their religious festivals and their philosophical meaning. Dionysos is the one that comes to mind. And then other deities whose deeper meaning gets thrown out of the window. 

A good counterpart to Greek mythology, in the approach of “character vs personification”, is Norse mythology. Because the Norse gods, as depicted and represented in mythological texts such as the Eddas, are actually “characters before the personifications”, the reverse of Greek gods which are “personifications which were given character”. I am not saying that the Norse gods aren’t personifications, that would be a stupid claim. But what I am saying is... Often people try to enter Norse mythology asking “So, this god, what is he the god OF?” because they assume Norse gods are like Greek gods, defined by their field of action and what they represent or rule over. When in truth, the Norse gods are defined by who they are, not so much by what they are. Odin is the one-eyed wanderer, and the eight-legged horse-rider king of the Aesir, and the cunning rune-master ruling over Valhalla. Thor is the very strong god, and the hammer-wielding jötunn killer riding on a goat-chariot, and the red-haired hero of Asgard who fears nothing and fished Jormungandr out of the sea once. Everybody knows today that Thor is the god of thunder and lightning - but it isn’t said, or explicitely spelled out in most of the Old Norse texts. It is not like Zeus who is explicitely said to use thunderbolts on his ennemies - Thor’s hammer doesn’t have lightning shooting out of it. To get this, to get what a Norse god is the “god of”, there is a work of research that needs to be done. For a Greek god it can be obvious due to their attributes and names (Hestia for example - her name literaly means “hearth” and she started out as the hearth being venerated, before being personified). For a Norse god, to get the “what” of the deity, you will need to look at the archeological remains of the religion and cult of Norsemen, you will need to theorize based on the etymology of the deity’s name and its relationships, you will need to collect the kennings and local expressions and other folk-sayings and interpret them. It is a para-characterization that isn’t obvious, or sometimes doesn’t even appear, in the Norse texts per se. Because in the Norse legends as they came to us, the gods are mostly defined as characters - by their function (guardian, warrior, king), by what they do (power to see far-away, power to know the future), by what they look like (missing one hand, or golden hair)... For exampe, for a very long time it was thought that Loki was the god of fire. It was a strong, popular and famous interpretation - but research and experts have proven that it is a late re-interpretation of the deity, who originally probably didn’t had anything to do with fire and was just mixed up with other fire-figures (like Logi) with time, the same way Loki was mixed with Utgard-Loki as a “master of illusions”. 

This phenomenon of inversion can be summed up quite easily. In Greek mythology, we have TONS of secondary and tertiary deities who are basically personifications without any kind of legend or myth to them, uncharacterized allegories that sometimes are just a name appearing in a list of concept. In Norse mythology, you have tons of secondary and tertiary deities without myths or legends, who are just names in a list - but this time, we have their names, we have a basic characterization, we know who they are, and the problem is that we don’t know what they are supposed to represent. You have tons of small Norse gods about whom people keep asking and searching “What did they embody? What did they personify?”. The character without the personification. 

[naradivision]

Happy Halloween! 🎃

From Miraitabi (+ANGE)

Inspired by these adorable chibi art that was officially released some time ago

🏮 Yuuya Kanata

“Hi there, welcome to our house of Miraitabi! The spooky festival of Jack O’lantern has already been kicking in! And as a honorary Prefect of this house, it has been my pleasure to show you guys around the divisi— Ah, I mean our house. For basic information, the proud symbol of us is a deer! The myth says that they could be your mighty companion who will lead you the way like a divine messenger and also a devoted protector of their homeland… Now shall we head next to our Common Room?”

“Oh, and in case you have come across our House Ghost somewhere, please don’t be afraid to greet her ‘Hi’ or tell her she is really cute. Pft, she’ll be incredibly happy if you do so… Here, these are some little treats from me! Happy All Hallows’ eve, guys!”

You received a treat!

Golden Snitch Chocos – Homemade truffles made from crunchy cookie crumbs balled and dipped in the tender dark chocolate, finally decked in shiny golden foils with a nifty pair of wings, and then… Congratulations! You’ve seized your house’s victory in your palms!

🍡 Asahi Tomoharu

“Greetings, minna-san☆ Welcome again to our dear house of Miraitabi! From here on I shall be your guide next after YuuYu~! Our Common Room is located at that lovely antique mansion surrounded by lots of pretty Hydrangeas over there! But hmm… To give it some thoughts, don’t you guys think it will be even more exciting if those cryptic plants from the series are hiding somewhere as well?! Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding~ By the way, we’re going to meet the Head of this house soon! Well, he is sort of a strictttt one, so you guys gotta tidy yourself up a bit or else your house will lose some scores!”

“…Finally, off you go with my super special tricky treaties☆ Happy Halloween! May us have a nice tea party together sometime, okay?”

You received a treat!

Sorting Hat Fortune Cookies – Do you believe in destiny? O’ young witches and wizards, would you like to try your luck with these wise little hats in the disguise of sprinkle chocolate-coated crispy Tsujiura sembei? Perhaps they will give you the miraculous clue of your dream house in Hogwarts!

💠 Saigo Fuyugami

“…Damn you, brats… Why should I always have to play along with any of your stupid farces?! *sighs* Alright, fine… What’re you doing here, young folks? Here is the Head of this house’s consultation room so where’s your manner? Educated people at this sacred place are treating each other with respect and I hope this isn’t asking too much out of you all, understand? Great… Back to the first question, what made you come all the way to my place again? Wait— WHAT? You’ve arrived at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of anywhere else and still doesn’t have a wand?! Hmm… Looks like you’ve got a fortune on your side here, student.”

