#this is very long winded and is mostly just theory but whatever

[queerbauten]

[ID: a screenshot from a news article. It reads, "'Making the Europapa clip cost me about a month and a half of my life and I didn't earn anything from it. Making a music video only costs money. Then you also have to recognize the value of the people who do it for you. You simply cannot shout at an assistant director who is on set for zero euros, I also said that to Joost.'" End ID.]

news headlines: Joost Klein ATTACKED an assistant on the set of “Europapa”

me: oh no, that’s terrible if true

news articles: yeah he yelled at the assistant, which prompted Véras to talk to Joost and remind him that’s not okay

me: … ah

[pockymun]

Maps of Tenebrae by Pockymun

Tenebrae was such a beast. I thought Galahd was difficult; Tenebrae is so much bigger and has continental climates to deal with. Like last time, I nearly lost my mind trying to make sense of the climates, so I kind of gave up.

Most of the writing I've done for FFXV has skirted around Tenebrae, focusing moreso on its politics than the landmass itself. It's been in the background for the most part, largely because I didn't have a proper map to explore with! I copied it the best I could from reference images.

Tenebrae is not as cold as I initially assumed it was. It has a warm ocean current on its western side that brings much rain and warm winds that keep the northern reaches largely temperate. The eastern side of Tenebrae is hit with a cold ocean current, getting far less rain and winds. The fishing is better on the east coast. The southern half of Ulwaat was given a temperate rainforest climate based on what we saw of Tenebrae in Kingsglaive; it had that dark green flora of a rainforest.

I base a lot of my headcanons for Tenebrae off of Western Europe primarily, with a little bit from Northern Europe. The way I figured the latitude lines of Eos, Tenebrae is still well below the subartic circle (assuming Eos has one). It's climate is based upon Ireland, the UK, and Scotland, but those three have only two climates: oceanic and subpolar oceanic. I chose climate terms that best described the forests found in Tenebrae. Because Tenebrae is nothing but forests, mountains, and hills.

Tenebrae is the land of high altitudes and trees. What reference images we have of Tenebrae seemed to have a lot of peaks on it. In the glimpse of Tenebrae that we saw in the movie, there are large rock islands that just float above the rest of the land. While Galahdians have a knack for using magic, Tenebrae itself is a land of magic. These floating islands are unique to its mountains mostly, although a few clusters can exist separately.

Water also seems to be a theme for Tenebrae, with its northern cape, the southern sounds, and a few small bays all around. Where there are mountains, there are rivers running down to the ocean. I imagine there are natural springs all around the country, used as a natural remedy for several ailments.

I will dump my headcanons about Tenebrae below:

I've been talking with @groovytimetravelflower, who has the theory that Niflheim's airships are powered by stones or ores mined from the floating islands. It just makes perfect sense. Niflheim had several reasons to invade Tenebrae: to dominate the whole continent, to establish complete control over trade, and to get their hands on whatever magic exists in the land.

Much of the magic is not well-known nor understood beyond the floating islands. The forests of Tenebrae are old, especially in the north.

The only other country close enough for Tenebrae to trade with is Niflheim. Though Tenebrae has a couple ports of its own, these are not large enough for massive shipyards and international trade. Trading with Niflheim allows Tenebraen trade goods to go farther in the world. The downside is that Niflheim can control all trade that Tenebrae does, taking things for the Empire and blocking imports.

The country is very difficult to navigate because of the terrain. Roads are often winding and go around obstacles; this was done moreso out of the belief that the land could not be damaged by man-made endeavors. Trains have only been established in Ulwaat. There may be a few antique cars, but the most common mode of transportation on main roads are chocobo-drawn carriages, or riding chocobos.

Tenebrae is behind on technology overall: this is a result of Niflheim conquering them so long ago. Niflheim doesn't often invest in the lands they conquer. You can see this in how mainland Lucis has such outdated technology, which was left to languish once the Imperials seized control. Most high-technology Tenebrae is exposed to comes from the Imperial Army and is only used in their operations. Ulwaat is the most developed province. The railroad in Ulwaat was developed by the Empire to more easily transport the stone and ore they mined in the mountains.

The further away one gets from Fenestala, the less modern technology there is. In Morrith, Krahage, and Bruiral, indoor plumbing is a recent technological advancement. Not all places have it; it requires electricity, which is difficult to establish in Northern Tenebrae. Because Tenebrae is such a mystical place and the population is probably very religious because of the Oracle, not a lot of people mind being behind in technology.

Cellphones are unheard of, and you wouldn't get reception in most of Tenebrae anyway. Fenestala Manor probably has a couple TVs, but similarly, reception is terrible. Radio signals come through a little more clearer, mostly because the Imperial Army needs them to.

The architecture of the capital and towns of Tenebrae is Victorian and Edwardian, with art noveau used in Fenestala Manor. Villages typically are full of cottages of wood or stone and roofed with thatch. The typical fashion is also Victorian and Edwardian, although more of the youth have recently begun to wear the modern Western clothing imported from Niflheim. People further north of the Breksos Mountains dress in traditional Celtic and Norse garb.

The Breksos Mountain Range naturally divides Tenebrae into a North and a South. These regions do not strictly adhere to the cardinal directions; it is just what people have referred to it as. Travel through these mountains is especially difficult. There is one passage near Woudoord, but it becomes blocked by snow in the winter, completely isolating the north.

Queen Sylva frequently sent aid in the form of doctors, vaccines, and schoolteachers to Northern Tenebrae. She did a lot to improve the relations across the mountains, although the past few Oracles have never gone north of the mountains. All aid stopped with her death. The Northerners became even more apprehensive of Southerners as they appeared to submit to the Empire.

Northern Tenebrae is even further behind in technological advancements than Southern Tenebrae (ie the indoor plumbing). Northern Tenebrae is very isolated from the rest of the world, especially in the winter. It's rare for a Northerner to travel south, and vice versa. The South views the North as barbarous, and the North view the South as weak. Southerners are prim and proper; Northerners... are not. Both greatly revere the Oracle.

As I said before, Tenebraens are religious, largely in part to the Oracle's presence. Tenebrae has become known as a land of healers, with many practicing natural remedies. The people are generally modest and proper. Victorian and Edwardian social customs still run strong.

Tenebraens are seen as mysterious and exotic to the rest of the world. Niflheim hasn't allow Tenebraens to leave their country since they attacked Fenestala Manor, so it's very rare to see one in Lucis. The rest of the world doesn't really understand the difference between North and South Tenebraens. The differences become clear when putting one of each side by side and listening to the bickering.

-

Feel free to use these maps when writing your own fics or headcanons! I would greatly appreciate being credited. These maps are just my interpretation, and don't stand in for canon material. They are flawed, but I worked with what I had. I made these using Inkarnate.

[alpaca-clouds]

Why Black Panther Is In All The Solarpunk Lists

If you google for "Solarpunk movies", you will quickly find out one thing: There is no actual Solarpunk movie out there, just a list of a couple of movies that people generally will consider to have some Solarpunk themes. Usually you will find some Studio Ghibli movies there, you will find some movies there that will leave you with more questions than answers, and then you will find the two Black Panther MCU movies there.

If you investigate this further, you will also find a long winded discussion on whether or not Black Panther really can be Solarpunk, because Wakanda has a king and that is very much against the idea of Solarpunk, right?

Which is of course very ironic. Because this usually will come from white people who will be very willing to compromise on almost any other aspect of Solarpunk... Unless it is about Black people.

So, let's look at the Black Panther movies - especially the movies - and see how much Solarpunk there is.

Now, Black Panther is first and foremost Afrofuturism. This is very much about the idea of an Africa that never was colonized and hence had not their development halted by exploitation. And in the story of Black Panther they then got access to Vibranium and in this time that at least Wakanda could develop figured out all the things they could then do with Vibranium. Giving them not only clean energy, but also all sorts of other nifty gadgets. This allows them to become a fairly equal society.

Sure, there is a king, but in general the movie does imply that the inhabitants of Wakanda do all live in fairly equally good conditions, not to say fairly luxorious compared to how other people live. They have the same access to technology, apparently just get their food, and are also living in a society where men and women are equal at the very least.

Now, we do not know a ton about the internal politica of Wakanda. Apparently the country gets mostly run by the king and the chieftons, but we do not know how they get into the position. It mostly seems to be inherited as a position. But is there any other government? Is there any form of democracy? Do people get to vote? Are we assuming just the typical "benevolent king" narrative? How many people even live in Wakanda? That is all the stuff that is never really answered, because the movies are actually not that interested in the specifics of Wakanda - rather than the idea that it represents, and the moral connundrum that comes with it.

Because that connundrum of Wakanda is of course never about Wakanda's internal politics. Wakanda basically says: "Hey, we totally do have a benevolent king and everyone in this country is in fact super happy!" Because that is all the story needs. The moral connundrum is this: Wakanda is rich and safe because when the colonialism of Africa happened, they did not intervene and just held themsevles back, made themselves appear poor and like this did never suffer too much from it - but also allowed others to be enslaved and exploited.

Wakanda's wealth is very much build on them ignoring the plight of all other Black people. And this is the moral that the movie is interested in exploring.

