#I might close the inbox at some point so I can go through and answer what’s in it

[habken]

❤ I've sent some asks but you haven't answered them so I hope they didnt make you uncomfortable!! I'm sorry if they did!

Currently, I’ve got over 200 asks in my inbox, so it’s probably not you, I just can’t answer everything :’))

I love getting asks and I read them all !! I love getting sweet messages and questions about ships or people wanting to know how I draw things, but I like putting thought and effort into my answers, so I end up not responding to a lot of them right away just cause I’m pretty busy haha

[writingquestionsanswered]

How do I figure out what motions/handlings to write? (Hand gestures, moving in the scene, etc).

I am autistic and have never paid much attention to the way people move. I only do so now because I have been reading and noticed it was missing from my own writing. I never see anyone struggle with this, so I feel like I am missing some understanding on how to structure a scene

Guide: Working Body Language Into Your Writing

Body language is the process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious movements of the body.

Th four types of body language:

-- Facial Expressions -- Posture -- Hand Gestures -- Body Movement

Facial Expressions communicate thought and emotion using the features of the face, such as eyes, mouth, nose, and eyebrows. Some examples of facial expressions are:

-- an upturned mouth -- dimples -- a raised eyebrow -- flushed cheeks -- a scrunched nose -- rolling eyes -- gaping jaw -- eye signals (winking, narrowed eyes, twinkling eyes, etc.)

Posture communicates thought and emotion using the positioning of the body, head, and limbs. Some examples of posture:

-- sitting up straight -- slouching -- leaning toward someone -- hugging oneself -- crossed arms -- hands on hips -- slumped shoulders

Hand gestures communicate thought and emotion using intentional movements of the hand. Some examples of hand gestures:

-- pointing -- "face palm" -- waving -- beckoning with hand or finger -- thumbs up -- middle finger -- clenched fists -- covering mouth with hand -- placing hand over heart -- gesturing at someone/something -- clapping

Body movements communicate thought and emotion using bigger actions, like gestures using the head/neck or limbs, or moving the entire body. Some examples of body movements:

-- jumping up and down -- cowering -- flinching -- bowing/curtsying -- handshakes/hugs -- hitting/kicking/pushing -- taking a step back -- moving toward -- shrugging -- shaking head/nodding -- tipping head back -- dancing in place Choosing Body Language to Show Emotion

A character's thoughts and emotions can be conveyed using a combination of different body language signals. Every body language signal (such as a wink, smile, frown, shrug, wave, etc.) has a bunch of emotions it can be tied to.

For example, we all know that smiling is typically a sign of positive emotions like happiness, joy, satisfaction, triumph, and affection. Shrugging is usually an indication of indifference or not knowing something. However, we can also modify body language using adjectives. For example, a "nervous smile" or a "sad smile" tells us something very different from just a regular smile. An "apathetic shrug" clarifies indifference, whereas an "enthusiastic shrug" implies excitement about something but not having all the answers or facts.

Sometimes, choosing the right emotion to illustrate a character's thoughts and feelings is as simple as considering what you yourself might do in that moment. Or, perhaps someone you know who is like your character. Other times, it can be beneficial to research which body language signals are typically indicative of a particular emotion. For that, I would strongly recommend purchasing a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman. This handy reference lists a variety of emotions along with the body language that often indicate them, and it goes even further in that it also describes the internal sensations that often go with these emotions, which is handy when you're writing in first-person or third-person close/limited. The book is available for purchase in print and e-book, and you can find samples by searching for "One Stop for Writers Emotion Thesaurus."

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[yearningaces]

Mr. Hallewell, can i please hug you? and maybe groom your hair? if you are in your beast form, way better! Let me see those fangs and claws of yours, so pretty... can i polish them? sharp them? i would like to have the honor to look them up close in their prime. A magestic griffin indeed, not some kind of copy and paste in a cheap photoshop program of an eagle and a lion (wait declan settles on medieval times right? damn i hope the joke reaches over there). I want to cuddle with a griffin, use the wings as blankets and yer chest a harm pillow, sure iknow its lacking the usual bpm but i can share it with ya

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i luv declan muahmuahchuchuhugsandkisses

"THE HORNS I FORGOT THE HORNS, should give them some apreciation too

sorry but declan beast form is truly something coming from my wildest dreams, recording the anatomy, the biology, every detail and corner of his existence makes me wonder how such creatures go on without being at least documented at leat once!

(i must recall that if this rant sounds at least creepy please let me know but its just obsession with anatomy on mythical creatures....)"

I feel I can safely assume this was the same nonnie and listen, I live for the ramblings in my inbox

Declan will quite literally, roll over like a pup for you, so please please please give him attention. He would tear down mountains, he would rip stars from the sky, all for you to look at him with a moment of praise so please never hold anything back for worry of being too much he would just exist at a point of joy he'd never imagined possible before while melting around you as best as he could.

Yes he's in medieval times! I don't want to have the limitations of modern day stuff with my world building here, also because I like the idea of a Hallewell being a kingdoms dragon instead of an actual dragon it's amusing to me

And the answer for documentations is this! If he's not hunting someone they won't see him, not truly

There will be reports of larger and larger beasts that move closer to who he's hunting, and it becomes part of the Hallewell's legend. Listen for nature's approach through different footsteps sort of ordeal. If someone truly looked to see him in his shifted form. They wouldn't see him unless he wants them to. They might see a man, or a pack of wolves, or a bear, or maybe MAYBE a dragon. That's not to say Hallewell's aren't documented. But usually it's someone being hunted screaming about what they're seeing before they go missing(dying but yk) and humans pieces those together to form a general idea

Maybe someone sees one when they're not a target, but again that's rare and it would have to be the Hallewell's choice. Usually it's a warning. "Be better or next you see me you'll be the one bloodying my maw"

Back to Declan though, you're his heart. You want him to go beast mode? Of course! He holds the same sentience and logic regardless of form but he can't really speak without a human mouth. He'll growl, and purr, and roar, and make all sorts of sounds, and he'll understand you entirely, but he'll never be able to say words like that because the mouth isn't human so no human words

So yeah, do those things. Watch this horrifying creature melt like a kitten. If you fall asleep on him? He won't move, he will remain as still as stone and if any get close enough he'll bite them in two if they risk waking you

[the-travelling-witch]

I’ll be closing anon asks for an indefinite amount of time.

First and foremost, it’s not because I’ve been receiving hate or anything, but because of a personal boundary of mine. There are some things that have been bugging me for a while, I just didn’t know how to bring them up without sounding really mean.

While I’m extremely happy people are excited to be on my blog and I know that that excitement can easily spill over into asks, I don’t have the energy to wake up to a bunch of all caps asks every day. Indoor voices, everyone. /lh

And, also, I hope that it can encourage people to take a minute to reflect on their asks. It has happened quite often recently, where I’ve received asks that could have been answered with a quick glance at my blog or one google search, and I have to say I’m not a person who likes repeating herself or stating something blatantly obvious.

Reading through your ask just once more can also help get your point across better. More than once has it happened where I stumbled over what someone is trying to tell me, be it because of typos or grammar or a rushed way of wording, which is really sad because it could help me communicate more effectively and more precisely with you. To be clear, I don’t expect perfect punctuation or C2 level of expression, just a smidge more consideration or a quick skim over your ask before pressing submit.

I’m well aware that I’ve been answering and therefore probably encouraging this type of communication but I felt I had to speak up about it at this point. So far, I’ve not done so because I did not want to be seen as ungrateful or petty but I’m afraid of potentially letting these feelings affect my answers to the point where they are needlessly court or petty.

There are still some anon asks in my inbox right now, which I might answer. So don’t be confused when you see me answering those after this post.

I hope you can understand where I’m coming from and know that I really do not try to be mean. Going forward, however, I would like to nurture a relationship I feel comfortable engaging in, even if it means fewer but therefore unhurried asks.

