#the kinship chronicles characters

[humbly-a-doppelganger]

THE STOLEN CHILD - WIP intro

So, I thought I’d post an overview of the world that burst inside my mind four years ago, and has so far refused to leave :)

The Stolen Child is the first part of a multi-book, multi-POV series titled The Kinship Chronicles. The story falls under the self-engineered time capsule urban fantasy genre, which is short for a mosaic of urban fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, a touch of horror, a tentative dark academia, and probably a couple other genres I’m forgetting right now. It's also YA! But, above all else, TKC is a story of doomed debts dealt across generations.

The synopsis is as follows:

Coraline 'Cal' Everitt has a secret. Her body, which at the age of five, she discovered would split into two forms—one mortal, the other not. Oftentimes without her consent. Why? All her attempts to learn the reason proved fruitless. But here's the one thing she's certain of: no one in her family shares her ability, thus, she must bring it to her grave.

Oliver Whitaker has a secret. His double-lived identity. He hails from The Kinship, an underground society for the otherworldly Saz. And yet, he spends his days Aboveground, spying on Cal in search of a sign that would mark her as one of his own, like her parents before her. Even though they hold no memories of it.

Diana Zubairu has a secret. The ghosts of her past haunting her present. Her family moved to London in hopes of escaping the aftermath of her brother's death. She may think herself on the path to healing, may find new companions in Cal and Oliver, yet John's clutch is strong and stubborn—and he has deemed her his sole victim.

Then a sudden attack falls upon them, causing the walls guarding their secrets to crumble to dust. Cal, Diana and Oliver will have to rediscover reality in the latter's native land—the very same land Cal and Diana are also entitled to. But in The Kinship, they'll get entangled in a quest that will challenge the very basis on which their perceptions hinder. Min Hao, the youngest daughter of a dying politician, is missing.

And only they may save her.

The Stolen Child is an amalgam of a myriad of tropes, plot points, etc. that don’t quite fit into any categories. You’ll like it if the following catches your eye:

Character-driven stories

Fleshed-out lore

Slowburn

Victorian era aesthetics

Underground, secret societies

Unconventional powers

A strong emphasis on platonic relationships

Mysteries

Queer characters and storylines

Time loops

Creepy, monstrous children

Saphic yearning

Rotten utopias

"We were fated to meet"

Diary romance

Journey to acceptance

Complicated families

I have a sick obsession with making characters. Seriously. The Stolen Child has a main cast of eight:

Cal Everitt ✧₊⁺ A newcomer lost amid her birthright

Oliver Whitaker ⚕ A healer who many help all but himself

Diana Zubairu ཐིཋྀ A foreigner hiding from her ghosts

Selvar Zandstra 𖤓 A survivor frozen in time

Atalanta Everitt-Melton ೱ A historian on the verge of collapse

Hunter Hao 𓍼 A brother with a blindfold in tatters

Morgan Hao ☠︎︎ A sister burdened by her misery

Caleb Verninac ♫ A son of secrets and pain

If any of this interests you, here’s the chapter list with links to each respective chapter!

Aside from posting on Tumblr, you can also find me on AO3 (Crosskill11), on Wattpad (Crosskill-11) and on Instagram (humbly_a_doppelganger), though I very, very rarely post anything there, if at all.

Now, this is getting too long, so I’ll be posting my inspirations for The Stolen Child—and The Kinship Chronicles as a whole—under the cut.

Early 2000s urban YA fantasy literature: in many ways, The Kinship Chronicles is an ode to those stories of girls who discovered the world was not what it seemed, that magic was not the stuff of fiction and that, despite everything, she was owed a place among that newfound reality. Only it is queer

The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare: literally all of it, from The Mortal Instruments to The Last Hours. In fact, The Kinship Chronicles started out as a mesh of wild TSC fan fiction and a pre-existing WIP of mine I’d created at 14. Those books have nurtured me in my adolescence (and early adulthood) and in many ways, The Kinship is what my social sciences brain would’ve liked the shadowhunter world to be. The Infernal Devices and The Last Hours made me fall in love with the Victorian and Edwardian Eras

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: his books were the first time I heard the word ‘time loop’ (or bucle temporal in Spanish), and I remembered being so mesmerised by the kind of powers peculiars wielded—they were, in themselves, peculiar, and I hope that Saz’s insignias embody that same peculiarity

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James: I don’t think many people have read this book, I finished it at 2:00 a.m. in a random summer and it’s stayed branded in my brain ever since. I can’t recommend it enough. Strangely, it made me love the idea of falling in love with a person who you’ve only known through their writings

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: listen, the second line of the first chapter of The Stolen Child directly mentions Barrie. Peter Pan was my first fictional crush, Neverland my first form of Heaven. Two summers ago I read the original book from the early 20th century and I bawled my eyes out. Because of this, my main character, Cal, adores Peter Pan and I hope to be able to convey at least half as much as what Peter Pan conveyed to me. I don’t care if it sounds childish

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac: eight-year-old me had no business watching this anime, but I’m glad I did. My man Ikki had done wonders to help me worldbuild

Tales of Berseria & Tales of Zestiria: undisputed JRPG masterpieces. Great, great, great for worldbuilding

Uncharted & Tomb Raider: I will cry, I wanted to step into their worlds so much I carved out a piece of them and stitched it into Mirror (this is very vague inspiration, but inspiration nonetheless)

Plato’s philosophy: truly inspired a great plot point and Morgan and Hunter’s character arcs. I should really get to reading the Symposium

Descartes’s philosophy: can’t say how or why, but by God I love Descartes

Spanish and, more particularly, Andalusian culture and heritage: this will be evident at the very end of The Kinship Chronicles. It’ll potentially traumatise some people, but that doesn’t erase the fact that I think my culture’s beautiful and that I’m forever grateful that I get to experience it

Roman law: my inner law student took the reins. The XII Tables my beloved

[hahahax30]

It's the way my books's ending started out with the main character's parents being brought but to life, but now it's actually going to end with a parade of their corpses (+ the corpses of all those people who fought alongside them) to remind my world of the lengths they went and they still were despised by the general populace

[book--brackets]

Temeraire by Naomi Novik (2006-2016)

DESCRIPTION

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire. 

 Capt. Will Laurence is serving with honor in the British Navy when his ship captures a French frigate harboring most a unusual cargo–an incalculably valuable dragon egg. When the egg hatches, Laurence unexpectedly becomes the master of the young dragon Temeraire and finds himself on an extraordinary journey that will shatter his orderly, respectable life and alter the course of his nation’s history.

