#artemis is my favorite character i've created so far

[medicbrainrot]

either born in hell or heaven sent, but either way i’m into it

Simon and Artemis, call signs Ghost and Jaguar, were on their way to exfil from a stealth mission, then their transport came across an IED. The IED detonated, subsequently flipping their truck. 

Ghost had been knocked unconscious in the explosion, and was bleeding slightly from his head. 

"Ghost. Lieutenant! Ghost, wake up!" Jaguar said, shaking his shoulder. 

Ghost was unresponsive. Even after being shook, it seems like no one's home. Jaguar shakes him again, coughing wetly as she does so. 

This time Ghost's eyes flutter slightly and he coughs, before jolting awake with a gasp. 

"Jesus, fuck." Jaguar swears under her breath. "Are you okay LT?" 

He looks at her, rubbing his head. "Ugh…" He mutters. "I'm fine… I think…" He groans, and looks around groggily. "Where… Are we?" He asks, coughing again. The force of the cough makes him feel dizzy and nauseous. 

"Our truck got hit by an IED, we got flipped over." She coughs. 

"Damn…" Ghost replies, sighing. He tries to sit up, only to realize he's upside-down, making his head spin. 

"What the hell is happening?" He slurs, his vision blurring slightly. 

"I think you're concussed LT." Jaguar says, voice straining as she struggles with her seatbelt. 

"Well that's not good." Ghost groans, rubbing his head again. He unbuckles his seat belt and tries to carefully work his way to the floor. 

He looks over at Jaguar, seeing that she's struggling with something. "You need help over there, Jag?" Ghost asks in a drowsy tone, trying to offer his assistance. 

"I… I can't unbuckle my seatbelt." Jaguar coughs. She's still hanging upside-down, all the blood rushing to her head. 

Ghost sees her still struggling. "Oh, damn. Let me get that for you…" He says, fumbling to reach her seat belt connector. It was difficult since he was dizzy and wanted to throw up, but he managed to unclip the belt. "There…" 

Jaguar grunts as she hits the floor, but at least she isn't stuck anymore. 

"Thanks LT. Let… Let me get my med kit and I'll take a look at you. Do you think you can get out of the truck on your own?" She coughs. 

Ghost groans, "I'll try…" He groggily kneels on the floor, his limbs feeling like rubber, but after a little bit, manages to steady himself and climb out of the truck. He doesn't trip, but he does have to pause to catch his balance a few times. 

His vision stays blurry, but he manages to stay upright upon exiting the overturned vehicle. 

He reaches out a hand in case Jaguar needs assistance getting out of the truck. 

Jaguar reaches out a bloody hand to take Ghost's as she gets out of the vehicle, letting out a wet cough as she stands up, trying to steady the med kit on her shoulder. 

Ghost steadies her as she stands, waiting for her to adjust the kit on her shoulder. "You alright, Jag?" He asks, a hint of concern in his voice. 

"I'm good." She nods. "How's your head?" 

"Sore." Ghost replies. "It feels like a million tiny people are inside my head, jumping up and down punching my brain." He says, cringing slightly when his vision blurs again. 

"You ever gotten a concussion before?" Jaguar asks him. 

"Twice, actually…" Ghost replies, wincing again as he rubs his head. "Never this bad though." He adds, stumbling a bit as he goes to sit down. 

"Shit." Her eyes widen as she jumps forward to steady him. "Hey, hey! Look at me. You with me?" 

Ghost groans again. "Yeah, I think so…" 

He shakes his head slightly. "Something feels really weird inside my head." He groans. 

"Ok, look at me." Jaguar pulls a pen light from her pocket and checks Ghost's pupils. 

Ghost looks at Jaguar as she does so, wincing slightly at the brightness of the light. He follows her actions, and waits for jer to finish checking him. "You find anything?" Ghost asks, his vision settling a bit. 

"Your pupils are equal and reactive, so that's good. But I'm a little worried about the concussion. Where did you hit your head?" She asks, a small cough escaping. 

Ghost groans. "Where didn't I hit my head?" He asks, in a slightly dazed tone. He rubs his head again. "I don't really remember anything besides pain."

"Fuck. Okay. Can I check your head?" She asks. 

Ghost nods a bit groggily, allowing Jaguar to check his head for signs of injury. 

"Any other symptoms of this concussion you need to check, Jag?" Ghost asks, his vision and hearing still a bit fuzzy. 

"Yeah, hold still. This might hurt." She says as she runs her hands along his head, neck, and chest, doing a partial trauma sweep to check for blood and fractures. 

Ghost follows Jaguar's instructions as she does the sweep, trying to remain still, as she checks his body for external and internal harm. He does wince slightly when she checks his head again, but otherwise holds still. 

"Okay, I found where you're bleeding from, I'm going to bandage it." She says as she pulls some gauze from the med kit. "Do you want any painkillers?" 

Ghost nods groggily. "Yeah… Maybe…" He groans, wincing a little at the pain. "I'd really appreciate it…" He adds, his eyes drifting shut. 

"HEY." Jaguar says firmly, getting Ghost's attention. "The meds are in my left pants pocket. My hands are covered in blood. Grab one, okay?" 

"Okay…" Ghost says, slowly moving his hand towards Jaguar's pocket to grab the meds. "Got them…" He says, shaking one out of the bottle into his other hand. 

"Okay. Can you dry swallow or do you need water?" She asks. 

"I can dry swallow." Ghost says, tossing the pill into his mouth and swallowing it. "I feel like shit though… I hope this works." He groans. 

"It'll help." Jaguar pulls some more gauze and starts cleaning a wound on her arm, suppressing a cough. "What's your favorite color?" 