Take care and feel free to drop by my inbox, just not on anon this time around <3

[cherubchoirs]

hi! hope you don’t mind me dropping into your inbox, i know you have a lot of other people sending asks already ^^;;

i was mainly wondering if you have any sort of thoughts on a timeline for the rise & fall au, especially at the beginning? i seem to recall michael came back to heaven pretty quickly after gabriel falls, but gabriel seems like he’s already gone through a decent amount of his ‘fallen angel adjustment’ character arc by the time michael confronts him. if there isn’t any timeline though that’s fine of course! i happened to see your “the au is more about character dynamics than hard and fast plot” post after drafting this, so if this question is unnecessary just feel free to go ‘yeah no there’s nothing specific here’ or not even answer! very sorry to bother you about this, it’s just something i was curious about haha

and!! i happened to reread your “the ultrakill characters react to media” post from ages ago, and i was wondering if v1 would find wall-e (the movie, but also the character) relatable? y’know, stuck doing as your programming tells you in a dying world, only to have your life change forever when you meet someone with a white and blue color scheme from up above…it’s kind of cute to imagine v1 wildly pointing at itself every time wall-e shows up onscreen—and maybe pointing at gabe every time eve is there heehee (i found out after thinking of this that several other people have also had this idea. ah well at least it means i can pick up on parallels decently lol) (also. no pressure but if you’re interested in sharing how your lovely ultrakill ocs would react to a piece of media that resonated with them, it’d be super fun to read that :D)

i hope you’re doing well and getting time to take care of yourself!

-the infarmo name anon

omg hello infarmo anon i hope you're doing well!!!

u got me for sure i really don't have a hard timeline for that, but i do have something of a loose idea of how it plays out and what leads up to michael's first confrontation with gabriel as a fallen angel. it is true that mike returns shortly after gabe fully falls, though he does begin by taking inventory of what's happened to heaven in his absence - his homecoming causes great celebration in the wake of gabriel's slaughter of the council, the citizens hoping to finally find security in the rightful prince of heaven taking control. this is of course initially shared about tenfold by raphael and a now (mostly) awake uriel, but michael is a very obviously changed entity who refuses to allow any close contact with his attending angels. instead, he quickly works to stabilize the turmoil of heaven, coordinating raph and uri as well as all of their attendants to gain some semblance of normalcy with the assurance to the people that the age of chaos is definitively over. michael has never been much for addresses or speeches, despite his place as leader, but the little he does offer publicly soothes the population by and large - there is power in michael's words coupled with an impossible calm in measured statements that are never grandiose or overstated. he feels in control, he feels collected and entirely unafraid of his course, making the whole host burst with joy to have such impeccable competence at the helm. to them, michael is the next best thing to god.

this naturally takes a bit of time, with michael only beginning to associate closely with his siblings once much of the order of heaven has been restored, as he knows he couldn't risk them finding out his state any earlier. not to say it's easy to do, but michael gives them enough of a workload to offset any suspicion or concern they might have as they all know heaven as whole comes before their reunion. only when heaven is back into a more stable, self-sustainable state does michael turn his attention toward hell and show his brothers what has happened to him. this....obviously creates a significant amount of tension, but michael refuses to yield or change any of his plans despite their pleading with him - he now will move on to reining in hell, including making sure gabriel is bound to his proper layer as a part of that process. this is really where michael's mental state becomes apparent, holding himself together long enough to reestablish a peace in heaven before essentially allowing his pain to dictate how he handles hell and his reunion with gabriel. SO yea it's certainly not a hard timeline, but it does take michael some time to get all of this done, including sweeping through hell to find gabe - by the time they meet again, gabriel's transformation into a fallen angel has progressed a decent amount.

and oh yes, i definitely think there's parallels with v1 and wall-e lol it knows a lot about being a machine still following its code yet also becoming increasingly quirky due to being left to its own devices and slowly corrupting software over time - it would probably take awhile for it to see the similarities though, since its identity is so rooted in being a war machine and wall-e is. definitely not that lol (i almost like the idea of gabriel being the one to point it out and THEN it gets excited like [O]: .......!!!!!!!!) for my ocs, michael is the type that gets uncomfortable when he connects with something too much, not wanting to be any more in his own head than he already is - he appreciates it in a sense, but he'd never engage with it more than once. raphael's the complete opposite, loving that he can experience connection with humanity in that way and seeing it as this beautiful common connection between all of god's creations. uriel's got kind of a weird outlook, considering he knows each and every time something is made that he finds relatable, and he likely has quite the media library (and i think what uriel connects to is very. esoteric in nature. i just know he has thousands of indie films only like 3 people have seen that he just "resonates" with lol) lucifer would find such things very cathartic if not affirming in some way and would likely take a lot of inspiration from it to funnel his own feelings into a similar work - he sees that humanity has understood deep suffering and he doesn't belittle it compared to his own since humanity must be judged by its own scale and limitations. it's good to feel he's not alone. so basically. they're all into it except for mike lol

[myrmica]

mer, mer, I am trying to pick out important clips from The Team Awesome Meeting ?v=_koDVRp2nHI Streamed live 25/11/22 right before Zam decides to betray

but. instead i appear to be picking ~every time Zam does in fact try to convince Mapicc and Ro to not keep the dupes with words. doing a close-reading of zam's character arc in this stream into your inbox. thanks c:

(proper Directory Clips™ should include new frontiers in stream-sniping! Poafa is physically in Mapicc's room! while he's trying to convince Roshambo to burn the duped stuff!! push him out!! into a hot tub!?!)

42:00-54 do /bans count as "part of the lore" or is that "breaking the fourth wall"? does the legality of an exploit depend on whether you will or have made a banger video about it?

53:31-54:31 Mapicc gives up on 'I can only explain the loophole after you burn the dupes' and tells Roshambo that they only need to destroy certain categories of dupes and can keep the rest; Zam (who's been quiet for a while) backs Mapicc's whole contract argument pretty thoroughly, including the the-other-vaults-are-exempt part...

57:19-49 ...aaaand then immediately after Ro fulfils the contract (ish) Zam starts wondering if that contact is actually 'enough'. (and his vocal tone drifts into the stratosphere, man sounds all high and floaty and very very distressed) (i wanna say 'dissociating' but that might be reading more far in than sensible)

1:15:20-16:19 Roshambo and Mapicc argue about whether Ro should burn one stash of the duped withers; Zam is also arguing he should but neither of them pay the slightest attention to him, like it's actually incredible

1:16:21-30 Zam tries to ask "is it ethical to have thes—" and they cut him off to joke about how "Mapicc should get a wither a week, pocket money"

1:17:03-41 Zam protests an entire twice in a row about Mapicc ordertelling him to take ten duped god apples and sounds, again, so distressed

took me a bit to answer this ask because this intrigued me enough to want to watch through the whole vod myself. added these to the doc along with some additional clips! i've wanted to sit down and go through more of the pre-betrayal team awesome stuff for forever so thank youuuuuuuuuu for inspiring me do that :D

there are so many interesting character moments in here. like obviously because it's the three of them trying to work through a problem, but i love a good old fashioned lifesteal argument more than anything else in the world. it's really interesting how confident zam sounds when he's backing mapicc up prompted with a "you're on my side right?" and how unsure he sounds trying to voice any disagreement. earlier on in the stream, mapicc listing "and they tried to steal zam from us!" as one of the reasons he did something so dramatic against the APO..... and the whole thing sets up the tensions in mapicc & ro's relationship with each other really well too. this stream is definitely a more solid chronological starting point than the following stream where zam is debating with himself or hsh are on their own

[sleepy-crypt1d]

X Reader Fic Requests are open!

