#writing this made me feel sick

[deathbirby]

Hero's Relics Origins - Part 2

This is the last part, I promise.

Blutgang

Storm Dragon

I don't know what that is.

Fortunately, we have Maurice to examine!

Look at that plated back. It's similar to the blade of Blutgang. That begs the question, though. Is it armor or is it bone? I'm going to say it's both. Blutgang is made out of this bone, and it uses a few other parts of the spine.

Google Translate says that "the feel of its armor is similar to Blutgang."

Translation would be appreciated!

Oh, and Maurice also has small back sail. That points to the possibility of the Storm Dragon being able to fly.

Thunderbrand

Lightning Dragon

What the hell is this?

I guess it could be a weird horn? Or maybe it's the tail? Breastbone with ribs? Part of the spine? A fang? Thigh bone, and the spikes are actually just fangs or something that has been fused to it?

I have no fucking clue. If someone can come up with a theory, I'll put it here.

Suttungr's Mystery

Lightning Dragon

...I don't know. That green covering could be its skin, or just some regular leather. It looks like there is a ribcage when I zoom into that gap.

Hrotti

Dark Dragon

Unfortunately, there is not a lot to go off of. Tomes are always the most difficult to figure out.

Dark dragons in Fire Emblem tend to look snake-like. I suppose you could see this as the skull being flattened and split in half to make two sides of a book. The line going through the book could be where the jaw splits, and the hole with the crest stone is supposed to have an eye in it.

I'm grasping for straws here.

Failnaught

Star Dragon

Look at that muscle attached to it. I think this might be the only relic to have that.

I used Google Translate on that little bit of text in the concept art. It says: "A bow made from the bones and sinews of a dragon's fingers."

I don't speak Japanese, so I do need someone to confirm that little bit of text. Here's a bit clearer(?) version.

But that makes it pretty obvious... if it's true! It was made using the bones and tendons of the Star Dragon's fingers.

I don't know what the Star Dragon might've looked like, and I don't have anything to use as a basis. Those 'fingers' have spikes on them. I don't know any animal that might have that.

Vajra-Mushti

Snow Dragon

I wanted to say that this looks like a scorpion's head, but there are two of these (gauntlets), so that's probably not the case. It's most likely made out of the hands. The metal plating is used to keep it closed.

BUT WAIT! What if it IS the head? There is a hole that could work as an eye socket. Maybe the skull was somehow split to make gauntlets? The metal plating would be used to keep the lower and upper jaw shut.

What animal has tusks like that and is associated with snow? Best I can think of is a mammoth.

Rafail Gem

Aegis Dragon

The Aegis Dragon gets to be unique. Only the part around the Crest Stone is made out of bone. The rest of it might very well be decoration. Or maybe they come from somewhere else... Maybe the blue crystals are kidney stones?

Ichor Scroll

Aegis Dragon

It doesn't look like there is a lot of bone there? It might be made using the hand. Look at all those lines and the small holes.

Sword of the Creator

Sothis

Alright, lots of people are saying this is the spine, and I totally agree. They really liked turning spines into weapons for some goddess-forsaken reason.

BUT the argument of it being the tail also holds up! The spine doesn't have a sharp point like that. Ultimately, I cannot say for certain which one it would be. I personally am more inclined to say it's the spine.

The crossguard could be made using the pelvis, shoulder blades, or even the wings. It all depends on whether or not they got the bones from Sothis's dragon form. Oh, and I can see what looks like more muscle on the "wings".

Now what in the world is that hilt made out of? It's definitely not made out of the spine or tail, so what is it? Maybe a strong bone like the femur? The ends are more flared out than the middle.

But how?

Okay, so now that you know what the relics are made out of and what bones were used, it's time for YOU to go make some relics.

"How am I going to do that??" - You

Do not worry, my fellow human. I have gone ahead and made a guide for you! Follow its instructions closely, and you too can wield a weapon of mass destruction in no time.

How to create your own Heroes Relic!

Find a dragon. It can be dead or alive, just make sure its corpse is not completely destroyed.

