#Four Specter Sisters

[geekygaymerrealm]

Pinky Momo

[lulu2992]

Hey there!

After reading your great insight on what to keep in mind when, say, writing the Seed brothers in fanfiction, I was wondering if you wanted to cap things off on what to keep in mind when writing Faith?

You don’t have to do it immediately, just when you have the time.

Hi! Sure, let’s conclude this “series” with the last member of the family, Faith Seed :)

First, while she’s referred to as a/the Siren by Dutch, a couple of NPCs, and in promotional material, this isn’t her official title in the Project. And as you probably know, Faith Seed’s real name is actually Rachel. However, unlike what the Far Cry Wiki claims, I’m quite certain her full name was never Rachel Jessop. Unfortunately, the biography on her Wiki page is partly made up and based on that incorrect assumption, so I really don’t recommend trusting it. This advice goes for all Far Cry characters, and I don’t think the Far Cry 6 Season Pass is a good reference, either, since the DLCs were written with the help of the Wiki.

In Far Cry 5, in addition to the story cutscenes, she has three sermons (here, here, and here), four answering machine messages (here, here, here, and here), and can also be randomly encountered in the Henbane River region as a “specter” (term used in the files). When she appears, she either hums the song “Oh The Bliss” (here and here) or talks to the Deputy. I think what she says really is worth listening to and adds a lot to her character. @teamhawkeye has done a tremendous job recording and compiling all her appearances in 9 videos (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9)! As for Marshal Burke’s “apology video”, in which Faith also appears, it’s here.

I wrote a summary of what other characters say about her here (masterpost here), and all the NPCs’ comments about the Seed family are available here and here.

Faith isn’t in Far Cry Arcade and doesn’t have the same “combat lines” as most other characters, but you can still listen to everything she says during the final fight against her here.

Her deleted lines are here, and she has even more here. Most of them probably aren’t relevant anymore, but they’re still interesting and make me wonder what they originally had in mind for the character!

If I’m not mistaken, there’s only one note in Far Cry 5 written by Faith: the “Note for Tracey” (Hope County Jail). The note “A Confession” (Throne of Mercy Church) was also written by “Faith”, but it seems to me the author is one of Rachel’s predecessors.

Indeed, in-game evidence indicates Rachel wasn’t the first woman who took on the role of Faith Seed. There were at least two others before her, Lana and Selena, but we barely know anything about them or why they were replaced. Two letters, written by people who knew and loved them, can be found in the game in the Horned Serpent Cave and the King’s Hot Springs Hotel, but that’s pretty much it.

There was another note written by Faith, apparently cut from the game but still available in oasisstrings. It was supposed to be in her bunker, Faith’s Gate:

To my guardians, Because we have each other, we are already strong. But when the Collapse comes, this gate will need to be the heart of our strength. Guard it with your lives, knowing that any sacrifice you make will be for the future of humanity's greatest ideals and dreams. Jacob and Joseph have chosen you to guard this gate. You should be very proud. I know you serve me with love, but never forget that this will be your home, too. If you falter from this purpose, remember the bliss is there for you. With love, Faith

It’s worth noting that, in the game’s files, Faith (or the Henbane River) is sometimes referred to as “Selena Seed”. To me, this suggests that her identity and her backstory went through many changes during the development of Far Cry 5, and that might explain at least some of the grey areas surrounding the character.

Since she isn’t the Seed brothers’ biological sister and they weren’t raised together, The Book of Joseph doesn’t give a lot of information about her life before Eden’s Gate aside from what the game already tells us: she was a broken person, addicted to drugs, and was “adopted” by Joseph as his sister and Herald. When she joined the cult, since drugs are forbidden by the rules, she first had to overcome her addiction, and the book says she succeeded with the help of scopolamine (basically Bliss). It’s also explained she then worked with a geneticist named Peter, probably on developing Bliss. That said, in the game, he’s never mentioned, cultists never use the word “scopolamine” (always “Bliss”), and nothing clearly indicates it can be or has ever been used as a substitution treatment, so I’m not sure what’s still canonical...

Faith also appears in the short film Inside Eden’s Gate (not entirely canon to me but still good) where she’s played by Mackenzie “Kenz” Lawrén Johnson. I must admit Faith is my favorite Herald in the film; I really like Kenz Lawrén’s interpretation as well as her opinion on the character, which she gave in this interview!

Weirdly, Faith has often been referred to as the “half-sister” by the game’s main writers (such as here or here) even though she isn’t related to the Seed family in the game. It’s possible that she used to be but that was changed at some point. According to the Lead Writer, “Maybe she isn’t liked by the other two brothers as she didn’t grow up with them” (which is hinted at by NPCs and John himself in Far Cry 5). In a now-deleted interview for GameCrate, he also described her as “more of an outsider” and “probably the most fervent believer in Joseph”.

Greg Bryk, who co-created and played the Father, said he believed he needed Faith because “the maternal aspect of the feminine energy is missing” in his life even though it’s something “essential for Joseph to have”. He thinks there have been several Faiths because “when [Joseph] would lose faith, [he] would find another Faith.” And according to him, “she doesn’t need to have a specific energy because there’s something of an essence that [he needs] as opposed to a person”, and she almost has a “mother earth energy”.

While she does give a bit of information about her past life as Rachel in the game, saying she was “ostracized by her community”, “bullied by friends”, “abused by her family”, and “wanted to die”, it’s not always easy to know what’s true and what’s not when it comes to Faith because she’s known for being a master manipulator; lying is canonically part of her modus operandi. In a way, because Faith Seed is a role, I would say she’s also always performing. Unlike what a few NPCs claim, I don’t think that means she never tells the truth, but she’s still undoubtedly “very skilled at twisting the facts and turning any situation to her advantage”, as the game’s Narrative Director put it.

Although the details are unclear, I believe it’s true Rachel was “lost” and “broken” before she arrived in Hope County and joined the Project. It’s also true that, as Faith Seed, she’s now powerful, dangerous, and not innocent anymore, as her former best friend Tracey Lader, who knows her very well and witnessed her transformation (but was unable to stop it), warns the Deputy. I neither mean nor think the situation Faith is in is normal, healthy, or the best thing that could have happened to her, but I do think saying she’s unhappy with it, helpless, in danger, or that she only wishes she could run away from the cult really is a misunderstanding of the character. Faith knows what she’s doing, and she’s very good at doing it. To me, she’s the most powerful Herald.

Since the lore is a bit inconsistent, we’re not entirely sure how the Bliss works and who created it, but we know it’s an almost magical, hallucinogenic and pacifying drug made from “bliss flowers” (heavily inspired by Datura stramonium) that Faith is immune to, can control, and uses to brainwash people. “The Bliss” is also a place, but once again, the details are unclear. It could be her bunker, or maybe just a distorted version of reality that individuals who are exposed to the drug “live” in. Wherever or whatever it is, most people never truly come back from it or fully break free from Faith’s influence, as seen with the Marshal in the game…

In the Project, Faith’s role is to lure (hence the nickname “Siren”) people into the cult and convince them to follow the Father, often with the help of Bliss. If they keep resisting or are “too full of fear and doubt”, high doses of the drug can be administered to them and turn them into Angels, who are comparable to zombies according to some characters. Bliss irreversibly damages people’s brains, and those who become Angels unfortunately can never be saved. Faith and her followers seem to think they’re beautiful creations because they’re faithful to the Project and unable to sin. It seems she has the power to control them (at least partly), and the cult doesn’t hesitate to use them as “shock troops” or “slave labor and beasts of burden”, as NPCs say. They’re indeed very docile and resistant... as well as hard to kill.

Again, there are some discrepancies regarding what happens to potential converts in the Henbane River region, but it seems people first have to walk along the Pilgrimage path and, at the end of it, take a literal leap of faith from the statue of Joseph, just like Faith explains she did (even though whether or not the statue already existed at the time is a bit uncertain). As unbelievable as it sounds, NPCs confirm it’s entirely possible to survive the leap. After walking the Path, some pilgrims become Angels, some simply join the Project, and others don’t survive, either because they don’t make it to the end or die when they jump (maybe because their faith isn’t strong enough, I’m not sure how that works).