 Thrust into England’s Aerial Corps, Laurence and Temeraire undergo rigorous training while staving off French forces intent on breaching British soil. But the pair has more than France to contend with when China learns that an imperial dragon intended for Napoleon–Temeraire himself– has fallen into British hands. The emperor summons the new pilot and his dragon to the Far East, a long voyage fraught with peril and intrigue. From England’s shores to China’s palaces, from the Silk Road’s outer limits to the embattled borders of Prussia and Poland, Laurence and Temeraire must defend their partnership and their country from powerful adversaries around the globe. But can they succeed against the massed forces of Bonaparte’s implacable army?

Wayside School by Louis Sachar (1978-2020)

There was a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to have been built with thirty classrooms all next to each other in a row. Instead, it was built with the thirty classrooms all on top of each other - thirty stories high! That may be why all kinds of strange stuff happens at Wayside School. Especially, on the thirteenth floor. It is a school full of unusual characters too. Mrs Gorf the meanest teacher in the world. Terrible Todd who always gets sent home early. John who can only read upside down.

Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black (2002-2007)

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces them back to Kaye's childhood home. But Kaye's life takes another turn when she stumbles upon an injured faerie knight in the woods. Kaye has always been able to see faeries where others could not, and she chooses to save the strange young man instead of leaving him to die. 

But this fateful choice will have more dire consequences than she could ever predict, as Kaye soon finds herself the unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms--a struggle that could very well mean her death.

The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist (1982-1986)

My name is Pug. I was once an orphaned kitchen boy, with no family and no prospects, but I am destined to become a master magician...

War is coming to the Kingdom of the Isles from another world, bringing with it chaos and destruction. Pug yearns to train as a warrior and fight for his kingdom alongside his foster-brother, Tomas, but instead he is forced to follow a different path: a path that will lead him right into the heart of the enemy. And one that will change the course of the war - and two worlds - forever.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (2009-2011)

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. 

 Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. 

 Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. 

 With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (1985-1993)

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (2020-present)

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

In an attempt to prove himself a true brujo and gain his family’s acceptance, Yadriel decides to summon his cousin’s ghost and help him cross to the afterlife.

But things get complicated when he accidentally summons the ghost of his high school’s resident bad boy, Julian Diaz – and Julian won't go into death quietly.

The two boys must work together if Yadriel is to move forward with his plan.

But the more time Yadriel and Julian spend together, the harder it is to let each other go.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (2003-2004)

After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they've just moved into, Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory, discover that there's a magical and maybe dangerous world existing parallel to our own--the world of faerie. 

The Grace children want to share their story, but the faeries will do everything possible to stop them...

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (2012-2015)

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs, the captain of the Queen's Guard. While they begin to uncover a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect the secret behind her musical gift--a secret so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1996-2022)

Gen can steal anything—at least that's the boast he's made in wineshops across the capital city, and this bragging has landed him in the king's prison. His chances of escape look slim—even for someone of his talents. When he is invited to join a quest to steal an object straight out of a legend, he's hardly in a position to refuse.

[balladofbells]

RANK the TSC main girlies

Emma, Clary, Cordelia and Tessa (also Dru if u feel like adding her)

sorry it took so long to reply anon these were just decomposing in my drafts for a couple days :3

1. Clary Fairchild

She may not be for everyone but I love her; she’s everything. She’s been targeted, harassed, and threatened by her own father and brother- the people who were supposed to protect her- and she’s still able to fall victim to a-lot of things not just in the shadow-world but in the fandom (GENDER DISCRIMINATION).

And hey, there’s nothing wrong with favouritism In characters, but blatantly disregarding her entire survival and depression by calling her an ‘unimportant’ run-of-the-mill YA protagonist that can easily be pushed aside for suddenly more ‘complex’ characters? The line is drawn. She just deserves more recognition.

2. Emma Carstairs

Her trilogy (The dark artifices) was the first that got me really into the chronicles. I’d dabbled here and there but tda was basically my first love, so therefore she’s automatically pretty high on my list.

3. Tessa Gray

Great (although depressing) story and plot line for not just a warlock but for a character. She really resonates with me as an infp and a bookworm, too.

4. Dru Blackthorn

Reading TDA, I really felt a kinship with Dru even though we didn’t even get that much POV content out of her. After twp is released, she’ll probably be even higher on my list but for now, she’s at a four until we see more of her journey.

5. Cordelia Carstairs

Definitely brought much needed diversity for main female characters in tsc, and it was really interesting to be able to be educated on all the Persian culture. But I never really connected with her character and point of view the way I wanted to be able to (which is okay, a lot of people like Daisy!) and that’s the reason why she’s so low.

[tuliharja]

Five comfort characters, five tags

Thank you so much for tagging me @unohanadaydreams!

The timing of this tag game wouldn't have come in more ironic timing than it did, since just recently my one friend asked me about my own comfort characters. To be honest, I think when I move to a new fandom, my comfort character changes along the way. Though, at times I notice myself going back to certain fandoms and reading about certain characters or ships, so maybe those in a way comfort me. But then I read about other people's answers, which made me realize the definition of comfort character differs from person to person. Yes, there are some similarities, and even in some cases, the definition can vary between characters. It's all about how one views and handles them. So, I've tried to make my own list with explanations of why these characters are my comfort characters (which was very hard. Not just because of the explanations, but also just listing only five of them!)

Tomoyo-hime (from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle). Probably my oldest blorbo. Writing her is extremely easy for me. Not to mention she reminds me of all the good and pure things in the whole world with that glint of mischievousness. Just thinking about her calmness and beautiful smile soothes me. Not to mention she is the other part of my ultimate OTP, so when I talk/write about her, I can talk about my OTP. (And oh boy. I have a lot to say/write about them! And things concerning them and around them.) She is just extremely comfortable to me.

Yoruichi Shihoin (from BLEACH). When you don't know what to draw, either draw Tomoyo or Yoruichi, my brain whispers to me when I'm stuck on which anime/manga woman to draw. Yoruichi is extremely easy for me to draw. Not to mention there is just something in her character that draws my attention in art-wise. I really like to both draw Yoruichi and look at the art of her. It brings me a sense of serenity and makes me want to draw something cool or amazing. She is a very great character. I also like the fact the manga didn't reveal everything about her, so there is room to write about her if I so want. Not to mention she is a very layered character underneath her cattish attitude. But to me, she is mostly my art blorbo.

Shinji Hirako (from BLEACH). This feels very random, even to me. But after I mulled over this matter a good while, I realized Shinji is my comfort character. Each time when I've been away from Bleach fandom and I want to read a Bleach fic, I unconsciously start to look for fics where is Shinji. There is just something about the piano teeth man who brings me a sense of security, despite the fact he is a goofy mess. Not to mention he is an extremely layered character, which makes him just a delicious character to read about. (Sadly, I still can't read fics where he and Hiyori appear as main characters as usual in such fics their slang/dialect is so strong, I get lost in translation...)

