#topic: mist

[symphonicsoul]

Let me talk for a moment about the importance of COLOR in Misterican culture again because it has been a hot minute since I explained Mist and I did not have this many color examples to my name the last time I did.

So Let's talk about MIST.

Mist is a magical substance that is contained with the lungs of a Misterican and it is kept there as vapor until they exhale. Misterican lungs are pressurized so they can store the Mist Vapors their body produces naturally. Misterican bodies make and produce Mist from the liquids and foods they consume.

I.E. meaning if a Misterican consumes alcohol - the mist their body produces and stores will become alcoholic in nature and they will remain intoxicated until they release that vapor from their lungs.

Misterican Mist is produced in different colors and that color is dependent on the color one is born to.

Misterican Mist exists in every color of the rainbow excluding black and the only Misterican ever born to the color White (the hue) is one Valkoinen Pilvi / White Cloud -> aka Kumo! Please see the religious notions behind this here.

But the Color of one's mist is important because the Color of one's mist will tell you the power it contains.

Mistericans all possess a color to their souls and that is the color of their Mist - and you can tell what color a Misterican is by the color of their Hair and sometimes their eyes. Misterican hair color = Misterican Mist color and Mist colors contain different status effects that go into effect as soon as that Mist is exhaled into the air.

The Misterican in question cannot stop this status effect from activating, it simply does as soon as they exhale and that's why they wear masks to filter their mist from their breaths to prevent the effects from effecting those around them.

So the status effects that exist within Mist Colors are as follows:

🟥 - Red - Paralysis 🟧 - Orange - Silence 🟨 - Yellow - Confuse 🟩 - Green - Toxic / Poison 🟦 - Blue - Slow 🟪 - Purple - Healing 🟫 - Brown - Stone 🩶 - Silver - Charm 🩷 - Pink - Blind 🤍 - White - Sleep

Mistericans DO NOT control these status effects. They activate the second they exhale their mist into the air and anyone who inhales their mist will be affected but there are a few conditions that apply

The thicker the Mist, the stronger the effect

The lighter in color it is, the more potent the effect

The more potent the effect, the longer it lasts

The thicker the Mist is, the faster it works

Bonded Mistericans are unaffected by each other's mist powers.

Mistericans who soul bound to a royal will have the potency of their Mist heightened by that royal's own power.

Same Color Mistericans do not affect each other. (aka blue doesn't affect blue, green doesn't affect green, etc etc )

Mist effects will wear off given time or if something happens to the source of said mist. So if the Mist User dies the effects would lift immediately and of their Mist in the area would dissipate instantly.

✨ Special Rule ✨ - The Child of White, due to his Immortal Godly Status is unaffected by any and all Mist effects. This includes healing.

The reason lighter color = more power is due to the fact that Lady Tiamat, the Celestial Mother of all Mist's color is White (hue) so the closer one's mist is to white the more power it possesses.

Mistericans also can be trained to use their Mist for a controlled form of Magics known as Mist Magics and Summoning. The users of this type of Mist Magic are know as Mist Mythics or simply "Mythics". You can read about them here.

But this is why 9 times out of 10 why Kumo and the other Mistericans are probably wearing a mask when meeting with your muse. They exhale status effects and color matters.

Now if Kumo takes his mask off and it's just a light mist and not really filling up the space around him - its going to take a while for the effect of sleep to kick in, but please be aware that no matter what, if Kumo has his mask off he will eventually build up a little cloud of mist around him. The seeing your breath when it's cold out thing? That's Kumo at all times when maskless.

[tooquirkytolose]

If any of you are old enough to remember what old school hot topic stores used to smell like, I bought one of these for my sister and she took a whiff and immediately got nostalgic

[muttering-folklore]

I FORGOT TO PUT THIS ON MY HC POST. AUGH

i feel like Duke is a major crackshot. like, ‘can hit something accurately with his eyes closed while he’s facing the opposite direction to his target’ type crackshot. is it the magic? is it the years he’s spent honing his skills? 🤷‍♂️ he won’t tell you even if you ask

also i feel like he wouldn’t really believe in using guns. he loves upgrading and polishing and ljke,,, generally improving their quality and whatnot as a hobby, but like he’d only resort to them if absolutely necessary. he’d much rather prefer to ward them away by giving the thing or person he doesn’t want around a sense of horrible foreboding or unease to try and shoo them from the area in a way that won’t hurt them. so you never really see him shoot anything. but when he does you barely even register there was something for him to shoot.

[kumoofthemaken]

Misteria - Her People of the Lofty Heavens

[A general overview of the planet itself, as well as the Misterian race. Subject to development over the blog's runtime. Using Kumo and Kiri's homeworld language names. 😉]

Misteria

A small gas giant, the land of swirling tempests, its habitable zone framed by the Storm Below and Storm Above. This layer of calm skies was home to floating continents of temperate to cold climate and, by extension, various flora and fauna more or less accustomed to aerial travel. Bountiful crystal structures adorned the floating isles, becoming the primary resource in Misterian architecture and sculpting.