Ghost look at Jaguar, his eyes still a little hazy from the pain. "Blue, I guess. Why?" He asks, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. 

"I need to keep you talking." She states. "What's your favorite food?" 

"Ah… Umm… I like steak, a lot…" He says, starting to get curious about the whole 'keep you talking' thing. "Umm… Why do I have to keep talking?" He asks, squinting his eyes at Jaguar as he tries to get them to clear up. 

"If I can keep you focused, it'll make it easier to direct you. Do you still have your radio on you?" She asks, coughing wetly towards the end. 

Ghost checked his vest. "Yes, got it right here." He answers. "Why do you want me to keep focused?” He asked, curiosity in his tone.

“You’re concussed, but we are still in enemy territory. We can’t afford for you to lose focus.” She says as she applies a bandage to her arm. “Where else are you hurt?”

“Other than my head?” He asks. “I’ve got a cut on my back, but I don’t think it’s bleeding too badly. Other than that, just the headache…” He groans. “And I’m still a little dizzy…” He adds, wincing as the pain from the headache worsens.

“Okay.” She approaches Ghost from behind and pulls up his shirt, quickly applying a bandage to the wound before turning her head to the side to cough. “The meds should kick in soon.”

Ghost nods, feeling the sting of pain from her attending to the wound on his back. He stays silent for a bit, just watching as Jaguar patches up a few cuts and scrapes. His eyesight has cleared up significantly as well.

He looks at Jaguar. “Thanks…” He groans slightly, his voice a little hoarse.

“No problem.” She says, wincing slightly. “Have you called for evac?”

“No… I should do that, huh?” He asks, his vision continuing to clear a bit more.

He shakily stands up, reaching for his radio. He activates it and send out the message to send in the evac, as well as their current location.

“Done.” He says a bit gruffly.

“Good.” She winces a bit as she tries to suppress a cough. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Ghost nods. “I’m pretty sore all over, but I don’t think I’m bleeding anywhere else. I’m still dizzy, but I think it’s getting better.” He leans up on a nearby fence post for support. “What’s with your wincing? Are you injured?” He asks, mildly concerned as his vision is finally able to focus.

“I’m okay.” Jaguar says as she suppresses another cough.

“Are you sure?” Ghost squints at her, a hint of worry in his eyes. “I can help you if you need me to, if you want…” He adds, the painkillers having finally kicked in to ease some of the pain in his head.

“I’m fine, there’s nothing I can do about it here.” She coughs again. “What’s the ETA on the evac?”

“About ten minutes, they’ve got a chopper inbound now.” Ghost states, his head feeling a little clearer.

“Good.”

“We just have to wait and sit tight, then.” Ghost says. 

He takes a look around, seeing the remains of their vehicle scattered about the area after the explosion. “Do we wait here? Are we safe here? What do we do?” He asks, hoping Jaguar has an answer since his head is still feeling a little fuzzy after the impact.

“We should be okay here, but we should at least move out of sight.” She wheezes.

“Yeah… we should.” Ghost agrees, glancing over at her, a frown forming on his face. “You really aren’t doing too hot, are you?” He asks, an eyebrow raising up under his mask. “Do you need to sit down?”

“I…I might need to.” Jaguar coughs roughly.

Ghost sighs, “I can try to help you,” He says looking over at her. “Do you need me to carry you?” He asks, worry evident in his voice. He reaches forward to steady her. “It’s alright if you aren’t okay y’know. You’ve been tending to me this whole time, it’s my turn to tend to you.” He offers gently.

“I’d love that, but carrying me might make it worse.” She coughs wetly. “How’s your head?”

Ghost’s mouth turns down in a frown. ”I still feel… kinda weird, if that makes sense. It still kinda aches.” He grimaces, not really sure how to describe how his head is feeling, as it’s not a normal headache.

“That’s normal for a concussion, but you’re still talking and still focused, so that’s good.” Jaguar wheezes.

“Okay. Is there anything I can do to help you with that cough?” He asks, holding out a hand in case Jaguar needs it. “Do you need some water? Any pain meds? What can I do?” He asks, trying to be gentle.

“The pain isn’t the issue.” She coughs wetly. “I think my ribs are broken, and they migh–” She gets interrupted by another cough.

“Broken? How?!” Ghost asks, a hint of panic in his voice, his head swinging to look at her, causing a wave of dizziness to wash over him. “Did this happen in the explosion?” He asked, worried about his medic.

"It's okay. You're concussed." She says. 

"If your ribs are broken, that's not okay!" Ghost continues, notes of concern in his voice. "What if they've punctured something?" 

Jaguar coughs again, wiping at her mouth. "One of them might've punctured my lung, but there's not much we can do about it here." 

"Jesus Christ. What if there's blood filling up in your chest?" Ghost asks, worry in his voice. 

"How far out is the evac?" She wheezes. 

"About seven minutes." Ghost says, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Are you going to be okay for that long?" 

"I can do anything for seven minutes. I can do anything for seven minutes." She says. "How's your head?" 

"I still feel… Weird…" He murmurs. "But the pain is starting to subside. I think the meds have kicked in." He adds. "Your ribs are still a big concern though."

"Are you seeing double or anything like that?" Jaguar coughs. 

"No, things have started to clear a little bit." He looks at their surroundings to make sure they are still relatively safe. "Why do you ask?" 

"Okay, that's good, that's good. I'm just checking. Still dizzy or is that better?" Artemis coughs again and wipes something from her mouth. 

"Yeah actually, I'm not as dizzy now…" Ghost replies, nodding slightly. "But that cough of yours is worrying me. Can you breathe alright?" 