Furina (From Genshin Impact). One of my newer blorbos. I can't help but just feel most about her. Even before the big revelation about her, everything about her made me root for her and feel this kinship that is very hard for me to explain. More so, after the big revelation about her. There is something about Furina that brightens my day and makes me feel reassured. Especially when I think how she can mess up badly or be a bundle of anxiety, yet still keeps going on despite her many failures and faults. Not to mention she is a very complex and pretty character. I definitely want to make art about her at some point~.

Lucifer Morningstar (from Lucifer). My newest, shiny blorbo. I must admit I'm not sure why he is my blorbo. The fact he is such a layered character? The fact he looks drop-dead gorgeous? He has more issues than one can count with two hands, yet still chooses to ignore that all? The huge angst potential? The fact despite the fact he can (and will) act like an absolute a-hole yet is the sweetest thing ever? Or he knows how to live, but can still be very insightful and all that more? Haha, I don't know, but I sure do know underneath that wild party animal, he is the most lovable guy ever and that's magnetic. Plus, he is what he is and is (mostly) unapologetic about it.

Honorable mentions: Juushiro Ukitake (Bleach), Tobirama Senju (Naruto), Madara Uchiha (Naruto), Thrawn (Star Wars, Penelope Eckhart (Villains Are Destined to Die), and Riruka Dokugamine (Bleach).

Tagging (with no pressure): @officerjennie, @callmeasyouwantidk, @jkrobertson, @the-con-she-called-conscience and @lemongrass-and-cedarwood.

[bucking-mustangs-with-wings]

Tag game: 10 characters from 10 fandoms

I was tagged by @hogans-heroes and my old laptop is working for 5 minutes on it's last legs so let's do this before it craps out again! God I gotta go way back in the earlier fandom days for some of these, I haven't been in a fandom since I was a teenager until MotA & Dune

1. Gale "Buck" Cleven (Masters of the Air) I would put Bucky as well but I can only choose one *cries* and I feel a complete kinship with this character and his mannerisms/traumas/personality etc.

2. Paul Atreides (Dune/Dune Part Two) look, I know he's an anti-hero and drank the worm juice so he turned into a crazy dictator but mans went through a lot and became a bad-ass doing it

3. Kiba (Wolf's Rain) do NOT get me started unless you want me a blubbering mess for a week straight

4. Ryuk (Death Note)

5. Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf) YES I was a Teen Wolf girlie.. sue me

6. Klaus Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries/The Originals)

7. Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) still LOVE this character but can't help but get a visceral reaction when I look at him now because he looks like my ex. Actor has the same fucking first name too. Go figure. Sorry, boo (Arthur)!

8. Wil Ohmsford (Shannara Chronicles) My obsession for Austin Butler I wholeheartedly blame for this one. He should be higher up on the list, but eh. Love him, he's an idiot tasked with saving the world. Dorky dumbass x 100 with the situational awareness of a 2 week old kitten.

9. Triss (The Witcher: Wild Hunt Game version)

10. Dean Winchester (Supernatural) Supernatural really dropped the ball in later seasons honestly, but I still love the earlier ones and the character. Him and Sam are just alternative universe versions of me and my best friend.

I'm gonna tag: @avonne-writes @onyxsboxes @antiquitea @trashbag-baby666 if you guys feel like it and anyone else who would like to!

[jaredxenoengage]

Three Plus Two: Xenoblade 2

Spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2:

Every JRPG is going to have its stories, some anime tropes, FANSERVICE, a crap ton of flaws (but when is anything perfect to begin with) and their ragtag bunch of misfits. And that is ok. We’re all going to like different things. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about concerning Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (one of my favorite JRPG games of all time).

And no, it’s not talking about the “problems” Xenoblade 2 “suffers” from, we could be here FOREVER discussing that. No, I want to talk about the party of Xenoblade 2. If you remember my post regarding the Five Man Band and how Fire Emblem Engage uses the trope https://www.tumblr.com/jaredxenoengage/753270910703828992/the-five-man-band-is-among-one-my-favorite-tropes

While Xenoblade 2 does follow the Five Man Band trope, as their are 5 party members (Rex, Nia, Tora, Mòrag and Zeke, with Vandham and ironically, Jin and Malos as guess party members). For most of the game, up until the end of Chapter 4, the team sticks with the Power Trio Rex, Nia, and Tora. This is the Three Plus Two trope (best seen in Power Rangers Dino Thunder, its predecessor Ninja Storm, Jungle Fury, and Power Rangers RPM (for the most part). It’s where a power trio in a team evolves in the typical Five Man Band.

The team would expand later with two main party members (both of whom served as Rex’s rivals throughout his journey). Mòrag, Special Inquisitor for the Empire of Mor Ardain. While Mòrag was never evil, Mòrag (like most Sixth Rangers) opposed Rex because she did what she felt was right (because she saw the Aegis, Pyra as a threat to the world, and an Artifical Blade who looked like Poppi was causing trouble). But eventually, Mòrag settles her differences with Rex and eventually becomes fully devoted to Rex’s cause.

Zeke Von Genbu. Yeah. Zeke Von Genbu. The same guy that Rex fought and became his own undoing. Zeke is very much like Mòrag. As he is also royalty of one of the Kingdoms of Alrest, as the prince of Tantal. Zeke fought Rex to test his strength and intended to join him so that he could eventually meet Amalthus, who the party were going to meet anyways at Mythra’s (Pyra’s sister/original) behest.

Mòrag and Zeke are both far more experienced than Rex is both as Drivers and as citizens of the world of Alrest. Both fought against Rex before eventually joining his party. And most of all, they both, in a way, serves as mentors to Rex. After seeing his potential and his character, they both eventually choose to trust him.

Now what dynamic do each of the party members serves?

Rex is the Leader and main protagonist of Xenoblade 2. As a Driver and someone who lives in Alrest, Rex is very inexperienced in comparison to all of his other friends (Tora included despite not being a Driver yet, cause he couldn’t be without Poppi). So Rex in a bit of a in a pickle in his leadership spot.

But what he lacks (initially) is skill, he makes up for it with his heart and strength of character. Rex serves as inspiration to others. Despite their initial backlash, during the brief time Torna was using Rex to retrieve Pyra, Nia does show a little bit kinship with him. So Rex (initially) dying at Jin’s hands and Malos threatening to dispose the Argentum Trade Guild’s Salvagers as “thanks” for helping them causes Nia to defect Torna. It’s also at Rex’s behest that convinces Nia to stay with him (and Tora) on the Journey to Elysium.

