#the SKILLS

[liquidsao]

Despite everything it's still him...or not?

[katt1281]

Affirmations <3

[parasolemn]

[Image description: In the first image, Harry Du Bois, looking at Gaston Martin's sandwich, fails the check to ask if he can have it. Rhetoric says, "A man so principled about his sandwich calls for a principled approach. Time to get political." Harry, seeing his options, asks, "These options seem awfully fascist or communist - what if I don't wanna say them?" In the second image, Rhetoric takes Harry by the shoulders and tells him, "Say one of these communist or fascist things, or fuck off." Harry appears shocked. In the background, Volition raises a finger and says, "um". End ID.]

skilltober 3!! please forgive the mistakes (see: the fucked up text in the first image) my hands are sooo shaky lately so I'm blaming that. hyperfocusing on one spot without taking into consideration the rest of the image is also my specialty. i figured out why the lighting was weird in the last one though at least!!!

more rhetorics + my cat who decided to jump up and run away with my eraser in her mouth as soon as I had everything ready to take the photo

[ssweetiebop]

SLEEPWALKING HARRY DU BOIS.

EXCEPT WHEN HES SLEEPWALKING. THE SKILLS CONTROL HIM.

Kim waking up in the middle of the night like ‘Harry... It’s 4am. Why are you reorganizing your closet??’ And interfacing is just like ‘shhh Kim I wanted to do this forever.’

Kim waking up early in the morning to the smell of breakfast and Harry is standing in front of the stove sleepwalking while making them both breakfast, volition giving Kim a little wave ‘you’re awake, I made you guys breakfast.’ And Kim’s like ‘what.’ Before Harry immediately falls over as volition leaves and Harry jolts awake confused and disorientated

[get-more-bald]

ok is it just me but aren't the skills groups in Disco Elysium just yellow bile, blood, black bile and phlegm???

[earlofbats]

ok hear me out you do westernized art of harrys skills but its just you giving them cowboy hats (for edc give each head its own hat)

Anon you are so right. My actual thought though was that normal Harry is so connected to the world via his interactions with and relationships to other people that all of his skills sorta are distinctly humanoid and vaguely reminiscent of the people he meets in the game (rather I think the way people look are reminiscent of the skills) But a cowboy is all about being a lone wolf and being connected to the land and nature as well as their tools and such. A cowboy is all about iconography so I was thinking of doing isolated objects and elements of nature integrated with maybe hands or organs and such.

can read the fic here.

[stoneantler]

Of the skills, my favorite is half-light. Underneath all the macho bullshit it spews, half light is really the part of Harry that is scared like an animal. It's his fight or flight response and obviously Harry is set to fight. And I love how it's there, telling you to be afraid, telling you that you must protect yourself because you're in danger. To me, it's even more than fight or flight, half light is ptsd to me. The scene where you discover Cuno's dad is really the moment that illuminated that for me. The way half light keeps breaking into your stream of though, and your heart starts to pound and you start to sweat and it's a silly scene in some ways because your response is so wildly out of proportion to the reality. If Harry were more observant, he would have realized that Cuno's dad is no threat even before they entered the apartment, but for one thing, he's dumb as rocks in this playthrough, and for another, that's ptsd. It's not rational, it's not prortional, it's being scared like a wild animal and it's trying to protect yourself whatever harm you know is coming

[arttitude130]

larger individual pics of the skills (and harry + kim) from my big disco brain post!!!! i was worried blowing them up would mess with the quality but i think it's ok?

free to use with credit (insert disco emoji)

[disco-tic-wonderland]

Doing a yellow/red furies run, and when I found the ledger, Hand/Eye Coordination noted there’s a fuckton of notes. Kim comments on that approvingly.

Then upon inspecting it,

DAMAGED LEDGER—It’s *inornate.* Nearly illegible, yet marching in orderly lines.

PAIN THRESHOLD—Written in a rush. In pain. A race to beat your own heart’s pulse to some dark finish line.

INTERFACING—Your hand cramps up merely looking at the scribbles, drawn—as by some magnet—to the red chequered margins. Fast, but always *straight*…

YOU—Who is this person?

PAIN THRESHOLD—Wearing out. Nearly gone. Sometimes he forgets to keep the pen on the paper as he moves his hand and the lines vanish from underneath…

How heartbreaking and poetic and fascinating. Showing that even in these past few months, Harry was burning himself out with his workload to an extinguishing point. It speaks to his dedication, and see where it got him. It speaks to his utter fear of being left in the dust.

I think it’s sad that Kim approves of this evidence of being a good little cop doing your mountain of paperwork, when clearly it’s not just destructive—it’s like Mozart near the end of Amadeus where he’s in a mad dash to pen his own Requiem before he dies, in the process killing himself faster.

