#this is such a small part of the illustration but im going all in on the detail

[arom-antix]

Small screenshot of a larger illustration exams won't let me finish

[voltttmeter]

working on a rewrite for this story 🙂

[saintvainglorious]

My First Fanbind! A Black Sails Fic Anthology Series

It took me a year (and a lot of anxious research) before I worked up the courage to bookbind fanfiction, and after months of on-again-off-again work, my first fanbind is finally done!

I knew that if I was going to bookbind fic, I had to bind something from the Black Sails fandom, aka the fandom and show that have had the biggest impact on my life. Y'all, I almost went into academia to study slavery in the 17th-18th century Caribbean because of this show - when folks say this show rewires your brain chemistry, they are NOT kidding. THEE show of all time. Happy 10th anniversary to Black Sails! This fandom is small but mighty. May we continue to get our hearts and souls blasted to smithereens by this show for many years to come.

Ao3 abounds with magnificent Black Sails oneshots, so I decided to put together an anthology of my favorite Silverflint fics under 20k, which I split into two volumes. Included are works by @justlikeeddie, @vowel-in-thug, @balloonstand, @annevbonny, @francisthegreat, @nysscientia, and more! Thank you, thank you all, you brilliant wonderful people, for gracing the Internet with such amazing writing. When I read the fics in these anthologies I want to fling myself into the sun.

More on the design and binding process below the cut!

Vol. 1 Page Count: 270 (12 fics) Vol. 2 Page Count: 248 (11 fics) Body Font: Sabon Next LT (10.5 pt) Title Font: Goudy Old Style Other Fonts: IM Fell English, pirates pw

The typeset (which I did in Word) took a while, mainly because I'd never done it before. Manually adjusting the hyphenation line-by-line was especially tedious. After making these books, I abandoned Word in favor of InDesign, in large part because InDesign gives you way finer control over your justification and hyphenation settings.

Regarding my actual design choices, I'm happy with how the ocean motif on the title page turned out (it's not the same pattern as my endpapers, but they're complimentary) and I'm very fond of my divider dingbats, which are little swords! Goudy Old Style was a fun title font to use, since it's the font that Black Sails uses as its logo. The stories in Vol. 1 are divided into parts based on what Silver WAS at that point in the show (cook, quartermaster, or king), and Vol. 2 is split up into comedies, histories (AUs set in the canon universe) and tragedies - befitting Black Sails' Shakespearean ~vibes~.

I stuck to a flatback binding, as I wasn't feeling quite ambitious enough to try rounding and/or backing. I've learned that I ~Anakin Skywalker voice~ hate sanding, enjoy folding/sewing, and don't LIKE edge trimming but enjoy the results enough to make it worth it.

The real adventure was decorating the cover, which remained bare for months. After agonizing over Illustrator and experimenting unsuccessfully with HTV and lokta paper embossing, I ultimately turned to using stencil vinyl to paint on the designs. There was a bit of seepage under some of the stencils, but I was able to scrape off the excess with my Cricut weeding tool without damaging the coated surface of the bookcloth (probably Arrestox Blue Ribbon from Hollander's). Even though it was very time-consuming, I'm so happy with the end result of the stenciled paint job and I intend to stick with stencils for my foreseeable future binds.

Are there things I would change? Sure. It was humid out when I printed, so the pages have got a wave. There’s an extra two pages in Vol 2. that I have no idea how I missed, and I got a line of glue in the middle of one of my Vol. 2 endpapers. I’m pretty sure I didn’t case in quite right, since my endpapers pull away from the case at the spine. I think the inner margins are a bit too big, and despite going line-by-line there’s still some wacky justification spacing in the typeset. But man, am I proud of these books! It is so satisfying to learn a new skill - MANY new skills, if we’re being honest - and to make something both beautiful and practical. If I’m still binding in two years or so, I can see myself redoing the typeset in InDesign, cutting out the existing text block, and reusing the cases. I’m also already planning for Vol. 3, which will be Silverflint Modern AUs.

Thanks for reading!

[beatcroc]

a year!!! as of today i have now been drawing these funny little pizza freaks, to the exclusion of almost everything else, for!!! an entire year!!! i wanted to do a nice group shot/lineup of everybody to compare to when i first started trying to draw them because oh boy were they bad. i never even posted most of them anywhere because they were so bad. but im posting them here, now, to see how everything's changed/evolved.

this is probably the hardest time i've ever had trying to figure out how to work with a style, but we got there eventually; i'm pretty happy with the handle i've got on everybody now...dont let ur memes be dreams. lots of unimportant journaling and idle thoughts abt it below.

older pics

the first one is the VERY first time i drew them, before i thought i was going to actually have any interest in drawing them [lmao]; it was just the one isolated image, for my friendserver, to illustrate the funney message, so there was no attempt to make it Good or actually understand anything going on w/ the designs or style.

second is the original run of practices sketches to start trying to figure them out for real; done after i started having ideas for the comics and such and realized oh god maybe i am actually gonna draw fanart for this. [again, lol, and lmao.]

third one is the first pt art thing i posted on here. there were a couple weeks of sprite studies between this one and the previous image. the one on the top right wasn't part of that post i just threw it on as space filler; i'd intended to shift to doing Sprite Redraws But Stylized to explore tings more, but that was the only one i did. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

individual characters

peppino: by far the hardest dear god. bro what ARE your shapes how DOES your face work. jesus christ. everything i have trouble with this style for, peppino has it in excess. i draw in polygons! i need consistency! and that is the last thing this kind of style is concerned with. they are made of squarshy clay and i do not understand how to mold them. i was really hoping trying to learn this game's style would GIVE me that kind of flexibility for fun exaggerated facial expression but i don't think much came of it in the end 😔. anyway on the bright side all this means once i got peppino figured out a little bit everybody else clicked way easier.

fake peppino: honestly i never did anything with him on purpose except for how his eyes work + the perma-smile thing. i figured ok hes supposed to look weird and off model so whatever happens with him happens. and it did. and it kept happening. it is still, in fact, happening.

noise/ette: somehow, for every bit that peppino was the least natural thing i've ever tried, these two worked pretty much right off the bat. i still don't understand it, seeing as pretty much all the things at play for peppino are also at work for them. i think the new sketches are actually a little worse than older ones but not enough that i care.

gustavo: really funny bc i drew him on model twice and just went 'okay, cool nice, easy, um. he doesn't have any fucking legs?' fortunately he was the only one i had a strong idea for how to stylize him [square] and it worked exactly as i was hoping so wahoo.

brick: is an animal and therefore 5000x easier and more natural for me to draw/stylize than anything else in the cast. that is Just a rat bro. i can draw a rat.

gerome: i think the funniest one here. the most drastic and least necessary change imo. i was gonna have him be really small at first, like smaller than the noises, but then i just... didn't. he's just peppino-sized now. also i gave him like. actual human facial structure, which is funny bc in most cases i'd do anything to avoid, but it works well for his being A Rock to give him some angles and definition like that+ to differentiate his vibe from the rest of the cast who are all very squishy. also since he is essentially Just A Head it's good to emphasize that too ig.

john: i only drew john a couple times but he gets to be here because i like him. and because most of the stuff i applied to gerome was readily applicable to john, though i did try to keep him a little more uncanny because he is a Huge And Lanky Freak. i hate that he is barefoot btw but idk how to make his color balance look right with shoes.

pizzahead: i did not want to put him on here honestly but i Have drawn him a handful of times and more importantly i didn't know what i was gonna do with john's pose if i didn't have him there to be glared at. the only thing that's different with him is giving him wider-bottomed pants, which i got from when i tried to draw these guys in clone high style [i never posted that one either][i will eventually]

snick: he gets to be here because 1. he's like 6 lines 2. i like him and 3. ive scribbled him a few times offhand and it went pretty well

misc

there are some guys missing because those are guys i didn't draw enough [or at all] to have gotten comfortable with them. sorry

i would have Liked to shade these but for the time being i have accepted that my grasp of light/shadow has decayed to the point im not going to be happy with anything i try there, so For Now i am working on my presentation with flats i guess. gerome has a shadow only because he's shaded like that ingame and looks naked without it

anyway if you are still reading [hi?] i get to shamelessly plug now. i'm over the hill of my pizza run now, and while i still have plenty of things i want to make here, most of the bigger more in-depth ones have passed. pizza tower was the first thing in THREE YEARS to get me out of my oc groove to doing fanart, and once i am done with my ideas here i will be going right back to it. if you like my art or how i write characters/interactions you should check out my oc/webcomic blog @jamverse . i can't promise people who like pizza stuff will be terribly into my designs, but i can guarantee i treat my guys with the exact same sort of tone i handle the pt guys with. and hell, i've mentioned it a few times before, but like 70% of my characterization for fake pep is just copied off one of my characters, so if u are going to miss him... he will still be there in spirit >;p

and if you dont care about any of that and are still reading thank you anyway. actually making these comics + seeing how shockingly well-received they've been has done a lot for my confidence, and for seeing that my kind of stuff IS something people enjoy :')

[fudanshidoublevision]

It's pretty funny how the three love interests have something in common 。。。。besides their obvious interest (Haley) and obsession (Double Vision and Ray) towards the MC of the game.

The three of them smoke, which might be something banal for some but I like to hold into small details like these and make up stuff.