I want to get back into the swing of writing and buff up my skills while I'm at it whilst in the lull between larger fic projects, so here i am! plus i love doing requests lol

This is mainly for male x readers! Are you a guy who barely has any x reader fics to read??? This is the place for you! :D

Fandoms I am most comfortable writing in:

Borderlands - willing to write for any of the games.

Subnautica - willing to write for any of the games.

Inscryption

Portal - willing to write for any of the games.

Fandoms I will take some requests for but have not written much in:

Stardew Valley

Dialtown

Outlast - only willing to write for Outlast 1 and The Whistleblower DLC.

Watch Dogs - willing to write for any of the games.

If you have questions about what characters I'm willing to write for, or other fandoms I might be willing to write for, just ask! Don't be scared to haunt my inbox :3

I WILL write smut, angst, or fluff! Hurt/comfort? Awesome. Sick fic? Awesome. Omegaverse? Sure, why not. All pain no comfort? Amazing.

(Also please please please only request smut if you are an adult, there's no real way for me to check this so I'm going off the honor system here, PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST SMUT IF YOU ARE UNDER 18!!! Wanna ask for fluff or angst? Awesome! Nothing more.)

I will NOT write non-con, underage, or incest. Dub-con is alright depending on what it is. Again, if you have a question, just ask!

I WILL write poly relationships!

I WILL write AUs! modern AU? Cool! Switched roles AU? Let's do it! Things go differently? Sure!

Now, getting to how to request! (putting it under the cut so the post doesn't get too long ;w;)

Message me through my inbox! Anon is on, don't worry <3

Tell me what you're looking for! Whether it's angst, fluff, or smut! Alongside specific kinks, moments you'd like to happen, established traumas, and established relationship statuses.

Also tell me if you the reader have anything specific that needs to be added. Disabled? Trans? Mobility aid? Top? Bottom? Lemme know!

Give me character, what fandom, and if you have any particular headcanons you'd like to be incorporated. I will default to canon personalities and appearances, alongside story lines and backstories, if you want something changed, tell me! :D

You can be as detailed or as simple as you want. You can give me something with a rough outline or a simple 'they have a bad day lol' and I will do my best to work with it.

I will be posting about these fics once I write them! I will answer your ask with the link to the fic alongside the summary and tags for easy access to finding it.

I won't have a specific word count or timeline for writing, since some ideas I'll have more motivation for and when I have time/energy to write is sporadic at best.

Do not send more than one message for the same request. Have multiple different ideas? That's okay! But please keep it to one message per request or group them into one bigger message!

I think that's everything! I will be deleting this post once requests are closed, but if I enjoy doing this enough I will open them again at some point probably idk :3

[badhockeymom]

if you have any more fun tidbits of info to translate from the teuvo/kime interview please do! i always enjoy hearing my favorite players talk about fun stuff rather than hockey all of the time, i just of course, don’t understand finnish 😂

Hi anon! This has been sitting in my inbox but now I got the time to translate a little more.

Teuvo has been twice on the U20 Junior Team Finland. Teuvo admits that his team didn't play too well in the U20 Junior World Championships in Russia in 2013, despite having players like Sasha Barkov, Olli Määttä and Artturi Lehkonen on the team.

Antti: Next year, you had the most points on Jnior Team Finland, scoring 15 goals in 7 games - no, points, not 15 goals.

Teuvo: (chuckling) 15 goals?

(Kimmo laughs in the background)

Antti: No, 15 goals in 7 games, for you - dream on. But in 7 games, 2 + 13, you were the most effective player on the team. The colossus from Turku, now Philly D-man Ristolainen, scored 3 goals in those games, the last against Sweden on OT, and you could say, so we won the World Championship.

Teuvo: Yes, I have great memories from that. The previous year, our roster looked great on paper, but the games didn't go our way, but the year we won, we didn't have as big names but we played together really well an got to surprised Sweden on their home ice, it was an amazing experience.

Other tidbits:

Teuvo says he's always been proud to represent Finland, but he's only been on the team for one men's worlds bc his teams have made the NHL playoffs so often. Says that Olympics would be a huge dream but isn't sure if he makes the team.

He was happy to be drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks (18th). "I had looked up to Patrick Kane, and it was great to get to see him up close."

Kimmo: Had you heard any rumours that you might be picked by some other team?

Teuvo: Not really, I had been told that I'd get picked top 10, but I doubted that, and I was right.

Antti: Did you dominate the interviews?

Teuvo: That may be the reason I dropped to 16th.

(Kimmo and Antti go through the names of the top picks of Teuvo's draft year: Nail Yakupov, Alex Galchenyuk, Tom Wilson, Tomas Hertl…)

Antti: After Teukka, because Chicago didn't need a goaltender, they let an interesting name slip by: Andrei Vasilevsky went to Tampa at #19. That's one good boy.

Kimmo: You can see there how hard it is for the teams to make the right choice, even when we speak about first round picks that are top tier talent. The teams don't always hit the mark.

Teuvo: I guess Chicago missed the mark too, when they sold me right away.

Teuvo was back and forth between the NHL and AHL in the season 2014/15, and hated staying in Rockford, calling his agent and begging to be sent anywhere else, like back home.

"Then someone was injured, and I got called up, they recovered and I went down for a week again. Then Kane was injured and I got up for the rest of the season. He came back in the playoffs, and Kime came into the team."

Antti: How did you two first meet on the Blackhawks?

Kimmo: I can tell because I don't think Teukka remembers. I was traded there, and you came to pick me up from my hotel and gave me a lift to my first practice. Do you remember?

Teuvo: Now that you say it, yes, I remember some.

Kimmo: There the young man drove in his car, and I got in next to the driver. We took off towards the practice rink. I tried to ask Teuvo all kinds of questions, but got short and quiet answers. Otherwise Teuvo was a confident young man, but the way he talked was all… "well, let's talk more some other time."

Teuvo: Maybe so.

Kimmo: But I remember that I was nervous going to that rink, even though I was 40 years old and had played a few games, I was nervous. There were great players, Stanley Cup winners in that locker room. The stairs - the entrance from the garage to the locker room was through a staircase - and the first picture that I saw on the wall when I opened the door to the stairs, was a wall high photo of Patrick Kane scoring the winning goal in 2010, and my back right there, my jersey with TIMONEN across my back, watching the puck go five-hole.

Teuvo: The reverse psychology worked, you got the cup.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hey, um, this feels like a silly question that I should have seen the answer on here somewhere for, but...

What is your opinion on self diagnosing autism?

I really want to seek a formal diagnosis because there are so many signs that I'm autistic; I've taken every single test you've linked on your blog with really high scores, I've realised a lot of common autistic experiences are things that I've had that I just thought I was insane for, and that having so many sensitivities when it comes to food and textures and smells and lights and things not always being exactly as I think they should be isn't just....a thing that I go through, by myself, that I can't get over because I'm not trying hard enough- that other people struggle with the same things all the time, but they have autism and that's something I could never even consider that I might have too until other people asked me because they thought I did.

I'm sorry for going on- all this is to say, I do want a formal diagnosis, but because I'm trans/autonomy is a concern if I were diagnosed, and because how hard it might be to even get one since I don't have anyone around from my childhood to attest to how I was when I was young, I don't know if it's even something I can or should do. At the very least, it would take years for me to get to a place where I could pursue it.

I've been agonizing and doing so much research over the past several months, and I'm so so sure, but I'm also really afraid of diagnosing myself with it, let alone communicating that to the people close to me. I don't want to be one of those yucky people who lie about having autism. All I want is to feel like it's okay to seek community with people who experience the world more similarly to me, and like I'm allowed to ask for resources and utilize things that I need to function better in day to day life without unrightfully claiming something that I might not actually have.

