#Lic

[lictvison]

I just wanted to combine Bill and my sona/oc

[wanderingnewyork]

#Front_stoops in #Long_Island_City, #Queens.

[crying-on-the-six]

Long Island City, New York

[poobletoods]

behold my KIDS my CHILDREN my SPAWN who i BIRTHED and taught their ALPHABETS

now with MANY WORDS under the cut! skip to the line break for bios

These characters have existed for uhhhhhhh I’d say upwards of ten years now! They’re like childhood friends and they mean a whole lot to me. They’ve grown and changed a lot over the years, as have I, but they’ll always be my funny little guys :) 

I grew up playing and replaying and re-replaying Psychonauts, so that probably influenced a lot of the universe that these characters exist in, even if I never intended them to be PN-related.

Also there are some footnotes at the end, indicated by numbers in parentheses.

Before we get into character descriptions, we’re gonna learn how powers work in this universe. How they’re classified, what they do, who has them—all that good stuff.

First of all, there are three classifications of people in the LiC(1) universe: lassic, psychic, and elementic. People who are psychic are called psy, people who are lassic are called lassy, and people who are elementic are called elementals. Psy and elementals have special abilities, and lassy are just average folks. Lassy make up about 50% of the earth’s population, while psy make up about 35%, and elementals about 15%.

Psy

Psy derive their power from a small gland in their head (located just behind the ear) that is connected to the brain, and is filled with a chemical called psi(2). Psi has a strange, reality-warping quality that, when harnessed by its host, lets them perform feats outside of normal human capability. Psy are born with this gland, and with the psi contained within it, seemingly at random. A child with two lassic parents may turn out to be psychic, or a child with two psychic parents may be born lassic. The origins of this chemical and the way it interacts with humans are still being studied.

While psi is powerful, it needs a specific place to direct its energy in order to function. This is where alignment of psi comes in. When a psychic baby is born, their psi cannot be utilized until it has found an alignment, which is chosen simply through exposure. If a baby is often around reptiles, their psy may cling to them and take the form of reptilian communication. If a baby is born with an illness and must spend the first few weeks of their life in medical care, they may develop healing-aligned psi. It’s impossible to predict what will or will not have an effect on an infant’s psi, and there seems to be a nearly endless list of things that psi can cling to.

Elementals

Unlike psy, elementals do not have a special gland that gives them their powers. Instead, elementals are born with a tiny elementia core located in their upper chest. This core is composed of a hyper-condensed version of an element that can communicate with and influence other pieces of itself outside its host. As with psy, this power cannot be used until it has been aligned, but there is a limited number of ways for elementia to align. The only currently known(3) types of elementia are fire, water, light, electricity, and air. The alignment of elementia is determined by which of these an infant most commonly or significantly encounters, but alignment typically does not take place until around age six, whereas psi can align within a few days. Elementia also differs from psi in that it must be inherited, though the alignment of the elementia does not carry over.

Take Melanie for example-- her father was lassic, and her biological mother was elementic(4). Her father worked as a fisherman, which meant a lot of time in and around the water, and that was the element that her power clung to.

Elementals also have physical attributes that help promote their powers, which appear during puberty. Electricity elementals have tiny fibers of silver in their hair and a mix of conductive ions in their sweat to help them channel electricity, fire elementals secrete chlorine trifluoride from their fingertips, palms, and feet, and have fire-resistant skin, and water elementals sweat hydrophobic oil and tend to have a higher percentage of body fat to help them float. Light elementals have more subtle changes since their element is intangible, but patches of more heavily pigmented skin have been noted, as well as more rapid darkening of hair in blonde children.

How these powers are used, be they elementic or psychic, depends on the person using them. Simply put, they are controlled by the thoughts and wills of their host, and many psy and elementals with certain types of alignments find that moving their bodies in congruence with their thoughts makes their powers easier to use. If a water elemental wants to raise a small amount of water, they may make an upwards motion with their hand to clearly convey to their brain what they’re trying to do. Very advanced psy and elementals can use their powers without any physical movement at all, but it takes years of discipline and focus.

