#i remember struggling so hard to paint it cause i just wanting getting the texture/style right

[lemon-wedges]

...

[far-off-flower-fields]

Weird Questions that say a lot

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? Teacups!

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? Lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy? Cotton candy

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? We call elementary school primary school. It depended which teachers you asked, my favourites always said I was “conscientious, kind, and a pleasure to have in class”.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? Glass cups or bottles.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? I have like 4 looks, pastel, boho, and goth/witchy/grunge, also vintage-inspired which wasn’t mentioned but I love it.

7. earbuds or headphones? Depends on the shape, I love my Razr headset because it doesn’t squash my ears, and I like galaxy bud shaped earbuds, the ones with the little rubber doo-dads that fit actually in your ear. Apple or a lot of older flat earbuds cause me a lot of pain.

8. movies or tv shows? TV shows. Movies are getting longer and longer and my focus is getting shorter and shorter

9. favorite smell in the summer? Rainy days!

10. game you were best at in p.e.? The game of queue-ducking (where you go to the back of the queue to avoid your turn), or dance, or the less strength intensive parts of gymnastics. Or crying, always been great at that xD

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? Muesli, or nothing.

12. name of your favorite playlist? I prefer to listen to full albums rather than playlists, but I have a few favourites on Spotify. Born to Run 150BPM, Infinite Indie Folk, Irish Folk: Jigs and Reels, All Out 80s/90s/00s. I also love scene/pop-punk playlists.

13. lanyard or key ring? Key Ring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy? Message Hearts (or anything with that texture), the red pack of starbursts (the UK version is vegan). Does Turkish Delight count because if so then that is my fave. I also like gummies if they’re vegan.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? To Kill a Mockingbird (high school), or The Bloody Chamber (uni), or Hamlet (uni)

16. most comfortable position to sit in? One foot under me, the other foot out to the other side, but both in the same position (if the surface is flat), or knees up.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? I own a lot of shoes so there isn’t really a single pair I wear the most. Recently my Air Force 1s, I’m trying to wear them in because the previous owner didn’t so the cause blisters.

18. ideal weather? Cold, overcast, rainy, still. Or without the rain. or snow (as long as I’m not going in the car and I can go crunch my shoes in it xD

19. sleeping position? Either side, but my body is kinda rotated towards the bed so it’s like half way between on my stomach and on my side. 

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? Notebooks

21. obsession from childhood? Animals, dinosaurs, goddesses, magic, crystals, neopets, sims. I still love all of these things, I am a rotating door of obsessions, usually a bunch of the same obsessions on repeat.

22. role model? I don’t have one particular role model, I do have tons of people that I love and respect.

23. strange habits? I have so many strange habits that I have become one myself. Nothing actually stands out though because 99% of it is because of my brain.

24. favorite crystal? rose quartz or moonstone.

25. first song you remember hearing? Maybe Dancing Queen by ABBA, definitely the first I remember dancing to, but my dad loves music so I grew up with a constant stream of it.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? Suffer xD when I’m able to do so comfortably I’d love to go out looking for pretty stones, and nice sticks with my fiance, also would like to go on picnics with him, or a friend if I had one.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather? Baking, drawing, crafts, standing in the rain. Everything.

28. five songs to describe you? 6/10 - Dodie Robert Frost - Mal Blum Caught in the Middle - Paramore Side Effects - Jade Bird Snitches Get Stitches - Onsind  Bonus track: The Seed - Aurora I wish I still had the playlist I made of songs I relate to, several of these were on it though.

29. best way to bond with you? Oversharing, or telling me about things you’re into.

30. places that you find sacred? Nature. My favourite spots are little creeks/rivers in wooded areas, but just like, all of it is special and should be treated as such. Also bedrooms.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? I think maybe I’m not gutsy or whatever enough, but also unpredictable. I wear whatever I like, and I’m just as likely to cry in all of them as I am to accidentally get in a fight.