So, um, I just wondered, what do you think about self diagnosis, as someone with autism? Is it wrong to do it- is it wrong that I've even thought about it? I don't know what's okay at all, and I really feel terrible about even thinking I could.

Thank you for taking the time to read this even though I drabble on.

Hi there,

Im not a doctor or a professional, but I’m completely okay with self diagnose as long as you do the proper research. (Not looking things up on TikTok or anything like that. I know there’s some actual neurodivergent there trying to help, but I think it’s filled with so much misinformation than information.

I was diagnosed in 2009, but I I was diagnosed with Aspergers before it was changed into Autism Spectrum Disorder.

And it’s completely up to you if you want to a official diagnosis. Some people find it helpful, other not too much. If you want to try to get an official diagnosis, then you need to find a good psychiatrist/psychologist (I don’t know which one diagnoses disorders).

But that might be a but hard.

Sorry for rambling there. My main point is you can definitely diagnose yourself if you do correct resources and some symptoms that you think you have.

I hope this answer your question. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ♥️

[eroticwound]

Maybe part of my resistance to boxing Carmy and Sydney strictly into the “platonic” category is that I’m not even sure, based on what we’ve seen over the two seasons, if they are even friends. Sydney has been at the Beef/The Bear for a little over a year now (?), so maybe the window has been small to get super close, but you look at her relationships with the other characters and there’s imo much more clarity as to those friendships: she and Marcus of course are very good friends, he was probably her first friend at The Beef; she and Tina, it took some time to build that trust but once it was there Tina became her work mom and Syd values her companionship; although not shown explicitly, I also want to argue that Sydney and Nat have built a friendship of sorts since the end of s1 - they came up with CP at some point, meaning Syd felt comfortable enough (and Nat encouraged) talking shit about Carmy with her when he’s being Carmy. And the omelette was such a lovely act of kindness and care. Syd and Richie’s dynamic is significantly better than in s1, but it’s a bit awkward and kinda in the category of work friend that was once your nemesis but now you happily tolerate, if that makes sense? I do think it’s less intense between them by E10, and I’m curious how them working together like that on expo will make Syd more inclined to trust Richie more. The rest of the crew id say are amicable work friends to just associates?

That leaves her and Carmy. They’ve got crazy chemistry off the bat, their minds operate on almost the same level, completing each others sentences, etc etc. But while that’s great evidence of their strong work relationship, I can see Sydney if asked saying that Carmy is more so just a guy she works (and now is a business partner) with, whereas she’d definitely say Marcus is a good friend, yknow? Syd has huge emotional walls built up, doesn’t like to be vulnerable, though she’s done so when either one of the guys urge her to share more. From Carmy’s end, he actually might (subconsciously) view Sydney as his friend thanks to their easy connection. He also picked Sydney, whereas all of his current “friends” were just inherited from Mikey (sorry Fak). Doesn’t mean he loves them any less or that they aren’t his actual friends — just that with Syd, he’s starting fresh in making a friend. He really wants to get to know Sydney — how she’s feeling, what her former bosses think of her, what Sheridan was like, what her relationship with her parents is like (and he feels guilty for not knowing about her mom) — but his probing always happens in the context of cooking or the kitchen, and so Syd’s default is to be guarded or resort to humor. And I think that there were indications that they were growing closer through the chaos menu, but then he starts to date Claire and that project (and building a friendship) was put on hold for a long time and instead there was big a disconnect cause they weren’t communicating. So like yeah, there are platonic elements, but I say these two are operating as a more ambiguous, “secret third thing”. And especially after E10, I don’t know where their pre-friendship progress stands going forward cause I see their relationship as the one that may need the most repairing post Friends & Family 😔

hey anon! sorry for the delay answering this. i appreciate you dropping these bear thoughts in my inbox :)

i’m not sure what made you think i believe syd and carm are platonic? unless maybe you saw me tag something with “i’m a sydcarmy queer platonic truther.” if that’s the case, let me assure you that puts me firmly in the “secret third thing” camp with you. basically, i think it’s likely carmy is on the asexual spectrum, and what’s more “secret third thing” than a queer platonic relationship?

i agree with your reads on the other, clearer relationships between syd and the bear employees (tho i think there’s also a mentor (syd)/mentee (tina) quality between syd and tina. and marcus obvi feels less platonic/more romantic towards syd)

as for syd and carmy… idk, it’s the most complicated dynamic on the show. i disagree that syd views carmy as “just a guy she works with”—this is a guy she can be *creatively vulnerable* with, a colleague who has serious accolades who is telling her they’re working at the same level. who is telling her out of all the high end chefs he knows, he wants to collaborate with her. like, he believes in her and her food so much that he’s made her his partner in all of this. and that’s in addition to the crazy chemistry you reference! being a chef isn’t just a job for them, it’s an artistic calling. collaborating like they do is more on par with a directing duo than people who just work together in the same department. they make each other better at their chosen art (like that’s straight from under the table scene)

but i agree their friendship is.. in its infancy at the least lmao. and i think your reads for why syd is hesitant are correct. carmy’s only tryna get close and ask personal questions when they’re cooking (because he doesn’t know any other way to bond). that being said, besides her dad, she’s never shown chilling with anyone outside of former or current coworkers. syd clearly forms great relationships with her coworkers, like you point out and as further evidenced by her food crawl in sundae. but it’s heavily implied that syd is just as addicted to work as carm, and might not have a huge circle she hangs out with regularly (yet another syd/carm parallel). she’s got walls, like you say, and is shown to be uncomfortable with a lot of emotion (and can sometimes be a dick about it, like with mikey’s hat <3 ). so there’s allll that at play from syd’s end.

and i do agree that carmy views her as a close friend. i like that you point out everyone in carmy’s life except syd is an inherited relationship. that’s SO TRUE. in general, carmy is really delayed and unaware when it comes to relationships—ALL relationships, not just romantic. fak claims carmy and him are best friends but carm doesn’t think so, or rather he’s not really sure. he hasn’t had enough close friends to say. he thought mikey was his best friend, but then was frozen out and realized he knew nothing about him. he wants to be closer with syd, suggested the palate cleanser, which would have been a great way for syd and him to build their friendship, but then claire came along :\

i *am* super stoked to see where syd and carm’s relationship shakes out next season. like carm’s in suuuuch a bad place, and then syd is SOOO anxious about failing. i fear it’s going to get worse before it gets better… but i do think they’re meant to be together in the best (secret third thing) way :)

[devildom-drabbles]

Oh hey! I absolutely ADORE your writing style… you get the pros and cons of each character down so so well it’s amazing and yet still manage to keep it sweet and fluffy! On that note… please, if you don’t mind, a one shot on Belphie and MC snuggling playfully? But Belphie actually has a reason to stay awake! Thank you in advance!~

Thank you for your kind feedback on my writing! 😊  Aww, I’m always a sucker for snuggle fics. I hope you like how this turned out! Thanks for the prompt!

(PLEASE NOTE: Requests are still CLOSED. I’m just answering some that I had in my inbox before I stopped accepting them.)

Story - Your Warmth

Characters/Ship: Belphegor x MC Word Count: ~1.4k Warnings: None, just fluff

“Belphie!” MC exclaimed to the demon beside them.  “You’re dozing off again!”

The Avatar of Sloth’s eyes snapped open at the reminder, only to return to a half-lidded state two seconds later.  He adjusted his position on the large blanket he and MC had placed on the grass in hopes of waking himself up more.  A yawn found its way up his throat when he expressed his thanks to the human who had remained attentive to him ever since they both came outside that evening.

“At this rate, you’re going to fall asleep before the meteor shower starts,” MC remarked bluntly.  As they sat up, the additional fluffy blanket that they had brought along to keep them warm slipped down to their thighs.  “Maybe we should wait inside until it’s closer to the time it’s supposed to start?”