Strength of powers

While this is subjective, many people would agree that the most powerful forms of psychic powers are those that result from psi aligning itself to intangible concepts. Jasmine, Henna, and Marceau are all examples of this.

Jasmine’s power is to eject their soul from their body in the form of a misty, purple, translucent version of their human form. In this state, they are unaffected by gravity, and they can pass through solid matter, but their body is left unattended and comatose(5). In order to keep together in their soul state, anyone with soul detachment psi must have a very strong grip on their sense of self, and a very powerful will. Jasmine is strong, but they still struggle with dissociation and derealization, as a result of both their powers and unrelated past trauma.

Henna's power seems simple, but "moving things with your mind" isn't exactly how it works. She's still moving things with her hands, but they’re projected versions of her hands. Telekinetic psy must have incredibly strong willpower to be able to use their powers effectively, and they themselves have to wholeheartedly believe that their powers are going to work(6).

Specific cases

We’ve covered some of our friends up there, but let’s go ahead and talk about how each of the other characters’ powers work!

Ambrose’s mother is a florist and lover of flowers, so she always keeps some around the house. Young Ambrose’s psi tied itself to one of those many flowers, giving him the ability to communicate with plants. He can influence the growth of any kind of plant, making them change shape and grow faster, and he can also feel how healthy a plant is. If a flower needs water, or a tree is being eaten up by beetles, he knows about it. The “thoughts” of these plants don’t enter his mind as words, but as feelings that most human beings wouldn’t understand. It’s a form of psychic empathy, in a way, to be able to know what’s going on with a living thing that can’t vocalize or use body language.

Similarly, Dakota can “hear” the thoughts and feelings of mammals (excluding humans) without them being put into words. His psi attached to the family dog, and thus he was able to communicate with creatures like her. He can also allow mammals to feel the things that he’s feeling and understand his intentions, which makes him a miracle worker at the local shelter.

Marceau, on the other hand, gets thoughts in the form of real words. It’s proper telepathy, him thinking something and having someone else hear it without any audible or visible communication. The way his psi aligned is a bit complicated, but it basically came from his desire to be able to speak to people who were far away. He doesn’t have especially good control of it just yet.

Phoebe is a fire elemental, so she can control and generate fire. Controlling it is simple, she just motions with her hands and the fire moves wherever she wants it to go. She can also make a flame grow larger or go out completely. To summon fire, she focuses her elementia into her hands and snaps her fingers, generating a tiny flash of heat that’s enough to light the oil in her fingertips and create a small flame. The same could be accomplished by rubbing her hands together, as fire elementals run hot.

Monte is an electricity elemental, the least common alignment of elementia. When they were a kid, they made the classic mistake of putting a knife in the toaster to retrieve a piece of bread that had gotten stuck, and they got a pretty nasty shock. It wasn’t enough to kill them, but they had to spend a bit of time in the hospital afterwards. On the bright side, they received a pretty rad set of powers for the trouble. Electricity elementals are unique in that they always have a bit of their element on them—running through their hair, across their skin, on their clothes—they’re like big magnets for electricity. Monte’s powers include giving everyone they touch a tiny static shock, charging electronic devices faster than cables, and acting as a living defibrillator in a pinch.

Sam’s control over light gives him the ability to manipulate colors as well. His psi aligned to the sun after a childhood of playing outside with his sisters. Lumokinesis is the least understood form of elementia simply because it is hard to study. The most commonly accepted hypothesis is that the body of a light elemental stores sunlight in a process similar to photosynthesis, and can later reproduce that light, even in complete darkness.

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So, now that you know a bit about how their powers work, let’s meet our cast! They’re all best buddies (and I could probably go on about dynamics for hours), but there are a few relationships of note: Dakota and Henna are siblings, and Ambrose and Dakota are dating.

Henna Harte / “Red” (Dakota)

Henna is a passionate, generally awkward fashion expert with an eye for detail. She uses her mastery over telekinesis to sketch, assemble, and sew her own outfits. She works at a local theater as a costume designer, and on the side has an online shop where she sells her designs and patterns. She's known for making clothes that are stylish as well as comfortable. Though she often struggles with converting her thoughts to words and fitting in with a crowd, she’s intelligent, considerate, and earnest. Her friends can count on her to give them a heartfelt compliment or a brutal roast in equal measure.

