#tw: fatal illness

[halseyquinn]

Portrayal of young people dealing with loss/grief in Disney’s “Onward”

TW: Death, Grief/Loss; Mentions of fatal illness (not graphic) and unhealthy family relationships

Spoilers for the movie “Onward” (2020)!

I finally decided to watch Disney’s movie “Onward” (2020), which I had meant to do for quite some time, in order to add a little analysis of this film to my previous post about the portrayal of young people dealing with grief/loss in animated films (Link: https://halseyquinn.tumblr.com/post/689404849667899392/portrayal-of-young-people-dealing-with-griefloss).

I personally found this movie very touching and also very brave. The topic of grief/loss in itself isn’t exactly a “pleasant” one and it is even harder to properly and adequately portray it for a younger audience. Before I watched the film and had only a rough idea what it would be about, I honestly expected it to be funnier and “lighter” - I expected hilarious shenanigans and a pair of speaking trousers and the whole grief/loss topic only being dealt with in the background. And so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the movie is by no means a slapstick-comedy and grief actually plays a major role in it. For one thing: the trousers don’t speak. Ian and Barley’s “father” (or rather, the part of him they were able to magically conjure) only “communicates” by tapping his feet or using them to search for his sons’ feet, to make sure they’re near him. At least for me, this nonverbal exchange felt somehow a bit eerie and oppressive. I think it’s a great metaphor for the literal distance between not only death and life, but also a father and his sons that he didn’t get to watch growing up. He’s never been an actual part of their lives and neither have they been one of his - so although they’re family, they’re actually strangers.

This is especially obvious when it comes to the younger brother, Ian, who wasn’t even born when his father died. He avidly collects little mementos of him - photos, an old pullover, a tape recording with his voice. And he’s always happy to gather new pieces of information about his father, often asking his older brother (even though the latter doesn’t have many memories himself) and once meeting his dad’s former classmate, who’s able to tell him another small detail (that his father liked to wear purple socks), which becomes extremely important to him nevertheless. The movie also shows Ian’s desire to become (more) “like his father” - which he actually does at the end. Ian is sixteen years old - an age where young people are heavily involved in the process of finding their own identity and parents/family play a very important role in that process (even if they just help you realize what you don’t want to be like). So in my opinion, the movie managed to capture the difficulties of a young person lacking a role model respectively a parent as a quite big component of their own identity.

Another aspect worth noting is the relationship between Ian and his brother Barley. The film’s main focus is certainly on the brotherly relationship, whereas Ian’s and Barley’s relationship with their mother or their mother’s new partner, weren’t really explored in depth (which is honestly just fine with me, as I thought it was great to have a film focus on the experiences of teenagers/young adults). Barley is, on the one hand, shown to be a bit of a “dreamer”, immersing himself in fantasy games and gathering information about everything that has to do with magic. So there’s a bit of a playful, “child-like” side to him. On the other hand, he is portrayed as fearless and very protective of his younger brother - very “grown-up”, so to speak. While the majority of the film focuses on Ian’s perspective, we learn a considerable deal about Barley at the end of the film - and this is also what I personally found quite brave about this movie: Barley eventually tells Ian about one more memory that he has about their father - one that he kept to himself for all those years, because it was “not a good one”. He then proceeds to tell his brother about how he was taken to visit their father at the hospital, when he had already been very ill, shortly before his death. He had been meant to say “goodbye” to him, but had been afraid because of all the medical equipment that kept his father alive. He also tells Ian that that’s the reason why he’s never afraid of anything now - because at that time he had wanted to be “brave” but hadn’t been able to. Since this, i.e. children having to witness fatally ill family members and what it does to them, isn’t something that is very often talked about (possibly because it is indeed an extremely difficult and sensitive topic), I found it especially brave that “Onward” broke this “taboo”.

