#i just have a lot of character creation energy

[cuteniarose]

PART 5 of my incorrect quotes shenanigans featuring six of our newest OCs, which I am happy I kept forgetting to post because that means I now get to use them to hopefully brighten up @katkastrofa’s day a little ^–^

[arklay]

WIP TITLE MEME.

tagged by @prometheas @denerims @faarkas & @aartyom to do this – thank you all so so much ily guys! ♡

tagging: @aelyosos @brujah @cultistbase @florbelles @girlbosselrond @indorilnerevarine @jendoe @lightwardens @liurnia @malefiicarum @morvaris @nocticulas @nuclearstorms @risingsh0t @shellibisshe @solasan @swordcoasts @steelport @voerman & anyone else who is writing right now, i'm sorry i don't really know at the moment! also as always, no pressure to do this! ♡

rules: post the names of all the files in your wip folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it

so, i'm going to expose myself right now and show you guys my wips checklist doc. these are all the ewskers, obviously. i'm not really 100% on my writing rn, so i won't share snippets, but i will do summaries and tell you about all of these (and maybe bits from my little plan outlines). y'all get a variety and a half lmao

i may share snippets of last one, but no promises because it's spicy and i might get a bit uncomfy sharing. and with the first one, i showed what i had a bit ago before deleting the posts, and there's only been a bit of progress since, but the whole two fics aren't off limits for little moments or insight

[blackkatdraws2]

This little NPC is lost. The Narrator [Black] has come to guide her back to where she needs to be. [Blank Scripts AU]

I imagine Black would be a lot more tolerant toward his NPCs since they're basically just the Dungeons spawns, and by extension, his own creations.

[If you're familiar with manhwas / manhuas that features the dungeon / system genre, you'd be able to understand this AU a lot easier. The majority of my inspiration for worldbuilding came from those specific genres.]

[NOTE: 'Dungeon' is just another term for the Parable. Technically, Black owns a Dungeon and the Parable is just a small part of it. The Dungeon itself is much, much larger.]

For context, the comic below references this post about the Dungeon's children/guard dogs.

[They're more like the immune system since all they do is make sure the (body) is safe.]

[The reason the Narrator [Black] considers them his children is that the Dungeon is feeding off his energy and in turn shares the 'nutrients' to the monsters it produces, which transforms them into an image that resembles his power.]

And the old man below is Joseph!

Joseph is NOT AN NPC! He is a person who exists outside of the Dungeon!

[There are two separate 'worlds' for this AU. Inside the Dungeon (where most of the game-like stuff is happening) and the world outside (pretty much their normal world.)]

[There is a secret third world, and that's our world. Our reality.]

These characters are not actually important or anything, I just made them to make the AU feel more lively. To make a world that exists, you know?

When the Narrator [Black] first established himself in their world, he found a growing problem with homelessness. Not understanding human norms or why this has become a problem in the first place, he offers (tricks) them into working for him as janitors for the Dungeon and they accept for the money.

Most of them left after they got paid, but Joseph was one of the people who stayed. He doesn't have anywhere else to go and has no ambitions in life. He just wishes to live a peaceful life with food and a roof over his head.

Joseph defaults to referring to the Narrator [Black] with feminine terms due to his appearance despite his voice. The Narrator [Black] is not the type to care for such terms anyway so he doesn't care how other people refer to him as long as there's respect.

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

This post focuses more on the worldbuilding and background aspects of the AU! There are a lot more in store for the Blank Scripts AU, and I want to explore more on how the characters might interact with their surroundings and how this would work to make a world that makes sense.

It would be so cool if people made self-inserts or OCs for my AU actually. I'd love to see how you guys would work with my stuff. Play around with it like a barbie world for your little barbie dolls. Be canon compliant, be canon divergent, who cares, have fun.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hello!! Do you know any TTRPGs surrounding translation or languages? 😊 (thanks for all your work btw!!!)

THEME: Language / Translation Games

Hello friend! As someone who studied linguistics in university, I absolutely love talking about all of the funky things languages do! I hope these recommendations tickle your fancy!

Dialect, by Thorny Games.

Dialect is a game about an isolated community, their language, and what it means for that language to be lost. In this game, you’ll tell the story of the Isolation by building their language. New words will come from the fundamental aspects of the community: who they are, what they believe in, and how they respond to a changing world.

Dialect uses a deck of cards to help minimize the amount of choices you have to make in character creation, by dealing three cards to each player and having the players choose one from just those three. You track the change of your language over a series of turns, using prompts to help you navigate the conversations that arise in your community as the world around them changes.

Dialect has been very highly regarded as a game that really delivers on the experience that it promises. The grief that accompanies language death really shines through this game, so if you want to combine the wonder of creation with the pain of losing something so integral to your sense of being, this is the game for you.

Tiny Frog Wizards, by @prokopetz

You have mastered the secret arts of sorcery

The very primordial energies of creation and destruction are yours to wield as you will.

You are two inches tall.

Tiny Frog Wizards is a game about tiny frogs, wielding magic using the power of words. When you want to do something magical, you will roll somewhere between 1-3 dice, and use the values of your rolled dice to determine how the range, magnitude, and control of your magic.

What’s important in terms of this game recommendation is the Control aspect, because how well you are able to wield your magic depends on how many words you are able to use to make things happen! It’s a lot easier to use a spell with precision if you have enough words to detail where you want a magical pen to write, or what you want to throw a tiny magic missile at. Not enough words? Then the GM has license to cause some humorous side effects, or, if you roll poorly enough, cause your spells to really go off the rails.

If you like games where you need to choose your words carefully, Tiny Frog Wizards is worth checking out - especially since it’s in free playtest!

Xenolanguage, by Thorny Games.

Xenolanguage is a tabletop role-playing game about first contact with alien life, messy human relationships and what happens when they mix together.  At its core, you explore your pivotal relationships with others on the mission as you uncover meaning in an alien language. The game gives a nod to soulful sci-fi media like Arrival, Story of Your Life and Contact, but tells its own story. It’s a game for 2-4 players in 3-4 hours.

In Xenolangauge, you play as a group of people bound together through a shared past with unsettled questions. Your task is to understand why the aliens have come and what they are trying to tell us. You will soon discover the key to understanding lies in your memories together.

This is definitely an in-person game, as it is meant to come with a modular channeling board that will provide you with alien symbols that you will use to help you interpret messages. This is more than a game about language, it’s about relationship, shared memories, and connection.

Xenolanguage was kickstarted at the beginning of this year, but you can check out the above link to pre-order the game if this sounds interesting to you!

Star-Spawned, by Penguin King Games.

One unearthly night, a ray of colourless light descended from the stars, and under its warping radiance, creatures unlike any the world has ever seen were born. They do not know the world, and they do not know themselves. Unfortunately for the world, they're quick learners!

Star-Spawned is a GMless, oneshot-oriented tabletop RPG in which you don't know what your own traits do when play begins. The names of each group's stats are randomly generated using morpheme chaining, and characters are created while having absolutely no idea what they mean; figuring that out forms the greater part of play.

Star-Spawned is more about self discovery than it is about language, but the use of morpheme-chaining in character creation is intriguing to me. You will randomly roll three pieces of a word, and then chain them together to create a unique Facet, available to the players as stats. These Facets don’t have a meaning when the game begins - you need to play to find out what they mean. If you like playing around with semantics - the meaning of words - this might be a game for you.

Degenerate Semantics, by Mikael Andersson.

Degenerate Semantics is a role-playing game for 1-5 players and one Game Master (GM). The players will each portray a character who live in Emmaloopen's poverty-stricken lower city. They are young, wild, ambitious, and independent. This way of life is threatened by other factions, and the players will need to have their characters work together to survive and thrive.