"I've–" She gets interrupted by a wet cough. "I've been better." 

Ghost's face goes pale as he notices that Jaguar coughed up blood. "That's… Not good….your lungs…" 

"Yeah, I know." She wheezes as she wipes the blood from her hand on her pants. "How's your head?" 

"It's still really sore." Ghost replies, gently grasping at his head. "My ears are kind of ringing."

His hands are starting to tremble, and his breathing is getting heavier. "What's happening?" He whispers, worriedly, trying to figure out what to do. 

Jaguar gently places her hands on Ghost's cheeks, softly cupping his face. "Hey, hey. Look at me. You're going to be okay. Evac is on it's way, right? How many minutes?" She asks softly. 

Ghost's fear starts to settle at her words. "Three minutes. Evac will be here in three minutes." 

"Beautiful. We can do anything for three minutes. Right?" She asks, still holding his face. 

"Right…right…three more minutes. We can do this." He answers, trying to compose himself. He locks his eyes onto Jaguar, trying to find comfort in her gaze. 

"Remember around the time when we first started dating, and we got caught in that hail storm?" She smiles softly. 

Ghost pauses for a moment, but then his face lights up when his memory jogs. "Yeah, I remember…we almost got hit by lightning." He says with a chuckle. "That was quite the night." He adds, a smile crossing his face at the memory.

"It was so scary." She smiles. "The hail was the size of golf balls."

"But we made it through, like usual. We even made it home alright." He replies, voice soft. "It's kinda amazing how far we've come, y'know?" He smiles at the memory "It almost feels like we've been through hell and back."

"Through hell and back." She repeats softly, then leans away to cough for a second. "We made it through that just fine, just like we'll make it through this just fine."

Ghost smiles at the statement, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. We will, we will." He squeezes Jaguar's hand. "We'll be fine, I promise. 

She nods softly before leaning away to cough again. 

Simon looks at her, concerned at her consistent coughing. Worried that she'll start coughing more blood, he reaches out to put a hand on her back. "Artemis, you're going to be okay, I promise. You'll be okay." He says softly, trying to reassure her. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." Jaguar slurs slightly. 

"...Are you sure?" He asks, squinting at her as he continues to gently rub her back. "You're coughing up blood, it doesn't seem like you're okay." He says, worry creeping into his voice. 

"It's a little hard to breathe, if I'm being honest." Jaguar wheezes, gesturing in reference to her broken ribs. 

His eyes widen at her words. "It's hard to breathe?! Is your lung collapsing? Do you need CPR?" He's trying to run through all the medical training he has, but the concussion is making it difficult to think straight. 

She laughs but then winces. "CPR is for when your heart stops, sweetheart. My heart is working just fine, I don't n–" She gets interrupted by another cough. 

Simon flinches at the cough, looking at her in worry as he listens. He takes a moment to process what Artemis said before finally responding.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? Do you…do you need anything?" He asks, sounding a bit anxious. 

"Just your love and affection." She slurs.

"I can do that." He replies gently. "Do you need anything else?" 

"As long as evac gets here soon, that's all I need from you." She coughs wetly. "Now how far are they?" 

"Just a minute or two out. They'll be here soon." He says reassuringly. "We'll be okay."

"Yeah, we'll be okay." She slurs. "How's your head?" 

"Better than it first was." He answers. "How's your chest?" 

"Ok, that's good." She coughs roughly. "I… I think I need to sit down."

"Okay." Ghost nods. "Do you need help, or do you want to sit down on your own?" He moves a little closer and extends his hand in case she wants help. 

“I might need some help. Can…can you help me take my vest off so I can…can check which ribs are broken?” She wheezes.

“Yes, I can do that.” He nods. Simon gently holds her by the arm, and helps Artemis to sit down on the ground. He then unlatches her vest, making sure not to apply any pressure to her ribcage.

Once the vest is off, she takes off her shirt and starts running her hands along her ribs, wincing as she figures out which ones are broken.

Ghost watches this, seeming concerned as she does so. “Do you know which ones yet?” He asks. “Is your lung…” Simon tries to keep his tone soft, calm, as he reaches for her hand. “Are you still able to breathe okay?” His heart skips a beat when he hears his medic breathe sharply.

“Yes, probably, and not really.” Jaguar coughs, answering Simon’s questions in order.

“Is there anything I can do to help? They should almost be here, I can hear the chopper in the distance.” He says trying to reassure her.

“If I pass out, tell the flight medics ribs 7 through 10 on the right side are probably broken.” She wheezes. “How’s your head?”

“My head is…better… I think.” He replies. “So, I just need to keep you awake until they get here?” He asks.

“You’re the one who’s concussed.” Artemis slurs, her eyes struggling to stay open. 

“Stay awake with me, alright?” Simon pleads, squeezing Artemis’ hand when he realizes she’s getting drowsy.

“Mmhmm.” Artemis sways slightly as her eyes start drooping shut.

Simon moves quickly to try to catch her, trying to take care not to injure her ribs further. He cradles her close to his chest, and his eyes widen when he sees that she’s struggling to stay awake. He looks and can see in the distance that evac is approaching, that they’re almost here. 

“Jaguar!” He shakes her shoulder gently, trying to keep her awake. “Artemis!” His voice sounding more and more desperate each time he calls her name.

“Mm…” She mumbles.

Simon shakes her a little harder, holding her close as he tries to keep her awake. “C’mon love, just a little longer, they’re almost here.”

She pries her eyelids open, her mumbling barely audible. “‘M tryin’, ‘s hard.”

“I know love, I know. They’re almost here.” A sense of relief floods Simon when he sees the chopper preparing to land nearby.