Barley’s situation becomes even clearer when Ian realizes that all the things he had wanted to do with his father (have a good talk, play ball etc.) were actually things that he had already done in his childhood/youth - with Barley. That’s the reason why, when the brothers are actually able to bring their father back (if only for a couple of minutes), Ian urges Barley to spend the little time left with him. He realizes that there had always been someone there for him, who acted as a sort of father to him and who was able to fill the void the death of his actual father had created. But no one had been there for Barley. This scene not only shows that the death of a parent/parents also deeply affects the relationship between siblings - it also highlights the danger of one sibling (usually the oldest/older one - or the only one, in families where there is only one child) more or less voluntarily taking up some sort of “co-parenting”-role (taking on a lot of responsibility for siblings and/or the remaining parent), while their own needs and wants are often neglected. I found it really brave of the filmmakers to address this heavy topic. Nevertheless, I felt like this aspect (siblings as “co-parents”) could have portrayed in a bit more critical way, highlighting Barley’s troubles a little more clearly and maybe paying more attention to both of the brothers’ perspectives. For example, the “two sides” of Barley’s personality (”dreamer/childlike” and “grown-up”) very likely stem from his having had to grow up too soon.

Nevertheless, this movie is, for me, certainly one of the best films so far, when it comes to addressing the difficult topic of young people and grief in a realistic, critical, but also hopeful manner. I can’t mention the importance of making films about this topic enough and I’m really happy to see that during the last few years, filmmakers have started to draw more attention to usually neglected, but extremely important topics like this one as well as to provide relatable and hopefully comforting content for young people dealing with such situations themselves.

[hamoodmood]

[likelyamused]

Spiraling

Beginning / Previous / Next

[citrusinicake]

i dont even know what this is

[mechatiqe]

⠀

“You know,” the mechanic whispered, like he was trying to hide the emotion from his voice, “when someone asks you to sing to them, even though they know you suck at singing, just because they want to hear your voice in case they don’t get to hear it again, it… it’s just, I-I…”

He couldn’t even begin to describe how heavy his heart felt right now.

⠀

[hyaciiintho]

AU idea for Sherlock — *ahem* Brainrot.

Send me an AU and I'll tell you what my muse would be like in that AU | ✿

Sherlock had long ago accepted that he was mad ever since he was young. Impressionable child as he was, Mycroft had always insisted he ignore the childish IMAGINARY friends that he so consistently conjured up, so much so, that Sherlock learned to pretend he didn't see them.

Before they had moved from their old mansion, he had met Jon, a tenacious companion who seemed to attach himself to Sherlock more persistently than the rest. They became best friends, but after his mother's passing, Mycroft took Sherlock away from the mansion Jon inhabited, leaving Sherlock to never see him again.

Imaginary friends were supposed to follow you, weren't they?

Sherlock never once dared utter a word of the things he saw to his brother after they moved. He was, after all, supposed to be recovering from such delusions, the Holmes brothers both fearing that he was his mother's son, through and through.

Yes, all of these phantoms were but conjurings of a sick and weak mind... or were they...?

Curious over seeking the truth behind his mother's passing, it was discovered that perhaps she hadn't succumbed to a simple mental illness. A dairy left behind revealed that she shared many a similar experience as Sherlock: The many imaginary friends she thought to have had, being blamed for the doings of said imaginary friends, and reportedly speaking to thin air when she insisted someone stood beside her.

Further research proved fruitful when the discovery of a special tool that had been gifted to his mother, one left abandoned and long ago forgotten in the attic above: A camera that was said capable of capturing the images of the dead.

It was hard to deny any of it as truth.

Not when Jon suddenly came back into his life, proving that perhaps there was more to the mystery than Mycroft had let on.

Yes, it would seem that Sherlock Holmes was, in fact, his mother's son.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

I can't believe it's been a week without Little Man... When he first came home he was so happy and excited. He would play for two to three hours straight. He loved his food time but then he would go back to playing, with naps in between before his regular nighttime sleep.

Seeing him decline from that to never playing, always starving and wanting food because of his illness (the poor thing had no fat at all to keep him warm by the end...) and otherwise just sleeping really hurt. It hurt even more to see him after a deworming process want to play. He was attentive and alert, and when he heard his toys he would look with wide eyes like he wanted to play, but he was in too much pain to be able to.

During the deworming we had to keep him separated from my other cat, so he was in another room and we visited him throughout the day (and night) repeatedly and spent long periods of time with him. At night that room would get a bit cold because of its size, and sometimes I'd go in there and it was cold and I was worried he was also feeling cold... but recently I realized he really probably was because he had no fat to retain his body heat. I'm so glad I put a little blanket over him on his bed and tried my best to keep him warm. I would keep my door open so the heat could get out and keep coming back on or just stay on so it would heat up the room he was in.

His real name was Cumulus because my mom named him after that type of cloud, but I started to call him Little Man and it stuck. He knew that was what I called him, too! He started to respond after a little while!