“…All wise ones know that the great wand chooses their own wizards, therefore, how about picking one from my recommendation?”

You received a treat!

Magic Wand Biscuits – Choose wisely for your chosen one! Each wand was made from a pretzel rod delicately crafted with the rich and high-quality chocolate imbued with its own variety of flavo— Oops, Magic!

Bonus! ANGE 💿

“Dingdong! Would you mind checking on your phone for a bit? …One, two, BOOYA!! TRICK-OR-TREAT☆”

“Hey, you know what? Most Muggle’s devices are quite boggled here at Hogwarts, thus it means you’re the lucky on… Because now you’re getting haunted by the wickedest vengeful spirit of Miraitabi! RAWWRR!!! Tasty snacks are always appreciated, yet such regret that a ghost like me can’t savor any…. Hmph! But interesting stories are fine too! Do you have any funny tale to offer?”

“—Eh?! Really??? Mortal one, do you know what you’re saying?! .………Hmmmm, whatever. As a token of her thanks to your heartfelt compliment, there you can have ANGE’s collection of her super interesting treats! However, the thing is you have to get them from the House’s Prefect instead! So, this time go and tell him ‘You’re doing good today, Mr. Prefect’! Hehehe~ ANGE bets he would hand them to you in an instant if you do that~ (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)”

You received a treat!

ANGE’s Wonder Flavour Beans – Proudly selected by Miraitabi’s one and only baby angel! These wondrous jelly beans are varied with a wild range of flavors, such as Hot Curry, Sweet Potato, Fizzle Ramune, and etc. to the mischievous ones like Clay, Wasabi, Super Lemon, and maybe something mysterious that might leave the ominous metallic taste on your tongue!?

Happy Halloween! 🎃

—Are you guys still up for the Hogwarts AU ? ( ≖‿ ≖ )

[lorkai]

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: Wrote this for my secret santa friend, hopefully he'll love it as much as I did writing this. I really like Pomefiore and Ignyhide chapters a lot, but Diasomnia, bro, Diasomnia has my heart, ngl. I don't even have words to describe everything it's making me feel so far. Although something I know for sure is that chapter 7 made me fall in love with Diafamily even more than before. (Also tagging you @hanafubukki I feel you're gonna like this)

“Papa, can you read to me?” A familiar little voice caught the attention of the fae who was lost in his own thoughts, tired eyes looking at his son with interest as he patted the seat next to him, small smile on his lips.

The boy took his place next to his father on the sofa, bringing with him a large book of fables and myths, and birds that rested on the open window, singing. Normally Lilia would read to him right before putting him to sleep but Silver needed to distract him from whatever was troubling his old man right now. His father did that sometimes, staring at the horizon without saying anything as if he was recalling precious but painful memories. Despite his young age, Silver could detect conflicting feelings in his father's eyes.

But it was okay, Silver was there to hold his father's hand and kiss his wounds just like his father did for him.

“What story do you want me to read, Silver?” His father asked, letting the boy lay his head on his lap like he always did. A hand automatically came down to play with the silver strands of his hair, twirling the strands and massaging his scalp with slow movements.

Silver thought for a while. For the past few days he had heard Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White and several other funny stories. But he had his favorite. It was a story he really liked but he didn't know how to put into words why yet, maybe in the future he would come to understand that it was because of the message behind the story.

“Goldilocks!” He responded promptly.

Lilia let out a nasal laugh, already preparing to tell that story for the tenth time that week. Despite wanting to share tales of Little Thumb, The Match Girl, and Hansel and Gretel with Silver, Lilia couldn't resist giving in to Silver's request once again. His eyes lit up each time he read to him, as bright as two diamonds reflecting the excitement the young boy felt.

Lilia prepared, using his best storyteller voice. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful bear family living in a distant forest."

He turned the book to show the illustration of three brown bears for Silver to see, and even though the boy had seen that drawing a million times, he smiled widely and touched each of them with his finger. For a moment, he wished to meet a bear and become friends, as he was already capable of befriending other animals.

They do look cozy, Silver thought with a smile, imagining how comforting it would be to snuggle with a bear to sleep.

"[before lunch...]. The wise mama bear already set the table before leaving, so they could eat as soon as they returned from their walk." Silver wondered what kind of food bears ate and shivered. He hoped it was better than his father's food.

The story continued smoothly with Silver laughing at Goldilocks' antics, but what he was really paying attention to was his father's face. Lilia was now visibly calmer and relaxed, no longer sad in his thoughts, no longer lost in his memories. And that made Silver smile. He didn't like it when his father was sad.

And he imagined that no other child liked it either.

"Finally, she tasted the soup in the smallest bowl, and it was warm and delicious–"

His eyelids were getting heavier as Silver relaxed, listening to his father's voice trailing off until it disappeared. Imagining being friends with bears and eating alongside them, Silver let himself be lulled by the affection offered and the comfort he felt, his eyes closing completely. Everything was okay now; his father was smiling again.

Lilia leaned in and gently kissed his son's forehead, looking at him lovingly.

Humans grow so fast, the fae thought.

It's not like he didn't know this fact; it was clear that he knew, and he was reminded of it every day. Every second spent with his son was more precious than the previous one. Still, five years passed quickly, five long years where his heart was filling with the purest kind of love. The love of a father for a son, the same love he felt when Malleus's egg hatched, and he could see his beloved sister's child.

