#and some mixed forms have entirely different associated feelings

[cougar-crossing]

Also my forms tend to associate with feelings not always but anything strong in "their feeling" will put me in them

[misspelledwordswizard]

ok, we see waterbending and bloodbending but what about firebending and lightningbending?

I think the Chain going to be crazy see reader redirects a lightning un middle of the battle.

Thank you so much for the request, I really love writing about this! Mixing fandons might be my weakness… hope you like it <3

The dark sky was barely lit by the moon, which was hidden by the dark, heavy clouds, dumping heavy gusts of rain on the world below. The wind howled loudly, carrying the rain with it and making the experience all the more extreme in itself, it was as if the forces of nature were determined to prevent us from advancing. 

All this chaos was experienced by our group of ten, somewhat distant at the moment, while we still had to deal with the horde of monsters that followed right behind us. Due to the darkness and the heavy rain, we had made a mistake, without seeing the monster camp a little further ahead of us, all we could do was try to create distance to gain some time and think of a decent strategy to deal with them. 

The group of lizalfos seemed more than determined to pursue us, without giving us any room to counterattack. Shit, if only I could firebend now. It was no surprise to the heroes that I had a “special” ability to control and produce fire, the firebending that I was so proud of, and my main form of defense, but it wouldn’t be very effective in heavy rain like now. 

The rain seemed to intensify as we advanced, out of the corner of my eye I could see the team aiming arrows at the monsters, I preferred to stay focused on the path in front of me, but from the sound that echoed I could assume that he had hit at least one. Good. The others were trying their best in this situation, looking for various creative ways to achieve some kind of success. 

I felt useless, incapable, too dependent on firebending. Of course I have some experience in hand-to-hand combat, with arrows or bladed weapons, but I almost never use them, after all, why would I do that when a few body movements were enough for me to fight my enemies? Well, now I understand. In the distance I could hear the sound of thunder echoing in the sky, making me shiver. 

The cold of the rain was starting to affect me, I felt my frozen body tremble and my teeth chatter as I continued to advance. A real nuisance. It was when I turned to see how far we had gotten from the group of monsters that I became careless, tripping over a tree root and hitting the ground without further ado. I acted on instinct, trying to get up as quickly as possible when I saw a particular lizalfo coming towards me, approaching at speed, I felt unbalanced, trying to defend myself without even thinking, as I would do with firebending, I closed my eyes in fear as I did, realizing that it would have no effect, but now it was too late to stop.  

The loud sound of thunder echoed in the sky and at the same moment I felt a tingling electricity pass through my entire body, I felt alive, as if my brain sent a high dose of adrenaline to my body. The sensation was different from anything I had ever experienced, it seemed crazy.  I opened my eyes just in time to see the effects of the movements, seeing the lightning strike the monster that was just a few meters away from me, leaving it stunned. 

Did I do that? 

It wasn’t too hard to associate the action with the lightningbending that I had witnessed only once in my life, a long time ago, but that I never thought I would be able to reproduce. I could feel my heart beating fast, my body heating up as I recovered from my shock. How ironic. 

I blinked a few times before realizing again that I was in a dangerous situation, running again to gain distance, now more confident, but still unsure if I would be able to reproduce what I had done. I noticed some looks of surprise and concern coming my way as I reached the rest of the group, but not everyone seemed to have noticed my little discovery. When I considered myself to be at a safe distance, I tried again, remembering how I felt in that moment of pure panic and adrenaline.   

Before I could realize it, my surroundings were being illuminated by the lightning I produced, redirected to the monsters who were suffering without being able to react due to the high voltage that was passing through, until they turned to dust. I felt my head hurt and my heart raced, maybe this was all a bit too much for me at the moment, but luckily for me, I was not alone. Several arrows came from behind me, hitting the remaining monsters, while some of the heroes took the opportunity to get closer and deliver the final blow with their swords, finishing off the rest of the monsters. 

All tired of the rush and adrenaline, we could finally breathe again. I threw myself on the ground, enjoying the feeling of relief that overcame me while a fit of laughter hit me, making me receive confused looks. Who would have thought, right? I managed to calm myself down while breathing heavily trying to calm myself down, the rain now seemed like a relief to my overheated body. 

— I didn’t know I could do that. – Sky’s voice reached me, making me look at him and smile, as confused as he was. 

— Yeah, I didn’t know either. 

— That was really cool! – Wind exclaimed, throwing himself next to me and making me laugh. The others seemed to agree with the brat, yeah, I thought it was really cool too. 

Everyone took advantage of this moment to relax a little and catch their breath, all very exhausted after a long day and a not-so-fun chase. The sound of thunder now seemed more like a victory song, making me feel, in a way, powerful. But not powerful enough to deal with the freezing rain, apparently, because all it took was a sneeze from me for na uproar to start among the men in the group, something between scolding me for getting caught in the rain and looking for a dry and safe place to spend the night, as quickly as possible. 

[neonspectrumdreams]

Shifting Types

I have been awake as a therian for over 20 years. I have a long history of experiences as being otherkin, and I think that after all this time, after all these experiences, I may have some wisdom to impart in others.

These are the main shifts that I have experienced and seen other therians experience. I'll write a guide on how to strengthen your connection to your shifts as well as how to trigger and control shifts later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dream Shift

Dream shifts are some of the most intense shifts that are possible for a therian/kin, and are personally my favorite type of shift. During a dream shift, a person lives through their dream as their kintype instead of as a human. It is possible to deliberately shapeshift into your kintype during a lucid dream. It is possible to be an animal for the entire dream or to change back and forth between forms.

Mental Shift

Mental shifting, or mshifting, refers to the experience of someone's mind shifting to their nonhuman kintype. They think differently in this state - more similar to their kintype. They may experience the desire to hunt as their theriotype does, or roll around and play (or otherwise move) like their kintype. Their identity may feel strongly altered and vividly nonhuman without any other accompanying changes in thought process.

A subcategory of mental shifting is sensory shifting. In a sensory shift, one's senses become sharper or more similar to what their animal senses would be. For example, a dog therian may begin processing the world with scent and sound over vision, as well as experience an intensification of their senses, during a sensory shift.

Reality Shift

When a therian feels as though they are in the world of their kintype. They may vividly see it inside of their imagination during these shifts, or just feel the presence of their world.

Shadow Shift

This is similar to imposition in tulpamancy. In a shadow shift, the mind projects your form into the physical world (although it is just a perception, it is not actually there.) This can occur naturally or a therian can learn imposition to strengthen or engender this type of shift.

Spiritual Shift

This is when you shift for a reason related to spirituality. Your aura/spirit may intermittently shift to animal form.

It is possible to construct and conduct rituals to provoke shifts, which is also another form of spiritual shifting. Mixing your theriotype with a variety of spiritual practices can lead to shifting that takes the form of spiritual processes and experiences.

Astral shifts are similar to dream shifts except they take place outside the mind in the astral plane, and this plane connects to the spirit world and things outside the mind (unlike dream shifts.) The astral realm is entered through the change of states between waking and sleeping wherein you have the experience of waking up after losing consciousness and leaving your body. Lucid dreams feel similar but you do not leave the body in a dream and are not as connected to the spirit world (although we are always connected to some extent to the spirit world even when awake) like in astral projection.

Bilocation Shift

This is when you are still existing as human in one place but are also existing as your kintype, often in the astral or inside the mind's eye. Your nonhuman self is often leading a separate and meaningful existence during these times, which you perceive alongside your regular human daily life. You are both human and shifted into your kintype simultaneously during this shift.

Cameo Shift

Shifting not associated with a regular kintype. One-off shifting. Often related to being a gateway or being an astral shapeshifter.

Contherians

A therian who is always to some degree chronically shifted into their kintype.

Coconscious Shift

When someone is a multiple system, some or all of their alters may be nonhuman. Coconscious shifts occur when a human identity is co-present at the same time as a nonhuman identity. The nonhuman identity's experiences my bleed over into the nonhuman identity's perceptions.

Phantom Shift

Feeling the physical perception of your theriotype's physical features instead of your body. So this would be the phantom perception of wings or a tail, or being larger or smaller like the kintype.