By the end he could barely eat or even meow because it hurt to move his mouth. His jaw must have been deteriorating, and we were told his gums looked terrible. When he did eat, he could only eat wet food and even that was hard. We would hear a hard crunching sound when he ate wet food, so I'm pretty certain something was very wrong with his jaw. That was why he was always so hungry at the end - he couldn't eat enough to sustain himself.

We only had him for two months but he was so happy, sweet and precious before that illness really started to kick in. It's hard losing a cat, but it's even harder losing a five month old kitten who had so many years of life left to live. He was so sweet and playful that I can't believe how fast his illness destroyed his body from the inside out. He was bright and loving and he didn't deserve what happened to him.

Frankly, I do put some blame on the guy who sold him to us. He claims to be a rescue operation and that's fine, but he knew the mother was sick and didn't make it, yet he didn't think to check for dangerous illnesses on this cat or his sister who was adopted at the same exact day and time as he was? When we adopted him, we've now realized he was showing at least three signs of his illness already (breathing speed, heat/temperature and wobbly eyes that he often couldn't keep still). He had other issues so we didn't know what was wrong until the day the vet did an ultrasound and said he wasn't going to make it to a year old even with medication.

Imo the guy who runs that business should know the signs of illness in a cat. If you work in that profession you should know what to look out for - especially if the mother was sick before giving birth. As the shelter, it's his responsibility to know the signs and take care of health issues before adopting out. His negligence and lack of knowledge/awareness cost my family a lot of heartache and many vet bills of us just trying to find the problem. If you're working in a field with animals and adopting them out to others as a business, for the love of fuck, know all the details involved in your profession. I understand he rescues cats from kill shelters which is wonderful, but he takes in sick cats as well but then somehow doesn't notice the signs of them or their offspring being ill? It makes me think he didn't interact with them enough to notice, so again - negligence. If anyone knew what the kitten had, they might have been able to save him by medicating him before any damage could truly be done to him. Unfortunately the medication is not yet legal and is essentially on the black market and can cost thousands of dollars that we couldn't afford, but god I would've started a fundraiser to save his life if we had known. This sweetheart did not deserve the pain and suffering he went through.

I'm sad and I'm angry at this man's lack of awareness. If you're going to adopt out cats, know that you're adopting out a sick cat or potentially sick cat so you can inform and warn the adopters. "I never would've sold you a sick cat if I had known" isn't going to cut it. You should know if that's your business. That knowledge could've saved this kitten's life, or even just helped him to get on medicine to make his last months painless.

I miss you, Little Man. I love you so much. I hope we gave you the best life you could've possibly had in the time that you had. I hope all the craziness and play and love was just how you would've always lived your life. You were too sweet and you should've never had to be taken from us that young.

[voregeoise]

When the fic is really good but too angsty for your poor little heart

[queerly-falling-apart]

Tw mention of fatal illness and car accident

So I'm playing the Sims 4 with the life tragedies mod on and my sim mother had just had a failure in the deadly illness surgery and as they were outside grieving over the fact that she was going to die she got run over by a car.

[sparkles-and-trash]

tiktok keeps showing me videos of people talking about their friends who died from what I recently got diagnosed with, like come onnnn 😭

[timgutterscn]

i should have fucking known it was hereditary.

[catastrophic-crow]

i feel like i'm actually dying

[mechatiqe]

"What's your problem?" (from fuyuhiko, i dunno i saw that angst post and thought he'd ask... maybe he doesn't sound concerned but he is)

The mechanic fell uncharacteristically silent.

Only the faint clank of a screwdriver being lowered to the floor could be heard. He’d been doing everything within his power to busy himself with anything and everything — to distract himself from the news he got, but it all fell apart when Fuyuhiko came over. Part of him wanted to just, shut up and work himself until he collapses or something, but another part was… shattered, trying to grasp at anything to collect itself together.

“A… a brat, from my neighborhood,” he started, quietly, “he was full of sass, and energy, and… and I knew him well. He wouldn’t have asked me to sing to him, ever. He always complained when I did that, said my voice would break whatever I’m fixing.” The memory usually made him laugh. “Yesterday, he… ‘cause of, he got… sick, for a while now. N-not too sick, I didn’t… they told me it’ll be…..” He dug the heel of his hands into his eyes. “He thanked me, y-yesterday, for singing. I… did he know?”