And all of this is WITHOUT talking about how much of an impact he has on Pyra and Mythra. Speaking of whom, as the Aegis of the team, Pyra (mainly Mythra) is the driving force behind the journey to Elysium. It was Mythra’s idea to take Fan La Norme (Haze)‘s invitation to meet Amalthus (they were already going to meet him anyways). And as the Aegis, Pyra and Mythra are one Alrest’s most powerful Blades.

And later in the game, Rex gets Roc (Vandham’s former blade), exclusive access to Nia as a Blade, as well as Pneuma and the Master Driver abilities (that gives Rex the ability to use the Blades of his fellow Drivers, save for Poppi). Despite Rex’s initial inexperience, by the end of the game, he has the most blades locked to him, and the ability to use every non Poppi blade).

Nia is the Lancer of the team. The Lancer the one who serves as the Leader/Hero’s second in command and/or foil. Nia is more of the pessimist compared to Rex’s optimist. Nia is the first to question Pyra’s quest to reach Elysium (which she was right about, for the most part). And (ironically) when Rex was going to give up the journey after Pyra and Mythra are kidnapped at the end of Chapter 6, at the start of Chapter 7, Nia is the very first person to give Rex a piece of her mind.

As far as being foils in their powers, Nia’s Blade is Dromarch, a Water Blade that serves as a parental substitute for Nia. Dromarch is more of the Advisor, and is one of (if not) the most knowledgeable party member. Making him more of the smart guy in terms of his role when talking about the Blades.

Not many Lancer type characters are healers (which would be more of The Heart’s role), but where Nia shines in being the Lancer to Rex AND the Aegis girls is that she is a Flesh Eater. Making their dynamic similar to Jin and Malos, a fellow Flesh Eater and Aegis Blade respectively.

Tora is more of a “smart guy” than what most make think. Say what you will about his perverse behavior towards Poppi, but Tora would have to be intelligent enough about Drivers and the tools need to make Poppi to be able to make her at all. In fact, Poppi’s role in Team Aegis as a whole is very crucial to success of Rex’s team.

For example, Tora teaches Rex about the elemental powers of the Blades. Helped him and Pyra escape from Brighid and form a plan to save Nia after she was captured in the aforementioned battle. Tora (albeit with Mòrag’s advice) was able to use Poppi to escape from a prison in Tantal that negates Blade arts in Chapter 6. In the trip down Spirit Crucible Elpys, Poppi being an Artificial Blade allows her to use Arts perfectly fine. And finally, Poppi is a key player in stopping Amalthus’s control over the Titans.

Poppi’s gameplay as a whole serves similarly to the smart guy because she is more customizable than any other Blade in the game. Her versatility gives her a use in battle no one else has. This is especially true in Chapter 7.

Poppi’s overall character is that of the Heart though. It’s Poppi who manages to succeed in reaching out to Rex when he was going to quit his journey to Elysium after the Aegis is taken away from him. Nia and Brighid were unable to cut deep into him, but Poppi succeeded. Poppi also convinces Jin to hear out Brighid’s request to learn about herself in Chapter 8, and she has the most emotional moments on the whole.

Now normally, Vandham’s role would be the Big Guy. His seize notwithstanding, Vandham is very much a Mighty Glacier that hits hard with his Wind Blade Roc. All of Vandham’s stats (save for agility) are really good in the brief time he’s at your side. Unfortunately, the Big Guy suffers from a Fatality Syndrome. And in the case of Vandham, it couldn’t be cured.

Vandham’s role in chapter 3 is to be the mentor. Vandham teaches Rex how to Topple with his Anchor Shot. Vandham teaches Rex about the world of Alrest through the harsh realities of the Blade System. And Vandham, above all else, taught Rex to fight his own war. A lesson that would stick with Rex for a long time.

The reason why this JRPG team is a Three plus two dynamic is because of Vandham’s death. Once he died, it was back to the Power Trio of Rex, Nia and Tora.

This is where Mòrag would fill the role Vandham left behind. Mòrag is every bit of the experience Driver as Vandham was despite being a mercenary in the grand scheme of things. If you don’t consider Tora to be the smart guy of the team, then consider Mòrag in chapter 6. Her knowledge over the events in Alrest leads her to be the one to question Amalthus’s role in the plot. In the same chapter, she was the first to realize that the King of Tantal may had different plans for them (her fears were proven right).

Mòrag’s experience and battle prowess makes her a Genius Bruiser. As the Flamebringer and with one of the twin jewels of Mor Ardain: Brighid, her prowess as a Driver and experience as Special Inquisitor of the Empire makes her an invaluable member of the team once she finally accepts her role as Rex’s ally.

In fact, Mòrag is the only Driver of the team (Vandham excluded) to not have some unique aspect about her as a Driver. Rex is the Driver the Aegis, Nia is a Flesh Eater, Tora is a Driver with an Artificial Blade, and Zeke is a Blade Eater. And even if Mòrag gains access to Aegaeon later on, awakening him is optional. So Mòrag is simply a powerful and effective Driver all on her own.

And then there is Zeke. While I say he is the heart overall as far as the Drivers are concerned (which is best exemplified late game), Zeke also has some Big Guy traits, as well as Sixth Ranger traits.

Zeke is undoubtedly the tallest member of Rex’s team. Zeke is also the most boisterous in terms of personality. And if it’s not Rex getting hit the butt monkey moments, or Tora and Nia in some cases, then it’s definitely Zeke. Unlike Vandham, some of the other tropes you find in the muscle characters (besides the fatality syndrome) are found in Zeke.

Now where does Zeke fit in terms of being the heart? IMO, Zeke has some of the most heartfelt moments and scenes in the game when he isn’t just being played for comedy. Zeke willing opening up about his Blade Eater status and backstory serves as the moment Nia finally comes clean with Rex about her own backstory (and her Flesh Eater form later). Zeke is one of the most caring members of the team and his relationship with Pandoria is really heartwarming and tragic with his backstory in mind.

And as for the Sixth Ranger trope, he would have played this straighter if Vandham was still alive. Even if his Eye of Shining Justice ability is NG+ only, Sixth Rangers often get some the cooler powers and abilities if the Red Ranger doesn’t have them, and this is no exception.

Now when we look at the Organization of Torna, they follow a similar team structure to Rex and his party members. Once it all comes together, you begin to see who serves as a counterpart to who. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePsychoRangers

Jin to Rex: True, Malos is the Aegis, thus making him the evil counterpart to Pyra and Mythra. But in terms of roles in the team and their story, Jin is meant to be the foil to Rex. Jin represents the person Rex could have become if he was driven to despair.

Jin’s former Driver and love interest Lora died at the hands of Amalthus. On top of losing some of other friends in the Aegis war, and problems with the Blade system leads him to hate the world and wish to see it burn.