It is the world where the Maken, and, by extension, Tiamat, was deposited eons ago by the old Architects, further shaping the developing life to reflect its attunement to the Mist. As such, the people of Misteria exhibit a unique combination of properties not found elsewhere in the universe: the ability to fly by levitation, and the production of Mist within specially-structured lungs which is stored at great pressure and can be released in vast quantities.

Misterian Horns - biological and cultural significance

E'len and Vassá with baby horns.

Even their own horns reflect their homeworld proudly - crystalline spikes most commonly ranging from one to seven, with more than that usually meaning the Misterian's horns are overall less developed and shorter. Hornless Misterians did occur, however their birth was a consequence of a very rare genetic defect comorbid with severely dulled senses and were considered disabled.

Misterian horns begin to come in at few months old and grow til around 19-20 years old. They are comprised of a core of living bone, with nerves and olfactory cells present in small pores which extend their sensory range, allowing for the sensing of certain potentially toxic chemicals produced in Misteria's atmosphere, a trait necessary for prolonged aerial travel - especially coupled with the species' sensitive lungs. Additionally, the layer between the living core and the crystal adcrustation houses liquid with loose grains of crystal, thus making the horns an additional balance organ. In a pinch, they could also be used to gore an opponent, though this was not preferred.

Misterian horns' interaction with Mist was a very complex process, due to Mist itself being present within their bodies and facilitating magical crystallization. As such, an individual's horns could take the appearance of a different type of crystal based on one's own Mist, though the color seemed unrelated: One could have a White-Mist such as Haino E'len (Kumo) with smoke quartz horns, as well as Silei Vassá (Kiri), a Red-Mist, with the same material. However, it seemed at least partially genetic.

Misterian horns were indeed live, but they shed their outer layer (sheath) periodically, producing shards of crystal which were often preserved as keepsakes, worn as jewelry or given as treasured gifts. Post-shed Misterian horns retained some of the crystalline layer for protection. Growing back the outer sheath took approximately three months.

Broken Misterian horns were capable of growing back from the root, however the process was slow and uncomfortable - with risk of crystal adcrustation not occuring properly and leaving the horn uneven. Incorrect adcrustation also reduced the sensory capabilities of the horn due to obstructing olfactory channels.

Culturally, a greater amount of horns / longer horns were considered a trait of royalty and a source of great pride; Misterians in general valued their horns greatly and maintained them carefully. As such, many gestures and sayings found on Misteria reflected this racial trait, such as lowering one's head to point horns at someone being seen as a threat - usually coupled with "Mist growling" - repatedly puffing small amounts of Mist at others. Calling someone "hornless" was considered an insult comparable to calling someone "stupid", through the connotation that a hornless Misterian would have had trouble with hearing, navigation and their connection to the Mist was looser. This was, of course, an example of ableism: Though Misterians were overall a peaceful and compassionate race, they were also beings of great pride, so such behaviors still occured. As an additional example of cultural expressions, the two Storms were much feared and used in sayings. "Storm Above!"

Misterian Hearing and Mist Melodies

Hearing is a Misterian's primary sense; Their world predominantly one of sound. Mist itself is an element producing unheard melodies, something Misterians evolved to hear and distinguish - being able to hear the "songs of the Planet" beneficial in various facets of life, such as navigation. Going where the Mist goes, listening to the changes in air currents and even catching weather shifts early, all thanks to enhanced auditory processing.

Mist itself produces melodies naturally distinguishable only to Misterians, with some others being able to hear them using magic or other sensory-spiritual enhancements. Skilled Misterian musicians can even perform an act known as "playing the Mist", utilizing gestures of linear motions to manipulate the melody, volume, tone and pitch to their liking - quite alike to plucking a string instrument. Mist playing, occasionally combined with dance and song, is the foundation of Misterian magic, including summoning arts. Court Knight-Musicians notably trained their Mist playing skills in conjunction with swordplay in order to bring out Sword Dragons, the royal beasts of Misteria and brood of Tiamat who were widely worshipped as the gods of music.

Mist Tempos and Colors

The Mist's default melody and tempo is defined by its color, with naturally faster tempos found in shorter wavelengths, such as purple.

The amount of energy is directly proportional to the photon's electromagnetic frequency and thus, equivalently, is inversely proportional to the wavelength. The higher the photon's frequency, the higher its energy. Equivalently, the longer the photon's wavelength, the lower its energy. This holds true to Mist as well, though some high-energy techniques have been notably performed with red Mist as well. One example of such is the Elder Prince Vassá, who utilized extremely fast tempos, such as vivaces and furiosos, in order to cast devastating flare magics.