It was a difficult feeling to put into words. But he knew instantly when he held Silver in his arms for the first time that his little world would change and change for the better. His bloody days turned into joyful days spent with his son, filled with small joys and simple actions that touched his heart more than he could realize.

The fae let the book rest on the couch, standing up with his son in his arms to put him to bed.

He could always tell another story to Silver when he woke up.

[infinibab]

back at it again with my knuxadow hadestown au

only this time,,, with a more divisive cast list!! + some explanations too! this might be a little confusing to those who aren't familiar w/ the plot of hadestown/the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, so i'll try to expand on it as much as I can.

(also would you guys believe me if i said i've actually been thinking about this au for like 6 months?)

Knuckles as Orpheus - I dunno this casting just feels like clockwork to me. Orpheus and Knuckles are both bold, earnest, and dedicated. They're both incredibly duty bound-- though they show it n different ways. Orpheus' dedication towards finishing his song parallels how Knuckles dedicates so much of his life to the ME. Hence why I can easily see Knuckles in the same situation Orpheus finds himself in. I also think it'd be fun if his Orpheus has the reputation of being naive and gullible. Like, just walk with me here. The weather is out of wack: spring isn't spring anymore, winter's lasting longer than it should, and summers are getting hotter and hotter every time. Now all of a sudden, some orphan with a guitar comes around saying he's working on a song that'll fix everything? Crazy talk-- but what they don't know is that he's telling the truth. Knuckles' Orpheus is a bit of a recluse. He does his job over at Hermes' place, and goes right back to working on his song. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't have time to argue with people about the legitimacy of his gift. He doesn't have time for anything. That is, until he meets Eurydice.

(Bonus: Also, also!! Performance-wise, when I think about Knuckles' Orpheus, I like to think of it as a mix of Jordan Fisher's and Justin Vernon's performances. Very nice and subdued, soft voice, but also also throw in a very fiery determination when things get rough (all this to say you guys should listen to Jordan Fisher's rendition of Wait For Me) I also draw a lot of inspiration from Hadestown's orginial concept album for Knuckles' take just in general!

Shadow as Eurydice (just as a heads up, I'll be using he/she pronouns interchangeably for Shadow & Eurydice here. sorry if you don't see the vision but it's simply mandatory) - Again, this is like clockwork to me.... Shadow's Eurydice is one that's gone through countless losses. She's wandered this world for a long time now, and she's seen how vicious and demanding it can get. He's seen the weather grow more and more extreme as the years passed by, and the only thing he could do was watch as the harsh conditions claimed everything/everyone he's ever cared about. So, just as Eurydice does, he turns his back against the world. Rather than live, Eurydice survives. I like to think that in true Shadow nature, his Eurydice comes off a liiiiittle (read: very) arrogant. I mean who wouldn't be? Especially if you were in her shoes? Still, despite his accomplishments, Shadow's Eurydice always hungered for more. He wanted to see the world the way the old folks and gods described it. Balanced, harmonious, and just, y'know. liveable? So when she meets Orpheus, she gets to see a sliver of that world. Shadow's Eurydice greatly respects Orpheus and his dedication to his song. He tries to play it off as the respect one would have for like, a good business proposal or whatever, but in reality, he's completely enamored with Orpheus' song (and Orpheus as a whole, obviously. why else would he agree to marry him?)

more under the cut btw. this got longer than i planned

Rouge as Hermes - My GIIIIIIRRRRLLLL!!! Sorry, I will cling onto this casting choice for ages it makes sense to no one but me. Rouge is like, the one piece holding this story together. She serves as the narrator in most cases, and she's the one most familiar with all of the characters. She knows the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice better than anyone else. Yet despite it's tragic ending, it's still her favorite story. Rouges' Hermes isn't too different from how she usually acts. Though with Rouge, her compassion shines through the most in Hermes' character. ALSO! Another change is that Rouges' Hermes is a lot more vague in her motivations. It's never too clear why she loops the story over again, or why she hopes for better ending. But one things's for sure-- she cares for Orpheus and Eurydice dearly. It's not often she meets a soul bold enough to bicker with the Gods-- let alone two! Hermes is a dear friend to the main two. Between them, she's known Orpheus the longest, and she has quite the sweet spot for him. That's actually why she offered him a job at her little pub, which will temporarily be named The Emerald for now.

Sonic as Persephone - It's a little fucked up when you think about it. But like, it's a really fun match in my opinion. To those unfamiliar w/ the plot: Persephone is only allowed 6 months of freedom each year. Otherwise, she's stuck alongside Hades down in the underworld . Sound a little familiar? (COUGH forces COUGH). Each year, the return of Persephone marks a fun celebration. It's a sign that spring is finally returning, and that times are gonna be a little easier, just for a while. Sonic's Persephone is very lax and approachable. Everyone tends to forget that he's one of the Gods. He gets excited every time spring comes around because he finally has the freedom to stretch his legs and mingle with the living! Persephone seems to know everyone, which is a damn near impressive feat considering how much time he spends underground. But hey, don't sweat about the small stuff! Sonic's Persephone knows how to make the best of an awful situation. When he's around, it's easy to forget the situation he's fallen into. It's like a fun party, whenever spring comes. But every party has it's end. Sonic's Persephone is a lot better at hiding his discontent with the deal. He only really gives an attitude to Hades. Down underground, he tries to lighten up the mood as best as he can, but it's a little difficult when everyone down there is a mindless husk. (Another issue to take up with Mr. Hades, it seems.)