And this is the real question in terms of: "Is this Solarpunk?" And I would argue yes. Because the point is that the movie very much lands on the side of: "Yeah, actually we should do something about this. We should change stuff." And more than anything about the worldbuilding I would argue that this in theory is what makes this movie Solarpunk.

... ... ... That is looking at the movie on its own, because it still has the misery of existing within the MCU, that does not really want to change the status quo of the world too much. So it does not want to change the world into a state that is too different from our real world right now. So, whatever characters might want to change about the world... They won't. Because MCU.

[lepidopteralabyrinth]

Pawn Behaviors - Beyond the Rift

From arisenreborn's post :)

❖ BEHAVIORS & HABITS: 

❖ COMMON: 

Self-explanatory, the things you're gonna see them doing the most, probably in line with their inclination

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

Tieve is naturally inclined to pair up, both in and out of combat. While she tries not to play favorites too much, she does tend to gravitate towards more experienced pawns (especially women).

She is quick to defer to other pawns when it comes to guiding the Arisen places and when she does take the lead, she has a habit of forgetting that some people can't levitate...

She tries. So hard.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras tends to position herself either ahead or behind the rest of the group, depending on her vocation at the time. She likes the opportunity to react before combat really starts.

She enjoys camping more than inn stays, and is quite happy to lead any Arisen to her preferred spots.

➵ UNCOMMON:

Things you might witness under slightly rarer circumstances or after you've been traveling together for more than a few days, probably more of their Arisen’s deeper influence

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

If the Arisen stays somewhere she can't follow long enough (or just stays still for a while) she'll occasionally fall asleep on her feet. 

She loves rabbits and will point them out with equal enthusiasm to directing the Arisen to more useful pursuits.

She takes special care to maintain her appearance. Wearing mostly white in the wilds ain't easy.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras will stop to examine reliefs and sculptures encountered, like the ones near the mountain shrine and scattered across Battahl.

If there are Straightforward pawns in the party she may join them when they sit down somewhere.

She’ll occasionally stifle a laugh at some behaviors, particularly successfully employed trickster abilities like the false floor.

➵ RARE:

Witnessed under some of the most extreme or odd of situations. 

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

If an Arisen gives Tieve an order that well and truly pisses her off, she will feign incomprehension or follow the letter of the command in as frustrating a manner as possible. She may not be able to directly disobey, but if she really wants to she can ensure her compliance is unpleasant for everyone.

If she spots a Pawn she knows from another world she'll point them out to whatever Arisen she's with. She gives rather effusive praise of her favorites, though she gets rather flustered if this is mentioned to the pawn in question.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

When near large bodies of water –especially the ocean– Andras will very rarely wander out to the boundary, just out of reach of the Brine. 

In some specific locations Andras will go on a long winded explanation of a place's history, like pawns in DD1 at the Bluemoon Tower or in the Catacombs. The truth of her tales is usually up in the air, and he'll often bring up several different theories.

➵ DRAGONSPLAGUE: 

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

Tieve's most notable symptom is disregard for the Arisen. Finding somewhere to nap while others are fighting for their lives, bolting after whatever catches her eye. She also loses her regard for people or animals, watching blankly if they get hurt. An absentminded sort of presentation of the plague.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

The biggest hint from them, aside from the red sheen to her eyes, is that when bothered they'll be quite prone to monologue. Even in battle. Especially in battle. Long, bloodlust ridden rants about the cycle, about human nature, anything that he can think of.

❖ THOUGHTS & OPINIONS: 

➵ THE ARISEN:

How they regard the Arisen in general and how that impacts the way they act towards them

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

Tieve is usually more composed in front of other Arisen compared to her own. She tries to be the model Pawn. Eager to please and unfailingly respectful, to a concerning degree.

She's quite fascinated by the different relationships of Arisen and their Main Pawns, and spends some time observing any pairs she accompanies.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras tends to be easygoing but distant with Arisen beyond the rift. If they earn her respect with good deeds and compassion for them and other pawns he may open up, but that takes a while, and generally she considers most Arisen as just employers.

➵ OTHER PAWNS:

How they might interact with other pawns

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

Tieve treats other pawns with a similar respect to the Arisen. She'll often refer to them as ser (as most pawns do non-pawns) unless specifically asked to stop.

 While she will make an attempt to steer her fellows towards behaving with some decorum, it's not meant harshly, and on a general basis it's more playful teasing than actual reprimands.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras is pretty friendly with her fellow pawns. She tries to learn their strengths and weaknesses to work together as seamlessly as possible, and gets frustrated at times by unpredictable sorts.

Though she's not unaware of her own inexperience, she tends to take on a protective and mentoring attitude towards other pawns, and relishes any opportunity she's given to learn from others and teach them in return.

➵ WORLD:

Things they might say while traveling, or seeing particular sights.

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

[Seeing Moonglow at night] “If only those flowers did not fade so quickly once plucked…”

[Monsters sleeping] "They look cute like this! One almost forgets how dangerous they are."

[Near Morgues] How lonely these places seem. Like the sorrow of their visitors sinks into the very stones."

[Wandering Vermund] "The people here show such reverence for the Arisen, though they've had no Sovran for many a year. Do you think they will persist in such fervent belief when a true Arisen ascends the throne again?"

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

[While walking near areas where griffins frequently attack] “I wonder if we might be able to catch hold of a griffin and let it fly us to our destination? …No, forget I said that.”

[While exploring the Misty Marshes] “I suppose we ought to be grateful this muck isn't poisonous. Doesn't make it smell any less foul, though."

[Overlooking the Vernworth aqueducts or other large ruins] "Mankind is ever fond of creating structures like this. And time is equally so of bringing them down."

[Near Griffin nests] "A griffin's aerie! Ware the owner's wrath, if you want a closer look."

➵ BATTLE: 

How are they normally in battle VS do they have any particular foes that evoke unique reactions out of them?

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

She's a very devoted healer! She has a regrettable tendency to throw herself into melee to heal her companions, one that more then once has nearly seen her back to the rift. She also uses Celestial Paean early and often (she worked hard for it, she's going to use it), which allows her friends to tear through enemies like tissue paper...but also leads to her collapsing either during or immediately after battle which she finds equally humiliating and dangerous.

Wolves and other canine enemies terrify her. Their agility and their usual tactic of separating one member of a group from the others and swarming them makes them rough for a support caster.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras is steady and cautious, and he's adapted well to swapping vocations thus far! She struggles a bit with being too cautious as an Archer, repositioning rather than risking any damage.

Enemies capable of possession (drakes, phantoms, etc.) seem to draw their ire moreso than others. Whether it's simply a desire not to be turned against her master or a deeper loathing of feeling controlled is impossible to say.

➵ NPCs: 

Do they have specific reactions around any particular NPCs?

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

Tieve will listen to musicians with great interest, lingering until the Arisen is quite a distance away.

She's very fond of Beren and Trysha, and she'll suggest visiting them to the Arisen if they're near their homes. She enjoys Doireann's company, especially since she can translate for her so she can speak Elvish to the Arisen.

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

Andras is wary around guards. They won't go so far as to pick fights, but she has no qualms about doing so.

She tends to remain rather uninterested in people from world's other than "hers". She'll be kind, especially to children, but she tries not to get too attached.

➵ QUESTS: 

Any unique dialogue or actions concerning specific quests?

𓆩⟡𓆪 Tieve:

[During A Beggar's Tale, after he's concluded multiple stories] “Are those the only stories he knows? The elder in Harve tells better ones, though they make less sense.”

[During A Poisonous Proposal] "Far be it from this pawn to question the Arisen's judgment. All the same, should you change your mind, I would be most delighted to cure the toxin."

[After successfully completing Saint of the Slums] “Usurping the mantle of healer in such a wretched fashion…truly, people are capable of cruelty beyond reckoning. ‘Tis well you put a stop to it, Master.”

𓇢𓆸 Andras:

[After Caged Magistrate] "To think it would be so simple to escape Vernworth's gaol...don't take this as an invitation for a repeat performance, Arisen. Like as not they'll tighten security after this."

[During Heel of History] "So much knowledge locked away at the whim of a mortal ruler, now brought to light again. What was it that old man said? "The truth may be denied, but ne'er changed."?"

[a short while after the previous dialogue] "If you wouldn't think me too bold for saying so, Master, I cannot help but see a similarity between that unjust ruler and the Queen Regent."

"Whether fell curse or simple censorship, what is hidden cannot remain so forever."

[yami-yomiel]

Redrew that one Joel image from .. a long time ago.

Including a whole extensive story i did while working on this mid wip. Warning- it’s long as BALLS and i don’t recommend reading it on a phone /hj

I mean he’s distracted - by theory you can just grab what you need and dip.