If it's still alive, kill it. I don't care how you do it. Just kill it. Try to cut off a limb or go directly for the crest stone on its head. That seems to be their weak spot.

It's dead? Good! Time to cut. What? You say that its corpse is too big? Shrink it! What do mean that sounds dumb? Have you SEEN the other Relics? I mentioned this in a previous post, but no fucking dragon has bones that small. All the relics are shrunken in some way, damn it! NOW SHRINK IT!

Okay. Get your cutting equipment ready. You can use a sword, a knife, a chainsaw. I don't care. Just be careful.

Now then, onto the good part. The skin might still be useful for something like leather, so be sure to flay it first.

Start cutting away at the meat and fatty layer. Do not go too deep. You do not want to destroy the muscle layer before you've seen it first. You could still use it for something!

You've reached the muscles. Congratulations! Now, I know that the bones are the real price here, but the tendons can be very useful in some designs. So start collecting a bunch of tendons and some muscle here and there.

Is your bag full? Great! When you're sure you've got all the tendons you need, start cutting until you reach the bone. Don't worry about damaging it. Your puny blade won't do anything against it.

There, the bones are right there. RIPE for the taking! I assume that you've already picked out a design for a Relic before you started this. That means you know what bones you want to use. Take those bones.

I also assume that you know you need a Crest Stone, which means you need to get the dragon's heart. What's the fastest way to get to the heart? Well, you're not breaking the ribcage any time soon, so cut open the abdomen, right under where the diaphragm would be. You don't know where that is? It's around the liver and the stomach. You'll know when you get there. Now, you need to cut open that diaphragm and reach in there with your trusty knife or chainsaw. A human heart has a pericardium, a sac that surrounds your heart and keeps in it place. I don't know if a dragon has one, but I would still try to check if it's there and cut it away. And you don't need the veins.

While you're in there cutting away, drink its blood. You might as well. Slurp all of that shit up. You'll know you've drunk enough blood once you manifest a crest. Not manifesting a crest? Dive back in there and start chugging!

I hope you have everything you need by now. Pack that shit up and move to a place where you can quietly forge it into a weapon. How do you do that? Fuck if I know. All I know is that you need dragon remains. Figure it out yourself! If all else fails, put bone on a stick and tie it together with tendons and superglue. Don't forget to shove a crest stone somewhere in there so it actually functions!

Alright. I hope this was a useful guide for you! Don't forget to leave a 5-star review on my page!

[radarsmenagerie]

henry made it home safely with a pinup of klinger in his wallet

#just mash things

part 30

[chaos-potat]

A drawing for @ceruleanterrapin :D I know I for sure got some scars wrong, sorry ;_;

[odraziduse]

"Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic."

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

[uncanny-tranny]

This might be controversial to some, but you cannot "tough love" your way to preventing suicide. You cannot have the attitude that people who complete suicide are selfish or are ungrateful or immature. If your mindset about suicide isn't coming from compassion rather than judgment, it won't help suicidal people. You will never help us with a slap on the wrist and a lecture about how we're awful for even thinking about completing suicide.

Suicide intervention starts with compassion and care.

[wyfy-meltdown]

Shortly after Madoka Magica released (to great success), everyone started trying to make the next big "magical girl misery" anime. I think the reason those ones didn't really take off is because they missed the point of Madoka: the love of others and self-sacrifice is center stage, and we only really feel bad for the characters of Madoka Magica because we see them happy.

Madoka Magica isn't just a misery fest; Mami's death matters because we understand Mami's dreams and struggles, Sayaka becoming Oktavia is impactful because we see her downfall that isn't her fault (or anyone's for that matter). Madoka (and to a secondary extent, Homura) never give up hope or trying.

Madoka isn't constantly victimised and abused (unlike some over-the-top edgy magical girl animes I know) she's in tragic circumstances and still tries her best; still WANTS the best for the world around her.

Making something sad isn't about how much we see a character suffer and struggle; it's about making the struggles and suffering they go through impactful through their story. Wants, relationships, traits, and flaws... That's what makes a character's pain painful for an audience.