32. top favorite vines? I feel so basic because I never really did the vine thing.  There was one that nearly killed me because I literally started to choke that was in some kind of office and the bit like can you run this past me again, and they just fucking legged it past them holding a folder up, Saw it once, never saw it again. Road work ahead. Why you can’t lift a house (might be a tok?) Brass dad and oven kid Look at this graaaaph Never learned how to read I can’t sit I have hemorrhoids The one with the people in blankets bobbing the nana nanana song Fr esh avo ca do Look at all these chickens

33. most used phrase in your phone? I love you - if I had to guess

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? right now, nothing. I often get the old Super Liquor jingle lodged in there though.

35. average time you fall asleep? 6am?

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? Charlie the unicorn or that one Noodles video by Cyanide and Happiness. Are those even memes?

37. suitcase or duffel bag? Depends. I mostly use a bag though since I never go anywhere for long.

38. lemonade or tea? Tea? Usually if you ask for lemonade here you get Sprite which is not lemonade.

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? I had a vegan lemon meringue pie once, so good. Cake is easier to make though, and I can eat more in one sitting without getting sick xD

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Um, the principal in my last year of school got caught for being a peeping tom a few years after I left.

41. last person you texted? My Fiance.

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? Jacket pockets

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? Depends on the rest of the outfit and the weather. I wear Jean jackets most though.

44. favorite scent for soap? I love lavender, or vanilla/candy/fruity/baked goods type scents. I still have a bottle of Sugar Fairy spray from lush from a year ago and I love the smell of that.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? Fantasy I think.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? Nekkid?

47. favorite type of cheese? As a kid it was feta. Now I only eat vegan cheese. I was never a huge cheese fan tbh.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? Rotten xD um probably a cranberry or something because I’m small, and I’m not a fan of cranberry.

49. what saying or quote do you live by? An it harm none do what you will. Or treat others as you wish to be treated.

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? Probably one of the vines I listed above, either “run it past” or “can’t lift a house” because both of those resulted in crying and choking.

51. current stresses? My cat has been throwing up and having diarrhoea the past week or so, she’s been to the vet, it got better for a bit, but tonight suddenly got worse. Living with my parents who I have a very toxic relationship with. Living in a single very overfilled room. Trying to not spend money so that I can save up to move next year. Nightmares about my trauma. Either the house is haunted or there’s a build up of negative energy (probably that).

52. favorite font? I always liked the look of all of the script style fonts (freestyle, french, lucida, lucida calligraphy, Edwardian, Palace) but they’re not accessible so for anything people will actually see (which is literally nothing) I always go with arial.

53. what is the current state of your hands? Slight rash on one finger because I’m sensitive to what is in a lot of hand washing products apparently (never an issue until the pandemic), one broken finger nail that is a bit shorter than the rest. Not painted nails because energy. I always wear my engagement ring, usually I wear several other rings but with how my skin is being I thought I’d better not for a while.

54. what did you learn from your first job? Bakeries are hell, my circadian rhythm will not adjust to anything besides its natural state for longer than a couple of days at a time no matter how long or hard I try. I can absolutely fall asleep standing up.

55. favorite fairy tale? Ugly Duckling

56. favorite tradition? I don’t have anyway... Yet? Hopefully when I move this can become a thing.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? I’m interpretting overcome loosely here, meaning “I have not died from this” - Suicide of my first love - Bullying - 3 different jobs that all nearly killed me

58. four talents you’re proud of having? Literally can’t think of one. I’m not talented. I’m passable at a couple of things, but I worked for those things and I’m still not good enough for anyone to confuse me for being talented xD Those things I care about that I’ve worked on a lot are singing, art, languages, crafts? I still struggled to come up with 4. My bad.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? Aw jeez xD

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? Magical Girl! This is an easy one, give me the powers and the clothes yessss.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? Literally sitting here drawing a blank, so instead of favourite here is the first one that came into my head “eyes are the genitals of the head” (may have that wrong, I’m watching the Office for the first time rn)

62. seven characters you relate to? Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Amelie from Amelie Matilda from Matilda Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notredame (also my favourite plush as a kid) Iris - The Holiday Jess - New Girl Amelia Shepherd - Grey’s Anatomy Struggled with this because suddenly I drew a blank and also couldn’t remember who my Fiance was talking about every time he’s watched a character and said “that’s you” repeatedly.