Physical Shift

Pshifting is when one physically transforms into their kintype. This one is the coolest of the shifts and, tragically, the only one that is not physically possible. There are guides as well as people who claim they can teach this - they are lying. No one has ever been able to do it.

[meltingcrown08]

I need the proseka writers to actually be serious for once and explore Tsukasa’s character beyond being comic relief. These past events of his is just a cycle of him Running into a challenge —> Training to overcome said challenge —> Partially overcomes it or not overcome it entirely with nothing more than “Oh you need to train harder!”.

Tsukasa’s character is so much more than that and it gets ignored. A huge part of his character is him not just being a silly ™️ guy but also a very responsible leader and someone you can trust that’ll lend an ear. He’s someone who is very emotionally intelligent in my opinion (even if he doesn’t realise that) and is someone who can get through to others.

His role as an older brother is also extremely important to his character yet I feel that it is also so very unexplored. There are a lot of instances where it bleeds through to Saki’s and sometimes Toya’s stories, and yes you do have to read Saki’s story to understand Tsukasa, but I wish that it would take the spotlight more in his own events.

I know the “Mafukasa parallels” are very overdone in the fandom but you can’t deny that there are some pretty similar themes in their stories. I think the main difference between them is that Mafuyu’s are inflicted upon by others while Tsukasa is inflicted upon by himself. Why do so many characters that are shown to have struggled during their middle school years have that experience to be explored whilst Tsukasa isn’t??? I don’t think that his experience of when Saki is in the hospital and her illness is so bad she can’t go to school at all wouldn’t leave a lasting effect on him???

I wish he would have more interactions with other characters outside of the people usually associated with him. The mixed events are especially important for a character like Tsukasa due to how much his character rely on other characters. Make him interact with other members of the cast!!!

I think it’d be very interesting to explore in depth his relationship with Leo/need outside the context of Saki, after all, with them being childhood friends with Saki and their falling out in middle school he definitely has to have some sort of opinion on them.

He should interact with characters like Kanade and Ena as well, especially Kanade. Her goal of ‘saving people with music’ is VERY very similar to his goal of ‘bringing smiles with shows’ and I think that should be explored. Ena’s character of her struggles with art could pair well with his story of struggles with acting as well, both being deemed as ‘not having the natural talent’.

And finally some more interactions with Mafuyu, someone who struggles to smile genuinely and someone who wishes to bring others smiles would make for a very compelling dynamic me thinks, even if he doesn’t play an active role in her recovery. I think he’d be a breath of fresh air, a new perspective for Mafuyu, while she brings more understanding to a person’s psyche for Tsukasa.

His childhood should be explored more as well. I don’t think the piano would play much of a role in his character considering it’s not as important to his story like Toya’s is, but you can’t tell me that kid, who was mostly alone in the house due to Saki’s hospital visits, didn’t have any leftover effects, if anything I think that’s the reason for him being able to be naturally independent. I’m pretty sure it’s canon his SEKAI formed very early like Mafuyu too, somewhere in his childhood if I remember correctly. If it’s true it would also be a great opportunity to get to know him more through the perspectives of Miku (& KAITO) when he was younger as well as get some world building on the concept of SEKAIs.

[hybbart]

HELLO i am a HUGE fan of your beautiful fawn designs!! If you don't mind me asking, how do come up with such unique designs?? They're seriously so cool omg

Thank you! When you draw a specific creature a lot you tend to wind up finding ways to make separate designs unique. (As a pokemon, digimon, warriors, gundam, and animal fan, and former league fan, it probably isn't all that surprising that I like having a large quantity of all different types of little guys)

Well a lot of it is just things I've learned while focusing on character design, but there's a couple of things that are easy to mix and match. The easiest thing to do when working with a lot of the same creature is find the things that are easiest to mix and match, like a paper doll. I'm not going to talk about sillhouettes because I don't know how to spell it, and everyone talks about that. What I'm gonna talk about is information density. The best, most unique designs are information dense. This is how an artist can make a character whose entire shtick is being generic and not standing out still come off as unique and identifiable.

Basic things most characters have is: Shape language, colour palette, facial features, posture, texture, height, weight, fat, and muscle.

Easy enough. Texture's the one I'd want to talk about the most. When I make a character I think about it a lot. Specifically for fauns I think about their fur and hair, because they have both. Hair can have a lot of different textures on its own based on thickness and curliness, but in art you can add even more varieties. If I have to characters with thin slightly curly hair but I want one to look more regal or elegant while the other is more of a gremlin then I'm going to texture those differently, to give the impression one is wilder or more coarse to make the gremlin look more gremlin-y, or I can use symbolism like imitating the aesthetic of the curls you see in old lettering and heraldry to make the elegant one seem more so by association. Making something gravity defining or weighing it down, like curtains. Something airy can make a character more ethereal and energetic, while something heavily draped can feel melancholic and worn. Both create a very pretty aesthetic. I use shape language here too, like as mention above with heraldry. squared even hairs, bouncy round hair, spiky hair- these all use shape language to convey texture, and texture can convey information.

Also for body types and builds... a lot goes into the build a character has. This isn't a video game with simple sliders, you can give a character strong legs and noodly arms, and fat takes different forms and distributes unevenly based on many factors. A thing I think not a lot of people think about is that muscles and fat can be "cut", using pressure. The belly of someone who wears low rise pants and someone who wears high rise pants is going to be different. Even if two characters are both body builders, they could be hyperfocused on different things and looks. Natural wrinkles like that found in some cat breeds for elasticity of skin and those found on some dog breeds that are the result of breeding specific features and other animals who use wrinkles as nutrients storage, look different from not only each other but also wrinkles from age, weight loss, and exhaustion. Thinking about these things and how to convey those differences is an easy was to make two characters with wrinkles look different and convey more information.

For fauns one of the things I think about first is what species are they based off? My personal rule is Fauns are even-toed ungulates and satyrs are odd-toed ungulates, so when I draw a faun I often think about a particular species or mythical creature. Sometimes I mix and match certain things, or only utilize specific features. Sometimes I don't use a reference at all, but this is a good place to start usually. Different species can give you ideas for different types of hooves, horns/antlers, eyes, build, fur, tails, ears, and even teeth. Every species usually has some unique qualities that can be adapted onto a faun to draw inspiration from.

I work backwards on this one, but personality can help you design a character. Usually I design a character and build a personality based off what I've drawn, but doing it the other way around is very effective if you're having troubles. This includes subverting the expected for a character of such a personality. A good example of that is Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian, who have droopy and sharp eyes respectively, but but Nyammy is the one with the cool, sharp, elegant air and Lillian is the shy, awkward, cute one.

Another things is alterations. The most common alterations to a character is a physical quirk, like a floppy ear, a mutation, like and extra set of horns, a special ability, like flight, or a disability, like a missing arm. For Jimmy I gave him a cowlick because i thought it fit with his ditzier qualities, bird theme, and ranch theme. In raau I also gave him lung damage as a reference to coal mines and canaries and how he and Tango met ind double life, a breathing tube to show he has access to medical technology and support despite the setting, and I changed his eye design to something similar to a sonar's rings to express the fact he sees sound, all of which allows him to be distinct from my regular Jimmy.

And last but not least, you can make two identical characters look completely different with fashion. This includes clothing, accessories, hairstyles, makeup, paint, tattoos, inventory... Any external modifications.

The important thing about design is to not make it hollow features, basically. I mean, you can't do whatever you want of course, sparkle dog is an aesthetic for a reason, but when you draw you have to deliberately draw every line so you might as well take the time to think about why you're drawing it there or that way. My fauns tend to have very similar body types a lot of the time, but I can still use everything else to make them stand out from each other anyways.

Also, it's art, there's no limit to what you can do to give your character unique designs! And I mean this in a very Studio Shaft/Gumball/Spiderverse type way. I've have character I've made distinct by straight up giving them different styles of shading or line work or brushes or layering. I've written character povs where the character never uses pronouns and only uses names, or a character who specifies exact numbers with numbers regardless, or even entirely different fonts, to convey qualities about them. Utilize your medium to its full potential (when appropriate, of course. and if its ocs/personal art, its always appropriate.)