Mist color also corresponds to its thaumaturgichemical properties, something that cannot be altered at will and is experienced neurologically through inhalation.

An approximate chart of Mist Effects:

Red - Stop (Full voluntary muscle paralysis)

Orange - Slow (Depressant)

Yellow - Confusion (Stimulant/hallucinogen)

Green - Poison (Neurotoxin)

Cyan - Silence (Vocal paralysis)

Blue - Fear (Stimulant/hallucinogen)

Violet - Berserk (Stimulant)

Pink - Charm (Aphrodisiac, induces euphoria, loss of inhibition and impaired judgement)

White - Sleep (Depressant, mild sedative to general anaesthetic)

Misterians tended to be at least partially resistant to one another's Mist, with family members often being immune due to genetic similarity and prolonged contact. However, their breath still had effect on unrelated Misterians and other beings, which meant masking was culturally mandated. Special Mist Masks were developed that both protected one's delicate lungs and filtered Mist out of exhaled and inhaled air. More technologically sophisticated mask designs were installed at the base of the skull, allowing for nerve interfacing and conscious control over the mask opening and closing. Green-Mists and Violet-Mists were particularly strictly required to wear high quality filters at all times, and manipulation of another using Mist was a criminal offence.

Demonstration of Mist mask functionality.

Colors falling between the main wavelength milestones can have effects of either neighboring effect. Lower saturation of color decreases the effect's intensity.

White Mist is the rarest of Mist colors, and cannot be defined by wavelength as it is the mixture of all other wavelengths. Therefore, it can be considered the "all-rounder" Mist color equally suited to slow and fast tempos, making it perfect for a variety of musical techniques but less specialized, taking longer to master. It is also more attuned to the elemental properties of ice and feels cold to the skin.

Misterian Lungs

Haino E'len and Silei Vassá exhaling Mist.

Misterians possessed a rather unique respiratory system - with two lungs connected to a system of air sacs. The primary lungs were used for respiration as well as Mist production and storage, while the air sacs were responsible for complex pressure maintenance and enhanced in-flight respiration.

Due to the very high pressure within Misterian primary lungs, a puncture wound there was instantly and explosively lethal, causing a decompression of a force proportional to the amount of Mist stored, as well as release of said Mist. With enough pressure, it was not unheard of for the detonation to completely tear open an individual's chest and injure whoever attacked them. As a result of this, Misterian schools of swordsmanship practiced primarily broad, slashing strokes, rather than thrusting. Piercing an enemy's cheat was only plausible in ranged combat or with sufficiently long spears.

As a way to reduce the chance of catastrophic injury, Misterian primary lungs are surrounded by dense cartilage and powerful muscle, which grants a decent amount of protection against trauma. Still, most injuries to the region were considered inoperable due to the sheer complexity of the pressure mechanisms involved, as well as the chance of Mist escaping into the bloodstream and causing rapidly-lethal embolisms.

Flight

Misterian flight is magical in nature, which does not mean their bodies did not adapt to facilitate it. A Misterian can fly due to the supernatural properties of the Mist produced in their bodies, with flight impaired should Mist production suffer as a result of injury or disease. The flight itself is telekinetic in nature and controlled primarily by the mind, as well as the horns, which interact with Mist to fine-tune its control. However, a Misterian cannot normally put their telekinesis to use outside of their bodies - the Royal Knights of Altha'el developed the practice of spell-binding their souls to their weapons to get around that limitation, allowing them to carry heavier weapons. However, telekinesis was still limited and only truly unlocked in Prince E'len through his seamless and complete connection to the Blade of Tiamat, which became a true extension of his body.

Eyes

Mist growling, slitted eyes.

Misterian eyes are comparable in power to those of Earth humans, though they tend slightly towards far-sightedness. They are trichromatic, as opposed to the pentachromatic Windarians, and possess a transparent nictitaing membrane which extends from the medial canthus and can be drawn over the eye to shield and moisten it mid-flight. The membrane is otherwise rarely seen since both sets of lids blink simultaneously, creating the illusion of a humanoid eye.

That illusion, however, cannot extend to the pupil, which is (along with the iris) more vertical than circular. Though Misterian pupils can turn into slits in high light conditions, the usual resting shape is an oval. The strange nature of such pupils may be advantageous in judging distance, something quite crucial in the vast, open skies of Misteria.

Culture, religion and goverment

Dueling Sword Dragons of Vassá and E'len.

Misterian people were predominantly peaceful and naturally came together within the United Kingdom of Altha'el, positioned upon the central continent of Altha'el. Ruled by the Royal Family and protected by their knights, Misterian civilization was quite secure up until the war with Windaria, where large territories were conquered and many Misterians unfortunately slain. The on and off war lasted for a thousand years until the most recent Crimson Ceasefire, signed by the Lord Lua Leián (Crimson Haze), E'len's and Vassá's father.