Kim could end up like that, with the right nudge, burning himself out on the work, and he doesn’t even see that that’s what he’s looking at in Harry’s notes.

[silanb]

Composure: Don’t ask about them [failed:]

You: “Hey Kim, what’s with the sick nasty disco piercings?”

Kim Kitsuragi: “Hm?” He tilts towards you but does not look away from his notes.

Composure: God damnit, Harry

[phospadparadscha]

Disco Universe Pale thoughts-

Instead of being the physical manifestation (de-manifestation?) of entropy, maybe the Pale is instead a phenomenon that causes rapid erosion. Gems without adequate protection are basically getting hit by the world's shittiest sandblaster. The effects are similar to canon Pale exposure, with the added bonus of visible damage. The Paledriver has nicks and scratches across her gem, while Joyce uses some sort of clear coating to obscure hers.

Of course, those lost bits of gem don't just evaporate, they join the rest of the dust making up the Pale. The Pale is mostly inert rock, but there's still a significant amount of gem dust in there. With enough exposure, a Gem can get so worn down they can no longer hold a form and are functionally indistinguishable from shattered gems. I.e., they're fuckin dead.

Harry's druzy damage is rare, because those colors are didn't come from nowhere; they're deposits from other Gems, and the conditions under which they formed wpild normally be lethal. It's why the Skills aren't really whole people; they're miniscule fragments of other Gems, joined together. Almost like the Cluster on a very small scale.

I really really really like this Blue. FIRST of all let me thank you for being so involved in this crossover with me and giving me the enthusiasm to keep illustrating and theorizing for it, it means a lot that you and others as into this as I am because I LOVE both of these medias so just a quick thank you lol. More of my answer below so I don't flood people's dashboards:

I was wracking my brain on how to incorporate the skills into this AU and what to do with the Pale, and for a while I had a vague sense of the pale being a cosmic phenomenon rather than limited to one planet like Elysium in the game. I go into some detail about that and the failed rebellion here.

I agree with you that the pale would be something that causes rapid erosion, and that gems need to prepare physically to protect themselves (like buffing or coating). However I disagree that the Pale wouldn't be psychological in origin still. Steven Universe is a very emotional and interpersonal exploration of characters and I do think that the entropy and psychological horror of the Pale and of fragmented gems can coexist very well in this crossover.

Gems develop listlessness in their stagnating and deteriorating society in Steven Universe and the depleting resources causing physical deformities in gems like peridot and amethyst requiring limb enhancers to accommodate them. I think this idea- of a government failing its people contributing to a miasma of hopelessness and deteriorating sense of self in and outside of the Pale- works very well within the context of both the game and the show, and is part of why I think this AU can work the way it does despite the show and game being wildly different in world building and tone.

Gems like Volleyball for example are what I think the result of Pale damage would be. Volleyball's eye is cracked on her projection. This is a result of the psychological damage to her gem from Pink Diamond's abuse. It cannot be repaired like other cracked gems- it is deeply embedded in her gem and the data that projects her. And when sufficiently stressed, it can even spread. I think this aspect of the Pale damage and rapid erosion you mention would work similarly. The Pale is psychological deterioration and torture. It erodes the sense of self, and the gems themselves in a very permanent way. It is a lot like a sandblaster, but not just for the gem- also for the gem's minds as well, a bit like Houseki no Kuni where if the gem loses its inclusions their memories are lost as well.

What I love MOST about this ask is the way you incorporate the gems as particle dust into Harry's Skills, or furies, or voices. They dust over Harry's gem and erode his own at the same time, in a way that removes a large chunk of his data (his memory and gem coloration / density / powers) and dusts it with the shattered remains of past gems as well. The only issue I see with this theory though is that Harry's skills have been with him since before his wipeout in Martinaise, and are part of why Dora left him and why he was known as a can-opener. So perhaps Harry has always been able to hear these voices on the wind somehow, and only after Martinaise did they nearly over write his own gem. This is one aspect of the theory that I am not sure how to proceed but I think definitely that the drusy formations on his gem being particles of gems lost in the Pale manifesting as his Skills makes a great deal of sense.

Anyways I'm sorry for the long ass response lol I just love this crossover and I'm really glad that it caught your attention Blue because you've brought so much to the table!!! If you ever have art requests or anything at all please let me know and feel free to spam me with ideas and messages bc I'm always on that damn phone lol.

[inkstars1138]

Not sure I uploaded this. Heart dressed in the icon Gold Queen outfit from Todrick Hall's "Queen". I am OBSESSED.