[gayciate]

🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

I have to post some Encanto Monster AU Headcanon jumpscare right now!!!!! Not everyone, but a few of them!

Isabela - Werewolf (Or, Werejaguar rather) + OK OK OK Hear me out on this one, see my vision????? Most of the time, she looks largely normal with "cute" features that many find appealing like the little kitty ears, fangs, and tail + BUT were-jaguar form is absolutely shit your pants terrifying horrific, something she was made to feel ashamed of for its wildness and unattractiveness + Spends pre-movie full moons fully barricaded in her locked room, tangled up in her own vines to keep herself contained - everything she bottles up comes out and is entirely out of control, her wild side is trying sososo hard to get out and she's literally, physically restraining it + Always ends up with an absolutely shredded room the night after the moon, snaps at anyone who ever mentions it or attempts to help her out + Post-movie after she comes to accept every part of herself and grow into her own, she starts to gain control over the beast form and spend more time in it willingly, no longer ashamed of looking "ugly" or acting as anything less than perfect

Luisa - Gargoyle + A powerful stone guardian that guards the family home restlessly + She doesn't actually need to sleep, but does go into a dormant "statue" state when exposed to direct sunlight. + Incredibly physically sturdy but not immune to damage. She can crack and break, though her pieces can be put back in place if they fall + It is debatable if she can feel pain in the same way more flesh-based beings can. She does not need to eat or breathe and cannot drown + While she has wings, she is too heavy to properly fly and uses them more to shield others from danger or glide short distances

Mirabel - Satyr + A real silly billy, she's got the fuzzy legs of a goat and little tiny horns under her hair + She's very musically inclined and can play several different instruments. She's creative, clever, and loves to frolic in the sun! + Her charisma stat is absolutely off the charts, others often find it very easy to relax around her as her monster species is not particularly threatening or associated with danger + Often faces underestimation and struggles with not being taken seriously. Her lack of scariness coupled with her inhuman nature can be a cause of direct bullying that more threatening monsters may not have to deal with.

Dolores - Vampire + Oppoisite Isabela, she's a little withdrawn and shy, probably has big ole' sensitive bat ears with perfect pitch detection + Veeeery sensitive to light and sound, she enjoys the quiet of night and often sleeps during the day + She can turn into a little bat and flutter around, but sometimes forgets she's easy to miss like that and jumpscares people who thought they were alone in a room + She's capable of sitting in complete silence for extended periods of time and is extremely patient. Her night-vision is impeccable. + Rumors have spread that she can read minds and has some psychic abilities, but these are entirely unfounded. She's just perceptive and very nosey.

Camilo - Changeling + A funky fey dude, taken in as a baby by Pepa and Félix when he was found abandoned in the wood + He's strongly attuned to magic in the environment and specializes in illusionist tricks + He has pointy ears, sharp teeth, and unnatural eyes that reflect light in the dark but shifts to a more human look most of the time to blend in with others + Quietly a little insecure about what he really is when he looks in the mirror without a disguise but tries not to dwell on it for too long

Antonio - Chimera + A strange little mix of creatures, he's got the upper half of a human with the lower half of a jaguar. He's also got the wings of an Andean condor, ears of a tapir, and an anaconda's tail! + The little dude climbs, flies, and swims - he's an ATV with endless energy who loves to shove himself into tight spaces to explore + Outgoing and a bit wild, he easily befriends other animals but sometimes finds people wary of him. He is very careful with his claws and fangs, but parents sometimes worry that he'll play too rough and hurt their kids. This makes him very sad! + Incredibly intelligent and inquisitive, he is active for long periods of time before collapsing into a nap and restarting the cycle

Bonus Augustín & Julieta - Headless horseman and Parrot Harpy I think Augustín would be like the headless horseman and constantly (literally) lose his head and Julieta would be a parrot harpy with colorful, blue plumage - incredibly intelligent and caring for her kids

[asaka-lucy-dr-rc]

My Current Feelings:

After numerous delays, I managed to post the komahina manga just in time on Saturday (it's still May 24th in Japan, barely!).

Note: The following discussion pertains to that manga, so if you haven't seen it yet, please check it out first.

At the moment, I can't objectively assess my own manga, so I'm unsure of the impression it gives. 😵‍💫 I'm also uncertain whether my intended message comes across clearly.

However, what I aimed to convey is entirely encapsulated in the final panel! It's no exaggeration to say that all the preceding panels exist solely to lead up to that last one. Yet, I'm anxious that this panel might be the most perplexing to viewers.

So, perhaps some of you have already grasped it, but to alleviate my anxiety, please allow me to explain.

About the Manga:

The story begins with Hajime attempting to win a Sonic plush from a claw machine but failing. In my mind, he's already tried several times before without success.

Observing this, Nagito suggests giving it a try himself. He successfully hooks the tag of the Sonic plush, and Hajime is momentarily delighted.

But Nagito's luck doesn't stop there; the Sonic plush's nose also catches a Shadow plush, resulting in both being won in a single attempt.

Consequently, Hajime, who couldn't win even one plush after multiple tries, watches Nagito win two in one go. While he's happy to receive the plush he wanted, he also feels disheartened by his own lack of talent. He ends up fiddling with one of Sonic's arms as a form of consolation.

Nagito, not expecting such an outcome (since he can't predict when his luck will activate), feels relieved that his luck manifested in front of Hajime. However, seeing that his attempt to cheer up Hajime inadvertently made him feel worse, he smiles with a mix of apology and amusement at Hajime's sulking demeanor.

In the final panel, as Nagito looks at Hajime and Hajime looks at the Sonic plush, the direction of Sonic's gaze coincidentally aligns with that of the Shadow plush, making it appear as though Sonic is waving at Shadow. Shadow, true to his cool persona, doesn't meet anyone's gaze.

This composition, where the plushies seem to interact unbeknownst to the humans, is the core idea of the manga. When I conceived this, I thought, "This is so cute; I must draw it"! (That said, I never expected it would take 70 hours to draw, though...)

The absence of dialogue throughout the manga is intentional, to draw attention to this silent exchange between the plushies.

I made a conscious effort to differentiate Hajime and Nagito’s expressions throughout the manga.

Hajime's expressions in the second panel (after failing to get Sonic) and the final panel are nearly identical, emphasizing his complex feelings of joy and disappointment.

Nagito, accustomed to fortunate events, isn't surprised by the dual win, but Hajime, witnessing such luck for the first time, is visibly shocked. (I love depicting scenes where characters have different reactions to the same event!)

Although it's a wordless manga that can be read quickly, I believe it encapsulates many aspects of their relationship that I love. I hope those who read it find it enjoyable and endearing!

--------

Inspiration Behind the Idea:

As mentioned in a previous post, the inspiration came from Zen(@anonzentimes)'s blog. It wasn't a specific post but rather the cumulative effect of repeatedly seeing Sonadow content. For me, Sonic has always been strongly associated with arcades. There was a CLUB SEGA arcade in my hometown, with Sonic as its mascot. (Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SEGA sold its arcade operations, and CLUB SEGA locations have since been rebranded or closed. 🥲)

Additionally, I recall a TV program from my childhood where participants could win 1 million yen if they managed to grab Sonic and Tails plushies from a SEGA claw machine within ten tries. While I understood that Sonic was a video game character, these experiences cemented my association of Sonic with arcades and plushies. So, after reading Zen's blog, the image of Hajime struggling to win a Sonic plush and Nagito effortlessly succeeding came to mind, leading to this manga idea. In essence, this story is infused with my personal nostalgia.