In the Family, Faith can be described as “the favorite child” (and I think that makes John jealous), who saw Joseph as her savior when they met and wants others to experience the same feeling, by force if necessary. Just like her brothers, she basically weaponizes her trauma and makes people relive a sublimated version of her life story: she targets the most vulnerable individuals, gives them drugs to ease their torment, and sometimes takes their minds away from them. Even though Faith is fully capable of thinking for herself, isn’t mind-controlled, was a drug user before she joined the Project (not after), and left her old self Rachel “in the darkness” willingly to be reborn as Faith Seed, she still became a new person for the Father and expects the same from anyone she converts, even if that means she has to completely brainwash them.

In conclusion, we don’t really know much about Rachel and her backstory, simply that she was broken, saw Eden’s Gate as a chance to start anew, and happily took it. Since she was young, desperate, and therefore suggestible when she met Joseph, one can wonder if Faith is simply a manipulated, brainwashed victim; a poor, helpless soul devoured by a cult. But although that situation is far from ideal or normal, she and other characters confirm that she too has teeth, and she doesn’t hesitate to use them. Rachel should theoretically just have been a victim, but as Faith Seed, she’s transcended this status. She’s found purpose, power, and is committed to her beliefs. Not everyone in Hope County precisely knows who she is, but now, she does. She’s a multifaceted mystery whom people tend to underestimate, and it’s something she likes to cultivate because that’s how she gets them. She’s a Siren, but in my opinion, also a Phoenix, who was consumed completely and rose up from her own ashes to be born again. Rachel was broken, but Faith is strong. Rachel lost herself, but Faith was found. Rachel was nothing; Faith can be anything.

[of-vamps-wolves-witches-ghosts]

Yours For Eternity {Barnabas Collins x OC} Ch.3

the return of barnabas collins

tagging: (let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!)

Victoria and Amelia were unpacking their clothes in their shared room. "I think I'm going to like it here" Amelia spoke up to her sister.

Victoria smiled. "Me too" She noticed the way her sister frowned. "What's wrong, Amelia?"

"You don't think he'll find me here, do you?" 

Victoria steps over to Amelia, and holds her sister in a hug. "I believe you're safe from him here. And even if he does come, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise"

Amelia smiles. "Thank you, Victoria" The two sisters let go of each other. Amelia notices David wearing the sheet over his body. She begins to chuckle. "David, you startled me"

Victoria turns her head and begins to laugh as well. "Getting ready for Halloween?" There's no answer from him. Victoria has a feeling. She approaches the figure. When Victoria gets to the figure, she peers into the eyeholes. There are a pair of eyes the closely resemble that of her sisters. Victoria takes the sheet off, revealing a ghost, with a striking resemblance to Amelia. Of course, Amelia herself doesn't see the ghost, but she knows it's there.

"He's coming" the ghost speaks. She then begins to float away. Victoria starts following her, and in turn, Amelia follows Victoria. They follow the apparition to the main hall where she is circling a chandelier, now with a second ghost that bears a strong resemblance to Victoria. The two ghosts are holding hands.

"He's coming" the ghost resembling Victoria speaks this time. The two ghosts stop circling the chandelier and they both fall backwards. The disappear once they hit the floor.

"What did it say?" Amelia asked.

"They said he's coming" Victoria answered.

"Who's coming?" Amelia wonders out loud.

~

Barnabas Collins had been freed from his imprisonment underground by a group of unsuspecting construction workers, who he had slaughtered and fed on. Now, he was making his way out of the woods. Barnabas stops in his tracks when he sees a bright light off in the distance. "Show yourself, Satan!" He calls to the light, not knowing that it's just the headlights from a car. "Mock me not with your strange luminance!" The light disappears and he continues. He stops yet again when he leaves the wooded area and comes across the road, but he doesn't know it's called a road. He steps on it cautiously and then kneels down to run his nails across the asphalt. "Curious terrain" He hears and noise and looks up. "What is this? Some specter approaches. It is the eyes of the devil himself, come to drag me to my judgement" He was, in fact, talking about a car that was approaching him. Barnabas spreads his arms out. "Have at me Lucifer. My soul is prepared!"

The car honks and quickly swerves out of the way to avoid hitting Barnabas. "Asshole!" The driver yells at him. And then the car drives off. Barnabas sees the sign the directs him to Collinsport. He begins his walk down the road and into the town. He worked his way through town until he came to Collinwood Manor. "My beloved Collinwood" Barnabas speaks when he sees his home. "What have they done to you?" Barnabas came across Willie, who was drunk and singing while he worked in the pumpkin patch. "Fear me not, drunkard. You shall not be harmed so long as you tell me all that I need to know"

Willie stood up and waved his flash at Barnabas. "Well, here's all you need to know" He slurred.

Barnabas knocked the flask out of Willie's hand. He then waved his hand in front of Willie's face. "See me, derelict. Look into my eyes and deliver me your innermost thoughts" He hypnotized Willie, but he only ended up falling asleep. Barnabas slapped his hand to Willie's forehead. "Awaken!" Willie woke. "Well done. Now, tell me, the Collins family--do they endure?"

Willie answers. "Ayuh, there's four of 'em"

"Thank heaven. Pray, what month is it?'

"October. That's why there's pumpkins"

"What is the year?"

"'72. Wait, '71" Willie just can't seem to make his mind up about what year it was. He finally settles on an answer. "Ayuh, 1972"

"1972?" Barnabas repeats. He puts his hand in front of Willie's face and starts hypnotizing him again. "Hear me, future dweller. You shall be my loyal servant until such time as I release you"

"So, what first, master?" Willie asks.

"You will cleanse me, miscreant" Barnabas orders. "And then you will take me to these living Collinses you speak of"

~

Willie brought Barnabas inside Collinwood Manor. "Have you ever seen such majesty?" Barnabas said.

"Every day" Willie answers.

"The perfect marriage of European elegance and American enterprise" Barnabas walked over to the pillar and ran his hand over it. "Nine of the finest craftsmen the world will ever know lost digit, limb and life in the process of carving these glorious pillars. And they all considered it worth the sacrifice, I assure you. The opulence and complexity of this magnificent chandelier" Barnabas looked up at said chandelier. "Should only be found in the places of nobility" He looked at the fireplace. "The fireplace sculpted entirely of the most  exquisite carrara marble from Firenze, Italia" Barnabas had yet to take notice of Carolyn and David, but they definitely noticed him. He continued to admire the fireplace. "Each joint containing a single pearl" 

"Are you stoned or something?" Carolyn asked him.

"They tried stoning me, my dear" Barnabas answered, taking her question literally. "It did not work" Carolyn just stares at him, completely stunned. Barnabas turns to Willie. "When did they start allowing women of the night on estate grounds?"

"Carolyn" David speaks up. "Look" He points at the portrait of  Barnabas on the wall.

"Ah, yes. Uncanny, is it not?" Barnabas says, turning to look at the portrait. "Worth every hour is spent posing. Forgive me. My name is Barnabas Collins"

"I'm David Collins. Are we--?"

Barnabas interrupts. "Related? Distantly, you might say. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master David" He holds out hand to David, ready to shake.

"Children!" Elizabeth calls out. David quickly pulls his hand back. "Get away from the man!" She comes marching down the stairs.

"He says his name is Barnabas Collins" David says.

"And I'm pretty sure he called me a hooker" Carolyn adds.

"That'll do, Carolyn" Elizabeth says. She approaches Barnabas. "A word, please"

~

Elizabeth brings Barnabas into another room so they could talk privately. "If this some kind of a joke, consider it played" She says to him. "If it's money you're after, I'm afraid you've been misinformed. But whoever you are, you're not to look at those children again. Am I clear?"