Misterians as a people valued culture and the arts the most, primarily music and dance, for obvious reasons. Schools of swordsmanship taught in Altha'el seamlessly blended combat with dance, with the most experienced warriors earning the title of "bladedancers". Performative dueling was a common spectacle, the bladedancers' graceful and flowing movements evocative of those of Sword Dragons themselves. A Blade Dance was often accompanied by a Mist orchestra, with the dancers adjusting their movements to the rhythm and tempo of the music.

Tragically, this exquisite culture was lost nigh completely when Chaos attacked, devouring Misteria whole and incorporating a lifeless remnant of the capital into Wonderland as a twisted trophy. Why it left no survivors - only Chaos itself knows, but it is a plausible guess to say it did it to break the Unlimited prince, Haino E'len, who now remains the very last of his glorious people.

Thus, His Majesty will work tirelessly for eons to ensure the tragedy of his homeworld - as well as the world of Windaria - does not repeat.

[gender-euphowrya]

you know how people warn not to mix cleaning products because the chemicals combined might create stuff like mustard gas

i feel like there should be the same common sense when it comes to skincare products

[mistchievous]

wtf jess, first tea and now wine? 🤨 I'm not sure I can be friends with you any more

Don't be jealous of my super correct opinions, Fnuggi.

You too can join the side of the enlightened!

[lightdancer1]

And frankly I don't care what fanon says:

We have seen how Death and Dream interact. She never has a problem calling him on his shit, and the serious shit. I really don't think that Death and Dream discussing Nada in the Season of Mists was the first time it ever came up.

The surprise here would not be that the topic came up, but 1) that Death and Desire, who have a relationship at least as hostile or moreso as Desire and Dream agreed on something of importance and said so in a short span of time, and/or 2) that Dream actually was willing both to listen and to act on it. And here, at least, is one case where the fishbowl would probably make a difference in Dream being willing to hear this and to admit he made a mistake instead of spitefully doubling down and lashing out about it.

I can't see Death staying completely silent about it for 10,000 years. I can see that where she and Dream had some major arguments would have been this and that Dream wouldn't have taken it well in the past. Dream acting on that, Dream admitting he was wrong, is a key turning point in his fate and where he first begins to face the dual choices of changing or death.

[honeysuckle-venom]

My therapist had to cancel tomorrow and I'm not...it's not great timing. I mean it always sucks if she cancels but I just. I'm not. A real person right now. Idk how to explain it but. This is not Ideal.

[theflyingfeeling]

Lol I had saved this on Pinterest meaning to send it to you on Christmas but then forgot to do so 🙈😅 So here it is now! Merry Tuesday night! 😂💖

Awwwww merry Tuesday night to you too!! 🤭🥰 our little Bobby at least is so enthusiastic about life that even a normal Tuesday feels like Christmas to him 😂

[mystery--mist]

People who project real feelings onto not real characters, only to then attack real people with genuine feelings, aren't okay...

Friendly reminder: Block button exists. If there's content you don't like or that triggers you for whatever reason, just block and move on with your life.

You have every right not to share the same tastes or to hold different opinions, but attacking and harassing people, regardless of their preferences (even taboo ones), is not and will never be a legitimate right. There are taboo concepts of fictional pairings that I personally dislike as well, but I would NEVER think of attacking the artist behind the drawing. I simply ignore and move past that kind of content; I don’t waste my time on things I don’t like. Others are free to block if they want; that’s what the block button is for, and they have every right to use it. But you will never become a better person by spending your time attacking others on the internet over fictional content, whether it's characters, pairings, dark fictional stories.

They aren’t real, so stop overthinking it. Learn to distinguish reality from fiction—on both sides.

This just in

[symphonicsoul]

Symphony to Silencer || Sinfonia in Wonderland

⋯✧・♪♫♪・✧⋯ Sinfonia was forty-five (45) years old when he landed in Wonderland with Sielu and Sydän. The three of them landed in Wonderland on the second (2nd) day of Misterica's destruction after Sinfonia had a lapse in his own sanity when Usva was killed in action trying to defend Misterica. This caused the musician to rush out into the gale force winds to try to find his fallen prince / liege / nephew even though doing so would have led to his demise had it not been for Sielu and Sydän's quick actions in an attempt to bring him back and save his life.

They managed to find him amongst the rubble and the gales unable to fly and simply trying to survive while clung to a broken piece of one of the sky islands. After taking Sielu's hand, the younger musician lost his own footing and it caused the three of them to tumble back out into the gales and to be blown in the dimensional pillar that had marked Misterica as Chaos' next target. (The black pillar as Mistericans called it)

With no way to fight against the gales, Sinfonia pulled both Sielu and Sydän to his chest as they were thrown into the pillar and into Wonderland in order to protect them. He did so by even breaking their fall onto Wonderland's grounds with his own body. Several of his ribs were broken on impact and he was rendered unconscious for a week's time. It took several rounds of Sydän breathing purple mist directly into Sinfonia's lungs even to get the man to come around, and several more to get him to be able to get out of bed.