63. five songs that would play in your club? Starlight - Superman Lovers Pump It - Black Eyed Peas I Bet that You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys All the Things She Said - tATu Doctor Jones - Aqua Bonus: Push Up - Freestylers These are ones  I have memories of dancing to when I was younger so that’s how I picked, but I’d absolutely be a themed night club with different music on different nights.

64. favorite website from your childhood? Neopets, which I still play daily. The first I played was MaMaMedia, then Bubblegum Club.

65. any permanent scars? That’s a SORE subject heh get it heh

66. favorite flower(s)? Lavender, rose, peony

67. good luck charms? I usually carry gemstones if I’m needing to be particularly lucky, or sigils.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? I hate anything spicy. I had rootbeer candy that tasted like literal dirt. I can’t eat banana stuff without gagging and getting a headache. I hate anything that is artificial blackberry or blackcurrant, tastes like shitty cough syrup.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? Sea Monkeys breathe through their feet, but I remember where I learned that.

70. left or right handed? right

71. least favorite pattern? depends entirely on the colours, I like patterns. but certain stripes do make my eyes feel funny.

72. worst subject? If PE counts, then that. If not, math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo? I love pineapple on pizza but that’s not weird. Iused to eat cheese and jam sandwiches as a kid though.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? I operate on how long it has lasted instead of how bad it is, essentially I get so desperate so I’ll try it even though it probably won’t help. I have the resistance of a rhino to most meds.

75. when did you lose your first tooth? No idea, like 4 I think? I did keep them in a weird little box for no reason though because they never got taken away from under my pillow.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? I’m a fan of a good mash if it has lots of flavour (like gravy). Otherwise, crisps or fries.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? I grew a radish once! Something cat safe though these days, also maybe something heavy, and hard to knock over?

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? Grocery Store sushi, if it’s just veg.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? My only ID is my passport, and it is BAD.

80. earth tones or jewel tones? Both.

81. fireflies or lightning bugs? Fireflies (ten million of them to be precise)

82. pc or console? Grew up with PC. Now play my switch mostly.

83. writing or drawing? Both. Wrote more as a kid, draw more now.

84. podcasts or talk radio? Podcasts.

84. barbie or polly pocket? Both. But I prefered pollies as a kid

85. fairy tales or mythology? mythology

86. cookies or cupcakes? cupcakes

87. your greatest fear? Based on my nightmares, stairs.

88. your greatest wish? To live in a comfy house, in the country, with my Fiance, I have travelled the world, we have pets, I can function, we are free.

89. who would you put before everyone else? My Fiance and out animals.

90. luckiest mistake? Can’t think of any, most of my mistakes have been more like bad choices, also never turned out well for me.

91. boxes or bags? Depends what it’s for?

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? lamps, or fairy lights. Unless I’m particularly anxious, then overheads.

93. nicknames? None.

94. favorite season? Winter

95. favorite app on your phone? LINE, it has my fiance, and animated stickers.

96. desktop background? Little Twin Stars

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? My own.

I never get asks and needed to distract myself so I’m going to just answer these anyway, like a survey or something. Original post by tr33-g1rl 

[izzycle]

20 OC questions from here that is basically prompts for me to ramble on

Maybe one day I’ll make things more concise, but right now here is a super long list of things that answer these questions, but also go on big rambles in an attempt to build Dion’s character and backstory more 🙃 ones crossed out I answered in asks

1. On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

2. What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

Dion has always loved “homely” meals, things which are very filling, warm, and comfort food. He’s very simple when it comes to food, will eat anything offered but much prefers homemade meals. His favourite is a mildly spicy butternut squash soup, something he used to share with his mum by the fireplace when it was a cold day. Of course he doesn’t remember this anymore, but that comforting feeling still lingers whenever he has this soup now, so although he doesn’t understand why, this meal has become his comfort food once again, that he’ll have curled up on the windowsill, watching the rain, most likely with Faust curled around his shoulders.