Barnabas is walking around and observing all the items in the room. "Your devotion to family is admirable, Madam. And your suspicion understandable. A stranger arrives  claiming to be a distant relation. The question of motive is to be expected. As a Collins, surely you are aware of the darkness that has long plagued our family"

Elizabeth scoffs. "You mean our curse. Witches, ghosts, and vampires. Myths. And, like so many before you, I suppose you're here to rid us of them" Elizabeth ever so discretely grabs a knife from off the table. "For a price, of course"

"I can prove that I am different" Barnabas assures her, coming to stop at the fireplace in the room. He begins running his hand along the mantle. "Firstly, I do not come seeking money. Rather, to provide it. Secondly,  I know the body of this mansion as well as I know my own. Every nook, every corner, every secret!" He opens up a secret room. He surprised at all the bright colours instead of the sight of treasure.

"That's where I keep my macrame" Elizabeth explains.

"A disgraceful misuse" Barnabas tells her bluntly.

"Impressive, but there are plenty of old houses with hidden doors. I hope you have a thirdly"

"Indeed. Tell me, what do you know of Barnabas Collins"

"Just legends, really. He was confident and strong. Admired by all. But, he believed our family was cursed, and when his parents were killed, he went mad. Went around insisting that a witch had turned him into a vampire"

"And what is known of his death?"

"Nothing. Not that I can think of"

"That, madam, is because he never died" Barnabas opened up another secret room. This one had stairs leading beneath the fireplace. "I am Barnabas Collins"

"That means you're--"

"A vampire, madam, yes. And most regrettably so" Barnabas said. Elizabeth clutched the knife tightly behind her back. Barnabas continued. "But, more importantly, I am a Collins and I give you my word of honor: Neither you nor anyone under this roof need fear my cursed nature"

[thenicestthingiveseen]

Prompt- I’m the necromancer and you’re the dead guy in the museum that I accidentally brought to life

in which the Weasleys are "witches". (or, "were" witches once upon a time if you have Arthur tell it)

“In my defense,” Gideon starts. “I didn’t think it would actually work. I mean, seriously, who keeps a dead body in a museum?” It’s a weak excuse and he knows it.

The three - well, four - of them are standing in a circle, just staring at one another. 

When he’d managed to nick the keys from Filch, the night watchman, Gideon expected to horse around with his sister and their friend and run through the different archives. But suddenly, their party of three turned into a party of four (although she’s not fully human, Gideon is counting her presence fully) and it is not how Gideon expected to spend All Hallows Eve. It was meant to be a stop on their night of spooky activities – what’s a cheeky séance between friends? It wasn’t supposed to work, his father swore his powers were dormant at best and very weak at worst. Centuries of evolution and blood dilution had rendered their family’s powers somewhat useless in this day and age. Their mother considered it a blessing, people didn’t look too kindly on witches these days, especially witches who tended to harness powers on the darker end of the spectrum; like Gideon and his older sister Penelope - the two of the most likely to possess some sort of mediumship compared to the rest of their family. Turns out, Gideon’s powers are potent or potent enough, and now a beautiful young girl is standing in front of him and he’s lost all further cognitive ability.

“So,” Rowan draws out the vowels as she surveys the specter before them. “What do you suppose we do with it?”  The ghost looks a lot like the girl from the fairy tale that their mother used to tell them when they were kids. A princess held captive by her evil relatives, waiting for her parents to return, who has a mad King determined to kill her to maintain his claim to a throne that’s rightfully hers. 

“Not call them, ‘it’ for starters,” Hector mumbles under his breath.

“Do something.” Rowan hisses at Gideon and it shakes him out of his stupor. He blinks slowly - brown eyes locked on eyes that might’ve been blue or green in another life - and has to drag himself away from her to look at his sister. Confused as to what she expects him to do. This was supposed to be fun. How was he to know that ghosts lurk in places that aren’t crypts?

He pauses for a moment before turning back to the girl and he’s already asking her her name without any consideration for whether or not she can even utter a response. Because, it would be embarrassing if he was able to call a ghost back, but managed not to be able to get her to speak. His thoughts are interrupted by a barely whispered, “Hallie”.

Rowan and Gideon look at each other with matching looks of surprise and concern. Oh.

[burr-ell]

while I've been a cr fan for a while now, i've only recently started to interact more with the fanbase after completing campaign 2 and starting to go through campaign 3(i will hopefully catch up before it concludes but who knows lol) and man is the fandom strange. never have i seen a fandom have both a toxic positivity problem as well as a toxic criticism problem at the same time. people both viciously defend the show and attack it depending on the time of day it feels like lol. that being said I do want to know about what you enjoy about the show? I feel like most of the posts i've seen of yours are meta/takes about the fandom, which i do enjoy don't get me wrong, but i'd love to see things you like, especially if they're niche things! sorry if its a question you've been asked before! much love from another, what i would say, sane critical role fan ahhah

ah you want to see me be annoying. bless you anon <3

-mr lord percival de rolo and ms lady vex'ahlia de rolo and their sister/in-law ms lady cassandra de rolo and their bear son trinket de rolo and their baby quarter elf de rolos and their bear grandson charles de rolo and

-listen, i don't know what made me such a lunatic about perc'ahlia and their family but i am, that will never change, they've both suffered so much loss and they could have gone dark so many times but they didn't! they both chose the light and each other and chose the light because of each other and they have a FAMILY, whitestone is a city of rebirth and i want to gnaw on something every time i think about it

-i also just! love vox machina as a whole! it's classic, archetypal fantasy adventure stuff and that's why i love it. i love the chroma conclave arc especially, i really enjoy the stakes and the traveling across the world and the absolutely ridiculous moments that grew out of it. vox machina is, in the metanarrative, the living legend—the group that started it all and began breathing life into the world of exandria, and i've always enjoyed those kinds of stories.

-EXU CALAMITY. if you haven't seen it you absolutely should, i highly recommend it. it's an amazing story, the characters and setting feel so realized and alive in the four episodes they were around, and the actual players are incredible. i love the lore it introduced, i love the specter of vespin chloras over the narrative, i love how much presence asmodeus has and how well brennan plays such a master manipulator. and the INTRO??? why isn't the intro released as a single it's so good

-i've only had fy'ra rai and morrighan for a day and a half. if anything happened to them i'd kill everyone in the crown keepers

-i love the kinds of concepts and narratives that taliesin considers for his characters and how deeply he thinks through their presence in the world. he's thought so much about whitestone and both what it used to be like and how it's changed since C1, and while i've only watched the m9 twoshot, lucien/molly/kingsley is such an interesting idea (and i just really like kingsley). ashton is also an absolute joy to watch, and i'm so curious about their backstory and lore. taliesin has a knack for portraying characters who have very strong moral and personal beliefs but would rather coexist in a world with others' than enforce their own, which is probably why i like percy and ashton so much in particular. i also really enjoy his sense of humor; it's very dry and snarky with just the right amount of gothic whimsy.

-simply put. Travis Good. even back when he was playing grog, who is on paper a pretty simple character concept, he just couldn't help but give him a compelling and interesting backstory—and when he had to show off his acting chops, he DELIVERED. the depth that he gives his characters and the enthusiasm he has for the lore of the world are so burr-coded. cerrit in particular was an absolute tour de force and just watching travis go for whatever decisions he's going to make is incredible. he's also absolutely hilarious and his comedic timing is underrated. i mean, southerner to southerner, game recognize game.

-laura bailey!! i'm so fascinated by her consistent narratives about masks and coping mechanisms, and i love the fact that she's willing to make her PCs unlikable. she embraces their flaws and their virtues and just plays them so naturally. you have to read between the lines sometimes with her characters or you risk falling for the fronts they put up, and i love that kind of subtlety! she also doesn't feel the need to walk anyone through those choices, which i also appreciate; she simply plays them as they are, and however you react to that is up to you. i admit i'm interested in the alternate universe where laura played a character in calamity—marisha absolutely nailed it as patia, but i'm also interested in what laura would have done at that table.