Phoebe Yun

Phoebe is competent, organized, and more of a sap than she’d like to admit. She’s deep in the belly of culinary school and is well on her way to becoming a professional chef. In the meantime, she enjoys music, baking, and scouring flea markets for old knives to add to her collection. She may seem a bit intimidating on the outside, but she loves and values each of her friends more than they know, and is always willing to give them advice, a helping hand, or a kick in the shins when they need it. She’s as much of a realist as she is a romantic, and her friends love her for that.

Monte Sailor / “Count” (Siblings)

Monte is a ball of energy, literally and figuratively. He can be a bit much at times, always talking a million miles an hour and using words that could send an English major to the dictionary, but it’s mostly because their brain just runs too fast for the rest of her to keep up. Being an expert in chemistry and biology, he has experience with all kinds of scientific pursuits, from analyzing cells under a microscope to mixing chemicals whose names you can’t pronounce. She’s always curious about the world around them and ready to learn new things, too. Everything they do, they do with passion and optimism.

Ambrose Talminoc / “Ladybug” (Dakota)

Ambrose is a strong but gentle guy who loves to work with his hands. Building wooden birdhouses, fixing up old bicycles, planting flowers out in the gardens—if it’s manual labor that ends with something that’s cool to look at, he’s into it. He’s generally laid-back and easygoing, but he won’t back down from a challenge or a battle of wits. There’s just a little bit of frat boy in his blood, in the sense that he’s willing to try anything if enough people are chanting his name. Sometimes he can be a bit of a goof, but he’s got a heart of gold and cares deeply for his friends and family.

Melanie Telrata

Melanie is a cheerful gal that you just can’t help but love. She’s kind to everyone, even folks who may not deserve it, and she can’t hold a grudge to save her life. She prides herself on being able to see situations from every angle and reserve judgment until she really understands where someone is coming from. Of course this has its limits, but she’s a compromiser at heart. In her free time, she loves swimming, fishing, taking walks in the rain, and anything else that involves water. She’s built like an athlete from years of doing sports, but lately she’s been more into artistic pursuits. You’re more likely to find her painting than running a marathon these days.

Jasmine Faciane / “Jazz” (general), “Foss” (Maria)

Jasmine is the group’s wise old man—though they aren’t old, or a man. They are pretty wise, though, and that’s earned from a life lived way too fast. After speedrunning several existential crises and watching their best friend wither away, they’re left somewhere between jaded and enlightened, and all they really want to do now is relax. They dabble in all sorts of handywork, but their one true passion lies in mechanics. If it’s got a motor and wheels, Jasmine knows how to take it apart, fix it, put it back together, and drive it down the street. All in the same day, even. Their friends often come to them when they need someone to talk to, even if they’re just rambling. Jasmine may not always be the most present, but they’re a damn good listener when it counts.

Marceau Bernard / “Marc” (general)

Marc is a skilled photographer who’s willing to do just about anything in order to get a perfect shot. He loves capturing moments with his loved ones and sticking them in a scrapbook so he always remembers the fun they had. The fact that this stems from a childhood of uncertainty and being at the center of a game of tug-of-war is probably unimportant. Despite the troubles it’s caused him in the past, Marc loves to travel, see new places, try new food, meet new people. Making people happy is what makes him happy, and the easiest way to do that is to befriend them. He’ll never hesitate to say hello or walk into a room like he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Samson Iris / “Sam” (general), “Sunny” (sister)

Sam is a quiet guy and more than a little nervous in social spaces. He hates being the center of attention in any situation, and prefers to fade into the background where he can brainstorm and doodle quietly. He’s not weak by any means, but he gets overwhelmed easily and is very aware of that. When he has free time (and sometimes when he doesn’t), he’s drawing. His skills in art combined with his psychic powers have made him a pretty well-known tattoo artist in the area—having full control over the way materials reflect light means he doesn’t need to use needles. If you can manage to get more than a few words out of him, you’ll find that he’s actually pretty clever and has acute observation skills.