Soups, stews, etc are his go to meals, especially on busy days to make sure he and Asra are well fed and have a lot of energy. Enjoys mild to medium spice, but isn’t a fan of things such as curries, it is more of a “chilli in his soup” sort of preference. Big fan of green veg, and salads, and wishes he had a veg garden at the shop, but one that didn’t require much upkeep.

Because he lives at the shop, rarely leaving, everything is homemade, based usually around what veg he has. Frequently makes too much even though he is used to being on his own. Pretends that this is for ease and stores the spares for the next few days but really he just doesn’t realise he’s pining for Asra to come back, to their home and the home cooking. But feels as if his “boring” stay at home lifestyle wouldn’t compare to all the sights and foods Asra may experience, and therefore why would he want some boring soup Dion made?

3. What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

Not much annoys Dion, he is mainly in 3 moods, neutral/relaxed, anxious, or the super rare - happy. I think the thing that would annoy him the most is if people handle his belongings without permission or care.

He would never say anything but casually brush against his yarn? Roughly move knitted products around? Not listen to wash instructions and come in to complain about his work? Move crystals from their places on the windowsill? He will be silently seething. He takes pride in his crafts, and studies what he puts into them from stitches, to colours, to yarn, so if you show no care for this? He will get upset. People don’t understand how much work and care goes into “just a hat” so aren’t careful, and it silently ticks him off. And his crystals? They’re there to help with the aura of the rooms, each in specific places, each cleansed and not even for sale, purely to improve the protections, magic, strength etc of the shop and magicians inside.

4. What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

Easy answer: he’d give whatever he could. Although the actual interaction would set off his anxiety, that’s just because he’d be zoning out and gets like that with anyone who talks to him. But he would get over this anxiety, by ignoring it as best as he can, getting his money out, counting what is needed and giving the rest away. He just wants a modest life, so spare money is spare, and he doesn’t say it, but helping others, even in small ways, makes him happy. A small boost in confidence that he could actually have an effect on someone’s life.

He will also give out spare knitted items to those he knew needed them, say there’s someone who’s been on the streets and the weather is particularly harsh, they would find a wrapped blanket (in the place that they usual sleep), with protection, luck, and warmth spells woven in. Sometimes Dion zones out and would give everything and anything to these people and has to be pulled away before his mental state is affected. Needs to learn that his own needs are important too, instead of spending all his time and money on others, he needs to actually eat and rest.

5. Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

6. What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

The only thing I can see doing this is if he becomes too anxious. He shuts down when overwhelmed, so if this is a tense situation, especially without someone like Asra to ground him, he will panic and won’t be able to think of what he should do, let alone act on it. It wouldn’t be a case of going against morals and doing something bad, it would be more, he’s shut down and won’t act at all.

One example would be when Julian broke into the shop, and Dion just panicked. Stood there frozen, not responding to any questions, just staring at Julian. The most he could do was try and focus on his breathing. It’s just when things suddenly happen he’s startled and doesn’t know how to act. As time goes on, he gains some of his confidence back, as well as ability to actually think in tense situations, but will look back on this meeting and will only be ashamed. Embarrassed that his reaction to someone threatening, breaking into the shop/ his home, looking for his master, was to stand there like a startled rabbit, trying desperately not to pass out. Which he almost does when Julian stepped towards him. This definitely broke Julian’s dramatic act, but still, knowing now that Julian is not such a big threat,

Dion is very anxious and quiet around Julian. Just very tense, not being able to follow along with the dramatics, not wanting to be a part of this intimidating situation. It takes a while for Julian to realise that it wasn’t that he was unliked, it was just a large difference in personalities, and much to Dion’s relief started to tone his dramatics down, and started to talk softer and less erratic to try and reduce the sudden tenseness or anxiety that he may cause.

7. Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

Oh super easily, although he lives simply, and quietly, he’s perfectly able to look after himself and others.

He doesn’t grow his own garden purely because he would much rather sit and enjoy the energy of nature, rather than actually aid them in growing, but that doesn’t mean he can’t. Just about his preferences. So if he was trusted to look after plants he would easily look after them for that time, and does have a few dotted about the living room to brighten it up anyway. Especially things such as sunflowers to try and brighten up his day, and the windowsills are just filled with lavender plants. Animals and babies, although harder, he would be able to look after them fine as well. He is still very laid back, not to the point of Asra, but as in he wouldn’t be one of those parents who run around babying their children. But, he would easily get anxious over whether he is doing okay. (He is, he just gets worried about everything)

8. If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

Emotionally, a wreck. But are you surprised? It seems like everything makes him a wreck.

Seriously, why is he even in this game? Poor baby is not ready, and yet I’ve shoved him into this world anyway.

Academically he’d do averagely, he’s not a genius, but can quite easily pick things up, and has always been well read. Back home he was raised on high quality educational programs, and he would very often get lost into fantasy fiction (or would it be fantasy in this world?). He has a very creative mind, so those are the things he has always picked up the easiest. But he will definitely worry more than needed, which may make him flounder.

Before being reborn he of course had a lot more confidence and would be able to get through the tests much cooler, he wouldn’t push himself too hard and would instead aim for an easy medium.

9. What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

I honestly can’t see anything causing him to act this way? He has a strong moral system, so it would require an entire change of character for him to be pointlessly cruel or petty. He may on very rare occasions (pregame) make snide remarks under his breath, such as after talking to someone incredibly hypocritical but most of the time he wouldn’t dare. He is too timid of a person to act that way, and struggles to act strongly when it is needed, let alone when it would be in a cruel/ pointless way.

10. On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

11. What song is 100% garunteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and emabarrasingly, either in public or the shower?

“Love Like You” by Rebecca Sugar/ from Steven Universe for sure. Something his voice can easily and comfortably sing along to, and the lyrics speak to him, as he doesn’t see himself in a very positive light. Feels unremarkable and wonders how Asra could love him as he is.

He also won’t admit it, but can catch himself almost singing along to some Halsey songs, (“Walls Could Talkl, “Bad at Love”, “Coming Down”) embarrassed that some of the lyrics are more... raunchy riske than what you’d expect him to like. But if you catch him when down, mad, melancholic, etc, he’s likely to have these going around in his head.

He definitely wallows and although this alternative music can have similar lyrics, the style can help pick him up a little. Again. He wouldn’t ever be caught in the rare situations he’d be listening to this type of music. I mean what are you talking about, he’s a pure baby, only good, innocent pop music for him

12. What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies their neighbors?

Hm I think what confuses everyone is his aversion to shoes. He feels more connected, and grounded when his feet or on the ground, especially when he’s in nature.

Neighbours? I’d say the fact he is so quiet, he barely ever leaves home or moves about, so they honestly forget that there is anyone who is home when Asra is on one of his trips. So if they look out and suddenly see him by the window that terrifies them because they forget he exists.

13. Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

Literally the only way he would be is if someone robbed him of his clothes while in public

14. What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

He wouldn’t understand how they could love him so much that they allowed him to be who he was openly, despite the backlash from the village. Or the events that transpired, he didn’t understand how they could be so supportive and want him to be happy. But at the same time didn’t understand how they could then stay in such a community that was so unwelcoming and would have happily cut them off, despite their high social standing, purely for having a child who is trans

15. How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

Very often, it’s the only way he would get most shop things done without Asra there now. Most of his life is just on autopilot when he’s alone, wake up, eat, set up shop, open, close, eat, clean, sleep. It’s very monotonous and although he finds it preferable to being out of his comfort zone, if Asra was there full time he would actually slowly come out of his shell and enjoy life more instead of the fleeting moments he gets when Asra is home.