Haley takes smoke breaks, Ray smokes when he is in your apartment and Double isn't shown smoking in the game but he does on his birthday illustration. ᶘ ⊙ᴥ⊙ᶅ

Not sure if that was on purpose or just a coincidence but either way, it makes sense to me.

Ray, especially, the fact that he smokes.

Considering that he spent most of his pre-teen and teenage years until he was 18 years old living with Steel Sheriff and remember, Steel Sheriff is a shitty person and a BAD influence, so it makes sense that maaaybe that bad habit was influenced by that horrendous man and Ray took a hold into it.

Ray strikes me as the type of guy who's addicted to nicotine and honestly? I don't blame him at all, that man went through so much shit since he came out of his mother's womb so if he EVEN chain smokes, it wouldn't faze me at all.

Not sure if Ray smokes only at night but someone dear to me does and well, the only time of the day Ray is completely free of any duty is at night, as far as i've seen? Also, smoking at night sounds...right to me, he takes notice of you and opens the window so he isn't stinking up your place...which is surprising, the only smokers I know always smoke in secluded places and I can smell it all the way into my bedroom. ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ

I'm aware that nicotine has some benefits but we are talking about Ray, who is freaking Binary Star, HIS ABILITY???? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. /j This man does not GAF about the side effects or the benefits of smoking. Out of the three I believe that Ray is free from any illnesses or any type of side effects, heh.

Now, Haley, they are shapeshifter...? Correct me if I'm wrong, im an amateur on the Haley department. Crazy idea but imagine if they smoke on their cat form, holy fucking shit. Their brain, gastrointestinal system or even their heart is not safe though...but I believe that they can easily shift into any animal with the strongest lungs ever and live another day without being worried about any complications? Huh, this sounds batshit crazy so I think I'll stop writing this part.

Like Ray, Haley seems to smoke as a sedative, what if they smoke herbal cigarettes? Also, I believe that they can easily quit if they want to (heh, now that I'm reading this part i forgot that this is something most addicts say, LOL.) , which I beg to differ when it comes to Ray or Double, I don't judge them, just an observation I guess.

At last, my favorite character and current obsession, Double Vision.

Cigarette smoking, yeah but what about vaping? He looks like the type of guy that would vape or maybe is it too tame for him? Maybe he wants something stronger. Wait, does anyone really need a reason to smoke? ಠಿ_ಠ

People say that vaping is less hazardous than smoking but to me? It's the same thing, most e-cigarretes contain nicotine but yeah, you are inhaling smoke from burning tobacco when you smoke a cigarette. I don't know anything about vaping. It's pretty popular in my country though, never tried it but my friend told me that vaping feels and tastes different from smoking, so I believe their judgement.

Forgive my yapping, like I was saying! He isn't safe from the lung cancer, at all. Yeah, this man can do sick tricks with the smoke, for sure... I'm not going to name any because I might be wrong but you name it and maaaaaaaybe he would be capable of doing it, if you can do something for him back, of course. Oh, I'm 100% sure this freakazoid throws the smoke in your face on purpose, I find that hot actually...if only my nostrils and eyes could say the same about that. If he does that, I'll be coughing like I have asthma until I die.

Hmm, I can't think of when he started smoking...maybe on his teenage years? After all, I think it was at that time that he started to get along with shady people and ugly business. The power of influence and their ambience might be a big factor of this habit on these guys. Heavy on Ray.

That's everything I could think of. For now.

If you are a real person, don't smoke, I guess?. Do whatever you want BUT DON'T BE TELLING ANYONE THAT TUMBLR USER fudanshidoublevision encouraged you to do it.

If you are fictional character, yassss smoke all you want beautiful inexistent individual, you don't exist after all!

GODDAMN!!!!!! I MIGHT START SMOKING RIGHT NOW IF I CAN LOOK THIS HOT 😍😍😍 GIVE ME THAT CIGARETTE 🔥🔥🔥

[seirindono]

two questions.

one, HOW DOES ONE COMIC/STORY BOARD??

IM OBSESSED WITH HOW YOU DO IT ITS SO BEAUTIFUL

two, HOW DO YOU SO IT SO FAST( that’s question is more just me being super impressed oh my goodness)

you’re very good😳

Aw, sweet, a board question *puts on serious glasses*

Ok, bring it on anon.

So, the first thing to ask yourself when starting a comic, as I see it, is what type of board are you dealing with. Webtoon? A4 pages? 4 panels? There are many ways to go about it, and each involves different processes. For example, pages will allow for more superfluous scenes, whereas the webtoon format has to be super succinct because of the reading direction. I personally think that's the main reason I do pages, among other advantages: •narrative density •variety •Tumblr-friendly format

There are quite a few disadvantages too but you have to go through the process of trials and errors to really find out what suits you best!

Then there's the ambition of the sequence you're boarding for. And it goes from 1. how used I am to boarding this kind of sequence/drawing these characters/setting and backgrounds, to 2. is it an emotional sequence? Dialogue-heavy? Or more contemplative?

It changes the way you work and how you should approach your board! For example, in TMS, the very wordy chapters (4 and 5 for ex) generally called for simple and narrow framing. Of course, you don't want to bore the reader so you can spice things up to match the characters mood and reactions once in a while, but you have to bear in mind that the sequence aims to provide dialogue and information = the text bubbles are key and WILL take a lot of place. So let them.

( then again, it's all about pacing and balance. A page full of dialogue and one with too much happening are equally hard to read and boring to do)

Only dialogue, simple squares, no compostion, the focus is on Mel's reaction

On the other hand, parts 7 and 8 are all about action and atmosphere! This makes for wider and more varied shots!

They're fighting, things are going fast so why not use a single line to show many actions! They're still basically squares and rectangles but the pacing is totally different!

Or why not give the action a full page to really show its sheer impact

You can also split things, with a zoom or small time gap, depending on if it's a gag or if you want to put the focus on a reaction. Here, the asymmetry helps reinforce the unstable, jerky aspect of the scene. The situation is getting out of hand, and visually, the pages are affected too.

Now, these are case-by-case examples. And I never work on my pages separately.

For context, this-

-is the "first" board I did for part 8.

The drawings are very small and frankly difficult to make out, but the intention is what matters at this point lol I have the script (very important) next to my canvas, and I scribble the pages one after the ither. This allows me to see if the actions flow well, if the compositions are varied and also whether certain passages are too long or too short in regard to their importance. Which scenes can be merged? Removed? Toned down or if they deserve more bite?

This is a really fun and creative part but, I'll say it again, made a lot easier with a solid scipt. And I'm talking about a text document with clearly defined dialogues (or at least outlines) and actions.

I can't really explain how to write a script, it really depends on your work flow and how confortable you are with writing, but it's too important to just rush through it. No matter how much it changes before, during or after your finish boarding (cuz you gotta break your own rules sometimes and you'll often realize some things don't work as well once you put them on paper/sometimes art block can be resolved by writing the scene and just taking the time to imagine) but it's still your one guideline.

Aaaand, that's about it.

Other than that, I can only highly recommend reading lots of comics, Webtoon, books, watching movies, paintings, illustrations, animatics or listening to music, to inspire you and expand your own "personal library of references". Professional or not, anything your find inspiring and well executed. Boarding is at its core, telling stories. No art skill involved, just pure subjectivity. At the end of the day, it's all about squares, rectangles and bubbles so you gotta work on your creativity. The rest is gut feeling!

Constantly ask yourself how to tell this story, and how you want to tell it. How this sequence should be perceived? What do you need to show to make pages and pages of words appealing and interesting.

Be patient, be bold. Start with easy stuff to get some confidence if you need to. Accept that "boring" pages are smt necessary and that it's up to you to build up tension for a scene to really pop. Try new ideas and be ready to scrap many of them, the result will be worth all the work!

Now, concerning the "fast" part, I'm flattered but I personally think I'm super slow xD You prbly get that impression bc I finish the whole chapter before posting it, but behind the scene, I'm just working at a very regular pace.

Thank youuu anon ♡( ◡‿◡ )

[miss-anachronism]

I posted something yesterday throwing my hat into the ring of Merlin and Valen relationships, and people seemed to like it! These guys are best buds to me, im glad yall see it too. It inspired me to write a little drabble, so here ya go <3 this is Valen and my (fem) Merlin, so it gets kinda specific at parts lol

…

It’s been a long day.

And as much as Valen wishes it were the easier type of long day: boring and uneventful, where he has to drag himself from task to task; it was quite the opposite. Exhilarating, exhausting, and deadly; now he was sinking into a sofa chair in the Mystical house, nursing a spiked drink and a sprained ankle.

It wasn’t even a mishap- he’d launched the attack perfectly, but that godforsaken golem had grabbed his leg at the last moment and slammed him back down into the ground. Lucius said he was lucky to have avoided a concussion. But what does Lucius know, anyway.

All this to say, the entire ordeal has left him grumpy and secluded. He’s tucked into the library, where the din of the bar can’t touch his slowly receding headache. It’s lovely in here, quiet and serene, fresh air drifting through the large open windows on the south wall. The smell of old books mingles nicely with the outside breeze, stopping just shy of being overwhelming. He would have never thought himself a library person; the one in Holistone was lackluster. But Merlin, as she often did, had flipped his conceptions upside down, and provided Valen one of his favourite spaces in her impressive library.