He HAS been missing some socks

Mostly pairs

But thats just a ‘rumor’ so to sayyy. I mean , SURE he’s dealing with demons everyday so im sure a few missing socks wouldnt be a huge deal- Not if he sees you at least. he’s probably getting off the phone , he can’t leave all that stuff laying around ya know 😏

Although him catching you is .. a little unlikey imagine if he did. Joel to me is the type to scream like a girl sorry - and that would probably give you enough time to run back under his dresser [twirls hair]

BUTTTTTT there’s also the chance of him just grabbing you. And he might be a little .. rough with it~ not trying to kill you but you get a little winded. Perhaps the fear and shock in your eyes is mutual - but you don’t know that because you’re trying to comprehend the fact you’ve been caught. Imagine his surprise when he finds out you’re a human - or a least a sentient creature thats not a mouse or a rat. You think he’d feel guilty for scaring you half to death. I don’t think Joel would be mad about the whole ‘I’ve been living in your walls for a while ‘ thing - he would be weirded out though YES. But maybe he warms up to it. Like think about it like a sort of symbiotic (is that the term?) relationship - you help me and i help you sorta deal. I’d beleive he sorta.. forgets to put you down and sorta fidgets with you. The fact you’re so small and YET alive and lived for this long is fascinating to him. Sure he has an interest in the dead -i mean he has an ouija board and all - but the living also interests him.

Semi related but i feel like he’d be a biology nerd - and knowing that small things are more fragile he’d probably take that into account when handling you - assuming Joel would anyways. Maybe he gently pressed a finger into your ribs feeling your heartbeat, and that sets a glimmer in his eyes. Your own heart is almost the same size as his finger nail - holy cow. But it frightens him. Shoot, one wrong move and you’d be a little splatter on the ground. And right now he doesn’t want anyone else around him suffering anymore;

To call back to another headcanon i made - I said he likes to imagine himself as a borrower - or at least a small tiny guy. So seeing you would be like a childhood dream come true. He chews his lip trying not to ask incredibly personal and difficult questions. ‘have you ever been caught before?’ ‘Have you fallen from a high place before’ ‘How did you learn about borrowing, did someone teach you or was it sort of like an instinct’ Those sorts of questions. I don’t think they’d be easy ones to answer given your skill level (if you can measure it anyways). If Joel thought about it for two seconds he’d probably ask about what you took from him. Not in a rude way but more so what you did with them , what did you use those socks for? You know while this is all going on he’s poking and prodding at you - probably not in an invasive way (you can always tell him to stop) but right now you’re in awe. You’ve heard so many stories about humans being big and scary and wanting to harm your species but .. for someone whose just been caught by one - you seem to be alright. Even if you’re going though a very extensive look over or whatever.

Joel is probably internally freaking out at this whole thing. I mean he’d always wanted to BE a small person, but seeing one right in front of you is a different story. His look of wonder turns into a silly grin as he scooped you up, . You know noted how oddly soft his hands were, given all the equipment you saw him use you’d think they’d be a little textured, but nope, they were quite plushy. Ahem anyways. He scoops you up and plops you right onto his desk. It seemed to be neat, a laptop and some recording supplies , quite minimal. Joel at down right infront of you, given his look it still seems like he’s in awe over the whole thing, you can tell he’s holding back from bouncing or pacing around but he’s gotta keep his composure. You’d try doing the same but, him leaning forward and getting a full few of his face made you squeak. “Sorry , I’m just.. I’ve never seen someone like you before - ya know?’ He said. His voice was deep, so deep in fact it vibrated in your bones and brain.

Hot Dog.

You nodded but really you’re trying to shake off the warmth that spread from your face and down your back, causing goosebumps.

[It’s now 11:09 i need to go to BED]

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

,,,,how do u get that fuzzy fuzz feel on ur art pieces,, is it just by usin’ noise? (As in static, I think)

oh! i experiment a lot with colors and effects (most of which i don't even remember the name SOB) but i can give you a summarized version of my steb by step on how i art

first of all, the colors!

here's the og, and you can probably see that in most of my art i tend to use grays and soft colors a lot and that's because it's easier for me to pick a 'theme' if you will? like 1 bright color that pops and the rest is a lot less harsh and that's what helps me define the contrary color and base my editing on that!

like here is where i usually choose my colors! but you can pick something darker and more saturated too idk i don't think it'll affect the end result- at least as long as you can change contrast and lighting in your program. i know color theory but not enough to explain it hhh :'D <333

so now use the wind tool on photoshop (there's some free editing versions online that will work just the same) and if you don't have or wanna use Ps, firealpaca and medibang have similar enough options- use motion blur, then the curves tool to make it look liiike

this! now blur the piece from a 5 to 10 range depending on how big your piece is, then you'll have that soft fuzzy outline! put some random static on top (very low opacity) then sharpen the whole thing if your art is very small like mine here so you can see details xD

use the lighten mode on your next layer and add a blue tint to the character (and leave the pop color untouched: here the yellow bg)

if you want a vhs look! and add more line-like static (just google static images and mess with colors/edit them yourself if you can't find any good options on your art program) and change up the hues and tints/contrast if you really wanna lean into the vhs asthetic like:

these! and add a 3D effect (or chromatic aberration? i think that's what the translation is cause my settings are in french xD do look it up if you can't find it on ibispaint, clip studio or whatever program you're using!)

i really suck at explaining so i don't consider this a tutorial, but mostly me rambling about effects and editing hhh but honestly? best advice i can give you is try every single effect you can and see how it looks with hues and color changers added on top of it!

stumble upon new effects and learn how to replicate them without needing to rely on special layers or tools if you're looking to improve your coloring!! >:Dc i only use these because my version of sai doesn't have a blur tool cause i pick the colors myself in most cases now :') but as i said i'm bad at explaining so hope it kinda sorta helped? a little? hhh<3333

[tenderloviingcare]

dolori su dolori

7:30 A.M.

Morning breaks as gray as ever, like countless Alaska mornings before, and Leonardo lays on his stomach in bed, sheet and quilt around his waist, as he sighs about another day—another year—being alive. Cloe, the tortoiseshell of his trio of long-haired siblings, notices he's awake and begins making biscuits on his rear end. Her claws piercing through two covers, his pajama bottoms, and his boxers is more than enough reminder to give her a mani-pedi soon.

He lays there a while longer, as always finding it difficult to muster up the energy to move. It isn't as though he's regular tired, no; it's the exhaustion that sits as deep as the marrow in his very bones, the type that makes his entire existence feel heavy, the type that makes him wish he could wither and dissolve and be swept away by the wind.

He's never outright contemplated suicide. It's simply been smoldering inside of him from an age entirely too young: he shouldn't exist, and he sure as hell doesn't want to. The will to live has been running on fumes, so to speak, for longer than he can remember.

The physician closes his eyes again briefly, exhaling every bit of air that's inside of his lungs. If he died in his sleep, and his cats had begun to eat him, the people to notice would just be his workplace, he's convinced of it.

And that right there is what keeps him going. His chest aches at the idea of leaving his cats behind, and making them distressed. And even though there are other pediatricians who can care for his patients, they're the other light of his life. He doesn't want them wondering where Dr. Leo went.

With waning resolve, he maneuvers to sit up, the covers falling back and exposing his arms to the cool air of his bedroom. He rubs the inked skin to warm it back up, but he can't help but to allow his fingertips to linger over the scars on his right arm, right through the name tattooed there. Cirrincione, it had said in thick cursive script, his grandmother's maiden name and the middle name he had chosen for himself upon her passing, replacing the ridiculous multi-parted middle name he'd been so graciously gifted upon his birth. Now, scars from the attack in the morgue score through the name; they've healed mostly, leaving behind pinkish scarring in his tanned skin.

Sparrow, the name means, from Sicilian cirrinciò, to go with the black and gray birds etched into his other arm. The poetic irony isn't lost on him: he is untethered and alone, free like a bird in theory, but caged by his very own sorrow.

The first order of business when he drags himself out of his warm, cozy bed is to change into his running clothes, shorts, a t-shirt, and a jacket—hardly anyone knows about the tattoos on his arms and chest, due to his typical manner of dress, and he likes to keep them his personal secret. In the kitchen, he takes his normal pills that help him produce an inkling of serotonin, with a full glass of water. Like any good, seasoned runner, he stretches fully, then fills a bottle with water and puts his shoes on. He grabs his keys but leaves his cell phone behind, locking the door before he takes off outside.

It's chilly, only in the mid-40s, but he's run in worse conditions. The goosebumps that cover his skin don't bother him, he'll soon be plenty warm. He takes off on his usual run through Delilah's Den, taking in the typical peace of an early Sunday morning. He's liked living here the past few years; it's picturesque, and safe—up until a few weeks ago, when that blasted Doppelganger head showed up on his back patio.

His pace quickens when he reminds himself of it, of being accidentally entangled in Annisa’s affairs, whatever those affairs are. He certainly wasn't supposed to get involved: he’s a footnote in everyone's lives, a nameless extra, an ineffectual side character, not important enough to be worth any trouble, someone worth forgetting in every sense. He had only fought so hard and defended himself so he could ensure Annisa’s safety. So why does he continue to be involved? By no means is he worth the trouble of tracking down, nothing remotely interesting about him, the only secrets he holds to his chest involving his parentage.