If he doesn’t have to open shop, he will sit on the couch and zone out, forgetting to feed himself at all. There’s been a few times Asra has come home to find that Dion hasn’t eaten all day (luckily he’s never arrived too late that this has gone on for longer than 12 hours) because he has been so focused on finishing his project.

The only time that he zones out and it seems to be helpful is if he goes to the forest, he will sit under a tree, or small space, and spend hours centring and calming himself

16. How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so?

He has impulse reactions sometimes due to his anxiety, but the most this is, is to disappear or run away from problems. He doesn’t do anything to harm himself or others. It is more of a panic “get out now” reaction, which sometimes he can’t even follow because he will freeze on the spot.

There are very rare occasions he’ll suddenly want to do something, and he will act against his anxiety to get it done. Such as, complimenting, hugging, or even just interacting with Asra, smiling at someone, asking for help, etc. He will get the urge to do these things and will have to act on these impulses before the anxiety sets in too much to stop him. Even rarer, if he tries to kiss Asra, or tease him? It has happened, but don’t hold your breath waiting for it

17. How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

Shutting himself off from the world. He doesn’t realise just how much it continues to damage him, because he is trying to avoid his anxiety and panic, but he’s just setting it further into his personality. And creating a dependence on Asra to help with the loneliness he feels while Asra is away, or to fill his days with something other than his monotonous tasks.

18. What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?

I can’t see him actively getting himself anything trashy. Pregame he was a lot more confident with his body, not even needing his tattoos to feel good about his chest, and wore more low cut, open shirts. Similarly to Asra or Julian. That was as far as he would go.

The “worst” of his outfits would most likely come from Nadia, who (like everyone else) doesn’t know he has these scars so would try and counteract his usual baggy outfits in an extreme way. He needs a moment to collect himself but he does go out in outfits like that easier as time goes on, but he would much rather hide in his baggy clothes. He finds comfort in the layers. Although he did enjoy the reaction he received when Asra first saw his Palace outfit. So he won’t have worn these outfits since the last time he needed to be “fancy” aka visit Nadia at the palace

19. How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

Not very, he pretty much always has a collection of herbal teas ready for action, he wouldn’t be able to keep his nerves in check throughout the work day without the calming effects of them

20. What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

So the tea he drinks will have a massive effect on the way he smells, and he will smell softly of Jasmine the majority of the time. (Ask Asra: he probably tastes like it too). He has quite a subtle, earthy smell to him. He’s always clean and uses mild soaps so doesn’t tend to have too strong of a smell. But if you are close to him for periods of time you may be able to pick out the jasmine, and lavender smells from him, sometimes mixed with the sweet smell of wet grass, even if he hasn’t been outside in some time.

[jayfromriverside-blog]

Comics I read this week: 9/9-9/13

Hey all, here’s a smattering of some of the books I read this week. Some interesting issues out this week, but also some disappointments:

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #23

There were two driving forces behind my moral development as a child: Batman and the Power Rangers. It was more than a little disappointing to grow up and find out that you couldn’t just punch bad people and that solved things, but when Boom Studios started this Power Rangers comic, it reminded me of why I loved the Power Rangers in the first place.

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who was a fan of the Rangers at any point, or who is looking for a good new Action book, but it comes with a caveat: This series is not easy to jump into, for 2 main reasons.

Though this is the better series, it’s not the first Power Rangers comic that Boom Studios currently has going, and unfortunately the first series goes further in depth on the larger Rangers Universe

The stories from each of the 2 Rangers books often reference or call back to elements from each other. This often means that keeping track of plot elements or continuity can get confusing between the 2 books if you’re not following along closely.

If you’re still interested in hopping into these comics, here would be the reading order I would suggest: start with this series (Go Go) for issues #1-20, as it covers the origins of the Rangers and their first year. Then start the mainline book, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. After you’re all caught up there, you should be good to jump back into Go Go without any issues, and can even hop between series with toooooo much confusion. 