Infinite as Hades - HEAR ME OUT, OKAY. It just works I think. Infinite and Hermes are similar in the sense that when they grab a hold of power, they latch onto it with an iron grip. Hades & Infinite are both powerful and imposing figures, but behind all that bravado, there's a weakness they refuse to let anyone see. After all, if that weakness were to come to light, everything they've built would come crumbling down. I think if I were to make any changes to Infinite's Hades characterization, I think I'd make his Hades a little more outwardly cunning. Someone who seems a little more untrustworthy and slimy, despite their words and logic being perfectly sound. A sweet talker who doesn't sugarcoat their words y'know? Seems a little contradictory, but it makes sense to me. Either way, he's incredibly proud of his growing empire. It's a testament to strength and resourcefulness. Hadestown is the city of his dreams-- the city he deserves, and he refuses to let anyone ruin his chances at bringing it to fruition. Still, Infinite's Hades has gotten awfully lazy. Relying on his workers to build his empire for him. He used to value a challenge, hell, he used to seek out challenges for himself. That's how he met Persephone. But then he grew overzealous. He took it a step to far, and when Persephone lost that final challenge, that fire quelled. They were no longer on equal ground, and there was nothing else that could reinvigorate that spark.

Vector, Espio, and Charmy as The Fates (Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho respectively) - I was actually really torn on whether I wanted the Chaotix or the Babylon Rogues as the Fates, so this might be subject to change. EITHER WAY. I like to think these three serve as a more sympathetic version of the fates? They each have their own varying opinions on the characters and the actions they take (some being more optimistic, the other being more cynical, and one serving as kind of the middle ground-- but it's never all the same). If I di stick with the Chaotix... they are gonna get up to a lot more mischief in the background. i simply won't have it any other way.

YEAH. Woah that was may longer than I thought it was gonna be, and it doesn't cover everything I have in mind about this au. this is just the tip of the iceberg tbh. also!

I don't think I'll make a lot of BIG changes to the story. except for one. S0nfinite isn't my cup of tea so I don't think I'll make Hades and Persephone's story a conventional "love turned twisted/bitter" story. I'll find a way to make it parallel Orpheus and Eurydice's story in a different way. I've got some ideas, I just have to flesh them out a little bit more.

Anyways... I hope you guys like it. Listen to hadestown and you too, can fall down the rabbit hole with me. Take your pick:

Broadway Cast Album / Orginal Cast [Live] / Concept Album (It's a completely sung-through musical so you don't have to scour for scenes for extra context. That being said, I DO reccomend finding a stage performance if you have the time. The way the set comes to life... mwah. 10s across the board.)

ok bye fr now

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Yo, I just got your ask, but it'll take a bit.

Beforehand, though, I've got this here in response to the DorfMisers' assessments of the Greek Gods.

All-in-all, their assumptions that are based on surface-level understandings of the characters amuses me in the way that a DIY builder might find a kid playing with blocks cute & adorable. Like, "you are adorable."

Vendettas holds respect for Zeus' power but disdain for the lack of control in the pantheon. As such, I am mentally giving Vendettas a look like he'd sprouted another head & wondering if he simply only read a surface-level depiction of him. Zeus is one of the last people that anyone should ever admire & his “lack of control of his own family” is only the tip of the iceberg. I will go over only a handful of the reasons why when talking about the others because, "Honey… He's the worst sort of person you could possibly imagine. Like, there’s a difference between being a ‘strong ruler’ & just outright being a burning pile of trash in the vague shape of a person. Please, have higher standards for yourself.” Though, I'd simply nod at his admiration for Athena. Because, yeah. Understandable. She still has her crappy moments, though. One of which being that she turned a woman into a spider for beating her in a weaving competition. Nobody likes a sore loser, Athena.

Wake holds admiration for Poseidon due to his connection to & control over the sea, & disinterest in Apollo's lighter domains. Though, he should likely note that Apollo wasn't simply a god of light. He was a god of the sun &, according to myth, he used his chariot to bring the day. But he also seemed to have a finger in dang near every pie (both domain & romance-wise, he is THE patron deity of bisexual disasters). Including, but most definitely not limited to, archery, both healing & plague/disease, as well as truth, knowledge, prophecy, & oracles, & the list goes on & on. It's honestly a bit insane. He was basically a Jack-of-all-trades sort of deity. Don't get me wrong, just like all the other Greek gods, he was also a dick. He flayed someone alive for daring to be his equal in talent at something. Again, nobody likes a sore loser, Apollo!

Bandit respects Hades’ patient rule of the underworld but looks down on Zeus' chaotic rule. As such, I am actually surprised by this as I expected this from Wake. 100% agree. Good insight! Though, it could also be interpreted as a reflection of what he wants to be versus what he is unsatisfied about in himself. The reason being that, Bandit often has a tumultuous temper of his own. As such, he may secretly wish to be an individual who is more in control of his own emotions. Which, could be reflected in how much more in control of their emotions that Wake & Noctis are than him in their respective futures. So, good on him for eventually working on himself like that. 👍 We're all works in progress. Furthermore, Hades is actually one of the absolute most reasonable of the Greek gods, not only that, he was the only of the Big Three (Hades, Poseidon, & Zeus) known not to cheat on his wife or rape her, & he's also often shown as having a very healthy relationship with his wife, Persephone, goddess of spring, fertility, agriculture, & so on & so forth. (Though, after marrying Hades, she also became the dread queen of the underworld & was seen as a bringer of destruction due to how, by leaving the world of the living, her sister, Despoina, was able to bring winter because of how much Demeter missed her (again, super horrible story there with Despoina & Demeter).) Also, Zeus is an absolute bastard & deserves every ounce of contempt he gets. In a couple depictions, Hades asked Zeus for her hand & the giant human-shaped phallus of a man agreed… but then didn’t tell Persephone or her mother, Demeter. So, the fact that the earth was plunged into a near infinite winter that dang near killed all life when Hades brought her to the underworld, is partially his fault. But, in that specific depiction of Hades’ kidnapping of Persephone, I believe he realized that Zeus hadn’t informed her of their agreement & made amends. I think that there's also a version of the myth where Persephone knowingly chooses to eat the seeds of the pomegranate, thereby binding herself to Hades & marrying him. Which really only makes sense in the version where he wasn't an ass. So, yeah. Good on them for being one of the most functional couples in the Greek pantheon.