[kits-ships]

i need to ramble abt mcu holly and if she was in atsv. bc yeah, she falls for miguel, but shes not blinded by love!!

the idea of holly finding the spider society and falling for miguel + admiring him for being such a strong leader despite his own tragedies is cute but i want more angst !! that, and i want ppl to know that shes not just a hopeless follower !

atsv spoilers i think - also read tags just in case <3

have holly's world shatter around her as he sees miguel hunt down miles just bc the kid wants to save his family. even if it hurts, make her realize that miguels so painfully in the wrong and have her stand up for miles and oppose the guy she admires most!!

instead of her being like every other spider-person and going 'well MY important person died so yours has to as well!" have her say 'no!! being spider-man hurts but that doesn't mean its deserved or set in stone!!'

holly has lost her family, the person helped her recover from mental illness, the woman who took her under her wing, and has had such complicated relationships that have torn her apart!! she's no stranger to loss, but she knows its not necessary! let kids be happy and understand that yeah, they arent always right, but just bc theyre young doesnt mean theyre always wrong!!

even if she has to sever another relationship with a man she admires and loves, she'll do it for miles ! her young adulthood sucked so shes determined to protect others from that pain!! why enforce such a tragedy if you yourself know just how much it hurts!!

mcu holly is the ultimate older sister and she will tear u apart for the younger spiders!!!!!!

[demonic0angel]

Haunted Paintings Sketches!

Part one

I hope you enjoy the sketches I made of the paintings!

Also! You’re free to use my ideas (please give credit ofc) if you’d like, bc I REALLY don’t think I’ll write this one, no matter how much I want to. It’s just too much and I’ve already got 3 unfinished fics and several other series to write for. If you have any questions, feel free to ask or send me a submission! You can also DM if you’d like!

TW: mentions of suicide, murder, depression, mental illness, just really dark, creepy stuff bc these are haunted paintings and they torment people :/ no scary drawings tho! I only described them (click for clarity)

Jazz:

Description: Jazz is sitting at a table in the middle of a flower garden with a book in one hand and a teacup in the other. She looks tranquil and is dressed formally. On the table are a few plates, a plate of cookies, a bookmark, an opened envelope and a bloody butter knife, and a teapot that is slightly out of view.

Use of mediums: gouache paint, watercolor, and pencils

Focus: Jazz amidst the flowers

Inspirations:

• The Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland”

• Galna from “Mairimashita! Iruma-kun”

Location: She used to be in the home of a random crime lord in Gotham for intimidation purposes. She was kept in the crime lord’s office before being relocated into Wayne Manor, where she sits in the hall across from the library.

Extra facts:

+ Her scary form would be one where her tea is filled with blood and the roses would be replaced with decapitated heads. The sky would turn dark red and the ground would be a pool of blood. Jazz would smile and look at the viewer with shark-like fangs and hollowed out eyes.

+ The tea she drinks is Darjeeling and the cookies are chocolate chip.

+ Although Jazz is the weakest painting, her effects are deadlier, more painful, and longer lasting than the others if her victims survive.

+ She causes paranoia and dizzy spells. Her effects are rather weak compared to the others, but when spending enough time with her, victims can also display symptoms of scurvy, which cannot be cured.

+ She was the first one I drew and also the easiest to plan. I just love her so much, she’s one of my comfort characters so it’s not hard for me to find ideas for her 😭

Valerie:

Description: Valerie stands in the middle of a dark, foggy forest, wearing a long dress and pressed close to a tree as if she is about to hide behind it. A branch covers her face and the trees around her curve into a circle with multiple holes within them. There is a Fenton thermos in the background on the floor and an axe in front of Valerie, sticking into the tree and oozing something.

Use of mediums: pencils and watercolor paint

Focus: Her hidden face

Inspirations:

• The Son of Man by René Magritte

• The Beast from “Over the Garden Wall”

Location: She was kept in the back of an art museum, but the director has been hoping for someone to buy her and get rid of her, since he cannot handle the strain of having her inside of the gallery. Now she stands near the door to the entrance of Wayne Manor, a silent and deadly sentry.

Extra facts:

+ Her scary form would have her surroundings to turned into the entrance to a mouth or an intestine, red, fleshy, and bloody. There would be bones littering the floor everywhere and Valerie herself would become bloody and stained, with her face still hidden. Tortured faces would be seen through the fog.