[sciderman]

How do you feel about the increase in really weird NSFW ads on here (advertising panels that look like sexual encounters, and AI art apps that pride themselves on porn) but will take down NSFW posts from their users, even if it isn't technically sexual.

i hate all social media and it's consistent prioritising the advertisers over the users and the internet simply was a better place before capitalism sunk its hooks into it

[loughie]

Not to sound like a crybaby, but this perfume literally traumatised me. I had always wanted to try it after reading many polarising reviews and just hearing about it from perfume ppl on tumblr. Of course, a perfume that is said to smell like blood, sweat, semen and saliva would be disgusting for most noses. But... I love the "idea" of these smells and was really expecting an almost sympathetic version of these notes. "Why would they make a perfume with those notes and have it smell horrifying?" Oh babe......babe...I am silly to believe that this would be a nice, considerate perfume.

So I haven't tested it on my skin. I tested it on a piece of paper, and within the first spray, I was shocked. I couldn't really describe the scent. Maybe it's like if someone breathed in my face? Maybe it smells like the bins I change at the clinic? But after 5 minutes and attempting to identify the smell, my body was just fully rejecting it. It started to smell like someone's scalp after not washing their hair for weeks, which I don't necessarily find to be a gross smell. In fact, I quite like that smell. But the mixture of all these notes together is just traumatic.

My brain wasn't letting me figure out what I was smelling because I could tell my brain instinct was telling me, "You're smelling something dangerous, reject it and don't smell it" like when you smell a bio-hazard, or a toxic chemical. This mix of notes creates a unidentifiable, yet human smell. Too human. Blood, cum rag, sweaty hands, skin, hair.

After about half an hour, I tried smelling again. My reaction was even worse than before. I just kept instinctively pushing it away from me the moment I tried to give it a sniff. I'd just dry heave. I was so disappointed. Not in the perfume, but disappointed in myself. "I'm not weird enough to like the weird perfume." I thought. The same night I projectile vomited in the bathroom after smoking a bit too much, this rarely happens. So, I low-key blame this perfume for allowing that to happen and weakening my stomach.

I love perfumes that smell like sweat and body odour, but this was just disgusting. It smells like those scents you block out of your mind the first time you smelled it because it was so traumatising. However, I really like the concept. I wish I had a perfume that evoked the idea, but maybe with less lactonic notes. I think the "off-milk" scent along with the metallic "blood" notes is what was making my body so scared and frustrated. I can not explain the visceral emotional reaction this scent gives me. I have a huge amount of respect for Etat Libre D'orange for creating such a unique, disgusting, bodily perfume with absolutely no attempt to make it pleasing. It's a great marketing technique for their brand, and after smelling their other perfumes, I've found some that I definitely want to buy. Jasmine et Cigarette is amazing, and so is Afternoon of A Faun.

7/10. Higher rating because I have a lot of respect for the nerve and audacity they had to make this. I'm definitely going to buy a bottle of Jasmine Et Cigarette. Very Courtney Love vibes.

[museenkuss]

MARCH. blossoming branches against a storm-grey sky, reading on public transport, the liquorice-sweet taste of cough drops, postcards used as bookmarks, rose-scented soap, dancing in the kitchen, the scent of wet ink, finding a stray tube of lipgloss in the pocket of a coat that's getting too warm, hop-dancing over rain-shimmering pavement to avoid getting wet feet, early mornings in the library. Tentatively stepping foot out into the world again.

[deathbirby]

Brainstorming new Hero's Relic designs

Trigger warning here! This post gets quite graphic.

These posts come from my Reddit account! I'm reposting them here. However, I'm also editing these posts with newer information. You can consider these to be the "final" versions.

This is based on a post I came across on Reddit, where the OP ponders what Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn would look like as Hero's Relics. I have quite the active imagination, as you'll soon find out, so I decided to turn my answer into a post. I'll also be looking at Macuil and Indech because, well, why not?

Let's unpack!

Hero's Relics

Before we start, I'll need to make clear what Heroes Relics are. Rhea explains it quite clearly in her exposition dump at the end of Verdant Wind.

"I was never able to forgive those who proudly wielded weapons crafted from the corpses of my brethren."