-welcome to tal'dorei? oh my GODS that album is spectacular, especially the title track

-lastly, i genuinely enjoy the fandom experience! i've met some really cool people and made some really good friends here, and i love the creativity, especially of fanartists. i've learned so much about narrative and storytelling from reading different people's analyses, i've learned more about art from the fanart community, and overall i feel like the people i've met and the experiences i've had have helped me grow as a person.

anyway thank you for encouraging some positivity! i enjoy writing meta and critical analysis is really fun for me, but it's nice to take a step back and remember all the things i love. <3

[sassmill]

Absolutely nobody asked for this, but since it’s nearly October and I listen to these year round: here are some Halloween-y spooky musicals that aren’t Sweeney Todd or Addams Family or Beetlejuice. Lots of murder inbound, folks. The spectrum ranges from “this piece of art is integral to my soul” to “this is campy and fun and I sing it in my car a lot.”

1) Get Jack

To sum it up with lyrics, “he’s still most wanted, but we’ve been forgotten.” The Canonical Five women murdered by Jack the Ripper tell their stories (and then rise as specters from Hell to bring him down). Some serious guitar shredding and rock vocals on tracks like “Left Handed Wives” and “Agony in Red,” and hard-hitting emotional lyrics and performances on tracks like “Blood in Whitechapel” and “Forever Erased.” Plus, a cheeky narrator who may or may not be the Devil. Strikes the perfect balance between earned rage and overdue grieving for these victims that have been largely pushed by the wayside in the history books because of their gender and occupation—like the women of Six, they’re flipping the narrative to reclaim their own identities and agency in the story. These five women were more than just names in a rhyme.

2) Angelmakers: Songs for Female Serial Killers

This song cycle tells you its concept first thing—everyone deserves one song. Even those that have been condemned. Especially them. An examination of “feminine rage and radical empathy,” it makes no excuses for each of these eight women—these serial killers—but it dissects their lives and asks the audience to ponder: how has this world broken you down? How much have you held in? How often have you said sorry? How much have you sacrificed for peace of mind, and how much would you give to make the world bear the full brunt of your pain? It’s more than a concert or a song cycle, it is an elegy—a ritual, an offering for women we know and women we have been. We begin by acknowledging the rage we carry, the effort it takes to temper it, in “Stick the Key In.” We bear witness to the pain that the world has wrought in these women, we recognize that their circumstances are similar to so many others in the seven wildly cathartic punk rock devotionals—and I do feel that that is exactly what they are, because each song is “for” one of these women. And we end the cycle with a psalm of sorts, for all of us: “Will to Live.” It is explicitly unapologetic in the grace it grants these women, and in engaging with their trauma we can allow ourselves as women some grace as well: our pain is real, and our rage reverberates through the centuries because of this will to live despite those that try to break us because of how they’ve been broken. It gives you permission to hurt so that you can start to heal. If you listen to this one, make an evening out of it and listen to it all the way through—complete the cycle.

3)LIZZIE

Anybody who really knows me knows how close this show is to my heart. It takes the 1892 Borden ax murders and holds up a magnifying glass to the women at the center of it. Though the full history involves many, many players, this two act rock musical presents the story to us through just four: Lizzie and Emma, spinster sisters struggling under their father’s iron fist and their stepmother’s cold hearted scheming; Bridget, the family’s young Irish maid who sees and hears everything; and Alice, a neighbor and confidant who must weigh her desire to support the woman she loves against her conscience when she witnesses deceit. This work is a masterpiece of tension. In the days leading up to the murders, you can feel the stifling presence of the father and stepmother bearing down on all four women—and they aren’t physically present in the show at all. The women each play their own role in the drama they unfold—Bridget is our Greek chorus, Emma is puppet master, Alice is a light in the darkness, and Lizzie is the eye of the storm. Honestly, The Village Voice perfectly summed it up: “Lush tunes which retch sex, rage, dyke heat, misanthropy, and incest… Surreal glee and gallows humor… Finally, a rock musical you’d wanna mosh to.”

IMPORTANT: trigger warning for implications of sexual assault.

4) Lizzie Borden

Yes, there are two musicals about her. There’s also an opera by Jack Beeson and an Agnes DeMille ballet scored by Morton Gould, but that’s not why we’re here. As far as my suggestions on this list go, this 1998 treatment of the Borden murders is probably the most stylistically conventional for musical theatre (tying with Witches of Eastwick)—the weaving of dialogue with song, patter, and breadth of leitmotif call to mind Sondheim. Unlike LIZZIE, this show presents the full cast of characters involved in that fateful day and its aftermath in an inventive nonlinear fashion, splitting Lizzie into her younger self at some of its most chilling moments. The score is gorgeous, and I cannot properly stress how marvelously the leitmotifs pan out in the second act. Strikes a good balance between comedic, petty drama and the panic behind life altering tragedy—I guarantee you’ll be humming “Buttons” for at least a week after your heart stops pounding from the anxiety that builds with every measure of “So Easily.” Again, IMPORTANT: trigger warning for implied sexual assault.

5) Nevermore: the Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Haunting and ominously playful, the show’s traveling acting troupe starts at Poe’s birth and follows his tragedies and triumphs up until the opening moments of the show—a framing device that I will always love, and it’s played off here deliciously. I don’t have a whole essay to write on this one and I have no idea how biographically accurate it is to his life, but I love listening through it on long drives—a lot of underscored dialogue, which I just happen to enjoy while driving. Maybe because I like podcasts. I don’t know. It doesn’t really warrant a trigger warning, but I can’t NOT mention that it does include his marriage to his 13 year old cousin—the dynamic portrayed is avuncular if anything, nothing predatory or unnerving, but. Yeah. Child cousin bride. Do with this what you will.

6) Ghost Quartet

Dave Malloy, my sweet, sweet baboo. I love this show so much. I talked about this show in the process portion of my thesis. And it’s really impossible to summarize the plot because it is stories inside of stories and it’s best listened to many, many times in the wind and rain. There are two sisters, an astronomer, and a bear. A soldier. A driver, a victim, a pusher, a photographer. The Fall of the House of Usher. Sheherazade, Dunyazad, and Shah Zaman. Thelonious Monk. Any kind of dead person, reincarnation, a classic murder ballad, and lots of whiskey. It’s intensely weird and equally wonderful. If you listen to the live recording from the McKittrick Hotel, dialogue is included! Better yet, Dave Malloy actually made the full production directed by Annie Tippe available to watch on his YouTube channel at the start of the pandemic.

7) The Witches of Eastwick

As far as I am concerned, John Updike doesn’t exist and the only versions of this story that matter are the movie and this musical. Three witches in a small Rhode Island town learn to be authentically themselves and enjoy their lives through some ill-advised fraternization with the devil himself (the egrets be damned). Local prophet has some tummy trouble. The “I want” songs are delicious and it is a personal goal of mine to perform “Words, Words, Words” without actually biting my tongue in the last verse. “Dirty Laundry” has all the petty 1960s housewife drama you could ask for. “I Wish I May” is a charming trio about fulfilling the dreams we had as children. “Dance with the Devil” is a straight banger. “Another Night at Darryl’s” is a lusty romp. Just, like, do yourself a favor and listen to this musical it’s so fun. John Updike stays in the penalty box for all eternity, though. I am never getting those hours of my life back.

8 ) Rebecca das Musical

Okay I KNOW that this one is literally in German but hear me out—the lovely fanbase have made so many YouTube videos of the soundtrack with English subtitles if you don’t speak German (I’m… getting there). The Daphne du Maurier novel is perfect, the Hitchcock film is perfect, and this musical is perfect. Even before I knew enough German to comprehend any of the words, I knew the storyline well enough that the music itself (it’s so expressive I swoon) made characters and plot points clear. Gothic romance that is incredibly questionable, murder, ambiguity, repressed lesbianism, scandal, a protagonist that literally doesn’t have a name—what’s not to love? Mrs. Danvers steals the show as is her god-given right, and if nothing else you should listen to the demo recording of the English language version of the title song “Rebecca” from the vanished Broadway production (whose death was just as tragic and mysterious as Rebecca de Winter’s). It’s unhinged and incredibly sapphic; everything Mrs. Danvers ought to be (Kristin Scott Thomas, I’m so sorry they gave you that sad excuse of a script you deserved so much better. When it was first released I said I liked the 2020 Netflix Rebecca but in retrospect… no). I don’t think I’m really capable of intelligent thought at this point in the list (it is now 1:26 am) but just know that I love this musical and it is helping me learn German. Why am I learning German? So I can listen to this musical. Why I am listening to this musical? So I can learn German. And the snake consumes its own tail. And I should probably go to sleep.