I also feel that Hajime would genuinely like Sonic. It's easy to imagine him using Sonic-themed products during his childhood, and it suits him. (In Japan, elementary school students are required to purchase standardized sewing kits, choosing their preferred design for the case. Sonic is a common design option, so I can easily picture Hajime selecting a Sonic-themed kit. Adorable! 🥰)

Anyway, I managed to complete it somehow. There were parts I considered revising, but since the original deadline has passed, I'll leave it as is for now. Belated happy birthday, Zen! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read it. Have a wonderful weekend! ✨

[shizucheese]

Hey guys! It me, "The Magnus Institute is a part of not just the Eye but the Web" girl, here with some thoughts and a new theory for the consideration of the Red String Comity. Come step into a curated (for your safety and sanity) corner of my mind as I walk you through my thought process: First, some further evidence that the Web was tied to the Magnus Institute in TMA all along: in MAG193, it's mentioned that Elias doesn't remember ever sending his CV to the Magnus Institute. Web. In Mag056, when Martin confesses he lied on his CV, he mentions that "for some reason" his lie about parapsychology got him an interview with Elias. Now, I always assumed that this was because Elias/ Jonah knew his secret and the Eye likes secrets, but like...How did Martin know to apply there in the first place? Why was that the only place where he got an interview?

Now I'd like to bring your attention to the below sticker. I have this same sticker on my laptop because as someone on the Ace spectrum John and Martin's relationship is everything to me. For anyone who needs a refresher, the quote is something John says to Martin in S5. Obviously the teacup represents Martin. But let's talk about that thing coming out of the teacup, hm? The thing that's supposed to represent John? I've always tried to rationalize it as "lol it's just some kind if Eye creature, that's not a spider..." but guys....that's totally a spider, right?

Now here's why this is so huge: this isn't fanart someone turned into a sticker. This is a sticker from Rusty Quill's very own RedBubble shop.

It's official merch. Official merch "designed and sold by RustyQuill" represents John as a spider creature covered in eyes.

They've been telling us this the entire time guys! Now, I need to give @amanda-519 credit for setting my mind down this next path. These are the tags they used when they reblogged my previous post on this topic:

Now, this got me thinking about all of the Avatars we met in TMA and like....

We know from Mag 102 that the Corruption can manifest as unhealthy relationships, which I would argue would include infatuation and obsession.

And like....was Jude's infatuation with Agnes really all that different? It's what drew her into The Desolation in the first place, so could we not argue that she was a mix of the Desolation and the Corruption? (Like....the destructiveness of infatuation? Corruption leading to Desolation?) And like I've always assumed the reason why Oliver became an Avatar of the End is because of his association with Graham and what happened to him resulting in Oliver being touched by The End, but like...does that actually make sense? They were already broken up and he had 0 involvement with Graham being taken by the Not Them. But like Graham's circumstances are also kinda weblike, no? The Web includes the fear of being forced to do something against one's own will, and Graham went through some pretty extreme measures to try and escape his powers. And then his efforts to escape ultimately lead to the events that turned him into a full fledged Avatar. Was Graham also a part of the web? Or were the circumstances of him becoming an Avatar of the End basically the result of him being the Web's victim?

And the whole concept of the Unknowing is pretty weird, huh? Like...I can't be the only one that looks at what happens to people who get trapped in the Unknowing and thinks that it feels awfully "Spiral-like" right? (or, for that matter, that The Desolation has some elements of the Stranger to it).

John Amherst was an Avatar of The Corruption, but unlike Jane, whose main interest seemed to be spreading and expanding the Flesh Hive, Amherst's form of Corruption seemed awfully End-flavored. When we first meet him in TMA, it's at a Nursing home where his spread of infection results in the death of all of the residents. In Mag68, Tale of a Field Hospital, the accounts about Amherst are all about him dying and then showing up again; in the second story, the people who end up in the bed Amherst is supposed to be in keep dying; the statement giver who gave the book to the Institute dies a few days later after, having cut himself on the pages of the book. The illness he spreads in the town where he ultimately dies kills the victims horrifically. The bug he is most affiliated with are flies, which are known to flock to dead bodies and are therefore associated with death. Okay now after all of that word vomit, here's the epiphany that I had and the actual point of this post:

For some reason my mind kept straying back to Jude and her infatuation with Agnes and how that might have made her part of the Corruption, and the different ways the Corruption might have been involved in other ways, and then I remembered that theory going around that in TMP the Fears are becoming Obsessions. This theory never sat well with me because in TMA, all of the Avatars were obsessed with something. Most of them were obsessed with their Entity and bringing it into the world. Jude, as previously mentioned, was obsessed with Agnes. Simon was obsessed with the sky. Mike was obsessed with freeing himself of the Spiral manifestation that'd been tormenting him since childhood. Oliver was obsessed with running away from his powers and John was obsessed with finding out what the fuck was going on. There were also plenty of non-avatar characters that were obsessed; The guy in Mag90: Body Builder was obsessed with his body and making it look how he wanted to. The guy from Mag102 Nesting Instinct and his petite scarabée. I could go on.

And then it clicked: Obsession is a form of Corruption. We know that the Corruption can manifest as unhealthy love and companionship. But what is "unhealthy love" if not a form of obsession? Obsession sinks its teeth into you and takes over your life and can lead you to your own destruction. In other words, its corrupts you. Which is exactly what happens in pretty much all of the statements we've gotten so far in TMP. The Corruption is up to something. Idk what or why, but I think that in the same way the Web's influence was all over TMA if you know to look for it, the Corruption is all over TMP. Is it just a season 1 thing? Is it going to be the Big Player in the whole series? Are the Avatars (?) we've encountered so far--Ink5oul, The Merchant, Movie Theater Man-- part of the Corruption as well as the more obvious Entities they serve-- The Flesh, The End/ The Slaughter, The Eye--or are they only servants of those respective Entities and the Corruption is swooping in later and poisoning things?

[ouroborosorder]

Can you tell me more about the negators mapping to fighting game character archetypes? I don’t know much about fgc archetypes but I love UU and this sounds super interesting.

alright so groundwork. Totsuka is a massive fighting game fan. UU is fucking full of references to street fighter already, and he's said before that he wanted to make a manga about fighting games. Dude loves them, so I'm not saying this baselessly. It's to the point where my conspiracy theory is that this started as a hypothetical fighting game roster.

I'll just go through the first few in order and then some notables:

Andy - Shoto. A mixed fighter who specializes at having good tools for any distance. Usually featuring a long-range projectile (parts bullet), a wide reaching mid-screen poke (Crescent series), and an approach option (Fucking flying.) Also, many Shotos have an "install" form, where they unleash a dormant power and transform into a more dangerous, aggressive version of themselves. Come on, dude has a Victor install. Also, "cocky immortal" is a very common fighting game archetype narratively, and one of my personal favorites tbh.

Fuuko - Setplay debuff character. Usually relies on defensive play, mixups, and pokes. When you come to understand the target well enough, you can push your luck, find their pressure point, and land a single glancing hit that applies a debuff that allows you to steamroll the opponent. And like. Falling in love with the opponent and then using that love to understand them is exactly how Fuuko fights. Characters like Londrekia from Under Night are a good touchstone here.

Shen - Chinese stereotype martial artist. This is a common thing in fighting games. Also, they tend to focus really heavily on mixups, forcing the opponent into making bad calls by faking one move and going for another - finding the truth through untruth, as it were.

Void - Bigbody close-range brawler. The dude literally walks into the boxing ring dressed like Balrog from Street Fighter. I mean, come on.

Gina - This is where my theory gets Weird but bear with me. Gina is the bigbody grappler. Grapplers in fighters are slow-moving, highly defensive, and focus primarily on forcing pressure by existing. Grapplers are scary because they don't have to change their position at all to force you to have to play differently. Plus, Gina is associated with her big barrier around her at all times that limits her movement and would make her hitbox larger. Also, her giant Unchange hands are a phenomenal grappler tool. Also, when fighters try to be subversive and make a grappler that isn't a massive guy, they almost always do it by making it a small girl who plays identical to a big guy.

Top - Obligatory rushdown fighter. His new 101 interpretation feels basically tailor-made for rushdown play tbh. Give him a rekka series and we're fucking good.

Rip - Motherfucking CHARGE CHARACTER BABY. This one is entirely because Rip literally has Guile's flash kick and a sonic boom, he does them on screen.

Phil - Full screen zoner. Also the amount of fighting games that have just one extremely weird robot character is absurd, he's basically tailor made to be the obligatory One Robot.