Corpses! They're all corpses.

"From the blood of the progenitor god, Sothis, he acquired the Crest of Flames. From her bones and heart, he crafted the Sword of the Creator."

More specificially, the Crest comes from the blood of the slaughtered Nabatean, the relics are made out of their bones, and the Crest Stone is their heart.

That begs the question, though. Are the bones taken from the human form or the dragon form? Well, judging by this book in the Shadow Library, probably the dragon form.

"...Based on the composition of___it can be surmised that______likely a massive creature akin to a wyvern. However___strength is beyond compare to that of wyvern bones."

Alright, we got the information on the required ingredients:

Crest: Nabatean blood

Relic: Nabatean bone

Stone: Nabatean heart

Oh, and people often say that the Sword of the Creator is made out of Sothis's spine, which is a completely valid take, but it's just as likely that it's made out of her tail!

The SOTC also gives us one more bit of interesting information about the Heroes Relics.

Sword of the Creator - Concept Art

The sword is pretty big, but it doesn't look like it would be a very long whip. There are only a finite amount of vertebrae on that blade, after all-

Okay, so the orange line is the sword extending. How does that work? Well, we know that the Relics are made out of dragon bones. Their bones would be too big to turn into a weapon made for a human.

It looks like the bones get compressed into a smaller size, and because of this, the SOTC is able to extend.

(Or maybe Sothis is an Eastern Dragon. Noodle dragon Sothis, anyone?)

Oh, and this could also be applied to the other Heroes Relics.

Areadbhar is a hand, but it's far too small for a giant dragon.

It's also entirely possible that it's a stylistic choice or just magic. Moving on.

Weapon type

We still have one more question we need to answer: Are the Heroes Relics based on the type of weapon the Nabatean wields? Fortunately, we have a bunch of Sacred Weapons that belong to dead dragons.

Sword of Begalta - Riegan (Bow)

Sword of Moralta - Fraldarius (Shield)

Tathlum Bow - Lamine (Rafail Gem)

Axe of Ukonvasara - Gloucester (Staff)

Scroll of Talos - Noa (...?)

The answer is no, the Heroes Relics can be anything you want them to be.

NOW we can start cooking up some relics!

Rhea/Seiros - The Immaculate One

Since the relics are made out of dragon bones, we'll need to take a look at Rhea's dragon form.

II - The High Priestess

Perfect. Let's start brainstorming.

Sword

A sword seems like the obvious pick. Rhea already wields the Sword of Seiros, and it would mimic the Sword of The Creator. Its design depends entirely on what body part we use, and I think that the best option here is the spine.

More specifically, the part that acts as a sail.

Take a good look at it. It would work quite well as a serrated blade, wouldn't it? The large sail at the end could work as the crossguard, and it already has a hole for the Crest Stone. The rest of the hilt could be made with the last few pieces of the spine. It's possible that it could also function as a whip. You could make it look nearly identical to the SOTC if you want.

Like mother, like daughter.

It's made out of the spine, so I doubt it could move much. If you want it to work like a whip, it could try to stretch out every now and then.

Axe

Don't worry, we're not making another Aymr. Labraunda is a Sacred Weapon attuned to the Crest of Seiros. It seems fitting to make a mockery out of it. Plus, Rhea hates thieves, and we know that brigands love using axes. Another humiliation to add to, well, being dead.

Consider using the lower jawbone.

It's already quite sharp, what with all those spikes protruding out of it. It could work as the blade, with the shoulderblades securing it to the axe base, which could be made out of a strong bone like the femur. Tendons could be used to further secure it. It's also possible to split the lower jawbone in two and use it as two seperate blades for each side of the axe. The Crest Stone could be in the pommel, or in the center of the axe head. Whatever suits you best.

The axe head is made out of the shoulderblade and jawbone, so I can see it trying to raise its shoulders.

Gauntlets

Some people suggested gauntlets because of Rhea's proficiency in brawling. A very fun idea! Let's look at the body. What body part could be used as a gauntlet? Well, we could choose between the talons or the upper part of the skull.