In the process of playing the game, the players and GM will define and flesh out a language called Bandethal. A collection of street terms and slang, Bandethal is used both as a way to talk openly about illicit activities without alerting authorities and to establish street cred. The terms are liberally mixed in with plain English, or when the language is mature enough, can be used entirely on its own. The characters' success is in large part based on how proficiently the players wield the language.

A friend of mine ran this game for me three or four years ago, and it’s been sitting in the back of my head ever since. Degenerate Semantics was created for a Game Chef competition in 2014, and has remained in the same state since then. I don’t think there’s any more work being done on it, but the game is there for anyone who wants to give it a go - and while there’s a setting that comes with the game, that setting is highly flexible, depending on what your group is interested in. Our group decided to use a lot of gardening metaphors, and undertook a plant-based heist as our act of rebellion! If you want a game about the power that language can give a tightly-knit group, this is the game for you.

I've Also Recommended...

DROWWORD, by Ursidice.

[stellaeerrantes]

Hello everyone, there's something that I'd like to share with everyone here, because I believe it will help a lot of people.

For us folks who engage in imaginary worlds, with canon characters or our own creations, who have deep conversation with their faves in their heads or need their comfort character's shoulder to cry on, there is an unavoidable phenomenon which I took the liberty of naming "Character burnout".

"Character Burnout" essentially means that you have no energy in order to visualise your character(s) in your mind or engage with them on your imagination. I've come to the conclusion that it can be a result of an actual burnout (mental) or it can be irrelevant to mental state and your mind is overwhelmed. Simply put, it is the way your mind kindly asks you for a small break to charge its batteries. After all, picturing an entirely different reality needs a lot of energy.

Now, the reason I'm saying all this, is not for the sake of just mentioning it. I understand that a lot of us are extremely attached to our comfort characters/ f/o(s) or whatever you prefer calling them, myself included, and this situation can be very stressful. Personally, I panic, thinking that I've lost interest to my favourite characters or "grew out of it" to the point I become unable to function at all, but, after a small amount of time I can connect with them again.

So, when you experience this, please don't jump into conclusions or let fear overcome you, the connection will come back again as enjoyable as ever, you just need to be patient and give your mind the time it deserves to recharge in order to take you places again. It may take days, or weeks, but the love we have for our characters is never gone.

If anyone wants to talk about this, please do speak your mind, and I'm open if someone wants to discuss it with me as well.

So um that's it, and and sorry for the long post!

[nina-ya]

Idk if you write for him, but would you be interested in writing a headcanon about Killer falling in love with an AFAB!reader or even the prompt for Three times he tried to confess and the one time he did? If you don’t want to then I understand ! I really love the way you write the interactions between a reader and a character, it makes my heart soar 💞💞 so I wanted to at least ask

Three Times Killer Tried to Confess and The One Time That He Did

A/N: Hi!!! I am so sorry this took a while to get to but here it is!! I wrote a lot more than I thought I would and I actually had a lot of fun doing this!!! I do hope you enjoy it my love Pairing: Killer x Reader CW: Wano spoilers in the second half WC: 2.5k

Matching aprons adorned you and Killer as you stood side by side in the ship’s kitchen. There was a playful and light energy in the air. Killer by your side certainly helped brighten the usually mundane task of preparing dinner for the crew. 

“You know, I didn’t take you for a cook,” you teased, nudging him with your elbow as you tossed a handful of various spices into the pot in front of you. “You seem more of the ‘slice and dice’ type.”

Killer chuckled, the sound low and genuine. “I have hidden talents,” he replied, glancing over at you. “I can handle more than just weapons, you know.”

You grinned, the banter flowing easily as you stirred the contents of the pot in front of you. As you moved to grab a spoon to taste your creation, your hand brushed up against his, and you both paused. The small kitchen suddenly seemed to shrink further as you exchanged glances that lingered a moment too long to be entirely innocent. 

It was moments like this, quiet and shared, that made it seem easy to just rip the bandage off and tell you the truth– to let you know that his feelings for you went far beyond camaraderie. 

With that in mind, he summoned the courage to confess and the words started to tumble out of him. “Hey, I–”

The kitchen door swung open with a bang, and Kid strode in, his boisterous presence loud and commanding as ever. “Is the food ready yet?” He asked, voice loud and slicing right through the moment. 

You jumped back, startled, and the spoon that was in your hand fell onto the floor, clattering against the tiles. “Oh hey,” you greeted, trying to sound casual as if you were not just gawking at the first mate.

Killer sighed, frustration simmering beneath the surface as he watched his captain barrel right in with his usual lack of grace. Kid surveyed the scene and waltzed over to the stove, looking over at the various pots and pans that simmered and crackled with the awaiting meals. 

“Want to taste?” you quipped, picking up the mood as you scrambled to ease your embarrassment. 

Killer remained silent, the moment he was hoping for, now a memory. He didn’t have to force a smile, one of the perks of the mask that he wore.

The conversation turned dull as Killer once again found himself retreating into the comfortable role of a friend and a crewmate. Despite the interruption, he knew there would be more moments, other times when the words might finally find their way to you. But for now, he continued his cooking alongside you, content with the knowledge that he was even able to gather the courage to confess.

- - - There are these moments in life that seem completely and utterly perfect and today was one of them. Floating out on the seas, the sun shone high amongst a clear sky, it was not too cool, not too hot, the waters were not choppy, no enemies for miles upon miles. Today was perfect. And of course, you spent that perfect day outside, lounging around, playing games on the deck, doing whatever really to ensure the day wasn’t wasted. 

Killer joined the festivities, his mask reflecting the sunlight in a way that made it seem like he was quite literally glowing. Each subtle turn of his head cast the sun's rays in your eyes, prompting playful chastising from your end.

You two found a moment alone, leaning against the ship’s railing, watching as the sunlight reflected amongst the waves. “The ocean looks different every day, doesn’t it?” you mused, breaking the comfortable silence. “I could never get tired of it.”

He nodded, preferring to watch you rather than the horizon. “It’s certainly mesmerizing,” he agreed, though those words were more meant for you rather than the sea. 

The moment seemed perfect, sun shining down on the two of you, the world quiet and still, and you, right beside him, close enough to touch. Killer took a deep breath to steady himself, and he started, his words carefully chosen, “Hey, can I tell you something?”

You turned to face him, a curious smile lighting up your features. “What is it, Killer?” you asked, eyes bright with interest as you leaned slightly closer to him. 

He hesitated, the confession perched right on the tip of his tongue. But before he could continue, you interrupted his thoughts with a teasing remark. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were about to confess your undying love for me.”

Fuck.

His mind blanked, the carefully crafted confession instantaneously vanishing into thin air. Your words hit like a bucket of cold water, leaving him momentarily stunned. The laughter that followed your statement was teasing and light, but it did nothing to subdue the rising conflict in emotions within him. Killer opened his mouth to respond, but the words got tangled in his throat.

You chuckled, clearly amused by his reaction. “Relax, relax, just teasing,” you reassured, giving him a gentle nudge. “What were you going to ask?”

The moment had slipped through his fingers and the confession died beneath the wave of playful banter, not that he could ever get mad at you for that, anyway. He managed a smile, the words of his heart retreating to their depths once more as he replied, “Not quite.” He shook his head, pushing out a soft laugh of his own as he hid the frustration with humor. “Guess you’ll have to keep guessing.”

You grinned, clearly enjoying the exchange. “Alright, I’ll get it out of you eventually,” you promised.

