#very begrudgingly can get used to the format HOWEVER it does not make me Happy to Do So :)

[flovey-dovey]

HEY SO UH ANYBODY ELSE NOTICE TUMBLR NOW? WHAT THE HECK

LIKE NO

NO NO NOOO-- WHY--

WHY DOES TUMBLR LOOK LIKE TWITTER(?) NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE ANYMORE AND HATE TWITTER'S FORMAT

IS THIS A PRANK???

Respectfully, but- PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE @staff this is not a good look I am both so very confused and annoyed

[idonotbitemythumbatyou]

Part iii of this ask meme!

Part i, Part ii

Fulke!

How I feel about this character

… I love her. She is a bad person with a haircut to match. I will not sit here and try to convince you she’s secretly good. She’s horrible.  And… beshrew my heart- I love her. At least I know my trash is trash!

She is an angry, tightly coiled, zealous monster. She knows what she believes, knows what she wants, and gives zero fucks who gets trampled along the way. I love that she can blend in with Christians, but is decidedly not one of them, and she leaves a wave of confusion and outrage wherever she goes. I love me a high-strung evil Joan of Arc.

She was planning to kill Aelfred when you kill her. Like, if Eivor had waited a few weeks, this woman would have prevented the formation of the fucking Templars.† I can’t get over that.

I just love a well-written villain. And I love a villain who wins. Whatever you think of Fulke, she dies happy: proven correct, and having met a god.

Most of my fandom friends begrudgingly endure me talking and writing about her. I’ve also gotten a few people going “this better not awaken anything in me…” followed by “Update: it awakened something in me.” 

When I write Fulke, she is a repressed, angry, miserable person. I use her to explore religious trauma, and shame, and what that does to a person. It doesn’t always make you kinder and more empathetic. Not everyone wants to engage with that kind of narrative on their fucking free time! Not everyone finds that cathartic! I do, but I totally understand if people want to stick to more pleasant stories.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Eivor. (I know.) Personally, I can only really see this happening with some massive diversions from canon. As I’ve said before, I imagine Fulke as a deeply repressed lesbian. She clearly came up in Christianity and still takes its teachings very seriously. Even as she seems to have layered these other truths and ideas on top. And Eivor is a big dumb oafish Vikingr - at least in Fulke’s eyes. She is so condescending and shitty to Eivor through the entire Oxenfordscire arc, and even if there was some attraction there I think it would take unusual circumstances for Fulke to give up control to the degree that she could ever act on it. Any admission of attraction is a relinquishing of power, and a moment of vulnerability and I don’t think Fulke… does that.

I have one fic where Eivor has an unfortunate sex dream about her (these things happen).

And in my major work about her she has successfully unlocked Odin to merge with Eivor into one consciousness. She relinquishes control to Eivor as an act of worship - and that’s how the relationship starts (very healthy).

But I don’t have anything that follows canon where they hook up in real life, because I think it would just be so difficult for it to actually happen as Fulke is in canon. As I said in my previous meta about her, she’s the sort of person who resents her own attraction, and it sours into cruelty. If they somehow had a moment before her betrayal, it would be a very different dynamic than what I have written anywhere else. Fulke would be arrogant, and mocking; Eivor would be defensive and reactive and...

Dammit, I'm going to write this, aren't I?

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Ealhferth, the Seax, the dude that’s like “you are such a dumbass something worse is going to come about when you finish dismantling the order.” when you assassinate him. He seems to know what’s up. It feels like he’s also a true believer in the order of ancients like Fulke. There’s a reason she brings him into her plans to kill Aelfred. I don’t know, she seems to move around too much to have any friends, but they probably get along. 

If she had lived, she probably would have started a cult - or become the head of the order. And then the cult would be my non-romantic OTP for her.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I just think she’s neat. That’s a pretty unpopular opinion right there. My other unpopular opinion is that I don’t buy her given backstory. I know she was originally written as a man, and was changed to a woman late enough in the development process that her original concept art was of a dude. And I don’t think they retooled her backstory quite enough for it to make sense as a woman. I also don’t think it matters at the end of the day; it doesn’t impact the game at all. However, I have a totally non-canon backstory for her that will appear in my fic

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish she was the main villain! Aelfred is boring! Yeah yeah… history. Fine. But it would have been a more satisfying ending. A way they could have done this would be to have her get away when you rescue Sigurd - maybe halfway through your fight, have her think she’s successfully killed Aelfred - when really he’s just escaped, then take his place as the head of the order. Then another boss fight at the end. it would have been a lot more narratively satisfying than the end with the Order we do get. 

† It's just a fan theory that Aelfred starts the Templars, but it seems pretty well foreshadowed that he does.

[tsukihimeyfan]

To Undertale

In honor of its 4 year anniversary, I would like to talk a bit about Undertale (I know I’m a bit late, but bear with me). Apologies ahead of time for the long post, and to anyone who reads it in its entirety; thank you. Also thank you very much to Toby Fox for giving birth to this masterpiece that has touched all of us so much :) I will be discussing several important details in the story, so SPOILER ALERT (just in case)

I came upon Undertale very late. It had already been out for about a year when I first heard about it, but everyone said such wonderful things and I was curious, so I decided to watch a playthrough on youtube, just to sate my curiosity. But Oh Man, I was not prepared for what I found: a gorgeous soundtrack, dozens of memorable characters, an amazing story, an incredible journey, and a veritable fountain of feelings sprouting in my heart. I fell in love.

For at least several weeks afterwards, the words “stay determined”, “everyone can be better if they just try” and “despite everything, it’s still you” bounced around in my head. Also, the idea that “even if its painful, even if you are going through a hard time, you can always choose to be kind, and happiness can always be found there, for others as well as yourself” became embedded in my soul. Even now, thinking about the True Pacifist ending fills me with joy. It was only fairly recently that I finally completed my own playthrough of the game, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were still many little secrets to uncover (for example, did you know that the  “gauntlet of deadly terror” bridge is just a rock formation that Papyrus painted over to make it more dramatic? He also added the rope for safety LOL😂)

The best part of the game, in my opinion, are the main characters. They are all more complex than they appear, they all have their struggles, and I would like to talk a bit about my opinions and theories about all of them.