Because Jin is a Flesh Eater, he has some foils towards Nia as well. But again, Jin is more meant to be Rex’s counterpart. And their interactions throughout the story makes this clear.

Nia to Malos: Nia inadvertently became Rex’s second in command after their meeting and her eventually break up with Torna. Much like, or not, how Malos follows Jin’s lead, Nia is the one who always questions Rex’s every move. Whereas Malos tainted Jin with his despairing influence that also consumed Amalthus, Rex’s influence was slowly changing Nia for the better.

In chapter 7, Nia’s Flesh Eater healing powers serve as a direct counter Malos’s destructive capabilities when his Aegis powers are restored. She can act as Rex’s Blade together with Pyra and Mythra as well.

Malos is an Aegis who follows the lead of the Flesh Eater Jin, while the Flesh Eater Nia has to back the Driver of the Aegis: Rex up.

Akhos to Tora: Akhos and Tora don’t any interaction, but I’d say their roles are similar enough to warrant the comparison. Tora isn’t a master strategist guy like Akhos is,but he’s knowledgeable enough to allow Poppi to even exist and be a key player in Rex’s journey. Akhos serves as the eye in the sky for Torna and does it effectively.

Patroka to Mòrag: Both Patroka and Mòrag are both the female powerhouses. But Mòrag is more levelheaded and skilled, while Patroka is more brash and quick to lose her temper.

And Mikhail to Zeke: finally, both Mikhail and Zeke are the regular butt Monkeys of their respective groups. The two of them have more depth than their silly butt of jokes give them credit for. Lastly, but by far the most important part, they are both Blade Eaters with conflicts towards Amalthus. This becomes apparent in Chapter 9.

And that is my take on the team dynamic of Xenoblade 2.

[queer-is-future]

Hiya 👋

Who’s your favorite vampire chronicles character and why? And what relationship do you find most interesting with them?

To me iwtv is just really good at getting you invested in characters and dynamics and I was wondering which one you particularly enjoyed. :))

Armand. He's everything to me. In every version of TVC.

When I was 14-15 in 1994, I found the Vampire Chronicles thanks to the film. I devoured the first three books, and just felt an immediate kinship to Armand. The way he loves and expresses love is how I feel and express love, and it was pretty amazing seeing that in a book (and the film.) He also hyperfixates and so do I.

He was the first literary character I felt close to, and that hasn't changed all these years later.

My favorite of his relationships is The Devil's Minion, for so many reasons. Armand's love affair with Daniel is incomparable. I also love Armand's relationship with Marius, though I'm in the minority here with that.

[justawanderingbabbit]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love!

Babbit babbling ahead!

The story that pulled me into writing fanfic was Scum Villain Self-Saving System. I won't say my first or second fic is my favorite, though; both have flaws that I'm not ashamed of but mean they're not up to snuff. Since then I've written for Scum Villain, Modao Zushi and Heaven Official's Blessing, as well as for Dao Mo Biji (AKA the Graverobber's chronicles)

1) What Is Not Said

The Scum Villain universe is changed by the simple matter of Liu Qingge rescuing Shen Jiu from the Qing before Shen Jiu is driven to homicide. This results in Shen Jiu getting the training he needed when he needed it and shifts the course events away from ever needing a Shen Yuan to fix things. (I may, one day, address what happens with Shen Yuan, but not any time soon.)

The title comes from the line, "Communication is the understanding of what is not said." Since lack of communication is the primary cause of death in Moxiang Tongshu's works, this fic is all about properly communicating.

2) Different Paths to the Same Route

In a world where Nie Mingjue kills (sort of) his 3rd sworn brother, he and Lan Xichen work together to save Jin Guangyao's spirit and - when he's mostly restored to them - to prevent Jin Guangshan's plans for the cultivational world from wreaking havoc. Just this once, almost everybody lives.

The title is based on a Modao Zushi music video called Different Paths, in part because despite the changes, certain fixed events are fixed and still sort of happen.

3) Moxiang Tongxiu Crack and Drabbles

As the title says, this is a huge compilation of short fics based on various of Moxiang Tongxiu's works. Some are silly little fics, some a bit more serious. Not really drabbles, perhaps, but so it goes.

Some of the fics form the basis for other fics but those aren't finished and (I'm sorry) may never be because they're sitting there laughing at me.

4) The Wang Who Came In From The Cold

I've been pretty focused on Daomo Biji lately, so most of my more recent fics come from there. This one posits that Wang Can from Sand Sea (1) survives, (2) is Liu Sang's 'twin', and (3) what would happen if he showed up at Wushanjiu after rescuing Xiaomai from thugs.

It has a follow up, wherein Yan Sanxing is their parent and is rescued from durance very cold and vile and the truth about their family is revealed.

5) Alias Yue and Huo

Another Daomo Biji fic, yet another focused on Wang Can. (I love Liu Sang but Wang Can is so FUN to write!) Here Wang Can falters in his escape from Wang Pangzi, Xiuxiu and the Blue Robed Master, and ends up revealing his Zhang kinship and joining Wang Pangzi on a trip to Changbai. Liu Sang makes an appearance later, but the focus is on the buddy trip.

Could be a ship fic if one wants it to be, it's certainly implied later, but the primary goal is understanding.

Title comes from Wang Pangzi and Wang Can's given names. Pangzi's actual name is Yue Ban, whose characters together become Pang, or fat. Can is made up of the characters for fire and mountain, so they used the aliases Yue and Huo on their trip.

----

It was hard to choose which fics to highlight here. My preferences change depending on my mood.

And now the tagging... @pearlpugly, @littlesmartart, @foxofninetales, @sharkbeneaththelotus, @merinnan

[first-and-last-neocount]

@straysinfiltrator thanks for the tag Kaley! :D

10 blorbos/fandoms/tags in no particular order other than that Gerald gets first place billing as always:

Gerald Tarrant - the Coldfire Trilogy

Damien Vryce - the Coldfire Trilogy

Anomander Rake - the Malazan Book of the Fallen

Jake Chambers - the Dark Tower

Anders - Dragon Age 2

Raistlin Majere - DragonLance

Andry - the Dragon Prince trilogy by Melanie Rawn

Vanyel Ashkevron - Heralds of Valdemar

Lestat - the Vampire Chronicles

Anduin Wrynn - World of Warcraft

11th place honourable mention - Astarion Ancunin from Baldur's Gate 3, I haven't gotten to play the game yet myself and he's too new to quite make my Greatest Hits list yet but I can tell I'm going to be extremely unwell about him for a long time to come so he gets a shout-out anyway. XD

I was trying to limit myself to one blorbo per fandom but Gerald and Damien both really deserve to be on this list so I allowed myself that one, lol. Surface-level trends are that sorcerers, healers, and blonds are all heavily represented on this list - bonus points to Anders and Anduin for being all three at the same time - but I would say the real themes here are survival through hostile circumstances, healing and moving past severe trauma, and self-made identity. Most of these characters are in a complicated place on the scale of good vs evil, antiheroes or good people with terrible deeds to their names, but they are all characters who have rejected the world's demands and chosen to become their own people.*

*very little of Anduin's development post-legion is canon to me and the attempts of the writers to force him into the Varian 2.0 mold will not be taken into consideration in the construction of this list

Like Kaley's list there is also definitely a common theme in appearance here. Most of these are very powerful men who prioritize their intellect over their physical strength, and several of them are directly stated to be quite lightly built, along with being notably beautiful or even effeminate in their looks. As a young person who hadn't quite found their own identity yet, I felt a strong kinship with these characters, and now that I've come to know myself better and grown into my identity as a transmasc that sense of kinship has shifted a little in understanding but only gotten stronger in a lot of ways.