[katt1281]

i like to think they play poker when Harry's asleep

this is based on a scene in my casefic! its not published yet but...thats something to look foreward too! :3

[parasolemn]

[Image description: Harry du Bois, holding the bottle of medicinal spirit, looking at it with an inquisitive eyebrow raised. Logic is lecturing him: "If you drink this, then you will die. That's a fact. And that's why we're going to save you from yourself and store this as a SELLABLE item. Go sell it at the pawnshop for a profit." End ID.]

sooo I accidentally made a full list of quotes slash scenes I would want to do if I participated in skilltober. i Promise at least a few of them aren't shitposts. let's see how long it takes me to get overwhelmed by everything 😏

i'll also compile other times i've drawn the skills. there is a 90% chance most of them will have like zero but it's ok. I forgive myself.

[ssweetiebop]

Things I would like to see written more, or would write about if I could write featuring Disco Elysium:

- Harrier Du bois is a Innocence ! It would start out very subtly, with Kim catching Harry just seemingly not breathing, of course his first concussion would be that Harry’s heart must’ve just stopped, que panicked moments where Kim shakes Harry awake or semi freaks out whenever he sees Harry napping at work or just sleeping in general, because Harry is just not breathing. (Because it’s stated in game that apparently Innocence’s are said to not even breathe, they just eternal like that.) or maybe Harry just makes one too many predictions that are scarily accurate which really fucks with Kim as he entertains the idea of Harry being an Innocence, like he doesn’t believe it, but it’s a entertaining thought to ponder until Harry’s lungs suddenly glow out of nowhere, maybe Harry doesn’t notice himself or Kim convinced himself it was a trick of the light… just alot of second guesses and whatnot!

- Harry dating (and it’s not Kim) Harry, after finding out about his sexuality and finally coming to terms to it — decides it’s time to head back into the dating scene! Maybe Harry just ASSUMES Kim is taken already because I mean… it’s Kim! Kim is so cool! Of course he has a partner! (He doesn’t.) and Kim is just like wow my lungs are burning with hurt right now. Kim painstakingly supporting Harry but also dying inside hearing about all of Harry’s dates and partner(s). I just want jealous Kim honestly. Or even possessive Kim teehee… like Kim overhearing Harry has a date tonight and before Harry himself can tell him Kim abruptly asks if Harry wants to hang out tonight, wanting Harry to choose him over his date, even sweetening the deal by saying he has alot of plans of *insert literally all of Harry’s favourite activities and also maybe Kim confessing or being willing to let Harry do XYZ for once* Harry of course just blurts out ‘YEAH ILL HANG OHT WITH YOU!!’ Without thinking and is like oh shit I have a date tonight. Oh god. Do I blow my date off or Kim?? Kim realllyy smug when Harry chooses him all while acting innocent. Even “scolding” Harry when Harry admits he choose Kim over his date. Just small moments where Kim feels guilty for sabotaging his dates but also just can’t help it, he keeps purposefully somehow ruining the relationship. Of course he feels really guilty but Harry will forgive him because it led to them finally dating. Maybe Kim takes it too far or EVEM GETS CAUGHT ACTIVELY TRYING TO RUIN HARRY’S DATES and for the smallest second Harry sees Kim as some sort of jerk (sorta rightfully so!) and gets mad at Kim until later he thinks about WHY Kim was doing that.

- Body swap au ! I know there’s already some of body swaps out there, but I want more! Like the idea of Kim hearing Harry’s skills and being like ‘This is what Harry is forced to hear all the time? It’s so noisy…’ and then Harry being like ‘wow it’s so… quiet… I don’t like it! I miss my friends!’ BUT ALSO!!! BUT ALSO!!! People always do Harry and Kim! I want to see some more variety! Hell even just adding Jean to the mix sounds so fun! Jean waking up at Harry and just being absolutely mortified. I think it would be funny if the skills know right away that the person in Harry’s body right now isn’t Harry, and are deathly quiet during those first few minutes when Jean first wakes up Harry’s body, until… let’s say perspective or reaction speed helps Jean stop a mug from falling and Jean goes very still at the sound of their voices. Harry in jeans body… or maybe KIM in Jean’s?! Oh Kim would be absolutely checking himself out in the mirror (and delighted at how he can SEE!!! WITHOUT GLASSES!) before catching himself and scolding himself to be more respectful. And I think we all know how Harry would be in Kim’s body…

- Furry Elysium ! Look… here me out. we all agreed that Harry and Kim have a very dog + cat dynamic — or at the very least it’s fun to draw them as animals! But alas… I have seen almost ZERO fanfics about them as actual animals/animal-like features! I want to explore a world like disco elysium filled with animal hydrids! … do you think Jean would be a horse? Or a bird like his name suggests? Would Harry actually be a dog or would he be something else? I feel like Kim being a cat or cat-like is perfect BUT if you think of another animal Kim would fit lmk!