While the moment had slipped away, you remained. And for now, that was enough. - - - Something had undeniably shifted after that encounter with Kaidou, after Killer ate that damn smile fruit. The fruit had stolen his ability to express any emotion besides happiness, twisting his laughter into a constant, cruel reminder of what he had lost. No matter how much he tried to control it, the laughter would mock him at the most inopportune moments.

Tonight was no different. The two of you sat on the deck of the Victoria Punk with the moon overhead, the soft source of light casting just enough of a glow for you two to make out each other's features. You were talking, your voice bubbling with melodious laughter as you recounted a funny story from earlier in the day.

He watched you, the smile beneath his mask nothing short of obsessive adoration as you rambled on, each syllable that you graced him with was a spark, igniting a fire within him that he longed to nurture with the truth he had hidden away. It was a struggle before to get his words of confession out, always right on the precipice before something shattered it. Yet, in his current state, he couldn’t even bear to think of you for too long before it started to hurt. It pains him, knowing that his advances have been set back even further because of the failure of a Devil Fruit planting seeds of insecurities that festered and consumed him unlike anything else in this world. 

As he listened to you, that warmth spread through his chest, combining with the constant dull ache of words unspoken. He was a prisoner of himself. He felt a desperate urge to break free, to let his true feelings rise and breach the waves.

As your laughter persisted, joy enveloped him and for a moment, he was swept away by the fantasy of what could be. The moonlight had painted your features in soft hues, illuminating the smile that never failed to make his heart race. And the longer he stared at you, the more those fantasies started to feel like a reality he could just reach out and grab. 

Before he knew it, he was speaking, the inkling of a confession rolling off his tongue as he started, “I… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” But just as the words hovered on the brink of escape, the laughter erupted, uncontrollable and wild. It spilled from his lips, tormenting him by grabbing the fragile confession and drowning it. His own voice betraying him was nothing but a cruel jest.

Your own laughter faded as you looked at him, your own features flooding with confusion and concern. “Are you okay,” you asked, bringing your voice down as you tried to navigate the situation. 

He wanted to scream, to tell you that he was trapped in this unrelenting cycle of torture that he couldn’t break. But all he could do was nod, the laughter still bubbling up, a mocking refrain that refused to be silenced. 

Frustration wound tight within him and he turned away, unable to meet your gaze as shame burned through him. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he managed to choke out.  You wanted so desperately to know what was going through the blond’s mind, to get a glimpse of what he was really feeling at the moment, but you were not granted more than a second of wondering before he excused himself and walked off, leaving you in a state of confusion. - - - Killer let out a deep breath, unfolding the letter in his hands and reading it for the thousandth time. He had convinced himself that this was the only way to confess to you- the paper in front of him contained words that he could only dream of saying out loud to you.

As he read over the letter once more, you burst into the room unannounced, interrupting his thoughts. His eyes shot up to you through his mask, nervousness freezing him in his place.

You noticed the way that he froze up and your original purpose for coming into the room screeched to a stop as you asked, “Are you okay?” 

Killer sighed, accompanied by the laughter you had gotten used to, the laughter you often looked forward to. “Yeah, I’m okay. Did you need anything?”  voice wavered as his eyes glanced down at the letter in his hands with yours following.

Your curiosity piqued, your attention zeroed in on the piece of paper in his hands. “What’s that you got there?” you asked, stepping forward your interest only increasing as you watched him fumble to fold the letter as if he was trying to hide its contents from you.

Before he had a chance to hide anything, you reached out, your hand gently covering his to stop his movements. “Whatever it is, you know that you can tell me.”

The letter let out an audible crinkle as he gripped the paper tighter, his body hesitating at the thought of giving the letter to you. He had fantasized about this moment for nights on end, dreaming about the day he could lay his heart out bare for you. Each scenario played out perfectly in his head, yet none of the dozens of scenarios unfolded like this. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from handing the letter to you, locking in this version of events. Despite the strained laughter that spilled from his lips, every cell in his body screamed nervousness, from the slight tremor in the hand that passed the paper to you, to the vein in his jaw that was evidence of how hard he was clenching his jaw. The contents of the paper were a mystery and you found yourself almost too eager to unveil them.

You unfolded the paper, your eyes scanning the words etched onto it. Killer silently thanked the mask that covered his face, concealing the scarlet that flushed his features. Each and every word of his bare feelings sent your heart racing. Declarations of love, confessions he never dared utter aloud, and the fear that his uncontrollable laughter would ruin any chance at a sincere confession- all of it was there quite literally in the palm of your now shaky hands.

His eyes darted around before landing on the space between your feet, the silence certainly not helping his nerves. He stood there, seemingly frozen, as he waited for your reaction, breath caught in his throat. 

You looked up from the letter, your gaze filled with a mixture of about a dozen emotions- surprise, affection, relief, and something deeper. Killer’s own eyes locked with yours and you could hear the struggle to stifle the laughter that bubbled up in his throat. You took a step closer, folding the letter in one hand as the other reached out to him. 

“Killer,” you whispered, your voice filled with that same mix of emotions. You didn’t know quite what to say at the moment, opting for a different approach. 

You reached up, delicate fingers hesitantly gripping the bottom of the metallic mask. You gently lift the mask, your eyes locked on each inch of skin revealed with the passing moments. You stopped when the mask revealed the tip of his nose. Your hand moved to cup his face and your thumb ran over the skin, dedicating the feeling to memory. You leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, watching as he tensed up beneath you, breath catching in his throat. If you could see his eyes, they would be as big as saucers at the action. 

The kiss lingered for a moment, the touch conveying what your own words couldn’t. You pulled back, taking a moment to pull the mask off completely and admire his features. His face was always softer than you imagined, the contours of his face complimenting him perfectly. The eyes, once hidden, now bore into your soul, pulling you in with each passing second. And those lips, the parted flesh painted a purple that you can’t help but want to smear at the moment. His breath was still uneven and he swallowed the laughter that usually would have presented itself by now, a thick silence filling the air. 

“Killer,” you whispered once again, your voice steady as you attempted to find the right words. “Thank you… I didn’t know you felt the same way… I mean, I had this gut feeling, but seeing it here…” you held up the letter, the paper trembling slightly. “It means everything to me.”

You saw his muscles ease as relief washed over him. You couldn’t help but break out into a smile at the newfound warmth spreading through you two. You squeezed his hand gently, letting out a soft chuckle as the tension melted between the two of you. 

Without a word, you leaned in once again and met his lips in a kiss- a kiss of longing, making up for last time, complete and utter affection. It was a gentle kiss, expressing all the words you didn’t say. For a moment, everything couldn’t have been more perfect and the only thing in the world was the warmth of his lips against yours.

Just as suddenly as the kiss began, you pulled back, your breath mixing with his, the noise being the only thing to fill the air. It seems like only a split second that all of your troubles seemed to fade into insignificance as you both took in this moment- the moment that would change things for as long as you two live.

[yanfeisty]

— Voicelines about Creator!Reader (Liyue) ♡ ！

⊹ [ characters ] — Beidou, Chongyun, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Keqing, Ningguang, Qiqi, Shenhe, Xiangling, Xiao, Xingqiu, Xinyan, Yanfei, Yaoyao, Yelan, Yun Jin & Zhongli. ◞

⊹ [ synopsis ] — let's see what they think about you. ◞

⊹ [ cw ] — religious theme. ◞

⠀‣ Beidou

About The Creator: Relaxation

"We had to bring them to Inazuma for a few times, apparently they really wanted to travel with The Crux. Take important person like this isn't really what we do but you know my eye for people, Y/n seemed to be more than what we heard, they were a good travel buddy, playing with the crew and telling interesting stories from another world. Sad, the guards with them don't let them drink 'A drunk God in Inazuma? What would they think?'... But who cares what they think, they should let them have a bit of fun!"

