#the hardest part is done anyway

[ghostlylulla-by]

There are only two things I like about this town. One of them is the beach. The other one is a secret!

[shenzaibird-art]

A Discussion of Soulmagic

Verloren presented his research notes to his latest visitor as he described the process of pulling magic directly from a creature's soul instead of just the physical body, a concept that none had attempted before him. He had been explaining the exact same thing to several different people lately and more often than not he was met with disdain and skepticism. He was so tired of all these mages who seemingly couldn't embrace new ideas telling him that this was too complicated and irregular to be worth it. But he did not mind what they thought about his work and continued to discuss it with others when he had the chance, trying to find more folks who could have interesting ideas for his consideration. Verloren had heard about Hyden's impressive magic skills, and how he was particularly interested in darker magics. Would he be able to see the true potential of soulmagic?

Hyden belongs to @chocodile! Just borrowing him for a sec haha

Long stupid excessive ramblings below :'D

I was working on this for a long time. Kinda had it planned for a few years actually, before I even redesigned Verloren and got obsessed with him! They're both evil mages who caused chaotic historical events and then eventually faced The Consequences and lost their powers, so I felt like there was a lot of room for crossovers hehe. I started actually working on this in December and totally thought I'd finish in January but... oh well I guess that didn't happen xD

Unfortunately, all this time spent working on this pic has allowed me to come up with a fuckton of headcanon about it, and I could not rest without spilling all of it in an obnoxiously long wall of text.

So, if I were to steal Hyden and adapt him into my setting, I think he would be a Grand Augur of Necromagic from a kingdom neighbor to Houndsdagger. Augur is a word I stole because it looks cool, but in my setting it basically means a mage that works for the kingdom and does magic research. A Grand Augur is a higher rank than an augur, typically has earned the title through their experience, but also usually they're nobles or important people. They get a seat at the royal council of magic and stuff. So yeah I think that would fit him kinda. And necromagic because it allows for some of the most powerful crafts... and because it's typically the most potentially evil of the magics lol

This probably would take place when Verloren's work with soulmagic was starting to attract private clients looking for dark powerful magics, so Hyden might have heard the rumors about a mage in Houndsdagger who could make magic from souls (of animals but also of people obviously). At first, he might have thought it was nonsense like witchcraft (non-standard magic that a lot of people consider superstition) but maybe he might have grown a bit interested once he learned that this was apparently some extremely powerful form of magic. So on the next opportunity he had to visit Houndsdagger, Hyden decided to check it out and meet this Augur Verloren.

I think this interaction could go well, but it could also go really bad.

Verloren is known for being difficult to work with and straight up hostile at times. He's very quick to judge and will not work with you if he decides that he dislikes you for any reason, so the way that Hyden approaches him would matter a lot. Some things about Verloren that I think would influence Hyden's opinions of him:

- Verloren is just an augur, and augurs typically serve under Grand Augurs, so Hyden is technically above him, although he doesn't exactly have any authority over him since he's from a different kingdom. - Verloren is also not noble or anything like that, AND he's from Vykrest. The Vykrest are a bit more animal-like in some of their ways (like growling, biting, running on all fours at times), which makes people from outside think they're somewhat uncivilized or primitive. Doesn't help their image that they're typically wary of outsiders, with some of their cities restricted to their kind alone. - Verloren also usually appears kinda arrogant, like in a "I don't have time for you" sorta way, which pisses off a lot of people who think that he should bow down to them.

But I think if Hyden is interested in what he has to offer, he would be wise enough to treat him well no matter what he actually thinks of him. And unless the other person is being actually rude to him, Verloren enjoys talking about his work and showing what he's capable of even if he doesn't like them. (It's the part of working with/for someone he hates that he won't do.)

Verloren's work is very complex and his notes and diagrams might seem to make no sense, so Hyden might be skeptical at first, but he'd probably change his mind after some demonstrations of soulmagic's power. I think he would be especially interested when Verloren gets to the part about the Triangle Workyn of Ravenbone, a craft that could permanently increase one's magic ability.