Artemis is just barely able to stay conscious long enough for the flight medics to get both her and Simon onboard and stabilized on the flight back to base.

“You were amazing back there.” Simon says softly to her. “You are so strong.” He presses a kiss to her forehead through the mask as she finally closes her eyes and slips into a painkiller induced sleep.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and feedback are appreciated!

Masterlist

[the-hot-zone]

🐍- How do you deal with it when you come across a plothole?

i usually make this face exactly

but then i categorize the plothole and write down the problem exactly. even if i solve it in one sitting, i find it's helpful to still record the problem and the problem solving. usually this looks like a question. i was trying to find an example from my doc and ended up coming across one that said "but what's the plot?" 💀

the categories though definitely help with solving. the ones i've come across so far are character actions, worldbuilding, and plot progression. for example, character actions can be solved by asking myself what action the character needs to take to move the story forward, and what kind of situation would prompt that action. this has the bonus effect of both preserving and further exemplifying characterization. i'm also a firm believer in character = plot, so this helps entwine the two.

and sometimes what you think is one category can be solved by realizing it belongs to a different category. for example, sometimes a plot progression issue is actually due to a worldbuilding issue. my current wip is a very environmentally-entwined zombie horror story, and it takes place on the cusp of spring turning into summer, where the change of season is deadly for in-world reasons. this creates urgency because now there's a deadline to get from point a to point b, and the added stress results in certain characters acting in the way they do, which progresses the plot heavily.

the final thing that helps is turning to my favorite pieces of fiction and picking out where plotholes may have occurred, or even finding bits of plot progression i admire. i try to envision the author's writing process and why they made the decisions they did. artemis fowl is my go-to for character actions and plot progression especially, and analyzing it has taught me a lot. thank you for the ask <3

[pqrachel]

Lore Dump Questions

It's been a bit since I've done something like this, but I found a giant list of character design questions here. And so I'm gonna pick some of my OCs and generate a couple random numbers from 1-253 for each of them and and then just ramble and explore the characters a bit.

So yeah just an insanely long rambly bit of character exploration below the cut...

---

So the first character I'm doing this for will be Taylor Che. He's one of my main 4 Blanksford cast and I've been trying to figure out some stuff regarding where I'm taking his story.

36. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? So I kind of haven't thought about Taylor's family like at all. Gabby has one sister, Aeri and Madi have no siblings, but Taylor I just don't know. So I guess right now I'm making the decision that he's got two brothers. I know Taylor figured out he's genderfluid around 15 / 16 years old in upper school. I've got a story in progress about him figuring that out and there's tension between him and his first boyfriend. And I think him having to figure that out mostly on his own makes a lot of sense. Maybe one brother is older and already moved out and doing his own thing, and the other is younger and not super able to help him think about that kind of thing. I think his family would be respectful but not like too helpful if that makes sense. I don't want to decide too much on a whim, but that seems like a decent starting point for when I want to come back to his family later.

158. What is your favorite animal? Why? I haven't done a lot of ecological set-up, but Taylor's born in Blanksford which is like a pretty dense city. I know Gabby's into birds, Aeri's into dinos (dino fossils aren't nearly as common due to the ecology of Solthra, but this is a question about Taylor), so I don't know what Taylor would be into. Maybe something aquatic but the only aquarium in Origia is in D-City, so that might be better for Madi since she's born in D-City and could have had some family trips their with her parents before they got divorced when she was 12. So I guess for Taylor I could do like city cats that'd be cool and I don't have any actual pets either so maybe giving Taylor a pet cat could be cool. I could even make Jaspurr from my Colostle story be Taylor's cat. Because I've done story crossovers a bunch and I really like Jaspurr and I haven't touched my Colostle series in a while and it'd be a shame to not use my lil cat design, so that seems like it could be a lot of fun.

---

Okay new character, let's keep with the Blanksford characters I'm focusing on in my latest wips, so Artemis. I'm still trying to place her fully in the story. She's a vigilante that the majority of the population hates, and Taylor's coming around to seeing her side of things, and it's creating some tension that makes me want to flesh out her character a bit more so let's see how this goes.

15. What does your voice sound like? This is a question I don't think about too much. Like even when watching shows / video games I just don't think about a character's voice that much. The only character of mine I have a voice actor head-canon for is Aeri who I'd want played by Ashly Burch because Life is Strange brain go brrrr. But for Artemis I don't know. I spent a bit looking for voice actors who I'd like to see but that's so far out of my wheel-house. Like I'd want her voice to give villainous vibes. Maybe the VA who played Sylvie *checks notes* Sophia Di Martino. ...but after rewatching some clips that's not really right either, but Tom Hiddleston could be a fun voice for Taylor. I don't know...

49. If you died or went missing, who would miss you? Damn straight at her insecurities. But she's got no remaining family until she got her powers no serious friends. And afterwards Blank had to be coerced to even help and doesn't really like her that much even though they sort of work together. There's something going on with her and Taylor but it's complicated. Definitely in the future, I think Taylor would miss her, but where the story's at in my head, that a bit ambiguous on his feelings.

---

OK next character, let's do a big jump out of Blanksford and to Mystic Mysteries with Dawn Ronik. Her story is all over the place so this good be interesting.

66. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? So I've got bits of story from Dawn's past and all the way up to her growing up. And in her past right around the time she fell into the portal to the mystic plane, she wasn't too brave. But she was super curious part of the reason she explored enough to find the portal even at such a young age.