[kichimiangra]

Okay, I've got to know more about "Loo", please.

I think I explained Loo recently but I can't remember if it was on here so keeping things all in one place:

Creation of Loo:

Around 2015 when working on Nannersverse 2015 version I sent a joke comic to my friend at the time that took an eternity to find:

((Look at dream!Specter he's a frigging giant!))

That was the first instance of Loo. When I was in college I was working on a comic idea for after I graduated and for one of the side characters called "The Lottery Man" I was having trouble placing his mask without a head behind it. Once again as a Joke, I drew an adult version of the little fanbaby and sent it to my friend for the lols

((I couldn't find the original .psd that has the head in the sketch without the mask...))

I ended up liking the design enough that The Lottery Man ended up becoming my gallery mascot and I drew him more frequently.

((More often than not Squatting on his haunches))

From there Loo ended up stretching out into a few other things, existing separately as the Lottery Man in my shelved comic "Quest for Dark Axe", a Vaneer character in my Hiatus'd comic "Faeredoux", a shelved solo run where he goes on an adventure looking for his lost human sister Primo, and his potential existence in Nannersverse with his original as the joke fanbaby.

Loo in connection to Nannersverse:

Loo, or Specimen #100 would have been the only surviving specimen of Specter's 500,000 specimen attempt in creating a hybrid in the same way he was created. As the tank lights go out and the computer reads a 100% failure rate, Specter having to face the fact that he had become more attached to the idea of his project succeeding than he had intended beyond "Academic". Spike notices the 100% occasionally dropping to 99.9998% and questions Specter what 0.0002% of 500,000 is, realizing the answer is 1 and running off to find the singular green lit pod that survived beyond the critical point. The pod makes it to the end of the gestation period and Loo is born, taking his name from his Specimen Number.

His design is intentionally ambiguous that is intended to leave the question rolling of which exact DNA cocktail he came from. His coloration is intentionally guided by Specter to have turned out like Spike's own. Like Specter he was designed to have large eyes with White Sclera but the cute-effect is lessened by inheriting small black pupils that give him an unsettling mile long stare. He distinctly has a long prehensile tail like SwapAU!Spike. If Specter is made fun of by Blue for having a "Flat Face" Loo would look more like a Pug, having a flatter face than even Specter and no known latent Psychic powers.

As an infant he just has whiny baby personality, though as a child he is mostly silent and outwardly well behaved... but is also that little shit who will dump an entire jar of chilly powder into your soup when nobody's looking and watch you eat it with the that blank mile long stare, but with a slight twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Despite his outwardly quiet nature in his youth the older he gets the more "Little Shit" he becomes, having the personality to monkey's paw people and cheat for his own gain, such as challenging White to chess to get out of lessons knowing well that he's prepared everything he needs to cheat.

Though initially content to be the "Prince of the Apes" he develops wander lust and makes himself scarce to just.. wander off.

--------------------------

I don't have a full biography on him because he kinda just exists as four potential story's character and most of what I use is his adult variant, which is a bit different than his quieter child variant

[renegarde]

blog information

(rules + info)

Public Knowledge

Shirona/Cynthia is currently the reigning champion of the Sinnoh region, and one of its major historians.

Cynthia went on a Pokémon journey through Sinnoh, completing Sinnoh's gym challenge as a girl.

She ascended to Champion at 18, and held onto the title since then, being challenged on multiple occasions by the other Elite Four.

Cynthia defeated Iris in publicized battle.

She was defeated in the World Masters tournament by Ash.

She attended the Pokémon World Tournament as a challenger.

Cynthia has a good relationship with Caitlin of the Unova Elite Four and they've often been seen together at public events.

Cynthia participated in the Pasio Project at the invitation of Lear, and possesses several sync suits from the project.

Cynthia participated in Alola's Battle Tree during its foundational year as a Battle Frontier, under the invitation of Kanto's champion duo, Green/Blue Oak, and Red.

The Sinnoh champion is widely considered one of the absolute toughest and most talented battlers in the entire world.

She is also publicly known as a specialist in myths, and has used her expertise in legends to several times over, help save the world.

Cynthia has authored several historical journals through professional associations such as the Sinnoh Historical Association.

Her grandmother, Professor Carolina/Dr. Karashina is the head of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center

Her ace is Garchomp.

Cynthia was very vocally against Team Galactic's mission statement after the events of dppt.

Private Knowledge

Cynthia is the holder of the Specter Plate, which Spiritomb keeps inside of their keystone.

There is a man who resembles her eerily, whom was both her piano teacher and one of her Pokémon mentors. She is extremely aware that this "hat man" is part of her family line. (It's Volo).

Cynthia was raised by her grandparents alongside her younger sister. Her parents passed away unexpectedly, and her childhood was filled with a lot of love regardless.

Shirone has a deep interest in the esoteric, and has collected artifacts of that nature from Celestic Town and Mt. Coronet for study.

Cynthia helped the main protag of Platnium face Cyrus down.

Giratina is her partner. What that means for the world...?

She is very firm in the belief that Giratina is the bringer of balance between dimensions.

[auranova26]

Cryas Darkstalkers Cast Bits 2

Check this out to see some information regarding some of the other characters I discuss about:

With that said, time to get into some more characters. Again, just some brief enough notes about each major character and their role in Cryas Darkstalkers.

Bishamon:

Same general backstory he has in the main timeline. A samurai who unfortunately fell prey to the temptation of the demon armor Hannya and demon sword Kien.

For decades, he went on a rampage throughout Japan, causing mass terror to the innocent civilians of Japan. Valiant warriors tried to stop this rampaging demon but would merely be more sacrifices to the bloodthirsty specter.

At some point in the late 1700s, he would have learned of the lands of China. Learning that such a landmass was far bigger than Japan, the demon relished the thought of oceans of blood and souls flooding the lands, ready to be consumed.

His activities would eventually reach the ears of Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, who would eventually track down and confront the heinous samurai from the east.

In essence, Bishamon would serve as the real first big threat the sisters would face in their journey, especially after they finally got a good feel as jiangshi warriors.

While it is a difficult battle as the samurai is quite skilled and empowered by the souls it has consumed, the sisters would prevail with their combined skills, tactics, and powers.

Upon defeat, the demon armor and blade lose control of their host, releasing Bishamon's soul. While the sisters are prepared to destroy the spirit in front of them, they would be stopped by Bishamon's wife, Orin. She too is a spirit, having cast aside her body to continue clinging to the mortal realm in order to find a way to free the man she loved.

Bishamon is found out to be fully aware of what has happened during his time under the control of Hannya and Kien. He wishes to repent for his failure to resist the temptation of those two caused the deaths of countless lives.

The four would eventually seal the cursed armor and blade in a special tomb per Mei-Ling's design. Bishamon and Orin vow to make sure none would tamper with the tomb so no one else would fall to the temptation of Hannya and Kien.

From then on, the couple would seek to work together to cleanse Bishamon of the sins that weigh heavy on his heart and soul.

Bishamon and Orin are basically the first allies the sisters make.

Pyron:

Serves as a major villain during the time frame that serves as the Vampire Hunter part of the mythos.

He is still an alien that was born on the planet Hellstorm. His evolution leads him to become an energy-based lifeform that takes the form of a living flame.

While he initially reveled in his self-proclaimed ascension to godhood via consuming his home world and traveling the cosmos to seek strong warriors and worlds to consume and fuel him, he eventually grew bored as he didn't get to have a good challenge.

Being a warrior at heart, while he did like to win, he more found pleasure and meaning in life via a rousing battle. Even when he limited his powers to be on equal footing with the many warriors he fought, he wasn't given the best showing and still triumphed.