When pain surges in his jaw, he realizes he needs to unclench it. Being neglected by his birth giver from the moment of conception is surely the source of many of his problems now. Unimportant, unwanted, unloved, burdensome, unwanted, unloved!!! Years after their passing, he still feels guilt over his grandparents having to sell the deli that had been in Nonna’s family for a few generations because they had felt responsible to clean up their only living child’s actions. Because of Leonardo’s very existence, his grandparents had had to get rid of the beloved family business and move continents to somewhere they didn't even speak the language, and build life from the ground up. And later they would each die thousands of miles away from their homeland, sooner than they should have with no thanks to the excessively expensive American healthcare system.

All because Leonardo had to go and exist.

Tears sting his eyes and roll down his cheeks, but he keeps moving. For some godforsaken reason, he keeps moving.

He returns home around an hour later, cheeks red with exertion, sweat shining on his forehead. When he strips down in the bathroom, he faces away from the mirror, not wanting to hazard a look at his own body or face. When he's in the shower and the water hits his skin, the tears return, shaking his shoulders. He likes to run to force himself to feel something other than numbness or anxiety, but now he's gone and induced anger in himself—anger at himself for just being alive. His head leans back and the water from the shower head mixes with the tears on his face, and he just stands like that for entirely too long.

When the emotional numbness returns, he autopilots through washing himself, still feeling robotic when he shuts the water off and grabs his towel. The mirror is now fogged up, so he can't look at himself again, though unfortunately he falls prey to the mirror on the dresser in his bedroom.

Skin and bones, no matter how much he feeds himself—he’s always had a big appetite and eats mostly an Italian diet he cooks for himself—and dark curls of body hair splashed over him, he's never imagined anyone ever wanting to see him in this state, undressed and defenseless. He's incapable of seeing anything attractive in his own face or personality, so why would they ever want him so bare? And even then, they would probably be sorely disappointed by the sight. He's simply just some thin, tall man with too many bones jutting out. The words inked into his chest under the dark fur there are slashed similarly to the name on his right arm—per sempre e sempre nel mio cuore, written in thick cursive, but destroyed by healing scars.

And then, his face. He's never been fond of his features: the strong, bumpy nose; the wide lips permanently set into a scowl he doesn't want; dark, thick brows that give him an intimidating glare; and permanent bags under his serious, russet-colored eyes. He always looks like he's angry, and he hates it. And now his cheek is decorated with scars that match the ones on his arm and chest. He's taken care of the scars there, paranoid about lasting marks that will further mar his appearance and make him seem even scarier to patients.

He tears himself away from his reflection before he can waste entirely too much time staring it down, and instead busies himself with getting dressed. Comfortable jeans and a double-layered henley work well enough for the day; pushing his thick, dark hair off his forehead in a more relaxed form of his daily hairstyle, he goes to have breakfast: a cup of espresso, made from his expensive machine, and a Nutella-filled cornetto he'd made the day before.

Having Gino, the classic tabby and only boy of his sibling trio of cats, curled up in his lap, against his stomach, while Leo has his breakfast makes a tiny part of him begin again to feel like life is worth living.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just another Sunday; so the physician goes to do his grocery shopping. The store is blessedly empty this time of the week so he's able to move around with minimal intrusions. He's spotted by a young patient—who's with his mother, of course—who's shocked to see his doctor somewhere besides the hospital; and Leo exchanges smiles and quick greetings; but he's happy to not get tied up in a conversation, especially with as fragile as he's feeling today.

Once he returns to his safe, cozy home and puts away his shopping, he curls up in bed with a book, as he is wont to do on weekends. It's a smutty romance novel that he's been looking forward to; and his cheeks are hot as he devours the pages eagerly, getting himself wrapped up in the story. Someone as anxious and unattractive and simply boring as him having never even kissed anyone at the ripe age of thirty-six, much less had a torrid romantic affair or been to bed with anyone—at this point, he doesn't expect it to happen. Oh, he certainly wishes it would! How he craves to be chosen, to be loved, to be desired in every which way, how he aches to be kissed until he's out of breath, to be made love to with his hot, sweaty skin stuck to another's! 

But whatever God had forsaken him, who he'd forsaken right back, did not make Leonardo to be loved. He was the object of no one’s affections or desires, and hardly the target of even platonic care.

The book isn't very long, and he finishes it in the afternoon, a blush still heating the back of his neck from the lush, sensual details of the romantic and bedroom affairs of the two men on the pages. He scrubs his face with his dry hands, bringing himself back to earth, and to his quiet bedroom. It's about time he started working on dinner; so he wanders into the kitchen, still in a smutty literature haze, and stands quietly in the center as he tries to remember what he wanted to make.

Right. He gathers several things, first: a package of smoked salmon, a package of salami slices, a container of marinated mozzarella balls, some pickled peppers, a jar of marinated mushrooms, a hunk of goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and a jar of olives. The assembly on a plate would probably seem expert to anyone unfamiliar, but his portioning is haphazard and driven by the heart; but with his antipasti gathered, he snacks on that while he works on the actual dinner. The entire time he cooks, Gino rests upon his shoulders, watching intently and digging his claws in to stay upright.

He doesn't eat meals with several courses all the time—it isn't very time-efficient—but it feels like a good day to indulge. So the course after antipasto is pasta; and the fruit of his labor is pasta ca nunnata: spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, parsley, white wine (the only type of alcohol that enters his door is cooking wine), black pepper, and sardines. Cooking is one of the things he's passionate about, especially when it comes to recreating the cuisine of his forefathers. He's pretty damn good at it, if he says so himself, for someone who's only spent a couple of weeks in Italy his entire life despite being a citizen by birthright.

After the pasta is the main dish: pollo alla cacciatora, braised chicken thighs in a rich tomato sauce, with onion and carrots and celery and olives and fresh cherry tomatoes and fennel and capers and white wine and plenty of garlic. It's hearty and filling and it feels so satisfying on an evening with a growing chill. And God, how he wishes he could share it with somebody besides the three cats watching him.

Satisfied with dinner, he washes most of the dishes by hand and puts away the leftovers in the refrigerator, intending on having leftovers for lunch tomorrow at work. With little else to do for the evening, he curls up on the couch with a blanket and turns the TV on, content to binge whatever old movies are playing. To his utter delight, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is on, starring Sidney Poitier, one of his favorite actors—and an absolute heartthrob in Leonardo's eyes. Maria Pia, the dilute calico and seemingly the leader of her siblings, happily takes a nap in his lap; and he strokes her long fur as he watches the film he's seen countless times, and then the movie after that. When she decides to get up, he unwraps himself from his blanket and returns to the kitchen to feed the cats their nightly wet food; and then finally cuts himself a slice of the cake he'd spent half the previous day making: torta setteveli, seven layers of chocolate and hazelnut goodness. He returns to his movie marathon with his cake and a glass of milk while the cats have their own dinner. He's deemed not to check his email or social media, hoping his birth giver isn't begging him for money yet again, the only reason why she ever attempts to contact him.

Around 9:00, he turns off the TV and leaves only a singular lamp in the living room on. He cleans up the plate he'd used for his slice of cake, then takes a pill that will help him sleep. He's rigid with his structure and routine, never allowing himself to fall out of it, and always retires to bed somewhat early.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he changes into his pajamas, the usual combination of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, then crawls into bed and turns his bedroom TV on, halfway watching a nature documentary as he settles in for the night. It's a boring life, a boring existence—he's boring. Inconsequential. Harmless. Pointless.

When he turns off the TV and the lights and rolls over in bed, tears sting his eyes again, clouding the dark room. Even with a cat at the foot of the bed, he's cold and lonely, and wishing he had someone to calm the shaking of his bony shoulders, someone to rub his back as he's wracked with quiet tears. Thirty-six years, and he feels like more of a waste than ever.

[mortul]

next up... what's the deal with airline food ghouls? * audience breaks out into uncontrollable laughter *

GHOUL PHYSIOLOGY FOR DUMMIES:

ghouls are closest in "biology" to, say, zombies. the key difference is that ghouls remain, for the most part, lucid; they share very little similarities with the flesh-eating, brain-hungry zombies of today otherwise. a ghoul is typically identical to that of a normal human in terms of looks and, overall, "bodily function". it's only upon a closer glance that things start to seem, well... a little "off".

the longer a ghoul is "alive" (or dead, if you're going to get technical about it.) tends to determine the "quality" of their body-- this doesn't mean that they start to rot, no. that's gross. what this means, specifically, is that a ghoul's body will wind up showing signs -- subtle or not, dependent on the ghoul's hygiene and general upkeep -- of certain ghoulification. in christoph's case, this mainly revolves around his body temperature no longer retaining warmth and pale skin, to the point of being taken as translucent with major veins showing through in proper lighting. most, if not all, ghouls will always show signs, first, with their body temperature dropping. there are rare cases where they will not, but those are usually mutations to some degree that no one's able to decipher as to why. it'd help if there were some ghoul scientists available, however. the older a ghoul, the colder they are to the touch.

additionally, all major organ functions do remain in working condition, just... slower. waaay slower. christoph's heart, for example, continues to beat but no longer matches up with the expected (nor, probably, "healthy".) beats per minute for a resting heart rate. whereas, for most humans, a decent heart rate zone would be somewhere in the 100's range, christoph's heart beats... let's say, maybe, approximately 5. it jumps up to the 10's if he's expecting a workout.