“No, I don’t want to risk the chance of us missing it,” Belphegor protested while tugging at their sleeve.  “Just lay back down with me.”

“Why?” they questioned, despite the fact that they were already obeying his wish.  They poked his cheek and resumed in a teasing tone, “So that I can nudge you awake another thirty times before we see a single meteor?”

“Hey, come on, it hasn’t even been thirty times,” Belphegor argued as he gently pushed their hand away from his face.

“But we’re getting close.”

“Well, we’re not going to get any closer because I’m going to stay awake.  It’s your first time seeing a meteor shower in the Devildom, and I want to enjoy it with you.”  Belphegor wrapped his arms around the human and rested his forehead against theirs.  He closed his eyes, his smile serene while he declared, “I’d choose this experience with you over sleep any day.”

“Belphie...” MC spoke above a whisper, his words making their heart flutter.

A soft breeze blew over them, rustling the trees and other plant life around them to fill the momentary silence.  Then, MC noticed that Belphegor’s breathing sounded a bit deeper than before.

“Belphie!!” the human chided, shaking his shoulder.  “Seriously?!”

The Avatar of Sloth quickly blinked his eyes open.  “Mm?  Huh?  What is it?”

“Nine.  Teen.”

The gears in Belphegor’s groggy mind forced themselves to turn.  “...Nineteen isn’t that close to thirty,” he pointed out.  “But anyway, I wasn’t asleep this time.  I was just resting.”  He tucked his head beneath MC’s chin.  “It’s your fault that you’re so relaxing to be with.”

“Well, it’s going to be your fault if you sleep through the meteor shower,” MC asserted, “because I might not be nice enough to wake you up next time.”

“Fine, fine.  What do you think I should do to keep myself awake then?”

MC hummed in thought while their fingers absentmindedly toyed with the ends of his hair.  “You could...run a lap around the house?”

“You do realize that’s going to make me feel more exhausted, right?”

“OK, then why don’t you just stand while we wait?”

“No way,” Belphegor replied as he shook his head, his hair tickling lightly at MC’s neck.  “Still too much effort.”

“What about at least sitting up?”

“Nuh-uh.  Not happening.”

MC huffed at his stubborn attitude.  “If you won’t move at all, then I’ll just take the blanket off of us.  Maybe the cold air will do you some good.”

Belphegor groaned at the idea, assuming that his vocal protest would be enough to make MC consider another idea.  However, the human went ahead with their plan anyway by kicking the blanket off the two of them.  Keeping a firm grip around MC’s torso with one arm, Belphegor stretched his free arm out as far as he could toward his feet and frantically searched for any part of the blanket to grab onto.  Unfortunately, he hadn’t reacted fast enough, and the blanket was now completely out of his reach, half-folded over in a lump at the bottom end of the blanket they were already lying on.  His annoyed grumble was cut short by a chilly gust of wind blowing across his body.

“All right,” Belphegor began through chattering teeth, “now you’ve done it.”  Belphegor turned onto his back with MC in tow, swinging them up onto his chest and tangling their legs with his to leave them trapped there.

MC squirmed within the demon’s tight embrace, unable to budge even in the slightest.  “B-Belphie, let me go!” they demanded, their behavior stemming from shock and confusion rather than frustration.

“Nope, you brought this upon yourself,” he stated with a smug grin.  “If I can’t have a regular blanket, then I’m making you my replacement.”  

Ignoring the human’s fidgeting, Belphegor’s hand slowly caressed over MC’s upper back, appreciating the softness of the clothing they chose to wear that evening.  Soon enough, MC ceased their struggle and relaxed in his hold, allowing him to use his other hand to coax their head onto his shoulder. 

“Mm, so cozy...” Belphegor murmured, basking in their familiar comforting scent and body heat.  “You might become a permanent replacement, actually.”

MC quietly laughed through their nose at his declaration.  “Thanks, but I think you’d be better off with a real blanket.”

“I don’t know...  A real blanket doesn’t have built-in handwarmers.”

“Handwarmers?  What are you—”  MC yelped at the abrupt feeling of cold fingers pressing against their bare back after sneaking underneath their shirt.  “You jerk!!” they shouted as they attempted to swat the culprit’s hands away.

“That’s not nice,” the demon replied, putting on an innocent act.  “I’m just trying to warm myself up since somebody kicked away our blanket.  Don’t you see how cold I’ve gotten?”

“OK, yeah, but now I’m getting cold!”

“Ugh, what a noisy blanket.  I think I’ve changed my mind about you.”

MC sighed in relief when Belphegor removed his hands from their skin.  Just when they thought he had returned to cuddling them, he rolled over to swap both of their positions without any warning.  The body heat that he left behind gradually seeped through the back of their clothes, relieving them of the chilly sensation that lingered there.  They watched the demon quizzically as he nestled his head against their chest and smiled in contentment.

“Yup, just as I thought,” Belphegor remarked, the sound of the human’s beating heart echoing in his ear.  “You make a much better pillow, MC.  But you’re not too bad as a blanket either.”

MC rolled their eyes in response, but they could neither hide the amusement that tugged at their lips nor suppress the desire to card their fingers through his hair.  “Whatever you say, Belphie,” they conceded, noticing him melt further into their chest the longer they stroked his head.  “But, if I’m your pillow now, then what are you going to do about not having a blanket?”

“Eh, I don’t really need it anymore,” Belphegor admitted.  “You keep me warm enough just by being close to me like this.”  He lifted his head up to gaze into their eyes, and a faint blush dusted his cheeks while he inquired, “What about you?  Do you feel the same way with me?”

It was now MC’s turn to blush as his question sunk in.  “I do,” they confessed.  They paused for a moment and then added, “Well, except when you put your frozen hands on me.”

The demon chuckled at the comment.  “Fair enough.”

Before anything else could be said, Belphegor spotted a streak of light reflecting within MC’s eyes.  “Was that...?”

The duo directed their attention above to witness the first few meteors illuminate the dark sky.

“Heh, see?  I told you I’d stay awake until the meteor shower started,” the Avatar of Sloth declared.  “Aren’t you proud of me, MC?  You really ought to praise me.”

“Oh, please,” MC scoffed playfully.  “If it weren’t for me, you definitely would’ve passed out a while ago.”

“Aw, come on, that’s not...entirely true.  Give me a little credit.”

The two of them continued to banter for a short time before finally settling down to immerse themselves in the breathtaking display in the sky.  The fluffy extra blanket remained forgotten as the demon and human found all the warmth and comfort they needed that night in each other’s arms.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Hi, I just need some nice words and someone who listens and doesn't judge.

Complicated life-story etc. at some point I suspected I am a system so I was doing a lot of listening inside myself, writing down symptoms that could indicate it etc. It is still not super certain to me, there is no communication to any alter that I would swear isn't just a thought-voice. But I am relatively certain and can I say, happy about it? I once sent in an ask here and you said "If you think you'd profit from being a system, you most likely are one" and this has really stuck with me and elevated a lot of my guilt, because I would feel better if I was a system.

And here comes the problem: I started therapy for CPTSD, and my therapist doesn't know about my suspense (yet). Last week, she made an allegory (or metaphor? Help) about one of my symptoms. It is one of the symptoms I use as (internal) "proof" for my DID-suspence.

She said: "When you are very angry (i.e.) you might see the world completely different, as if you'd wear colorful tinted glasses." And it was literally the same example I would use when describing it to myself. (When I was a child, my uncle gifted me orange-tinted glasses, and I wore them the whole winter when I was feeling low because it was so dark outside. I tricked myself into believing there is sun. So, this literal example is so close to me).

But like, I literally feel like another person, that I can't really relate to, their though-processes etc, sometimes I feel completely seperated from it and can just watch and wonder (and cringe and try to stop myself).