96. Who would be the one person you’d never tell your fear? This is a fun question because Dawn's actually pretty solitary after she returns to the mortal plane leaving behind Tehl. She has a kind of short relationship with Ashly Smith who is a character I've reworked to fit Dawn's story. And I think despite all she shared about her time in another plane living with an "aberration," she probably would have kept her fears a little more to herself, since it never served her to talk about it and since it was more of an abstract thought, it'd be much hard to share that with Tehl growing up having to make their own language to communicate, since they were two completely different species. (Although saying that now I realize I might have my timeline a little wrong but I think the sentiment and what it means for the story is still true.)

---

Another weird character, umm... how about Twii'Jay. She's a character so new I haven't even drawn her yet. But she's the ringmistress of a travelling circus called the Cirque Destinae.

20. Do you wear any jewelry? I think on-stage she'd be very flashy and would like have jewelry, but when she's not working it's a bit tedious and she'd prefer wearing less accessories and being comfy more than anything with her clothing and accessories.

33. Is there someone in your family you wish you were closer to? So Twii'Jay is actually demonic. Her grandparent is an incubus making her a quarter-demon or a half-elf with how I have that all working. She very much wants nothing to do with her parents and she doesn't have any siblings. So as far as blood family goes the answer is a strict no. But found family like the circus is something she's super devoted to and she loves all of her crew very much.

---

Okay one last character... let's go with Dee. She's the slime girl researcher I drew a bit ago, but I don't really have to much ideas for her other than being a way to explore the world by literally having her explore it. (Very similar to my initial concept for Dreya but she's now become a whole thing with the merfolk side of my Mystic Mysteries stories, so maybe Dee will last longer in me exploring...)

92. When and where were you the happiest? Like I said I don't have to much ready for this character, so going on-model. She'd be happiest making a new discovery about the world. She's pretty curious and at one point she's working with another character named Cass who's a gravity sorcerer and I think they'd be happy figuring stuff out. And since Dee was born under strange circumstances and doesn't remember / doesn't have a past. I think her getting to interact with someone and truly let loose thinking about a topic with someone would make her pretty happy.

175. What is your responsibility to the world? Why? Again, she's a researcher and that's something she chose to be and really believes in. While yes she finds lots of topics interesting. She's the only known slime-being, but she feel connected to the naglings and the misunderstand "false angels" as a whole, so she'd really like to be the one who shows humans the truth regarding the angels, and how misrepresented they are in the churches view of the angelic plane and its connection to the mortal plane.

---

Okay I lied this is fun, I'm gonna do another one. Let's bring it back to Blanksford and do this for Katie Moore, she's Gabby's sister and I've only recently introduced her when I did the Blanksford Pride comics in June. She's still a bit underdeveloped but that's what's gonna happen when I focus on developing so many OCs independent of a specific story and I'm just having fun fleshing out side characters. (Arthur, if you're reading this, and I mean this in the best way, but I totally blame you for my obsession with writing OCs, you've shown me how fun it is and I've taken it to be my own thing and it's just so great <3 lol)

108. Who or what, if anything, would you die for? (or go to extremes for?) My initial reaction was to say she'd go to extremes for Gabby, but that's the obvious answer. I think she's got her own friends that she's close to outside of Gabby's friend group (that I don't plan on writing), and even within the main friend group, I like thinking her and Madi have gotten close, and at some point down the line. Katie would defend Madi or go to extremes for her if she had to. She's closer to her parents than Gabby is so maybe them too (again I haven't written them at all so idk for sure).

159. What is your least favorite animal? Why? This felt like a fun last question to end on it'd be totally subjective but right now I'm imaging Gabby's digital pet bird Mango annoying Katie when they were growing up and now Katie doesn't like birds all that much. Probably not like a deep hatred but her go-to if asked this would probably be birds.

[nadziejastar]

I'm thoroughly enjoying the LeaIsa discourse, especially Isa possibly having been subject X in perhaps another canon. Isa's symbolism's also seem intentionally feminine in nature. I've head-cannoned that the current subject X in game could have somehow had her heart spirited away into Isa's (mirroring Sora and Kairi's situation, except the heart being far more buried in the depth's of Isa's). An unlikely scenario is that Isa was AFAB as a child and even Lea doesn't know about it or remember.

Lea: The Wounded Healer

Thank you! Yeah, everything about Isa’s symbolism is feminine in nature. And very intentionally so, LOL. He’s the Yin to Lea’s Yang; the Moon to his Sun. I love the whole concept, and I wish it wasn’t so taboo to step outside of gender boxes. The mythology is that Twin Flames separate and go through many lifetimes apart, never meeting in person. Over the reincarnation cycle, the two lovers balance their masculine and feminine sides so that they are both perfectly balanced. And I do think Lea is a very balanced character in that regard. I’m sure Isa was, too. During their final lifetime in the reincarnation cycle, Twin Flames finally reunite and change the world with their divine spiritual love. 

I cannot imagine there’s any other explanation than Isa originally being Subject X. It simply makes way too much sense, and all the pieces fit perfectly. Your head canon is interesting. I prefer that over canon where Isa and Lea are apprentices and had NO connection to the experiments on the darkness of the heart. That just makes no sense at all. They could have had another girl involved without taking away from Lea and Isa’s tragic backstory. Another reason I like Isa being Subject X is that he would need healing, and Lea would need to give him a “birth by sleep”. KH3 kinda forgot about that whole concept. But there’s a lot of evidence that it was supposed to be a HUGE aspect of Lea’s character arc. Would have been a lot more rewarding to see than what he did in canon.

Stuff like this is exactly why Lea and Isa are my favorite characters. I can tell the writers had a hard on for them, too. Nomura really loved Axel, after all. Axel has a weapon called Prometheus which incorporates the Sagittarius symbol, and so do the vast majority of Saïx’s weapons. Moreover, the arrow is mainly prominent in Saïx’s Berserk form, which is where I think his captured heart resides. Now, why is this symbol so important? Because Sagittarius is Chiron, the Wounded Healer! He gave up his immortality for Prometheus, and was rewarded with immortality in the stars!