It was from there, that their troubles started.

They couldn't speak the language, they didn't understand anything anyone was saying to them, and they had scarce access to food and water. No money to their names, they begged their way into an inn in town, and stayed there until they had to leave due to a dangerous situation outside of their control.

That situation being a Mist Eater by the name of Voltaire. A dragon like man that consumes Mist and works as a bounty hunter within the space of Wonderland's boarders. Upon meeting Sielu and Sinfonia in town one day, Voltaire has been hunting them ever since. The three of them had many hard scrapes and run-ins with the man that lead to countless injuries and close calls.

Five years(5) into their stint in Wonderland, the three of them were separated when they were attacked by a tiger like beast that put Sinfonia in the position of choosing to give up his own life so Sielu and Sydän could survive or damning all three of them. Ultimately, Sinfonia chose to give up his own life in order to save theirs but after the pair of twins had long since fled (much to Sinfonia's begging them to just go) he was saved in the nick of time by a band of passing traders that felled the beast attacking him and saving his life.

Injured, he ended up stuck in a near by town for eight (8) months while he mostly recovered before he started looking for Pilvi, Sielu and Sydän again. Doing so he took on the role of bounty hunting in order to gain the funds to survive and that was when "The Silencer" was born. Refusing to give anyone his name, rumors started to spread that there was a bounty hunter that could "steal your screams away" and they were calling this man "The Silencer" so Sinfonia just went with it.

However this is where I can explain the problems.

Ever since Sinfonia was a small boy he was diagnosed with multiple mental health issues. He manages Bipolar Disorder, severe anxiety, and depression - and this was all before Wonderland. On top of this, Sinfonia has multiple health issues such as impaired hearing (for a Misterican), carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and an arrhythmia in his heart that can cause tachycardia. He lives with weakness, shaking, chest pain, migraines, chronic pain and fainting spells and this was all managed through his doctors and the use of medication.

He has not had his medication since they landed in Wonderland because when they fell into this world, he only had left what was on his person at the time. That of which, he used up in the matter of a couple months after he lessened his own dosages in order to try to "stretch it out" for as long as he could.

So basically, Sinfonia has been completely unmedicated for about seventeen (17) years, after being medicated for several decades. His mental illnesses are psychotic by nature. Meaning he experiences both severe depression and dangerous mania. His hypomanic states can also be dangerous and he can and has had his own bouts with psychosis.

Ever since he got separated from Sielu and Sydän, he started experiencing hallucinations of his older brother, the King, Helakanpunainen Aurinko. - Sinfonia just calls him Helakan for short- and has been known to have full on conversations with this ghost that follows him around.

Sinfonia is not stable by any stretch of the word but has been unable to find stability without the assistance of proper medication. Even though he has access to medical care now through Cid and the Comodeen; Cid is unfamiliar with Misterican medicine and does not speak the language so he is struggling to figure out what Sinfonia needs.

This means the pain medication being offered to him is more like a temporary patch to a burst pipe than actually helping the damage. Cid is doing his best with what he has but Sinfonia severely needs the assistance of a Misterican doctor and access to purple mist. Access he lost when Sydän passed as she was purple and her mist was healing in nature.

Sinfonia is aggressive, and cut throat when coming to handle most situations within the space of Wonderland after learning how the people here take advantage of kindness. He's had to become more assertive than he ever was back home not only to force people to listen to him but to stand an even playing ground against other people/species that are dramatically larger than him in size.

Even more so, due to his humanoid like nature most people of Wonderland already carry a predispositioned hatred for him mainly based on how he looks. Even if being human is the furthest thing from the truth about him.

Almost all creatures of Wonderland are Soil based souls and some of which can tell that Sinfonia (and the others) are very much not Soil based and they discriminate against them accordingly for it. This has caused Sinfonia's hatred towards Soil Souls to only grow in size. He's been called a slew of different names while living here, everything from fog breath to short horn to four horns to sky mouse and he has a special place in his heart for hatred towards each one.

Sinfonia's life on Misterica was truly that of a want for not situation. Not only was he one of the most famous men within the space of the entire kingdom due to his musical prowess, but he is also royal by blood. The King's Little Brother (cousin) so he was raised within the walls of the palace and almost never left them.

He didn't have to fight for anything and hardly took any form of discrimination from most people and while he did get it from some people, it was few and far between and swiftly dealt with by the people around him. There were societal consequences for disrespecting him and I think that is a heavy thing to remind because none of this exists within the space of Wonderland. If and when someone disrespects him, no one within the space of this world gives a damn and that's just not something Sinfonia was used to.