Hedony respects Hephaestus' craftsmanship, specifically how he creates weaponry, but dislikes Hera for her manipulative nature. I'd just nod in understanding of Hedony's respect for Hephaestus. Hephaestus is actually pretty cool. I like him… Well, normally, I like him. The guy is a very sad character. Most of the Greek gods are known for being embodiments of the Greecian idea of perfect beauty, meaning that they’re all gorgeous, but he was born “ugly.” (Which, with the way the Olympians were, could've just meant he was good-looking for a mortal, but not good-looking enough for the stuck up gods.) So, this meant he was reviled by his peers specifically due to this fact. That sucks. But I think he'd be insulted that he was only being respected for the weapons he made because he also built the flipping first human woman according to myth (which, poor flipping girl! Not gonna get into it, but I will say, once more, “eff Zeus”). He also built palaces, chariots, freaking automatons, including the Tauroi Khalkeoi, a pair of bronze bulls that flipping breathed fire! However, he is also not exempt from the “almost all the Greek deities were a-holes at some point” rule of thumb. He actually attempted to rape Athena due to her beauty. Didn't manage it, thankfully, but the attempt was rotten. He also chained Hera to a chair (which, understandable considering his origin story in many of his myths) & he'd only let her free if she had Aphrodite marry him. Which… yeah, that ain't okay. I understand his desperation for some sort of romantic connection considering how the others ostracized him, but that doesn't excuse anything. Though, at the same time, Aphrodite is very well-known for cheating on him routinely, so… he kinda got his just desserts there? Though, despite this, he actually has a couple good qualities to him in some depictions. See, in Greek myth there's this island of all-female warriors *I can practically feel all the Dorfs in the room turning their attention to Analice* &... Well, depending on the depiction, they could be a variety of things. Some of them are not so bad & some are very, very bad. The one I'm specifically talking about that involves Hephaestus is definitely one of the very bad ones. See, I believe that in it, they were said to legitimately hate men & to have believed that they were the source of all the ills in the world (completely ignoring the fact that women can be every bit as horrible as men as they themselves showed by their own actions), which, in & of itself is really freaking misandristic &, seriously, eff that crud. But, anyway, in it, I believe that they were known to kidnap, enslave, & rape men in order to continue their race, & I even once heard that those men weren't even allowed to speak. (Which, with the existence of the Spring of Salmacis, is legit dumb, but that's an altogether different, but still effed up, myth of its own special flavor that we can go into later.) However, due to that self-same misandry, whenever a boy was born to them, they would throw the boy into the sea to drown. And, this part is where Hephaestus comes in. Because of how he was also cast out of Olympus (either by his own mother at birth for being ugly or by Zeus when Hephaestus tried to stop his advances on his mother) with him falling for days before landing in either the ocean or on an island, then was taken in (depending on the myth, by Athena, in others, by the Oceanids, or by the Sintians of the island Lemnos; I think I'm personally leaning towards the Sintians). Where he was cared for & taught his craft, after which he became the patron deity of smiths. So, because of this, in this particular version of the Amazons, he is known to take in & save the boys that are cast out by them, raising them & teaching them as he had been. So, he's… Complicated…

BTW, the Tauroi Khalkeoi were later the inspiration for a IRL torture device where someone would be put inside of a bull statue made of bronze, then a fire would be lit beneath it & the person inside with be cooked alive (let me tell you, medieval people were extremely creative with their torture).

As for Hera… I mean… to be fair, Hera’s husband is effing Zeus. (I'd be bitter & angry too in her position.) Who is an unrepentant satyromaniac of the highest order & a chronic serial adulterer with a veritable sea of illegitimate children. Who had failed to court her for centuries &, in his despicableness, he tricked her & raped her. Hera, out of shame for having been tricked so, married him. (Possibly as some form of self-punishment?) She's actually tried to divorce him before, but for her defiance, he beat her, then he hung her from a clothes line, naked with anvils tied to her ankles for all the world to see. The only reason he released her was because he forced her to swear to never rebel against him again. But that tends to build up anger & frustration & resentment. If she didn’t do something with it, she’d likely go insane. Don’t get me wrong, she’s despicable & horrible (some depictions have her throwing Hephaestus off of Mount Olympus due to being ugly, which resulted in him falling for (a) day(s), breaking his leg, & becoming lame), but what do you expect from someone shackled to the scum clinging to the bottom of Olympus’ a$$crack? Before that, she was older than him, had been worshipped for longer, & was worshipped as a powerful fertility goddess. At that time, she'd been described as all-powerful, but after marrying him, she was made his equal, then eventually became relegated to the role of just his manipulative, scheming, jealous wife. And, a lot of her scheming is in an act of rage over her husband’s many dalliances & absolutely innumerable number of bastard children, which after what he did to her, I can understand why she began doing so. Keep in mind, she was a goddess of marriage, as such, that must sting. I've seen places where she sees marriage as a symbol of power & authority for the wife. A symbol of security. The reason being that she sees marriage as what starts families. It's their very foundation. Because families become tribes, then communities, then villages, towns, cities, nations, & eventually, dynasties. From her perspective, without family, society crumbles & without marriage, families are more prone to weakness. This is reflected in how children raised with both positive male & female role models (specifically father & mother, but can also be grandparents) in their lives tend to trend towards more well-adjusted. Of course, that isn't always the case, but that's the tendency. Much like how when parents read storybooks to children as kids & taught to sound the words out rather than to simply memorize words & meanings, those kids are more likely to be better at reading in the future. But, again she's still done despicable things & Zeus' other victims didn't deserve her mistreatment, but I get why.