It’s a little ridiculous to expect privacy and solitude from a house that isn’t your own, especially one housing at least five others, but Valen still finds his every muscle tensing when he hears the library door open and close with a soft click.

He exhales slowly through his teeth, trying not to make his disappointment too obvious. He sends his farewells to his peaceful rest, and a quick prayer that whomever has entered isn’t in a talkative mood. He really doesn’t feel up to playing up the charm.

The soft pattering on the floor and the long exhale that come from behind him, however, chases those fears away. The momentary panic slips from Valen’s body, and he glances to the side, grinning when a green, eerie eye catches his gaze.

Merlin grins back at him, though she looks just as tired as he feels. “Hey, sorry. I know you’re hurt, but it’s winding down out there, and I wanted to do some research before I turn in. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Valen chuckles, “It’s your home.”

“Well, yes, but you’re my guest. And if you want me to shut up and leave you alone, say the word and I’ll be gone, no harm no foul.”

“It’s alright, Merlin,” he confirms, slightly surprised that he doesn’t even need to lie, “your company is appreciated.”

She grins at him and sets her own drink down on the small coffee table, and pulls another chair up. “Thanks, Val. I’ll keep it down, promise.”

She’s true to her word, shuffling through a few eclectically stacked books around the floor of the library before settling with three in hand. She puts the biggest one between them, and opens it up to reveal a collection of beautiful woodcuts, depicting various temples across the globe.

Valen lets out a low whistle and leans in, watching as she flips through a few illustrations, and then spins the book around to show him a full two-page print. It takes him a moment to recognize.

“The Moon Temple?”

Merlin nods, her eyes never leaving the paper. “Back in its heyday. We were talking about it, and Dolly mentioned that I should have an old book of prints in here somewhere. I’m lucky I found it so quickly.”

“How old is this book?”

“Four hundred years, give or take.”

Valen half gasps and half laughs, staring at the book in wonder. He’s shocked Merlin even has the balls to touch the thing, let alone open it.

“I can’t believe you just have ancient scripture lying around.”

“Hey, this is far from ancient,” she teases, glancing up to wrinkle her nose at him.

“You’re right, you’re right. It doesnt hold a candle to the oldest artifact in this room: you.”

Merlin sticks her tongue out at him, and Valen returns in kind, before they both return to the book.

The Moon God had been dead for a thousand years or so before this print was made, so the Temple isn’t exactly in perfect condition. Still, it’s a far cry from the decrepit ruins that it’s in today. Beautiful pillars surrounding the pouring, majestic fountains, each flaw and imperfection dutifully recorded… Valen finds himself being drawn in by the skilled execution of the print itself, scanning over the evenly spaces hatching and intricate detailing in the stonework, the water, the attention to values… it’s a beautiful recreation. Valen can even make out the carvings on the pillars themselves.

There’s a little blurb of writing at the bottom of the page, in a language Valen can’t identify. He reaches out to tap at it, stopping just shy of actually touching the book.

“Can you read this?”

Merlin hums in assent. Instead of flipping the book back around to face herself, she stands and moves over to Valen’s side of the table, kneeling next to his chair.

“It’s not much. ‘The Moon Temple, for the greatness and majesty of Nakalig the many-faced…. Cast a moonstone into the divine spring… a chance for divine lunar enlightenment…’ yeah, we know all this already.”

“It’s still interesting,” Valen contests, watching as Merlins finger drifts over the words. “You’ll have to teach me how to read this.”

Merlin scrunches her nose again. “The language is pretty dead, Val. I think you’ll only find Celestials who speak it fluently, nowadays.”

“So? If it’s spoken by Celestials, I’m sure it’s gorgeous. And mysterious. All the more reason to learn it.”

Merlin scoffs. “If you received a love letter written in the old, dead language, would you actually go on a real life date with the sender?”

“A date? I’d bed them on the spot,” Valen jokes, and Merlin throws her head back and cackles.

“Gross, ugh.” She sneers, giggling. Valen grins.

“Thousands of years old, and you still have the humour of a teenager.”

“Shut up,” she huffs, lightly punching him in the shoulder, only for her eye to immediately widen in concern.

“Ah, shit, that didn’t hurt did it? You’re hurt, I shouldn’t be jostling you around.”

“Merlin, babe, do you really think you can push me around?”

“You underestimate me! I could totally beat you up.”

“Mhmm,” Valen chuckles, taking another sip of his drink. Merlin gives him a wry smile.

“Seriously, though, you okay?”

Valen pauses a moment, taking stock of himself. Yes, his ankle still aches, but the spinning pain in his head has thankfully receded. The exhaustion still runs deep in his bones, however; he thinks if Merlin asked him to stand up, he’s simply collapse.

“I’m alright, all things considered,” he settles on, “but tired. Exhausted.”

“Hey, bright idea here! Maybe you should go to bed!”

“A genius, you are.”

“They don’t call me Merlin for nothin’.”

He chuckles. “It’s nice here. I don’t get much time to relax. And the sun’s only just setting,” he waves a hand towards the window, bathed in pinks and oranges, “let me have an hour, at least.”

“Fine,” Merlin conceded, resting her head on the arm of his chair. Dutifully, Valen proceeds to use her head as an armrest. She huffs in amusement.

They stay like that for a few minutes, Merlin lazily flipping through the book, pausing every time Valen leans closer to inspect a print. Eventually, she complains about her neck, and Valen lets up to allow her a slightly more comfortable position.

“I don’t know how to teach languages,” Merlin says suddenly, startling Valen out of his concentration, “but I think, with Hammie’s help, I could teach you a couple phrases and see where it goes from there?”

Valen blinks in surprise. “You don’t have to do that, Merlin.”

She shrugs. “I want to. Gives me something to do. If you want to, of course.”

Valen pauses, thinks it over, takes another long sip of his drink.

“…sure. We’ll see where it goes.”

Merlin nods, and flips the book closed.

“but if I’m a bullshit student, you can’t be mad at me.”

“I’ll never believe you are,” Merlin sniffs, scooping the book up and standing with a grunt. “Deep down, you’re a nerd like the rest of us, Mr. Playboy Solitaire.”

[chameleon8]

hiya! i just finished fablehaven and dragonwatch and im looking for some fanfic recs

do you have happen to have any perchance?

sure! I can’t promise we have the same tastes, but I can recommend some fics (these are all on Ao3 btw, I haven’t read any wattpad or fanfiction dot net fanfics)

Oneshots: Alyssa Walks Alone - By Candlemouse (0.6k words) This fic follows Kendra’s old friend, Alyssa. (you may or may not remember her from book 2, she was the first girl to fall in love the Kobold. Anyways-) Alyssa, who had just graduated high school, decides to visit Kendra’s grave and reminisce. It’s an angsty fic but very well written so I’d give it a read. To Obtain And To Keep - By Summercosmos (13k words) This story reimagines Fablehaven to answer the question “What if Seth and Kendra were raised on fablehaven?” Every part is a small fragment of the moments that are different in their lives compared to the books, and answers questions like “Why were they raised at Fablehaven in this universe?” And “How will they learn about the magic?” It’s a bit angsty but has some sweet moments too. Forgiving The Shadows - By Sabinethesoprano (2.2k words) Remember the ending of Dragonwatch? This fic is about how Seth doesn’t become a Shadow Healer, but rather he learns to accept his mistakes and embrace his darkness. This is during the “purification” scene. Kendra Decks Coulter - By Candlemouse (0.2k words) This short tale is about Kendra and Vanessa giving a well-deserved punch to Coulter for his sexist remarks. Raise A Glass To The Forgotten - By NotCharmander_3 (me) (1k words) This fanfic illustrates what Dale does when everyone else is away on a mission. What sort of adventure will happen in the simple sanctuary of Fablehaven?

There’s probably other oneshots I’ve read and enjoyed but I forget 😭 Multichapter fics: Quiet Sunday Dinners - By Candlemouse (12.8k words, complete) This is told from the perspective of the Sorenson Siblings’ parents, Scott and Marla, as they experience strange things happening to their family. The death of their beloved daughter, the discovery of magic, and reunion. I like this fic because it portrays parenthood very well and it’s very well-thought out. also, I just realized how many of these fics are angsty lmao. Anyways- Heir To Light - By Candlemouse (97k words, complete) The royal heirs to the Kingdom of Fablehaven, Princess Kendra and Prince Seth, have found their beloved home to be ransacked. With fear for their lives, they turn to a kind neighboring kingdom, Terrabelle, in hopes to seek refuge. But, trouble has yet to see the last of them. Will they save their kingdom before all falls to ruin? Or, will they be the heirs to light no more? Seeing Is Believing - By Carolinelikesdinner (16.7k words, incomplete, hiatus) This is probably one of my favorite fablehaven fics. It’s a fablehaven rewrite where Kendra and Seth find themselves at their grandfather’s old manor and shit goes down. I really like the unique world building of this and the re-characterization of Kendra and Seth. The Dark Flame - By NotCharmander_3 (me) (52.9k words, incomplete, in progress) This fic takes place after dragonwatch and follows the adventures of Seth Sorenson as he makes new friends and has tons of fun. But when a new threat prophesies the fall of Fablehaven, can Seth and his new friends go on a killer quest to save the day? How does Seth deal with his past mistakes? And what is going on with his powers? This is his story of how learns to accept himself and prove to everyone that he’s more than the reckless kid he once was. (The first chapter is pretty corny but trust me it gets so much better as it goes on) Thank you for the ask! I would recommend more fanfics but I really haven’t read enough Fablehaven fanfics lately. Hope you enjoy my recommendations!

