#myths about basil

[dannybobany]

I get why we all draw Basil with watermelons, the association is very obvious there

But like- if Sunny gets apple related religious imagery I vote we start doing Basil pomegranate imagery (I mean Persephone is the goddess of spring so like… flowers ??? You know?? I just think it’s unfair that sunny has all the religious imagery, give some to Basil too please)

[sleepless-in-starbucks]

i really should be workin rn But in the interest of sayin things before i inevitably forget them. the myth of pygmalion but with basil as pygmalion and dorian as the statue, anyone

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

January Week 1

Welcome welcome to the 2024 Grimoire Challenge! Time to really get started everyone! This week will have a lot of stuff all jammed in. So buckle up, grab your grimoire and your supplies, and let’s get to work!

Monday

Name your book - this may seem silly and you definitely don’t need to name your book. Not properly at least. Other than “my grimoire” or “book of shadows” or what have you, which is totally fine. But some of us might feel the need to give it a proper title. “The Basil Grimoire” or “Hazel’s Handwritten Workings” something, anything, that ties the book to you and your craft. Make a title page! If you feel so inclined. If not, that’s fine too.

Definitions (New Page) - ritual and spell. Let’s define a few things. Make a page specifically for definitions, that we’ll add to through the challenge. Let’s start with a couple simple definitions. Define spell. And define ritual. Within the confines of magic, witchcraft and your practice. What is a spell? What is a ritual? What are the differences?

Study (herb) - Pick another herb from that list we made, and dig into the details. Make a page for it on its own, or add its info to another page! Whatever works for your craft. The questions to ask for these study prompts are going to continue to remain the same. Where did it come from, where does it grow, how does it grow, what are its mundane and practical uses. What are the myths and legends and stories surrounding the herb? What are its magical properties and why/ how do you think the other information you've learned about it have influenced its magical associations?

Tuesday

Outline/ index (New Page!) - it helped me a great deal to have an index or outline to my grimoire. I started this as a file on my computer as my grimoire grew and changed I could more easily manage it and rearrange it as I saw fit. Then eventually I could make it into a handwritten copy.

Study (gem) - Like our herb prompt, the gem prompts are going to always use the same outline and questions. Where does the gem come from? What is it used for in a practical and mundane sense? What are its physical properties? What are any myths, legends or stories? Where and how does it form? How does all of that relate to its magical correspondences and what does the herb mean to and for you in your craft?

Spellwriting 101 (New Page!) - make a new page dedicated to spellwriting. This is going to be one of those prompts that is focused on you and your craft. How do you write spells? How do you set them up? What components do you use? What is the format? How is it done? What does it require? From materials to timing and circumstances? Write it all out in your lab notebook. Make it a work in progress. Not all spells are going to work out the same or function the same as you perform them, but having a general layout and method helps to focus your practice.

Wednesday

Common tools - What are the common tools in your craft? That is, you don't need to have a list of every single tool ever used in witchcraft, just the tools that you use in yours. Both regularly and less regularly. What are they used for specifically? What purposes do they serve in the magical and practical sense? Are they ceremonial and symbolic or do they serve an actual physical purpose? (i.e. a wand used to direct energy serves many purposes, while an incense burner could literally just be that, an incense burner)

Year outline/ calendar - not everyone celebrates the same days, holidays or even the same holidays the same way. What are the special occasions and days in your calendar? Mark them and when the proper season/ holiday comes around, we can make pages dedicated to those days. This week this will simply be a list of these days, while later we will actually make pages for them individually. Think of it like the Wheel of the Year, Yule to Midsummer and so on. What days are important to you and your practice? Are they actual holidays? Or simply days of power like the full moon? Or is it simply days that are significant for other reasons, like the anniversary of the day you began practicing witchcraft?

Practical - tool usage - practice using your tools. For example if you use a wand. Practice using it to direct energies or whatever it is you utilize it for.

Thursday

Altar design/ work space (New Page!) - make a page dedicated to your altar and its setup. Why are things where they are? The reasoning can be simple as “that’s where it fits” or you can give it a more meaningful reason. Candles in front of or behind something to represent some purpose. Do you have items that represent the elements? Deities? Different sources of power or directionality? Different colors for different meanings? Why is your altar the way it is?

Practical - cleansing space - practice cleansing your space and tools. This is of course a physical and 'energetic' cleansing. Tidy it up, redecorate your space, clean the tools if they have dust or ash or anything on them. Sometimes it is good to have a clean start.

Friday

Personal practices - this is just a thought provoking prompt tied in with the Journal prompt below. What are some of your personal practices that you've brought into your witchcraft? Anything from little habits from your every day life to things brought from religion or family traditions. No matter how hard we try, we carry within us echoes of things not related to our practices into it. And that is totally okay. Recognizing them, acknowledging them, and truly incorporating them can be a huge step toward understanding ourselves, our beliefs and our practices all around.

Journal/ introspective/ meditations - Think about the above and write any of it down that you come to terms with. Self understanding is important in and outside of witchcraft.

Thank you all and I hope this week's prompts aren't too overwhelming! Stay tuned next week for the next set of prompts!

-Mod Hazel

[tinyundercover]

pepper & felix

epilogue

this takes place after part twenty! thank you for reading! word count: 1.2k

Owen’s shoulder, as tall as he was, was incredibly spacious. 

Pepper had never sat on anyone’s shoulder but Felix’s, so it was a bit daunting— but in the last two months, Owen had proven himself to be more than trustworthy. The darkness of the theater enveloped both Pepper and Basil, and since Owen was seated directly next to the wall, both borrowers felt comfortable being out in the open, even with so many humans around.

“I’m nervous,” Felix’s fluttery voice floated through Pepper’s mind. Pepper’s lips twitched into a smile, and he clasped his hands against his chest.

“Don’t be. You’re gonna do great.”

“Did you get to the theater okay? Can anyone see you?”

“We’re hidden, Felix, I promise. Don’t worry about us.”

“Good— that’s good.” Felix paused. “Thank you for coming.”

Pepper beamed. “Good luck. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Pepper’s hands fell away from his chest, just as Owen’s did as well. Pepper brushed Owen’s neck to get his attention, lifting his voice. “Is Bree nervous?”

“A little,” Owen murmured. He couldn’t turn his head to face the borrowers, but Pepper could sense the smile in his voice. “But she’s gonna do great. Felix and Alice, too.”

“It’s gonna be weird when Felix and Alice kiss,” Basil teased, unhelpfully. 

“Shut up.” Pepper snorted, shoving his sister. “They’re just acting.”

“You should— oh, something’s happening.”

Basil fell quiet as music filled the theater, loud but not unpleasant. Owen briefly brought his hand to his shoulder, brushing his thumb over the two borrowers as if to ensure they were still there, and receiving two small pats in response. Pepper beamed up at him, although he knew Owen couldn’t see it. He made a mental note to thank Owen for bringing them. He appreciated it more than Owen knew.

Pepper was entranced as soon as the curtains opened. 

Alice looked more like herself than he expected; her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, while a glimmering green dress concealed her legs, draping over the stage floor. 