I see Kaley already tagged Potato, so I'll tag @notwithstandingclause (no pressure of course!) and anyone else who wants to join in the fun. :D

[humbly-a-doppelganger]

The Kinship Chronicles pt1: The Stolen Child - Chapter index

Prologue: The Exikahle Annals

Chapter 1: Oh, the cleverness of me!

Chapter 2: The Haunting Dead

Chapter 3: Through the looking glass

Chapter 4: The Kinship

Chapter 5: Cease of innocence

Chapter 6: Host?

Chapter 7: Business of the Saz and other justifications for deceiving your parents

Chapter 8: The Whitakers

Chapter 9: The statue girl

Chapter 10: Moving in

Chapter 11: Everstill

Chapter 12: Introduction to Madeleine A. Woolaham

Chapter 13: Hunter Hao and other gruesome stuff

Chapter 14: Mr. Verninac and Mr. Terrell

Chapter 15: The nightdwellers

Chapter 16: Reunion

Chapter 17: Reluctant alliance

Chapter 18: Lucas Greerson and Day’s apparition

Chapter 19: Path to symbiosis

Chapter 20: Attempt at reassurance

Chapter 21: Roses bloom in wounds

Chapter 22: Are you Selvar Zandstra’s host?

Chapter 23: The Spawn

Chapter 24: Joint Forces

Chapter 25: Nightmares of broken promises

Chapter 26: Journey to Coxwold

Chapter 27: Awkward eavesdropping

Chapter 28: Berserker

Chapter 29: Loss of trust

Chapter 30: Abstraction: I never quite understood maths

Chapter 31: My dearest Simone, you have saved me

Chapter 32: The Lover’s corpse

Chapter 33: My dearest Simone, you have killed me

Chapter 34: The beast in the castle

Chapter 35: The Stolen Child

Chapter 36: The case of pale, black-haired, edgy bad boys, other clichés and STDs

Chapter 37: Goodbye, Atalanta Everitt-Melton

Chapter 38: Genevieve

Epilogue: 1864

[hahahax30]

The Kinship Chronicles pt 1: The Stolen Child

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘'𝗦 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Coraline 'Cal' Everitt has a secret. Her body, which at the age of five, she discovered would split into two forms--one mortal, the other not. Oftentimes without her consent. Why? All her attempts to learn the reason proved fruitless. But here's the one thing she's certain of: no one in her family shares her ability, thus, she must bring it to her grave.

Oliver Whitaker has a secret. His double-lived identity. He hails from The Kinship, an underground society for the otherworldy Saz. And yet, he spends his days Aboveground, spying on Cal in search of a sign that would mark her as one of his own, like her parents before her. Even though they hold no memories of it.

Diana Zubairu has a secret. The ghosts of her past haunting her present. Her family moved to London in hopes of escaping the aftermath of her brother's death. She may think herself on the path to healing, may find new companions in Cal and Oliver, yet John's clutch is strong and stubborn--and he has deemed her his sole victim.

Then a sudden attack falls upon them, causing the walls guarding their secrets to crumble to dust. Cal, Diana and Oliver will have to rediscover reality in the latter's native land--the very same land Cal and Diana are also entitled to. But in The Kinship they'll get entangled in a quest that will challenge the very basis on which their perceptions hinge. Min Hao, the youngest daughter of a dying politician, is missing.

And only they may save her.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘈 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘮.

[lifewouldbebetteronmars]

Okay so *cracks knuckles* sorry for the incoming spam.

Long story short, my series is an urban fantasy that takes place in a world wherein the earth has a huge cavity belowground that is a perfect geographical mirror of our actual world (ie there's a copy of Spain, the US, the oceans, etc. underground). This other world all makes up the territory of a single country, since it was artificially created (by people their mythology calls Roxia) and artificially populated by the creators' heirs --aka current mythological figures. This country is called Mirror --since it mirrors Aboveground-- but the overall society + political structure and stuff is called The Kinship. Hence the name of the series: The Kinship Chronicles.

The inhabitants of Mirror are called Saz, their language is Sazla, and they're different from humans, either because they have powers (insignias, as they're called) or because they're fundamentally a species other than human (imlia; singular: imlium). Regular humans can become Saz by establishing a symbiosis with an imlium.

Anyways.

The books are written from different POVs, but the main character is Coraline (Cal) Everitt:

Her insignia (doppelganger) allows her to split her body into two, and to make one of those split versions near invincible. Cal is Dahlia and Matthias's only daughter, and she grew up being in the dark about The Kinship because, well, her parents had forgotten all about it for Reasons. If she discovers The Kinship, it is because Simone/the Spawn (formerly introduced as Big Evil) sent my world's version of demons on her.

This is Simone:

She's an immortal imlium who doesn't really have the markings of an actual imlium. For once, she's immortal, and she's also able to establish two symbiosis: one with a regular human and one with a human that is also Saz (which Shouldn't Happen because insignias =/= symbiosis). Even though Simone is the leader of a cult that does her every bidding, she is but a pawn in the grand scheme of things. There's a reason she's called the Spawn: she has a mysterious master, one that pushes her to fight an unending war with the supreme leader of The Kinship's army (who's also immortal).

Over the centuries, Simone has dispatched everyone who started suspecting that there was Something Fishy within The Kinship. Cal's parents she couldn't truly defeat, so she eventually went after their daughter: Cal.

But you know who she also went after? The children of Dahlia and Matthias's two best friends.

On the left, Morgan Hao (oldest); on the right, Hunter Hao (middle child). Morgan is a wraith, so she can become immaterial. Hunter is a mirage, so he can create illusions. Unlike Cal, they did grow up in The Kinship, since their parents weren't there to suffer the same fate as Cal's.

In book 1 they come to London from Shanghai because their youngest sister, who's only 6, has disappeared and they could last trace her steps to the English capital. That's where they meet Cal and enlist her to helping them find their sister. But they also enlist other people without which they couldn't have found her.