So at this point, if the conversation was going well, they might try to make a deal. Verloren offered his soulmagic services for a cost, but he was very picky about what that cost would be. He was not interested in wealth and instead he would ask his potential client what they could offer that would be really worth his time. Hyden probably would have some interesting magic knowledge to share... or maybe he would offer Ambroys' blood. I have some thoughts about what this would mean in my setting but I guess I can spare you of those ramblings and leave for some other time since it's not directly related to this pic anyway.

Aside from that payment, there would be the materials required for the craft, and for the Triangle Workyn of Ravenbone that included three victims, with their souls bound to their skulls (the process that allows you to use a soul in magic), who should be made to kill each other in order. Verloren would provide the soul-bind spells but Hyden would have to find victims and handle the killings on his own (which I think he'd be pretty capable of doing.) So once Hyden had all the required materials, they'd meet again to do the Triangle Workyn of Ravenbone on him. If everything went right, congratulations! Hyden can now output a lot more magic at once, making all of his spells stronger. Also, his bones are black now (that's what the Ravenbone in the name is about), and possibly a bit stronger too.

Overall, I think they would get along ok, but not exactly amazingly. More of a "I guess I can deal with this guy" sort of thing despite obviously having some shared interests. They'd probably have pretty good conversations about magic, but that alone.

But what if their conversation actually didn't go so nice? If Verloren refused to work with Hyden, how would he react? How would he feel about this random lowly wild-dog of a person having some unbelievably powerful magic rivaling his own and not being able to get it for himself? During Verloren's time as an augur, he gathered several enemies who'd plot his demise and attempt to have him killed and steal his work, and I think maybe Hyden might have been one of those. Eventually, some of his most influential enemies end up convincing the king of Houndsdagger to have Verloren exiled, and maybe Hyden could have been involved. It turned out to be a terrible idea however.

Ahhhh there would be more, but I think it might already be enough and maybe I should shut up...

Sorry I guess I fanfic'd too hard about our evil mages coexisting :'D

[coconut530]

mARTch Day 17: Cool

[multigenderswag]

Guess who finally kicked his depression's ass and started on the multigender data!

[conceptalbummultiverse]

Actually, as long as I’m yammering about The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, here is a by-no-means-comprehensive list of lyrical moments from that album that hit me like a truck whenever I listen to them:

“And I feel so secure that I know this can’t be real, but I feel good.”

“If I keep my self-control, I’ll be safe in my soul, and the childhood belief brings a moment’s relief. But my cynic soon returns, and the lifeboat burns. My spirit just never learns.”

“And I shout out ‘John, please help me!’ But he does not even want to try to speak. I’m helpless in my violent rage, and a silent tear of blood dribbles down his cheek. And I watch him turn again and leave the cage- my little runaway.”

“You’re sitting in your comfort. You don’t believe I’m real. You cannot buy protection from the way that I feel.”

“Who needs illusion of love and affection when you’re out walking on the streets with your mainline connection?”

“The crawlers cover the floor in the red ochre corridor. For my second sight of people, they’ve more lifeblood than before. They’re moving in time to a heavy wooden door, where the needle’s eye is winking, closing on the poor.”

“And the tickler takes his stickleback.” (no joke, this wordplay is so good it makes me want to scream)

“All the pumping’s nearly over for my sweet heart. This is the one for me- time to meet the Chef.”

“How wonderful to be so profound, when everything you are is dying underground.”

“With the first drop of my blood in their veins, their faces are convulsed in mortal pain. The fairest cries: ‘We all have loved you, Rael.’”

“Each empty snakelike body floats, silent sorrow in empty boats. A sickly sourness fills the room, the bitter harvest of a dying bloom.”

“He says to me ‘Now can’t you see? Where the Raven flies, there’s jeopardy!’”

“The gate is fading now, but open wide. But John is drowning! I must decide between the freedom I had in the rat race, or to stay forever in this forsaken place… HEY JOHN!!”

“And when the waters slow down, the dark and the deep have no one, no one, no one, no one, no one left to keep. Hang on, John, we’re out of this at last…”

“It is real. It is Rael. ‘Cause it’s only knock-and-knowall, but I like it…”

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Alright, wordcount of the current "Love will cost you an arm and a leg" chapter (only including the "finished, I don't need to edit this" part) is 5,700+ words.