About The Creator: Consort

"You can say traveling has brought us closer, haha! I'm really happy to have find someone like them. I'll never forget the celebration we had on the ship, the weather was kind to us this day, and the food was far better than what we're used to eat, and how could I forgot the drinks, I never saw Y/n that... wild, it's quite the experience, but it's good to see them without having to worry about anything."

⠀

⠀‣ Chongyun

About The Creator

"Like me they have an energy that keeps away evil spirits from them, I suppose spirits are too scared to approach in fear of vanishing into fin air. So, I wonder why people still ask me thinking they need an exorcism, last time, we called me because apparently the Creator had an unusual behavior, rambling unknown words beyond any language experts' knowledge, turned out they just had too many drinks with the leader of The Crux..."

⠀

⠀‣ Ganyu

About The Creator: Relating

"The Qixing had to work a few times with them, and I noticed they always seem a bit anxious so I always try to help them when I can, maybe it's also because I relate to them a bit, they are our Creator but they act more like a mortal, they are trapped between two worlds, leading to confusion not only for them but also others, which would always lead to critiques..."

About The Creator: Consort

"I have still a lot to finish about this, people from all regions will come so we need to strengthen the Millelith to keep everything in order, the music group that was supposed to perform left us so I have to look through the applications again, I need to verify the special invitations just in case there's an error in the date or location. Also, I'll have to go soon for the Sumeru's flowers that should arrive this afternoon. An union between who, you ask? O-Oh... me and Y/n of course! Sorry if I wasn't clear. There's no need to worry about me, I just want everything to be perfect, I don't think I will be able to not blame myself if something bad happened, I know Y/n told me they'll be happy no matter what as long as I'm with them, but that just makes me want to work more for a perfect ceremony."

⠀

⠀‣ Hu Tao

About The Creator

"Even the most superior being needs a long rest sometimes, if it's meant to happen again, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would be more than honored to prepare a noble ceremony for their departure. Better be quick, and offer them our buy one get one free special!"

⠀

⠀‣ Keqing

About The Creator

"Due to their return, people expect them to rule over Teyvat, which includes Liyue. People also pray to them for the minor inconvenients... *sigh* We can't rely on Gods for everything, we're perfectly capable to survive as our own, and Y/n don't seem convinced to govern alone, even before their death it was never said that the Creator was the one who ruled Teyvat, they simply enjoyed interacting with their creations."

⠀

⠀‣ Ningguang

About The Creator: Tour

"It is a great pleasure to welcome a such honorable guest into Liyue, especially when they were the one who helped us to save our nation. As the Tianquan I was more than glad to have the chance to make them visit the city, it was cute to see them insisting to pay even with no mora on them."

About The Creator: Consort

"I've heard people telling that I accepted their proposal to make my items more valuable and attract more persons to come and make deals in Liyue. In short, our marriage is just a business partnership and not an act of pure love. You... don't believe that, do you? Y/n is worth more than any amount of mora for me, and not because they're the Creator. I know I don't need to prove myself to anyone but I'm concerned if one day Y/n will listen to those rumors."

⠀

⠀‣ Qiqi

About The Creator

"I don't remember who this is... Sorry."

About Y/n

"Y/n is the one who gave me a finch, I named it just like them because they're both nice with me, so when I forgot one of them I just need to look at the other to remember... Uhh, who were we talking about?"

⠀

⠀‣ Shenhe

About The Creator: Disciple

"My family was from a clan of exorcists so they were followers of them, the clan sent prayers and asked for blessings when performing an exorcism. When my mother died, not only did my father abandon me but them too. Maybe that's why I became one of the Acolytes."

About The Creator: Consort

"My master insisted to meet Y/n, not only because they're the Creator but my partner, she wanted to meet the one who 'tamed my heart'. When they did meet, let's say both of their personalities didn't really match well together which gave... an interesting show, but at the end they agreed to share and listen to stories of my childhood..."

⠀

⠀‣ Xiangling

About The Creator

"They told me about dishes from their other world, just hearing about them makes my stomach growl, I'd love cook those dishes if they ever feel homesick, not only can food be delicious but bring warm feelings, and not just because it's hot! But I also love making them try food from here and they always seem to like and excited when I bring them a nice cooked meal!"

⠀

⠀‣ Xiao

About The Creator: Unusual

"They're a God, the oldest one, and yet their body and mind are just as weird and vulnerable as a human."

About The Creator: Consort

"Hm... Yes, about that. Could you help me with something? They always seem to care about me a lot, trying to heal me and making me food, even though I need none of this, but I heard it's expected to show gratitude to the person who cares about you. Since they act more like a human, I don't know what should I offer them. Flowers? Hm... Maybe something that gives me more work, picking up flowers isn't enough to thank them for everything they have done for me. Flowers crowns? I mean... I guess I can try to make one. You think that would make them smile if I had one too? Fine... Show me how to do it."

⠀

⠀‣ Xingqiu

About The Creator

"Ah, they're quite the difficult topic to avoid. My presence was required when my family invited them for a warm welcome to Liyue, I cannot say more as it was a private meeting, but I didn't imagine them with such a casual and clumsy personality, if you would have seen the faces of my father and brother, hehe... Just to say another meeting won't come anytime soon."

⠀

⠀‣ Xinyan

About The Creator

"Who'd think that someone like them would like my performance? Even better, they encourage it! I mean, that's understandable, staying with the most uptight persons and doing boring work all day... Can't even imagine the nightmare, they certainly got the rock 'n' roll's spirit!"

⠀

⠀‣ Yanfei

About The Creator

"Ah... Yes, I'm aware that because of their position we allow them more than we should, but it's not like anyone mind or they do anything bad, the worse that happened was them and Xinyan being a bit too loud. I've heard of a fireworks show in all of Inazuma and a wanted gang getting out of prison, but it's outside of my territory to talk furthermore."

⠀

⠀‣ Yaoyao

About The Creator

"They're always so heavily guarded, so you can always be sure they are in good health with no injuries, but I do worry about how they feel with being followed by people who watch your every move all day. So, whenever I see them, I ask how are they and I always have a ration of their favorite food with me. If you encounter them, tell hi from me and to take care!"

⠀

⠀‣ Yelan

About The Creator: Easy target

"If you knew the number of cases related to them, from little scammers to hitmen, there sure is a great variety. Since the Creator has a more powerful influence than strength, criminals think they are the perfect target for great sum of mora, but they sometimes underestimate a bit too much those close to the Creator and I'm not talking about the Millelith."

About The Creator: Consort

"Shh, not so loud. Surprised, aren't we? That means we're doing a good job at keeping it as a secret. I don't want to be known and blow up my cover, plus with the danger it can attract to them, so we can't announce it publicly but it's not that bad, seeing others thinking they have a chance with them is a funny show, unless Y/n feels uncomfortable, to this I'll attend to it personally when nobody is watching."

⠀

⠀‣ Yun Jin

About The Creator

" 'Through a simple whisper, thousands winds started to blow. Hands drew a river, rising waves emerged from the flow. Love was poured into the earth, and life began to grow~' Aren't these beautiful lyrics? There's a few operas about the Creator as we didn't know them much. We invited them but they appeared a bit embarrassed, which I can understand, so I try to sing tales that aren't about them and might fit their taste. I'm used to hear praises but their enthusiasm about my singing never fails to delight me."