Billy - Copycat fighter. These aren't common anymore, but used to be more common back when sprites were frequent and tracing over another character's sprites was way faster than making a new animation. A character whose entire premise is using other fighters' moves, copying their abilities into an entirely new kit. Mechanically, these characters tend to have weird, disparate kits with a lot of unique options that otherwise would never be on a kit together, allowing them to adapt their playstyle to be the exact perfect enemy to whoever they're facing. Also "bouncing gunslinger" is a very very common fighting game trope, since fighters tend to balance out guns' innate power with weird firing angles.

Juiz - Midrange bait and punish swordfighter. Prioritizes pokes from every angle, allowing you to react and punish everything your opponent can do. Usually calm-collected fencers personality-wise. Maps perfectly to Unjustice's idea - wait until you know what your opponent's intent is, then negate their Justice.

Julia - Protege character who takes after two other members of the cast - being Fuuko and Juiz. Their fighting style usually is a mix of the two, combining their best aspects, copying their moves exactly sometimes, with their own unique aspects in there to show her own persona growing alongside their influence.

Latla - Actively a reference to Rose from Street Fighter. So. Rose from Street Fighter.

Backs - Joke character. You lose to this in bracket, you're going to be posting some real scrubquotes shit.

I can do this for almost every single Negator in the entire manga. The only characters I can't find easy maps to are Chikara, Sean, Tella, Ichico, Lucy, and whatever Unchaste's name was. (this may change if Unchaste actually ever appears again.) But they're all not fighters anyway, they're all support characters or literal children dying of an incurable disease.

[iamcautiouslyoptimistic]

Call of Duty Werewolves🐺 - Part 2!

{Author's Note} Since y'all loved the first part so much, here's a second for you to enjoy! I've included more lore and some cute werewolf snippets for each of the characters I mentioned in the first post so hopefully I managed to write them all accurately. I'll probably do a fic for one of them at some point so let me know who you'd like to see! Thank you for all the love and please feel free to write/ask for more headcanons for this AU! I'm having so much fun with it❤️ Happy Halloween! 🎃🧟‍♂️👻 >Call of Duty Werewolf AU -> Part 1 >Shadow Company Snippet by @http-paprika -> SC Werewolf AU (she's also writing her own werewolf AU fic so go give it some love👀)

~ ~ ~

>Werewolves have fangs in both forms. The human canines are replaced by longer, sharper teeth when natural werewolves lose their baby teeth. In bitten werewolves, the human canines are pushed out within their first month of being turned. While in human form, only the sharper tips are visible, resulting in fanged smiles (just imagine your favorite boy flashing you a fanged grin👀). When transforming, the teeth extend from the gums as the muzzle forms.

>Werewolf hair and nails grow faster and are usually thicker, requiring more frequent trimming, especially after a transformation.

>Werewolves heal faster than their human counterparts. Cuts heal in a few minutes, broken bones take days rather than weeks. Most tissues can be fully regenerated, except for entire limbs. The canine teeth will always be replaced if lost.

>Bones and muscles are thicker and heavier than those of humans, resulting in increased strength and stamina.

>Werewolves digest meat more easily than humans and prefer carnivorous diets. It's healthier for them to consume more meat on a regular basis.

>Werewolf senses are far more acute than humans'. They have great night vision and colors are more vivid to them, as if the saturation has been increased. Their enhanced hearing, however, can be problematic and a werewolf will often have to learn how to tune out certain sounds so they're not completely overwhelmed. Scent is also important to them as it denotes health, emotional state, and belonging. Familiar smells offer comfort, whether they belong to people, places, or things.

>While transformed, werewolves can't really speak. The fangs and muzzle tend to prevent intelligible human speech. On the other hand, their unique vocal cords allow for animalistic grunts and growls, even in human form.

>Transformations will always be painful for both werewolf types. With practice, the process can become smoother and faster but it will always have a pinch, especially as the face changes. Heightened emotions can trigger the beginnings of the change, though it takes a conscious effort to completely transform, unless a werewolf is suffering from moon blindness. Bitten werewolves tend to be more reactive but transform more slowly as it takes longer for their bodies to get used to the shift in comparison to natural werewolves, who are specially built for it from birth.

>A werewolf's transformed state is so dependent on their human traits that they don't always look very wolfish. Some can look like coyotes, foxes, or even bears because of differing body types, features, and hair colors.

>Poisonous to humans, wolfsbane also has an adverse effect on werewolves. It clouds their senses and prevents them from transforming but it won't kill them. It's often used to control a werewolf and keep them in line. However, it can also be mixed into a poultice to treat wounds caused by silver.

>Silver causes mild allergic reactions in werewolves. It only becomes fatal when enough of it pierces the skin and enters the bloodstream, which is why hunters lace their weapons and bullets with silver. Despite this, many werewolves still revere the metal for its association with the Moon.

🌙 🐺 🌙

💲Price is the fluffiest. His iconic beard remains when he's transformed, making him easily recognizable, though he has been mistaken for a bear in the past. If you laugh at that fact, he'll simply huff in feigned annoyance and lay on top of you to prevent you from escaping. Being a natural werewolf, not only does he have more hair but Price's transformations are about as easy as they can be so he'll often use his time with you to relax and catch up on sleep. He sleeps the most soundly when you're cuddled into his chest or back, your face pressed to his fluffy mane. He loves hearing about how much you love his fluff and secretly takes pride in it.

💀Ghost is the biggest. As a 6'4 mountain of a man, he's even larger when transformed. It'll take some getting used to, especially when he transforms in your living space. If you try to make the area more comfortable for him, he'll be especially grateful for your effort. More than anything, he'll just want to be close and feel your touch. His body aches after he transforms and he's more easily overwhelmed so the gentleness of your hands helps him settle into this second shape. No matter how many times you've seen him transformed, he'll always feel some degree of shame around you so make sure he knows just how adored he is.

🧼Soap is the most playful. His transformations tend to energize him rather than exhaust him so expect him to be bouncing off the walls for a bit. If you match his energy level, he'll never let you go. He'll want to chase you and wrestle around but he's hyper-aware of his own strength so any change in your attitude will make him settle down. Once he's burned through that extra energy, he'll just want to listen to you ramble about anything that comes to mind, even if he can't really respond.

🧢Gaz is the sweetest. In the field, he’s known for his level-headedness and clever quips. When he gets home, he’s nothing but a big softie with you. His favorite place to be is in your lap, his wolfish head snuggled against your stomach as you card your fingers through his hair. To know that you accept and love this side of him warms his heart and he'll let you know just how happy it makes him with plenty of cuddles and kisses. He absolutely loves hearing you giggle and does just about anything he can to get that reaction from you.

🦿Alex is the most sensitive. All werewolves tend to be very in-tune with their surroundings, especially in the military, but Alex is even more so. His job as a secret agent of sorts has honed his ability to pick up on the tiniest changes in his environment and, when it comes to you, he's even more aware of your reactions. A slight change in your scent or heartbeat will immediately have him hurrying to your side to check in. More often than not, he can tell if he's actually needed but you're always grateful for his attentiveness and respond with a reassuring hand to his head or chest so he knows you're alright. When you're not, prepare for some inescapable werewolf cuddles.

🪦Graves is the most stubborn. As the Commander of Shadow Company, one of the most notorious groups of werewolves around, he's used to getting his way. When it comes to you, however, he tends to give in far more easily, especially so when he's transformed. A simple scratch around his ears or under his chin will make him melt in seconds and he'll never be able to resist when you run your fingers through the sandy blond hair covering his neck. The usually snarling and snapping werewolf commander will want nothing more than to hold you close, peppering your skin with gentle kisses and warm huffs of breath. Just don't let his Shadows know or he’ll withhold his cuddles.