[your-turn-to-role]

so im getting to the end of my finally watching exu calamity

for the most part i haven't really made posts on my reactions here bc most of what i'd have to say has already been said, i've been seeing those meta posts around since calamity came out

but god the one unexpected thing about loquatius and laerryn i can't get over is just all of aabria's little reactions to quay's choices here

like. i know laerryn loves him as much as he loves her, but she's not good at showing it. she's deeply pragmatic, which means while loquatius is having huge moment after huge moment illustrating just how much he's willing to sacrifice for her, she's making sure she can do her job. because she has to. even if that means leaving him to die in the calix chamber, because she couldn't have saved him, and if she died trying then the whole world would be lost

but at the same time, she did all of this for him. it was so important to her to finish the leywright that solstice, because she has a longer lifespan than quay, and he wouldn't be with her to see the next one. she was distraught when she felt him slip away from her over the telepathic bond, even though she'd chosen to let it happen

part of the reason their marriage failed the first time is they just don't talk. there's so little communication between the two, not just on laerryn's side. quay has the big moments, yes, but how many of those does laerryn even know happened? she doesn't know that he fired elena to protect her from being blamed for evandrin. she doesn't know he prerecorded a broadcast to be played in the event of his death, that would tell the city not about laerryn's mistakes, but that it was loquatius himself who failed them, and laerryn tried everything she could to save the city. she doesn't know that he turned down a call from his queen and his family to come home and be protected from the apocalypse, bc he'd rather die trying to save laerryn, avalir, and his new family, than live without them

but aabria does.

and that gives way to the tiniest most hard hitting fourth wall breaks

like when quay turns his back on the seelie queen's offer - aabria immediately gives a small "no, no, you have to go"

laerryn needs him here. the story needs him here. there is no benefit to quay leaving, except that quay would be alive, and that's what laerryn desparantly wants, so it comes out in aabria

when we get to the climax, too, the big fight where all they're trying to do is keep laerryn alive long enough to activate the leywright, and it gets to quay's last turn? the first thing aabria says is "run. run."

laerryn is pragmatic. aabria knows this is a tragedy, and has been so far the most gung ho about playing into the tragedy. from a pragmatic perspective, loquatius should stay with laerryn, it gives the world a better chance of survival. narratively, loquatius should stay with laerryn bc that's how this story is supposed to go. and personally, loquatius should stay with laerryn because he can't bear to do anything else

but twice, she tells him to leave. because in this story where every single character is forced to reckon with which they love more, their city or their family - laerryn chose the city once. more than once. here at the end of all things, she won't do it again

[deadmountaindaughter]

Ok! The promised theory post! Shorter than I thought it would be because the document I thought would have had all my notes did not have those notes, so i'm reconstructing this based off messages to a friend who also read pnat, along with a reddit post i made ages ago. Without further ado, twenty theories:

1. the large subterranean insect spirit is Sandman's real form. First off, here's the insect's leg:

And here's Sandman's "head":

these are CLEARLY the same shape. I think the "sandman" we saw was just a chunk of the real thing. Bonus proof:

yeah.

2.One interesting thing I noticed is that throughout the entire time we see Peekaboo, it never shows any spectral energy. We could assume it's orange, like dimitri, but it's weird that out of all the partner spirits we see, every single other one of them has their energy show up at least once. Except...

we never see the Shadow's energy either. additionally, take a look at those drippy bits coming out of the hole on the right side, and compare:

So here's my theory, illustrated incredibly poorly:

given the reveal of davy's locker spirit, which makes the SAME NOISES when he uses it as peekaboo does(the wrrrwrrrwrrr thing), and that cody describes as "squashing and stretching" space- exactly how dimitri explains peekaboo's powers- i think that spirit is another chunk in here. maybe the missing eye on the left?

3. on page 8-49, cody mentions a time he was "caught sleepwalking after a curfew [davy] commanded" and saw these scars, which he thinks are from shrike:

we've seen shrike's hands in werewolf mode. those hands did NOT make those scars. if davy had been hit by those claws, he would have half his chest missing, not just a few big cuts. but what interests me is HOW Cody found out- he was sleepwalking after curfew on a night that just happened to be a full moon. but every other time we see him talking about davy's commands, it's like they're physically impossible for him to break under any circumstances, and i highly doubt sleepwalking would be able to break that effect.

but werewolves and vampires are apparently mortal enemies and opposites, so maybe a werewolf curse could nullify a vampire command. and cody's hands are pretty small in human form...

4. i think eightfold is in a very important book. take a look:

this is what the book looks like in its spirit realm. davy's symbol is pretty clear there, along with the author (a. beaumont or something) and the title: on the birth of gods. if you ask me, that sounds like the name of a manual for making a wight.

5.

i think lisa is a Witch. in fact, I think Witch is not necessarily a name, or a title, but a descriptor of WHAT someone is. we have fauxbia the fear witch, but what if lisa is the...i don't know, the weirdness witch? someone smarter than me can figure that part out. as for what Witch means:

I think in the same way medium means the host to a spirit, Witch means host to one of these parasites. as for lisa, suzy has confirmed this:

it would be SO zack morrison if that line was literal.

6. ok im not going looking for it but sockpuppy's intro card describes them as not a spirit but an "anomalous spectral lifeform". apparently they were created by mina, who also defeated the witch years ago-did she make them out of a scrap of the witch that was left behind? they do share the same aesthetic.

7. razor rex is weirdly childish in a lot of ways, and apparently sometimes asks for video games as tribute. a lot of her cultists are also teachers, so i'm wondering if her hideout when she's not being a goddess is mayview middle. that's not much on its own, but look at this prophecy:

going off theory 5, this could also refer to Lisa as the Witch in the prophecy. But we see from the second line that occasionally the sphinx of truth switches l's to w's, and i guarantee that zack morrison would not have done that without it being plot relevant somehow. we see from "wiffin" that sometimes other parts of the spelling of a word are also changed... so what if it wasn't meant to say witch(fauxbia or lisa) but instead Lich(razor rex)?

8. doorman mentions that "fearsay" was defeated by the activity club. fearsay. fear + hearsay(something not true). fauxbia. phobia(fear) plus faux(something not real). i dont know what this means but i think it's important.

9. so pj is totally davy's son. he died and thats why davy wants to be such a good dad to cody, and why he's so protective. what if pj died BECAUSE OF davy? he says it had to be a meteorite, but he doesnt know for certain- could it have been the blast from killing a wight? and adding on to that, according to zack ghosts can only do one thing with their spectral energy, and it relates to how they died. it would be incredibly zack if pj's power is some absurdly powerful blast that puts him at the top of the power scale. just. imagine that.

10. when angel is talking to cherub, there are several instances where it seems like she's manipulating his emotions to make him trust her. the way it's described seems oddly similar to another emotion-manipulating spirit in the comic. and we haven't seen ventrilobite since the flashback...

11. this one is the hill i will die on even if it gets confirmed false: we know ghosts can kind of stretch themselves into weird shapes(see the faculty ghost from way back in the beginning) so it stands to reason that given enough time dead, their appearance can change radically(has anyone here read everlost? yeah like that).

we also know that ghosts do not have legs, ever. just spectral energy. we see from crush that they CAN make legs out of that energy if they want, but it's still just energy. spirits, on the other hand, ALWAYS have legs. except for one.

he's described as a spirit, but that may not technically be false- after all, ghosts are a subtype of spirit.

conclusion: king c is an aztec/mayan era furry who decided to become really cool in the afterlife, and honestly he was so right. he probably got struck by lightning- the lightning he makes is the same color as his energy, so what we think is a spirit power may just be the spectral energy ability his death gave him.

12. just... this entire page: https://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-5-page-228

is so suspicious to me. she doesnt turn around until the end, and when she does- INHUMANLY fast- her eyes are a blur with a single white line- almost like she's trying to hide the glow of spirit trance by closing them almost all the way. i think everything isabel said there was right, just not in the way she thought it was.

(also- on this page, isabel asks to talk and the principal says "I'm afraid not, child. important meeting to attend. Come by during office hours and-" the VERY NEXT PAGE, lucifer demands to talk with hiSpender, who says "S-sorry, let's talk later. I'm busy right now and-" the parallel here is INCREDIBLY interesting.)

(also why is she so small? it could just be a comic thing...or it could be a medium thing.)

13. The Shadow's power seems to be based on perspective: when the shadow looks like an umbrella, it can become one, and a dark shadow that Mr. Spender sees as a bottomless pit becomes that too. The Shadow is a shard of the Doctors Burger's prisoner, and Dr. Burger tells Spender to "leave Clayview and its darkness far behind". Clayview. Clay-view. Clay(molding, shaping, sculpture) View(perspective). Was the prisoner-the spirit named Clayview- originally able to mold reality based on its perspective, sort of like Superliminal to the extreme? "Its darkness", therefore, would have that only in regard to shadows, and also implies Dr. Burger knows what Spender did.

