the-black-mage-of-phantasm

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Just read your gift, and it was amazing! I love how you wrote Amanda/Akko's banter and how they played off each other through the entire fic, and that kiss scene at the end was so sweet! I wrote more on the Ao3 post, but just know that I am so grateful for this amazing gift CherrieChar!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61752577

Hello! @the-black-mage-of-phantasm I was your secret santa at the @lwasanta this year!

I decided to mix up the two prompts you gave about Amanda/Akko, and I had a lot of fun with it. It was my first my first time writing about this couple, I hope you like it!

Thank you for the attention, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and wish you have a happy new year!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Arcane and Ideological Clashes

Tags by @coolseabird

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. One of season 1's themes I loved was the philosophical and ideological debate between Silco and Vander (and then Jinx and Vi). I adore the personal character-driven aspects too, but the thing is, they don't have to be mutually exclusive. Ideologies can be extremely personally informed/motivated, and in the case of these characters, they were. Every part of their worldviews were shaped by their circumstances, their lives, experiences, and relationships with other characters. For example, Silco surviving the murder attempt by Vander and how this very personal betrayal motivated him politically, to be unrelentingly extremist in his methods. Or Vander feeling personally guilty for all the deaths on the Day of Ash, leading to him forming a political deal with Grayson to subdue the undercity from ever stepping out of line "for their own good". Because when you live in these kinds of dire conditions, there really is no way to separate the personal from the political.

Though season 1 didn't explore these themes with the sisters as deeply as I would have liked, the crumbs were there! Especially for Jinx. Yeah, she's selfish and personally-motivated, but her actions are nonetheless political. When it comes to her political opinions, the first season itself only gave us crumbs ("We kicked the enforcers butts, imagine what the whole of the Lanes could do!" as a kid, and then later Silco tells her that the children of Zaun deserve more and she seems to listen pensively, but never comments on it). Every act of political violence by her in the first season was given a personal motivation (she wants Silco to think she's strong, she wants to confront Caitvi on the bridge, she wants to avenge Silco). But writers comments outside the show gave us more - one of them said online that while Jinx understands Vander, she disagrees with his worldview and aligns with Silco's views on fighting topside. So that confirmed that Jinx does have an ideology and it aligns with Silco's, even if she was mostly preoccupied with personal matters in S1.

Vi on the other hand was completely neglected by season 1. All of her thought process and political opinions post Act 1 were left entirely subtextual. Act 3 was the worst offender because it's there that she makes her most controversial decisions (betraying Jinx to the Council and attacking the Shimmer factory with enforcers). However, again there were crumbs that one could string together to form interpretations. In S1E2, Vander basically convinces her that rebellion against topside is futile as it would likely lead to the deaths of her loved ones. She then decides to give up her desire to fight them and turns herself in to the enforcers. What follows is 7-8 years of being beaten and abused and downtrodden by topsiders in prison. Yeah, I can definitely see how this experience would only confirm Vander's words, that Piltover's might is too much to overcome, not without heavy casualties on their side. That rebellion is futile and the best thing to do is to keep your head down and don't invoke their wrath.

However, it was a fellow undercity citizen who murdered Vander and took her sister. And when she returns years later, she finds that he is still in power, has significant influence and a large number of followers in the Lanes, and no one has overthrown him. One line that really stood out to me was one she said to the brothel madam Babette in S1E5 - "From the looks of it no one down here lifted a finger to stop Silco". How juicy is that! She feels resentful towards her fellow Zaunites for not avenging Vander and taking down Silco in her absence. She feels betrayed, abandoned, left behind by her own neighbours. Her sister changed under Silco, her home changed under Silco. And everyone moved on without her. Expanding on this could have been such a natural way to justify her class treason by joining the enforcers. She thinks Piltover is too strong for Zaunites to beat so there's no use rebelling against them anyway. So why not use their might against her Zaunite enemies? Zaunites themselves "won't lift a finger" to stop violent gang leaders so why not use topside's power to do it? "What loyalty should I have to my class, if the people from my class abandoned me like this?" I could even see how being wronged by Zaunites could hurt more than being wronged by Piltovians - she could see it as the latter owing her nothing while the Zaunites are supposed to be her family and neighbours, who owe her more.