+ The holes on the trees sometimes leak a mysterious substance.

+ Valerie is not the weakest, but she is not that powerful. However, she does amplify the others’ effects to fatal degrees.

+ She causes paranoia and auditory hallucinations, often causing her victims to feel as though they are being watched relentlessly, which cannot go away. Eventually, her victims will shut themselves into their rooms and starve to death from the fear.

+ She and Tucker had switched ideas, but I had to trash them. I never got the opportunity to draw those ideas because I struggled so much with Tucker that when I eventually got inspiration for Valerie, I just went with it. I’m quite happy with Valerie’s portrait now.

Dani:

Description: Dani, dressed formally, sits at the head of a table with a large painting and curtains behind her. She holds a fork and a knife over a pig head. Her gaze is downward and she looks like she’s frowning softly. The dinner table is messy with three other dishes and a knocked over bottle of wine.

Use of mediums: oil paint and oil pastels

Focus: Dani holding the fork and knife

Inspirations:

• Rosie’s Tea Party by Mark Ryden

• “Spirited Away” (specifically that one scene where Chihiro’s parents eat the food)

Location: She was hidden by Vlad and kept safe with him. He keeps her in his office, where he can watch her. He only recently found her again, and he was determined to watch over her. Now she stays in the Wayne Manor's dining room, but often changes her position to be next to everyone else in the bedroom hallway.

Extra facts:

+ Her scary form would be one where all of her food dishes would be replaced by very obviously human parts, especially with the pig head becoming a human head. The curtains would turn to blood dripping down the wall and Dani would be smiling, taking a direct bite of the human head that was in front of her with her fork and knife.

+ The dishes she eats in the painting are: pig head, vulture thigh, lamprey eels, and sheep brain.

+ Her at the dining table is meant to signify greed and gluttony, 2 of the most simplest sins.

+ She causes great feelings of hunger and paranoia in others. When spending too much time with her, some victims turn to self-cannibalism to sate their never ending starvation.

+ Originally, both her and Dan’s ideas were switched, so Dan would’ve been the one feasting and Dani would’ve been the one looking at her reflection. However, I switched them around because I felt like it would’ve been spookier. I even finished the drawing with Dan and everything, but then I just erased him and drew in Dani 😓

Dan:

Description: Dan is standing in front of a mirror, glancing behind his shoulder, while his reflection shows something different: him looking at everyone else and the door behind him by looking at the mirror. The party guests are all wearing masks and there are chandeliers on the ceiling. The party looks vaguely fancy, but messy with secrets.

Use of mediums: Oil paints

Focus: His reflection

Inspirations:

• Jeff Lee Johnson and his art

Location: He was kept in a locked safe within a rich person’s house in Italy. He had to been wrecking havoc on the nerves of everyone around him, but he is now safe and happy in Wayne Manor, where he is kept in the office to the entrance of the Batcave.

Extra facts:

+ His scary form would have all of the party guests dead, but their eyes would face the viewer. Dan's reflection would also be dead, but his actual self would be the same, only with an eerie smile as his eyes follow the viewer. In the doorway would be the figure of Danny. Blood would cover the entire floor and walls, but nobody would react to it.

+ Dan keeps his own masquerade mask in his pocket.

+ The woman who is directly staring at him is supposed to look like Maddie.

+ He causes viewers intense mood swings and long, often violent mania episodes or mind-numbing depression episodes. Those who keep staring at him will gain the feeling of being watched and haunted, often with visual hallucinations, resulting in losing their mind from fear and then killing others in their terror and panic.

+ I tried so hard to make Dan as handsome as possible. I think I pulled it off bc I’m a little bit in love with him ong, but I also kinda have to be bc I draw him so often

Tucker:

Description: Tucker is in the back shot of a desert, with his back towards the viewer, staring at a large skeleton that is seemingly climbing over a large sand dune. The skeleton has flowers in its eyes, and its hand reaches over the horizon. There is a single sun in the sky and an arm holding a pocket watch sticks out of the sand close to the viewer.

Use of mediums: gouache paint, pens, and pencils

Focus: The large skull

Inspirations:

• JT Music (specifically their JT album covers)

• The Giant God Warrior from “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”

• “Dune”

Location: He was originally kept in one of the rooms within the GIW headquarters. Now, he is kept within Wayne Manor, and stays in the theater room, where he whispers to the Wayne residents what movies he wants to watch. Sometimes, he moves to the garage.