More About Sagittarius

Yen Sid: “I must warn you again–the road will not be easy.”

Lea: “Fine. Let’s jump right in.”

Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of growth and opportunity, the sign of the Archer is an eternal student, looking for enlightenment through new ideas, people, and places. Sagittarius is on the hunt for the biggest, best experiences life has to offer. They have a positive and outgoing personality that makes them the life of any party. With a love of adventure and all things exotic, the worldly Archer just wants to soak it all in. Sagittarius is driven by a constant need to explore and expand its mind, heart, and awareness to the fullest extent. Fiery and free, Sagittarius knows that the only limits are the ones we create ourselves.

Chiron: The Wounded Healer

Naminé: “And if the hurt is too great for you to bear it alone–well, then you turn to a friend close to your heart.”

Wounded healer is a term created by psychologist Carl Jung. The idea states that an analyst is compelled to treat patients because the analyst himself is “wounded”. For Jung, “it is his own hurt that gives a measure of his power to heal. This, and nothing else, is the meaning of the Greek myth of the wounded physician.”

Chiron was in outstanding pain and anguish; there was no medication that would ease the infliction. The fact was, even the gifted physician Chiron couldn’t heal himself. The next problem was that Chiron was in torment but, immortal. Chiron was not able to obtain freedom from the pain with the onset of death. In such a scenario, Chiron volunteered himself as a replacement for Prometheus, who had been penalized by the gods for giving fire to humankind; His punishment was to be enchained to a giant stone. Day-after-day an aquila descended and polished off his liver, which grew once more as it got dark …only to be consumed by the eagle once again.

So in essence, Chiron forfeited his eternal life so man could have use of fire. Hercules had been appealing to Zeus (Jupiter) for help, and Hercules agreed to supply an appropriate replacement for Prometheus, thereby setting him free. Thus, Chiron replaced Prometheus, gave up eternity, and went to Tartarus (the Underworld) in Prometheus’ stead. Zeus witnessed everything that happened and he knew how deplorable his son Hercules felt. Zeus afforded the dear Centaur a resting place in the heavens, as the constellation Sagittarius the Archer, in recognition of his benevolence and perpetuity.

Chiron and Artemis

Axel: “Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?”

Saïx has a weapon called Artemis, after the moon goddess. Artemis has a relationship to Chiron. Centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind, because he was not related directly to the other centaurs due to his parentage. Soon after giving birth to Chiron, his mother abandoned him out of shame and disgust. Chiron, effectively orphaned, was later found by the god Apollo, who decided to take him in as his son.

Apollo taught to him the art of music, lyre, archery, medicine and prophecy. Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis taught him more about archery and hunting. Chiron’s uniquely peaceful character, kindness and intelligence is attributed to Apollo and Artemis. Artemis only loved one man, Orion. She killed him by accident after being tricked into thinking the he was a villain who had attacked one of her priestesses. Orion, whilst swimming to escape a giant scorpion, is killed by Artemis’ arrows after the goddess could only see his distant bobbing head and failed to recognize the hunter. Artemis tried to bring Orion back to life, but was unable. It was Artemis’ regret at the loss of her hunting companion which allowed him to become a constellation and gain immortality amongst the stars.

Sagittarius Mythology also figures in the tale of Orion. One Greek mythology tale tells of how Sagittarius the Archer was directed to shoot down Scorpio the Scorpion, which had been sent off to murder Orion. This story gives the reason why the Archer’s arrow is aimed toward the ‘heart of the scorpion’.

Friendship

Ven: “Already?”

Lea: “I’ll see ya when I see ya. After all, we’re friends now. Get it memorized.”

Ven: “Okay, Lea.”

Sagittarius make excellent friends because of their encouraging, positive nature and their kind heart that will do anything to make sure the friend is happy. They do not expect favors in return; their kindness is selfless. They do not interfere with other people’s plans and they are never possessive or jealous. They treat others the way they want to be treated and live life based on a ‘live and let live’ policy, making them very agreeable. They are excellent conversationalists with a good sense of humor. Sometimes their humor is the raw truth, but these people speak their mind and don’t hold anything back. What they say is what they mean. They do not like mind games; they like straightforwardness and expect it in return.

Axel: “C'mon, let’s get some ice cream.”

Roxas: “Why?”

Axel: “Whaddaya mean, why? Because we’re friends.”

Roxas: “So…friends are people who have ice cream together?”

Axel: “Sort of… That, or laugh at stupid stuff that doesn’t make any sense. Like those kids we just saw–they were friends. C'mon, I’ll show you how it works.”

Sagittarius are known for saying the ‘painful truth’. On the other hand, people know that they can trust what they say because they always say what is real. They never hide anything and are very likable people. The only people that might not get along with them are people that live by a daily agenda with a highly structured, organized life. They are likely to always be running late and miss a date, but this is only because they are so forward thinking that they forget about the present. Tolerance is required. They do not do these things on purpose; this is just who they are. If you understand this and accept this, having a Sagittarius in your life will make the sun shine a lot brighter.

Axel: “Best friends are willing to deal with complications.”

Wise and understanding Sagittarius is connected to the Temperance Tarot card. The gentle process of tempering is about finding a perfect middle state, and combining the best of all things to forge something that is stronger than the sum of its parts. By bringing the power of the philosophical world into their physical world, Sagittarius makes itself a source of ultimate truth and awareness.