Again, season 1 itself did jack shit to delve into these feelings nor her trauma from prison. But the crumbs were there. I happily used them to form my own interpretation to justify her bizarre decisions and was satisfied. But then season 2 rolls around. They had the blueprint and chose not to use any of this rich material. How do they justify her joining the enforcers? Do they explore any of the complex feelings of resentment Vi may have for her home and class? Nope, she joins after hearing how her crush talked her up to colleagues. How do they justify her fully turning on Jinx and disowning her sister? Do they explore Vi's loyalty to her foster father Vander, and her acceptance that Jinx chose to betray him and side with his murderer, then try to murder Ekko for years? Nope. In fact, she forgets about Ekko and never mentions him again lmao. Rather she seems to turn on Jinx because she attacked the Council??? That seems to be the turning point for Vi, the thing that makes Vi view Jinx as a monster. "She killed the tyrants who oppressed me all my life, how dare she😤" ???? It would make sense for Vi to view the attack as stupid and reckless, again just like Vander said - fighting topside only brings more wrath to the undercity. But they don't even do that. They never explore Vi's political opinions and how she agrees with Vander's "compliance for our own good" stance. They never touch on her time in prison and how it may have compounded Vander's views. Instead they make it so Vi seems to sympathize with the Councilors and condemns Jinx's bombing because of some generic "violence bad" moral.

It's so stupid too, because they completely forget about Grayson. That's more PRIME material to justify Vi's enforcer arc. If Vander, her mentor, allied with Grayson, Caitlyn's mentor, then why shouldn't she ally with Caitlyn? She could easily use the Vander-Grayson peace deal to make herself feel better about her class treason. "He allied with enforcers to keep the undercity in check for their own good. So will I. Putting on the uniform is just the next logical step. I will take out the gang leaders and Silcos that Zaunites are too weak to stand up to. My parents were wrong to fight against topside, rebellion is futile. Jinx is wrong to fight against topside and will only get more Zaunites killed in the resulting retaliation. They can call me a traitor but I'm doing this for their own good."

All the pieces are there. Instead they never bring up the Vander-Grayson deal. Caitlyn and Vi have never even spoken about either of them in their entire relationship lmfaooo. They don't even know that their beloved mentors knew each other. They never speak about anything of substance. The only crumbs of an ideological clash we get in season 2 is the argument in S2E5. But it's all from Jinx's side - "I wish I was just seeing things when you decided to throw in with the Piltie goons who murdered mom and dad." But then Vi replies with some lame insult, then they're having a cheap slapstick comedy fight, and Vi never reckons with this. She never expresses what she thinks of her parents dying fighting topside. Then the Piltover vs Zaun war is completely abandoned and the plot focuses on Warwick/Hexcore/Noxus. And we don't get any more explorations of the ideological/philosophical clash that the sisters represent. Is it worth it to rebel against an oppressor if you lose yourself and all your loved ones to violence, but at least those in the future reap the benefits of your fight? Is it worth it to comply for the safety of yourself and your loved ones, if your people will eventually suffer a slow death and never have a future? What are you willing to sacrifice for your revolution? How far will you go? They handled this theme beautifully with season 1 Silco, then said "alright that's enough" and dropped all effort when it came to season 2. And from the trailers of Act 3, it looks like Vi will be convincing Jinx to fucking help Piltover against Noxus. Which is just gross lmao.

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

This is yet another great piece of art you've done for me Tanuki, and once again, I'm so happy with how it came out. From the poses to the wonderful colors and lighting, to the amazing and magical background, and of course how you drew Akko and Sucy so, so well, this is a truly amazing drawing! Everyone, once again, if you haven't checked out Tanuki's other artwork here, do yourself a favor, and go and look at them right now! They're all just as, if not better, than this drawing here! Thanks again!

“... But uh, what were you trying to say before about choosing—”

Akko turned, opening her eyes. She quickly stopped talking.

And Sucy realized just how close she was to Akko. At some point, her arms had moved to wrap around Akko’s waist, her head leaning closer, and now, her face was probably not even inches away. Their noses were almost touching.

Sucy went still, like her whole body had become stone. She couldn’t so much as twitch. Akko didn’t either. She could feel Akko’s breath on her face. Her heartbeat, from how her chest pushed up against her.

Could Akko feel her own?

They both kept standing still. Kept waiting for…she didn’t know. Some signal for when it was okay to break, whatever this was? Sucy didn’t know. She just kept holding Akko. And Akko did the same..."

Another LWA commission requested by @the-black-mage-of-phantasm for their fic Envenomation :)

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Once again, I'm so happy with how this art came out! Than you so much again for all your amazing work, @tanuki-pyon! Everyone, if you haven't already, go check out all of their wonderful art, it's just as amazing as this drawing!

"...But she never got a chance to, because Akko was suddenly in front of her, her wand whipping out with lighting speed as, at the same time, she grabbed Sucy by the waist and pulled her close, and faster than she’d ever heard, Akko shouted, "Metamorphie Fociesse!"

A spark ignited on the the tip of her wand, and green energy suddenly washed over the bats like a crashing wave. There was a poof of smoke, and then, bright pink butterflies, ones that almost looked like the shape of hearts, came from within, harmlessly flying past them. The fading green lights of the spell cast a perfect glow on her face, highlighting her protective frown, and the determination in her eyes made it clear no one was getting past her..."