Ironically, from this distance, Alice looked very small. Pepper lifted his hand, enthralled by how his palm appeared to envelop the human girl. 

“Oh,” Basil murmured affectionately. “She sounds really good.”

Indeed, Alice was singing. Her voice shimmered with a liquid which surprised Pepper, so accustomed to her usual sharp, icy tone. He blinked, heart swelling, and leaned forward in intrigue.

It felt as if he were watching a movie, but this performance was real, gorgeous, fascinating. Alice disappeared after the end of her song, and was replaced by a crowd of humans that Pepper didn’t recognize. Their outfits were strange and unusual, but they drew Pepper in. 

Pepper and Basil occasionally shared a few comments, but for the most part they were quiet, fascinated. When Felix appeared, Pepper straightened up.

The stage lights illuminated Felix in a very flattering glow, highlighting the sharpness of his bone structure, drawing Pepper’s attention to his face in a way he hadn’t noticed before. The borrower blinked, mesmerized, barely paying attention to what was happening onstage. 

“You know what,” Basil mused, “I see it. Felix is hot.”

“Dude, shut up,” Pepper hushed, face warm. Basil snickered.

The story was unusual, but Pepper followed along, mind wandering. He didn’t know much about human myths, but this concept of mermaids and witches and magical sea creatures intrigued him. 

Breanna, as kind and gentle and sweet as she was, was surprisingly frightening when she appeared onstage. Both Pepper and Basil stiffened upon seeing her, and for a moment Pepper didn’t recognize her. A dark, twisting, glittering costume swarmed her, sticking out in unusual directions, and her voice carried a villainous amusement that sent a chill down Pepper’s spine. 

“It’s like Alice and Bree switched personalities,” Basil giggled. Pepper squinted at her.

“What?”

“Heh, you know— Alice is like Ursula in real life, and Bree is like Ariel. You know, because Alice is evil and Bree’s sweet.”

“Who— what?”

Basil gestured towards the stage, amused. “Dude, pay attention. The characters have names.”

The story surged on, and Pepper enjoyed it immensely. Felix had been so incredibly nervous over the past week, absolutely dreading opening night, convinced that he was going to butcher his songs and ruin the show. Pepper had assured him time and time again that that wouldn’t happen. Pepper had been right.

Felix’s voice didn’t waver in the slightest, flowing over the audience like a river, while he moved gracefully over the stage. Pepper’s heart spun in his chest, swelling with adoration, unable to pull his gaze away. 

If Felix was feeling nervous, it wasn’t perceptible to the audience in the slightest. Pepper smiled, entranced.

After a fifteen-minute intermission, in which Owen had to explain several times that no, it didn’t just end there, it’s only halfway done, the story resumed. Pepper actually found himself to be quite disappointed when it ended, but when Felix and Alice took their final bow together, glowing and laughing and beaming, his heart soared.

“I go to all their shows,” Owen remarked, later, once he had found an empty hallway to stand in. Pepper and Basil were seated in his large palms, filled with an excitable energy after the show. “This is the first time they’ve all been leads together. I’m really proud.”

His casual voice brimmed with more emotion than usual. Pepper smiled, heart warm.

“What shows are they doing after this?” After months of talking with Felix, and more recently Alice and Breanna, Pepper was proud to have learned a bit more about theater. 

Owen tilted his head, thoughtful. “Hm… our college just released the theater season for next year. Breanna was really excited for the fall one, I think it’s, uh— Chicago? Or Cabaret? One of the two.”

“I don’t know either of those,” Pepper admitted with a laugh. 

“Me neither.” Owen smiled, amused. “But I’m already excited to see it.”

“Owen!”

A feminine voice drew all three of their gazes. Pepper sat up straighter as Breanna approached, looking frighteningly witchy in her black dress and glimmering dark makeup, but her beaming smile underneath was comfortingly familiar. 

Owen’s hand rocked as Breanna threw her arms around him, and when Pepper and Basil both let out quiet exclamations, Breanna’s gaze landed on them. ���Oh! Pepper, Basil!”

She excitedly lifted a hand in greeting, pulling away from her soulmate, and the borrowers grinned.

“You did amazing,” Basil gushed, while Pepper nodded rapidly. “I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

As Owen continued to shower Breanna in compliments, two more humans appeared around the corner, gazes searching— and when Felix and Alice spotted them, they lit up.

Within seconds, Pepper was being scooped up into Felix’s hands, held against his cheek. The borrower laughed when he noticed the beige makeup smudging his clothes, and Felix jumped into breathless apologies, which Pepper disregarded.

“Felix,” Pepper beamed, meeting his soulmate’s gaze. “You were wonderful.”

Somewhere to Pepper’s right, Basil was perched in Alice’s hands, showering her supposed enemy with bright words and enthusiastic compliments. Pepper laughed, heart swelling, and leaned forward to kiss Felix’s cheek. 

“Thank you!” Felix’s voice was bright, much more energetic than what Pepper usually heard. “I– I was so nervous, but– it went well!”

Between Felix’s initial audition and now, the human had improved immensely– not necessarily in his singing ability, but in his confidence– and Pepper smiled at the thought. His gray gaze twinkled up at Felix, pride filling his expression.

“You didn’t seem nervous at all,” Pepper promised. “Seriously, I– you’re amazing. And you look… you looked really good.” He raised his eyebrows pointedly before a laugh escaped him at Felix’s flustered, amused expression. “I love you.”

With a laugh, Felix drew him closer to his face again. “I love you, too.”

-----

TAGLIST: @smallsday @compact-katrina @satethesatelite @taters169 @entomolog-t @gtzel @gt-newbie @da3dm @clumsiergiantess @vee-normous @fee-hunter @torakan @mabelisthebatman @andithewhumper @mothsintherain @violetlight @heroofthe13thday @phoenix-on-the-run @houseboatmac @dav8530 @ididit-allofit-foryou @soakedmilkgt

[pawborough]

May 2024 Check In

Hello, all! 

Thank you for keeping up with our development! Let's jump right in on what we've been working on! 

We have received over 400 applications for Alpha testing. We are currently on track for a June start date, and we’ll divulge the gritty details of where we're at in development at the end of this update. 

However, we had mentioned a fauna present going to chosen volunteers in exchange for the requested labor. 

We wanted to give everyone a peak! Introducing… 

Nephrune 

Design and illustration by Hydde

Researchers are not certain if this legendary creature truly exists or if it is a fable-born myth, but folklore says the Nephrune slumbers underground among the earthen bounties. As the only natural creature made entirely of crystalline inorganics, legend has it that this mighty beast is the mother of all magics in Mewmoia. Its awakening would spell disaster.

It is worth mentioning once again that Alpha volunteering will not be the only way to obtain a Nephrune. We plan to have this fauna setup as an exclusive incentive for bug hunting and reporting (a bug bounty) in the future. We do not intend to permanently retire the beast, however it will be rare. 

New Icons 

Turmeric, Ink Jar, Lotus, Basil, Rosemary, Sage, and Oregano illustrated by Tybaxel

New Accessories 

We have continued accessory illustration! Last month, we previewed the fourth set of our catalog: 

The Woolen set! 