Both Sagittarius and the Temperance card are constantly striving for a more enlightened state of being. The angel in the Tarot card here demonstrates this by slowly pouring the liquid from one golden cup into another – a process called “tempering” (a slow process of integration that leads to the perfect middle state). Similarly, Sagittarius accomplishes this by exploring the far reaches of both the physical and philosophical world to expand on or “temper” what is already known. The symbols of Temperance mean the following:

Angel: Interacting with the material world while maintaining a sense of spirituality and higher purpose.

Triangle: Interplay of masculine and feminine or spirituality and materiality.

Cups: The fountain of energy between your opposite tendencies, which is flowing and spontaneous yet also balanced and coherent.

Path: Taking your time through life’s twists and turns; being content in the moment or throughout unexpected obstacles.

Water: Groundedness and refreshment through spiritual thinking.

Mountains: The distant journeys awaiting you that will bring you to spiritual fulfillment.

Sun: The sun, also appearing as the angel’s third eye, represents the merging of personal aims with the universe’s plans for you.

Fire Wings: Muscles and strength necessary to maintain composure and reach a higher being state.

The Angel

Axel: “As long as we remember each other, we’ll never be apart. Got it memorized?”

The Angel’s beautiful, red wings represent blood or life, while the triangle on her dress means spirit – also the elemental symbol for fire. And, similar to adventurous Sagittarius, the angel’s feet are also symbolic of the eternal pilgrimage or spiritual journey. By showing one foot in the water and the other on the shore we are reminded that our greatest wisdom lies in the art of balancing. And lastly, the iris flowers are indicative of the Goddess Iris who provides the link between God and humanity. Like Sagittarius, she travels from one end of the world to another – building upon something that is bigger and brighter than herself.

In a general context, the Temperance Tarot card represents coolness in the face of shifting emotional tides. Temperance is the ability to control one’s temper or temperament. In Thailand there is a concept called “cool heart.” In this phrase, cool does not mean cruel and unemotional. Rather, to act with a “cool heart” means that one is not easily stirred or provoked to go off the handle; one does not quickly come to a raging boil but maintains a steady temperature despite shifting external circumstances. Similarly, Temperance stands with one foot in a cool stream and pours water from one cup into another. Temperance knows how to direct the water in a way that maintains homeostasis.

The 7 of Swords

Lea: “And if the darkness gets ya, I promise I’ll bail you out. “Dark Rescue” is my middle name.”

Axel’s weapon “Prometheus” is Lift Gear. This is the same gear that the Temperance Arcana in Luxord’s deck is listed under. Coincidence? I think not. Luxord’s card has the shape of the Minor Arcana, The 7 of Swords. In general, this card is said to be about betrayal and deception. It is sometimes called the ‘Thief’ card. In a general context, it represents deception, lies, trickery, cheating and lack of conscience. This card also signifies mental manipulation, tactics, scheming, cunning, enemies who masquerade as friends and spies in your camp. It represents escaping detection and getting away with something.

On a more positive note, the 7 of Swords points out that you need to be strategic in what you do. It can also represent flexibility, adaptability, sharp wit, and resourcefulness. You know you cannot do everything at once – nor should you. Instead, you must prioritize what’s important to you and direct your focus and attention on the few tasks that will move you closer to your goals. When this card is seen in a reading, the deception is usually short lived. Nobody is able to carry away 7 swords and get away with it. So although the party may feel smug about it at the time, it’s about to blow up in their face.

Sagittarius’ Ruling Planet: Jupiter

Lea: “I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”

Isa: “I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.”

Lea: “See, I’m immortal!”

Larger-than-life Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods, the biggest and the best. In Astrology Jupiter is known as the “benefic” planet, meaning it is the luckiest, most opportunistic planet of all. This positive energy influences Sagittarius’ optimistic, enlightening, and outgoing nature that shines and spreads through anyone they come into contact with. As the largest planet in our cosmos, Jupiter’s vastness encourages Sagittarius to stretch its mind and heart as far as it can.

Sagittarius’ Symbol: The Archer

Xigbar: “You’re not supposed to be here!”

Lea: “Promises to keep. I’ll always be there to get my friends back. What, bad timing? You had your perfect little script, but you kinda forgot to write the sequel. Now, let’s find out what happens!”

The zodiac sign Sagittarius is associated with the Archer, and its glyph represents an arrow. Always eager to explore new horizons, the Archer sets its sights on a faraway target, then shoots toward it with precision. This focus on learning more, doing more, and seeing more is what Sagittarius is all about.

Ruled by expansive Jupiter, Sagittarius is big-hearted, open, and always looking beyond a checklist. A Sagittarius rarely has a “type.” They are always intrigued by the individual, and don’t make any assumptions about people until they’ve truly met and spoken with them. Sagittarius loves witty back and forth banter. A Sagittarius in love is a sight to behold. Aggressively fun, this sign usually moves full speed ahead once they have their love target ‘locked’.

Selene

Ventus: “I remember dreaming a lot. Of you and Terra. Of Sora and his friends too, I think. And there were some more people I didn’t recognize. Oh, and I saw these weird animal creatures! It’s like…I’ve been part of some big adventure.”

Saïx has a weapon named Selene, after the chaste Greek Moon goddess. It’s shaped like a torch. Selene’s torch has an interesting role in art and history. Selene was taken with Endymion, a beautiful youth who tended his flocks on Mount Latmos. She accompanied Cupid and used the light of the torch to gaze upon the mortal she fell in love with while he slept.  

Girodet’s “The Sleep of Endymion” shows the moment that Cupid parts the trees so the Moon may shine her light down upon her sleeping lover’s face. Only at night when he is asleep does she quietly creep down to him, accompanied by Cupid, whose torch symbolizes burning love.