scars and the like will not remain upon a ghoul's body, no matter how severe and "life-threatening" they may be. the only wound that stays with a ghoul well into their "afterlife" is their original stab wound, also known as the "origin" of their ghoulification. for christoph, this would be located a few inches above his heart-- this is the most common area for a ghoul's "final" injury to be seen, due to the nature of satanic rituals and their unwitting involvement in said rituals. don't worry, we'll get to that soon. there have been instances of other supernatural creatures being able to leave their mark on ghouls, but this is considered incredibly rare. christoph's husband, leontios, for example has managed to leave a large bite mark (think of that of a wolf.) on his left shoulder. it's healed up just fine, but it's not going away any time soon.

so, in terms of immortality... what does that mean for ghouls? well, to put it simply: ghouls can and will live forever, but there are certain caveats. they can eat and drink whatever human food (and, uh, nonhuman food. if they wanna be weird.) they want, but this won't provide the necessary sustenance for them-- unless it's some form of meat. ghouls, having been initially thought of as "cannibals", must have diet that prioritizes meat consumption be it raw or cooked. there's no limitations otherwise. christoph has theories -- a gamer theory, if you will -- that this is mostly because of his stomach no longer functioning at "full capacity", as it were, and therefore its nutritional needs were warped. in terms of disease and other variables, their effectiveness against a ghoul is rendered null and void. a ghoul can still come down with a cold (or even develop something as extreme as cancer.) but is always guaranteed a path of recovery... as long as they keep up with their carnivorous diet. because, yeah, that's right: meat heals ghouls.

a surefire way to kill a ghoul and ensure they stay dead is simple but effective: chopping their bodies up and burying each part separately. this essentially renders them incapable of reaching any sort of sustenance and, by then, you'd just have to let nature take its course. to put it bluntly: this completely halts their regenerative ability because, yeah, why wouldn't they have something like that? if christoph were to lose an arm (and he has.) in an altercation, he would simply need to keep the severed limb and find a means to reattach it. these methods can range from stitches to, and i'm being so serious, glue or even tape. all that is necessary is something to hold it in place and, again, let nature take its course. this process can, of course, be encouraged and accelerated by consumption of meat. in times of crisis, a ghoul can autocannibalize to enhance their healing effects, but it's not recommended for obvious reasons.

for the most part, ghouls are indistinguishable from humans in a normal, every day situation. unless a person has a well-trained eye (which requires having come into contact with enough ghouls in the first place.) or some sort of supernatural inclination, there's truly no surefire way to identify one. or, well, if you really want to press your luck? you could cut the head off of a suspected ghoul and risk the funniest jail sentence of your life.

ghouls' eyes also change. they now give off the effect of leukocoria in the night and in captured media-- that is... if they even show up proper in the first place. this does draw clues to them having night vision, but it's relevant to the ghoul's time spent as an undead in the first place. a new ghoul might not have this quality while other, older ghouls will; christoph noticed this change in himself when he turned about 52. oddly specific number but okay.

other differences from an average human involves the stereotypical: superhuman abilities, especially to the likes of speed and strength. christoph wouldn't compare himself to the likes of, say, superman, but he's able to rip a car door off the hinges if he puts his back into it. running away from a cop has never been any easier, either! their durability is rather impressive, too. the likes of acid, fire, and other destructive properties will hurt and, possibly, maim them but never permanently. if a ghoul has access to meat, these effects will be chased away even faster.

SO, WHAT CAN GHOULS... DO?

so glad you asked! all ghouls have the wonderful ability of technokinesis. what sort of correlation does this have with the name of "ghoul"? no one knows! if i were to offer some sort of explanation, however, it'd be in line with ghouls no longer being seen as "part of the natural order", and technology simply... has no idea what to do with that knowledge.

christoph himself can do all sorts of weird shit with technology-- this can range from simple electrical interference like flipping the channels of a tv with a flick of the wrist to straight-up invading your favorite show and making it worse. or better, if the show sucked in the first place. messing around with phone calls have been one of christoph's favorites, allowing for him to "take over" as the other end or to, if he needs to do some subterfuge, merely listen in for information. this can extend all the way to larger machines, such as animatronics and even carnival rides if christoph deems it necessary. these can all be controlled like puppets and the like. the hard limit, as it were, on this ability is that he must be in range of an estimated 10 feet to initiate the "possession". after that, it's free rein.

aiding with christoph's occupation as a hitman, his nature as a ghoul completely disables him from being caught on camera or anything of the like. of course, you can try and snap a ghoul in the flesh but this will not work as flawlessly as expected. any "evidence" of a ghoul can and will be corrupted, focusing primarily on their facial features and rendering them inscrutable. and don't think about inputting this in some type of software, because that'll just corrupt the software too. hell, you might even inadvertently give christoph access to that and that's not going to be fun for anyone. besides him. additionally, christoph is experienced enough in that he can actively manipulate the environment within the photo (or video.) to further muddy any attempts of identification. there have been instances, too, of him "allowing" for his presence to be caught on camera but it's never been permanent nor tangible as physical evidence for long.

relating to the above, christoph has managed to "create" for himself a type of alternate reality within the electronics. he can choose to reside inside an electronic (primarily a television, as those are the most abundant and easiest to climb in and out of.) and bide for time, traveling between a range of electronics as long as some sort of "connection" is established-- meaning a system of "interdimensional doors" can then be created. an example of this includes him being able to jump from one person's cell phone to another if contact information is readily available. this dimension has been affectionately dubbed as "the deep web" by christoph himself. he's still waiting on the patent, but rest assured... it's trademarked. while inside of the deep web, it resembles the actual world yet retains a sense of certain unease. motion sickness and general disorientation practically permeates the air, gradually overtaking anyone within this space that christoph decides to pull in because, yes, he can do that. ghouls survive just fine within this space but anyone else will eventually find themselves overwhelmed, feeling as if they "do not belong" and are overcome with a sense of dread. side effects of remaining within include sudden illness, starting with stomach aches that soon develop into nausea-induced vomiting. the final stages always involve puking out blood. some have noted, too, of a heavy droning being a constant in their ears while others have claimed to hear their own voice babbling nonsense from behind them. your mileage may vary.

the deep web can be photographed or recorded, but it'll never be discernible to any eye. it'll appear warped and hard to look at. oddly enough, whenever attempting to bring up the "footage" outside of this reality, it'll shut down the device it's featured on a few seconds after being exposed. upon an attempt at finding it again, it will be rendered irrecoverable and, effectively, turns into "lost media" in the blink of an eye.

[pan-de-queer]

20 Questions Game

Tagged by @jadedloverart! for once, i've finished work early and am free to write fic and answer tag games today hahaha thanks for the tag!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

31 lmao, feeling a lil fandom old or whatever haha

2. Total AO3 word count

157,459 ??? wild considering i mostly post one-shots hahaha

3. Fandoms you write for

for the past few years it's been supercorp but you can also find bechloe, junksen/embry, some choices (the cyoa game), and les mis sprinkled in my ao3. all wlw too

4. Top 5 fics by kudos -

ruined nights make for perfect first dates (bechloe)

'cause you know all of my secrets (supercorp)

maybe i matter (because i knew you) (bechloe)

love tastes like spring and blood (bechloe)

kept my face to the sun (you drive away my shadows) (supercorp)

most interesting thing for me abt this is that ruined nights is the shortest one out of all five of these??? love that ppl liked it so much tho

5. Do you respond to comments?

as much as possible yeah! which reminds me that i haven't replied to @jadedloverart's comment on my fic. and other comments. i should do that hahaha

6. Fic w/ Angstiest Ending -

i don't end with angst haha i'm angst with a happy ending or bust lmao BUT the closest to angst would probably be love tastes bc the issue isn't solved until the very end

7. Happiest ending? -

all of them 💕 but if i had to choose then probabbbly cause you know

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not that i'm aware of!

9. Do you write smut/what kind?

nope! never been interested in writing it mostly bc my brain sees it as "action with even more emotions" and i have a hard enough time with action as it is lol

10. Do you write crossovers?

used to! and if you count the mcu+comics!marvel crossover i only posted a tidbit of, then yes, i still do

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

again, not that i know of

12. Ever had a fic translated?

yeah! can't remember for what tho but someone very kindly asked and i said ofc!! and then they sent the link but i can't remember where lmao

13. Ever cowritten a fic?

a long long time ago haha, wouldn't be opposed to doing it again though!

14. Favorite ship?

it's been supercorp since the pandemic! but who knows where the winds of my silly lil whims might take me?