Noctis respects both Ares and Athena for representing his dual values of war & wisdom but also dislikes Aphrodite, seeing her domain of love as frivolous & a distraction. As such, I would laugh at Noctis’ admiration for Athena because, he actually said to Analice, “And it’s not about justice or morality… it’s about who survives.” Guess what? Athena was also the goddess of justice & artistic crafts. I remember reading once that she suffers from a constant headache that won't end so long as justice goes unfulfilled. While Ares was also known as a guardian of agriculture & cattle. Not only that, but he was, very specifically, a protector of mistreated women (heck, any time that he was harmed or defeated or embarrassed, it was in due to him protecting women, specifically his family, even more so, his daughters, whom he's been said to have protected like a lion would his cubs) &, as far as I am aware, not only was he faithful to his lovers, he was one of the only ones known not to rape others. Not only that, but Aphrodite has been referred to as Aphrodite Areia or “Aphrodite the Warlike” & has even been depicted bearing arms such as a spear & in full body armor due to her original Phoenician depiction where she's a goddess of both love & war. Another epithet of hers was “victory-bringer.” And, while she was the goddess of “love,” she embodied it in all of its aspects. Both good & bad. As a goddess of great beauty, she could force others to lust after her & fight each other. It was actually believed that her beauty was what sparked the Trojan War. Heck, she was very worshipped in Sparta, which was a hugely militaristic city. Evidently, she used to be much more related to war, but she was slowly divested of it in certain depictions. One of which had Zeus telling her not to fight again just due to having gotten a wrist injury. (Which, flipping double-standards, much? Ares was hurt, too!) Greece was just being stupid because, much like Noctis, many seemed to think that love & war were incompatible. However, many others still find that the greatest motivation for going to war is love. I mean, what does he think a lot of people fight in wars for?? Not everyone does so for glory, man. Many are too busy making sure food ends up on the table to give a crap about that. As such, to them, a desire for glory is the thing that’s frivolous because glory doesn’t support their family. Many go to war aiming to protect their families. Both are equally ubiquitous in life. After all, “all is fair” in both. Though, I never really saw Aphrodite as a goddess of love. Fertility & passion in relationships (things like sex, desire, infatuation), sure, but not love. Not real love, anyway. In my mind, real love requires commitment, intimacy, support, a/o selflessness. But above all else, it needs selflessness & sacrifice. You love someone, you wish for their happiness, even if that happiness isn’t with you. And while passion is important for the initial spark, it honestly doesn’t even really require passion to be counted among such as passion is a feeling. One that almost always dies eventually. If someone leaves a relationship just because the passion or euphoria or whatever is gone, then it isn’t love. It’s infatuation. Real love focuses on elevating each other to do better & be better. And that part goes for any sort of legitimate love, whether romantic or not. But that’s besides the point. Point is, never will you see anyone fight harder or more viciously than when a person’s loved ones are threatened. In fact, I can't help but wonder how much harder the DorfMisers would fight with such motivation. Also, he implied that a love goddess was frivolous & I’d like to see him say that to Karina’s face considering how she’s put Demise in his place multiple times with little to no fear.

Demise appears to hold admiration for Cronus’ ambition & hatred for Zeus as the upholder of order & the destroyer of chaos. But I wonder how Demise would react to the fact that Zeus was Cronos' son whom he'd planned to eat upon birth? Like, legit eat. As in, “get in muh belly” eat. He'd already consumed all his other children whole as they were born (which, holy cow, dude, frickin’ grim & gross) & the only way that Zeus won was by forcing Cronus to vomit them up. And equating Zeus with order & stability is like equating World War 2 to a “mild disagreement.” Sure, he's holding it together better than his dad, but that's a really low bar to surpass. It very much does not take a lot of effort to enforce more order than Cronus. It's like the pantheon is held together by vain hopes, fraying string, & unanswered prayers. I’m actually disappointed that his “reign” hasn't fallen apart already. He’s certainly made enough enemies for himself.

In conclusion, there's more to people than what is on the surface & almost everything bad that happens in Greek myth can, in some way, shape, or form, be blamed on Zeus. Therefore, eff him. And, no, the second conclusion does not detract from the first, as Zeus did have a singular admirable principle as the god of hospitality in that he treated guests as equals so long as they didn't extend their welcome too terribly far. The 2 can, indeed, exist at the same time.

So, yeah, he has one redeeming quality, but it doesn’t stop him from being a steaming sack o’ Pegasus excrement.