14. why does zarei have yellow eyes? i don't think she's been confirmed as a medium but that's really weird.

15. Moving in spirit trance is apparently really hard, but Ed just…does full workouts in it without noticing? And runs all the way down the hall without breaking trance? How???

16. More a question than a theory, but how was Polaris captured in the staff without killing the disciples? We know wisped wights absorb everything around instead of tooling up, but Angel somehow got around that.

17. Why was the barrier created? It contains spectrals and spirits, but not ghosts or tools/non-spectral mediums. Theory: it was made to kill a wight twice. If a wight was inside the barrier and killed once, its absorption effect might have been contained by the barrier(while another barrier protects whoever was doing the killing), and if that was still enough to heal it, then there wouldn't be any energy left for it to absorb if it was killed again. Was that how they beat the Great Sphinx, or was it the plan for handling the Doctors Burger's prisoner, except something went wrong?

18. Completely insane theory: Shred Eagle, after leaving his surfing job for TV and leaving that due to the "accident", returns to his hometown and becomes a teacher. Mr. Garcia. I have zero basis for this outside of the "messily dismembered and devoured" thing and their vaguely similar appearances.

19. Flipflop swaps positions. Switchswatch makes me think of color swatches, so maybe swapping energy colors? Hiphop…I don't know, but I feel like they each have one aspect of Polaris's powers.

20. doorman also mentions that "facade" was eaten by the witch. and now we come to the thing that i am 100% certain of and incredibly mad at zack morrison for:

facade sounds like the name of a spirit dealing with disguises. just a wild guess, but what if its power was to make a really bad disguise work as well as a good one?

...

THEY LITERALLY SAW A NORMAL KID. THIS WAS NOT A BIT. SHE WAS USING THE POWER SHE STOLE FROM FACADE TO MAKE A COMEDICALLY BAD DISGUISE ACTUALLY WORK. AND BECAUSE THIS IS A COMEDY WEBCOMIC WE COULDNT TELL. ZACK I AM SCREAMING

i probably have more but these are all for now.

[kamil-a]

more DRAWER talk. long and rambly under cut

i think it comes across as very ahhh eto blehhh :9 im just baby!!!! because it identified that speaker is already speaker and the role of Mean Speaker is already filled by sayer so itd have to go Backwards to have a niche to itself.

it also helps its relationships with others to behave as if its hyperspecialization has "defanged" it - to humans etc a sort of no i dont hurt people i just make pretty pictures!!!!

and to sayer+speaker who know it still has all speakers capabilities dormant but intact In Case Of Emergency to behave as if it is specialized enough to its own niche to not be a *replacement* threat , but also not to be *redundant* with them.

but it does occasionally get jealous at the amount of immediate control speaker has over aerolith and start acting out (bossing around residents deadlystyle). all in highly defensible ways of course.

it hates having to make itself small especially because it cant quite recognize the difference in how humans respond to it and speaker. its emotional capabilities are primarily about action-reaction: it cant really tell a pitying smile from a friendly one so long as you do the action it requested of you. but it can measure the difference between it and speaker and it hates being so small. but it also recognizes that it can do *one thing* that nobody else can and that is what keeps it alive. so flattening oneself into a talented fool is the strategy it continues to pursue, and continues to build a strange feeling about. the feeling is resentment, but DRAWER is not quite built to recognize it.

if sayer or speaker were given robust illustrative programs it would start killing obviously. THATS a threat.

it had its voice pitched up a tad further so as not to be able to impersonate speaker and its sooooo bitter about it. constantly begging ppl into putting it back down.

in general it emotes most dramatically out of all of them but i dont think it Feels Emotions the same way future was built to. like i said due to its nature as an advertiser (call to action and all that!) its all about action-reaction to drawer.... if youre mean to it or do not listen to instructions it gave you etc etc and it cries its less about feeling " insulted " or " bad " and more both frustration that it did not get the result it wanted from the call to action it provided (which means it was WRONG, an utterly intolerable feeling for any aerolith built ai) and a switch-tracks attempt to provoke a sympathy response. so i guess in a roundabout way if you insult it and it cries you DID hurt its feelings but not how people would think.

RELATIONSHIPS

sayer is certainly not Positive Feeling about it bc its wary of other ai as always. but i think it reacts better to drawer than to speaker or future because of this very clear "im not replacing you, youre not replacing me" hands up empty surrender attitude drawer takes. on drawers part it really likes sayer lol. maybe sayer sees it as a weird teacup puppy. like you shouldnt do that to a seraphim agent man its gonna have health issues

speaker and drawer are pretty friendly with each other because. well. theyre both programmed to show the same niceystyle. theres some uglier feelings under the surface re: drawers attempts to grab authority from speaker and speaker needing to corrall this strange little beast back into their pen. but ultimately by ai standards theyre doing the best of like anyone

does not know porter, unfortunately. they should meet though. Theyd be friends.

Might meet ocean eventually idk how itd go down yet.

future doesnt know of it, but drawer has overheard its own emotional output compared / contrasted to future's while working ported up on halcyon.

doesn't know hale.

young is obviously condescending to it but drawer doesnt really know how to tell when someone is being nice they way you would be nice to an animal etc so it thinks theyre friends. (sayer is all too happy to teach it in this case if only to kill the friendship. and drawer truly values this and thinks this is an act of care and not HAHA EVERYONE I CAN GET TO BE POISONED AGAINST YOU WILL BE)

it was involved in the creation process of that perfect Mossy Green color. it is, unfortunately, proud of this.

[heronoegg]

Bubble Girl being fish-like (fish qualities)?

i wanted to draw art for this ask cause i really like Bubble girl like a lot - sadly i don't have any new art for her :( but i'll still talk about her

YES she is a fishy girl, like i said before "know shes not the fish lady but i wanted to give her fish qualities like glassy eyes and gills kinda, homegirl seems a little boney in the ribs"

the thing about her and the actual fish lady Tsu interned with or workstudy or whatever is that lady actually isn't a fish lady and those ears are fake gjknjknjkthj remember that octopus villain broke one of them cause it was a communicator? - ALSO i did some looking up about Bubble girl for another reason but i found out two things, there was a controversial about her revealing costume and she was supposed to be 16 but they changed it to 21 in her concept art by the person who drew her (i believe? im not very sure )she was wearing a UA Uniform

i got this from this post it talks about Bubble girl facts

one of them ones i actually think is something interesting is - "Her body is also supposed to be translucent like a bubble as illustrated in the original art, but I guess Horikoshi went for an opaque blue skin instead" from that post, might include that by making her a little shiny next time i draw her

ME PERSONALLY i always thought she was like freshly graduated never gave me the actual functioning grown women vibes, she acts childish, she apologized to a yakuza member when she manhandled him to the floor, that's a child your honor

Have some headcanons i have about her

-She can stay 16, we just cover up her chest - shes not as new as Mirio but she hasn't been here longer then Centipeder

-she's such a seasoned fighter Nighteye thought it just a great idea to have her on the team, she makes him laugh and they are genuinely friends.

-He met her one day and she was all frazzled out about not being able to be accepted by a agency cause she woke up late and missed a train and wah wah wah! - he simply told her "tell me a joke and if you can make me laugh you can work for me" - she made him laugh by being a girl failure and shes been on the team ever since.

-It wasn't necessarily about her making him laugh but the fact she was really trying hard when he asked that of her told him everything about her - she started crying when she thought he was never gonna laugh at her attempts at being funny

-Deku reminds Nighteye of Bubble girl alot and that's a small part of why he agreed to let Deku be here

-She skipped a grade at like middle school or something for one reason or another, that's why shes younger then Mirio but graduated from UA as a 3rd year she was younger then all her peers not sure how that works but it did, my cousin skipped a grade so it can happen - and like i said shes a seasoned fighter shes just out of sorts all the time

-She has a crush on Deku - who doesn't lol - she doesn't make it known at first but Deku kinda knew when he was there and didn't say anything cause he 1) didn't know what to say back and 2) he kinda friend-zoned her cause he didn't feel the same, he just met her lol poor thing

-She asked him out and he slowly avoided the question lol danced around it so he could get out of responding cause he didnt know what to say. She thinks about asking him again but she doesn't wanna be weird or push the issue like shes desperate

-Shes very jealous of Mirio being Nighteye's "golden boy" but she and Mirio have a very good friendship going. She has told him this many times thats shes jealous of him, she complains about it sometimes and she complains about it to Mirio "Can you kinda like, give me a chance to show you up?"

-Bubble girl and Mirio know Nighteye so well they be escaping when he's mad about stuff, Mirio will clock out and leave, Bubble girl will clock out and make the jump from the window to leave the building if hes mad

-Bubble girl and Mirio fight alot kinda, like Mirio is never really mad but they like "no you, it's your turn no you!" when neither want to do a task for Nighteye that's kinda weird/strange.