Extra facts:

+ His scary form is one where the skull becomes covered in meat and flesh, oozing blood and tar while the sand turns red. The scene turns to darkness, and more limbs would sprout from the ground. Tucker would be nothing but a pile of flayed skin, crumpled into the sand.

+ GIW agents were unable to experiment on him, since he would purposefully cause machinery to misfire and slowly corrode his surroundings.

+ His painting is meant to be a little comic book-esque with one of his mediums being ink, but I felt like that wouldn’t be a PAINTing, so nvm

+ He causes visual hallucinations, hypovolemia, headaches, blindness, and osteoporosis :). Often, when his victims are autopsied, sand and salt can be found within all of their organs. He emits so much radiation that he can wear down the materials of the place he is stored in.

+ I DREW HIM THREE DIFFERENT TIMES OML, FIRST IT WAS HIM IN A WORKSHOP, THEN IT WAS HIM IN A MARSH, THIS IS THE FINAL PICTURE I CANNOTTTT IM DONE

Sam:

Description: Sam stands on top of a small, grassy hill with a path leading to a grave and an angel statue on top of it, close enough that she is blocking it. Around the hill are pomegranate trees and hanging corpses. There is no sun, but there are clouds as Sam stands with her back to the viewers in a long goth-styled dress.

Use of mediums: paper, glue, acrylic paint

Focus: Her standing on the hill

Inspirations:

• This Reddit picture of a liminal garden

• A mix of weirdcore and dreamcore aesthetics

Location: She was tossed into the ocean by her parents when they first saw her, but she later washed up on an island and now the animals and plants there act erratically and strangely. Finally, she was relocated to Wayne Manor, where she hangs on a wall within the greenhouse, happily watching over the plants there.

Extra facts:

+ Her scary form would be one where eyes would replace all of the pomegranates, staring at the viewer. The paper used to make her would become flesh textured and bloody, and Sam would appear abnormal, broken into pieces and cracked, turning around and smiling at the viewer with shark-like teeth. The grass would become hairy skin and the sky would become red, with swirls and more eyes.

+ Sam's "painting" is actually made of mostly paper, since it is a collage. It is a bit touched up by paint and all of the materials used are vegan and ethically sourced, though they do change.

+ The flora and fauna in the island she landed on have mutated so much that they’re basically mindless. They protect Sam relentlessly.

+ She causes general insanity and relentless symptoms in her victims, such as paranoia, intense episodes of mania and depression, itchiness that can result in self harm, and violent, unexplained behavior in animals and plants. She also emits so much radiation that she can cause sporadic DNA mutations, resulting in several forms of cancer and mental instability, often resulting in victims becoming inhuman and monstrous forms of themselves.

+ Originally, Sam’s portrait was supposed to be in a garden, but I wanted it more “liminal space” themed, and I think I got it right. I think it’s really simple, but I also feel like if I was able to create it in real life, it would be more interesting because it is a collage of paper and paint.

Danny:

Description: a picture of black blotches and scribbles with muddy and red stains. Any features besides the ornate frame is hidden underneath the stains.

Use of mediums: pencils, ink, charcoal, tar, blood

Focus: His crying

Inspirations:

• SCP-035 (“The Possessive Mask”)

• The Anguished Man by an unknown artist (it’s a haunted irl painting!)

• Bendy and the Ink Machine

Location: He was cloning himself in order to jump through universes to find his family. In the current universe, he was with the League of Shadows before he was found and brought back to the Wayne Manor. He is in the hallway with the bedrooms of the Wayne residents.

Extra facts:

+ His scary form is technically his normal form because he cannot turn it off. Once he is happy again, his normal form would be one with him and his family, smiling and happy. Until then, he haunts the minds of others and ravages their sanity.

+ He’s been traveling all over the multiverse in order to find his family. Coincidentally, they’ve all been in the same world for some time.

+ He screams all day and night for his family. It’s so bad that Danny has destroyed thousands of worlds in his grief.

+ He causes the worst of all symptoms, often causing the viewers who look at him to go insane and kill themselves or others, even if it is only a few seconds. Even those who stay in the same room next door to him are consumed with suicidal thoughts and intense moments of psychosis. Those who have survived encountering him and have some semblance of mind left say that he “cries” relentlessly. His paintings leak a black substance that corrodes the place around him.