Let us start from the beginning and talk about everyone’s favorite goatmom, Toriel. Of course, we all know her sadness at the death of her children, new and old, but if we really think about it there are signs that the situation may have been even worse than it seems... Namely, the shoe box in the room Toriel prepares for Frisk. If you check it, it says there are several shoes “in a disparity of sizes”. Presumably, these are the shoes left behind by the human children before they left the ruins, but they surely didn’t leave the ruins barefoot, right? And if they only stayed with Toriel for a day or so like Frisk does then she wouldn’t have had the opportunity or the need to go out and get some for them. This implies that each human child that fell probably stayed with Toriel for a while, long enough for her to need to buy them new shoes, maybe even because they outgrew their original pair. This, in turn, means that she had a chance to really get to know them, take care of them, and love them, unlike Frisk, who she only took care of for a little while before we leave. This might explain why she is so angry at Asgore, why it is unlikely that she will ever forgive him. If this is true, he not only killed random innocent human children that she didn’t really know, which is bad enough on its own, he might have killed her children, children she treasured. This also explains why she is so obsessive about protecting Frisk from everything and keeping them in the ruins no matter the cost. And yet, despite her pain, her “loneliness and her fear”, she still is one of the most gentle, kind and caring characters you meet, even willing to try to prevent Asgore’s death as well as Frisk’s. Toriel is best goatmom <3

Then we meet the star of the True Pacifist run (especially if you call him often); the Great Papyrus! He is my second favorite character for good reason. He is so much fun from the very beginning. Although he might appear to be a bit narcissistic at first, you quickly realize that in truth he is just lonely and desperate to impress in a misguided attempt to make more friends. Even so, he is always attentive to the feelings of his friends and tries his best to make them feel better. His relationship with Undyne is also quite adorable, and there are signs that he knows more than he lets on about everything (he is at the very least great at gauging the emotional state of people and manipulating them a little to push them towards self improvement, as Frisk’s date with Undyne and his warning about Alphys can demonstrate). Also, the way he always tries to believe the best of people, even in the worst circumstances or when he is scared, is truly admirable. I really love that precious cinnamon roll

Then there is Sans. Oh my god, Sans. He steals the show in the genocide route, truly. He is my favorite character of all, and there are so many things about him you don’t find out if you don’t dig deeper and talk to several people. First of all, he is a wonderful brother. Although he always teases Papyrus, he does his best to cheer him up all the time (for example, in the Genocide route he says that Junior Jumble is the hardest, even though in other routes he says its the crossword, just to make Papyrus feel a bit better when the human refuses to play along with his puzzles), he pays the bills for the house, he probably gave Papyrus his action figures (Papyrus tells you santa gave them to him, but there is a thank you letter to santa in Sans’ room), he made sure Papyrus’ room was super cool and comfortable when he doesn’t even have a bed frame himself, he was probably the one who bought Papyrus his car on the surface (one of the guys at Grillby’s tells you that he spends most of his time checking out car magazines), he helped  him build his sentry station and battle body, and he reads him bed time stories every night. Second of all, although he seems to be a comic relief character at first, he is struggling with major depression (you can find out that he is eating less, he doesn’t sleep much at all at night, he feels hopeless all the time, he seems fatigued all day, and he doesn’t see a point in doing anything at all) and is probably using humor to cope. Finally, there is Sans’ heroism as well as his tragedy: he is one of the only characters who is aware of the resets. First he had to live through Flowey’s endless resets, when he first befriended everyone and then proceeded to kill them all in a variety of ways, presumably being the one to stop him from getting the human souls several times (Flowey tells you that Sans has caused him “more than his fair share of resets”). Then there is YOU, who manage to free the monsters, begrudgingly earn his trust/friendship, and then rip it all away (even worse, he is completely aware of your betrayal; if you reset after a True Pacifist ending, you can find a picture of Frisk smiling happily with all of your friends together, and the only time such a picture is taken is when you all make it to the surface, so he certainly knows that you freed everyone and then returned them to the darkness for your curiosity). And yet despite all of that, despite knowing that fighting you is pointless (especially since he can tell every time he kills you and you load your save file), despite not having hope anymore that he will one day see the sun and remain under its light, he still fights you fiercely on the genocide route, again and again, employing all of his considerable power, but not for himself (he doesn’t hope for anything anymore after all); its because he still wants his brother and his friends to have a better future, because he knows that if you win the world will end and no one will ever return, because he still wants you to reset so that everyone will come back and have another chance at happiness, no matter how brief. Jesus christ, this character gives me all of the feels. I love him so much

As for Undyne, I love how she seems so rough but is actually very sweet to her friends and loved ones, and she cares so much for her fellow monsters, always trying her best for their sake. Also, her crush on Alphys is the cutest thing ever, particularly if you take the time to call her often (you’d be surprised how often she talks about Alphys. Papyrus also tries to encourage her several times to be honest with her feelings, and their dynamic is frankly the best mentor-student relationship I’ve ever seen)

In the case of Flowey, I really like how he is a sort of reflection of the player ingame, especially for those who chose to go through the genocide route (“‘I don’t like this’, I told myself, ‘I’m just doing this because I have to see what happens’ Hahaha, what an excuse!”). And the Asriel twist was truly masterfully executed.

I really empathize with Alphys in a lot of ways, since I struggle with social anxiety myself. Her journey to overcome her self hatred and be honest about her mistakes is really touching. I love how her friends understand that she only had the best of intentions at heart and continue to stand by her when she comes clean about what she did. Friendship can really make all the difference in the world for those of us who are struggling like her in one way or another. Her apparent suicide if you kill Mettaton or Undyne, her pillars of support, is one of the saddest things in the game I think. I also really admire how during genocide she presumably opens up the true lab for the evacuating monsters despite her fears, and if you abandon the genocide route in Hotland she takes charge in order to protect all monsters in Undyne’s stead

When we first meet him, my opinion of Mettaton is the same as Undyne’s; “I don’t really like that guy, but I admire his lifestyle”. However, I really enjoyed his growth as a character after Frisk beats him and his fans remind him of what is truly important. He becomes so much more supportive of his friends, and I really like how he always stays true to who he is, even going so far as to find the body/look that perfectly represented how he felt inside, and later encouraged others to do the same (like giving that one lion his dress)

Finally, we come to one of the most interesting characters, even though they are rarely mentioned and not really seen except in the ending of the genocide route: Chara. Truthfully, I think they are often misunderstood because the biggest impression they make is in said ending, when they take control of Frisk and destroy the world. However, I do not believe Chara was inherently evil. After all there are clear indications that Chara is the narrator of the game (the most obvious being the mirrors in Genocide). They tell you that your determination awakened them from death, and I believe that their spirit becomes attached to yours at the beginning of your adventure, which would explain how you, a human new to the underground, can understand the monsters that can’t speak normally like the Froggits and the snails (notice that their text starts with a noise they make, like “ribbit”, and what they actually mean is in parenthesis) as well as the ancient writing on the walls. After all, Chara lived in the underground long enough to become a sibling to Asriel and become known by all the monsters, it would make sense for them to have learned their language, and then they translate for you. This would also mean that all the funny commentary whenever you check an object or a monster comes from Chara. Also Chara being the narrator would explain why they go silent at one point or another during the battles with Asgore and Toriel (when the description says only “...”). Many people argue that their plan to cross the barrier with Asriel and kill humans means they were evil, but I do not think so, even if they did hate humanity. After all, if they only wanted the power to kill humans they could have killed one of the Dreemurs in their sleep, taken their soul and crossed the barrier with it. Instead, they killed themselves, gave Asriel their soul in order to break the barrier and made a plan to free all of their monster friends and family. Death from buttercup poisoning is not an easy one either (it includes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and blistering of the intestines); they had to suffer in terrible agony for days in order to achieve their goal, all for their monster family. People also argue that the fact that they laughed after accidentally poisoning Asgore means they did it on purpose or enjoyed causing him pain, but Undertale shows us many times that sometimes you laugh when the only thing you want to do is cry. There is also this during the fight with the Snowy amalgamate which proves my point: (look below) . Finally, during the battle with Asriel in True Pacifist, you use your memories with your friends in order to save them, but you don’t know Asriel at all, so how do you save him? The answer is simple: Chara shares their memories of him with you, and since they are the narrator, they are also the one who encourages you to use the last of your power to save your friends. In conclusion, I think in the beginning Chara is just a slightly bitter, slightly misguided, sometimes unnecessarily violent child who tried to do their best to protect those they loved, even though in hindsight it might not have been with a good method. In many ways, they remind me of Undyne (specially after MK says that maybe she is mean, not cool, in the True Pacifist ending. That really breaks my heart, when I think about all she has done for monsters in general and MK in particular in other routes. It would also explain why Chara seems to admire her so much, calling her a heroine in every route and seeming horrified by the state of her body when she is killed in neutral routes). This means that what they become in the Genocide route is because of you, and they even tell you so at the end (you are the one who makes them think the only meaning of their reincarnation is acquiring power). It makes sense that seeing everyone they know and love being killed systematically right in front of them would twist them, turn them into something they were never meant to be in order to cope with what is happening. Also, Sans does say that gaining LV causes you to feel less and hurt others more easily. Your actions take that well-intentioned but misguided child and turn them into a demon.