This is Selvar. He's an imlium, which means he can change shape at will (think of the blue lady from XMen). He's also a descendant of one of the original founders of Mirror, those that were turned into mythological figures. His family knew the Truth about The Kinship and what was wrong with it, so Simone has been persecuting them for generations. Selvar's parents and older sister died because of Simone and they couldn't pass their knowledge onto him because they deemed him too young (he was eight).

Selvar would've died along with his family if it hadn't been for Diana:

Diana was a regular human. She lived with her parents and older brother in a small English village in the countryside, but her whole life changed when she and her brother decided to play in the house Selvar was using as a refuge from Simone. Simone ended up finding Selvar: she killed Diana's brother in the process, but she and Selvar survived because Selvar kickstarted a symbiosis that gave them just enough strength to ward Simone off.

For the next 8 years, Diana wouldn't understand why the ghost of her brother followed her; she didn't know Selvar had adopted his appearance and now followed her because they had sort of become one. When Diana, who's friends with Cal, learns of The Kinship and subsequently of what Selvar did, she sends him to the other corner of the world (actually Luxembourg) and tries to cope with her situation partly by investigating the diaries of a Victorian woman petrified (a sentence in The Kinship) for allegedly murdering a key politician.

This woman is none other than Madeleine A. Woolaham:

Born in 1848 in the heart of a very, very, *very* conservative Victorian family, her family didn't take well to her being a lesbian who kissed Jewish girls (actually Cal's ancestor HAHAHAHA). They abused her relentlessly and even forced her into a marriage to a man, but it was fine because he was gay (and another of Cal's ancestors HAHAHAHA) so they became fast friends. Through him, Madaleine met and fell in love with a Simone disguised as her fiancé's cousin.

Simone convinced Madeleine to establish a symbiosis. Madeleine, simply put, served as her disguise to successfully murder the aforementioned politician. In the end, Madeleine was found to be innocent, but since symbiosis were judged as one...

(Needless to say, Simone didn't actually suffer any repercussions).

When Madeleine's knowledge helps find Morgan and Hunter's sister, Madeleine's sentence is reversed and she finds herself not in the 19th century, but in the 21st. While Diana soon becomes her Crush, it is someone else who Madeleine confides in:

Atalanta Everitt-Melton is Cal's adoptive cousin through her mother's side (Dahlia has a twin sister). Atalanta has albinism and she's awfully mysterious. She attends the same school as Hunter and is childhood friends with him, so she helps him find his sister without having to be asked twice. She's a historian so she sees the past.

Although Atalanta is 'single' from book 2 onwards, she's dating Oliver Whitaker in book 1.

Oliver is Cal's best friend and a puppeteer, meaning he can manipulate living beings. His parents landed a job as the Everitts' spies and, by default, Oliver was entrusted with Cal. But here's the thing about the Whitakers... do you remember Simone's cult? Yeah, Oliver's family are a prominent part of it. Oliver, however, doesn't even know of its existence.

His parents thought it would be for the best, since that way he couldn't spill the secret to Cal. But when he grows old enough to be told, not only has Oliver begun a quest against Simone: he's also fallen for a guy that's everything his parents hate.

And that's because Caleb Verninac's parents died actively fighting against Simone, leaving him an orphan who didn't even know his parents' true lives.

Caleb's Troubled and he only joins the search in book 1 because he's seeking the thrill of danger, but things get personal afterwards.

By the way, he's French (mother) and Irish (father) but lived in the US at the time of his parents' passing. He was adopted by an American man and together they moved to London.

Et voilà!

sorry for the length of this

Don’t apologize, I’m super excited-

Okay so first things first, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a big name nerd (so much so that I have a blog for it) so I am absolutely in love with some of your name choices for these characters-

Caleb is someone I feel like I’m definitely going to love because troubled thrill seekers? That’s my jam. Also because he’s paternally Irish and maternally French, just like me (though I’m American and not actually from there, it’s just my ancestry)

And everyone else is just super interesting too, like everyone’s super diverse and no one is too similar in personality wise, which is something I definitely struggle with with multi-POVs

Please feel free to spam me more with this!!!

[just-a-cup-of-anxietea]

Going off the open tags from @daydreaming-optimist ! 💕

Do you play an instrument?

YES. Guitar, piano, ukulele, kalimba, and I sing (mostly contralto to mezzo sop)! I also play a mean rainstick, a decent lyre harp, a passable Native American flute, and an atrocious ocarina. (Qualifiers refer to my quality of playing not the quality of the instrument itself.)

Favorite book characters?

Galen Werner (hi fellow GWFC members @daydreaming-optimist @theskittlemuffin !) (Princess of the Midnight Ball), literally ANY of the gals in The Lunar Chronicles, Mark Watney (The Martian), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing), Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson (PJO), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), Prudence Barnett (Instant Karma), and Sadie Kane (The Kane Chronicles). I’m sure I’m missing a few, but that’s a good starting list at least!

What’s your star sign?

Wouldn’t you like to know weatherboy. (I don’t like to share that information super publicly.)

Favorite color schemes?

Teal/warm-ish greens/light blue (think underwater kelp forest). Atmospheric pinks/tans/blues (think beach at sunrise). Deep greens/browns/red-browns (think redwood or coniferous forest). And just rainbow!! All the colors! Especially when it’s light, soft rainbow in the ROYGBIV order (think crystals in the window casting rainbows all around an open studio).

What languages do you speak?

English, some Spanish, some French, tiny TINY bit of German. I can read a very very tiny bit of Italian (ish) (shoutout to @the---hermit for helping me learn Italian!! 💕💕)

Dream/aspiration?

Make a real life actual difference in the world. I’m still deciding the industry I want to primarily focus on but I’m thinking something environmental sci/sustainability. Currently I am pursuing this by writing unhinged essays on health and the built environment and creating designs and drafts for a better world. [“My Grand Plan” plays faintly in the background]

Are you for short or long hair?

L o n g hair for myself personally. Less likely to break out of a ponytail and go rogue in my eyes while I’m trying to do things. Also I can braid it all the way down and feel a certain kinship with medieval women

Tea or coffee?

[checks url] tea, I’d say.

Bring your favorite book character to real life, or will you go into a fictional world?

Only ONE character to life? This is like Passengers (2016). Could I really ever subject my favorite character to this world? Could I ever convince myself it is a mercy to share the suffering here rather than leave them in their own world? And, looking at that other option, a chance to go into a fictional world sounds AMAZING. Yea, I pick the second. Catch me at CHB.

Open tags from me too!!

[moonrosevalley]

Chronicles of Roses Devlog 3: Design Notes Ursula

Hiya !! 