15. A wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

all of them 💕 lmao jk jk but seriously i have a LOT of wips and i put them all under ONE file so it's like wading through a garbage dump trying to see what i'll do next and that's just for supercorp, i have separate untouched wips for allll my other old fandoms too lmao (some wips i doubt i'll ever finish for sc though are the undercover fake lovers one, the coastal cleanup one even though it SHOULD be easy in theory, the hanahaki au that's lena's version instead of kara's, and the one based off of emily the song by jeremy zucker)

16. Writing strengths?

anything descriptive! i can go in depth about shit forevveeerrrr

17. Writing weaknesses?

dialogue. like i can WRITE it and i can even write it WELL but that dialogue came from the bloodbath of thousands of drafts so

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in a different language?

many thoughts! number one being that if you don't know it, get someone who's above average fluent to help you if you feel like the language is needed in the story! and if the language is fake (like using kryptonian) then make the inclusion of it make sense! other thoughts are for my thinking only 💕 (and my unfortunate friends who have to listen to me lecture)

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

MAYBE ranger's apprentice or percy jackson

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

i can't pick favorite for my babies but i'm hella proud of all my supercorp fics rn! it had been so long since i joined a new fandom that i felt suuupppeerrr awkward posting at first! but it's been a nice experience shifting fandoms ever since :)))

for the no pressure tags! @nostradamus0 @sssammich @ridiculously-over-obsessed @tiny-maus-boots and anyone else who wants to join!

[drawnbinary]

It's me again! I hope that you don't mind me chatting you up, just say so if you do, I'll understand! 😅

Do you think that Hassel can be originally from Johto? Since Blackthorn City is a home of probably the most well-known active dragon clan in the series so far (since Draconids, the people Zinnia's from, are mostly gone)? I've seen theories that the little cape Hassel has on his jacket is a call back to the capes "dragon tamer" trainer class has (and I'm mostly agreeing with this). And when I thought about it, I had this idea: What if Hassel's first pokemon wasn't the baxcalibur that's his ace now, but the dragonite he uses in the school champion tournament? Since the dragon clan from Blackthorn mostly uses the dratini line. What if he got that dragonite as a dratini when he was a kid and raised it his whole life, and now kinda retired it after a lifetime of battling? Baxcalibur is his main now during champion assesment, but he brings out dragonite for some friendly competition every once in a while, like the school championship. And, of course, that would mean that Hassel, Lance and Claire are distantly related.

Oh and I think that Hassel is totally besties with Rika. Gay/lesbian solidarity who go to brunches together. I think that it would be a fun contrast between his husband being such a grandiose artistic mind and his bestie being a very grounded and sober-thinking person.

Oh my god, could you imagine if the DLC will allow us to have some kind of a gym leader/elite four doubles tournament like they did in SWSH? If I'll get to see Hassel and Brassius fight together in doubles as partners I think that I will explode.

I'm also super excited to see them both in the anime and maybe, down the line, in masters. And I hope that they will somehow will return/be referenced in the DLCs- the first one is a school trip, so maybe Hassel will go as a chaperone.

And I totally get you about fanfics and such- I'd love to write something for them one day, when I will have a specific concept in mind. I'm thoroughly disappointed that I can't find any character studies for them, my favorite genre 😔 do you have any headcanons you'd like to share? 👀

You're definitely not alone on pretty much all of those >:D

Again, under a cut because I'm long-winded lol

I've got Hassel from Johto, Galar, or a region we haven't been to yet. Regardless of which region, I figure all the dragon clans are connected in some way so he's cousins with Lance and Clair in some sort of way. The childhood dratini -> semi-retired dragonite is definitely one I've seen and discussed before. I think the fic where Hassel rescues/nurtures a sick baby one isn't on AO3 but it's cemented for me that he's had it since he was young <3

The cape is a nice visual to connect him to other dragon tamers and it being short and part of his jacket also separates him from the dramatic looks of Lance and Clair

I think Rika teases Hassel for being old and out of touch but it's just friendly banter. I hope she was the one who told him about "fleek" over a cup of coffee with pastries.

I pray so hard for them teaming up for double battles (my drawing of them in a silly double battle pose) and/or for them to be at the festival at all (I drew them in the outfits from the trailer). I'm hoping for crumbs at most but I definitely want so much more of these two. They're so interesting.

I am so impatient to see Hassel in the anime. Besides that I love him, I also need to see him moving in 2D so I can figure out how to draw him better/more easily because he gives me so much trouble 😅. I want to know what kind of voice they give him too. Brassius' voice surprised me but it worked really well and wasn't distracting

If they end up in Masters, then I will be downloading Masters. God I want to see them put in funky alternate outfits. And whatever else happens in that game.

I'm super self-conscious about writing (and as you can imagine from my drawings, I'm all about that soft, tender shit) so most things I write pretty much live on Discord

I'm a little head-empty right now so the only headcanon that immediately comes to mind is that Brassius being ill and them spending a lot of quiet time together while Hassel helps care for him gave them both time to figure out their feelings and they don't do anything about it until after Brassius is better.

[connorsnothereeither]

Okay so I really don’t want this to come off as a mean rant, but it is a rant anyway because I keep seeing this take around the Fable SMP fandom and I want to give my two cents.

The Fable SMP is not an ARG.

Now keep in mind I’m not an expert on ARG’s or anything, and this is all my opinion, but I stand by it. Yes, some of the cast members incorporate trans-media storytelling and interactive elements, and honestly it’s really cool to see them doing so, I think those elements are really fun and add to the storytelling of the series.

HOWEVER the series fundamentally does not meet the definition of an ARG. The primary factor of an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) is that the audience/players are participating as if they exist in the reality in which the game takes place. Despite the interactive elements, the Fable SMP at no point attempts to disguise itself as a real world narrative. Take popular ARG examples like Local58, Gemini Home Entertainment, or even something like The Backrooms. These fictional stories are being presented as if they are real pieces of media (archived footage, TV broadcasts, etc). Yes, these ARG’s are interactive, in somewhat the same way that Fable has interactive elements, which let the viewers piece things together, but they function in completely different ways in terms of storytelling.

In most ARG’s, this audience interaction and piecing together of story elements is integral to the viewers understanding of the plot being conveyed: the story is only properly understood when you as the audience piece everything together. You watch through the pieces of media presented, gather the clues and puzzle pieces you’ve been given, and arrange them into a cohesive understanding of the story and the lore of the alternate reality in which it takes place.

Fable SMP on the other hand works more like a TV show with interactive elements (think along the lines of Gravity Falls). The story being told will be told and understandable regardless of the audience participation. You can watch from start to finish and ignore all of the codes and languages and easter eggs, and still have a complete understanding and enjoyment of the story. The universe itself and it’s lore are presented to the audience through the narrative of the story itself, with the interactive elements mostly being complementary additions to the story. IF you chose to interact with the puzzle elements of the series, you get supplemental material/information which acts as clues to larger story elements, which you as the audience can use to create your own theories alongside the characters in the piece of media as to what might be revealed later.

Now I can hear the argument being made that technically within the lore of Fable the chat/viewers do exist within the universe of the story, however I would counter that with the idea that this serves a completely different narrative function to the augmented reality of ARG’s. The presence of the twitch chat in lore acts as a reason for the characters to interact with the audience, rather than for the audience to interact with the world. In Fable, the audience is framed to exist within the world of the story, whereas in an ARG, the story is framed to exist in the world of the audience.

I’m aware that this is incredibly long winded and very pedantic, but its been on my mind for a while now. As someone who absolutely adores trans-media storytelling of all forms, I think it’s important to recognise the differences between ARG’s and other forms of multi/trans-media storytelling, and treat them as individual pieces of art, which are designed to be interacted with in different ways.

Ultimately, call Fable SMP whatever you want. It doesn’t really matter, no one’s gonna get mad at you for saying it’s an ARG, not even me. It just really grinds my gears when people incorrectly throw around terms like ARG in situations when it isn’t necessarily applicable, just because they’ve heard the term used before online.

[koboldfactory]

Heya, I adore your art and use of color!! How do you go about choosing colors and palettes that are bold and vibrant, yet aren't clashing in such a way that it winds up looking like some unparseable, chaotic neon soup?

The short answer: uh I just kinda guess and check?

The long answer: I would like to try to make a detailed explanation of my process when I’m back home and have access to my computer but it really is just a whole lot of eyeballing it combined with my very basic understanding of moderately advanced color theory. But it’s mostly just like an innate understanding of what colors I think mesh well together. Like I don’t pull out a color wheel and go “ahh yes chartreuse is co-complimentary with periwinkle!!!” (I have no idea if that is true lol) I just kinda do whatever and then tweak things a little afterwards if I need to.

[rexxdjarin]

Hi! I have a question that I was hoping you would be able to answer! Obviously, anyone can simp for whoever they want to simp for, but do people not simp for Commander Cody only because of the Codywan ship, thus labeling him as gay? I personally don’t like the ship because: a) they are forcing his sexuality, which isn’t right, b) they make Cody’s entire personality trait strictly and obsessively Obi-Wan, which in theory, isn’t a good thing because Cody is Obi-Wan’s subordinate, and c) The Clone Wars didn’t show anything super special about Cody and Obi-Wan’s relationship that could allude to a romantic connection either…they were friends and respected each other, yes, but Obi-Wan didn’t treat his battalion with as much special favor as say, Anakin and Ahsoka or Plo Koon. I also think Cody is really attractive, so maybe I’m just reading too much into it 😂 thank you! (Sorry this is long-winded lol)

Hmmmm so this requires a nuanced answer. I will start by saying

1) I absolutely thiiiirst over cody. I specifically see him and write him as a truly excellent dom which you should read what I’ve written for him in my masterlist hahaha

More below !!!

2) I think people may not think about or be attracted to him immediately because he’s not a major focus of the show ? The clones in the show that are really featured are mostly 501st guys. We just know their personalities a little better and I think people tend to build off of them first.