Illustration by Remmie

Alongside, we have continued working on backer accessories!

It has been our goal to develop several points of synergy in the aesthetics of our accessories. This includes backer accessories. As it turns out, several backer accessories worked together well enough to commit to one more set.

The Regal set! 

Illustration by Hydde

The Regal Crown and the Pheonix Mantle were both concepted and sponsored by SolsticeStar and Ralsha respectively. We've added to their concepts to create a versatile outfit! 

We also have further renders of the Kickstarter item:

Necromantic Cloak

Illustration by Hydde

Dynamic Accessorizing 

We wanted to take a moment to briefly talk about the dynamic layering we’ve implemented in accessories! 

We’ve implemented a system which allows the back of accessories to layer behind  accessories they're on top of. 

What this means: Socks will layer over the back hem of boots while remaining under the boot, items with back capes like the Necromantic Cloak can have poofy pants under them without clipping, wigs can be worn under hats or hoods without clipping the back brim, and the list goes on! 

It's a small QoL addition, but it makes layered outfits much easier to construct! 

Sol Site Theme

Daily Duties 

Next, take a look at our designs for play of the Territory Grounds section! 

NOTE: These are early concept mockups, and still need significant tweaking before final approval!

Performing a cat’s daily duty in your Territory is a consistent way for your camp to get item resources. 

Cats can participate in a number of different daily activities in order to gain different items. Hunting will gain items like the Common Mouse, while fishing will gain items like the Red Snapper. 

How well your cat does at a duty will depend on their statistics! In addition to playing the Guild, a cat which frequently does activities will raise their statistics. 

However, we wanted to make this process customizable and streamlined. 

Which is why we designed territory parties! You can create and save a party of cats with a certain territory activity, then send all the party cats on their daily duties at once. 

This way, if you really need meat items, you can choose to send all your cats hunting without painstakingly clicking several times. You can curate a consistent daily gain pool while at any time choosing to deviate from it! 

Parties are also versatile. Even if a cat has already been sent on a different duty, you may still send the party without that cat. 

This system will need testing to find any kinks or pain points, but our goal is to reduce the amount of clicking while still requiring some resource management strategy from the user! 

Map of Mewmoia

Above is the political map which presents Borough boundaries, however we also present a climate map, which outlines the conditions of each location: 

Map illustration by Hydde

Lore is finally something we can take some time to focus on. 

Refreshing and lengthening the writing found on our original prototype website is now being done. We have mockups for a better, interactive lore page! 

However, we must stress that this page does not take precedent over the game itself, so while we can communicate that its on our radar, we can't promise it before delivering on MVP mechanics. 

Speaking of lore… 

The Metropolis Logo

Illustration edits by Tybaxel The moon has now been better placed to represent the eyeshine, and a World Spire has been made front and center. This tower is sculpted to resemble a cat’s pupil, thus better fitting in with the other simplistic yet intentional visuals. 

The Metropolis will have its visuals updated on our demo website during our next improvement push!

Development Update

So where are we on development? 

Well, recently we wrapped up Alpha combat development. This includes movement, conditions, tile generation, NPC behaviors, item use, and combat abilities. 

Introducing Errands 

Take a peak at Errands, which is the Alpha version of the multiplayer Missions. 

Errands are smaller, short-term jobs that only one cat may go on. They take 1-3 minutes (VS. Missions taking 10-20 minutes) and will similarly have different objectives to accomplish.

Going on an errand will still gain you experience, items, currency, and help you raise the rank of your Team, but they are tailored towards casual play. While missions will be available for longer play-sessions, errands are for when you want to do something smaller!

Here you can see the method of browsing errands. Current errands can be refreshed via clearing all of them, re-checking the next day, or a premium instant refresh. Errands can also be clipped and saved for later if you don't want to start them immediately, but see one you're intrigued by! 

Dev Progress Check

Going forward, the big things we are currently working on, in order: 

Daily Duties 

Forums

Item Integration

Player to player trade; markets and currency

Dashboard Functionality 

Cooking / Crafting Functionality 

After which, all further features will be additional buffs to the loop and QoL features. Things such as a player and Team notebook to post and feature journal entries, aesthetic buffs to the scene builder (color tints on items, shadow tints, etc.), mobile QoL, the achievement badge system, a tagging system, and integrating multiplayer combat functionality. 

These additions are all things we hope to prioritize adding over the lifespan of our beta! 

Wahoo! Lots of good things! Everyone on the team is buzzing with excitement over how close we're getting to something fully playable. Thank you for being along for the ride!

To Summarize: We showed the Nephrune, new accessory sets and accessory dynamics, the Sol site theme, Territory Ground play, the Site Map, a new Metropolis logo, Errand setup, and the check-in for where we are in mechanic development. 

What to expect next month: Alpha functionality, further asset renderings, potential recolors, potential Moontail update!

[circinuus]

L'APPEL DU VIDE

beast! dazai x reader. 1.3k words

"When they found him, he was dead, his body twisted with the rigor mortis."

[first-person pov; unreliable narrator; mentions about suicide and corpses; reader is whipped for our local crime org boss but not in a good way]

When I was young, when youth had surged in my veins and hot blood had rushed along my cheeks, I met a peculiar man.

He was of every sense but ordinary. A ringleader of a colossal underground organization, equipped with an age not far from my green, half-ripe own. I am sure you'd known about him, perhaps more than I do.

Dazai Osamu was an enigma, and this is my last entry; a story about how I had been completely, perfectly consumed by his whole being.

"Have you heard about the rumors?"

Lowly insects, parasites, and cronies like me fear the unknown. That was the repugnant truth. At a point, we started to forget that he too, was of blood and flesh, not unlike ourselves. But it was too late by then. Our fear had dehumanized him, reduced him into a macabre myth. Not many eyes have bear witness to his figure, yet words about his uncanny competence and the horrors he commands ring like folklore passed down to generations.

"What rumors?"

"That guy who jabbered about the previous boss' death, they found his corpse just now."

Oh, that's right. The sad corpse.

Terribly mangled and dysmorphic, with broken limbs and torso. When I arrived, it no longer depicted a human. From the crevices of those grotesque bends were crimson liquid and bodily waste, seeping out like a fish being gutted. The putrid scent remained even on my bed and dining table.

"Shit. You better watch your mouth. That corpse could've been us at any time."

How terrible. The macabre ghost our fear created was.

And how curious, I thought, for such a living nightmare managed to haunt our mind and life; killing us with his silent bites and coerced us into committing suicide with self-destructive paranoia.

Truly, how terrible, how curious, yet how strikingly beautiful.

Dazai Osamu was an enigma, and I had been completely, utterly consumed by his whole being.

It was a week after that accident—if my memory served. It had betrayed me a lot in the past, and a doctor I knew mentioned how memories are all stack the deck; all tailored to our favor—when I was called for the boss's office.