I am so in love with these characters that I cannot do a Genocide route myself. I only know about it from watching playthroughs but I don’t have the heart to destroy their happiness. I only ever did a single run, without resetting once, all the way up to True Pacifist. I like to think that in some universe where they are real, they are living happily on the surface, Sans has had the chance to restore his lost hopes, and resets are no more.

I would also like to thank the Undertale fandom for giving me a home, and so many wonderful ideas to explore. Since Deltarune practically confirms that the Multiverse exists in canon, the possibilities are endless, and the amount of detail and dedication you guys have devoted to building those other realities is truly outstanding. I specially love Underfell, Aftertale (and its close relative Errortale), Underswap, Handplates, Endertale, and Underverse/Xtale. To their creators, thank you for the ideas, the art, and the possibilities. And most of all, thank you Toby Fox for starting us all on this wonderful journey.

And to all my fellow fans: Remember, Always Stay Determined ♥️

[pyrereader-blog]

Thrash Pack

The next morning, the Reader rises early and slips out into the common-room of the blackwagon before anyone else in the triumvirate is awake. There she takes a seat at the table and picks up the Book of Rites, quickly burying her nose within its pages. She was curious about what Peyford might have alluded to last night, saying that the triumvirates were formed by the Scribes as if that fact had some sort of relation to her. She gets to work skimming the first pages of each chapter of the book. Since they’re so conveniently color coded she feels like it would be a waste to not make use of the book’s intuitive layout to speed up her research.

A little while later she comes across a chapter dedicated specifically to describing the triumvirates. She is surprised to find that it is written by Ha’ub the Swallow, the imp Scribe. After hearing about his legends in the Commonwealth she had been a bit perplexed to find that the imps of the Downside were such simple creatures. It appears that Ha’ub might have been an exception rather than the rule. Putting that aside, she quickly flips through the chapter, passing over the other triumvirates until she finds the page about the Chastity, alongside a beautifully drawn rendition of the triumvirate’s sigil. Apparently this triumvirate was formed by Lu Sclorian Hundred-Minds, the Scholar. Seeing that name immediately brings back memories of her father and the Reader has to take a moment to reminisce.

She remembers that he had never put much of his faith in the nomad Scribe, Gol Golathanian, as was custom among other nomads in the Commonwealth, and that under his tutelage she had instead learnt about the virtues of Lu Sclorian, to hold his wisdom and peaceful nature as great ideals to strive for. The Reader sighs at the thought... she may have been exiled, but it seems like her exile might have brought her just a little closer to the scholarly Scribe, and by extension, her father. It’s... a little comforting to think about. She then carries on to reading about what the triumvirate is supposed to represent. The qualities they are supposed to stand for... modesty, wisdom, integrity, and kinship...

At that moment the door to the living quarters swings open and Manley strides in, closely followed by Peyford.

“Peyford, I simply must ask you to, oh, please restate once more what you’re saying because I am having a hard time believing what I’m hearing.”

The Reader rolls her eyes. “And there he is, the embodiment of such qualities...” She mutters under her breath.

The sap is all smiles as usual, though the way he is rubbing his thumb and index finger together indicates that he is holding back more than a little bit of frustration.

“Manley.” Peyford replies. “I know that you can hear me perfectly well, and I believe we should make an attempt to be at the Ridge of Gol tonight. The Reader surveyed the stars in an incredibly skillful manner and I believe we would be best served heeding her advice.”

“Hmph- I cannot believe that you put so much stock in the girl after a single reading. We should continue to go by my instructions until she’s proven that hers are at least as reliable as mine.”

The sap is looking less composed by the minute, and Peyford glances towards the Reader as if asking for support. However, instead of responding, she simply raises the book to shield herself from being addressed. After last night she is not even considering having a conversation with Manley. Instead, she’d rather that the two of them argue it out among themselves.

Eventually, Peyford manages to sway Manley. He points out that while the sap expects the next Rite to be few days from now, the Reader instead predicts they should be at the ridge this night. That means that if they hurry they could check out both the Reader and Manley’s locations at each of their proposed times. He also notes that if the Reader’s take is accurate, then this is a good chance to verify her abilities. While Manley does not seem happy about it, he finally relents and orders a course towards the Ridge of Gol.

The trip there is uneventful, and while Peyford is scurrying about the wagon, cleaning up cobwebs, the Reader decides to spend the time leafing through the first chapter of the book. It tells the story of the last emperor of the fallen Empire of Sahr, Soliam Murr. She is certain that she has heard some variations of the fall and redemption of Murr in the past, either told as folk-tales or in some book her father read to her during her childhood. Still, she’s fascinated to see the book itself corroborate things from the stories such as the emperor turning into a demon and being saved by an imp. These fanciful details had always felt a bit like something out of a children’s story rather than a historic account, but they become hard to deny when read from a book supposedly penned by the Scribes themselves. Her musings are abruptly brought to a halt as the wagon shudders to a stop and Xaxiana calls out that they’ve arrived. Peyford quickly makes his way out of the wagon while Manley saunters out behind him. All three of them are already dressed in their raiments, save for the masks.

The Reader curiously follows them outside to watch them set up before the Rite. Peyford and Xaxiana grab a heavy-looking sigil from the back of the cart, the design matching the icon representing the Chastity which she had seen in the book. While they haul it into the Rite field under Manley’s supervision, the Reader surveys the surroundings. Sadly, she finds little other than rocks and dust, no sign of another triumvirate. This fact slowly starts to worry her, as she wonders if perhaps she did not read the stars as accurately as she thought. Soon the light begins to fade, and the darker it gets the more annoyed Manley seems to become, a fact which he is very diligent in sharing with the rest of the triumvirate.