⠀

⠀‣ Zhongli

About The Creator: Hopeful future

"I was surprised to hear about their reincarnation, especially about memories from another world. I had the occasions to talk to them, even if they may seem lost sometimes and lack experiences, the love they share for this world is real and the people around them returns this feeling, with a modern and ambitious mind like them, I'm sure the future of Teyvat will be bright."

About The Creator: Consort

"You want to know more about our contract? Well, our feelings for each other were mutual and we had the same promise which was to keep the other safe and happy, naturally we came to do the ultimate promise to stay together until death separates us, but I fear even this won't be able to break our contract, one that I shall forever cherish and respect. They're quite busy but I stay patient for them to come and see me when they finish with tea that I prepared for relaxing them after a stressful day."

© ་ ׅ : pls don't translate or copy this | don't reblog with yand3r3/cult tags or if you’re a yand3r3 blog/reblog account.

@ ་ ׅ : @haileyo0ostuff

[briarhearts-art]

swap au character sheets for sonic n shadow are here!! :D (i still have 4 more to do . we don't talk about it) more swap au infodumping down below whee

so, this is a swap au of SA2 - sonic and shadow have effectively switched places, though it's not a complete mirror of canon bc these two would react in VERY different ways. i'm don't wanna spoil too much yet,,, but here are some brief intros about them :3

-

Sonic is the fastest weapon ever made, created for agility and speed. he wasn't a perfect creation however, despite Gerald's efforts, and his engineered body is often prone to decaying if he's not careful. his inhibitor rings limit his power in more ways than one, preventing him from tapping into his full potential

Shadow isn't considered the hero of Mobius; he tries to keep a low profile, but whenever Robotnik cranks up the intensity of his schemes, Shadow's always there to stop him. unlike canon Sonic, he doesn't have any special powers of his own; his speed comes from his enhanced rollerskates, and the red in his quills is absolutely just dye

(Shadow's red eyes are from contact lenses. because they're "cool." Rouge keeps laughing at him for it)

Sonic, similar to canon Shadow, can utilize chaos energy really well! just in very different ways:

he doesn't use chaos control. he's fast enough that he's never felt the need to learn it, though if he needed to, he would

"Chaos Armor;" instead of using chaos spears, Sonic uses chaos energy to enhance the force behind his physical attacks. it manifests with the appearance of armor, hence the name

Shadow, on the other hand, can still use chaos energy! repeated exposure to it over his years of fighting Robotnik (and turning super) has led to a LOT of residual chaos energy lingering in his body:

admittedly it doesn't do much besides helping him heal faster + have a high metabolism lmao, but he can use chaos control without an emerald. it'll just drain him very quickly

can use chaos spears when in proximity of an emerald

mostly though Shadow relies on physical attacks; he wears lots of joint guards along with his skates to guard him from rough landings

OKOK no more yapping that's all for now im normal now (lie)

[signanothername]

Your comices always make me feel so many things, it's really ashame that I can not put them into the right words, just to show you how must yuor creations mean to me So let me just say thank you, I am sure that I already said that before, and that I will do so in the future, but really, thank you for makeing all this and shareing it with us I love how every comic is linked to each other, making a big story out of so many smol ones, I love the relationships between the characters, how they grow thru every one of the comices and how many detiles you put into the comices! You are a great artist, and really thank you for creating all this Only thing that I struggle with, is the fact that it's sometimes hart to read what the characters say 'cuz some letters marge into another or are so smol esgbdsgafdbagdfagfd

HSHSHHSHSH OOOH MY DAMN HEART THANK YOUUUUU 😭❤️❤️❤️❤️🌷🌷🌷✨✨✨✨✨

I genuinely am happy to know you love the work i do, i try my best when it comes to my stories and seeing people connect with them and the way i write my fave characters genuinely makes me really happy <33333333

And no that’s actually a very valid criticism, i’m actually fully aware that my handwriting isn’t the easiest to read, both cause I tend to write really fast that the letters start getting blurry with each other and cause I can’t for the life of me write like a normal person and my writing tends to be a bit italicized xhhxhxhhx

That’s why i’m happy to say you won’t have to suffer anymore, cause @byrdblood provided me with an amazing website that turns handwriting into a font, very handy and I actually did finish making my handwriting into a font

So my comics should be a lot easier to read moving forward >:)

My handwriting still looks bad but at least it’s a lot more legible bdhxhdhhd (and I won’t have to write it myself anymore thank fuck cause that was hell it took so much time and energy dhhdhdhhd)

[windvexer]

what's your opinion on pop culture witchcraft? i think it seems really fun and cool im just not sure how exactly a fictional god will manifest in the "real" world? i was just curious on what you thought :p thank you for your time!

I think that pop culture witchcraft is beautiful and sacred and I think more people should get into it!

My views on the intersection of popular culture (aka, the dominant cultural beliefs and creations at this moment in time) and witchcraft originate from the fact that when I began doing a lot of energy work, I saw a lot of stuff as video game characters & assets.

If I would binge any video game, for the next little while, a lot of my energy readings would be output in the symbols and lore from that game.

E.g., a pokemon binge, seeing Gengar near the querent: "Yes, you're being haunted by a ghost."

A DAO binge, seeing a dryad writing a letter to the querent: "A tree wants to talk to you."

These experiences have deeply influenced my beliefs on the nature of psychism, communing with the spirit world, and divination as a whole. It has inspired my beliefs on how to work with divinatory tools, especially my concepts of choosing your own symbol sets to work with.

After all, an upright triangle is so abstract, but a charmander? For many of us, that is a deeply rooted symbol of fire indeed! And I can't imagine how a triangle might act if it needs to be revived and balanced in my life, but I can surely visualize a charmander feeling sick and cold, or desperately trying to stack and balance heavy boxes.

This inspired me to consider the intersection of popular culture and the experiential nature of witchcraft. After all, aren't so many of us deeply imprinted on and influenced by what culture has told us about magic and spirits? Where is the line in the sand between how culture makes us interact with magic (path), and how culture makes us interact with magic (practice)?

Let me tell you a story!!

There is some internet monster named Momo. Momo has a *very* scary face (to me at least) so be warned if you google.

But when this story starts, I had never heard of Momo. I had never seen a picture of Momo or heard her name. Yes? Yes.

Now one time, I was doing an energy reading for a person, and I saw a horrifying monster woman with huge eyes and a twisted smile like a V slashed across her face, and not only this, but the horrifying monster woman was standing over the querent's bed, watching them sleep.

As a reader with about an ounce of wisdom, I knew much better than to say, "hey, a horrifying monster is watching you while you sleep." Because that is a dick thing to say to anyone.

As I continued watching to try and gain more information, it struck me that this monster woman wasn't threatening at all. She didn't have bad vibes. In fact she seemed neutral, or perhaps even an ally. She was just watching the person sleep.

I couldn't help but notice, however, that I could see her face so clearly. So distinctly. So I googled something like, "big smile scary woman face."

And there she was: Momo! The exact monster I was seeing. It was a startling moment, made all the more strange by the fact that this wasn't some monster of mythical lore or legend. It was like, a TikTok trend or something.

Finally I had to tell the querent something. Now y'all this happened some years ago and I don't remember exactly how it went down, but it was like this:

"Hey, someone is watching you sleep. The form is scary looking but they don't seem threatening at all. I googled it and it looks exactly like an internet urban legend named Momo."

"What? My cat?"

"No, it's a woman, an urban legend named Momo."

"No, my cat Momo. My cat is named Momo. She watches me while I sleep."

So to answer your question, Anon:

I expect that a fictional god can manifest at least as bizarrely as a real cat, I believe that the simple phrase "real world" is an artifact that fits into few reliquaries of the occult, and I think that pop culture witchcraft is absolutely fabulous.