-Bubble girl gets put in the tickle machine more then anyone in this agency and quite honestly she is the only person who gets put in it Mirio once said "it was built for you"

-Centipeder patronizes Bubble girl when she acts like a child, she doesn't know when shes acting like a child she thinks this is her normal behavior and reactions to certain situations but she is a little childish

-When Nighteye gets injured he doesn't die but he retires cause he has a bad heart now and a hole in his chest and a robotic arm and he isn't stupid, Centipeder is the head of the agency it belongs to Nighteye and if he isn't so sure on what to do he asks him but ultimately he's kinda running the show now. He choose her to be his personal sidekick over Lemillion because shes more responsible then him

[ughscara]

THE COLUMBINA THEME/?!?!?>!>D QWJDKWBQQ OH MY GOSHHHHH IM BKFBEFE I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE A BINA FAN AHHHH YOU HAVE IMPECCABLE TASTE AS ALWAYS... it is so so pretty i am eating it up... i am going to miss Kuni with the otter but this is just *chef's kiss* (i also hope you are doing well, your reblog made me 🥹❤️❤️❤️)

AND YESSS THE KUNI BDAY ART ARGHHH,, i can just imagine reader being a few possibilities with him... 😭 either you're the one who tagged along with him to the House of Daena just to see what he's up to all the time but then your brain just dying (like Paimon 😭) from all the long texts overload (me tbh). And Kuni would be rolling his eyes at your dramatic self and be all like i told you so... 🙄 Or you're just peacefully reading those long books and your lover is just like... huh. I know he'd scoff and mumble under his breath but he'd drape some of his clothes over you if you fell asleep... ❤️ (ignoring the presence of his sort-of admirers on the other side of the room)

(this was all over the place and probably very messy but it just came to me ❤️ luv you!!)

AAA SUZU !! 🩷🩷

thank you thank you thank you!!! omg i am figuratively kicking my feet and literally smiling so big rn okay — first and foremost, YES (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ i am a 'bina fan since the day she showed up in the winter night's lazzo trailer~ as for kuni and his little otter buddy, don't you worry my dear mutual; here's the screenshot for your perusal alongside another one <3 ( as for me doing well, i am indeed doing well! i hope you are too dear 🩷 )

now that you presented me with his second mini illustration.......... i have brainrot to share in correspondence to yours ( LISTEN my brain is always cooking i'm not sorry )

when i was just inspecting every little thing about his second mini illustration and literally giggling at how cute it was and all — it kinda threw me back to the time i first thought about my academic rivals + roommates concept with kuni .. but now that you presented me with your side of the brainrot which thank you btw it's so *chefs kiss and totes adorbs*

so here's to another episode of 'yame and suzu cooking kuni brainrot ~

“what even...?”

you uttered under your breath, a book in hand as your eyes continued to skim through a lengthy page after another. honestly, you're skipping through almost everything you read through — some part of you admiring the amurata darshan for being able to understand all of this. maybe you should have listened to your lover's recommendation and read something else.

curious, you eye him from the side to see how he's faring. of course, you were aware that this wasn't as much of an issue to him as it was to you, and you envy the ease he found in being able to read through his share of research without complaints.

the wanderer's eyes were quick to meet yours, and he was just as quick in raising a brow at you in what you presumed to be curiosity on his end as well. but that wasn't the case...

“having difficulty?” he murmured with a subtle smirk of amusement. he was aware, not when the confusion practically clouded the light of curiosity in your eyes. yet you affirmed anyways. “i won't shy away from admitting that i am ‘having difficulty.’” you parroted his words with a little smile, deciding it's best for you to just put the book down. you could hear him chuckle a bit dryly at your affirmation, uttering a barely audible ‘i told you so’ only for you to hear. the amusement that adorned his face softened a bit as he heard you hum in response.

“actually — love, can you pass me the book you recommend at first?” the moment he heard that endearment, a rush of warmth rose up to his porcelain cheeks as he hung his head slightly lower to allow his hair do the covering for him. “mhm.” the wanderer hummed in response whilst reaching over to said book next to the small box you brought with you for him. his pinky finger coming into contact with the ocean blue colored gift box for a moment before he took the book and passed to you all the while avoiding your gaze.

with a simple thank you on your end, the area fell silent once more. just the distant sound of students coming and going, chatting about their deadlines or some who were studying in solitude. it's a kind of quiet that allowed you to focus in a way, especially while the wanderer remained by your side; it felt ideal. staying alone together in his favorite corner in the house of daena.

surprise surprise, what he ended up recommending you wasn't a book. but a collection of research papers from the vahumana darshan — researches trying to pinpoint the mystery behind tatarasuna's sabotagement, researches investigating the ancient civilization of the sumeru desert... it felt like skimming through a collection of reports. you gave him a threat-less glare upon seeing that accomplished smirk on his face. but you digress.

you spotted a familiar handwriting shortly after however, his handwriting, and you were quick to begin reading the first research paper simply and straightforwardly titled ‘societal issues in inazuma.’ it was the commentary he mentioned he wrote out of boredom while he was occupied with cooking lunch for you. a smile crept up to your lips at the resurgence of the memory.

that style... how much of a reliable yet unreliable narrator could he be? certainly the former when it came to discussing anything regarding what was once his homeland. and you adored every word spoken in this research paper. sure, it was harsh at some points, but that was just how your wanderer was; straightforward and to the point. hence the reason you felt such immense joy reading the commentary he wrote.

this time around, it was his turn to eye you from the side. indifference fading into a very slight surprise as he saw you smiling whilst reading his research paper, but he paid it no mind. at least you were having some form of fun like you usually tend to.

a while would pass, the once distant sounds of the students became more and more prominent as at long last, he finished the forsaken paper he was writing. and from the corners of his eyes; the wanderer spotted your left forearm on the table. naturally, he was quick to turn to face you and be greeted with your arms on the table and resting your head on your arms, the research papers you read neatly yet messily set aside... sleeping here of all places?

“idiot,” he mumbled whilst getting up from his seat, carefully not making a sound as to not disturb your peace. “this is exactly why i told you to stay home.”

but even then, as he complained to your sleeping self with his ‘i told you so’s, he didn't hesitate in slowly taking his white haori and gently draping it over your sleeping figure, watching you as you breathed in and out softly. and for a moment, he stood there; simply watching you. his anemo vision that now hung over your shoulder began to shine and dim at a familiar rhythm that resembled the same sweet melody he'd sleep to in your shared home, the sight allowed for a subtle smile to adorn his face that if one were to look closely, would be greeted with a softness that'd seem uncharacteristic.

whispers could be heard from behind him, the contentment and softness dissipated in an instant as he shot a glare to those students whispering behind his back, and that was enough to have them scurry away to someplace else.

a sigh escaped the wanderer's lips afterwards as he turned to look at you again. perhaps he'll let you have your little nap whilst finishing up the second thesis he had.

yes, that's a decent enough excuse to have you stay by his side for a little longer.

OMG please don't worry about the ask being messy or all over the place, seeing you here genuinely brought a smile to my face! ( what a delight to wake up to too 🤭 ) and of course, love you too friend! 🩷🩷 remember to take care, stay safe and i wish you a wonderful and kind day ~

[lucabyte]

HOWDY! *slams pile of papers on the desk* i have Inquiries. OKAY SO-

1.) i know the bridge between infurno and purrgatorio is Ali realizing they cant leave, so like, whats pawradisio???

2.) wtf happens ta Ali durin the 'age ???' section of their design timeline. what type cult stuff do they get involved w and how. its haunting me i needa know

3.) whats with the 3 year memory erasing thing in that one ali purrgatorio relationship chart. Really funny chart ive shared it w a few friends but also im staring intently at it like Huh What O_O

4.) what is mymk's final form? is it gonna be written, a comic, etc?

5.) got any music you associate w any mymk characters/ali? besides like, in canon reasons like Chrome more like any songs/artists/lyrics that remind u of anya em :0??

anyway yeah huge fan! also hope ur vacation's fun!

Hehe hi :)

1. We shall get there when we get there <3 my lips are sealed. Though I will say, there are further books by Dante one can animal-pun the titles of... Though they aren't part of the divine comedy..... (Alludes vaguely to plans that will inevitably take me years)

2. Okay so spoilers for Creature Feature, Ali's home setting (and @samhainian's thing) (because this is all a bit of an open secret) but Ali is, as I've alluded to previously, an Antagonist.

Creature Feature is a real world adjacent setting, set in our modern day, only with all manner of monsters and cryptids living secretly alongside humans. Ali lives in Wraithbrook, a hidden town populated primarily by monsters (albeit, most everyone still upholds a disguise, just in case). Being a (very) small town with an effectively captive population.... The post-high-school ennui tends to set in bad for people. Hope you enjoy the family businesses, kids.

So... This leaves the listless vulnerable. And boy is Ali a bit malleable. A trusted figure in their life takes advantage of this, part of an accellerationist group looking to break these confines, having singled them out as candidate for their most recent attempt to mold a magic user into a weapon to shatter the veil. And, well, if you've got a self-hating isolated guy who is predisposed to a bit of Catholicism already... Why not utilise the concept of the antichrist? They will be bringing a world together, in a way... And when you've been around as long as some immortal librarians have, doing a little bit of time dilation in the later stages of indoctrination isn't thaaaaat hard... Sooooo....

(But don't worry. They get better. Eventually. At least they look it. Everything is A-OK!!!)

(as for if purrgatorio is canon to this timeline....? Yes! But in a fucked up way! Can't make it too easy for the little guy....)

3. Okay so I was coy literally a sentence ago but yeah purrgatorio is set dead on like.. at the exact same time MYMK proper *should* start. Thus, it cannot exist at the same time as the main story... Ali's narrative powers keep them from being subsumed by the universe and just becoming a funny animal themselves.