“They’re not here yet.” He comments for what might be the twentieth time, shooting an annoyed glare in the Reader’s direction. She avoids his gaze, looking up to the sky to seek new guidance in the stars. It is then when she notices that all the stars of the Scribes have aligned, drawing the shape of the Scribe Star just as depicted in the book. She opens her mouth slightly in awe at the phenomenon above them, unlike anything she had seen in the Commonwealth before. However, the magic of that moment is suddenly broken by a loud howl from a nearby hill. Everyone’s heads snap around to find the source of the sound, and the sight almost makes the Reader duck behind her triumvirate. At the top of said hill are six curs, all dressed in menacing black and orange raiments, howling in unison as they start rushing down the slope in a loose formation. As they get closer the howling stops, only to be replaced by a constant cackling and hollering as three curs break off from the pack and take up a spot where they can watch the Rite.

Manley grunts in disgust at the sight, suddenly appearing more on guard than usual. For some reason he keeps occasionally looking over his shoulders or shifting his legs uncomfortably. The Reader leans in towards Peyford to quietly ask him what’s going on and why is Manley so on edge.

He responds in a low voice. “Oh, the leader of the triumvirate we are facing... Barker Ashpaws of the Dissidents has a tendency to... I believe the saying is he ‘pisses off’ the upper class.” At that, Xaxiana bursts into laughter, as if she just remembered something really funny.

The Reader raises an eyebrow, and is about to ask for clarification when she is interrupted by the remaining three curs dashing down onto the field, kicking up clouds of dust as they swerve at the bottom of the hill. Two of them haphazardly toss down the sigil they had been carrying on the opposite end of the field, while the third one approaches Manley and his cohort and hops up onto a rock to address them.

“Well I’ll be right buggered if it aint the Chastity! Since when are you lot ever on time for a Rite?!”

The loud cur claws at his mask for a few moments before throwing it down to his feet and putting his paw up on it. The Reader takes a moment to process the appearance of the cur, not quite sure what to make of him. His fur is completely black, and his eyes appear to be red in the dim light. His torn ears feature several piercings, his collar is adorned with spikes and a pair of metal skulls, and topping it all off, quite literally, is a bright red mohawk running from the top of his head down to his neck. It is all... incredibly bizarre.

After checking his robes again for some reason, Manley initiates his characteristic pleasantries with the cur while Peyford and Xaxiana go to take up their positions for the Rite. The Reader almost gets the sense that they are trying to avoid engaging with the cur for too long, and she remains a few paces back from the entire affair. However, after a short back and forth, Manley waves her over, and she begrudgingly approaches.

“Now, Barker, I simply must introduce you to the newest addition to the Chastity, which I am sure will guarantee our triumvirate’s bright, bright future. This is, our reader.”

The sap gestures at the Reader and she narrows her eyes at him in return, although the sap skillfully ignores the look. It is incredibly annoying to her how he keeps referring to her as an accessory to the triumvirate, rather than as a full member and a person. Well, no reason she should act badly to another triumvirate leader just because of that. Manley being rude is nothing new and maybe the cur’s appearance is deceiving. She bows slightly to Barker, assuming that a leader deserves at least some level of respect.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, mister Ashpaws.”

There is a moment of silence. The cur does not answer, though his mouth, which had up until this point been constantly open in a mocking grin, is closed as he examines her. Then, he bursts into a hysterical laughing fit.

“Bwaaahahahahah! Didja hear that fellas? What a polite little thing! Oy Manley, how’d you disguise yer sapling to behave like a nomad, ahaha!”

The Reader lowers her eyes, instantly regretting everything. Certainly, she knew how to deal with the veiled insults and insinuations of the upper class. This open mockery however, does not leave her with much of any recourse at all, other than sheepish silence.

“‘Ey fellas! You lot better call me ‘miiister Ashpaaws’ from now on eh?” Barker shrilly imitates the Reader’s voice, getting a laugh from his triumvirate in return. “If them fancy-pants can get respect without deserving it then why not me too? Gahah!”

Finally, Manley snaps back, seemingly more frustrated by the jab at his social standing than by the mockery of the Reader. “Bah! How utterly, utterly insolent! You common rabble cannot even comprehend what is at stake in the Rites, can you?! We would all be far better served by you standing aside and simply letting the Chastity prevail. Or perhaps we should continue this pointless mockery until the morning comes, mhm?”

Barker and his crew let out another howling laugh as the cur kicks his mask up into the air and catches it on his head. “First useful thing you said all night mate! ‘Cept we won’t be standin’ aside for no one. It’s way more fun to make Commonwealth babies like yerself cry after you lose. Bahaha!”

The cur strolls back to his crew and takes up his position as the leader of the triumvirate. Manley huffs, throws on his mask and moves to his own spot in front of Peyford and Xaxiana. The Reader hurriedly gets off the field and takes up a good vantage point as the pyres ignite behind the triumvirates.

...

“Reader!”

She winces in surprise as the Voice calls out to her again. She looks up at the sky where the stars are aligning, wondering if this is going to be a regular thing.

“You now look upon the glorious Ridge of Gol! Here, the Chastity has already performed many a Rite… with far less success than they may have hoped for... This eve you shall stand against... The Dissidents! While they hunger for victory just as much as you do, you might find that they are more motivated by denying your freedom than by earning their own.”

The Reader frowns and turns her eyes back to the field where the triumvirates are waiting for the Rite to start. Now it occurs to her that she does not know where the orb comes from. Neither of the teams seem to have brought one, and she can’t recall where it came from during their vision inside the book. Thankfully, her question is soon answered, as a thin ray of light appears in the middle of the field. It quickly grows into a bright, shining pillar before a celestial orb crashes down right in between the two triumvirates.

“Begin!”

The voice calls out as the opposing teams burst into action. Although, ‘bursting’ might be too generous of a description of what the Chastity does. Manley starts slowly making his way towards the center of the field, seemingly intending to lock down the area with his aura. The Reader can tell there is no way he will be able to get in range to control the surroundings before Barker reaches the orb, and tries to get him to stop and hand initiative over to Peyford or Xaxiana instead. The sap stubbornly refuses, and she’s convinced she can hear him mentally scoff at her. This means that she can only watch as Barker runs straight past the orb, leaps over Manley, and takes out both Peyford and Xaxiana with a single well aimed aura blast. In that time, Manley has reached the center and projected his sapling to defend the orb. It serves little purpose however as another cur slides in behind him, already preparing to cast. By the time the Reader calls out for Manley to protect himself, the sap has already been banished in a flash of orange light.

The Reader puts her head in her hands as she watches the leader of the Dissidents get passed the orb and, with ample time before anyone from the Chastity returns, he has enough of an opening to do a taunting little dance before leaping backwards into the fire, cackling as he disappears into the flames.

“Barker douses the pyre, still completely lacking in respect for his betters I see!” The Voice comments.