🐺 🌙 🐺

*BONUS: Werewolf features! Thought it'd be fun to do short descriptions of how I imagine the boys! This includes height, eye color, and hair color for each of them. Pretty straightforward lol

💲Price - 6'2" -> 7'2" ; blue eyes ; brown hair w/ strands of gray

💀Ghost - 6'4" -> 7'4" ; brown -> yellow-amber eyes ; dirty blond/brown hair

🧼Soap - 5'10" -> 6'10" ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair

🧢Gaz - 5'11" -> 6'11" ; dark brown -> orange eyes ; black hair

🦿Alex - 6' -> 7' ; blue -> silvery-gray eyes ; light brown hair

🪦Graves - 6' -> 7' ; blue eyes ; sandy blond hair

[omegaverse-guide]

All About Alphas

This post is supposed to summarize and explain alphas in the context of the omegaverse. If you don't know what that is, refer to Omegaverse 101 first. To see the corresponding post on omegas, click here. For betas, click here.

Biology

For the most part, people in omegaverse story are baseline humans and function as such, unless your canon (or AU of that canon) deals with aliens or magic. The difference is mostly in the reproductive system, which, in the case of alphas, mostly means their dick.

So how big are those dicks?

Big. A lot of the time, that's all you get, and all you need. The alpha has a big dick, usually even for alpha standards, and the omega likes it. It's up to you, the reader, to then imagine whatever size of dick seems appealing to you. When measurements are given, they vary wildly. Some will give you reasonable sizes of ~16cm/6in in erect length, that an actual human with above average dick size could reasonably have and put into someone, while others will throw reality to the wind and double that size, all while making the dick as thick as a thigh, and it'll still feel good stuffed into someone else. Somehow. Don't question it, just imagine, with every horny cell in your body.

Orgasms

Those are mostly the same, though they may occur more frequently. I mean, who really needs refractory periods? We got all the soft cuddling out of the way while the knot was in, so we can immediately go again! Unless the knotting was like six hours and involved like 20 orgasms. Maybe at least a snack is warranted. Some sustenance may be needed to produce all that cum anyway. How much cum? A real human male manages perhaps 1-2 teaspoons of it. The average omegaverse triples that, but don't be surprised to see way, way more. 10 times, 20, 30. Upper limits are for cowards, and omegaverse authors may be known for many things, but cowardice is not one of them.

Knots

Not every omegaverse contains knots, but the majority do. The base of an alpha's dick has the ability to swell during sex, which will lock the alpha to their partner for a period of time if the knot forms while the alpha is inside. This ensures their come is trapped inside for a while, and increases the chances of pregnancy if the partner is capable of it. The knot can last however long the author likes. Sometimes it's only ~5min, on average ~20min, but it can last multiple hours as well. The rest of the dick may go soft directly after ejaculation, or stay hard for the entire duration of the knotting. Or, if it's on the longer side, it may go soft and get hard again, to ejaculate multiple times. Even if the dick stays hard the entire time, it may still ejaculate more than once, and/or provide more than one orgasm to the alpha.

Fangs

While they're not as common as knots, some stories provide alphas with fangs. These may be an extra pair of teeth that drop and retract, or it's simply their canines that are either larger all the time or drop and retract as needed. These fangs exist to create a mating bite that will result in a mating bond, usually with an omega. They can ache when an alpha is really horny. Sometimes they dispense a chemical that forms the bond, though sometimes that chemical is simply mixed into the saliva, or does not exist at all.

Scent glands

Alphas have them, usually. They tend to be around the neck/shoulders, often with additional ones on the wrists and/or inner thighs. Alpha scents are generally described as musky, and while they can be anything that fits your blorbo, they don't tend to be sweet or unobtrusive, which is associated with omegas and betas.

Mating glands

Those are far from as common as the scent glands, though also usually located around the neck somewhere. Alphas tend to be the ones doing the biting, so they don't need a mating gland unless the author wants the bond between alpha and omega to be mutual and equal, or another alpha is gonna bite down on it.

Ruts

Fairly common for alphas, though not as integral as the omegas' heats. They can occur periodically, often once a month, or only happen if triggered by an omega's heat. Though even if they do happen on their own, an omega's heat may still trigger them. While they sometimes function as an equivalent to heats, their intensity varies much more. A rut could leave an alpha unable to control themselves, trying to bone every omega and fight every alpha in their vicinity, or it could just make them slightly horny and aggressive, but still perfectly capable of functioning in regular society with a modicum of self-control.

The elusive female alpha

Generally, they exist. Rare is the fic that outright states only men can be alphas. However, it's usually the badass female character the main m/m ship is friends with, or one of their parents, or some other side character. Regardless, she's not involved in what's going on in the bedroom, so we don't need to figure out her genital situation. Of course, some authors have still done it, always eager to go where noone else has ever gone before. It can be as easy as saying she has that dick on top of her pussy, and it's always been there, though then you have to deal with the ramifications of female alphas being identifiable at birth even without modern medicine. It can also grow inside of her and only pop out during puberty, or even remain retractable through life. It could also just be her clit growing into a dick during puberty. Maybe her balls always stay inside her body, maybe not. It's a mostly untapped market, and no consensus has been found, so if you, dear reader, are intrigued by this, venture forth with your own ideas!

Societal standing

Alphas are naturally dominant, and thus are generally imagined to be in a position of relative societal privilege. You live under patriarchy, you know how it is. For a pwp fic, you don't need anything else, and the same goes for some pure and innocent fluff.

One key difference though is the existence of betas. Not that this really has to change much - but at least it probably means alphas aren't seen as the standard default human, that privilege now gets handed over to betas. In turn, alphas get to be a bit special, the obvious leaders, whether it's just the pack or an entire nation or the whole galaxy.

Still, if you get really into the trope, there are an infinite amount of variations, that are much harder to summarize than the biology. I've compiled a short list of ways alphas can fit into society, just know it's incomplete and I have no way of incorporating every nuance of every 100k+ omegaverse fic out there. Many omegaverse fics even include societies in the process of change, or clashing cultures, so there really is no one way to write alphas and their role in society!

Total alpha domination

In this society, alphas rule. Whether it's by force or law or both, alphas decide everything in society, and hold all the important positions. Even if there is nominally equality, everyone defers to the alphas, and their power structures hold. Or perhaps there is no equality even on paper, and people largely agree alphas are superior or are scared enough to follow even if they disagree. This isn't the most common scenario, but it lends itself to darker stories rather well, as well as stories set in primitive societies.

Alpha leadership with beta backup

This is what I've seen most often. Alphas have traditionally been the leaders in this society, the ones who become kings and make all the important decisions, but with a network of betas behind the scenes. Alphas in this still hold privilege, but can be questioned, not just by other alphas but by betas as well. On smaller scales, laws tend to be in place to protect betas and omegas from being at an alpha's whims. Most modern AUs fall into this category. It can even leave space for powerful omegas without changing society itself.

Alpha brutes

In this case, alphas aren't the leaders. It's the betas, though it could also be the omegas. Alphas with their competitive and aggressive nature are seen as suited to physical work and combat - but not decision-making. They are the footsoldiers with no hopes of rising to an officer rank, the dangerous beasts driven by instinct in a modern society who has progressed past physical violence as a means to attain power. They may still hold some privilege simply through biology and instinct (and they may still score most omegas), but face oppression as well in the form of negative stereotypes about their intelligence and self-control, or being denied certain jobs and important positions.

Breeding stock

Alphas are reduced to nothing but their ability to procreate. Again, it's likely the betas calling the shots in this case, but it could also be the omegas. Whatever physical or natural dominance alphas have is taken from them in this scenario, so they're either left to try and attain a semblance of it when they're with omegas, or even that is outside of their power. Again, this is rare, but fun if you're into certain stuff.

Alpha Instincts

Whether it's just nebulous feelings or a distinct inner voice the POV character can actually talk to, alphas have instincts that are stronger than what a normal human experiences - perhaps even impossible to resist, if the author so chooses. So, what are they compelled to do?

Mate & Breed

Obviously, that's the first and most important one, the one the whole trope is famous for. An alpha wants to mate and breed an omega, especially if said omega is in heat. That's just what they do.

Protect (& Provide)

Not quite as famous, but almost as integral. Once the alpha has acquired the mate and possibly even impregnated them, they must be defended. It's incredibly common that this same instinct also compels the alpha to provide for their mate/pack, usually by bringing them food (even if it's just stuff they bought from the grocery store). If you so choose, this also makes them naturally inclined to take of their kids, though far from all fics do so, as child rearing is often relegated to omegas.