He went from setting at the very top of the chain of command to the very bottom rung of society simply because of the way he is built and the make up of his soul. Being a Mist based creature has only proved to a disadvantage to him because of this - his hatred for the world around him amplified. His family was put in danger constantly and seeing the multiple times they all nearly died at the hands of a bounty hunter, an angry member of whatever town they were in, or even a Mist Eater - Sinfonia grew colder and more aggressive each passing day.

Sinfonia grew up in a want for not situation but he also grew up during active war time for Misterica. He lost his father to the war with Windaria and he nearly lost his God Father multiple times, and seeing as how Windarians worship the Soil Spiral and have deemed themselves the guardians of it - that is where his hatred for Souls of Soil begins.

The scrapes with death, being hunted by Mist Eaters like prey animals and lack of any and all medical care only made it worse. He was in total isolation for twelve years not knowing if his husband was dead or alive and in that time what was once the Symphony became The Silencer.

[aquaticsoul]

idk where to put this but the thought just occurred to me that misterican ethics and morality are not built on the concept of eternal damnation/eternal bliss like most human religions and yet as a society theyre a fucking split between a theocracy and monarchy. and i will probably write about that in detail at some point because as a person who was raised culturally christian it's very interesting to me. but also im too sleepy right now to make a coherent post. i hope this makes sense

[helixoflife]

The Source of Death/Rebirth || The Soil Spiral

The Universe was created through two energies provided by the Goddess of Creation and the God of Destruction. The Soil Spiral is the energy responsible for death and rebirth, coming from Destruction, otherwise known as Lord Bahamut.

Soil is a magical element that makes up most worldly souls and has a ton of uses, the biggest of which is literally churning the cosmos so that they may be expanded upon by Mist. Any land-dwelling being generally has a soul made of Soil, which also contains a specific hue. Once an individual dies, their Soil enters the Soil Spiral and cycles. This makes it possible for Soil Mages to call upon Soil's energy to utilize spells, and some Mages can even use specific combinations of Soil to call upon powerful beings known as Eidolons.

Soil can also be harnessed to power anything that functions in a spiral, such as drills, some engines, and the Magun itself. It just has to move in a spiral motion to be utilized, which makes it much easier to use if fired from a barrel.

All life is created from one of the two universal energies, whether they know it or not. Creatures of the sky and the water are made of Mist, which is Soil's stark contrast. While Soil functions in a Spiral, Mist functions in a straight Line. Creatures of the land, including humans, are comprised of Soil.

Soil and Mist are polar opposites and as such, Soil souls cannot utilize Mist magic. At the end of the day, it's important to remember that these two forces are equal in power and both necessary to the functions of the universe as a whole.

[superellysan]

Oh yeah no for the love of god DON’T WEAR PLASTIC. Avoid polyester like the plague, it traps moisture in so the sweat can’t evaporate and you will be absolutely miserable. If you can, invest in an all cotton outfit or anything else that doesn’t trap moisture and that includes down to your underwear. Trust me on this, swamp bottom is not fun and WILL cause rashes

Also WEAR SUNSCREEN JESUS CHRIST. I don’t care if you “don’t burn easily” (an excuse I have actually heard a friend who has a skin condition use and oh wow I wonder why you’re skin condition isn’t getting better). If you are going to be outside for any amount of time or will be around windows trust me on this. Yes that includes car windows. The car window will not save you from burning.

If you’re like me and absolutely loathe the texture of sunscreen on your skin, look into water gel formulas. There are some japanese ones that feel very light-weight and do an excellent job protecting your skin. Just make sure you’re re-applying at least every four hours because sunscreen will not last you a full day, especially when you’re sweating.

Also? Sunglasses. Protect your eyes. ESPECIALLY if you have light-colored eyes like I do (basically anything that isn’t brown). That’s not a heat thing though that’s just general life advice.

(Also I know there’s nuance to the skin condition thing but oh god not wearing sunscreen when we’re outside in the sun for literal hours for like two weeks straight probably ain’t doing it any favors, mate)

For all of the northerners that stood up for Texas during our freeze and said, "Don't make fun of them, they've never dealt with this before. Their infrastructure isn't made for snow and freezing."

This one is for you.

Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.

Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.

First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.

If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.

If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.

Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).

If you have pets, those portable AC units aren't safe. If your pets destroy the outtake thing, it'll leak CO2. Window units are safer.

Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.

Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.

If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.

Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.

I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.

Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house

If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.

If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.

Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat

-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.

-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.

-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.

Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.

Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.

Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.

Frozen fruit is delicious in water.

Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.

Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!

Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."

Image Description provided by @loveize

[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]

Be safe.

-fae

[pitchforksraised]

the verge to make a set of ocs in which half of them are normal until one person does something that traumatizes them all

oh and the other half were also probably traumatized before this

[velaris-fic-repository]

Lovestruck

Azriel x Reader, Eris being nice, Also Eris being a little shit

Summary: You pose as Eris’s date for a reconnaissance mission into the Autumn Court’s markets. Things take a surprise turn for the worst at an apothecary stand

This mission was already a disaster before it even happened.