LWA commission for @the-black-mage-of-phantasm and their fic Envenomation :)!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Hello guys, I'm posting a fundraiser, our car got stolen and that was our biggest source of income, we also have spent all of our savings on buying it and the insurance won't cover the event so we probably have to buy a new one.

If you can spread this that'd be awesome, if you can donate even more and if you want a commission to support my dms are open.

I'll leave some examples of my work in case you're interested in commissioning me:

Thank you :)

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Happy birthday Sucy! 🍄

(coincidentally celebrating new year)

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

A confession in a cold night.Usually, big events were not held so often in Luna Nova.But it was a special year, the rebirth of magic around the world, the salvation of the same world and many new formations that followed. So in Luna Nova, the score of the "New Year of Magic" was announced, where, by drawing lots, the duties of each of the Luna Nova teams for preparation were given.This time, instead of the leader of the red team, Lotte pulled the lot and it was as if fate itself had blessed them."You will be responsible for the musical accompaniment during the evening!"And so it was decided. Akko hurried to her team's room, rushing through the crowds of new and old students. Susie sent her to Lotte to make sure that their song plan and other musical accompaniment was ready and did not require correction. As she approached the door, the young sorceress heard muffled singing outside the door. Lotte sang a winter song familiar to Akko, but with changes in the text. Carefully entering the room, she did not hide the mood and inspiration of her neighbor, she sat down on the bed and began to listen.~*Snowman Akko*~Don't cry snowman, not in front of mеWho will catch your tears if you can't catch me?Darling, if you can't catch me, darlingDon't cry snowman, don't leave me this wayA puddle of water can't hold me closeBaby, can't hold me close, Akko babyI want you to know that I'm never leavingCause I'm Mrs.Yansson, 'till death we'll be freezingYeah you are my home, my home for all seasonsSo come on let's goLet's go below zero and hide from the sunI'll love you forever, oh we'll have some funYes, let's hit the North Pole and live happilyPlease don't cry no tears now it's Christmas, Akko babyMy snowman and meMy snowman and mеWhen Lotta finished her singing, she was attracted by the sound of quiet sobs, turning around she saw Akko and blushing, she was stunned "How long has she been here?" "Did you hear what I was singing?" Such stupid thoughts instantly penetrated her bright head. — Lotte, I... *Sob* I love you too, you are such an incredible girl! Akko went up to the witch from Finland and hugged her. Meanwhile, Lotte, having recovered from her stupor, hesitantly hugged Akko in return. - Akko, I'm really sorry that... my confession has become like this... unexpectedSaying this, Lotte blushed even more, but she felt Akko's embrace become tighter but at the same time not suffocating. — I can put up with it! And moreover, it is even more memorable! So they stayed in the room, discussing everything and everything. Susy is in the hall where she gave the order to Akko 5 hours ago:*Well, where does this magic error go?*...After that evening, everyone noticed that Akko and Lotte became warmer and their relationship stronger

The end

#lwasanta2023

@the-black-mage-of-phantasmIt

was fun for me to write this! Happy New Year! Have a nice holiday!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Heya folks! I just wanted to announce that chapter 6 of Envenomation is gonna have to be delayed. Between my other fics and other writing stuff, being sick, my job and taking care of my family, I just didn’t get the time I wanted to write for this chapter. As for how long the delay will, with how busy I currently am, I’m gonna try my best to get Chapter 6 out by January 22nd, maybe sooner. So about twenty days, if all things go well.  I’m sorry for being unable to provide the next chapter on time, but will make sure that when it’s published, it’s as awesome as can be. In the meantime, have a preview of Pili’s awesome art for the next chapter!

Again, sorry for the delay, and I hope you all understand.  

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Red My Mind: A Red Team Fanfic Summary: While hunting for Christmas decorations, Diana learns a lot about the red team. Ao3 Link to Story, FFN Link to Story Art by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram!

Current Chapters: 1

Current Length 10,441 words

Updates (Hopefully) Monthly. Next update, January 29th.

My gift for @thewholekittyandkaboodle for the @lwasanta secret santa gift exchange. Both art, and a fanfic! I was assigned to make a a fic centered on the red team, with one of the major themes being teamwork. And this gave me the idea to do a character study of the red team through the eyes of Diana!Thus, this story was born, and I teamed up with a good artist friend of mine, Pili, to make the cover! I tried to get this out by Christmas, but my job got busy, and this story took a life on its own, and what I had planned to be a one-shot turned into a three-shot. But still, I’m sorry for the delay; I’m gonna do my best to get out the next chapter in about a month. For those of you who follow Envenomation, know that there might be a one/two week delay because this fic has taken up a lot of my free time lately. Again, I’ll do my best to get it out soon, but, right now, I’m honestly feeling a bit sick, so I’m not sure how much writing I’ll be able to get done. And with that, these notes come to a close. Don't hesitate to tell me what you liked and/or didn't like about this chapter in the reviews!. This is Black Mage of Phantasm signing off. Peace!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Envenomation: a Sucy Manbavaran fanfic

Art by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram!