+ Literally all I did for this picture was scribble in my notes app, take a screenshot, and then scribble some more on photos LMAO

Extra notes:

+ Jazz, Dani, and Dan showing their face while Sam, Tucker, and Valerie hiding theirs is intentional. Danny is a mix of both, because he actually IS showing his face, but you can’t see it past the black and red.

+ Every painting has a flower inside of it, specifically a carnation, which are often funeral flowers, and can mean gratitude, remembrance, love, and affection.

+ Every painting also has a mention or appearance of Danny in it.

+ I also tried to put hints of bad omens or signs of death within every painting. Some examples are Dani’s painting with the chopsticks sticking out of the bowl (a sign of bad luck and death), or Dan’s painting, where a woman is being strangled in the background and another is being killed.

+ All of the paintings generally have an ability to teleport to places nearby and can actually snatch up viewers to shove them into their domain. This can be a defensive mechanism (the paintings protect the Bats) or an offensive ability (they pull victims in and kill them). They also all have weapons on them that are hidden or not so hidden.

+ I struggled a lot with ideas and how to get started on some characters because I just had so many, and I wanted it to be creepy, but not noticeably creepy, like most paintings. I’m sad to say that I wasn’t able to use some of my planned ideas from inspirations of actual haunted paintings.

+ Discarded inspirations: The Rain Woman by Svetlana Telets (my favorite!! Please look it up if you can!!), this picture I saw on Reddit of a sheep being stuck under ice with its back exposed, a workshop idea with Tucker, and Dani and “Daughter of Evil” with mirrors and everything.

+ The world where Danny and co., come from is different from the world they’re currently in. It’s like a world where some people are the same, but others are not. Example: the GIW, Maddie, Jack, and Vlad exist, but Danny and Jazz never made it past their childhood. So basically a What-If world or something.

+ Their backstories are somewhat undecided, but basically, something dangerous happened to them in their home dimension and it was so bad that Danny captured all of their souls and put them into paintings so they would live (with the help of Clockwork). However, by doing this, he scattered their souls and paintings throughout the universes and he went crazy from it, and turned himself into a painting too so he could find them. Now his cloned paintings travel and sends itself to other worlds to find his family again, often leading to their destruction from his power.

Or something? Lol

[gremlinmodetweeker]

Talking Heads Roll on Floors

So I really really wanted to do this hybrid au inspired by @bluegiragi, but if they want me to delete this I'll do so. I don't want to steal their idea, and if I'm stepping on toes I'll take it down. However, I did like the idea of shifters and created my own hybrids (just because I love monsters and mythology) and wanted to make a story following König.

So this story is just an intro of reader talking to a general as they're assigned König's case file. König is a half nachtkrappe/half jotunn hybrid, with a tendency to spread sickness and decay.

Either way, very short intro.

TWs: Discussion of death and disease

Wordcount: 1.1k

Art from This Post

Story below the cut

Talking Heads Roll on Floors

You looked down at the documents in your hand. The file was decently thick, strangely so for a hybrid. You’d been assigned to a couple of hybrids before, but you’d never had a case quite like this before. A lt. general had purposefully called on you, specifically, for your background in avian hybrids, and though you had tried to explain that your experience with avians was limited to one grumpy grounded roc hybrid, the general was determined to see you on König’s file.

“He’s a lot to handle,” the general warned you sternly, “be careful with him.”

“Has he actually… He’s not hurt any handlers before, has he?” you asked nervously.

“We’re legally required to disclose these deaths in relation to Cnl. Leichenberg,” the gray haired man brushed his mustache, thick with dark streaks stained through it.

You looked down at the daunting manilla folder being pressed across the table.

“You’ll find that deaths in relation to Cnl. Leichenberg are largely due to handlers not following proper procedure,” the general tried to lighten the weight but failed miserably.

“Sir, it’s not my place to correct you,” you fumbled awkwardly, “however, aren’t most handler deaths written out as handlers not following proper procedure?”

The general was kind enough to give you a small smile, “You’re right to be suspicious, however Cnl. Liechenberg is a separate case entirely. In his shifted form, he acts as a form of bioterrorism against enemies. You may have heard of Lt. Riley, from SpecGru?”

“The one who kills somebody everytime he shifts?” you asked nervously.