Two dousings later and the Reader is starting to wonder how they can possibly turn the situation around. There is little to no coordination among her companions, and the two last rounds played out almost identically to the first one. This time however, after failing to control the center of the field, Manley decides to take up a defensive position, using his sapling to create a very large perimeter around the Chastity’s pyre. While the Reader agrees with this course of action, he then fails to capitalise on it in any significant way. Rather than letting his teammates move forward, he simply holds his position without accomplishing much, still refusing to cease his movements so that his teammates can advance and mount an offensive. The Dissidents on the other hand immediately capitalise on this defensive play, taking the opportunity to move their entire team forward before rapidly passing initiative back and forth between themselves and taking haphazard shots at the sap. Peyford and Xaxiana repeatedly get caught in the crossfire but Manley’s aura is enough on its own to keep the curs away from their pyre.

Of course, the sap can not hold out forever, and ultimately a stray aura blast banishes him despite the Reader’s attempts to give him accurate information about the curs’ movements. That moment however is when something surprising happens. At the exact moment Manley is banished, Xaxiana returns from her own banishment. The harp immediately capitalises on an opening, and with a furious shriek she charges straight through Barker and grabs the celestial orb. After a dash and a short flight she then plunges into the Dissident’s pyre, scoring their first blow.

“And at last, someone from the Chastity musters the courage to douse the opposing pyre.” The Voice remarks dryly as the teams get back into position and the Reader tries to once more convince Manley to let someone else act once he has his perimeter set up. She is met with no response as the next round starts.

The rest of the Rite is a long drawn out affair. The Reader feels like she is learning a lot about the capabilities of her triumvirate, but she is having issues putting any of the things she learns into action, as the three of them are either holding each other back, or not listening to her advice as is the case with Xaxiana. Ultimately it is all for naught. While they can play defense for a long time, the Chastity cannot hold the Dissidents off while also mounting an offensive of their own. Several rounds later and the Reader lets out a despaired groan as she watches one of the curs dive into the flame, finally snuffing out their pyre.

“And there it is, at last.” The Voice remarks. “The Dissidents stand victorious. And rather convincingly so, I must say. They have proved their worth, and will go on to further glory in the Rites. Now, I bid you farewell, Reader.”

...

The Reader slumps to the ground, exhausted, as her triumvirate joins her. However, she quickly gets a hold of herself as she sees Barker and the Dissidents approach.

“Oi Manley! Didn’t ya say you wanted us to stand aside eh? Sure didn’t think that meant you lot were just gonna step aside and let us dance into yer pyre! Bahahaha!” The Dissidents cackle loudly at the joke.

“Bah! This is an utter outrage I say!” Manley huffs as he throws his mask to the ground. As it hits the ground, one of the Dissidents darts forward, snatching the mask up in their teeth before putting it on and hopping up on a rock where everyone can see them.

“Oi Barker! Check this out.” The Reader immediately covers her face, seeing where this is going. The cur continues with a haughty tone, which is a decent approximation to Manley’s voice. “Good evening miiiiiister Ashpaaaws, I’m Manstick Babblestuff and I neeeever shut up. Please just give up and let me wiiiin. Hoooooooh.”

All the curs join into a raucous laugh, and the Reader buries her face further into her hands. She knows that this whole thing is going to reflect back onto her, and she really does not need more of Manley’s anger tonight. Finally, the taunting cur drops his mask and they all run off. After they’ve gone, the Reader bends down and grabs the mask, quietly handing it to its owner. Manley snatches it from her hands and huffs.

“I hope you’re aware of the deep, deep embarrassment I had to suffer through because of you!”

The Reader does not say anything in return. She’s being gnawed by the feeling that she could have done more to help in the Rite, even though she feels that Manley had been making everything far more difficult than it had to be. The sap continues complaining into the air, making sure the entire triumvirate knows exactly how displeased he is as he walks back towards the wagon. The Reader is starting to wonder if she should bother following him. After all, she is not feeling particularly wanted at the moment. Then, a hand is placed on her shoulder, and she looks back to see Peyford offering some comfort.

The Reader sighs. “I don’t understand...I tried to do my best...I’d worked out a simple strategy… but... I don’t even know if you have a strategy of your own, at least none that you told me about. Manley just… did not seem to want any input, or let anyone else act for that matter.”

Peyford snorts. “Pff. We’ve never had a strategy, Reader. Unless you count Manley offering empty promises from the Commonwealth in exchange for the triumvirates to stand aside as a strategy. Of course, no one would exchange a chance at freedom from the Downside for something immaterial in the Commonwealth. Really, it’s gotten to the point where no triumvirate even listens to him. And, if it is some comfort, from my perspective this Rite wasn’t that bad...the closest we’ve ever been to winning against the Dissidents was when Manley almost bored them to death. I believe that is how they came up with the strategy they used to banish him today.”

“I see… still, I am not really looking forward to going back to the wagon and facing him. It feels like I am entirely to blame for the loss in his eyes.”

Peyford pats her back. “Don’t get discouraged, Reader. This is simply a different flavour of his usual complaints, we’ve heard something similar after every Rite we’ve conducted.” He smiles faintly. “Now let’s go back and focus on the next step of our journey.”

The Reader smiles back weakly and nods.

[violetsystems]

#personal

I don’t really know what people claim about me in real life half the time.  I hear echoes from other people about who I am or what I represent.  But the reality of the situation is people both talk to me and don’t.  I’m an extremely forward facing person in public.  This has grown over a three year period sharing my thoughts on the internet.  It’s also as of today the third year that has passed quietly since I quit alcohol.  In some ways it’s only fitting a phase passed with a whimper.  It’s a habit I will never go back to.  Which is sort of a refreshing place to start looking ahead.  It’s true after sharing all this personal information on the internet I’m still very much alone.  I sit in a kitchen that overlooks the train platform like a fishbowl.  My life has become much the same.  Open ended for everyone to read into.  But most people just skim the cover of the book.  Some people are aware of the sprawling Tolstoy-esque monologues I’ve woven over the years.  The images and people that got me through some dark times.  The inspiration I took from them and acted upon in my own life.  I found beauty in myself and explored what that meant.  Then I lived it.  The result is the same as it’s ever been really.  I don’t really compare or measure myself to anyone in this world.  I stand on my own two feet and have proven my worth to myself countless times around the globe searching for bizarre artifacts for my museum.  Some Indiana Jones shit for sure.  I hate nazis too.  But for however much of a superhero I’ve become to some I’m still just that guy who people would rather ignore or attack.  Some years I’d be a little more depressed about it.  People can claim they know all about me.  And yet nobody really cares that I’m spending the holidays alone for the most part.  People here probably do.  Which is why I reiterate the painfully obvious in paragraph form once again.  If I really hated my life right now I’d be less enthused by the fact of spending the turn of the year alone.  I’ve done that for years.  If I can’t be with somebody who respects me I don’t really want to suffer the consequences of being treated less than what I deserve.  I don’t live my life hardcore to hold over anyone’s head but my own.  And I don’t really expect people to understand every nuance I breathe into my life to stay real as fuck.  I do realize people are ignorant and I’ve spent a year policing that behavior in my life.  I got so good at it that it blew my cover wide open.  And then it fades like everything else exciting i’ve done.  I don’t know what the point of getting people’s attention is anymore.  People don’t talk or share anything openly.  It’s all projections and mirrors we are meant to look and read into.  I do have real interactions in the city i live in.  I paid my rent.  I’ve lived in this place for a decade now.  I came from a bad place.  I’ve written about that and nobody cared.  So now I’m here in the present.  My rent got lower.  My ear to the ground even more so.  I still wear esoteric street wear brands that have aged in reverse.  And people still just treat me like a shadow that is neither here nor there.  So slippery that people would rather just use me as a pivot or soapbox in passing than confront me directly.  I’m the boogeyman on the internet to some people.  To other’s I’m a level 120 paladin that’s strong like bull.  And in 2020 it’s apparently very obvious I’m through with everybody’s bullshit.