Establish Dominance

This is important. At least in bed, alphas generally want to dominate their omegas instinctually. But this also drives them to compete with other alphas, whether it's over a potential mate or not. Whether it's petty or violent, if an alpha doesn't control themselves, they'll be fighting a lot, with a win boosting their ego and a loss seriously bruising it.

...And that's about it! You've made it all the way to the end!

Remember, I've been generalizing - if there is any one thing you don't like, you can remove it from your fic! This is your playground! Everything here can be changed and challenged, adjusted to fit your fandom and your blorbo and your own desires. This is just an overview.

Have fun writing and reading!

[dailycharacteroption]

Retrograde Revision 3: Archaeologist

(art by BorjaPindado on DeviantArt, featured in Arkham Horror)

And it’s time for another revisit to some of my oldest entries on the blog, and this time, it’s the archaeologist!

I’ve said many times that certain archetypes of certain classes feel almost like entirely different careers and vocations than offshoots of the same class, and today’s entry, from Ultimate Combat, is what actually introduced me to the concept!

While this archetype has more in common with Dr. Indiana Jones or Dr. Evelyn Carnahan than it does with the real thing, it’s easy to see why bard was used as the basis for bringing this concept to life, even if the investigator rivals it in many ways. After all, a bard has access to a deep pool of knowledge and their spellcasting can be either flavored as them studying the arcane and occult secrets of ancient civilization or simply a practical skill to pick up for field work in a world where the relics of the past often have strong opinions about being recovered by modern civilizations.

This archetype also does a good job of expressing “bard that is trying to emulate the traditional skillset of a rogue.”

Regardless of that, in a world of ancient wonders and past civilizations, it only makes sense that archaeology would exist in some form in a fantasy setting, recovering relics for historical study or profit, depending on who’s doing the digging. Both can be equally devoted to the work though.

Whether it’s boldness or some form of supernatural luck, these archaeologists can draw upon seemingly otherworldly fortune when they need to, functioning similarly to a combination of inspire courage and inspire competence, but also applying to their saves and only affecting them. Insert your jokes about humming adventure music while they perform activities here.

They also train to notice small details as well as disabling mechanisms, both important skills in the trap-laden tombs they often visit.

They also gain both uncanny dodge and evasion, similar to a rogue, deftly avoiding danger.

Additionally, these bards also learn many different talents associated with rogues, including a few advanced ones as well.

This archetype is good for those that want to be a problem-solver for the party. Yes, they are especially good at dealing with traps and noticing details, but they also have access to both bardic spells and rogue talents, making them very customizable. I recommend a combination of buffing spells, utility spells, and a mix of utility and combat talents for a character that can do a little bit of everything though specializing ain’t bad either.

Unfortunately, real-world archaeology, particularly western archaeology, while scientific and historic in nature, still has nasty elements of tomb robbing in it’s own history, relics of the past curated in museums far from the very people whose cultures those items are a record of their heritage. Now, the Pathfinder Society in the Lost Omens setting subverts this by having lodges in multiple countries so that the relics deemed safe for public viewing can be put on display for the people whom find them culturally significant. Of course, villainous archaeologist associated with the Aspis Consortium could make good villains as well.

The idol of Xaxitl has vanished from the museum it was displayed in. Some blame the locals retrieving it from those who defiled their ancestors temples, but Professor Herris believes it was stolen by members of a daemonic cult and political party he has run across before, seeking to use the idol’s dark power to their own ends. The biggest challenge may not be retrieving the artifact, but dealing with the professor’s abrasive personality, however.

Isea Ferdt, the most knowledgeable authority on ancient mountain elf culture has gone missing. She was last heard from planning an expedition to a newly discovered dig site in the Amarac foothills. As certain signs depicted in mountain elf culture are beginning to manifest, discovering her whereabouts, and perhaps rescue, has become paramount, as only her expertise can correctly interpret these prophecies.

Doomsday cults are often crackpots establishments ran by deranged, but otherwise relatively harmless madmen. The Cult of the Blinding Eye, however, has recently become tenfold more dangerous than before, as if they were being guided towards their endgame by someone with the knowledge of archaic evil that they otherwise lack.

[epiceneandroid]

PRESENTING: a masterlist of colonel.exe themed names and pronouns (genders coming soon!) for all you gamers out there

NAMES:

-Irune: Pronounced "ee-ROO-neh", this Basque girl's name means "trinity".

-Hirune: Pronounced "hee-ROO-neh", this Basque girl's name means "trinity". Variation of Irune.

-Milo: Pronounced "MY-low", this Latin and Old German unisex name means "soldier" or "merciful".

-Mylo: Pronounced "MY-low", this Latin and Old German boy's name means "soldier" or "merciful".

-Ava: Pronounced "AY-va", this Hebrew, Latin, and Germanic girl's name means "life", "bird", or "water island".

-Falke: Pronounced "FALK", this unisex German word name means "falcon".

-Adler: Pronounced "ADD-ler", this unisex German name means "eagle".

-Aderyn: Pronounced "ah-DEH-rin", this Cornish girl's name means "bird".

-Florian: Pronounced "FLOW-ree-an" or "FLAW-ree-an", this Latin unisex name means "flowering" for a boy and "flourishing, prosperous" for a girl.

-Emrys: Pronounced "EMM-riss", this Welsh unisex name means "immortal".

-Olin: Pronounced "OH-lin" or "AW-lin", this Swedish, Norwegian, and English boy's name with unisex potential means "ancestor, to inherit, legacy" in Swedish and Norwegian and "from the low-lying land" in English.

-Mael: Pronounced "mah-ELLE", this is a rare Breton boy's name with unisex potential meaning "prince" or "chieftain".

-Gwenael: Pronounced "gweh-nah-ELLE", this is a rare Breton boy's name with unisex potential meaning "generous and blessed".

PRONOUNS:

He/him/his/himself, Hi/hir/hirs/hirself, Ze/hir/hirs/hirself, Xe/xem/xyrs/xemself, Sie/hir/hirs/hirself, Heir/heir/heirs/heirself, Ki/kin/kins/kinself, Li/ege/li/egeself, Cro/crow/crows/crowself, Bi/bit/bits/bitself, Gli/glit/glitch/glitchself, Div/vine/divs/vineself, Co/co/cos/coself, Co/cor/cors/coreself, Di/div/divs/divself, Thon/thon/thons/thonself, Thou/thou/thous/thouself, E/eth/eirs/ethself, Ei/en/eirs/eirself, Hy/hymn/hymns/hymnself, Per/per/pers/perself, Hu/hum/hus/hus/huself

GENDERS (now comes the fun part!):

-Epicene: A gender that has characteristics of both binary genders, but is neither binary gender at the same time.

-Ambonec: A gender that is both male, female, and neither at the same time.

-Neuangi: An androgynous gender that is entirely neutral.

-Xenxari: Someone who is xiaspec/xingender, niaspec/ningender, and androgynous in alignment (liaspec) or in nature (lingender).

-Elvengender: A xenogender connected to elves in some way. It can be described as a majestic yet serious gender; beautiful and stern.

-Chimeragender: A xenogender that encompasses the feeling of being a hybrid, or not human, or feeling like a monster but not truly, that is under the umbrella of monstergenders.

-Metaphorgender: When one feels one's gender is a metaphor for something else. It feels not fully real and it may provide clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different identities.

-Orupin: An orderly gender with a sense of stability and reason for who and what they are, and feel that there is a logical reason for their gender.

-Anler: A strong-willed gender that is determined and certain about who and what they are. They will be angry if others insist their gender does not exist, and feel very grounded and supported in their gender.

-Neutrois: A nonbinary gender identity that is associated with having a neutral gender that is either strongly neither male nor female, weakly gendered, a balance of any and all genders within their experience, or genderless depending on the person.

-Genderlight: When all accessible genders within one's life and culture combines with their antigenders, and in turn becomes nullified and mixed, resulting in a "light" feeling.