That's not including the second half of this chapter.

[starkravinghazelnoots]

guess who started writing pt. 4 of complicated!!!

[tinukis]

the day i assign each strawhat a pokemon team (ft honorable mentions bc theres just So many different pokemon that fit them for many reasons. and like i'd see why others would assign them diff pokemon. but this is just in My Eyes) it'd be over for everyone

plus whenever i get a new interest, i immediately think about what pokemon my favs would have 😭

im noT finished with my list yet but the most common headcanon i've seen is luffy and aipom and monferno !! (both are monkey pokemon :3 and monferno is fire/fighting type...) so ofc he'd have them. BUT !! THERE ARE ALSO BUG POKEMON DO NOT FORGET !! HE'D ABSOLUTELY FREAK (POSITIVELY) SEEING THEM ESPECIALLY HERACROSS

also this is Just Me but i think it'd be really cute for nami to have swablu and wingull... like i cant really put it into words bc i dont have the words (though swablu should be self explanatory) (btw you will see a lot of me assign the strawhats pokemon purely based on vibes... but can u blame me theres over 1000 pokemon) AND SHE'D SOOOO HAVE A MEOWTH CMON !! cat burglar nami... meowth that likes to collect shiny coins and if it likes its trainer enough/in a good mood it'd show them its hosrd of treasure...

brook would absolutely have kricketune and you cant change my mind... (yohohoing and delelelewooping in the distance) also during that void of 50 years, he meets dhelmise (ghost/grass type)

obviously, zoro would have sword related pokemon like honedge(and its evolutions) and gallade and ceruledge and— YKNOW!! but (not so) fun fact about honedge. it is steel/ghost type and according to its pokedex, the pokemon is born when a spirit inhabits a sword... kuina and wado ichimonji... see where im going with this?

ANYWAY more thoughts eventually (it has been collecting dust in my notes app for months) but i love pokemon and combining them with my interests...

by the way sanji would have talonflame and i will elaborate later (i hope)

[apaganacademic]

i have. officially started the process to turn my side project, macha's justice, into a Proper Nonprofit so that i can finally offer proper state-recognized certification in domestic violence counseling specifically for pagans and polytheists.

aaaaaaaaaaaah

[fstbmp-a]

I find it very funny that my system for powers doesn't just go to the obvious ones. Like, technically speaking, even the ones that appear super normal do have them; whether they know it or not, they could get as cracked as the big boys if they wanted.

It's really just a matter of ever nurturing the power, knowingly or not.

Aka yes I have, in fact, humored the idea of how each and every one of my muses would get power boosts/powersets entirely.

Because I'm batshit.

[dog-girl-zezora]

...

[pisoprano]

Chapters: 3/7 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire Additional Tags: ML Secret Santa, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Miraculous Ladybug Season/Series 04, Post-Episode: s04 Larme Ultime | Rocketear, Friendship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sleepovers, Homelessness, Chat Noir is NOT actually homeless, Misunderstandings Summary:

When Marinette believes someone she cares about is in need, she asks for help from three of the people she trusts most: Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, and Adrien Agreste. The person in need? Chat Noir. The need? Apparently, he’s secretly homeless.

[toadspondofwhimsy]

i'm gonna disappear for a bit (maybe) but i've decided on a whim to apply for master's programs & the application deadline is apr 1st & i have to write a personal statement as well as read an article & write an essay among other things to apply. I have like 27 days to get that done

[syxnewt]

the newt joined a game jam. she's gonna be making a simple side scroller beat em up game where the goal is to reach Santa Claus before Christmas but also he's been kidnapped by evil snowmen. she doesn't think she'll be able to finish it but she wants to try

[ram-to-the-ham]

When life gets you down, thrust your sona into your favorite game as a shop keeper.

[katranga]

okeee got a full start-to-finish draft of the last conversation of my bg3 fic, instead of just scattered pieces of dialogue!! that took... 5 hours. i'm going to make dinner now