A reconnaissance mission between Azriel, Eris, and you - Azriel’s trusted second - to assess early options for dispatching the Autumn heir’s father.

Part of that mission was feeling out Autumn’s very seedy underbelly without tipping off the High Lord or those loyal to him.

You were perfect for this, often doing the jobs Azriel couldn’t thanks to his notoriety. That and being a master of illusory disguises, it was a no brainer to bring you along. Even if your spymaster was not a fan of the strategy the three of you had elected to use.

You, glamoured into an Autumn Court native, were playing date to the High Lord’s son. None of you were particularly pleased with the notion, but it was a good idea for keeping intentions secret. Eris would play at showing you around, falling into proper courtship rules - no touching - and if any gossip got out it would be easily squashed and of a different nature entirely to what was actually happening. Bonus, no one would know who you really were or where you were from. Perfect.

Azriel was grinding his teeth about it though. He was not walking behind you both as you flitted about the market squares of Autumn as the day slowly came to a close. But, something about the shadows around the golden hour autumnal market felt agitated, irritable. Like someone you knew was nearby and clearly not happy.

“How can you stand working with him?” Eris said with a chuckle in your ear, playing at being the slightly irreverent courting male.

You smiled and giggled, an act, as you whispered under your breath, “Now hardly seems the place to discuss what I actually do for a living. And you’re no prize, Eris.”

“You wound me, my lady,” Eris teased.

A million comments were poised on the tip of your tongue, but you held them all, focusing on the topic at hand.

You tugged Eris’s hand to stop him as you paused at an apothecary type vendor, expecting the wares. You pointed to a few bottles then whispered to Eris, “Poisons are always a viable option. They seem like this court’s style.”

Eris smiled and wrapped an arm around you, whispering back, “The Night Court doesn’t regularly check what’s in their food?”

Bastard.

Your smile fell just slightly portraying the ghost of the glare you wanted to give him. Only Eris noticed.

“I’ve already thought of that, if it would have worked, all of my brothers and I would have tried it.”

The sun had all but set by now, dim faelights filling iron lampposts around the grounds, creating only small pools of light every few feet. Not the most illuminating, but perfect for the rest of your evening’s purposes.

“We should move on,” you whispered, painting on your smile, looking away to feign embarrassment at whatever you hoped the onlookers thought Eris had said to you.

You began to walk away when the vendor called out, “sample for the lady?”

You smiled, shaking your head politely as the apothecary held up a perfume bottle. “No thank you-“

The vendor’s smile turned oily and wicked, “no, really, I insist… Such a lovely couple you two will make…”

A sweet smelling mist pelted you in the face, overwhelming your senses. Eris sidestepped the plume of perfume, eyes wide as you had no choice but to inhale whatever had been sprayed in your face.

Even worse, your disguise was fading.

Eris moved quickly, grabbing you and pulling you out and away from that vendor into one of the shadowy alcoves of the market.

You were lightheaded, you didn’t know what had happened to you but there was a disorienting want within you. You wanted… You wanted something… someone…

Eris shook you a little, calling your name and pulling your chin up to face him. Your eyes locked on his and that want did not dissipate. You wanted someone, but that someone was not Eris and you were terrified.

You struggled and pushed against him, trying to get up, get out, get away. Flee to wherever that someone you wanted was.

Eris swore and held you down as best he could without scaring you further. You called out to the shadows around him. Moving you, as much as he wanted to, was not an option right now.

Azriel materialized from the shadows almost immediately. He surveyed the situation quickly. He detested Eris holding you like this but saw no other option to keep you from clawing at the both of them.

He stalked forward and cupped his hand around your cheek - the only part of your body he could reach on Eris’s other side. He called your name and hushed you until you looked at him.

You were terrified, a prey animal clawing for its life. That is… until you looked up and saw Azriel’s face.

Everything in the world focused in on one point. Him.

You couldn’t see anything else but the hazel of his eyes, the swoop of his hair. Couldn’t hear anything else besides his night chilled voice.

The male you were wholly and completely in love with.

Your boss, sure. Not really professional, but, for whatever reason, the thought process you usually ran down to keep yourself from pursuing him just… didn’t occur to you.

“Are you alright?” Azriel asked you, voice velvet soft.

Unthinking, you blurted, “I am now.”

Azriel’s eyes widened as Eris swore again, looking back in the direction you’d come.

Azriel watched you closely, unmoving. Whatever Eris did you either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“We’re gonna figure this out, okay? Don’t worry,” he told you in that soft, comforting voice you loved so much.

“Not worried,” you whispered, leaning into his touch, practically purring as you closed your eyes.

“Love potion?” Azriel whispered in Eris’s direction.

“Looks like it,” Eris responded.

“I’m the first she saw?” Azriel asked for confirmation.