In a sense, I see Pyron like a Saiyan. What he wants is a good fight. His godhood was more of a hinderance as he was the most powerful. But by being the most powerful, he had no worthy foes. Thus, his life lacked meaning. While he had bouts of dread over the prospect of no worthy battles, he would never allow himself to wither away. The only way he would die is via in battle.

I still have it so far that he did visit Earth at one point. However, I am not sure when he will in my mythos. Certainly, it would still be far in the past, but I am not feeling the time of the dinosaurs.

He is far more vulnerable to magical based attacks.

Jedah Dohma:

Serves as a major villain for the time frame of Cryas Darkstalkers that would be the Vampire Savior aspect of the story.

He actually has two people that were confidants of his. Ozom, like the original timeline, and now Sierra de Gilman.

Ozom is still a conniving, power hungry manipulator that eventually gets Jedah killed via a ploy he manages to play on Jedah. However, it will not be involving the Gate as the idea of that is different in Cryas Darkstalkers.

Sierra is a noble of the House of Gilman. She is an intellectual and philosopher. She actually forges a genuine friendship with Jedah as they have many discussions about the nature of Makai, political affairs, the future, their interests, their thoughts about various subjects, and doing what they can to assure their lands were kept in high spirits.

Jedah has the ability to hear souls. He has explained that souls give of special sound waves that sound like a song. In this way, he can learn about the individual, such as their lives, abilities, and aspects.

Jedah has noted of a very dull humming sound that he has never been able to pinpoint. It has come at random intervals and appears to be the hum of a soul.

His body is still that of a special, sentient liquid. With this, he can perform many physical alterations to his form for appearances, offense, and defense. The form he presents himself in is one of his choosing.

His traits and abilities are linked to his ability to wield souls. The more he can absorb, the more powerful he can get. While many beings can do this as well, Jedah is unnaturally gifted in this aspect.

Physically, he is not the mightiest. His magical abilities can become quite potent. His ability to manipulate his blood to create many forms of weaponry and attacks are incredibly versatile. However, what makes him a truly dangerous individual is his godly ability of regeneration thanks to his ability to utilize souls efficiently and his liquid body.

He plans out his goal far more carefully and thoughtfully in this mythos. In a sense, you could say he is stronger in this mythos due to not basically bum rushing his plans.

The Soul Bees still serve as minions for him in order to help carry out his plans.

Q-Bee:

She, along with her race, will get major redesigns. I am not a fan of the design she and the Soul Bees have.

'Q-Bee' is just a title. As for an actual name she has, she doesn't have one.

At the time of Jedah's revival and eventual creation of the Majigen, the current Q-Bee is a marvel of rapid adaptation. During Ozom's reign of the Dohma Lands, he nearly drove the Soul Bees to extinction. This triggered some drastic changes in the mindset of Soul Bees. While they are primarily driven to eat, reproduce, and survive, the ones who become the Q-Bee of the hive would slowly gain better intelligence over the decades of his reign.

While Q-Bee is not an intellectual, the one during the events of the Majigen has the ability to better plan things out for the survival of her race beyond instinctual reproduction and consumption.

While she serves Jedah, she only does so out of necessity and to ensure the survival of her hive. However, she and her Soul Bees are grateful of the chances for more meals under his command.

Under Jedah's orders, she and her fellow Soul Bees eventually lead to the death and consumption of many of the servants and families of the Noble houses. The only exceptions are Morrigan, Demitri, and Sierra.

Q-Bee rarely ever speaks using 'I'. Instead, she commonly uses 'we' or 'this one'.

I am so far thinking of potentially 3 different types of Soul Bees. Q-Bee, the largest of the Soul Bee race that have the capability to reproduce and are the most capable in combat. P-Bees, smaller Soul Bees that aid in the care of young Soul Bees, along with maintaining the hive. P-Bees can still fight as well and are not to be trifled with. Then I would think there are smaller Soul Bees that basically serve as Drone-like Soul Bees. They merely exist to serve the Q-Bee in combat. I'll figure things out more.

Lilith:

She probably has one of the biggest changes in Cryas Darkstalkers in regard to how her story goes and motives. Brace yourself for some big notes because I have given a lot of thought to Lilith as she is a big player during the time of the Majigen stuff.

Lilith is still born as a Soul Shard, one of the thirds from Morrigan's Soul. In a small pocket dimension of Belial's creation, this fragment of Morrigan's soul was left to basically rot, away from Morrigan. However, because Morrigan's soul was rather abnormally strong, even a third of her soul was able to do unusual things, beyond the fact that Morrigan even survived the soul shattering with no ill effects. Because this happened when Morrigan was young, the soul had cloudy fragments of Morrigan's memories that played effectively at random and on loop. This goes on for centuries, this shard only 'awake' for intervals to recall these memories. Not only that, to just be 'aware' that it was still around.

Lilith is found by Jedah still, but things are different regarding circumstances and why he allowed her a body. As Jedah was creating the Majigen, in the boundaries of the void, he heard the faintest sound of a soul. Upon discovering it as he realized the odd place it was in, he realized it was just a shard. By listening to the soul shard's broken song, he realized that it belongs to Morrigan. But the odd thing was this shard somehow had a sense of self awareness. Broken and primordial, but the fact it had a sense of knowing it existed was remarkable. Here is the difference: He only gave the shard a body in a strange sense of both mercy and curiosity. At the time, he had an argument with the only other being that was a friend to him. A close confidant. Unlike Ozom however, she never backstabbed him. However, she (Sierra) was against Jedah's plan and told him to reconsider, especially as Belial was out of the picture. But he refused. Despite his plans meaning she will also become one as well, he gave her a chance of mercy to live out her remaining time as an individual, unlike the other nobles who had already been slaughtered and sacrificed to the Shintai (except Morrigan and Demitri). In a fleeting moment, he allowed this shard to have a chance to experience life, even if fleeting.

In Cryas Darkstalkers, Lilith doesn't seek to return to Morrigan. The idea I am going with Lilith is basically like the Replicas in Kingdom Hearts, a subclass of Nobodies. To put it simple, Nobodies are beings without hearts…initially. They have a body and soul but lack hearts. However, they in time would develop new hearts as they would begin to forge new bonds and create memories. In time, they become whole once again. In this case, this is what I am going for with Lilith. In essence, she isn't a succubus. She is effectively a Soul Shard. She has no soul of her own initially, just a body and mind. But in time, something would start to trigger in her. However, this doesn't mean she still doesn't seek Morrigan. She seeks her for different reasons this time about. See after she was given a body and was with Jedah for some time, as she dreamed and her mind began to solidify, she then could truly wonder about this girl she would see in her dreams. Jedah never answered her, merely telling her they were just her having lucid dreams. But Lilith didn't accept this. In time, she would leave Jedah as she got fed up with not getting an answer. She needed to know because for her simply, she doesn't know who she is. She only can vividly remember meeting Jedah, him telling her the name she has, and that she was wondering around in a daze till he found her and nursed her to good health. She thinks this girl holds the key to who she is. Upon meeting Hsien-Ko, Mei-Ling, and Caisla (OC of mine, will explain at a later day) in the Majigen as she wondered around, the sisters would think the girl she is seeing in her dreams might be Morrigan. That is Lilith's catalyst to join with the trio, along with the fact they were willing to help.

The body she initially has is at the mercy of Jedah. Her body was the amalgamation of part of his blood and part of the shard's power. His magic and what the shard had is what keeps her body together. At any moment, Jedah could just end her if he so wishes, but he chooses not to. However, his death would result in the collapse of her body, which isn't discovered till it is too late.

She has a familiar in the form of a bat made of energy. Unlike Morrigan, she treats this bat like a friend and is very close to them. This bat familiar is eventually named Ori.

No, she doesn't use the last name 'Aensland'.

Huitzil:

In Cryas Darkstalkers, both the name Phobos and Huitzil are used.

Phobos is the name of the robots that Pyron commands.

Huitzil is the name given to the last remaining Phobos unit in existence. He is named by the homeless Mexican boy, Cecil.