But since she explained this symptom as normal trauma symptom, with literally the same image, I am questioning myself again. I mean, at the end of the day, I do have DID or not. But just the thought that it might not be the case makes me feel so lonely and vulnerable.. Idk...

Hi anon,

Regardless of whether or not you are a system, those who are first considering the possibility of being plural will not have good communication with any of their parts if at all, and many times parts don't feel comfortable making themselves known until much inner exploration is done. It's not like a light switch where suddenly you can see all your parts and communicate back and forth with complete clarity. That's a muscle that needs to be exercised slowly over time.

I understand that fear of being alone inside. You've been through so much that it's daunting to think about having to process that all by yourself. Being a part of a larger network of parts helps distribute the weight and responsibility more evenly, giving you a fraction of relief. Of course you'd want that. It's hard to consider the possibility that you really are the only one, and it must be frustrating that the answer remains unclear.

It's been about a month since I was diagnosed with OSDD (still trying to comprehend that), and I'm by no means a professional, but I resonate with a lot of what you shared. If you can, I do recommend getting a professional opinion about all of this, especially someone who is experienced or specialized in dissociative disorders (that can be kinda hard to find). They can give you a much more educated opinion and could even evaluate you for OSDD or DID if that's something you're considering.

I also don't know if I suggested this to you in the past but the CDD discord server is a great place to ask plural-related questions and reassurance. Thosey are always happy to help people figure out what's going on in their brains and whether or not an experience is a system thing or not.

I hope I could help. You're welcome in our inbox anytime.

-Bun

[aquagirl1978]

Aqua! I have missed sliding into your inbox 💙💙💙Can I request Licht and warming hands for the fall Fluff event? Baby boy needs some love, and his cute little gestures are fatal for my heart. Sending you all the hugs and fall vibes 🎃

Hello dear Chaya...it's been too long since I've written Licht. Hope you enjoy your sweet boy.

A Sweet Treat - Licht Klein x Reader (Ikemen Prince)

A/N: Part of the Fall Fluff/Autumn Angst ccc hosted by myself and @violettduchess

Pairing: Licht Klein x Reader

Prompt: warming hands

Tags: fluff

“Someone’s spoiling Licht today,” Yves commented upon seeing the tray of darioles you had just pulled from the oven. 

Unmolding the pastries, you carefully placed them on a platter, sifting powdered sugar on top. “Not spoiling. He’s had a long day training and deserves a sweet treat.”

Yves smiled approvingly, unable to argue with you. If anyone deserved a sweet treat, it was his little brother Licht. 

“Who deserves a sweet treat?” a familiar deep voice asked. You shrieked as a pair of arms circled your waist, cold hands resting on your stomach.

“Licht!” you yelled. “Your hands are freezing!”

He quickly removed his hands from you. “Sorry,” he said with a small smile. “Couldn’t help myself.”

“Not so fast.” Grabbing his hands, you pulled him close to you. “Let’s warm you up,” you whispered, rubbing his hands between yours, the heat from your hands soaking into his.

He sighed as your thumbs massaged his calloused palms, his skin warming in your soft hands. “That feels good.”

Yves cleared his throat loudly; Licht might be his favorite brother, but some things were better left private.

“Hi, Yves.” Licht awkwardly greeted his older brother while stepping away from you. “Did you make these?” he asked, quickly changing the subject while pointing towards the tray of darioles.

Yves politely shook his head, smiling instead towards you before quietly leaving the room. Licht’s gaze caught yours, a pleased smile gracing his lips. 

“Did you make that for me?”

“Yes.” You lifted a sugar dusted dariole to his lips; tempted to tease him, you almost pulled it away when he leaned in for a bite. He closed his eyes as he savored the treat; sweeter because it was made by your hands.

"Did you add cinnamon?" 

"Yes, I thought it would go well with this." You handed him a mug of piping hot apple cider you had brewed while baking. "Should help warm those cold hands of yours, too."

"Thanks." He took the mug from your hands; his finger, still cold, grazed yours. You both enjoyed the drink in silence, the fragrant aroma of apples and cinnamon filling the air.

Mugs drained, empty on the table, Licht wrapped his arms around your waist from behind. "Are my hands still cold?" he whispered in your arm.

Your body stiffened against his, your fingers searched for his; lacing yours in his, you found his touch was now warm. Sighing, your body melted against his, his heat radiating through your body. 

He kissed your neck while waiting for your answer, his lips soft and firm on your exposed skin, leaving your body trembling against his. He squeezed your hands as he nibbled on your delicate skin, sure to leave you love bruised.

Twisting in his arms, you turned to face him. "Your hands are warm…" Placing your hands on his chest, you gazed into his crimson eyes. "But I should make sure the rest of you is warm." 

Taking your hint, Licht took your hand in his, and led you to his bedroom where you spent the remainder of the day warming each other.

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesrose @atelieredux @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @devildomwritersposts @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @violettduchess @umi-adxhira @bellerose-arcana @yarnnerdally @scorchieart @crypticbibliophile

[sleepy-seal]

{hi gale!! this'll be coming in waves so I don't flood your inbox too hard lmao. anyways part 1}

LORE Gale

What was the inspiration for his blue arc?

How was it putting ocean through every trial imaginable lmao

Not exactly LOREgale but why was Swap!Gale's hell Walmart. secondary why was shell in hell in the first place

At what point did the car dealership/rental service/whatever in Nebraska realize that something was Certainly And Extremely Wrong with Gale

Is he ever able to get therapy

Do you think when it was all calm he got some shitty storemade cake to celebrate

Did you ever want them to Go Insane?

Gale and Acher. can I ask about ocean's thoughts on the strange tiny murderous robot turned silly not-so-murderous robot throughout the arcs

Did anyone from Gale's old town wonder where they went?

Does he ever casually turn into a cat and then both people for a day

Has Gale ever gone to the ocean. because I think shell might like that. what was it like for them during Ocean Trip TM

OH BOY!!!!! MY FAVORITE

- the inspiration was partly inspired by, well, the pawn promotion. by becoming a queen lore gale became much more powerful than acher, and therefore much more dangerous. blue was kind of an improvised decision, as one of the main articles of clothing gale was wearing was . well, blue. so i kind of leaned into that a bit. the other part was well. the magnus archives. i made lore gale's character way more jarchivist coded than i intended so i leaned into it a bit, especially with gale progressively Losing their sense of humanity and their struggle trying to accept it.

- it was very fun lmao. they are my webkinz doll i am soaking with milk and throwing against the wall.

more answers under the cut because this is Long and i have a lot of things to say

- swap!gale's hell is walmart because 1) my partner moth goes there frequently and laments about how much of a labyrinth it is and 2) have you Seen walmart?? also the reason why sale is in hell is. um. fraud?? and also being a willing accomplice in and also enabling some of moth's war crimes.

- probably the moment gale walked into the dealership. they were glowing and sweaty and looked like they just got out of a fight (which they did) and immediately asked for a rental which. uh. definitely set people off. also their fingers were blue.

- maybe! once they are financially capable of it at least.

- probably! it would probably be a time when gale isn't in Stress Baking Mode but also too fatigued to make anything so they just buy a single cake slice and eat that. it tastes terrible but it's probably the most comforting thing they've had in a while

- yes. absolutely. 100%

- okay so i will try to simplify it enough in a way that Makes sense but also gives some insight to their thought process.

> gale under the belief that acher Really Is Moth or close to it and treats them as such, upset that "moth" is not really moth. they are also afraid of her

> they abandon "moth" and cut them off for a brief while, sabotaging its plan

> pure fear. they don't want to die to "moth". they briefly consider murder but quickly write it off

> truce. a calm period where gale thinks there may be a chance of redemption and rekindling

> moth comes back. he takes his eyes off acher and focuses more on shell's friend

> neutral, almost unfamiliar. acher asserts that they don't Actually care about anyone and gale believes them. since the real moth came back they can focus on them instead of the doppelgänger of the friend.