[spiritsonic]

I loved Phantom Rider both in design and concept and if I'm not mistaken it was inspired by Kamen Rider, right? although he may also remind me a little of Protoman, could you tell me what the costume is made of and how it works? To me it looks like he's made of light or digitally materialized (which is a surprising feat for Eggman) and does the suit have low durability or can it be affected by electricity? since Surge gave an electric punch to the helmet, I know things can't be said to avoid spoilers, but does the suit have other functions that don't depend on Eggstreme Gear? like tools for self-defense? I would just love it if he continued to be a recurring character through something like Red X on Teen Titans

Yeah, the Phantom Rider was first inspired by Kamen Rider! Not really a specific specific series, though; I collected a bunch of suits I liked. Aaron Hammerstrom and Min Ho Kim did most of the actual designing, and they brought some influences of their own-- I think Protoman and other Megaman stuff was in there yes. Various Metal Sonic designs were pulled from, especially Metal 3.0 and the one from Sonic the Fighters; considering that the suit was made by Eggman for Sonic, it's natural that he'd pull from his Metal Sonic designs a bit. We've seen a handful of things that seem to be "hard light"-like creations in the series before; various platforms and roads, barriers, Phantom Ruby stuff (that's me speculating), etc. It's a bit of a leap for Eggman to harness it so handily, but not a huge one. The suit was made quickly so it isn't very durable; its primary purpose is to disguise, not protect. It can shield against some physical attacks but doesn't do great with energy, like we've seen with Surge's electricity.

As for if it'll reappear later on, who's to say? I know a lot of the comic team like it a lot, so never say never.

[rainbow-wolf120]

Dumping my RayEvils here because these guys are floating in my brain again

A lot of these are very self-indulgent I mean, very reasonable and totally make sense

Couple of facts / hcs below:

They were all created to oppose Rayman or someone else once in their life

All the RayEvil’s were built / ‘owned’ by a different Rayman villain throughout the franchise. Some overlay, yes, but mostly it’s diverse

Most of the times their creators would leave 'brands' on them to know who belongs to who

RayEvil’s aren’t entirely natural Thingamajigs. They were all artificially made for whatever their creator desired. These normally consist of a Blue Lum and whatever else they have (most commonly Dark Magic)

Now some individual facts about the characters!!

Raymesis:

Created by Mr. Dark, stolen by Ales Mansay at a young 'age'

Hates Mansay and wants to go back to being Mr. Dark's creation (Mansay claims that he created Raymesis)

Became an 'older brother' figure to Shadow after Mansay dumped the two in a room together

Super snappy, angry, and extremely petty. Thinks he's Rayman's true rival but Rayman couldn't give a shit

Created the Antis (Him, Glombrox, First King, and Selena) as a way to get back at Rayman

Shadow Ray:

Created by a Blue Lum and copious amounts of Dark Magic. This made them extremely unstable and (if they could feel it) in lots of pain

Ales Mansay's favorite creation. Thinks that they're the most 'sucessful'

Half-blind and only really cackles / giggles. Needs glasses to sorta see

Can't fully move. They need to 'mark' someone and follow their 'trail' to even go anywhere

Fascinated with art and film. Loves a good movie and is easily amused

Shadi (Bad Rayman)

Also created by Mr. Dark but left for dead in the Livid Dead after his defeat

Did not understand free will until she met Goth Teensy. He helped her find her own personality and being

Very disliked in the Livid Dead with the other Nightmares. She looked too much like Rayman for them

Can pick things up super easily by just watching

Still friends with Goth but became distant after he because the Livid Dead Door guard

RayX

Created by Razorbeard; he was left in the Glade after the Robo Pirates fled the Glade

Made to tire Rayman out and keep him occupied. Very much destined for sports and high-energy activities

Very competitive and will do anything to win. He will cheat, cry, and fight to get what he wants

Cannot handle loosing. He will throw a fit and get extremely violent

One of the only RayEvil's without a Blue Lum. He is pure machinery and alien technology

Showbiz

Mansay's first RayEvil. He created him, but he was sold to Rigatoni. Gave him a hatred for Mansay

Athletic, can breathe / control fire, and can detect his limbs. Everything Rigitoni wants in a star

He's very snobbish and under the impression he's more popular than Rayman (He also has never left the circus)

Even as a performer, still has his old programming. If he see Rayman or anything similar, he will get needlessly violent

Extremle 'one man show' and hates working with others

So yeah, these are my silly guys!! Feel free to ask me anything about them. I love them all dearly <3

[the-astral-express-archive]

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Hey there, welcome to the-astral-express-archive, an unofficial fanblog for official Honkai: Star Rail resources. Everyone can call me Seven or Sev, and I'm also the owner of genshinresource (now a retired blog). This post might be long so I’ll keep the main content under break.

Below are a few things everyone should keep in mind before following/interacting with this blog:

Please avoid bringing up all kinds of real-life related controversies in reblogs. I believe people who come here all want to have an enjoyable time looking at their favorite scenes and characters and maybe, just for a moment, forget about the difficulties they have to go through in life, and this also applies to me as well as a person. While I'm really thankful when someone shares their creations or translations for non-English contents in the reblogs, sometimes the negativity coming from people who hate on some characters for how they look or act, which is seen as "controversial" in real life, affect my mental state a lot. What I wanna say is, If anyone wants to vent their frustration over fictional characters then for God's sake, please do it somewhere else, don't do it here, I really appreciate it.

This blog is NOT spoiler-free but I'll try not to post any directly without prior warnings, especially in-game contents like story CGs and such. If you’re not comfortable seeing any content(s) here, please consider blocking/muting/filtering respective tag(s).

I also don't post leaks or any content related to leaks. All contents you see here were officially released by miHoYo/HoYoverse/COGNOSPHERE and/or their respective owners in-game and/or publicly by the time they are posted.

I usually don't reply to Ask messages aside from questions, feedback and requests to minimize clutters but rest assured, I read and really, really appreciate every single positive and encouraging message everyone sends to me. They're the energy and motivation I need to keep running this blog for as long as I can. Thank you so so much, everyone.

NAVIGATION

AIO download links (Google Drive)

Artworks - Illustrations

Assets

Videos

Master Pages

[Outdated/Being reworked on] Masterlist/Tags page: This page is the main masterlist of this blog. All tags assigned in this blog are grouped into categories and there’s a filter at the top of the page if when you want to see specific groups of tags.

Character tags page: There’s a filter box to the right where you can filter characters by their attributes, factions and sexes. Click on a character’s avatar to go to their tagged posts.

Sticker page: This page is the masterlist for all previously posted Star Rail stickers. You can use the filters on the left and at the top to narrow down your searches, or you can use the search box in the top right corner to look for a specific character (first names only).

Light Cone Gallery: As the name suggests, you will find the images of all the released light cones here. Hover on a light cone to see its name and a list of characters featured in it. Right-click or long-press the image then choose "Open image in new tab" to see it in full size, or "Save image as..." to download it in full size.

Last updated: July 3, 2024

[greatqueenanna]

I will be updating the Frozen 3 news post soon, but wanted to throw in some thoughts regarding the new info.

So, firstly, I’m happy that the film is being delayed to 2027. That may sound shocking, but this is a big relief to me. The first two films both suffered from trying to meet a deadline, and the creators (this is probably more on the company though) refusing to delay and give themselves more time. Thus, both films have rushed elements.

It gives me hope that not only is the story being written into two films, but now they are giving themselves even more time to polish it. Especially concerning the sheer amount of story content that they want to explore— and it’s a lot.