Three paragraphs.  That was the format.  I wrote every week to you for years.  You echoes in my head like a void.  Is there anybody actually even out there?  I wouldn’t continue if I didn’t think there was.  And yet we’re still echoing back and forth like a blip on a radar.  Tracking movement like a James Cameron film.  Shipwrecked and stranded on a terraformed mining colony.  Slaves to our careers in a crumbling Utopia called America.  My love for you like a sonnet from a William Gibson poem.  If William Gibson decided to risk it all and leave cyberpunk behind and let us live out our dystopia in peace.  I don’t really have anything to show for any of this.  That wasn’t the point.  If I believed I had nothing to show for all this growth I’d be the biggest loser.  I wouldn’t know the value of myself.  I wouldn’t know the boredom I’m supposed to enjoy of staying the course.  My kitchen bubble a literal ship on a maiden voyage into the great beyond.  That’s what happens when you legalize weed I guess.  Some things have changed.  I’ve spent my time organizing my finances and my belongings just as much.  I head back to New York in the same nondescript way again in February.  Around a birthday nobody has ever celebrated in the last three years for certain.  It can be your birthday anywhere.  I tend to spend it in places where it means something.  Nobody knows other than politicians robocalling me to wish me happy birthday.  That happened last year.  That’s the tip of the iceberg I’ve come to expect.  And yet nobody really knows how deep the wounds have been that I’ve been hiding.  I stopped going out entirely in some respects.  And yet I’m everybody’s favorite topic at the local grocery store.  I mean nothing and feel invisible.  I live with that reality every day.  That some people wish they could interact more but are afraid.  And some people just can’t risk it.  So I make myself less risky.  Which is to say I’m far less risky than I was this time last year.  And I was pretty fucking boring then.  I’m not a boring person.  It’s obvious somebody who hops on a flight to New York by himself with no plan is somewhat spontaneous.  I feel comfortable talking to people.  I don’t feel awkward in what I project.  I have overdone it at times.  And sometimes been too much of a ghost.  And yet people can’t stop talking about fractures of things I’ve done.  I didn’t get here in the present day by being boring.  And then again that’s what it feels like.  People who show off are sloppy.  I see the arcs of their behavior over time.  Just like I look back at the last three years with a bit of a smile.  You have to start somewhere.  And you plan your journey to move forward.  I don’t have any resolutions to speak of other than to enjoy and love myself.  Spread that where it’s well deserved and give everybody else the cold shoulder.  How could I cut off the world so viciously like that?  I gave them three fucking years and what have they done?  We’re all still down here in the bomb shelter talking about our feelings.

I don’t have any fears about the new year.  I paid my rent on time.  Actually before it was usually due.  I’m getting better at simply walking through things.  Almost as if the streets were a runway.  There’s people that vogue downtown in public all the time.  Everybody knows that’s not me or my power.  I respect that a lot of diversity feels free to exist around me in the city I’ve come to love begrudgingly.  I also know when to shut the door on ridiculous bullshit.  The trick is not getting upset.  Like you walk down this catwalk with all these eyes on you.  What does it matter.  You have the power.  That comes from within you.  Nobody can take that away other than yourself.  So you get into the zone and march towards your goal.  Or you find a safe space to bow out of the spectacle for awhile.  When faced with the mundane prospect of just living the reality in front of me I’m not exactly bored.  I’m pissed off nobody understands just how much I’ve put into being me.  But why  be the old man yelling at cloud in sky.  I have answers.  I live them every day.  I have two checking accounts.  I have backup plans for everything.  I don’t worry because I come prepared.  Nobody knows just how many notifications I’ve set up for myself I live by.  Nobody knows what certain activity in my dash means to me.  I don’t share my personal life much with anyone.  Nobody gives me the impression they listen let alone process what I say.  I learned this skill traveling abroad where people didn’t speak my language.  Learn to be silent and appreciate human kindness.  Cultivate it in yourself and how you present yourself as a guest.  Curb your power and share when appropriate.  Shine when it’s your time.  It’s been my time for a minute.  I listen to myself enough to know it.  What you do with that time is something only you know the value of.  These days I try to stay happy.  I also don’t expect people to understand the deep realities of why I make the choices and sacrifices I do.  When it comes time to live them I will just breathe.  Live in the moment and act accordingly.  I spent three years and I’ll spend three more being myself.  After awhile what can people really say?  They forget all the good I’ve ever done.  Maybe they’ll forget the times when they talked shit about me.  Maybe I just don’t care about any of it any more.  I just want to live.  I want to be happy.  I want to keep doing what I am doing.  I need to.  And nobody can stop me.  Because nobody cares that deeply about me enough to know where I’m going.  I’ve already been there and back again.  If you’ve been on the journey with me then you know I’m still on it.  It’s as bullshit as it ever was and I’m stubborn as fuck.  Strong like bull.  Allergic to bullshit.  Isn’t that what a tank is supposed to do?  Take the heat while you run interference.  Could use some heals.  Actually don’t bother.  I made a paladin because I knew I had to roll solo.  I stand in the light.  Bubbled up in my kitchen for the next week on vacation.  Not to burst yours or anything. <3 Tim

[emptypokedex-blog]

hi so i'm trash and i was scrolling down your blog and i saw the homestuck au and i want to draw art of it so do you have any like, references or ideas as to how everyone looks? like, horn shapes, symbols, outfits, etc? or are they just like the same from the manga? sorry for bothering you btw

2: hi, specialstuck anon again. any ideas for like their online handles and ancestors? sorry about bothering you about this bc i just realized that your posts about that au was from like months ago and idk if you care about it anymore i’m so sorry

Hello! I’m sorry for not responding. I’ve just been a shitty blog-runner, and haven’t been here. This ask makes me really happy because I honestly still like Homestuck and genuinely think its well written. I was really into classpect assignments back in the day, so this was a fun little project.

I didn’t post about it because I didn’t think anyone liked it, but here you are, proving me wrong-ish!

AND OH MY GOD YES, I LOVE WHEN ASK TO DRAW ART OF MY IDEA!Don’t worry nonster, you’re not bothering me at all! I’ve literally done nothing over the summer.

I’ll post the pictures separately too just so you can zoom in.

I’m putting a cut because this got longer than expected.

Okay, so I had a guide with all of their horns and symbols, buuuuuut…I lost it. So, special for you, I made a new, updated one! My hand was cramping so bad after this. I would scan it, but I don’t trust my printer/scanner right now, because last time I used it, it completely crumpled my drawing (its the kind that eats the paper and scans it)

BTW I changed some stuff.