The bones of the hand would be the base of the gauntlet, with the three claws serving as the deadly blades. The bones could also be bended in a way that puts the claw on the back more where the thumb would be. Or maybe the bones can be hollowed out in a way that would let you slide your hand right in without issue.

Every now and then it tries to form a fist and tighten its grip around the wearer's hand. People believe it's the Goddess trying to protect you with her blessings.

Then there is the upper part of the skull.

The eye sockets can work as holes for the wearer's hand to fit through if necessary, but I believe it could work without that. You just need to hollow out the skull and add straps on the inside. The snout could be sharpened, with the fangs being kept in their current position. The wearer could bring their hand down to slap an opponent and the fangs would sink right in. I believe that the Crest Stone could work right in the middle, where the horns meet the head. It could also be placed more towards the back.

The skull gauntlet would be a bit difficult because it's the upper part of the skull. That stuff stays fixed.

Of course, the horns. You could leave them out, if you so wish, but there is potential there.

The horns that go back could go up the wearers arm and act as a bit of extra protection. And the curved horns could be angled in a way so that if you miss a hit, you'll likely still catch them with the horn.

And yes, I know that some people would say to use the vagina bones pelvis. I suppose you could turn it into knuckle dusters. Drill a few holes for the fingers, polish it, and you'll have yourself a fine weapon.

Seteth/Cichol - The Hammer of Judgement

Unfortunately, we don't have a dragon design sheet for Seteth, nor Flayn. That's why we'll be using theories.

At first glance, it looks like the 5 Nabatean's dragon forms are based on the Five Guardians in Chinese mythology. Black Tortoise for Indech, Vermillion Bird for Macuil, and the Yellow Dragon for Rhea. That leaves us with the Azure Dragon and White Tiger.

Seteth is an Earth Dragon, so one could say that a tiger fits him best, as it feels more 'earthly' than a dragon. The Ochain Shield, which was made specifically for Seteth, has a feline design.

The other theory is that his dragon form is the dragon of the Church's coat of arms. It does not resemble the Immaculate One at all, and considering that there are accurate depictions of the Immaculate One around, it's unlikely that the Church would get it wrong.

The mural also gives us some insight

The two dragons on the left could be Flayn and Seteth. The one all the way in the back would be Seteth, while the muppet is Flayn.

I'm going to make Seteth a mix of all of these to make things easier for myself.

XI - Justice

Hammer

Well, we can't pass up the opportunity to turn him into a literal hammer! There are many parts of the body that could work as a hammer. I would personally go for the heel bone.

A tiger's bones

The tibia and fibula could be melted together to form the shaft, and the last part of the tailbone could be used as a small spike on the top or even a chain. The Crest Stone could rest in its pommel or right in the center of the hammer.

The chain made out of the tailbone could slither around it on its own.

Spear

He likes to use spears? Then he can become one. The femur is quite strong. You can sharpen one point of it and place the Crest Stone on the other side.

Femur isn't gonna move on its own. Sucks.

Gauntlets

Járngreipr is a Sacred Weapon attuned with the crest of Cichol. Why not show him what real gauntlets look like? Use the shoulder blades as the base, claws/teeth/horns/spikes as the blades, and the clavicula/rib as the handle.

The shoulder blades try to move, with the clavicula/rib handle twitching every now and then.

Shield

Think of the Ochain shield, but with an actual dragon head in the middle. The Earth Dragon's skull is surely strong enough to act as a shield, no? It could be even be holding the Crest Stone in its jaws.

I can see it trying to bite into the Crest Stone, but then stop before anything bad could happen. Survival instincts, even when you're dead.

Flayn/Cethleann - The Benevolent One

Flayn is left with the Azure Dragon. She is a light dragon, so a more traditional dragon look would fit her. The other theory says that the banner with a dragon in Seteth's office is Flayn's dragon form. Seteth could have a picture of his daughter in his office as a "do it for her!" motivational poster. The picture below is the most likely her, so I'll be using that.

VI - The Lovers

Staff

She can continue healing people long after she's dead. Let's see.. The radius and ulna can be used as the top shaft. You could curl them around each other like two tight strands of DNA. Yes, I know that will be difficult, but we have nukes, so what's bending a few bones? The Crest Stone can be placed at the top, with the hands cradling it. The humerus can be the lower shaft. There can be soft padding in the middle to act as the grip.