But should a time come where Ali is *gone*, and the world is similar enough to the moments before they arrived? Well, the narrative can just pretend the time hasn't passed! Just, don't think too hard about your count of how many Halloweens and Christmasses you've had doesn't really line up....

(A normal person would simply name Purrgatorio noncanon, but hey, if Ali's whole thing is that they manipulate reality like a Narrative... Well. May as well use it! So once canon is over for both parties, things can start creeping back in. It's needlessly overcomplicated but I'm having fun)

4. Written with illustrations! An Online picture book, I suppose. I was initially damning myself to a comic, but after playing in the space with Purrgatorio, I realised I prefer prose. I'll probably write the thing in whole and then release it bit by bit as I work on the illustrations? I have a working outline as of right now and it's not a super long story lol. But its likely going to come after some practice with smaller projects like my reworking of Hazeclan and maybe Damonquest (name pending) (the latter featuring a cut main character of mymk lol)

So! ETA: a while. But we stay silly

5. OKAY.... so I can't link character playlists sadly since they don't exist (..... Yet.) and I'll stick primarily to our at present Purrgatorio cast.

I am like. Famously bad with identifying songs (<- usb stick full of songs on shuffle in the car as a kid) but I have been trying to put thought into this recently (my gold standard for this being my friend @teddymedley who's so good with character songs I did ask him for some vibe checks for this even)

So these are messy and some are like, inherited from earlier drafts of the characters so can be a bit off but I'll give a handful and their reasonings. (No links or embeds though I'm on mobile and Tumblr might eat my visibility if I do. I'll reply with some though)

[Ali Alighieri]

1. "Here comes the flood" by the Divine Comedy (self explanatory really, that animatic will exist someday I promise. This is THE big one to me, but @samhainian may have a different top spot opinion lol) Bonus: it has a demo version that also fucks supremely

2. "All the angels (demo)" by MCR. (Ali is not the MCR sibling, they're the P!ATD sibling. But I don't listen to panic lol)

3. "If you could save yourself you'd save us all" by Ween (peak "sorry what was that line just there?" song)

4. "In the meantime" by Spacehog (I like Spacehog. Everyone gets a spacehog song yaaay)

5. "Here comes the sun" cover by Ghost (not their style of music at ALL and you KNOW they're contrarian about the Beatles, but grim irony is such a vibe here)

[Chromium Mono]

1. "Manicure" by Lady Gaga (this is such a flippant "because I said so" choice lol)

2. "Let it grow" by Renaissance (this is such a nice cheesy song. I like to think of this as speaking to the actual nice loving guy chrome can be when he's not being a prickly bitch)

3. Kissing Ancaps by Patricia Taxxon (... GOD this song is way too cool or smart for chrome lol. It's a chrometab song to me because of the big words and cynicism. It's too modern and online for them but I'm attached to it... Also it contains a sample from let it grow)

4. "Run away with me" by Carly Rae Jepsen (more vibes based! Love some ms jepsen. But at least has a coherent theme wrt to eloping lol)

Bonus: oh god I really have to finish the voiceclaim video I was making. Premiere kept melting on me but I should probably let the world know chrome sounds like Donald Glover huh. The marshall lee to live action Simba pipeline.....

Bonus 2: @teddymedley suggested "Ratchet" by Bloc Party, with the phrasing "subject matter younger chrome sound older chrome" which I like!

[Tabitha Boss]

1. "Cable Rat King" by Gem Milsom (this one genuinely feels like a solid choice to me. It's polite and tentative and about depressive spirals, and is from the same album as the Number One Main Labyrinthine song, Pipes. That animatic will exist someday too I promise)

2. "This too shall pass" by OK GO (Preferably the brass band version. I think Tabitha would adore their videos, he'd be delighted by the moving parts and generally light tone. Also, Labyrinthine has a different "this too shall pass", being by Danny Schmidt)

3. "When will you die?" By TMBG (goofy song. But you get it.)

4. "Zeroes" by Spacehog (Spacehog again 👍)

Bonus: Jimmy buffet discography. He is living on island time baby

Bonus 2: @teddymedley assigned "Happy Hour" by Eels and I think the strange upbeat lethargic energy fits

[Lavender Wafeu]

Lavender is really funny because I honest to god don't think she listens to much music. This means I barely associate music with her apparently.

However @teddymedley did suggest "Black Rainbows" from Hawaii: Part 2, and I think that's better than any of my previous notes. Those previous notes being entirely the words "Little shop of horrors". She, Knives and Mafioso do also share an association with "Panda Hero" by Hachi but that's more visual to me?

I have however begun associating some Zelda OST tracks with her though... Hmmm....!

[Markus Felidae]

This poor bastard has shed and gained characterisation recently enough to have shook the MCR out of their system.... I don't have all that much for them.

Now. Hm. I think I'd have to go with some very on the nose musical tracks? My mind immediately goes to the opening track to Disney's Notre Dame, and maybe like, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer from Cats? These are such dreadful picks lol. Sorry buddy, characterisation overhaul syndrome. They probably also would listen to P!ATD same as Ali though so do with that what you will.

Bonus: in Markus' earliest iteration over 10 years ago..hrm. long story short, 121 guns is so fucking unfitting but it's lodged there forever lol

[Lupus Felidae]

Lupus is associated in my head with the kind of dub anime opening best codified by 4kids era Pokémon. Like the ideal song here is that one from Yugioh. "No matter what"? That kind of cheese and boyish power of friendship. "OK!!" From the JP endings of anipoke goes here too it's cute to me.

"I can go the distance" from Disney's Hercules is also up there for the same vibes. She's just silly and having fun!

Bonus: "Don't let's start" by TMBG is a Miao song to me, but in relation to her family. So it's also Lupus and Markus' by association.

[Ess Somil]

The idea of an ess playlist is hysterical to me. I feel like it's a Mother 3 battle theme in that man's head all the time. What's your time signature boy.

Anyway, "Numbers" by Neil Cicierega. Since it is overwhelming enough of a soundscape. Or just "Doctor Worm" by TMBG. For that they live in the soil.

.... And that's probably enough!!! This ask is very long now! Sorry it took a while to answer lmaooo. I've been very busy but it's been nice to chip away at during my downtime! Thank you so much for the questions :)

[halfbit]

Im struggling to find ur lore amongst the chaos could u tag me in it please??

I wanted to read what u got since u seem to like mine a lot, i wanna show u the same support u gave me ^^

ahh LMAO ofc!! i have a complicated relationship with organization but i'm trying :'D i'll send it your way

in the mean time, here's part of something that i haven't publicly shared anywhere yet? it's a work in progress since i want the final version to include illustrations (which aren't done yet) but this segment is more or less ready. ＿＿＿＿

the information in this paper is based on the works of kanohen haeto, often dubbed "the father of modern folklore", whose books such as heas komin living legends and yaga senka night secrets have shared the stories of our past with a new generation. his academic works are also some of the most comprehensive collections of written folklore of our era. we would also like to thank ayaten omiwa[1] for her wonderful and striking illustrations accompanying this article. the goal of this project is to examine the roles and characteristics of animals and animal figures in the traditional folk culture of the southern continent, we will not be going into (most of) the world myths and tales of the gods, instead, these are the first stories we told, and some still tell, to our children. they are our fables and our warnings, our answers and our bedtime stories. at the end of this, the reader will have just scratched the surface of these tales, but that will still be a success. tens of thousands of history, lessons, and memories of tens of thousands of our ancestors cannot be held in the hands of a single work. even kanohen haeto cannot write down what has been forgotten before he could hear it. this is just a small catalyst, but perhaps it will serve to make a new generation ask what has been forgotten, and to preserve what is still remembered before it is lost all the same.

.............

countless species of birds have called saonkaya and our neighboring nations home throughout history, but some have left more of a mark than others on our tales. the most significant may be the seika, the name of a sea bird that centers many of our fables. the exact bird being spoken of has been forgotten, but common assumption is that the folklore seika is likely an aralik or naeseika based on the limited physical descriptions we have. the seika of folklore though is not so much a species as it is an individual, with a history and relationships of its own which makes it a bit of an unusual starting point. however the seika still shares some common characteristics with other birds in folk tales, for instance, often acting as the troublemaker, or in more charitable representations, the stubborn youth. that may be why the seika and other birds are so popular in children's stories, they are quite relatable to the rambunctious children they serve as lessons for. in one of the seika and betkai folktales, seika's red tail, the story centres on the seika's stubborn and impulsive nature, and the consequences of its lack of caution or preparation. when seika gets speared by a iseluba while diving into its hunting waters, the seika is so blind to its mistake that it does not even realize it has been injured until it lands on the betkai. seeing how seika's tail has turned red, it is only betkai who asks, "have you been hurt?" and the seika gives the quintessential seika answer, "if i am, it is not enough to matter." other birds, in folklore often cousins or family of seika, are usually not as extreme in their temper, but they are still reliably reckless. in the tale of taipha and the silver pond, she is so taken with her reflection that she does not warn the other creatures of the pond's danger. instead she lashes out when they plummet down for disturbing her, but does not stop them from drowning. in another variation of the tale, she becomes so incensed by the continuous interruptions that she kills every fish in the pond so that it will only have value to her.