3) I wouldn’t say it’s forcing sexuality exactly…because we don’t know any of the clones sexualities really. people sort of have freedom of expression to view him or any of the clones as whatever way they would personally like to interpret. HOWEVER…

4) one of the main reasons I critique the codywan ship is for the reasons you’ve stated.

Making him so obsessed with obi-wan that he has no other discernible personality traits is reductive and tbh boring ??? I don’t mind people thinking they may have liked each other (tho the power dynamics of Jedi general/clone commander don’t make me exactly comfortable in every circumstance)

I think Cody is his own person with his own very important internal values. Whether you’d like him to be with obi-wan or not….he needs to be viewed as having other traits besides just being with him. ALSO tbh I think Cody could do better LMFAOOOOO

I personally believe Cody was just very close with Obi-wan and that if Obi-wan were ever to have chosen a partner, it would’ve always been Satine.

Thank you for asking this. I’d say try to block the codywan tag or just avoid/scroll past if you don’t like it. And go by what I did…if you don’t see enough cody, you can try your hand at writing him the way you see him OR see if you can request more from your favorite writer!

He’s wildly handsome, very by the book, sometimes a little stern and I LOOOOVE that about him too🤤🥰

[thetruearchmagos]

Oh my god I am late to this but~~

Okay, this, this all some very impressive stuff. There's a ton of angles I've been looking at this from, real 'rotating in brain like microwave' hours, so if what comes below is a little scatter shot that's why.

Alright, going to the pre-list stuff first;

Very, very happy to hear the prompting was useful! I do recall Hadria from the whole 'channel blocking' thing with the Espalans, nice to see they'll play a role themselves in the course of events. As for any Espalan operations, just my two cents, but I'd probably say that they wouldn't have had the neutral Hadrians as the main target of whatever incident they engineer, though they'd still wind up dealing a degree of collateral damage. Maybe something like a violation of Hadrian neutrality by some form of 'covert' action that was meant to hit an enemy target within Hadria's territory, or wider 'sphere of influence'.

------

Now, on to The List, and my small number of comments-which-mostly-aren't-critiques! I will warn you though, they are not well formatted...

Right off the bat, kudos to just getting that list to exist. Organising one's thoughts on the actions of a dozen nations across a whole continent is not easy, and you've done a good job of it.

We've been keeping this whole discussion fairly naval-focused so far, so I'll stick to that here. First off, I'm imagining that what you mean by the various Fleets 'moving' north, south, etc., was them moving into different bases and anchorages? Just a small thing, but I'd love to see them marked on your excellent maps! I have a strange fascination with naval bases and the stories and myths surrounding them, which might have something to do with how cool I find the name 'Scapa Flow'.

One thing I was curious about was how you separated the Espalan Western and Eastern fleet 'points' on the List. Did they embark on their [pre-planned?] movements at the same time, or did those of the Eastern Fleet really take 'that' long to begin? Also, about those negotiations, this feels like a great time to bring up the Montreux Convention so I'm going to do just that. Interesting international treaties like that are always fun, or so I say, and seems like one would fit here, if that's appropriate! Or if it's the sort of matter in Mortal Sparks that doesn't get mediated on in some sort of international forum, that'd be interesting as well.*

Ahh, no better way to start a war than blowing up a harbour! Just ask the British about Copenhagen, and the Danes weren't even at war yet. A more contemporary example would be the Imperial Japanese Navy's raid on... Port Arthur!** Not quite as successful as what would happen a few decades later, but that's what you get for not inventing naval aviation. Here in Mortal Sparks, at least, it might make for an interesting tactical scenario to play through.

Hmm, battlecruisers, you say? An interesting choice, I think, since the doctrine and theory behind that most controversial class of major surface warship depended heavily on the operating environment of the Royal Navy of the era when it devised them. Not bad ships, though I'm biased towards them on beauty alone, but there's a reason the theory didn't catch on all that much. Also, reminds me that I've been meaning to ask you what were the sorts of battleships that existed in MS, at least in a 'pre- vs post-Dreadnought' sense, and if a 'revolution' of that kind ever happened. So... I guess that question has now been asked? No hurry though, shame on me for just chucking that in there.***

Ah, Kostha! I think you've mentioned their Navy before, but now I think something's come to mind with them and that whole northern theatre with the Royal Republic and Ritanians. If I'm reading your maps right, and I'm sorry if I'm not, it seems like Kostha's main coastlines are all within the 'Polar circle', along with that body of water through which they can access the other two? If that is the case, well, life is going to suck for all involved. Naval operations in arctic conditions aren't untold of, but they are rare; I'd point to the Battle of the North Cape in WW2 as an example, and one which shows how very bloody hard it all is. Also, I was wondering to myself mostly how that kind of geography would impact the strategy and strategic policy of Kostha itself, what with their lack of a warm water port, along with the rest of their economy and society. Might have something to do with Naval stuff, might now, but either way I don't think there's a reason to dwell on it right now.

Oooo, you've got two battles in mind, now do you? Neat, twice the fun, more or less. Wonder how they go, and if and how the former influenced the latter, if you'd like to elaborate on it. Also interesting to think about all the stuff that'd go on in between battles... and I just remembered that I've returned the book I borrowed about Jutland. A shame, it had a pretty interesting part at the end which analysed how the respective fleets faired once they'd returned to port, and over the course of months repaired themselves with different degrees of success and speed. Anyhow, that was a strange tangent, moving on, and I'll end off by saying that I am very curious to know how either battle goes, and eager to help any way I can!

Well, well, well! It seems the Espalans have gotten what they wanted, but when I read that next to the first part of your post I'm a little sceptical. Very curious about the no doubt fascinating machinations behind all that, and I wonder if perhaps the Eastern Fleet would wish they hadn't been allowed to pass at all.

------

*Also kinda like how it works in the 12 Worlds. International bodies and treaties and such there are... complicated, but I've mostly got it down that the UC can be a little stubborn when it comes to giving a rat's ass about them.

**Did I get you there? Probably not, but I thought it might be funny. I am writing this eepy so my humour is buggered.

***Ah, crap, now that I'm done with this I realise I had another question that I can't fit in now. Basically, is there a particular reason you chose to specify 'Battlecruisers', and do you mean that Kostha sent a force of only BCs, and all of them they had, to battle?

Was doing some light reading on a defence blog I follow, when they mentioned a certain piece of naval lore which reminded me of Mortal Sparks, and our discussions on 'non-Big War' naval activities a nation might take.

This actually sparks a whole thought-train of mine in the course of the war! So I've been thinking a lot about Hadria and its relationship with the other nation-states during the war, and how Hadria's actions are really very important to the outcome of the war. Mainly being, due to Hadria breaking with Bresia and allowing the Republics to gain an early upper hand, the war is drawn out far longer than it might have been if Bresia had Hadrian support, or at least true neutrality.

I think as the war drags on, Hadria is undergoing its own shift in politics, and national sentiment is shifting to support the Republics over the Imperials. As a result, I think that something like this could happen between Hadria and the rest of the Northern Continent, as a horrible miscalculation on Espala's part that helps propel Hadria into the war.

Also, because I like making lists, I have decided to make a list of the major war events in the opening stages. Feel free to critique.

Cascade of War Declarations & Troop Musters

Espalan Western Fleet Moves North

Kostha Invades Niladal

Ritanian Fleet Moves South

Espalan Eastern Fleet is Stalled by Hadrian Negotiations

Sag Nel Raiders First Attack on Bresian Harbors

Kostha Battlecruisers and Royal Republic Fleet First Battle

Gresian Republic Invades Kostha

First Battle Between Ritanian Navy and Espalan Western Fleet

First Battle Between Kostha and Gresian Republic Armies

First Battle Between Royal Republic and Aslos

Second Battle Between Ritanian Navy and Espalan Western Fleet

Espalan Eastern Fleet Enters Strait of Hadria

[octofurvus]

Doctor Who spoilers, ahoy!

This one seems to be very hit or miss right now, but I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed it. As a parody of the whole Spy genre, it’s fairly successful. I loved to over the top-ness combined with the humor of it, all the gadgets and such, the party, etc... It is probably Chibnall’s strongest ep as a showrunner and is very promising in terms of where he’s taking the show this season.

The tense moments were very tense, some predictable, but I think that made them better (specifically Yaz’s teleport into the glass box). The emotional beats were a bit clunky in terms of writing, Yaz’s convo w/ Ryan, par example.

And, of course, the Master has returned after only a whole season, basically. Not a bad thing, but unusual compared to how the show’s been doing it so far. And my thoughts about that are more in the potential of it based on what we’ve already seen.

I really like what we’ve seen of his Master so far. A lot of people are saying that he reminds them of Simm’s Master, and I can definitely see that, but I don’t think that he’s an in between regeneration or even out of character as the regeneration after Missy.

I got me some theories, so buckle in.

Missy stabs Simm!Master, Simm!Master shoots Missy in the back, they laugh at the irony, blah, blah, blah... Missy dies alone. Missy dies alone and is then alive, probably because of these really cool aliens (I didn’t mention them up top, but I really like them) and probably because she is a Time Lord (I keep using she b/c she hasn’t regenerated yet). And, because she is herself, she strikes up a deal with these aliens to help them conquer the universe. 