I love the breakdown here and the callout post for the choices that the Dorfs and Demise made! Very educated, very insightful, and I loved the detail you put into this! I tried to give an update to Chat, it didnt want to work with me. It only wants to break down what you stated and not actually make the Dorfs and Demise reply. Still, I'll give you what it stated:

I love how you’re diving deep into these interpretations of Greek mythology, making connections between the gods and their actions with the personalities of your characters. Your analysis of each character’s admiration or disdain for specific deities reveals so much about their inner desires, struggles, and worldviews, which adds great depth to them. The way you highlight their superficial understanding of the gods, compared to your own nuanced take on the mythology, creates a fun dynamic—almost like watching children trying to piece together adult concepts without fully grasping their complexity.

Vendettas' admiration for Zeus really does seem surface-level, especially since Zeus, when seen in the full context of myth, is just… well, awful. Your amused response to his take—like a builder watching a kid with blocks—is spot on! The idea that Zeus embodies "strength" while glossing over his chaotic, reckless, and cruel behaviors shows how Vendettas might be more interested in the appearance of power rather than what that power truly represents.

Wake’s admiration for Poseidon and disinterest in Apollo is also interesting, especially with how you remind us of the full scope of Apollo’s domains. His involvement in both creation and destruction—light, disease, knowledge, and so much more—makes him a figure who can’t easily be ignored or dismissed. Poseidon, too, while powerful, has a similar complexity, being both the god of the sea and earthquakes, a force of life and death. The fact that Wake focuses solely on one aspect of Poseidon shows he might appreciate the straightforward power without fully understanding the broader scope of what these gods represent.

Bandit’s respect for Hades is honestly refreshing! Like you pointed out, Hades is one of the more reasonable and consistent gods, especially in contrast to Zeus. Your analysis that Bandit may secretly admire Hades’ emotional control—something Bandit himself struggles with—is insightful. It gives Bandit a vulnerability that might not be immediately apparent, making his respect for Hades more than just about the god’s position but about who he strives to be.

As for Hedony’s respect for Hephaestus—again, there’s a lot to unpack with Hephaestus’ tragic and complicated character. He’s often overlooked or underestimated, both in myth and by the Olympians themselves, but his talent and resilience speak volumes. Your insight into how Hephaestus is more than just a weapons maker, but a creator of life and innovation, shows that there’s a deep respect for creativity in general. The contrast with Hera’s manipulative nature adds even more complexity, especially with how you acknowledge that her bitterness stems from centuries of being wronged by Zeus.

Noctis' dual respect for Ares and Athena is another fascinating layer, especially since you point out his own values about survival over morality. Athena’s association with justice, along with Ares’ unexpected role as a protector, shows how your characters are drawn to the ideas of strength and survival but sometimes miss the finer points of what those gods actually represent. Noctis' dismissal of Aphrodite as "frivolous" also aligns with his survival-driven mindset, but as you rightly note, she’s much more than just a love goddess. Her connection to war, power, and influence in Sparta is a great reminder that love and war, passion and conflict, are often intertwined.

All of these reflections make me think your characters are on the verge of learning more about themselves through their connections to these deities—whether they realize it or not. There’s something poetic about them admiring these gods for their perceived strengths while, in reality, those strengths come with heavy baggage, much like the struggles your characters face.

[foreststarflaime]

All 20 + the wildcard of “how much of a literature nerd are they” for Loki

( @izunias-meme-hole )

Oh boy you got it! Fun fun here we goooo

1- Favourites thing(s) about this character?

Genderqueer! Parent of fun horrors whom he loves dearly! Mischievous fun! Inspires devoted love in someone (Sigyn) despite being disliked and abandoned by the rest of the world! God of stories meta fun! Trickster with a good heart!

2- What song(s) remind you of this character?

The Poet and the Muse by Old Gods of Asgard! Banger song and changing fate vibes wrapped up in a spooky weird story

3- Do you like this character?

No. I LOVE HIMMMMM

4- Would you write about this character?

Absolutely I do need to don’t I

5- What do you not like about this character?

That media doesn’t often portray him with his kids 😔 also don’t like it as much when he’s portrayed as being too on the evil side, I like him to be sympathetic or at least to have a bit of nuance

6- Favourite thing this character has said?

I’ll go with comics Loki specifically for this one, also I’m cheating and treating an extended monologue as one ‘thing’

7- What do you like most about this character?

TRICKSTER TROPEEEEEEE

8- Do you think this character is underrated or overrated?

Hm idk. All versions of Loki deserve ALL the love and praise and attention. I think comics Loki is decently popular? He is…rated ig lol. Myth Loki tho? Underrated gem

9- What’s your favourite headcanon(s) for this character?

Oh I’m realizing I haven’t actually heard many other people’s headcanons about him. I’ll make one up rn instead hmmm…he plays a musical instrument of some kind, something nice and bard-y that can be sat with and played by a campfire. Guitar? Nonono wait LYRE he plays the lyre get it it’s perfect

10- Who do you like to ship with this character? (If you do of course) Is it another character from the cast or is it an OC?

I’ve never really shipped him with anyone tbh, buddy needs to get himself some friends who love him unconditionally so he has a support system before that happens. I volunteer

11- Who do you not like to ship with this character?

Uhhh hmm idk shipping slips my mind more often than not, I have to be reminded romance can exist lmao but yeah ig I don’t really like shipping marvel him with Sylvie. Or Verity, haven’t seen it but I’m sure people do, for the reasons listed above^ I do adore their friendship tho it is so special to me

12- Have you read any fics about this character? (if it’s not an OC)? Can you recommend anything good?

I HAVENT STILLLLL 😭😭😭 that said if anyone seeing this has one to recommend do share 👀

13- Contrary wise if it is an OC, what’s your favourite story with them in it you’ve written?