I’ve condensed all of the questions brought on during the announcement into 5 major sections, all concerning a specific idea.

*Quick Edit* I moved the question about the Frozen Heart down from More Ahtohallan Lore to the Prince Hans section because that was always more associated with Hans, so I thought it would be more appropriate to have under that section instead.

First Major Plot Point — More Ahtohallan Lore

Why Ahtohallan has castle ruins inside of it.

The previous Fifth Spirit.

Where did the Spirits come from?

Second Major Plot Point — Elsa’s Powers

Why are her powers still growing?

Who gave her the powers?

How are her creations, like Olaf, alive?

Why doesn’t Anna have powers?

Third Major Plot Point — Arendelle Royalty

How is Anna doing as Queen?

Is Kristoff going to become King?

Are Anna and Kristoff interested in having kids?

Fourth Major Plot Point — Kristoff’s Past

Where are Kristoff’s parents?

How did Kristoff meet Sven?

Why is Sven still full of energy if he’s so old?

Fifth Major Plot Point — Prince Hans

What happened to Hans?

Who exactly is the Frozen Heart?

With all this in mind, on the concept art, not only do we see people in the castle above the sisters, we also see an ominous, viking-like shadow behind Anna and Elsa — meaning that if these are new characters, then that means that we have a giant cast at the moment.

Elsa

Anna

Kristoff

Sven

Olaf

Mattias

Yelena

Honeymaren

Ryder

Hans

Viking Shadow Guy

Castle People

Like….they’re doing the “Too much stuff, not enough space” thing again and I’m genuinely concerned haha. Thus, the delay and split into two films is a smart move. But why not just make a show? Like this screams series. Idk haha.

Also, there are a few things here that I actually thought were answered already — like, who gave Elsa her powers? Ahtohallan because of Iduna’s sacrifice. Why doesn’t Anna have powers? She’s the human side of the Fifth Spirit. But I suppose that F2 wasn’t exactly clear on these things, so maybe they want to better explore these ideas and clear up some misconceptions. Makes sense I suppose.

Also, the fact that they’re asking if Kristoff will be King or not is giving me some validation lol. I always said that Kristoff would be called a King and not Prince Consort and so far it looks like they’re considering the King title and not anything else. But we’ll see haha.

Now I’m curious what you guys think. Poll time.

[spaceorphan18]

The Rogue and Gambit Project: Previously On X-Men... Gambit

It's time to talk about Gambit! The nice thing about Gambit is that he was, at the time, a relatively new character, having only been around in the comics for about a year. Which means there is way less to cover! Boy, are we going to have to deal with some questionable art, though.

The Basics:

Name: Remy Etienne* LeBeau

*Okay, so, this is the funny thing about the name Etienne. Apparently, it started out as fanlore, and - as so many things that happen in fandom - gained popularity as fanon from a particularly well known piece of fanfiction from way back when. I believe it's actually been used in canon at this point. It is on Marvel.com - which is the official site. I'll keep a look out for it to show up.

Also, in case you didn't know (and I'm sure you did), Le Beau is French for The Beautiful.

Backstory: Just like Rogue, Gambit's backstory is shrouded in mystery. He's a thief. He's from New Orleans. He's Cajun. That's all your getting for now. Don't worry, we'll peel back the layers. ;)

Power Set (via uncannyxmen.net):  interkinetic power allows him to produce bio-kinetic energy within his body and use it to convert any inorganic object's potential energy into kinetic energy on contact, making the object highly volatile and explosive on contact, internal energy also grants him heightened agility and creates static interference that shields his mind from detection

I should also give the obligatory comment of - these powers are toned down from his full abilities because of /reasons/ which we'll get to eventually. He had Mr. Sinister give him a lobotomy and, we've all been suffering the consequences sense.

Alright, let's dig into Gambit's pre-Rogue run...

Uncanny X-Men 266-267

Uncanny X-Men #266

I have to start by appreciating the fact that Gambit is a thief who wears bright pink and metal boots. It's a bold look.

Anyway, the funny thing about Gambit is that the character he turned out to be ended up being a lot different from creator Chris Claremont's initial ideas. Apparently, he was supposed to be, ultimately, a villain and, while he was supposed to be a love interest for one of our characters, it wasn't Rogue, it was... Kitty Pryde. He was also supposed to be a Mr. Sinister creation and a third summers brother. Yeah, I'm kind of glad Claremont left before any of this stuff really came to fruition.

Also, I once read that Claremont claim that original artist Mike Collins made Gambit too pretty. Which is funny, because ngl, I really am not a fan of the look in his debut, and it will be a while before he really earns his name.

Uncanny X-Men #266

I also want to note that Gambit's powers were a little different back then. He didn't have playing cards yet, and instead used metal spikes as throwing devices. The powers were designated in green. And were charged from his eyes. Also, interesting to note - his eyes aren't red on black yet, either.

There's also 'hypnotic charm' thing that was kinda used in the early appearances. He does use it in his first appearance to tame some of the Shadow King's Hounds.

Uncanny X-Men #266

He's gonna be calling her 'Stormy' for years. She's gonna love it. ;) (Btw - he calls her Stormy 4 times in this issue alone.)

Okay, so... Gambit shows up, crossing paths with Storm at a mansion of some rich person. Storm is de-aged (for... reasons) and is running from the Shadow King and his minions. He's busy stealing art from the rich dude (who apparently is not home and has no security, lol).

And thus, one of my favorite comic book friendships is born. And really, this first appearance is a lot of fun as Gambit and Storm play off each other's strengths to get away from the Shadow King.

Uncanny X-Men 267

Jim Lee is going to add some of Gambit's more iconic features -- such as throwing playing cards (Gambit's Ace of Spades shows up in this next issue) and using some kind of staff (hilariously, it's a broom in this issue).

Storm and Gambit's adventures continue. He takes her to New Orleans for a while so she can recover from the Shadow King. They go thieving -- playing Robin Hood -- stealing from rich people because they can. And then the Orphan Maker comes along, who makes Storm a teenager? (Idk - the whole thing is weird - she'll become her real age again in the next story arc.)

Uncanny X-Men #267

And then Storm is like, hey, I have a crazy idea....

Uncanny X-Men Annual #14

Fun fact: Because of release dates and such, Uncanny X-Men #266 wasn't the first comic released to have Gambit in it. The Annual technically came out first, though it clearly takes place after Uncanny 266-267. But this is the first time we see Gambit among the X-Men team. Not that he does anything remotely interesting during this whole thing. He doesn't even speak, kind of hides awkwardly in the background.

X-Tinction Agenda (Uncanny X-Men #270-272; X-Factor & New Mutants)

Uncanny X-Men #270

Welcome to the X-Men, Gambit! Hope you survive the experience!

He's in the credit roll now, must be official. ;)

Gambit joins the team just as the mega X-tinction Agenda crossover starts. (Uncanny X-Men joins New Mutants and X-Factor for this one) And, I'll be honest, this isn't one of my favorite crossovers. The whole thing revolves around the nation of Genosha, how they're using mutants for slaves, and how all the teams come together to change the status quo. And of course, mutants get capture and tortured and a few killed. Fwiw X-Men: The Animated Series did do this storyline.

Uncanny X-Men #270

Gambit and Cable don't (won't) get to cross paths very often, so I found this an interesting panel. Anyway... Gambit really has very little to do during this crossover. When Storm gets captured, he is really concerned for her (as he considers her his partner at the moment) but he's not really vibe-ing the whole team dynamic yet.