- THEM AS KIDS !!! BUT, BUT… I want them to turn into kids! How? Idk! The pale did it maybe?! It doesn’t have to make logical sense. Maybe they remember their adults self maybe they don’t. I just want someone to hold Harry when he’s a toddler… he deserves some soft parental love… or Jean waking up as a teenager and being absolutely pissed because of it… MAYBE they all are different ages, Harry a toddler, Kim a little boy, Jean a teenager. Or just the classic one-person-magically-turns-into-a-toddler-and-then-the-remaining-adults-have-to-come-together-to-take-care-of-said-toddler.

- Kid fic OR parent fic I know I just mention kids but this time I want one of them to HAVE a kid. Of course Kim would likely be excluded from this biological wise but adoption works too! I just like the idea of of Harry being a father or Jean awkwardly holding a youngster or Kim looking around to see if he’s alone before cooing at a cute little kid. Harry would have a blast dressing the baby up. Also imagine just Harry walking into work with a baby strapped to him on day and Jean just spits out his coffee like WHAT is HARRY doing with a baby?? And Harry is just like ‘this is my baby! And you’re the godfather… kinda rude of you to not know!’ I read some kid fics and they were so, SO sweet.

- MAGICALLY TURNING INTO AN ANIMAL ! Yes. We are pulling out ALL the classics. It doesn’t have to be a cat but I WILL be using a kitty here. I’m so sorry this one is the longest. I wanted a fic like this for so long so please allow me to ramble my ass off:

They can’t change back… or maybe when they do change back to being a human it’s not their choice! Think of ‘A Whisker Away’ type of situation. Kim waking up as a kitty absolutely terrified and thinking the one person who would be able to tell it’s him would likely be Harry, right?! Like he gets premonition and predictions and insights all the time! Surely Harry will immediately know it’s Kim! …. Harry does not know or find out actually. Harry just immediately scooping Kitty-Kim once he ‘gains it’s trust’ (but really it’s just Kim stuck between indecisiveness of just running back home or not and trying to figure this out on his own because he already trusts Harry!) and Kim allowing himself for ONCE in his life to be held and loved and pampered and cooed at without shame. BUT I also love the idea of this happening to the others too, like Harry immediately using this to get to know what Kim is like behind closed doors, feeling guilty but also just can’t help but still go and try to get adopted by Kim (newsflash, it takes FOREVER for Kim to finally let Kitty-Harry inside his apartment, and even LONGER for Kim to officially adopt Kitty-Harry, (bonus points if Kim is still in/at precinct 57) but then ! Kim wants to introduce Harry to his cat! uh-oh! Kitty-Harry also kinda afraid of Jean’s reaction to Kitty-Harry but going to be nosy anyways and turns out — Jean is a big animal lover! It barely takes any convincing for Jean to decide to adopt Harry. Harry feeling jealous that he doesn’t get this soft side of Jean but also gives Harry a new perspective on Jean overall. Que Kitty-Harry awkwardly being owned by two of his friends and THEN also imagine them both talking about the cat they own and finding out it’s the same kitty and they both feel sorta backstabbed(?) or are like ‘wow my/our cat isn’t loyal…’ Jean as a Kitty sounds very amusing… just hissing and very annoyed that they don’t clock it right away that it’s him! Knocking over mugs to get their attention and whatnot, getting scolded and put in kitty jail.. :( !

- SWAP AU! Do I really have to go into detail here? I love the idea of a ‘very, very sane’ Harrier du bois and just an absolutely pathetic failure of Kim Kitsuragi in the swap au… shout out to @/Danielcalmdown0 on Twitter for the new perspective/dynamic on this au!! Kim doesn’t own the kineema in this au because they gave it to a more dedicated officer and Kim is just… absolutely heartbroken over it, but also a bit petty and jealous like ‘I WOULDVE TAKEN CARE OF IT THE BESTEST!’ I wish people discussed Jean and Harry’s relationship in this au more though! I like to think in this particular au they would have a bit of a more father-son dynamic?? MAYBE? not necessarily father-son, but something close for sure, just older figure Jean looks up too… (Maybe Harry baby’s or coddles Jean too much in this au and it PISSES Jean off.) would he still be his brooding self?! Let’s just say yes. I think Jean would have a bit of a crush on this Harry, of course he denies it to himself but it’s there, until Kim joins the picture then its pathetic loser vs pathetic loser and Harry wanting them to be friends but it doesn’t really work to much at first… they figure it out later though. IDK! I have a lot of ideas! And a lot of them contradict eachother!

I have alot more ideas. But I been typing for far too long so I’m gonna call it wraps. If you read the entirety of this I love you. AND if you’re a writer… and you get inspired by ANY of these and if you write it?? Please let me know! I would love to read it!