Dakota Harte / “Kitty” (Henna), “Kota” (general)

Dakota is a sweet and slightly soft spoken animal lover. I wouldn’t describe him as shy, but he’s easily flustered and absolutely melts whenever someone compliments him. He keeps to himself and can have trouble opening up, but once you get to know him, he’s a friend for life. He’ll drop everything to help out when his pals need it, even if it means he gets pushed a little too hard. It’s not that he doesn’t know his own limits, it’s just that he doesn’t want them to inconvenience anybody. Most days you can find him at the local animal shelter where he works, acting as a caretaker and translator for the critters there. He has a great love for all creatures great and small.

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(1) After years of calling it by a placeholder title, this universe has a name: Life in Color! I’m sure you can guess why.

(2) Psy and psi are both pronounced “sigh.” I wanted to make this as needlessly complicated and confusing as possible. Just remember: psi is the chemical, and psy is the person.

(3) There is evidence to suggest that things like temperature, plasma, or dark matter could influence elementia, but these theories have not been proven.

(4) I haven’t decided why yet (her parents are either divorced or they were never married at all), but Melanie’s bio mom is out of the picture, and has been for quite a while. Her dad raised her as a single father until she was around twelve, when he met the man he would later marry. She loves them both a whole lot! And just for flavor, her step dad is an electricity elemental.

(5) If Jasmine were to die while their soul was out of their body, they would be left in their soul state to wander the earth for an indefinite amount of time. It doesn’t happen often, but this is one of two ways that “ghosts” are made! Also, Jasmine enters this state whenever they sleep by default. For them, dreaming is just wandering around as a soul.

(6) Henna is basically telling the universe "This is where my hand is," and the universe is saying "Aw shit I guess so, you're the boss," and letting her move things she isn't actually touching. Telekinetic psi is really just metaphysical communication.

If anyone ever wants to ask me about these or any other ocs you knooooow id be all over it babey

[robstephenson]

Long Island City

[bastard--juice]

La curiosidad mato al lic.

[solowspazz]

[zainabwho]

Love in Contract Episode 5

[bruesselbach]

Beloved Monsters 

by Janet Bruesselbach

ANNOUNCING A POP-UP PUBLIC EXHIBITION AND RECEPTION Thursday, June 29, 2023, 6–8 pm The Experimental Space, 43-01 22nd St. #300,  Long Island City, NY 11101

Beloved Monsters is a series of portraits in oils that explores queer sympathies with mythic creatures. There are 25 paintings around 2 by 3 feet on average, which were produced between 2016 and 2023. Janet Bruesselbach recruited models from its friends and LGBTQIA2S+ community, primarily in New York City, who related to the idea of embracing being othered or considered beyond normative personhood, in their queerness, and often in their neurodivergence and disability as well. In collaboration, artist and subject imagined what mythical cryptid, monster or mythic being they might embody. Each creature retains a human face and often much of the human figure, challenging viewers to contemplate both the relatability of the monstrous and the ways in which society forces outsiders into these archetypes. Despite the name, not all of these creatures fulfill the narrative role of “monster” and instead are re-interpretations of mythology specific to the subject’s experience and artist’s imagination. Every painting is an expression of the artist’s love for its model, and the beautiful diversity of society’s gender and sexual outliers.

Original works, catalogs and prints will be available for sale. This project was funded primarily by a Kickstarter in 2021. This event is made possible with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

For inquiries contact janet@bruesselbach.com. All works may be viewed at belovedmonsters.art.

[benchpressingbanlikeyou2]

Live from NYC “Fuck you Canada lmao”

[lictvison]

“The star of the day!”

I just wanted to post a little re desing of my sona/oc. A tv show man, with a literally tv for head and a lot of secrets behind ;)

[wanderingnewyork]

A building in #Long_Island_City, #Queens.

[balachandarlic]

Kochi Metro fully LIC Branded Train flagged off by our Most Respected Zonal Manager Sir today | 24.02.2024

[starrinlem]

nyc's skyline (from the 7 line "Court Square" station)

[askcinderpizza]

Buffy: To the person that prank called us earlier to the Lickilicky that just threatened us with a war declaration. Anything that I see fit as a trophy, I take it.