Ao3 Link to Story, FFN Link to Story

Summary: Sucy Manbavaran wasn’t the most “open” person. Aloof most of the time, sarcastic the rest, and always sadistic, she knew a lot of people thought she was nothing but the scariest witch in the room, and she was more than happy to let them think so. But even witches like her had fears. Ones she never liked to think about, and ones that gave her nightmares that had become far, far too real.

Current Chapters: 5

Current Length: 67,092 words

Updates Monthly. Next update, January 2nd, 2024

Hello there! It’s been about four months since I promised to update this story. And it’s been just as long any story for that matter. Yeesh.

So, to give a TL;DR about why I’ve been gone and what took this chapter so long: my mom got into a car accident on like day before I was going to upload this, and while she was fine, dealing with insurance to cover the accident has been a nightmare. I had to take more shifts at my job and work more hours to cover the bills while dealing with them, but, eventually, I got them to fork over the money.

After like three months of that, I started editing the draft for this chapter, and there were certain things I didn’t like, and certain plot points I wanted to change, which led to a massive rehaul of certain scenes here. And then like in the second week of  November, I got a really bad flu (surprisingly not COVID) that left me feeling like crap for the rest of the month, especially since I couldn’t take that many days of work, so I had to work while sick.

And this was all on top of dealing with the fact that the one year anniversary of my best friends death came and went, reminding me she isn't hear, and dealing with all the grief that brings.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to these last few months.  And yes, that was the summarized version.

I’m really sorry for the delay. And I’m afraid I have some more bad news: because of how busy I’ve gotten at my job, I’m gonna have to move this story to a monthly release. Sorry, but I don’t want to sacrifice the quality of this story by giving out incomplete works just to meet a deadline that I can push back.

But anyway, I do hope this chapter was worth the wait. It’s quite long (over 21,000 words, the longest chapter to date!), and there was a lot of talking here, but trust me when I say there were certain moments here that heavily foreshadow key plot points for later down the line. Also, I did my best to make the dialogue, especially between the red team and Ursula, feel authentic to them as characters,  as well as doing the emotional moments here justice, and I hope that it made for an enjoyable read. And now, I’m gonna work on the next chapter and try to get it out by January 2nd!

And with that, these notes come to a close. Don't hesitate to tell me what you liked and/or didn't like about this chapter!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Heya folks! I just wanted to announce that chapter 5 of Envenomation is gonna be coming out a week late, on August 27th this Sunday. Tried to get it done on time, but unfortunately I was pretty busy at my job, and also was still dealing with a pretty freakin’ persistent flu. So, I’m sorry for being unable to provide the next chapter on time, but will definitely upload something by Sunday. In the meantime, have a preview of Pili’s awesome art for the next chapter!

Again, sorry for the delay.

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Envenomation: a Sucy Manbavaran fanfic

Art by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram!

Ao3 Link to Story, FFN Link to Story

Summary: Sucy Manbavaran wasn’t the most “open” person. Aloof most of the time, sarcastic the rest, and always sadistic, she knew a lot of people thought she was nothing but the scariest witch in the room, and she was more than happy to let them think so. But even witches like her had fears. Ones she never liked to think about, and ones that gave her nightmares that had become far, far too real.

Current Chapters: 4

Current Length: 45,780 words

Updates Bi-Weekly. Next update, August 20th

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Envenomation: a Sucy Manbavaran Fanfic Art done by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram! Ao3 Link Here, FFN Link Here

Summary: Sucy Manbavaran wasn’t the most “open” person. Aloof most of the time, sarcastic the rest, and always sadistic, she knew a lot of people thought she was nothing but the scariest witch in the room, and she was more than happy to let them think so. But even witches like her had fears. Ones she never liked to think about, and ones that gave her nightmares that had become far, far too real.

Current Chapters: 3

Current Length: 39,016 words

Updates Bi-Weekly. Next update, August 6th

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Queen of Punk!

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Envenomation: a Sucy Manbavaran Fanfic Art done by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram! Ao3 Link Here, FFN Link Here

Summary: Sucy Manbavaran wasn’t the most “open” person. Aloof most of the time, sarcastic the rest, and always sadistic, she knew a lot of people thought she was nothing but the scariest witch in the room, and she was more than happy to let them think so. But even witches like her had fears. Ones she never liked to think about, and ones that gave her nightmares that had become far, far too real.

Current Chapters: 2

Current Length: 27,082 words

Updates Bi-Weekly. Next update, July 23rd

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

hi new here have some old sucy art

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Little witches getting lost