In terms of online handles, I dunno. Those are haaard. Ancestors, ignoring the sexes of the characters, would be the character’s parent of the same gender, unless there is only one parent, or if the character has no known parents or no living parents, they would be a sibling. If there are no siblings belonging to that character (Emerald, Red, probably someone else I’m forgetting), they would be a fictional character or OC or someone else from the canon that has some sort of familial or social relationship to the character. So for Silver it’d be Giovanni, Sapphire has Birch, Ruby has Norman, Crystal and her Mother, Green could either have Oak or Daisy. Yellow’s could be her Uncle. And so on.

Clothes would probably be the same, except for the trolls, all their shirts would be black instead of the color they normally are and for the humans all their shirts would be white.

In terms of Lusi (Lususes?) for the trolls, their starts fully evolved forms would be them. So, like, Swampert would be Ruby’s Mudbeast Lusus or Meganium would be Crystal’s Neckbeast Lusus. The same for the humans’ consorts, except in that case, they be the unevolved versions.

Gonna get my caveats out of the way now, I wanted to stick to the ‘one-of-each’ format Homestuck has going on while adhering to the gender-roles, so, at the end, some characters were left with God Tiers that didn’t really fit them *coughsilvercough* So, for those characters, I’ll provide what they were left with and the alternate I would have preferred. The hardest was finding a Breath player. Only the humans had repeats of the trolls.

(Top: Gold, Silver, Crystal Bottom: Pearl, Diamond, Platinum)

Gold: Knight of Blood, Land of Sap and Bells, CueKind, Non-Psionic Yellow-Blood, Prospit.

I forgot why I designed Gold’s horns the way I did. I think it had something to do with resembling his hair. His symbol is the logo for HeartGold.

Gold is a character who’s arc is about feeling inferior to his friends and overcompensating. When he finds out that he didn’t have a title, it broke his heart. The Knight class experiences change and growth throughout the game, and the Blood aspect is about platonic relationships and bonds. Come to think of it, I think Gold could also pass for a Page.

I can see Gold being on the characters who starts one of the teams and competitively tries to get the people he wants to join his team.

Silver: Rogue of Breath*, Land of Dust and Masks, IcePickKind, Non-Psychic Rust-Blood, Derse.

*Not only could I not figure out what Silver would be, but he was also the one to get the most out of character God Tier. I can see him as a destructive class, like Prince of Blood, but both that class and aspect have been taken. I am very unhappy with the result.

I had so much trouble drawing Silver’s hair, that I ended up putting it in a ponytail, but, let’s admit it, we all need for more of that. His horns are supposed to look like an ‘R’ when put together, so one is curved and the other has a hook on the end. They’re asymmetrical. I know its hard to see, but they are. His symbol is supposed to be the logo for SoulSilver. 

I refuse to explain Rogue of Breath because there is nothing to explain. Rufioh, in canon, is a Rogue of Breath and these characters have nothing in common. A Rogue of Breath would steal Breath – or Direction – for the benefit of others and I genuinely cannot make this work. So, instead, I’ll explain Prince of Blood. Prince is a destructive class that destroys with the aspect, in this case Blood, or bonds. Prince can also be one who destroys the aspect. So, Silver destroying past bonds he no longer wants. 

Silver would befriend Blue over the chat, become fascinated by the concept of siblings and request to be Blue’s sister (cause she was explaining it in terms of being his unrelated sister), to which she’d agree for him to be considered her brother.

Crystal: Thief of Doom, Land of Wheels and Flood, FootKind/ShoeKind, Non-Psychic Teal-Blood, Prospit.

One of Crystal’s horns is supposed to be straight, only curving at the end, and the other one has a star on the tip. Her symbol is, surprise surprise, a Star.

I know what you’re thinking. Thief of Doom? Crystal? No Way! Well, I’m gonna explain. Thieves take the aspect to benefit themselves, and the concept of Doom ranges from just a simple burden to death itself to complete planetary destruction. In the Pokespe canon, Crystal was hired to complete a job Green and Red failed to finish, and she was happy to do it. This makes me think that Crystal is willing to take on certain burdens that coincide with her interest, something a Thief of Doom would certainly do.

Potentially the other team leader, maybe the only one who thinks this is an awful idea. Begrudgingly agrees.

Pearl: Seer of Space*, Land of Peaks and Frogs, FanKind, Slightly-Psychic Brown-Blood, Derse.

*Could have been either a Seer of Space or a Mage of Space, but Seer fit his behavior more.

Pearl’s horns are supposed to look like the antenna and tail of a Chatot, so the one behind his hair resembles a music note (see Chatot for reference) while the other one just has a ball on it. I think I’ve seen his horns drawn like this before by other artists, so I don’t think this is the most original decision, but I still really like it. His symbol is a Circle/Pearl.

One of the most important parts of a Seer is their ability to observe. This is why it was so hard to me to pick between Black and Pearl when it came to choosing a Seer. However, because I wanted Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum to be Time, Space, and Void no matter what, Pearl got the honor. A Seer of Space observes Space and exists in the present moment. They may also oversee or take charge and are creative types.

Pearl’s weapon is FanKind because he picked it when he was young and practiced in the art of fan-to-fan compensate.

Diamond: Heir of Time*, Land of Fruit and Geysers, LadleKind, Non-Psychic Cobalt-Blood, Prospit.

*I originally listed him as a Page of Time, but changed it after giving Wally the role of Page. Either works for him.

Dia’s horns are supposed to look non-threatening, so they are wide and not very sharp. They’re kinda Munchlax-esque. His symbol is a Diamond.

When picking between Heir and Page, I went with Heir because Wally took Page Diamond has a sense of time from the beginning. Heirs become their aspect in one way or another, hence why they’re called ‘Heirs,’ and Diamond has such a grasp on his flow of time (not to mention his major-legendary equivalent being Diamond), that I see this working. If he were a Page, which would also have been good, it’d mirror his rise against Pearl is the DP chapter.

Diamond makes food puns constantly in chat and there is no way of stopping him.

Platinum: Sylph of Void*, Land of Snow and Tomes, UmbrellaKind, Non-Psychic Violet-Blood, Derse.

*To be honest, a lot of the female-based classes in the Void aspect fit her character, except Witch.

Platz horns should look like the faceplate of an Empoleon. Same situation as Pearl, I think I’ve seen this done elsewhere my multiple artists. Her symbol is the Berlitz family sigil.

Void is nothingness. Pretty much any class enacting Void is lacking something, since Void is the lack of anything. As a Sylph of Void, one could create Void because Sylph is a creative class, and Platinum does this in a social sense by ignoring the claims of other people and acting as though they never happened. In terms of her behavior in early chapters of the DP chapter, she also acts as though she isn’t supposed to emote.

She will never admit she is friends with a lowblood.

(Top: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald Bottom: Black, White, Wally) 

Ruby: Prince of Light, Land of Mirrors and Silk, NeedleKind, Non-Psychic Rust-Blood, Derse.

I exaggerated Ruby’s scar a bit for this. The horn on the side of his face with the scar is broken, but both of his horns used to be symmetrical. They’re supposed to look like the antennae of a Milotic. His symbol is the pattern on Groudon’s arm.