It’s Scarlett :D

Today I’m showcasing Chronicle of Roses’ mastermind, catalyst, and secondary antagonist: the Holy Prophet, Queen Ursula.

Queen Ursula is the ruler of Lorne, worshipped by all her people as their Holy Prophet. She’s revered as a god-like figure to her people, ruling with benevolence, generosity, and a tightening iron fist.

Queen Ursula is the one who starts the game’s plot as she’s the one who kidnapped Lilith. She’s the catalyst for everything, she's the one who found the prophecy, took Lilith in as a child, she promoted Ronya to a Raven despite Ronya’s heritage. Ursula’s taken care of both these women in her own way (favouriting Lilith quite a lot). She’s the one who’s manipulated countless situations and souls in alignment with her and Lilith’s destiny. Setting off the ritual that corrupts the entire city, or will it cure it?

Ursula is absent throughout most of the game, but she’s set up through other characters talking about her, through notes, and paintings found scattered throughout the city. Her presence is felt at all times despite her only showing up for one fight. 

The main inspirations for Ursula were Queen Marika from Elden Ring, Falke from Signalis, and Odin from Norse mythology. Ronya already had a lot of Raven imagery surrounding her, since I absolutely adore ravens, and Armored Core 6 is one of my favourite games, but the idea of the Ravens came properly into fruition with us connecting Ursula to Odin, who has two ravens Huginn and Muninn which he uses to keep an eye on all nine realms. Putting that and the Valkyrie together really facilitated the bond between COR and Norse mythology. This also impacted the ideation for the Circle of Roots, the holy order of warriors protecting Queen Ursula and the realm; they will be discussed in more detail in the next devlog.

With Queen Marika, the inspiration is quite obvious; Ursula manipulated countless chains of events which led to the ritualistic sacrifice of Lilith. Such as sending Ronya away for her quest, rewriting her people’s history, and manipulating her entire queendom for decades.

Falke is a great piece of inspiration due to her close relationship with Elster and Arianne and her immense power that potentially helps the sickness spread in Sierpinski-23. In Signalis it’s a one-sided (?) kinship, whereas in Chronicle of Roses, the relationship Ursula has with Lilith and Ronya is real and two-sided (I’m sorry Falke, you will dance with her again i promiisise). And in COR, Ursula's actions might be what undoes everything she's built up.

Most of our visual inspirations are from quite ethereal paintings, royal sets from different Soulsborne games, and for me, Talulah from Arknights. As both Li and I love silver and black, we decided to subvert common depictions of churches and holiness used in media, i.e. the use of white, gold, and red. Instead, we let the witches be associated with those colours, giving the church and holy order black, silver, and greys as their primary palette. Ursula’s armour is heavily based on mid-1600s armours, especially royal armour with their intricate engravings and flourishes. We have yet to decide on a weapon for her but I’ve been heavily leaning towards her using a Zweihander or some sort of great-sword. 

Thematically, Ursula is a foil to Ronya. Ursula will do whatever it takes to fulfil her prophecy, and Ronya will do whatever it takes to save her wife. Ursula clings to her destiny with every fibre of her being, and Ronya clings to Lilith with every fibre of her being. What differentiates the two, is that Ronya learns to let go, to move forward without the need for another being, ideology or faith. 

I love Ursula. She was the character that really tied everything together at the beginning of our ventures with this game. Li and I were quite lost in the beginning of the summer on how to progress and flesh out the story. Then we started riffing on and on about Ursula, her prophecy, and her role in the whole game as she was very underdeveloped. Developing her also led to us properly fleshing out Lilith and her relationship with Ursula and Ronya, leading to Li getting fully on board with the game ! Which I’m very thankful for to this day haha :3

Ursula is also a fascinating character to write about and explore, her relation with destiny and fate, both growing more and more weary and tired of seeing any attempt at deviation leading to exactly where she needs to be while also pushing further and further to see it through. Her relationship with Lilith is so juicy to write, the irony of Ursula growing so close to the lamb that she has to slaughter for the greater good. And to be 100% set in going through with it nevertheless rather than having her change her mind right before plunging the knife into Lilith’s heart. Ursula’s fully intent on killing Ronya for it; another girl that she’s seen grow up, taking care of her little by little. Fascinating.

Next time ! Li will showcase Lovia and Holborn ! Ronya’s best friends that will make it through the whole game without a hitch :))))

[oliveptee]

Adoptee's in (anime) Fiction List

List is pretty long, so it's under the cut, If you have any to add let me know! I am /not/ including any kinship adoptions unless it is relevant to adoptees feeling represented / plot reason [example iris lolirock is said to be from a kinship adoption, but that is not true and is a non kinship adoption, she was lied to for plot reasons] Not including adopted by animals unless they were adopted by humans later. AKA no, 'adopted by wolfs' trope as I do not feel that is in any way proper adoptee representation, if there is a demand for such a list from adoptee's, I will consider it. Mostly anime, I don't engage with alot of western cartoons. Please note I am only putting canon adoptions.

List below the cut, feel free to tell me who to add:

Canon Adoptee's In Fiction: Kaeya (Genshin Impact) Bennett (Genshin Impact) Kujoh Sarah (Genshin Impact) Albedo (Genshin Impact) Rosaria (Genshin Impact) Itto (Genshin Impact) Cyno (Genshin Impact) Chasca (Genshin Impact) Sethos (Genshin Impact) Anya Forger (SpyxFamily) Special Week (Uma Musume) Violet Evergarden (Violet Evergarden) Every Princess Maker Daughter (with the expection of Princess Maker 4) Dexter Morgan (Dexter ShowTime) Iris (Lolirock) Casandra (Tangled Adventures) Kabru (Dungeon Meshi) Leer (Last Unicorn) Kris (Deltarune) Chara (Undertale) Nageki Fujishio (Hatoful Boyfriend) Hiztori Uzune (Hato Boyfriend) Akihiko Sanada (from Persona 3) Ariel (Maquia) Bronya (Honkai Star Rail) Natasha (Honkai Star Rail) Kiana Kaslana (K-423) (Honkai Impact Third) Trucy (Ace Attorney) Germaine Avadonia (evillious chronicles) Allen Avadonia (evillious chronicles) Rin-chan (evillious chronicles)

Canon Foster Care System (Etc) Characters: Lynette, Lyney, Freminet (Genshin Impact) Wriothesley (Genshin Impact) (Foster Care Family) Nageki Fujishio (Hatoful Boyfriend) Hiztori Uzune (Hato Boyfriend) Seele (Orphanage Honkai Star Rail)

Notes: I didn't full include characters who were adopted out of the foster care system/that list is not proper. I am the only one running this list so if anyone wants to fix it etc let me know!