Despite the situation, Eris finally seemed amused. He smirked as he said, “No. She saw me first.”

Azriel’s brain, for once, was having a hard time putting the pieces together. He looked between Eris’s ever growing smirk and your lovesick behavior. You had practically melted into his hand where it still grasped your cheek.

But if… But if you saw Eris first… And had still reacted the way you had… Dazed, confused and disoriented… Until he crossed your field of vision…

“Shadowsinger,” Eris said, still smug, “now may be a good time to get her someplace safe. We can continue later. You seem to be-“ Eris feigned waffling for the right phrase- “indisposed.”

Azriel growled at him, coaxing your eyes open and up to him. You looked worried as you asked him, “What’s wrong?”

Eris had the audacity to laugh, but he didn’t leave. He watched the area around you all, Azriel realizing he was watching out specifically for the two of you. Until the two of you were out.

“Go,” he said, “I’ll clean up whatever mess is left.”

Azriel nodded to him before dropping fully into your vision. He sent you a comforting look, immediately calming you back into your dreamy state.

“We’ve got to go home now, okay? I’m going to winnow us, is that okay?”

You nodded.

“Words, please.”

“That’s fine,” you responded softly, “I trust you.”

Azriel didn’t doubt it, but he did doubt that even if you didn’t you would have much choice.

“Okay,” he said, a small shake coming into his voice as he held you.

The way you grasped onto him, nothing but unadulterated love in your eyes, had him winnowing you both without even a glance at Eris.

Once the two of you were back in Velaris, Azriel had been determined to drop you off and let you ride out the effects. He’d talk to you about in the morning, hopefully when whatever potion this was wore off.

You were not having that. Every time he attempted to separate from you, you either just followed after him like a dog or got such a sad look on your face that you practically cracked his heart in half. He had little options left.

You woke up with a far clearer head than you remembered going to bed with. Not that you remembered much of the previous night in the first place.

You shook your head to clear it and glanced around. You were in a large bed, held close by… strong arms and draped in familiar membranous wings…

Panic overwhelmed you as you pushed away from Azriel in an attempt to flee whatever this situation had been.

But, Azriel’s hand shot out and gently grasped your wrist. “Wait.”

You stopped.

Azriel, fully clothed sat up in bed and looked at you. He waited for you to wake up more fully, to realize you were still fully clothed as well.

When you seemed a bit more calm, he asked you, “what do you know about love potions?”

Oh. Oh no. Oh Mother save you.

Memories of the mission, and exactly when and why it went wrong ripped through your mind. You remembered every thing you did, everything you thankfully didn’t do, and every little lovesick thought you’d had In Azriel’s presence.

Unfortunately, they weren’t too different from the things you already thought. Amplified maybe, but certainly nothing new.

“Azriel, I am so sorry. I didn’t… I couldn’t… It absolutely will not happen again I-“

Azriel squeezed your hand, halting your motor mouth speech.

“You saw Eris first,” he said, a bland statement of fact.

“Yes,” you responded.

“That means what I think it means, right?”

You couldn’t discern the emotion leaking into his face.

False. You could. You just couldn’t accept it.

“I’m so sorry,” you said again, “it was unprofessional of me. Had I not been under the influence of something I never would have-“

Azriel’s cool mask fully dropped and shifted into something dangerously close to desperation until he finally surged forward and kissed you, slow, passionate and full of at least a centuries worth of longing.

It was everything you had ever hoped it would be in that secret place of your heart.

When you finally, regrettably, separated for air, Azriel rested his forehead against yours. As if he needed to be as close to you as possible or he would cease to be.

“How…” he said through his panting, “How’s that… for professional?”

You laughed weakly. “Does that mean what I think it means?” you echoed.

“Yes,” he breathed, not waiting too long before kissing you again.

Your morning devolved into nothing but the two of you kissing and reveling in the other’s presence.

You finally went to the kitchen and it was there that you finally engaged in a debrief of sorts from yesterday. It was stranger than any you had ever done with him before. In the kitchen of his private residence, him still holding onto you, kissing the crown of your head, drinking a coffee he made you out of one of his mugs.

Strange, but most assuredly welcome.

“Eris took care of that vendor after we left. He was trying to ensure the heir and his date stayed together, trying to then sell that information to Beron. Eris sent a message not long after I coaxed you to sleep.”

You laughed a little at the soft tone he used and at him anticipating your question before you asked it.

“Maybe,” you said into the rim of your mug, “we should have thanked him instead.”

Azriel smiled but said, “not funny.”

“I think it’s pretty funny.”

You’d always kept as many personal details out of your discussions as you could. You two had been friendly before, but there was always this unspoken barrier between you. At your mention of finding something funny, Azriel’s eyes lit up.

“I can’t wait to find out everything about you,” Azriel said, “starting with that sense of humor.”

You hummed and met him when his lips came down to kiss you again. Perfectly content.