polyodynos

[polyodynos]

[polyodynos]

((I got sick again, but I'm going to be working on replies this week!

[polyodynos]

"This is why the first rule of Trailblazing is don't talk to cops! You know, I've held my tongue every time someone on the Express has questioned why I'm so guarded around General Jing Yuan and Captain Landau, and it's because cops do stuff like this! They will waste your time and prevent you from going to a memorial if you let them!"

[polyodynos]

"Is... Is anyone going tell the Kremnoans that hyenas are famously known for having a really strong bite? Their teeth are designed for crushing bones. I mean, it's possible that the hyenas here don't, but it's been bothering me for a while."

[polyodynos]

So unfortunately I am unable to be normal about tokusatsu as per usual, but I just wanted to stop in and say that Fire Candle from Go/zyuger would be a perfect FC choice for an OC who's a follower of Elation or a Masked Fool. Not only does his design RULE but his actor is also very expressive and makes a lot of really good expressions. Also tokusatsu in general is a really good source of face claims, especially for monsters. I will even make you icons if need be!

[polyodynos]

❝ the 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 is bullshit. / #defiantlyjazz.    ⸻    severance's  HELLY R. && HELENA EAGAN, as penned  by  grace. sideblog, follows from @finalslay.

[polyodynos]

❝ they were harvested from wild oysters. ❞ pearls. ren holds out a small bag containing pearl earrings — nothing remarkable in his eyes, just a fun souvenir from his last stop. though sightseeing rarely makes it onto his itinerary, he occasionally finds time to indulge. more often than not, those moments turn into chances to pick up a keepsake, usually as a gift rather than something for himself. ren isn’t one to collect things unless they hold personal meaning, he prefers giving instead. this time, for some reason, yumina came to mind. the pearls aren’t perfectly polished, hanging from unadorned golden studs — simple, understated, yet beautiful. they suit her, he thinks. versatile enough for any occasion, elegant without being excessive. he likes them, but they don’t match his own style. without waiting for her reaction, he places the earrings in her palm and takes a small step back. ❝ if i ever go back, i’ll see if they have a matching necklace. ❞

The pearl earrings pulse faintly in Yumina's palms, remnants of the sea's energy rippling against her skin. They pulse with a rhythm she knows as well as her own heartbeat: the rhythm of tides and ocean currents and the tug of a planet's moon. "They're beautiful," she says, her voice as soft and reverent as the smile on her face. "Is it really okay for me to have them?" The question sounds even more foolish spoken aloud, and Yumina can't help the rush of color that creeps into her cheeks. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant to say." Not aloud at least. She looks up at Ren, a bright grin playing across her lips. "Thank you, Mr. Ren. They're perfect. Pearls correspond to water and lunar energy, so this is a very practical gift for me. Oh! Speaking of practical gifts..." Yumina takes a moment to place the bag in one of the pockets of her satchel before she retrieves an omamori from the same pocket. The omamori is inconspicuous in appearance, covered in black silk and dangling from a black cord adorned with three beads of black tourmaline, onyx, and obsidian, but it's the result of a few week's labor. She had sewn the covering herself and had made the ink from lampblack—a tedious process that had involved collecting soot from an oil lamp she reserved for magical purposes. In comparison to Ren's gift though, the omamori, as immaculate a piece of spellwork as it is, feels like little more than a hastily scribbled card made out of construction paper. "I know you're risking a lot coming to visit me, so I thought I'd make you something that would make it easier to blend in." She holds the omamori out for Ren to take, the shadows the amulet casts darkening and expanding. "It, um, works best when you're in the shadows, and it has protective properties too. As long as you don't open it, you should be able to recharge it by keeping it somewhere dark like a closet or by burying it. It'll lose effectiveness over time, but it will last you a while," Yumina explains, her skin prickling with self-consciousness. With her free hand, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small satchel. The satchel is stuffed with a fragrant blend of rosemary, thyme, lavender, chamomile, mugwort, rose, and honeysuckle. "I also made you this. You can tuck it under your pillow, and it will help you sleep better."

"I'm sorry this is all I have right now," she murmurs. "But... If you ever end up getting a matching necklace for me, I'll promise I'll have something just as good to give you in exchange."

[polyodynos]

"Miss Yumina, I need the pepperoni perfume as well. Have you happened to, uh- " The Basil creature (like the rancid Propagation Pathstrider that he is) visibly and audibly - SNIFFS - in her direction. " -put some on you, by any chance? "

"Um, you don't have to call me 'miss.'" The words have barely left her mouth when Basil scents the air like a bloodhound. Yumina takes a big step backwards. "Mr. Boothill sprayed me with some, but only a little got on me. I think I'm lucky because it doesn't seem to work with my skin chemistry."