He follows the kid as when he was found amidst some rubble by Cecil. Somehow, he causes the Phobos to become active. However, their memory has been heavily damaged, and they lack a master to listen to. Upon seeing the child and eventually running diagnostics and calculations, the unit makes the decision to follow the child as its new servant.

Overtime, Huitzil and Cecil form a genuine bond close to that of brothers.

They get wrapped up in the events of the Majigen because a portal opening in Mexico near them allowed a Soul Bee to take the child as a snack. Huitzil would follow the kidnapper in order to save Cecil and exterminate the Soul Bee. However, they would wind up stuck in this strange realm.

Hoo boy, quite a lote. That is all for now. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me! I'll be back in time with more bits of lore and stuff. 😎✌️

[midnigxts]

*    ◟ stats .

full name : adriano giovanni dellucci nicknames : goes prominently by ace birthdate / zodiac / pronouns : january 19th / capricorn / he /him age : twenty8 birthplace : milan , italy . sexual orientation : heterosexual occupation : professional footballer / media personality vc claims : leo messi family : sienna beaumont ( mother , deceased ) , edoardo dellucci ( father ) siblings : alana delluci ( sister ) pets : buys the same fucking goldfish once he forgets to feed it and names it gio love language : physical touch muse inspo : mark sloan ( grey’s anatomy ) ,  james bond  ( tomorrow never dies ) , rafael solano  ( jane the virgin ) , steeley booth  ( bones ) , damon salvatore  ( the vampire diaries ) ,  mr.big  ( sex and the city ) , tobias ‘four’ eaton  ( divergent ) ,  anthony bridgerton  ( bridgerton ) , dylan mckay  ( beverly hills 90210 ) , derek morgan  ( criminal minds ) , bellamy blake  ( the 100 ) , harvey specter  ( suits )

*    ◟ extras . pinterest .  

[best-sim-tournament]

Vote for the Best Sims Character!

Group two, round one is here! You know the drill, four pairs battle against each other for a spot in round two!

Dina Caliente VS Nervous Subject!

Dina Caliente is part of the famous Caliente sisters. She and her twin sister Nina are here to spice things up. She wishes to get engaged, but is hinted to being a gold digger… it’s probably not a coincidence she’s dating Mortimer then.

Nervous Subject has one of the most tragic backstories in the Sims. The son of suspected murderer, Olive Specter (and his mystery father is suspected to be none other than the Grim Reaper) Nervous didn’t get much love as a child, and was eventually put into care. You think things would get better, no? No. Nervous was adopted by Loki and Circe Beaker, the mad scientists of Strangetown. He became their test subject (I mean, it’s in the name) but there is a bright side, he is friends with Pascal Curious, and tends to wander onto the lot right as Pascal gives birth to his alien baby.

[bluenpinkcastle]

LEGO Halloween and Spooky sets

I had hoped I would be able to start posting every day again for Halloween but that just didn't happen, as life tends to get in the way. So instead, I will share my research for all things Spooky or Halloween related: The main "spooky" lines are Monster Fighters from 2012 (with nine sets and four polybags), Scooby Doo from 2015-2016 (with five sets and one polybag), and the Hidden Side from 2019-2020 (with 21 sets, two polybags, and nine foil packs).

2007-2009 was the Fantasy Era castle series, which included 11 sets of minifigures versus trolls (5614, 5615, 5618, 7036, 7037, 7038, 7040, 7041, 7048, 7078, 7097), eight set of minifigures versus skeletons (7009, 7029, 7079, 7090, 7091, 7092, 7093, 7094), 1 chess set of minifigures versus skeletons (852001), three minifigure versus trolls battle packs (852271, 852701, 852702), one battle pack of minifigure skeletons (852272), one minifigure versus the undead tic tac toe game (852132), and one giant chess set of minifigures versus trolls AND skeletons (852293).

In 2010, the Collectible MiniFigure (CMF) series 14 (71010) was all "spooky" elements which included a wolf guy, zombie pirate, monster scientist, wacky witch, plant monster, specter, zombie cheerleader, tiger woman, gargoyle, skeleton guy, monster rocker, zombie business man, banshee, square foot, and spider lady. Other "spooky" minifigures could the zombie from CMF 1 in 2010 (8683), the zombie Captain America from 2021 Marvel CMF series (71031), the zombie dancer, slime singer, and vampire bassist from 2021's Vidiyo Bandmates (43108), the cute little devil and the spooky boy from CMF 16 in 2016 (71013), and the spooky girl from CMF 12 in 2014 (71007). Additionally, there have been several Build A Minifigure (BAM) minifigure elements at LEGO stores throughout the years, including a Halloween Trio from 2018 (BAM2018-3) and Halloween Minifigures from 2020 (BAM2020-3).

LEGO has several Minecraft sets which fall into the mildly spooky realm, including the Zombie Cave (21141), Big Fig Pig with Baby Zombie (21157), Pumpkin Farm (21248), and the Steve, Zombie, and Pig Foil Pack (662101), as well as a Minecraft BrickHeadz Zombie (40626). LEGO produced four Ghostbuster sets (10274, 21108, 75827, 75828), four Dimensions sets (71228, 71233, 71241, and 71242), and one BrickHeadz (41622).

Some of the sets not part of main themes include the Belville Witch's Cottage from 1999 (5804), the Studio's Vampire's Crypt from 2002 (1381), the Adventure Designer Kit from 2013 (20214), the Haunted House from 2020 (10273), and the Ideas Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters' Cottage (21341).

Additionally, LEGO has produced a variety of smaller, holiday builds for things like pumpkins, monsters, shops, and accessory kits. You can find most of those builds by going to places like Rebrickable or BrickLink and using key search terms such as Halloween, pumpkin, witch, vampire, monster, witch, etc., which will give you a long list of Halloween-related builds (3047, 3731, 7831, 7832, 7836, 10696, 11003, 31038, 40012, 40013, 40014, 40020, 40021, 40032, 40055, 40070, 40090, 40104, 40122, 40203, 40260, 40272, 40351, 40422, 40423, 40493, 40497, 40562, 40570, 40608, 561410, 561610, 561910, 850487, 850936, 853607, 854049).

Whew! That's quite the list! Maybe next year, I'll be in a better position to post pictures of all those sets :)

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF SET TWO ROUND ONE!

MATCH ONE: A Walk at Dusk vs Based on “Autoportrait with the Model” by Maria-Rayevska Ivanova

MATCH TWO: Diary Page vs Les Jours Gigantesques (The Titanic Days)

MATCH THREE: Dead of Night vs You Won't

MATCH FOUR: Christina's World vs Bobby

MATCH FIVE: Untitled (I’m Turning Into A Specter Before Your Very Eyes And I’m Going To Haunt You) vs Two Sisters (On the Terrace)

MATCH SIX: Sharecropper vs Lustmord

MATCH SEVEN: The Parca and the Angel of Death vs Untitled (Zdzisław Beksiński)

MATCH EIGHT: Stress vs The Fallen Angel

(round two matchups under the cut)

SET TWO - ROUND TWO

MATCH ONE: A Walk at Dusk vs Diary Page

MATCH TWO: Dead of Night vs Christina's World

MATCH THREE: Untitled (I’m Turning Into A Specter Before Your Very Eyes And I’m Going To Haunt You) vs Lustmord

MATCH FOUR: Untitiled (Zdzisław Beksiński) vs The Fallen Angel

[sonicasura]

Yokai!Twilight

Yup, our ranch hand is gonna be a yokai. Yokai are Japanese mythological creatures that ranging from spirits, dragons to even a few gods. Twilight is gonna be a split between two types: shapeshifting obake and two faced specter Ryomen Sukuna.

Natural born Yokai who wanders about either as a wolf or human. Twilight's true form stands around 3 meters and his second face looks like his wolf's form. Upper back and slightly wolflike upper arms are covered in thick fur that it's often mistaken for a pelt. Has a wolf tail on his lower spine and only one pair of legs in humanoid form but three in wolf form.

Twilight was about four years old when he meets Rusl and Uli. The boy was actually consider a cryptid to the village called the 'Beast' as no one really saw him up close. Just his inhuman shadow. Uli found Twilight trapped under a tree and manage to convince Rusl to help free him.