"For what?" I tried to ask, but received only a scoff from my supervisor. “-If I may know, sir," I added. I knew he was not a horrible man, but my supervisor was not an individual of patience. He offered me nothing but a silent nudge to the boss' door. Like guiding a lamb to the slaughter, a virgin sacrifice to the altar.

I bled that day, I bled myself. Through my chapped lips that I've bitten hard, and through my fingers which dry skin ruptured raw by my unsolicited fidgets.

Out of uncertainty or cowardice, my memory fails to serve me. But I recall with great vividness how everything melted away to oblivion after that sturdy door opened before my eyes. What lay beyond was someone—something so incongruously beautiful, misplacedly sublime.

In that instance, I have realized that I am truly an abominable individual. On that day, I finally understood Basil's infatuation with his muse. Dazai Osamu was a beautiful man, and suddenly I bled for utter fascination rather than unfiltered fear.

My sentiment for this extraordinary man has nothing but become more defined, ever since.

His pale, almost translucent skin consumed my waking days, the flutter of his eyelashes when his eyes blink haunted my dreams, and the curl of his dark hair against the evening lights strayed me away from reality.

Like a sailor to a siren, like a lulling river that drowned the fool; Dazai Osamu was an enigma, and I was wholly enraptured.

I had been bewitched by the moments he kept me by my side, ever since. Fascinated by the moments where he slips up soft vulnerability. Spellbound by the moments he confide in my warmth and touch to soothe the horrors of earth's hell he faced and the pain he endured for a man who doesn't even know his name. Entranced by the moments he morphs to the horror he always has been, with chilling gazes and commanding words enough to shadow the times that reminds everyone that he is of flesh and blood. Beguiled by the moments he disregards me not soon after, as if he forgot I exist.

He was very cruel. But I did not despise him.

Dazai Osamu was cruel. But he was terribly, enchantingly melancholic. Like a dead man forced to be alive for a deed he hasn't finished. Like he was longing, waiting for the sweet mercy of his quietus. I was unable to despise him.

'Even so, what if I attempt to kill him?' under Yokohama's sky—which is too blue, too free. It never sits well with me—I received a call from the void.

'What then?' it continued beckoning. Will his delicate lips curl up into a beautiful, grateful smile? or will it wail and twist into ugly sobs of pain, anger, and fear? Will his empty, soulless mortal vessel stay as beautiful as the tragic beauty he is? or will it turn into another unimportant, unsightly corpse?

"Just now, you're thinking about killing me, weren't you?"

His words chased away the void, like a cold splash on a freezing morning. I was stunned into a fear-coated silence.

"Oh (Name), sweet (Name)," he laughed. It flows like silken honey and suddenly, I was once again drowned in his existence.

"Do you hate me?"

"No, sir," I said the truth.

"Really?"

"Yes, sir," I said the truth.

"Strange," he put a hand on his lower lip—a gesture that I find oddly fitting. "And you still want to see me dead, it seems.”

I stayed silent.

A sick, twisted feeling had emerged. If he had dropped dead at that moment, right there on the edge of the skyscraper, that would be all right. Fine, in fact.

(A sick, twisted feeling had emerged. if I had dropped dead at that moment, right there on the edge of the skyscraper, that would be all right. Fine, in fact.)

"How curious. You never fail to intrigue me."

(The thought scared me.)

I didn’t remember a lot after that day. The next few weeks were a shapeless blur of bullets, guns, and deaths.

Although on a cloudy Friday, I remember seeing hot blood pooling down like melted ruby.

It was unyielding. Seeping and seeping and seeping and it didn’t stop.

I was soaked and damp. His skin was warm as it was stone cold.

No, he wasn’t dead, he wasn’t dead. So I kneeled, gather what was left of him in my arms, and brought his chest to mine.

Viscous, fresh blood continued to gather on my lap, on my tie, on my fingers. The corpse engulfed me with his being, in every way possible. The corpse wasn’t dead, not yet, not yet. So I looked at his face, and pressed my cold beretta against his heart.

By then I realize, in the face of death I saw a soft smile instead of the ugly cries of fear and pain. Ah! So beautiful even surrounded by the crimson bloom of blood, pooling like a downpour along the concrete; limbs mangled and dysmorphic.

Would I be as beautiful, I wonder?

Two sounds of sharp firearms cut the air. It didn't take long for unfortunate witnesses to come and see the tragedy. It didn’t take long for two young men to look down with morbid from the skyscraper above. And it didn’t take long for my hatted supervisor to wake from oblivion. But it was too late by then.

When they found us, we were already dead, our bodies twisted with the rigor mortis.

(Oh, how we looked at so peace like this. How can it possibly scare me?)

fun fact! this was inspired by junji ito's tomie and stephen king's memory, more or less. and i just wanted to say: i'm sorry dazai you'll be forever famous. i'll write a fluff for you someday

♡ @ashthemadwriter

[girlfromthecrypt]

Forgive me if you’ve ever answered these before and I just didn’t see them,

We could go with the classic “ROs’ reaction to the mc saying “I can hold my entire world in my hands, wanna see?” and then gently cradling the RO’s face?”

Or a more deep one like “what would be a legend/fable/tale/myth that would really speak to them or that they would particularly enjoy?”

Or something simple and silly like “Whats their favorite Pokémon?”

I’d love an answer to any of these cuz I’m a dork. Please nerd out about your creations I love reading it.

We're all dorks let's gooooo

The fable one first bc believe it or not, fairy tales/folklore is actually important in this IF

Anita: Rapunzel. Something about being overly sheltered/trapped in a tower and wanting out...

Flo: the changeling-myth appeals to him. The reasons for this can be inferred, but I don't wanna go too deep right now. Also, he likes anything with huge beasts/dragons

Reem: Hansel and Gretel bc it reminds her of her bond with Flo. On a more personal level, she likes mermaids. As a singer, the thought of luring a seafarer into a watery grave with her voice is deeply appealing to her

Basil: HE LOVES ALL OF THEM. He views folklore differently anyhow due to his pagan beliefs. That aside, he likes the Arthurian mythos. He would also like to pull an epic sword from a stone.

The "entire world while holding face"-thing:

Basil: insert joke about him being really good at giving head here. I mean, you are holding his face and yeah he's an idiot what do you expect. He's secretly touched tho

Anita:

Reem: "Aww honey, me too." *tries to cup MC's cheeks but now you get your arms all tangled up because two people holding each other's faces is difficult*

Flo: *needs a moment to process information and decipher subtext, then just holds the MC too. carefully*

Not doing the pokemon one bc I actually have never watched a single episode of it, sorry.

I loved this ask! Thank you so much!

[mask131]

I finally found a post that allows me to express something I meant to say for a long time... About myths and legends and fairytales in general, and the whole business around the word... "original" (cue to Hammer horror dramatic thunder)

The massive wave across the Internet recently is to denounce the use of the word "original" as meaning absolutely nothing when it comes to myths and folklore. For example, people love, when talking about fairy tales to say "Actually, in the ORIGINAL fairytale this happened like this". And a lot of people criticize it, for good reasons. Take Sleeping Beauty. Many people will speak of the "original" Sleeping Beauty, by referring to the Brothers Grimm version of the tale, "Briar Rose", as opposed to a more recent version such as Disney's. But in truth there was a version older than that and more famous - the French version by Charles Perrault. So this is the original, right? No because many people will point out: there was a version older than this one, Basile's "Thalia, the Sun and the Moon". And this one a lot of people like to describe as the "original" Sleeping Beauty. And yet, there is still another, older version - French again, the medieval romance known as "Perceforest". And this one yet again takes inspiration from older myths and legends - including Germanic ones apparently...