Into the actual meat of this week’s issue: while the mainline series is much more focused on a grander Sci-Fi narrative, this series has a lot of the “monster-of-the-week” feel of the show. That’s definitely on display in this issue, where action and monster bashing take center stage. But what this comic has over the show is character depth and long-term story telling. The characters in this comic feel fleshed out and are evolving like real people, and while it’s definitely still fun, it doesn’t skimp out on the drama either. 

If you’re looking for a fun throwback to childhood with a little more emotional oomph for your mature soul, definitely give this book a go.

Justice League Odyssey #13

I’m genuinely surprised every time a new edition of this book comes out, cause I’m half expecting it to be quietly cancelled every other week. But hey, I’m not gonna complain, cause as much as the changes in art have been less than great, I’m still excited to see the Justice League Z-Team struggle with cosmic cleanup duty out in the Ghost Sector.

For anyone who hasn’t read this book and doesn’t feel like starting from the beginning, you could get away with hopping on now. It would be safe to say that the first 12 issues were the first arc of this comic, and that #13 is setting the groundwork for the second big arc. With the destruction of the Source Wall way back in No Justice, the Ghost Sector has been left as almost a wild-West out in deep space. If you’re a fan of Dex-Starr, Jessica Cruz and some other cosmic outcast characters, I’d hop on now and see if this book is for you.

For anyone currently reading this book, some minor opinions and SPOILERS AHEAD:

So Jess stayed dead for way shorter than even I thought. But hey, revival at the hands of the Omega Radiation that killed her only to be imbued with Omega Beam shooting fists seems almost poetic. I’m interested to see what the new cast of outcasts has to bring to the table in terms of opposing Darkseid and assaulting the Ghost Sector, especially now that our original team has been almost entirely converted into NEW New Gods. But it’s a welcome evolution of Jessica’s character to see her taking charge and leading a team, and more Dex-Starr in my life is always appreciated. 

On a less story focused note, the art in this new ark is good so far, but man, fuck whoever did the flashback sequence with Cyborg. On a page with his face popping up at least 5 or 6 times head on, you couldn’t remember or decide if his cybernetic side was on the left or the right? It flip flops every panel so that it’s facing away from the reader. It’s overall a minor thing, but c’mon, it’s not hard to keep that straight.

The Flash #78

I’m just tired at this point. 

The Flash’s mythos being re-written to have such an emphasis on the forces is just... really boring. The force users are pretty one-note characters and though Barry’s musings on life and trying to outrun Death are interesting, the rest of the chapter and this story arc haven’t been nearly as much. The art isn’t bad, but it’s not enough to save this title. If you’re gonna stick around for the Flash ride, have fun, let me know when it gets interesting again.

Young Justice #8

I think I mentioned it last week, but similar to Justice League Odyssey and the Terrifics, I think it’s a great idea for writers to take some of the smaller teams in the DCU out of the greater narrative and put them (effectively) in their own worlds. Better yet, Brian Michael Bendis seems to be having a ton of fun taking this young team on a multiverse-exploring adventure. 

While his work with Alias and Daredevil are some of my favorite books, I think Bendis does his best work when writing younger heroes. He seems to understand how to write entertaining young characters while making them believable, and most importantly not making them grating. 

If you need anymore convincing to get this series, and you maybe don’t fully trust Bendis after the pretty terrible years he’s had of late, then John Timms’ art should swing you. Timms has managed to strike a great balance between cartoonish modeling and dynamic action paneling which is difficult enough, but he’s also been switching up his art styles as the team goes from world to world. The guy is on top of his game right now and it’s perfectly complimenting Bendis’ universe-hopping story.

I don’t want to spoil this issue too much, but the team find themselves on Earth-3, the home of the Crime Syndicate, and face off against evil versions of themselves. While this issue was wall-to-wall action from the start, it managed to have some good character moments peppered throughout, and it looks like it might the start of the next micro-arc. This book has been great so far and only looks like it’s going to get better.

Batman Universe #3

I feel like I can’t judge this book fairly. 