Missy is confused as to why the Doctor didn’t come find her, so she tries to find him. He’s not on the ship, he must have found a way to leave and didn’t come find her (or he found her and just left her, which would be even more infuriating). She was cocky going into that confrontation with Simm!Master, I don’t think she expected to get shot like that, and I think it’s because her thoughts about good are confused, ‘the good guy always wins’ sort of attitude. There’s already this seed of ‘the Doctor just wants to make sure they don’t have to deal with me anymore’ that was REALLY big with Simm’s Master (and y’know, she just saw him again; which is why Dhawan’s Master is Like That). In her realization that ‘being good’ won’t bring the Doctor back, she decides to concoct a scheme

Now, she is angry and confused and ready to find the Doctor, or ready for the Doctor to find her. Missy procures a TARDIS, and gets to Earth under the guise (for the aliens) of infiltrating the planet for however long. UNIT is dead, so she goes to MI6 (second best place to get files on the Doctor?). A dude just starting? Perfect. Kidnapping, forced regeneration? guided regeneration? Sure! The TCE, the Master finds the Doctor, but holds off to get one that’s after The Doctor Falls.

(Side Note: I want to know how many times he fucked up without the Doctor noticing before they caught on to this one little detail (my guess is he forgot his own birthday no less than 3 times))

We get the reveal, we get the Doctor teleported to that place Yaz was (the Doctor knows where she is? I think? That’s the impression I got), then we get  next episode. There is a shot somewhere of Graham in a place that looks like it could be the Master’s TARDIS; based on that, there might be some trying to convince the companions that the Doctor is hiding stuff from them (she is) and that he can help them, that would be cool.

Here’s what I WANT to happen: the Doctor and the Master get in a situation where they could both die (big room with control panels, countdown clock, the whole enchilada) that the Master could help to stop, but doesn’t want to. He wants to take the Doctor down with him. Cue: packed, rushed conversation, the Master gets answers, the Doctor understands the Master a bit more. I’m thinking a nice hug at the end and an apology from the Doctor without expecting any forgiveness. The Master’s like ‘damn, dude, fr?’ and stops the clock. He helps the Doctor stop these aliens. There’s an offer of travel, he refuses and goes off in his own TARDIS. (Set up for finale ep? Maybe!)

ALTERNATIVELY

Dhawan!Master is just pretending for the aliens (Note: His last line) and is going to try and find a way to help her when he literally can (or is already doing it from the inside). All the stuff I mentioned with the aliens and finding someone to impersonate are still true, but they’re of a different motivation.

[writingwithcolor]

Blending Mythos Respectfully

@sapphicq submitted:

Hi all! I’m trying to write an urban fantasy that explores oppression in a world that is basically the same as ours, except with magic, while incorporating magical systems and mythologies of multiple cultures. I’ve done an okay amount of research on each one that I’d like to include (still need to do more for sure, especially considering how colonization has effected mythologies). However, I’m struggling a bit on how they should coexist, since in the world I’m writing about they’re present and tangible. One example of this is fox spirits in East Asian mythology. Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese mythologies each have a nine-tailed fox, and though my research says that the myth originates from Chinese mythology, it also says that each of the fox spirits carry different connotations of malevolence, benevolence, and how widespread they are, depending on which culture’s mythology is being referred to. 

The same sort of thing has been popping up quite a lot in a lot of my research. I started to wonder if I could explain these similarities within world as “different cultures have come up with different names and customs surrounding the ‘same’ thing,” considering mythology in the real world from an anthropological perspective. However I don’t want to overgeneralize, especially considering that these different mythological figures are meant to be present and tangible. If I went that route, I wouldn’t want to say something like ‘actually, benevolent fox spirits do exist, and Korean mythology about fox spirits is wrong since Kumiho are pretty strictly malevolent,’ which would obviously be an implication. All this to say: do you have any tips for multiple mythos coexisting in a way that respects the various cultures they come from?

Avoid Round Pegs in Square Holes

A mistake you sometimes see Western authors make when dealing with mythology in urban fantasy settings is to confine the universe’s worldbuilding to a particular mythology or force the rules of a single culture’s folklore onto other cultures. For instance, here at WWC, we get a lot of questions asking how to represent supernatural creatures from multiple cultures respectfully alongside fae from Western Europe, and it's fairly obvious that the author plans to treat all supernatural creatures as fae. Urban fantasy based on Greek mythology or Christian mythology often falls into the same trap. 

I think a writer can demonstrate greater creativity by embracing these differences. I think a potential way to deal with contradicting mythos between cultures is to come up with compelling reasons why differences exist. What world-building systems, philosophies and real-life phenomena allow for a framework that explains the simultaneous existence of commonalities and differences? As you know, in anthropology, there are theories that emphasize cultural diffusion as a way to explain similar customs within the same region, but there are also theories that hold that multiple cultures can develop the same traditions and principles independent of each other (See: existence of 0, lost-wax bronze casting, astronomical calendars and the use of wheels). The answers I’ve given are mostly technological. However myths and belief systems serve very real social functions as ways to keep people together and cultivate norms and mores. Lesya expands on the utility of intentional cultural diffusion below.

Similarly, within evolution, there are instances of species having common features because of a shared ancestor, but also instances where species without shared ancestors evolve to have similar features because they exist in the same environment. I believe flippers are examples of both types of evolution in marine animals.  Thus, I think you need to question your assumption that “different cultures have come up with different names and customs surrounding the ‘same’ thing.” As the world is daily proof, they sometimes do, but they also sometimes don’t. 

-Marika

First, props to you for sending us this ask. You have been thinking about this a lot and have done research into building an urban fantasy that doesn’t do the thing of putting all Asians under one umbrella. 

Second, I’m going to agree with Marika here. Rather than go for the generalization route, revel in everyone's differences. It's a way for you to acknowledge the variations in the mythology, that not all have the same origins though there may be some similarities. Instead, they may have reached the same conclusions. My advice for blending mythologies is to lean into it, and not create a homogeneous umbrella. You can make something amazing with that. 

-Jaya

Hybridity Through Diffusion

So a myth originated in China. This does not mean Chinese tellings have the monopoly on what a telling is. Marika and Jaya have gone into a possible solution, here, but what I’m going to examine here is a mental framework that a lot of people get stuck in that is actually ahistorical.

Cultural appropriation as we know it is shockingly recent when it comes to history. In the modern day, ownership boundaries of myths have become very strict because of primarily European colonialism picking and choosing everything it likes about a mythos, and, this is important: not letting up on the oppression of those peoples. There’s also a strong preference to kill those colonialism deems “wrong”, instead of creating a hybrid culture.

Historically, this got a lot more fluid.

What happened historically was primarily cultural diffusion, wherein open trade, intermarriage, and shared borders made it that myths, customs, and cultural practices were (mostly) freely exchanged without massive power imbalances happening, and then modified to fit local beliefs.

Key word: mostly. Because yes sometimes it happened that one place took over another place and imported all of its customs (see: China, Rome, the Mughals), but… often* the ruling power either backed off, was fought of, or otherwise left the region, leaving the common people to do whatever they wanted with the carcass of what had been imposed on them. Or sometimes, even, the imperial forces would actively create a hybridized culture in order to better rule others.

* in places where the ruling power has NOT backed off on oppression and assimilation, even if the colonialism is very old, then this is invalid and the power dynamics of appropriation are still at play.

Because, historically, there was a lot less incentive to simply genocide the peoples you took over (which is what made armies that did destroy all they took over so noteworthy). People were needed to keep providing food and materials, even if the new person got the resulting taxes. 

This meant there were a lot more common people to play with the stuff imported by the imperial culture. And there was a lot more incentive to hybridize your customs to the common people’s customs, leading to the sometimes-hilarious situations like “Rome assigns an equivalence in their pantheon for literally every mythology they encountered, which was a lot.” 

This also explains early Christianization, because it was a lot safer to simply adapt what you already had to make it better for your own ends than curbstomp everything that was “wrong” to your worldview. Ireland’s mythology survives in huge swaths, because it was either Christianized wholesale, or it was about “historical humans” and not fae. Norse mythology was similarly adapted for Christian worldviews, which means we unfortunately have no idea what the pre-Christian myths were.

So instead of thinking in terms of ownership, think instead in terms of diffusion. 

Myths get imported along with food, cloth, or anything else necessary for life. Myths were, historically, a way for people to explain the world around them, both in place of and alongside science. “Ghost marches” are really common, globally, because if you have wind howling in the forest, it’s going to sound like predators, and predators mean go inside and lock the door. Weaving goddesses are also common, because weaving was so necessary to survive the elements.

Sometimes trade relationships soured, and you get bad associations with the imported stuff. Sometimes the relationship stayed great for long enough it got completely adapted. This doesn’t mean any one myth is “right”, nor does it mean you have to erase historical trade links. It just means you look at the historical context, understand that cultural exchange often used to be a lot more two-way than it is in modern appropriation times, and figure out what that means for your worldbuilding.

~ Mod Lesya