So the use of the word "original" here means, indeed, nothing or is useless because fairy tales, and world-famous/ancient folktales rarely have an "original" version. They have been retold, rewritten and re-transcribed and adapted for centuries and centuries across various cultures and continents, and even the most ancient versions are just reflections of deeper oral versions.

This is what everybody has been defending, this is what everybody has been pointing out: there is a need to fight against the term "original" which can be too easily mis-used or over-used, since the actual "start" of a folktale or legend is lost, given its roots are in oral culture. The same thing is true with myths, especially things such as Greek myths. A lot of things people think they know about Greek myths start with Ovid, a Roman. Then you have to differentiate late records of Greek men, closer to the CE than BCE, and the oldest versions and records we had, Homer and Hesiod. And even then Homer reflected in his writings an even older tradition of a previous civilization lost to us since no written record exists. Take Medusa, and the post I made about her. Everybody uses today the story of her being a priestess of Athena being raped by Poseidon. This is a modern extrapolation of Ovid's tale about Medusa being a woman raped by Poseidon within Athena's temple (no priesthood involved). This in turn was Ovid's rewriting of a widespread tradition from Classical Greece about Medusa being a woman cursed by Athena for being so vain she deemed herself more beautiful than Athena (no rape involved). And this in turn was an evolution of the older Hesiodic/Homeric versions of Medusa, the Gorgon, being born a monster from monster-gods parents, and being part of the monstrous primordial forces of the sea/the underworld.

Now... here we reach my actual point. When I made my post about Medusa some people said "Its a good post but you shouldn't use the word "original" because we do not have the actual origins of Medusa". I agree that technically it is true. By all I said above - all myths and legends take roots within a lost oral culture, there is always a previous version before the one we have, etc... Yet, while I fully know this, I will keep using the word "original". To refer to the oldest record we have of Medusa as a character and myth: Homer and Hesiod (the two actually have a different take on Medusa, but they remain the oldest written records about her).

Why? Because while I agree that in itself the term "original" has been over-used and mis-used and that in the world of myths and legends and folktales it ultimately means nothing... I also strongly believe that refuse to see an origin, that refusing to see a beginning, that refusing to see a given starting point somewhere, opens the gate for all sorts of other misinformation or bad things.

The post in question was about a specific Greek myth (hence my switch to Greek mythology as an example). I won't say which but let's just say in this myth something bad happens. And it isn't an Ovid case where the thing originally was neutral or good and then was made bad later: we are talking about this bad thing happening by the oldest records we have of the story. Right. And this post reacted about an adaptation that changed this bad things to happen in a different angle and be less bad. And this person thanked deeply this adaptation because, by changing the story, it helped them "reconcile" with the myth. Because in their own words: "There were oral versions of it before it was recorded. The myth existed long before it was written. So who is to say this isn't how it happened? Who can say the version of the adaptation isn't more truthful to what the myth was originally about? It perfectly could have happened that way in the oldest versions of the myth, and I chose to believe it did!"

And that's where we fall into the pit. Yes, it is bad to over-use "original" as a word because the true origins of all myths are lost to time... But it is just as bad to not have any beginning point or refuse the idea that a myth was "created" at some point because we have this above. "What ifs", and "It could have happened" and "Why shouldn't it be like that" and "I chose to believe this because we might never know". People will start using the whole "no origins", "oral culture before written culture", "there must have been a previous version" as an excuse to invent versions of a folktale that never existed, or share versions of a myth that never was told, or defend versions of legends that are nowhere to be found.

Because that's the old logic fallacy: "If you can't prove it did not exist, then it means it could have existed". And this opens the gate for all sorts of inventions. Yes, you can invent a version of Medusa's story where she is the child of Zeus and Athena, and then claim it is a possible and likely story because "We don't know what was being told in pre-Homer times, maybe it was part of oral culture". Yes, maybe. But you will also agree with me, dear audience, that such a version is very unlikely to have existed, and that if one starts spreading this version around as a real myth they should be "booed" just as much as someone claiming Ovid's version of Medusa is the "original".

If you ask me, the oldest version of a tale, the oldest record of a myth, should be considered the starting point of the legend, the... I will dare say "original" version of story. With the caveat that, indeed, there might have been older versions, non-recorded, oral, lost to time - but given we do not know what came before this oldest record, given we will likely never know what stood before this most ancient transcription, do we really need to keep beating us over the head and conjecturing about what came beforehand, especially since we are talking about just friggin' Tumblr posts and Youtube videos and the like? For a very advanced and thorough academical research, it is understood... But when it comes to just talking simply and plainly about things, maybe we should have some common sense and have a starting point of the chronology, and focus more on "That's the oldest version we have, and here is how it evolved and moved through from there" instead of "Let's go back into a past so obscure and so distant we actually won't see anything and won't have anything to say".

I will defend the use of the word "original" when it comes to myths and folktales, as long as it is an "original" that is actually the oldest version of a legend we have, and as long as the person that use it knows very well and agrees that there might have been previous versions and evolutions before it, but that were lost to time and thus that we will never know.

... And please, stop using the "there's no original" excuse to make up myths. Because listen: if you have a problem with a legend or myth, and then love a fictional adaptation's change to it, and you claim this new version "reconciled you" with the original... No. No you don't like what the myth or legend is actually about, no you don't like the folktale. You just like and enjoy a fictional retelling, a modern rewrite of the folktale. Not the actual story or the original myth.

[vidavalor]

Please tell me you think there's a word thing happening with the turnip and the inkwell because I can't make it make sense.

Hi there. 💕 Hope you're having a great week so far. I'm making spaghetti tonight, if you would like some. With fresh basil from my herb garden. 😊 I have some ideas on it below. I believe there are word things happening, yes.

The turnip and the inkwell has two levels of meaning, imo. It first comes up when Aziraphale is roleplaying his magic act for Crowley, who is standing in for the audience, which is all a bit meta. On this level, it's a metaphor for the creative process. How so? Well...

Turnips are boring as fuck vegetables lol. No one, in the history of the world, has ever craved a turnip and, yet, we'd be sunk without them, especially as they are also grown to feed the animals on which some of us feed. Metaphorically, a turnip is the boring, banal, everyday blahs of life. Common human experiences that link us together but appear uninteresting on the surface until, through some creative magic, a way to bring them to life is uncovered. To turn those turnips into inkwells through a spark of divine magic and then some human labor?

That is to tell a story. It's what making art is.

That is only one of the two metaphors at work in the scene, though.

There is another level of this, which is that the turnip and the inkwell are also a metaphor that Aziraphale came up with when creating his magic act. He created it within the context of the story of Good Omens so it has a whole, other meaning to him and Crowley.