In a Roman floor mosaic from the third century CE, the scene focuses on the moment when Selene falls in love with the young mortal shepherd. Cupid, in the upper right corner, points down at Endymion as if guiding Selene’s gaze towards him. Selene steps out of her bull-drawn biga that she uses to pull the moon across the sky each night, and raises a lit torch that illuminates Endymion’s face in the darkness. She peers down at him longingly. Endymion is fast asleep and unaware of her presence. She was so in love that she asked Zeus to give Endymion immortal life.

Sagittarius’ Ruling House: 9th House of Expansion

Roxas: “I found out about love on today’s mission–that it’s something powerful.”

Axel: “That’s true. It is. But I’ll never get to experience it.”

As the 9th sign in the zodiac, Sagittarius rules over the 9th House of Expansion. This house reveals how open our minds are, and how much we expand ourselves through education, exploration, and life lessons. From philosophical conversations to book research to world travel, the 9th house encourages you to go further than you’ve ever gone before. Sagittarius’ drive for adventure, growth, and awareness is strongly represented here.

When Venus is in Sagittarius

Axel: “Love is what happens if there’s something really special between two people.”

Saïx’s weapon Horoscope incorporates the Venus and Sagittarius symbols while in its Berserk form. So, the astrological correspondence is Venus in Sagittarius. Venus is the planet of love, self-worth, and all things beautiful. Her style is sweet, cooperative, and peaceful. But when this graceful planet’s energy mixes with the free-spirited sign of Sagittarius, her joyful side comes out to play. Hearts come out of hiding while Venus moves through Sagittarius. The happy and free energy of Sagittarius turns Venus up a few notches, encouraging us to live life to the fullest. This is a time to socialize, to try new things, and to look for love in different places.

Sagittarius is the sign of the adventurer, so when Venus is traveling through this sign, we find ourselves drawn to exotic people, places, and experiences. Old routines and worn-out relationships are at risk of being traded in for something bigger, brighter, and better while Venus is in Sagittarius. We want to expand beyond our usual boundaries, and may give up some of our comfortable patterns of the past to try out new experiences. Love needs to grow during this transit – it will not stand still.

Sagittarius’ Element: Fire

No. VIII AXEL—An assassin who puts his own agenda first, and everything else on the back burner. Wields fire.

The zodiac sign Sagittarius is a Fire sign that lights up our lives with profound questions and exciting ideas. Just like an uncontrollable wildfire, this sign will happily go where the wind takes them to seek new experiences. Sagittarius uses its Fire energy on its lifelong journey of exploration, always ready to jump at the next adventure. The element of Fire continues to fuel Sagittarius’ never ending supply of optimism and inspiration.

The Goddess Hestia: The Keeper of the Flame

Axel: “Well, I think you can be inseparable, even if you’re apart. It’s like, if you feel really close to each other. Like best friends.”

Saïx’s weapons Moonrise and Moonset are shaped like ⚶ the astrological symbol for the asteroid Vesta, also known as Hestia in Greek mythology. Her name means “the essence”, the true nature of things. Hestia was the Greek Goddess of the sacred fire. She was the most influential and widely revered of the goddesses. She was was one of the three ‘virgin’ goddesses, next to Athena and Artemis. Hestia was depicted as a beautiful and bashful woman, usually seated. The living flame of Hestia was tended constantly and never allowed to die out, for it represented the energy of all life.

Hestia was a kind goddess and had a discrete character. She never left her residence, the sacred mountain of Olympus. She never involved herself in the fights and machinations of the other gods and goddesses, somehow managing to stay above the fray. Non-judgmental and forgiving, her unconditional love and calm acceptance inspired the love and trust of others in return. Dependable and caring, she was always there for them and helped them to manage their lives, which were certainly more exciting than her own. These virtues define the goddess Hestia: mild, gentle, forgiving, peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, and, above all else, well-centered.

Sagittarius’ Color: Purple

Axel: “You know, I’ve been thinking about something Naminé said. Roxas…are you really sure that you don’t have a heart? Is it possible that we all have one? You, me, her… Or is that just wishful thinking?”

Rich and luscious purple is the color of Sagittarius. Purple is a color of abundance, which encourages Sagittarius’ natural luck and its drive to expand its mind and world. The color purple is also associated with spirituality and enlightenment, empowering Sagittarius’ philosophical explorations and lifelong quest for knowledge.

The Sun

Axel: “Hey, Roxas. Bet you don’t know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.”

Roxas: “Like I asked! Know-it-all.”

Saïx’s weapons Orbit and Lunar Phase incorporate the Sagittarius symbol with the combined stars of Ishtar and Shamash. There’s also a Recusant’s sigil visible over the Sun symbol. The Sun, the giver of life, represents our conscious mind in astrology. It represents our will to live and our creative life force. Just as the planets revolve around the Sun in our solar system, we derive our life purpose from the Sun in our natal charts. The Sun is our ego. It is the part of us that reasons things out, and makes final decisions. The Sun is our basic identity, and represents self-realization. The Sun also represents our overall vitality. The happiest people on this earth are those who identify with the Sun’s expression.

Sagittarius’ Quality: Mutable

Axel: “Let’s meet again in the next life.”

Roxas: “Yeah. I’ll be waiting.”

As the last sign of autumn, Sagittarius helps us celebrate one last hoorah as fall comes to a close and the season of hibernation begins. Sagittarius, with a love for variety and change, uses its Mutable energy to shake the fiery radiance off the leaves and allow them to fall. As winter approaches, this Fire sign keeps us going by fueling our desire for adventure and fun, and helps us remain optimistic that light and warmth will return again.