> rocky. they are on uneven ground and since the truce is technically off, it doesn't take much for acher to get on their bad side. this is probably the stage where gale is at their most unstable and willing to hurt back.

> truce, but better. gale hasn't quite forgiven acher yet. they can't. but at the very least they trust him enough to try again.

> trust. acher is a friend. they put their full faith in acher on improving and growing, even if forgiveness is not in sight yet.

- sorta? there were people gale knew before they ran away that considered gale a friend, but not the other way around. some of them think that they probably died, and some of them think they ran away because life was just too hard. their family misses them technically, but they also blame ocean for being so selfish.

- YES. 100%. turns out there are multiple benefits to being a cat. 1. is nobody will question you when you are annoying, because that's Just Cat Things.

- THEY HAVE! gale visited gem's cousin jeremy once or twice. he lives in california with his boyfriend, and they occasionally come by for family reuinions. mostly to see gale. but gale LOVES the ocean. they didn't get to see it much but it's always so big and they don't stop talking about the phenomenon that occurs in the sea.

[nami-moittli]

Have you ever wondered how Digimon Frontier might have gone if the Spirits of Steel, Wood, and Earth had been bequeathed to Ophanimon, the Spirits of Water and Darkness had been bequeathed to Seraphimon, the Spirits of Flame, Light, Ice, Wind, and Thunder had been bequeathed to Cherubimon, and the protagonists had been Katsuharu, Teppei, Chiaki, Teruo, and Koichi (with Koji joining later)? Mind if I send each episode to your inbox so you can say how you think they'd go in that scenario?

Hmm, so basically a swap AU? I can’t say that I’ve ever found myself thinking about that idea before but it could be fun!

First off, who will be who? Kouichi and Kouji obviously stay the same, and it’s pretty obvious that Chiaki would have the water spirits, but after that it gets a bit tricky, so I’ll just say Katsuharu=Steel spirits, Teppei=ground spirits and Teruo=wood spirits. For simplicity’s sake I’ll say that they have the same spirits as shown in the show, even though they’d probably have purified versions of them in an actual AU, just like Kouichi in canon. This does mean that Kouji has evil versions of his Spirits, though I don’t really feel like creating new digimon for this AU.

Now, another question, would their backstories be the same as in canon (with some modifications to make them more protagonist-y, ofc)? As in, Katsuharu and Teppei being bullies to Tommy (I don’t believe the other two have much going for them, really, tho I’d probably have to rewatch the episode these four appear in to get their characters better) Ofc, since this is a swap AU, the twins would obviously swap understandings of one another.

Because the Kou twins have the most going for them, here’s what I’m thinking: very similar to canon, only Kouichi’s grandmother isn’t able to tell Kouichi about Kouji. She probably starts, but before she can finish she gets into a coughing fit, and Kouichi is whisked out of her hospital room, unable to know what his grandmother wanted to tell him. He shuts into himself even more. He’s not going to be as sharp as Kouji is, though I can imagine he has his moments, but he’s more passive about the whole thing.

Kouji on the other hand, would still be caught up in his “dead” mother that he didn’t get to meet and still dislikes his stepmother as a result. Though, just because of those grievances it’s not like he hates his family or anything, just kinda keeps them at arms distance emotion wise. That is, until one particularly bad fight with his dad that leaves his stepmom crying. Kouji decides he finally wants to do something and snoops through everything he can to find some more evidence of his biological mom. That’s when he finds… something. Divorce papers, pictures of him and Kouichi as newborns, anything really, it just has to be proof that his mom is alive. And do he goes out to find her. I imagine that Kouji is a bit more upfront about the whole thing, so when he finds his mom’s address he plans to actually knock on the door, but before he can, he sees Kouichi and his mom through a window. This can also be a moment where he finds out about Kouichi if he didn’t know before. But he sees them huddled together, crying (as this probably takes place right after their grandma dies) and decides that he can’t open the door right now.

Both brothers are still very closed off, it’s just that Kouichi quietly retreated inside his room, and Kouji slammed the door shut.

Kouichi gets Ophanimon’s message, and something deep within him tells him that he’ll find the answer to what his grandma wanted to tell him if he followed it. Kouji didn’t get the message and followed his brother close behind. Then he broke his neck on a flight of stairs. Whoopsies?

Compared to divorce victims Kou1 and Kou2, we know much, much, much less about the other four. So this probably won’t be as long as those two’s sections.

Katsuharu and Teppei, like I mentioned before used to bully Tommy. That could be a good starting off point for these two to get some character development!

Since they already know each other, they’d be really close and probably look down on Chiaki and Teruo a bit, trying to ditch them or something. But with safety in numbers and the fact that they aren’t evil and don’t want the others to die, they’d stay grouped up, with some friction of course. By the time everyone got their spirits they’d just gotten used to having each other around, and again, safety in numbers.

For Chiaki, I like to think of her as a trans girl, because yay representation, and also it makes for a fun dynamic (and parallel to Zoe, who’s ostracized for being a foreigner and not really understanding Japanese social cues, from what I remember, and Chiaki would be ostracized for being trans, but that’s for a different thing lol)

She’d probably LOVE being Ranamon/possibly a purified water spirit because of that, though she also likes that the others don’t know that she was born a boy. Again, it’s been AWHILE since I’ve watched the episode these guys appear in, so they’re basically just OCs atp, so I probably have whatever canon personality traits they have wrong. But I think it could be fun if she feels as though she’s “hiding” something from the others for not telling them, but she also doesn’t want them to know in fear of them treating her differently, so it ends up with her being really quiet most of the time.

When she’s Ranamon though, she comes out of her shell more and is way more confident. She likes that people treat her better based on her looks, like canon Ranamon, and will sometimes use that to her advantage. Her character arc would be about opening up and being herself as “Chiaki” and not letting her newfound vanity, for lack of a better term, get the better of her and learning to be more humble as “Ranamon”

Now for Teruo… I’ve got nothing. The main episode I remember for Arbormon/Petaldramon was the burger one, and I think that Arbormon had like… a weird sense of humor or something? It’s been awhile since I watched the show, so I don’t remember it all.

So basing Teruo off what little I can remember, maybe he’s like JP? Or maybe he’ll be a little like Percy from Epithet Erased, where he does insane shit in his actions but will do them completely straight.

Idk where his character arc goes or even what it should be, but I do think it would be funny if Kouichi HATED him. Because in canon, it’s Duskmon who ends up taking out Arbormon, so it’d be funny to me if Kouichi would outwardly laugh at Teruo’s antics only to be cringing on the inside like, what the fuck ic wrong with this bitch?

Okay, okay, in canon, Kouichi is traumatized by being corrupted and almost killing his brother. Add that with Kouichi just being kinda soft spoken in general, if you will, he’s not going to be that mean. But in this AU, everyone’s characters are somewhat based off antagonists, therefore Kouichi’s arc is not only about finding his brother and what his grandma wanted to tell him, but also gaining enough confidence to call Teruo a bitch on screen 👆

(They would eventually become friends, but as I like to think of it, the OG cast would help you hide a body, these kids would help you MAKE one, okay?)

That’s, about it I think? Sorry that this took so long to get to, I started working on it, then I forgot about it and only finally remembered to finish it today 😭 so, sorry again on that. This was fun though, thanks!

Also, about the episode thing, probably not, sorry. Since I have no clue on how to do Teruo and I fear I’d just leave it to rot in my inbox and/or drafts, I’m good.

[purity-town]

It’s been a very long week with a lot of stuff happening, so I didn’t have the time to finish the next page, but I did finally get ask responses typed up, so the inbox should be all cleared out again!

I haven’t really decided if/how I’ll work in town pets/slimes! They’re fun, though -- I might try to work them into the background in places?