For the below stuff: TWs: SA, PTSD

To look at a metaphor meant to be penned by Crowley and/or Aziraphale in the story, we have to come at it from a word history and wordplay direction. To come at the turnip and the inkwell from an etymological standpoint, then, is to start with the turnip-- and that means learning about the history of a word that we use commonly today to describe a heinous act: rape.

Rape is an Old French word that comes from the Latin words rapum and rapa. Best that people can tell, it wasn't until sometime in the 14th century that the word began to mean a sexual violation. Originally, the word rape was the name given to what we now refer to in English as the turnip.

At the time, rape was not just the name for the turnip but also an umbrella name for anything in the category of plants that we now refer to as Brassica rapa-- with the Latin roots still visible in there, as you can see. The turnip is still the most commonly grown plant in that category and the main root vegetable. Also in that category are plants that we now call napa cabbage and bok choy, among a few other, less common ones. Rapeseed oil is derived from plants in this category and was once, like the turnip, referred to just as rape. For a little while in the late 1800s, it was also referred to by a name I'll include here as it feels relevant: bird's rape.

In his magic act, Aziraphale transforms a literal turnip into a literal inkwell because it's metaphoric for what he considers his true skill as a magician-- helping to turn his Brassica rapa'd partner into a well (healthiness; full container; water source) of sexually euphemistic ink.

The turnip and the inkwell is the bits of the Fish meta that discuss Crowley and Aziraphale dealing with Satan's attacks on Crowley and what that all had to with ancient Rome, etc., in a metaphor, basically, and one that Aziraphale made up in the story.

Other posts involving this theme and Crowley, should you be interested: the one on Satan's abuse of Crowley; the one about the show using allusions to the myth of Hades & Persephone in this bit of Crowley & Aziraphale's story; and part of the deep dive into what it means to dance.

[emma23]

Lightning in a bottle:

Basil stitt x reader

————————————————————————

The dingy bar was alive with the usual cacophony of music, laughter, and clinking glasses. In the corner, you sat nursing your drink, watching your friends dance like no one was watching. To be fair, no one was, except you. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to join them, it was just…well, there was no point. Every time you tried to have a good time, it ended in disaster. The universe seemed to have a special knack for screwing you over.

“Hey, (Y/N), why aren’t you out there shaking it?” asked Lucy, one of your friends, who popped up beside you, grinning. She had that annoying glow about her, the kind that comes from being in a happy relationship. “Come on, live a little!”

You rolled your eyes and took a sip of your whiskey. “Why bother? It’s not like Mr. Right is going to come waltzing through that door, fall madly in love with me, and sweep me off my feet.”

Lucy laughed. “Well, maybe Mr. Right is a myth, but Mr. Right-Now is just as good. Look around! There are plenty of guys here.”

“Yeah, plenty of guys,” you muttered, glancing around the room, “but none that are looking at me. Look at them, Lucy. They’re all eyeing you and Karen and Maria. Not me. Never me.”

“Maybe it’s just a phase,” she offered, though even she sounded unconvinced.

“Or maybe,” you said, leaning in closer, “it’s because I have a talent for making the worst possible choices.”

Lucy laughed and shook her head. “Oh, come on, (Y/N). It’s not that bad.”

“Oh really?” you said, raising an eyebrow. “Let’s recap: there was Tim, who turned out to be married. Alex, who thought he was a vampire. Jason, who stole my credit card to buy himself a new wardrobe. Should I go on?”

Lucy winced. “Okay, so maybe you have a… unique taste in men.”

“Unique? I’d settle for disastrous. You know, all my friends have managed to find relationships. What’s wrong with me?”

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the bar door swung open, and in walked Basil Stitt. The moment he stepped inside, the air seemed to crackle with an odd energy. Or maybe it was just the flickering fluorescent lights. Either way, he had an aura about him that was hard to miss.

You had seen him around before. He lived in your apartment building, and you’d passed him in the hallway a few times. He was… well, different. Always looking like he was just on the edge of losing his mind. And there was that scar on his face, a jagged line from his cheek to his jaw, like he’d been struck by lightning.

Which, come to think of it, he probably had been. Rumor had it he’d been hit by lightning, and now he had these strange ideas about transformation and becoming something more. You didn’t know if that was true, but he was definitely odd enough to believe it.

“Who’s that?” Lucy asked, following your gaze.

You shrugged. “Basil Stitt. Lives in my building. He’s a little… strange.”

“Strange how?” Lucy asked, curious.

“I don’t know. I heard he got hit by lightning, and now he thinks he’s some kind of... I don’t know, something else. He talks to himself a lot. Sometimes he’s just standing in the hallway staring at nothing.”

Lucy laughed. “Well, at least he’s single, right? Maybe you should talk to him. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You shot her a look. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

Lucy just shrugged and nudged you with her elbow. “Go on. Live a little.”

You rolled your eyes but found yourself standing up anyway, drink in hand. Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was the tiredness from feeling sorry for yourself, or maybe, just maybe, it was the flicker of curiosity about what made a man like Basil tick. You weren’t expecting anything to come of it, but what the hell? What did you have to lose?

Basil was leaning against the bar, staring into his drink like it held the secrets of the universe. You slid into the stool beside him, catching his attention.

“Hey,” you said, trying to sound casual.

He glanced up at you, eyes narrowing slightly, as if he was trying to remember if he knew you. Then his expression softened slightly. “Oh, you’re the one from my building. (Y/N), right?”

You nodded. “And you’re Basil. Stitt, I think?”

He smirked, a small, crooked smile that tugged at the scar on his face. “That’s me. What brings you over to the dark side?”

“Curiosity,” you said, swirling the ice in your glass. “And boredom. Mostly boredom. Thought you could use some company.”

Basil chuckled, a low, almost unsettling sound. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’m the king of boredom. And curiosity? Well, let’s just say I’ve got that in spades.”

You took a sip of your drink, studying him. Up close, you could see the scar more clearly. It looked angry, like it still hadn’t fully healed, even though it must have been there for a while. “So, is it true? You got hit by lightning?”

Basil’s smile widened, a spark lighting in his eyes. “That’s right. Right through the window of my apartment. Boom! Next thing I know, I’m flat on my back, and everything’s different.”

“Different how?” you asked, genuinely curious now.

He shrugged. “Hard to explain. It’s like… before, everything was grey. And now, everything’s on fire. Like my skin is too tight, and I need to break free of it. I’m not the same as I was. I’m more.”

You raised an eyebrow. “More what?”

Basil leaned in closer, his eyes boring into yours. “More everything. More alive, more aware, more... capable. I’m not the man I was before, (Y/N). I’m something else. Something better.”

His intensity was a little unnerving, but you found yourself intrigued. Maybe it was the way he spoke, with such conviction, or maybe it was just the way his eyes lit up when he talked about his transformation. Either way, you felt yourself being drawn in.

“You sound like you’re trying to sell me something,” you said, a wry smile playing on your lips.