Uncanny X-Men #272

This is arguably the coolest thing Gambit's done as of yet. Dude pulls a spike out of his leg to use as a lockpick and gets himself rescued. I'm glad they give him this, because, again, for the most part he's just kinda hanging around in the background not doing much.

I will say - he and Jubilee get to cross paths, which is going to be a source of fun in the next arc.

Space Shenanigans (Uncanny X-Men 273-277)

Uncanny X-Men 273

Some of my favorite issues are when the team is regrouping. Post- X-Tinction Agenda, it's clear that things in the X-Office were changing. Claremont is at this point sort of being pushed out, while Jim Lee and Co are becoming more the driving force behind the books. On panel, the teams are kind of merging. X-Factor's first era is drawing to a close, and the X-Men are resolidifying after being in flux for so long.

We're about to get a Space Soap Opera, as Claremont so dearly loves, but this issue is a bit of a breather between the arcs. And we get this bit of tension between Storm and Gambit - where Gambit is ready to move on, but Storm is back on solid footing again. They don't explicitly state why Gambit sticks around, but he definitely does...

Uncanny X-Men 273

I swear, this is Chris Claremont's favorite joke. He's used it before this moment, and he'll do it again. It's impactful the first time, but it does get old the more Claremont does it. However, we get the first highlight of the dynamic between Gambit and Wolverine -- which will be antagonistic for a while, but is fascinating.

Uncanny X-Men #274

Doesn't Gambit look sexy in his yellow team uniform?? ;)

Btw - as I mentioned earlier, this is the first issue Gambit and Rogue appear in together. Though they be miles and miles and miles apart.

Uncanny X-Men #275

The whole crux of this arc, that I've been kind of ignoring, involves Xavier being brainwashed in space (or something) and of course the X-Men get involved in space politics (again). Honestly, space stories are Claremont's favorite trope, so it doesn't surprise me that the end of his run are filled with a couple of them.

Anyway -- if there's one person impervious to Gambit's charms - it's Jubilee. They get to hang out a lot during this arc, and it's really delightful since they team up to kind of figure out what is going on with Xavier acting weird and all the odd space kool-aide people are drinking.

Uncanny X-Men #277

I actually really like this cover. Gambit's got a sword and a spear! Plus, he looks like his 90s cool self now. The blue and yellow uniform doesn't suit him AT. ALL. But we don't have to deal with it too much longer...

Uncanny X-Men #277

See... I told you Claremont was gonna do this again, lol.

Uncanny X-Men #277

The nice thing about this whole space arc is that Gambit really gets to come into his own. He now looks cool (note the red eyes are here!). He's doing fun stuff. He's taking on Wolverine and holding his own. He's being smart and tactical and an asset. They've paired him with some great X-Men to start off with, and it's paying off.

Meanwhile, we don't really know much about him. As many of the other characters state, his background is shrouded in mystery... (whether you like what it actually is can be debated as we get to it). But for now, he's intriguing as a new comer.

And this is where we're at as two story lines come crashing together and our two romantic leads get to meet for the first time.... off panel.

But I'll get more into that next time when I discuss... The Muir Island Saga!

[rambite6]

Ardra and Uttara Bhadrapada: Slow burn

Due to the deity associated with Ardra, Rudra, a fierce form of Shiva, Ardra males often embody the "bad boy" persona. Ahir Budhyana, the deity for uttara bhadrapada also known as the Water Serpent or Dragon of the Deep Seas, is the God of Fertility and Kundalini. Possessing a strong inclination towards seclusion, he is one of the 11 Rudras of Shiva and the son of Viswakarma, the Celestial Architect. Ahir Budhyana exhibits a calmer demeanor compared to other forms of Rudra, displaying discipline and restraint, which is further influenced by Saturn's presence in this nakshatra. This nakshatra carries a dissolution aspect, symbolizing death, transformation, and enlightenment through the destruction of forms, which aligns with Shiva's domain. It is said that even Shiva wears a serpent around his neck.

Uttara Bhādrapadā, the 26th nakshatra ruled by Saturn and located in Pisces rasi, symbolizes the deep sleep state and unconscious exploration. Represented by the back part of a funeral cot, it embodies mystery and fertility, with its deity Ahir Bhudhanya associated with maintaining the earth's fertility. Uttarabhadrapada signifies the unfathomable darkness from which creation emerges, posing fundamental questions about existence and the universe. Natives of this nakshatra tend to be disciplined, empathetic, and secretive, often striving for higher awareness and benevolence. It shakti is the power to bring rain and prosperity, reflecting the refined aspects of Saturn's influence through hard work and struggle.

Heath ledger Ardra ☽ x Julia stiles UBP ☉ in 10 things I hate about you

In "10 Things I Hate About You," Heath Ledger's character, Patrick, the school's "bad boy," is approached by two classmates who give him an ultimatum: to date Julia Stiles' character, Kat, so their friend can get closer to her sister Bianca. This is because Bianca is not allowed to date unless Kat is dating someone, as commanded by their father, Walter, who seems to favor Kat due to her introverted, anti-social, and intellectually disciplined nature. Patrick agrees to date Kat in exchange for money but faces constant rejection from her until she eventually starts going out with him while still remaining suspicious. As they continue dating, Patrick realizes they actually have a lot of common both intellectually and emotionally he then begins to feel guilty for accepting the money because he realizes that he has genuine feelings for Kat, and which she starts to returns those feelings.

Ardra, although ruled by Rahu, embodies a combination of Budh and Rahu energies. This nakshatra enhances intellectual prowess, communication skills, and manual dexterity in its natives. With abundant mental and nervous energy, Ardra individuals exhibit qualities such as wit, versatility, and quickness of thought. Similar to a diamond, Ardra's intellectualism is sharp and multifaceted. The Ardra characters aren’t just bad boys but “geniuses”.

In addition, it's worth noting that Uttara Bhadrapada natives often tend to be the favored "daughters," as seen in examples like Cinderella and Kim Kardashian with her biological father, both exemplifying the concept of "daddy's girls."

Reese Witherspoon UBP ☉ x Ryan Philipe Ardra ☽ in cruel intentions

In cruel intentions, Philipe character Sebastian who is looked at as “intelligent manipulator”, places a bet with his step-sister that he can take the daughter of the new headmaster at their school, Reese Annette character virginity, so she can be “ruined” and looked down upon by her peers. Sebastian struggles to seduce Annette because she is already aware of his reputation as a promiscuous bad boy. He still tries to pursue through many devious actions against others but soon genuinely falls in love with Annette, and she slowly returns the feelings.

Stacy Martin UBP ☉ x Tahar Rahim Ardra ☉ in treat me like fire

Upon meeting Abel (Tahar Character), a captivating gambler, Ella's (Stacy character) life undergoes a profound transformation as she delves into the exhilarating yet risky realm of underground Parisian gambling clubs. Initially started by a bet, their bond intensifies into an all-passion relationship, propelling Ella to navigate the adrenaline-charged underground gaming scene.

The Ardra and Uttara bhadrapada relationship doesn’t start out with a solid foundation, it is overtime when the relationship starts to develop into something deep and sincere. As seen in real life couple, Heath Ledger and Gemma Ward.

Heath ledger Ardra ☽ x Gemma Ward UBP ☽

Heath Ledger dated Gemma Ward in 2007; both were grappling with personal struggles, which brought them together.

"I kind of met him at first and said, 'Listen my mum's living with me right now and I'm kind of going through a hard time and I'm not interested in having a serious relationship with somebody right now' and he was like, 'You know, um, let's just be there for each other through these hard times we're both going through,'" says Ward. "And we developed a relationship and we started seeing each other."

Sources: The Book of Nakshatras by Prash Trivedi