“By random chance, yes,” the general nodded, closing his soft blue eyes momentarily before opening them again slowly, “Cnl. Leichenberg has a similar condition, except it seems that those in close proximity are at higher risk of contracting a fatal illness.”

“And you expect me to accompany him into battle,” you grumbled.

“Cnl. Leichenberg cannot control his illness, which is where you come in. You are to ensure he does not contaminate other shifters,” the general explained, “of course you’ll be given full vaccination and hazard gear on the military’s dime, and need I mention the benefits this position offers?”

“I can only imagine,” you whistled.

“Cnl. Leichenberg is not a dangerous shifter by any means,” the general paused, “at least, not to his handler. When proper procedure is followed, he is perfectly safe to be in close proximity to. However, the last string of handlers have been… Lackluster in performance.”

You glanced over the latest handler’s bio, “It says here that the latest was crippled?”

“He contracted a case of small pox,” the general explained, “the man was apparently a known anti-vaxxer and yet was put on Cnl. Liechenberg’s case. Of course, he didn’t manage to make it through the mission. You, I’m assuming, are up to date with your vaccinations?”

You nodded.

“You’ll need a few more before meeting Cnl. Leichenberg when he’s shifted, but I imagine you’d do well to meet him before you take his case,” the general’s warm eyes crinkled, “he’s not a difficult case to manage, I assure you. I’ve met the man, and he’s a nervous creature, but he’s nothing to be afraid of. I imagine you’ve dealt with more unruly hybrids during basic training.”

You laughed, “Well, if you’re so sure, I might as well meet him. Does he have a call sign or anything that I can call him by?”

“He goes by the name ‘König’.”

König… It seemed familiar.

“Wait, that guy’s not a colonel,” you glared at the general.

“He was when he was in the military,” the general explained, “and here in KorTac, we tend to respect the previous rank a soldier had before joining us, as long as they’re up to standard of course. König, thankfully, exceeds expectations.”

“It says here he’s an insertion specialist?” you asked, “but he’s a nachtkrappe shifter. Those are pretty small, aren’t they?”

“Keen on your biology, aren’t you?” the general chuckled, “but you’re right, they’re usually rather small and sickly, a result of their contagious nature. That nachtkrappe part of König is why protocol is so important when managing him. However, the other problem with König comes from the other side of his family,” the general trailed his finger down a page, “which you’ll find is-”

“He’s a jotunn shifter?” you spluttered before snapping your jaw shut. You looked up at the general fearfully, but thankfully the older man was in good spirits.

“That’s the insertion specialist part,” the general laughed, “he’s the biggest shifter on base, bigger even than the roc you were managing. He’s the biggest I’ve seen in ages.”

“So why are you asking for avian training when handling him? It’s not like he can fly, right?” you joked. You face fell with the general’s.

“König can fly alright, that’s part of what makes him an effective insertion specialist. He’s too big for most weapons to do significant damage, and he’s able to get into high points with a few flaps of his wings. He’s big, strong, and fast,” the general smiled grimly, “a perfect killing machine. Of course the unfortunate part is that he spreads disease wherever he goes. He’s the only shifter that can be used on a team at a time, and the rest of the squad needs to be outfitted accordingly. It’s part of your job as handler to ensure other soldiers follow protocol when they follow behind him into a building.”

You groaned, “You know they’re not going to listen to me.”

“You make them listen,” the general’s face hardened momentarily, “if you don’t think you’re up to it, I can find someone else easily. But here I was, thinking I was doing you a favor and helping you get ahead!”

“I understand sir,” you ducked your head submissively, “I’ll ensure the soldiers are equipped properly.”

“You’d better,” the general snorted, “the anti-vaxxer nearly got a whole squad of special ops killed on the first mission. Half of them had to be put on permanent leave,” the general leaned close and hissed, “you will not make the same mistake.”

You nodded quickly.

“Good,” the general relaxed, “so you know the drill, meetings will be once the paperwork’s been signed up. We’ll send you your forms with you once you leave, and König will get his side. Have them filled and submitted by Wednesday and we’ll arrange a meeting between you on Friday.”

“Yes sir!” you gave a quick salute.

You were quickly dismissed, and as you left the secretary by the door handed you a tome of paperwork that already had your head aching. Looking down at the stack, you had the dreadful feeling that the night would be a long one.