Basil laughed, leaning back. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m trying to sell you on the idea of becoming something more, too. Ever feel like you’re stuck in a loop, repeating the same mistakes over and over again?”

You blinked. “How did you—”

“Because I’ve been there,” he interrupted. “I know what it’s like. But I’m telling you, you don’t have to be stuck. You can change. You can become something new.”

You looked at him, really looked at him, and for a moment, you wondered if he was right. Maybe he had found some secret, some truth that you were missing. Or maybe he was just as crazy as everyone said. Either way, there was something about him that made you want to find out.

“Okay, Basil,” you said, setting your drink down and meeting his gaze. “Show me.”

————————————————————————

The ride up to your apartment was silent, the tension between you thick enough to cut with a knife. You weren’t sure how you ended up agreeing to bring him back with you, but here you were, standing in the elevator beside Basil, his presence filling the small space.

As the elevator doors opened, you led the way to your apartment, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Basil followed, closing the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking into place sent a shiver down your spine.

“So,” you said, turning to face him, “what’s next?”

Basil smiled, that same crooked smile that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. “Next, we see if lightning strikes twice.”

He stepped closer, his hand reaching up to cup your face, his thumb brushing against your cheek. His touch was surprisingly gentle, almost tender, and for a moment, you felt a pang of doubt. But then his lips were on yours, and all thoughts of doubt vanished.

The kiss was slow, exploratory at first, as if he was testing the waters. Then it deepened, his hands sliding around your waist, pulling you closer. You responded in kind, your hands tangling in his hair, the sensation of his lips, his body pressed against yours, sending a jolt of electricity through you.

You broke the kiss, breathless, and looked up at him. His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, and you could see the hunger there, the same hunger you felt coursing through your veins.

“Bedroom,” you managed to say, your voice coming out in a breathy whisper.

Basil didn’t need to be told twice. He took your hand, leading you down the hallway to your room. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, turning to face you. There was a moment of silence, the two of you just staring at each other, the reality of what was about to happen settling in.

Then, without a word, you reached for the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head. Basil’s eyes followed your movements, his expression darkening with desire. He stepped forward, his hands going to the buttons of his own shirt, slowly undoing them one by one, never breaking eye contact. There was something both deliberate and intense about the way he moved, as if he was savoring every second.

His shirt fell to the floor, revealing the pale skin of his chest, marred only by a few scars. That lightning strike had left more than just a mark on his face. You stepped closer, your fingers tracing the outline of one of the scars on his chest. His skin was warm under your touch, his muscles tensing slightly.

“You know,” you said softly, “for someone who talks about transformation and becoming something new, you’re pretty good at being human.”

He smirked, his hand catching yours, pulling it to his lips. “Maybe that’s because I’m learning from the best.” He kissed your fingers, then moved your hand to rest on his chest, just over his heart. You could feel it beating, strong and steady.

“Basil,” you whispered, your voice catching in your throat.

“Shh,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss you again, his lips soft but insistent against yours. His hands moved to your waist, tugging you closer, his body pressing against yours. You could feel the heat of him, the desire that seemed to radiate from his skin, and it matched the fire burning inside you.

Your hands slid down his chest, fingers brushing against the waistband of his pants. You fumbled with the button, your movements hurried, impatient. Basil laughed softly, his breath warm against your lips.

“Eager, aren’t we?” he teased, his voice a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down your spine.

“Shut up,” you shot back, but there was no malice in your words, just a raw need. “I’ve had a really shitty day.”

“Well, then,” Basil said, his voice dropping even lower, “let’s see if we can make it a little better.”

He helped you with his pants, pushing them down and stepping out of them. Then his hands were on you again, sliding down your back, over your hips, tugging at the fabric of your jeans. You let out a soft gasp as he kissed your neck, his teeth grazing your skin.

In a flurry of movement, clothes were shed, and the two of you stumbled back onto the bed, a tangle of limbs and heat. Basil’s mouth found yours again, his kiss hungry, demanding, and you responded in kind, your body arching against his.

You pulled him down, your hands on his shoulders, guiding him until he was above you, his weight a comforting pressure. For a moment, you just looked at each other, your breaths mingling, and then he was moving, his body pressing into yours, filling you.

The sensation was electric, like a jolt of lightning running through your veins. You gasped, your fingers digging into his back, and Basil let out a low groan, his movements becoming more urgent, more frantic. The world outside your apartment fell away, leaving only the two of you, caught in a rhythm as old as time.

You lost track of time, lost yourself in the feeling of him, the heat and the pressure, the way his skin felt against yours, slick with sweat. It was intense, overwhelming, and you could feel yourself unraveling, coming apart at the seams. When you finally reached your climax, it was like a dam breaking, a flood of sensation that left you gasping, clinging to Basil as if he was the only thing keeping you grounded.

Basil followed soon after, his body tensing above you, a soft growl escaping his lips as he found his own release. He collapsed beside you, pulling you close, his arms wrapping around you. For a while, neither of you spoke, the only sound in the room the harsh, ragged breathing as you both tried to catch your breath

And in that moment, as the world outside your window continued on its chaotic, indifferent way, you found a small piece of something you hadn’t expected: contentment.

You didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or if this strange, electrifying connection with Basil would last. But for now, lying there in the dark, the flickering lights of the city casting shadows on the walls, you felt…right. Maybe, just maybe, you weren’t the problem after all.

Maybe you’d just been waiting for the right kind of wrong.

[thee-rat-king]

Not to be pissed off on main, but I’m genuinely seething. (Regarding the Netflix Dorian Grey adaptation).

While we’re in early days, and who knows how things will go, this is a perfect example of the industries obsession with IP and name recognition. There are plenty of myths, folk tales, and modern stories about selling your soul for youth or beauty. And there are plenty of new avenues that a film could explore. But THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GREY is a well known name, so of course it’ll be slapped on the project, no matter how false to the original premise it becomes. (While it could technically be true to the original in every other aspects - provided Dorian remains made, if he is made female all bets are off - simply making Basil his brother alters the core of the story so much that even if all else remains true there would be broad, sweeping thematic and emotional (not to mention plot based) ramifications).

For most of this year, I’ve been working on a script and general plan (combination show bible, personal pitch deck and rough storyboard) for an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Duchess of Padua. It’s a little known play of his that’s never (to my knowledge) received a film adaptation and it’s rarely staged. It felt like the perfect story to have a crack at (thank you public domain). Right now, I’m heavily considering temporarily sidelining that and starting a similar process with Dorian Grey with the intention of producing an independent (micro-budget, independent, trying my best) film adaptation (thank you public domain). Dorian has been very much in the public eye for a long time, and it’s very easy to argue that there is no great need for one more interpretation of the text that explores characters individual queerness and Wilde’s intentions towards the story: and that’s true. But I’m still considering it.

The Netflix show will be set in the modern day - a thrilling angle for a story like this. I’d personally be interested in a blended time period approach; modern setting, but explicitly interrogating Victorian morality and aesthetic philosophy, and the ways that both informed the original text, with a careful dedication to recreating the original story (in action and in spirit) in the modern day.