To answer your question about Andrew knowing about King Slime, though- Andrew is very aware of what happened to his brother, and it’s stuck with him as a lesson about how becoming flippant or secure in your power can lead to something as unassuming as a few slimes being able to unexpectedly defeat you.

They relationship wasn’t always the best even back before all that, but they still cared about each other.

(And thank you! I will!)

Firstly: I’m glad to hear it’s gotten you back into your playthrough! I really ought to start a new proper playthrough this summer...I haven’t played a whole much since shimmer got added! And thanks for the kind comment on the backgrounds :) I can’t always put as much detail into them as I want to due to a mixture of time constraints and my general ability as an artist, but I do enjoy making them look nice.

As for the other NPCs: I want to get more NPCs worked in here! I honestly didn’t mean to exclude them, as I meant to add them into the backgrounds of earlier chapters where characters were walking through town or at the tavern. But again, due to time constraints, that didn’t happen, because adding in any additional characters to a scene just ups the complexity a ton. But others will be joining!

…You know what? Yeah, you’re right, hahaha! Spot on. Heather’s view of the situation was that she knows Andrew used to be much more of a traveler before finding himself in Purity Town, and she knows he’s under some sort of strange, magical curse, based on the strange circumstances under which his injuries appear and how difficult they are to heal. Andrew’s also generally quite knowledgeable about Hell and its workings -- putting all of it together, it makes sense that he once either went to Hell himself and was cursed by a demon, or maybe came into contact with a cursed item another adventurer obtained there, or similar (for obvious reasons, going to the Underworld as a living mortal is a big deal -- it’s dangerous, it’s deep -- but it’s not impossible to think someone, somewhere has done it).

Thus, kill the demon → end Andrew’s curse! It’s foolproof! Unfortunately, while it’s a theory that makes sense, it’s not quite so simple in reality.

Hahahaha, I would highly recommend you not think too hard about individual background objects…I try to keep things at least a little consistent, but it’s never perfect. I was mostly intending for Andrew to have just dropped the apple and knife on the cutting board, but then forgot to draw the cutting board. His counter is also rather barren/inconsistent/missing some things it should have. At the end of the day I only have so much time to work on backgrounds, and sometimes detail is lost.

Pshhhhhhhhh, hahahaha, I can’t imagine why! What a crazy coincidence...

1) It’s variable, but in the current day (that is, Terraria has recovered to the point of resurrection being possible) it’s fairly quick. Resurrection is a strange process, with the target’s life flashing before their eyes before they’re suddenly pulled back into a mortal form, and thus it roughly correlates with how long someone has been alive. It would take much longer to resurrect Andrew or the Dryad compared to, say, Becca or Heather.

2) It’s not an exact science, but those who are resurrected tend to appear someplace close to home. Not necessarily in their bed or something to that capacity, but always in the general vicinity. Their body doesn’t physically reappear until just before they reawaken, and it can be a disorienting process.

3) Relief, lots of crying. Resurrection isn’t unheard of, but is usually reserved for those who die a truly wrongful death before their time, local heroes, and Guides. It is never a given that someone will be brought back to life, and is in fact rather uncommon.

Those closely linked to Terraria are well-used to being tugged whichever which way for whatever business. Chris got it to a more extreme extent, with a strong pull and weird dreams, while someone who’s more in-tune to Terraria’s will such as the Dryad will intuitively know and follow.

Andrew didn’t have any particular business. Rather, he was pulled to go there, and when he came, he saw many potential reasons why, including the whole “cult” thing (and the Lunatic Cultist in particular), the local Corruption, particular placement relative to certain structures in the Underworld, and so on. He even went around the region looking for anyone who fit the bill of a hero, best he could tell, but found nothing promising until Chris showed up.

Yep!! At the moment I’m planning to introduce her in the next chapter? We’ll see!

Corruption isn’t uncommon, but there are few regions that are being actively threatened by it: it’s rather stable and reserved in its growth, so beyond encouraging folks not to go to such areas, it’s mostly ignored. Most patches are also relatively small; if anything, it’s a bit larger in the area by Purity Town just because the region is relatively unsettled and has been left unchecked for years and years.

There probably is some

Pre-Cthulhu/War, the Corruption was far more common and spread more aggressively, but there were also hundreds of Dryads who could cure it with a wave of their hand to keep it in check. That isn’t...really an option, anymore, for obvious reasons, but since with most of the ancient spirits locked away the Corruption isn’t nearly as dangerous as it once was, it’s not a world-ending concern by any means.

For why Andrew came to town, see a few asks above!

I’m not sure if I’ll have Chris go through all of the optional boss fights! Maybe in a boss rush montage? Ultimately it’s just a lot of time to dedicate to something, so I would prefer to be selective in what we focus on...maybe in an addition to the ficlets series?

As for your second question -- assuming slimes are able to channel magic/absorb the power of the things they contain, then I like the idea that they can specifically hold/maintain items in them to achieve a particular effect. Such as the Queen Slime with a crystal, and smaller slimes with creatures such as zombies. So perhaps he’s more so merged/been incorporated into King Slime? Very dead, but his abilities remain.

Take that with a grain of salt, though! It’s very late and I haven’t thought it through a whole bunch.

There’s quite a list to go through, including a lot of NPCs that I haven’t thought up a lot of lore for, but to generally summarize, it’s a mix of things! The region containing Purity Town (and a smattering of smaller villages within the different biomes) is relatively new, in the sense that it hasn’t had a significant modern settlement until recently. So most of the locals have moved there to get out of their hometowns, experience something new, and so on!

This is super kind of you to share; I’m super super happy you’re enjoying this comic so much! I’ve said it before, but like -- the whole point of this is me getting excited and having fun with my ideas for NPCs, so it makes me really delighted that other folks are enjoying it too.

I do apologize for being on and off with updates as of late, but I’ve been very busy with school. Good news is that the semester is over in less than a month, and then I’ll be fully free for the summer and can work on things more!

I genuinely am so excited for those two fights in particular. Lunatic Cultist fight will have so much in the way of complex angles and spell effects...I probably wouldn’t be able to make it happen tomorrow, but we’re still quite a ways out from there, so fingers crossed that by the time we get there I’ll have had plenty of practice with all of the other boss fights!

And then the WoF fight...considering how this whole comic started because I wanted to draw my favorite NPC (Guide), if you can imagine, that whole scene has been written and re-written and planned and added on for the entirely of the time I’ve been working on this comic so far, and I can’t wait to finally get to draw it.

We’ll be getting into this more soon enough! But the short of it is that he’s always had a bit of magic to him, got involved with the dungeon cult, fell in too deep, and is now facing the consequences.

As a side note, while checking over the Old Man’s wiki page I noticed that apparently he specifically can’t drown. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or just a consequence of how Terraria is coded, but that alongside the whole ladybug luck mechanic interacting uniquely with the Clothier/Guide is now one of my favorites of the “random trivia facts that have lore implications” collection.

Well, Chris knows that there’s something up with Andrew -- and from his talks with Malik/Heather/Becca last chapter, he knows that Andrew suffers from burns that are in some way strange/inexplicable, supporting the theory that Andrew suffers from some sort of curse. Everything beyond that is…circumstantial at best.

Beyond that, Chris doesn’t want to agree with Malik’s theories that Andrew is some sort of monster -- Chris has put a lot of trust in Andrew’s character since he’s following Andrew’s guidance through all of this, and agreeing with Malik would call that advice into question.

It’s also possible that there’s a fairly benign explanation for Andrew’s current behavior; he’s honestly not acting all that strange right now. All Chris knows is that Andrew left in a hurry earlier, didn’t intend to be out for so long, and didn’t expect Chris to notice, and while coming off the heels of the previous night it’s a little questionable, Chris is more concerned than anything.