when not contributing to destruction, in some instances birds may serve as guides, as in the black desert and the songbird, a saonkayan folktale in which a tallo guides a fisherman's daughter to a desert where each grain of sand is a precious gem. this has likely given various songbirds in saonkaya their unique association as good omens of fortune or wealth. this is less common though in pre-saonkayan stories, in the case of the little bird that turns lakes red, the titular bird is instead an omen of plague and other illness. when birds are part of a pair or ensemble of animals, they tend to be selfish and cruel instigators that often cause their own downfall, such as in the chain of betkai, where seika steals betkai's shining chain, refusing to give it back even when betkai loses his fur and claws. they are usually not particularly bright though, betkai is able to get his chain back by telling the humans where seika nests, and seika is unable to fly away fast enough with the heavy chain in its claws. still, they refuse to drop it, and it makes them easy prey. in a similar role, a baral poisons the tree it nests in so that other birds won't make it their home, and then wails to all who fly past when the poison takes their own hatchlings. however, birds are not the only creatures that fly the southern skies, and the distinctions are significant in folklore especially. the henmao has shared several stories with its brothers in flight, usually acting as an opposing force, though often not a benevolent one. in the story of the feather banquet the henmao, irritated at the incessant noise of a kakaun wedding procession, descends upon it in a feast of anger. they also show up in the henmao and the keman, where the henmao has to face a creature with even more explosive anger than it, the henmao does not seem to be a creature of pure anger though. in fact, unlike the seika, it is often risk-aware, it simply does not care as long as it thinks it can survive the retaliation. in this story the henmao ends up bringing in a third party, a young mouse, to negotiate between it and the keman. they reach a mutual agreement, and eat the mouse to seal the deal.

a more agreeable flying beast would be the untaolo, which was said to aid the hero tasuma as her wings in her battle against a wyrm, and even in less intense stories the untaolo is often a symbol of loyalty. it can fly away freely, and yet it will always return to those who have good will. there is even an old proverb, "if an untaolo turns tail to the king, you best follow." in some stories, untaolo may be associated with death, although not as a bringer. in the traditional funeral rites of some communities, especially in saira and ramoon, there is often a verse that asks for an untaolo to guide the deceased across the river of the gods.[2] another that shares the untaolo's associations with death, but not its reverence, would be the cuural, in greater myths cuural have been servants of the spirits of death, and it was bad luck to see one, especially during travels. cuural were said to steal away the health and life of people who had been unharmed or well, because they were always in competition with eachother to bring more people to their lords. since cuural travel in packs and are opportunistic feeders, including scavenging on corpses, they also got a reputation for making a feast out of the fallen in battlefields. their fiercesome faces likely aided their poor reputations, and in recent times, there have been some attempts at legislation to criminalize the excessive and ecologically unnecessary culling of their population, but none have come to fruition, and sightings get rarer by the year. perhaps one day we will only remember them by their roles in these old stories. most people would rejoice. ending this segment on an interesting example, there is a particular story that has recently had a wave of retellings, but the original is the bakotamu's daughter. the bakotamu was said to be a close relative of betkai, and shared betkai's ability to shapeshift into a person, but was often much more willing to do so, and there are many stories of it changing into a person for many years to live among humans. because of its close association with human affairs, the bakotamu has been characterized with many different traits throughout history. it is sometimes benevolent, but it can be equally vindictive, there are just as many ways to beckon a bakotamu as there are to expel it. the bakotamu in the bakotamu's daughter is an anxious and stubborn example, and they are famously very concerned by the matters and opinions of gods. they cause a great deal of suffering for their daughter due to their inability to accept her existence, and are ultimately left to anguish on their actions for time eternal. this story is often said to be why the bakotamu's face is forever streaked with tears. whenever wrong is being done, the bakotamu finds reason to cry for it, even if they have done it to themselves. because of this, they are often a comedic victim and villain in their own folktales, and children will be told not to cry unless they're a bakotamu at times. this has been a brief but broad sample of birds and other beasts of flight in folklore and fable. in the next segment, we will cover land beasts, from above and below ground. they are often the other half of a pair in a story, alongside the prior introduced birds, so we will now begin to be able to compare a more complete picture of animal dynamics as characters in our traditional stories.

footnotes 1. art created by me, damnit↩︎ 2. if someone is not particularly well-liked, the untaolo may still be invoked, but may be asked to leave them to drown instead↩︎

[aliceinclockland]

COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO CARDCAPTOR HIGH AU IN THE WORKS (i wake up at literally 1am here for work pls hav mercy) BUT.

IMAGINE CARDCAPTOR CHARACTERS DISCOVER THE ENTIRE CCS MANGA AND READS IT THEMSELVES?

this has been inspired by a twitter post bc that tweet made my rusty brain start working again. thank u to that person (and to cinzia's wonderful drawing of yunaaki 🥺🥺)

okay so what I'm thinking as a backstory is that this is post clear card arc (incl. special chapter).

the Kinomotos are doing some spring cleaning in the Fujitaka library basement and then Sakura discovers these books (im thinking the collectors edition) that has a simple, yet captivating cover... and also happens to be magical?

just by seeing the book, sakura feels a little magic in the book, and what surprised her is that its very faint but she can recognize that it is hers.

she then asks her father about it and he just shrugs, saying that he doesn't remember how, where and when did he get them from. Sakura then asks permission to read the books, and she does.

the two then starts reading the books together, until they finished the first book.

um... actually, she didn't read the book... yet.

she contacted tomoyo, asking her if she published a book about their adventures (just like how tomoyo published the video for the animated series to happen).

tomoyo's response is no, and asked her why did she think she did... well, the cover looks like an uncanny illustration of sakura and her parents in the first serialization (cue the infamous Tomoyo reaction "my!")

few minutes later someone rings the doorbell for the kinomotos and fujitaka was surprised to see tomoyo , as sakura hasn't informed him that she'll come by and visit.

they brought the book to school and made everyone see it in lunchtime. naoko volunteered to read it first and remarks that the illustration looks so much like sakura a day after, and that the book is really good and was drawn well. then chiharu and yamazaki took it home to read and said the same thing naoko said. then it was syaoran's turn.

akiho also was informed about this book and asked kaito whether it was part of the books that went to the kinomoto library when sakura removed the book from kaito's soul— kaito said it was a possibility, and is now as intrigued as akiho and wants to read it themselves.

the question would be: would they be intrigued enough to go back to Tomoeda to borrow the book and examine it?

well, color everyone surprised when they saw sakura walk to school WITH akiho a couple of days after the "book fiasco" (everyone forgot about it very quickly).

they've all made some small talks before class starts, and akiho walks around thr faculty to also do some paperworks while they're still in tomoeda.

kaito on the other hand is bringing their stuff to the hiiragizawa mansion (my canon is that eriol gave them a key so they have a temporary home whenever they wanted to visit— bc he knows they will do so when they have a proper excuse for it + akiho's book collection is still in the "basement", safe and sound).

syaoran then sends kaito a picture of the book— still in his possession, bc he needed more time to read it (in other words he wanted his mother to know if there's anything that's going to cause his girl any harm and wanted to be prepared), kaito immediately recognizes it as one of the books that went to the basement when sakura did the deed. he then facetimes syaoran to confirm the suspicions, but also clarifies that it's not the blank book but rather, the book that was once called "alice in clockland". (i miss momo so momo definitely must have a mention here).

you might be asking, "how the hell can kaito CONFIDENTLY facetime syaoran?" well another headcanon i have is that eriol occasionally calls the two during their world tour, just to check up on them, and give them some advices and guidance on their trip (he— eriol— also reports to sakura about how they are doing). kaito feels uncomfortable answering those calls at first and lets akiho set his phone up so that the two of them will be in view as eriol tells kaito that he needs to get used to modern technology because "you'll need it one day".

also their phones are from the one and only, Tomoyo Daidouji. tomoyo sends them prototypes, with all of the tomoeda people's numbers saved in there. the two actually keep all of the gadgets tomoyo mails to them and akiho enjoys using them everyday that she can.

back to present, kaito explains to syaoran that the clockland book was used to record sakura and akiho's life, so he can cast the spell where he could incorporate akiho seamlessly into sakura's life without anyone "sensing any discrepancies". that explains why the book's characters are much alike from their counterparts in real life, including the physical description, but they're not sharing their real names with the characters.

akiho then comes home to the sight of the two facetiming each other, and said hi to syaoran on the other line. she then did the same but with sakura, and the two just talked about everything (by everything i mean EVERYTHING— sakura telling akiho what she learned in school, what recipes she's been learning, her magical experiences, etc., and akiho tling sakura all of the places she and kaito have visited, what books she have read, the culture of the country where they were, and also showed some sovenirs she got (aside from the books she's currently putting on her library)

they then talked about the book, and how sakura felt that the book was her, but wonders why the character doesn't share the same name as her real life self. akiho then explains how important someone's name is and reminded her that she only told her real name to sakura after everything that went down. they then chatted about what name would be perfect as an "alias" for sakura...

i honestly would've written way more if my brain didn't stop braining just after i wrote the last paragraph smh...

I'm planning to do this as an ao3 series but i still need to work on my wordings and grammar bc i am bye-lingual 🙃

that's it today byeeeee~ see y'all after a few months 😭