The fingers sometimes move around the Crest Stone, with the ulna and radius slightly rattling against each other.

Tome

She's a healer, but... See those two tiny little horns on the side of her head? They can act as a sort of lock for the tome. The upper part of her body seems to be covered in scales of some sort. Use that as the book covering, with the wing's membranes acting as the pages. The Crest Stone can be where you want it to be.

Maybe the pages try to turn on their own?

Indech - The Immovable

XIV: Temperance

We can crack this turtle open and create some weapons out of it.

Shield

That shell on its back is practically begging to be used as a shield. Those sharp spikes would also make it effective for bashing it against people. The straps could be made out of the tendons, and the Crest Stone could be placed in the top part where there are no spikes.

That shell isn't moving.

Bow

It loves to use a bow, so why not turn it into one? Take a look at the horns on the side of its head. They could be fused together to create the bow, with the Crest Stone right in the middle of it. Tendons and muscle fibers could act as the bowstring, and the spikes on the back of its shell would make for perfect arrows.

The tendons and muscle fibers that act as the bowstring could try to straighten/relax every now and then.

Macuil - The Wind Caller

I - The Magician

Huh. Surprisingly fluffy. What kind of weapons can we make out of it?

Tome

Turning the magician into a tome, eh? The scales on its belly would work as the covering, with a small hole in the side for the Crest Stone. The pages.. Hm. There should be more than enough soft cartilage to use for that.

The covering tries shift every now and then. It's like it's trying to breathe, except there are no lungs, so it's just a pale imitation.

Sword

Hey, if it likes to use a sword, why not turn it into one? Flatten the skull, split it vertically, and you'll have yourself a lovely blade to use! The crest stone? Eh, place it in the crossguard. A horn could work as the hilt. Why, you could make daggers out of it.

It twitches every now and then because it wants to return to its original state.

Bow

Using a flying beast to take down other flying beasts. It's poetry.

"With wings that control the very wind, the Wind Caller possesses vast intelligence and exalted strength."

The "wings that control the very wind" would be perfect for this. Pluck the feathers and cut away all the meat, and you'll have two bow limbs. The shoulderblades would work as the grip, though they would need to be edited a bit to make them easier to grasp. We'll use tendons and muscle fibers to act as the bowstring, and the arrows could be made out of the ribs.

This thing is going to be twitching like hell. The wings can try to make flapping motions, like it's trying to get away from its wielder.

Closing thoughts

These are the Heroes Relics designs I have come up with for the remaining Nabateans. Which one do you like best? Will you pick the one you think works best as a functional weapon, or will you pick the one that looks the coolest? It's good that the Heroes Relics never decay, so they'll always work well, and look awesome at the same time.

You know, the Heroes Relics don't decay because Nabateans just.. don't do that. They go into a deep slumber to recover from near-death experiences. It's even questionable whether or not they die from old age.

I wonder if they're still aware. The relics twitch. Why? Are they experiencing everything as a nightmare? A nightmare that doesn't seem to end? Or do they know what has happened? Are they furious? Was Miklan turning into a demonic beast an act of revenge?

Or was it an act of desperation? A way to return to what they once were?

[numberoneanika]

Honestly the roleplay blogs are stronger than I am because if I saw a post where people were saying my blog was annoying and calling me corny I would jump in a large pit and rot away

[polar-equinoxx]

Maybe I wrote my prompt…

Of Maverick calling Ice baby for the first time when he’s asleep, and

,,, well maybe it accidentally spiralled into a 3.7k fic. Whoops 😅

!!!! Spur of the Moment on ao3 !!!!

(Ice throughout the whole thing)

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I feel like I'm gonna fucking die

[faithdeans]

okay i have 15 poems for my book so far. i think i want about 30.

[incohorace]

i just had the worst fucking nightmare i've ever had in my entire life.

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

Every time Prapai gives Sky medicine, he's narcoleptic inside 5 minutes.