He quickly left in the middle of the night after recovering from the incident. Although Twilight chose to secretly watch the two over the years. Getting rid of any threats like bandits or monsters that would dare cause the two humans harm.

Twilight's finally taken in by Rusl and Uli around eight years old. A clan of bandits had recently been causing trouble on the path to Castle Town, something the married couple unluckily gets caught in. Twilight makes his appearance and subdues their attackers.

He didn't want to brutally kill said scum in front of Rusl and Uli. They intrigued Twilight and making them fear him wouldn't help. Once again, Uli was the one to reach out to the young Yokai.

It took awhile before Twilight felt comfortable enough to interact with the villagers. He prefer lazing about out of reach if he wasn't doing chores whether in either disguise or true form. Ilia's tenacity to befriend Twilight helped get him outta his shell.

It's an equal 50/50 when it comes to his two goat herding methods. Riding Epona in human form or intimidate/wrestle the more bull-headed members in his true form. (Just like FD, Twilight is too big to ride a horse unless it's the giant one from that BotW quest.)

Ladder, he's a living ladder to the villagers (and a personal jungle gym for the kids.) Twilight doesn't really mind though cause he can at least catch someone before they fall. Just a big gentle giant compared to his younger years.

Only some groups not from Ordon know about Twilight's true form which includes the Zora, Resistance, Gorons, Oocoo, Bulbins, Great Fairies and Spirits. First exposure to the Twilight made him ill than force his wolf transformation. Still took Midna's help to get out as his magic won't work properly (until he acquired the Dark Crystal).

Sass, he gave his new imp companion plenty of sass whenever prompted. Twilight isn't gonna take shit from anyone especially considering his Yokai nature. Might've snatched a mirror shard before Midna cut the connection between both worlds.

When the Chain arrives, he's more upfront about his inhuman nature as Twilight didn't want to join. Had enough goddess given quests and hopefully his true form is enough to further drive the point home. Why would Hylia need "an abomination's help"?

Twilight would definitely had stayed in Ordon Village cooing over his new baby sister more for two reasons. If Dink didn't decide to stir trouble with a troop of monsters and Time didn't give off that same air Uli did all those years ago.

Like with the villagers, it takes awhile before Twilight fully interacts with the Chain. Wind and Time chipped away at his closed off demeanor the most. Kids even young preteens like Wind are something Twilight has problems saying no to.

Wild was the last push needed to have him fully open up. Twilight's nature picked up the Champion's lingering scent of death and it didn't take long to piece together the events in his Hyrule. Wild was a newborn Yokai in his eyes, fellow kin just like him.

The other Links definitely used his large size to either get to unreachable places or in Wild, Wind, Four and Hyrule's case a perch. (Mostly Four cause someone keeps calling him short.) Also wrestles any companion that don't properly take care of themselves as blanket (and scarf) burritos are in their futures.

@hermitdrabbles56

[gay-ghostwriter]

Alright, since @insomnia-vixen was nice enough to ask, I'm gonna list off five facts about the four OCs I'm currently obsessed with

Roddy Usher: (Nevermore)

-Based on Fall Of The House Of Usher

-He was the sheltered gay son of an aristocrat who died of a heart attack when his father found the love letters he was writing to another boy

-His Specter form is a gargoyle! He has wings, super strength, and earth bending powers. He looks like a big stone demon, like Goliath from Gargoyles but pointier.

-Crybaby, doesn't like conflict. Would probably avoid making friends with either Annabel Lee or Lenore because of this. Gun to my head, he'd probably go with Annabel, he's very easy to manipulate.

-The first memory he regained was of his sister, Madeline. He took one look at his dorm room and had a flashback to sharing a room with her while they were growing up. Still misses her.

Caraway, a.k.a. Renard Ruse, a.k.a. Marian Drew, a.k.a. Prince Lagrys: (Dungeons & Dragons 5e)

-Changeling Arcane Trickster, Caraway is his real name and the others are just aliases

-Renard Ruse is a phantom thief with a French accent. It's a title passed down from father to son, kind of like Dread Pirate Roberts. Caraway is the first changeling to ever inherit this title, the others have been humans.

-He grew up as an orphan living on the streets of Neverwinter. The previous Renard caught him trying to pick his pocket and decided to adopt him.

-Has extreme daddy issues, imposter syndrome and species dysphoria. Desperately wants to be a "real boy" and for someone to love him.

-He has an unrequited crush on my boyfriend's D&D character from the same campaign, Drazna the Elf Wizard.

Faris Bazuzi: (Percy Jackson/Riordanverse)

-Son of Aphrodite, 18 years old. Stars in a hanahaki fanfic I'm gonna write one day.

-Fat and hairy/bear, has body image issues

-Can charmspeak people into confessing things to him, kind of like Lucifer from the Lucifer show (yes I'm that cringe)

-Deeply in love with his boyfriend, Duke, a son of Hephaestus who keeps trying to impress him with new weapons he forged.

-Loves romance movies, cries easily

Rashid Al-Hashim: (Castlevania Nocturne)

-Sorcerer and vampire hunter from the Ottoman Empire

-His mother is a jinniyah, a female genie, while his father was a human. This has given him magical powers, including a prolonged lifespan. He's much older than he looks.

-Can fly, turn invisible and control fire. He cannot grant wishes, and gets annoyed when people ask.

-Stubborn and often comes off as rude because he speaks overly formal. This is just how he learned english.

-Made friends with Alucard during a long and crazy adventure I haven't though of yet

[ohlookanothercartoontofallinto]

Wind Wip

Since @squigglywindy said please....Here you go. 

The sailor and the old man sat on the edge of the river bend. The group had decided to take the afternoon off and relax. How sparing was relaxing to some of them Wind was unsure. Warrior had asked if he wanted to join in the swordplay.  The sailor declined, preferring to spend his time with the old man quietly fishing. 

The responses surprised a few of the other hero's but they didn't dwell on it for too long. The youngest hero was grateful for that. It's not like he could tell them what was really going on. 

The spirit's, specters, ghosts whatever you wanted to call them. They were overwhelming him. They were just too loud. Wind had gotten pretty good at combating them. Ignoring them best he could, fiddling with hands, meditation, anything he could think of. He even talked louder to drown them out. Somehow that became one of his personality traits. He talks loud because he's an excitable teen. Not because he's trying to ignore several different spirits. Definitely not that! 

Wind sighed, traveling with eight other hero's was hard noise wise. Traveling with eight other hero's and all of their passed away loved ones was nearly impossible. Somehow he managed. 

All of his brothers technically had a specter, or had something following them. Four and Twilight were the weird ones. Theirs hid as the hero's shadows. Both only talking to the sailor once or twice but fairly nice for the most part. The other weird one was sky's. His was a blue lady with a face of stone. She looked like a fairy to Wind. He never really did get the chance to talk to her before becoming invisible to the sailor. Somehow ghosts could do that.  The rest were pretty standard. Hyrule has some fairy ghost following him for some reason. Legend has Marin and his Uncle. Wild has the fallen Champions, his father and his little sister. The Captain has a large variety of rowdy soldiers following him. Then there was time. He only had one. This ghost was a giant, with white hair and similar tattoos to time. 

He was wind's favorite on days like these. Because that spirit never uttered a word. He just guarded, always watching, always at the ready. The sailor was unsure what the ghost was looking for but he never asked. He knew he would never get an answer. Not that he really wanted to hold a conversation right now. 

Despite being a good distance away, Wind could still hear them. All of them…

‘Why are they so loud?’ The boy thought. ‘Their never this loud. What’s making them so loud? Did more join and I didn’t realize it?’ 

Wind let out a long sigh, pulling his hands over his face. Causing his companion to look down at the sprawled out hero. 

“Are you alright ferry boy.” Placing a hand on the boy's head and ruffling his hair. Wind leaned into the touch. Looking at the older man with soft tired eyes. 

The sailor chuckled, “that's the worst nickname yet.” He whispered. 

Time matched the boy's tone. “Hmmm I suppose so.”