I love pop-art, I’m a sucker for a good Batman story, and lighthearted superhero stories are exactly what I need to breakup the self-serious tones of a lot of the other superhero books I read. This book by Bendis and Nick Derington hits every single one of those beats. 

If you’re looking for a self-serious Batman book you’re looking in the wrong place; but if you’re looking for a book where Batman jokes with Green Lantern about how much he likes dinosaurs before being transported through time, then you’ve got a lot of fun ahead of you.

On a side note, DC put a huge amount of faith in Bendis giving him this series, Action Comics, Superman, Naomi and Young Justice. Aside from the main Superman book, which has been horrendous in every sense of the word, he’s been writing some of the best stuff he’s done in years. Not quite on par with his Daredevil or Ultimate Spider-Man runs, but still some really great stuff.

Detective Comics #1011

Last we left the Caped Crusader, he and a bunch of his billionaire friends were stranded on an island, with Bruce teamed up with a pair of crotchety WWII fighter pilots and his rich friends held captive by Deadshot. Basically we’re in a “Deadliest Game” scenario with Batman and Deadshot hunting each other on a remote island. It’s kind of like all the parts of “Arrow” that people have told me are actually good. I don’t know, I haven’t watched that show, it looks like hot garbage. 

Anyway, this 2-issue story was always just a stop-gap while Mr. Freeze (or the writers) figured out how to use the new technology boost from Lex Luthor. While I always appreciate a visit from Deadshot, as he’s one of Batman’s more under appreciated villains in my opinion, this story was pretty paint by numbers. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun, just that it was always the stuff coming next that felt more compelling. 

Event Leviathan #4

This book has been pretty interesting so far, but seems to have the fanbase pretty divided. I’ve seen a lot of comments on the latest issue claiming that nothing has actually happened in this story so far, and that we’re just watching Bendis spin his gears in search of a story. Maybe I’m a sucker for a good noir, but I would say that this story has had its share of action at the start, but unlike a lot of comics, it’s a slow burn story. I’m not nervous yet, as Bendis has experience with noir and has shown he can do it well.

I’m not saying that this book doesn’t have its problems: the art, while objectively impressive, is hard to parse out the details in some of the darker scenes with all of the texture filters thrown over it. Similarly, though I have faith that Bendis has an idea where this story is going, the last issue didn’t really make a ton of sense (until a little later in this issue, but at the time it wasn’t wholly believable).

Batman #78

It seems that so many people have soured on Tom King at this point that I’m in the minority saying that I’m still enjoying his run on Batman. I’m not saying it hasn’t been without its faults, I was gutted just like everyone else when issue 50 came out and tore a chance at tangible change in the Bat-universe out from under us fans. But King’s writing and storytelling, though self-indulgent at times, has been largely good and in clear pursuit of a single goal: to tell the story of Batman being broken, like he’s never been broken before. 

As fans we need to remember that the man was handed the reins to 100 issues of Batman and said he was going to tell 1 story. Not an event that would inform the rest of his run, but 1 singular story told over 100 issues. It was a herculean task and it was always going to be a slow burn, but we’re in the endgame now with City of Bane in full swing and Batman just beginning to look up from the pit he’s fallen in. He’s been physically and emotionally broken, shamed himself in front of his family and been discredited amongst his peers, and ultimately forced out of his own city. So let’s see the way back.

Ok, so this wasn’t a bad issue, but it wasn’t the right issue. I’m a huge fan of how Tom King has written Bat/Cat, and when combined with Clay Manpi’s art and paneling this issue feels like I’m watching a classic James Bond movie. But while watching Bat/Cat reconcile their issues that originally tore them apart was long overdue and felt great, this was not the right time for this issue. 

After being left on the cliffhanger of Damion being captured and ALFRED POTENTIALLY KILLED, seeing Bat and Cat talking at an island retreat was just too far removed and casual. This has probably been the biggest issue I’ve personally had with King’s run: timing. But it seems like it’s all kicking off in the next few issues, so let’s see where this all finally ends.