[polyodynos]

On one hand, Yumina opposes commercialization and the commodification of human relationships and emotions, but on the other hand, days like today are some of the profitable days for her perfumery.

[polyodynos]

I'm still recovering from a bad cold, so in the meantime, have a list of a few of the countries on Hakari and their inspirations/aesthetic vibes. I always had this idea of Hakari being a planet that was a hub for decorative arts and traditional craftsmanship and where nature, ecology, and biodiversity are valued and very much present, because I feel like a lot of sci-fi settings are very much "chrome and metal and neon" rather than "solar power, geothermal energy, pristine forest, and permaculture." Also, I'm still coming up with names for some of them, and obviously if they're inspired by the traditional art and aesthetics of a culture, their culture is also inspired in part by that corresponding real world culture!

Eichenland: Black Forest crafts and decorative arts, the Gothic Revival, and traditional German, Swiss, Alpine, and Austrian furniture and decorative arts. Glaux: Ancient Greek decorative arts, the Grecian Revival movement, and neoclassicism.

Island of the Swans (Need to learn how to translate the name): Ancient Irish and Scottish culture, ancient Celtic culture, the Arts and Crafts movement, the Glasgow style, and nineteenth century and early twentieth Celtic Revivalist furniture and decorative arts.

Karasujima (烏島): Yumina's home country. Japanese decorative arts and traditional aesthetics (especially Meiji era decorative arts), Art Nouveau (including Jugendstil and the Vienna Secession), Japonisme, Anglo-Japanese style furniture and decorative arts, grotto furniture, the eighteenth and nineteenth century trends of decorating, covering, and encrusting entire rooms and grottoes with seashells, cabinets of curiosities, and sailor's crafts like sailor's valentines.

Koivikkola: Traditional Finnish decorative arts, Scandinavian Modern, and some Space Age and Atomic Age influences.

Lanhuaguo (蘭花國): Chinese decorative arts and aesthetics with a particular emphasis on the Chinese Republican era (1912 to 1949 C.E.), Art Deco, Chinese Export (furniture and decorative arts made in China, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, for foreign buyers) furniture and decorative arts.

Space France (Still Needs a Name): La Belle Époque decorative arts. Space Britain (Still Needs a Name): Late Victorian and Edwardian decorative arts. I also know there's going to to be a country who is aesthetically inspired by the Memphis style and post-modern furniture, one who is inspired by mid-century modern, and maybe one where the Space Age influence is more pronounced or obvious.

[polyodynos]

"Sometimes I think Mr. Sampo would get into less trouble if he just... held his tongue more often."

[polyodynos]

Polyodynos || An independent Honkai Star Rail OC Links: Rules || About || Path || Render Credit

[polyodynos]

Here's Yumina's official ranking of places that we've seen the Express go to ranked from worst to best:

The Xianzhou Luofu. Along with being very stressful for her personally, bad things also always happen to Dan Heng when they go here. The Express also always ends up interacting with someone who is essentially the head cop on the Luofu, and that goes against the first rule of Trailblazing. Also it's a militaristic culture that seems way too comfortable with fighting a perpetual war. 0.5/5.

Penacony. It's a capitalist hellscape run by a high-control group. Why would you recreate capitalism in a dream? Also visiting the Dreamscape always gives her a headache. 1/5.

Amphoreus. Amphoreus makes her homesick, because it reminds her of a country on her home planet and of her galaxy. But despite the linguistic and aesthetic similarities, there are enough cultural differences so it feels vaguely uncanny and not in a way she's into. Also, nobody seems to offer oblations when asking entities for aid, and nobody seems to be questioning the prophecy enough. 2.5/5. Jarillo-VI. Honestly, she was on the Express for most of the major action, but despite the class divide, it's the best out of these four by default, and she likes the cold climate. 3.5/5.

[polyodynos]

> Be Yumina. > Go to Amphoreus with two of your crewmates. > Things go poorly. > Get vaguely homesick because it reminds you of your galaxy and a country on your home planet. > Go to request aid from a Titan. > Be the only one who brought oblations. > Be mortified by how disrespectful some of your companions are being. > Realize this might be part of why the Titans don't want to help people on this planet.

[polyodynos]

(( This patch brings up the grand total of Problems Yumina Could Have Done Something about if Not for Trauma to three and it gets funnier every time.

[polyodynos]

Angela Carter, from the bloody chamber and other stories; the lady of the house of love

[polyodynos]

"Do I want to smell like a cemetery where someone spilled a cup of apple cider or do I want to smell like incense and flowers left at a cemetery... Decisions decisions."