-Nonvirmina: Someone who is not male or female in any way, shape, or form, but is connected to both masculinity and femininity within their gender.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 29/11/2023

Susume​→​Number One

Season 2 Featured on: The Voice's Highest Quality Video Game Rips

Ripped by 2achary

We're just shy of closing out November and entering the Christmas season, so I figured it'd only be right to highlight some more all-timer rips for me. And, hey - Love Live has like, tenuous ties to the winter season through Snow Halation, right? That's good enough reason for me to cover Susume→​Number One, I say!

We Are Number One was, especially early one, always one of the most fun sources to get rips from - there was just so much going in its favor! Be it the fun vocals, immediately recognizable instrumental, that could be mixed and changed in so many ways and still be identifiable, or just the pure fun ska-tune the song had...there's always something to look forward to with WANO, and the team rarely just leaves it at a mere mashup. Because of that, I'm almost always able to enjoy WANO rips, even with barely any knowledge of the source material - which is exactly where Susume→​Number One slots in.

I remember January 2017 as being a time where the fanbase was in pretty high spirits, coming hot off the heels of off several episodes of the Christmas Comeback Crisis in December the year prior, and a huge slew of rips basically confirming SiIva was nowhere near ending (before Chaze himself would fully confirm that with the monochrome pause). And though I have little to no attachment to Love Live!, and SiIva really hasn't been able to convert me, that high from the fanbase sort of carried over into this rip - I can now only associate Susume->Tomorrow in any form with the happy feelings of SiIvaGunner continuing onward from way back in 2017. And that's all thanks to the excellent work done with Susume→​Number One - its at times the original song's instrumental with Robbie Rotten's vocals, at times pitch-shifting WANO's saxophone to be in key with the song, and even intersperses little segments of The Noble Haltmann and Snow Halation toward the song's middle. All together, it becomes a really celebratory anthem, almost the complete opposite emotions that the various Season 1 finale rips elicited.

Though I don't think I'll ever truly connect with Love Live!, I'm happy that its music has been able to find new life on an entirely different platform, with a whole new emotional meaning and an all new fanbase. Thanks, gang.

[mangodestroyer]

I think I should study more about dissociation/derealization. I'm pretty sure a lot of what I've been dealing with mentally might have something to do with this.

And yes, I'm aware I'm not a psychologist and can't self-diagnose. It's just been something I've suspected for a while now but never really looked into. But I'm also not sure I fully understand it or what it entails. Or if what I'm experiencing is something else entirely.

All I know is that, ever since the age of 18, I just got really weird. Sometimes, I feel like I'm living in a very dreamlike state, or like I'm doing dr*gs even though I'm sober (like, everything looks and feels so different and trippy for some reason). Other times, it feels like I'm hardly even sentient. I'll just be doing stuff and talking to people and whatnot, but everything will just feel so dark and like I almost have no thoughts. Or when I do think, it will be like, "Oh, I'm alive? I'm here? I've been alive? There's a world around me? I exist?" And when I'm like that, I feel like I can hardly form sentences or even be consciously aware of my surroundings or others.

And like I said, the first time I really noticed I was doing something like this was when I was 18. And it didn't just last for a few hours or a few days. It was really intense and lasted a few months. I just remember being so obsessed with death/dying. Doing intense research on life after death (or lack thereof). Literally not being able to focus on anything else. It kind of just came out of nowhere, although things had been very stressful that year. And I stopped eating and taking care of myself. I remember everything looking so dim. The edges of my vision were dim. I HATED feeling cold because for some reason my mind was associating it with non-existence at the time. Animals and other people also just felt really robotic and uncanny. Everyone's movements just felt machine-like, as if they were just programmed and they weren't sentient. I started to question if I or anyone or anything else is actually sentient and if maybe this is all a fluke. Or something. And I remember in therapy just not being able to explain this at all. I didn't even know where to begin. So I kind of just would talk about random shit, ig while the therapist evaluated me. And the random shit really was random and kind of didn't make sense. And would sometimes just be invasive anxieties that came out of nowhere. I remember one time I started defending the existence of supernatural shit. Insisting that it's not invalid for people to believe or try to perform magic. That it just REALLY needs to exist. Yeah, idk why I was doing that.

And then... I snapped out of it. And unfortunately, I just stopped going to therapy without getting a diagnosis. At the time, ig I just thought it wasn't going anywhere. And I have mixed feelings about it now because idk if I was just being completely impossible to work with or if maybe they were noticing how weird I was being and needed extra time to work it out.

I've had a few other long term episodes (?) like this too. All of them very different from the other. I had a couple of them this past year, actually. At the beginning of this year, I was CERTAIN I interacted with supernatural entities in some way, even if I didn't fully understand the how and why, and that I accidentally tore the fabric of the universe in some way and opened up another dimension. By complete accident. I just felt like I "went too far" or something. And I was now experiencing and learning about things that were "too abstract" for me to understand, but I had a tip of the tongue feeling about it. I felt so strongly that there was something there and no one was seeing it. And I was just SO CLOSE to seeing it. When I told my sister, she said I was having a delusion. I insisted that it wasn't a delusion and would it really be so crazy if something existed but was invisible to us but would actually be very relevant? The other episode was very similar. Feeling like I fucked up the fabric of the universe in some way again. Oh, and also feeling like the Earth was unusually small and the atmosphere felt really low to the ground. It kind of felt like I was on a set. I also remember the sun feeling unusually white.

I notice it only happens when something really stressful happens in my life. Like, when there's intense family drama or right after I left my toxic relationship. Otherwise, it's not as intense as the months long episodes and it just feels like mild dissociation now and then. It feels really weird typing this all out and thinking about the fact that I really was thinking these thoughts and experiencing reality this way. And the more I experience it, the more shame I feel over it. I almost never talk about this because I feel like no one will believe me or take me seriously. Or they'll just write me off as someone to stay away from.

And yes, if it helps, I did have a traumatizing childhood.

[fanaiceach]

If Geoffrey is single in modern times it's because he's never been in a long-term romantic relationship before.

His personal feelings on the concept of such relationships have long been... complicated. As with most things in his life, you can largely thank Priwen for that. His time with the Guard -- particularly when he took on a leadership role -- didn't leave a lot of free time for establishing interpersonal relationships. He was close with his people, if not slightly detached by professional necessity, but seeking anything outside of that was difficult if not impossible. In the rare writing instances where he has gotten with someone during that phase of his life, things typically haven't developed past friends-with-benefits-and-some-feelings territory until well after canon events. Romantic relationships just aren't something he has the luxury of thinking about. He moves around frequently with the Guard, and his dedication to his role and his people will always take precedent. That, and the very nature of his work as a hunter made Geoffrey very much believe that he was going to die young. It wasn't a fact that ever bothered him, it was just a truth that felt foolish not to accept.

All of these things -- the sense of duty and obligation and the impending weight of his own mortality -- mixed with a fair amount of wall building trauma responses, left Geoffrey more or less incapable of seeing himself as a person with wants outside of what he believed to be his life's purpose. His only value is being a hunter. He'll later realize it all speaks to a generally low sense of self-worth and might be indicative of things like depression and depersonalization, but at the time he just sees it as putting the needs and goals of Priwen above himself. That's what a good leader is, right? Someone who exists only for their cause and wants for nothing else? Especially when they owe their life to said cause, and they're the only thing standing between humanity and disaster.

Even after he removes himself from the Guard, Geoffrey struggles with his identity and who he is without them. The fact that he's changed doesn't help. It takes him a long time to seek out any kind of connection after he turns for obvious reasons. The self-loathing is at an all time high, he's ashamed, he afraid of hurting people, etc. He does stop hating himself so thoroughly eventually, and by modern times he is genuinely content with his existence. Over the last few decades he's met people and formed attachments, he's had feelings and he's had sex, but nothing that's lasted for one reason or another. He still prioritizes other things and has tended to seek out like-minded people -- independent types who aren't looking to get tied. He has friends and family, he has his work. That's enough for him. In just about every facet of his life he's not really someone who wants for things. It's not in his nature, and arguably that's why the pure want often associated with vampirism scares him so much. But that's an entirely different concept to dissect.

He won't be overly resistant to the idea of a long-term romantic relationship if one comes his way, but he's unlikely to be the person actively pursuing that course.