A Prince of Light would destroy knowledge, which, at first, sounds very out of a character for Ruby. But knowledge doesn’t only apply to books and science. Instead, is refers to anything known. Considering how Ruby acts at the end of the RS chapter, throughout the Emerald chapter, and again in the ORAS chapter, where is constantly pretends as though the confession never happened and lies about a variety of things, actively destroying what people know, I think this is the most fitting God Tier I’ve provided. Ruby is also a character I can definitely imagine playing the role of minor-villain at some point.

He’s super salty about not only being the lowest of bloods, but not having any psychic powers to compensate.

Sapphire: Witch of Rage*, Land of Thorns and Thunderstorms, ClawKind, Non-Psychic Indigo-Blood, Prospit.

*Would rather have Maid of Rage, but White fit the Maid role better for multiple other aspects. Witch was all that was left.

Sapph’s horns resemble Gamzee’s, but are thicker and less curvy. They’re just supposed to look wild and are not based on anything. Her symbol is the pattern on Kyogre’s flipper.

As much as Maid of Rage fit, I had to give her Witch of Rage, which, in actuality, would probably belong to an incredibly unstable person. Witch’s have completely control to manipulate their aspect while also fully embodying that aspect, and when that aspect is Rage, chances are that person isn’t to in a safe psychological place. Maids, on the other hand, start by relying on other people for their aspect and where to enact it before learning on their own to use it as they please. Sapphire would have gone through this change twice: once when she was younger and changed when Ruby was hurt and she realize she couldn’t that girly anymore, directing her Rage towards her younger self and/or people like that, and again when she changes in the RS chapter and compromises.

Sapphire leaves animal pelts at Ruby’s doorstep to make stuff out of. She brings most of the meat to Dia and feeds the rest of it to her eggbeast lusus.

Emerald: Bard of Mind*, Land of Dunes and Towers, PistolKind, Non-Psychic Olive-Blood, Derse.

*Couldn’t for the life of me figure out what this kid was. Rald

I used his current design because I couldn’t draw his croissant-hair. You’ve probably already guessed it, but his horns are based on his eyebrows. His symbol is the pattern on the head of Rayquaza.

Again, same as Silver, I’m not going to explain it. But for Rald, I just don’t have anything else to say. I’ll put it simply: I don’t think Rald is a destructive player (in fact, he might be a manipulative player), but I’m out of stuff and I’m stumped.

Immediately joined Crystal’s team without a second thought and before knowing what the heck they were doing.

Black: Mage of Hope*, Land of Kaleidoscopes and Skyscrapers, RockKind, Powerful-Psychic Brown-Blood, Prospit.

*Seer of Hope was also an option, but it is taken by Pearl. They both make great Seers.

Hexagon. Everything about Black is based on hexagons here. Horns and Symbol. Put his horns together and you get a hexagon.

Mages fully experience their aspect at some point. Admittedly, a Mage of Hope would be naive and maybe a bit too hopeful, but Hope is definitely something Black has a lot of, even up until the end (y’knoow, up until he became a rock). A Mage of Hope would be dedicated to making it to their goal because they would genuinely believe that they’d get there, a la Black when he wants to become a pokemon master.

Sees the world in hexagons a lot like he does with Musha on his head.

White: Maid of Heart*, Land of Roots and Carnivals, WhipKind, Non-Psychic Cobalt-Blood, Derse.

*I also really liked Maid of Hope for her.

Y’know White’s hair-antennae? They’re her horns now. They’re close together and bend back over hear head, not outward. I didn’t know what Symbol to give her, so I just made it a box.

Heart and Blood are very similar in that they’re both about relationships, but Heart is more about the impact of those relationships. A Maid of Heart starts by relying on someone else for their relationships and enjoyment, but would eventually come to do it on their own. If anything, regardless of aspect, White is definitely a Maid.

Had Black sign a contract that ensured he would join the same team that she was on.

Wally: Page of Life, Land of Pumps and Corridors, PumpKind, Non-Psychic Teal-Blood, Prospit.

Wally’s horns are tiny because I felt someone like wally wouldn’t have especially large or threatening horns. His Symbol is the pattern on the face of a Kecleon.

Wally was hard, but I eventually settled on Page of Life. Pages and Maids are very similar in my eyes, because they are both classes based around personal growth. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that Pages were the male equivalent to the female Maid. A Page of Life would lack Life in the beginning, which would manifest itself in physical or emotional health. As a Page, he’d grow in health, perhaps to the point of overdoing it. I think this God Tier mirrors his subplot pretty well.

Blindly follows Ruby around where ever he goes.

(Red, Yellow, Blue, Green)

Red: Heir of Blood, Land of Rivers and Lightning, BallKind, Prospit, Consort: Bulbasaur.

I FORGOT HOW TO DRAW RED’S HAIR! His Icon is a Pokeball.

Heirs have a need for their aspect, and one thing Red really enjoys is his pokemon and having a group friends, and even protecting people/showing off to neighborhood kids. As an Heir of Blood, Red would need to embody the Blood aspect and pretty much be the connecting force between the other characters. I picked this because he essentially started the series and, as the first character, I interpret him as the driving for keeping older characters together. Heirs also have a natural talent for their aspect, and I think the term ‘natural talent‘ in general is a decent description of Red. Plus, he’s really good at making friends.

Yellow: Sylph of Life, Land of Keys and Ink, RodKind, Prospit, Consort: Can a Snake be a Consort? ‘Cause I’m thinking Ekans.

Her Icon is a Lightning Bold (Also could have done a feather.)

I mean, come on. Like I said before, Sylphs are a creative class and Life is synonymous with health, and, therefore, a Sylph of Life creates health. Naturally, Yellow would be the teams healer. She could probably bring things back to life or give like to inanimate things by creating Life itself.

Blue: Thief of Space, Land of Coins and Frogs, CrowbarKind, Derse, Consort: Squirtle.

(Oops, she looks like an axolotl) Her Icon is a Mask.

A Thief of Space would steal Space for their own benefit. Blue would probably use this by stealing size from one object and applying it to herself or transferring size between things, switching the location of herself and something else or the locations of two items. It’s be great for stealing from other people.

Green: Prince of Time, Land of Fog and Beats, FistKind, Derse, Consort: Charmander.

His Icon isn’t a pomegranate seed, it’s supposed to look like his pendant, but I can understand the confusion.

Prince is a destructive class, so Green would be destroying with Time. As a result, a Prince of Time would be impatient and easily annoyed and unable to cope with the passage of time. Some of these aspects match Green at an early age. As we known, baby Green had a lot of trouble with patience. They’d be stubborn and have trouble listening to others. This pairs well with early-Green. Current-Green is a lot calmer and smarter that he used to be.

If I didn’t feel the need to have one of each, the cast would look like this (In the same order as all of the above):

Knight of Blood, Prince of Blood, Thief of Doom, Seer of Space, Page/Heir of Space, Sylph of Void, Prince of Light, Maid of Rage, (Whatever Emerald would be), Seer/Mage of Hope, Maid of Hope, Page of Life. (Minus the Humans)