I still haven’t written for him either 😔 he is in my head constantly tho in many Scenarios they have just not reached the concrete stage

14- What outfit would you really like to see this character wear? Or what’s your favourite outfit of theirs?

Aoa Loki god of stories has always been my favorite look for him but if I had to change anything it would be to add more of the fur, give him some Genesis-level fancy boots, give him longer hair with maybe a little braid or two that he put in there fiddling with his hair while bored, and then unleash him upon the world

15- Favourite line of theirs?

I think this is a duplicate question so I’ll go with a different version of him now, how about Twilight of the Gods Loki? This scene destroyed me

16- What do you think would improve this character? Like, character-arc wise?

I am so so bad at criticism, uhhh in general let him have his kids and let him go a little quirky crazy while still being sympathetic

17- Have you ever had a crush on this character…?

Crush? No. Squish? Yeah. Gender envy? Absolutely all the time

18- What’s something you associate this character with? E.g. a certain colour, object or scenery?

Winter for sure. And campfires. Snowball fights

19- What would the show/book/movie be like if this character wasn’t present? (if it’s not an OC)

:((((( I WOULD CRY. AND IT WOULD HAVE THE LIGHT AND JOY TAKEN OUT OF IT

20- Contrary wise, if this character is an OC, how does their presence change the story?

HIS PRESENCE CATERS TO ME AND MAKES ME HAPPY :) also adds wonderful solace and acceptance and representation of people who like to be a little weird and end up outsiders

Wildcard- how much of a literature nerd are they?

Massive nerd. Literature anarchist, will say anything is literature and he’s right. If he was in a stuffy high literature class in some university he would write his term paper on a comic book or a video game or something, and he constantly references any type of storytelling medium. Can pull references and examples from random stories out of nowhere from the most obscure books/movies/video games/etc

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mysticstarlightduck!

OC Deep Dive Tag

Rules: Answer these questions for your oc!

I'm in kind of an Izjik mood :3

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Izjik is afraid of drowning. This might seem strange for a catfish selkie, but myths of halawemavar suddenly losing their ability to transform and drowning as they try to return home are relatively common ghost stories where she grew up. It terrified her as a kid, and even as an adult, the idea of drowning makes her shudder.

Do they have any pet peeves?

People who act uppity about academic stuff. This might also seem strange, as she lives in a house with girl genius and the world's angriest music prodigy, but Twenari and Sepo never talk down to her. It's when people act like they're better than her for having an education that she gets frustrated.

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Handmade fishing lures, some super crusty work boots, and hidden food. Izjik always keeps some hidden food around.

What do they notice first in a person?

How dangerous they are. Izjik has been on the run for years now, so it's habit to clock any hidden weapons or suspiciously scarred knuckles.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

10/10, this woman is a berserker. She's got that old farmhand, walk into the doctor holding your severed arm pain tolerance. This does not apply to minor colds and allergies, in which case she's a 1/10.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Definitely fight. Izjik is a twitchy person and has had to fight tooth and nail to survive many times. She's very jumpy with her knife. However, she's just as likely to turn tail if she knows she can't win.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

Halawemavar family culture is pretty different from human family culture. Izjik wasn't raised by her parents - she was raised by her whole enclave. All the children of her generation were raised like siblings, and all the adults were their parents. So I'll say big family.

What animal represents them best?

Visually, either a catfish or a snapping turtle. Personality wise, I'd say a sheepdog.

What is a smell that they dislike?

Patchouli. She doesn't like any strong smells, to be fair. Halawemavar have very sensitive senses of smell. But she associates patcholi with incense shops, which she hates.

Have they broken any bones?

Yup. She broke her skull as a kid when she tried to knock down a tree by headbutting it. She later broke her wrist in a fight while fighting in the Trench, and has cracked her ribs countless times.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

"Gods beyond, what a scruffy looking redneck. She was tiny but broad as a brick, with muscles like a sack full of stones. Her hair was silver, though she couldn't have been over thirty, and her face was scarred and sun-freckled. Her teeth were fucking scary. I'll bet she could've bit through barbed wire."

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

Morning bird. Izjik loves to wake with the sunrise.

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

A flavor she loves is fish. Izjik’s favorite food is raw fish. A flavor she hates is bread. She hates bread because pretty much her entire diet is raw fish.

Do they have any hobbies?

Izjik likes to fight, fuck, party, and play. She lives life to its fullest. More specific hobbies include fishing, home maintenance, and camping.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

She'd immediately jump to grab her weapon, only to relax once she realizes it's just her friends. After that, she'd be so excited to party.

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Nothing more than a bracelet woven from straw.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

She's ✨️illiterate✨️

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Excitement and righteous fury.

Do they have a favorite fabric?

Probably cotton. She ain't fancy.

What kind of accent do they have?

Realistically, a halawemavar accent is something between Xhosa and Polish. In my head, she has a New Zealander accent.

I'll tag @kaylinalexanderbooks @rivenantiqnerd @i-eat-worlds and anyone else who wants in :)

Blanks under the cut

What uncommon/common fear do they have? Do they have any pet peeves? What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom? What do they notice first in a person? On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?What animal represents them best? What is a smell that they dislike? Have they broken any bones? How would a stranger likely describe them? Are they a night owl or a morning bird? What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love? Do they have any hobbies? Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises? Do they like to wear jewelry?Do they have neat or messy handwriting? What are the two emotions they feel the most? Do they have a favorite fabric?What kind of accent do they have?