[constantlyfeelsick]

So i was reading @basil-does-arttt 's fanfic "Frustrations and Gentle Affections." and I realised something. For context, Nico has convinced the Spardas to sit down in their Devil Trigger forms and let her pick off loose scales for her experiments and creations. While she is doing this, she wonders to herself whether if demons groom themselves. This led me to the idea, what if demons moult?

(Bunch of stuff about moulting below. I'm no expert, and my sources are all online searches)

I will concentrate on bird and crustacean moulting for this. Moulting for birds is the replenishment and replacement of feathers. A bird's plummage will noticeably change over the course of the year. As their plummage dulls, they will then start to moult. They typically go through either partial moults (replacement of a portion of theif feathers) and/or complete moults (replacement of all feathers, birds typically don more vibrant features after complete moults).

Now moving onto crustaceans, specifically lobsters. Rather than an internal skeleton, lobsters have external skeletons called an exoskeleton. As a lobster grows, their exoskeleton will become too tight, and they will shed their exoskeleton and be left with a soft shell. Immediately after moulting, a lobster will pump their body full of fluids and enlarge their soft shell. A lobster grows ~20% per moult. After enlarging their bodies, a lobster will absorb water to rehydrate and will eat their previous shells to regain nutrition and protein. Due to an enzyme called telomerase, lobsters continue to grow through their lives, and the occurrence of senescence is slow. (It was actually due to this that the myth of lobsters' immortality came to place).

@basil-does-arttt 's interpretation is closer to that of a bird's moult. Individual feathers/scales fall off and are replaced. But I think lobsters' moult align more with demons. I'm pretty sure that as demons age, the more powerful they become. Lobsters also continue to grow as they age. Apart from natural old age eventually killing lobsters, another reason not all lobsters continue growing is that moulting is consumes a lot of energy, the larger the body, the more energy necessary to moult(like how triggering dt takes up a lot of energy for the spardas). Perhaps demons have a similar problem? They can't continue growing for eternity due to energy consumption, and that would explain why we haven't seen any behemoth sized demons. Lobsters' longevity is also seen in demons' long lifespans. Once again, this could be due to demons continually creating a certain enzyme to sustain them like how lobsters do. Also, I feel like eating their shedded moult is something demons would do, just feels right.

Another thing I wanted to bring up is this "cult" that is growing a leviathan lobster god. Sure, it is a joke thing to incentivise people into recycling and caring more for the earth, but they do have a point with the large lobster. The largest lobster found weighed 20.15 kgs (44.4lbs) , the average lobster weights ~0.6 kgs (1.3lbs). That means the largest lobster was ~3591.6% bigger than the average lobster. Now imagine that with demons, if the twins SDT is the average size of a demon, a levithan sized demon would be so fucking huge.

[lokiunderyourbed]

Character sheet of my genshin oc Basil! I’ve did this before the Fontaine update so ill likely update his look again soon since, although his pops is an illuminated beast from Liyue, he has lived his childhood in Fontaine with his mother. He’s a vet and a big animal lover, his illuminated beast characteristics are inspired by the Peng-Kun in Chinese myth. More concrete details about him soon

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

May Week 4: Changing it Up

This week we will change it up from the depth of divination we've dived into the rest of this month and do some fun practical activities as summer gets on in full. Along with that we will still be doing the gem/ herb/ other study we normally do, but this week will be a lot of hands on stuff! So let's get our hands dirty witches!

Monday - What's in the cauldron?

Practical - Pick one of those Witchy recipes you see floating around, or just any recipe you'd like really! One you haven't made before or have been wanting to make for a while, and make it! I'm making honey lavender bread this week, along with a maple butter pork butt, cut into thick slices and kebab'd with some onion, pineapple and jalapeno! Write out the recipe, the directions, and if it has any ritual connotations/ magical associations or purpose, add those to the recipe!

Research/ New Page - Herb Study - Pick another herb from your list and go nuts! Study everything about it from its history and myths around it, to how to grow it and what its associations are!

Tuesday - Artsy Fartsy Witchy Stuff

Practical - Is there any craft you've seen on the internet or in a movie or show or even in a book that you've wanted to make that pertains to your craft and your practice? What is a better way to celebrate your craft than to get out and do it! Get the materials, make the craft and write up a little snippet about it and its purpose/ uses in your grimoire!

Practical/ Mental Health - Yeah, that's right, we care about mental health. Get up, get out, and enjoy the outdoors! Take a walk, drink some water, take your meds, take a nap and relax! Life can get so busy and it is just as important to take care of ourselves, mentally, emotionally and physically as it is to take care of the myriad tasks we have going on.

Wednesday - Dirty Hands? The doing is the thing!

Practical- Ya know all those herbs we've been studying. Well, at least where I live it is summertime. So if you're able, even if it is in a small planter in the house, get some herbs and plant them! Basil, lavender, lemon balm, thyme, sage, anything! Plant em and care for them. It can help give you a better understanding of the herb to watch it grow and care for it!

Thursday - Candles and incense and crystals, OH MY!

Practical - Okay, so its not all writing and research for this challenge. Getting your hands dirty is sometimes the best way to learn! So get a ritual, or spell (make one if you need to and want to!) and perform it! DO the thing. Whatever it is and whatever it is for, add it to your grimoire if you'd like! My grimoire is a few different books that collectively make up the things that pertains to my practice. I keep my spells and rituals in one book. My information in another. Recipes in yet another. Divination/ dreams in yet another. It's a nice little collection. But however you do it, make a page for your spell or ritual. Do it in your lab book if need be so you can look back at it and change it, expand d on it if need be.

Friday - Music, is it magic?

Practical/ Rest - Is there any music that you use to feel Witchy? Is there any music that helps you get in the zone? Make a playlist, or several if you're extra organized, and just put it on and listen to it. Feel it. Really get into the music.

Research/ New Page - Gem study/ Other - Whether it is the gem you're doing or another form of study, take time to really discover all you can about the topic you've chosen. Myths, legends, practical and magical uses! History, physical properties, all of it!

Gosh that's a lot even this week! I'm proud of all of you keeping up with this challenge and can't wait to keep going for the second half of the year! We're nearing that halfway point! Keep up the great work everyone and if you ever have any suggestions or ideas of just want to chat about the challenge, reach out to me on this blog or my main @thehazeldruid

Good luck and happy crafting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[tinyundercover]

so about basil's soulmate. will we ever get to see more of them? maybe basil talking telepathically with her soulmate about life or what was going on with pepper and felix? i was just curious since we only got to hear about her soulmate in the very beginning of the story

hey!! this is a good question! to be honest, I wasn’t really planning on including Basil’s soulmate in this story. in this universe, borrowers don’t care much about their soulmates, simply because they basically have no access to them. most borrowers even think that soulmates are a myth (like pepper, at first). Basil used to talk with her soulmate in her early twenty’s, but they stopped talking over time, as most borrowers do with her soulmates.

I do think it could be interesting to delve into her soulmate a bit more, though. with everything going on with pepper, I could see her feeling inspired to reach out to her own, so it’s possible! I might throw something in!